The next weeks passed rather quickly, with pretty much the same routine as the first day of tests. Robin would awaken and then taken down to the testing area, or she'd head there herself, she would train under the ever watchful gaze of the Commander and 21O, sometimes together and sometimes only one of them would be there.
But she was never alone, even without the presence of another android she still had her Pod following her everywhere, and she didn't know whether they felt the need to keep an eye on her because she wasn't trustful enough, not like it was much different from when she'd been on any pirate ship, or if they just wanted to make sure she was adjusting well.
If she had to choose an option she'd choose the latter, since for her entire life it had always been the former.
Besides, she found out that 21O's company was hardly ever unpleasant, the woman was ever serious and competent but genuinely kind and helpful, and Robin wondered if she was meant to be that way because of her programming and personality type, she got told about how the same numbers held similar personalities, or if she was just that much eager to please.
Regardless, shoving these thoughts at the back of her mind, Robin prepared herself to meet 21O already heading the same way she had been going the entire time she'd been staying here.
Of course, she'd been eventually shown other places, such as the hangar and the command center, where 21O worked when she wasn't busy with her, and of course where to find her Operator's room in case she needed anything.
Once she arrived however she quickly found out that there was someone in the room already, but not the people she was expecting to see.
There was an Operator already at the console, but it wasn't the short haired blonde she was used to, this one has a pair of braids instead, and the veil she wore could barely conceal the bright smile underneath.
Beside her stood another YoRHa unit she assumed being a combat one, this one had a shorter dress than hers open at the right side, where underneath poked a white leotard and longer boots than hers, short white hair in a bowl cut and of course, the standard black blindfold she also wore, though the woman's one also covered part of her right cheek.
The most interesting thing had to be the tiny mole on the left of her chin though. Never she expected YoRHa units to have such little details on them.
With her, floating over her shoulder in a similar manner Pod 007 was doing beside her, stood another Pod, a white one.
She could see the white haired android's posture visibly stiffen as she approached, compared to her blonde companion, whose eyes only brightened once they set sights on her.
"Look 2B, she's here early." the cheerful Operator announced, and the other, 2B, just acknowledged the information with a nod. "Wow she's tall!"
Certainly this one wasn't keeping first impressions to herself, and Robin couldn't help but smile at the blonde's reaction.
Just now she noticed she pretty much towered over both women, one barely reaching her chin, and the other being even shorter.
The Operator android stepped closer, extending a hand to her. "Unit 26E right? I'm Operator 6O, and today I will be aiding Commander White and Operator 21O in collecting combat data."
Robin gladly took the hand offered to her, watching as the other woman smiled again at the gesture, this one sure had a lot of personality to her. "Pleased to meet you."
She then turned to the other woman whose name she already heard. "And you would be 2B, correct?" she asked.
"Yes, that would be correct."
This one was very formal, perhaps even more than 21O, at least at first impact. How weird that such different personalities were paired together, because most likely 6O had to be 2B's own Operator like 21O was for her, otherwise she couldn't explain why she was here at all.
"I assume that presentations are no longer necessary?" the trio turned at the sound of the Commander's voice, 21O beside her, but she was quick to walk at Robin's side.
"26E, you're early." she commented, but it felt only like a praise.
"I should explain why I called you all here then. Unit 26E, you've got excellent results in this first phase of testing, so I decided that we would directly pass to the next one, that is why unit 2B is here." White motioned to them both.
"In order to further get you used to combat, starting today, until I deem it no longer necessary, 2B will be your sparring partner."
She watched as 2B bowed her head, humbly accepting this new assignment.
"The number 2 is a high end combat model, one of the best we currently have, and we are counting for you to be able to reach that same level." and perhaps even surpass it, but White didn't voice that out loud, she didn't want to risk offending 2B by indirectly claiming she preferred the new unit.
Which she didn't, however 26E was special, the most special unit they had, and her being a former human brought a lot of respect for her, it was in an android's program to serve humans after all.
And despite this, she'd been thoroughly amazed at the ability this woman had to adapt to this entirely new and unknown situation. White had seen very little of the planet she came from, it was hardly technologically advanced, in fact, not at all, so it had been stupefying the way the former human just took in this whole new world, and just…adjusted.
Without complaining, without demanding anything…
As a former human she expected to either rebel or attempt to take over her role of Commander, 26E did know that androids were bound to listen to their human masters, and even from another planet that wasn't Earth, she'd been still human.
But no, she had bowed her head and obeyed every order given. Albeit she held some curiosity at times, but she rarely ever questioned a thing.
White idly watched as 26E and 2B sparred with one another, the ex-human blocking a rather dangerous hit to her head from 2B's Virtuous Contract with the very own YoRHa Blade she'd been given almost a month ago by now.
She remembered the first day of testing, when the woman told her, asked her, why she could wield a sword at all, and how well she had mastered the ways of combat since then, using that weapon as if she always had one.
26E had by now total control of her body, of its strength and speed, she could sprint from one place to the other in mere seconds, or could just walk over at the most normal pace the way she pleased.
She could tear through a machine shell with her bare hands, and yet be as delicate with them to not even break a glass or a flower.
She and 2B engaged in an elegant dance of slashes and parries, watching as 2B's experience often made the other back up and defend herself, after all it had been White herself that ordered her not to hold back, but the former human seemed very used to learning things the hard way.
At least it was the impression she got.
26E seemed to be able to handle herself pretty decently, for now the only really damaged things had been their skirts, 26E's one sporting several more tears than 2B's own.
For having been in the very first real fight against another android, and not only one simple android but the best one YoRHa currently had, 26E held out really well, so much better than she expected, and she did absolutely not give her an easy opponent. White very well could have given her an easier unit to fight, such as a Scanner, but it didn't feel appropriate, and perhaps even insulting.
Could it be that the ability of learning of a human was that much superior than their own?
With the machines evolving at an alarming rate they'd have to be able to keep up with their pace, and 26E's intelligence and fast learning processes could really be the key YoRHa needed to prevail.
Never would the machines expect that one of them was, and had been that much different than a regular android.
Though White would have been foolish to think that the war could be won because of a single person. She'd have to see how 26E fared once she would be ready to take her very first missions.
Executioners could easily be mentally affected by what their role imposed on them and grow unstable. She really did not want to see such a promising soldier lose her head, she'd just have to hope she'd be mentally strong enough.
If she wasn't then it would be quite the problem. 26E could be reset like any other android but she'd never be the same if they did, and White didn't know if she wanted to put the woman through that, or if she was willing to lose her knowledge.
It was enough she'd been so adamant with them already.
In that moment White officially decided that she would never force a personality or memory reset upon 26E, unless there wouldn't be any other option left, if the worst had to come to the worst.
She had to hope the woman wouldn't disappoint her, so far, she hadn't, in the future? White couldn't tell.
Her attention was suddenly taken from a pained sound, and she didn't need to look to know that it hadn't been 2B that made it.
In the middle of the extenuating fight, finally one of the two androids landed a hit on the other, and White watched over the two opponents. 2B was standing over 26E who was now kneeling on one leg and holding the other with her hands, staining her white gloves red with blood like coolant.
2B had managed to nick 26E's right leg, slashing through her tights and skin tissue, directly into the metal where some broken wires sparked from the opening. Though the damage didn't appear to be severe enough to have to change her entire leg.
White headed over to the two, Operators following, and immediately 2B bowed her head to her.
"My apologies, I went too far."
2B offered Robin a hand, which she gladly accepted, as she stood less than steadily on her now damaged leg, her systems steadily sending ripples of pain through the cut down part. It could have been so much worse though.
She could not have had a leg at all.
It almost felt weird now that she had this really strong body to even think she could get hurt, it was so much better than her previous one, that it gave her a sense of security, perhaps even invincibility at times, and yet, here she was, the pain felt very real in this moment.
It had been quite foolish to have such thoughts.
"The maintenance team will take care of it, you're all dismissed."
In a flash, 21O was at her other side, aiding 2B in keeping her up, and helped her walk towards the maintenance wing, with 6O following close behind.
Once they entered and she was sitting on one of the medical beds, Robin was reminded of the day she'd woken up in this foreign place, that now almost felt familiar instead.
How much has her life changed in such little time…
Sometimes she still wondered if this was just some really wicked dream.
Though she had yet to find out whether this was for the better or worse, she had yet to be actually sent on the field and to her very first real mission, whatever one it would be. She'd seen nothing of Earth yet besides the way the planet looked from orbit, and if she had to say, she even felt eager at the prospect of one day being down there.
Some things never changed, she thought. She was still the ever curious child of an archeologist.
Yes… and look where that curiosity got her…
It led her to her actual death, that's where.
With an almost inaudible sigh she laid down on the bed waiting for the maintenance team to do their job. She could feel them poking around her head, rather uncomfortably, to forcibly deactivate her as they performed repairs.
She didn't even have the time to form a thought, and in a moment, everything went black.
When Robin awoke again she heard more voices than she would have liked to, and too close to her ears too, but one thing was clear, the ever vigilant presence of 21O sat beside her bed with… someone else?
She turned her head to the side, seeing a young looking boy with his short white hair and own standard uniform. He too wore a blindfold, was he a combat unit too then? He appeared to be rather familiar with 21O too.
And Robin could swear she saw him around before.
"Oh look, she's awake."
"I can see that, now would you leave her alone?" 21O scowled at the boy.
"I just wanted to meet the new unit, what's wrong with that?" the boy pretty much pouted at her, and Robin found it hard to believe this was an actual adult android.
"Commander White won't be pleased to know you've been bothering our new unit, there is a reason if her contacts with other YoRHas are restricted for the time being, 9S."
Ah so finally he had a name.
She distracted the two from their bickering as she sat up, remembering why she was here in the first place, and looking at how her leg looked as good as new, as if it had never been damaged.
Looking at it better through the tear her tights had, there was hardly any sign of injury, only if someone looked hard enough could see the stitching of the brand new skin patch that had been applied to it.
Otherwise there was absolutely no other evidence, not even any kind of pain or soreness, at all. Yet another improvement, she thought.
"Is everything alright?" 21O asked, always so worried about her.
She wasn't used to that yet, and probably she hardly ever will, to having someone that looked after you. She never did, not even as a little child before her life went into even more of a hell.
"Looks fine to me." the boy, 9S, commented, earning a scowl from her, maybe their, Operator.
"9S… Please leave us be." at the glare 21O was directing him he finally gave up.
"Yeah, yeah…"
"One affirmation will suffice."
The last sentence sent the boy sulking away from them, back to whatever else he had been doing while she slept. 21O sighed softly.
"I apologize, 9S is a good boy, but sometimes Scanner types can get too curious." she explained, and Robin's mind was instantly reminded of the Commander's words about what happened to those who put their nose in business that wasn't theirs.
She remembered the fleeting look of pain on 21O's face when the woman had spoken of such a thing.
Robin has a feeling that there was more to the matter than what neither the Commander nor her Operator were willing to share, and for her own sake, if her mind told her right, she would have to hold back her own curiosity.
She had no idea if and how many times 9S ended up in trouble, but the reaction 21O had was enough to tell that it did happen at some point. She did not want to hurt her Operator too.
She clenched her fists at her sides... since when she had begun getting attached?
Not knowing what to reply Robin just nodded back, wishing only to go back to her room and collect her thoughts. It had been a while since she'd done just that, but except the very first days, the rest had passed all in the same way, not enough had happened for her to worry.
Until now.
As she passed by she could spot the very same people she met today, waving back at 6O as she smiled at her, and motioned for her and 21O to join the little group.
"You should have seen how strong she was, for being her first fight, 9S." the cheerful Operator told the boy, who so far didn't know much about her, she assumed.
2B however didn't seem too happy, and even bowed her head at her. "Again, I apologize for hurting you, it wasn't my intention."
"It is fine, if I understand correctly I will eventually have to fight on the field, so I should probably get used to being hurt." Robin replied, though 2B did not say more on the matter.
"If we're done here, unit 26E should be resting." 21O reprimanded.
"I can go back on my own, thank you 21O." the two exchanged a look of understanding before parting ways, however Robin stayed close enough to hear bits and pieces of their conversation.
Old habits die hard, even here.
She caught word of 6O mostly, again she'd been impressed with her performance it seemed, and though quietly she could hear 2B agreeing too, while 9S was nagging 21O into trying to tell him more about her.
Also if she heard correctly 6O was interested in asking her out? She heard her singing praises on how pretty she was.
Robin was afraid that, though politely, she might have to refuse the offer, if the bubbly Operator ever mustered the courage to ask.
Was that a small sound of displeasure from 21O too? Was her Operator perhaps jealous? She really hoped not, she wouldn't want to mess up whatever this kind of relationship with her was.
She held a hand on her chest, feeling the hum of her black box.
Where did the notorious Devil Child, that didn't let anyone get into her heart, go? She technically did not have a heart anymore, but when did she start caring?
When did these androids start carving a path into her carefully crafted walls she built in over 20 years of existence?