Out of pure instinct of self defense, Robin took out Scarlet Despair and pointed it to the figure before her, as he literally teleported from the top of the building he was on and in front of her.
Her mouth twisted into a snarl. "Adam."
"Oh, you remember my name, I'm flattered."
But Robin had no time for games, she needed to settle this matter and go back to A2, without leading him to her. She was sure the humanoid looking machine wouldn't spare a thought in harming and killing a wounded android.
Also, hadn't he just called her a human? Was he bluffing, or did he know?
"What do you want?" she didn't want to be friendly with him, even more after what he said he could do to humans, and wanted to do.
Her body was no longer a human's though, so she had no idea what he could possibly be up to, to seek her out this way. Even if he did end up killing her, he would end up murdering just another android in the end.
But he looked nothing but amused at her reaction.
"Such a fierce glare in such peculiar looking eyes of yours. Such a shame they were covered from those blindfolds YoRHa androids wear the first time we met."
As he walked even closer, Robin held her sword closer to her chest still, the blade shone a brighter red, as if it understood her feelings and her need of protection.
"That sword of yours, it is also very interesting. A unique weapon for someone as unique as you are, am I right?"
"Are you here just to see if the information you got is correct or what?" she was getting tired of his presence, and it wasn't just the instinct of an android that had been coded in her, she was truly getting annoyed by all the people wasting her time today, first 2E with her insane dedication to the mission of protecting humans, and now him.
She had someone to take care of that was way more important.
"No dumb questions asked I see. So you must have already guessed that we were able to hack into the Bunker's server then. I knew you were smarter than the average android the moment you spoke to me, but to imagine a human turned android? That was just too good to be true."
Was this yet another monologue of his? A genius wasn't needed to guess that the only way they got the information was from either the Bunker's data, or somehow they heard her talk to A2.
But the fact he didn't mention her at least told her they weren't aware of her location. Or at least she truly hoped so, because they were just at a bridge of distance from her, and she hoped A2 didn't have an idea to sneak out for some reason.
"Well, sorry to disappoint, but you'll find nothing more than a regular android in me now. You've arrived late." she allowed herself to grin, knowing he'd get nothing out of her body. "And if you're hoping I'd somehow comply and tell you something about the humans on the Moon, you're very mistaken."
Not that she knew a thing about them. And even if she did, she didn't want to send them to their deaths, unless maybe they were anything like the pirates she encountered during her human years.
She could spare a thought for ones like them, if they weren't already dead that was.
However, having never seen them there was no way to tell if any of these thoughts were remotely correct.
"Unfortunate really. I was hoping that at least a human would have shared her knowledge with us machines." he started pacing around her, and she didn't like how it made her feel like a precious prey.
"What are you even? Some kind of protector that rejected her humanity in favor of being an android, and to fight for her species first hand?"
So he didn't know all about her then, he didn't know she was not from where he thought she came from. Good, meant that machines hadn't managed to hack into the Bunker's server that far, because her creation was classified material even for her, only White could access it.
"Why should I tell a machine? You're made to kill my kind, why should I make it easier for you?"
He said she wasn't dumb, so then why was he asking her such stupidity hoping she would accept? Maybe he wasn't really that smart but thought he was, trying to show off with his knowledge of a lot of words other machines didn't possess. Certainly he was sure to be some intellectual man, dressed the way he was.
Where in this damn world would anyone find a business suit nowadays? And even glasses she was sure he didn't need.
"I seek to learn and adopt all faces of humanity my dear human girl."
She glared at him for the comment. "I've lived far longer than you even just as an android. I'm hardly a girl. You however have had the lifespan of a baby." even a blind man could see she hardly looked like most female models, made to look more like teens than adults.
Suddenly a tendril of light rose from the ground to slap her in the face before she could react. She stumbled backwards a little but didn't falter.
Someone didn't like the comment.
Adam further emphasized it with his next words. It seemed like he was tired of asking nicely. Not that she'd comply to realize the desires of something that was made to extinguish her race, well, former race but still hers.
Besides, machines killed a lot of androids too, the only people that for once accepted her for who she was, and didn't judge her from a stupid name she'd been given from the Government meant. Well… A2 did, and it was still one more android that treated her the way she had always desired, compared to absolutely no human.
She still cared for the people she left behind at the Bunker too, and for all of them she'll keep fighting even if she no longer was part of YoRHa.
Realizing now that she truly for the first time in her life she genuinely had grown to care for someone, all these fellow androids tore through her heart little by little and had shown her what it meant to care for your comrades.
"You have the name of a pretty bird, then, will you sing for me!?" he said those words with more anger than Robin thought he would.
She didn't know how but he managed to summon machine parts from nowhere, and then throw them at her. With a sideways slash she cut through most of it, but she didn't see him summoning even more with his other arm, and repeating the same motion.
The second barrage of scraps hit her square in the face and chest, the impact sending her flying backwards a bit, skidding through the grass she crouched to stop herself from falling.
She raised a hand to her mouth, as she felt blood like liquid fall from it, it covered her white glove in red. He split her lower lip.
But like hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Hiding emotions, especially pain, was one of the things she did best.
On too many occasions she had to stay quiet, for different reasons, but all important ones.
Dashing forward and rolling away another horde of scrap metal, she charged back at him, but her sword, even on target, never collided with Adam's body.
Just like the first time she, 2B and 9S, fought him and his brother Eve, he was still impossible to hit, as he could dissolve in hard light and reform himself somewhere else. So then… how the hell was she supposed to kill him?
Using the moment she was off balance, he kicked her in the back, hard.
She fell down on her knees, barely moving away Scarlet Despair from her chest so she didn't impale herself with the weapon, reacting just in time to roll away another kick, but in a flash Adam was upon her again, trying to keep her on the ground, and hold her arms away.
"Pod!"
Answering to her cry of help, 007 fired a laser, forcing Adam off her for the time being.
But even so, the problem that she couldn't hit him still remained, and no hits meant she couldn't harm him, and subsequently, not kill him. She needed a plan, and fast, before he got a hold of her again, and started doing even worse things.
Nothing came to her mind, she didn't know why he was able to reform and teleport like this, and without knowing she had no idea how to counter.
Also she was no Scanner model, despite how many people liked to tell her how similar she was in curiosity, but her hacking abilities were nonexistent, so forget trying to dive into his head and attempt to hurt him that way.
She attempted rushing at him, maybe, if she tired him out, she could find an opening fast enough before he could dissolve. It was her only hope to at least try to land a scratch.
He just watched, amused, as she tried and tried again to hit him, unsuccessfully, as just before her glowing sword could land a hit, he teleported away every single time.
Why in hell couldn't she do anything?
"Haven't I told you? You can't kill me as long as I'm tied to the machine network." so that explained it then.
But Robin didn't want to show him she thought to be helpless, that no. Even if she didn't like where this was going.
Never show weakness in front of other people you can't trust, that had been one of the rules she lived by, before becoming what she was now, and who she was, and it kept her alive for plenty of years.
Besides, she did notice that anytime she tried to slash at him, he had a tendency to reappear behind her, where she couldn't see him. A coward with no honor that liked to hit from the back, as expected from a machine.
But still a useful pattern of action he was taking every single time, and it meant a possible opening for an attack.
"You amuse me, is it human determination, or just desperation?" he opened his arms as a mock gesture. "Come, show me more!"
Oh she would show him, now that she understood his motions, even if she couldn't kill, she'll show him to not play around with her. He chose the wrong assassin to mess with, she hated being made fun of, and being laughed at, she had enough of it to have lasted an entire lifetime. Not that he knew of it, nor that she'd tell him.
That, and the fact that even her android body was getting tired of chasing him around, as she felt her legs become numb more and more as she moved, her arms started aching and her breath was all but even.
Robin charged to strike again, but at the last second, instead of slashing in front of her where she could see Adam, and knowing he would disappear immediately, she spun around on a leg and just like she predicted, he reappeared behind so she slashed at him before he could fully form, and he would by the time her blade reached her target.
It hadn't been a deep cut, but she managed to damage his arm, as blood like liquid soaked his white shirt.
This caused him to retreat from her immediately.
The cut healed right away, but still, that had been enough to damage his pride, and to prove her point that she was not a toy.
She had quite liked to hear him howl in pain. That had been a sound she could pride herself for.
However this motion tired her out more than she should have, she wavered on unsteady legs, but like hell she was going to bow down on her knees in front of him.
Damn this machine and his bloody tricks.
"Perhaps I have underestimated you." she heard him reply. "Guess I should stop playing then."
With a flick of his hand, more tendrils of hard light appeared all around her, and what he wanted became clear. He wanted to trap her.
Robin did her best to escape from those things, but wherever she went more kept forming, and she was tired. Too tired to keep running.
After a bit of resistance, Adam effectively managed to secure the tendrils around her like ropes, holding her legs down and forcing her on her knees, and her arms splayed at her side.
This all recalled a lot on how she used her devil fruit powers those years ago. To submit people and break bones.
How ironic she ended up like this herself now.
Still, not wanting to give in, she struggled against the hold, but the more she moved the more of those light ropes appeared. All useless fighting.
With the corner of her eye she noticed Pod 007 was also stuck, she doubted it could answer any kind of order in that state, as much as she would have liked it.
Now satisfied with holding her down successfully, Adam approached her, grabbing her chin none too gently in his hand. "I must admit, you're a rather pretty woman, even prettier bound in chains of light like an angel."
"I'd rather be called a devil." she snarled back, recalling her old name, but if angel meant this then she'd take the freedom of another name.
"Still fighting back I see. I like that. Perhaps it is why you humans are superior to androids, such strong emotions and willpower."
"I doubt you understand what emotions even are." she glared. Didn't the Commander say that machines were just weapons incapable of thought and speech even?
Then again, there was one that looked like a humanoid right here. She shouldn't trust White's words anymore and whatever she told her in the past.
"And that is why I want you." his hand tightened, this time lingering on her neck, but not enough to cut off air, yet.
"I admit, androids are rather fun to play with, but their bodies, and even more so their minds, are rather fragile, just like that young Scanner boy."
So that's where 9S went! Adam has him captive somewhere.
Not that it is supposed to be her problem anymore, but she thought at how desperate 2E looked when she accused her, and then 21O, she loved the boy like a son…
But at the moment she was in all other troubles herself to even think she could attempt to solve others. And she doubted YoRHa would even be grateful even if she managed to help, probably would send some other E type to her last known location as thanks.
"So show me, show me how long it will take to break a combat model with the willpower of a human!"
Defiant, she glared even harder at him.
"You won't break me." maybe her body, but no one could break a spirit that was no longer there to begin with.
He just chuckled back at her remark. "We shall see, human."
Adam reared back to strike the first hit of many Robin knew would come.
"I demand you once again, sing for me, pretty bird!"
And with that statement, the first hit collided, straight to her face, she felt her nose break at the impact, but, gritting her teeth, she didn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream.
She didn't before, and she wasn't about to do so now.
Blood like oil dripped from her mouth and nose, but still, she held her head high, waiting for whatever was next to come. She was not new to torture, both received and given, but this time she doubted there was a chance she'd make it out.
So for what she could, she would not give him what he wanted, whatever that was.
Even if she went, she'd go out as a victor.
Adam spent his time debating what to do, trying to make it as painful as he could and attempting to gauge reactions from her. His favorite thing seemed breaking stuff as he took her left arm.
Starting with her hand first, he took every single finger of it, snapping it out from its socket, but not quite tearing it away from the rest of the hand, so it was left to painfully dangle around as its nerves were still connected.
He then did the same with her wrist, then elbow and then shoulder. And still, biting as hard as she could, and almost breaking her own teeth, she gave him nothing more than a little grunt and labored breaths as her left side flared with atrocious pain.
He didn't even hold the arm down with the ropes, rendered useless as it was.
"What the hell are you even seeking from me?" she panted, she still didn't have an answer as to why he would be doing this, aside from his stupid monologue of wanting to break her.
"If you want information, I have none…" she continued. "If you wish to pride yourself that you've killed a human, well, no one will believe you, I'm just a regular android now, no flesh and no blood to examine anymore… nothing special.."
Grimacing, she kept talking, not to convince him to let her go, she wouldn't beg, but to try and point out that whatever he did, even if he took her out, he'd get nothing out of it.
"If you're hoping to stall this thinking some other YoRHa android will come to my aid, and have someone else to test, well… you're a bit late…" she looked at him in the eyes, he was growing increasingly irritated the more she spoke.
"I deserted 3 days ago."
"3 days, 12 hours and 48 minutes, to be exact." Pod 007 clarified for her.
"No one will save me, and if you kill me, you'll never meet me again." she breathed. "Even if I die, you've lost."
She felt sad for leaving A2 alone, but if this had to be the end, then so be it. She'd go out shamefully, but still as a winner.
Robin heard Adam release a pure sound of anger, summoning a machine spear, pointing it at her chest. In his face a look of pure mad fury for her words, at the realization that she'd been correct, and that he did all of this for nothing.
That it had all been useless. She was just like any other android around now.
Still, with a rageful cry he still struck her.
Pain and static flooded her senses, similarly as to when she had asked A2 to take her out for the first time in her new android life. The tendrils around her let her go, and she fell forward on the grass, painting it red.
As darkness engulfed her, she heard someone call her by her human name…