A2 knew something was wrong, she didn't know how but she had this feeling and it wouldn't go away no matter how hard she tried.
It passed just a few hours since Robin left for supplies, she trusted the woman's word that she'd be careful, even in enemy territory. She did tell her that she had more than enough experience in this kind of thing, that to survive she had to steal more than just a few things through the years.
It was YoRHa that A2 didn't trust one bit.
Nor she trusted the machines, but Robin had proven more than capable in handling them just as much as she was.
A group of androids was another thing. She had dealt with enough groups ranging from two to a few more units to know how hard it was to keep track of them all, and to outsmart and outclass them too.
She felt that her worries were more than legit. What if YoRHa found her and she was engaged in battle alone against who knew how many enemies? What if they convinced her to go back to Bunker? Or tricked her somehow?
Or if…
Shaking her head she pushed away the thought, even though YoRHa could do so much worse than just killing her, erasing her humanity would have been even worse. And it had been something White had always threatened Robin with, she'd been told.
She'd began to restlessly tap her hand against her good leg, Robin was an expert in what she did, but she too could fall victim. She should have faith, and yet… here she was, anxiously waiting.
Hours passed, one after the other, and of the former human not a trace in sight.
It didn't even take that long from the commercial facility to the flooded city and back again, especially with a YoRHa's speed. E types were the fastest things right after her own self after all, and Robin was the best one made.
What if she encountered problems, or enemies? What if she was somewhere alone and maybe wounded? What if she couldn't get back and was out there waiting?
With a growl of frustration, A2 got up from her cot, cursing and wobbling a bit. The makeshift bandage Robin made was still holding, but maybe it was better to reinforce it a little if she wanted to walk.
Looking around and finding nothing within reach or sight, she decided her own sorry excuse of a cloth could do, as she unwrapped it from her torso, and tightly around the leg to keep everything together even better.
It would have to do, because she was not going to sit around any longer.
She would find Robin, wherever she ended up, even without one of those flying boxes she had with her, never needed one and certainly she didn't do now.
She waited enough.
Two hours, then three, five became too much already, and now it passed the seventh hour mark. This did not look like coming back soon to her.
So screw her damn leg, it was not going to stop her, she'd been wounded way more than this and survived without help, and now that she had it she should have not become too complacent with what she'd been given.
Dragging it around a little, she managed to settle enough to move, wasn't the best but it was still something. She'll think about fixing it properly once she found Robin, and the supplies she had gotten.
Hoping she had actually managed to snag some. If not she'll do some scavenging, like she'd always done until now.
But right now her priority was to find her companion. How odd that word felt now, and how long had she even used it… but it didn't feel wrong to call the former human like that.
She was the closest thing to a friend she had in years.
Making her way out from the facility, A2 dragged herself towards the bridge, and that feeling of anxiousness of before returned tenfold. She hadn't felt this way in such a long time, not ever since she stepped into that server room almost four years ago by now, and laid her eyes upon the two entities in it.
And matter of fact, there were some entities in the distance, on the other side of the bridge, and looked like they were fighting?
Squinting better she noticed one of the two was being held by something, one figure with long white hair stood above the other with… black hair… and a YoRHa attire…
A2 paled at the realization… that was…
Her legs moved before she could form any kind of thought that wasn't getting there as fast as she could, stumbling her way on the unsteady bridge.
But she didn't care, nothing else mattered but saving Robin.
She could not… she couldn't lose her… not her too…
With much horror her blue eyes fixed themselves on the spear that the other person had pointed towards the black haired woman, realizing his intentions.
Faster! Move faster! Get over there! Stop him! Don't let him take her away from you too!
Her mind screamed at her as she pushed forward, but as much as she tried she was still being too slow, too damn slow…
As the weapon came down to strike the former human, her name came out of her mouth on its own.
"Robin!"
A desperate scream that had been worth nothing as she watched the woman being impaled on the spear. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes… why did it always have to end this way?
Stumbling the very last meters, she fell over, dragging herself at Robin's side as the woman lay unmoving on the grass, blood like coolant oozing out from the wound in her chest. In an act of foolish hopelessness, she took the woman in her arms, wrapping them around the hole trying to not let too much liquid fall through.
"Ah, so the human was trying to protect an android reject. How poetic."
Blue eyes holding a furious glare looked up at Adam. How dared he mock her like this? How dared he even speak of Robin at all?
"Shut your trap, you goddamn filthy machine…"
But Adam didn't seem scared, if nothing he was loving this reaction.
"Such a foul mouth, Number 2. Perhaps I should remedy that, and fix what my predecessors have failed to do."
As Adam lifted his weapon, now dirty with Robin's blood, A2 did the best she could, reaching for the nearest weapon, fearing that her Type 40 equipment could end up damaging the already wounded android further with its electric sparks, which was none other than Scarlet Despair, Robin's sword.
The blade glowed brightly and erratically, as if it sensed A2's own anger and displayed it in its own way. As soon as A2 laid her hand on the hilt she knew why Robin claimed the sword was so special, it seemed to have a will of its own and a mysterious energy within itself she could feel through her hands as if it was her own.
But now it wasn't time to think about that.
Adam's spear came down again, A2 did her best to block the hit one handed, and with the rest of her body she tried to cover Robin's bigger one with her own, still hoping somehow she was still alive, and was determined to protect her.
If she ended up dying, at least it won't be for a dumb reason this time, and… maybe she won't be alone in it…
Adam pushed down on the black sword, A2's arm struggling to handle the pressure, and failing. With a grimace she waited for the pain to come…
… but it never did…
A sound from the back of a firing laser could be heard, and Adam grunting in frustration as he'd been interrupted. She had forgotten of Robin's little box companion, but… didn't those things only take orders from their owners?
"You know what? Perhaps I'll let you live, I'm interested in a superior Number 2 anyways." the machine grinned down at her, then turned away from A2, as if distracted by something.
"It seems that said guest has arrived too, well then, I shall bid my farewells. Next time we meet, maybe you can tell me how losing someone you care feels."
Defiant as ever, she held Robin's body even closer. "I'll save her." she spoke with more determination than what she truly felt.
"Will you? Foolish android, you never were able to save anyone."
With those words he left, leaving A2 hissing through clenched teeth at his claims, how dared he? He knew nothing of what truly happened!
"Is he truly gone?" she whispered, really hoping he was so she could focus on getting Robin away from here, though part of her feared an attack from somewhere unknown.
"Affirmative, no machine lifeforms detected in the near proximity." the void of Robin's pod almost startled her, the thing barely talked unless it was the woman asking something.
Certainly A2 didn't expect it to answer her.
Eyes blurring with tears, she turned to give Robin attention again, but the woman wasn't giving any signs of life, making A2 doubt she had arrived in time. Maybe that machine was right in the end…
"This Pod suggests to take Unit 26E somewhere safer, so we may begin repair." again, that floating box made her jump, but it was saying that then…
"Is she alive then?" she asked, her voice betraying a hint of hope.
"Affirmative, Unit 26E's black box signal is still active, as such, this Pod suggests we hurry back to the hideout in the commercial facility."
A2 gave a nod. "Right."
The thing was right, there was no time to lose, and it seemed to know how to fix Robin too, they just had to take her away before her black box stopped working, and quickly.
But as soon as she tried to scoop her in her arms, the other woman slipped away from A2's grip, as her arms were slick with red coolant. However she didn't hit the ground again, as the Pod floated closer to its owner, extending its longer arms and lifted the dying android through its NFCS systems, and began making its way towards the bridge.
Besides, A2 cursed to herself when she rose from the ground, stumbling through, how was she even supposed to carry Robin, a heavier android too, if she could barely walk by herself?
She hated to admit it, but that Pod was being damn useful right now. For unknown reasons it had decided to act without orders and she'd be lying if she wasn't glad it was here.
The two hurried back as fast as A2's legs could carry her, she would have crawled if she had to, as long as they left the open area of the city before anyone else could spot them, if that happened…
A2 shook her head, no, that didn't happen, she had to stop thinking that the worst already happened.
That damn machine… her comrades were dead, and that had been her failure, but she was not going to let that happen again if she could help it. She was stronger now, right?
She cleaned her hands and arms the best she could, so they hopefully wouldn't be so slippery, with a towel the Pod materialized once they arrived, along with all the supplies Robin had found, and after it placed its owner on her cot.
She'd spent her own years as a fugitive fixing herself without any help, if there was a time she needed to resort to all the knowledge she gathered, it was now.
First thing of course, she couldn't access the wound with those clothes in the way, and she had to see how truly ugly it looked. So with the most delicate touch she could, she removed the long dress Robin wore, thankfully the zip in the front made it easy.
Next came the white, well now red, top she wore underneath. With another towel, A2 covered her chest area to still give her some kind of decency, as the wound was lower than that.
The spear of that machine tore right through from the front to the back, destroying anything there was in between, from the opening in the front, A2 could see Robin's black box peer through just above.
The hit had just barely missed it…
She wouldn't be able to properly repair the skin, but if she could fix the wiring and the metal encasing it would hold just nicely, and refill what was lost of all the coolant to stabilize the system again so it would overheat.
Thankfully it seemed Robin got everything to prepare just for this type of situation, though A2 preferred that it wouldn't have happened, but if she hadn't gone then…
Then A2 wouldn't have any items to even attempt a fix.
Robin's purple box floated closer, instructing her on how to maneuver, and bringing her the items needed. Steadily they began to cut the wirings, old and new so the two parts could be united to do their proper job again.
Using proper precision items was certainly better than using her own sword any day.
The first wire repaired, A2 moved on to the second, and then third, until they were all fixed, thanks to the Pod turning Robin around for her, she could easily access the back as well.
As A2's deft fingers worked, she couldn't help but recall the many times she had watched that Resistance woman, Gerbera, mess with things like these, occupying herself with the maintenance of her friends too.
All she knew, she learned about this was from the Resistance, and from the all knowing mind of Number 21.
How she wished they were here right now…
Wires fixed, she began refilling them with coolant, and then worked on the metal encasing, so that the area wouldn't be as open and vulnerable.
A2 wondered what her friends would say if they ever saw her now, trying to save someone's life when all of them had perished for her foolishness. Why couldn't she be this knowledgeable back then?
Why couldn't she be smarter than dragging them all to their demise?
She shook her head. "Stop it A2… the words of that stupid machine are getting to you…"
But she knew he hadn't been wrong, she was never able to save anyone back then, what made the difference now? After all Robin had still been hit, she was still in danger, and here she was sitting fixing her only because she'd been considerate to think about this scenario, and because Pod 007 somehow decided to act on its own accord and aid her.
In the end it was the damn box guiding her hands still.
Felt a bit like having Number 21 stand over her shoulder and give instructions so she'd succeed. No, Number 21 would have fixed an android by herself, she was made for this.
A2 wondered if she would have done the same for Robin if she was here, just like she had saved Lily from the virus. If they all would have done the same, it had been a team effort after all, would they have risked their lives like this for her too?
Would they have approved her decision to trust another YoRHa, though special in her own way, so much to wanting her to survive as much as she wished they would have survived too?
Was it right to feel about Robin, someone that barged in her life as a potential assassin like many others, like she felt for her comrades?
But then again, hadn't the Resistance tried to kill them at the beginning too? And then accepted them? What was so different now? Not like the Commander ever helped before either.
In the end she always wanted her and them all dead, before and after.
With a sigh, she admired her handiwork, the wound was now closed again, save for the skin, which she cut off the loose ends to not make it too uncomfortable, since she had nothing to add to it and sew together.
It was time to work on fixing the arm now, though here the joints had just been misplaced, so if she put them back the way they were, and wrapped them tightly, it should be enough for them to heal just fine.
As she took the broken hand, she gave it a small squeeze, while her free hand rose to gently stroke Robin's cheek.
Was it so wrong to desire someone at her side again?
"Number 4… what do I do?" she whispered.
What if it ends all the same again?
Once done with what she could do, she wrapped up the wounds and Robin's uncovered chest and midsection, and with those doubts still lurking in her mind, she curled up next to the former human, physically and mentally drained from all this.
When Robin came to, the first thing that she noticed was that she was somehow staring at the ceiling of the facility, and then she recalled the events that happened…
The exchange with 2E, and then Adam found her, tried to gain information, then to torture her… and then he had stabbed her…
She should have died, again… and yet…
Placing a hand on her black box, that was still definitely very much working, she noticed the lack of skin, and the opening underneath, and also that she was wearing nothing from the waist up at the moment.
Did someone fix her?
The weight she felt on her left arm answered her. A2 was asleep next to her, her own arms wrapped around her repaired one, if the bandages were any indication of it.
Was it her? Did she save her?
A purple floating object caught her attention.
"Good morning, Unit 26E." right, her Pod was here too.
"Pod, what happened?" it knew, she was sure.
"Unit A2 showed up after Unit 26E's exchange with the machine lifeform known as Adam, after the machine left, this Pod assisted Unit A2 with repairs." did it help A2 willingly? A Pod? Made to obey orders and 007 specifically was made just for her?
Was it… worried for her? Were they both?
"Thanks." she raised her free arm to pet it.
"Proposal, Unit 26E should awaken Unit A2. This Pod has noticed an intense emotional distress from Unit A2 while she was conducting repairs, hypothesis, seeing Unit 26E awake could stabilize Unit A2's distressed mental state."
Of course this would happen… of course A2 would have been worried about her.
Of course she would hurt her like this… after all she had heard from her story too no less!
She had pretty much got in her life and forced herself in to be at her side, without thinking at how A2 could have felt at the idea of handling another loss.
She just wanted knowledge, and to protect her, that she hadn't thought about protecting her from this, from facing another death. Because no one in this world is ever safe, and she'd been a fool to think otherwise.
But you've always been selfish, haven't you Robin?
Stupid, stupid idiot she'd been…
"Robin?" a sleepy voice called out to her. "You're awake!"
A2 raised herself to a sitting position, with a trembling hand, as if unsure, she placed it on Robin's cheek, and she let her.
"All thanks to you." she gave a small smile, placing her own hand over A2's. "My savior."
"I did nothing, your Pod…"
"You worked together to fix me, even if Pod guided you it had still been your hands that did all this." she said, cutting her off.
She hurt her enough, she was not going to let her doubt herself, not when she'd been the reason she was still alive.
"I'm here because of both of you, okay?"
A2 just nodded then sighed, even if she didn't voice it her fear was well evident on her face.
"I'm sorry this happened." at this point, she deserved to know what happened. "Adam found me when I was returning, the machines hacked in the Bunker's server, he knew what I was."
"That bastard…"
"He wanted information, and when he found out that I wasn't lying about not knowing about the humans on the moon, he attacked me, furious he got nothing out of the exchange. I couldn't do anything to him, he's tied to the machine network and as long as he is, he's invincible, but I was able to land a hit. I might have lost the battle, but I still won in the end." she explained.
"He would have killed you for nothing at all… but then I saw you and I…"
A2's lip trembled, and Robin had the feeling Adam had something to do with her mental state too.
"He said that I wouldn't have been able to save you, because all my friends are dead…" the white haired android hung her head in shame. "I was afraid he would be correct…"
"But he wasn't, I'm here, A2."
Seemed satisfied with this, A2 laid back down next to her, after a moment of silence she spoke again. "When I was unsure, Number 4 always knew, she always knew what to say, and if we were alone she'd hold me…"
Without a word, Robin took her arm and wrapped it around the still frightened android. She wasn't Number 4, but she could hold her too if she wanted and if it helped.
She couldn't promise A2 that something like what happened before would never happen again, this world had too many dangers, just like the other, for a wanted woman. She couldn't promise that she'd never die, that would be lying, and it would only hurt her.
She could only hope to do her best to try so that another situation like this wouldn't happen again too soon, to neither of them.