Unknown to A2, there were other pairs of eyes watching her leave other than Anemone's, and none other than the remaining group of androids currently tending to Popola and Robin.
During these past few hours they got most of what they needed done anyways, that being analyzing thoroughly the full entity of the damage done to the two bodies over and over, multiple times. While Popola mostly got away with her circuits being fried entirely from head to toe, her outer frame was, albeit with residue burns, pretty much intact.
She wasn't missing any body parts nor skin and hair.
And most importantly, since she had her own AI, she didn't need a Black Box like a YoRHa would, like Robin would need, since she had stabbed her own chest open, destroying it in the process.
Along with missing all the rest, including an entire arm and half of one, and part of her legs too, circuits and wires, metal casing, skin, hair and even the eyes. Almost a full repair, and they wondered if it wouldn't have been best to just build an entire new body and salvage what they could for her.
But something told them that A2 wouldn't approve of it, given how damaged her own body was, and how attached she did seem to it. Even if for now it was just an assumption.
Thankfully the Resistance had most of the resources stashed in their warehouse in the city, Anemone had informed them, and even better, Jackass was looking after those specific parts, and at least, it was someone they knew wouldn't make it difficult to give them away.
She may even be interested in intruding in their little mad project and willing to give a hand.
It all remained to send someone to retrieve the items, and 2B had already offered to, however under 9S' suggestion, she'd wait a little longer, since looking at how unusually dark the sky was getting, it would be about to rain very soon.
And water wasn't the best friend of machine circuitry. Better to avoid possible damage, since they did have resources but they were still limited.
Also there was still the issue of the Black Box, which 9S knew how to make now, and where to retrieve what was needed to make one, but something told him that the others wouldn't be happy when they would find out why he would need a Machine Core so much.
He too was still repulsed at the idea of having such a thing whirring in his chest, and keeping him alive. The same damn things that took so much from them…
Whoever created them had claimed it was cruel to install an AI in their bodies, treating them just like the mere items they were made to be, better to not waste too much money on the making either, right?
After all, they were all expendable.
He wondered if they considered just as expendable the human they had brought here, whoever those people were. If they could be called people, as he had no idea if they were other androids, or machines, or anything else.
It could be something else entirely, maybe even the humans from where their Executioner came from.
None of them were ever allowed to know.
Except maybe the Commander.
Androids were bound to love and respect humans, almost as gods, because they were the ones that made them, as far as they had been told, and lied at. How awful must these people have been to take one of them and make her into an expendable toy android, perhaps they even took pleasure in it.
And why had 26E, or Robin, submitted herself to be one?
Out of instinct, he drew out the black sword she used from his inventory, the red glow of its markings slow and steady. Such an interesting weapon he wanted to know more of, but first, he remembered that in this whole thing, there was still a message to give to someone.
Immediately upon spotting the weapon, 2B turned towards him, holding a hand out.
"I'll give her the message." she expected him to hand over the sword with no complaints, yet, he hesitated.
"No." he stopped a moment to glance at the remains of the Executioner. "I'll give this to A2. It'll be the excuse I need to speak to her… about everything…"
He still wanted to give her his apologies, for as useless they may be. But he'd been in the wrong all along, and being mad was not an excuse for chasing her for months, and threatening to kill her like he did.
He should have been more reasonable, since he too knew what consequences a logic virus brought to, and what the metaphorically best solution was…
Also… if only either 26E or A2 would have told him about 2B…
Perhaps things could have been different, or perhaps it would have gone all to hell entirely.
There were too many sides to those events to calculate all the what ifs that could have been.
"Are you sure?" 2B spared a glance at the gray clouds above them. "You could be stuck with her if it should rain, maybe I should tag along too."
To prevent them from harming each other, with words or worse.
But he shook his head at her. "This is something I've got to do myself. I appreciate you looking out for us, 2B, but I want to prove to you, and to A2, that I can be trusted."
He walked closer to her, taking her hands into his, allowing the weapon to float on his back. "I'll be careful, I promise."
"Besides, Devola needs a capable bodyguard, and the others too. Don't wanna risk any harm coming to them, at all." he added with a small grin.
After a moment of silence, 2B sighed. "All right, but call me if anything should happen. Last thing I want is to see you two holding swords at each other's throat, again."
He raised his hands in defeat. "No harm will come to either of us, you have my word." he didn't know about A2, but given the fact she did seem to truly care for 2B, enough to save him, maybe it would count for something.
She watched him leave, blue eyes never leaving his figure until he was out of sight entirely, then she sighed, harder than before.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Devola asked from behind her.
"I truly hope so."
She was not willing to witness another situation like at the Tower's summit, with a possibly even worse outcome.
A2's legs had carried her where she and Robin used to stay when they met, at the former human's hideout in the commercial facility first. She recalled the moments of when they met a second time after their fight, and Robin brought her here, as a show of trust and to keep her away from danger.
She'd given a place to stay, just like that, treated her and just simply took her in, selflessly.
She'd left her collection of artifacts completely untouched, all but one. The little music box she left her as a token of the beginning of their partnership, that later became friendship, and then love, at least on A2's part.
She took the item with her, this small box of notes that soothed her whenever the woman went off doing her own things, when A2 couldn't follow. It helped ease her worries with that calm music.
And then, her feet took her back to that tall building, where she had woken up hours ago, almost a full day, now that she checked her internal clock. Where she climbed back up to the window of the room she had been in, and perched herself on it.
Looking outside, the sky was getting darker by the minute, covered in gray clouds, and trees rustling with the wind. Rarely she'd seen rain, though she never minded it.
Robin had told her that she'd seen rain a lot, and the night sky, of dawns and sundowns, and even snow. Made her wonder if she'd ever get to see these things too. The biggest climatic thing she'd seen so far were sandstorms in the desert, and they were hardly something she liked to see, or be caught in the middle of.
Besides, sand was particularly annoying for someone that hardly even had skin, and whose body was no longer properly sealed so it wouldn't get inside. And cause problems of course.
When it finally started raining, A2 sat there, watching the drops fall down and the leaves move and get wet. She wished she wouldn't be alone in witnessing this crying sky.
Someone may have found it rather poetic.
She sat there for a while, fingers idly playing with the broken visor that was still around her neck, at least the Pods didn't forget about it. Music box playing its gentle notes at her side, as she got lost in memories of the past, and of times spent with the people she loved with her eyes closed, refusing reality for a few moments.
All of a sudden, a small sound coming close to her caught her attention. Just now she realized that one of her knees was feeling rather wet too.
Opening her eyes again, she almost didn't believe what she saw.
A small bird sat on her leg, its feathers all ruffled, as it kept shaking its little body, trying to get rid of the water that got on its feathers, so it could fly again.
Probably it was just looking for a place where it could rest and get away from the rain, until it dried its body.
With a small smile, A2 slowly reached for the bird, offering it a finger to get on.
It looked at her, tilting its head in confusion, and then, with a little chirp, it stepped on it, and didn't move when she brought her hand closer, so she could look at it better. She just wished she had body heat to share, so the poor thing wouldn't be so cold.
The bird had mostly gray feathers, but what stood out were the bright red and orange ones of its chest…
A small tear found its way down A2's cheek. Of all the birds it could have been…
A robin…
She wondered if this was a weird message of some kind, as she moved her hand, so the robin could climb into her palm, and with her free hand, she held it over it, not quite closing it but shielding it. It seemed that the robin felt safe enough to lay into her hands, and she hoped that her metal wasn't too cold for it.
It didn't pass too long, before she heard other sounds, this time footsteps of someone that was climbing up into the building towards her. She looked towards the door, half expecting either Anemone or 2B to emerge from it, probably worried for her.
She didn't not expect it to be 9S, at all, and not alone, and even less carrying an all too familiar sword with him on his back.
She held still, but held the robin closer to her chest, hoping he didn't scare it. She couldn't help but feel unsafe around the Scanner.
"It's not easy to track you down." it was the first comment he made.
She had heard these words, but from Robin, who certainly was more proficient in finding people than anyone else.
"I wouldn't have survived three years with YoRHa chasing me if I was easy to find." she just replied, unsure as to what he had in mind for coming here by himself.
And why was it him that had Robin's sword of all people?
She didn't like it being in his hands. She would have accepted 2B's ones instead.
Suddenly, he seemed to notice she had something in her hands, as he walked closer, almost too excitedly. And she didn't want him close, neither to her nor the bird.
"Slow down, you'll scare it." she warned with a small glare.
"What is it?" he stopped moving, but was still craning his neck to try and see from afar.
"It's a robin." she moved her hands a little, so they were turned towards him, enough so he could see the tiny bird nestled between them.
"It must have been seeking shelter from the rain, how cute." he said, looking better at A2, and how she was trying to keep the poor thing safe and warm, even though androids had no warmth to themselves.
Seeing her being caring was a stark contrast to the rough android he pictured she was, and she wanted to be recognized as such, but it only confirmed 2B's words that A2 was not as cold and bad as she made it look, and like he believed.
There was a sweet side to her too.
"And you? Why are you here?"
"Ah right, I came here to leave you her sword." he pointed at the weapon on his back. "We found data in here, Pod 007 said she left a last message, for you."
"I get it, but why are you here, why not 2B?" it was clear from her words that she had yet to trust him, not that he ever thought it would be easy to earn it.
If possible even, but he thought that his latest actions counted for something at least, but it seemed they didn't.
Perhaps this ran deeper than he imagined.
Regardless, he wanted her to know nothing more than just the plain and simple truth. That no tricks were being played here.
"I wanted to come here by myself, to show you that you can trust me, and as such, I needed to be here alone." hopefully she understood it. "I know what I did and what I said to you was wrong, and being mad about what happened with 2B was not an excuse for it. She told me everything, I know the truth now, I just want to make amends for what I did."
"I don't want apologies, there's no need to." A2 replied, preferring to glance at the bird than at him.
"But I want to…" however she shook her head.
"It's not that. 9S, I… I understand you." this time she found the courage to look back. "I know what it means to lose everything you care for, and to not be able to do a thing about it, but to sit back and just watch it happen."
"I know what it means to see the world crumble around you."
She knew it, and knew it well, so she would never blame him for the reaction he had when she killed 2B, and that had been just at the end of a series of other event, as she recalled from her twin's memories, that they had just watched the Bunker burn around them and their comrades succumb to madness just before.
Just like after all that had happened, she lost Number 4 last back then, after everyone else.
"So I am not going to accept your apologies, for acting the way you did, for being emotional, and for wanting to kill me." she shook her head.
"But it was cruel…"
"Everything that has been done to us has been cruel, ever since we've been made, 9S, and you know it very well, you had all the rights to be mad, at me, at the machines, at everyone." after all they had all been just toys in someone's hands, to use and throw away when no longer needed.
"When I lost my comrades, I was just like you, bitter and mad with the world. I took it upon myself to avenge my friends by killing machines, I'd kill everything in my sight, I never asked myself why or if it was right, it felt right to me, because they had to pay. So did YoRHa, when they started sending Executioners at me. I killed and killed until nothing had any meaning anymore, not even my own life mattered, but it was the only purpose I had left, revenge was my only reason to keep existing… because I had nothing else left…"
She looked at him in the eyes, blue into equally blue ones, where the more she looked, the more she saw herself after Mount Ka'ala.
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" that he had used her as something to keep driving him forward, because he too no longer had anything left to keep living for.
He just nodded at her question, not finding the words to reply, and he knew many. Never he had expected himself and her to have had such similar experiences, never he had expected her to understand what he went through, and because she knew, she didn't blame him for it.
He had already guessed she'd lost a lot of people, listening to her and Anemone before, not that she'd straight up just confess.
"It seems that YoRHa has given you the worst parts of my personality."
"What?" he was getting more and more confused the more she spoke. What did she mean now?
"2B and I, we found some data of the Bunker's server in the Tower, data belonging to Robin's creation, and also data regarding my own, and how it had been used to create other androids, and more specifically, you and 2B." perhaps that was why they were so similar. "But I assume that nothing can truly surprise you anymore about our creation, and purpose."
"No… not really." he wasn't that surprised, no. Actually, it was probably what made more sense in this whole ordeal, given she had been created before them both.
He had expected her data to have been destined for 2B only though, since they shared the same number.
"My squadron and I, we were just tools that were made so YoRHa could create better models, like you two." created to die, just like everyone else. "None of us was ever meant to survive that mission, I was… too afraid to die…"
"I sat there crying like a little kid, while my friends died for me." for this worthless and useless captain good for nothing…
"I… I'm sorry A2…" it was all he could say, and it had been then that he realized she had been a victim, just like he and everyone else had been.
The words he'd said to her at the Tower made him feel even worse now that he knew her a little better.
She turned to the bird still in her hands. "Years later, YoRHa sent Robin after me, unlike anyone else, she treated me with respect, she understood me, because she saw herself in me. She too watched the world burn and crumble around her, way before any of us were even created."
Seemingly to gather courage, 9S decided to sit on the other side of the window.
"What I saw in her head, those memories… I didn't believe them at first but… were they true?" he shook his head to not think about them too much.
"There was so much pain and cruelty in there… of humans destroying lives, of abuse, death and murder…"
Those memories he saw, he remembered Adam's word about him wanting 2B for himself only, of wanting to touch her, but then, what those humans did to the Executioner, if she'd been just a young girl or a woman didn't matter to them, made him so sick, he didn't even want to dare laying a hand on 2B anymore.
Not that way at least, he didn't want to see in her eyes the despair he saw in 26E's own eyes.
"She never went into much detail, so you'd have to ask her if you're so curious, but I don't guarantee she will answer. She's very good at reading people, but it's really hard to get anything out of her."
And with a good reason, given her upbringing.
"... Can she truly be saved?" and please do not lie.
"Positive. Devola and I already compiled a list of materials needed for both her and Popola, and with her active we'll be able to get the job done even faster." he nodded.
"Is there something I can do to help?" she didn't want to leave all the job to them after all, she was the desperate one still.
"Not for now, besides material gathering, I suppose you could accompany 2B, I don't think she'll mind." no, she wouldn't.
And speaking of it…
"Look, the sky is clearing again." he pointed out, as sunlight started to filter through the clouds again.
And it seemed that A2's little friend noticed too, as the bird in her hands perked up with a chirp, and flapped its wings.
"You're feeling better, aren't you." she whispered, holding her hand outside the window, watching the bird quickly take off in the distance and into the trees.
"Well then, I suppose I'll leave too." 9S got up as well, reaching behind his back, and holding the glowing sword before him for A2 to take.
She took it, slowly holding it against her chest, feeling the data wanting to seep through her as soon as she held her hand on the handle, just like it happened with 2B and Virtuous Contract.
With a nod, 9S darted out of the room, leaving her alone once more.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the voice of the woman she missed more than anything during these past days, months? She didn't even remember, nor cared about it.
I don't have much time left… to whoever will find this… please pass my words to A2…
I'm sorry I had to leave you this way… I'm sorry I left you alone too… but I want you to know… that thanks to you I have known something other than loneliness…
I've known happiness…
So thank you A2…
Holding the weapon against her and curling up around it, A2 wept.
Thank you for having loved this cursed devil…