A2 sat there still in complete disbelief. There could have been so many people and so many androids they could have found this forsaken place, and perhaps there were, but the one they had to find just had to be freaking Commander White…
"Well, I guess we're lucky." it was Robin's comment.
Lucky? What the hell did she mean by lucky? The only person she hadn't wanted to see ever again was right here! And she knew it!
"We'll be lucky when we'll never see her face again…"
In a flash she was up, walking up to White's dead body, staring down at it with the most furious glare she could muster. She was no longer alive, but no one would forbid her to kick her ass just as Number 16 wanted to.
Or to do worse, she thought, as she summoned her Type 40 Sword in hand. No one would mind if she accidentally, or willingly, stabbed her body just a couple of times, or more.
So she thought, because as soon as she raised her sword, a leg that came behind her swept her off her feet, as she fell backwards on that same person's body, one body around her waist, and the other keeping the sword from moving, as the blade cut through the palm, and blood like drops fell on A2's abdomen.
She'd recognize these hands between millions…
"What the hell, Robin!?" she kicked the air as the taller woman brought her a short distance away from the corpse. "Just let me stab that bitch a little."
"Would you just sit down for a moment and think?" using her stronger and taller body she trapped A2 under her, holding her hands away.
"You know she deserves it! Let me have something my way for this once!"
"Going around stabbing corpses isn't going to solve anything!" Robin's angry shout and glaring eyes made A2 stop thrashing, she'd never see, her eyes like this, not directed towards herself specifically at least.
Which scared her, a bit.
But why the hell was there a reason to protect White still?
"You know she's right, Number 2. It won't hurt her, but it will hurt you, and even so, it won't bring the others back." Anemone spoke up, quietly sitting where she'd been before, watching the scene unfold.
It was so heartbreaking to see Number 2 this way, so full of hatred, when she'd been so full of hope when they met.
She understood that White had betrayed everyone of her squadron deeply, used them, hurt them, threw them away like toys, in favor of newer ones, like a child that was no longer happy with what it had, and wanted something always new, and better.
However this behavior would only have been good for nothing, would have just have put Number 2 in even more pain. And even her partner understood it.
They understood each other beyond what she believed at first. And she still wondered how the black haired woman always knew how to act in these situations.
"A2, please listen, I have absolutely nothing against you getting your revenge on her, okay? But I did mean it when I said we've been lucky to find her." as she spoke, Robin let go of A2's arms, but she still straddled her, just for safety.
"I came here to find answers, you know about what, and she's the only person in the whole YoRHa that knows everything about anything, she knows about the council, and knows every mission. I can't let this chance pass by." Robin's eyes sweetened. "Please understand."
"None of us needs to like her, or forgive her, no one is asking you to, Number 2." even though she didn't fully grasp the whole thing, Anemone felt there was something important underneath.
Perhaps more important than she dared to imagine. Perhaps it had to do with those secrets that the YoRHa that had a name still refused to tell.
For as ugly as they could have been, she, and the Resistance, needed the truth to be out, once and for all, and from there, they could decide how to move on for the future.
"I need to know what she knows, also, don't you want the truth as well? Not my truth, but your truth, about the descent?"
"What would there be to say? She abandoned and used us to make new models, and my friends and Anemone's friends died for nothing." A2 shook her head. What else could there be?
"I don't want to listen to her trying to pity me or anything. I can deal with her because it's important to you, but keep her out of my sight, because as soon as she comes close to me, she's a goner." she had a promise to keep.
She'll let Robin deal with this, but she had no intention to listen to a word coming out of her mouth, especially not about the descent, and even more about her comrades.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't like her either, and I have no intention to let her fool me again, nor to allow her to do as she pleases. I'm sure the others understand too, but if her memory is intact, I need to know what she knows." about that day, of three years ago.
A2 almost wished for White's memories to be corrupted, if they weren't so important for Robin. She knew the former human wasn't satisfied with the documents they found, and wanted to know why she was brought here, because the reason written down did sound too weak. How YoRHa came to know about her, and how they tracked her down, and planned her death, and everything afterwards, she said this so many times in the past few days.
It had been all the woman had been thinking about.
But she was right, there were still empty spaces in the whole ordeal that only White could fill.
She'd been both in charge and also participating in that mission, she had to know. Whether she liked it or not, they'd make her spill her secrets, even if she didn't talk, they still had a Scanner on their side, that sure as hell wouldn't be pleased with his Commander either.
9S wouldn't have problems poking around her head, something told A2 he may even be pleased at such a prospect.
White abused him, and all of his other instances way too much, took him, picked him apart and broke him, then rebuilt him as she pleased. Over and over and over.
And poor 2B, and also 21O having to put up with it. His closest partners and collaborators, and lover, in her sister's case, having to carry on those orders, destroying him, only to restart over again, pretending nothing ever happened.
How she hated the Commander…
Still seething, she forced herself to turn away from White's corpse, listening as Robin spoke with her Pod, contacting the others, to make them aware of their discovery, but also wanting to know if they found anything too.
At least she hoped they had better news, as she walked over, not feeling like staying close to her former Commander anymore.
"2B, 9S, 21O, have you guys found anything useful?"
"Matter of fact we did, the main terminal was damaged, but I was able to acquire some of the data left, unit data, including 6O's." the way 9S spoke with a bright smile on his face as he brought good news was contagious.
At least they found someone they wanted back.
"And our other team?"
"We haven't found something that could have been just as useful, but we found equipment that could still work. We're no longer in danger from machines, but we could always experiment." Jackass nodded on the screen, and something told them she couldn't wait to get her hands on whatever weapon or prototype YoRHa was working on.
For herself that was.
"We've also found medical gear and protective gear and armor, including some uniforms, if anyone wants to use them." Popola told them, as Devola leaned over on the screen.
"There may be just one uniform one of you might be interested in wearing again." she grinned. "One with a really long and pretty skirt."
Personally, A2 couldn't care less about the gear, she lost her fancy dress long ago, mostly broken and burned from the explosion of the server. But maybe Robin did want her own one back.
"What about you guys?" from her frown, they could tell that 21O knew something was up, since it was pretty obvious that both Robin and A2 apparently decided to take a bath in the cold waters.
They must have had some kind of news, she refused to believe that especially her protege would be that clumsy to fall in and slip. Hopefully…
"Nothing big just… White's corpse…" A2 didn't bother hiding her evident annoyance about the whole thing, and it seemed that the rest, at least the YoRHas had about the same reaction.
Suddenly they weren't looking so happy anymore.
The silence that fell was just proof of it.
"Does she look fixable?" Popola asked the question no one else wanted to.
"It would seem so, the damage looks somehow less than what my body had sustained in the village's fire." Robin answered, which meant that White had been incredibly lucky.
Though the water did do a number on the metallic components, as rust poked out from whatever was left from her clothing.
"All right… let us regroup at the ship, and we'll decide what to do with her." even though the tone was serious, 2B failed to hold back a sigh.
This was going to be one hell of a headache, they all could tell, but also, they knew just as much that it was a necessary measure. Especially if they finally wanted the whole truth as to why Robin was here.
Not that they minded her presence, despite the cold exterior the woman could be just as sweet too, A2 was proof of it.
They just wanted to know why they would involve a human into all this, how they did it, and why just one, since androids depended on humans after all. It all made little sense, even the fact that she was made to kill A2.
It seemed weak for a purpose to justify the length of the operation that it took to bring her here, and turn her into one of them, train her, and make sure she was loyal and capable to handle the missions assigned to her too.
Too much for just this one thing.
"We'll meet up on the ship then."
To say that the air back when they arrived on the ship was tense was an understatement, the group of YoRHa brought with them the corpse of the Commander that none of them liked, and that had caused them so much pain too.
If only the other people of the Resistance knew just how deep their wounds ran, they'd be able to talk freely and vent their anger.
But it wasn't easy when they all had so many secrets they were not willing to share just yet.
Robin had been the one to bring White's body on board, A2 had refused to touch it, laying it down on deck in a corner, gently, yet not as gently as she could have, the white haired android noticed.
So there was some repressed anger in her too, she was just so much better at hiding feelings, but Robin too wasn't pleased at the prospect of having White around again, no one of the YoRHa was.
If only she wasn't the key to discovering the truth about well… everything…
It wasn't just about Robin either, she was right, she too wanted to know why White would just accept to send her soldiers to die, just like she did with her group, she knew they had involved the Resistance too…
If A2 had been under orders to continue with just the four of them, then she would have at least spared the others…
She'd been thinking for so long that the fault had been hers only, but the Commander had known literally everything about their allies and their movements when they joined forces, had she been willing to sacrifice them too because they meant as nothing as her comrades did?
And then she was in charge of newer models, that were just meant to obey her orders and do as she wished, otherwise she'd just break them apart and cancel their memories, erase their own sense of self as she pleased whenever they did something wrong.
Just like 9S, and the people around him couldn't do anything else but answer orders, because they were made to believe it would have been for a good cause.
When all they were doing was hurting each other…
Did she truly care for nothing? Why didn't she oppose the will of the council? If there was one above her like Robin believed there was.
Why did she allow all of this to happen for years?
Sitting in a corner of the deck, she observed as the twins circled White's body, assessing the full damage, 2B and 9S watching in silence, the Scanner had a screen in front of him, probably he was already starting to check how much data they had gathered, now that he had the possibility to.
It was Jackass steering the ship this time, Anemone keeping a close eye, while Robin and her Operator had disappeared somewhere.
But it didn't take long for them to show up again, and Robin was wearing something entirely different from her Resistance clothing, yet very familiar at the same time.
Her YoRHa dress.
Which at the moment was adorned with a fluffy white towel around her shoulders, she probably went to dry herself off, and her Operator must have given her the uniform the twins had found so she had something to wear.
Speaking of, 21O was at Robin's side following her, she had other towels in hand and a medical kit as well.
Without bothering to ask for permission, the blonde woman laid the big fluffy thing on her shoulders, wrapping her in it. The gesture reminded her once again of something the old Number 21 would have done.
"You should dry off as well." it was the only thing she said. Right, she was still wet.
"Thanks…" she murmured, taking the towel and wrapping it better around herself, so she could take off her wet clothes.
At least she and Anemone had left their capes on the ship, thinking they would have just been soaked from the water. Everything else did, in A2's case, and it felt nowhere near as nice as the bath she took the other day with Robin.
Especially not with the unpleasant surprise they found.
"Look, I know I'm asking a lot to all of you…" Robin started, as she sat at her side.
"Don't…" she shook her head, her long hair splashing water on her face. "We know, and you were right. We all deserve the truth, you, me, all of us."
"This is our chance, we must not waste it." 21O finished the sentence for her.
The blonde took the kit she had in hand and opened it, asking for Robin to give her hand to her, A2 grimaced at the cut she made on her hand. Before the Operator could get the gel on the wound, she offered her hand instead.
"I'd like to fix it myself." she said, as the blonde woman gave her the item and held the kit open for her to take what was necessary.
"Sorry…" she whispered as she took her lover's injured hand. At least it had stopped bleeding…
"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." the black haired woman replied, as she allowed A2 to pour stanching gel on the cut. "Perhaps I should have known better than to grab the blade of a sword."
"Maybe…" but in that moment there was little else she could have done, without hurting A2, and Robin had known it.
"I just wish you'd stop hurting yourself for me." A2 admitted, as she gently wrapped the hand in bandages.
"Aren't you doing the same though?" how the hell did this woman always know her feelings?
"I really did mean it when I said you're all doing a lot for me, especially you, with this whole bringing me back, then 21O, and now this…" Robin sighed. "I know it must not be easy, for anyone. I hope one day to be able to return all of these favors, somehow."
"But it ain't easy for you either." A2 lifted her gaze towards Anemone, as she held Robin's bandaged hand. "I know there's so much you'd want to say freely, but that you're also afraid to ruin everything for us too. Anemone's getting curious and restless too."
"We can only wish that things were easy, for a change, but it doesn't seem to be an option for us." 21O decided to speak up, and A2 almost forgot she was here too. "It has never been since the beginning."
For any of them, despite their different experiences, they still shared this of having been dragged in a world of lies.
And in Robin's case even canceled to perpetuate other lies.
They didn't know the other world well at all, but the human's words spoke volumes and that was enough to tell.
"I just hope that whatever White will say will be helpful, and useful to me to finally reveal the truth. Hoping they'll believe me." and it would be about time that White said something else other than orders and lies.
She owed them that much.
"And if she doesn't?" 21O was always the one asking the uncomfortable questions it seemed.
"I can't keep the secret forever, even if she doesn't talk. Sooner or later they will grow tired and start asking questions, and it's best if they hear the story from the person who has lived through it, instead of listening to other voices." she sighed. "Whatever result it will bring."
But Robin truly hoped it wouldn't be as destructive as it could be. That at least they would be able to mitigate the damage, somehow. She was just so damn terrified to lose all she ever built, and desired ever since she was a child with these people, after so many years of loneliness…
That was why they needed White, again.
In a moment, she was dragged in a hug from a pair of cold and metallic hands, as another laid on her shoulder.
"Whatever it will be, we will support you."
Robin was not going to be outcasted ever again, she had people that cared for her, and now more than ever it was time to prove it.