Disappear…
This word resonated in A2's mind over and over, as she refused to accept it.
"What… what do you mean?" her voice was small, afraid to ask.
"It means what I said, if we were to take down this server, our consciousness will disappear, we no longer have a body to return, Number 2."
"I'm not letting anyone die here!" A2 yelled, taking the red haired Scanner by the shoulders, who didn't seem fazed by the act, or from the way her friend was shaking her.
"I refuse to lose you guys again! Not when I know now that you're still alive." hot tears fell from A2's eyes. "You always said that we shouldn't give up until we've exhausted all possibilities. I can't be over like this!"
Number 21 stayed silent, refusing to meet the eyes of her crying companion, a gentle "I'm sorry." fell from her lips.
"The only other possibility we have is to stay here." Rose sighed, but there was not another way.
"And then what? To stay and continue to endure attacks until you eventually all die anyways?" Anemone finally seemed to be wanting to speak up on the matter. "When we met these YoRHas you told us that survival should not have been our only reason to live. Now stand by your own words, both of you."
Yes, she did refer to Number 21 as well, she was the one that was meant to find ways out of problems no? She hadn't given up when she hadn't known if she would be able to bring Lily back to them, yet she did so anyway, even when the outcome was uncertain. She refused to believe that the Scanner didn't know what to do, or anyone else for that matter.
Where did that indomitable willpower go? Was it lost alongside her body?
"We're not leaving without you." A2 shook her head. "If it's a matter of body we can just rebuild them, yes? We have Devola and Popola helping us, they rebuilt 6O, they repaired others from deadly injuries, we can do this."
But even to her own ears she was just sounding desperate.
"And how long will that take? You can't know if by the time you'll have the bodies ready we'll still be here, there is no guarantee." Rose argued but A2 refused to listen.
"There's no guarantee of the opposite either!"
"Stop it, Number 2! Do you even hear what you're saying?" Number 16 yelled back. "As much as I hate to admit it, Number 21 is right."
"Then what was the point of doing all this to allow us to see you again?"
Why would they? Just to hurt them again because despite everything they would be forever stuck here, or die for real? A2 refused to believe they wanted her and Anemone to return just so they could watch them all die again.
Was this whole thing just entirely pointless in the end?
"There is truly no other way?" it was Robin who decided to speak up, she at least tried her hardest to keep composure.
She'd watched the exchange and listened to them talk, her heart breaking when she realized that no matter what, it seemed that A2 and Anemone would be destined to remain alone, even knowing their friends would be here.
And if they were to die again, she wasn't sure the two women could handle going through that all over again. She had already broken A2's heart herself when she died, and sometimes she felt that the woman still struggled to think about it, when she was left alone yet another time.
So she remained silent but her brain worked hard to think of a possible solution, when her eyes had landed on her pupil, 2B.
"If I understand correctly, the matter would be being able to transfer your consciousness into something able to host them as soon as possible, no?"
"But as we said, constructing our bodies from scratch would take a long time." Rose replied. "We're unsure if we can survive here that long, not now that the machines seem more determined to take us out."
"And if we had something that could transfer the data right away?"
Rose crossed her arms. "Then I suppose this would change things."
Robin could feel A2's hopeful eyes on her, as she still held on the Scanner's shoulders, and pretty much the eyes of everyone in the room.
"What's your proposal?"
"Well…" she turned towards 2B, who looked back just as determined, she probably had already understood what she had been thinking about. "We had an instance where someone had used their own weapon as a storage for their memories and subconscious, and was able to survive until she got a new body."
"YoRHa weapons have a memory storage for emergency situations." 2B stated. "Did you already forget how much I've annoyed you, sister?"
A2 wiped her eyes with a small smile. "How could I? When your voice had been nagging me for months?"
"How come you didn't know about this, Number 21?" Number 4 asked her all-knowing companion.
Number 16 was just about to butt in with some kind of witty remark, but White cut her off.
"It is something we implemented after you officially perished. Newer models were synced with the servers of the Bunker and their data always backed up, so they may have always been restored." and more often than not, reset entirely.
"Why wouldn't you do the same for these older models too?"
"Because as you may already know, they were meant to be disposable models. Would you trust my words if I said that letting you die was more of a mercy, than whatever the council could do to them if they had returned?" White's eyes met 9S, that once again had been the biggest guinea pig of said treatment.
"You all knew too much about everything, chances were the council would have just erased all of your memories, if not even worse. You would have become other people entirely, and lost the bonds you built with your friends, and between each other."
"And why wouldn't you avoid that?" Number 16 pointed an accusatory finger to her former Commander.
"I couldn't disobey their orders, even if I wanted to!" White rose from her sitting position in a flash. "I tried, I asked, pleaded with the council so many times while you were down here fighting for your lives, no matter what, they refused to listen to any word I said, they even refused my resignation as Commander. They decided, and all I could do was watch and give out orders as I lied in the face of my own soldiers."
"For whatever my words are worth now, I didn't want it to end up this way, with so many victims. I'm not seeking forgiveness for the evil I caused, but there's so much more behind it than you can imagine." she walked over where Robin's group stood.
"The council sought to ruin all they could get their hands on, with their own or through someone else's it didn't matter, but I'm unaware as to why they would need such a large number of victims. The people standing here are all there is left, and it is just thanks to their will to live, and the bonds they have between each other, even for as diverse as they are, and for how different their experiences have been."
"In the end, does it truly matter how things have been, as long as we can be together?" Robin asked. "I'm sure that if our plan works you'll get to live again as normal people, with your friends, your family. Isn't it how you refer to yourselves?"
"We could be an even bigger family." A2 added. "I'm sure you'll get along with each other."
Rose gave a sigh, looking in the eyes of the people around her, their eyes full of hopes and dreams for the future, and the answer came on its own. "All right, then let us try."
In a second it was a chaos of voices, and a chorus of thankful words towards the people that came here alongside A2 and Anemone, for giving them hopes again, and it seemed that some people were already taking on the prospect of bonding closer.
At least so 9S and 6O were, towards the people of the Resistance, particularly with Daisy and Margaret as Lily stood close by, and it looked like the woman named Gerbera had taken particular interest in the Pods as well, as she closely observed 007 as it hovered close to his owner.
Dahlia looked more interested in picking fights with Number 16, saying that soon they would get to test who was stronger for real.
In the furthest corner there were Number 21 and Anemone standing close to each other, but if someone looked well enough, they could see their hands touching, and the smallest hint of a blush on the redhead's cheeks.
The sight made Robin smile, but what made her drop it almost immediately, was watching Number 4 hold A2 in a hug, with her arms wrapped around her from behind, with no intention of letting her go.
"Soon we'll be together again."
And that worried Robin, it worried her a lot.
"You still haven't told us about yourselves. What kind of models are you?" Gerbera's voice asked from her side.
"Not one I'm too proud of…" it was Robin's reply, hoping she'd drop the topic, but to her dismay it seemed to make her and the rest even more interested.
"She's an Executioner type." White stated, keeping hidden the other fact for the time being. "So is 2B. You're already familiar with Scanner types, while Battler types are by extension a better version of Attackers, 21O has converted herself into one as a former Operator, and so did 6O who now is a Healer type."
"Our job was to guide our assigned units on the battlefield from the Bunker." 6O explained. "I was in charge of 2B, while 21O here had both 9S and Robin too."
"Robin?" Lily asked, hiding behind Daisy's body still.
She sighed. "That would be me." she replied, placing a hand on her chest.
"You have a name too?"
"That's a bird's name isn't it?"
"It's so pretty."
But the true question was…
"Why do you have a name, and the others don't?" of course Rose would have noticed it. "We know that YoRHas are forbidden to have names, unless they contributed to the war and to solving it. You must be a high ranking unit then."
But she shook her head. "It's… a bit more complicated than that."
"Robin was a human." A2 stated, flatly, since Robin still kept it hidden and didn't want to say it then she would have.
"A human?" the entire group asked at the exact same time. Right, the usual reaction, but as far as they knew she was one of the ones from the moon, if only they knew there was no one and had never been…
Perhaps soon.
She was thankful for White's intervention before everything could become a mess.
"Allow me to explain how things truly are." since she knew it best, and she felt that she had to be the one explaining too, given her involvement. "She is correct though, things are more complicated than you may be thinking of."
"Contrary to what you may believe, she's not from the moon, there's a planet out there that orbits around the same sun, she's from there."
"I think it was visible from the Bunker, we may have seen it a few times." Number 21 nodded, recalling a blue planet that was sometimes visible from the orbital base, but they were always told to never concern themselves with it, though she'd been curious to know more.
White gave a sigh. "Much like the council planned your demise, it had planned the obsolescence of the newer models as well, there was a backdoor in the Bunker meant to infect all of us, the virus was supposed to kill us, including myself."
"Goddamn council… do they not have any regard for anyone's life?" not that Number 16 was excusing the Commander for what she did, but this sounded ridiculous.
"They never did, we've told you so already when they abandoned you." Dahlia replied.
"The council was already experimenting with the next generation of androids, though I am unaware as to how many they have been made, or if they've been successful, but the next androids would be built based on the humans of said planet. However the one here is the only YoRHa type ever created, she could be considered a prototype much like your group was. Her name, we haven't given it to her, for a time, she'd been just 26E, a number and a letter, like everyone else, but her full name of birth is Nico Robin."
"But if that's the case, why haven't they used the humans of the moon? Too much of a risk?" they knew someone would ask the question about them, and Number 4 did.
"There aren't any humans on the moon. To be correct, there never have been."
Silence fell, as if the people in the cave were frozen in time, no one dared to speak, not Rose's group, and not the others.
"Did we fight for nothing…?" a small voice, Margaret.
"The humans were long dead even before you were created, but so were the aliens, Adam and Eve told us so when we found an alien ship full of corpses." Robin nodded to 2B and 9S who also confirmed it. "The humans of my planet are entirely unaware of the existence of Earth, and anything that has been happening here, our technology is not developed enough to know what there is in outer space. Here there's advanced tech while there there's still myths, legends and even magic if you believe in it."
She said so before anyone could point fingers against her, because it was true, she too hadn't known a thing hadn't she been put face to face with the existence of androids and machines and everything else directly.
"Project YoRHa was nothing more than a means to keep the androids on the surface like you, fighting this war with no meaning. All YoRHa units were no more than just mere weapons, you and anyone that came after." White gave yet another sigh, perhaps she shouldn't say this but her soldiers did have to know all of it.
"That's why… that is why you are different. Your black boxes… are machine cores."
Did White have the intention to traumatize them all in a single moment? A2 almost wanted to glare at her for the lack of thoughtfulness, but for now she kept her mouth shut.
They did have to know, sooner or later, because thinking about it better, if they constructed the bodies as they wanted, then Number 4, Number 16 and Number 21 would notice, especially the Scanner, she was too smart not to. Since their consciousnesses were supposed to be like 2B did and communicate through the weapons, there was no way they could hide this fact.
So despite everything, better make them aware now than shock them later.
It didn't look like they were any less baffled by any means. Number 4 had her eyes as wide as they could be, and kept looking between herself and Number 2 who was still in her arms, who held her head low, face obscured from her hair.
Number 16 on the other hand grit her teeth and clenched her hands with barely restrained rage. Even Number 21 looked troubled, her stoic calmness gone as she frowned, holding her chest, clutching the fabric right where her black box was.
"We… we are machines!? The same thing you wanted us to fight!?" it was just a matter of time before Number 16 would have screamed.
"So when the Resistance accused us of being machine looking androids…" Number 21's voice was a whisper.
"They were right all along." Number 4 shook her head, the whole shock causing her to release Number 2 to put her hands in her hair instead.
"That is not entirely correct, you were made as androids, but since the council had deemed you disposable they built you with the cheapest resources that were in great quantity, machine parts."
"So what? Did you make them to be some disgusting android machine hybrid just because it was the easier option!?" if looks could kill, then Dahlia's eyes would have made a hole in White's head right where she stood.
There was a flash of black, and in a mere moment Number 16's fist collided with White's face, sending her tumbling on the ground. "I dreamed every night to punch your face into oblivion, now you gave me even more of a reason to do so!"
Despite everything, White didn't move to protect herself, instead, while sitting up, she offered her other cheek to the Gunner.
"I won't shy away from your wrath, I know I deserve this. Do to me what you desire."
Number 16 dashed again in her direction, and while the others looked to each other considering stopping her, some more, some less, a person actually did.
But it was not who White would have expected, at all.
As when the former Commander opened her eyes again, on the ground beside her, there was Number 2 who struggled to hold down a thrashing and very much furious Gunner, who was screaming and sputtering curses at her old captain.
"Let me go Number 2, she deserves this, you know it!"
"I know!" yet her hands held steady on the Gunner's arms. "I hate her too but violence won't solve the problem, it won't change what we are!"
They would still be that ugly machine android hybrid Dahlia referred them as.
She didn't want to defend White, not at all, but neither did she want to see Number 16 be consumed from rage just like she'd been when she lost them. It wasn't worth it, because it would only ruin her.
"I spent these damn years murdering machines over and over for taking you all away from me, and where has all that anger taken me? Nowhere! Wherever I was, you weren't there with me no matter how many machines I killed!" she took a shaky breath.
"It wasn't worth it before, and it is not worth it now."
Upon hearing these words, Number 16 stopped moving, entirely. Sensing she wouldn't be a threat anymore, Number 2 let her go, and the Gunner raised a hand to lightly scratch her former captain's head with her knuckles.
"You've changed, Number 2." she gave the rogue a grin.
"Losing what is dear to you tends to do that."
And A2 knew she could find conformation of this from anyone present here. All the people that were in this place had lost something precious, who more and who less, but still they could relate too well to her words.
In the meantime, Rose walked over to where White was still down on the ground, offering a hand to help her up. The blonde's eyes met the captain's ones, hesitating a moment before accepting the help.
"I do not deserve this kindness." but Rose picked her up anyway.
And for the umpteenth time she sighed yet again. "I suppose then, given the existence of these secrets, that I should explain what Executioner types were made for, but I assume the answer should come easy now."
"It is just one fancy word for assassin." Robin didn't leave them time to think, better they knew right away, since no one was in the mood to keep things hidden anymore. "That's why I meant that we E types are not proud of what we did."
"There are, or rather were, two types of Executioners. One assigned to a partner to keep in check." she briefly motioned to 2B and 9S "And the other who dealt with deserters and people that attempted running." which was Robin's duty.
"When the council found out that Number 2 survived, she was deemed as deserter, in reality I believe she was just too dangerous for them to be kept alive, given the things she knew."
"That is how I met most of them." A2 stated. "And killed them too, for self defense."
She left out the fact that when they had sent 2B after her the first time to kill her, she had just entirely snapped, and stopped believing in whatever YoRHa was, and stopped trusting anything and anyone that wasn't herself.
It had been then that her personality had made an entire shift, and it had never truly gone back from it, even despite Robin's presence and affection.
"For the longest time, I thought of myself as the only victim, failing to see how they were suffering just as much as me." A2's blue eyes met Robin's multi-colored ones. "Robin had been the first to open my eyes about many things, and with time, I got to grow closer to the others too, despite all the issues that there had been between us, but in the end it was also what allowed us to bond, and what brought us here today."
And 9S was well aware she was referring to the months he'd spent attempting to kill her for having taken 2B's life. But things were much better now, and A2 was much more of a better and different person than what he had imagined, when her true personality shined through the tough girl facade.
"That is exactly why we won't be judging you for what you are." Rose's words caught the attention of the YoRHas.
"You must know by now, but we Resistance have spent many years together, that we stopped caring for anyone else that weren't the people around us, not for the humans and not for whatever other purpose there was, for us, there was just our family that counted."
Robin could easily recall both Anemone and A2 mentioning something similar.
"We had decided to take these girls under our wing, they have become part of this family, because regardless of what they were, they were still victims of an ill fate, much like us. From your words of now, I can see the same thing here, and if Number 2 and Anemone deem you as family, then you also are for us."
Rose's eyes scanned the crowd. "In the end, aren't we all just victims?"
Those had been Robin's own words to White a few nights ago, repeated right here and right now in the same way.
"We are different, but this shouldn't matter because in the end we are also all the same, because no matter what, none of us was responsible for the way they were made. We have feelings, we care for the people around us, we have hopes and dreams, and this should unite us."
Once again, Rose extended a hand forward, this time towards Robin.
"For this reason we will humbly ask you to take that slim chance there is, and to rescue us."
The human didn't hesitate a second in taking that hand.
"There is no need to ask anything, we would have tried anyway." again her eyes met A2's "Because our friend's happiness is ours."
So now then…
"Pod, put us in contact with Pascal." and 007 did just that.
After a few seconds, the machine picked up the call, and his face appeared on screen, with much awe from the older units present here.
"Miss Robin." he tilted his head, noticing there were a lot more people there. "There's everyone else and many new faces too."
"They're our friends, Pascal." A2 answered.
"Pascal we need your aid, at the moment these people are stranded on an island, stuck as data in a machine server they can't get out from, except with the aid of an actual machine to hack the main part. Can you head over here to help them?"
"Sure thing, any friend of my friends is my friend too." he nodded at them. "Great, Pod, send him the coordinates, we'll be waiting for your arrival in the middle of the crater."
"I will fly over as fast as possible." and with that he hanged the call.
"He seems… friendly…" however Rose still frowned. "I did tell you that machines have changed, would you still doubt it considering how fast you know they could evolve?" Anemone asked.
"I suppose not, but we'll see if he'll truly be helpful when he gets here."
"2B and I will wait for him outside the backdoor, as a Scanner I can enter and exit more easily than anyone else." 9S offered. He and his partner were already off before anyone could say a thing about it.
Robin smiled as she watched them go, how times had changed from before, and how happy they were that they could stay together without any blood being spilled, tears being cried and lives being taken. They were so carefree now.
"I missed you so much, Number 2." Number 4's voice reached Robin's ears, almost like a taunt.
The white haired YoRHa still held her hands on A2, this time holding onto her arm like a crutch. Robin clenched her fists at her sides, forcing herself not to say anything, just because she knew the girl was important for A2, and no other reason.
"Soon I will get to hold you in my real arms again."
She almost lost it when she watched Number 4 reach for A2's cheek and leave a kiss on it.
"Excuse me." shaking her head, she rushed away from the group and towards the shore.
The sea had always been an old friend of hers she could confide her thoughts to, and wouldn't judge her.
Once again she wondered once Number 4 would actually be back, where she would be standing in A2's heart. If there would be a place for her in there still.
Perhaps this had all been just a cruel illusion.
Wishful thinking.
Merely just the long standing dream of a loveless child, that still dared to hope that things could ever be different for once in her life.
Monster
The word chanted from the machines and from the voices of her past said, and she laughed, cold and bitter, holding a hand over her eyes.
"Monsters were never meant to be loved anyway."