"To make things clear once again, our priority is to protect our ally machine and create a path for him to reach the server's core." as much as Rose still didn't like this, again it was their only ticket out of here.
And if there was even a single chance… they had to take it for their friend's sake that came back for them.
They hadn't given up so they shouldn't either.
"Our other priority is to ensure the safety of both of our Scanner units, so they may be able to disconnect Adam and Eve from the server, so they may be vulnerable and killable. Once they're dealt with it should be easier to dispatch the rest of the machines without their leaders giving orders." as it was for anything that acted solely in group, White thought.
The perks that androids have, is that even when left alone they can make decisions by themselves, for as good or bad as they could be, but they necessarily didn't always need a captain figure, though it was very much encouraged especially during squad assignments.
"When the machines will be dealt with, before Pascal can destroy the server's core, we will need to make the transfer of our data to YoRHa weapons, to ensure our survival. Meanwhile the consciousnesses of our new friends should be able to return to their bodies instead, carrying us with them." Robin nodded at Number 21's words.
"As long as those weapons are synced with our inventories, you should be able to communicate with us, and even see and feel what we do. So for this reason I'd recommend choosing a partner to pair up with already." to make things faster and not risk losing time, Robin assumed.
"You'd let us choose?" Gerbera piped up as soon as she said so, immediately taking 9S' side.
"I don't see why not." the human replied. "And it seems you already made a choice anyway."
"Of course, I'm always curious about tech and machinery, and Scanners know a lot of information." this excitement reminding Robin of 9S himself, perhaps this wasn't a bad matchup.
"Gerbera had the same reaction about Number 21." Rose said, from the tone it sounded like she expected her to choose the Scanner boy.
"Well I only trust Number 2." Number 16 eyes her old companion, as kind of those other people were, she trusted her old captain the most. "Besides, it seems you've grown quite strong too."
And A2 knew Number 16 valued a person's physical strength a lot.
"I can carry two people." so could 2B, though she hoped someone would choose her still.
"I suppose I could be the second one? If you guys agree." Number 4 looked over to Number 21 and Robin both, almost too shy to ask.
"I said before, I have no intention to separate you two." besides it would make A2 happy, no? She had to have faith in her partner too, and Number 4 wasn't a bad person, she didn't deserve to be treated with hostility.
There had to be trust in a couple.
"An expected result." it was Number 21's comment, knowing their relationship it would be obvious to her that Number 4 would choose Number 2. Before she could ask who wanted to take her, her successor spoke first.
"I'd like to get acquainted with my predecessor, if it's not too much to ask." 21O's green eyes were fixed on the redhead. "I've been curious to know the person where my personality comes from, but I refrained from asking before to avoid triggering potentially unwanted memories to our friends. I would like this chance to not be wasted."
"Since you asked so nicely I suppose I could accept the request." and another couple was settled.
Now it remained the question as to who the people of the Resistance would choose, since Anemone wasn't available for this thing, and even if she were she could have held a person or two at most.
"I want the human."
"I want her too."
"Why you?"
Before a fight could break out, Rose held a hand out. Robin honestly had no idea why she would be so wanted, but again, they knew little of her for now, and she was sure she did spark some curiosity.
"I'll take her, I want to speak to her from captain to captain."
But on this she had to correct her. "Actually, I have never been captain of anything before." if not herself, as a pirate maybe.
"From your behavior I assumed you were in charge, the people with you seem to trust your decisions."
"With both Anemone and our Commander here I would never consider myself in charge of anything." besides she wasn't sure it was a good idea either, given how she acted just earlier, and how Number 4 had to come and correct the situation herself, instead of talking face to face like the adult she was.
"We trust Robin because she's smart, and she knows many things and how to act in situations we have never experienced." A2 interjected, though Robin wasn't sure if she was speaking for everyone or herself, acting on her feelings instead of being rational.
"Though I am unaware of her experiences as a human, I have never assigned Nico Robin as squad captain before, though her knowledge and ability to remain calm even in difficult situations, have often been useful in directing teams in the right direction if needed." White supposed it was all due to experience that androids didn't have, much like Number 2 had said.
If only that power wasn't the result of such a tragic past…
"Just making myself useful." Robin shrugged. "I am better at following orders than giving them." always had been.
For personal survival, that was why no matter what White wanted from her she'd do, at least before meeting A2, who had given back her freedom, and shown her a way out.
"I still stand by my statement though." also Robin had the feeling that Rose was just trying to avoid the others fighting to claim her, since she was the captain and was in charge and the others couldn't say a thing about it now.
Though numerous whines were directed towards her anyway.
"Fine…" Dahlia sighed. "I'll take the next best option then." her eyes landed on 2B.
"This new Number 2 looks tough."
"You just like people that are strong." Anemone rolled her eyes. "Try not to give her too much of a headache. Or anyone really."
"Why you…"
"I'll go with her." Margaret declared, shuffling closer to 2B. "I'll try to keep Dahlia in check, she can be loud."
"I noticed."
Thankfully the woman in question didn't seem to have heard that, busy arguing with Anemone now, or rather, sprouting obscenities at her while she wasn't even bothering to listen one bit.
"I guess it's only us two now." Lily commented, holding the hem of her coat.
Also no one did like White it seemed so either of them had to take her, and all of a sudden the blonde woman could very well feel how hard their eyes weighed on her. If there were someone else she could give the task she would have, she was hardly a good company.
"I'll take the Commander." Daisy declared with no one prompting her to do so.
White stood silent, but her eyes had a question, why wasn't she contrary?
"I think everyone deserves a chance." it was the only explanation she gave.
"Which leaves Lily with my Pod, honestly that's the best solution for her, a Pod is even safer than us for this." Robin nodded to the purple box floating on her shoulder. "He's carried my data for a few months, before they managed to fix me, he knows what he's doing."
"All right then."
Though the small android still seemed a bit fearful, so Robin called 007 over and raised a hand to pet him on his metaphorical head, urging Lily to try the same thing. She had a little smile once her hand laid on his chassis.
"Report: pleasant." the little Pod cooed.
"Do they all do this?" Gerbera asked, observing, though she didn't need much of an answer, as both 042 and 153 floated closer to their respective owners, probably jealous of the attention 007 was receiving.
Of course neither 2B nor 9S hesitated in showing them affection.
"The only downside to this is that you may feel each other's voices, thoughts and emotions." 2B added, thinking they had to know about it.
"But you and Number 2 managed fine for a while, no?" Number 4 asked, though weird, she didn't really want to intrude in the privacy of someone else, not even her old friend and former lover.
"Took a while to get used to it, but if we were fine with it for months then we can survive this." A2 shrugged. knowing it would still take less to build their bodies than the time she and 2B spent with their consciousnesses merged.
Things would be fine, she knew.
This was hardly the worst part of this whole ordeal, if she were to be honest, if anything could be an excuse to get her old friends to know the new ones better.
"We are approaching our destination." Number 21 announced, giving a glance to Pascal, who had been silent the entire time, probably fearing a backlash.
"Before we go, do you have any information that could be useful on Adam and Eve? You mentioned you fought them before." Rose asked, motioning to the three YoRHa that had claimed that had been in conflict with them.
"Well they're both dangerous, but in different ways. Eve is really inclined to violence it seems, takes it as a game, he's the more aggressive of the two." 9S put a hand on his chin, trying to think. "2B and I had a hard time taking him down, after his brother died he went berserk entirely."
"Adam's fault for disconnecting himself from the main server for his amusement." 2B replied, she still wondered what he may have been thinking back then.
Though in some way he still had survived, there was no telling if it was intentional or not.
"Adam is enigmatic, likes to test people, their reactions, their emotions, he wants knowledge to empower himself. And he is way too interested in humans too." Robin added, and she still was thinking about earlier, if he found out something new about her.
Those words the machines kept saying didn't seem casual, if someone considered her presence.
"Does he…?" Robin nodded at Rose. "He does."
"He knows what I was very well."
Which was what scared her at the moment, the fact he may know things she wasn't willing to share with their newfound friends just yet.
Who knew what they may think of her, and what they may think of A2 for openly accepting them?
And for loving her…
Even that side, a side she had only shown once, unwillingly but necessarily, and that she wasn't willing to make it see light ever again.
The assassin, the murderer, the Executioner.
"He attacked her thinking she knew something about the humans of the moon, and when she realized she didn't, he tried to kill her." A2 spoke, her voice full of anger, recalling seeing him impale Robin's body right before her.
He almost took her away…
"But you were there to save me." Robin's eyes softened, knowing this was one of those bad subjects for A2 to talk about. "Your Pod aided me."
A2 shook her head. "I still want him to pay for what he did, and for what he said. Making fun of me for losing all of you…"
"You can't save anyone. He said." she clenched her fists at her side. So much she wanted to cleave his head in two with her heavy sword.
"He couldn't be more wrong though, because you saved Robin, and we'll soon save everyone else from this trap too." Anemone placed a hand on A2's shoulder, and she nodded.
"Besides, why would you believe that stupid machine?" Number 16's arm came to rest around A2's shoulders.
"Adam is still a threat." Robin warned, bringing the attention on the matter at hand again.
"He is smarter than the average machine, however that has given him quite the ego as well." she remembered his face when she talked back to him the first time though, he believed head learned such a complex lexicon compared to androids, when in reality there were people that knew even more than him.
He didn't like that one bit, just as much as he disliked that, despite everything he did to her, there was nothing he could do to achieve his goal to get his hands on a true human, nor give evidence he killed one.
Her body had long been made of metal by then and even now.
"He tends to get very angry when things don't go according to his plans, so I'd use that as leverage."
An angry beast makes mistakes.
It was the same thing that had allowed her to prevail on so many enemies in the past, with it being such a strong emotion to take over any kind of rational thought.
For some people it was a sign of strength though, in the case of A2.
Though she too made mistakes, and was easy to trigger too, if their first and only battle was of any evidence of it. And even before when she charged head first into that horde of enemies.
Robin had been with her for too long to not know she would have done that, it was why she followed her seconds later, to avoid her getting hurt, or in trouble.
They had come to know each other perhaps too well, like they were an open book for the other to read.
However, considering Adam's presence and what he'd seen, and how he taunted A2 about it, there was no way he didn't know of her feelings. Something she would have to watch out for.
He was a sly snake, and she was certain he'd make use of all he had.
Especially when it came around torturing people mentally, Adam loved it, given what she had learned that he had done to 9S. Made fun of his feelings for 2B, just like he had done the same to A2 too.
Once again, her thoughts circled back to the previous attack and how it must not have been casual.
He knew they were here, he knew who was here, and knew they were coming for him and his brother too, she assumed.
"Whatever he says, keep your guard up."
Words could hurt beyond what weapons could do, she knew it well.
And for some reason, even though she knew him and all of this, it still made her unreasonably tense.
Her sense for impending danger rarely ever failed her before.
She had no time to ponder more, as with some swift taps on her screens on the column of data they had finally arrived at, Number 21 aided by Pascal, using his signature, she plunged all of them into the deepest parts of the server.
Once they entered, they were greeted from a purely white space, cubes floating in the air around them.
"It's so empty." 6O's voice echoed.
"Reminds me of that white city." 2B mused
"Or the Tower." A2 added.
Surely some kind of machine structure. However their bodies were still flickering, so it meant it wasn't something physical here, unlike the two things named just now.
Which meant…
"This could be a trap."
It was clear that someone was listening in, because as soon as she said that, the cubes floating around them moved, circling the group, becoming black mist surrounding them.
Surrounding her, with a chorus of voices, none of which were her friends.
Or if they were talking she couldn't hear them. A surge of panic rose in her chest at the prospect of all the people that were just at her side disappearing.
These voices were saying the exact same things those machines were just a few hours ago, or days ago, it was hard to tell the passing of time in here.
Monster. Monster. Monster.
They repeated.
Robin brought her hands in a vain effort to not hear them. No such thing happened.
If anything, it only seemed to grow even louder.
You never should have survived.
I should have killed you with my own hands.
She looked around in a panic, but all she could see was black, all black around her, not a trace of any other color.
Not a trace of anyone…
She couldn't suppress a gasp when a hand came to grab at her left arm, she expected an assault, yet the hand stayed there, the hold firm, yet gentle.
"Robin! Snap out of it!"
Finally, the voice of A2 tore through the chorus, and she could see her emerging from the mist, as was everyone else.
"I'm here, we're here. There's nothing to fear." slowly, with a nod she removed the hands from her head, yet A2's own still held onto her, as a reminder that she was there.
As were the rest, as she could see 2B protectively hold a hand in front of her, 9S at her side, they had their weapons drawn in front of them, as did 21O at her other side with… White? And even Rose too?
"Everything all right?" the captain's voice reached her.
"I think so…" she replied, she wasn't sure to be fine, but with those around her she could get through this.
"What the hell was that even?" Number 16 spoke with a growl, frantically looking around, gun drawn and ready to shoot.
"Whatever that was, it seemed aimed towards our new friend." though Number 21 couldn't detect signs of hacking involved, she supposed it was because they were already in a cyber space.
"What a beautiful reaction." another voice, male, but this time way more familiar.
At least he along with his brother didn't hesitate in showing their faces any longer, as they appeared in a flurry of white data before them all.
"We meet again, human." Adam's grin was as disgusting as he was. "Or should I call you Devil Child now?"
Robin glared down at the man. "Oh shut up and leave Robin alone!" A2 was the one that yelled at him at her side.
"I must say, where has all of your confidence gone? The one that had the courage to do so much as to smile in my face, even at the prospect of death."
"Quiet, machine. What do you even want?" it was Rose's turn to glare, and Adam as his usual attitude just chuckled in her face.
"What I want? It's simple. I want back all you androids have taken from us machines, rebuild our army and technology so we can study the humans of the other planet. They will submit to us."
"You're crazy." it was Robin's reply.
"Why? I thought you hated them, little bird. I'd be doing you a favor, but maybe I should bring them your corpse so I can get a prize, and be acclaimed as a hero."
"I highly doubt my bounty is active anymore." it had been three years after all, since her death.
Though there wasn't a way to know from here if someone actually announced she was dead.
"What a shame, I was hoping you'd collaborate with me at least on this." he dramatically sighed.
"Here I even wanted to bring you a gift."
As he held out his arms, around them arose a horde of machines, and behind him…
Three shadows…
"You recognize them, don't you?"