The ice sword Aokiji made was sent flying before it could even lay a scratch on Cattleya, it flew away alongside another sword, a black one with glowing red runes.
Only one person had a weapon so iconic…
Robin.
The woman still had her arm held out from when she had thrown Scarlet Despair against the ice constructed one, the two weapons lying stuck in the ground near one another.
But, she had saved Cattleya.
"Thank you…"
Robin slowly raised herself from her knees, shaking her head as she addressed the Scanner.
"No, thank you." She looked ahead at the man before them. "For reminding me what is truly important."
Her family…
A glowing circle formed around her wrist and then her sword disappeared from where it had fallen in particles of light, and then reformed, taking the shape of her weapon that was now back in her hand.
"I apologize for not telling you about this man, he has been both the reason I survived my homeland's tragedy, and my condemnation." since he also was the reason why she'd been hunted, she assumed. "I never thought I'd meet him again."
She hadn't ever seen him since then, even though she remembered he warned her about it.
Still, she pointed Scarlet Despair at him.
"I thank you for worrying about me, but he's my problem."
When Anemone wanted to argue that since they were in this mess together, they would deal with him together, but Robin did not let her.
"Cattleya, you've got to save White." she was the only one who could.
By now the Commander was barely hanging on the threads of consciousness, given how hard her systems were working to try and prevent her from freezing entirely, and locking up.
She had to get rid of the ice.
"You go back to the ship and watch over her, I'll keep him here." as she said so, she put herself in the front, shielding them with her body, sword held close to her chest.
She watched as Jackass took White in her arms, her body limp, they didn't even know if she was still awake.
"Go, quick."
"But you…" Anemone was once again cut off, as she hanged behind a little while Cattleya followed the couple, the Scanner struggling a little to follow, but this time it was Pod 007 that interrupted her.
"No need to worry, this Pod will watch over Unit Robin." like he had always done, he had also been at her side through anything and everything, even when she was dead.
But…
"Not this time, Pod." he didn't reply, but made something like a noise of confusion.
"I need you to help them too." Cattleya alone would not be enough, because she was clearly still tired from deploying the barrier. They have to ask her about it later.
Should they survive this.
Anemone waited, watching the Pod hesitate, but she understood, he was designed to protect her first and foremost, but she also knew he was useful to repair people, or to save White's data should it come to the worst.
Like he did for Robin.
That was why she was telling him to go with them.
But when he still didn't move, Robin played her last card.
"I said go with them, it's an order!" and Pod could not go against it, she felt bad about it, but if something were to happen to her, he could also communicate it to them.
It probably will, but if he got destroyed, then their last line of safety should she die, or be taken to prison would fail, and she'd be lost.
They could all be lost.
And this time… forever…
Though still reluctantly, Pod 007 left, floating away over Anemone's shoulder, the other three thankfully already left.
If both Pod and Cattleya couldn't save White, then this would be for nothing.
But…
It was time to face her past, once and for all…
For them.
For all the people, their friends and family that were waiting on Earth.
"That was a smart move." but Robin didn't speak, she just watched Aokiji closely. "But are you sure it was the best one? Isn't it your habit to use others like shields?"
But at the comment she flinched.
How dare he? When he had been the reason she had to act that way for almost her whole life? She could even feel offended by it.
Whose fault it was for letting her survive?
But of course, Marines no matter of which rank, but especially higher officials never took responsibility for their actions.
It was easier to point fingers at the victims.
"I'm not the person I used to be." she stated with a flat tone.
"Are you? Did those androids put something in your brain to be this loyal?" this time she glared. "I don't care what you say about me, but I don't accept you assuming ill of the people with me."
He didn't know them, nor all the pain they went through.
"From the Commander's words, I thought nothing was changed about you, but you just showed me to be able to summon your sword at will, it tells me that you might be just like them."
He had seen White do that before, when he managed to make it fly away from her hands, it just re-appeared in them a second later.
Other than the evident enhanced physical abilities she had in terms of strength and speed.
Though he wondered…
"But do you feel it will be enough to face me? Or are you just buying time?"
"You said before that I am smart, I remember just as yesterday how strong you are, when you killed Saul right before my eyes." how he froze him without batting an eye.
She knew well she wasn't strong enough to face him.
Right now, she may as well be in the same situation as when Adam found and faced her at the bridge between the city and the forest, when he was still tied to the machine network and he couldn't be touched.
She knew his Devil Fruit power would save him from anything she could do, even for as strong as she'd become.
He'd just dissolve and reform in ice, like Adam could do in hard light.
And this time there was no network to be disconnected from to save her.
"But I am not afraid."
Because she recalled the words Freesia told her a few days ago, and ironic how they found themselves in this situation just now, but she reminded her of something important.
Perhaps the biggest and only advantage they had on humans.
Even monsters like Aokiji.
Strong or not, humans only had a single life, so should she die here the others would be safe, and for as long as her consciousness remained, then she could live again in a new body.
Pod would make sure that happened.
He'd done that multiple times, and not with just her, he'd been used for Lily too back then in the server.
That was why he couldn't stay at her side, for as bad as she felt for being so harsh with him, it was the truth. He would understand.
Then it would be only a matter of waiting for whenever a new body would be made for her.
And limiting the casualties to one would be best as well.
Should she be captured instead, well, she'd find a way to end herself somehow.
Again, an android's body was as useless as a mere doll without something to move it, and the Marine would have nothing.
But still…
She'd rather not have either scenario happen, if she could help it.
But should it happen, then she was sure the others would be fine, she trusted Cattleya's abilities to save White from her semi frozen state with the help of Pod 007. She, together with Anemone, were good enough to make decisions, and Jackass alone was too crafty to get them where they had to go and get them what they needed.
If anything, she was the most expendable, her knowledge of this world wasn't as useful anymore now that they had actually seen the planet, and adapted to it.
And she'd told them enough.
Yes, this was the best decision.
"Whatever happens, you'll have none of us."
There were things that by now scared her way more than the man before her, in terms of fighting. He feared more of him killing them.
And he was very well able to, just by seeing what he did to White.
But he would not touch her family…
Their family…
They had all promised they would see each other again, in one way or another, he was just another obstacle.
Just like many others.
She just had to keep hoping.
That was the only thing she could do, because if there was anything that she learned from her friends and companions, it was to never lose hope.
Even when the situation seemed hopeless, with no way out
Even when it was all lost.
Scarlet Despair, that now she knew, had almost a conscience of its own due to its magic glowed brightly, its energy flowing through Robin's arms and body, sensing her determination.
Right, the souls of Emil's friends were still at her side, and they felt just the same.
"How interesting." she watched Aokiji put a hand to his chin.
He looked at her like she was a prey, as he used his powers to cover part of his body in ice.
Yet, she refused to show fear.
Even for as loudly her black box was beating in her chest.
He was still the man that killed her giant best friend, the only friend she ever had back then. Murdered him in cold blood, literally.
But…
No one in the world is born to be alone.
His voice rang in her head as clear as the day he told those words to her as his last breath.
She lived twenty long years following that hope, she found that hope not in this world, but another, and met just as many people that would have needed to hear these exact same words at least once in their life.
Or one of the many.
They were broken, but not alone.
And were still striving for a new and better life because they deserved to live in any other way, that wasn't serving a purpose that was never there to begin with.
The past could have been a mistake, maybe the present couldn't be helped, but the future was something they could take for themselves.
Aokiji ruined her life once…
"You won't take the future away from us again."
He wouldn't take the people she had struggled so hard to find, that ever loved her after Ohara was destroyed.
And with those words, she lunged first.
In the meantime, the others returned to the ship for the time being, the only safe place they had. Jackass laid White on deck as gently as she could, under instructions of Cattleya.
Though she looked at her with so much worry she was literally shaking.
"What do we do now?"
The Scanner sat at the Commander's side, already summoning her screens and checking on her. She didn't like the amount of alarming warnings she was getting from her body, but it couldn't be helped in this state.
"We need to restore her body to a temperature that is at least acceptable for her to function again." at least the basic functions.
Enough for her to stay awake again.
She was out cold.
Cattleya was surprised her body held out long enough for them to find her, and until they left.
But people's willpower could make people do anything, she knew it well.
"We don't have to shatter the ice though, but let it melt, I fear if the ice is broken then it will break off her body too. Of course I can fix it but…" she'd rather not get to that point and save as much of her original body as she could.
"How do we make that happen?" Anemone approached them, crouching down to where they were, after she checked no one was coming after them. She tried to keep her tone as calm as she could, even though she wasn't.
But her girlfriend needed to think of a solution, and yelling would not solve a thing.
Sadly, though understandably someone else didn't think the same way, as Jackass let her increasing worry get the best of her.
"What if that doesn't happen? What if the ice doesn't melt? And what if she's gonna die anyways?" Jackass shook her head so hard that it was a wonder that she didn't hurt herself.
"Jackass." Anemone called her, but she was ignored.
"What if we can't save her? What if…"
This time, with a very much audible and frustrated growl, Anemone grabbed her by her vest.
"Would you stop it already?"
"But… Anemone…" Jackass' eyes frantically were moving between her and White's body lying next to them.
"You're not helping anyone like this!"
But at that point even Cattleya was rather annoyed at all the screaming. She was used to being under pressure, but this was a one of a kind situation she'd never seen so…
"Please be quiet. And just do as I say." because she needed to actually think about all the resources she could find in her brain to fix this, and it wasn't easy.
They never dealt with a Devil Fruit user before.
Robin told them that sea water was a weakness of theirs, but she wasn't sure if it would be the solution, but…
When she had deployed the barrier before, the electric shocks passed through the Admiral's body like she predicted, because he was the same thing as the element he would weave as he pleased.
So water may be of help regardless, when it comes to the slow process of melting something.
Maybe it could just work…
"One of you get the bath started, make sure the water isn't too cold to aggravate the situation, but not too hot either to not shatter the ice, and the other needs to gather as many towels as she can get. We're going to have to melt this manually."
The two women nodded, they had stopped bickering as soon as she raised her voice so they'd be quiet.
"In the meantime, Pod and I are going to dive into White's consciousness, and try to overclock her heating systems to try and counter the cold from the inside too." basically overheat her body and cause what's the most similar thing there is to a fever.
Much like the one she was having after using the machine ability, but that goes as quickly as it comes, only the general tiredness and soreness remains.
But right now she could not rest.
She would not rest until both White and Robin were safe.
Her own health came later than theirs.
Cattleya received one single response from all three, before they scrambled to do what she told them to do.
"Understood."
When Cattleya entered White's consciousness, she already knew something was off, no it wasn't just because she was fighting off being frozen, there was something else…
It was cold…
Literally cold.
She had to wrap her arms around herself to try and keep warm.
For safety she had her lance hanging on her back, Pod 007 hovering close by.
"We've got to access her brain, and overclock her heating systems from there." she stated, even if Pod most likely already knew it.
The more she walked, twisting through the cyberspace of White's mind, she felt even colder.
How was it possible?
She was sure it was not just the ice, not from the outside.
But…
It couldn't be…
She shook her head in disbelief, but it was still there and it was real.
Part of the brain section of White's brain was covered in ice crystals, placing themselves on Cattleya's path to reach what she needed to.
"This is… not right…" she was sure it wasn't the power of the Admiral doing this.
It was almost as if…
As if the ice was trying to protect something, or rather, to not let that particular thing roam free.
Cattleya took her lance in her hands.
She was sorry for White but she had to make her way through this, and fast, if she wanted to save her, or at least have a chance to.
It was then that she realized something, when her weapon made contact with the ice crystals, and the only sounds there were, was just shattering, and the sound of her boots crushing the remains under.
Nothing else.
No voice.
She was supposed to hear White's voice, like anyone else's, because the two consciousnesses were in communication with one another.
But there was only her…
"Commander!" she called out, no answer. "White!" she tried using her name too.
"Number… 2…1…" the voice was feeble, and for some reason White used her old number, but she didn't judge her for it, she may have been in a precarious mental state…
As long as she didn't recognize her as an enemy it was fine, she supposed.
Still she answered.
"Yes, that's me. I've hacked into you, I need to access your heating systems, you've been frozen, remember?" she explained with the usual calmness that distinguished her.
But she didn't get a reply.
At least not to what she said…
"I'm… sorry…"
It was what she heard, broken to pieces.
Sorry… for what?
Cattleya shook her head. "I don't have time for this." she had to get where she needed, so White would have a chance to survive.
Act first, questions later. That would be Lycoris' approach.
But this time it turned useful, because no matter how nagging her curiosity was at the moment, she shoved it deep in the back of her mind.
As she walked, she made her way carving a path through the ice using her weapon. How convenient it was to have one now, and never realized it until Clover came along, and still it took her some time to find her own.
But as she continued, the crystals at her sides twisted their reflections, from her to…
… Memories?
"Connecting with the Council of Humanity." White stood in a room before a control panel, there was a single window showing the moon in the distance. "White speaking, Commander of the Bunker."
Despite not wanting to, it seemed that if Cattleya wanted to get through the ice and reach the main part of White's brain, she had to watch.
And this seemed to be a conversation with the council…
She'd be lying if she didn't want to know what it was about, especially since the council still remained a mystery.
One she and Clover did want to solve, the boy told her so, and she didn't say no.
She wanted to know what was behind it and their decisions, or rather, all the decisions taken sacrificing their lives with no regard for them at all. But given how the humans of this planet treated their own kind, she guessed she shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.
"The landing campaign on Pearl Harbor is in progress." Pearl Harbor? That mission?
Their mission?
Did her presence trigger these memories somehow?
She'd feel awful if she did, because Cattleya knew, as much as she still didn't like White too much for what she did, that she felt guilty beyond what she said or showed.
And pairing it with this current situation it was not a good idea to dwell on such feelings.
Not now.
"But the advancement of the YoRHa squadron has been hampered by an attack of enemy forces much larger than expected."
Yes, definitely their mission.
And from her words she could only guess that they must have been far along into the whole thing, most likely when they were stuck at the mountain.
Before they had to separate with Lycoris and the others…
Just thinking about it made her heart hurt.
"This makes it difficult to collect information…"
"Commander." finally the man? Cattleya thought it was a man of the council, spoke, calling out White.
So she could hear the voice.
"Yes."
"Your request to change the YoRHa plan has been denied." a request to change? Yes, she recalled White mentioning something of sorts.
Something about trying to help, but her pleas being unanswered.
"But if this continues, then the achievement of the original goal, the destruction of the Pacific Ocean Machines will be difficult. Therefore, reinforcements…"
"Commander. You have made 8 applications for changing the YoRHa plan." so it wasn't just one time?
White never mentioned it, but she couldn't blame her.
Her tone clearly betrayed distress…
Cattleya had the feeling that she would not like where the conversation would be heading towards.
"We clearly let you know that changing the plan by calling the Hunter Squadron from the K2 sector is prohibited."
"I am the Commander of the YoRHa squad, it is natural that I express my opinion against the situation." she didn't want to let them die.
That much was clear.
"And there are still boundaries."
Cattleya glared at the scene she was watching, her hands clenching on her spear.
"Recently, your actions have caused disapproval. The unauthorized use of the satellite laser during the landing of the YoRHa Squadron caused serious concerns among the Council of Humanity, and is currently under discussion."
They… they didn't want her to even use the laser?
So then…
When they were landing she saved them… her, Freesia, Amaryllis and Lycoris.
They could make it down to Earth because she disobeyed…
"I have already explained that in those circumstances I did not have time to receive confirmation from the Council of Humanity! If all members of the squad were destroyed, then there would be no point in the plan…"
But the plan was not what White cared about, wasn't it?
It was just the excuse she was trying to use to convince the council to let them live, at least a while longer.
If anything, at least Freesia kept living.
Yes, but at what cost?
Hunting her down must have to have destroyed White's heart even further.
"If it makes sense or not is decided from the Council of Humanity, not you."
Cattleya bared her teeth slightly, she was usually calm, but listening to this was testing even that…
She felt almost as angry as when she watched the Lieutenant attempt to kill the child she rescued. Their words were just… cold…
Like they didn't matter.
Who was she kidding? They never mattered for the council.
But knowing it and seeing and hearing it herself were different things.
"Yes, sir." and the clear look of defeat on White's face was enough to tell her everything she needed.
"Moreover, you should reconsider your position if you decide once again to apply for a change of the YoRHa plan." so they wanted her to give up her place as Commander?
White had mentioned this too, but she said they didn't accept it though.
"Will you remove me from the Bunker's command?" her tone betrayed a hint of hope.
"Exactly."
"In that case, remove me immediately. I cannot continue to work when I'm not listened to!" Because she didn't want to see anyone else die, and leave the position to someone else.
But…
"It is up to us to decide whether to remove you or not."
Cattleya sunk her spear in a crystal nearby, clenching her teeth. "Bastards…" why even give her the option to choose when they were going to deny it anyways?
"All for the triumph of humanity."
Cruel…
So cruel…
"Only the people in our position must decide." because it was convenient to them.
She watched White turning away, her lips trembling, as she tried not to break down. "Even if you need a lot of victims?"
This question hit so much harder knowing what it would once become of the Bunker, and YoRHa. The backdoor and the virus…
And barely any of the androids left…
It was more than just a lot…
"Exactly. You are already in this with us, do not take your responsibility lightly." she most definitely did not, but these people didn't care about anything to see it.
And to acknowledge just how responsible she was being.
Way more than them.
Cattleya did not hold back from judging, even though she usually wouldn't. But the council was not something she respected.
And now even less.
"Our hands are already in the mud."
Liars…
"I…" no words came out from White's mouth, so much she was choking back tears.
"Your role in this project is great, think about it again."
Of course they would say that, it wasn't them the ones that had to watch their soldiers die, and later on multiple times.
She'd been told the stories of many of them attempting to kill themselves when things got too hard, and E types having to kill their loved ones, traitors, just… so much death…
"Yes, sir."
Cattleya assumed that White eventually kept staying, to not burden someone else with her duty, or to attempt and do better with the newer models. She tried, she failed, but she didn't fail because she wanted to.
She failed because humanity failed them.
And her.
"Glory to mankind."
"Glory…" White slowly raised her left hand to salute. "To mankind…"
Soon after as the transmission ended she threw away her crop in rage, covering her face with her hands, sobbing and weeping. Before her, the screens displayed the face of the four remaining survivors, as she raised a shaky hand, almost as if she was trying to reach them.
I'm sorry…
I'm sorry…
I'm sorry…
The words kept repeating, echoing loudly in White's mind, and into Cattleya's ears, over and over again, as the ice crystals began to rise again, and everything was becoming colder and colder.
Gritting her teeth and taking her spear, Cattleya swung it with force, destroying the ice around her with an angry shout.
"Liars…" the people of the council were all liars!
Humans were liars!
Just like Robin said.
Probably taken from her anger towards these memories, Pod 007 shot his laser to aid her finally carve a path to where they should have gotten much before.
To access White's heating systems.
As she began hacking them to overclock them, she heard White's voice again, and this time it seemed her consciousness of the present.
"Number 21… Cattleya…"
"Yes, Commander?" even though she answered, her focus now was on the task at hand.
"Don't… save me…"
After what she'd seen, Cattleya almost expected her to say these words.
"Save her…"
Did she mean to leave her behind and go save Robin? Most likely.
But…
"I'm going to save both of you." no matter what happens, no matter in what condition the human may end up in.
And no matter if she'd be taken away, she won't.
She won't let that Admiral win…
Humans like him, like the Marine, and like the Council should not be allowed to have their way with anything.
They were just… destructive…
For others, not for themselves. They were all about self preservation and nothing else.
The lives of other beings didn't matter.
White was quiet for a bit, before she spoke again.
"You have always been determined to follow your decisions." while she'd never been. "I wish I had even a bit of your determination, you and the others…"
Enough to do the same and follow her own decisions.
She only did once.
And now it has come back to bite them back.
This situation was also her fault…
"Please, do not worry about anything." Cattleya replied, her fingers swiftly working on the screens in front of her.
She'll save them all…