"Number two… thank you for giving us a reason to live…"
A white haired girl with an eyepatch smiled down at her and at her kneeling form as A2 raised a hand trying to reach her, but the only thing she ended up grabbing was pure and total darkness that endlessly floated around them.
"Number 4!" she yelled as hard as she could. The sound echoed around her again and again.
Don't leave me! Please don't leave me alone!
A2 shot up from the bed she was lying on, her black box thumping against her chest. Looking around she realized with much horror that she wasn't in one of her safe spots.
A hand brushed against the makeshift bandage on her side, and her brain finally remembered why she was currently here. She recalled the Executioner woman, 26E, or Robin like she told her, taking her here and telling her that horrible story…
She had offered her to stay here, gave her what she needed to patch herself up, after she herself had hurt her, perhaps out of guilt, and then when she left she took the occasion, and the actual luxury to have a mattress and a blanket to rest with. She took the opportunity without questioning herself much if this would have been a good idea or not.
Speaking of the devil, A2's blue eyes finally laid upon her, finally noticing she had returned.
Taking a moment to inspect her, she could clearly see that the Executioner was wearing way less clothes than what she was before, her black dress seemed to be totally gone. Even the shorts and undershirt seemed to be singed at the edges from something, but the most prominent thing had to be the spot of missing skin on her back, though the metal and wiring under it looked like they were freshly repaired.
Not only that, but she could spot a few minor cuts and scrapes on her cover skin too, pretty easy now that both her arms and legs were entirely exposed, since she wasn't even wearing her boots at the moment, but left the things lying close by as she sat on the ruined couch with her legs crossed.
Too bad that stupid visor thing was still intact over her eyes.
Had there been a fight while she was asleep? And what was the woman doing just now?
On the table before her she had strewn across a lot of items, things A2 could recognize like books and paper, and others she could not. She had left her weapons there too, lying neatly further away from her, casting the woman's form in their red light.
The sight almost scared her, and probably she should have been.
An Executioner's job was to kill those like her, and that alone should have been enough to not even want to be near this person, and her story of before did not help much either, though A2 had to admit she felt some kind of pity now.
As far as she could remember from what YoRHa used to say, false memories were used to create certain kinds of emotions that could help an android grow when in combat. Bullshit, if she had to be honest.
Though given that horrible story of that kid that experienced so much pain, was it that said memories were being used to create hate, cruelty and resentment towards her similars so she'd keep murdering people?
A2 thought hard at it while she patched herself up, that perhaps it could have also been the reason why the woman spared her. To break the cycle, to show that she was different from what YoRHa made her into.
She too had been a different person before…
She used to be naive and hopeful in the future, she loved people and wanted nothing more than to see them smile. She wore her heart on her sleeve, a human saying, or so she read once.
But people change when they get betrayed and hurt for who they trust.
A2 and her companions had trusted the Commander, that she would aid them when needed, and look where it got them… all dead except for her, not like White didn't want her gone anyways.
This other android seemed to be very smart for the type she was, an Executioner built more like a Defender with the curiosity of a Scanner. She wondered if she too knew something or was trying to search for it, maybe through her too.
Which could also explain why she was being so kind.
But a part of A2 refused to believe the other woman only did it out of selfishness, she couldn't shake off the feeling that somehow there was way more to her than what she told before.
Why did she want to know her so much too? Why was this android so interesting?
It was probably best not to ask for the time being, though she had no idea if they met again, but she highly doubted that White wouldn't send her to try and kill her again in the future, she sent the same people over and over before, why should that change?
A2 found herself just silently watching the other woman, not really knowing what she was up to with all those items she got on the table. She had something in her hands too, something blue with even darker blue designs on it… a piece of a vase perhaps?
Why the hell would she have such a thing?
A2 couldn't see Robin's eyes from behind the visor, but she'd been throwing glances at her ever since she had woken up, she had just pretended not to, and kept working on trying to piece together whatever was left from this vase.
She'd seen her wake up all winded and scared, a bad dream perhaps, which ignited her will to know more again, but she had to hold off from asking for now. If A2 wanted to tell she would, and it didn't look like gaining her trust would be easy.
It looked like she had settled for just observing her, probably trying to figure her out, Robin didn't call her out on that, though she could feel her eyes on her. It was a bit uncomfortable, she never liked being watched, but she did not want to drive A2 away.
She let the white haired android watch her for a while, until she could no more. If she was that curious she could ask.
"You know… it's rude to stare." she called out, A2 just grunted at her in response.
Robin sighed. The woman was a difficult one.
Don't judge her when you're just the same.
Still she had already made an attempt to be nice, and to attempt to fix her mistakes, though she couldn't ask too much. She too wouldn't trust a stranger, especially a murderer like her.
She had even threatened a Resistance member earlier for the way he spoke to the red haired twins she had just met and knew nothing about. All because those insults he threw at them hit too close to home.
How bad had she become?
"You can come closer, I won't bite." she attempted to throw another bait, but really, if A2 was being so curious then the solution was that easy.
Though she doubted the woman would even fall for it, why get closer to who tried to kill you just a while ago? And that could try to do it again?
She truly was being delusional, asking things out of A2 that she'd never do herself.
So she was more than surprised when she actually got up from the makeshift cot and took a few hesitant steps toward her. Blue eyes scanning back and forth between her and the items on her table.
"What are you doing?" A2 asked, finally finding the will to use her voice.
"Restoring old items." Robin just shrugged. "I like old relics, and my Operator does too, so she sends me on search missions from time to time."
Away from death would have been more correct.
She watched A2 muse over the other things, picking up a piece of a vase she had yet to attach and rolling it in her hands. "Just please don't break them. I worked hard to find and fix these things to a decent level."
Only now the rogue noticed that around them on other makeshift shelves and tables, and even on the ground, there were a number of various human relics of the most different varieties. She'd just been too preoccupied with listening to the woman's tale, and then fixing her wounded self to spare a glance around her.
But she still had more questions.
"Has there been a fight? You look pretty banged up." she commented, and now being closer she could fully see how her back was truly torn open, or at least the skin was.
"Matter of fact there was. Two giant Goliaths attacked the city, I had to intervene of course." she explained.
"I assume you were sleeping to not notice. But, if you ever take a trip in the city ruins you'll notice a small makeover that those things did to it."
"Such as?" A2 raised an eyebrow.
"A giant hole in the middle of it, that probably White will want to investigate."
The rogue crossed her arms and huffed. "Great, so more of you YoRHas scurrying around to worry about."
Robin just shrugged. "Well if it was for me I'd stay here with my relics all the time, I can't tell the Commander what to do."
Feeling bold, A2 sat on the armrest, even closer to the Executioner. "But you can lie to her, there's no other way that you are here today with your memories otherwise."
"So you too know what happens then, when someone fails."
"The same units have been sent against me too many times, with no evidence they remembered anything not to figure it out." she was dumb, but not dumb enough to not believe White would wipe someone's memory away for her own gain.
Who knew what she could do to her if White ever managed to get her dirty hands on her at all? If she didn't end up dead first of course.
Robin just decided to not address the issue anymore, she did not want to explain why she was that special for White to not reset her right away, at least not yet, not like A2 would believe her. In this moment she decided that, if there was ever another time they met, she'd say the truth.
Maybe by then A2 would trust her more than right now.
It seemed that the white haired woman got the hint that she didn't want to talk about that anymore, and just stood up again, padding over on the other side of the table, where Robin's weapons were lying, suddenly very intrigued by them.
"And these? They don't look like standard YoRHa equipment." her own were, just because she snagged them long ago from a few corpses.
She needed to be armed at all times.
"They aren't. You can actually say they are relics too." Robin explained, motioning to the sword and the gauntlets.
"I found them in a temple buried deep in the desert, since then they have been my best allies." probably feeling offended by her remark, Pod 007 chirped something about being a valuable ally.
"Of course, you too are helpful." she called her companion and assistant over with a motion of her hand, and rubbed the front of it in a gentle caress.
A2 just watched them, again being proven this woman was capable of gentle things, as if feeling her careful hands on herself earlier when she had almost fallen wasn't enough to make a point.
And again she questioned herself, if she was so kind then why was YoRHa so cruel to give her such memories to turn her into a mindless killer?
She should know the answer, because she too had been kind and loving a long time ago with her friends and allies, and yet her personality had been taken and used for yet another Executioner.
A2 didn't think of herself as an innocent person by any means, but she never thought her personality, her old one, ever fit with how much death E types had to handle. She would have never hurt a close friend or an ally, no matter what, not before and not now, if she ever would be that lucky to find someone to bond with again.
Perhaps was this woman the only solution she had?
Maybe she could give her a chance?
She had risked a lot for her already, so maybe giving her a bit of trust back could be something she could pay her back with.
If only she wouldn't be so mysterious and enigmatic with her…
But then again, didn't she have her own secrets too? Perhaps then they were more similar than A2 thought, besides the whole killing factor. That was a common thing for pretty much all YoRHas except the ones stationed on the Bunker.
Like White. She sent others to do the dirty work, she'd never want to get her white dress stained with something wouldn't she?
She resented the Commander with all her might, her and the ones that worked for her, especially E types, yet…
Yet here she was with one of them, and for some reason A2 couldn't bring herself to spite her as much as the others. There was still a part of her that couldn't, refused to trust the woman enough to talk to her, and a part that had been genuinely intrigued with her behavior and personality that so much differed from the usual cocky type of Executioner she met.
Besides the one that shared her own number of course.
She seemed truly passionate about those old relics and kind hearted towards others, yet she was a merciless killer at the same time… no, she didn't know if she held pity for her victim.
Or should she? She should know more than anyone given she'd been spared.
But what kept this woman killing people over and over again if it hurt her? If she was able to lie to White then why couldn't she break the chains from her entirely?
Damn… when did she start becoming so intrigued in someone?
Forcing herself away from these thoughts that would have no answer until she mustered enough courage to ask, or until this black haired android would open her heart to her again, A2 diverted her attention back to the relics.
"You can touch them, just be very very careful."
Being careful? It was absolutely not a thing A2 was able to do, she wasn't before, she still isn't now. No matter if it was about an item, an android, a machine nor ever herself.
She'd thrown caution to the wind long ago, especially in battle, it never favored her against all the stronger and more advanced units that kept coming at her. Catching them off guard had always been her best tactic.
Though it didn't quite work with this one here.
Shaking her head she refused to touch the things, a little afraid to break the woman's hard work. She shouldn't care but she was not about to destroy someone's precious things, and besides they were human things, and androids, even her, were bound to respect them.
Yet the Executioner smiled at her, taking a small box thing in her hand.
"I'm sure it'll be fine, open your hand."
Still conflicted, A2 offered her skinless hand to her, unsure what to do, just watching as the other woman's hand placed the box into hers. She couldn't help but stare at the stark contrast between their hands, she'd lost the skin of her arms long ago…
"What is this anyway?" she asked, bringing the item closer to her face.
"I believe it is a music box, see that tiny lever on the side? The more someone would turn it the longer it'd play music for."
Music huh? She had heard it was a thing humans used to entertain themselves with, and use it as a way to bring people together in big crowds too, where they would dance. But how could a sound be contained in such a small thing?
"Why don't you see if it still works?" she heard the woman ask, she couldn't see her eyes but she was sure they looked at her expectantly from behind that blindfold.
She couldn't be that rude to ask, nor to try to tear it off though, not yet at least.
A2 looked back and forth between the black haired Executioner and the music box in her hand, still fearing she'd break it if she only laid a finger on it, but the encouraging nod from the other woman made her want to try and be gentle for once in her life.
Even if just to an item.
A really, really old item, she reminded herself.
She took the lever with two fingers, surprised it didn't just shatter at her touch, then attempted to roll it a little bit like she was told. The box startled her when it made a shrill sound, and then more of them.
It worked!
Intrigued, A2 rolled the lever again, this time for longer.
"What do you know? It's still alive." the Executioner woman offered a bright smile, which further reinforced the idea A2 had made of her.
She wasn't that bad after all.
And it had been so long she had any kind of remotely pleasant company…
In the meantime Robin had also finished restoring the pieces of a vase she found, it was a lighter blue with darker blue flowery patterns, which made her think it was used for some kind of plant long ago.
She got up holding it, and picking up the books on the table too. Her weapons disappeared and then hung on her back as she did.
"I'm afraid I must report this to my Operator, and then probably return to the Bunker." looking at her sorry state after the fight she had to return, she couldn't go around like this, though A2 looked far worse there was nothing she could do for her about it.
She sadly was no repair expert. She was better at fixing human kind of wounds, she knew plenty about it.
She didn't know if the red haired twins she met could have been trustworthy enough to tell them about A2, nor if they could repair her.
A2 looked at the still playing music box she held. "And this?" she offered it back, but the woman shook her head.
"Keep it. It shall be our own little secret." she looked around the place, noting that she may have to find another bed.
"See if you can find another bed for yourself in the meantime?" she asked, as A2 frowned in confusion.
"I thought the offer was a one time thing?"
"Oh absolutely not, feel free to make this your home base too, I'd love to have some company when I come down to Earth." she smiled a little. She had to admit A2's company hadn't been that bad.
Watching her play with the music box as if she'd been a little kid had been pretty adorable too.
So there was a soft side under that hard exterior…
Immediately as she stepped outside the facility she was contacted from 21O, and she was not looking very happy.
"26E, where did you end up?" she saw her scowl.
"I was finishing up your request. I got caught up in the fight in the city against that Goliath, so I couldn't do it sooner." she just replied showing her the items she found.
"The Commander wants you back to the Bunker, it is urgent."
What could have happened to be so important to need her that badly?
"After thousands of years we picked up a signal from the aliens."