Robin looked around, seeing no one else but her and A2 that she was holding, all sand dunes and desert lying before them. Someone wanted to talk to her? What was her companion even saying? Was she all right?

"Are you sure you're okay? There's no one else here." she looked down with a frown.

"I am fine. Look, I know this will sound really weird but just trust me on this." but A2's words only made Robin even more confused and concerned.

However the white haired android just raised her free arm, the tips of her fingers barely brushing the black haired woman's forehead. A data transfer request popped up in her visuals.

"Accept the request, it'll be harder to explain without."

"I don't think I understand, but if you say so." besides A2 wouldn't willingly hurt her, right?

It wasn't that she didn't trust her, but she couldn't trust the machines, and given she'd recently been hacked from one, she couldn't trust that the thing didn't do something weird to A2.

It was a legit worry after what happened to the androids.

Outside her own doing…

But this was A2 asking, and for her she'd take the risk, it sounded important.

So without delaying further she accepted the transfer request, unsure of what A2 was going to show her. Robin believed she would show her some kind of memory or something, but instead she didn't see anything at all.

It was just the rogue android opening a channel so their brains could communicate when close to one another. Why?

A2 however just seemed irritated for whatever reason, and after a long moment of silence, and confusion on Robin's part, she let out a frustrated growl.

"You know I didn't do this so you could stay silent and make me look like an idiot."

What Robin absolutely did not expect was to hear the sound of another voice, ringing directly in her own head too.

"My apologies."

It was a female voice, familiar, very familiar… her mind pictured an android similar to A2 but with a black dress.

"2E?"

Just what the hell was happening? Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Why was she here? Where? And why with A2? Was she into her brain somehow?

"Yes, it is me." the voice replied. She could hear her?

"What is this?" she asked in disbelief. "Someone please explain it to me."

"I could upload and save my memories and consciousness into my sword, before I got corrupted entirely, and entrusted it to A2, so she may have had more information on the machines." 2B explained.

"Also she asked me to take care of her dear Nines." Robin watched A2 roll her eyes. "Only that he saw me killing 2B, and he wants me dead."

And even bigger problem, he was at the camp too. She had yet to voice this concern, but she did unconsciously tighten the hold she had on A2, who didn't question, but she did notice.

"Our data is synced with one another as long as A2 holds my sword in her inventory system." she then heard the older white haired android mutter something about the weapon being hers first.

"So in other words you are still somewhat alive, just without a body, living within the sword?" Robin asked, hoping she got it correct, and A2 put her brain in communication with her own one, so 2B could talk to her directly, for the time being.

"That is correct."

"She's quite the nagging pest." A2 commented, though she did bring this upon herself.

Though she could ask Robin to take her place, she and 2B were closer than what she would ever be. 2B's past of Executioner didn't do her any favors in granting A2's liking, at all.

She just accepted the burden for Robin's sake, and also because she wouldn't admit it, but it felt wrong to just refuse. If any of her comrades could have had the chance to backup their data, and their consciousness be saved this way, she would have done the same thing.

She could have had a purpose, a chance to do something good for once.

A2 did underestimate how annoying it would have been having another person, pretty much a stranger, talking and prodding around in her own brain though. Perhaps too much.

At least 2B hadn't intruded in her most personal memories yet. She did try to be discreet for as much as it was possible, and she could give her credit for trying.

"You know what? You and Robin were close, no? Why don't you ask her to help you?"

She could feel 2B shrug. "If so she desires."

Expectantly A2 waited for an answer from the black haired woman. Should she have taken over? They had been both kind enough to ask if she wanted to, instead of forcing her, very thoughtful of them.

She would make things easier for A2 regarding the whole 9S situation, if he didn't see her companion then it would be okay, hopefully. But something told Robin that the situation was more complicated than just that.

She still wanted to avoid the Scanner all together for the time being. Now that he had no restrictions he could poke their brain all he wanted if he found them, and also, knowing he was highly on the emotional side, that would have been a danger.

Uncontrolled emotions could hurt and cause a lot of problems for a human, imagine for an android.

There was no way to know how he would react without having 2B's presence on his side, for all these years it'd been the opposite, and the two were really, really close. Almost like lovers, if they weren't even.

And besides, she was still involved with A2's whole ordeal, he might not even listen to her.

Also, disrespecting the wishes of a dying person was not something to be done, 2B left her data with A2, and maybe aiding her would give her the confidence in herself that she lacked. And the feeling that she may accomplish something good again, after all her faith in herself had been brutally shattered from the Commander herself.

"A2, listen, I want to help, but you wouldn't deny the last wish of a dead person, wouldn't you?" to her surprise, the woman seemed to be considering her words.

"I'm not sure I can be trusted with this." she was too afraid of failing, again.

"2B trusts you." A2 noticed she didn't use the Executioner name for once. "And I trust you too."

It was herself she didn't trust, so at the same time she also understood the feeling A2 had of being inadequate for the task, and the fear of being a failure once again. White had spent all these years making sure A2 felt like nothing more than a reject that was good for nothing, other than being a mere experiment.

And she didn't want her to think that way.

Now more than ever Robin felt that A2 was capable of being a woman someone could depend on. She only needed to have faith.

"A2, I know it is something sudden, and really hard that I put on your shoulders, yet you've accepted without complaints, so if you ever feel like backing out from this I promise I would never be angry at you."

Thankfully 2B came to Robin's aid, probably she too understood how her older counterpart felt, maybe could even feel it herself, but she wouldn't ask about it.

"You're supposed to hate me, and yet, you took me in anyways. I'm beyond grateful for what you've done already, I will accept any decision you will make."

"And I will support you." Robin's hold on A2's waist tightened again, this time intentionally.

The white haired android looked back and forth between Robin's face and the sandy ground, feeling uneasy at the amount of attention. But if they were willing to aid her then maybe she could at least try?

"Fine, fine. I'll try." that was all she could say about it.

"Let's get you to camp now then."

Hoping 9S wouldn't be there anymore, or that at least he'd be sleeping like before, if he was she could ask Devola and Popola to keep him that way for as much time they needed to leave again, so he wouldn't find A2.

Because she was not going to let her be without a new filter, she couldn't wait that long.

And she was not going to see her potentially die from not replacing a part. She'll protect her.

From anyone.

So with a motion of her head she beckoned her Pod closer, asking it to track down 9S' black box, and see if he was still in the same area as before. Hoping 2B wouldn't be mad if they avoided him for the time being.

Fortunately he moved, which meant that they were free to head to the camp.

"I don't want to risk him harming A2 if he sees her, and I'd rather not fight him."

No more killing…

Fortunately 2B didn't seem to question it, but she did have something to ask though.

"You two still haven't explained the whole naming thing."

True, 2B didn't know the story behind her name, would she even believe it at all?

"You haven't told her? Or shared memories?" she frowned, she thought that since she was now in A2's brain she may have seen the memory of that day when she confessed the truth to the other android.

Did she not?

"I thought I'd stay away from A2's memory region to leave her some privacy, I didn't want to intrude more than necessary."

A2 held herself back from making a comment on the fact that she'd been intruding anyways, but again, her own fault too in a way.

"And I believed that it should have been your place to tell her. It is your secret after all."

How thoughtful of them both.

"I am not sure if she'll believe me…"

"I believed you, and I'm sure 2B will too. She's smarter than me." the only thing that Robin wished now was for A2 to stop putting herself down, especially in front of the other Number 2.

They were not better than each other, they were simply built differently, despite the number they shared.

"I am merely curious as to why A2 insists on using a human name. YoRHas are forbidden from having human names unless they have contributed a lot." and 2B did not recall anyone having been worthy of a name, not even the infamous and apparently perfect 26E, but somehow she did?

A2 resisted the urge to grimace at 2B's words. They had been the same ones she'd told Rose when she had offered to give her and her three companions actual names, she did it to give them something more to hope for, she really wished she had accepted right away now.

Taking a deep breath, Robin thought that she should just spill the truth as she replied to her. Yet she found it as hard to say as it had been when she'd told A2, and she had even partially known her story too already, while 2B was entirely ignorant about it. Not her fault though.

"That's… that is because I was a human, 2B."

There was a very, very long moment of silence, with absolutely no sound or answer from 2B, and A2 was internally hoping she wouldn't scream into their heads from excitement or whatever she may be feeling about the revelation.

"A… human…" barely a breath, and barely audible.

2B struggled to form any words, a human had been among them for years, and no one had ever noticed? But 26E said that she had been a human, and 2B knew everything indicated that her body was entirely of a YoRHa android. What did it mean?

And why would the Commander keep this a secret? Why would anyone keep this a secret? Weren't androids supposed to respect humans? Not make them their equals?

How did they even do that?

Why was she here at all?

"I don't understand…" her words prompted frowns from both A2 and Robin, but she continued before they could ask something.

"Why keep this hidden? Why are you like us? Humans are supposed to be superior to us, and why did they send you here from the moon? Why would anyone do this to one person? Why you?"

With a heavy sigh, Robin replied, or tried to. "These are things I do not have an answer to."

"But the only thing I can say is that I am not a human from the moon, or from this planet. I'm from the other planet we could see from the Bunker. Other than that I don't know why I am here, I don't know how they gave me this body when I died, I don't know why they chose someone like me at all, and I don't know what they want from me."

She didn't mean to speak with increasing irritation in her tone, but she did, but lately things were getting too much and too stressful to handle.

And in all this, she still had no answers about anything.

Probably sensing the heavy tone, 2B dropped the subject., and A2 sighed.

"I should have just shown her when you talked to me about it." but Robin shook her head at A2's statement.

"I'm fine A2, but there are still things I'd like to keep between us, if possible." the white haired android gave her a nod, understanding that probably 2B wasn't ready to hear about her criminal past.

2B had seemed too respectful still, and breaking the news right away would just hurt her. A2 at least had been on her own and distrustful enough in any other person, to know how to detach herself from this imposed loyalty towards humans.

Or so Robin hoped.

She wouldn't know how to feel if all the time they spent together was just because A2 felt that she had a duty to protect her, especially when she quite literally brought her back from the dead after the encounter with Adam.

She trusted that A2 was able to think with her own head.

As for 2B? She was still very unsure about it. Such a loyal soldier would have a hard time accepting that the person she looked up to was a good for nothing.

What was she saying? She was still just the same.

Also now 2B's presence posed the problem that she couldn't freely talk to A2 like she used to, she'd have to measure her choice of words, once again.

What a pain.

Not that she would blame 2B for being desperate, no, that never, she was blaming White and her obsession with keeping everything a secret. It would have been all easier if she wouldn't have to lie in the face of who admired her.

Admired her for nothing…

"Actually…" Robin began. "Maybe it would be better if she knew, would make things easier in the end when we'll have to communicate."

A2 just seemed to realize the issue at this very moment. "I didn't even think about her listening to us…" her features softened when she asked the next question, worried that telling her story would hurt her.

And with the way she reacted lately, it was very clear to A2 that Robin was absolutely not in a good state of mind at the moment. If she could do anything to spare her the pain she would jump at the opportunity to do so.

The small nod the black haired woman gave her was all but reassuring too. "I'm tired of lies, A2."

"Just…" another heavy sigh. "2B, remember when I told you to not take me as an example?"

"I never managed to understand what it meant."

"Well I…" the arm A2 had around her waist tightened, encouraging her. "That is because I was a criminal, 2B."

"I am far from being a good example of a human."

It took a moment for 2B to reply, and Robin feared to have said too much, and scared her away. She deserved it anyway.

"Do you regret them?" the question caught Robin off guard.

"What?"

"I asked if you regret what you've done in the past. You always told us to never be proud of the lives we take, it was because you're not proud of what you were, right?"

"Perhaps there isn't anything else I need to teach you, you understood what my words meant better than I ever expected." perhaps even too well, with just a few words used.

Maybe she underestimated her student.

She'd never wanted her and the other Executioners to become heartless monsters like she was and had been. And that she's proven to be over and over again.

Perhaps that was what YoRHa was looking from her, looking for someone that would use her talents of murderer to end their suffering once and for all, and put and end to everything.

A2 however was just frowning at her companion, not pleased with what she said, keeping away from 2B the fact that she'd been just a victim of fate, that it was because of said reason that she became what she was, and not because she wanted to.

But for now she'll keep her mouth shut on the topic.

Just for the time being, because this coldness and distance that Robin showed was something she didn't like at all.

As if she was returning to being 26E…

With an unexpected wave of tiredness, A2 slumped against Robin's body harder than what she should have, but at least it'd give her something else to worry about other than shaming herself with words.

"Let's just get to camp." A2 suggested.

It must have been her fuel filter not working properly, to make her feel like she lacked any kind of energy, despite the fact that she'd just repaired herself in the previous days.

The rest of the trip was spent in relative silence, and with Robin making sure to take the safest routes she could, with the least machines bustling around, putting both Pods on alert in case someone tried to attack them.

When they arrived just outside of the camp, they saw something neither was expecting to ever see.

Machines attacking… another machine that was crying for help?

"Should we help that thing?" Robin questioned, but before she could say more, with all the strength she had left, A2 ran towards the helpless machine.

The black haired woman rushed to her aid before she could harm herself, or the machines could do so.

Together they put down the assaulters, and when they did that other machine that was being attacked did something they never thought was possible.

"Thank you for saving me, my name is Pascal."

It thanked them… a machine, thanking two androids…

And from the look on her face, one android with white hair was not willing to let it, or him go. But this Pascal fellow seemed to accept the decision.

"I see. If this will make you feel better then so be it."

"Wait!" 2B's voice rang loud in their heads, and they struggled not to grimace. "Please don't kill him, he's a friend."

"Whatever…"

Seemingly confused but thankful of the decision A2 took to put down her weapon, the machine left, once again with thankful words.

What a weird thing…

What was even more surprising was that A2 let the thing go, for 2B's sake she assumed.

Perhaps leaving her former student to her companion had been a good decision. Not that Robin doubted A2's goodwill, she'd seen glimpses too many times to do so, but if 2B's presence helped her recover a side of herself she believed to be lost, then it was even better.

And speaking of lost things, it was about time A2 met with her long lost friend, Anemone.