"I hope this will be enough." 9S told his partner, as he placed a pile of blankets on the freshly made bed, that 2B brought in the room just before.
They'd spent the majority of the day helping out Anemone and the rest set up what would be A2 and Robin's room, the Resistance Leader, and not only her, wanting the two to move in the camp with the others.
As they should.
As much as comfy that hideout in the Commercial Facility looked, it was just a run down building with salvaged items at best, the most useful thing was the signal jammer in there, but with YoRHa gone, there was no longer need of such a thing.
No more need to hide, from anything and anyone.
And that applied to them all.
Though there were still some secrets that for now it would be best if they did not see light, everything YoRHa kept hidden from everyone…
But there would be time for reveals.
"I think we should be done here." 2B looked around, the two would have their own bed, that was just two beds next to each other, but she wanted them to be close, as the two women were closer still.
A desk and a chair for Robin to work on her things, and an assortment of shelves for what she'd already found, and would most likely be taking here.
Not much different than 2B and 9S' own room, and not far from it either, but it was functional, and that was what counted.
"We will just have to…" 9S' words died in his mouth, as just as he exited the room and went back to the camp, he could see just the two android women approaching, with the twins following and…
"21O!"
He rushed over, as right there, held in the secure arms of the other unit she used to support, there was his, no, their Operator.
In the denial of the events that had happened after 2B's death, and in the denial of the person he'd become back then, how could he forget about 21O in the middle of it all?
Her, out of all things!
The woman that looked after them both, and that he'd disappointed and hurt with his behavior over and over… without even knowing it…
He didn't say a word, as he watched the former human gently place the blonde woman on the same bed she was lying in just a few days ago, leaving a caress on her cheek, as he did the same on the other one.
Among the silence that fell around them, 2B's voice made herself be heard.
"Can she be brought back to us?" asking the question that he too wanted to know, but didn't find the power to say.
"If you'd be willing to provide a new Black Box." Devola stated, matter of factly. It was the only thing they couldn't make, for now.
They already had meant to ask as to how to create YoRHa Black Boxes, but it seemed that it was a rather delicate subject for the androids in question, 9S himself had hidden away when he made Robin's own one so no one would look.
So for now they didn't dare to ask, if they weren't willing to talk. It felt…wrong.
"Would that be all you would need?" 9S asked, not too happy about having to manipulate another one of those cores. But if it was necessary to bring 21O back, and they all knew it would, then he'd make it.
Again, it wasn't their fault they'd been made this way, he reminded himself.
Perhaps one day they may even find a replacement that didn't involve using machine body parts.
"We have the rest of the repairs covered." Popola replied, after all, it was their job, at least it was one thing they could do well, and be proud of.
It was something.
Especially when it saved lives of people they cared about, and that ever gave a damn about them in ten thousands of years, and also those that were important to them. Even if for now they could count those people in the fingers of a single hand.
But at least there was someone, and they were content this way.
He gave them a relieved and sincere smile. "Thank you."
But the twins shook their heads. "It wasn't our idea." Devola told him, and as he turned towards Robin, knowing 21O was someone she cared about, and opened his mouth to speak, she motioned to her companion instead.
A2… it had been A2's idea.
She had remembered the person he'd forgotten, she probably got to know about 21O through 2B and Robin now that he thought about it.
However he didn't manage to thank her as she talked first. "I just thought you deserved something back, for having done so much for me." she held her arm, almost looking shy as she said so.
A2's blue eyes landed on Robin, and as they did, he couldn't help but notice just how soft they were towards her. He knew she also meant this gesture to be for the woman she loved too and not just him, but he knew it was her way to say she was grateful for taking Robin back and not giving up.
She was happy again with the woman she cared for, just like he'd found happiness again with 2B. It was amazing what the presence of another person they felt deeply for, could change them and the way they acted.
As if they were making them better people, and perhaps that was true.
Actually, he was pretty sure it had to be that way for all of them, he assumed just by knowing just how lonely each of them had been before, now that their stories had all been shared with one another.
However, speaking of lonely things, A2's eyes also landed in Anemone's direction. She still had to tell the potential trouble this woman could cause, for them two, just because she shared the number 21 in her name.
So leaving Robin with the others for the time being, as they moved aside, making plans as to how to recover the cursed object for the Black Box, she decided to not waste time and tell her friend what she needed to know, before the woman woke up, so she could brace herself…
… At the potential possibility that the Operator woman could be just like the old Number 21 they had known.
Of course, it could be the same way as it was for her and 2B, their personalities were similar but her younger sister was missing those bad aspects that characterized her in the past.
And even now.
But there would be no way to tell how much the similarity persisted until the blonde android woke up.
And if she would end up being like Number 21, A2 knew it would hurt to see, knowing that in the end it would not be her, ever. But for Robin's sake, she'd bear it, because all she wanted was for her to be happy, and if that meant keeping someone she cared about around, at the cost of having to remind herself she was not the Scanner she knew, then so be it.
She just wanted to see Robin smile, and see her eyes shine.
"I was just about to come over to ask who is that woman you brought here." Anemone said, patting the chair next to hers to Number 2 would sit.
She didn't like how serious she was looking, as if she was about to say something she knew she wouldn't like. And perhaps it would be that way.
"She was Robin and 9S' Operator." she replied, starting with the obvious fact first.
Anemone also assumed the obvious, that Number 2 must have thought to take that person here out of love for her companion.
But she felt that there was more to it.
"She's a number 21 personality." A2 blurted out, deciding to go straight for the reveal, without circling around the matter.
Now Anemone knew why her friend looked so worried about it, she'd known the Scanner, and she'd known of their unfortunately very brief relationship. If it could be called that.
More like a one night stand, in which Anemone had completely fallen for the serious and shy red haired android.
What was she saying? She'd fallen way before that, or she would have never even dared to ask Number 21 to do anything with her, not that early at least. They had known each other for nothing more than a few weeks.
"I see…" Anemone sighed, not that she would want to blame this blonde woman for it, but she didn't feel ready for the wave of memories that she knew would eventually show up.
"Do you think she's…"
"From what I know she could be." Number 2 answered her before time.
She'd wanted to ask if this Number 21 could look like the old one they'd known, in personality, which could only give problems, but again, not her fault.
"Robin told me about her, and I saw her a bit through 2B's memories, she does sound like our old Scanner friend. She sounds just as serious and as caring as she used to be."
Silence fell before them, as they watched the remaining YoRHa leave, probably off to fix the Black Box problem, A2 assumed, as Robin was thoughtful enough to leave Pod 007 with her, so they could contact one another if there was need to, while 9S left 153 with the twins, and they has 042 with them.
She heard Anemone sigh again, hard, heavy.
"I'm not sure I'm ready for this." she rubbed her eyes. "When I saw 2B for the first time, I thought it was you, I kept mistaking her for you, because you looked the exact same."
And that was true, because if A2 could cut her hair again then their appearance would be the exact same. Though she knew that her younger sister may have gotten some physical improvements, compared to her.
In terms of looking good.
"It took me a while to stop mistaking her for you, it was hard to not call her Number 2 either. Eventually, I saw the differences in your personalities, so I managed." Anemone recalled the struggle and how she accidentally called 2B "Number 2" when they met.
Thankfully she never asked, and if either she or 9S picked anything from it they never said a thing.
2B was different in the way she carried herself, more controlled, serious, even too much, and graceful. While Number 2 was a volcano of emotions, and still was today, shy and insecure of herself.
Appearances alone didn't make the same person.
So…
"I think we may be all right, even if it could take a while." once again Anemone glanced at the blonde woman, as the twins already began fiddling with her components, to salvage what could have been saved. "At least, unlike you and 2B, she does not look like her."
"That's true."
At least there wouldn't be that longer bowl cut with those pointy tips, and those red hair, and neither blue eyes, as A2 knew now that Operator types had green eyes instead.
Would make it easier to remember this one was a different person than their beloved Scanner.
Maybe, just maybe, this would be fine.
Upon arriving at the forest, the place was strangely silent, not even too many animals were scurrying about, and not even machines.
"Are we sure the machines here could still be active?" 2B asked, noticing the unnatural silence, compared to the usual broken voices of the malfunctioning knights.
Did they die because of it? Did the virus spread through here too somehow? Pascal's village was rather close, so it would have been entirely possible.
Stepping further in, Robin examined the ambient with knowing eyes, noticing broken branches and pieces of trees lying about. Some of the trunks had dents in them too.
"Signs of a fight." she just said, as she moved a hand on a damaged tree.
What could have caused it? What had been involved here and why?
The answer arrived when a peculiar scent hit her more sensitive nose of android, it was strong, metallic, yet not quite.
It was a scent she hadn't smelled in a long time…
And she did not like it…
2B and 9S frowned as Robin suddenly walked away rather quickly in one direction, her gaze fixed on the ground and around her, as if trying to look for something, some kind of clue.
Until finally on the ground before them there were tracks…
… And blood… actual blood.
There was only one thing that could still actually bleed on Earth, and that was animals.
"There was an animal loving machine here." 9S suddenly blurted out. "That thing was taking care of injured animals, asked us to help once, and the place should be around this area…"
They didn't like where this was heading. As they walked, they spotted even more blood on the ground and on the trees, and then…
Animals… dead animals… boars and mooses alike.
"Who… who could have done this?" Robin barely whispered. Why the animals too now? What fault could they have?
More dead bodies followed, and as they did, even machine corpses joined them. A fight between them perhaps?
Out of safety, Robin held Scarlet Despair tight at her side, her hand on the hilt, in case hostiles were still around. The silence unnerved her, as she constantly flickered her eyes to all the hiding spots and bushes she could see, trying to find out if there were enemies around them, ready to attack.
None of that, but a single lone machine couched in front of a pile of animal bodies, its cries resonating around them.
"That's him." 2B kept her voice small, to not startle the clearly mourning machine.
But as soon as she said that, combat instinct kicking in, Robin blocked the incoming strike of the machine's spear as it turned to face them, probably thinking they were attackers of some kind again.
Using her strength to push the spear upwards, as 2B swiftly kicked it away from them so it wouldn't harm anyone, before herself drawing out Virtuous Contract.
9S held his hand forward, the other holding Cruel Oath at his side, not raised yet unlike his two companions. "`We're not here to hurt you." he spoke softly, trying to calm the distraught machine down.
The stubby blinked its eyes at them, and then held its own arms up, upon realizing it wasn't other machines attacking, or anyone hostile for that matter.
"SORRY, SORRY!" it yelled, and unlike the duo with her, Robin wasn't prepared for the tone the machine used, as she visibly flinched when it spoke.
However, hearing it talk was enough for her and the others to lower their weapons.
"Was it you doing this?" she asked, wanting to know what happened.
"THE KNIGHTS, THEY SLAUGHTERED THEM ALL, EYES RED… KILLED EACH OTHER, I KILLED THEM! KILLED THEM ALL FOR HURTING MY FRIENDS!"
"The virus." 2B simply stated, gaining a nod from the others.
So it did spread here too, and Robin assumed it must have been after Pascal's village had been attacked. Some machine must have slipped in the forest through the gates before she and A2 arrived at the place.
And then it must have spread through the knights, as they attacked everything, even the animals that probably were just trying to defend themselves, and possibly even other machines too. This one didn't appear that it had been infected.
Certainly didn't act like it, despite the loud tone, it could still speak clearly.
At least it solves the core problem. These dead knights had no use for one anymore.
"So I assume there are no machines left in the forest then." Robin states, looking around once again at the death. "At least I hope the cores are salvageable, there has to be one intact at least."
Please let there be one core left, it would be all they needed.
The Resistance was out of those, the very last one they had was used on her own self, so this was the only option left.
Perhaps one day they may learn how to make them, maybe with the help of whatever friendly machine there was, along with Pascal of course, so the whole core and Black Box issue may be solved once and for all.
Also she wasn't too fond of killing, never had been, she mostly did it out of necessity, much like in this situation, so the longer she could avoid doing so, the better.
"And him?" 9S motions to the machine, that was just watching them for the moment.
"Well… maybe we could find him another friend." Robin says, knowing well they know she refers to the only other machine that was their friend.
And how lonely he was…
"A NEW FRIEND?" the machine asked, eyes blinking rapidly, it almost sounded excited.
"Yes. We have a machine friend, he's… very lonely, lost a lot of friends, like you." she explains, eyes softening, remembering the pitiful sight of the empty and deserted village before her.
She wondered if Ohara looked that way too after the attack, there had been no way for her to ever go back and find out, and to mourn. But they could.
"Maybe you could keep him company?" her tone was hopeful and kind.
They all knew well how it felt to lose what was dear to them, and knew well that such pain couldn't be faced alone.
Robin knew it now.
"YES, YES, PLEASE!" the machine's round head bobbed up and down, nodding excitedly.
"I'll take him to Pascal, you can solve the core problem." 2B offered, taking the stubby by the shoulders and leading him away from this place.
Robin and 9S watched her go before he started scavenging the dead corpses of the knights.
"We should take as many as we can, we don't know if there potentially could be other androids that could be saved." she also began scavenging around, not like she'd never done it before.
She'd done so many horrible things for survival… that this was nothing in comparison.
"You think there could?" he frowned at her, they possibly couldn't save the entire YoRHa though.
"Positive, and besides, what do we have to lose if we try to save people for once?" instead of killing them, and killing each other.
Enough blood, enough death, there had been so much already that they caused and seen.
"I'm tired of causing pain, 9S. And for once I have the chance to just be at peace, and be something else than a murderer, I want to take it."
Because someone taught her that people could change for the better, with the help of others.
If her dream couldn't be restored, then was it wrong to have a new one?
To just be another person and cleanse bother her names of all the pain she'd caused.