"I think this would be all." Robin stood, while in her and A2's arms were three machine cores that Pascal had given them.

"I still don't like these things." A2 commented with a frown. "Me neither." she could hear Number 16 agreeing with her. They still didn't really love the fact that they had been made as some kind of android machine hybrid.

"Sometimes you can't help the way you're born." Robin sighed. "Neither us humans choose who we are at birth, it is our parents that do."

If they could, then probably she wouldn't be the daughter of a criminal, but even so, she didn't hold it against her mother for wanting a child. Probably no one expected things to escalate the way they did.

"What matters is that there's still respect between all of us, no matter how I look at it, you don't fit the stereotype of a regular machine." Rose spoke in their minds, to be fair, neither did Pascal for how nice he was.

Perhaps machines evolved differently when they weren't linked to the network. Not that it mattered too much now. If neither side harmed the other, she was content to leave things the way they were, besides, this collaboration with machines did help with repairs for the YoRHas, so even better to keep a good relationship.

Still, the Resistance Captain could feel her chest clench, or rather, someone else's.

It was the woman that was currently hosting her consciousness.

And she could very well guess why too.

So…

"Nico Robin." she called her out. "I would like to speak to you in private."

They didn't really have occasion to talk one on one yet, because the human had never left A2's side once they were out of the server.

But the things she saw, the things she felt as if they were her own had to be addressed.

And not for her own peace of mind.

Thankfully the woman was complacent with her request, leaving her third core in she held in the hands of A2, as she went off in the direction of the camp to bring the items to the medical team, while she headed in another direction, deep in the city.

"I'll be blunt with you." since she quickly learned and saw it was the best way to get things across. "I know you are afraid, I can feel it as clearly as if it was my own fear."

"My apologies."

"No apologies." she cut her off. "I don't accept self blaming acts."

"I have seen things like these way too many times. I don't quite know how long you've lived for, but surely not 200 years, and during this time I've come to know people like you."

"What do you mean?" there wasn't someone else like her.

"People who think of themselves as monsters, such as you." even without having heard the full story, just remembering the words of a few days ago in that server that she told Adam were enough to guess.

But there was more too.

"You're no monster, Nico Robin, just someone who's been deeply hurt, someone who's been told to be such a bad person that you yourself believe it." and Number 2 had figured it out long before her.

"I have seen your nightmares of these previous days, and I have never witnessed so much pain, and so much cruelty all at once, not only that, but bestowed upon a single person too."

In the rare times she let herself rest, awful dreams, memories plagued her mind, and Rose as everything and felt every single thing, from the biggest to smallest, as if she'd been on the receiving end.

She'd never been in so much agony before in her long life of android.

Even with all the people she lost, because of the machines, or from herself and her own allies, at least she'd never been alone, never been hated, all the opposite in fact.

Never before she'd seen someone be so miserable.

Her words of the other day, about the long years of survival she endured were bad enough to hear, but now that she experienced them on the human's side of things hit even harder than the first time.

This woman carried such a heavy weight on her shoulders alone.

"I'm sorry. Usually A2's presence keeps them at bay." but Rose knew why they resurfaced, despite Number 2's help, and she could feel that Nico Robin did too, even if she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"It's because you feared losing someone dear to you another time." if she didn't say it, then she would have.

But she could feel something else within the human's chest…

Shame.

"And you shouldn't be ashamed of what you did to Adam." and if anything, he very much deserved it, so much she too had wanted to plant a bullet in his head, right between his eyes.

Those red eyes she'd seen so many times on her old companions that they had to kill, so much that she despised the color now.

"It's not that, Captain Rose." she shook her head.

"I know. It's that you're afraid to slip in your old ways, and to hurt us, but not only…" there was even more, so much that Nico Robin would have never told anything about hadn't she been residing in her head.

"You're afraid of our judgment."

Because she'd been so used to hearing that she was so evil, she believed to be evil for real.

"But we aren't afraid of you. We aren't afraid of a person who was protecting someone she loves, no matter how cruel or violent your ways were."

And from the way she despised this side of hers, and she could feel the hate loud and clear, Rose could tell that Robin would never, ever harm any of them, so hard she fought to keep the devil at bay.

"Sometimes you need to be evil in order to protect something important." Rose paused for a moment, once again remembering all the comrades she had to sacrifice, so that the logic virus didn't claim more of them.

"We have all done our share of things we hate, Nico Robin. What matters is the reason why we did them, and in this case, you just meant to protect the woman you love, and the people you cherish, now that you're no longer alone." because she was not alone anymore, and swore all she might, Rose was not going to let this woman suffer for it any longer.

She was not going to let anyone suffer loneliness any longer.

Not her, not Number 2 and not Anemone, nor anyone else ever again.

"The Resistance is a family, my family, and we look out for one another, you are part of it too now, so anything you need you just ask, no matter what it is. If you ever feel bad or insecure ever again, we'll remind you for how many times it will be necessary." not matter how many it took, and if it took an eternity.

"Nico Robin, you are not the person those humans say you are. Please do not let their voices crush you, it ain't the truth."

And as an archeologist and seeker of truth in people's stories, she should understand it better than anyone.

In the end, she was just a lonely and scared little girl who received no love from her own kind, and Rose understood the terrifying thought of losing everything she fought so hard to have now, and face that curse again.

Enough of it.

Times changed, and she was here, on Earth, and her family was a group of androids now.

She was one of them.

There was silence broken only from the sound of the human's steps on the grass that had grown in the city, before she heard a small sniffle, and Rose could feel the familiar sting of unshed tears.

"Thank you, Captain Rose." Robin wiped her eyes.

She truly had found something special here, with these people, and in this moment, she swore she'd get even stronger, so she may never have to see anyone die ever again.

She'll protect them, and everything that was precious to her.

"Just call me Rose."

"Well then, just call me Robin." she replied back with a small smile on her face.

While talking, neither of the two noticed that they has arrived back at the center of the city, where that giant crater with the Tower's remains stood, and instead of avoiding it, Robin actually jumped in it, her legs absorbing the weight of the impact of a fall too high.

But the pain went as quickly as it came.

"If that was me my legs would be broken."

"If I still had my human body, I would be dead." well not really if she used her Devil Fruit powers to cushion the fall, which she would have, but technically speaking, a human body wouldn't be able to handle it.

Right now she was also without Pod though, and 007 would have been useful, but he was part of the medical team, along with his two similars, 9S, 6O, and the twins.

For now.

The group had discussed how to proceed onwards, when all the consciousnesses were retrieved, and who to rebuild first, coming to the conclusion that the best route to follow would be to bring the maintenance expert Gerbera, and also Number 21 back first, as she was a Scanner type.

All to speed up the building process, since they could help better with a body rather than without, like the redhead had suggested.

Not for nothing Scanner types were good at making plans.

But right now Robin had another thing pressing in her mind, she was sure the process was going well anyway. The fallen Tower reminded her of something, and right now felt like the best moment to ask, since it was just her and Rose.

To be honest, she meant to ask another person too, but the old Resistance Captain was more than fit for this too.

"Rose, I may have a question myself that I'd like to ask you…"

"Are you sure about it?" 21O asked, she was sitting on a tall building of the camp, making use of a temporary break the medical team took, while waiting for the core for her predecessor to arrive.

"Certain. I've analyzed all of your systems three times now, there's no mistake about it." the voice of the Scanner reached her ears.

"So I was correct then, there is something strange within me." the Operator stared at her hands, flexing her fingers a few times.

"It is not the first time I saw this happen." the redhead announced, and it was true, though this case appeared slightly different, nothing was triggered yet, not even unconsciously.

As if the machines meant to hide it better this time.

Maybe to not give androids some kind of advantage? Even if they had full control of this unit?

But they couldn't control the other Scanner mode, she'd come to know.

"Do you mean to test it out?"

"I guess I could, but I don't want the others to know until I'm sure it will cause no harm to them." or to her.

"There shouldn't be the possibility of corruption, the trace left is too small for it, and besides, if it was powerful enough it would have corrupted you already." well, that made sense.

"I'd suggest the desert area for testing, less chances of running into anyone." and less chances of anyone asking what they were up to.

"Will you be alright though?" she'd hate herself if she were to damage her data or worse.

And her friends would hate her even more for it, just when A2 finally seemed happy…

She'd known her for a little, but 21O had never seen her smile as much as she did now, and in these days she didn't seem like she was able to hold it back, and probably didn't even want to do that.

"I assume I may feel the same negative effects, if there will be any, but I doubt there will be any damage coming to myself directly."

But there wasn't any guarantee, however Number 21 didn't appear worried.

"If anything, being in your body will allow me to better understand this issue, and how to aid you with it, now and whenever I'll be back in my own body."

21O gave a small laugh. "You Scanners are truly a big help."

She knew it from 9S, but his curiosity got the best of him too many times to let shine through how helpful he was to others, besides 2B, she always knew

But in the next words of her predecessor she could feel pride as much as she felt insecurity.

"It is just my duty."

"Robin!" just as she entered the camp, A2 pretty much tackled her.

She held her in her arms, holding her up so the rogue was tall enough to look down on her. She had such a bright smile on her that Robin hoped it would never disappear.

"9S says that he's preparing the cores, and once the first is complete we could be able to awaken Number 21 soon."

And once the Scanner will be awake, things could go even faster than they did.

Also it looked like the others needed a bit of a break, as she could see Devola and Popola sitting in two chairs near each other tiredly napping, one holding her head on the other's shoulder.

While she watched 2B give 6O a wet cloth to place over her eyes, to let them rest and cool off a bit, as Pod 042 sat in her lap.

153 was propped against 9S' side as he worked on the cores.

007 decided to rest himself near what would be Number 21's body, which appeared almost finished, right now it had a blanket over it to cover the exposed chest.

Near her, there was Gerbera's, but she still needed more finishing touches to make the body look like it was her.

"I'm glad." she replied, still holding her up. "I truly am." she added, having been told all the bad things Adam said about A2 being a hypocrite for desiring happiness.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't want the people she loved near her too, but she wasn't going to hold it against A2. The reason why she joined her cause in the first place, was to make sure she wouldn't suffer loneliness like she did.

And seeing her this happy told her that she did the right thing.

Even now with giving her friends a way to return.

She had no regrets.

And like Rose reminded her earlier, she was no longer alone either. None of them were.

"For now Anemone and Jackass are looking for temporary clothing, but we were wondering if maybe we could remake the old uniforms, well their uniforms, I don't want mine." A2 shook her head.

Too many bad memories were tied to YoRHa to go back wearing Number 2's clothes.

And too many mistakes were made when she still had them on too.

Things she still refused to forgive herself for.

"I suppose we could ask Emil if he has some spare black and white cloth, I'm sure he'll be glad to know we are bringing back more people too." she nodded.

Maybe she could even…

"If I could have the precise data on how they looked I may be able to sew them myself."

"Is there anything you can't do?" Robin shrugged. "You pick up plenty of skills when you're on the run."

And A2 was well aware of it too.

Part of why she was so strong was for all the experience she'd made, and the things she learned for the sake of her own survival.

"I'll make sure to have all the data ready for when you return." White cut them off, she'd been helping out of rebuilding too, since she still held the data of the old units stored in her brain, including their uniforms.

"Let's go see Emil then." A2 said, finally getting off Robin's lap, but still taking her hand and dragging her along.

Partially it was because she wanted to make herself useful too, and was eager to see the others back, while the other side just wanted to get away from White still, despite all she'd done she still didn't like her around them.

If only she wasn't so useful…

But the way Robin chuckled at her antics made her forget that the ex Commander even approached them.

She couldn't let a single small stain get in the way of her future.

After all, she knew now that White had good intentions and was trying her best to change, and give them the support she previously wasn't allowed to do.

And that was good.

It didn't take long to find Emil, so loud his truck was, they found him near the entrance of the desert, but oddly enough he wasn't zooming around as he usually did, good, because they had no Pods to stop him with, but still… something didn't seem right.

Robin's sixth sense for bad things happening rarely ever failed.

And she was right once again.

As they rushed over they could hear his voice pleading.

"Please hang on…"

When they arrived they saw that before the truck there was the body of someone lying on the sand.

Those blonde hair…

"21O!" Robin immediately crouched next to her, taking her in her arms. From the sound of discomfort the Operator made, she was still alive, and somewhat conscious too, but too weak to talk.

"Emil, what happened?" A2 asked him.

"I don't know, I saw her and then she just collapsed…" he sounded like he was panicking. "I was trying to get her on my truck so I could bring her to your camp."

As Robin held her she could definitely feel her body being way warmer than it should have, she held a hand on the blonde's forehead.

"She has a fever." she frowned. "Something overloaded her systems."

A2 reached over to grab the YoRHa Sword hanging on her back, she could hear Number 21 wheezing as she too took the toll of whatever this had been, and in her head she could feel Number 4 and Number 16 worrying just the same.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing… nothing to worry about…" it didn't sound all convincing, but Number 21 was a Scanner, if there was something wrong she'd say it, right?

"She just needs to rest."

"All right, then let us take her back." A2 nodded, as Robin took the woman in her arms.

"Hop on in, we'll get there faster."

So they did, getting on Emil's wagon as he sped off in the direction of tha camp.

Everything else could wait.