Soon enough the entire group found itself traveling through the city and into the desert, even the twins tagged along, on the insistence of Rose, just for safety measures she said. Though Robin guessed it was because she trusted in her sense of knowing when there was trouble ahead, that she brought an extra pair of healers should there be a fight, as they both knew 6O alone couldn't handle looking after the entire group, even maybe with the aid of the Scanners they were still too many for only three people.
Rose had been in her head for a bit, and perhaps, with the exception of A2, she could be the other android that understood her the most.
Or perhaps just trusted her experience, and her instinct that much. She did live plenty of years on the run, so sometimes her ability to guess if and when there would be a danger ahead was quite sharp, and admittedly, like A2 often said, rarely wrong.
She'd proven it time and time again.
Probably it was that the reason why a war veteran such as the old Resistance Leader would not question the situation, she had seen so many more things than Robin ever had.
And faced even more enemies too.
On this aspect they could be quite similar, which was comforting yet scary at the same time. Scary for how accurate their instinct seemed to be.
"Was it necessary to bring all of us for one person?" Dahlia asked the question that was lurking in the head of many of them.
"We have no idea of what could lie ahead of us." Rose simply replied. "Even if there won't be a fight, the desert is vast, and the more of us there are to search for this person the better."
Looking for someone in such a place won't be an easy task, even with the aid of the Pods pinpointing the area to search in. And the sandstorms didn't make it better either, they reduced their vision to nothing in mere seconds.
Other than potentially damaging their eyes and exposed joints.
Robin threw a glance in A2's direction, that despite the last time almost losing her functions due to the sand getting in her body, didn't seem worried in the slightest, at least not for herself.
She too cared about Emil as much as all the ones that met him for long enough.
He was just… easy to be around, and even adorable in his own creepy way. But Robin didn't know why she kept being reminded somewhat of a child, maybe it was the voice, maybe somehow he was one…
None of them knew what he truly was after all.
"Are we sure he's even a person?" Number 4 asked. "He's the talking head in that wagon, no?"
"We have no other idea how to refer to him as, but it's definitely something alive, for as weird as it looks." no one really knew what had happened on Earth while humans were still alive either, and Robin's senses of archeologist longed to know.
At least to clarify what happened to them to be extinguished this way.
The aliens didn't attack until five thousand years later, and that was proven from the YoRHa database itself, along with those dummy communications from the council, so there had to be something that happened before it.
And then there were those documents of Project Gestalt still…
If only they had found more, but their search so far brought them nothing at all. No more than what was already in their hands.
The truth was still far.
"Well, he's our friend, and has aided us too, so no reason to leave him in trouble, even if we don't know him I trust the other's judgment." he hadn't known them either, but from his reaction Rose could tell he too was happy for Number 2 to have found her friends back.
That was really all that mattered, the bonds between each other.
If he was a friend then with time they'd build one with him themselves too. Assuming they could assure he was safe first of course.
It'd be a rather big problem otherwise.
"We can leave questions for later." came Number 21's reminder that they should focus on finding him first.
Perhaps with all this sand, the YoRHa should have worn their visors, even as much as they hated them. Rose understood this, but safety should have been preferred over hate in this case.
As much as she knew at least some of them would disagree with her, just out of spite for YoRHa.
Once they arrived at the place Pod 007 led them to, through a harsh sandstorm, they could hardly see what was around them, but for sure it was big, and multiple and…
Were those more Emil? But those heads were… well giant compared to his.
But so far they didn't move, perhaps they were just odd rocks? Though the big round eyes and the grinning mouth were the same. Were they machine replicas? Or something else? Machines were dead but these could be older than a few months, looked like they were at least.
"This is beyond creepy." Number 16 commented, the sight was enough to give chills.
"I don't like this…" as much as Robin didn't like how warm her back felt.
"Your sword." A2 pointed at it. "Your gauntlets too." she had them hovering too on her lower back this time.
"What about them?"
"They're glowing, like, way more than usual." 9S explained, he had been interested in the weapons too, but he, and no one else, could ever guess why the glowing energy.
And right about now it seemed like it was showing a mind of its own.
Robin took the sword in her hand, observing it. She'd never seen such an intense light pulsing so erratically before.
Was it trying to tell her something? But how? And why?
"Let's just find Emil first, that's the most pressing matter." without more words she rushed forward first. She was sure that Pod 007 led them in the right place, they just had to find the right Emil.
Their Emil, and his blue wagon.
"We should separate in groups that can keep contact between each other." Number 21 suggested.
"Right, so we're two Scanner types, we can either group with the Resistance, or me, 2B and Robin can lend our Pods to them." 9S proposed. "Either way works well."
Rose nodded. "Agreed, but make sure not to stray too far, sandstorms can be harsh enough to cut communication, and we don't need more lost individuals." she stated. "And of course, be careful, don't hurt yourselves."
That also wouldn't help the case.
Dividing was easy enough, no complaints when everyone could go with who they could be most comfortable with. Despite the serene atmosphere in the group, there were still preferences, and most of the old units didn't trust the new ones yet, the Resistance, for the biggest part, was wary of the newer YoRHas, with all good reasons.
Newer things could be scary after all.
But at the same time they trusted Anemone and A2's judgment enough to let them stay at the same side, and stand together.
The former rogue took the occasion to reunite with her old friends, for the sake of reminiscing old times, and it was nice to see little things changed. Number 16 still loved to bicker with Number 4, and grumble at the indications given by Number 21, who in turn still seemed the calm and professional plan maker she had always been.
Under the Scanner's suggestion, while the two Attackers scouted ahead, the Gunner had her weapon drawn, and was using the scope to scout even longer distances without needing to move too much.
Even though…
"This damn sand is making it too hard to see anything." Number 16 complained with a loud growl. "Can't you find the energy source or something?"
"Negative." Number 21 shook her head. "It seems we are surrounded by some kind of unidentified energy, coming from those weird stones we saw earlier, if they could be called as such."
"It's unlike you not to know something." the Gunner grinned down at the Scanner. "Maybe you're losing your touch."
"To be fair, no one else knows what the thing we're dealing with is, I'm no different." though she would be lying if her comrade's words didn't sting.
Even the time she spent in her successor's mind was of no use, 21O had given her access to all the new information stored in the database before the Bunker fell, and even so, there was absolutely nothing about Emil, nothing at all.
If she could provide no data, then she was totally useless…
At least Number 16 didn't pick up the subject again, resuming in scouting the area. Again, her eyes were met with nothing but sand, and occasional flashes of either white or black, given from the two Attacker's clothing and hair.
She was just about to put down the rifle and ask the redhead again, if she made any progress, she knew she was at her side furrowing over those screens of hers, she could see her hands moving, when she finally caught sight of another color.
"Hey, didn't they say that thing has a blue wagon?" if so…
"I think I've found him!" she yelled hard enough so Number 2 and Number 4 could hear her over the harsh wind whipping around them.
"What direction?" Number 4 hurried over first, their former Captain trailing behind her.
As she pointed in that same direction with her rifle, she was met with the same sight as before. "Over there, and it doesn't seem to be moving."
"Warn the others."
"Already on it." the Scanner was way ahead of Number 2 before she said that, sending the rest of the team the coordinates she calculated based on the Gunner's information.
At least she still had as good eyes as ever.
"Then let's get moving." with a nod, the trio trailed behind Number 2, even though she no longer led them, old habits die hard.
For Number 2 it might have passed years, but for them stuck in that server, it might have looked like a few months at best. Their memories of being alive were stuck to before they died and were absorbed.
There wasn't really anything happening if not the passing of time, before Adam and Eve attempted to reclaim what was left of the server, and eliminate their leftover data. That they could remember, what was between that and the time they had lived still was of little importance.
The only thing it did was to strengthen the bonds between the three YoRHas and the Resistance, that was the only thing that mattered out of it.
After all, most they could do was speak to each other, or fight each other in some people's cases, but even that grew old after a while, and fights happened less often than one would imagine.
"Emil!" Number 2 shouted loud as she finally spotted the familiar wagon, as she rushed over where he was, sliding on the sand as she did, landing on her knees in front of his round face.
Hard to tell if he was in there or not, so much so that his face didn't change.
She took the head in her hands, and gently held it in her lap. "Emil…" she whispered.
"Is he…" Number 4 started looking over to Number 16 and Number 21, who both had the same expression of uncertainty.
When a pained sound could be heard.
"A2?" his voice sounded weak and strained, had he been attacked? Maybe, since the wagon was lying flat on the sand.
"Emil!" more voices could be heard, as Robin's group, and the people of the Resistance rushed over. "Is he okay?" it was the first thing the former human asked.
That was all she wanted to know at the moment.
"I don't know…" he did say her name, but A2 wasn't sure yet, and she didn't know how to know that either.
Still, it seemed that hearing the voices, Emil had enough strength to roll himself on A2's legs to face the others, a good sign, hopefully.
"Why are you here?"
"Because you disappeared on us." 9S simply stated. "Yes, we came to find you, we were worried you know?" A2 spoke in a much softer tone.
"We came to take you home, with us." Robin crouched next to A2, so Emil could see her better. And hopefully, to take him along with them too, once everything was ready. "If you will allow us to."
It was a long journey not everyone was willing to make, she knew. But just having the people here with her right now was almost enough, she would consider asking Pascal and the new friendly machines he found, if they wanted a new village, safe from harm, and from this planet, once this matter was settled.
"You need to be careful…" they heard Emil whisper.
Careful for what reason?
"They are still alive…"
Before anyone could say anything more there was a tremor, and the statues, or rather, the other Emil heads took life, springing in the air.
"What the hell!?" Dahlia and Number 16 shouted at the same time, as the group watched the heads fly above them, and scream, a loud and unnerving screech.
Number 2 drew her sword in one hand, and with the other she handed Emil and his head to Number 21. "Keep him safe." it was all she said, leaving the Scanner stunned for a moment, as she tightly held the thing close to her chest.
Number 2 trusted her, despite not being able to fight, to keep her friend safe… why?
Meanwhile the others drew their weapons, those who had long range ones shooting in the air at the heads, so did the three Pods when their owners barked the order to.
"Alert, magical weapons from the old world detected."
Magical weapons? Of the old world? Of the humans of the past? How were they supposed to deal with them?
And why did they sound so familiar to Devola and Popola? As if… as if they knew something they had forgotten…
Or rather, something they were forced to forget.
Did this mean they had been involved with humans before?
"Magical weapons have a high probability of penetrating all defense systems."
"What does it mean?" 2B asked her Pod. "It means that if any of whatever this thing can do touches us, we'll be screwed." Rose replied.
"Be on alert, all of you."
Though it was easier said than done, since it was still hard to tell how truly powerful these entities were. All of them knew little about magic too.
"I… we're… eternity… it hurts… it really hurts… why just us… why do we have to… we… we must… kill them all!" the heads cried, about something some of them could recognize more than others.
Loneliness…
"We don't need it! We don't need this world!" and furious anger, to the world that betrayed them.
The group scattered as the heads landed back on the sand, Number 21 still holding tightly to the actual Emil, because if there was a priority, was to save him, and then make sure everyone survived this.
Daisy, being the defender model she was, called her over so she could hide behind her, however in this case even her thicker armor would be useless, magic could pierce through it like butter.
Also with her being bigger she was probably the easier target.
"We should stay as far away as possible." the Scanner informed Daisy. "Lily, 6O, you should do the same."
They were the weaklings here at the moment, and no sense hanging around more than necessary, they would just put themselves at risk and distract the others should they worry for them, and they would.
Even if Number 21's heart ached at the thought of having to run like a coward, in the end she was still the useless Scanner as she had always been in fights. Always weak, always protected…
She couldn't even assist with hacking here, at least 9S had basic knowledge and a sword he could use, unlike her.
Why did Number 2 trust her with something so important such as keeping Emil safe?
She was not the person fit for this!
Distracted from her thoughts, she didn't see one of the heads charging behind them, until 6O dove for her, and pulled them both out of the way, they fell face first in the sand, as she could hear Daisy's guns firing, together with Lily's rifle.
But the thing charged again.
The sound of Lily's rifle disappeared, because she had another weapon in her hands.
"Gravity wave!"
Right, she had the machine ability she got years ago, they had wanted her to have it back, she desired to as well, for the same reason Number 21 felt right now. Useless and dependent from the rest of the team.
The wave of gravity seemingly blocked the charging head for a little, enough for Robin and A2 to come charging over as fast as they could, and cut the head with a slash from each side.
Or rather, only one of the blades actually did damage to it.
And it was A2's one.
The head still stopped fighting, covered from some kind of shield it stood still, no longer moving, as if it no longer had the energy to.
Still, Robin's glowing blade left no mark on it, as if it never came in contact with it, but she was sure she landed the hit just as much as her partner did…
It was then that she understood…
Scarlet Despair and Scarlet Wrath… they were weapons coated in magic…
That was why they glowed, that was why they were hardly scratched, that was why they didn't break, that was why the two chains seemed long to the infinite and never ran out no matter what.
That was why it was for her easier to cut through armor than anyone else…
She had heard the comments other androids made about it, how the cuts seemed to burn, much like those wounds they had found on those machines outside Emil's home, she felt magic on her own hands when she touched them.
Now she knew.
However this knowledge was of little use right now, if not for the fact that she couldn't hurt the heads, but could still resort to defense.
So then…
"I'll cover them, you deal with the rest alongside the others." she told A2. It was the best she could do, to protect Emil, and those who couldn't fight too well, as she watched 6O hold Lily tightly to her body, supporting her after she used her energy to use the machine ability, while Number 21 still held Emil against her chest, and Daisy stood protectively at the front of the group.
And she knew the rogue trusted her with her friend's lives, no matter what. Her friends were her own too now.
At least she could count on the support fire from Pod 007, he was always there at her side, he could help better than she did at the moment, so she ordered him to fire his lasers each time they recharged without the need of an order, until they were safe.
They needed heavy firepower after all, as she could hear Pod 042 and 153 do the same thing when ordered to, probably 2B and 9S were also trying not to get too close, trying to avoid getting hit as much as possible from the magical projectiles.
As was pretty much everyone.
Only one of them could be lethal, and they were going to take stupid risks, not now that everyone was where they had to be after all these years of pain and waiting.
"Those are… what happened to my clones…"
Clones? What was Emil saying? Though if he was a magical being… it all made sense.
After all, Robin too could clone parts of herself before, if anything she should know this more than the others, that magic could very well exist.
And was there a connection with it and the existence of Devil Fruits? Unlikely, but if there was something she learned from this whole thing, was that anything could be. Wasn't she the biggest example of this statement anyway?
"Years of multiplying… years of fighting in wars… their sense of self just… deteriorated."
"Fighting what?" Robin found herself asking. Did these things have a consciousness too? Well if they were clones, then they must have had the same one as Emil did.
"Everything and everyone…" that didn't answer the question.
Just… how exactly old was he then? And if so, did magic cause it?
"I need to settle things with them. On my own." Robin could sense a feeling of these words hiding more, like he made a mistake creating them.
Perhaps, but at that moment it might have also been the right decision too.
"Shut up already!" A2's voice came loud and clear through Number 21's screens. "We're in this together now."
All of them.
Though the situation didn't seem the best, because the Pods alerted them of magical energy increasing even further, the clones truly did want to get rid of them, given the hostile reaction they got.
And their singing was unnerving.
"I… we tried our best! In the rain. In the wind. In the storm. Even when our companions died, we kept fighting. But the eternal war… our eternal pain… the eternal pain! It screamed at us!"
The pain of losing what was dear to you, while you kept living on…
Now more than ever A2 desired to help him out, because she felt that too, it hurt more than ever, but if even she could redeem herself, and find happiness again…
Then so could Emil too.
With determination, she cut through another head.
She wasn't going to let everything be for nothing, they weren't. Perhaps it wasn't the same, but Emil wasn't alone, it took her a long time to understand it, and to Robin a longer one still…
But here they were, together, them and everyone else.
And he too was a friend worthy of that name. He just had to understand that, like they did before him.
"It told us there was nothing of value to protect in this world… this world had no meaning! It SCREAMED at us!"
"It has no meaning for you…" A2 whispered. But for them it was everything.
Here it was where it all started, and where all these bonds of friendship were formed, and for some even beyond that.
For this reason, they would fight.
Even an enemy that could destroy them with a single touch.
Even if this world had no meaning to exist, they had given it one, for themselves and the people they cherished.
"2B!" 9S' loud and worried shout made itself heard over the storm. And with a more than good reason to be concerned about.
The Battler lay on the sand, the stump of one of her legs nearby, she'd been hit in the attempt to protect him, and it seized her leg. She could no longer move or run.
And it looked like the clone that attacked them showed no signs of relenting, as it fired once more in their direction, again, and this time with even more magical bullets, the amount of them was sure to hit them, even if they attempted escaping.
But 9S didn't want anything to do with it, as he instead stayed with 2B, attempting to shield her.
Panicked looks were shared, as the others tried to find a solution before it was too late.
Nothing came to mind, but one singular blonde figure reached out for them.
Because if she didn't try now, it would be too late.
Because she was no longer willing to see the person she considered a son die before her another time.
Because it was the right thing to do.
As the others watched her put herself in front of the duo, another scream reached their ears.
The woman this operator guided like a daughter, despite not having the honor to call herself as such.
The last thing she saw was her reaching out to them, before a blinding light enveloped them.
"21O!"