CHAPTER 9
"Are we sure the Twins came this way?" Asked 9S uncertainty.
They'd been following the primary path through the forest for some time, and fortunately hadn't encountered any more machine battalions. Without the din of combat, the forest was actually rather peaceful. There was a smattering of wildlife - boars and the like which kept a safe distance, as well as some birds chirping from the forest canopy. Overall, it was a pleasant place for a walk.
The Bunker didn't have any wildlife, not even bugs. It was a completely sterile environment. The Bunker… didn't have anything like this at all, 9S mused.
It was his pod that answered. "There are signs that two androids came through here recently. Based on the information provided by the Resistance and the machine 'Pascal', it is highly likely that these tracks belong to the androids you are searching for."
9S sighed wearily, but didn't object further. He was feeling the fatigue of the recent battles. Although androids didn't need to eat or sleep like organic beings did, that did stop him from feeling the mental fatigue of sustained combat. Even more so for him, since he wasn't a combat model to begin with.
He looked up at 2B, who was running just a few steps ahead of him. If she was feeling any fatigue, she didn't show it. Remarkable as ever, that one.
He thinks the machines here are tougher than the ones they've fought this far. He doesn't know what that means, just yet. Nothing good, certainly. Perhaps the machines have been gathering their strength here, training and preparing for an all-out assault. The heads at the Bunker were in charge of anticipating such attacks and assigning missions to preemptively eliminate them. Typically the preemptive strikes went after large infrastructure hubs and factories - locations which pose the greatest threat, and are also easiest to detect from orbit. It wouldn't be surprising if they overlooked this location, which is more organic than mechanical. If the machines were manufactured elsewhere, and subtly brought here for training… the enemy would be able to amass an army right under their noses. And so close to a major Resistance camp, too.
It's a good thing Pascal sent them to investigate this. A good thing, and suspicious. Perhaps he'd meant it as a trap, sending two YoRHa androids without backup to be quietly eliminated.
If so, 9S thought smuggly, he'd underestimated them.
After a time, the trees around them parted and they were faced with a large, open space. Without the cover of tree canopy, he could see the towering walls of an enormous stone fortress, and it's amazing. It's clearly dilapidated, but the stone construction had held up admirably against the elements. There's multiple stone bridges spanning the length of a wide canyon - or they had spanned it, once. Either from earthquakes or lack of maintenance, they've all crumbled. Still, the architectural know-how required to build them, with the limited tools they had at the time…
Human ingenuity really amazed him, sometimes.
Of course, 9S observed with some concern, that also means they're at something of a dead end.
He looked at 2B, who had been leading the way thus far. He may be a Scanner model, but she had him beat when it came to following tracks. She hesitates only a moment, looking up and down the canyon, before she confidently chooses a direction to continue in. After following the path a bit more, they find a place where they should be able to cross, which hadn't been visible from their previous location.
At least, 9S thought with some relief, they wouldn't have to go down into the canyon. That would be quite a hike.
They cross the bridge, and 9S can't help himself from looking over the side. A long drop, that. Not as far down as it was from the Tower, but…
Nope. He's not thinking about that. Not right now. He's not.
On the other side of the canyon, they got his first good view of the fortress interior, and it didn't disappoint. Front and center sat a large castle, several stories tall and made of stone - it's walls were completely overgrown with ivy and moss, giving it a natural, earthy look.
"I guess we know why they called it a 'Kingdom' now," remarked 9S. "It has a castle." Pausing a moment, he added, "... How much do you wanna bet that the twins are inside of that?"
"No bet," 2B answered glibly.
As they approached the castle, they entered into a wide courtyard decorated with several large pillars. It was also decorated with several large machines, who looked none too pleased to have company.
It became a blur of combat as the machines noticed their approach and descended upon them. He could hear the clang of swords on steel, where 2B was cutting down swarms of smaller enemies. 9S was outside of his body as often as not, as he hacked into some of the bigger machines. The fight was over in seconds.
This set the trend for their incursion into the fortress. It was full of machines - much more densely than the forest outside was - but none of them posed much of a threat. The interior was a bit of a maze, going up and down and up again to bypass crumbled floors and collapsed passageways. He's not sure if either of them knew where they're going at one point, aside from further in.
They were just about at the top of the castle, and running out of places to look, and 9S felt he might scream if after all this they didn't find their targets. He's just kinda done with the whole thing.
And then, as they navigated a long hallway near the top of the castle, they could make out voices coming from up ahead.
"... give it back."
"No! … just want to…"
The voices were hard to make out, and interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of combat. 2B and 9S both picked up the pace, sprinting across the hallway, up a grand staircase, and through an archway at the top.
And then, as they emerged into a wide, open room, they found not two, but three female androids.
For a solid several milliseconds, 2B didn't know what to do.
On the one side, there were the twin redheads. One of them, with curly-red hair, was standing near the center of the room. The other, a far distance out towards the room's edge, was crouched down on one knee. 2B nearly sagged with relief to see them after all this, unmistakably the ones they'd been looking for. Hopefully the ones that could finally help them.
On the other side, attacking the standing twin with great prejudice, was a YoRHa model android.
And for a beat, she didn't know which side to aid.
Then the moment passed, and she made her resolution - she needed these redheads, they were known allies of the Resistance, and she would not let them fall here.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished, and reappeared in front of one of the redheads just in time to catch and deflect the YoRHa android's blade with her own.
Meeting the other android's eyes, she saw recognition, which was expected, and also resentment, which was less so.
… Maybe not an ally after all.
As if on cue, a message came in from her pod. Without preamble, the voice of the Commander spoke out, "Bunker to 2B and 9S. We've picked up a signal from the black box of a fugitive known as A2. What you see in front of you… is your enemy."
From the corner of her vision, she could see 9S flinch. Weakly, he objected, "But she's…"
The Commander continued, "She deserted us. She's destroyed multiple pursuit androids. Now kill her before she kills you."
2B pursed her lips, and spoke to the still-active channel, "Commander, we have two civilian androids here who are imperative to the Resistance."
The reply came after a brief pause. The tone is cold and firm. "... I see. In that case, prioritize your safety. I trust you to make the right call, 2B." And with a click, the channel closed.
2B firmed her grip on the sword. The right call. She understood it for the warning it was - a reminder of her duty, as if she could forget.
The YoRHa-type android - the YoRHa deserter, A2 - had not moved to attack during the conversation. She was watching them warily, assessing the new threats they represented. 2B let herself do the same, taking in A2's long, unkempt hair - much too long for regulations, for field operatives it would get in the way - and tattered clothing. It was difficult to tell how long A2 had been rogue for, but 2B suspected it wasn't a short amount of time.
She blinked, and then A2 moved. All of a sudden, A2 was in her face with blade in hand, leveling blow after blow with such force and intensity that it made 2B's arms as she instinctively held up her blade to block the attacks. Recognizing that she was at a loss in terms of brute strength, 2B jumped backwards to gain some space, but it made no difference. A2 closed the gap between them immediately, and 2B gained no reprieve before she was once again caught in A2's onslaught.
From her new angle, she could see 9S was looking over the other redhead, the one who was farther away. She's on the ground, possibly injured, and 9S was helping her to her feet. Good. They might be able to run for it while 2B held off the fugitive.
A2 seemed to have noticed this too, and she made an unsatisfied tsk. She made an aborted attempt to run past 2B, but 2B anticipated her trajectory and moved to block her, adding in some Pod fire for good measure. A flash of annoyance crossed A2's otherwise impassive face. "Loyal dog. Stay out of this."
"Loyalty isn't an insult," 2B retorted. Thankfully, it came out steady. It wouldn't do to show how much energy she'd exhausted holding A2 back.
Many more emotions cross A2's expression, nearly too rapidly to identify. Pain, sympathy, fury, before it settled on scorn. Her face, 2B noticed, is made more open by the lack of blindfold.
"Fools who don't know anything should keep their mouths shut," A2 replied scathingly.
That's it. Keep her talking. She just needed to buy more time. She could already see 9S shuffling the first of the two twins back towards the door. There was an Access Point back there. The twins might not be part of the Bunker, but with 9S's credentials they could still use it for shelter.
"I don't want to hear that from someone who betrayed the Bunker," 2B accused. She was starting to regain some feeling in her shaking arms - a bit longer and she could mount a counterattack.
This got a rise from A2. She was outright sneering now. "The Command betrayed me," she growled, and her voice was all hurt and fury.
Now. 2B launched forward, taking the offensive this time. With the twins nearly out the door, her attention was no longer divided. In an instant she is moving, using her smaller blade to unleash a series of slashes from all directions, leaving behind only flickering afterimages to show her passing. She doesn't, mustn't stay in place long enough for A2 to land a counterattack.
A2 was visibly frazzled by the assault. Although she's not taking too much damage, she was put off balance, and 2B used this to carefully maneuver A2 to the far side of the room, towards an open window and away from the others.
The attack lasted only a few seconds in total, but as 2B landed a few feet away, she can see that A2 is hunched over slightly, holding a wound at her side. Many smaller cuts littered her body.
9S, meanwhile, had left the twins and reentered the room. He came up just behind her, ready to assist in the assault.
"Go," 2B demanded. "You're outnumbered."
A2 looked at her levelly, and for a second it seemed like she would attack again. Then the aggression visibly bled out of her posture. "Fine," she spat, "take your prize. For whatever use you get out of it." With that, and without turning her back to them, she jumped onto the windowsill. And then jumped out of it.
The moment her visage vanished out of sight, 2B's knees hit the floor.
"2B!" came 9S's worried shout.
"I'm fine," she answered shakily, holding out a hand to deflect his concerns. "Just… tired…" She was breathing heavily now, and she'd definitely pushed her gears past their intended stress threshold, but the fugitive was gone.
They'd found the twins. The mission had been completed successfully.
She could afford this show of weakness now.
Ending I: [I]ncriminated
# This chapter and the next one aren't super plot intensive, but they will be laying down some important foundation for future developments in the fic.
I hope that you enjoy the [re]introduction of some new characters, including A2! I know some of you have been anticipating her appearance (although not quite in this fashion…)
Comments continue to be a huge source of encouragement for me, and I am grateful to everyone who's taken the time to write one. I will make a point to respond to anyone who leaves a review! :)