Hey, I would like to start off by saying this is not a Harem, I promise. The characters I have chosen are solely because 9S is the only significant male character from Nier besides Adam and Eve. Pascal doesn't count.

The story takes place in Alagaesia, and starts off fairly early in the books.

The prologue is the ending of Automata, so spoilers be upon ye. I will actually have it and the first chapter posted because I have been sitting on this story for a while. However, don't expect consistency. Not only Am I writing another story, but I am also at college. I also only write when I actually enjoy the writing, So updates can be sparse.

Besides that, Enjoy.

The sky was a mottled gray as two opponents faced off against one another. Their arena, The top of what once was an entrancing tower of gleaming white, was now a monument to tragedy.

The first of them was in the figure of a young boy garbed in a simple, black uniform, with short white hair adorning the top of his head. His thin frame and short stature would seem less than intimidating to most, if it weren't for the rage that had commandeered his face and the black katana locked in his grasp. The point of his blade hovered just above the ground.

The most intriguing aspects of his appearance were his left forearm, which was disproportionate to the other, and covered in an intricate black glove that did not match his clothing. And the other was his eyes, their irises glowing an eerie red which was synonymous with his emotional state, but did not reflect its intensity.

The other figure was in the shape of a woman, whose beauty could be considered perfect by any standard. She stood tall, her shoulders thrown back in a dignified stance. Her expressionless face hides her focus and frustration flawlessly. Her similarly white hair, once long, now rested just below her chin. Her apparel seemed to be made of form fitting pieces covering her chest, waist, and lower limbs. But the truth was that her clothing had long since worn away, except for the tattered veil that rested over her midsection. Upon closer inspection, one would come to find that the areas of black that were taken for clothing were in fact the locations where her skin had completely eroded, revealing the synthetic material underneath in place of flesh. Along the remaining skin ran thin black lines where flexibility was needed. Held in her hand was a white katana, akin to the sword held by the boy across from her.

It was evident in the Woman's strange condition, and the boy's unnatural gaze, that the two were not human. No, They were Androids, a race of sentient automatons created by Humans to defend against the Alien invaders and their machine army. A mission they had dutifully fulfilled for several millennia and countless generations of androids. That is until it was discovered that the Aliens they were supposedly fighting against had been executed by their own creation, and just days prior it was discovered that the Humans they so dearly loved had gone extinct.

Though significant enough to change the world and put an end to the 14th Machine war and prevent future conflicts, the discoveries were ultimately pointless. Before the android that had uncovered the truth could spread the word, He watched as the entire YoRHa network and every android connected to it were hacked and destroyed by two AI entities that were born from the remainders of the Machine network. Onlookers watched in horror as former comrades slaughtered each other with utter brutality.

The only YoRHa androids who survived the massacre were the three known as 9S, 2B, and A2. 9S was a scout model who had been paired with 2B to assist her on any mission she was assigned. As they had completed task after task, their partnership soon turned into an inseparable bond that could only be called love, Even though some thought that androids were incapable of feeling the emotion.

A2, one of the first models of YoRHa attack android, deserted the force after her and the company she belonged to were betrayed by YoRHa and sent on a suicide mission. It was on that mission she discovered the truth behind YoRHa. It wasn't long ago when she encountered 9S and 2B, and were quickly labeled enemies, as she was a deserter and they were YoRHa.

2B was presumably a battle android, one of the most common models of android and by far the most numerous in terms of ground forces. Designed to be well rounded in combat, data collection, and coordination, they paired nicely with scouts and attackers with their support, and were favored by the operators for their compliance and consistency. Though there were thousands like her, she stood out to the entirety of YoRHa for her incredible feats and near perfect mission performance.

This, however, was a lie.

Two of these individuals stood here now. They were 9S and A2. Drawn together in enmity over the death of 2B.

When YoRHa had been infiltrated, the orbital space station that was its headquarters was destroyed. 9S and 2B were on board at the time and narrowly escaped by using flight units to get back to earth. Unfortunately, they were separated in the process.

After he had reached the surface, 9S employed every bit of his tracking prowess to find his dear partner, as any YoRHa androids were at risk of permanent death without the backup network. After hours of searching, He found his 2B.

Who had been run through with her own weapon...

...Which lied in the hands of A2, The very android they had once been hunting.

In his eyes, the only person that understood him, and his only love, had been executed before him. When she had looked back to meet his gaze, 2B's last words were his name, and then he watched as life left her eyes and she succumbed to her wounds.

The reality was that A2 had granted 2B mercy. 2B had fought her way through an abandoned city, taking severe amounts of damage, physical and mental. The Machines she had fought on the way had bombarded her with an endless stream of hacking attempts to control her that had corrupted large portions of her mind, creating a virus that was slowly and painfully killing her, even up to her last moments. Instead of becoming a pawn for the enemy, 2B had asked A2 to put an end to her suffering. As well as end a long lasting torment.

A2 never had the chance to tell 9S the reasons for her actions, but as they faced off against one another, she realized that he wouldn't care. For all the time between 2B's death and now, they had both been fighting the Tower and its defenses, and uncovering long forgotten wretchedness surrounding the truth of their existence. She wished she could forget some of the things she learned.

Hell, she even wished that she could reconcile with 9S. 2B's memories within her weapon revealed the pair's tragic fate.

But there was something presently more concerning, and she needed his assistance.

With a clear and reasoning voice, spoken with slight urgency, A2 tried to make at least a temporary alliance with 9S. "This tower is a giant cannon that's aimed at the human server on the moon. If we don't do something. All of humanity's remaining data will be destroyed."

9S gave a deranged smile, laughing almost strenuously. "Ha ha ha...ha ha ha hah!"

"So what?" His smile transformed into one overburdened with sorrow and defeat. "None of it matters. Or didn't you know?"

A2 hid her concern, trying to understand what he was implying, but he was quick to conclude. "We aren't required in this world anymore. Humanity is extinct."

oh.

The revelation would have broken A2 before, but she could not afford to crumble now.

To her luck, the sick boy in front of her continued onward, offering a distraction. "The moon server you're so worried about was invented to give us androids something to fight for. And YoRHa was created to perpetuate the lie."

It was at this moment that his anger started to emerge, gradually intensifying as he went on.

"But in order to make sure no one ever learned the truth, we were DESIGNED to be killed. They built a back door in the Bunker and programmed it to activate after a certain amount of time."

His tone turned accusing and vindictive. "The Commander? Me? 2B? Sacrificial lambs. All of us. Isn't that HILARIOUS? Doesn't that make you LAUGH?"

A2, though just as contemptuous as he was, had to save face. The turmoil in her head made her want to scream. Everything she had been through, all the choices she had to make, Everyone she lost, amounted to nothing. They were destined to fail from the start. All she wanted right now was to end, she did not particularly care how. But she still had one thing she had to try.

Even if they were destined to die, Even if humanity was already extinct, The only proof of their existence was about to be destroyed. And she knew down to her very core, that all the pain and suffering that Androids, Humans, and Machines alike were subject to, could not be forgotten. Whatever the significance of this feeling was, it escaped her, but she would act upon it anyway.

And if that failed, then maybe she could save one life. "9S, we-"

"Shut up!" 9S had guessed her intentions, and silenced her before she could even form her words. "You killed 2B. That's all we need to kill each other."

A2 knew he no longer cared about anything but 2B's death. If she was going to get through to him, she had to use 2B. "2B hated to keep killing you. It caused her so much pain."

She waited a few moments, seeing how he would react. 9S's silence showed that A2 had found a foothold. "The 9S type is a high-end model. They knew you'd discover the truth eventually. But the model designation "2B" was just a cover."

"The official designation… is 2E. Number 2. Type E." A2, who was staring at the ground, lifted her head to meet his gaze. "They were a special class of members designed to execute YoRHa units.

"But you knew that...Right, 9s?"

9S's left hand, the one he had taken from the 2B models that tried to kill him, was firmly clenched. His eyes were shut in anguish. She was right. He already knew. But he didn't want to believe it. "Shut up...Shut up!"

He opened his eyes and glared at A2, pointing his sword at her with the intent of using it. The glowing red orbs in his sockets were enough to show that the logic virus had fully taken over. "What do you know? You don't know anything at all about us!"

Pod 153, his pod, floated around to the edge of his vision. The appearance of the gray robot was enough to let him know what he was doing was 'illogical' or something similar.

The monotone female voice that never bothered him before, now grated against his psyche. "Proposal: Cease combat. Fighting her at this point would be irrational and-"

"Pod 153! I order you to halt all logical thought and speech!" 9S lifted his chin and gave the rest of his order with slow finality. "This order shall remain in effect until you confirm the death of either myself or A2."

Well that's that I guess.

A2's body slowly tensed, as if winding itself up like one of those old human relics. Objectively, she has the advantage. She was designed for combat, and offense is her proficiency, while 9S is intermediate at best. Both of her current weapons, her type 3 blade and 2B's katana, Virtuous Contract, are stronger than 9S's Cruel Oath. They both have the assistance of pods, little robot companions that float around and help compile information for their owners, and also enabled ranged combat. There is a several century gap in skill level between them, in her favor. 9S is more severely damaged than she currently is, both mentally and physically. She even has a height advantage on him. There is just one problem.

He blamed her for 2B's demise, and he wasn't entirely wrong. All of his rage and grief that had been eating away at him has reached its zenith, amplified by his fragile state of mind. He had no one left to turn to nor place to call home, all his friends, practically everyone he had built some meaningful relationship with, were gone. In summary, He has nothing left to lose. He is willing to perish if it means her death as well.

The most dangerous opponent one can face, she presumed.

A gargantuan chunk of the structure, significantly larger than the rest, collided with the surface of the Earth, which resided several miles below their current platform. The resounding crash was deafening, and the tremors that traveled back up the three superstructures created more faults and cracks. With grim finality, A2 raised her blade in preparation.

With as much grace and calm as a rabid animal, 9S charged straight at her with reckless abandon, a rage-fueled cry filling the silence. Though he seemed to be leaving himself exposed, She knew he was no fool. She braced herself rather than go on the offensive. This proved to save her life as his whole form changed from a novice scout to the Yorha veteran he was considered to be. His blade moved fast enough so that the only thing A2 saw was the afterimage followed by their blades being locked, leaving the impact itself too fast for her to process. She broke the lock by dashing backwards, freeing up only a few milliseconds of time to try to comprehend what had happened. She suspected that he had hacked her without realizing and altered what she saw in order to create an opening. She was disproven, however, when both of her arms started to lightly throb from the strain of blocking his attack.

I should've given him more credit, If he was intermediate before, he definitely isn't now.

9S charged her again, only this time he was moving like a seasoned fighter. With a blink, he had closed the distance and began a rapid chain of attacks, every swing, every thrust, was made with the intention to kill. His offensive focus left many openings for A2 to find, but it didn't matter because there wasn't enough time in between his strikes to capitalize on any of them. The majority of the new battle models hadn't even reached this level of skill, yet here was a scout model not only keeping up with, but pushing back, one the most experienced and dangerous YoRHa androids ever to exist.

A2 sent a silent command to her pod, it quickly moved to 9S's blind spot and opened fire with a barrage of bullets. The projectiles weren't true bullets, they were made of condensed energy, which is much more lethal to machines and androids alike. 9S retreated, giving A2 time to tilt the fight in her favor. She darted towards him with the intention of attacking head-on, but that changed when she noticed 9S take a peculiar stance. Her course remained steady up until the very last second where she launched herself up into a flip to avoid a devastating attack from Ironwill, an ancient, gargantuan greatsword. It was more a slab of rusty metal than a sword from the edge having dulled over its centuries of battle. But It didn't need an edge to kill her. A2 faint had saved her life, for even whilst in the air she could feel the shockwave from the weapon crashing into the ground.

A2 landed behind 9S and decided to teach him one of the drawbacks of using one of the heaviest weapons in existence. She drew her blade horizontally, slicing a gash into his exposed back. The wound was superficial at best, but it was painful. With a roar, 9S heaved the large weapon in a wide arc. Though A2 easily avoided the attack, it succeeded in putting distance between them. She intended to wait for a follow-up attack, thinking it best to find another opening before making her move, but 9S dashed forward instead. His agility while using such a large weapon astonished her. Having little time to react, she mimicked a move that 2B had used against her before.

A2 ran forward and jumped sideways up into the air, using her legs to spin herself. summoning Virtuous Contract in her left hand, and the Type 3 blade in her right, she delivered her devastating combo. Virtuous Contract came down on 9S first. The chances of the white katana knocking aside Ironwill were low, but the attack forced 9S to block, stopping him in his tracks. Before he could recover, A2 continued her revolution, the speed of which gave her own greatsword more momentum than a normal swing would. When the blade struck Iron Will, Iron Will was, along with 9S, propelled backwards.

landin gracefully, A2 watched 9S tumble away a distance before staggering to his feet. The boy was breathing heavily, which meant he was exerting himself a greater deal than she originally thought. This gave A2 confidence. As formidable as he had become in skill, he still didn't have the physical strength and endurance of a combat model. Efficient technique wasn't enough to overcome his preset capability.

9S switched from Iron Will to his Cruel Oath, a weapon he could use well within his limits. Though she admired his recognition of his own strengths, A2 would not allow him to regain his wind. It was her turn to put on a display of speed. Even with her worn body being out of its peak, It still outperformed the vast majority of current YoRHa units when it came to athletics. Although she had nearly gotten close enough to finish him, A2 was assaulted by a hacking attack of incredible caliber. It took nearly everything she had to keep it at bay. Nearly, because she had to dedicate some of herself to physically fighting 9S.

When his attack hit A2, 9S was able to slow her down enough to put her on the defensive. He kept a steady rhythm of strikes, giving him a chance to recover. Normally, his slowness would have resulted in A2 delivering a swift and brutal counter, but his hacking attack reduced her to using relatively basic defensive techniques. Now, instead of the crashing and thundering and battle cries, the only clamor left was of their two swords deflecting off of each other. Neither dared to call upon their pod for assistance, for it might open a weakness in their minds for the other to take advantage of.

After a few minutes had passed, which felt like ages to the two combatants, their stalemate eventually broke. It became clear to them both that 9S's hacking was becoming too much for A2 to resist. The realization enriched 9S's determination, making him push himself harder now that victory presented itself.

As each block and parry left her more open than the last, A2 began to grow desperate. She needed to break out of this loop, but the only way she could think of was extremely risky. The chances of it working were slim to none. Between 9S's hacking and his physical barrage, A2 was not given an opportunity to think of an alternative solution. Taking a huge gamble, She broke his chain with a sudden movement.

For a split second, she let 9S's hacking go unchecked, relying on speed to dash around him. Although he now had free reign over her mind, he hesitated, and turned to face her. She was much quicker than he anticipated. She had dashed towards him with blazing speed and sliced off 2B's subjugated arm from his body, making 9S cry out in agony. Before he could do anything else, A2 tackled him, grabbing his head and commanding her pod. "POD HACK IN!"

The gray Pod barely got out "acknowledged" before it inserted A2 into 9S's mind. Before she knew it, she was within the seemingly endless virtual landscape that existed within 9S's head. A landscape that only Androids and Machines had the ability to see. She soon began rushing through the maze-like layout that made up 9S's being. She felt the presence of her Pod beside her, ready to receive further orders. "Tell me where to find the virus corrupting 9S."

The Pod responded in its forever monotone voice. "Affirmative. YoRHa unit A2, Core data for 9S is stored ahead. Alert: Severe virus corruption. Probability of successful deletion is extremely low."

A2 continued onward undeterred, but even so, she sounded resigned in her answer to her companion's warning. "I think I know a way."

The hollow warning from the pod did naught to sway her. "The idea under consideration is not recommended. This pod is a YoRHa tactical Support unit. As Such, It cannot approve of actions that would damage its supported unit."

A2 let out an amused 'hmph'. "You're not so bad, pod. You know that?

After navigating the expanse of 9S's mind, A2 ascended a non-existent staircase that led to the manifestation of 9S himself, his mental form resembling that of him in a deep slumber. A2, brushed her digital hand against his cheek. It felt as if she was really touching him. In a voice that betrayed her weariness, she comforted him, knowing well that he couldn't hear her. "I'll take care of everything…"

After assuring his mind was sound and the virus was eliminated, she stepped away and gave her final command to her faithful companion. "Pod… Take care of 9S…"

Pod 042 rematerialized in its physical form and collected 9S's body. "What of you, a2?"

She remained resolute in her answer. "I still have something I need to take care of."

Pod 042 simply replied 'acknowledged', and bore 9S away.

A2, still in the server of the tower, approached a golden stream of data, where the sound of laughing children emanated. She reached her hand up and touched the light. "I'm sorry…"

With a command, she triggered the destruction of the tower. "I never quite realized… how beautiful this world is."

A2 reached her hand upward as the platform she stood upon crumbled. Before she was buried beneath a mountain of synthetic material, her last thought rang out. "I'm coming. Everyone… I'm…coming…"