It's strange. These woods are really weird. "Pod, is it just me, or are the trees a lot smaller than anything I've seen before?" 9S asks as he weaves between the trees, carelessly racing to his destination.

"Affirmative. their size indicates that the trees in the immediate surroundings are significantly younger than those found in the city."

"Wow, that's so weird. How far do we still have to go?"

"Approximately- Alert, movement detected to your left. It is unusually large compared to local Fauna."

9S slides to a stop as he turns to look in the pointed direction. A golden light materializes in his hand, solidifying into a long bronze blade, with a pitch black hilt. A small piece of someone he cared for deeply. One he had to- more movement, on his left. the sword dissipates, the golden light starting to dissolve, before reforming into a spear, it's shaft a dark grey, it's gleaming white tip floating independently, yet firmly as if held by some strange magic. 9S positions himself to throw at a moment's notice, aiming at the first point of movement.

Without warning, a large pitch-black creature bursts through a tree shattering it as 9S throws the spear, piercing it, and launching the creature back until it finds itself pinned to a tree. As soon as he let go of the spear, 9S turned his attention to the other black creature. this time, he had time to look at it as the bronze sword rematerializes. It appeared similar in build to a bear, but it had a large bony mask covering the upper half of its face. 9S had seen nothing like it before. "What is that?" It doesn't matter 9S thinks as he dodges a swipe, this thing is too bloodthirsty to think about that right now. 9S swings his sword at the large, bear-like creature, and effortlessly bisects it. 9S has his weapons dissipate into nothingness while he starts off again, not sparing a second glance at the bears as they, unbeknownst to him, begin to disintegrate into black smoke.


It's not long before he finds himself at a clearing. His pod starts to say something, but 9S is unresponsive. His eyes are fixed ahead. Before him, on the opposite end of the clearing, sits a woman, clad in black, silver hair shining in the sun. Her azure eyes focused on the pod resting on her lap. A woman he saw die, murdered before his very eyes, the one he sought to avenge.

9S breaks into a mad dash across the clearing, reaching the other android in a matter of seconds. Her pod rockets out of her lap just in time as 9S tackles her into a tight embrace

"2- 2B! You're alive! I saw you die! I thought I'd- I wasn't... I'm glad to see you again..." 9S choked out. The tears he wishes he could shed, a way to tangibly show 2B how he feels, never come, though.

"It's great to see you too Nines." She says as she pets his hair. Hearing 2B call him that, he tightens the embrace.

Minutes pass. When it becomes clear Nines isn't going to let go of his own accord, 2B takes initiative. "Nines, do you know where we are?"

"Huh? I-I don't know. But I don't care! You're here, with me! and that's all that matters!"

"Oh. I see."

"9S."

"Yes?"

"My pod managed to connect to a foreign network, but the language is entirely foreign."

"Foreign?"

"Yes. And there are multiple"

"What?"

"I was... wondering if you wanted to take a- crack at deciphering them."

"You bet!" He shouts excitedly as he jumps out of her lap, all previous feelings forgotten with the offer. He's never heard of anyone translating a language from scratch before! The prospect of doing something no other Scanner- Hell, no other android has ever done excites him to no end. He can't stop fidgeting as pod 042 sends 153 the data for him to work on.