Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is said that when someone has a soulmate, a unique mark representing their person they are tied to will appear on the left side of their neck.

Number 21 once said, pulling the information from something she and the other resident Scanner read before.

Having a soulmate sounded very romantic.

But… androids didn’t have souls…

Right?

Despite all the odds that mechanical beings didn’t possess souls, because everything was dictated from strings of numbers that made up everything they did, and thought, it seemed that fate was a thing for them too.

The striking first example they saw was their own Commander, White.

Noticing how she did possess a mark on her neck after the two Scanners shared the information with the rest of the squadron.

White never showed them what it was, hiding it under the collar of her vest, but it looked like something round, from what little any of the 16 units could ever spot. 

Despite all the pressure and the curiosity, all she ever said was…

“It’s of someone I had to leave on Earth.” while she held her hand over it, her eyes softened a bit just in that moment.

So she did know who her special someone was…

White never said anything more after that, even ordered not to ask her again.

Damn Jackass and her love for her, and explosives too…

During the months of training, a few other marks started appearing on various unit’s skin, some still had none, others had numbers of fellow comrades, and others…

Their Commander specifically called them two to check personally.

Number 2 and Number 4.

They had… flowers?

A different type for them both, but flowers nonetheless.

One had a bright red flower, and the other a much more pale white one.

“That is… strange…” White had commented while looking at their necks the day after they reported to have seen the markings.

“Aren’t there more androids on Earth, Commander?” Number 2 clearly remembered the conversation about the woman’s own mark, and how she said she had left a person dear to her on the planet.

“Maybe someone is waiting for us on Earth.” Number 4 added with a smile, seeming even excited at the thought.

Perhaps it was another android.

Or maybe even a human from the moon!

The prospect was rather exciting, though it made Number 2 nervous thinking about it.

Why were they the only two with different marks than the rest of the units that had them already?

What did it mean?

Number 2 and Number 4 thought to be a special case with their flower markings that made some of their comrades even jealous, until two more units joined in unexpectedly just before they had to depart for their mission, right the day before it.

Another couple of flowers was spotted in the necks of Number 16 and Number 21.

A somewhat pale orange one with many petals for the raven, and a bluish purple one for the redhead.

The mark on the Gunner’s neck was met with some disdain from a few other units, especially those who yet had none of them, and it was unknown if they ever would have their own, as the markings seemed to appear at random times.

The reason was immediately clear, unlike the two Attackers, who were one more shy and mellow, and the other more easy going, the raven wasn’t very well liked among them, because of her aggressive and abrasive personality, and that was known.

So seeing her destined to have a soulmate caused more than just envy.

“At least I know there is someone out there that will like me for who I am.” Number 16 replied with a shrug when she was confronted about it.

Least to say it left those who pointed fingers at her fuming and seething.

Number 21’s mark was met with more acceptance, the woman could be rather serious and cold, but knew her own when it came to sharing knowledge.

She’d been the one to tell about the markings in the first place.

“It is not guaranteed that we will ever meet our significant other.” she replied when confronted about the flower.

Almost as if she didn’t believe in what she discovered.

Or wanted to show that she didn’t want this.

Perhaps out there there was someone destined to break that stoic facade of hers and melt her heart.

It was only when they met the Resistance, and that they took them in that the four of them realized what those marks meant, they weren’t just soulmate marks, but also a symbol of who would have survived the descent…

Quite the grim warning…

As if fate was trying to tell them all their comrades would die soon, that they would be a peculiarity that would defy death.

And get to meet more oddities.

Yes because the Resistance androids not only had markings on the other side than the usual one, but also they all had a whole slew of flowers going down the skin of their chests and right arms.

“These started showing up after Captain Rose started giving us names.” Dahlia told them, proudly showing off her arm full of colorful flowers, since she was the only one that wore no sleeves.

The four YoRHa had already been intrigued by it when they saw her, and now she could have a much closer look, and an explanation too.

The others had the same ones too, minus the flower that gave them their own name.

They looked like some human beings they saw that were full of what were called tattoos. Colorful drawings made on human skin.

“A name means having a family.”

So Rose gave them names so they could be a family, and all those flowers were the visual symbol of it. Of the feelings of care and love that they shared during hundreds of years together, between each other, and the people they lost.

How odd that none of them four had the remains of their comrades, no numbers or anything…

Well, they couldn’t define themselves as family.

None of them were ever that close to any of the ones they lost, for as sad as it was to say.

Except Number 2 and Number 4 it seemed, but both of them were here, so maybe having a mark wasn’t necessary.

But wait… they said all their names were flowers…

Maybe it was one of them…

“What about you? Do you have any marks?” Gerbera asked them, with genuine curiosity.

They did but…

“We aren’t allowed to say.” Number 2 replied with a sigh.

YoRHa rules forbade them from disclosing their markings outside the squadron. It was the reason they all wore such high collars too.

Some kind of safety measure.

“Well that’s dumb.”

“Dahlia.” Margaret reprimanded her, and even Rose gave her a similar look.

“I just don’t see why they still follow the rules of people that don’t care for them.” for how true it was, they were also entitled to have their own secrets.

“They must have their own reasons, we shouldn’t pressure them.”

Rose’s eyes looked over to two specific people of her group with knowing eyes, like she had something on her mind.

“Rose, are you sure it’s them?” Anemone asked the Captain, with arms crossed and a frown on her face.

“Positive.” the woman replied, fondly looking down at her little notebook with the names.

“It is true that recently we got more flower markings that didn’t belong to any of our friends, and suddenly those four appear out of nowhere.” four like the new marks, Margaret placed her hand over them.

For some reason they appeared on their chests, instead of their arms, like the flowers of who was closest to each of them.

The ones that represented this little leftover group.

She threw a spare glance to the woman that threw the question first, Anemone,and Dahlia next to her.

Those two had one of said new flowers as a soulmate mark.

A peculiarity of their group was that none of them ever had one, they all loved and respected each other, but none of it ever got to that level.

Marks of friendship and family were those they had, because theirs was a different type of love, but now…

Those four YoRHa brought more than a simple change.

“I like to think fate wanted to tell us they were coming to find us.” Rose replied, rather romantic, but she was that way. “The four flowers we got are the same for all of us, I can’t see anyone else fitting them but those girls.”

Not only because of the number matching, not because of the fact they all spotted the flowers on their bodies, like each other’s and their old friends…

Rose knew what each and every flower meant in its own language.

She thoughtfully gave all of them a name based on their meaning, and as far as she could see the personalities matched too.

It couldn’t be anyone else.

“So you want to give them those names then?” Gerbera voiced what Rose had been thinking all along, her nod was just another proof.

“I feel that they deserve it.” the Captain’s eyes looked over at Lily. “After all it’s because of them if Lily is still here with us.” when they would have given up on her.

“The fact we have these four flowers means that they are destined to become our family, I see no other meaning of these marks existing besides this one.”

Because every other one was a mark left from a friend.

They must be no different.

Even if they arrived much later.

“The fact that two of you have even developed soulmate marks convinced me even more.”

“I don’t understand this.” Dahlia held a hand on her neck, over that bright red flower with slender twisting petals.

A lycoris, or spider lily, she was told.

“Why did we suddenly have these damn things?” when they never did in hundreds of years?

Now she and Anemone found themselves with one.

Just them.

“Well my guess is that it’s because your soulmates didn’t exist yet.” Gerbera shrugged, her eyes going to find the orange flower with jagged petals poking out of Anemone’s collar.

A cattleya.

“Well they did say they are new models.” Daisy added.

They couldn’t have a mark, because those people hadn’t been made yet.

They weren’t alive.

Dahlia just huffed at the reply, while Anemone stayed silent.

“I know Number 2 said they couldn’t share their own markings, and that I said not to pressure them into telling, but if she said so, it means they must have them.” Rose was sure of it.

“We can try to investigate.”

“Has Number 2 told you that Rose wants to give you names?” was all Anemone could tell Number 21, when the Scanner asked her to take her aside to speak alone.

She nodded. “She did. However, we YoRHa can’t accept such an honor, unless we’ve contributed a lot in the war.” these damn rules of theirs…

Anemone hated it.

Rose should be able to give them the names they deserved now.

But she didn’t voice the thought.

“But it’s not what you brought me here for, isn’t it?”

“No, it is not.” Anemone watched as Number 21 fidgeted a bit, as if contemplating doing something she shouldn’t.

How ironic, wasn’t she the one that got herself in trouble for Lily first, when everyone told her not to? Why hesitate now?

Maybe…

She watched her move away part of her hair, and pull down slightly that sort of scarf she wore, exposing her mark.

Anemone knew too well the shape and color of that flower.

She’d seen it all the time on the body of her comrades.

“This is the same flower of your name, isn’t it?” from the tone, it sounded like Number 21 already knew the answer.

“Yes, it is.”

An anemone.

“It matches the color of your eyes.” the comment left her mouth before she could stop herself.

But… if they had to be soulmates Anemone supposed it shouldn’t hurt.

The Scanner trusted her, going against the decision of her captain, and even YoRHa rules to show her. The woman could be rebellious in her own way, Anemone thought.

However she went out of her way for this, so she should do the same, no?

“This is mine.” Anemone pulled the collar down, showing the bright orange cattleya underneath.

She already knew it would be the name Rose would give her, they all knew what the four new flowers on their bodies were, it was just a matter of assigning one to each YoRHa now.

Number 21 smiled softly. “It matches my hair.”

Despite the comment being similar to Anemone’s previous one, it was true, now that she looked at her better.

It seemed like fate got stricken by Number 21’s beauty as well.

“Do you want to know what this one is?” but the Scanner shook her head. “I have done my research…” meaning she probably already knew, curious thing she was.

“But I wouldn’t want to take away the joy of revealing our names from your Captain.”

How kind and thoughtful.

“Right…”

So… 

“Now what?” Anemone asked, as if Number 21 had an answer, the Scanner just stared equally confused. “I’m sorry but believe it or not, none of us ever had one of these marks before.”

Even in so many years of existence.

They were just as clueless as the other.

Perhaps it was a good thing.

“I’m not really sure…” the redhead sighed. What should they do?

If it was before, she would have refused affection, she didn’t need it, but meeting the Resistance and just… watching them, let alone interacting with said people made her realize how much she craved it.

So maybe…

“Do you want to give it a chance?” Anemone slowly reached for Number 21’s hand, her thumb gently stroking the back of it.

She felt the other woman close the hand around hers after a moment of hesitation.

“Yes.”

Dahlia and Number 16 found themselves once again in charge of drawing water from a nearby river for them all, but this time for whatever reason, the Gunner wasn’t being as competitive as usual.

Which unnerved Dahlia. 

It was so very strange seeing her like that, they hadn’t known for long, but she hadn’t seen her be this silent.

“What’s wrong with you?” she suddenly asked, she didn’t like to see Number 16 like this.

It felt… odd.

“Nothing’s wrong.” but the woman still refused to meet her eyes, preferring to busy herself with the tanks of water.

“You’re being too quiet.” not like Number 16 couldn’t be, but she rarely ever was in her presence, especially when it was just the two of them. “Come on, tell good old Dahlia what’s on your mind.”

She was a good listener, even if it didn’t look like it.

The Gunner hesitated, looking back and forth between the river and Dahlia’s colorful arm.

"Could… could you show me what the full thing looks like?” 

Oh…

“That’s it?” Dahlia raised an eyebrow, Number 16 nodded. “Should have said so sooner.” that was hardly an issue, and right now in the middle of a forest they had less risks to be seen too.

She’s always been proud of the markings of her family, part of the reason why she took on wearing sleeveless shirts was for that. Dahlia knew she was never too great in showing love with words, so she showed her love through actions.

And she loved her family.

“I just want to see something.” the Gunner told her, making her wonder what she meant.

But Dahlia didn’t hesitate in pulling off her shirt, showing off the rest of the flowers that sat on her chest.

And it seemed it was those ones that Number 16 was the most interested in.

Alongside the red flower sitting alone on her neck.

“Well?”

Number 16 looked around, as if she was trying not to be seen from someone, but they were alone.

“I shouldn’t be doing this…” Dahlia watched her reach for the zip of her dress, pulling it down so she could take off the top part, showing the leotard underneath.

On her own chest there were a number of various flowers too.

Flowers whose name Dahlia knew well.

“These started showing recently, the others, they have them too.” 

“It’s like fate wants you to be part of our family too.” Dahlia grinned. By now everyone was aware of Rose’s decision of wanting to give these new girls their own names, it was just right that they had the markings of the family too.

In her eyes it was at least.

But she knew her friends would be happy to know as well.

They didn’t have the same big amount of flowers, they hadn’t known all the people of the Resistance like them, but as far as she could see, on Number 16’s chest there were all the flowers of her friends.

Except hers.

Hers was on the Gunner’s neck.

She’d recognize that one among any other, she’d seen in on her friend’s bodies too many times to count.

At her comment, the Gunner started pointing to various markings.

“I’m pretty sure these two are meant to be Number 2 and Number 4.” she pointed to a white flower with round petals, and a red one with long ones. “You have it too, and so does Number 21.”

The raven then chuckled. “Those two idiots still don’t realize they’re each other’s soulmates, even someone as dumb as me has seen it.”

The two of them had the flowers, but neither had both, which meant one was meant to be theirs, and they held the mark of the other one on their neck.

Number 21 had mused it with her after these new flowers showed up, because they had both where they were meant to be family instead, and each other’s.

She’d assumed the mark on her neck was a Dahlia, so that was why she was here asking.

“This one seems to be Number 21’s one.” she pointed to the orange flower with jagged petals. She had it, Number 2 and Number 4 did too, and she could see it on Dahlia.

So it had to be hers.

“Anemone’s got that one here.” the other woman pointed at her neck, where instead there was a red one with long petals interlacing with each other.

She’d seen that one on her fellow YoRHa’s bodies.

Which meant it had to be the one reserved for her.

And that Dahlia was her soulmate…

Unbelievable…

But perhaps she would accept her most out of anyone else.

“You seem to have mine, and I have yours…” Dahlia stated what she’d been only thinking. “Look, I have no idea how this works, I never had a mark of these before, and neither did Anemone, I assume you also have zero clue.”

“Heh… yeah…” Number 16 sighed. “My squadron didn’t like me too much, my current teammates are the only ones that at least tolerated me.”

Which she was fine with.

She was glad it had to be them out of anyone, for as evil it would be to say.

But…

“I think… I don’t know, I feel at ease with you.” her cheeks reddened as she admitted this.

She didn’t use to believe in this, she just used her mark to make those other squadmates jealous, because despite being so problematic, she had someone that was meant to love her out there, regardless if they ever met or not.

But the evidence was just too much.

She liked Dahlia, the woman indulged her in her competitiveness and stupidity.

Perhaps it had been all she had ever wanted.

Someone that understood her.

The other woman smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks. “I am used to people saying I’m trouble.” she laughed.

Number 16 shrugged. “Same.”

“But maybe we can be idiots together?”

They could at least try.

Going back to camp, the first thing they could spot was Number 2 and Number 4 sitting next to each other, like they always did.

“You know… you’re kind of right, they look cute together.” Dahlia whispered in Number 16’s ear, placing her marked arm around the other woman as she did.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” the Gunner grinned back.

But they were even more clueless than her.

And this said a lot.

It seemed everyone knew but them, because even right now everyone else was leaving them alone with each other.

Like a silent agreement.

After all, why deny this?

If she and Number 21 were meant to be with two people of the Resistance, then why couldn’t two YoRHa, who had known each other since the moment they were made, be together too?

They watched as Number 4 reached out for Number 2’s hand, smiling brightly as she did, the other Attacker’s cheeks visibly turning red under that visor of hers.

Well, maybe at least one of them did know what fate wanted them to be.

A cute couple. 

Little did they all know, or perhaps, someone figured it out, that fate also meant all of them to go out together.

Like the family they were meant to be.

All of them.

But two that wouldn’t know the peace they deserved.

Saved out of that same love.

And what remained of that group, would be only those flowers on their bodies.

A flash of color in the blank nothingness in the rubble they stood on.

They should have never been separated…

Chapter Text

The markings the new units had were odd, White thought, even weirder than those flowers A2’s squadron had, and ironically those who did were the ones that carried out the mission.

And also that met the Resistance.

Perhaps their soulmates were there, and they went out together.

She hoped they did.

But these units had numbers, and there was nothing odd about this, since none of them had names, however that strange fact was that they were just numbers.

No letters.

The older units did, those who didn’t have flowers.

Odd.

Was fate confused from the fact that there were multiple units with the same numbers?

It had never been before, soulmates were one, and one alone.

No?

Was there a reason? 

She mused while looking at the list of units, and those assigned together with what will eventually be their killers, and those who followed them, that will only be able to watch in silence when the time will come.

Was this a way to help them, hiding their identities?

Or was this all just another cruel test?

2B reached for the trembling hand on her cheek, as she held his dying form in her lap, her sword stuck in his chest, and yet, he smiled…

“Don’t cry… 2B…” he wheezed.

“We will meet again…”

Would they?

In his neck, there was her number, on his neck, there was hers.

Were they soulmates for real?

“Promise me you won’t defy our fate…”

What kind of fate would curse them like this?

“Promise me… that we will meet again…” he repeated.

If truly she was destined to be his soulmate then… 

“Okay…”

Then she would stay with him for as long as she could, again and again, for so many more times.

No one else would ever be allowed to lay a hand on him but her.

No one.

Because this was their destiny.

She’ll stay with him for as long as fate decided it would be, him and his many lives.

But all she truly wanted was for them to be tied forever to just a single instance of his, so he may never have to die ever again.

“Lily-san, have you heard about soulmate marks?” the young Resistance Leader sighed, not only Jackass, but now 9S was asking too?

“Yes I have, no I don’t have any.” she pointed out when the boy opened his mouth to ask again.

Even though the marks of her family poked out from the long sleeve of her shirt.

The only things that were left of them…

Along with memories.

“Ah but Lily-san has got many marks though.” speaking of Jackass… she seemed to just appear out of nowhere whenever there was this discourse. 

“Oh.” she was sure 9S’ eyes widened under that visor of his, if his expression was of any indication.

“She won’t let me study them though.” 

“There’s nothing to study.” Lily replied. 

She just told them the truth, that the markings she had were of her family, and apparently she wasn’t the only one that had them but not soulmate ones, she found.

Maybe her group of the Resistance wasn’t such an oddity among androids.

But she had still loved them, even though she had warmed up to this newer family that took her in, and made her a Leader, she had yet to have a mark of theirs.

Whatever they would be.

Maybe they will show up when the time is right, just like those four YoRHas.

But anyways, there was something she always wanted to know too.

“You never told me if you ever had one, Jackass.” or more of them. Since she was always curious and nosy to snoop on other people’s business, she could at least get this little revenge.

She watched the woman blush a little, touching the left side of her neck, under the pressure of their watchful eyes.

Even 2B seemed curious.

“I do… but…”

Oh no… was her soulmate dead?

Had she made a mistake in asking?

“I had to watch her leave long ago…” Jackass turned her eyes to the sky, they didn’t know what she was searching, but she wanted to see the Bunker.

Her mark was a white version of the YoRHa one, she had it way before YoRHa was even a thing, let alone when White was called to be their Commander.

They had wondered what it meant for a long time, until then.

When it finally had a meaning.

“I wonder how she’s doing…”

Despite her curiosity, it was all she truly wanted to know, but she couldn’t ask.

She promised White she wouldn’t tell, especially to her soldiers.

Until she would return.

She had promised.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if they were still alive?” 2B said, the words falling out of her mouth without thinking, after she heard Lily’s story, about her family.

“All I have left of them are their marks, and these memories we spent together.” even though when she started thinking about it a while ago, recently new markings representing her current family started showing up too.

This time on her other arm.

As if they didn’t want to intrude and disturb her former family.

Like they were being respectful.

She loved both, but they didn’t belong with each other it seemed.

Rose and the others would have loved these people though, she was sure.

Turning to the newer Number 2, she rolled up the sleeve of her right arm to show her. “Each flower represents one of them.”

There were many, over a hundred.

And none of them left to tell their story, but her…

“And you? What kind of markings do you have?”

Much like the old Number 2 she knew, 2B didn’t answer, but didn’t say that she couldn’t share either, she just turned in the direction 9S went, and Lily didn’t need words to understand.

They must have been each other’s soulmates.

Something she, but pretty much everyone in the local Resistance had been musing about, just going by how they acted towards one another.

What 2B didn’t tell was that both she and 9S not only had each other’s number as soulmate mark, but also that they had a family mark too, much like she did.

It was a number for each of them.

A number 6 for her.

And a number 21 for him.

Each other’s Operator, they were sure of it. 

After all they were put through due to her designation, and still decided to stick at their sides, it would be odd if they weren’t family.

And they had theirs too.

A number 2 for 6O.

And a number 9 for 21O.

And also each other’s number as soulmate mark as well, almost as if fate chose to put them all four together because it knew.

2B sometimes wishes it didn’t. 

“2B, that’s a YoRHa android!” 9S shouted from next to her.

They had been helping Pascal find a lost machine, and now they were where the little machine king was, they barely managed to see it when an android fell down on them, mercilessly killing the harmless thing.

She had a familiar face…

And also on her body, several colorful flowers decorated her chest, she even had a soulmate mark.

They hadn’t faded away even though her skin obviously did.

For whatever was the reason why she was in such disrepair.

Quickly enough they found out about her being a YoRHa deserter, instructed to get rid of her, but the woman fought them back for a short time, then ran back the way she came just as fast once her weapon broke.

Just… who was she?

Her name was apparently A2, and the marks they saw reminded her of the discourse of a while ago with Lily, and what she had seen on the girl’s arm.

Could she be…?

9S hadn’t given her too much time to think, deciding to head straight for the person that told 2B the story in the first place.

And to show her the pictures the Pods gathered from this short exchange.

Lily didn’t deny nor confirm anything, but her eyes spoke by themselves.

A2 had been part of that same family.

2B didn’t know, but those flowers she had were the same the Resistance Leader had too on her chest, close to the heart.

Lily just hoped she hadn’t forgotten her family.

She never did.

Perhaps…

Perhaps one day fate would let them meet again too…

Machines don’t have marks, they can’t, since they have no flesh and hardly a human looking body, and yet, abnormalities happen.

Adam and Eve were already such a thing to begin with.

Android looking Machines first.

Brothers second.

They weren’t supposed to have markings, androids shouldn’t either, none of them had souls.

But fate had other ideas and wanted what it wanted, without them having a say in it.

They just had various things on their skin, whether it meant love or family.

So who could decide what those black marks on their arms were?

Or what those became on Adam’s body, once the grief for his brother’s death overcame everything he was?

He just wanted to be with his brother, his family.

9S could feel it when he hacked into him, but didn’t care, when he would have done the same.

He tried to take him away from 2B, his soulmate.

Made fun of his feelings for her too, what did he understand about having emotions?

She would have had mercy, he didn’t.

Enemies were enemies after all.

If they never crossed paths and didn’t decide that he had to be his plaything, then Eve would be still alive.

It was his fault.

And as such he’d pay the price.

If he wanted his brother so much that he just kept repeating his name over and over, then he would join him in death, 9S thought as he took 2B’s hand, and forced her sword to take Adam’s head once and for all.

9S had been careless, in his rage for Adam, he hadn’t noticed he had gone too deep, and he left his trace with a logic virus…

Damn him…

2B…

He knew he was hurting her with his request, but she was the only one he could ever ask to have mercy on him.

She would.

Her eyes met his, so tired and sad…

I’m sorry, 2B…

Her delicate hands closed around his neck.

Please… kill me…

So that we may meet again…

So that they could be together for one more time.

“21O wait!” 6O ran through the corridor of the Bunker, trying to catch up to her fellow Operator.

And destined soulmate.

She was sure it’d be her, she had tried with other people but she was either turned down, or the others were already tied to other partners, so she wouldn’t intrude.

It wouldn’t be correct to go against fate.

But 21O was not someone that believed in it.

Despite the things that tied them together, starting from the two units they were assigned that 6O was also entirely sure were destined to be soulmates too.

The numbers matched, whether fate decided they were family or lovers.

The fellow O type before her believed in family, a lot, craved it even if she wouldn’t say it out loud, but she didn’t believe in soulmates.

How odd.

However, she sought her out in moments of weakness, and 6O would accept it every time.

Just being with her was enough.

But it wasn’t why she was here right now.

“So you’re really switching to a B type?” and that she would go down there to fight against all those deadly machines?

For her family.

6O already knew, she’d been the first person 21O told, and the Commander second.

She’d take it as a show of care.

But she couldn’t help but worry, and 21O’s nod at her question only made it worse.

So…

“Then please let me be your guide down there.” to have someone help you, and it had to be her.

To be her Operator.

“Please.” she pleaded, taking the woman’s hand in hers, already expecting a refusal.

However…

“If the Commander accepts.”

6O’s heart felt light as a feather at the reply, of course there was still White to go through, but she had to say yes, no? She wouldn’t separate them, right?

She was positive.

She had to be.

it was the only way she could look after 21O when the time came, help her out, this time more beyond just words of comfort in times of need.

And maybe, once the big operation would be over, then she, her, 2B and 9S could be together with each other, and as an actual family too, their marks said so, a romantic person like her couldn’t think it could be otherwise.

Refused to.

Yes, they would live together.

The two Operators went to the Commander’s room together in the end, with 6O insisting that she had to tag along.

Because it was both of them or none.

White seemed to listen to their request with surprise, yet, her expression and tone almost sounded like she expected this.

“You want to switch to a B type.” she then turned to 6O. “And you wish to be her assigned Operator for this upcoming battle.” she repeated looking at them, looking for confirmation.

Not that it was needed.

Both women nodded.

“Yes, please.”

This next upcoming operation would be the biggest one YoRHa ever did before, with every single unit involved.

It was only fair that they wanted to do their own part too.

White didn’t ask why, she knew.

It was a certain boy Scanner for one Operator, and for the other was simply for her partner.

“Very well, I will submit the request to the Council.” not really, a lie so they wouldn’t ask questions.

They didn’t appreciate her interfering in the battle with Adam.

But if she hadn’t, then they wouldn’t be here today.

If this ever worked…

There would be no more need for any of this.

And everyone at YoRHa knew this, and so did the androids on the surface they managed to involve.

So many years of war and despair…

All their hopes united for this one big mission…

White waited for the two women to leave, before raising the sleeve of her arm, even she hadn’t been immune to this, a soulmate mark wasn’t enough for her.

Her eyes laid upon the arm with several markings on it.

The many numbers that covered her skin, not only her arm, but her chest and even her back too. Too many to be counted.

All her YoRHa units…

Including…

These ones stood out on her wrist, but she had known these flowers, placed in a way that almost looked like she was wearing a bracelet.

Those units she had let down so many times.

She never figured out why they would be flowers instead of numbers like all the rest, the only ones she could make sense of were the two clovers, a three and a four leaf one.

Futaba and Yotsuba.

They had been there too during those days.

The other marks had to be those four that fought tooth and nail against everything, they were just sacrifices and yet…

She had gotten attached…

So much that their memory was forever left on her skin, as if fate wanted her to remind her of everything wrong she did.

Mocking her.

As if she could forget…

And the many other wrongs she did after too.

White placed a hand over Jackass’ mark.

Could she even face her again? After all she’d done? How?

But at least…

At least after this operation it would be over for everyone, for her soulmate, for A2 that was still out there, for all her soldiers…

Finally all these sacrifices would be worth something.

Only when they did, then she could finally rest.

And they would all be at peace.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t supposed to end like this!

It was not supposed to end this way!

The mission, the plan…

The Bunker…

It was all going well, at least it seemed that way, so much that 9S’ fellow Scanner brothers even had the time to chill with their partners after a job well done, and tease him about it.

Then the machines in the desert, they took control of the other boys…

The mission failed, he and the Resistance had to run…

Lily-san, was she safe?

The virus… 

Meeting up with 2B…

Escaping the hordes of infected only to find out the machines took control of the Bunker itself…

6O…

The Commander herself had given her peace… before joining her soon after…

The explosion they left behind them, him and 2B…

More androids chased them…

The separation…

Perhaps being teased from the other S types for not being with his own partner in the mission wasn’t so bad after all.

Now it was him and 2B.

2B…

9S traversed the dunes of the desert kicking up sand as he went.

The marks at his right side burned like the lives of his family did…

But he was not going to abandon 2B.

She was his family.

She was all that was left.

His beloved 2B…

He had to find her!

He would find her!

A chain of round machines emerged from the sand before him, and then another.

But even that will not stop him!

He will find 2B, and no machine will stop him from doing that!

Pain was all 2B could feel when her eyes opened. She had fallen from the sky in the middle of the city it seemed.

Only when she managed to push herself up, she noticed she missed an arm.

Briefly she wondered what would happen to the marks of her family that were on it, the thought quickly destroyed and replaced from the logic virus eating away her mind and body.

Her family…

This damn thing took it all away in mere moments…

9S…

She had sent him away, she tried to save him but he came back, only to be separated again.

He always came back for her…

But this time she wished he didn’t.

There was nothing he could do for her.

She…

She would be the one to save him this time.

This damn virus… 2B knew well what it did.

It would take over her mind and body until she would end up being just a mindless doll, she’d keep fighting anything and everything until her body would just destroy itself from the inside out, and she would no longer move ever again.

She was not going to let it harm him…

She refused to.

She hurt him enough.

Enough watching him die.

Enough of all of this…

It seemed that the virus was just the excuse she needed, how ironic…

As long as their paths never crossed again, then she couldn’t hurt him anymore, right?

She wouldn’t hurt anyone any longer.

She was tired… so tired…

Her body felt so hard to move, every step forward was becoming such a difficult task…

The virus ate her from the inside, as she fought back to gain just an ounce of control back…

She just had to get far enough…

Far away…

From anyone and anything…

From him…

The hand she had left tightly clutched the sword in it.

Whoever found it… please…

Don’t forget him…

The bridge between the city and the forest wobbled under her weight, or perhaps it was her.

There were no androids she knew here.

There wasn’t him…

As she fell to her knees a horde of infected approached.

Please… be safe…

Briefly, as she looked ahead for what she could, she wondered if these androids, or whatever remained of them, would destroy her before the virus could.

Or if said infection would take a hold of her and she’d just destroy them instead.

Whatever happened, as long as 9S wasn’t here to see it.

She had forgotten about the presence of someone else around the area.

Or that was, until she showed up, killing the assailants in mere moments.

Too bad that it was all useless…

The woman that wore her same face looked back at her with eyes full of empathy.

If it had been any different, maybe she would have got to know about her story.

But for now…

She sunk the white sword in the ground.

There was another story that she refused to let it be forgotten, unlike what the world wanted.

She just hoped… that A2 would take the burden…

The woman didn’t question, she just took the weapon, and the memories, and 2B wished had the strength to just thank her for this.

And for giving her the peace she sought.

She swore she heard his voice at the end of everything…

All faded away but there he was.

She couldn’t distinguish any detail, but his image was clear even in this moment.

She only had the strength to whisper his name as she went.

A2 understood it all as soon as she threw a glance at the woman with her same face.

She would have hated her, she did for the longest time, but watching her struggle against the virus threw all of that hate away.

She’s seen first hand what that thing could do.

She’d only been around the area, looking at the sudden horde of infected androids roamed around the place.

Enemies or not, they hadn’t deserved this fate.

Her friends didn’t…

The best thing would be putting them out of their misery, there wasn’t any other way, Rose had been right back then.

This damn weapon that canceled androids from the inside, rendering them mere puppets in their own bodies was too powerful to deal with, even for Scanners…

The distorted faces of Number 21 and Number 16 flashed in her mind, as they struggled to resist.

They would have never thought to harm any of their friends willingly, ever.

No matter the type of personality.

It was all the machine’s fault.

Even now she was sure, even if she couldn’t prove it.

Slowly she made her way to 2B, she left her that white sword that once had been in her own hands.

Hers…

Hers had been broken from the fight between her and Number 16…

The broken blade in Number 21’s hands… as it struck Rose’s body when she saved her…

A2 didn’t think she would hold that sword again, it had hurt those dear to her…

But…

Could she deny 2B’s request?

Her dying wish?

Someone… someone had to remember her, just how she was the only person that could still remember her friends…

Those dear to them…

There had been much more to it when she reached for the weapon, and A2 understood.

9S…

She wanted her to remember him when the world wanted him gone…

She understood…

After all, she too had people she had loved too that the world didn’t want.

This world never wanted any of them.

And she was about to cancel another person from it, at her own request.

She refused to let her hand tremble as she granted 2B’s wish, though part of her would have wanted this to have gone a different way.

9S had witnessed what she’d done, his screams echoing, distant.

She would have said sorry if she had the time to.

A2 took the long mane of hair she’d grown during her years of mourning, she let them grow as some kind of way of telling herself that she no longer was the person she used to be.

That Number 2 had died with her friends.

In a swift motion her hair went as the white blade cut them away, they fell on 2B’s body.

She recalled something about it being a sign of respect, but could no longer remember the words, or who said them.

Didn’t have the time to think, as the ground trembled, and suddenly, all went black.

9S awakens at the Resistance Camp, and wishes he didn’t.

Before him the faces of the twins, Devola and Popola, but he wishes it was 2B that greeted him.

2B…

The mark on his neck hurts, reminding him of the truth.

She’s not here…

She won’t be again…

She won’t…

He chokes, wanting to cry his eyes out…

He feels the eyes of the twins on him, but they don’t say anything and let him be.

9S waits for them to leave, ignoring their warnings he bolts as soon as they’re far enough he's sure they won’t notice.

He runs.

And runs.

And runs.

He wanders aimlessly, ignoring anything his Pod says to him.

Nothing matters anymore.

Nothing…

Without her, he was nothing…

He had nothing…

In his wandering he finds someone digging graves in a field of flowers.

The person blabbes to him something about souls and offers a flower to him.

9S slaps the hand away and runs once again.

Androids don’t have souls.

They don’t have souls.

The marks on his skin burn, as if they want to try and contradict him.

This whole thing about them is stupid!

They’re just another reminder of what wasn’t there anymore.

Androids don’t have souls, he repeats.

Neither him, nor 2B.

And not A2…

A2…

He…

He will kill her for what she’s done!

He’ll kill her! Find her dear family and make her watch them die!

He’d cancel every little colorful flower she had from her body one by one!

She and the machines had to pay for what they had done to 2B!

This would be the only purpose of his existence there was left.

A2 awakens in an unfamiliar place surrounded by machines and what was 2B’s Pod, and wishes she never did.

She doesn’t care who these are or where she is, she just wants out.

She’s not killing them just because she’s seen them in part of 2B’s memories, even though her focus is always on 9S.

It’s just out of respect for the woman’s wishes she tells herself.

Though she knows she has no obligation to.

Her subconscious tells her the truth she doesn’t wanna say.

2B reminds her of her old self, and the kindness she lost, and the way she looks at the Scanner boy reminds of how she used to look at Number 4.

She loved the rest of her family too, but that look was reserved just for her.

Honestly, she hates these feelings…

She just wants to leave, but her body decides to break down right here and she’s forced to stay.

Part of her wishes it would just let her die.

Pascal notices the markings on her chest, and even though she didn’t ask, he shares his musings.

“Us machines can’t have markings.” it was something about not having skin, A2 wasn’t listening very well.

She recalls the time Number 21 told them what these were, sometimes she still wonders how this whole thing works.

Androids didn’t have souls.

And yet…

These were just a reminder of happier times she would never get to live again.

That was all they were now.

Nothing else.

Her family was gone.

Her love was gone.

She had loved Number 4, however she only realized it and who the mark on her neck belonged to, and her own, only at the end of it.

When Rose whispered their names with her last breaths…

Stupid…

Stupid her for not accepting to be given a name sooner…

A2 turns her head away and Pascal notices.

“It was our fault, am I right?” she doesn’t give him an answer, the silence speaks for her.

Of course it was because of you machines that they are gone!

Them and that bitch of what was their Commander!

“I know that being pacific machines doesn’t change what our kind has done in the past, for what is worth I’m sorry.”

A2 just gives him a grunt of acknowledgement and nothing more.

But it feels… oddly comforting.

Maybe because no one ever apologized for what they had done to her and her family.

She wouldn’t admit it out loud though. 

Just like Pascal said just now, some words of apology couldn’t delete what his similar had done to her family.

So she wouldn’t say anything.

All she can do is just wait this out hoping her body can recover, for how annoying this whole situation is, mostly being taken care of by machines in the first place, she has little choice in the matter.

She’s too prideful to ask them to put her down.

They were too pacific to do that even if she asked, she assumed.

Sometimes she wonders why they do it, they were still enemies and she hasn’t been exactly friendly towards them either.

What a strange bunch. 

As the little kid machines carry her in a rather embarrassing makeshift carrier, an android appears before them.

She questions who they are, already assuming they are from the local Resistance.

Who she sees is someone she never expected.

“You can’t even recognize a friend anymore?” the stranger lowers the hood, and A2 finds she’s not a stranger at all…

Her eyes widen, a whisper leaves her lips.

“Lily…”

She was… she was alive!

She hadn’t known what had been of her after she and Rose left for the elevator, and the Resistance Captain had come back to them.

She was literally the reason why she was alive.

Her and the sacrifice of her friends…

With time, she stopped questioning herself if anyone but her survived.

And with YoRHa at her back, even if someone ever did, meeting them would have led them in danger she didn’t want to be the cause of.

She’d been the cause of too many things already…

But damn if she wasn’t happy to see her!

“It’s been a long time, Number 2.”

Yes, it has been.

And honestly she never thought she would ever see anyone alive from that group ever again, that fueled her hate and gave her the single reason she was still alive today.

Though now she was so glad she stayed alive, only to see Lily’s face once again.

Part of her wondered what happened after she and Rose had left, but she knows better than to ask.

They’re both acutely aware of what happened to the rest of their friends.

They know, so asking was useless.

Would only add to the pain of knowing they were dead.

A2’s eyes go to Lily’s arm, she knows it’s the same as Dahlia’s one used to be, and everyone else of her Resistance group.

How many people had she watched die?

How many will they have to watch die still?

Lily takes her to the local camp so she can be fixed properly, and she finds out the girl is the one leading it, truly taking up after Rose.

The captain would have been proud of her.

She knows.

A2 had wanted to be good like her, and in the end it had been Lily that took after her. 

She was happy that she found somewhere new to be, unlike her.

But with YoRHa after her, it had been better that way.

Time passed, things changed.

They changed.

But the experience they shared, their memories, those stayed.

And neither of them was alone anymore to carry them on.

9S’ feet carry him to the big structure that appeared in the middle of the city, he was sure it wasn’t there before, not that he cared, but somehow he feels attracted by it.

He doesn’t know what this is, neither does his Pod.

It doesn’t matter.

Nothing matters.

As long as it’s something made from the machines, he will destroy it.

However his hacking attempt goes empty, and he’s left in the middle of this massive hole with suddenly a horde of infected androids approaching.

In the middle there is…

It’s not the woman he hopes to see but she’s still his family regardless.

21O…

She’s clad in battle armor for some reason…

Maybe not everything was lost…

His hopes are shattered in less than a second.

“Don’t get any closer!” she yells at him and he figures out why.

The damn virus, her eyes red and glowing like every other android…

And yet…

She was… conscious still?

Maybe, maybe there was hope to at least save her…

He couldn’t save 2B but…

9S has no more time to think at anything, that the horde attacks him relentlessly.

They are many, they are strong…

And he’s only one…

Just when he falls, trying to protect himself from the inevitable, it… doesn’t…

The androids attacking him stop all at once, and his eyes see what he doesn’t want to see.

21O… she…

Such a strong will to not hurt him that she stabbed herself despite the infection…

With what strength he had left, he crawled where she was laying.

His Operator… was…

The only thing he could have had left…

With her last breath she reached for him, and he didn’t hesitate in holding her in his arms.

She told him she knew how to enter that damn Tower, and managed to get the information even under the virus…

And then she went too…

9S took her in his arms, away from here, laid her body with her arms across her chest, as if she was sleeping, part of him replaying the whole discourse that man from the Resistance made about souls…

He should leave her a flower…

But…

The more he looked at the frail thing in his hand the less he saw the utility of this whole charade.

They weren’t humans, there was no need for this!

No meaning!

Nothing!

They didn’t have souls that could be saved!

He threw the flower away and left, flowers irritated him, so much they reminded him of the marks A2 had on her own arm…

His left hand held his right arm where the marks he had were.

He wished he could tear these things off from his skin and never see them again, they were just reminders of what he once had that will no longer be.

Androids didn’t have souls!

There was no reason for them to have these things!

He knew what to do now.

He’ll make them disappear!

His, A2’s, everyone’s!

The marks will disappear!

The machines will disappear!

This world will disappear!

Just like everything disappeared for him…

A2 doesn’t exactly know why she keeps going back to the machine village, even though she no longer has an obligation to.

She tells herself she only does it because Lily asks her to.

That she’s just doing a favor to the only friend she has left.

It’s not that she’s getting attached to the little children, she’s not.

She’s not…

Just because they helped her, and she still has no idea why, it doesn’t mean that years of hate were meant to disappear into nothingness.

It is true that they could have just left her to the mercy of whatever machine or infected android, they could have left her exactly where she lay after the enormous structure in the middle of the city emerged.

They could have.

They didn’t.

And she still doesn’t understand why.

She doesn’t even understand herself and her own actions.

She tells herself she’s just doing them a favor, repaying her debt, but deep down it’s something else…

The machine village… it reminds her of something familiar…

In all senses.

That was why she had this desire to protect them, even though they were meant to be sworn enemies.

But she’s been shown just how much she’s been wrong all this time.

There was something more to this.

She just knew…

She knew too well how losing a family felt…

Being left alone in a world that didn’t want you…

For how weird these machines were, Pascal didn’t deserve to go through the same pain she did.

Perhaps…

Perhaps being here gave her what she had wanted all along…

Someone that cared for her, the same way her friends did.

Did she get attached? 

Maybe…

Looking at her left arm she had the answer in those little machine faces on it.

Yes, she definitely did…

But this had been the first show of kindness she’d been shown ever since she lost everything…

Her heart had longed for it more than she was willing to admit.

Wasn’t it why she was in this situation now?

Why was she using all her strength to destroy the approaching machine horde?

Wasn’t it why she almost cried when the village was set aflame, thinking everyone died? Again…

Wasn’t it why she was going after that machine goliath heading for the city, that would destroy all she still had left as her own family?

A2 let her Berserker mode do the talking.

When that hadn’t been enough, Pascal came to her aid once more.

His voice reminded her so much of what she went through, the sadness, the desperation she felt when one after the other her friends fell.

The helplessness of having been unable to do anything to help Number 16 and Number 21 in that damn server room…

Rose’s sacrifice…

And then Number 4, together with the black boxes of the Gunner and Scanner that made everything explode.

Only she had been left.

She’s been living because of them…

Lily cried for help over the transmission through Pod 042.

She was not going to let her down!

Not her!

Not this time!

Not again!

These machines were not going to get what she had left of her family!

Despite the distress call, Lily knows that they are already lost.

She won’t say it but she knows, and she remembers…

How it feels to be surrounded by enemies and pushed in a corner…

How it feels to watch the people she knows turn into mindless monsters due to the logic virus…

How it feels to turn into one herself…

She had been spared back then, from Number 2’s good heart and Number 21’s skill.

Even though it ended up dooming the Scanner to that fate.

But even in the most desperate situation, there was still a glimmer of hope, and she wanted to hope for the people that were left, sitting in this room with her.

That slowly grew into her new family…

Jackass, the twins and everyone else.

Even those out there that no longer were themselves.

Their markings on her skin hurt.

They hurt like her heart, but…

The only way to give them peace is to put them to rest, so…

So together with the people she has left, they will fight for a chance to survive.

Against their will, she ordered the twins to run, if anyone were to live and be hurt, they would help them for sure.

Even if part of her thinks this will be pointless.

But Number 2 taught her to have hope even in the most desperate moments.

Perhaps she heard the call, and she’d be able to help her.

Or perhaps she’d hurt her even more.

But they were built to fight until the end.

Lily held Rose’s rifle against her chest.

That’s what she would have done.

“One day you will blow up with them.”

Jackass remembered these words too well.

White jokingly said them many times, with her usual frown and nonchalant attitude that hid care and affection.

Oh how she missed her…

They couldn’t even see each other again after she left to be YoRHa’s Commander.

And look where it got her…

No… Jackass was sure that whatever happened it hadn’t been her fault.

She was just a victim, just like everyone else.

Just like the people before her.

Shells of what they once were…

A trusted grenade in hand, and many others strapped to her body, and she threw herself in the horde.

Well… maybe White had been right all along.

Soon they’ll get to see each other again…

A2 willed her legs to run as fast as she could, the weariness from B Mode be damned, everything else be damned!

She had left Pascal on his own as soon as they set foot near the Resistance Camp, left him to find his kids, while her eyes scanned for any survivor.

But the more she ran, the more corpses she saw.

She thought she had seen a slaughter when her family was killed, both her companions from YoRHa when they fell from the sky like burning stars, and then when they fought after.

This was… something else…

The machines’ fault, she was sure.

Who else could?

They were the ones that used the logic virus as a weapon of mass destruction, turning everyone against each other.

Shells of themselves only waiting for the end.

What a damn terrifying thing this was…

No one was ever safe from this…

No one…

There was no one left…

No…

One…

Just one…

There was still one person…

The only person she truly had hoped to see, kneeling in front of her…

“Lily…” perhaps her whisper held too much relief.

Relief that was cut too short.

Lily’s eyes held that damn horrible glowing red color she’d grown to hate from the first moment she’d seen it.

Again…

Another time…

History repeating itself…

And this time there wouldn’t be Number 21 to save her…

There was no one…

No one anymore…

The virus had taken her, the Gunner as well, Rose too…

And then Number 4 had made the ultimate sacrifice…

Lily never got to know what had happened in the server room, A2 never thought to tell her, she never asked.

No need to…

But maybe… just maybe one thing…

She had always known her as Number 2, and A2 never thought to have an occasion to ever call herself differently… but…

“Freesia.” she spoke. “That’s the name Rose gave me.”

That the Captain had whispered in her final moments…

Hers and the other’s…

Hopefully, despite everything, it made them happy, even at the end of it all…

Now in her hands there was something else that once belonged to the proud woman she had looked up to, when she was young and clueless, burdened with a task too big for her.

Rose’s rifle pointed at Lily’s head.

Just like back then…

A2 had saved her from the bullet that time…

Now…

Now there was nothing she could do…

Nothing if not give Lily the rest she deserved…

Still the girl smiled.

How A2 wished that the family that died before her stopped doing that… but she’d say nothing…

She’d rather remember them smiling than in pain…

“So we became a family after all…”

Of course Lily would know that Rose wanted to give them names.

She should have told her sooner than this…

She would have gotten to know the names of the others too, even if she could imagine she already did.

A2 raised the rifle, pointing it at the girl.

Well, wherever she would end up, she was sure the rest of their family would tell her…

An explosion went out in the distance, Pascal, for sure.

No one else…

The sound almost drowned Lily’s voice.

“Thank you… Freesia…”

A2 grit her teeth, this wasn’t how she would have wanted her to speak her name!

Hadn’t Lily not been smiling, she would have almost regretted telling her.

With a heavy heart, she pulled the trigger.

Lily laid before her…

Dead…

She killed her…

A2’s arms burned.

Lily’s mark, Pascal, and the children…

All gone…

There was no one left…

Again…

She took her time to fetch a flower for her, leaving it next to the girl’s body, recalling something she was sure Number 21 must have said in the past, about a human custom.

A2 wished she could have done the same with the rest of them.

Ignoring whatever Pod 042 was saying about a possible decline of her mental state, she summoned the white sword that once belonged to her, now full of the memories of her successor…

And marched on.

Towards that ominous and tall white structure.

There was nowhere else to go, and no point in dwelling here any longer.

Not even to cry.

After all these years she had no tears left…

It would bring no one back…

If she would avenge her family, or if she’d join them… only time would tell…

Devola and Popola had been on their own for the longest time, longer than any other android existing.

And as long as this myth of the soulmate and family marks did too.

Or so they thought.

They had seen people spotting those marks everywhere they went.

And seen those soulmates and families be destroyed just as many times too.

They wondered how it would feel to have them too.

But for Devola there has only ever been just Popola.

And for Popola there has only ever been just Devola.

No other.

No one else.

Hated and shunned for crimes their fellow sister models committed.

What happened?

They didn’t remember.

All they knew was to say “I’m sorry.”

Desperate, a few years ago, they had turned to the local Resistance Camp to seek a place to rest, and to med Devola’s wound another android had caused, before throwing them out of the temporary place they had found.

Yet another time…

They had arrived before Lily had been made into the Leader.

Before she arrived too.

When Jackass and her group returned from a scouting mission when they heard about an incident at Mt. Ka’ala, searching for survivors in need of help.

The girl had been all they had found.

Alone and on the brink of death.

Her body had so many burns…

But also so many flowers…

Devola and Popola nursed many people to health during their lives, but they had never seen so many markings on a singular person.

But they just knew… it was yet another family that had been destroyed…

They never asked, Lily never told.

But under her command they had felt the safest ever.

The girl had a kindness to herself that they felt they never deserved.

They hadn’t deserved to be the ones that would survive out of any of them…

And yet, here they were.

Everyone else just littered the city with their dead body, if that remained…

Just dead androids as far as the eyes could see.

The only thing alive, their sister.

Now without a place to be.

And without a purpose…

What would be of them now?

Just when they were starting to understand the meaning of this whole family thing…

It was only them yet another time…

And despite what Lily told them, had they been truly of help if they couldn’t save anyone?

Sounds of a battle reached them.

Someone…

Was someone still alive?

Could they help?

Well, what else there was to do anyway? Everyone else was gone…

Lily had left them saying that they had to survive to help who would be left alive, that had been pretty much her dying wish.

So it shall be respected.

Be the last thing they ever did.

The noises arrived from near the big tall structure in the middle of the city, where they could spot machines flying over.

Between the whole mess, there was a lone android.

Of course it had to be him.

The boy that they found and healed, that had ran away as soon as they got distracted for a moment.

They had tried looking for him, but between the machines lurking in the city, and then the whole infection, finding a single person in such a wide range was pretty much impossible.

He had been one of the few that treated them with respect, perhaps out of ignorance.

But if they could at least save him…

No time to think, only to act.

9S seemed surprised to see them, like he wasn’t expecting any help.

Together the two of them got rid of the machines assaulting him, they weren’t fighters, but they wanted to prove useful regardless.

That was what their lives revolved around.

To be useful so their guilt would fade away for a little bit, before it would eventually return.

It always did.

Their life was paying the price for the mistakes of their sisters.

Perhaps… this would be the last time…

What else was there to do? 

Looking for another place to be if they ever survived?

Where else would they be accepted like they were due to Lily’s gentle command?

Wander the Earth until they eventually broke down?

Might as well do it now then.

They had wandered enough.

They watched 9S fall to the ground from his failed hacking attempt, Devola went to pick him up, her eyes widening when Popola rushed forward to the door of the structure…

Placing her hands against it, she screamed as the electric current ran through her.

But Devola understood.

9S had to proceed on, with or without them.

She dragged the boy despite his protests, she refused to let him waste this opportunity while her sister sacrificed herself for him.

Once he was inside the door closed, and Popola fell limp in her arms.

But the machines still persisted.

“Wait just a little more…” Devola sighed, laying her sister on the ground for the time being, and picking up her sword.

The next moments were a blur.

All she knew was that she felt empty, like someone dug a deep hole in her chest.

And at the same time, she felt a surge of anger she never felt before, so raw and uncontrollable…

When the confusion cleared, all the machines were dead at her feet.

Only then Devola realized she was missing an arm.

But she didn’t care for it one bit.

Dragging herself back to Popola’s side, she placed her head on her legs.

Whatever would happen, she’ll stay.

Popola was her only family.

Always was.

Always will.

As the markings on their wrists said, hidden under the black bracelet they wore, on opposite arms, so they could hold hands.

It was a pair of staffs that looked like the moon crossed over the other.

They didn’t remember what it meant.

It must have been related to whoever they were before this…

Before this… guilt…

This never ending feeling they couldn’t get rid of…

“I’m sorry…” Popola could barely whisper, and Devola was so damn tired of hearing these two words.

I’m sorry…

They said this to one another all the time.

All the time.

“Enough apologizing.”

But those two words hid something much worse, as Popola’s eyes shone red.

The logic virus…

She was dying…

She would leave her alone…

No…

No it couldn’t be!

She couldn’t be alone!

No.

No…

This all felt like a nightmare…

One big, painful, and somehow familiar nightmare…

All Devola could do was to hold her sister as her eyes closed.

She was so weak even the virus couldn’t make her move, or do anything.

Perhaps better.

Perhaps worse…

If only the virus would have taken over her body, then Popola would kill her and they could be together again in death!

Not even machines were kind to them…

What was wrong about wanting to be with her only family?

Forever?

Why did Popola have to die first?

Why not her too?

Why?

Why…

So unfair…

Time must have passed, because Devola didn’t remember seeing another android until a woman was before her.

She seemed familiar but in her haze she couldn’t recognize her…

It was all red…

Popola was gone…

But did she…

Did they…

“Were we useful?” these words left Devola’s mouth on their own, not even realizing she said them.

Nothing made sense anymore…

“Yes, you did.” she had no time to dwell on the words the other woman said, as her sword came down on her.

Darkness enveloped her in its embrace, finally reuniting Devola with her sister Popola.

After all… 

Twin models must never be separated.

They met at the top of the Tower, 9S and A2, after ascending through the structure filled with hazards and discoveries.

Unpleasant truths made to haunt them.

The humans were dead…

So then… what did their families and loved ones die for??

Gone to perpetuate a colossal lie…

And in the end it helped no one, the Resistance was dead too…

Was this worth it??

Was it worth ending up here face to face, with the boy completely taken from the logic virus without a care for himself at all, locked in a battle where possibly only one of them would survive?

If they would. 

Was it worth losing everything for nothing??

“I could have endured anything as long as she was with me!” if only 9S knew that was exactly how A2 felt when Number 4 was at her side…

Even face the shells of their friends…

“Everyone took 2B away from me!” and the girl couldn’t exactly blame him, she did have to put an end to her life, but hadn’t she done that, the virus would have.

She knew too well how it worked.

And A2 was sure 9S did too.

She shared his feelings of anger, she used to be the exact same when she lost her family…

That was why she was not going to berate him for these feelings.

She did feel bad for him…

Because she knew…

And that was what caused her to lower her guard, and allow him to hack into her, making it even easier since she had just used Berserker Mode to counter him, that had rendered her mental resistance to none.

9S put her in front of the memories of the people she lost.

An act of revenge.

Forcing her to face the feelings she shoved down for all these years.

Number 2 died with them. 

That was what she told herself.

But when the people she loved started pointing their fingers at her, the truth just leaked out…

It’s all your fault…

It’s all your fault!

IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!

These words echoed in her mind, so dark and heavy, she fell to her knees.

It was true…

Who had it been that wanted to save those companions that were already lost?

Who had it been that convinced Rose and the Resistance to collaborate, dragging them down with them?

Who had it been that in that server room, Number 16, Number 21, Rose… and most importantly Number 4 had sacrificed everything for?

Because she’d been too dumb…

Because she was too weak…

She had to end Lily’s life too now…

Everywhere she went, people died…

So then why…?

Why was she still alive?

Another voice echoed, a voice she had known well, in the form of a black box.

No…

A white glowing box.

Number 2, live.

Number 4…

Yes… she knew now…

She lived… to carry on their memories with her…

That was what that white box represented.

Her own markings glowed, on both arms and her neck even brighter.

Yes, she was not alone.

Their memories were here with her.

Their souls were here with her, she felt them whispering around her.

She promised to live.

She promised to save this world, that allowed her to meet the people she had loved.

They had tried.

They would have wanted that.

So then.

She’ll save 9S.

She’ll save everyone.

Because unlike what the boy thought, and she was sure he knew too, androids, even monsters like YoRHa, and machines alike, had lives worth living.

Even if it meant losing her own life for it, then so be it.

She would have wanted to do that sooner, but perhaps it was better this way.

Now her existence had a meaning.

It was time for her to rest and rejoin the family that was waiting for her.

Hoping 9S would find his own path for the future.

When 2B and 9S woke up, they immediately knew something had changed.

Their own markings became not only each other’s number, but now they had their letter too.

And for her, it was the B one, instead of E.

A symbol of what she truly was at heart.

A kind person, a fierce warrior, and most importantly, not an assassin.

That had been a construct forced upon her.

But also, the amount of markings on them had increased exponentially.

Not only the ones they had of their best friends had received the same treatment, of being completed.

More of them showed up, of the people they had known.

Of the people that had made all of this possible.

Their Pods, Lily and the Resistance, their Commander…

And…

A2…

Or rather, the flower representing her.

A freesia, right next to a lily.

Like the family they were.

And now, with only the two of them left, they would walk together to the future, with their memory, their souls, accompanying them in this journey, forever etched in their skin.