With a renewed vigor, a brighter outlook and a greater sense of purpose, A2 walked through the cobbled exitway of the arena and past the receptionist's desk without so much as a sideways glance, even as the android anxiously called after her. "H-hey! Where are you going?"

A2 remained silent and kept marching forward with hope and anticipation in every step. Those she passed on the way to the elevator were perplexed by the small smile that had somehow found its way onto what had previously been the most angry face they had ever seen.

The girl at the counter made one last attempt to keep the golden goose that had just walked into her lap under her roof. She was unbelievably strong and more dedicated and vindictive than any other fighter she had put through the gauntlet. It was like she had a personal blood vendetta against the machines and it drew an enormous crowd. Not even the two YoRHa that had been down here that short while ago had garnered that much attention. "You just broke a record, you can't stop now! There's so much more we can do here!" When A2 remained unresponsive, she tried a desperate, but risky dig. "Think of all the machines waiting in the wings! Think of what they've done to you!"

For a brief moment, A2 halted, but almost as soon as she had stopped, she began walking again, pushing the button to call the elevator and entering the car. When she turned around and faced the silent plaza, some faces blank, others bemused, some still angry at losing their main source of entertainment and betting stakes, she looked them all in the eye before leveling her gaze with the young woman at the front desk. With a sense of clarity and restraint she hadn't shown in ages, she spoke. "Up there, the war is still raging on and you've all just lost your best chance at winning it. Meanwhile you're sitting down here wasting time gambling and kicking around defeated machines who can't even fight back. What is that doing? Who is it helping?"

Immediately a gruff, cloaked android bit out a retort. "You know exactly why! These little bastards have cost us all dearly. Our friends, comrades, lovers and others some of us would like to call family. Don't stand there on some moral high ground just because you're having some moment of 'clarity' and try to tell us we're wrong just because you got yourself off beating the shit out of them down there for the last three hours!"

Another woman joined in, passive aggressive sarcasm dripping from every word. "Yeah, what about us, Madam YoRHa? Just because you can get thrown in there with the worst of the worst and actually come out on the other side feeling good about yourself cause you can actually take advantage of having that many of them at your disposal at once doesn't mean we're any worse than you just because we have to take it slow, one at a time. And when did you grow a conscience anyways? Didn't YoRHa throw you out ages ago?"

A2 twitched a she struggled violently to hold back the wave of frustration that threatened to explode over everyone in the room. Instead, she simply sighed, pressing the button to close the elevator doors.

"Just know that there are better ways to stick it to the enemy than pissing your time away torturing the weak ones while your 'family' is still out there risking their lives to do the hard work."

With that, the doors shut and A2 began her ascent. She had made her peace. At least for now. That lifestyle wasn't for her anymore. Right now, there are more important things…more important people to be concerned about. "2B…" She remembered the dark pit that she found herself in when she lost her friends…her family. The same pit she never quite learned how to crawl out of. But, between the three years she's had to lick her wounds and the conversation she had with 9S, she felt it was time to give something else a chance. Rather, she for the first time in years had the opportunity to do so. 9S, despite it being through his death, had given it to her. That golden blade she now found herself so fond of and the thoughts and feelings he planted so deep inside of her when she accepted it. Once they made the tear in her patchwork defenses, all she needed was the extra push.

"2B…I'm not gonna let you go down the same path I did. I'd be a real asshole if I stood by and watched that happen. You've already got my face, godammit. I'm not gonna let you steal my story too."

2B whisked through the sewer system, descending deeper and deeper into the ground before she burst out into the jagged pathway leading her to the Flooded City. Rounding the corner to the hidden elevator, she skidded to a halt, just barely avoiding running Jackass clean over.

"2B!" Jackass frantically shouted for her attention as she attempted to maneuver herself in between the elevator and the killer android that was trudging dangerously towards them. "A2…she's just blowing off steam!"

"That's cute." The executioner responded coldly as she shoved the analyst to the side. "Jackass," for once, 2B's demeanor calmed and her visage was sincere as she looked back over her shoulder to the scientist, voice almost tender as she spoke. "You need to stay out of my way."

Jackass was stunned and as she heard the almost plea, her heart broke. "2B…" It was all she could say before the shifting din of the elevator mechanics lulled to life and the gate opened.

Snapping her gaze to her front, 2B froze almost in shock as the object of her anger stood before her, equally as stunned into silence.

"2B…" A2 started calmly as she slowly stepped out of the car. "We need to talk."

"About what?" 2B responded, cold, unfeeling and mood as unreadable as her eyes behind the visor that concealed her face. "You know how this goes. Are you really trying to talk yourself out of this?"

"I'm not trying to fight you, 2B. I just need to explain what happened. This isn't what you th-"

"Speak." The android interrupted with a dangerous snarl that betrayed the pristine and tranquil nature of her appearance.

Tentavely, A2 began, all the while keeping an eye on her surroundings and mapping an exit route in case things went south. "2B" She paced herself very carefully. "There's no easy way to say this, but 9S asked me to kill him."

She saw the muscles in 2B's face twitch behind her visor and proceeded quickly, but carefully. She had never been a wordsmith, but something inside of her seemed to be guiding her to know what to say…how to deal with this woman in front of her. "When he left you that time, back upon atmospheric re-entry. He did it to save you."

Jackass nervously looked between the two juggernauts, suddenly feeling very afraid observing such a volatile situation as opposed to intrigued as she might have been otherwise.

"I know. I know that." 2B lowered her stonefaced gaze towards the ground and her fists slightly trembled, the tassel on Virtuous Treaty quivering ever so slightly.

"Of course you do…" A2 responded cautiously. How to begin… God I suck at this. "He fought like hell to get back to you and he actually took one of them down."

Out of nowhere Virtuous Treaty cleaved through the air, barely missing A2's neck as she dodged backwards, her back slamming against the elevator gates. "I should kill you right now." 2B said plainly. "That's all I need."

A2 desperately fought her instincts and beat down her desire to either run away or counter her. She couldn't risk it. This was her one opportunity. A one time chance only. She wasn't about to jeopardize everything because she got a little jumpy. Through all of this she was finally able to put a finger on 2B's emotions, or rather her lack of. Emotionless. That is bad. It's just like he said. Cold, overprofessional. Carefully A2 tried again. "You saw the flight units on your way in?"

Despite her iron grip on the outstretched sword she held to A2's neck, 2B tried to think back. She had been in such a haze that she hadn't even stopped to look at the machines that she mowed down as she traversed the fallen buildings.

Taking her silence as permission to continue, A2 went on. "He survived by diving into the water before impact. He came back up, but the corrupted unit's pilot was still alive. He got the infection from her…"

2B stamped her heel and clenched her teeth as denied A2's claim, grip on her sword getting tighter. "9S can deal with that just like he dealt with me. He would have just self-hacked!" 2B shouted indignantly in an attempt to mask the hot tears that were manifesting along with the lump in her throat.

"He tried, 2B. Something kept him from being successful and we need to find out what exactly it…or they are. He mentioned the machine network and actually…" A2 paused before taking a massive risk. "He spoke to me just before I came up here."

2B's head snapped up and she jaw dropped. "9S…he spoke to you?! Wh…why?"

She could tell 2B was starting to get emotional, so she decided to hurry things along. "I have some of his data, 2B. He asked me to help you. He said it would be harder for you now." …I'm just gonna go for it. "He said you always bottle things up down inside and that gets to you. He asked me to help you, 2B. To lighten your load. Because…" A2 paused, fighting down the emotion as she spit it out. "I know what it's like."

2B was silent. Of course she knew about Pearl Harbor. The tragedy that befell the protoypes and the one survivor who went AWOL, but none of that matters now. None of it.

"2B…these people need help. Hell, we need help. And trust me, from experience, going it alone, forging down this path is not going to help you. It won't make things better, it won't give you peace, it won't free your mind and worst of all…it won't bring him back."

2B was deathly quiet as the prototype's words hung in the air. Stagnant. Painful. Offensive.

"2B…" A2 held out her hand, nervously. "Will you let me help you? …Will you help me?"

2B barely leveled her gaze with the outstretched hand in front of her, sword tip still raised to her target's neck. 9S… After all we've been through…you…

From where A2 was standing, it was clear that 2B was thinking…and hard. Tentavely she exchanged a motionless glance with Jackass who was still frozen to her core watching the development unfold in front of her, eyes wide as saucers. Suddenly something in 2B's face changed like the flip of a switch. Her mind is made up. Slowly A2 switched her stance to prepare for the worst.

"Okay."

…What? "…What?"

"I said okay." 2B said again, lowering her sword and barely giving A2 a glance. "I'll work with you."

"Holy shit."

2B turned her head to regard A2, bob swishing lightly. "Surprised?"

That's putting it a little damn lightly isn't it?

"No, it's fine. I'm just glad I was able to explain myself properly. I never meant for it to get this far."

"Okay."

"Right…" When did I become the normal one?

They heard a laugh break out from the side and both looked at a shellshocked Jackass, falling on her rear as nervous laughter rocked her frame, looking as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "Oh, thank fuck. I don't know what the hell I'd do if you two started fighting in this tight ass space with me in it."

Grinning slightly, A2 looked back towards 2B, arm still outstretched. Following her line of sight, 2B looked back at her hovering invitation; a waiting acknowledgement. A symbol of partnership. Swiftly, she grabbed the prototype's blackened hand, clasping it tightly as she stared at her intensely.

Awkwardly, A2 looked away, withdrawing her hand. "Well, anyways… I guess we uh…go back to the resistance camp?"

Jackass was the first to chime in. "That sounds like a damn lovely idea! Anemone's gonna be ecstatic. I can't even believe it!" The analyst's voice trailed off as she walked ahead of the YoRHa duo, figuratively leading the way.

A2 followed after her, warily monitoring her peripherals as she walked ahead of 2B; a show of good faith, she figured. Despite that, A2 still couldn't believe her fortune. Was it just 9S speaking through her or was 2B as eager to find a way to avoid dying to the other as she was? 2B slowly meandered behind her. Heels clicking rhythmically on the concrete walls of the buildings as they crossed them on their way back to the city. As they passed the last skyscraper and touched down on the shattered bridge, 2B locked eyes with the charred, flattened chassis of the abandoned, jet-black flight unit some ways away from the initial impact sight that housed another unit in much worse shape. Lazily dragging her eyes over the scene, she found the lifeless body of an armored YoRHa unit. Helmet cracked and face contorted into a permanent sneer, dried blood splayed out like a blanket under her and a gaping hole in her sternum. Robotically, 2B said a small prayer for the fallen unit as she raised her gaze to the sky. "9S…"

Pausing, A2 stopped and looked back towards her counterpart still looming over the scene that lay her before her. Ahead of them Jackass herself stopped, puzzled as to what was taking her charges so long. Closing her eyes behind her visor, 2B sighed as the waves crashed against the coastline and a sheet of mist blanketed her pale face.

…you choose her?