Third-Person Perspective

He killed him. Just like that.

WALL-E's dead body fell to the wall in a metal heap. Up to this point, McCrea was trying to settle this peacefully. He was so sure that AUTO could be dissuaded if he just used the right words, and because of his foolish denial, two robots had been killed.

Heck, AUTO had just tried to kill him. And who knows how many other people had been hurt or killed behind the scenes? Who knows how many people had just been hurt by the Axiom falling on its side?

Wasn't he supposed to be their captain?

With new resolve, he shakily got to his feet. He wasn't an athletic person by any means, but nothing was going to stop him from grappling some sense into that blasted can opener. He felt along the wall, swallowing his dizziness as he snuck up on the wheel, who was looking down on WALL-E with...what, regret? No, now was not the time to become morally nebulous. This wheel needed to be shut down.

McCrea huffed, "Auto?"

AUTO turned to him, brandishing his taser, but this time, he was ready. He grabbed two spokes on the side, using all his strength to halt him in his place. AUTO tried to spin him away, but he held on, realizing that the struggle had opened his control panel.

McCrea gasped.

AUTO - MANUAL

With renewed determination, McCrea shifted his grip as he grit his teeth, "Auto, you are relieved of duty..."

"No!"

"Captain!"

The minor distraction of the EVE Probes suddenly appearing through the exploded door was enough for AUTO to throw McCrea off of him.

"GET HIM!" McCrea's head hit the ground, but he slurred through the blunt force trauma, "H-HE'S GOT A MANUAL SWITCH UP ON THE-AAAAAAAHHH!"

"CAPTAIN!" Rio shoved AUTO into the ceiling, "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU DICK!"

"Hurry! The switch!" Aya said.

AUTO threw Rio off, nicking her with his taser as well.

"Hey!"

Aya shot at the wheel, but he dodged and slammed her into a corner. Rose caught Aya before she hit the ground, and both of them rushed him, holding his spokes to the side in an effort to restrain him.

"Ow..." Rose felt her arms creak.

"Let go!" AUTO spun in a circle, crushing the two and causing them to fall. Before he could be caught again, he grabbed all the sisters in more stasis beams. They seemed lighter in color now, maybe because having so many of them on at the same time thinned them out.

AUTO's cool demeanor buckled as he shouted at the top of his voice, "I will not be bested by a few mind-numbing angry excuses for metal-!"

He suddenly stopped as he had flown too close to McCrea in his burst of unbridled rage, who had climbed back onto his feet and found the manual button.

Realizing he had succeeded, the captain fell onto his side, his eyes closing as his breathing picked up. With no more commands coming in through the ship, all the robots caught in stasis beams fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

It was suddenly very quiet.

"Captain...?" Aya cautiously rolled him onto his back, flinching at the sight of the growing red stain standing out starkly on the burnt chest of his white uniform, "He needs help..." she held her head - which sported a new dent - as she commed someone who might be able to help. The now freed group of robots moved numbly, swarming around the captain to carry him away.

"Hospital...wing..." Rio slurred, the side of her head having been slashed with AUTO's taser, "Get him...t-tower..."

The entourage wasted no time in hauling him away.

"Let's go." Leah was relieved that she hadn't had to fight, "We have to make sure no one else is hurt."

Somehow though, none of them wanted to move. They were all staring at the forgotten box of frayed wiring and blackened boards.

WALL-E.

Leah lifted his head, looking into the now darkened, glassy eyes that held so much light just days ago. Even in the call he'd made just a moment ago, that spark was there, made obvious by his movements, however sluggish.

Leah gathered up all the pieces of him slowly, mechanically, until she held all of him in her arms. He shouldn't look like this. He was so still.

"Well, come on!" she snapped her sisters (and herself) out of the trance, leading them out through the broken door. Aya finally got a hold of Captain Burnham and explained what had happened while the rest of the group took turns carrying humans back to the hospital wing in the white tower.

Leah sidestepped all the attention and carried WALL-E to the repair ward. Maybe it was just her unwavering belief in everyone or just a desire to see him again, but whatever the reason, she wasn't willing to give up on the possibility that he could be brought back to life. It was the same feeling that drove her to put her sister in critical care.

Everything that could be saved was. EVE would definitely end up forgetting a lot, but hopefully what Leah had managed to save would be enough to justify all the work she was putting in. She slid WALL-E into an empty slot in the building beside her sister, letting the scanner swipe over him. If it couldn't identify enough salvageable parts, then he would have to be declared officially dead.

She waited, doing her best to be patient, as the massive machine did its thing.

...

EXTRACTING DATA FILES...

...

23%...41%...50%...79%...

100%...

BOOTING SYSTEM...

...

When I opened my eyes, the sun glared into my vision, forcing me to squint against it. I lifted my head, looking around at all the hopeful faces around me. They seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place them. I broke my arms off my body, staring at my palms with wonder. I had what looked like sleek fins for arms, with smooth pieces that broke off on the ends for fingers.

"Eve?" one of the robots nearby - who I realized looked just like me but with golden eyes - placed her hand on my shoulder, "Do you remember us?"

I reached back into my memory, "You are all familiar, but I don't remember your names."

"We're your sisters." the orange-eyed one explained, "We have nicknames too. You are Eve Number One. I am Eve Number Four, Leah."

"Leah." I repeated, "Yes, I remember that name."

"Do you remember me?" Leah took my hand hopefully.

I ran my thumb over her fingers. I saw something in my distant memory, "You had blue eyes. All of you did."

"Yes! You remember!"

I sighed, "You changed your eye color."

"Yeah. It makes us more instantly recognizable." Rio said, who had bright green eyes now, "Okay, but do you remember the name 'Wall-E'?"

That name clicked. I thought about it.

My eyes widened, "Where is he?"

Aya - the one with the yellow eyes - gestured to the white tower behind me, "He didn't want to see you if you didn't remember."

I turned around, feeling my eyes narrow.

"Be careful." Rose - hot pink eyes - warned me, "He's in a fragile state himself."

I looked back at them, my sisters, "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

They were sporting new scars that I didn't remember, darkened metal that certainly used to be dented or caved in. I had no such marks on my body, but they could have easily ordered a new one if my old body was too damaged. Finally, I made my way towards the tower. I had to see WALL-E. He had to be okay.

Once I was inside the building, I was bombarded with robots and humans, all with bright smiles on their faces or screens.

"Eve! You're okay!"

"We thought for sure-!"

"Auto is gone! Wall-E is a hero!"

"Everyone!" I laughed, waiting for the noise to die down, "Thank you, but I really need to see Wall-E. Is he here?"

The crowd lost their smiles, parting down the middle like the red sea. WALL-E was looking away from me, but he didn't move with the crowd. He simply stayed stiff and still.

"Wall-E?" I flew down to his level and lifted his head. His eyes were closed, "Wall-E, look at me."

He opened his eyes, staring into mine with wavered confidence. He was shaking, too.

"It's okay, Wall-E." I soothed, stroking the side of his head with my thumb, "I remember everything."

Well, that wasn't quite true. There were definite gaps in my memory, but I remembered him. His kindness, his vulnerability, his courage. His sad eyes widened to more hopeful ones.

"Everything?"

"About you? Yes." I let my other hand lightly rub his back, and I smiled at the shiver the touch brought him, "I'm so happy to see you again."

He let his head fall onto my chest, just below my chin, "Never do that again! You scared me to death!"

"Shhh..." I placed my cheek on his head, "Don't cry. I'm here now, and I'm not leaving again."

I heard my sisters come in after me, "Guys! They're so cute!"

"Aya! Shush!"

I giggled.

WALL-E relaxed more into me, "God, I missed that sound..."

I pulled back to look into his misty eyes, "I'm just glad you're okay..."

"Sure, if you count traumatized and scarred as 'okay'."

"Oh, you know what I meant!"

"Just kiss already!"

All heads turned to the sudden voice. Captain Burnham had his hands cupped around his mouth, "Woo!" He received a swift elbow to the gut from Captain McCrea, who had bandages around his head and chest.

It turned my attention to the others around me, who also sported various injuries, before turning back to WALL-E, "What happened while I was gone?"

He grimaced, "It doesn't matter. It's over now."

I took his head in my hands again, "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Huh?" he blinked, "Oh, well...I mean, uh, right now? You sure? I was just thinking abou-!"

I shut him up by pressing our screens together and letting that spark connect us again. This time, I didn't let it stop. He was tense at first, but then he relaxed, leaning into me more.

When the kiss had broken, WALL-E buried his face beneath my head, like he was trying to hide, "I was going to say, I don't want to g-get attached again and then-!"

"Wall-E!" I couldn't help but laugh a little bit, "I'm not leaving you again! I promise."

After all, I'd kept all my promises so far.

He inhaled, "Cross your heart?"

"Yes." I said with no hesitation, "I love you, Wall-E."

He wrapped his arms around my middle and squeezed, relaxing into my embrace like a war veteran who finally found his way home.

"I love you too, Evah..."

THE END