Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“For the glory of Mankind!” The brunette android salutes the imposing android dressed in white. The day is June 3rd, 11945, at 5:30 AM Bunker time. Commander White is speaking to a newly born member of YoRHa, 29F. With an ever-so-subtle smile, White looks down at the brand-new android, who had just recited the YoRHa mantra incorrectly and placed her hand in the wrong location on her chest for the YoRHa salute. White then bends down on one knee after lowering her salute. "It's alright, you're doing ok, but it's glory to mankind." With surprising gentleness, White takes hold of 29F’s left hand and helps her place it correctly over her chest. "And your hand goes right about here. Now go on. I know you can do it." "Oh, sorry," 29F says before she resalutes with renewed confidence, "Glory to Mankind." 29F, feeling rather pleased with herself for reciting the words correctly, she starts to show a visible smile on her face. When White sees how proud 29F is, she responds with what is for her, an exceptionally rare outward display of affection as she wraps her arms around her. ‘What is this?’ White wonders as her eyes start to water, ‘Are these... tears? I'd almost forgotten what they were really like.’ 29F is equally stunned by the unexpected but not unwelcome embrace, and she returns the hug. As this emotional event unfolds, White suddenly holds her just a little bit tighter before she whispers something in her ear. As expected, all of this caught 29F completely off guard. "Wait, what? You want me to...but that's..." Before 29F can finish speaking, White interrupts her, "I understand and I accept responsibility, but please, you have to trust me on this." "Ok then." When 29F agrees to go along with what White said, they regretfully let go of each other, and White sends 29F on her way to her first mission. This was the commissioning of a prototype child-sized unit chosen to become part of a new line of androids known as ‘Forager’ or Type F, but this particular new unit would be much more than that. In any case, Type F’s lacked any real combat expertise, though like most androids, they usually carried one light weapon, their role being to preserve humanity’s agriculture and catalog the flora and fauna of Earth. Her stature is short compared to other androids, who had late adolescent or young adult appearances. The Forager model’s chassis and appearance reflect that of an early adolescent child, and their clothing is very dainty with frills. They are perhaps the most doll-like of the YoRHa.

How was she supposed to know that the Bunker exploded mere days after she was sent on one of her first missions to Earth? How was she supposed to know that she would never see her home or that she would never get to say goodbye to anyone she knew there? Learning of this horrible event left the young, innocent android feeling lost and aimless. With nowhere else to turn, the brunette android then began to embark on her assigned mission: to catalog Earth's fauna and scout out The Kingdom of Night. Thankfully, she didn’t have to make the long trek on foot, as her prototype mechanical wings would be used. Despite all the terrible things that took place over the past few days, these mechanical wings were an immense amount of fun to use, and at this point, she was looking forward to the much-needed distraction. “The Bunker is… I mean, everyone…I-I can't believe... I didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone... It's- It's so sad.” 29F looks up at her Pod, hoping it would give her any form of guidance as she flew over the Pacific. Her Pod, 284, has a dark green body with a red head and corresponding colored arms. "284, what do I do now? What can I do now?" “Analysis: With the recent fall of the bunker, the safety of YoRHa unit 29F is top priority. I will continue to watch for any blackbox signals, as surviving YoRHa units have a high chance of being infected by the logic virus and should be avoided for various safety reasons. The assigned region, commonly referred to as The Kingdom of Night, is rarely visited by units who operate in the region referred to as The Kingdom of Day. The assigned region would also be out of range of what little remains of YorHa, infected units included. Proposal: 29F should proceed with her mission as originally planned.” “That sounds like a good idea. Thanks pod. What's this logic virus though? I assume you mean those infected units you've been constantly warning me about, right?” “Correct. Affected units display various symptoms when infected, such as: Data corruption, increased strength, including hostile and erratic behavior. Early vaccination administrations are recommended to prevent further contamination and degradation.” 29F then fell silent, processing everything 284 had explained. Deciding to focus on her surroundings, she admired the vast, blue ocean as they flew. 
Within a few hours, they came to their destination - The Kingdom of Night. The land was always blanketed in inky blackness with the pinpricks of stars shining through. As soon as they landed, her mechanical wings returned to cyberspace. The young android’s eyes slowly began to adjust to the sudden nightfall. Pod 284 assisted by illuminating her path with a beam of light. Immediately after this usage, 29F began calling it ‘Flashlight Mode’. Slowly but surely, the pair made their way through this strange land, stopping occasionally so that 29F could catalog all the new plants and animals she saw. One of the most interesting animals in her research so far has been the grey wolf. They’d gone extinct a very long time ago in The Kingdom of Day, and according to records about the Old World, these creatures were even worshipped as gods by ancient humans. "Humans were so interesting! I hope they're gonna appreciate all this research that I've gathered!" 29F mused. An excited smile glowed on her face. As for flowers, there was an abundance of them that were foreign to her, and she kept cataloging every flower with earnestness. 29F makes a mental note to collect some seeds and try to grow them back home. Even though Androids are forbidden to dream, she wished to grow a giant garden, full of all different kinds of flowers, for the humans who would come back!  29F’s smile never faded as she and Pod 284 continued their trek.

The grey wolf would’ve been the most fascinating creature in The Kingdom of Night if it weren’t for the fabled dragons of the land. Dragons were rare across the lands of Earth, and even the upper echelons of command didn’t know much about them. They were rumors that came from another dimension. 29F’s eyes began to strain through her black lace goggles as she saw the creature. A dragon had white scales on its body and silver scales on its underside. Its horns were silver, with piercing green eyes. They hadn’t taken notice of the child-shaped android or the small floating Pod. “Query: This Pod advises you to avoid this area and to find an alternate, safer route. Marking an alternative route on the map.” “...Right." Their short exchange ended almost abruptly, 29F followed the path Pod 284 had charted, occasionally glancing at the unique and admittedly mystical creature. Thankfully, the dragon had its eyes transfixed on the moon and stars, almost like it was stargazing. After she was able to make some distance from the beast, she turned her gaze to the moon. It now fully hit her; the Bunker was gone. 29F would greatly miss her Operator, who would occasionally pat her head, or the Scanner units she’d be assigned with. She hoped that they were alive somewhere. 29F missed them so much. Those days would be stored deeply in her memory banks. The Forager unit then stifles a sob, her blindfold quickly wet by tears. “E-Everyone is gone, Operator…” “Negative: There are YoRHa units stationed on the surface that were absent from the Bunker. Rendezvousing with them is recommended.” “There-there are….?” The android’s crying was starting to cease; only sniffling remained. “Once this mission is completed, let’s look for them.” “Affirmative. Adding secondary objectives to the map.” Her Pod answered. The android returned to cataloging the various plants and animals in the area. As she was doing this, a thought began to brew in her head, is that why she hasn’t seen any Machine Lifeforms around? 29F continues her mission, the thought returning to the back of her mind. Her room in the Bunker had been full of potted plants and whatever she could bring back from the surface. There was an old human saying, about having a ‘green thumb’ that could pertain to her as well. Sure, collecting things from the surface was technically against protocol, but Command never had a problem with it. The most treasured flower she had was a purple forget-me-not that she picked during her very first mission. She remembered the Scanner unit she’d accompanied, 25S, being confused by this action. 29F had simply given a smile. Saying she wanted something to remember her mission by. 29F was overjoyed when her fellow YoRHa unit had picked a flower as well! She hoped he had survived, somehow. He was her first friend she’d ever made since being rolled out.

Then there was also the threat of the Logic Virus outbreak, meaning that if he survived the bunker's fate, there would be a chance he’d be infected. 29F didn’t want to think about the course of action that had to be taken if that were so. As the android was reminiscing, the dragon grew tired of stargazing as they unknowingly took the same path she did. After catching a momentary glance at 29F, she was even more curious. This android looked immensely different from the ones the dragon had seen before. Communicating seemed the wisest decision if she wanted knowledge on this mysterious android.“I do not recognize the garb you wear. Do you hail from the Kingdom of Day?” The dragon’s voice sounded feminine, but had a certain edge to it, similar to how the commander’s voice was. “Yes, I am a part of the organization known as YoRHa, we fight to take back the Earth from Machine Lifeforms. I can only tell you that much.” 29F replied, trying to keep her excitement in check. “Do you have a name, child? I am known as Alexiel. What brings you to the nightlands?” “I am a YoRHa unit known as 29F. One of my assigned missions is to scout and catalog flora and fauna in The Kingdom of Night.” “I see. The nightlands must be vastly different from what you’re used to.” “They’re kinda similar, just a lot less Machines around, which is good for my mission!” “The reason for that is because of the androids around here. This area was once teeming with them.” “There are other androids here?! Is it possible for us to speak with them? Maybe we can all work together!” “Unfortunately, that is not possible. These androids hold an immense hatred for humanity, and if they would, no doubt experiment and do other harmful things to you.” “Oh…” 29F looks downcast for a moment. How could androids hate humanity? Weren’t they created to serve them? “If YoRHa unit 29F has collected enough data, this Pod suggests departing immediately.” 284 floats closer to the young Android, their dark green and red color scheme making them almost blend in with the eternal night sky. “If you say so, Pod. Well, I guess this is goodbye, Alexiel! Do you think we’ll meet again?” “If fate allows it. Farewell!" The android’s wings manifested from cyberspace, then she began her flight back to The Kingdom of Day, her Pod assisting with light, and after a few hours, scanning for Black Box signals as soon as they landed. 29F took her first steps into the City Ruins after what felt like days in the Kingdom of Night. What awaited her was something out of a nightmare.

Chapter Text

The blue sky should’ve been a comforting sight for so long in the Nightlands, but it was anything short of comfort. Gray wisps of smoke clung to the air as distant sounds of Machine Lifeforms fighting androids got closer with each step 29F took. As she got nearer, she could see two androids that could be identified as YoRHa with their weapons, but they were dressed in heavy black armor. They were too engrossed in fighting a Medium Biped to notice her sword being swung at the Machine’s leg, causing oil to spill out. 29F slashes again, aiming at the torso, and the Medium Biped topples over. “Are you two alright?”  “Yes, thanks for the assistance. You must be the new type of android?” The second Battler stayed quiet, catching her breath. This Machine looked like a typical Medium Biped but it had a threatening coloration of red and black. 29F glanced curiously at it for a moment, then nodded lightly towards the other two YoRHa androids. “Yes, I am a new prototype; a Forager model, 29F. It’s very nice to meet the both of you.” “I’m 50B, and the other Battler android is 40B. We’re both grateful for your help, but you don’t appear to look like a combat model. Please go find somewhere safe to hide.” “B-But…” 29F was about to protest when 40B spoke. “Please, do this. It’s for your safety. You don’t want to die, do you?” 40B’s tone of voice was gentle, even if her choice of words was threatening. “What does it mean to die?” 29F questioned, immensely curious. As 40B was about to answer the question, Pod 284 interjected. 

“There are approaching Machine Lifeforms detected. Engaging in combat is not recommended, YoRHa unit 29F should listen to 50B’s advice to seek shelter.” The child android reluctantly agrees and finds an abandoned building to hide in. Nature had greatly overtaken it, ivy and moss growing up its exterior. The inside was sure to be dilapidated, having been abandoned by its original occupants for thousands of years. There was an opening in the wall, a little bigger than she was. 29F entered through and looked around the deserted house. Could it even be called one in this state? It looked decently sized to her, according to human records, a dwelling this size sometimes had multiple occupants at the same time. They would be called a ‘family’ and live together. Families would also often have close emotional connections. “Was my time in the Bunker like having a family?” 29F thought aloud. Her Pod hovered closer to her as a silence was shared between them.

50B and 40B continued to fight the encroaching Machine Lifeforms. They had a similar coloration to the Medium Biped they had fought previously. But there was something much different in this battle that made both of the YoRHa unit’s blood run cold. “Are there other units fighting with the Machines?” exclaimed 50B. “W-Why would YoRHa units be fighting against us?!” 40B distressingly asked, the approaching androids moving towards them with alarming speed. The helmets they were all wearing now clearly showed their glowing red eyes. The most disturbing part of this was that they were laughing maniacally. 50B immediately turned to 40B, “They’re infected! There’s a Logic Virus outbreak!” She curses under her breath, before brandishing her weapon. This was positively the worst possible outcome that could happen. Fighting against Machines was relatively easy, a lot of them were slow and had easily readable attack patterns, but fighting against infected androids was completely different. They were brutally fast and aggressive, what little remained of their consciousness data being overwritten by the Virus and becoming feral. Depending on the mental state, the infection's aggression would be strengthened.

The Virus was always fatal to those who were infected by it although, there were vaccines to dissolve it if taken within time. Scanner models also possessed the ability to stop the virus. Unfortunately for 40B and 50B, they had no such vaccine or a Scanner unit to help them. The two Battler units prepared to engage the infected units. Both sides were dressed in defensive Heavy Armor, this was surely not going to be an easy skirmish. 50B looked at 40B, her tone stern as she spoke. “Be careful and precise when attacking, aim for their Black Boxes. End them quickly so the infection doesn’t spread to us.” “...Yes, let’s put our sisters out of their misery.” “It’s never easy putting down infected androids.” 50B reassured the younger unit. 40B was her subordinate, and they’d been assigned together on a handful of missions ever since 40B was rolled out. As for 40B, she couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. They manifested their weapons from cyberspace, 50B wielding the Type-4O Sword and 40B using the Phoenix Sword. “Don’t die on me, 40B. There’s something off about all this...” “I-I won’t!” She gave a reassuring smile under her helmet.

Infected YoRHa fought scarily similar to Machines but their attacks were quick and with rapid succession. Their movements were jerky and they moved as if they were possessed. The Virus had deeply infected them at this stage and the only option was to kill them. It didn’t take long for 50B’s and 40B’s Heavy Armor to have nicks and scratches because of the onslaught. The fighting continued, 40B aiming for the Black Boxes of the infected, hacking away through their armor. 50B, however, recognized one of the units that was attacking her. Her expression became pale, one of utter shock and dread. She momentarily stopped attacking as her blade lingered in the air. “AHaHa!!!” The infected unit’s maddening laughter filled the air. “Yo…U…Ca..N..’t…Ki…Ll? E…m..O..t..iO..N..s….AhAhAhA!!!” The laughter reached a feverish pitch that increasingly made her sound more like a Machine than an Android. 50B’s mind began to race as she stared down the infected unit. She had once been very close with her, much closer than Command had ever intended them to be. “5-54B….?!” 50B's voice sounded exasperated as she looked at what remained of her past lover. 54B then swung with her blade, forcing 50B to parry the attack before responding with a strike of her own.  The din sounds of clashing steel reverberated throughout the arena. 50B’s expression under her helmet became one of rage and sadness, ‘At this stage of infection she really can’t be saved, huh? Dammit! Why did it have to be her?! Why! WHY?!’ Her sword was aimed at 54B’s chest, wanting to end her suffering as quickly as possible. “You don’t have to struggle anymore, 54B. This will all come to an end soon…” Secretly, 50B wanted this all to end for herself too. If 54B couldn’t be by her side anymore then what was the point? There was only one option to mutually end their suffering - the overloading of 50B’s reactor core.

This decision would undoubtedly kill both herself as well as her beloved. ‘What’s left of her.’ 50B reminded herself. Breathing deeply as she began to commence her self-destruct sequence. “40B, I want you to retreat from here! Run away as far from here as you can!” 50B’s voice was resolute as she shouted to her subordinate. “Yes. I-I’ll….do that.” 40B’s answer is reluctant, she didn’t want to leave her friend to die, especially in a place like this. “Good. Now go! And don’t look back! Remember, die without any regrets, you hear?!”

40B then runs as fast as she can, not stopping to look behind her, even after she hears the sound of a deafening explosion. Her mentor had sacrificed herself? Why? Unfortunately, she couldn’t find an answer to that question as she stumbled to the ground. She gingerly took off her helmet as she rose. It wouldn’t be of any use anymore. ‘I have to find 38B quickly…before this infection spreads any further!’ This thought spurred 40B onward, she had a promise to keep, a promise to her. The earliest stages of Logic Virus contamination included loss of motor functions. Soon red eyes would follow and then…whatever 54B would become. ‘I hope they’re alright.’ 29F wishfully thinks to herself. She waited patiently for a few minutes before the sound of a large explosion made the android jump. 29F then feels the resulting shockwave of said explosion, and the walls of the house shook. “284, wha-what happened?” “The nearby explosion was caused by a reactor core overload. The black box signal of YoRHa unit 50B is now offline.” “Oh…” 29F’s expression turned from worry to sadness. 

A tall, well-built android was ordered to investigate the recent explosion that was heard at the Resistance Camp from their leader. While the android performed its search, it found what caused the loud ruckus back at the base. A decently sized crater with unfortunate remains; two androids, charred, down to their chassis. The android looked around, searching the rest of the rubble and landscape with only one question constantly running through their mind. "Could the Machine Lifeforms perform this?" With a cautious, yet curious intuition - they began to rummage through the remains, digging around for their fabled black boxes left in the aftermath. After a few moments of digging around, the android heard a slight rustling of debris and brush, including a slight whimper. With slight delay and cautious movement, they reached a doorway before kicking it down. Unbeknownst to him, he would find the source of the whimpering. A scared, and albeit to him, lost android child.

“You must have been the signal I picked up. Kid, judging by your uniform you’re a YoRHa unit, ain’t ya?” The tall android spoke gently, not wanting to further scare the child. “…Y-Yeah. I’m 29F.” “The name is Gladiolus. What brings you here to a dangerous place like this?” “I-I’m looking for survivors. The Bunker explo-“ Before she could finish, a portable radio that Gladiolus held emits a voice. “Gladiolus, report to camp as soon as possible. There have been reports of infected androids in the area, and we need everyone to help fortify the camp!” “I’ll be right there!” His radio went silent. “Who-who was that?” 29F asks curiously. “Our leader. We've been under her command for quite some time now.” “Oh, I see.” “Do you want to head back to camp with me? This area isn’t that safe, especially with infected androids roaming around. You can tell me more about why you're here while we walk, sound good?”

29F glanced at 284, before giving a soft nod. “Ok... Um...I do have a question, though.” “What is it, kid?” “Could...Could I ride on your shoulders?” Gladiolus looks confused for a moment, before replying. “Sure!” He then picks up 29F and puts her on his shoulders. Being a defender model, the extra weight didn’t bother him at all. 284 hovered close to 29F as they walked back to the Resistance Camp. Unfortunately for her, the additional height meant that she could see all the carnage of the war zone. 29F saw the mangled corpses of androids as well as machines. Even if she wasn't a combat unit, that didn't change the fact that she’s a YoRHa soldier. This meant that she’d have to be used to seeing all this, right? The thought terrified her. “Hey kid, were you gonna tell me why you were in that house?” Gladiolus roused 29F out of her thoughts. “O-Oh, right…well after I completed my mission, I was going to look for survivors. The Bunker exploded and…” “It exploded?!” “Uh-huh, I don’t know why though. Did you know anyone from there?” “….I was originally a part of YoRHa, actually. I was a part of an experimental group of androids.” “Experimental?” “Yup, the experimental group was thrown into unwinnable battle after unwinnable battle. Then, my squadron eventually abandoned me after a mission.” “Oh…that’s awful! And mean!” Gladiolus gave a hearty chuckle, not expecting that kind of response from the small android. “Yeah, mean is one way to put it!” The chat with the taller android helped to ease 29F’s mind, and they soon arrived at the camp’s entrance. The whole of the camp is nestled in between ruined buildings and under an old overpass. Gladiolus gently puts 29F down on the ground, before leading her into the settlement. She could see numerous androids that were busily moving throughout the camp.

“C’mon kid, I’ll take you to our leader. We've just gotta do something real quick. You might’ve gotten exposed to the Logic Virus so…” “B-But I’m not infected…!” She replied, her voice scared. “Don’t worry, it’s just a precaution,” Gladiolus reassured her, before leading her to a pair of red-headed androids. “Devola? Popola? Please, scan her for viruses. I found her in the City Ruins.” “Sure” Popola replied, her voice soft. The other android, Devola gave a nod of assurance. “Guess introductions are in order. I’m Devola, and that’s my twin sister Popola.” Both redheads look nearly identical, safe for differing hair styles with Popola having straight hair and Devola having wavy hair. They also wore identical yellow flowers in their hair. “I-I’m 29F.” “Well, 29F, looks like the virus didn’t touch you.” Devola said after the quick scan was complete. “That’s lucky, you know? You might not be as lucky next time, so please be careful!” Popola gave a look of concern towards 29F. The child android gave a nod, before replying. “I will! Thank you and the flowers in your hair are so pretty!” The twins didn’t expect that response and just gave a smile.

29F then gave a smile back and then walked back to Gladiolus. “I’m ready to meet your leader!” “Alright.” The tall android then showed her to a green-haired android, having a rather animated conversation with one of their fellow Resistance members. “Sorry for being late, leader. I ran into a…problem.” “Problem?” Gladiolus gestured to the brunette android. The Resistance leader then looked at the child android. “Oh, I see.”  “Hello! I’m 29F, n-nice to meet you.” She gave a small smile, trying to hide her nervousness. “I’m Lily, the leader of the Resistance. Could I ask you some questions?” “S-Sure.” “Can you come with me? I promise it won’t take long. Gladiolus, come along as well please.” “O-Ok…” 29F replied, her voice still shaky; what questions were they going to ask? The tall android gave an affirmative nod, “An order’s an order after all.” Lily led the pair to a modestly sized tent in the very back of the camp. After the trio were inside, she closed the entrance flap. “Here, now we can talk without anyone listening in. Alright first question, why are you here?” “W-Well…I wanted to look for survivors…but before that, I was in the Kingdom of Night. My mission was to catalog the plants and animals that lived there.” “Survivors?” Lily questioned, curious. “I got reports that the Bunker exploded, so you must mean that, right?” 29F nods, her eyes turning misty-eyed. “I was in the night lands when it happened, actually. That’s why, after I completed my mission I came back here. I still miss them.” “Then your affiliation was with YoRHa?” “Yes, but I don’t know what to do now.” “Well, since you don’t have anywhere to go back to, you're welcome to stay here for the time being.” “T-Thank you!” 29F gave a bright smile at Lily, before turning to leave the tent.

Lily then looked at Gladiolus and asked, “You don’t mind keeping an eye on her, right? You’ll be spending time with Jackass since she's going to be looking after her as well.” “I don’t mind.” “As for your other assignment, did it go over well?” “There were barely any infected androids in the desert.” Gladiolus replied, before continuing his report. “All of them seemed to be YoRHa, maybe this is connected to the Bunkers explosion?” “It could be. I’ll send out more scouts later.” “Understood.” Lily and Gladiolus exited the tent and went looking for Jackass. A rather eccentric android with short grey hair and a habit of disappearing from time to time without warning. “Jackass, you and Gladiolus will look after 29F for the time being.” “Huh?! Why am I being dragged into this, leader?!” She asked, shocked. “Well, it's not like it's the first time you've looked after a young android in need now is it?" “Yeah, yeah. I’ll do it.” Jackass replied, before sighing. Gladiolus and Jackass then found 29F in a small garden in the center of camp. “There’s soooo many flowers here!!” The child android exclaimed in joy, before looking up at the other two androids. “Oh! Hello again, Gladiolus! Who’s that?” 29F asked, curious. “The name’s Jackass, kid. Lily sent me to look after you too.” “Ok! Um…it’s nice to meet you as well!” She gave a friendly smile at Jackass. At this point, Pod 284 felt that it was time to carry out its orders as its feminine voice rang out. "YoRHa unit 29F, Resistance unit Jackass. I have a message I was instructed to relay to both of you, should the two of you meet." "Really? Who's it from?" asks 29F in her usual innocent tone of voice. "It is from YoRHa’s former commander, White.”

Chapter Text

The hope that 29F had that White was alive and well was crushed. Perhaps it is her sense of childish optimism that had her cling onto this hope. “Pod? Let’s go somewhere private, I don’t think we should discuss this out in the open.” “Affirmative.” Pod 284 gives a robotic reply. “If you want a private place, there’s my room. It’s nothing fancy but it works.” Jackass’s tone of voice is tinged with worry, as she thinks about the former part of White being the former commander of YoRHa. What could have happened? She shook those thoughts from her mind as she opened the door, revealing a spacious but plain bedroom. Books were barely touched on the shelves, some were haphazardly covering the floor. A simple white bed is bordering the shelf, and a radio sits on a small stool opposite to both. A thin layer of dust covers both the shelf and stool, it seems this room isn’t used that much by its occupant. 29F looks around, her gaze not leaving her pod. Gladiolus follows the pair of androids, a message from his former commander seemed interesting to say the least. 

“Alright you weird floating cube, start talking!” Jackass said in an intimidating tone. The Pod floated there, expressionless before humming back a truly robotic response; "This Pod unit will only answer to YoRHa unit 29F." Frustration and desperation could be seen growing on Jackass' face as she started to go through the stages of grief. "Please..." her reply was thick with worry, "You floating weird cube, please... Please start talking." The room's air almost became palpable until 29F piped up through the silence. "Pod? Can you please play the message?" Pod 284 continued to hover for a moment before finally responding. "Affirmative."

As 284 began to play the message, a voice was heard that Jackass hadn’t heard in years, White’s.

29F, Jackass, this is..White. If you are hearing this, then I am probably.... A noticeable pause can be heard on the recording as White takes a moment to collect herself. I'm sorry. Then I am probably dead. I know it may seem unbecoming for the commander of YoRHa to show such emotion, but I wanted to say what's on my mind before it was too late. 29F I couldn't tell you before, but you were built, I mean I asked for you to be constructed as a prototype Forager unit, as you know. What you don't know is that I did that to prove to myself that I could lead at least one unit with a peaceful mission that would come out alive in the end. More than that, you are now my legacy. I know that may sound selfish, but I wanted to do at least some good while I was here. I guess now you're all that's left of me, so stay safe, will you?

That brings me to the next thing I would like to say. Jackass if you're still there, I fear you were right after all about me accepting the offer of Bunker commander being...unwise. It’s just this upcoming fight and the events leading up to it feel just too good to be true, which is why I decided to leave this message in the first place...I am so, so sorry. White’s voice can be heard starting to break as she says sorry to Jackass. I didn't listen to your advice and stayed there on the surface instead, but after so much bad luck in the war, I just wanted to help make a difference and it turns out I was wrong. Shows what I know. I just wish things could have gone better...for all of us. I hope you, all of you, can forgive me.

Oh, and 29F, or a deep breath can be heard as White prepares herself for what she says next should I say Sunflower? if you really are hearing this, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a daughter. Thank you for remaining alive after I...well, you know. Before I go, I am including a little something special from me to you attached to this message. Some rustling sounds can then be heard, possibly from her hair, followed by a clicking sound before White resumes speaking. This special plugin chip that was once mine now belongs to you. Not only will I trust you find it most useful, but it's a little something to remember me by.....Well, I guess this is goodbye. Jackass...hmm Clover? Can you, will you take care of Sunflower for me?

There was an uncomfortably long pause as both began to process everything. Jackass gives a bewildered look at 284 before cursing aloud. “Goddamit, White…god fucking dammit.” She then began to sob, utterly heartbroken. 29F had a similar reaction, tears streaming down her face. “I-I have a name…?” Normally, YoRHa units are forbidden from ever receiving names, but there are rare exceptions. She then tries her best to comfort the other crying android, giving Jackass the tightest hug she could muster. “U-Um…d-don’t cry…please.” “K-Kid…I’ll try.” This didn’t stop 29F who kept on crying, her arms still wrapped around Jackass. “White gave you a pretty nice name, huh? Guess I should call you Sunflower now instead of just kid.” The black haired android then returns the hug. “C’mon, you tell me to stop crying and now you're crying profusely?” “S-Sorry. I won’t cry anymore! I won’t! Er uh…Jackass? Can I call you ‘Mom’?” Sunflower asks, a small smile beginning to form. “WHAT?! Uh…no. No, absolutely not.” Jackass responds, flustered. It seems both have stopped crying for the time being. “W-Why not?” “Because it’s uh…weird.” “Aww…” She gives a disappointed look at Jackass, then back at her Pod. “Query: Is emotional regulation over? This pod has other information to share.” “There’s more information?! Spill it, weird box.” Jackass’ tone was very commanding as she said this. Gladiolus had already departed, waiting outside the bedroom door. He didn’t need the message to start forgiving White. When he had to fight his former squadron, it was more confusion than anything. So many years had passed since, that event was nothing more than a bad dream. 

Pod 284 then materializes two objects in a flash of golden light and hands them to Sunflower. A golden dagger tied on a similarly colored thread and a rare looking plug-in chip. “Former YoRHa Commander, White requested that these items be given to YoRHa unit 29F.” Sunflower quickly looked at both items, before her eyes became pricked with tears. For White to have given the most prized possessions she had to her, she must be a very special android. Sunflower then took the chip, her eyes transfixed on it. She then inserted the chip in, a small slit opening near her neck and the back of her head. “….Mother…” The brunette android gave a sad smile as she quietly said that word. Sunflower then looked at the golden dagger, holding it close to her chest before putting on the necklace that the dagger would be attached to.

“Huh? There’s some data here. Pod, can you tell me?” “Weapon ID: Virtuous Redemption.” 284 continues conveying the data of the dagger to Sunflower.

Level 1- There was once a wonderful, kind-hearted woman who lived a fulfilling life with her dear lover. One day, she had an opportunity to make things better for the world, so she made the difficult decision to leave it all behind to fulfill this. She arrived at her new life only to discover that it was a trap and that it would lead to her untimely death one day, yet she remained in spite of this in an effort to help others. 

“That is all the data I could find.” The child android begins to process what it all means as 284 ends the transmission. It sounded like a story of some kind, although she didn’t know if it was fact or fiction. Jackass’ expression seemed to convey that she had a faint idea of what the story could be about. “Jackass? Can I stay with you?” The brunette android asks the very eccentric android.

 “O-Of course..! I mean uh…sure, kid. It’s what White wanted me to do so I should honor her final wish.” Wordlessly, Sunflower hugged Jackass tightly. It seems she was trying very hard not to cry. Jackass sighed. “Hey Sunny, do you wanna maybe see something explode? That always makes me happy when I’m down.”

 “…S-Sure!” She perks up, not knowing what she just agreed to.

 “Great!” Jackass grins. 

The two walk out of the room, Sunflower smiling. Gladiolus then spotted the pair, giving a small wave. “Are you two alright? I heard crying for a moment there…” 

“Yup! Everything is fine now!” Sunflower replies, clutching the dagger necklace that was wrapped around her neck.

“Yeah! Everything is going great, actually!” Jackass still has a devilish grin on her face.

‘….Lily told me not to let Jackass do anything stupid with the kid…why did I know that this would happen?’ Gladiolus gives a sigh. “….Whatever you roped 29F into, I’m reporting to Lily.”

284 hovers closer to Sunflower, their feminine robotic voice warning their support target. “YoRHa unit 29F should reconsider agreeing to Jackass’ request. Explosions in the vicinity caused by Jackass will likely cause harm to 29F.”

“I’ll be veeery careful, weird floating box!” Jackass said with a retort, as they prepared to exit the camp. 

Unfortunately for both, Lily stopped them; her expression was a serene smile but with a heavy glare towards Jackass. 

“Where do you think you're going, hmm?”

“O-Oh, h-hey Lily m-me and the kid were gonna uh….” Jackass stumbled over her words, absolutely terrified. Sunflower was just as confused before replying with a cheery smile towards Lily.

“Jackass was gonna take me to see stuff explode! She says it’ll cheer me up!”

“Oh is that it?” 

“….Yeah…” Jackass dejectedly says, glancing at the brunette android and then back at the dark green-haired android.

“Jackass? Why’d you think a child seeing explosions would cheer them up?!”

“W-Well you see she was crying…a-and she also agreed to it so…”

Lily gave a very disappointed look at Jackass.

“Ugh…fine I won’t take Sunflower to see things explode. The desert area is dangerous right now, anyway.”

“Oh…ok…um…can we go look at flowers then? Is that alright, Lily?”

“Of course!” Lily’s demeanor completely changed, giving a bright smile to the brunette android.

“Yay!” Sunflower exclaimed in joy as she took Jackass’ arm and ran towards the center of the Resistance Camp.

“G-Gah! S-Sunny!” The black-haired android is practically being dragged to the small flower patch. 

Lily then sighed, knowing that the two of them would definitely be a handful.

The child android still did not let go of Jackass’ arm as both of them admired the flowers. It wasn’t anything special, but to Sunflower it was the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Her expression was one of wonder, in comparison to Jackass’ defeated and dejected face. ‘Man, I wanted to see stuff explode…’

 “Jackass? Do you have a favorite flower? Mine are sunflowers because they’re so tall and make me happy when I look at one!” Sunflower chirped to Jackass, smiling.

 “Sorry kid, but I don’t have a favorite flower. I mean they all look nice but they aren’t my thing.” “W-What?! You don’t have one?!” 

This utterly shocks the child android. How could she not have a favorite flower? Even White had one, that flower is the orchid. She remembered being so ecstatic when she found one on her training mission and gave it to White. Sunflower would feel even more proud when the Commander would smile at her, an immensely rare gesture that would gradually become more common as her days in the Bunker passed by. “Don’t have one, Sunny. I’m more of an explosion android than a flower android, I guess that's what makes you so special.”

 “Me? Special?” Sunflower asked curiously. 

“Uh-huh, there’s a reason why White gave you a name, right?” 

“Yeah, she said I was like her daughter, so she was family to me…” 

“So from now on, consider me your family too, alright?” Jackass gives a smile at Sunflower, making the brunette android embrace her tight.

“M-Mhm…” The two androids embraced each other for a while, that was until the child one yawned. It had been quite an eventful few days for her. Sunflower then felt so comfortable and tired that she began to fall asleep in Jackass’ arms. 

“Sunny? Er…Sunny?” The demolition android called out to Sunflower as Pod 284 hovering close to Jackass.

“29F has entered a sleep cycle. She will be like this for the next several hours.” The robotic voice of the Pod rang out, emotionless.

“I didn’t know she was that tired. Alright kid, let's get you to an actual good place to sleep that’s not the ground.” Jackass then carried the small Android to her gently used bedroom, laying her down on the singular white bed. 

“This Pod will keep watch over 29F as she completes her rest cycle.” Pod 284 hovered above 29F.

“Good, thanks, weird flying polygon.”

Jackass then exited their bedroom, before being waved down by Gladiolus.

“Lily has another assignment for me, and she wants you to come with.”

“Huh? Alright, let’s hear it.”

“It’s another scouting mission in the desert. There’s been reports of infected androids there and seeing as you know the area like the back of your own hand, she thought that it would be best if we went together.”

“Alright! Now we’re talking! Er, do we need to go right this second?”

“Yup.”

“How long will this mission be?”

“Hmm…depends on if we run into any infected. So, 

around 8 or 9 hours, give or take.”

“Oh…I hope Sunny won’t miss me when we’re gone for that long. She’s asleep right now, though.”

“Well, we’ll be back before she wakes up. …Why are you so attached to her, anyway? This isn’t really like you.”

“Er uh…well…she’s sorta my daughter now? It’s a…very long story.” Jackass replied, flustered.

“Your what?” 

“A-Anyway, let’s get going!! C’mon!!!”

Jackass awkwardly walked to the entrance to the camp, preparing to depart towards the Desert Zone.

“….You’re gonna have to explain this all to Lily once we get back. You know that right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I know! It’ll be an easy explanation…yup!”

“Sure, it will. Sure…”

“Ah..I’m sure of it! Anyway, Gladiolus, what did you see last time on your last scouting mission here?” Jackass asked, as they walked into the small camp at the beginning of the desert.

“Well, sand, sand, and more sand. Then I saw this other YoRHa android, they weren’t infected thankfully. There were a few that were though, and I put them all down.”

“Another YoRHa android? Were they a survivor from the Bunker explosion?” 

“Never asked, they could’ve been. If we see her, I’ll ask her.”

“Did they have silver hair and wear a purple scarf around their neck?”

“I think so, do you know her?”

“Yup! She’s my friend!” Jackass gave a wistful smile, reminiscing. “I actually gave her that scarf too! It’s useful for protecting yourself from sandstorms. The color also suited her as well, purple wouldn’t look good on me anyways.”

“…..You have friends?”

“Yes? I do? Isn’t it obvious that I do?”

“Didn’t you tell me there was that one odd Resistance woman you knew?”

“Yeah, she was super creepy! …Haven’t seen her around lately, wonder if she’s dead?”

“Let’s hope not?” 

They kept chatting as they trekked through the relentless desert, it was desolate as always other than the hostile machines dressed up in ancient human clothing. No infected androids yet.

Jackass then spotted a familiar looking android fighting machines. She looked to be completely surrounded as the android was maneuvering out of the way out of their attacks, countering with her fists and small sword. A small smile is on her lips as she eviscerates them, reducing them to nothing but scrap metal. Her purple scarf was billowing in the stale wind of the desert, she then turns and sees both Jackass and Gladiolus. As she gets closer, android blood can be seen on her YoRHa uniform and Phoenix Dagger. She gives a pensive look at both before introducing herself.

“Good to see you again, Jackass!” The mysterious android gave a smile, before glancing towards Gladiolus. “I am 38B, you were that android I saw in the desert before, right?”

“Yes I was, I am Gladiolus of the Resistance.” He replies curtly. “It is nice to meet you, 38B.”

“Likewise, are you scouting the desert again? You know there’s nothing here, right? It’s just sand and old ruins!”

“That’s exactly why we’re here, actually. Our leader sent us to investigate infected androids. Say, why is there android blood all over you?”

“I had to…put down another infected YoRHa unit, they’re becoming even more common. It was a scanner and from what he was mumbling his designation was 25S. He was also crying out for another android, 29F. It was…rather sad actually. 25S also told me about a backdoor and to not data sync, then the virus completely overtook him and I had to end his suffering.”

“….Oh.” Jackass’ expression became one of dread. What could the connection be between Sunflower and this dead YoRHa member? 

Back at the Resistance Camp, Sunflower was having a peaceful rest cycle. She was dreaming of her days in the Bunker, fleeting as they were. Her hair getting braided by 6O, Commander White occasionally smiling at her. The final embrace both shared as she set off on her first real mission. Another memory was of her best friend, 25S. They’d play games like tag and hide-and-seek on the Bunker, although the scanner would always win. She wished those days could last forever. Despite these happy memories, the android woke up crying profusely. Sniffling, Sunflower opened the door, looking for Jackass. Where had she gone? She immediately goes to find Lily, who was surprised to see the crying brunette android.

“Sunflower, is everything alright? What happened?”

“Where’s Jackass? I can’t find her anywhere!”

“I sent her to scout the desert with Gladiolus. Don’t worry, she’ll be back soon.”

“O-Ok. …..I-I… had a bad dream, I dreamed about the Bunker…e-everyone’s gone now a-and…and-” She began to cry, causing Lily to hug her, rubbing her back to soothe her. This was something that Rose would do for her long ago.

“It’s alright…you and I are really similar, thinking about it.”

“L-Lily? Can I tell you something? It’s very important so can you keep it a secret?”

“…Of course.”

Chapter Text

The purple scarved android then gives a sigh, noticing Jackass’ expression. “Did you know him or something? You’ve never acted like this before, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! Don’t worry about me, 38B!” The android’s tone did sound convincing enough. How was she going to explain this to Sunflower when she went back to the Resistance Camp? Perhaps she can ask Sunflower more questions about her past, there’s still so many interesting quirks about this child android that Jackass wants to know about! That is, if Sunny wanted to answer her questions. 

“If you say so.” 38B replied to Jackass then looked at Gladiolus. “Should we go farther in? There’s not much in this desert, as I said before.”

“Our leader ordered us to scout the entire desert, so we’ll be going farther in. Will you be joining us?”

“I don’t have anything better to do, so sure.”

“H-Hold on, we're scouting the entire desert?! Dammit, I should've brought the truck.” Jackass then gives another curse under her breath. 

“Well, let’s go back to camp and go get the truck.” Gladiolus suggested before the taller android gestures for the other two to follow him back to the Resistance Camp. 

The walk back was relatively quiet, minus the occasional Machine that would be dispatched quickly by either Gladiolus or 38B. Jackass would then collect the scrap metal and other materials from them. If they wore an ancient mask she’d pocket that as well. 

“We can always use the supplies and materials, right?” was always her response to whenever 38B would ask the eccentric android why she was doing this.

Gladiolus didn’t bother to ask, having known Jackass for longer. Having extra supplies and materials was always good, especially during rough times like this. Besides this, nothing eventful happened, they got to the small desert camp near the City Ruins successfully. There were even more hostile Machines than usual that got swiftly dispatched by the trio. This struck 38B as odd, where she was stationed there weren’t this many. Jackass and Gladiolus commented that there had also been a surge in Machine activity a couple months back as well, but it ended with the defeat of the humanoid Machine Lifeform, Adam. 

“First a virus outbreak and now another surge in Machine activity? Shit, we should report this to Lily as soon as we get back!” 38B heard Jackass say. Lily must then be the leader she’d mentioned to her occasionally. As they got deeper into the City Ruins, something made the Battler feel off. In the distance she spotted a humanoid looking figure garbed in black. They seemed to have a weak grip on their Phoenix Sword they were carrying. The figure gets closer and closer to the group, causing Jackass to draw her gun from its holster almost instinctively. She was about to pull the trigger when 38B gave a shout. 

“DON’T SHOOT! Retreat. I’ll catch up later.” 

“But…!”

“Listen, you’re no match for a YoRHa model android! Please! Go!”

“….Fine.” Jackass quickly places her gun back, looking at Gladiolus. “We’re going back to camp! C’mon, get a move on!”

As 38B sees Jackass and Gladiolus get farther and farther away, her gaze returns to the infected android. Thankfully, she wasn’t all gone yet, her uncovered eye was still blue. Now it was just them both, alone. In different circumstances 38B would’ve been overjoyed. 

“40B?! It’s you, isn’t it?!”

“Y-Yes…it’s me. I kept my promise that we’d see each other again, right? Haha…” A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she got closer to the other android. 

Despite 38B’s blindfold masking her eyes, they were wide in surprise as she saw the condition 40B was in. 

‘What should I do…?! I…what CAN I do?!’ 38B’s mind was a whirlwind as 40B began to speak, her voice shaking.

“50B t-told me to die without any regrets s-so…3-38B, I-I love you….!”

“40B, I….” 38B then embraces the other YoRHa android as tight as she could. After the hug, she places a small kiss on 40B’s lips. This gesture of affection made 40B drop her weapon, the sword falling to the ground. 40B then returns the kiss with a bit more passion, she wished this moment would last forever. She pulls away as she feels the virus aggressively attacking her, not wishing to get her beloved infected. Once the infection progresses enough she’d….

“4-40B…Lavender? Lavender…” 38B’s voice sounded pained as she caressed her lover’s face. Lavender’s hair and uniform was always unconventional, her hair being a light purple and her uniform having dark purple elements. Her clothes were also similar to older models of YoRHa androids. It seemed she wanted to stand out from them all. 

Lavender gives a small smile at 38B, her blue eyes starting to become red, the virus progressing. 

“P-Please…end me before…I…”

“N-No…I….”

Lavender knew 38B would protest, but she had to act quickly or else she’d be fully consumed soon. 

“You have to. Now!” She gives 38B one long and final kiss, before giving a sad smile at her. “Please….kill me.”

“…..” 38B silently picked up the discarded Phoenix Sword that was on the ground, and raised it above Lavender’s head. Her plan was to aim directly for the Black Box. That was the quickest way to kill a YoRHa android, infected or not. She’d occasionally have to kill infected, so why was killing Lavender so difficult? Relinquishing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she swung the sword downwards. Right before the sword could pierce Lavender’s flesh, she gave one final smile.

“L-Lavender…w-why….” 38B then breaks out into a sob, holding the dying android close to her. Lavender was still breathing, but barely. Her uncovered eye had turned back to blue. 

“….Hey…Lilac…? Don’t…cry…over me. Live…on….my…love…” With those words, Lavender went still. Lilac couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t be dead, she just couldn’t. And by her own hands? Lilac continues to hold onto Lavender’s lifeless body, crying. Her mind is baffled, why did Lavender decide to give her a name in her final moments? After she stopped crying, she picks up the android’s lifeless body, wanting to give her a decent burial. Humans used to do this ritual of digging graves for the deceased. If androids really were merely mimicking humanity then, giving Lavender a proper burial was the natural thing to do.  She then gazes at the Phoenix Sword, its shining gold blade red with blood. ‘Should I…?’ The thought of ending it all crosses her mind, just for a moment. ‘I-If I did that then…who would bury Lavender? But also I could be together with her…forever.’ Calmly, Lilac puts the purple haired android’s body gently on the ground, before grasping the bloodied sword and pointing its blade directly to her chest, her hands now shaking. How many androids have met their end, exactly like this? 

‘N-No…Lavender told me to LIVE.’ She pulls the sword away from her chest, hands still shaking. “I’m…so tired.” Lilac mutters, glancing at Lavender’s body. 

‘I guess I should meet up with the others…goodbye, Lavender.’ The other android caresses the face of her dead lover, removing her blindfold. The red ribbon in her hair held a meaning, something that Lavender had told Lilac ages ago. It was apparently something that humans believed as well; it signified that two people were soul mates, or in this case androids, were soul mates. It almost looked like the purple haired android was sleeping, as Lilac closed her lovers eyes for the final time. Lilac clutches the crumpled blindfold tightly to her chest. With a forlorn expression on her face, Lilac picks a flower from the surrounding area. Lilac lays the lavender flower on Lavender’s breast, paying her final respects. With a forlorn look in her eyes, she departs for the Resistance Camp.

“I’ll live on for you…I promise.” Her other hand grips the Phoenix Sword. How ironic, she thought, that her dead lover should have a weapon that signified rebirth.

Sunflower was quickly getting acclimated to life in the Resistance Camp thanks to Lily’s impromptu tour. The other members were nice to her, but shocked when she’d say she was a YoRHa unit. Occasionally they’d bring up her height and childish appearance, and saying how she possibly couldn’t hold her own in a fight. The prototype android didn’t let these comments get to her, and shyly explained that she wasn’t built for combat but cataloging plants and animals. This was extremely interesting to some members, who would ask further questions. One of these androids was a blonde ponytailed woman named Kin, who always wore a pair of headphones. Her demeanor was curious, looking the child android up and down before nodding to herself. 

“You said you're a…forager model, right?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Can you fight? The other two YoRHa units we met, 9S and 2B, were super good at that sorta thing.”

“…..”

“Sunflower? Let me guess, you can’t fight that well, huh? I guess you’ll be useful for information gathering, then. Could always use more androids for that.”

“Y-Yeah….” She gives a nod, smiling.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Sunflower!” Kin gives a cheerful smile at the child android, extending her hand for a handshake. Sunflower was a bit perplexed by this gesture, but shakes the adult android’s hand. They were going to converse more before two androids ran into the camp, one nearly out of breath. 

“K-Kin? Do you know where Lily is?” Jackass’ voice was almost a whisper, a frantic edge to her voice. Gladiolus, by comparison, was calmly looking around the camp. The child android then worriedly runs up to Jackass, before pointing to the leader’s tent. 

“She’s in there! A-Are you ok? What happened on your scouting mission?”

“I’ll tell you later, kid. Just need to explain some things to Lily.”

The blonde android looks surprised at Jackass, she’d never seen her this out of breath before. The eccentric android had been acting…oddly normal these past few days, which was definitely a sign that something was wrong. Normally she wouldn’t ask questions to her, but she was tempted too now. She was worried. Kin and Jackass had known each other for a very long time, and in that long time she had never seen Jackass act like this.

Lily was busy doing paperwork, but immediately looked up when she saw the demolition android. 

“Jackass? Is everything alright? How did scouting the desert go?”

“There seems to be another surge of Machine Lifeforms both in the desert and the City Ruins. On the way back to camp me and Gladiolus saw  another infected android.”

“Were they YoRHa?”

“Yes, they were.”

“Did you successfully terminate them?”

“…No. Another YoRHa unit wanted to do it herself.”

“I see…well….I hope that unit is alright. Infection can spread quickly.”

“Should we send reinforcements?”

“No, we can't risk an infection outbreak in the camp.”

“Yeah…thought you’d say that, leader.”

Lily then proceeds to go back to her paperwork momentarily, but looks up at Jackass again. 

“Sunflower was in here earlier, she looked scared. She told me some interesting things that could be useful.”

“O-Oh yeah? That’s good…” 

“You’ll tell me everything, won’t you? She did say some things about you, as well as the commander of YoRHa.”

“Y-Yeah, I’ll tell you everything…now.”

Jackass’ voice cracked with nervousness. 

Lily gives a sigh, before nodding. “You don’t have to tell me if you feel that nervous. It’s not like I’ll get immensely angry.”

“I-It’s fine, leader.” Jackass answers back. “You see…Sunflower is um…how do I phrase this….my daughter…?”

“Your what…?!” Lily nods, ready to hear the full story despite how shocking it seemed to her. The other android sounded dead serious.

“I-It seemed she was created by my…lover and…”

“And that would be?”

“YoRHa’s commander, White..”

“You were lovers with her?!” This revelation shocked Lily immensely, but she hid her surprised face well. ‘Number 2…everyone….’ Her most trusted friend in the Resistance had been lovers with the very woman that killed all her family?! Sunflower must not have known that then. She then continues to listen to Jackass’ explanation.

“Y-Yeah, even before she went up to the Bunker..when she was just in the Resistance.”

“.....Go on.”

“We barely spoke to each other after she became commander, only through the occasional e-mail or sometimes I’d convince her to come down. But now she’s..”

“Gone, right? She wanted you to take care of Sunflower?”

“….Yeah, she did. …..I hope I can do a good job.” 

“You will. Just don’t take her to see too many explosions.”

“O-Of course I won’t!”

“….Are you sure?” Lily gives a smile, knowing how eccentric Jackass could be about explosions.

The demolition android nods at the Resistance leader. “Yeah, don’t worry. Is that all the questions you had for me?”

“Yes, you can go now.” 

Jackass then exits the tent, giving a smile as she sees Sunflower run up and hug her. “Are you doing alright? How was scouting?” The child android asks.

“I saw another infected android, but they’re far away from the camp. Anyway, have you been settling in ok?”

“Uh-huh! Everyone is super nice!” Sunflower grins, excited that Jackass came back.

“Good. So you didn’t miss me too much?” Jackass gives the child android a pat on the head, chuckling.

“I-I missed you a lot, actually.” Sunflower replies, hugging the grey haired android tight. “Wanna go look at flowers again? I promise I won’t fall asleep this time!”

“Sure, kid. But only for a bit, I have to do some things around camp.’

 “Ok!!” 

Gleefully, Sunflower took Jackass’ hand and the two androids once again looked at the flowers together. Jackass glances at the kid android, whose eyes were lit up in wonder. 

“You must really like flowers.” She comments.

“Yeah, I do! I was programmed this way, that has to be it.”

“Were you programmed by White herself?” Jackass asks, curious to know more about Sunflower’s creation.

“I don’t know. Maybe? That could be why she was always super nice to me, but very stiff to the rest of the YoRHa.”

“So she was stiff to everyone else but you? Sounds like her. White was always kind, deep down. It’s a shame she…” Jackass trails off, her expression becoming grief stricken. 

“U-Um…here! Have a flower! That cheers people up, right?” Sunflower then offers the much older android a freshly picked flower. “It’s a daisy! It should make you happier, right? M-Maybe we can make flower crowns?” She gives a hopeful smile. “I-I don’t want you to feel sad!”

“…..Thanks.” Jackass delicately takes the daisy into her left hand, then gives the child android a close embrace. 

“….Yay! You're not sad anymore! The flower must’ve worked!”

“I guess it did.” 

Sunflower gives an accomplished smile. “Oh, you said you had to do some things around camp? Can I help?”

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of moving heavy boxes.”

“I can do that! I’m really sure!” Sunflower gives a determined nod. 

Jackass had almost forgotten that YoRHa androids were strong, as evident by her shocked expression when Sunflower almost managed to lift a large crate of supplies by herself. Pod 284 was hovering by the young android’s side. After her moment of shock had passed, Jackass helped Sunflower move the supply crates to another area. They were filled with the necessary equipment and so the two dropped off the crate near the medical tent. The pair of androids then began to do miscellaneous tasks around camp together, Sunflower eager to help.

Lily was processing everything Jackass had told her. She had no idea that the demolition android had a past with the commander of YoRHa. ‘Ex-Commander. She’s dead.’ This information had made her feel conflicted, the woman that had destroyed her family was gone, but also she didn’t feel satisfied learning about it. Her death, at least for how it affected the war, put the androids at a disadvantage. This also meant that YoRHa was gone, meaning the only hope the Resistance had with winning this war finally was extinguished. The new androids had been rather good for morale, the Council of Humanity’s broadcasts had said so. Lily didn’t trust those broadcasts one bit, honestly she thought they were annoying. If the Council really wanted to help, they should stop with the pretty words and give the older androids better equipment. Lily was interrupted from these thoughts as a familiar voice rang out from her portable radio.

“Miss Lily?” Based on the voice from the other side, it was undeniably Pascal, the leader of the Machine Village that were allies with the Resistance Camp. They would often engage in trade. Pascal and the rest of the village were pacifists.

“Pascal? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I was calling you to say that A2 is currently in our village. Miss 9S and 2B had previously asked you about her, yes?”

“…They did.” 

“It’s surprising really! She acts all hostile and gruff but the children all love her!”

A smile formed on Lily’s lips as she replied. “I’ll be visiting the village again soon, then.”

Before leaving, she assigned Jackass to be the temporary leader, an order that the other android seemed excited about. Lily then gives a smirk at Sunflower and tells her to keep Jackass out of trouble. 

Lily successfully reached Pascal’s village in a couple of days, being near the Amusement Park. The village itself was built into a grove of trees, with wooden bridges connecting the multiple levels. The colony of Machines that lived here enjoyed a quiet and pacifistic life. Their leader was Pascal who also taught the children of this village. The children were very curious, bombarding Lily with questions whenever she visited and inviting her to play games. However, they seemed rather occupied with a scruffy android with short white hair currently in a minecart. 

“I knew I’d find you here, Number 2.” 

The white haired android has a shocked look in her eyes as she replies. “L-Lily?! You're alive?!”

“I’ll explain everything back at camp. Why are you in a minecart?” 

“...Everything gave out and I couldn’t move. Pod said I needed a fuel filter replacement.”

“Maitenance will be given to you back at camp, then.” Lily gives another small smile as she prepares to leave the village, the Machine children asking if they’ll be back. Lily said they would, then the pair came back to the Resistance Camp.