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Her class is a high end version model of the execution unit. Built to execute all machine lifeforms as well as YoRHa deserters, all for the glory of mankind—that is her only sole purpose in this world, to serve humanity.
Even if it means killing her fellow androids.
The Commander gives her a list of unit names to be hunted down who has fled from their mission—from their purpose. They deserve it she thought. What else would they live for if it’s not ensure mankind’s victory against the machines? What could even compel them to go on if not to serve mankind—the ones who gave them their life?
The moment they left, their lives are already over. It was only a matter of time until her blade seals their fate.
That’s what she thought.
But as she walks around the city ruins, tasked to execute a rogue android, she thinks of how she’s tired of it all.
She has watched so many colleagues meet their end under her hands. She lost count with how many androids she saw squirm and shout in pain as she continually pierce her blade to their chest. Some begged and cried to be let go.
It’s funny she thinks.
They are androids.
Emotions are prohibited.
And yet, when she sees those who she once passed by in the bunker, those who were once a part of her unit, under her blade, drowning in their own artificial blood, something inside her aches.
She doesn’t even have a heart.
And yet, every time, after another successful execution, she asks Pod if her circuits are broken.
But Pod says she’s fine. That maybe she’s just finally learning what all other androids have learned. That can’t be though.
Emotions are prohibited and unnecessary. It gets in the way. That’s what she’s been told and what she ingrained in her mind.
She was only able to carry out her missions the way she has now because of it, but lately, it’s getting harder to disregard and shrug off the heavy weight she feels.
She stops.
Loud footsteps could be heard as in the abandoned city as if the enemy desperately wants to be known they’re here and if she had a heart, she thinks how loud it must be beating too.
“Warning rogue android detected”, says Pod with his usual monotone voice.
“You don’t say”, she says as she draws her sword and faces the direction where she hears the footsteps came from.
An android whose YoRHa’s uniform are torn with their visor gone, she sees bright purple eyes.
Her head suddenly hurts but she makes sure to not let it show as she points the tip of her sword to the enemy.
She can have a full maintenance later on.
“1E”, she says, “I am here to execute you for fleeing from your mission and turning your back on our duty as ordered by the Commander.”
She thought this would go over the way how it always has; she states her objective, she kills them, she goes back to the bunker to tell the Commander her mission was successful then it repeats.
But at the back of her mind, when the Commander told her who she’s supposed to kill now, something was screaming—a memory that screams to be let out. But she pushes it away, she says how it doesn’t matter in the first place.
It really doesn’t, she convinces herself.
But maybe she was afraid.
“Claudine”, she hears a soft but tired voice coming from the rogue android.
The grip on her sword grows tighter as she glares at the deserter.
“I am YoRHa No. 2 Type E, you may have already been infected by a logic virus, let me end your suffering for you.”
The android in front of her just smiles, she can see sadness and exhaustion from it. Which is illogical. They are androids.
“You picked that name when we were gathering data from what the humans called as the library, you said it was beautiful like you, and I couldn’t agree more.”
She feels herself losing reality, images of a certain auburn haired android keeps flashing within her mind.
It hurts so much.
She wants to laugh.
She may be losing her mind.
“Shut up”, she mutters.
“I’m tired Claudine, so tired”, the android takes a step forward.
She raises her sword and readies her stance, “Names? We’re androids, our unit type is already our names. How foolish could you be? And let me guess, you yourself has taken a name too?”
“You called me Maya.”
She feels hot all of a sudden.
She wants to burst.
Maybe even use her self-destruct.
Is this anger?
This android in front of her.
It’s…
“We’re not human. We do not need names. I know that. Do not feed me lies!” she shouts as she charges.
The deserter dodges easily and draws her own sword, “but we were made to the image of man. They gave us consciousness and emotions.”
"Shut up shut up shut up shut up"
They dance to their death, blades gliding against each other but none of them seem to be able to scratch the other. The rogue android seeming to know every single one of her moves. It's odd. They may be from the same unit but are still different.
The rogue is 1E for a reason and her as 2E.
In her memory, the one that’s saved to the bunker and gets uploaded to her every time, she recalls looking up to this android during her early days but her memory never goes far beyond that.
A part of her already knows why that is.
But she refuses to believe it.
For what reason? She doesn’t know yet.
And maybe she doesn’t want to know.
Her mind is hazy.
She just has to kill her then it will be over.
Just kill her.
Just kill her.
Just kill her.
Kill her.
But the android keeps dodging all of her blows. They both move swiftly as if this is a dance they have done so many times.
It feels familiar even.
“Please stop, I don’t want to do this anymore”, she hears the android plead.
Something sparks inside her, the memory of the auburn android again, looking at her, with the same sad purple eyes as her opponent but this time there are tears.
Tears?
Can they even cry?
She feels her grip on her sword go loose.
Her legs feels like they’re about to give out and—
She feels cold hands on her neck.
She lets go of her sword as she falls to the ground with the auburn android falling on top of her.
But the android’s hands remain on her neck.
Getting even tighter.
She feels something wet on her face. Her eyes drift to the deserter, her eyes, they’re closed but she could see the tears.
A part of her wants to wipe it away.
Emotions are prohibited, she recalls 1E say—or was it Maya.
She doesn’t know anymore.
She kicks her legs, she tries to struggle but the android on top of her was stronger.
Or is it her simply letting go.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. Don't worry, I’ll see you again.”, the android cries out over and over.
She’s losing herself.
She closes her eyes.
And she sees Maya and herself.
Is this a dream?
A distant memory?
She sees the two of them, strolling at the city ruins, at the resistance camp, at the library, at the desert. Battling machines together, having each other’s back like they should have.
She sees the names on the books.
The auburn android telling her it’s not necessary.
She insists.
She calls her that name from now on.
Maya.
It fits her.
They go through missions together.
They kill together.
They share the same sins together.
The same guilt.
She sees Maya one day, crying in her room at the bunker.
The auburn girl never told her why.
And she sees herself holding the auburn girl that time.
She sees Maya leave the bunker and never to return.
The commander giving her orders.
Execute YoRHa No.1 Type E.
She sees herself under Maya.
Hands that once held her after missions is now on her neck.
She hears someone whisper,
“It always ends like this.”