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The first few days after they were given new life had been a blur of surprise, relief, and gratitude for the unexpected gift. 9S had been glued to 2B's side, reluctant to let her get more than a few steps away. He developed a constant stream of babbling about whatever he could see or think of, anything to keep her engaged and responding.
To her credit, 2B didn't seem to mind. In fact, it almost seemed as if she was moving slower and more predictably, allowing 9S to keep close and hear any acknowledgements of his mundane chatter. When Pod 042 inquired if the motor capability of her repaired body was incomplete, she simply noted the importance of not pushing the repairs too hard.
For all their improved comfort in each other's presence, they were still determined to avoid discussing the details of what had happened to them prior to their deaths. If 9S brought up YoRHa or the virus, 2B would give monosyllabic responses. If 2B mentioned A2 or wanted information regarding what happened after she nearly succumbed to the virus, 9S would frantically point out something in their environment and refuse to meet her eyes.
As the sun was setting on the third evening, 2B tried once again to ask what happened after A2 killed her.
"Pod 042 has not answered my questions about what happened after I died. 9S, tell me what happened. How am I alive?"
9S stopped walking and looked around the forest, avoiding her eyes. Suddenly, he pointed to a clearing. "Let's build a campfire, 2B. Like the humans used to do."
2B scoffed. "The humans needed to maintain a particular temperature range and did not have sufficient internal mechanisms to do so in the face of various weather patterns. We have no need for external temperature regulation."
"They didn't always make campfires for survival. Sometimes they made them for fun, to cook food and gather around while they told stories." 9S looked at her pointedly.
"I was unaware humans made use of fires for other means," 2B lied, realizing this might be her best chance to get some answers. "Very well, I will assist in building a campfire".
9S looked momentarily surprised before a large grin spread across his face. "Alright! You gather the firewood and I'll make sure the space is free of anything else that could burn." He hurried into the clearing and began his inspection.
2B began to look for fallen trees and large branches. She was acutely aware that this was the furthest away from 9S that she had been since she regained consciousness. She picked up her pace, refusing to acknowledge her nervousness at being away from him.
Upon returning to the clearing, she was surprised to see that he'd dug a shallow pit in the center, and arranged a large fallen tree nearby. 2B placed the stack of wood near the fallen tree, and watched as 9S set to work stacking some of the logs in the pit. She headed back into the woods for more firewood, staying closer this time.
It took 30 minutes to gather what could be considered sufficient firewood. 2B told herself she wasn't procrastinating, even as she turned to make yet another trip, just in case. 9S noticed her start off, and instinctively reached out, grabbing her wrist.
"That's plenty, 2B. Come sit on the log." He turned to Pod 153. "Do you mind starting the fire?"
"Affirmative. Starting the fire." Pod 153 shot a laser into the wood pile, and a blaze roared to life. Glee filled 9S's eyes, and 2B resisted demanding answers for the moment.
Soon enough, 9S tore his eyes away from the fire and looked at 2B. "Alright, the campfire is made. We shouldn't waste food that biological creatures can eat, so I guess that leaves story time." He glanced back at the fire, and started to speak softly.
"I saw A2 kill you."
2B blinked, though her eye mask prevented 9S from seeing the action. She had not anticipated that 9S would witness her death. If she was honest with herself, she had hoped that he wouldn't know she had died for quite a while.
"What I don't know is how she was able to do it," 9S continued, turning sharply to face her. "You've always been stronger than the other androids, more capable, too. I'm sure that being an E model contributed to it, but it's more than that - you're just a strong person."
2B blinked a second time, and silently ran a diagnostic on her auditory processors. It was unthinkable that 9S knew she was actually 2E. If he knew she was 2E, then he likely knew what her assignment had been all these years. Her intake functions increased speed, pulling air rapidly in to cool her overworking processors.
"...2B? You're breathing pretty fast, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?" 9S leaned closer, hands fidgeting nervously.
"Androids don't breathe," she replied automatically. She attempted to override the intake system, but gave up when an overheating warning popped up. Pod 042 hovered closer, ready to intervene if necessary.
9S's head movements suggested he was rolling his eyes, which sparked 2B's curiosity for what other facial expressions she may be missing behind his eye mask. In an unusual fit of spontaneity, 2B reached up and removed her eye covering. 9S leaned subtly closer, his mouth hanging open slightly.
"Humans had a saying that 'the eyes are the window to the soul'," she began, folding the cloth in her lap. "While I doubt we androids have souls, I do imagine that our eyes hold similar emotional capacity. For this conversation, it is imperative that you see what I usually hide." She looked at him, pausing to prepare to violate one of the most important orders she'd ever been given.
"You are correct that I am an E model, not a B model. The Commander assigned the designation of 2B to me in order to better carry out my assignment."
2B paused, suddenly very unsure if she should continue this conversation. She began to regret pushing so hard to know what happened after she died. Had he only just discovered her true nature?
"Your assignment was to keep tabs on me and reset my memory if I got too close to sensitive information?" 9S asked, shockingly casual about the grim implications.
"...Yes."
9S smiled, and leaned back slightly. "Don't worry, I've known for a while. I have no way to know exactly when I discovered it, but I was able to hack my own data to store that information, so I continued to know it after each reset going forward."
The pressure to come clean about everything now that YoRHa was gone and they were some of the only remaining androids was immense. Before she could stop herself, 2B blurted: "Do you know how many... resets... you've had since then?"
9S looked down at his hands for a moment, then tipped his head up as if studying 2B. She was sure she looked calmer than she felt, but knowing how intuitive 9S was, she doubted that mattered.
"14."
"14?" She repeated, momentarily forgetting what she had asked him. "14 resets, that's all?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. The pods must have accidently mixed some of 9S's data with hers during the rebuild, she concluded. She had never been this verbally clumsy before.
"You reset me 14 times after I was able to save your designation and mission to my data." He faced 2B, expression now unreadable.
"I... I do not know if I should tell you the extent of my obligations carried out in the name of my mission." What would happen if he knew the truth? What would become of them?
9S smirked, as if sensing her discomfort. She remembered the cloth in her hands, and realized that her unease was likely clearly written on her exposed face. Her hand immediately moved to cover her eyes.
A hand shot out and grabbed 2B's wrist, gently lowering her arm. "Don't," he whispered. Then, louder, "It's okay, really. I'm not mad at you for following your orders. See?" he asked, pulling off his own blindfold with his other hand.
2B stared into his eyes, grateful to see no hints of red. 9S's eyes were mischievous yet kind, supporting his declaration that he wasn't mad at her. He slowly let go of her wrist, returning his hand to his lap.
"So," he said as the mischievous look won over, "how many times did you actually reset me?"
"48."
"Wow! Did you have any idea that I knew your true assignment for the last 14 resets?"
"No. You reacted in a similar manner to all the previous times I... I killed you."
9S looked at her questioningly. "Killed? 2B, no matter how you reset me, you didn't 'kill' me. My data was always updating to the servers, so I was never truly gone. I mean, obviously, I'm here now."
"...I am glad that you do not remember how you were forced to use backup copies of your data. If you did, I'm sure you would feel that 'killed' is the appropriate word." 2B flexed her hands, remembering the terrible sensation of closing her hands around his neck the final time she had killed him.
"The final time I killed you was the only time you asked me to do so. You had contracted a virus and were concerned that it would infect me and others if I didn't kill you." She reflected that, somehow, that had been the hardest kill of all, maybe because he didn't fight back any more than absolutely necessary.
"I wonder, if I had been able to see your eyes, what would I have seen?" She looked up at him, briefly wondering when she had looked away. "Betrayal? Disappointment? Fear?"
"Acceptance. Hope for a future where you didn't have to reset me, most likely," 9S calmly replied. "2B, once I understood your mission, I was able to see just how much you cared. You put on this emotionless facade, but your 'emotions are prohibited' speech was just an act, wasn't it?"
"I have emotions, yes," She begrudgingly admitted, watching his face light up.
"I can see that, now that I can see your eyes." His delight calmed to a warm endearing smile as he continued to look at her.
"What were you like, in the beginning?" He wondered aloud. "Were you always so dedicated to ignoring your emotions?"
"Hardly," she snorted.
"Well? What were you like?" 9S leaned forward again, his infectious curiosity shining through.
2B ignored his question. "Someone who had yet to adapt to your overly persistent nature."
9S was not about to let the topic slip away. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll ask the only other beings who were there. Pods 042 and 153, what was 2B like in the early days of our partnership?"
An unexpected rush of sentimentality crashed over 2B at the word "partnership". As the pods took turns describing 2B's cocky, brash early days, she considered 9S's ability to accept her commitment to her assignment and not hate or resent her. In fact, he still actively sought her company, despite being fully aware that she had killed him. Why? She had always assumed the only reason he trusted her each time they were assigned to work together was because he had no awareness of what she had done. He had confirmed that for most of the time, he hadn't. The last 14 times, though, 9S had known. And yet, he'd met her with a smile and a "2B, Ma'am". The "ma'am" had been so earnest and sincere each time that she finally started telling him to drop it by the second use each cycle. She couldn't stand the tug on her non-existent heartstrings.
"2B, these are some pretty wild stories! Are you going to defend yourself?"
9S was gleefully watching her now, waiting for an emotionless dispute. Instead, she gave the smallest of smiles. "No. The pods are not programmed to exaggerate. I have nothing to dispute."
9S's grin widened. "Now I've seen it all."
2B allowed the moment to stretch, enjoying the warmth that had nothing to do with the fire.
Eventually, she allowed the smile to slip from her face. "How is it that you continued to work with me in the same manner that you always had, even once you figured out what I was; what my assignment was?"
9S regarded her with a gentle smile. "Because I never died from anything else. Well, except for the one time with the black boxes. But we died together, so I don't count that."
2B furrowed her brow. "Why would my being the only cause of death for you be the reason you regard our... partnership... positively?"
"Because you protected me from everything else. Including myself. If you hadn't reset me when I learned too much, I imagine the Commander would have had me decommissioned. Your dedication to following orders meant that I got to keep existing, even if it came at the expense of some data."
9S regarded 2B fondly. "I hope you know how much I've enjoyed teaming up with you. The way you have my back and watch out for me. The way you begrudgingly humored me at times instead of being solely dedicated to the assignment. The way you tried to fix my damage instead of just restarting me again. It means so much to me."
2B smiled involuntarily, basking in 9S's declaration. "I came to quite enjoy being around you as well. Which made it worse each time I had to kill you. Afterwards, meeting you again, with you not knowing who I was... It was agony. I am grateful that the cycle is finally over. I even think that I am relieved that you know my secret. It brings me peace, knowing that you continue to want to work together."
"We're not working anymore, 2B." 9S appeared mystified even as he said this. "We're free to live our lives any way we want. There is no one I would rather enjoy this freedom with than you."
9S jerked his head back suddenly, adding almost as an afterthought, "Which is why I was so angry when I saw A2 kill you. I saw my dream of being able to relax and enjoy time with you vanish before my eyes."
2B had wondered when they would get back to this topic. She imagined the only way she was going to know what happened after she died would be to tell 9S what he wanted to know, but how would he react? She shook her head slightly. She had come too far, opened up too much, to not answer his original question of how A2 had managed to kill her.
"Do not be angry with A2. I became infected with the virus again, and had to protect you one last time. My death would also protect any other androids who survived. I was nearly gone when she happened to find me. I asked for her to end me, and she complied. That's why she would have had access to Pod 042. "
She suddenly looked sharply at him. "Did you not receive my final message?" She looked sad, and implored him, "Did you ever hear my final message, meant for you?"
9S jumped up and began to pace. "You had the logic virus, but attempted to leave a final message for me? I... no, I didn't... How could I not have received it? Why couldn't I have been there for you, in your final moments?" His grief was palpable.
Pod 042 suddenly spoke up. "I have the original message. Shall I play it?"
"No!" 2B blurted, as 9S shouted, "Yes!"
They looked at each other for a moment. 2B looked away. "Very well, play the clip".
9S sat back down as the audio rolled. "This is YoRHa unit 2B... if anyone is listening to this, there's something I need you to do. If you ever meet up with YoRHa unit 9S... I want him... I mean... I'm sorry. Please just give him the following message: 9S... the time I was able to spend with you... It was like memories of pure light. Thank you... Nine...s..."
2B grimaced, but mustered her courage to turn back to 9S. He was sitting in shock, with tears in his eyes. "2B... Oh, 2B..." His voice broke, and he dropped his head into his hands. No further sounds came out, but his shoulders shook quietly. 2B instinctively reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.
After a few minutes, 9S drew a shuttering breath, and met 2B with a watery smile. "2B... It means everything to me to know you feel the same way as me about our time together."
2B squeezed his shoulder once more, and offered a small, friendly smile. "We've always made a great team."
"We really have. Please, promise me our team is going to continue, even though YoRHa is over."
"9S... I would like nothing more." She paused for a moment. "Except maybe to know what happened while I was dead."
9S chuckled darkly, "You may want to hold off on making me a promise if you truly want to know what happened."
He launched into the tragedy that had been his remaining days before he, too, had died. 9S quickly discovered that there were a significant number of details that he didn't remember thanks to the logic virus, which left him angrily deferring to Pod 153 to fill in the gaps. Much of what the pod described caused him significant pain, particularly the pod's account of the fight with the 2B clones.
"...and that is why you weren't the only one who had to be brought back." 9S sighed, relieved to have completed his narrative. The resulting silence was resounding, causing him to realize he really hadn't looked at 2B during his monologue. He cautiously glanced at her, only to gasp. 2B's face was streaked with tears, and her fists were clenched tightly in her lap.
"2B?"
"9S... Forgive me. I am processing many conflicting thoughts." She looked at him, and offered a watery smile. "I am so grateful, 9S, to know that you care so deeply for me. I am also relieved to know that you do, or at least did, have conflicting emotions regarding my status as an executioner model. Anger, sorrow, frustration... Those are the emotions I would expect given the secret I harbored. But your decision to willfully ignore those emotions in favor of continuing to care for me and interact with me... it means so much. Truly, you are the purest light in my life."
2B regarded 9S for a moment, adding, "Forgive me for putting you into direct conflict with A2. That was never my intention. In my final moments, I was truly selfish."
Staring in disbelief, 9S slowly processed the soothing peace that worked its way through his system. "You don't hate me for everything I've done?"
"I think hating you for your actions would be rather hypocritical given everything I have done."
"So... we're good? You still... want to be a team?" The hope in 9S's voice was evident, and 2B worked quickly to assuage his concerns.
"Yes. There is now nothing that I would like more than to continue to be a team," said 2B, with another small smile. "We have been an efficient team despite all our problems. Now that there is nothing left to come between us, I expect our efficiency to improve."
9S beamed and reached for one of 2B's hands. "I think our first order of business, then, is to go buy you a T-shirt, or anything that would look good on you." He winked, and pulled her to her feet.
"Very well, but we have to buy you a T-shirt as well."
"Of course! I'm thinking about matching T-shirts. Best team ever!"
2B was unable to stop the laugh that burst out, much to 9S's delight. "I'll leave it to you to find these T-shirts."
9S began talking rapidly, plotting how he was going to find the perfect T-shirts. 2B simply smiled as she put out the fire. Once the embers were taken care of, she and 9S departed. As the talk of T-shirts faded into the distance, two blindfolds remained on a log - the only evidence that the androids had ever been in the clearing.