Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 18 preview (Patreon)

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"This is my fault, this is my fault, this is my fault," Maxwell chants to himself, regret and distress pouring out with every syllable.  

12H sits by him, grasping at his shoulder and looking lost on how to assist him. She decides not to say anything and just listens to Maxwell cry his eyes out. There is a shake as A2 slams a closed fist against the side of a building. Concrete groans and dust billows up as the Attacker model buries her fist into it, steam emits from her form. 

Quietly, the pods float silently, awaiting orders. 

9S is the one that breaks the silence. 

"What do we do, 2B?" he asks. 2B stands quiet, her eyes set only towards A2. The pods quickly detected her presence via her black box. And by following it, they found her looming over a crying Maxwell. Thoughts of her attempting to be violent with the human crossed 2B's mind but that idea was thrown out of the window by the human scientist himself, moaning and groaning about his kidnapped protectors. 

"We inform Command immediately," 2B said as she turned her vision away from A2. 9S replies with a nod as he turns to Pod 153. There is a exchange as Operator 210's face is projected. Her eyes widen immediately and Commander White herself comes into view. 

"I am sending troops to reinforce your sector. Follow any and all leads you can. Do not leave a single stone unturned!" Commander White's words are quick and decisive, the brief widening of her eyes and her lips frowning a sign of her shock. 

​A2 stirs from her quiet rage as he receptors hears the Bitch Supreme talk. White is not blind to her presence, her frown deepening some more. But before she can speak, the former YoRHa model marches into view. 

"I want in!" A2 demands, her voice a growl. 

"This is a YoRHa matter, Number 2. Keep out of it," White replies coolly. "And judging from the ease of the humans vanishing, your ability here is questionable." 

A2 snarls again. If she could bite that self-satisfied look of Bitch Supreme's face, she would. "You weren't there, White! It was either fucking Maxwell or them. You. Were. Not. There. Just like in Pearl," she hisses in contempt and spite. A dark part of her is thrilled as White bites her lip in abject fury. There is a quick flash and the quick clinking of metal as 9S and 2B all brand their blades at her. Her programming threatens to go haywire at this apparent threat to her being. 

Just as she was about to bring her own sword out, 12H's voice breaks through.

"For the love of everything good and holy, can we all just calm down!" the H-type's voice is like a thunder clap. She stands up from tending to Maxwell, her cheeks are pink with indignation. "There's two humans kidnapped by the machines and here we are arguing! Let's just calm, find them first, then we can go and stab each other. okay!" 

Silence settles as eyes turn towards her. The indignation gives way to embarrassment. 12H attempts to look small, fiddling with her fingers as she turns away. "It's just...we need to work fast, you know?" she ends weakly. 

White's sigh carries over. She glances up from her screen as she faces A2. "12H, perform a scan on A2." 

Before A2 can protest, 12H is already on her. There is a brief glow from 12H's palms. The light vanishes as quickly as it appears as the H-Type looks at the deserter with pure bewilderment. 

"How on Earth are you still functioning? You've lost nearly everything an android needs to function. How?" 12H asks with astonishment. Her question also comes out as a demand too. 

​Despite herself, A2 manages a harsh laugh before answering, her eyes settled towards the mousy H-Type. "Spite," she answers simply. 

White's voice breaks out over the quiet. "Spite won't make up your missing parts, Number 2. Even if you would assist, you will be a liability. If you want to help, return the human in your company back to the Bunker. This is a YoRHa matter now." 

A2 sucks in a breath. Despite her stubborn nature, she had to admit that Bitch Supreme was correct. There was simply no way for her to be an effective fighter when nearly all her parts were gone. Even now, her leg still felt funny. She glanced down at her own leg and tried to apply pressure to it. She did not enjoy the slight creaking of her joints there. Snarling, she glanced up towards 2B and 9S, all shiny and sweet despite constant moving in the field. Her head snapped towards Maxwell who still had his face buried to his hands. 

​She took in a breath, her fingers tightening into a ball.

​"Then I'll join YoRHa," A2 said, trembling. 

A pinprick dropping could be heard through the silence. 2B's face was impassive as always. 9S and 12H's jaws couldn't drop lower.

"...You want to join YoRHa?" White repeated A2's words. The Attacker model hissed. 

"The Bunker should be able to repair me to full capacity, give me a new body even. If my body is the issue then fuck it, fine. I will just get a new one." A2 explained quickly. The longer they waited, the more the kidnapped humans were suffering. That was unacceptable, even for her. If it meant donning the YoRHa black again then fuck it.

​"The Attacker model line was discontinued. Putting you in a restored body would mean making a new one. This would mean transferring you into a Battle-type body, like 2B's," White explained quickly. She could be petty and turn her down but human lives were at stake here. Plus, the Colonel had given her a long talk regarding A2. She had wanted to breach that subject and now was the time to make amends. 

"As long as my data is saved then do it," A2 insisted. Hearing that, 9S ears perked with interest. 

"Transferring your data will take time, time that we all do not have," White pointed out. A2 facade cracked a little. 2B shifted quickly and noted her look. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know exactly what were the thoughts on A2's mind. She was going to have to give up her memories of her friends and comrades if it meant getting a new body. Sure, it would normally be a problem but time was of the essence here. She glanced towards 9S and immediately, an idea sprang to mind. 

​"Commander, requesting permission to speak?" 2B spoke up. 

"Granted," White said swiftly. 

"9S and I can still perform the task at hand, Commander. A2 can go and get her data reconnected and catch up with us," 2B suggested. 

2B didn't exactly have to offer help to A2 at this time. But she wanted to. The idea of losing memories didn't mean much to 2B before. As androids, losing their bodies were a given and sometimes, data was lost. But that was before she had allowed herself to loosen up, to be in love. Ever since she had made such wonderful memories with 9S, she was going to protect and guard them jealously. 

"I could also give a boost to the signal too and make it quicker. I'm a Scanner so I can handle the extra data strain as she uploads," 9S offered. 

A2's watched in astonishment as the two YoRHa members made their offers. She wondered what the hell they were playing at in offering their help. Then, she felt shame. For the first time in her life, she was being offered help and she was suspicious of it. She lowered her head, both in shame and a welling sense of gratefulness. 

White, watching quietly, made her choice. "Very well then." 

Never in the history of YoRHa had there been a deserter return to service. Well, it was mostly because she had ordered such androids destroyed. But that time was over.

The Colonel had made it clear.

"Let's see you suited up, A2," White ordered.

A2 nodded. She took a breath, offering 9S and 2B a look of quiet gratitude before her world went black.

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A/N: Funny how the androids are panicking but our resident kidnapped men are balls deep in machine gooch. 

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