Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 8 preview. Part 1/2 (Patreon)

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"Light them up!" Anemone yelled out.

At her prodding, the full arsenal that the Resistance brought to bear opened up in its terrible salvo like the start of the armament orchestra. Mortar pieces erected and pre-sighted lobbed their high-explosive payload, its shells screaming into the sky and landing onto the sand in a great explosion of light. More heavy caliber machine guns had sprung up, a wellspring of staccato booms and .50 caliber rounds that pierced through machine forms as a hot knife would through butter. When they went closer in range, small-arms joined in the chorus, ringing out as small bells would with the bigger bells in this church of armaments. 

Anemone had rushed as quickly as she could towards the surface entrance, androids in tow. She had found her men already engaged with the incoming machines, the smell of power, oil, and synthetic fluids filtered through her senses. Immediately, her programming went to work, commands and internal systems preparing her for battle. 

Her men here were the best of the best that she could organize and it showed. Magazines were chambered and rechambered. As others fought, some carted in fresh supplies, fresh shells. Each android new what they were doing and constant battles throughout the centuries had kept their skulls fresh and fluid. 

But their best simply did not compare to the black-uniformed android units that fought in the distance. 

The YoRHa units in the distance were like hummingbirds if they were murderous, white-haired, and gothic lolita maid dressed anroids. They were a blur in the battlefield, cutting and slicing the machines apart as easily as combine harvester tore through a wheat field. They jumped and leapt, avoiding the crude blades the desert machines wielded. Their tactical support pods followed after them, tearing what machines they could with their defense programs. Spears of white light piercing through the sand, impaling machines with searing stakes. Missiles flew freely, screaming in deadly promise as they landed, dousing those in distance in fiery balls of light. Like the gatling guns of old, pods poured bullet upon bullet on the hordes. 

In the midst of it all, 2B gave the machines a lesson on why a YoRHa unit was worth a thousand of their filthy machine bodies. Virtuous Treaty and Virtuous Contract were wielded by her now, and she used them to their full capacity. Those caught in their deadly touch only realized they were separated from their bodies when they finally exploded. Her head craned as a large machine formed arose from the sands, its pilot blinking atop its absurdly large body. Electronic screeching pierced her ears as it activated its attack, punching the sands and sending a shockwave attack of energy that froze a few YoRHa units in its path. It screeched electronically again, proud in its small victory. 

A victory that was going to be short-lived.

"Pod!" 2B yelled out. 

"Affirmative," Pod 042 flew up next to 2B. There was a short whine as 042 opened up, revealing twin metal disks that began to glow slowly. The large machine noticed this and turned but in its size, it was cumbersome and couldn't move as quickly as the androids. It was time 042 had to charge up his attack and poured forth a streak of hot light that struck the machine. The machine screeched as the laser drilled a hole through its chest yet it still stood but injured. 

2B rushed forward, a literal blur that the Resistance androids could barely keep up with. Virtuous Contract sliced and diced freely, machine stubbers and mediums falling underneath her. She leapt atop one machine and in a split second, dug her katana into its neck. It died flailing but 2B wasn't finished. Her knees swivelled as she launched herself yet again, using the falling machine's corpse to support her. The flying machine unit she grasped on blinked and screeched in surprise as she thrust Virtuous Contract through its energy weapon. it sputtered helplessly as 2B pulled out and launched herself at another flying unit that came to support its fellow unit. The pilot blinked in obvious panic as 2B loomed over it menacingly, her emotionless expression underneath her blindfold scaring the machine its programming kept on repeating it to flee. It flew high, wiggling and flailing to get the YoRHa android off it. 

2B granted its wish as she let go, but not before slicing it in half with Virtuous Contract. The YoRHa android fell freely but her descent was not unguided. Below, the large machine flailed about from 042's laser attack but it was slowly recovering, glaring at the bunker. 2B yelled out as she grasped Virtuous Treaty, spun around and descended like a whirlwind. Metal screeched as the descending 2B bisected the large android unit in half. She landed on her knees, on the sand, Virtuous Treaty dripping with oil and blackening the bright yellow floor with blackish tar. The large machine stood helplessly for a second before a line of searing hot light appeared on its body. It split apart, its two halves landing on the sand before finally exploding in a flash of light. 

But despite this, the machines kept coming. 

Like locusts, they were a never-ending stream of metal and battle-cries. Huffing, 2B hefted up Virtuous Contract and charged alongside her fellow units. 

Back at the Resistance lines, Anemone shoulder her rifle against her shoulder and loosed its contents freely. Despite the YoRHa units shouldering most of the machines, many more still broke through. 

"Not a single one shall step foot inside this bunker!" Anemone yelled, emptying her rifle and bringing in a new magazine. "Kill them all!" Her fellow units roared their affirmations, fighting with a rage and ferocity Anemone hadn't seen in a long time. She knew exactly where their energy was coming from. Their creators, their fathers and their mothers were slumbering deep in the sands. And they were going to give their all to make sure their sleep remained undisturbed. 

Despite the fact that the machines could dangerously overpower them, Anemone never felt more alive. Her processors and inner wires coursed with life anew, purpose drove her every step and her every word. Hell, she was actually even smiling now and she never smiled in battle! This was what infected every android fighting now behind sandbags and fighting positions, a dangerous cocktail that could turn the smallest ember into the fiercest inferno. 

They all had hope now. 

And they were going to fight with their all. 

Still, hope wasn't going to give them a practical edge in the battlefield. They needed more support, more weapons. The reason for Jackass's absence was because Anemone had sent her back before to bring in even more supplies. Hell, she should have been here by now. 

"Carolina! Cover for me!" Anemone yelled as she turned on her heels and crouched behind a sandbag. The android in question yelled her affirmation, "Yip yip!" as she took position on where Anemone had stood. Digging into her pocket and with her back against the sandbag, Anemone rang up Jackass who responded after a good minute. 

"Eyyyyyy, Anemone! Wha-wait, are those shots?" Jackass greeted her jovially before her voice turned questioning. 

"YES! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE BY NOW!?" Anemone yelled into her communicator. Jackass winced, the volume of Anemone's voice a bit too loud for her audio receptors. Gripping onto the truck's wheels, Jackass responded. 

"Woah, woah. No need to yell!" Jackass chuckled nervously before replying. "Erhm, I've been delayed because a sandstorm's been tearing up the route we usually take. I'm taking the long way there to avoid the storm!" 

"We needed those weapons yesterday, Jackass! I swear, if we are ovver-run, I am going to strangle you myself!" Anemone yelled before shutting off her communicator, Jackass's protests dying as she turned it off. She immediately got to her feet, slinging her rifle back to her hands and re-joining the defence. 

"Where's Jackass?" Carolina asked her, yelling over the gunfire. 

"Delayed! There's a sandstorm mucking up the way!" Anemone responded. The machines now were getting so close and in the distance, the YoRHa units were rapidly getting surrounded. The words of Colonel Smith entered her mind again, his promise of support ringing in her ears. If he had something in mind, they sure as hell needed it now!

And just as if on cue, the sands slowly began to shake...

Back to 2B, she breathed heavily, her synthetic systems overworked to its fullest. Grasping Virtuous Contract in her hand, she rushed again. This whole song and dance was not lost to 2B. This was exactly just how the war against the machines were like but in a short and condensed version. Despite their tenacity, despite the fact that a single YoRHa unit was worth a thousand machine units....there were still a thousand machine units. And a thousand more underway. 14 times the Army of Humanity tried to overcome the machines, 14 times they had failed. 

All in the name of reclamation, all in the name of humanity, gods 2B swore and thought were gone from the face of the Earth. Despite her identification listing her as a battler, she was in truth an executioner model. Many times, she had killed those that came too close to the truth that mankind was well and truly dead. Many times, those being....9S. Yet, like a thunderclap that signalled the start of the rain, the Resistance found a bunker of their gods, sleeping peacefully underneath the desert sands. 

It was...hard. Hard for 2B to accept that this was real, that humanity was not dead after all. She worried that a logic virus had somehow infected her and made her dream all this up. But it was not a dream. 2B saw those pods herself, touched the glass that contained her sleeping gods. 

She had wondered what they would be like, how she would be like if she and them talked. 

But it would seem she wouldn't find out. There was simply too many machines now, their models becoming harder and harder to destroy. She was a YoRHa unit, a proud soldier for the Army of Humanity. Her life, her duty, was to give everything for the preservation of mankind. 

And she was going to do just that. 

Her only regret was not being able to talk to him, one last time. 

Then...she heard it. It sounded like the screaming of jet engines. This was strange to 2B as there were no aircraft around to offer support. Her pod would tell her of that. Then, 042 reported to her something strange. 

"Alert: Magical weapons from the Old World detected!" the black-tinted pod warned her. "Magical weapons have a high probability of penetrating all defence systems!" 

What?

-WARNING-

[spoiler=Visual]https://youtu.be/qNJaRzbmytw?t=298[/spoiler]

The world exploded in a fiery blast of light as multiple missiles streaked forth, landing into the incoming hordes. 2B shielded herself as something heavy landed next to her, kicking up dust and sand. As it all settled, her eyes registered...something. It was twice as tall as her, casting a shadow that loomed over her completely. It looked like a battle-suit of somekind, bulky and fearsome. The very air radiated war. On its left shoulder was a smoothbore cannon with belt-fed artillery shells glinting under the oppressive sun, missile pods on the right. In its right hand was a multiple-bored gatling gun taller than 2B. In its left was a blade, designed as a claymore. The suit was painted black, the only color being the silver eagle on its chest-plate and the white United Nations globe and laurel wreath on its shoulder pads. 

It was a far-cry compared to 2B who despite her beautiful looks was very much still a weapon. A refined and sleek weapon. A different tool for a different war. 

The suit spoke, its voice distorted and deep. "TARGETS IDENTIFIED" The gatling gun slowly began to turn. Whirring menacingly, the suit raised its weapon at the machine hordes who stopped, registering the new arrival dumbly. "TARGETS LOCKED," 

"ENGAGING" 

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[spoiler=Brrrt][/spoiler]

In the distance, many more jet engines screamed....

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A/N: Brrt?