Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 14 preview 4/4 (Patreon)

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Commander White's expression was iron as Anemone and Smith tuned off to settle matters that concerned them. As much as she was delighted at this stunning victory at the ruined city, a victory that would be propagated and propped up as a shining example of cooperation between the androids and their returned gods, she was also aware that its benefits could only be counted with one hand. The appearance of those special machine units was something to be concerned about. What were their capabilities? Were they simply a red herring or did they represent a change in the plans of the Machine Network? 

Intelligence was the surest way to let one gain victory. As her mentor once taught her during her earlier years, know thyself and thy enemy. That was the best way to gain victory. White knew show she was and what she could do. She however did not know what these new machine units could do however. YoRHa had to know. Needed to know. 

She glanced up at the screen above her, at the numerous operatives being displayed at the screen. Two names popped up to her attention immediately. 

Her need for information needed operatives who were certainly skilled but also flexible enough to react to circumstance. Capable to operate independently and competent. 

"Operator. Patch me through to YoRHa Unit 2B," White ordered. 

Not a second later, a cherry-shaped face appeared on screen, a single beauty mark below her lip. 

"2B, I have a mission for you," Commander White began immediately, not wasting time. "The special machine units you've encountered at the Amusement Park, they must be investigated immediately. They represent a unknown in our war against the Machine Network. We cannot afford to let these unknowns walk around and threaten our war effort. Utilize every means available to you to complete this task." 

Dutifully, 2B nodded. "Understood, ma'am." 

White continued. "For this mission, I am assigning you and 9S to work in tandem. As well as 12H. The data that has been filtered back to the Bunker show how well you three work together. This is a special unit assignment to ensure further operational success for you." 

If 2B was surprised by the assignment, she did not show it. "And with Captain 1D and the rest?" 

"They will have new units assigned with them. They've already been restored here in the bunker." White said, the logs showing 1D and the other crushed androids returned with new memories and bodies. 

"I see," 2B replied laconically. "I...have a question, Commander." 

White bid her to talk. "Yes, 2B?" 

"With the return of humanity, what is our orders regarding...maintenance?" 2B asked carefully. White knew immediately what she was talking about. The lie that YoRHa and the rest of the Army of Humanity maintained. She already had an answer for that thanks to the short conversation she had with Smith. She had to admit that sort of conversation was short and anti-climactic. But they were in the middle of conducting an operation. It wasn't as if they had the time to sit down and discuss about things. 

White sighed. 

After the bombastic display at the Ruined City, she knew it was only a matter of time until androids would start asking questions. Then...the rug would be pulled. 

"All operations regarding maintenance are halted for the moment until a consensus is reached." White said simply. "I am confident however that it will no longer be needed as our priorities will be changed. Do you have any questions?" 

2B shook her head.

"Good. Contact me again once you've completed your mission. Glory to Mankind." White ended with a salute. With that, the call ended and she was back again to the motions of running the station. Her ears perked as a pair of heels stepped up close next to her. 21O leaned in close to whisper something to her. 

"The Council wants to what?" White blinked. 

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A ray of sunlight dawned on 2B's face. 

She stood in a corner of the camp, far from the bustle of a settlement energized by victory and the arrival of humanity. She needed the quiet, both to take herself out of the noise as well as to speak with the Commander regarding a question that had been plaguing her mind. 

Her reason for creation was no longer needed, not when humanity was well and truly here. 

042 hovered next to her. "Alert: Scans show YoRHa Unit 2B black box activity is fluctuating. Recommendation: See YoRHa Unit 9S or 12H for maintenance." 

"No, that will not be necessary, Pod." 2B said softly. She was keenly aware of what she was feeling. She knew herself enough to know that what she felt inside her 'heart' was hope. 

"Query: What is YoRHa Unit 2B experiencing? This Tactical Support Unit cannot offer assistance without tangible data." Pod 042 questioned, tilting slightly to show its confusion. 

2B crossed her arms and sighed once more. "I...I'm experiencing many things, Pod. I'm...Humanity is here." She spoke softly, reverence in her tone. She felt a lingering dissatisfaction with her creators for giving her a painful existence but the humanity that awoke in the deep desert...they weren't the people that made her, were they? And to walk alongside them...that was the dream of every single android. But as excited as she was about that, the possibilities presented by their return was just...too much to think of.

"And...it's making me think that I can hope again. That I can be true again. To myself and to..." She continued but then hesitated. Even now, she halted in letting her own feelings out. 

"Emotions are prohibited," Pod 042 reminded her dryly. Despite its tone, 2B knew that there wasn't really any heat to it. "YoRHa prohibits the forming of attachments between its members. The ri-" 

"I know the risks, Pod," 2B interrupted 042. The Pod wasn't offended by any means and allowed 2B to continue. "It's just..." 

The words of the Sergeant played again in her head. 

Damian sighed. "The point is, there is only so much time in the world we have. Regret is shit, 2B. Don’t wait for this 9S to approach you first. Sometimes, you have to take the first step. You never know when it's going to be the last time you see them, you know?"

As 2B spoke, 042 noted that her hands were slowly reaching up to her blindfold...

"2B?"

2B turned to see 9S standing by the corner of the alleyway, concern clear underneath his blindfolded eyes. "Are you okay? What happened? Did the call with the Commander go well?" 

2B quickly lowered her hands, the stoic expression on her face coming to full force. "Yes," she answered as she turned to him. "It seems we will be working together some more." 

"Oh yeah!" 9S nodded enthusiastically as he went up to her, excitement on his face. "I've also had a call with my Operator too and she's said that I'm going to be permanently attached to you now! I honestly thought that this was just going to be a temporary assignment but looks like it isn't!" 

"You're happy with that arrangement?" 2B asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Of course! I'm always happy to be with you!" 9S smiled innocently, his teeth flashing brightly in the darkness of the alleyway. 

"I...I see," 2B said, turning away slightly. Her cheeks were warm for some reason. 

"Alert: YoRHa Unit 2B's internal temperature is warming. Proposal: Inject coolant into inner core," Pod 042 said calmly while betraying and stabbing 2B in the back. 

"W-what?" 9S perked up in concern. "Are you okay?" 

2B swore she was going to go and dip her pod in a puddle. Refusing to look at the traitor, she offered the little scanner a smile. "Y-yes, I am. It's just humid in this alley. Come now, 9S. Anemone still has errands for us to run." 2B announced, her heels walking forward. 

"R-right," 9S said, following after her. 

As the two androids rounded the corner, they were beheld to the sight of reconstruction. The Resistance androids had lowered the helmets for construction ones, their rifles for spades and picks, their heavy equipment for cement mixers and more. 

"The Resistance is in full swing of reconstruction," 9S remarked, awe in his voice as they walked past a team of androids working on a pile of rubble, their foreman yelling at his teams as they strained to move a sizeable piece of rock. 

They took a step aside as a bulldozer trudged on, pushing soil, and rock, and sand forward. "The Engels attack destroyed much of the city as well as Resistance assets. It's no surprise that Colonel Anemone feels that they can go and renew what was destroyed." 

"2B! 9S!" a voice waved at them. The two perked up to see 12H waving at them. The two gave each other a glance before walking off to join her. The tall Healer smiled seeing them. 

"So, looks like we're going to be working together some more. Don't worry you two, I'll make sure that both of you will be taken care of!" 12H declared, her hands on her hips. 

"You're not upset by this assignment, 12H?" 9S asked, curious on the Healer's feelings on the matter. She cocked her head, looking down at the Scanner. 

"Well...I'd love to go and work with 1D again but it'll be...hard to go and work with someone you were close with only for them to be a different person," 12H admitted, looking down slightly. She shook her head to smile. "There's bright sides to this at least. I will be on the ground and in turn, I will be closer to Damian!" 

"Ah..." 9S remarked. Bemusement filled him as he saw the excitement on 12H's face. She looked well and truly happy. Happier even than the other androids around. 

2B saw it too. 

A uncomfortable feeling welled in her stomach. Pod would later tell her that this emotion was called envy. 

"Well...um...have you guys spoken back yet?" 9S asked, steering the conversation back. 

"Hm?" 12H turned to him. "Oh not yet. We've all been busy these past few days so we haven't gotten the chance but, he did email me!" Her expression turned into a pout. "He says that the Colonel has grounded him and his squad until further notice so I might have to go and visit him instead." 

9S nearly chuckled as 12H's eyes turned sly. "Say...what are the chances that our target is in the desert? It would be worth checking on that." 

"We are not going to the desert at this time," 2B spoke up, her arms crossed. "Anemone has asked for our assistance here in the meantime. It will be good for us to make ourselves available to her for the moment then, we can start our search." 

"Booo, you're no fun," 12H said, sticking her tongue out at 2B. "Well, that's fine. I need to go and have a gift ready before I see Damian again anyway." 

"Gift?" 9S asked, interest in his voice. 12H nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah! A gift! My research says that giving gifts is a big deal in human culture. It's a sign of great respect or love." 12H explained dreamily. "And yes, I do love him. He's just so...so..." 

"Emotions are prohibited," Pod 042 spoke up, reminding 12H of their place. "Furthermore, relations between YoRHa members are-" 

"Well, Damian isn't exactly an android nor is he a member of YoRHa," 12H challenged back, her hands to her hips and her expression smug. "Whatcha gonna do about it, Pod?" 

"You're going to violate the rules of YoRHa, just like that?" 9S asked, horrified. 

"To love is to be alive. And Damian has made me feel so alive since we met," 12H said, defiance in her eyes. She took a breath, calming down. "And it's not as if I am fully violating the rules of YoRHa. I am with Damian. What are they going to do, tell him to stop?" 

2B listened quietly. 

She listened very very closely. 

"Heyyyyy, YoRHa!" a loud voice called out to them. The three YoRHa units turned to see Jackass waving at them. Jackass grinned, three construction helmets held in her hand. She held it up, causing them to clink. 

"Why don't you show us a thing or two how you guys do field work!"

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9S sighed as his rear landed on the soft mattress. His body felt like it had been fighting fifty Engels units and back. While androids didn't register exhaustion, 9S was pretty sure that he was making advances in that department. His nose still had the lingering scent of concrete, sand, and soil. His boots were dirty, specked with earth and rock. He shook his head, leaning down to untie his laces and take his boot off. Taking it off, he twisted it around in his hand and let a few pebbles fall down from it. 

Was this really how the Resistance fought? Entrenchments and spades? If it was, he wasn't really fit for this type of thing. 

He blinked as there was a click. He looked up to see the door swing open. The clacking of heels followed and in came 2B, hips swaying with every step. 9S blinked, taking a moment to look away from that. 2B stopped walking, her eyes turned towards 9S. "9S? Is something wrong?" 2B asked, noting that the Scanner was looking away. 

"Um, no. It was just...nothing," 9S stammered, turning back to look at 2B. "So! How was your day, 2B?" He cleared his throat, willing to talk about anything other than his eyes wandering over 2B's form. 

"9S, we spent the entire day together. There isn't more that I can say when you already know," 2B replied, straightforward as ever, arms crossed as she walked up to him. She cocked her head to the side. "Though I admit, it was tedious. This sort of work, the digging, isn't for us YoRHa androids." 

"Where's 12H? I thought she'd be here by now," 9S asked, looking over 2B's shoulder, his eyes at the door. He blinked as he bounced a little, 2B having sat herself next to him. His face flushed slightly, noting the way 2B had crossed her legs together, her arms still crossed as well. 

"She's decided to pull double shifts," 2B said with finality. 

"Double shifts? What does that mean?" 9S asked, craning his head to 2B. 

"I don't know. It is a human phrase." 2B explained quickly. Her tone shifted as she turned slightly towards 9S. "9S?" 

"Y-yeah?" 9S squeaked up, his fingers gripped the ends of his shorts. Nervousness coursed through his body. 2B had never been this close to him before. It was new. But it wasn't unwelcome. 

"I..." 2B attempted. Her tone shifted again, the confidence that was in her actions slowly wafting away. Her eyes drank 9S's form. How he sat, how he looked at her, how he just...was himself. It all seemed so easy in her head. 

"Y-yes?" 9S said, his foot tapping the floorboard of their shared room. 

In 2B's mind, the voice of 042 played in her head. Emotions were prohibited. Attachments were illegal. It was a distraction. But then, Damian's voice also played too. If Emotions were prohibited then what was the point of having them and not getting to practice them? 2B saw how happy 12H was, how content and satisfied she seemed to be. Yes, what she was doing was a blatant violation against YoRHa's rules but...she was happy. 

Since her inception, it had been nothing but unhappy circumstance to another unhappy circumstance. 

She was going to make a choice now. 

And her choice was to be happy. 

"9S?" 2B tried again, her courage restored. The Scanner perked up. "H-hm?" 

9S's affirmation died in his throat as 2B leaned in, smashing her lips against his. His eyes widened behind his blindfold out of surprise but he let that emotion wash over him, new ones going through. His black box and core sent waves of pleasure and warmth flowing through his body. 2B's hand fell under 9S's jaw, tender caresses against his skin. Their kiss continued, their bodies intertwined in love. 

And just as a volcano erupted in a magnificent explosion, so did the hidden depths of 9S and 2B. 

2B gasped as 9S pushed her down against the soft mattress, his hands holding firmly her wrists against the bed. He had pulled away from the kiss, his breaths greedy and gasping. Noses hovering against each other, 9S returned 2B's early kiss with his own. Soft flesh fell on each other, quiet moans leaving their union. 2B surrendered herself fully to her released emotions, her hips bucking against 9S and 9S returning it as he grinded against. 

2B had never done this before. She had no idea what she was doing if she had to be honest to herself and neither did 9S but instinct guided them. Raw and base instinct that was wrong to do but felt so right. 2B's lips opened, her tongue snaking against 9S to open his. He did so willingly, letting their tongues clash in a moment of ecstasy. A shiver rushed up 2B as he arms wrapped around 9S's back, her hips bucking against 9S's some more. 

Her body screamed at her, yelled at her. A hungry and desperate feeling welt in her core, in her soul. She needed it, wanted it, desired it. She pulled away from their lovemaking, her cheeks flushed and her breaths still. "Nines...please....I...I can't wait anymore," she whispered. 

"R-right!" 9S stammered, leaning back fumbling with the button and zipper of his shorts. 2B spread her legs wide, her hands reaching down to pull up her skirt and to the underside of her leotard. Despite the gloves she wore, she felt how absolutely soaked she was down there. Her entrance, her womanhood, screamed for 9S.  

And 9S replied, his cock springing forth from the confines of his shorts. 2B sucked in a breath as he let it grind between her wet folds. Looming over her, breathing heavy and steamy, 9S glanced down at his lover. 

"2B?" 9S asked. 

2B reply was to wrap her hands around him, her legs on his waist. 9S nodded slowly, understanding what must be done. And he did so, his cock finding her entrance and, he slowly thrust himself in. 

A gasp left 2B, fire burning inside her walls, a comforting weight kissing her insides. Her tongue threatened to loll out of her mouth as 9S's full length nestled itself inside her. 9S groaned as slick and wet walls enclosed upon him. Tight and fiery, 2B refused to let him go. 

Then, he began to thrust. 

2B gasped and sucked in heavy breaths as 9S's cock left and entered her, each thrust sending her into the brink. He felt like he was made for her, how perfect and good it fit inside her. Every thrust in her, it just hit her in all the right places, her G-spot teased and prodded by his length. Every thrust out, like an emptiness that just left her wanting more. All the while, she whispered his name. "9S! 9S! 9S!"

Their bodies made the sun look cold. Sweat dripped down their skin, fluids pouring from every pore on their body. The bed groaned, protesting the added weight and activity done by the two. But 9S and 2B did not care. They lost themselves in their love, in their connection. Feelings and emotions long hidden from view were now being poured out like a dam being broken and the drizzle turning into a thunderstorm. And they did not let up. 

2B's walls wrapped securely and firmly around 9S. If only it could, it wouldn't let him go. 2B yearned for him, wanted him, needed him. And 9S was more than happy to give what 2B wanted. He was feral now, his thrusts wilder, harder, deeper. 2B could only take it, oh she took it. Her whispered gasps turned to load moans, cries of pleasure that echoed against the stone walls. Her tongue fully lolled out her mouth dripping wet with saliva. 9S leaned in, taking 2B's offered tongue with his own. He took her, dominated her to his bare desire. 2B was a desirous calamity and he was going to take that and make it his own. 

"Mpgh! Mm! Hrm!" moaned the androids, the slick and wet sounds of sex going faster and harder. 2B's core whirred, her legs wrapping around 9S, muscled thighs refusing to let him go. And 9S wasn't going to. He leaned into their kiss, near tempted to bite 2B. She felt like she was going to explode. And fuck, it was going to feel so so so good!

She was going to climax. She was going to cum. Fuck, fuck! Fuck! Her back arched, her brain firing waves of pure delight as 2B orgasmed, a scream in her mouth stifled by 9S's lips. She held onto him for dear life as she came, warm liquid squirting from her womanhood. Cream poured freely from 2B, wrapping around 9S. The scanner too did not let up. His cock pulsing as his orgasm hit a second after 2B, thick loads of his cum flowing deep inside 2B. A groaning gasp left 2B's lips as the intensity faded, the two collapsing on each other. 

Breathing heavily, 9S lifted himself up, looking down at 2B. How beautiful she looked, how inviting and just....perfect.

2B craned her head back up, her body settling in slowly as it returned to normal. Did she feel guilty? Ashamed? She tried to look for those emotions within her. And no matter how hard she tried...there simply wasn't any. 2B reached up, her lips once more finding 9S's. 

And 9S did it back. When they pulled away, they looked into each other's eyes, their blindfolds loosened. With the fullest sincerity in his heart, in his soul, 9S confessed. 

"I love you,"

Her heart swelled. 

"I love you," 2B confessed back. 

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A/N: That's sweet innit.