Ongoing PSL - In-game setting

[itshilarious]

"You say that you're no good for me, cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve--"

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[podskill]

[ 2B watches him in silence, standing by if he needs any form of assistance. This is way out of her wheelhouse and it shows; all androids have the capability to salvage old parts from their fallen comrades' bodies, of course, but 2B has never found herself in a situation where she's ever had to do so. Now that she's assured that 9S is alright, she almost finds the process fascinating... if not a little disturbing.

2B is confident that 9S can handle himself. He's always been able to. Though she's spent majority of her activation period as his ward and executioner both, she knows he doesn't really need her protection all that much. Even as doubts about a logic virus making its way into his systems in a carefully laid trap by YoRHa begin to cloud her mind, 2B knows that her partner isn't so reckless as to let such a thing happen to him.

At his confirmation, she releases his grip, standing up as he does. She's just about to suggest that they get a move on again when he beats her to the punch with his own proposal, prompting her to quirk a brow. ]

We should take what we can get, yes, but we should probably make sure that Command didn't leave any surprises for us in their corpses. If they were engineered specifically to bring us back, there's no telling what's inside them.

[ Still, she makes to line all of the bodies up in as orderly a fashion as she can manage, their corpses laying side by side before the both of them. She can tell just from looking at them that they're made of different stuff than she is; their appearances are more streamlined, their dermal layers more resilient. Their body armor is hardy, also, and 2B feels a surge of flattery; all of this trouble, just for the chance to bring her and 9S back. It's clear that they're not considered run-of-the-mill defectors back on the Bunker. ]

My internals are fine. [ She responds, though she guesses she can't be too sure. 2B unsheathes her blade when her task is done, swinging it a few times in front of her in order to assure that her motor processors are functioning optimally. ]

... Regardless, this is practical of you. If not a little morbid.

[itshilarious]

[ 9S would feel flattered if it weren't for the fact that they're a target. Still, he's far too jaded to even ponder too much on it. His motor functions come back at 100%, and though 9S has a bit of a limp from a damaged knee, he brings his way to the line of corpses 2B sets out for him. ]

I wouldn't doubt if they did. But there are steps I can take to avoid issues. I'll look into it when we set up camp somewhere.

[ Despite his nerves, 9S' tone is firm. Passive. It's as if the anger and fear of being attacked out of the blue has shut down his morale and optimism. He's thankful his Pod doesn't comment on that.

9S kneels before an android. He stares at the body a moment, realizing the implications of this. But it's necessary.

But they hurt them.

They hurt 2B.

They lied. They follow a pointless cause.

They hurt 2B.

They hurt him.

9S' gaze narrows at the body. 2B's comment hits his attention but he doesn't elaborate on it. Or even argue it's morbidity. No, he sighs simply. And without a word, reaches in to yank open its panel, digging in and immediately ripping away at chords and parts. ]

[podskill]

I'll leave that to you then.

[ 2B puzzles over him as he gets to work, her gaze fixed upon his face rather than on his hands. She wonders what he's thinking, what he's feeling; the hard edge to his voice clues her in slightly, but it also makes her feel like she's looking at a different person from the 9S she knows. He's hard. Almost ruthless. She'd known that these parts of him existed, of course, but some strange, inexplicable urge in her makes her want to try and soften him in any way she can.

She wonders how long it's been since she's seen him smile, true and genuine.

As he yanks open the android's panel, 2B sets to work on the body next to the corpse he's working on, systemically removing its panel, also. She doesn't root around inside, knowing that 9S is far better suited to the task than she is. Instead, she moves onto the next, opening its front hatch. And then the next. And the next. All until the insides of the bodies are exposed, ripe for harvesting.

2B's hands are coated in lubricant and other vitals, her movements having become erratic as time wore on. Thinking about the shift in 9S' voice has her shaking, though she hardly understands why. The morbidity of their task doesn't faze her in the least, but she darkness she senses in him shakes her to the very core. ]

[itshilarious]

[ Once, it was just the machines they had to worry about. An objective that brought a sense of accomplishment when knowing it was all towards reclaiming the surface for humans. Now? Now, it seems as if it was all for nothing. Now they've discovered they were living a lie, and now? They still have to worry about machines, plus YoRHa androids who still blindly follow.

2B leaves him to his work, leaves him in a silence that is both calming and damning all the same. 9S initially finds no pleasure in prying his own kind open for the sake of harvesting parts. The concept seems so vulgar and wrong at first glance, but in recalling their lies and what this all has done to himself and his beloved 2B? It angers him.

As 9S yanks the mechanical heart of their pursuer, the crack and wet splatter of vitals seems so... Satisfying. As if karma has delivered itself upon them and 9S is merely the messenger. As if this god the humans so eagerly looked to has tasked him with this mission of survival and bringing retribution. As he passes through each android, it's almost like he passionately gets into it and digs deeper each time. Before long, 9S is covered in vitals, red fluid soaking his arms and splattering a picture on his face. With a heavy sigh, he packs everything away, finally standing. There's a silence that takes him while he stares along the line of dead androids. 9S licks his lips as he stares at his hands, just before unceremoniously wiping them along his pants. ]

We're done here.

[podskill]

[ 2B notes the way 9S moves, methodical as ever. His actions are precise, though there's an edge of ruthlessness to them. Though she knows it's likely due to her wiring, seeing the carnage he visits upon the bodies of the androids thrills her as much as it dismays her, and she wonders why it even does the latter. These were newer models, formulated just for their kill or capture. 2B should, by all means, be unaffected by his ripping them apart.

But she isn't. She wants to reach out and grip his shoulder, to stop him; this doesn't feel like the 9S she knows, and while her treacherous, android mind relishes in the display of violence, some stranger, louder part of her wants to stop him. To continue to keep him safe and soft.

2B stays her hand in favor of allowing him to work, knowing it won't do her much good. This is the path that she'd forced the both of them on. She watches as he packs the harvested components into his bag and simply inclines her head, saying nothing as she leads the both of them out of the tunnel.

She stays a few paces ahead of him, leading them towards a dilapidated building flush against the coast. While part of the wall facing the ocean has collapsed, a small area about a story above the water provides an adequate space to set up camp. The sky is dark, the sun shooting streaks of pale yellow through the greying clouds and providing adequate light as she walks into the space, ensuring that they are alone before she turns to face him. ]

It isn't much, but it'll do for a while. YoRHa will be coming around eventually, but I imagine it'll take them some time to recoup.

[ With little fanfare, 2B begins to move piles of rubble about in order to carve a space out for the both of them to comfortably settle. ]

[itshilarious]

[ It seems like with each passing second, he starts to feel more and more numb. To all of this. His memories come back in waves. 9S realizes that everything he's missed has slowly uploaded over time. Indicative of how many times he's been reformatted and killed. That resentment flows through in his treatment of the bodies beneath him. 9S turns their back and follows 2B as if he'd simply shopped at a store. Nothing more, nothing less.

They would have died anyway.

He doesn't say a word the entire trek to camp. And he doesn't say a word when they set it up. The blood that coats his arms and clothing smells foul, like thick oil. It sticks to his shirt and makes his mock flesh feel slimy and disgusting. And so he pulls his shirt off over his head and tosses it to the ground. He sighs and rolls his head back, as if to relieve tension that isn't there. Androids seize, but they don't cramp. ]

They'll see what we did. The Commander won't want to send anyone else down until they're stronger and incapable of being hacked. Or torn apart.

Doesn't matter. I'm the most adaptable S-model. Nothing will work unless they build something better.

[ He did, after all, build that back door. They know what they're dealing with. ]