บท 8: Episode 3 - Mysteries of Humanity

We walked home with 11B following us, but there was something wrong with her. 11B looked over her shoulder at every alley and corner constantly, as if someone followed her. Looking closer, I noticed that 11B shook visibly, she was afraid of something.

"11B, are you ok?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"AAAHHH!" 11B screamed and turned toward me with a raised fist, ready to punch me.

"Calm down, it's me, Alan!" I exclaimed, raising both hands while stepping back.

11B calmed down, but she could not lower her fist when she tried. The Yorha looked back and came face to face with a pair of angry twins, with Devola holding her wrist.

"Explain it, now!" Devola demanded.

"Explain what?" 11B asked, pretending to be confused, but she did not fool anyone here.

"You looked over your shoulder constantly and walked hurriedly since we left the camp. I can see the fear in your eyes, 11B." Popola said, fixing 11B.

"We were willing to ignore it, but we want answers due to your aggressive reaction to a tap on the shoulder." Devola spoke, releasing 11B.

11B looked around for a few seconds; I realized she was not looking at us but at the buildings around us all. Then 11B bowed and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Alan! However, I cannot speak here; we need to go somewhere safe." 11B picked up the bags she dropped and waited for my answer.

"We will talk at my house, but you will walk with Devola and Popola from now on!" I replied, pointing at the twins.

11B nodded and did as I said. Therefore, we returned to our walk, the friendly atmosphere gone and giving way to an uncomfortable silence.

-XXXXXX-

We arrived at our house, and wiping my feet on the welcome mat; I took a key from my pocket, unlocked the front door, and entered the house, accompanied by the PODs, Devola and Popola.

11B was the last one to enter; she looked around the house curiously upon stepping into the living room.

It does not surprise me; our house stands out, despite being further away from the center of the City Ruins. After all, the twins and I renovated the entire place a few years ago. This house was just another ruin before we lived here, now it seems brand new.

The house had a wooden front door with a peephole, leading to a small hallway where a wooden table with photos on top of it stood on the right side. The photos consisted of landscapes, cities, and a generic family.

There were coat hangers attached to the wall on the left side of the hallway, with three coats hanging from them. Boots and shoes stood on the ground, below the coats, with an umbrella holder the size of a bucket beside it.

But there were no umbrellas, only melee weapons like an iron bar, a metal pipe, a baseball bat with nails and barbed wire wrapped around it, a machete, and a fire ax.

Devola and Popola said there was no need for that. However, you never know when you will need it, do you?

The hallway led to the living room with an extremely comfortable white sofa bed, it is not as if the owner of the store we broke into would care, and two smaller sofas with space for two people.

A coffee table made of wood and glass stood in front of the sofa bed, on top of a large red and purple rug, with smaller sofas beside it. A recliner made of leather stood on the right side of the room, with a large wooden bookcase next to it.

The hallway leading to the kitchen stood on the left side of the living room, with the door leading to the basement on the right side of the hallway, where I kept tools and repair parts.

My bedroom, the twins' bedroom, my office, and an empty bedroom were on the second floor, going up the stairs next to the recliner. There was also the bathroom, but I prefer not to think about it.

Who is the lunatic who puts the carpet in the bathroom? I shook upon thinking about it.

We put our bags in a corner of the living room. Then I sat on the sofa bed; the PODs beside me, and 11B stood in front of me, with the twins behind her.

"Nice, now start talking!" I demanded, crossing my arms.

11B took a deep breath and said.

"As of today, I am a Yorha defector."

"Shit!" I screamed.

"Holy crap!" Devola yelled, sharing my feelings about the matter, while Popola covered her mouth.

"HAHAHA! I liked joke 11B! Have you ever thought about becoming a comedian? Now tell me, why were you so nervous?" I asked while laughing, hoping that I misunderstood what she said.

"I'm not kidding, I am defecting from Yorha." 11B muttered while staring at the floor in shame.

I stared at Devola and Popola, and they stared back in worry. My smile slowly faded in irritation upon realizing the severity of the situation.

"And you thought it would be a good idea to come with us, three androids that have nothing to do with this?" I asked.

"You have certain fame, you know? I watched your broadcasts; I figured you could help me when we met at the camp. Can I hide here? Another thing, could you teach me how to live here on Earth? You seem to have a relatively normal life." 11B said, having the decency to look ashamed.

What should I do, house a defector? Yorha will invade my home tearing down all the walls if they find out, but first, I need to ask 11B a question.

"I'll think about it…"

11B smiled hopefully.

"But first you'll have to answer a question!"

"Ask it and I will do my best to answer!"

"Why were you so scared? I understand that you are afraid of Yorha finding you. However, you are a battle model, are you not? You would be able to defend yourself if an android came after you. Nevertheless, I saw real fear in your eyes. So tell me, what can put such fear into a battle android?" I asked, looking into 11 B's eyes.

11B looked away and went silent, hesitating for a few seconds. Then she took a deep breath and answered.

"Type E Units." 11B said as if her words would summon the devil itself.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Type E Units, I do not know what this is, and that is rare, considering how long I am alive.

"What is an E-type unity? I never heard of it." I asked in confusion.

"I'd be surprised if you knew. But, can I sit down before I answer?" 11B spoke, more nervous than before.

"Yes, you can." I replied, pointing to one of the smaller sofas.

"Thank you." 11B said, sitting down on the smaller sofa.

Popola, Devola, and I stared at 11B waiting for her answer, the Yorha took another deep breath and spoke.

"Type E units are androids made to eliminate other androids. Traitors, androids who know too much, and defectors like me." 11B said it all at once.

I widened my eyes in surprise while my mind raced, deep in thought. When I realized, I was with my arms crossed and tapping my foot repeatedly on the floor.

I looked at Devola and Popola, sending them an unspoken question, and they both stared back at me, nodding in agreement. They understood what I wanted to do. Then, I turned to 11B

"So…"

-XXXXXX-

I did not think it would be that when 11B talked about what made her so scared. An android made to kill other androids! What have I gotten myself into?!? Saving an android has put our lives in danger! Not to mention, of course, I have two PODs with me.

Unfortunately, I cannot risk it, I had to send 11B away, or at least I tried, since she insisted on staying, which eventually led to our current situation.

"Go away from my house, now!" I screamed, knocking on the door.

"NO!" 11B screamed back, her voice muffled.

"Go away; I don't want android killers coming after us!" I yelled angrily, kicking the door, but it did not budge.

"But I have nowhere to go!" 11B exclaimed despaired.

"That's not my problem!"

If the context behind it were not so dire, the current situation would be comical.

"11B open that door!" I yelled, forcing the handle.

"NO!" 11B yelled from the other side of the bathroom door.

"You can't stay here 11B; you're putting us in danger!"

"I promise not to be a bother! I can live in the bathroom if you let me stay here!"

"No!"

"I can protect you from machine attacks if you let me stay!"

"I already have Devola, Popola, and two PODs, I don't need a bodyguard!"

"I will not leave!" 11B yelled back.

Fuck it! I went to the umbrella holder downstairs and picked up the fire ax. If 11B does not go away willingly, maybe a good scare will send her away. I am going to do something I saw in a movie once.

-XXXXXX-

Suddenly, everything went silent. What was Alan doing? I thought as I walked towards the door. I heard footsteps on the other side, so I put my ear to the door and….

CRACK!

An ax blade came through the door, inches from my head. Is he going to…

CRACK!

A second blow opened another hole in the door. Oh my God, he will do it!

CRACK!

With a third blow, Alan put his face in front of the hole left in the door.

"Here's Alan!" Alan screamed, smiling madly.

"AAAHHH!" I screamed in fear, crawling away.

I sat down on the floor while Alan broke down the door. I need a weapon! Looking around, I found an object with a wooden handle and a rubber part at its end.

"I will not leave! Stop what you're doing or I'll use this!" I said, pointing the object toward Alan.

"Good luck trying to stop me with the plunger!" Alan laughed, cutting the door again.

CRACK!

"AAAHHH!"

"Listen 11B, I don't want to do this, but your presence puts us in danger, you have to go!" Alan said, putting his hand through the hole and trying to unlock the door.

"The command will always track my black box, no matter where I go!"

CRACK!

Alan tore the door down with one last blow and stood there, staring at me intensely.

"So, the problem is the command tracking your black box?"

"Yes!" I swallowed hard.

"What if I told you that I know someone who might solve this problem?"

"Do you know someone capable of doing this?" I asked and Alan nodded in response.

"But you will have to keep it a secret; I'll kick you out of my house if you tell anyone who that person is!" Alan exclaimed seriously, pointing his ax at my face.

"I promise to keep it a secret!" I replied, raising both hands in surrender.

"Excellent!" Alan spun the ax in his hand and leaned it on his shoulder.

Then he offered his hand while smiling. I held his hand nervously as we walked out of the bathroom, and could not help but ask.

"What is a plunger?"

Alan looked around embarrassed and then answered my question. I shuddered in disgust and threw the plunger through the bathroom window, breaking it.

CRACK!

Alan glared at me.

"I'm sorry, I'll fix it later!" I said ashamed while Alan sighed.

"Never mind, let's solve your black box problem."

-XXXXXX-

I did not expect to enter such an isolated location when Alan told me that we would meet the person who could help me, this forest is huge.

We walked for some time with Alan leading the way. The PODs and the twins stood behind me, I felt their irritated gaze on the back of my neck. I guess they did not like me almost punching their friend and the mess I made in their home.

"Alan, are you sure this is a good idea?" The straight-haired twin asked worriedly. Why is she worried?

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. After all, I'm bringing her a gift." Alan said, lifting a bag full of liquor bottles.

"Well, that will help with her bad mood." The wavy-haired twin laughed. Who is the 'her' they are talking about?

We stopped at a clearing, and if I remember the Bunker data correctly, we were close to the Forest Kingdom. Alan stopped in the center of the clearing and shouted.

"A2! IT IS ME, ALAN! I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU!"

A2? That name sounded familiar. A2…. A2... A2... Wait a minute, A2, the traitor?!?

An android jumped from the trees and landed behind Alan, so they talked to each other back to back.

-XXXXXX-

I heard A2 landing behind me, so we stood with our backs against each other. I think it would be better if I talked first.

"Hello A2! It's been a while, hasn't it?" I said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Well, well, if it isn't General Alan!" A2 said mockingly.

I shuddered, my time as a general was turbulent, to say the least. I have done things I am not proud of, but older members of the Army of Humanity would see as necessary.

"Please, don't call me that, I'm not part of the Army of Humanity anymore."

"So let's talk about the Yorha android you brought here. You're not handing me over to command, are you?" A2 said menacingly, I felt her slowly reaching for her blade.

"No, she's a defector." I replied, calming A2 down.

"A defector, how did she end up with you?" A2 asked surprised.

"Did you hear about the attack at the factory? It was a Yorha mission, most of the flying units fell in combat, but it was a success. My POD detected a 11B black box signal when the mission ended, so the twins and I rescued her."

"Seriously? Can't you go a minute without putting yourself in danger?" A2 asked annoyed.

"You know me. Nevertheless, back to the point, I need your help; 11B has a problem with her black box if you know what I mean. Can you solve the problem?"

"And why should I?"

"Then, I guess you won't want my gift." I said, lifting the bag full of bottles.

"Hm… Okay, I will see what I can do. I never imagined you helping a defector, if what I heard is true, you had to get rid of defectors in your time as a general."

"That was a long time ago. Moreover, I am not part of Yorha, am I? A Yorha android defecting is not my problem." I shrugged.

"HAHAHA! I think you are right." A2 laughed.

Therefore, we both turned around and shook hands, laughing with big smiles on our faces.

"It is good to see you again A2."

"It is good to see your stupid face again, Alan."

Stupid face? Well, that is the A2 I know.

"Hey guys, come over!" I called Devola, Popola, PODs and 11B.

-XXXXXX-

I cannot believe it! A2, Yorha's infamous traitor! The command hunted her for years! Now she is standing here, in front of me!

We got closer and closer to her. What should I do? What should I say? What if she attacks me? I did not have time to think as the twins ran past me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"A2!" The two screamed.

The straight-haired one tried to hug A2, but she avoided the hug. The wavy-haired one offered a handshake that A2 accepted with a smile.

"Claim: Hello, Miss A2!" POD 000 said, floating around A2.

"Hm… So you're still intact, you flying can." A2 replied, crossing her arms and fixing the POD.

"Claim: Greetings, Yorha unit A number 2!" POD 001 also spoke to A2.

"What!" A2 yelled surprised, drawing her sword, ready to slash POD 001.

"Calm down A2, this is my POD!" Alan yelled, running toward the android.

"Do you have two PODs now?!?" A2 screamed disbelieved.

"Yes..." Alan replied ashamed.

"I don't know if I should be surprised, or say how dumb you are for stealing more gear from Yorha." A2 said while Alan shrugged looking away, and avoiding her gaze.

Suddenly, A2's gaze fixed on me when I got closer. I froze as she approached, circling me while looking me up and down.

"So, you're 11B?" A2 asked, stopping in front of me while crossing her arms.

"Yes ma'am!" I said, straightening my posture as if I were talking to Commander White.

"Stop this Madam bullshit! What do you need?" A2 exclaimed, stomping the ground.

I jumped back a little and swallowed hard. Come on 11B, you are a Yorha android! I stepped forward, looked A2 in the eye, and spoke.

"I want you to solve my black box problem! You are a traitor, but got away for years! You must have done something to your black box so the command will not trace it! Do the same to mine, please!"

A2 went silent while staring at me.

"Ok!" A2 grunted angrily and relief washed over me.

"Hey, do you have any tools?" A2 asked Alan.

Alan put his backpack on the ground and searched for something inside it. He took a small black suitcase and opened it, revealing pliers, screwdrivers, a hammer, and more.

"Thanks, now I need you to lie on your stomach over there." A2 said, taking the toolbox and pointing to a corner of the clearing.

"Fine." I replied, walking to the corner of the clearing.

"Well, I'm going to record another episode of my show while you girls work this out. See you all later." Alan said, walking away with the two PODs.

"Be careful!" Popola screamed worriedly.

"Run back here if anything goes wrong!" Devola said in the same tone.

"Be careful not to get crushed by a machine, it would be a shame if you turned into a stain on the floor." A2 mocked without looking in his direction. Then Alan disappeared among the trees.

"It's just you, the twins and I now. I hope you are ready; I am not a repair android so I recommend that you do not move too much, despite the pain you will feel. It would be a shame if my hand slipped and I stabbed an important part with a screwdriver wouldn't it?" A2 said, holding my shoulder and smiling.

I regret coming here.

-XXXXXX-

I think we are far enough, let us start recording.

"POD 000, go to your position, and start recording on my signal."

"Claim: Affirmative."

Therefore, POD 000 stood in front of me while POD 001 floated beside me.

"3, 2, 1, Now!"

The red light shone on top of the POD and the recording started.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to another episode of our humble show! I am your host, Alan, as you may know! I do not know if you have noticed, but we have a new face on our show! Everyone say hello to POD 001! Say hello POD!"

"Claim: Greetings." POD 001 spoke emotionlessly, looking at POD 000.

-BUNKER-

"WHAT!" 6O and 21O screamed simultaneously, making all the other operators in the command room look at them.

"Operator 6O and 21O, is there a problem?" Commander White asked from her platform.

"No ma'am!" 6O replied nervously, closing the tabs on her terminal.

"We just received a lot of data from our designated Yorha units!" 21O spoke right after, doing the same as 6O.

"Very well, continue with your work." Commander White replied, half-closing her eyes.

"YES MA'AM!" Both androids responded as the commander walked away.

6O and 21O exchanged a nervous stare, worried about what might happen to the show host if the commander found out about the PODs.

-XXXXXX-

I expected a livelier presentation, but I cannot blame the POD, they all have a monotone robotic voice with few minor changes.

"This is our new companion, ladies and gentlemen. Today's episode is special, I usually prefer not to get into this type of subject because it falls into the area of conspiracy theory, but I believe that today's theme serves to reduce the tension in the air, due to Yorha's attack on the factory and the appearance of several Goliaths."

"That's why today's episode will be about Mysteries of Humanity!" I smiled, stepping forward while opening my arms.

"Many have claimed to see things considered impossible during the history of mankind. Lights in the sky, strange creatures hiding at the bottom of the ocean, mysterious disappearances, and more, these events supposedly happened from ancient times to now. I saw many strange things in my travels, so today we will talk about these weird things."

"I will try to talk about this matter as logically as possible, always using 'What if' and 'Maybe'. Many who researched these myths and events lost credibility due to the number of conspiracy theorists screaming at conventions and the internet."

"I ask everyone to take what say with a tone of skepticism but not doubt the possibility that these creatures exist. After all, something is considered impossible until proven otherwise."

I said, smiling nervously at the PODs, it would not be the first time I dealt with agitated androids due to the information I gave them.

"For starters, how about we talk about some cryptids? Those that appear in one of the most famous and ancient books in the world, the Bible, we will talk about two specifically, the Behemoth and Leviathan."

"I have never been a very religious person, but I have tried to research the bible, its stories, and the strange things written in some of its texts. Seriously, have you ever researched how they described angels in ancient texts? Trust me; they don't look like humans with wings."

I wonder how androids would react to a wheel full of eyes.

"Let's start with Behemoth."

POD 001 showed a picture of what the Behemoth supposedly looks like when I said that.

"POD, where did you get that picture?"

"Wikipedia." The POD replied.

"Does that mean that Wikipedia still exists in some form?" I asked emotionlessly.

"Claim: Affirmative."

I took a deep breath. Why do I still record my show if Wikipedia still exists?

"Back to the point, this is what the Behemoth looks like." I said, pointing to the image.

"If I remember correctly, it is mentioned in the Book of Job, Chapter 40, and Verses 15 to 24. The creature Behemoth and the name Behemoth are usually associated with something big, a monster, but I believe that this creature could have been a wrongly described hippopotamus, like in the medieval arts."

POD 001 showed several images of medieval art of mythological beings.

"As you can see in these arts, several of these creatures are wrongly described as animals by people who had no idea what they saw. Some traveler saw a strange animal and told everyone about it, and the news spread, until some artist painted the famous being."

POD 001 showed two images side by side.

"We have the unicorn, which could have been a narwhal. During the Middle Ages, the unicorn was considered an animal so powerful that it could knock an elephant down; moreover, people thought that its horn had properties capable of curing all sorts of diseases."

"Do you want to hear a funny story? If I remember correctly, it happened in medieval France, when a French king or a nobleman bought a supposed unicorn horn from a merchant, believing that it could cure any disease."

"Instead of thinking that the merchant had tricked him when the horn did not work, the nobleman believed with all his might that the merchant took the real horn and sold him a fake one. So what did the noble do? He went to the same merchant and bought another one!"

I tried to hold back my laughter. Sometimes it surprises me how gullible people of the past were, but I cannot blame them, because the world was a mystery and science still developed.

"Back to Behemoth, if I'm not wrong, the Behemoth has a God-given mission. Someday, God will ask Behemoth to kill another giant monster known as Leviathan, a sea creature depicted as a whale or a large serpent."

"Behemoth and Leviathan will kill each other in combat, but the Behemoth will be glorified for fulfilling its mission and the flesh of the two creatures will be served as a feast for humans. I hope the humans on the moon don't miss this feast."

I laughed nervously; my mind became more open to the existence of monsters since the day I saw the SHADES.

"Since I mentioned Leviathan, let's talk about it, the enemy of Behemoth. The Old Testament mentions the Leviathan as a sea monster, a fish or serpent of enormous proportions, also represented in marine maps of the Middle Ages. Show it to our viewers, POD."

POD 001 showed several images of old maps with various sea monsters drawn on them, giant fishes with legs, snakes that engulfed entire ships, tentacles that dragged people to the bottom of the ocean, and more.

"People of the Middle Ages considered the Leviathan as a demon and one of the seven princes of hell; maybe we'll talk about that in a future show. However, the Leviathan is not the only sea monster. Should we talk about another famous sea monster? I present to you the Kraken!"

POD 001 showed a photo of a Kraken with its tentacles wrapping around a ship.

"The Kraken is represented as a giant squid or octopus. According to Norse mythology, it had a hundred tentacles and was the size of an island, famous for destroying ships."

"Unfortunately or fortunately, the Kraken is nothing more than the bad observation of a marine animal by humans, the sailors likely saw a giant squid or colossal squid. Another example is the mermaids, who may have arisen from people observing seals in the water."

POD 000 showed a picture of an adorable seal lying on top of a rock, wearing a blonde wig and a seashell bra. I laughed a little at the image.

"Today we talked about some monsters from mythology around the world, there are many more. Maybe I will do part two of this episode. As I said before, I am skeptical about the existence of monsters, but I keep a small part of my mind open to consider their existence."

"Even saying that I can't deny it, I've seen monsters, like dragons, and something known as SHADES. They seemed to be made of darkness, with claws on their hands and feet, and smart enough to wear armor. But no one seems to remember them, which is strange since they were everywhere."

"I think we've talked enough for today, send your questions to the POD and let me know if you find anything strange. POD cut the recording."

The red light on top of POD 000 went out, indicating the end of the recording, so POD 000 floated towards me.

"Question: Administrator Alan, why do you know so much about creatures and monsters?"

I stopped for a while to think about my response.

"POD; when you're alone in a big city, you have a lot of time to read." I said, patting the POD.

"Question: Administrator Alan, are you okay?" POD 001 asked.

"Yes POD, I am." I said, hiding my sadness. The two PODs just stared at me.

"Come on; let's see if A2 has finished taking care of 11B's black box!"

-XXXXXX-

"AAAHHH!" I screamed as A2 jabbed me with the screwdriver.

Here I am, lying in a clearing with my back open, and the traitor A2 digging into my black box. The command will turn me into spare parts if they find out that I have deserted and received help from a traitor.

"I told you to stay put!" A2 screamed.

Who knew one of the most feared androids in the world could be so feisty? She complained throughout the entire process.

"Hey, hand me another bottle!" A2 said to Devola.

A2 seemed to be on better terms with the twins. Devola handed a bottle to A2 and tried to get a bottle for herself, but A2 slapped her hand away.

"The drinks are mine." A2 said angrily.

"Come on, just give me one." Devola replied.

"No! They are payment for the favor I am doing." A2 spoke, returning to her work.

Devola rubbed her aching hand and glared at A2. It seems that Devola is the more impulsive of the twins.

"Dev, stop, please." Popola said to her sister. Popola, on the other hand, was the more rational of the two, a nice dynamic I must say.

Soon an awkward silence took over the clearing; we stared at each other until finally, someone broke the silence.

"Why did you defect?" A2 asked curiously.

Well, I think it is about time someone asked.

"I deserted so I could be with someone special to me."

"Oh, your boyfriend?" Popola asked, smiling teasingly. I felt my cheeks flush.

"No, she is my girlfriend. Her name is 16D, and she thought about becoming a B model, so we could be together here on Earth. We thought about doing missions together, but we analyzed the dangers that the missions offered."

"One of us could die without doing back up, and we didn't want to lose each other, so we would both defect at the right time when we were together on Earth."

"How is she?" Devola asked, leaning towards me while smiling.

"Her hair is as black as night, eyes as blue as the ocean, I can look at them for hours, and her smile is so beautiful, I feel something in my chest every time she smiles, a pleasant feeling, and her laugh is so…"

"AAAHHH!" I screamed when A2 jabbed me with the screwdriver again.

"I don't want to know about your love life! This honeyed nonsense makes me want to throw up!" A2 said irritated.

Then, the awkward silence took over the place, again.

"A2, A2, A2." I said, but she ignored me.

"A2?" I called A2 again and heard her taking a deep breath annoyed.

"Speak." A2 said seriously.

Now let me ask my question, I should have thought better of it.

"Will you speak or not?" A2 asked.

"Give me time to think!"

I know!

"How did you all meet? The twins, Alan and you, I mean."

A2 went silent for a few minutes before answering.

"I met Alan during a mission in conjunction with the resistance when Commander Rose was still alive. Commander Rose was the supreme leader of the resistance, so to speak and Alan was part of her main group."

"So you mean Alan is an android made for combat?" I asked, but A2's laugh surprised me.

"HAHAHA! That softie? No! Alan is the weakest android I know, all the androids I saw in my life are stronger and faster than he is. He was a General of the Army of Humanity before joining the resistance, but he did not become one because it was his designation, nor because of his achievements on the battlefield."

"He became a general because the entire high command of the base where he was stationed died in a machine attack caused by a traitorous android. But still, his old soldiers' opinion of him is good." A2 replied.

The twins and I went silent with this information.

"He never told us about it." Popola muttered as A2 continued.

"As for the twins, they helped me in a difficult fight against some machines."

"This is what happens when you bite off more than you can chew." Popola scolded A2.

"I didn't need your help; I had the situation under control."

"The Goliath Bipedal who threw you into a building would like to disagree." Devola teased.

I heard approaching footsteps as Devola and A2 argued. Looking to the side, I saw Alan returning.

-XXXXXX-

I heard an argument as I approached the clearing. What did A2 do this time? I saw 11B lying on the ground with a small part of her back open, with A2 fiddling with the black box. Simultaneously, Devola and A2 screamed at each other while Popola laughed.

"Good to know you're having fun." I said and they all looked at me.

"You're still intact, it is a shame." A2 teased.

"Welcome back, good to know you're okay." Popola smiled.

"Hey, how was your show?" Devola asked.

"It was ok, nothing happened this time. So, how is 11B's black box going?" I asked approaching them.

"I'm done." A2 said, closing 11B's back, the outline of the opening disappearing right after.

"Now let me explain what I did. As much as I want to, a black box signal cannot be isolated, but it can be scrambled, becoming harder to track. That is how I avoided Yorha for so long, but there is a problem, someone can unscramble it if they try, and then 11B will be traced. Do you understand?" A2 explained and we all nodded.

"Great, now if you'll excuse me, I will pay a visit to the Forest Kingdom." A2 said walking away.

"Looks like this is a goodbye, doesn't it?" I said to A2.

"Don't worry; these bunches of scraps of the Forest Kingdom are nothing to me. We will meet again."

"Be careful!" Popola spoke.

"We will share a drink when we meet again!" Devola said.

11B stood silent for a while, but then she stepped forward and yelled.

"Thanks for everything!"

A2 waved as she walked away, disappearing into the trees.

"I guess we're done for today, how about we go home?" I asked the twins.

"I think so, today was a long day, but at least we found A2 again." Popola smiled happily.

"She better watch out, or I will kick her ass and send her to the camp for some necessary repairs." Devola spoke, walking beside her sister.

"Oh, I almost forgot! POD 000, can you return the sword to 11B?"

"Claim: Affirmative." POD took 11B's sword out of its storage and handed it to her."

"Thank you." 11B said.

"Claim: You're welcome." POD 000 replied with a hint of happiness in its voice.

Suddenly, Popola whispered in my ear as we all walked out of the forest.

"Alan, are you going to tell 11B about your secret?"

I widened my eyes, I had not thought of that.

"Let's try to hide it for as long as possible." I whispered back and Popola nodded.

My life just got more complicated.

-BUNKER-

"It looks like today's show is over." 6O said, closing the broadcast tab.

"Yes, it seems that the broadcasts don't have a theme. I think the correct expression would be 'A little bit of everything', interesting." 21O said, receiving a data packet from her designated Yorha unit.

"Do you think he will answer your question?" 6O continued.

"Maybe, but I won't create expectations, I'm not the only one watching this after all." 21O replied, looking at the other operators watching the broadcast.

"I just hope the Commander doesn't find out…"

"Find out about what, Operator Number 6?" A severe voice spoke from behind the operators.

6O and 21O froze in their seats as they turned around, and came face to face with Commander White looking at them seriously.

6O and 21O looked at each other without saying a single word, but even without saying anything, they shared a message through their gaze.

SHIT!

END OF CHAPTER