"What are you doing?"
"I'm taking a break...we've been walking for a while now and I'm exhausted." Shirou glanced at the area they were in. The city is still quite far and it will take a while before they get there. For now, they will have to rest here in the desert. "I speculate that Androids don't get tired like humans do." He turned to look at A2 who shook her head.
"How long will it take for you to not be tired?"
"You really want us to arrive quickly don't you?" He exhales sharply as he sat tiredly on the ground, his back pressing against the giant rock as he winced. "Just...just give me half an hour." His wounded leg is holding him back. He stares at his right leg.
"Is it that damaged?" A2 noticed the gaze of the human as she followed it. She frowned at the condition and also wanted to hit herself at the stupid question. Of course, it's damaged heavily, he got caught in an explosion which wounded him. The best outcome from that was keeping his leg instead of it being exploded off.
"The damage left quite a toll on me. I haven't felt this slowed down in a long time. Taking a short break will help ease the pain I feel. After that, we can continue walking."
"At this rate, we won't get to the Resistance Camp until a while with you holding us back." A2 jabbed.
"Sorry that we're going at a slower rate than usual." Shirou frowned at his incompetence. It's because of him that he's holding the Android back. "I guess it can't be helped in the end." He shrugged. The directions in his life never go the way he wishes them to, they always end up the opposite. Such is his current circumstance, their destination is gonna take longer than it originally should.
"You're right...it can't be helped." A2 agreed with his words. "Which is why I'll carry you there." She claimed.
"... Carry?" He blinked at the android's words as he looked at her.
"The more it takes to get there, the worse your leg will get. If we're going to be taking breaks left and right due to your leg, we'll just be reaching our destination painfully slow." A2 huffed. "Besides... I feel like you'll be damaging yourself if you push your body."
"Wouldn't I be burdening you?"
"Both ways you'll be a burden." He winced at her truthful words. "At least one way will be easier."
"Even so, you don't have to waste your time on me. But I can't deny it will be faster...the real problem I think will be my weight, won't I be slowing you down?"
"Androids are strong. We were made to lift far more weight than humans can. Your weight isn't a problem for me. At best you'll be as light as a feather."
"Light as a feather huh? The more I hear about Androids, the more impressed I am." He commented. To think people will develop technology to the point where artificial beings not only resemble humans but are just like humans. "I appreciate your help, really—"
"You have no choice in this."
"Rejected instantly, huh?" He expected this reaction. But he thought it wouldn't hurt to try and see if she would change her mind. "Thank you for your help." He thanked and apologized to her.
"Are all humans this apologetic?" A2 couldn't help but think of how apologetic Shirou is.
"Nope."
"You know how to tick me off."
"Seems so."
"Let's just get this over with." A2 breathes out. "The sooner we're at the Resistance Camp, the better it will be for us."
"Are all Androids as foul-mouthed as you?" Shirou asked with a smirk.
"What's that supposed to mean?" A2 stared at the man as she felt her brow furrowed with anger. "Are you calling me rude?"
"Not at all." Shirou shook his head with a smile.
"I don't believe you." That was all A2 said.
-~-
The journey embarked to the Resistance Camp had to pause once again. Progress was made and the pair of two didn't encounter any machines luckily. They got out of the desert after a while and, reached the city and set out camp in one of the buildings after A2 made sure to eliminate any machines that could be roaming the area.
Shirou rested by the wall with his eyes closed. He wipes the sweat off his forehead as his mind thinks of all that happened alongside the knowledge he has so far from this world. A world with humanity on the moon while the earth is left in an apocalyptic state with Machines and Androids alike.
He recalls a faint voice that spoke to him as he woke up from his slumber and decided to pursue forth and walk. He recalls his last moments before he woke up. However, despite claiming them as his last moments, it seems like he didn't truly die and somehow lived. He recalls laying on the rubble while staring at the sky hazily. His memory is hazy of that day. Nothing ever goes his way. His luck can be considered horrendous. Throughout his life, his luck always made things worse.
Shirou opened his eyes and stared ahead and looked out at the sky and buildings that can be seen from the inside of the building they were in. "If you want to say something, you can go ahead and say it you know?" He felt like he was being gazed at while he tries to grasp all that's happened alongside doing his best to suppress the fatigue.
"Humans. How exactly do humans act?" A2 spoke with curiosity. "You said that not all humans are as apologetic as you. I'm curious about how our creators act."
"That question as a whole has fundamentally many answers." Shirou said with a small smile as he turned to look at A2. "Actions differ from one another. People act differently because that's just who they are."
"What do you mean?" A2's confusion spurred at the answer. "What do you mean by 'who they are'? Is it because you're humans?"
"It's because we're human that we may be different. An example is that some humans may lean towards acting selfishly. Other humans may act selfless." Shirou found himself staring out the building again as he was in thought. "The human mind holds many wonders. But it's because of our thoughts that we can act differently."
"Ugh...this is all confusing..." A2 grabbed her head with confusion at trying to understand. She saw Shirou smile at her and she felt irritated by his smile. Is he acting smug about this? "What about you?"
"What about me?" Shirou blinked as he continued to loom at A2 who stared back at him.
"You said you're from the 21st century... What were you doing before you found yourself here?" A2 still found that part hard to believe. Then again, she was proven wrong that he was human. "You said you should've died. Why is that?" She was also confused about his statement that he told her when he told her that he was from the 21st century and didn't know how he was in the future.
"You see, before waking up here in the future. I would travel vastly through the world. In the process. I would help people along the way."
"Help? Why?" Why would you help out strangers you don't even know? A2 thought.
"Is it wrong to help someone?" The response she was given was unexpected. She saw the man smile at her as if the answer was right in front of her all the time. "There's no reason for why I would want to help someone. Even if they're strangers." Because that's what an Ally of Justice does.
"Why?"
"You're asking a lot of 'why's' you know that? I'm pretty sure I've heard you say that for the 50th time now." Shirou saw A2 frown at him. "I wished to be an Ally of Justice. Someone who protects others, ideally, I wanted a world where nobody will cry." However...there's a reason why he also traveled.
"I've never heard of such a thing. An Ally of Justice." A2 crossed her arms at the words alongside what the man explained to her on what an Ally of Justice exactly is.
"You can say that it was because of my old man that I decided to become an Ally of Justice." Shirou replied. "My father told me about how he used to always wish to become an Ally of Justice. However, he told me that ideal of his, unfortunately, becomes harder to achieve as you get older. In the end, he gave up. I still remember feeling quite angry when he told me that. I was a child and he laughed at my reaction."
"..."
"However, I told him that he didn't need to worry. I told him that in his place, I will become an Ally of Justice...and leave his dream to me." That night of that winter many years ago is still fresh in his mind. "However, that's not the only reason I've journeyed. There's...someone I'm looking for."
"Someone?" A2 noticed that Shirou had a smile as he mentioned his other reasoning.
Shirou remained silent as he closed his eyes once again. "Yeah...someone." Her figure of that day is but a distant memory. Her final words to him as she began to fade with the light of the sunrise. No matter what, as impossible as it may be, he shall continue to pursue her, in the hope of reuniting with her one day.
A2 stared at Shirou who became deathly quiet. He didn't speak anymore, and she didn't say anything to respond. Right next to her, she can tell the human has fallen asleep. She had much to wonder and think over. From the reason why Shirou has traveled as he said, to the ideals of his father that are now his, and to the mysterious person who he is looking for.
Her eyes stared in a trance at the resting face of his. He insisted that they take a break and she was reluctant to accept because he's injured and needs help as quickly as possible. She frowned at the thought...
Her thoughts went astray as she thought of the combat abilities the man showed. It was like the weapons he used came out of thin air. The giant bow which released swords at the speed of a bullet, and the way those arrows of his made explosions... Using a bow to shoot swords is something that she never thought she would see.
It makes her wonder, Did all humans possess those abilities?
-~-
The day went by normally in the Resistance Camp. Anemone, the leader of the Resistance Camp had just finished sending out supplies to one of the requesters that asked for help. The place was boggling with merchants as usual and others who are accepting requests or returning from missions.
She frowned as it's been a while since she's seen A2. The other day she mistook a YoRHa Battle-type Android as A2 who arrived at the Camp with a Scanner-type Android. She talked with them for a bit and the last time she's seen of them has been a few days ago.
Their past is related given the mission that took place in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor where her close comrades died. She thinks back to the now fugitive Android that YoRHa is on the lookout for and wonders where exactly she is.
She blinked as the sound of banging on her was heard. She wordlessly got up and opened the door to see who knocked rudely. "A2?" She didn't expect to see said Android at her door staring her down. That's when she noticed that A2 wasn't alone. She saw a pair of muscular tan arms wrapped around her and white hair. She saw the odd Android that she has never seen unconscious as A2 was carrying her on her back. She saw stains of red and scratches as his outfit was dirty and damaged.
"Do you know how to treat a human?" A2 sharply asked with a rushed quiet tone loud enough for her to only hear.
She froze at the words that came out of A2's mouth. "What?"
-~-
Word Count: 2,075