Blood And Machine

~ 4 - Rest ~

"Why do you hunt us?" The Hunter begun, staring down the armoured bob-cut 'YoRHa' android woman held beneath his boot.

The android did not answer, her expression filled with shock for reasons unknown to him.

"I will ask again." The Hunter pressed his Evelyn closer to the android. "What is your reason of hunting us?"

"... I." The android slowly answered before cutting herself off.

The Hunter raised an eyebrow with slight curiosity to the android cutting herself off. Now he had a slight sense that despite the Evelyn being pressed against her forehead, it seemed as if the shock he felt from the android originated elsewhere.

After a second glance, the Hunter realised the android woman he was pinning down, even with her eyes hidden behind her blindfolds, was intensely focused on the bleeding wound she inflicted near his heart. And a hypothesis clicked inside the Hunter.

From the lacking signs of any potential resistance, the Hunter deemed the android to be no longer of threat. With this conclusion, he released his boot and backed away a respectable distance, allowing the two subordinates to quickly run to their superior to examine her current status.

And following along the two subordinate androids checking up on their superior, A2 ran to the Hunter to check up on his well-being, who immediately grasped his shoulders as she closely monitored the bleeding wound near his heart. A2 did not say a word, her heavy glare at the wound telling the Hunter all he need.

"Why the hell are you so reckless?!" A2 finally asked with heavy aggression in her voice.

"It is of little concern." The Hunter brushed off without pause, gently removing A2's grasp on him.

In the face of the sheer lack of regard nor self preservation, A2 was momentarily taken aback by the immediate answer.

"... Goddammit, you nearly died again!" A2 finally cursed under her breath, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.

"Yet I remain standing." The Hunter dismissed once again.

A2 sighed. "That doesn't mean you should throw yourself int--."

"Was it not your hastiness which lead to this injury?" The Hunter merely stated, cutting A2 from further speaking, referring to A2 immediately rushing towards the YoRHa trio with little form of strategy nor consulting. "Had I not intervened, you would inevitably become overwhelmed."

"... Tch." A2 clicked her tongue.

"Regardless, I find their actions to be a curious one."

A2 glared at the three YoRHa androids, before returning her attention to the Hunter. "And why does what they did matter?"

"Because contrary to your prior concerns, I believe they were unaware of me." The Hunter noted, as he pointed to his acquired still bleeding wound, which in turn elicited a reaction from the android he earlier subdued. The two subordinates followed the startled gaze of their superior, both coming to the same realisation of the Hunter's true nature. "Otherwise, this wound would not have been inflicted upon me."

"Even if she didn't know, it doesn't change that she did injure you." A2 emphasised, glaring at the still bleeding wound, and then to the trio.

The Hunter merely nodded in acknowledgement, making light of his near fatal injury. "I will not deny she has wounded me. Yet still, it is still quite a curiosity."

"What is?"

"Earlier, you informed me the reverence of humanity by the 'androids'. And made the presumption they were sent to escort me." The Hunter begun. "Were they truly sent by 'YoRHa' to retrieve me, why would the one in the center make the decision to injure me?"