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“I’m heartbroken Anby... here I was thinking that this was a family matter, but you've gone and brought in outside help.” Said Twiggy in her twisted overlapping voice as Anby and Eous approached the abandoned lab.
“You’re no match for me, whether I bring help or not. Twiggy... Silver Squad is gone. You will never be able to rebuild it.” Anby replied, holding back countless emotions. “We both know how difficult it is to create a Silver Soldier capable of combat. So please, give this up and come with me.”
“What if... I didn’t need to?”
“Didn’t need to... what?”
“There’s one thing you’re wrong about. I’ve already done it. I achieved the conditions to rebuild my own Silver Squad.”
At her declaration, the doors the lab opened and out came a number of girls, all with the same white hair and amber eyes, all wearing old Silver Squad uniforms. At least 30 of them, all looking exactly like Anby and the rest of Silver Squad.
Anby’s breathing got heavy ‘not again’ she thought to herself. The Proxies were saying something through Eous, but Anby’s heart was pounding so fast she couldn’t hear it.
“T-Twiggy, wh-what have you done?” She almost whispered to her sister.
“What do you think I’ve done.” Twiggy raised her arms and gestured to all the gathered clones. “I’ve done something that can stop my organs from being harvested, that can put me in touch with the big shots at TOPS, that can help fund my research!”
The realisation hit Anby like a truck, these new clones, her new sisters weren’t even being used as weapons, even the tiny fraction of a life that would have given them wasn’t an option to them, they were being used as livestock.
“Twiggy, these are our sisters...”
“That’s right...” Twiggy interrupted her. “...These are our sisters, and we are a family... So, if we're family, why don’t you feel the same pain as me!?”
“You think I don’t feel pain?” sobbed Anby, tears falling down her cheeks. “A day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t thought about you all. I only left to protect Harin, so she wouldn’t end up dead like the rest of you.”
“We deserved it Anby. Me, Harin, all of us we’re defects, even our new sisters. Good for nothing but a supply of organs. You were the only one worth anything, and if you join us, with the improvements I made to the cloning technology, I can create an Army of Silver Soldiers, just like you. It will be just as the project report said: ‘... producing an army out of sugar and air.’ No one will ever be able to stand up to us, and you Anby, you will be our glorious commander. As for me, I don’t really care, kill me if you want, it is what I deserve as a defect.”
Anby sheathed her swords, and wiped away her tears.
“Captain, do you want to come home.” Twiggy held out her hand as an offer.
“Home... Yes, I want to go home.” Anby started to approach her sisters.
“Anby... don’t.” Said one of the Proxies, Eous grabbed Anby’s leg, but she paid it no mind.
“But I want to take you home with me.” She enveloped Twiggy into a hug.
“Huh?” Twiggy tried to pull away, but she was too weak.
“You’re not a defect.” She stepped back and looked around at the rest of her new sisters. “None of you are defects, just because you can’t fight, doesn’t mean you should be livestock. You all have your lives ahead of you, if you come with me, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you live them.”
“No, we are Silver Soldiers, we were made to fight, and if you won’t, I’LL MAKE YOU!” She held up a syringe and moved to jab it into her arm.
“TWIGGY STOP.” Yelled Anby, rushing to her sister, but before she could stop her, someone else did.
The quiet clone in a mask, who had been at Twiggy’s side the whole time grabbed Twiggy’s arm, the syringe inches away from entering her body.
“A, what are you doing?” Asked an infuriated Twiggy.
A clearly tried to speak, but struggled, it took her a second to even form a letter. “i -I – I wa-nt t-tooo livv.”
Twiggy froze, staring at A, an unreadable look on her face.
“See Twiggy.” Said Anby, attempting a soft voice, but coming across as deadpan as ever. “Even they want to live, Join us, we can be a family again.”
Twiggy sobbed, tears flowing from her eye as she dropped the syringe and pulled A into a hug. “Luv yoo.” Said A, returning the first sign of affection she had ever received.
Some of the other clones joined them, making a large group hug, while others just stood around awkwardly, some cheered and others burst into tears.
“Proxy?” Anby got their guide’s attention.
“Yes Anby?” Came the voice from Eous.
“Can you attempt to arrange transport and accommodation for all of them.”
“I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
“Good, I will return shortly.” Anby turned to the lab and entered it, crushing Twiggy's syringe under her foot as she walked.
~~~
When Zhu Yuan got a call from the managers that they were escorting a large group of people out from a Hollow, and needed transport to get them all to safety. The last thing she expected to see at the coordinates they gave her was a group of almost 40 girls who all look like the girl who sometimes hangs out with Wise and Belle.
“Officer.” One of the girls approached. “I assume the manager called you.”
“Yeah, Anby, right?” Zhu Yuan vaguely knew her. They briefly met during the Bringer incident, and had seen eachother at Random Play from time to time, but rarely spoke.
“Yes.” She simply nodded. “I assume the manager gave you somewhere to drop them off.”
“Uh- yeah, some fancy hotel, apparently Astra Yao has rented out every room there...”
“Their contacts rival even some movie protagonists.”
Before Zhu Yuan could respond two of the other girls approached, these ones looking slightly more dishevelled than the rest.
The one in an eyepatch held her wrists out. “Please arrest me officer.” Her voice was among the most unsettling things Zhu Yuan had ever heard.
“Huh.”
“Twiggy, what are you doing?” Asked Anby.
The girl in the mask’s eyes filled with confusion.
“You said it yourself, I treated them like livestock. You should all hate me for it, yet you all say you love me.”
“Because you are our sister.”
“a-A luv T-t-iggy too.” Struggled mask girl.
“I know A.” Twiggy smiled, though it seemed forced. “That’s why I’m doing this instead of the alternative.” She turned back to the Zhu Yuan. “Officer, I’d like to confess to kidnapping, assault, possession of illegal technology, creation of illegal technology, organ harvesting, black market trading and illegal operation inside a hollow.”
Zhu Yuan was shocked for a moment. “My, that’s... quite a list.” She then handcuffed Twiggy and guided her to the backseat of the car.
“Tiggy? No s-ay!” Protested A, trying to help Twiggy, before Anby retrained her.
“A, be a good girl for big sister Anby.” Said Twiggy, trying to be comforting. “I look forward to seeing how far you come when I get out.”
A continued to cry and protest in Anby’s arms, drawing the attention of the other officers and clones.
“I will protect them Twiggy, I promise.” Said Anby.
“You have always protected us Captain, goodbye.” With that the car drove away, leaving Anby to comfort A and some of the other clones while they waited for their turn to leave.
~~~
The next few days were hectic for Anby, she spent every waking moment with her new sisters. Getting to know them as they figured themselves out. She wasn’t alone in this, the other Cunning Hares and the Proxies came to help too. They took the girls out, showed them around New Eridu, had them experience the city, try lots of different things and let them choose their own names.
Some chose names they simply liked the sound of, some named themselves after movie characters they liked, a couple wanted the names of people they had met, but were asked to reconsider due to potential confusion. All of them were invited into the Demara family, Nicole declaring that any sister of Anby’s was a sister of hers too. And she did treat them like that, almost all of them taking an immediate liking to her, even if she struggled to tell them apart sometimes. She even took out a huge loan to buy a plot of land big enough for them all to live on, adding more debt collectors to the growing list.
And, after a little over a week, Anby had finally done it, she personally knew the names and personalities of all of her sisters, and made as much time as possible to see them.
All except one that is.
Which is how Anby found herself approaching Sixth Street's Waterfall Soup, along with A. The shy girl had followed Anby around everywhere since Twiggy was arrested, she wanted to be a ‘good girl’ for her. She even wanted to be called Anby too, but that idea was shot down quickly, so she settled for Ana instead.
The approach of the two girls was not unnoticed by Soldier 11. After years of searching, she never expected to find the traitor of Silver Squad at her favourite noodle shop. Her hand instinctively went for her sword.
“If you’re gonna start a fight, do it somewhere else, nobody on Sixth Street wants that near here.” Warned General Chop.
“Understood.” Replied 11, lowering her arm, but remaining tense.
“It’s ok, I am not here to fight you, Harin.” Said Anby.
“Don’t call me that.” 11 snapped. Ana moved to hide behind Anby, it was the first time 11 paid any attention to the girl. It was clear she was like 11 and Anby. But 11 didn’t recognise her, maybe she forgot, her memory has been failing her recently.
“Sorry, 11, I just want to talk.”
“Then talk, but be fast.”
Anby turned to General Chop. “One order of whatever she wants.” And then handed a menu to Ana, before sitting next to 11. “I’m not here to ask forgiveness, but there are things you should know.”
“Like what?”
“Twiggy is alive.” Soldier 11 almost coughed up the noodles she was eating before Anby continued. “She is currently being held by Pub Sec. And before she turned herself in, she attempted to recreate Silver Squad.”
“And that’s where the new girl comes from?” Ana was happily eating noodles, her mask removed to do so, revealing an artificial jaw.
“Yes.” Replied Anby. “And many more like her...”
Anby proceeded to give 11 a brief rundown of recent events, excluding any mention of Trigger or 11’s own involvement.
“... And now some of them want to meet their other big sister.”
11 took a long moment to think before saying anything. “I’ll see them on one condition, tell me why you betrayed us.”
Anby sighed, then looked around. Sixth Street was mostly empty at this time of night, but the few people who were out were still too many potential eavesdroppers for her.
“Follow me.” She said turning to Ana. “We will be in the Manager’s store when you are done.”
Ana nodded in response; her mouth filled with noodles.
Anby led 11 into Random Play, where, with permission from the Proxies, they were allowed to use the staff room to privately have their conversation.
The two sisters sat opposite ends of the sofa. 11 stared at Anby, awaiting an explanation. Meanwhile Anby was trying her best to avoid eye contact as she tried to figure out how to explain things. Last time she did this 11 had amnesia, it made it feel much easier to talk to her, but this time, 11 looked at her with anger and impatience.
She took a deep breath. Then, she slowly exhaled and finally met Soldier 11’s gaze.
“When the Officers decided to disband Silver Squad, they didn’t do it honourably. They decided that only one of us could be kept as an asset. The rest… were ordered to die.”
11’s eyes narrowed. Her hands curled into fists, knuckles whitening.
“They sent us on a mission. A suicide mission. One that none of us were ever supposed to return from.” Anby paused, her voice trembling. “I took your place.”
“What?”
“I was supposed to be the one left behind. But you were injured in training, so I took your place.” Anby struggled to keep her voice steady. “I wasn’t strong enough to save the others. I watched as one by one, they fell. I tried to fight back, tried to get them out, but… I was the only one left standing.”
11’s face was unreadable, but her body was trembling.
“Twiggy survived,” Anby continued. “I didn’t know at the time, but she was taken in by someone else. Everyone thought she was dead.”
There was a long silence. 11’s eyes pierced into her.
“And when I came back,” Anby said quietly, “they ordered me to kill you.”
11’s expression twisted in disbelief.
“I refused.”
Anby reached up to her choker, hesitating for just a second before unclasping it. The fabric slipped away, revealing a deep, but clean scar that ran across her throat.
“I was ready to die to protect you.”
11 stared at the scar, her breath uneven. “You…”
“I fought back. But I was discarded, left to die.” Anby swallowed. “And I would have, if Nicole hadn’t found me.”
The room was silent only the faint hum the Proxies’ equipment filled the air.
Then, 11 shot to her feet.
“You idiot!” Her voice cracked, raw with emotion. “We could have left together! Why didn’t you come back for me?!”
“I thought—”
“No! You don’t get to say you did this for me!” 11 was shaking. Her vision blurred as hot tears welled in her eyes. “I was loyal! To you! To all of them! And you just left!”
Anby felt her own tears rising, the weight of her mistake sinking into her chest like a stone.
“I’m so sorry, Harin.”
11’s body tensed at the name, but she didn’t correct her. Instead, she let out a broken sob, her legs giving out as she collapsed onto the sofa. Anby moved without thinking, pulling 11 into a tight embrace.
11 buried her face in Anby’s shoulder, her sobs muffled but uncontrollable. “I hated them,” she choked out. “Anyone who abandoned their comrades, the Rebels. I executed them. I killed so many, because they reminded me of you.”
Anby clung to her just as tightly, tears falling freely now. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She repeated the words over and over, her voice breaking each time.
Neither of them knew how long they sat there, crying into eachother's shoulders. But eventually the door to the staff room opened. And Ana poked her head in.
“No!” The youngest of the three cried, running to her two older sisters. “B-big sis no cry.” She wrapped her arms around both of them. “I-I luv big sis Aby an big sis Hari-n.”
11 winced slightly at the name, but she didn’t mind it. Right now she was weaker than she had ever been, as far as she could remember, right now a weak name suited her.
“I’ll meet them.” Said 11 as she pulled out of the hug. “I don’t want to abandon my sisters.”
That choice of words felt like a stab to Anby’s heart, but given their conversation, she felt she deserved it. “I promise not to make the same mistake with them.”
“Good. I haven’t forgiven you yet, but you are still my sister. So I won’t abandon you either.”
Ana smiled under her mask, she didn’t know exactly what happened before she arrived, but she liked to think she helped mend her older sisters’ relationship. She was a good girl, just like Twiggy told her to be.