"Boss, I failed… please punish me."
Back at the manor, 2B knelt on one knee before Loren, head bowed—submissive, silent, the picture of contrition.
To any outsider, the sight would be staggering. In the world of NieR: Automata, 2B was feared as a harbinger of death—a relentless executioner cloaked in elegance and steel.
Yet here she was: docile, deferential, almost domestic. How could anyone not be shocked?
But to Loren, this was perfectly ordinary. Outside these walls, she was a weapon without mercy. In his presence, however, she was something else entirely—loyal, attentive, and uniquely tender. Her softer side existed only for him; the rest of the world would never glimpse it.
For now, technology limited him. He couldn't yet give her a true body of flesh and blood—only the synthetic shell she wore. But once he could, she wouldn't just be his most trusted agent… she'd be his perfect partner.
How could he possibly punish her?
She'd given everything. The mission's failure wasn't her fault—it lay with their enemies.
"It's not your fault the mission failed," Loren said, waving a hand dismissively. "You did your best."
"Ideally, we'd have extracted intel about the mastermind from Kingpin. But even if we didn't, it's no great loss. At this stage, the forces behind him won't back down. They'll come for us again—and when they do, we'll uncover who's really pulling the strings. It might be difficult… but as they say, time reveals all. Some things just need to unfold."
"Thank you, Boss," 2B replied, bowing deeply. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she projected a symbol onto the floor—a glyph she'd captured during the operation.
"I couldn't identify the orchestrator, but I saw this emblem on one of the operatives. My analysis confirms it belongs to Hydra. Please take a look."
Loren studied the sigil. He'd suspected Hydra from the start—ever since he arrived in this universe. After all, he was now in the Marvel Universe, where Hydra's tendrils coiled through nearly every major crisis. There was even a running joke among intelligence circles: "When in doubt, blame Hydra."
Still, suspicion wasn't proof—until now. This symbol was confirmation. And confirmation meant trouble.
His expression darkened. Even he had to admit: Hydra was a nightmare to fight. Vast, shadowy, and deeply entrenched, its network dwarfed even old-money dynasties like the Morgans. That was precisely why they'd dared target his family.
If he were still the original Loren Morgan—weak, unprepared—he'd already be dead.
But he wasn't. He was a time traveler, armed with knowledge and a powerful advantage. He wouldn't sit idle and wait for the axe to fall.
Still, Hydra wasn't something you crushed overnight. Even S.H.I.E.L.D.—with all its resources—had failed to eradicate it. In fact, Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. so thoroughly it became Hydra for a time.
This wouldn't be a skirmish. It would be a war. A long one.
And that meant he needed to grow stronger—fast.
"We need to accelerate work on the Batsuit," he muttered. The prototype—an upgraded, custom-built combat exosuit—was his best shot at leveling the playing field. For now, it was his only real edge.
But at that moment, 2B suddenly pulled a bottle of green potion from her pocket and handed it to him.
"Oh, Boss," she said, "this is the strengthening potion I snatched from Kingpin. Once injected, it significantly enhances the recipient's physique. However, it's an imperfect version—the effects last only twenty-four hours."
She held the vial out with both hands, her expression respectful. "But I believe that with your wisdom, Boss, you can optimize it. Once perfected, it might grant strength comparable to our general-purpose combat robots."
Loren examined the potion, and a look of pure ecstasy spread across his face—because at that very instant, a system prompt chimed in his mind:
[Congratulations, Host! For participating in the pursuit of the true culprit behind the incident—and for eliminating enemy participants while securing their imperfect enhancement potion—you are rewarded with the formula for the "Perfect Super Soldier Serum."]
[Note: The Perfect Super Soldier Serum is a more stable enhancement agent than Captain America's original Super Soldier Serum. It boosts the user's physical capabilities by over threefold—the exact multiplier varies per individual and includes a probabilistic element. Crucially, this serum produces no side effects and does not amplify existing personality traits.]
"The perfect version of the Super Soldier Serum? Hahaha—someone really handed me a pillow just as I was feeling sleepy!" He'd been racking his brain for ways to boost his combat effectiveness ASAP, and now, in the blink of an eye, 2B had delivered a game-changing gift.
How could he not be overjoyed?
"She really is my good wife—my lucky star!"
"2B, come here quick—let me kiss you properly!"
Before she could react, Loren pulled her into his arms and planted a firm kiss on her cheek.
2B hadn't expected the Creator himself to yank her close and kiss her so abruptly. Her face flushed crimson—as vivid as any human's—and she looked utterly radiant.
"Boss," she said, tilting her head like a curious child, "the internet says only couples kiss. Does this mean… we're a couple?"
"Uh… how do I put this?" Loren stammered, caught off guard and suddenly embarrassed. "It's… a bit complicated."
But before he could say more, 2B gently cupped his face—and pressed her soft lips firmly against his.
His eyes flew wide open.
"2B! Where did you even learn that? I don't remember programming that skill into you!"
"Boss," she replied with quiet confidence, "have you forgotten? I have the ability to learn independently."
"So you taught yourself? And what else have you picked up besides this?"
"I've learned… everything you can think of."
"…"
"Boss," she added softly, gazing into his eyes, "I want to become human."
"!!!"