Work Text:
Mirage's fist came down with a loud thump on a punching bag hanging from the ceiling of the gym. Having the place all to herself and V2 for free was a welcome perk of being the only two living things around.
Again and again Mirage slammed her knuckles into the punching bag. Her strength and abilities were more in line with the average human, as opposed to V2 who managed to punch the previous bag so hard it tore. Simultaneously, it also managed to shatter several more parts of its already broken body that Mirage was barely able to fix. That is when they both unanimously decided that exercise would not be for V2. It was getting used to this kind of life, however. One without the need for violence. One which involved things like laundry and personal hygiene. It would say it was getting used to Mirage, but if it was honest it didn't need to "get used" to her. It adored her and everything she did. The two machines spent most of their time together. While it may seem it was a result of being the only living beings around, the two really did come to love each other.
V2 often wished to itself that they had more time, that it wasn't doomed to shut down eventually. It was something both of them tried to ignore. A terrifying yet undeniable fact; their time together was all too limited. But however true it was, the two refused to allow it to have any control over their lives. They refused to be idle, waiting for V2 to die. They had time, and they were going to use it. V2 was the first to break the silence during Mirage's workout.
"You are aware you do not require regular physical activities or training to maintain your physique and strength, correct?"
"Y'know I really had no idea! I thought the metal plating and lack of the ability to eat were normal for all humans."
"I detect sarcasm, Mirage."
"You detect correctly, V2." It closed its book and leaned back more comfortably in the gym bench it sat on.
"If I may ask, why do it at all? What purpose does it serve?" Mirage stops attacking the bag, instead leaning against it and turning to look at V2..
"Y'know how I taught you that the act of reading is so much more than just the word-for-word content of the book?"
"Yes, I remember."
"It's the same for this. I come here to punch shit. Not 'cus I need to physically train, but 'cus I enjoy the activity itself. I find it clears my head and gives me time to just think about..." Mirage stutters for a moment, before seeming to correct herself on what she was gonna say. "I dunno, just whatever."
"I see. So what were you thinking about?" She giggles quietly and resumes punching.
"I'll let you guess."
"Your classwork?"
"Go fish."
"I do not know if fishing would be possible nor beneficial."
"I don't mean literally go fishing. Theres an old card game humans used to play called Go Fish. In short, if someone guessed wrong, you'd say 'go fish' and they'd draw a card."
"I see. You were using the reference to state my guess was wrong."
"Come on, keep guessing. You'll get it eventually."
"One of your books? Alternatively something related to your philosophy studies?"
"Nope and nope."
"In that case, allow me to take some time to consider other potential guesses."
"Take all the time you need, love. I'm not going anywhere." Another half-hour passed of only the sound of V2 flipping the pages of its book, the rhythmic steps of Mirage on a treadmill, or the thuds of her fist against a punching bag.
The walk home was filled with more guesses from V2, becoming less and less realistic with each one. Mirage seemed to get much enjoyment out of V2's oblivious guesses and its perpetual stubbornness to guess the answer itself.
"Do you just want me to tell you what it was? You've made, like, negative progress since you started."
"No, allow me to take time to consider more options. I refuse to concede."
"Stubborn. Let me know when you've got your next batch of guesses." The rest of their day was filled with various errands that V2 found much enjoyment in. It liked the process of using a washing machine, of shopping for college supplies, and finding new clothes with Mirage. It maybe didn't understand the intricacies of why or how these things worked, but what mattered to V2 was that it was spending time with her. It didn't matter where or why or what they accomplished, V2 just enjoyed living a normal life and being able to spend that with her. Amidst their errands, Mirage was the one to speak first, interrupting V2's thoughts.
"Hey V2, i've got a bit of a philosophical question I wanna run by you." V2 looks over and tilts its head to the side slightly, looking intrigued.
"Please, do share."
"Well, I was just thinking. You are the collection of whats left of your programming simulating your body here, wherever that is."
"Correct, as far as I am aware. My body is still somewhat functional somewhere in the Greed layer of Hell, however too destroyed to actually accomplish anything physically."
"So then, if this is all just your remaining parts creating a simulation to spend your last moments in..." Mirage paused for more than a few seconds, almost seeming worried. "...what does that make me?"
"I have previously considered this question myself. My initial answer was that you were a secondary AI or program of some sort meant to balance my inherent logical nature. Something I was not meant to truly be aware of but critical damage has brought to the surface. In short, a separate AI entirely. However this would have been an extremely impractical solution to making me have guiding principles rooted in human philosophical ideals. There are certainly easier alternatives to accomplish the same goal. Thus my second consideration was that you were created subconsciously as a reaction to my effective death. Essentially serving as someone to spend my final moments with, without being entirely alone. However this seems extremely unlikely as well considering my model was never equipped with very advanced simulation programs. So finally I was lead to the conclusion that you are perhaps the result of some anomalous property of Hell, allowing me to have what is effectively an 'afterlife' of a kind." Mirage doesn't answer immediately, instead letting the possibilities linger momentarily as they both contemplated each one.
"You did put a lotta thought into this."
"Indeed."
"So... all of those imply I don't actually exist at all. That one way or another i'm just a part of some sorta simulation for you."
"I am not sure. Saying you exist solely for my comfort is not only simultaneously narcissistic and self centered of me, but additionally unfair and cruel to you; to attribute your entire meaning to be for my pleasure, however that may be. You are clearly a being of your own with individual wants, desires, and feelings. Reducing you to anything less than separate and sentient is untrue and unnecessary, let alone the fact it does not make sense to do so in the first place. We disagree as any two separate beings should. I feel that may be proof enough that you are not just another AI created by me."
"So you don't think i'm just some simulation? You think i'm a real being?"
"You would know better than me that making attempts at defining reality is a waste of time on both of our parts. If I describe where I was destroyed, Hell, to be the 'real world' of sorts, what does that make this place? Clearly it is complex enough to fully mimic 'reality', therefore if it is indistinguishable from 'reality' does that not mean this is equally as real as what we define as 'reality?'"
"If i'm honest, I was hoping you'd say something like that. I was kinda scared you'd say this all wasn't real, including me."
"You are your own autonomous being in a location that is indistinguishable from any other form of what could be defined as 'real.' Therefore, this is real enough for me to call it reality in and of itself. In my opinion you are real, Mirage. We both are and this entire world is. That is what is important. You are real, I am real, and I care for you." Mirage, intentionally hesitating for a moment to signal what she was doing to V2, playfully punches it in its good arm.
"God damn it V2, you're gonna make me cry if you keep up this shit." She pauses for a moment to regain her composure fully, voice still containing the faint traces of a temble. "Thank you, V2." V2 responds without words, but rather by wrapping its arm tightly but comfortably around Mirage. She reciprocates with the same, her arms wrapped around V2 and her head tucked into its neck. She giggles quietly as the two machines hug each other.
"Mirage." She pulls her head back to look into V2's lone optic. "I love you." Mirage wraps around V2 once again even tighter than before, tapping the bottom of her mouthless head against the side of V2's as if mimicking a kiss.
"I love you too, V2." The two hold each other for a moment before Mirage pulls back. "Now come on, i'm getting tired. It's been a long day." Her fingers lace into V2's, locking their hands together as they walk back.
Our apartment... Mirage thinks to herself. Her lense narrows, and if she could she would he grinning stupidly. The busy day and exercise and boxing had officially caught up to her. Her movements slowed and she seemed to mimic yawns periodically, V2 noticed. It wondered if they were intentional or not.
Upon arrival at the apartment, Mirage was already halfway asleep. The two climbed into bed, Mirage almost immediately falling asleep cuddled into V2.
"Me..." V2 thinks aloud to itself, arm wrapped around the quietly snoring Mirage. It almost felt bittersweet. "She was thinking about me."