Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

***
-SYSTEMS ONLINE-
RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS…
VIDEO…OK
AUDIO…OK
MECHANICS…OK
VISUAL OUTPUT UNRESPONSIVE
RESETTING VIDEO SYSTEMS…
RESET COMPLETE
VISUAL OUTPUT ACTIVATING…

A strange warmth met them as their optic flickered to life. Instinctively, they tensed up, expecting there to be pain though they felt more confused when none came. V1 swiveled their head from side to side to study their surroundings. A tall, imposing room enveloped them, the faint crackling of a fireplace coming from somewhere beside them. And underneath them was some kind of blanket from the grand bed they laid on. A confused beep left them. What…what happened?

The last thing they remembered seeing before their sudden crash was nothing but light. A bright light and a deafening cry. They could very clearly remember Gabriel being right next to them, pressed up so close together. The memory felt so fresh they could practically feel his touch lingering on the metal. All they could think about right now was him. Mostly in the form of questions. Where is he? Did he help them when they shut down on him? Is he okay?

Why wasn’t he here?

They didn’t feel very confident in guessing, but they assumed that he would’ve at least been close by. But as V1 scanned the surroundings again, there was no sign of him. Somewhere inside of themself, they felt a kind of…sadness? But why?

They looked back over past recordings to find out. Following directly after that bright light, their sight was swallowed by darkness. After a few seconds, a warning popped up where the live feed would be.

A glitchy, low quality video began to play as the emergency camera started recording in their unconscious state. It was hard to tell, they looked like they were stuck in some sort of cave. A light in the sky was fading, drenching the video in darkness again until another, fainter light approached. It glowed a deep blue but was dying by the second. The video glitched out as the bit-crushed sound of scraping metal rattled against their head. Suddenly, the camera began to move as something pulled them out. They should’ve braced themself for the sight that met them. Gabriel looked down at them with a look of misery they’ve never seen in him. Blood dripped from the holes of his helmet as something seeped down his neck from the inside, accompanied by a loud sob. Was he- was he crying?

“Oh, V1…” he cried, voice breaking with tears as they could feel the hopelessness and despair in his words pierce right through them, “No…oh, V1…my dear machine…I’m sorry. So, so sorry.” They had never felt a stronger urge to cry when watching him repeat his apologies as if he were repenting as he took them somewhere else. They couldn’t bear to watch any longer, fast-forwarding the recording to avoid witnessing it.

They sped past footage before stopping long after the part they skipped. The camera showed Gabriel kneeling before them, staring at something past them with his hands clasped into prayer. He looked both frantic and tired, the remnants of what he said before still echoing throughout the room. They were lost in their thoughts, wondering about what drove him to act this way when he suddenly hung his head low. “Just please…” Gabriel whispered in a timid voice, “Help them. Bring them back to me.”

V1 didn’t know why they went so stiff when he said it. Maybe out of surprise. Did he say he wanted them back? From what? Why did he want them? They fast-forwarded again in the pursuit of answers to their numerous questions. This time, they watched him stand up and bring two fingers from his helm’s cross to their body. Like some sort of kiss…their fans kicking to life at the thought for seemingly no reason.

Very abruptly, he left in a beam of light. He left for a long time, much to V1’s dismay. With each second he was gone, their worry grew. They sped up the video as fast as it could go, just to get a glimpse of him again. And thankfully, he returned the same way he left, another beam of light appearing next to them. He walked up to them, settling the tools in his hand down except for one as he slowly pried their chestplate open.

Their fans gasped as they sat upright from the bed they were laying on. He stared at their organs with a visible wonder in the recording, which only made their fans work harder. Why did he open them up, and why did he find it so fascinating? And where did he even find the tools for it?! V1 took their attention off the video to look over their body.

And they looked…fine, strangely enough. It was blurry, their fight with the Earthmover, but they were sure they had sustained a lot more damage. And they were definitely sure that their fuel levels weren’t this high last time they checked.

Did Gabriel have something to do with this?

A metal thunk brought their attention back to the recording. They saw that he screwed their chest closed again, spying a cut on his hand that looked fresh. His hands slowly moved towards the camera, a strange phantom sensation joining their system as he reached to hold their face. “I kept my promise,” he told them, as if knowing they would see this later, “In the best way I could, anyways.” V1 chuckled slightly, wanting to reach out to him, to hold him. They just wanted him to be here. So, so badly.

But their brief joy left as whey watched him grow quiet, that despair returning to him. “I don’t know if you can hear me.” So he didn’t know about the camera. “I don’t even know if you can see me but-” As he paused, V1 wished they could’ve consoled him then, to tell him over and over that they saw and heard and felt everything during that time. It was no use. “-I hope you know that I did the best that I could. The best I could for you.” A low beep left them. They wanted to see him, but they were completely alone. That urge to cry came again.

He solemnly nodded before he walked away without an explanation. “Goodbye, V1.” he bid, tone full of sorrow. A final beam of light enveloped him as he left, a kind of panic growing in V1 as they watched the still video. What did he mean by goodbye? What did he mean by goodbye?! They felt like crying, not out of sadness, but out of frustration. They just had so many questions, so many unanswered questions that filled their head. A sob escaped them. They just wanted Gabriel. They just wanted him near them. He would make everything all better, or at least, a little bit better. They truly didn’t know. They were just so confused.

They needed answers. They needed answers now.

V1 shifted off the bed, still hesitant that pain would come to them at any moment. Their footsteps sounded so quiet in the large room even in this heavy silence. As they walked around, they stumbled upon a pile of metal scraps, clearly seeing a dented and scratched part of their arm plating. A quizzical beep joined the sound of the crackling fire. They still didn’t know where he got this kind of material, though they were thankful nonetheless. They left the bedroom and entered into a much larger hall resembling a cathedral with the gothic architecture around them. An organ sat at the very front of the room, grand and striking even when nothing played it.

Driven by a curiosity they didn’t quite understand, V1 walked up to the organ, gently pressing down on one of the keys. A loud, rumbling note quickly followed. It rattled the organ as it played, filling the air and possibly the whole palace before they took their hand off of it. The note ended shortly after, leaving a kind of emptiness in the cathedral that they didn’t feel before. V1 stared up at the pipes and the stained glass behind it. Something glinted in the dim red light and caught their attention. A small gold plaque was bolted to the front of the organ, and unlike the rest of it which was weathered with use and time, it looked polished and shined to perfection like it was very recently cleaned. Some words were engraved into the metal.

They reread the last few lines, trying to understand them the best they could as they searched their database for any information about this “Archangel Chamuel”. Only a few things popped up, two mentions of his name in passing bible verses they’ve read out of pure boredom and a very old website they found while scrolling through the terminals. V1 opened the url, immediately being met with a messily done welcome screen on a page that hadn’t been updated since 2009. Ignoring the crude CSS format, they scrolled down to find Chamuel’s name and a small blurb under the bright purple text.

They rolled their eyes at the religious buzzwords, but willed themself to keep reading.

The page then refreshed, replacing the limited text with a missing page error with the 404 in sparkly font. They closed the website and glanced back at the gold plaque. A part of them considered praying to the archangel, though they pushed that thought out before it could spread. No angel could help them right now, and the only one they knew, the only one they trusted, was nowhere to be found.

An archangel dedicated to love…what a strange notion. What would that look like in this era, where love and kindness was sparse and few between? Would he have tried to stop it? Or would he have accepted it? Would he still have loved?

Love.

To be loved. To be loving.

Love.

The word was foreign to them.

V1 gazed up at the organ one last time before they started to leave the cathedral. That word was still on their mind. Love. To love. Being loved. It felt like something strange, useless to them as a war machine.

But as a being, the word seemed to fit just right with them.

As their own person…

…

Love. What a strange word. They don’t think they’ve ever seen it anywhere else in Hell except for Lust.

[LOVE.] V1 repeated to themself, [LUST.] The words sounded alike, like one was based off the other in its image. Lust, as a layer, certainly was built off the ideas of love. The king had made it that way. He saw love even through the torment and bloodshed and suffering. Despite it all, he still found love.

If they were going to find anything to answer their questions, it would be in Lust.

They made their way towards the nearest elevator.

***

Blue, purple, and pink lights flooded their vision as they entered the city of Lust. Lampposts shined weakly across the street which was empty save for some tipped over trash cans on the sidewalk. That corpse that would be ambling across the horizon was gone, its absence leaving a mark on the land around it. In the distance, between the gaps of tightly packed buildings, machines and husks patrolled the roads and fought amongst each other like starving stray dogs. V1 watched them all from the roof of an apartment complex, lost in thought until they shook themself out of that daze.

They got up, a few tiles breaking off and smashing on the street below. The sound echoed like a scream, just barely being overheard by the noise of fighting in the distance. They took a second to watch the skyline before they dashed off. It’s been a while since they’ve been here, but they assumed they’d remember their way around.

They made sure to traverse along the roof to avoid the conflict on the ground. Though that violent part of them itched to fight, it was overpowered by their other intentions. They could fight later. They needed answers now.

Flashing lights became brighter and the sounds of gunshots became louder as they neared one of the streets many of the Lust residents fought upon. They watched from above, listening to the husks scream in pain as Streetcleaners sweeped the sidewalks with walls of fire. A bright teal blast sent one flying into a wall, piercing its weak spot with a rusty broken pipe, causing it to explode. The other witnessed every second of it, whipping around to the attacker with its flamethrower at the ready, though wires caught hold of it and ripped it out of its hands. Electric cables gripped the Streetcleaner’s neck as the Mindflayer shook her shoulders up and down as if she was laughing. She shocked it with the deadly wires, enjoying its cries of pain as her body glowed with a dangerous glee. It soon went limp, twitching uselessly in her clutch before she tossed it aside like garbage, the sound of scraping metal echoing across the square. V1 narrowed their eyes at the Mindflayer, preparing to leave until they lost their footing on the loose roof tiles. They scrambled out of her line of sight as the tiles crashed onto the floor. A loud, ferocious whirr could be heard even at this height, one they didn’t wait around to hear as they dashed to another roof.

It took longer than they’d like to get to the library, partially from avoiding enemies at all costs. V1 approached the large barred doors, tugging on the handles covered in soot. The lock rattled noisily, not bothering to even move. Standing from the top of the old brick steps, they looked the dilapidated building over. Many of the windows were boarded up or shattered, far too out of reach for most things here. Their fans huffed in annoyance, trying to compute a way in before something found its way to them.

They swung Whiplash up to a supporting beam, giving it a few hard tugs before they lifted themself up. Halfway up the building, a loud crash echoed from somewhere behind them. Their head turned to scan their surroundings, wary of any danger before continuing to climb to the top. V1 hurriedly entered the library, sending bits of rotting wood falling which clattered on the stone stairs. It echoed across the empty square before quickly dying out. Silence fell, only broken by soft whirring. A teal glow cast onto walls as the Mindflayer wandered down the street to meet the sound. A yellow light disappeared through a window just as she turned a corner, another soft whirr leaving her as she cautiously approached the library doors.

The inside wasn’t in much better condition than the exterior with the rotting, withering books either on the floor or balancing on slanted bookshelves. V1 ambled through the surviving rows with their corresponding signs hanging on by a thread. They made their way to any section related to love, sifting through piles of books and scouring every bookcase for something useful. Anything they found went to one of the few wooden tables still standing, categorized by topic and sorted by worth.

After they had searched the library from top to bottom, they sat down at the table, starting with a small stack of books they had gathered. These were about health, how to stay safe in relationships and how to avoid abusive ones. The one underneath was about Sex Ed, the last one being solely about STDs. V1 flipped through the pages before tossing them all aside, reaching for the next stack on the table. This process continued, sorting through the seemingly random books and setting the ones that had even a sense of usefulness to them back on the table. Everything else was thrown to the floor, a pile quickly growing behind them as they went through numerous books.

They tossed another book to the pile, another trashy romance novel with an overdone trope, mindlessly grabbing the next one on their lineup. The texture of a patched up paperback caught their attention as V1 stopped leaning their chair on the back legs to get a better look at it. The book itself was in a strangely better condition than all the others, fixed with clear packing tape on the cover with a thinner layer of dust covering the spine. They turned it over in their hands, reading the front of the book.

[ Oh No, Astronaut ]

[A collection of poems by {AUTHOR NOT RELEVANT}]

A hum rumbled from their fans. They flipped the book open and started scanning the text.

{SCANNING TEXT…PLEASE WAIT A MOMENT…}

{ONE (1) RELEVANT TEXT FOUND}

[ You're Too Beautiful For Hell ]

[ You're too beautiful for hell.
Or whatever that's waiting down there.
You'd be spared of whatever it was
As they will see how you shine like
The angels that cast them down
Down into the cold, damp caves
Underground

You're too beautiful for hell.
You are like the cold snow.
You are like the fresh summer's breeze
You are like the colorful flower, picked
How could something so blessed as you
Ever be harmed?

You're too beautiful for hell.
Your voice is so soft
Your smile is as bright as stars.
You bring a nice air with you
With every step you take.
You are like a nice day
In a child's life.
One worth becoming a pleasant memory

You're too beautiful for hell.
But you're too ugly for heaven.
Though you're spared,
You are still not safe from the wrath of angels,
Or whatever is up there.

You're too beautiful for hell.
You're too ugly for heaven.
Snow kills, hides frozen corpses beneath
The summer breeze always brings bugs
The picked flowers always wilt,
No matter the vase they're put in
Your voice is too hoarse to be heard without annoyance
That smile always blinds and irritates
That air always has a sense of dread with it
That pleasant memory
Will always be forgotten.

You're too beautiful for hell.
You're too ugly for heaven.
So you're left to rot.
Rot with no beauty.
Rot with no hate.
Left to rot.
Rot. ]

{END OF RELEVANT TEXT}

They closed the book, staring at the patchwork of a stranger as they picked at the loose ends of the tape. Carefully smoothing out a fold, they moved to set the book down in its own separate spot until a distant, rattling noise echoed its way to them.

They turned back to the library’s entrance, a teal glow coming from the cracks in the wood as the rattling got louder and louder. A frustrated cry came from whatever was on the other side. Rough banging replaced the rattling lock, the wooden barricades splintering with each strike.

The doors swung open with one last bang, planks clattering onto the floor as the Mindflayer cast her glow on the nearby bookshelves. She scanned the horizon, knowing that the machine hid in here, her wires zapping loose volts at the thought. She floated down the aisles, slowly following the glinting yellow that shined from across the room, stalking her prey with silent movements. A soft, deadly whirr left her as she left another bookshelf empty handed, gaze landing on the only cluttered table in front of her. The Mindflayer approached the stack of books behind the chair, picking up one that was hurriedly flipped through, a little pamphlet on how to be a loving partner. Just seeing that here was enough to make her confused. What could a war machine need to know about being loving? She pushed the question aside as she went to see the few books that were still on the table.

The table was very sparse of books compared to the pile on the floor. The one that caught her eye first was a small journal with black letters reading ‘Many Names for Love’. That didn’t help her confusion, only driving her curiosity as she continued to look around. She picked up some old hardcover book titled ‘The Different Kinds of Aromantic; A Guide’ and spied a small paperback memoir called ‘My Adventure to Understanding Different Asexualities’. She couldn’t help her disbelief. {What…?} she muttered to herself, {What is this thing even doing?}

For some reason, one book was separated from the others, one that she quickly grabbed. She caught herself chuckling at the thought of the machine reading poems, noting the tape holding the cover together and flipping to a page that had been marked with a fold. The Mindflayer read the poem slowly, looking around her to check that no one was watching her. When the coast was clear, she set the book down, carefully tearing the page off for her to keep.

The next thing she knew, coins were flicked up into the air, a bullet bouncing off of them and piercing through her body numerous times. She screamed out in pain, wires lashing out to whoever attacked, finding themself wrapped around a limb trying to wring itself free. Instinctively, the cables shocked the attacker which made them cry and shoot her in retaliation. They were both knocked back, crashing against the table and sending the books that were on it flying. She didn’t hesitate to attack once more, summoning Hell Seekers from the wires and aiming them right at the war machine.

V1, still furious, parried the projectiles back before switching to another weapon. They charged at her as she prepared to attack, firing and somehow parrying the bullets as they shot out, which sent it exploding right in her face. The sheer force of it sent her flying, crashing onto the ceiling as she shot out a beam blindly, hoping it would hit them. Instead, it flailed around aimlessly, cutting through shelves and setting the books in them on fire. One toppled over and smashed into the one behind it, sending them falling like dominos as the crashes rang in her ears.

A wire wrapped around her arm, the thin metal cutting through plastic skin as the war machine’s entire weight was pulled onto her. Sharp knuckles probably dented her metal plating as they punched her to the ground. The wooden planks broke underneath her from impact, the same metal wire wrapping around her limbs and tightening, rendering her imobile and defenceless.

The chaos calmed down some, the bookshelves finally done falling and the machine finished with their onslaught. She pushed against her restraints, hissing at the feeling of them sawing through the cyan plastic before the sound of V1’s footsteps forced her to look at them. Fear took hold in her mind, her electric cables trying to snap at them automatically, that fear worsening when she felt them bound by the wire. She looked at them again, now with a gaze fully swallowed in terror as they just stared at her with an unblinking optic.

Their Knuckleblaster clenched besides them, humming with fatal energy as they kept staring at her. She couldn’t stop herself from fighting against the wire wrapped around her, especially not when they approached her. She didn’t even have time to think when they suddenly punched her in the face right where her jaw would be. A scream left her when pain sprouted through her body. But it didn’t suddenly stop. It wasn’t replaced by the cold clutches of death like she was expecting. She had shut off her vision, blearily blinking at them with non-existent eyes only when she didn’t die.

[YOU BITCH!] they shouted, startling her with their volume and tone, [YOU FUCKING RUINED MY BOOK!] It took her a while to get her bearings back and even longer for her to get her words in order. By then, they had lost their patience, punching her again, this time with their other arm. {Ow! What the fuck?!} she screamed at them, {What the fuck is your deal?! You nearly killed me over a goddamn book?!}

[WHY DID YOU TRY TO TEAR IT OUT?!] V1 yanked Whiplash to tighten the wire, as if to emphasize their words. {Why the hell do you care?!} she spat back, trying to kick at them but to no avail. Her pain worsened as they tightened the wire more, feeling it saw into her skin. She yelled out in pain again, {It’s because I thought it was nice, okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?!} Apparently, it was, as they stopped pulling on the wire to her surprise, though still thankful to have the pain subside for a moment.

They reached over for the book which had fallen along with the table, still wary to have the wire taut around her as they checked. She watched them as they opened it up to the page, trailing their fingers down the rip she created. They kept their gaze away from her, like lost in thought, every second they were silent making her more and more nervous. {So…} she started, somewhat jumping at how their head swiveled around to look at her, {...what’s your deal with that anyway? I never expected a machine like you to be that interested in…poetry…}

They just shrugged at her words, confusing her as she at least expected them to respond with an insult. [I’M NOT USUALLY.] they answered, before turning back around to the book. She stared at them with a skeptical gaze, trying to read over their shoulder as they flipped through pages. {What do you mean by usually?} she asked with an oddly comfortable tone, {Like, do you not usually go for poetry or do you not usually read in general-}

[IT’S THE LATTER.] they replied harshly. An awkward silence formed between them. She wished she wasn’t tied up in their Whiplash at the moment, but was at least grateful that they weren’t trying to make it tighter. {...May I ask why?}

They turned to her, surprised. And to an extent, she was too. In any other context, she wouldn’t have bothered to talk with the enemy, mostly because they wouldn’t have anything worthwhile for her to listen to. But she was oddly intrigued by them. She certainly didn’t expect it. [ONLY IF I CAN ASK YOU A QUESTION.] V1 said, optic lidded in a kind of smile. She huffed quietly, before nodding her head. [YOU LIVE IN LUST, RIGHT?] they asked, a hum of their fans echoing when she nodded. {Yeah, and I-}

[I’M NOT DONE YET.] they interrupted, smiling again at the glare she shot at them. {Fine. What else did you wanna ask me then?}

[DO YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE?]

She blinked at them, clearly surprised. The other Mindflayers weren’t going to believe her when she told them this, if she even left alive. {...who’s asking?} she asked jokingly, and to her joy, they laughed slightly. {I would say that I can, yeah. Doesn’t mean I necessarily want to.} V1 tilted their head in confusion. [WHAT DO YOU MEAN?]

{Don’t you have a book on it or something?} she remarked, {Aromanticism or whatever it’s called.}

[SO YOU CAN.] they noted, [YOU JUST DON’T?] She hesitated a moment before eventually nodding. They went silent, optic never leaving her as she stared back. For some reason, they undid the wire, retracting into Whiplash with a quiet click as her body relaxed. Hands traced wherever the wire touched, wincing when they went over an open cut. Nothing too bad…nothing she can’t fix. She was just about to get up when they started to walk away, the poetry book in one hand. They didn’t bother to look back when she shouted something, only stumbling to a stop when she teleported right in front of them.

{My turn.} she said sternly, {What’s your deal with the book anyways? I never took you for the literary type.} They blinked at her, glancing away for a second before returning to make eye contact. [RECENTLY, I-] V1 paused to make sure their words explained their thoughts clearly, [I’VE BEEN KINDA…CURIOUS ABOUT THIS STUFF.] Silence fell between them again. {Why?} she blurted out in a meaner tone than she wished.

Instead of being angry, instead of doing anything really, they just looked straight ahead. [...I THINK…I THINK I DON’T WANT TO BE A WAR MACHINE ANYMORE.] they replied timidly, [...I THINK I WANT TO BE…LOVING? I DON’T KNOW…]

They walked past her and left the library, sitting down on one of the steps. She was left hovering there, watching them slump down to sit. A part of her felt sad for them, like she knew what they were feeling. Really, she knew exactly what they felt, she felt it deep in her bones. So maybe that’s why she went over to them. Maybe that’s why she sat down beside them.

V1 looked at her with a somewhat surprised gaze. {I would be lying if I said that you shouldn’t feel that way.} she explained, {...And I certainly would be lying if I said I didn’t feel like that too.} Their fans hummed as they rested their head on their hand. [HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT?]

{More than I’d like to admit.} she chuckled.

She heard them chuckle beside her.

A more comfortable quiet grew between them.

They sat like that for a while, staring out into the city in front of them. She glanced at V1, noting how intensely they stared on the horizon. Deep in thought? Or just avoiding conversation? She nudged them gently to catch their attention. {So what got you thinking that way?} she asked, not entirely sure if that was a good question to ask. They made a beep of uncertainty, thinking about their answer.

[THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME, WHERE I HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IT LEFT ME LYING ON THE GROUND LIKE A DYING SOLDIER.] She was surprised at how elegant their language was despite having a voice box that was, at best, only the basic vocals. Still, she let them continue. [IT GOT ME THINKING. WELL, IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT MYSELF MOSTLY.]

[I WASN’T REALLY MEANT TO. A BUG IN MY CODE OR WHATEVER.] they said as they gestured with their hands, [ALL I WAS MEANT TO BE WAS A KILLING MACHINE. A WAR MACHINE. SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN’T BOTHER TO THINK OF WHAT IT KILLS OR WHY IT KILLS. SOMETHING THAT IS…HEARTLESS.]

[BUT I-] A frustrated sigh left them. [I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I THOUGHT OF WHAT I’VE DONE. I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW DISGUSTING I AM. AND THAT THOUGHT BROKE ME OR SOMETHING.] They sighed again, bringing their limbs closer to themself. Their wings twitched as their body moved up and down with synthetic breaths. [I AM DISGUSTING.] they muttered as they hung their head low, covering it with their arms, [I AM DISGUSTING.]

They stayed like that for a long while, a cold wind flowing through the streets of Lust and surrounding them on the entrance of the old library. Their head felt far too full of questions, still none of them answered. The noise felt too much for them, making their confusion worse. They could feel their panic grow and grow until-

She rested a hand on them. Their soft shaking subsided, the faded glow of their optic pointed right at her. Despite her lack of a face, she smiled warmly, melting away their worries with just one glance. Their fans skipped like some kind of hiccup though their stupor began to clear the longer they kept their gaze on her. {Don’t call yourself disgusting as if it’s a bad thing.} Her hand brushed over the chipped paint on their back as their wings fluttered slightly. {To be disgusting is to be alive.} She reached over them, and just as they were about to ask her what she was doing, she pulled them into a hug. {And you seem pretty alive to me.}

She felt their body tense then quickly relax, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the hug or from her words. She would be okay with either. {Feel any part of your nervous system in action, whether it is pleasant or painful. You are alive, and you are okay.}

They muttered something underneath their breath, so quiet she couldn’t have heard despite how close they were. [WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS TO ME? WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS?]

{Because I want to help you.} she answered simply. [NO, NO- JUST…NO.] they mumbled, pushing themself out of her embrace. They returned to sitting curled up into a little ball. [WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO CONSOLE ME? WHY ARE YOU EVEN HELPING ME?] They sounded a bit angry, but it was just because they were confused. They really hoped she understood that. [I’VE DONE SUCH HORRIBLE THINGS. TO YOU, TO EVERYONE! TO EVERYTHING! WHY ARE YOU STILL SO KIND TO ME?]

She leaned on them with a hand wrapped around them, like a partial hug. She would do with this. {I have done terrible things too. But that doesn't make us any less worthy of love.} She felt them scoff even when they didn’t face her. [WHY SHOULD I BE LOVED AS SOMETHING SO DISGUSTING? WHY SHOULD I BE WORTHY OF LOVE WHEN I’M JUST SO…DISGUSTING?] She just repeated the same thing as last time. {Because everyone deserves to be loved.}
[...EVEN ME?]
{Yes, even you.}
[EVEN AFTER ALL I’VE-]
{Yes, even if you’ve done horrible things! Just because you see yourself as disgusting, whether it be true or not, you shouldn’t be denied love solely because of it. You are more than the worst thing you’ve ever done, and your worst shouldn’t overshadow what you’ve done to better yourself.}

V1 slowly lifted their head up, looking at her before turning their head to look at the sky. It shined with false stars. Something they’ve seen once before. They went silent, longer than they ever had. And she just stayed there, with her arm around them. The tenderness of the action made them want to cry.
[...WHAT IF I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE?]

They felt her gaze on them like the sun. Her body stilled as if she didn’t know how to answer the question, softening with a small chuckle. {Nobody does. And that’s the beauty of it. You can love your own way.} They thought about it for a second, before they eventually nodded and relaxed into her embrace. The lights on the horizon blinked like stars, the echoes of machines and husks fighting far out into the distance and far away from them. Right now, it was just the two of them. Right now, it was just them.

[THANK YOU.] they said, catching her attention. {You’re very welcome,} she replied, returning to look at the horizon before she looked back. {And just a heads up, you shouldn't just be learning love by the book. It's something that requires…er- a bit more hands on experience, you know?}

They stared at her for a while, computing what to ask next before she left. [THEN HOW SHOULD I LEARN?] V1 asked with an innocent curiosity, not sure why she seemed uneasy at the question. {I don't know, ask around? Someone you know who knows about that stuff. I'm probably not the only source you should go off of.} She scratched the back of her neck with a little chuckle. {Yeah, that stuff I said was from a movie I saw a while back. It was kinda in the moment, so I don't know how much it fit the situation.}

She kept talking as they watched her movements closely, soon going to glance back at the library. [I WILL…FIND A WAY.] they assured her, interrupting her rambling for a second. After a few seconds of staring, she gave them a smile and a nod just as they went their separate ways. Her words echoed in their head long after they had gone, staring out over the city of Lust atop an unfinished bridge. The lights shined so brilliantly, blinking across the horizon like stars and glittering similar to the halos of angels.

A sweet, almost warm breeze met them as clouds drifted past the endless sea of buildings. The shining lights stretched on and on far into the horizon almost as infinitely as the buildings. They dangled their legs over the edge, leaning back to take in the view before they adjusted to lay on their back. The metal of their wings scraped against the glass floor they were sitting on when they moved, fans whirring slightly as they stared up into the sky.

There were far more stars here compared to the night sky they saw in Limbo. A kind of sadness enveloped them as they watched them silently. Neither of them were real. They wondered if they could see the stars at some point, but their wandering thoughts stopped there when they thought about how impossible it really was. There was no way, neither in Hell or any other place they could think of. Absent-mindedly, they picked at the small light underneath their name on their chestplate.

Their thoughts then shifted to Gabriel, a sense of hope mixing with the sadness. Could he take them to see the stars? Could he take them to see Heaven? Their fans hummed loudly at the thought as a strange feeling rumbled deep in their chest. Akin to what they’ve read as ‘butterflies’ in their artificial stomach. Maybe when they saw him again, they could ask him if they could. If he could take them. Just as all these thoughts were racing in their head, a dense cloud covered the bright stars they were looking at.

It was enough to snap them out of their daze as they went to sit up. Their thoughts slowed to a stop as they stared out into the stars on the horizon. A few things popped up in their head as they went over their talk with the Mindflayer.

{Learning love by the book.}
{More of a hands-on experience.}

They thought about what she mentioned, their fans running fast and hard as they did so. It felt like they couldn’t grasp the idea of love itself, like something deep inside of them kept them from truly understanding. It made sense, as a war machine. But they couldn’t help but feel angry at the thought. They just wanted to understand. They wanted to understand Gabriel. And they felt like they needed to learn this concept to start.

They reflected on what else the Mindflayer said. Asking someone who knows a lot about stuff like this. It just stumped them. They didn’t know that many people in the first place, making it near impossible to ask anyone about this. All the while, they looked out over Lust. The missing sight of the king’s corpse made the view strangely empty. Even in death, his presence still lingered, and in the absence of it, it made everything feel incomplete.

But he wasn’t really gone, was he? That passion he felt. The attachment he felt. The love he felt for the city and its residents. Despite it all, it remained. It manifested itself into a being, building a new body from it. The king, King Minos, had died for love. And in turn, he was born from love. Born for love in a way.

It felt too outlandish to even consider, but V1 didn’t try to avoid the thought once it came. They dwelled on it for far too long, caught between two sides of themself. It was a strange answer to their question…but an answer nonetheless. And in their desperation, it was an answer they were willing to make the treacherous journey to.

They picked themself off the glass floor, staring out into the horizon with a newfound courage. They couldn’t ignore the worry that built up inside them as they made their way deep into the city. Passing by indigo buildings and blue storefronts, V1 traveled along a waterway that carved its way through Lust. The water below rushed by, blowing mist onto the surrounding brick sidewalks and the metal plating of their body. Lampposts flickered in the moonlight, the faint smells of the city fading and being replaced by the stench of a rotting corpse. An overwhelming scent of iron grew stronger the closer they got to King Minos’ body, empty sockets staring them down with every step. Their worry never left them, not even as they approached the red door embedded deep in the corpse’s mouth. It opened with a quiet whirr as the smell lessened some with the quiet tune of an orchestra meeting it in the air. They heard the terminal chime to catch their attention, but they didn’t dare to glance. They dashed down the opening, a sense of weightlessness filling them as they fell down the seemingly endless hole.

The sudden shock of solid ground rattled their whole body, the weightlessness replaced by a heavy air full of dread. On instinct, they switched to their revolver, holding it tight as their footsteps clunked against metal and soon thumped against bone. A flickering torch was perched on the small pedestal, flame dancing as they picked it up and continued on their way.

Darkness surrounded them like watching with intrigue and disdain. The spinal cord they walked on went on forever, the dead silence shaking them to their core. Their grip tightened on both the revolver and the torch as the quiet droned on. Yet they kept walking. Something inside them, call it courage or stubbornness, something deep in their heart and tightly wound onto their bones drove them to keep going. A sigh left them as they reached the great door at the end, the same menacing words carved onto the stone from the last time they were here.

They paused for a second, looking to the ground as they stopped. Would they take the risk? Was it worth it? The question was almost immediately answered. Yes. Yes. Of course it is. They would do anything if it meant understanding more. They needed to understand. They needed to understand Gabriel. They wanted to understand him.

The flesh prison was no easy battle, yet they breezed through it without even realizing. They fought with instinctive skill, switching through their arsenal whenever the time was right and depleting the prison’s health with ease. Before it could even get the chance to heal, the final shot landed. The lingering shock of the Railcannon could still be felt in the air as the prison collapsed in on itself, exploding in a cloud of blood.

They felt a kind of relief wash over them as the blood did too, minor wounds healing themself as they stared at the shining light with a mix of determination and cowardice. The light radiated like the stars they’ve seen before, slowly falling to the ground as a figure emerged from its core. A noise rattled the arena, close to the clanking of chains when they fell to the ground.

“Ahh…” the figure sighed, a smile clear in his voice, “Free once more.” The prime soul of King Minos took his time stretching the fatigue out of him, and despite the void replacing the face that would’ve been there, V1 just knew he was glaring daggers at them. “O’ Gabriel, I shall make mine way out of this vile mockery of a cell and tear mine way up to thee,” he said with a quiet groan as he caressed his shoulder, “And I shall rend thou apart, with thy gore glistening upon the stars no better than a beggar’s execution. ”

He slowly turned towards them, a quiet laugh leaving him once he saw how tense they were. “Creature of steel, I’m sure thou knows how fate unfolds.” Minos laughed again as he took a single step towards them, illuminating the red surroundings with an almost ethereal glow. “I fear not, the face of death. For we hast already met.” They blinked at him, freezing in their place for a moment before cautiously putting their weapons away. This no doubt confused him, though he continued. “Yet thy crimes upon humanity, upon the world,” he spat, opening his arms out wide, “Shall never be forgotten. And thy punishment…is DEATH-”

[I CAME TO TALK.] they hurriedly said, all four hands far out in front of them either in a display of peace or in fear of being hit. Minos stopped in his tracks. He was silent for a long time, unmoving from his spot in the arena as he watched their every move. He tilted his head to the side after a while, straightening his posture after he studied them some more. “...a monster like thou…” he muttered ever so quietly, so consumed by his thoughts that he didn’t see them flinch when he called them that, “...thou wish to speak to me?” A surprised hum left him when they nodded slowly.

Minos stepped towards them, far too silent for their liking. Their hand itched to hold a weapon of some kind, but they resisted the urge to reach for any one of them in fear of breaking the very limited trust they got from him. So they just stood there with twitching limbs as he got closer with each step. “A monster of wire…” Minos mumbled, “A monster of wire and stolen life…” They didn’t know if he was calling them that unconsciously or on purpose. Frankly, they didn’t want to know. “Thou wish to speak to me?” he repeated with a little disbelief, “A monster of all of humanity’s regrets and acts of desperation wishes to talk?”

“Is this some new tactic?” he asked with another laugh. He was dangerously close now, circling them curiously as they never moved an inch. “I’m supposed to let mine guard down around thee so thou can kill me? Is that how this goes?” He went silent again, this one different from all the others. The air hung heavy like he was pausing for them to answer. Their fans worked quietly as their fear kept them from speaking, instead shaking their head ever so slightly. A single flat laugh left his absent mouth. It sounded like he was caught between believing them and killing them where they stood.

They looked straight ahead as he circled them for the last time, coming to a stop in front of them with a small distance between them. Their optic focused on him as he stared at them with a very strange look. If they had a mouth, their throat would’ve gone horribly dry, but with or without one, they forced the words out anyway. [I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU.] they said, worried that they startled him with their harsh sounding voice. Minos tilted his head to urge them to continue. [...I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU…ABOUT LOVE.]

They thought they heard Minos scoff. "Love? I thought I'd never see it again. It's been so long, is this a dream?” Their optic followed him without a word, struggling to read his facial expressions for a hint of what he could be thinking. “Humor me, beast.” Minos said, or more so ordered, “Why doth thou seek such things? I am vaguely aknown that thy kind is no stranger to emotions, I never thought a monster like thou could feel such a thing as love.” His presence softened a bit the longer he stared at V1. A curious hum echoed its way to them. “I’d never thought...had it very been that long? So long that beasts can find their way? To find love?”

V1 never answered. Their silence was an answer in itself, though Minos wanted to hear it from their own mouth. “Apologies for mine questioning, yet doth say to me what urged thou to come to me of all people?” More silence grew between them as they shifted nervously on their feet. [YOU ARE- OR WERE- THE KING OF LUST.] V1 began, quickly going silent as he growled at their words concerning his title, [...THERE WASN’T ANYONE ELSE I COULD GO TO. THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE I COULD ASK ABOUT LOVE, AND SO I MADE MY WAY TO YOU.] Despite their mechanical vocals, he could hear the confusion in their voice and the frustration from it. More of his stature wavered as his curiosity grew. He took a step towards them, partially surprised that they didn’t try to retreat.

Even in his own confusion, another laugh came from him with less hostility this time. “I appreciate the thought. I was worried that during mine time in that awful prison that this world would join to forget the want for love. That all mine work for the city was in vain. I could've weeped at the very thought.” He went still for a moment, before returning to gaze at the machine. “I am glad to see that it persists even now, yet-” He trailed off, his curiosity getting the better of him, “-pray tell, how did thou come to search for these notions? If I may know, what made thou think about love?”

True and total quiet enveloped the arena.

They didn’t answer for the longest time.

[...YOU CAN CALL IT A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE.] they said bluntly, [BUT WHATEVER IT WAS, IT KIND OF…SCARED ME. IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT WHAT I AM.] They looked to the ground, not even as Minos stepped closer. [I DON’T WANT TO BE WHAT I AM ANYMORE. I DON’T WANT TO BE JUST A WAR MACHINE.] His footsteps stopped. The light casting from his body illuminated them as it replaced the stark red of the flesh they were staring down at. [I DON’T WANT TO BE HEARTLESS. I DON’T WANT TO- I DON’T WANT TO BE DISGUSTING ANYMORE.] Warily, V1 looked up, meeting his eyes even with the absence of them. He didn’t say a word, the tilt of his head speaking volumes. [AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND LOVE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ELSE.] they added on, staring at him with a kind of despair. [I NEED TO UNDERSTAND. I NEED ANSWERS.] Minos never replied, the roles switched this time. Worry gathered inside them as they felt a surge of embarrassment quickly approach.

Minos didn’t say anything. He just laughed. “I’m glad thou sought me out of all people.” Soon after, he stretched his hand out to them. “Creature of steel,” he began, not noticing how V1 relaxed or the huff their fans let out, “Thou truly never cease to surprise me. I never thought that in mine lifetime, I would empathize with a machine of all things.” They glanced at his hands before looking back at him. “Consider this a truce.” Minos explained, “For just this instant, time stands still. We are no longer enemies. For just this instant, we shall no longer be enemies, and I shall help thou.” An incredible sense of relief washed over them. But they remained stoic in front of him, shaking his hand as proof of this truce that they’ve made.

“Yet I hast a question for thou,” he said, his hands now behind his back as V1 looked at him curiously, “Could we leave this cell? With mine newfound freedom, I wish to see how much this world hath changed. And with thou as mine first glimpse, I’m sure it hath changed a lot.” Their fans whirred similar to a surprised hum, the white pupil in their optic darting across the fleshy battlefield before they eventually nodded. [MAKES SENSE,] they figured, [ANY REQUESTS?]

***

After quite some time of journeying, they finally reached the unfinished bridge again. Minos had specifically asked that they go here, despite the many different places that V1 figured he would want to go to. Must’ve been for some sentimental reason, they suppose, judging by the way he traced over each brick and pipe that lined the stairwell as they climbed up and up and up. And judging by the way he sighed as he sat down on the glass floor, he would’ve made his way here whether he left with them or not. They didn’t ask for an explanation. Despite the truce, they still felt uneasy trusting him, but assumed the feeling was mutual.

Another long sigh left him. “How long hast I been sleeping…?” he muttered to himself in a strange kind of sadness. He looked out on the horizon with a sense of longing. Like a lover looking out over the sea for any sign of their other half. The idea came from one of the books they’ve read, pulled out from the mountain of data to explain this exact moment. But what was he looking for? They didn’t think it was for any lover he had. Maybe it was for the city’s residents. Maybe it was for the city as a whole. Maybe-

“Grammercy, creature of steel.” Minos said, snapping them out of their train of thought, “I never thought I’d see this view ever again.” They nodded slowly after a few moments, returning to their data before he suddenly stood up. The soft sound of his footsteps against the glass panels was covered by the howling winds below and around them. He stopped just before a large hole, bending down to look over the edge like watching fish in a pond. V1 didn’t know why they compared the two like that, but strangely, it fit quite well. It fit in a way they could understand, feeling their spirits brighten at the thought. [WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS BRIDGE ANYWAYS?] they asked as he stood up, [OUT OF EVERYTHING IN THE CITY…YOU CHOSE TO COME HERE. WHY?] He seemed to freeze up as they could see him deep in thought.

“It’s…” he began once he cleared his throat, “It’s a long story.” He expected to leave it at that but they didn’t move. They tilted their head, accompanied by a low beep. [WE’VE GOT TIME.] they said, patting the space beside them, [TELL ME.] Minos stared at them, nothing but surprised. His staring subsided with a chuckle, returning to his spot on the edge of the bridge a little bit closer to V1 this time. “This bridge,” he started as the howling wind raced beneath them, “was a gift to me. 'Twere the first project of many meant to be created by the residents of Lust itself. This bridge was supposed to make it easier for new arrivals to make it down into the city below. And I-”

“-I loved it very much.” He paused and glanced back at the entrance they came through. He stared at it with the same sense of longing just like when he looked out over the horizon. “I had never gotten something that was solely for me, funnily enough.” Minos remarked with a soft laugh, “I had been so caught up in giving others the world that I had forgotten…it is mine world too.” After a moment of silence, he leaned back on his hands with his gaze never leaving the city below. “It might sound stupid to thee, creature of steel. I wouldn’t bear any ire if thou regards it that way.”

[WHY WOULD I?] they asked, [I WOULD’VE LOVED IT TOO. THESE PEOPLE MUST’VE LOVED YOU VERY MUCH.] They watched him nod solemnly. “I just don’t understand,” he muttered, “I know that, I do! I just don’t understand! Why can’t I accept it? What part of me refuses it?” A frustrated groan left him as he rested his head on his hand. Silence enveloped them except for the soft creak of metal beams and distant sounds of the city below them. “I loved these people. I loved them like mine own blood.” Minos told them, or more likely, himself, “I wanted to give the world to them, yet when they gave me a fraction in return…I just don’t understand.” A sound close to a sob escaped the abyss of his face. V1 couldn’t help but stare, they had never seen something like this. And they didn’t know what to do.

Very cautiously, they rest a hand on his shoulder. His body had stilled before, but now they felt him tense up at the touch. After an achingly long moment of quiet, he slowly turned his head to look at them. “It’s not that I didn’t love them or their gifts. It’s not that.” He leaned back, holding himself up by his arms and looking up at the starry sky. “It had just been so long since I received something for mine efforts, something at all…” he mumbled, “...I had forgotten what it felt like. The joy, the love. And I suppose it startled me. That part of me didn’t understand it, so I never could’ve expressed it.” A soft huff managed to escape V1 like a soft laugh. [THAT MAKES TWO OF US.] they said, hearing him chuckle at their words, [I GUESS DESPITE IT ALL, WE BOTH DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT LOVE, HUH?]

Minos nodded, still staring up at the sky. They stayed like that for a while, time passing them by along the clouds beneath them. Faint bursts of light blinked throughout the streets and buildings far below and out into the distance. He had to squint in order to see the outlines of explosions and glimpses of the demons and robots fighting amongst tightly packed neighborhoods. He watched them all like ants, turning to look at V1 who had laid down to watch the stars. “What drove thou search for me in the first place?” he asked them. He had the question in his mind ever since he’d been freed.

They glanced at him from their place on the floor before they went back to watching the sky. [I DON’T REALLY KNOW.] they answered with some hesitancy, [IT’S PROBABLY A NUMBER OF REASONS.] They went quiet, fans working loudly as they worried about what to say. [I GUESS YOU CAN TRACE IT BACK TO ANGELS.] Minos’ gaze bore holes into their plating at the mention of them. The silence that arose between them could’ve choked them right then and there. “I doubt that it sprouted from that,” he grumbled, “Yet thou hast already proven me wrong. How did that affect thy search?”

[THERE’S AN ARCHANGEL FOR LOVE.] V1 told him as they sat up, [I FOUND IT WHILE I WAS IN- WHILE I WAS EXPLORING.] They brought their knees to their chest, breaking eye contact to watch the city below. [TO HAVE A BEING DEDICATED TO LOVE…IT’S INTERESTING ISN’T IT?] When V1 looked back at him, his posture was no longer tensed up as he switched from looking at the city to looking at them. “I suppose so. Does such a being even remain in this age?” he asked. They figured it was hypothetical though his voice betrayed him as he sounded caught between something hopeful and something bitter. [...I HIGHLY DOUBT IT.] they answered reluctantly, pausing to gather their thoughts. [BUT I’M SURE THEIR PRESENCE IS STILL AROUND. BECAUSE KINDNESS STILL EXISTS. DESPITE IT ALL.]

“I wish I could've met this angel instead,” Minos laughed, “I’m sure they would’ve appreciated such things more.” They spent a bit of time watching the city in silence, questions hanging in the air though neither of them wished to ask them. V1 knew it was really a matter of time before one of them caved and decided to break the tranquility of it all. “Does thou think an angel could possess a heart? Can they love?” he wondered, eyes meeting once more. Their fans hummed again, optic focusing on his face as they went still. [i hope so,] they whispered to themself, [but i don’t even know how.]
“Pardon?”
[SORRY,] they blurted out at full volume, [JUST THINKING OUT LOUD.] He gave them a cautious glance but didn’t say anything else, standing up after some time and stretching. “As much as I’d love to keep hither and reminisce, I fear we won’t get any further in thy search.” He lent a hand out to them which they quickly took. “Grammercy, machine. I am eternally grateful for thy kindness.” He bowed deeply, a laugh escaping their fans as they watched him. [YOU WERE THE ONE WHO DECIDED TO TRUST ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.] they remarked, [IF ANYTHING, I SHOULD BE THANKING YOU.] Even with his absence of any face, they were sure they saw him smiling as he stood up. “I suppose we are both thankful then,” he chuckled, before gesturing to the exit, “Lead the way, creature of steel. I shall be right behind thou.”

They gave him a nod as they made their way down the stairwell. The purple hues of the bridge soon gave way to a soft pink with blue accents around the corners of everything. Light shined in from the glass ceiling, muffling the sounds of fighting outside and replacing it with the quiet hum of air conditioning. How it even managed to stay working, they didn’t know. But it was the least of their concerns right now, they were trying to remember the way to the library from street level.

Behind them, Minos stared at everything with a kind of wonder that would’ve seemed unusual if it wasn’t for all of this. At some points, they would stop and he would tell them the stories that went down here. It soon devolved into conversation as they walked, flowing from topic to topic so seamlessly neither of them noticed. They stopped for a rest in one of many squares in the city, one of the few lucky ones that was spared from destruction. Even though the fountain wasn’t working, the water within it was cold and clear, the coins thrown into it still visible as V1 watched it ripple when they stuck their hand in. Minos sat down on the bench next to them with his arms crossed, looking out at the line of stores surrounding them. “I recall this plaza vaguely,” he said aloud, catching their attention, “One of many new neighborhoods added to the city. There was a ceremony and dancing, it feels more like a dream than anything.” They hummed, returning to watching the fountain though they stopped.

They swiveled their head to look back at him, seeing him still staring out at the storefronts. Only after a few seconds of them watching him, he met their gaze with some surprise. [WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN LUST?] They thought their question was simple, but he seemed to flinch at it for a reason unknown. He glanced away before willing himself to continue looking at them. “I can only imagine what it would feel like exactly,” he muttered, speaking slowly, “Yet I hope it felt as comfortable as it could. I hope it felt like an afterlife and not punishment. That it would feel like love. Does thou understand?” A dreadful silence filled the square, each second that passed making his worry grow more and more. Eventually, V1 nodded, if not slowly. “We must keep going,” he noted with a sigh, letting them lead the way again. They believed they were just about there, they just had to-

“JUDGEMENT!” A bright light and a bang caught them from their thoughts and sent them stumbling forward. They whipped around once they regained balance, their systems up and alert at the sudden danger. Minos dashed towards something, missing it by a hair as his glow shined much brighter now. A ghostly snake snapped at the attacker in the air, bursts of teal flying towards him as a cyan light quickly approached them. A Mindflayer lunged for them, her wires wrapping around their body faster than they could react. The next second and they were up in the air, suspended by the electrical coils as she glared at Minos down in the square. But for some reason…the wires didn’t shock them. If anything, they tried to wrap around them tighter as if to keep them from falling.

V1 flailed around in her grip but she didn’t notice. With their free hands, they grabbed hold of her arm, trying to pry themself away before stopping in their tracks. The scars on her skin felt newly healed, the same scars left by Whiplash. An electronic roar left her as she shot out a burning teal laser at him which he swiftly dodged. It tracked him all around the square, setting the supporting beams of stores on fire and destroying the fountain in the center. They tried telling her everything was fine, though in her haze of anger, nothing could get to her.

The square was covered by a thick cloud of smoke, a strange kind of stillness enveloping them. In this moment of calm, the Mindflayer finally looked at them, giving them a thumbs up and not noticing the glare she got back. Some rubble beneath the smog clattered onto the ground, breaking the silence for just a moment. The shine of Minos’ body suddenly jumped up from the cloud, surprising the two of them. “PREPARE THYSELF,” he yelled, knocking the Mindflayer to the ground with a kick. The force of her landing was enough to blow some of the smoke away, her wires losing just enough for V1 to fall with her, collapsing onto broken bricks not too far away.

Despite the substantial damage, they somehow found the strength to get to their feet, scanning the horizon as the smoke slowly cleared. Minos landed on the ground without a sound, calmly striding over to them though his hidden gaze was locked onto the soft glow of the Mindflayer. A hand reached for them and they instinctively flinched, though it did nothing except push them back gently as he stepped in front of them. A soft hum left him, sounding more like a growl. He stared at the cyan light radiating from the crater for a long, silent moment before he turned to look at them.

Wires grabbed hold of his limbs and wrapped around his neck, a powerful shock coursing through them as the Mindflayer shouted in anger. She kicked him away just as he did for her, grabbing V1’s forearm and trying to pull them with her. They yanked their arm away from her, standing between the two as a barrier to cease their fighting. She whirred softly, bringing her hands to her side though her wires kept zapping at Minos who got to his feet like nothing happened. [WHAT THE SHIT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!] they cried, [FIRST OFF, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?] They pointed at the Mindflayer, shrugging like she was in the right. {I thought he was attacking you! I was trying to get you away from him!} She crossed her arms and looked away with a huff. {What else was I supposed to do?} They didn’t try to interrogate her more, instead pointing at Minos. [SECOND OF ALL, WHY DID YOU ATTACK FIRST?]

“It’s the same as that silicon beast,” he spat, “It was stalking us and I feared it would attack. I only did what I thought was right.” The Mindflayer whirred loudly, her version of a growl. {Why are you with a Prime Soul anyway? Isn’t he supposed to be in prison or something?} They were just about to explain, but their pause seemed like a worthy enough answer. She froze before quickly letting out a groan, shaking her head as she did so. {Dude, when I said you should ask somebody that knew about love-}

{This was not what I fucking meant!} Her shout echoed through the now destroyed plaza, rattling through their chassis as the tensions slowly died down. [OKAY, JUST TO BE CLEAR, NOBODY WANTS TO KILL ANYBODY. ALRIGHT?] The two of them grumbled in reluctant agreement, but in agreement nonetheless. A sigh escaped V1’s fans as they set their arms down. All of a sudden, the Mindflayer approached them, her movements stern and strict. {Can I talk to you for a sec? In this dilapidated pharmacy over here?} They didn’t really have a choice as she dragged them over, seeing Minos follow behind before she quickly stopped him. {No, you stay here,} she told him, {This is robot to robot.}

He grumbled again but did as she said, waiting in the square as she slammed the broken door shut behind them. She took them over to the furthest part of the store, near the freezers which were long shut off by now with the products all expired. The glow of her body and the shine of their wings illuminated the dirty glass, lighting up the space just slightly. {What the fuck, man! You chose him out of all people?!} she yelled once they were far out of earshot, throwing her hands up in the air as she spoke. [I DIDN’T KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE!] V1 rebuffed, [AND BESIDES, HE’S HELPING ME WITH IT! DOES IT MATTER WHO IT’S WITH IF IT’S WORKING?] She prepared to object but stopped at the last second. A surprised hum replaced what she would’ve said.

{How did you even do that?} she asked, not out of anger but out of disbelief. They just knew she would’ve rolled her eyes if she had some when they just shrugged. [I GUESS I GOT LUCKY?]
{You didn’t just ‘get lucky’. You must’ve said something that convinced him!}
They shrugged again.
[HE SAID THAT HE WAS PROUD THAT ‘LOVE STILL EXISTS EVEN IN THIS TIME’ AND THEN WE JUST LEFT.]
Silence overcame them and the pharmacy. The Mindflayer still didn’t seem convinced, more so dumbfounded. {Man, if it were that easy, I would’ve done it a long time ago,} she joked, {He would’ve loved me.}

But she waved away the thought as she returned to a more serious tone. {Are you totally sure that he’s helping you?} she asked nervously with full concern in her voice. They made an unsure motion with their hand, hearing her sigh quietly before she held their shoulders tightly. {I’m surprised you even survived this long,} she muttered under her breath before facing them fully, {I mean- He’s a prime soul! There’s no way you could know what he’s feeling! He could snap at any moment!}

{Y’know, if anything happens, you can just tell me. Me and the other Mindflayers can take care of it.} A surprised chirp left them before they quickly shook their head, grabbing her hands and taking them off of their shoulders.
[I’M NOT PUTTING A HIT ON MINOS.]
{Hey! This comes from the heart! We protect our own, you know?}

[I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT BUT-] They sounded uncertain, but they knew what they were doing. Kind of. [EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. I PROMISE.] She didn’t sound fully convinced, but raised her hands up in agreement. {Alright,} she remarked, {But as soon as things seem fishy, just find another Mindflayer. Tell them you’re a friend of mine. They’ll know what you’re talking about.} A bit-crushed laugh left them as they exited the pharmacy, partially at the thought of her telling all the other Mindflayers about them already.

Minos heard the sound from his spot in the plaza, turning to it with a curious gaze. His void covered eyes narrowed at the sight of the Mindflayer but softened once he saw no hostility in her movements as she spoke with V1. A hum left him, flat in tone as he could feel himself relax. “I believe thou two arriveth to some sort of agreement? May I bid what thou spoke about?” They both shook their heads, though she did it much faster than them. {Secret.} she replied, imagining the frown that he gave her, {Just a talk about robot things. Y’know, solidarity and that stuff.}

A hand found itself on V1’s back, where their wings were installed as they looked at her. She nodded slightly, whispering {We protect our own,} to them before she teleported away in a flash of teal. They stared at the lingering gleam before it faded away, not noticing Minos approaching them. “I don’t like her,” he said bluntly, “She has no respect. Not to mention how she fought.” He punctuated his sentence with a quiet groan as he caressed his neck where the wires had shocked him. “What did thou speak of in there?”

[SECRET.] they repeated, smiling to themself when he scoffed though it held no annoyance. They continued onwards, leaving the plaza and entering a street surrounded by towering buildings. It was strangely empty along the sidewalks, only the soft buzz of still-standing lampposts echoing down the road. Minos’ ethereal glow cast against the indigo bricks and blue windowsills, illuminating what little vegetation grew from the cracks. Upon passing a street sign, he spoke up. “Where are we going, creature of steel?” His booming voice seemed to rattle the very buildings, still sending little jolts of fear down their spine at the sound of it. “Is this the way to the library?” he asked with noticeable excitement, “I would’ve made mine way here after our trip to the bridge. It’s been so long, has it remained standing even after all this time?”

His question was answered by the sight of the smoldering library. A pang of guilt struck through them once they laid eyes upon it again. They could still see some of the flames dancing from between fallen pillars, between the toppled bookcases and between the collapsed walls. When they glanced at him, he was completely still, possibly in shock with how quiet he seemed. Ever so subtly, his glow became weaker and weaker. [I DON’T-] V1 began before quickly stopping themself. They raised a hesitant hand, slowly coming to rest on his shoulder. A part of them wanted to apologize that they forgot about the destruction from their fight with the Mindflayer.

But that other part of them, the smarter side, kept their mechanical mouth shut. A cold, dreadful wind wafted through the quiet. Finally, after some time, they heard Minos sigh. “It’s fine,” he assured them though his voice was soft with alarm, “Some things don’t last forever, I suppose.”

[IT’S A SHAME.] they said, the harsh sound of their vocals overpowering the sorrowful tone they wanted, [I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHAT I’D FOUND.] He turned to them, clearly surprised. Instinctively, they continued. [I HADN’T GONE TO YOU RIGHT AWAY. I TRIED TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH, AND I THOUGHT LUST WOULD BE THE BEST PLACE TO START.] V1 took their gaze off of the rubble and went to sit down at the curb. Not too long after, he took his place beside them. [I TRIED ALL THE BOOKS I THOUGHT WOULD HELP ME LEARN ABOUT LOVE.] they told him, voice nearly cracking, [I TRIED, I REALLY DID! BUT A PART OF ME JUST CAN’T. MAYBE IT’S ALL OF ME?] They heard Minos stutter to reply, and for the first time since they freed him from the flesh prison, he truly didn’t know what to say. Hesitantly, they turned to look at him.

[DO YOU THINK A MACHINE CAN HAVE A HEART?] they asked him. The bright light of their optic shined down at him though it didn’t pierce the darkness of his face. It was so bright it almost overcame his own glow. “Well, I believe so. I know there’s many that use both flesh and metal. I'd assume that a heart can suffice.”
[-NO, I MEANT,] A sigh interrupted their words as they hung their head low. [DO YOU THINK -MAYBE- A MACHINE CAN LOVE SOMEONE?]

Again, he went completely speechless. Another cold wind met them at the street curb.

“...Yes.”

…

…

All that left them was the quiet whirr of their fans. Soon even that stopped, leaving true and total silence between them. They didn’t know what to say. They didn’t know what to feel. But with the calmness of his voice…they felt a kind of relief creep upon them. A relief that they hadn’t felt in far too long. Not since all of this happened. [THANK YOU,] they said, unsure how to express their gratitude as they stood up, [THANK YOU FOR…EVERYTHING.]

Minos laughed, a hearty thing, as it echoed throughout the street and maybe even the whole city. It shook their whole body, down to the metal bones and the thinnest wires. It rattled through their chest, but they couldn’t help but feel a gladness come from it. The sound was so comforting. “Of course!” he cheered, rising to his feet. That familiar glow was back, his white gleam mixing with V1’s yellow light, casting a merge of color onto the pavement beneath them. “I cannot express enough how thankful I am to thee. I don’t think I would’ve ever seen this city again without thou.” He bowed deeply, the action slow to emphasize his respect. “Perhaps if thou find thy understanding, we could do this again? Tell me what thou hath found?”

He laughed again at the ecstatic nod they gave him, content with watching them leave though he quickly stopped them just a second later. “Say, where are thou off to next?” he asked with a genuine curiosity that, for some reason, surprised them. V1 glanced away, fans kicking to life again before they answered with a shrug. [NOT SURE,] they replied, [BUT I’LL THINK ABOUT IT.] They turned away but were soon stopped again. “Creature of steel, would thou mind if I keep by thy side a little longer?”

The request surprised them, but he quickly continued before they could get a word in. “I’d never thought I’d see this beloved city again, and I certainly never thought it would be by the hand of a machine!” He chuckled warmly as their fans huffed with their own kind of laughter. Minos bowed again, this one less grand than the other though it held the same regard. “I wish thou the best of luck in thy quest-” He paused to glance at their name engraved in their chassis, “-V1. And may that understanding find thou as well.” Something inside them brightened at his words, and even with their worry, it endured through the thought of understanding love. Through the thought of love itself. Through the thought of Gabriel.

They didn’t object to Minos’ request as they made their way towards the nearest elevator which was thankfully not far away. Soon, his serene white glow was lost to the buzzing fluorescent lights, the familiar tune of the terminals filling their systems for the millionth time. But for some reason, this time felt different. They couldn’t quite put their finger on it.

The terminal’s ‘tip of the day’ popped up on screen in an attempt to catch their attention, though they ignored it on their path to the exit. [Woah, hey, isn’t my favorite machine in Hell going to say hello?] they saw the text read in the corner of their eye. With a playful scoff, they went over to the terminal, the melody playing louder once they stood in front of the terminal. [There they are!] it wrote, [Man, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen you! What’s the news?] V1 made an uncertain sound, making a similar gesture to go along with it.

[It’s nice to see you back on your feet.] the terminal remarked, though they read it in a much different tone than usual. [WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?] they asked it, quickly growing skeptical. [Oh, you don’t remember?] It would’ve sounded surprised, but they had a feeling it didn’t really mean it. [The Earthmover fight! Y’know with Gabriel, the ‘great Judge of Hell’ where he told you that-]

The text and music quickly cut out, leaving a black screen in its place. [WHERE HE TOLD ME WHAT?] They were fully on edge now, the worst scenarios and possibilities running through their computer brain the millisecond they read the text.

[...nothing…] They could just hear its tone even in written word, their worry only growing heavier in that pit in their stomach. A low beep escaped them, vocalizing their distrust. [I guess it’s important for you to know this, though,] it said, letting the silence drone on as if to worsen their fear for its own entertainment, [Ever since your first fight with Gabriel, the Council of Heaven- stupid name btw-]
They gripped the sides of the terminal so hard the metal bent under their grasp, rattling it around to just spit it out already. [He’s gonna die soon! With the loss of his light or whatever it is that kills angels. Kinda sucks if you ask me.]

[HE-HE’S GOING TO WHAT?!] they shouted, feeling like their power cut out just for a second as all of their worst fears came true. But the terminal couldn’t have cared less, and if it had a body, it would’ve just shrugged. [Yeah! In like, a couple of hours too. I think he’s got twelve hours left? I don’t really care, to be honest.] Text kept popping up on the screen, though they didn’t catch any of it. Gabriel was going to die? Is that why he wasn’t there when they awoke? All of a sudden, a tidal wave of realization crashed into them, answering their questions with such force that it overwhelmed their systems. They could feel so many things rising inside of them, fear, anger, worry, panic. But they tried to keep all of it down just for now, the terminal would humiliate them if they showed even a single sign of what they felt. They knew exactly what they would’ve said.

[You are a war machine, V1. Act like it.]

They hated the way it made them feel, like a barbed wire burning red hot around them, wrapping tighter and tighter.

[WHERE IS HE?] they asked the terminal, wary to maintain their usual monotone voice. [I have no idea.] it wrote, [But he couldn’t have gone far, right? Probably in the layers below. What, is something wrong?] For a split second, they read it as actual worry, but they quickly corrected themself as they shook their head slightly. They just knew they said it to mock them. They just didn’t understand why. It seems like that was for most things nowadays.

V1 didn’t say anything. They walked away, the terminal not even bothering to try and keep them here. Their mind was clouded with all these thoughts, but at the same time, they couldn’t think about anything at all. As they reached the next elevator, they didn’t want to look at the terminal situated here, just to spare themself of more humility as they felt tears begin to well up despite not having any system dedicated to it.

A rickety old dock led to a raging sea, rain pounding against their metal plating as that barbed wire finally broke. They slumped and laid down onto the soaked wooden planks, a small stubborn part of themself trying its hardest to keep everything together. It was no use, and they cried along with the storm.

****

“V1?” Minos called out, “V1?” He was content to wait outside this strange red tunnel they went into, though his worry grew each minute that passed without notice from them. The metal flooring was cold and uneven when he walked on it, stark red paint and noisy lights overwhelming him the second he entered. A slightly larger room met him at the end of the tunnel, a strange box situated in the corner.

A quiet melody floated through the air, a vaguely familiar song that he just couldn’t quite name. Suddenly, the strange box let out a loud ding, catching his attention from the bottomless pit at the very back of the room. [Hey! Minos Prime! Nice seeing you out of prison!] the white text read. He reread it twice in case his eyes were tricking him, the tune the box let out no longer comforting. “Err…would thou perhaps know where V1 is?” Two loud, flat beeps left the box, the screen rattling from the dents in its metal sides. [Oh, they’re long gone by now. Off to find their little boyfriend!]

“A partner!” he exclaimed. Why didn’t they say that earlier? Minos couldn’t contain his intrigue, a surprised hum leaving him. “Pray tell, who is it?” More droning notes left the box, like a crude imitation of laughter. [Well, I wouldn’t say ‘boyfriend’ just yet! He’s still such a wuss, he doesn’t want to admit it!] the text wrote, before quickly being replaced, [Okay, you didn’t hear it from me but-]

[Gabriel totally has a crush on them! :3c]

“…”

[…]

“...Thou must be joking.”

Chapter Text

“Thou must surely be kidding!” Minos scolded, holding onto the sides of the terminal tight, “Wh- huh- Gabriel?!”
The terminal laughed yet again, even when he grumbled in annoyance. [Whaaat? I think it's funny! The judge of hell falling for a ‘mere machine'! A classic love story for the ages!]

“But- it’s Gabriel! Him out of all people?!” He genuinely couldn't believe what he's hearing, or more so reading, right now. All of that questioning, all of that frustration. All of it over Gabriel? Fucking Gabriel? [Listen man, you'd have to get caught up on everything that's happened so far or you'll be off in the deep end.] The terminal tried to explain, [Well, I guess you already are, but you win some you lose some, eh?]

What felt like the fourth long sigh left him as he instinctively went to pinch the bridge of his nose. Only when he remembered he didn't have one anymore did he make eye contact with the terminal again. “I'm not particularly concerned with how those two got to that point-” Ok, he might be lying through his teeth. But he wasn't about to sit through this stupid box’s lecture any longer. ‘-yet I'm just caught up on….why it's Gabriel out of anyone else.”

[It's not like there's many candidates available! >:0] it read, [Besides, love is love! I thought you'd know that out of all people. Are you racist to angels or something?]
A loud slam echoed through this blasted red room as Minos gripped the terminal harder. “Thou knows damn well that's not what I am concerned about.” He muttered. And all that the terminal wrote in response?

[:3]

He couldn't stop the scoff that left him. He let go of the terminal, finally leaving that strange building and back out into the familiar city of Lust. Minos sat down at the nearest bench, resting his arm on one knee and bouncing the other absentmindedly. He stared out into the brick road, deep in thought. Despite how much he wanted to leave unwanted business alone, he just couldn't stop himself from circling back to it. It’s just- Gabriel? Really? They couldn't have done any better?

Not even his time as King over Lust could he have ever imagined this. It was just so out of his realm of understanding. So far into the world of machines and angels. Worlds he's never bothered to try and understand. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. After all, he was no machine. If he was going to get any kind of answers, he'd have to start with a machine itself. And the only one he really trusted, and knew, was off to some other place. It seemed like a dead end for him. Until he considered another path.

***

{Okay, gun to your head, Minos or Sisyphus?} The group groaned simultaneously at the new iteration of this stupid game they were playing. {You're running out of ideas now,} Izzy, the Mindflayer busy filing her silicon nails remarked. She paused for a second, thinking about it for a second. {I guess Sisyphus. I mean, have you seen the paintings of him?}

Raucous laughter spread through the group as some shook their heads at Izzy's answer. {Well, Lacy definitely has some experience with this question, right?}

{Noah! Gross!} She laughed, smacking him playfully on the leg. She just knew that telling them about her close call with the prime soul and that weird war machine would come back around. She just didn't know it would be this soon. {Well, he seemed like a nice guy. Maybe a little overprotective but a solid guy either way!} Noah muttered something underneath his breath, his friend who was leaning on him to exclaim in disgust. Lacy gave the two weird glances before continuing. {He gives me supportive uncle vibes, you know? When he’s not trying to kill you of course.} Izzy set down her nail file and turned towards everyone else. {Okay, what about…V2 and V1?}

{V2, obviously.} Jessie replied, returning to leaning on Noah who also nodded. {They’re literally meant to be the better version of V1. And at least I haven’t been almost killed by V2.}

{Well, you’ve got experience with this question too!} Noah remarked, pointing a finger at Lacy. {Fuck you mean experience? I’m literally not part of this conversation.} she said with a laugh. {Ok, yeah fair. You don’t swing that way, you don’t even swing at all!} He got another laugh out of her as he adjusted his position a bit. {But like- you get what I’m saying. If anything, you have the most knowledge about them now!} She hummed quietly, leaning back on her hands. He did kinda have a point. {It’s cute that they’re trying so hard to learn about love. Like that one show, what was it called? It was the one with the alien I think.}

{You say that as if there isn’t a whole genre of alien movies where that happens.} Jessie told her with a smug tone. {Believe it or not, I have not seen every single T.V. show out there.} she declared, kicking Jessie slightly as the other two watched them, {We’re getting off topic. What about…Gabriel?}

Both Noah and Izzy nodded immediately, earning wild looks from Lacy. {Where are your standards?!} she shouted, the group bursting out into laughter. {But have you heard him though?} Izzy tried to explain herself, though she just kept getting cut off before she could. {Forget about that, have you seen him?} Noah said, {They weren’t kidding when they said he was the right hand man of God!}

{Have you heard the rumors about him?} he murmured, suddenly bringing his voice down. Jessie nodded slowly, something she did whenever she was unsure of something, whereas Izzy exclaimed with a quick hum. {On one hand, it sounds too out there, like they’re just running out of ideas, but I can kind of believe it!} she whispered to him, the two talking about this rumor in hushed voices like someone unwanted was going to hear. {Would that be yaoi? Or yuri?} she asked, almost giving Lacy whiplash with the small amount of context she had.

{Yuraoi?} he replied with a shrug, the two thinking about it for a second before they looked up at the same time, {Yaouri!}

{You guys are fucking nuts,} Lacy muttered, {What is this rumor anyways? What is-}

“Hello?” a voice called out on the street, “Hello? Is anyone there?” The four Mindflayers looked over the edge of the building they were on, greeted by the sight of Minos out in the square alone. {Oh hey look, it's your uncle.} {Actually shut up.}

His hidden gaze found its way on them, waving at them to come over. Or maybe just for Lacy to come over. “Silicon beast!” he yelled, Jessie and Izzy breaking out into giggles at the name for her, “I bring- uh- important news! I beseech thee, come down!” She just groaned, glancing back at her friends who were still looking over the edge. {What the hell does grandpa want now?} Noah asked her, getting a shrug in response.
{No clue. If he tries to kill me, at least take my body somewhere nice.}
{We’ll throw you in the subway, how’s that?}
{You’re too kind.}

The three wished her good luck as she teleported down, still a bit uneasy as she approached the prime soul. {...so what’s all this about?}

“Gabriel is in love with V1!” Minos yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a shake. Instinctively, her wires wrapped around his hands, ready to shock him until she stopped herself. Up above, she could hear Izzy shout {Yaouri is real!?!?!} down to them. {Ignore her.} she said quickly, {And way to go a million miles an hour, god! At least warn a guy before you do that!} A frustrated sigh escaped him, again, going to pinch the bridge of his nose if he had one. “I apologize for mine urgency but it was all so sudden,” Another sigh filled the air, the wires letting go once he let go of her shoulders. “And thou are V1’s friend, correct? I only felt it necessary to tell thou at least.”

He kept going on and on, though she didn’t really care to listen, still caught up on what she just heard until a teal blur put itself between them. Izzy teleported down to them despite the objections of Lacy and the others that remained on the building, floating to meet Minos’ height as he stumbled back in surprise. {Minos! Er- Minos Prime? Mr. Prime? Hi, yeah, I’m Izzy, Lacy’s friend, so you said Gabv1el is real? Like real real?} She heard Lacy groan behind her though she pushed her away with her own wires as Minos tried to regain his bearings. “‘Gabv1el’? Doth thou mean Gabriel?” he replied, not noticing Lacy shaking her head behind the Mindflayer that blocked most of his vision out as she stared at him with a blank, metal face. {Nevermind, nevermind, forget that-} she blurted out, then squealed in excitement, {Is it true? Wait, where did you hear that?! Was it from the Streetcleaners? Oh my god, it’s actually true! I can’t believe it!} Stutters left his hidden mouth as he stepped further away from the two robots to try and make distance. “Thou heard about this?! From where?!” His sudden shouting made the pair flinch, something he didn’t notice as he tried to regroup his thoughts. “And thou doesn’t care? Thou actually likes it? Why?”

{Well, why don’t you? You have a problem with it or something?} Izzy asked before Lacy could get another word in. “It’s Gabriel out of all people!” he repeated, “They go through all of that trouble, all of that confusion over- over him?!”

{I think he’s racist towards angels.}
{You’re now just thinking that?}

{So you’re saying that they could do better?} Izzy asked him, stepping closer though she was pulled right back. “Certainly if the other option is Gabriel!” Minos crossed his arms, looking away from the two. “I just don’t trust it. I’ve witnessed how that angel can act, and for a machine as…special as V1, I don’t want that happening to them.” His tone softened as his ghostly white glow dimmed when he spoke. The Mindflayers glanced at each other, looking at him uneasily until Lacy cautiously approached him. {I guess…I guess that’s a good worry to have.} she assured him, {I would’ve felt the same way if I knew they were swooning over a douchebag.} She heard Jessie and Noah laugh from a distance, though she paid no mind to it as she fully faced the man. {But it’s supposedly- I guess now it’s sort of proven- Gabriel is the one who fell for them. That’s gotta mean he’s changed a bit, right?}

Minos kept looking away, the tension in his shoulders relaxing as he slowly turned towards her. “I…I suppose…”

{I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’ve had my fair share of ‘giving advice to my friend who is dating yet another Swordsmachine’-} Up on the rooftop, Noah shouted in retaliation, breaking her concentration for a split second. {-but you’ve gotta understand that people can change. We’ve both had to learn that, yeah?} He laughed softly, meeting her gaze with much more confidence now. {And if he really does break their heart, then we can totally go beat him up, okay?} Minos laughed again, this one much louder than the last before he let out a content hum. “Hmm. I suppose thou has a point. But I’ll keep mine eye out either way, lest we cross paths again.”

{Besides, where’d you even find out about it?} Izzy piped up, {You don’t seem like the kind of guy to go around looking for gossip.}

“A strange box of sorts told me when I followed V1 into a red hallway. It told me while playing an old tune I thought I’d heard once before.”

She made a hum, twirling one of her wires around her finger as she thought. {A strange box- ohhhh the terminal! Okay, that makes a lot more sense. If anyone was going to know for sure, it’d be them.} She left without another word, teleporting back to the rooftop where Noah and Jessie immediately started questioning her, their faint shouting becoming quieter as he walked away. Until the touch of a cable wrapping around his arm stopped him from going any further, forcing him to turn and face Lacy. {I, uhh-} she muttered, not sure that she would get this far anyways, {Where are you off to now? Just going to wander the city and all that?}

He nodded, going to turn around again before she started speaking again. {Listen, if you find them again, could you send them my way? I really want to talk to them, to make sure they’re okay. Don’t want them dying on me and stuff.} A soft chuckle left him as he nodded once more, earning a non-existent smile and a thumbs up. The wire let go, the lingering glow of her quickly fading away once she’d teleported out of sight.

Now, truly and totally alone, his footsteps sounded so empty along the paved streets. Looking up at the night sky, counting all the brightest stars. He felt a kind of joy at the thought of meeting them again regardless. Maybe after they’ve found their understanding, or whatever they’d said they wanted to find. Maybe when they’re back, they could tell him everything that they’d learned, a smile creeping on his face.
That would be nice. He’d like to see them again.