Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You could hear that sigh of relief from a mile away. After months of non-stop designing, building, repairing, and programming, 'Killdroid's' model had finally been built. The rest of the process did not cross the workers' minds, because the milestone they had reached seemed so far away when they first started. One of the team's members stood up from their spot, flicking beads of sweat off their forehead. She turned to the finished product in surprise. She had always been a fan of the robot's design, but never expected it to turn out so good.

Killdroid's main color was chosen to be a fairly light, but vibrant shade of red. The emptiness of their spherical head was filled in with the infamous Clockwork headphones, coming in an almost unnoticeable tinge of beige. An 'X' shape appears instead of a face, seemingly carved into them. Their shoulders were equipped with large guns; so large that someone thought they were canons. Their robotic limbs and body were long and thin, with clear, circular metal connecters in place of their elbows and knees. Padding using strong materiel covered Killdroid, as if they were armed for a world war. A chainmail vest hugged their torso (it was rumored to be bulletproof by some.) A big, wide tank of ammo was attached to their back. For the grand finale, the lense that was atop the spot where the right eye activated a hovering hologram, with multiple commands appearing in a quick and sudden manner. It was truly a work of art.

Sometime during the group's much-needed break, a gentle knock on the door interrupted the peace. The founder of this project entered the room, the grin on his face widening at what he saw. He excitedly called out for a person on the outside. That person was President Sulfur. The atmosphere tensed up, regardless of the calm expression on Sulfur's face. They kept that silence on for a bit, before deciding to hint at wanting to get the test runs started.

"Greetings, people. No need look so fearful. I am merely here to... What's the word... Observe. I was planning to take notes on Killdroid myself from the start. Surprised that your... Boss hasn't said anything about that." Sulfur mused.

"Oh, Sulfur. You know how nervous they'd be if they knew that the president of Robloxia was paying them a little visit, especially with a deadline. Keeping that information private was for their benefit!" The boss said in return, earning a couple of nods in return.

Sulfur paused, looking around and analysing the area. Their eyes were fixed on Killdroid. Nobody said a word, but their love for the model was clear. Their lips curved ever so slightly, showing everyone present a small smile. No one knew what to expect.

"... I will be truthful here: you all did a fantastic job on this. I couldn't have wished for a better design." Sulfur momentarily stopped. "I sense impatience within me.... I would be grateful if we could begin with testing 'Droid. Shall we?"

The crew looked quite shocked. No one had expected such a response, especially not from someone stereotyped as mean, rude, and insensitive. Nevertheless, everyone relaxed a bit and grinned. They all got up, grabbing whatever tools and drinks they might need throughout the session, and lead the way, dragging Killdroid along with them, unaware of the upcoming tragedy that will bestow upon them.

The cheery chatter died down fast upon reaching the area that was cleared out for the sake of testing. They all sat down in their designated spots at the building nearby, having the builders down, the photographers somewhere in the middle, and the programmers on top. The boss led Sulfur to the rooftop, ready to watch it all from the pretty, sunny view of a morning like this.

The boss - who's name turned out to be Bonus Pad - pulled out a remote of some sort, with only a couple of buttons to use. This peaked the interest of Sulfur, causing them to question the simplicity of such an important device (from their interpretation, at least.) Bonus Pad explained that Killdroid's attacks were limited, despite them having around full control over the directions and placements of the aforementioned attacks. A crew member signed a thumbs up, signaling for the testing to start.

Killdroid was positioned in front of a wooden target. The programmers typed away, installing bits of data after one another. Bonus Pad turned the robot on, Sulfur seeing that as the right time to pull out the notepad to start taking.. Well, notes. Low and behold: Killdroid moved in perfect straight lines, showcasing their other diverse movement capabilities along with it. There was a sudden shift in where their head was at, locking in on the target. "Now, this wooden thing is the criminal it's after. It won't leave its target until its system declares it as 'caught', which usually means dead." Bonus Pad clarified. "Here is what it can do."

Killdroid brought their metallic arms up to the triggers for those enormous shoulder guns. They raised their head up and fired. Two strong missiles shot through the wind onto the wooden figure, unsurprisingly obliterating it. Sulfur's hand moved quick, but they managed to keep the organized look of the page. Bonus Pad looked very proud of what was achieved. It was all going very well. The flight system was amazing, and able to support Killdroid's weight for quite a while. The showcase of the bomb they could make (named 'Killbot') went pretty well, even with the damage done to the property. 'Detonate' was like an emergency button, in which everyone agreed to delay the testing of until the making of more models (and the process becoming easier, of course.)

The same tests were ran a couple of times, with minor differences in the results and the tests themselves. One of the programmers perfunctorily deleted the code for Killdroid's previous target, but wiped another chunk of code along the way. They sighed, casually rewriting it before hearing something they forgot they would.

"Did you two finish inputing the data? The new test subject just arrived!"

That programmer shuddered at the sound of Bonus Pad's voice. They were about to say that they needed some time to 'do something', but their buddy did not give them a chance to speak. No one would have guessed what this small, innocent mistake would lead to.

As Bonus Pad pressed the Flight button, Killdroid glitched out. They malfunctioned, and that caused a huge amount of bullets to release from their guns. People screamed in fear, running for their lives, trying their best to contact legal forces to help. That was not working, as each and every one of them was getting a chunk of their limbs, spines, and organs blown off (or away, I guess.) The scene was a bloody mess; it was horrifying to run into decapitated heads and prominent intestines every so often up those porcelain stairs. Many wanted to puke, but they would be risking their lives by doing so. Sulfur and Bonus Pad made it out, looking the opposite of unscathed. You could barely make out the president's eyes, as they were forced to close them with all the blood pouring down their face. The ambulance that eventually arrived hid from the scene, taking as many living civilians as possible. They were saved, even if all the team's hard work was at the cost of some lives, and a waste of months that they will never get back.

The thought of Killdroid still being out there was quite scary. It was the equvilant of waiting for your inevitable death, slowly but surely, till you're gone. The goverment fails to track them down so many times. And with the amount of chaos, the deaths, and growing danger, the citizens of Robloxia started losing trust in the goverment. Was the fight even worth winning anymore?

"Hello? Is this the goverment office? .....Yes, this is important, why else would I ring this number? .... Yeah, so, I've just found a way to rid of the danger of not one, but TWO of this town's infamous killers. ...."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Government Bot on the Loose; Is This Where the Real Danger Begins?

Article by Anonymous user, 1 year ago

For quite some time now, Robloxia's most experienced builders have been hyping up an advanced piece of technology. We were told that it was the government's most efficient alternative for criminal-catching sheriffs. The bot goes by the name 'Killdroid', further emphasized by its singular goal: to kill. However, during a test run with President Sulfur and Mx. Bonus Pad tagging along, something went wrong. Killdroid malfunctioned, and everything went haywire. The few (and horrified) survivors of the massacre were interviewed just a couple hours ago.

"I-I... I feel like this was all my fault. If I had said anything about losing almost all of data that made sure Killdroid wouldn't attack innocent people it wasn't supposed to touch, maybe things would've turned out different." Said one of the programmers that was part of the crew, who wished to stay anonymous.

The amount of tearful civilians was a sad sight to witness. The cost of the needed repairs shocked many, even with all the damage done.

"The mourning for everyone who lost theirs lives will take place at [REDACTED] Cemetery. I advise everyone to stay home for the time being, as our team tries their best to calm this situation down." President Sulfur announced. They had lost their vision in one eye, and their face was so mutilated that a coverup mask was needed. As they said, it should be in everyone's best interest to stay safe. Be careful out there.

...

Revolver sat in their office room, just following the usual day-to-day routine of finishing up paperwork and answering the occasional online mail. The whole floor was quiet; it felt so awkward listening to the clicking of keyboard buttons and slight humming, it was not nearly enough to fill in the void that came with working overtime. As they fiddled with their spotted, red bandana, they jumped up at hearing the ringtone of a call coming from where the mobile device used to answering important messages was. Looking around tentatively, Revolver stood up, and walked away to go pick up the phone.

... Should they really be the one to do this? They did not think their work position was high enough to do so. Whatever, they do not have anything to lose.

Lifting the wired device to their ear in time, Revolver did not take another second to start the conversation.

"Hello, am speaking on the behalf of The Official Office of Governin'. What would ya like?"

"... Hello? Is this the government office?"

Seems like that man's receiver was not so strong. "Yes, it is. Do ya need our help, or would like to report an issue that can't be delivered to emergency services?"

The host avoided the question. "Are any of the people who were part of the Killdroid project nearby and free to talk? Seeing Bonus Pad would be best for this. I ne-"

"Hey, why'd ya avoid the question? Could ya please clarify exactly whatcha need?" Revolver asked, their suspicion lacing that tone they used.

"Look, sir, I could talk for hours on end, but there are specific people that are better equipped for t-"

"This must be a prank call. If ya don't directly state what you want, 'm hangin' up. Is this even that important?"

"Are you dead serious? Yes, this is important. Why else would I ring this number?!"

"Then quit spit-ballin' and stop wastin' my time. C'mon, what is it?" Revolver questioned as they waited for the answer impatiently.

"... Well, thanks for FINALLY letting me talk... Uh... Yeah, so, I've just found a way to rid of the danger of not one, but TWO of this town's infamous killers."

... The phone almost fell from their hand. This better not be a sick, immature joke. It did not seem like it whatsoever; nothing about that guy's tone seemed cunning, or an act with bad intentions set in mind. That one, single call could be enough to change so many things about the lifestyle of Robloxia's townsfolk. Revolver put the call on hold, rushing to spread that bit of information to everyone who would possibly need it. They fixed up their button-up shirt, shifting their tie to the best angle they could. Looking presentable still held its importance, because something like this practically screamed for all the higher-ups to drop any plans and come to a meeting to interrogate the man on the other end of the screen.

...

The government conducted research, interviews, and experiments non-stop for weeks. It turns out that the man - who goes by the name of Ego - figured out a method for forcefully inserting certain data into machines and devices. This plan would only work on Killdroid and a virus named Badware, however. This is not looking so simple anymore.

Everyone invited to an upcoming discussion sometime before those dreadful days surrounding this topic gathered around each other in an auditorium, waiting for the man (Ego) himself to appear.

Ego got up on stage, script in hand. He was a bit anxious, but it will be all worth it soon.

"Ahem.. Testing the mic. Seems good. Alright. Hello, everyone. I have come here today to thoroughly explain how I'm going to take down two notorious killers in our town, those two being Badware and Killdroid. I'm sure you all have the gist of the... Incident.. from last year. I will get onto the other parts of my speech then. Any quesions?"

The crowd stayed collectively silent as they simultaneously nodded for him to continue.

"Badware has had its 'days of glory' for years. It lives off of pure malicious intent that it considers is 'just having fun.' That 'fun' includes installing a virus that is Badware itself in every machinery you would put in front of it. It kills to continue showing its self-entitled superiority, and boy how it HATES when any humans go against that. Not a soul had found a valid reason for its actions, deeming it worthy of total eradication."

Ego took a deep breath, a sigh of relief following close behind. He was slowly feeling his usual confidence again.

"I would say that I'm very experienced with programming and whatnot. After reading about Killdroid's malfunction, I became particularly interested in the case. Soon after, Id found a way to possibly reprogram Killdroid into switching and locking in on a target of your choice. Do note that this is just a speculation, and we all still need to do tons of preparation for this to even have a chance to pull it off. However, I am willing to do this if it will keep us safe...r.. Thank you. Any questions now?"

The audience paused, but ended the meetup with a round of applaud. They planned a new one soon as the chitchatting morphed into loud laughs and gleaming smiles.

The ending of it all had felt unreal. They all group up and huddled around each other like toddlers, watching the progress bar of the final chunk of data make its way to the other side. No matter how mature you would see them act elsewhere, they could not hide the childlike excitment of feeling at peace or safety. They cheered in a synthetic manner once the download finished, waiting for the code to finally take those machines down.

...

[ ERRO-OR: CODE INFILTRATio... ]

[ NEW INITIATIVE: TAKE DOWN INDIVIDUAL 'BADWARE' ]

Chapter Text

[ ERRO-OR: CODE INFILTRATio... ]

[ NEW INITIATIVE: TAKE DOWN INDIVIDUAL 'BADWARE' ]

...

One year ago...

It was sometime in the morning, as Killdroid's system detected. A group of people were taking them somewhere. The CPUs in them collected information on the location and saved data on those same people dragging them along. There would be the occasional, slight glitches, but none of those.. Humans.. even noticed. The testing grounds were flat, and the setup was not too bad. The only equipment there had happened to be a set of fairly big, oak wood cutouts, and some basic building tools (hammers, screws, etc..). Their code had not had enough details inputted to recognize almost anything. They would experience random surges of facts, objectives, commands invading their mechanical mind. It was all they knew.

Shot after shot, explosion after explosion, Killdroid learned that this process was the only thing they were meant for, quickly saving that in their memory card. They did their best to adapt and obey, seeing how those beings controlling them treated others differently when making a mistake. They analyzed the destruction that no one bothered to lessen. All anyone was doing was making weird, happy noises when the wooden targets became nothing but ash. It stained the sidewalk, coating it in a dirty and dark shade of grey. Someone inside the cyan-colored building loudly announced: "There's an excessive amount of unnecessary shit entering Killdroid's database, gotta delete that." Were the others agreeing with that woman using that vertical head movement? Killdroid immediately forgot about that as all analysis got erased from their memory, as the crew was close to preparing their next target.

Suddenly, there was a quick, large shift in a LOT of Killdroid's main code. The programmer beside the woman from earlier panicked. They knew what had to be done. Every human in their proximity must be blasted to smithereens. They cleared the area of any sign of life, making it filled to the brim with the metallic tang of blood, along with rotting corpses they were never told to worry about.

Killdroid's next instinct was to look for more civilians; it was their whole purpose after all. They used the blasters attached to the bottom of their legs and flew away, no thought or heart (physically) they could depend on. There was no praying to successfully flee from government forces, no hope for finding anyone at all. It was just them and their code.

...

Current time...

It was certainly a more lush, environmentally packed area of the town. The trees were shields for fragile animals, the sunlight gave the leaves and flowers a bright tinge of yellow, reflecting the shine of those measly water droplets slowly dripping off the plants. This was not a place for residency, Killdroid assumed. This meant the struggle of finding an escape would statistically increase in difficulty. However, their search continued, as there was nothing important enough for them to stop.

Bzzt... Bzzt...

There was a little bump in the amount of electrical voltage powering Killdroid. Confusing, but their systems did not activate any of the emergency plans. Deciding to ignore it, the surge of power was gradually becoming a hassle.

[ ACTIVATING PROTOCOL: HIGH ACTIVITY REDUCTION ]

This did not ease the rising heat in Killdroid. They could not feel pain, but this increase in active commands and whatnot was torture. Their arms were uncontrollably moving, seeming to have a mind of their own. The bullets in the guns on their shoulder would spontaneously get shot out, causing some unfortunate animals to die on impact, as well as a wildfire starting. A malware was infecting them and redirecting all their code to becoming something entirely different. They were running all over the place and could not gain full control of themself back. Detonate looked like their only option. Their overworked CPUs quickly inputted the code for what seemed like their last resort. They are likely to cause irreversible damage to this entire perimeter, but Killdroid did not care. They could not. They were about to turn into bits and pieces of iro-...

[ SYSTEM CALMING DOWN.. ]

Killdroid cooled down in nearly an instant. Suddenly, all that filled their memory card and database was information about it.

Name: Badware.

Known as an entity that originates from the Toolbox. The main cause for a mass breakout that occurred at the T.A.S.F.

Possesses the ability to inject a powerful virus in any machinery it can lay its hands on.

Known skills: able to significantly boost its speed, ram into anything with supernatural force, and teleport to any device it has infected.

A couple of images popped up in Killdroid's head showing what seemed to be Badware. It had a head that resembled a TV screen, along with dark green antennas attached atop it. There was a smiling face rotated sideways overlaying the binary code on its screen. Its physical vessel was abnormally tall, seeming to be almost seven feet. There were two large, bent, grey metal pipes on its back, along with three broken wires for tails. From the front, its torso had an image of a ribcage drawn with black. Its limbs were covered in aluminum foil and laced with silk, their ends made of what looked like some sort of iron. A figure that what easily recognizable, they thought. They immediately started looking for it.

Killdroid was still looking for Badware for a whole hour by now (if they could, they would be sighing in annoyance at the moment). They kept an eye out for any machine out in the open, as they were told to associate those with the virus. There was a faint sight of a large figure from afar, and heard a variety of 'beeps', and something being said in morse code from the spot where that figure was. They flew towards it, only to find out that they ran into what they were searching for.

Badware paid no mind to them, humming something in a robotic intonation.... until it got shot in the back by a speeding bullet.

"HEY!_WHAT_WAS_THAT_FOR?"

It turned around, spotting Killdroid behind it, several inches between them and Badware.

"OH._AREN'T_YOU_THAT_ROBOT_THAT_WENT_ROGUE_LAST_YEAR?" Badware said, pausing momentarily.

"SINCE_WHEN_DID_YOU_DECIDE_TO_GO_AFTER_THE_REAL_DANGER?" it continued, its tone making it seem pretty full of itself. Killdroid did not reply, continuously launching attacks at it. It swiftly dodged most of them. They launched themself up, shooting it from above.

"THAT_ISN'T_FAIR._AT_LEAST_GIVE_ME_A_CHANCE_TO_FIGHT_BACK!"

...

A while into the encounter, Killdroid glitched out and completely stopped what they were doing. Why were they not attacking a human? How did two chunks of code that were the complete opposite of each other even activate? The code said that they were supposed to be killing people, but they were also supposed to ignore them and go after Badware.

Badware smiled in the background. It knew what it had to do next.

Chapter Text

Badware reference for this fic! (I drew it from memory at school don't kill me if it looks weird)

-------------------------------------------

The screeching of metallic limbs was the loudest sound Badware heard there. It had spent what felt like hours trying to switch Killdroid off and take them to somewhere secure. It had been meaning to get its hands on the robot ever since that disastrous genocide occurred, but steering clear from the government and trying to steal something those same people rightfully own was not going to work. It fixed their posture, laying them in a proper manner on the coarse ground. It stared at them for a moment. It took a quick look at its surroundings, before its neutral expression switched back to a grin.

Badware immediately searched for screws, checking every part of Killdroid's model. It found some on their back, struggling to remove them. Gradually, they came off, revealing a set of colorful wires all leading towards a part of their head. It tugged on some carefully, trying to figure out what to do. What made it feel genuine curiosity was how they went from trying to blow it up to a destructive malfunction in such a time span. It knew that the answer would present itself in their code. It looked for any sort of physical CPUs that it could work with, and maybe it could even use this to finally get ahold of the most interesting machinery it has seen.

This was getting irritating. Badware did not have anything to work with, and it seems that Killdroid is stuck with it now. Not like it cared. In fact, their company could be quite beneficial. It fixed them up, bending down and directly facing them as it waited for them to turn back on. If it had to guess, the person controlling Killdroid messed up while trying to get it killed. That was not such a great move, it thought. It had so much planned for it and Killdroid, and would certainly treat them better than their creators.

...

The Devastating Disappearance of Killdroid

Article by anonymous user, 1 hour ago

It's been a year since Killdroid's infamous malfunction. Since then, our government haven't been able to get them back together, and stop it from taking the lives of innocent people. Recently, a man who goes by the name of 'Ego' managed to install a malware in Killdroid's code (with the help of a couple of others). This malware was supposed to completely shift their current directive, and make their target another criminal named 'Badware'. However, this did not work out too well.

Killdroid's last known location was the [REDACTED] forest, as there was evidence that they were the cause of the fire that burnt it down. Many dead animals were found there, too. The government is working on fixing that.

We have public footage of Badware and Killdroid interacting, and in it, we can see that the malware's infection succeeded. Killdroid ceaselessly attacked Badware, even though it was not going great for them. All of a sudden, they glitched out, and that's how the clip ended.

Ego recently reviewed all the code he'd made with his team, revealing a huge mistake. "While polishing the code, we had forgotten to remove a certain statement. The malware was supposed to eliminate their focus on the civilians, yet we had mistakenly left the bit of code that told them to only go after townsfolk. It is likely that this error caused the footage of their fight with Badware to get cut short, but we are still trying to fix this. Just... give us some time."

It is rumored that Killdroid was taken by Badware, considering its malicious behavior. A bounty of 500,000 RBX has been set for them, whether it be destroying them or delivering their bodies to someone who works for TOOG (The Official Office of Governing). Come with both or leave with nothing.

Good luck out there.

...

"WAKE_UP."

"COME_ON_KILLDROID,_ARE_YOU_DEAF?"

"WOULD_KNOWING_THAT_THE_GOVERNMENT_IS_AFTER_US_TWO_HELP?_NO?_DAMN_YOU."

"I_DIDN'T_ACCIDENTLY_KILL_YOU_OR_SOMETHING,_RIGHT?"

A small 'boop' noise could be heard. Killdroid was activated once more, with new, fresh data to function off of. They seemed to be in an isolated corner of the country, and assumed they were all alone.

[ SYSTEM ACTIVATING... ]

But they were met with the cartoonish smile of a very familiar someone.

"[ INDIVIDUAL RECOGNIZED. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU NEED, BADWARE? ]"

"OBVIOUSLY_SO._I_NEED_TO_TELL_YOU_SOMETHING."

"[ SHALL I SAVE THIS INFORMATION FOR LATER? ]"

"YES._GEEZ,_YOU_TALK_YOU'RE_A_HUNDERED_YEARS_OLD."

"[ ... I'M UNSURE OF WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT. ]"

"THAT'S_NOT_IMPORTANT._THE_GOVERNMENT_IS_TRYING_TO_TRACK_US_DOWN_FOR_A_TON_OF_MONEY,_APPARENTLY."

"[ AND WE ARE THE TARGETS FOR THIS BOUNTY? WHAT FOR? ]"

"A_LOT._YOU_SEEM_FINE_WITH_THE_IDEA_OF_PERMNANTLY_SHUTTING_DOWN."

"[ OH, THANK YOU FOR NOTING THAT. IT SEEMS I HAVE TO AVOID THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE. ]"

"AND_I'M_COMING_WITH_YOU._YOU_WILL_NOT_QUESTION WHY,_OKAY?"

"[ I ASSUME IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE ALSO BEING HUNTED DOWN, BUT IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT, THEN ALRIGHT. ]"

Badware stood up, extending its hand to the robot laying under it. Killdroid raised their arm immediately, making it seem like an automated response. The two took off, even with nothing to do in mind. The virus continuously attempted to spark a conversation, but the robot beside it did not give it any satisfactory responses. It did not stop, though. At least that filled in the void of what was supposed to be awkwardness. There was no real tension between two machines who supposedly can not feel, and that was the harsh truth. Wasn't it?

...

"Ego, be honest. How do ya fuck up somethin so big?"

Ego turned to that voice with the southern accent instantly, irritated at their comment. He instantly recognized who that was.

"How many times do I have to tell you that the review was not part of my job, Revolver? Go ask your beloved co-workers about that." He replied, trying to keep the sarcasm minimal and struggling to stay calm.

Revolver sighed in return. "Unfortunately, they all ran at the chance to set up a team to catch 'Droid, so I'm stuck with ya."

"... You piss me off. But that isn't so relevant, because I need to explain to someone my second plan to stop these robots from committing murder."

"Ya say that like 't's a joke."

"I'm just trying to lighten up the mood, Sergeant. My bad. I can get to the serious part now."

So Ego went on about how he could entirely reprogram Killdroid, and just keep them somewhere till everyone finds a proper time for testing. Revolver did not agree with the plan this time. They reminded him of how much time that would take, and how the programmer duo for the initial project spent months on it. Ego nodded, realizing that the plan was quite impractical. He asked Revolver for a different idea, and the sheriff gladly agreed to share theirs.

"I was thinkin of trainin the batch of hunters or whatever ya wanna call 'em. Ya gotta remember that these things aren't just some random machines that have cool-lookin gadgets attached to 'em, they're killer robots on the loose. We at least need a chance to win against 'em in case of an emergency."

It was silent in the room for a split second.

"You know what, I like that. We'll inform the team about this later, okay?"

But who said that those robots would not do the same?

Chapter Text

"FOUND_SOMEWHERE_FOR_US_TO_STAY?"

"[ IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A GREAT SPOT FOR PRACTICE. ]"

"...IS_THAT_YOUR_FANCY_WAY_OF_SAYING_YES?"

...

The two strolled through an abandoned-looking area of the city. It seemed to be nearby that forest with the wildfire from earlier, but there was no one from some sort of emergency service team patrolling the place. That was a bit weird. Badware had told Killdroid that they both need to train themselves and be ready for anyone with a gun to approach and try to destroy them. It was searching for somewhere fitting enough to give each one some room to improve their skills to make sure they are never caught. The grassy floor of the place was like the sun shedding light upon the dark, wilted leaves of the bushes. There was a barren land relatively close by, but a row of trees was guarding the entrance.

"THAT'S_GONNA_BE_A_HASSLE_TO_GO_THROUGH._MIND_IF_YOU_CLEAR_IT?"

Killdroid, who was hovering above Badware (for lookout), slightly nodded before shooting out a powerful missile from their shoulder guns. It soared through the air and destroyed most of the path. Looks like there was another fire on its way. Badware shifted its expression to an unamused one, audibly sighing.

"I_CAN_GUARANTEE_THAT_YOU_WOULD_HAVE_BEEN_JAILED_A_LONG_TIME_AGO_IF_YOU_WEREN'T_SOME_ROBOT."

Badware did not exactly mind some chaos; it was all in for it. But if that chaos was being caused a sentient machine that could easily turn it into ashes, it has got to do something about it. It tried to seem angry about what they did. This, unfortunately, failed to work, because Killdroid had almost no understanding of anything remotely human.

The two stepped up to the plain spot, with the virus walking up right to their face. They halted, patiently waiting for what else it had to say. They watched as it (messily) created "targets" out of dirt, wood, and whatever was left of the explosion.

Those figures feigned the texture of bark, standing unexpectedly at around Killdroid's height. Badware failed to create a humane face for them, resulting in quite the unsettling sight.

"[ SYSTEMS FOUND UNABLE TO DETECT OBJECTIVE. ]"

"THEN_YOUR_SYSTEMS_ARE_INHERENTLY_STUPID."

"[ THAT STATEMENT IS INCORRECT. THEY ARE BUILT TO ADAPT EASILY TO CHANGE AND HARBOR TRAITS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE. ]"

"YOU'RE_JUST_INSULTING_MY_BUILDING_SKILLS_IF_SO._I'LL_HAVE_YOU_KN-"

"[ PLEASE CLARIFY REQUIRED DIRECTIVE TO USE AGAINST THESE INDIVIDUALS. ]"

Badware stopped constantly motioning towards the figures (which was to try to signify that what they were for was an obvious matter). It did not say a word.

"[ ARE THESE THE 'TARGETS' YOU HAPPENED TO HAVE MENTIONED AROUND TWENTY MINUTES AGO? ]"

"YES._WHAT_I_NEED_YOU_TO_DO_IS_SHOWCASE_EVERYTHING_YOU'RE_ABLE_TO_DO_ON_EACH_ONE."

[ WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITIES FROM WEAKEST TO STRONGEST? ]"

"YEAH_YEAH._WHATEVER_WORKS_FOR_YOU."

Killdroid lifted their robotic arm to the trigger of their left shoulder gun. They immediately clicked it, releasing a racing, shiny bullet from it. Though this shot missed the target, the bullet pierced through the terrain behind it. The smell of smoke was quietly spreading. They were not done. They raised their other arm, shifted their position, and pulled the other gun's trigger. That same large, thin missile from earlier blasted out, obliterating the first dirt figure.

"YOU_HAVE_TERRIBLE_AIM." Badware blurted out.

"[ I THINK THAT IS MADE UP FOR BY THE FACT THAT IN FLIGHT MODE, IT LOCKS ONTO THE CLOSEST TARGET AND AUTOMATICALLY AIMS THE BULLETS TOWARDS IT. ]"

"HMM._FAIR_ENOUGH._SHOW_ME_WHAT_YOU'VE_GOT,_DROID."

A loud 'wirr' sound played before Killdroid was up in the sky, showing that they have full control over the directions and height they could be at. Badware had to shout and point towards the figure they needed to take out, because there seemed to be no other way to give out that information (at least, that's what it looked like from all those videos and from its own interpretation).

It only took two shots to turn the second target into ash once more.

...

Somewhere nearby...

"We'll be splitting into two teams; one with me and Caretaker, the other with Punch and Care Pad. Got it?"

All the civilians nodded in synchronization.

"Taunt... Are you sure you can do this?"

"Yeah, Steph. I know I can. Whoops, name drop. My bad. Let's just go, those two rogue robots could be anywhere."

There were around 15 people in total, and all of them were vigilantes. They were all worried about the risks of getting caught, but some were just money-hungry enough to agree to the plan. They carried rifles, shotguns, and whatever anyone thought would come in handy.

"Is everyone ready?" Care Pad asked, earning whispers and mumbles of 'yes' or 'mhm'. "Remember, if anyone is hurt, I've got my healing pad with me. Don't see me? Just holler."

And they all headed towards the forest, into the oblivion.

...

"COULD_YOU_RUN_THAT_BY_ME_AGAIN?_I_STILL_HAVE_NO_IDEA _HOW_A_GRENADE_CAN_JUST_COME_OUT_OF_THERE."

"[ THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME YOU HAVE ASKED AFTER EVERY SINGLE EXPLANATION. I SUGGEST WE JUST GO BACK TO PRACTICING. ]"

Badware's face switched to a silly, sad one. "EXPLAIN_IT_ONE_MORE_TIME._UHH,_PLEEAASE?"

"[ ALRIGHT. JUST WATCH. ]"

Killdroid clicked that button attached to that holographic lense, a grenade around the size of a handball slid out of one of the shoulder guns. It was painted in red, similarly to their main color. It had a small smile drawn on it, eyes glowing red. Badware remembered to step away before the thing blew up on it.

"[ THERE IS A PROCESSER THAT IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO WHERE THE AMMO IS STORED. IT USES THE GUNPOWDER INSIDE THE MISSILES AND BULLETS TO FILL UP THE KILLBOT. A PIPE THEN LEADS IT BACK TOWARDS THE GUN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?"

"WOOAAH._I_WONDER_WHO_DESIGNED_YOU."

"[ MY CREATORS AR- ]"

"I_WAS_FEIGNING_INTEREST._GOT_ANYTHING_ELSE_YOU_COULD_DO?"

"[ THE ONLY OTHER THING I COULD SHOWCASE IS AN EMERGENCY DETONATION THAT ONLY ACTIVATES WITH HIGH PRESSURE. I WOULD CEASE TO EXIST IF USED. ]"

There was a momentary, awkward pause. The atmosphere switched in a blink.

"WHY_ARE_YOU_SO_CASUAL_WHEN_TALKING_ABOUT_DEATH?"

"[ BECAUSE IT IS INEVITABLE. NO POINT IN DWELLING ON WHAT MUST COME. ]"

"SOME_OUT_THERE_MIGHT_WANT_YOU_TO_STAY._DON'T_YOU_THINK_ABOUT_THAT_SOMETIMES?"

"[ I DON'T THINK ABOUT MUCH. WASTE OF TIME. ]"

"I_WANT_YOU_HERE,_WHETHER_YOU_LIKE_IT_OR_NOT."

"[ YOU MAKE YOUR INTENT REGARDING THAT SOUND BAD. ]"

"IT'S_NOT,_I_SWEAR!"

"[ THEN WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND TONES. ]"

"THAT_MEANS_I'M_GOING_TO_STICK_WITH_YOU_FOR_AS_LONG_AS_I_WANT_BECAUSE_I_WANT_YOU_TO_ACTUALLY_LIVE."

"[ ... THAT'S A GOOD THING, CORRECT? ]"

"YES_IT_IS!_YOU_ARE_COMICALLY_STUPID."

"[ I DO NOT THINK THAT HELPS WITH YOUR CASE. ]"

"JUST-_GO_BACK_TO_BLASTING_STUFF."

"[ WHATEVER YOU SAY. ]"

...

The next couple of hours consisted of Badware and Killdroid watching as the latter tried to basically perfect their aim. The virus spoke about whatever it could remember from past interactions with pesky civilians, or any run-ins with different criminals. It was so... different from them. It was expressive. Human, even. They found themself listening to all the ranting and watched how its expression changed based on the situation. What was this sensation? Why did they want to stick with it, just like how it apparently wanted to stay together? It was strange. They were a bit confused. However, they ignored that pestering thought, and continued shooting.

The sun was setting, and the training had quickly shown its effect. Those townsfolk were dead. Anyone with everlasting greed would jump at the opportunity to get them once found, except now they could take a fight better than ever.

"There they are!"

Chapter Text

A crowd of people that vary in skill.

A duo consisting of two machines that harbor abilities with great synchronous potential.

One was lead by an energetic, loud, and snazzy guy, along with his friends and whoever agreed to come along.

The other two did not have a leader, and did their own thing together.

There was a lingering thought that would keep them going.

The group was determined to take them down.

They would never allow that.

Badware and Killdroid took a fighting stance, each facing a different side. The civilians gathered around them in a circular motion. Cornered, stuck. Could they do anything about this? They were left with no choice but to coat the floor with dead bodies, for the sake of survival.

A sudden shout came from the crowd. "THAT ROBUX IS OURS! TODAY WILL BE THE LAST DAY YOU'LL STAY ALIVE!" Maniacal laughter followed this statement.

Now that the team was split into an even formation, it was Badware's time to show its true capabilities.

Nobody wasted a second of this golden opportunity, launching every attack they could. Outnumbered, about to lose this instant. It could not be the end already.

Bzzt... Bzzt...

That sound was familiar. That feeling was too. A strong source of electricity powering up the voltage level. The boost of momentum was noticeable. It made moving around with all that heavy, strong wiring so much easier. Killdroid struggled to remember where this came from. The civilians charged at them simultaneously. How was any of this fair?

Suddenly, a large computer setup came crashing by, slicing off a man's feet in an instant on impact. He screamed in agony as blood spewed out of his legs, with a woman yielding a first-aid kit rushing to his rescue. He failed to even move from his place. Killdroid's first instinct was shoot. They did, no questions asked. The man was now covered in ash, and that fluid, red liquid was now all over his chest as the life from his eyes quickly faded away.

The woman could only gape at the scene in horror before running to help anyone in need, in hoped to prevent future deaths.

There was a recognizable noise amongst the shouting and clacking of metal; morse code. Killdroid instinctively turned to the 'beeps ', finding the source right behind them. Badware was using it to communicate safely with them. A smart tactic, they had to admit.

[ TRANSLATOR ACTIVATING.. ]

"HEY,_DROID,_HOPE_YOU_CAN_HEAR_THIS_WITH_ALL_THE_SCREAMING.

SEE_THAT_COMPUTER_OVER_THERE?

I'VE_HAD_THIS_THING_AROUND_FOR_A_WHILE_NOW.

I'M_ABLE_TO_USE_IT_FOR_A_HANDY_SPEED_BOOST!

I'LL_BRING_MORE_OVER,_BUT_THE_AMOUNT_OF_ENERGY_IT_NEEDS_IS_HEFTY. "

Killdroid was unable to reply, but they immediately took advantage of this information. They stayed at the device's perimeter, catching up to any civilian that tried to hinder the duo's progress. They became a rising threat; those humans backed away as soon as they tricked too close by. Dealing with Badware was not much better, however (quite the self-discovery, you could say), as it lunged at a medic from the group with immense force, making him cough out blood and kneel in pain from getting pierced near the stomach by its attachable antennas. He was about to get up. He seemed pretty unscathed. He squinted his eyes enough to avoid getting any dust in them, but was met with a bullet straight to the temple.

"CARE PAD? CARE PAD? STEVE? COUSIN STEVE? NO. NO!"

That makes two civilians down, with twelve more to go.

...

A vibrant green building pad was dropped by the now dead medic. Badware stepped on it, crushing it. The bits and pieces of what was left were scattered everywhere. A teenage boy with short, thick, and badly-trimmed hair skipped by, a look of fear on his face. Their gaze landed on the rotting corpse of Punch and Care Pad, getting notably disgusted by the sight. Eyes painted ripe red by fluid and a burning hole in someone's chest was not exactly normal. Their lack of focus caused them to trip over a sharp chunk of concrete, hissing in pain, and resulting in alerting the virus. They were practically immobile, as they had completely dislodged their ankle bone. They begged for mercy with tears boiling in their sockets.

Badware did not have anything to say. It approached the kid, powerfully stabbing its hand through the space between their stomach and lungs. It got stuck in there, causing them to continuously suffer as they lost blood. It constantly attempted to pull its hand out, only making the wound deeper. They cried for help, clearly on the verge of death. The female doctor panicked in the background of it all, rushing to pour some of the herbal medicine in her 'special bottle' onto them. While this succeeded (somewhat), their vital organs were found unable to function, inevitably leading to losing their life.

The death of a child is cruel, but it is a saying that stems from sympathy, emotion. Killdroid and Badware would never understand that.

All they did kill, kill, and kill.

Their fault? Quite a bit of it, but you cannot solely blame the two.

They were just trying to survive, even with no true grasp of the concept of living.

...

Killdroid was overpowered by the team's leader and his 'minions' (as 'Driod thought of them). The missiles were not enough, those bullets were made measly now, getting avoided by the three of them. Badware warned them to avoid using flight mode, as it could possibly reveal their location and get the two caught. But when you might be forced to surrender a fight because of weapon-wielding maniacs, you have to do what you deem is necessary.

A sound cued with the activation of the jetpack and blaster at Killdroid's feet, raising them a couple of feet in the air. The civilians' heads rised up in surprise at their sudden counter, leaving them with only one option.

To run.

You fell for the trap you placed.

A shot in the head. An extremely impactful explosion. Rinse and repeat. Limbs launched up in the air, an acquaintance's falling body lying statue still on the ground, followed by the widening of his eyes and jaw.

Flee from this Terry.

It is too late for a cash-grab now.

You set them up for death.

You were the one who underestimated their true skills, their true destructive nature.

It is your turn to join the incomplete corpses of your friends.

You deserve this, Taunt.

Goodbye.

He could not help himself. His instinct made him go, exhausting his muscles and tanking all the shots coming at his non-vital parts. He needed to get this monster away from everyone. Away from her. Especially her. He could be in heaven, hell, anywhere, yet he wanted her to live. She has to stay and tell the story. She has to be rewarded for her hard-working nature and pretty smile that is able to brighten anyone's day.

Excruciating pain invaded his head. Fatigue had risen. He was a goner.

BOOM!

That was five civilians down, with nine more to go.

...

Badware and Killdroid were forced to regroup, becoming easily outnumbered once more. Seemed like those left were just 'extras' (which, again, was according to the gunned robot that has no understanding of anything human), as they did not have any dangerous weapons of helpful tools in hand. Some pulled out their fists, others frantically searched for any leftover healing equipment, but one of them stood his ground, holding up his arms. He looked very strong in terms of physical appearance.

"PSST..._DROID..._I_KNOW_EXACTLY_WHAT_TO_DO.

JUST_LEAD_THE_GROUP_OF_PEOPLE_AWAY_FROM_THE_COMPUTER_OVER_THERE,

AND_WATCH_TELEPORTATION_DO_ITS_MAGIC. "

Killdroid was not too sure of what Badware meant. It could talk in quite the confusing way sometimes. They trusted it, though, despite how silly and unserious it acted around them.

The punches and slaps did nothing to the robot, and they managed to take out two people in one go. Missile explosions were quite the strong ones. Blood was all over the pathway because of all the rotten bodies of the vigilantes. The metallic tang and the stench of sweat unknowingly filled the air to the brim (to the robot duo). Block - the aforementioned physically intimidating guy - was about to puke. He withstood, for the sake of all the people left. Be strong. Always be strong. Sacrificing oneself for the sake of others is not only noble- it can lifesaving, beneficial, strategic.

But no. He was cornered.

Badware appoarched him from behind as Killdroid stepped up to the front.

A swing to the head, so strong it could knock someone out cold.

A kick to the stomach, followed by a bullet to the shoulder.

They beat him to a pulp.

All the team could do was stare in fear, immobilized from how horrifying it was.

It certainly was not so great to watch someone's pores become multiple exits for the slowly flowing blood in them. The bruises on Block's skin looked too prominent, too brutal. No one could continue watching. Caretaker could not move an inch. She sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. She was so useless.

Another mangled man served to the traumatized survivors. Who was to say that you would be able to still call them that?

That was eight civilians down, with six more to go.

...

Caretaker was never the most reliable nurse. Sure, she had some experience and skill, and a lot of people often suggested for her to come along on missions like these, but she was not... all what she is made out to be.

She swore she healed them. She tended to their wounds. She wrapped up their arms, faces, legs, and even chests with bandages, all with a smile on her face.

Where did all of that go?

How did this even happen?

They relied on you, Steph.

They cared, but you did not.

You careless, careless medic.

POW!

Five more on the team.

She could not reach them in time.

SLASH!

Four more on the team.

Her medicine went to waste. She must have used it too late.

POOF!

Three more on the team.

They just disappeared. It was at the heat of the moment.

There was one other person left.

Eyes welling up, they hugged Caretaker, promptly taking their own life.

One more on the team.

Just her.

The selfish, cruel doctor.

The failed healer.

Careless.

...

And that was all. The fourteen vigilantes, all lifeless on the rough ground. Blood smeared across the rocky texture. A truly horrid sight to witness. Where was that man's chest? Where was that girl's clear skin? They were all gone. Pests swarmed each and every corpse, gradually nibbling on every part. Killdroid and Badware could only stare. Even without experiencing the same pain, they knew how it must have felt. It was like slowly tearing some apart. From hair to skin, vessels to organs, all reduced to bones.

The ugly truth was how small it all started out- A bit of greed, a passion, the love for a high-risk, high-reward case.

Was this a sign that their mechanical reign of terror is coming to an end so soon?

It can be quite scary to think about.

But was it scarier to think about death alone, or the death of one another?

Their fate might end up just like those unfortunate people.

Who knows what is going to happen next?