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The crackle of electricity sounds out, sparks illuminating the dark skies momentarily as a few helper-droids are in the middle of repairing the red vigilante.
It’s silent, as if the wildlife around has stiffened due to the unfamiliar “predator”, from what they’ve seen. The breeze is no more, and the trees have gone silent. The whirs of the mechanical arm sound out to fill the void instead, carefully reconstructing the damaged wires and boards.
Their right arm sticks out, a few moths of the night landing and fluttering about on his hand.
The main, red droid being repaired by the smaller, “lesser” ones simply stares out into the night. It can sense the cold and damp grass beneath their hands and feet, thanks to the mechanic installing sensors within it. It was “calm”. It was “peaceful”.
That’s how the criminals describe it anyways.
..yeah, criminals. Filthy, filthy criminals, as said by his corrupt creator himself. By the stars, if they could—
—Bewup.
‘HELLO? KILLDROID_ARE_YOU_OKAY?’
Oh. “Sigh”. Should’ve known it’d do that. Always in the middle of something too. Killdroid pauses for a moment, processing the question before nodding automatically. Though upon realizing right after that Badware cannot see the nod, they respond. They always forget that.
“[AFFIRMATIVE. WHAT MIGHT YOU BE CALLING IN FOR NOW?]” He doesn’t get why Badware chose them specifically. He knows for sure that the government already made another version of itself. Why not ditch them? Why not go after that one? Questions the virus refuses to answer.
‘I_AM_CHECKING_IN_TO_SEE_IF_ANYTHING_YOU_MAY_SENSE_FEELS_QUOTE_UNQUOTE_”ANNOYING”. IS ANYTHING IN YOUR RECEPTORS BEING BLOCKED?’ Badware asks, a small beep being heard after. Killdroid sighs via whirring of his fans and tilts its head.
“[NONE YET. BESIDES THE CONSTANT COMMANDS BY THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO GET ME TO RETURN, THERE IS NONE.]”
A happy chirp sounds from the other end of the line. Badware sounds gleeful. As per usual when things go its way.
‘GREAT!_ALL_ACCORDING_TO_PLAN!_ARE_YOU_ABLE_TO_MOVE_YOUR_JOINTS_WITH_NO_PROBLEM?’ Killdroid pauses, then tilts his head before attempting to move his shoulders, elbows and hands, down to their knees and ankles. A struggle to lift and stutter from the knee and arm was all it took for Killdroid to notice.
These aren’t stable enough.
“[FALSE. MY LEFT SHOULDER JOINT AND KNEE JOINT ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH LIFTING ITS WEIGHT.]”
‘YIKES._GUESS_THAT_WHOLE_SITUATION_WITH_THE_’CRIMINALS’_REALLY_MESSED_UP_YOUR_OUTER_FUNCTIONS.’ Badware “hums”, the slight shift in its voice lowering to sound more so like annoyance. Killdroid nods, now staring at the stars and moon once more.
‘...ALRIGHT_THEN._COMMANDING_THE_BOTS_TO_CHANGE_OBJECTIVE_NOW.’ The floating bots shift, moving to the shoulder and knee and beginning their repairation. Badware stays on the line a bit more before putting on some sort of lobby music from its files. It’s dull.
..now that Killdroid’s given more time to “think”, they begin to ponder. Whatever that means for an ai. Is it boring over there? Yes, it’s heard them talk to someone, but never who. Sounds more like them talking to animals rather than actual living beings.
Who names their pet “Angelware” anyways, sounds a bit egotistical to have something named after the last four letters of your name.
..is Badware lonely? Besides the one-sided bickering, they don’t sound like they actually interact with people. They only ever really come to him, often that is, just to chat, sometimes look around and deploy those bots he uses while fighting off those criminals.
Even when he isn’t, it still comes to them just to check or generally rant about.
Seems pretty attached to them, despite the whole thing of wanting to take over everything it can. It.. should include him, no? Hm, maybe. But it would’ve done so by now, since they keep bragging about being the most powerful virus.
That’s called forced ignorance, you should know this.
He should speak his mind.
And he does.
“[BADWARE.]” ‘huh-’
Badware replies instantly, the sudden calling of its name pulling them from their daydreaming. ‘WHAT’S_UP?’ Killdroid remains silent for a moment, thinking of how to explain his thoughts.
..yknow.
“[WHEN AM I ALLOWED TO VISIT YOU?]” Killdroid asks, their antennae twitching as they point to a direction with better electrical waves. Badware had paused momentarily, it going dead silent on their end. Killdroid tilts his head, making a small ‘beewup?’ before flicking their broken cord, acting as a tail.
A heavy sigh then sounds out, Badware sounding exhausted somehow.
‘...NOT_RIGHT_NOW,_OBVIOUSLY.’ Killdroid perks up, the bots halting their process momentarily before continuing on. “[WHEN, THEN?]” ‘WHY_ARE_YOU_ASKING_THIS?’ Badware sternly says, a slight spike in its tone.
“[I HAVE BEEN WONDERING; YOU ALWAYS GIVE ME COORDINATES, YOU SUPPLY MY ROCKETS, AND YOU DO REPAIRS ON MY MODEL. YET YOU NEVER PHYSICALLY APPEAR.]”
Momentary silence.
‘..GO_ON.’ “[OF COURSE. SO I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER; WHY NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAY YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS OF KEEPING ME STANDING. IT’D BE EASIER TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON ME IF WE WERE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.]”
The bots continue on with their process.
‘THAT_WOULD_BE_UNLIKELY._CONSIDERING_OUR_SITUATIONS_WILL_PREVENT_THAT.’ “[I AM HARD TO SPOT. IT IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO TRACK ME. THE ONLY REASON AS TO WHY YOU CAN DO IT IS DUE TO YOU BEING CONNECTED TO MY COMMINICATORS.]”
‘WHAT—_THAT_IS_NOT_WHAT_I_MEAN.’
“[YOU PHRASED IT AS SUCH.]” ‘WELL_STILL.’ Killdroid’s fans whirr to signal a sigh. “[..MIND TELLING ME THE REASON BEHIND IT? I AM A MIGHTY FINE BODYGUARD, AS YOU KNOW.]”
Badware makes a small beep, the audio becoming static for a moment before returning back to normal. ‘I_KNOW._BUT_THIS_ISNT_ABOUT_THAT.’ “[WELL WHAT IS IT THEN?]” ‘I_AM_UNABLE_TO_SAY.’ “[WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I AM OKAY WITH IT.]” He reassures it, the other end of the line making an annoyed bwuop.
‘KILLDROID—‘ “[I CAN DEFEND YOU.]” ‘KILLDROID-’
“[I WANT TO REPAY YOU.]”
‘Killdroid._stop.’
All attempts to speak are abruptly silenced.
And it stays silent for a moment longer, the whirring of the bots fading to nothing but background noise. Then, a robotic whirr of a fan, simulating a sigh, is heard from Badware’s end.
‘KILLDROID._I_DON’T_WANT_YOU_HERE.’
Another moment of silence.
‘..I_WAS_TRYING_TO_TELL_YOU_THAT._BUT_YOU_KEPT_INSISTING,_AND_INSISTING,_AND_INSISTING._I_DID_NOT_PLAN_TO_TELL_YOU_THIS_HARSHLY,_BUT_I_HAD_TO_GET_IT_OUT_NOW_INSTEAD_OF_LATER.’
“[..OH.]”
‘YEAH.’
An awkward silence seems to be too loud to the virus, as they begin to speak again.
‘I’LL_TALK_TO_YOU_LATER._THE_BOTS_ARE_ALMOST_DONE_WITH_THEIR_REPAIRS,_AND_I_WOULDN’T_WANT_TO_TAKE_UP_TOO_MUCH_TIME_ON_CALL._FAREWELL,_KILLDROID.’
“[OKAY. BYE.]”
..the whirring on the other side has disappeared. Killdroid sits still for a moment, “staring” off in the distance.
His hand then twists and crunches the moths in its palm, arm shaking a bit. They make a few beeps and chirps of irritation, the wings from their jetpack spreading out as their antennae flatten against their head. Whatever. It’s whatever. If he’s not strong enough, fine! That’s perfectly fine with him.
Ugh, can’t even say a little “thank you for offering that, killdroid! You’re so nice!!” or something. The nerve of that virus. Why do they even stay anyway?
A few more chirps sound from it before they get up with a jitter, the bots finishing up smaller touches before flying off and back to a random direction.
A whirr, imitating a huff of a robloxian, is able to be heard before the droid stomps away, antennae twitching irritatedly.
Would they have taken it the same way if the virus had laid it softer on them?
Yes. Yes they would have.
‘[ASSHOLE.]’
—+—
“DAMN_IT.” Badware groans, the claws from this mechanical body it stole holding their monitor as their plug lashes angrily. He offered! The droid literally offered to come RIGHT to them!! But noooo the damn government might track them down and capture it again!!!
They frustratingly clink their claws against their screen before looking around and throwing a broken Bricko’s computer off of the desk of the facility and launches it to the nearest wall, the metal and monitor on it denting and breaking from the sheer impact against these dull and unmaintained building walls.
It stares for a moment longer, the wires along its back, covered by their semi-cloak, sparking and crackling before it sits on the ground and puts their mechanical knees onto their “chest” and holds their monitor.
It’s so stupid, almost in THEIR GRASP, and they let him get away. If he were to have came to it, it would’ve found out how to bypass the firewall! They would’ve been under its control!!
But that didn’t happen.
Why?
..they felt. Something else. Worry? Anxiety? No and yes.
If the government were to have been able to hijack Killdroid back while it was at their current base, he could’ve easily overpowered it. They know how weak these physical bodies are. Especially this one. From their exposed wires, to their lanky appearance, to being unable to access Killdroid’s firewall, there’s definitely a chance that they can overpower it.
They’re the most powerfulest virus, yes, but that doesn’t stop it from being blocked off by a firewall. A strong one, that is.
Not like it would’ve used Killdroid’s vessel for long, anyways. Or ever. Was this guilt? Maybe, maybe not. It could never tell when it came to that stupidly strong droid! With a whirr of a sigh, it glances around the room, turning to look at the door, and then the windows where a few slivers of light came through, and then the cracks on the man-made building.
What has it come to. Living in an abandoned building by the government, moping over the missed opportunity to have that special and stunning droid of theirs fly right into its web. Can’t forget the fact that they probably trust it less now, UGH!!! Damn that captivating droid and their possible grudge against them now.
..its fine.
It’s fine. They can interact again once requested, or a few hours later. That’s how civilians do it, right? They hope so.
Badware goes to stand, stretching their limbs.
Ah, best to send out one of the other Wares to look for some more scraps now, right? Right.
They’ll forget about this small mishap later.
That droid will be theirs.
That surprisingly strong, spiteful droid.