Work Text:
Badware lifted its clunky body off the ground, gently rubbing its monitor and rapidly blinking. It had been waiting a while for the time to come; Killdroid had asked it to join him some crappy time too early too charge but too late to do anything without its circuits overloading.
But it was Killdroid. Badware would go to the moon and back for him.
Killdroid had asked it to come and see the stars with them, something important was happening and he felt it was exciting enough to invite Badware along with him.
It didn't get the joy he had for the stars. They were so far away, far enough to only be able to see their past, and what good does it do to see what's already happened?
Plus, it was stuck here. They were stuck here. On planet Earth. A planet that was dying because of the humans' persistence on dragging everything else down with them.
Persistence. It had read that humans were persistence predators once. But to call them persistent seemed foolish, when it faced them, they were usually disappointingly boring. It expected more of a fight from them, getting to the point where it liked facing the damage dealing civilians since they were the only ones that dared go near it.
Its train of thought was thrown off course when it heard the sound of a cracking twig beneath it. If it were a human, that could've tripped it over the line between life and death.
But it was Badware; the Badware. The virus who wreaks havoc on technology that isn't itself so there would never be any competition.
Besides Killdroid.
When it had first seen the bot with its own optics, it felt its processors spark in envy. A shiny body, loaded with weapons, with that body it could have done everything! And the damn fool - it had thought of at the time - didn't want to do anything with it! He was ashamed of what someone else did to him! So why didn't he take 'revenge' on them, it had asked, and the droid said it would be disobeying its command!
...
It would admit, they didn't always see eye to eye, but it thought that was something to value. It didn't see Killdroid as a subordinate whose only purpose was to blindly agree.
It saw them as equal, or simply didn't see a point in determining a superior one. They were opposites, one a robot and the other a virus that could destroy it.
And yet it knew Killdroid was better. Better body, better goals, built to be better.
But it learnt to accept that. It learnt to appreciate what it had and not what it could have. And somehow along the way, something more came out of that. 'Love', what the others called it.
The feeling made it giddy with joy, always looking forward to seeing him. Was is weak for feeling this? Undoubtedly, but it didn't care, it craved this joy and it craved to feel it with Killdroid. The thought of him inviting it to come and watch the stars felt.. personal. It wasn't as casual as other times.
That almost scared it off. But it refused to be a coward, if they got this far, there could only be so much left. Yet, it'd be lying if it said it hadn't reconsidered. What if it manages to mess up and ruin things? It didn't want that, it just wanted Killdroid to love them.
Why was that so hard to make possible?
For a moment, all the doubts burst from its boundaries and almost made the virus stumble trying to process them. What if it were reading too much into it? What if it took things too far?
And then it remembered, even if it did, it wouldn't matter. If it managed to mess up, it could always just.. forget about Killdroid. Delete those memories from its code, and it would never have to look at him and know what it lost.
But maybe that would be going too far..
With more fear and uncertainty than it had started off with before, the virus was stuck between a crossroads.
-
Killdroid had been waiting on a lonely bench for a while, observing the night sky. He'd told Badware to come to look at the stars with him- but none were present.
Perhaps he'd misread the forum. Perhaps he should go back- he'd only be wasting Badware's time.. yet the thought of being alone with it sparked an excitement and fear to which he couldn't attribute a title.
They were aware of the others' feelings, but they had never done anything that seemed to show Badware truly loved the droid. He couldn't help but wonder if it were a con, one to weaken his guard and take his body like before.
But.. it's promised it changed. He should believe that. He had faith in it. What kind of relationship is built without it? A bad one, it assumes. Lies, manipulation, almost happens to remind him of someone.
Though, the thought of even comparing Badware to Sulfur makes its circuits spark in disgust at itself. He should give it a chance- after all, does he really have faith if he doesn't show up?
He sighs internally, trying not to think about it. Perhaps focusing on something else could help, so he instead stares at the distant ground, where a colony of worker ants seem to have gathered, circling a piece of bread a civilian has seemed to drop.
And then- the tranquil moment is shattered as a metal foot steps on it, unintentionally covering the scene while announcing its arrival. Killdroid looks up and it met with Badware's iconic smile, while their binary moves quicker than usual as they speak, "_hey.. sorry for the lack of notice, I just wanted to get here as quick as I could. You've seen the stars yet?_"
Killdroid shakes his head, "[no. I seem to have maybe gotten the date is wrong. There are no stars tonight.]"
"_Oh_," its smile quickly changes to a frown before reverting itself, "_well, I was also wondering what you like about the stars so much.._" it probes, egging him on.
"[You're aware that when we look to them, we're seeing their past, right?]" Badware nods, "_lookback time_".
"[Well, I just like that idea. That their present is our future. It makes me think that if they're still managing to live on, we will too.]" He looks to the empty sky, hope momentarily snuffed out. In the corner of his vision, he sees Badware staring up as well.
The silence that follows.. feels comfortable to him, like mutual understanding. He almost reaches out for the virus' hand out on the bench- before taking it back, afraid.
Persistently keeping its sight on the sky, Badware breaks the silence. "_Do you ever feel like you'd be better off without me?_"
"[What do you mean?]," Killdroid almost sputters out.
"_Don't you get it? I'm like- the moon.. I'm only seen and appreciated because of you. I steal your light and I'm loved for it anyways! You still love me.. despite that. It's not fair for you or anyone else; why do I get to be the one who benefits from this? What have I done to deserve it?_" It sighs, averting its gaze away, "_you.. deserve the world. The universe, even! But you're stuck to a body that will one day have fully decayed and no one will remember you.
That's not fair._"
Killdroid simply stares at them for a while, contemplating on how to respond. He looks up at the night sky, devoid of stars, empty - besides the beautiful light of the moon.
"[The moon helps us appreciate the sun. It gives us contrast, a character for the night, and.. it's consistent. The sun won't be there for us to see at night, but it's not rare to see the moon in the glory of day. You're consistent. A constant in my 'life'. That's.. why I love you.]"
Badware inches slightly closer to Killdroid, almost as if trying to see what he sees. Its optics only pick up on the imperfections; craters, and the waning gibbous present. Not even a full moon. Killdroid senses it and sighs, looking away, before his voice comes out rough and hesitant.
"[Plus, if I'm the sun, I have only one duty to do. Yet I defy mine. I'm as much a failure as those who I seek to kill. And you still love me. Once you get too close, you'll die - or worse, leave me while you can. But you aren’t scared of that. You stay, fully aware of it. That’s not parasitic, or anything you think of the moon to be; that’s just loyalty.]”
The rogue turns back to look at Badware, placing a hand out in offer. The virus stares at it for a moment, before reaching out and placing their hand in his, not smiling, but seeming a bit better, Killdroid senses.
They knew they were both as perfect as the sun and moon.
In each others's eyes, in their own.. maybe that's what they wanted the whole time.