First Deletion
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
There was something very strange with the system. Enzo and AndrAIa couldn't tell what it was exactly but it sent their senses on alert. Frisket kept growling low in his throat as they walked.
It wasn't obvious. The streets and buildings were in a bit of decay, but no more than many other systems they visited. There were no sprites, but that happened to a lot of cities.
"What is it, Enzo? What's wrong here?" AndrAIa kept her hand near the harpoon launcher strapped to her forearm.
"I don't know, but stay close." His face twitched as his eye turned to target. He had been practicing but it still hurt.
He hated the thing, but the targeting eye allowed him to see further and better than his real one and he was using it now to check in the alleys. There were no entities on the street but that didn't mean that they were alone.
Enzo stopped short and his eye zoomed and focused. Two binomes were fighting each other. No, that wasn't the word for it. They were ripping each other apart. Parts were being torn off without care or even notice to either being. Their faces were twisted into sneers that reminded Enzo of the viral binomes under Megabyte's command. The only difference was Megabyte's binomes looked sane.
"AndrAIa, run." Enzo didn't need to explain. She couldn't see them, but she could hear them. They tried to leave quietly as well as quickly but they still caught the two binomes attention. They turned towards the two young sprites and rushed them at an alarmingly speed. Enzo fired a warning shot over their heads causing the binomes to be temporarily distracted. A bit of building fell down and the binomes attacked it with an equal intensity as they did each other. Enzo and AndrAIa took the opportunity to escape.
Well away from those and any other crazed binomes, the two young sprites took a moment to catch their breaths. Enzo's eye zoomed as far around them as possible, trying to catch any further threats.
His head turned to the left to check once more before they moved on. Everything seemed fine so he took AndrAIa's hand. He lead her away to what he hoped was safety. They had been to many systems in their search for home. There were quite a few that were nice and friendly but there were just as many that were hostile.
Both were intent on their surroundings, wary of any other infected binomes. However, no matter the circumstance they wouldn't have been able to miss the hulking figure or the crunching sounds coming from it. Enzo pressed AndrAIa and himself against a shadowed wall and focused his eye. Frisket gave a low warning growl.
There were two binomes on the ground. They were still processing, Enzo could tell that much, but they didn't look good. One had a chunk of his side missing and other looked almost completely flat. There was another crunch and Enzo's eye swiveled to the figure. Its back was turned but he could see it looked like a huge dog on its haunches. It was filthy; bits of its fur were clumped together.
It shifted and Enzo could see what was making the sickening sounds. In its front paws was a binome struggling weakly. The beast's massive sharp teeth were embedded in it. The black ooze of its saliva was dripping from its mouth as he ripped the binome's whole arm out.
"Enzo." AndrAIa could hear the soft cries of futile protest. She wanted to get away fast, but Enzo couldn't move. He stared in horror at the scene in front of him. He wanted to get away just as desperately. He wanted to hide and pretend that this wasn't happening but he couldn't. He was a guardian. He was supposed to mend and defend. Defend. He had met with other viruses before but never had one had a format like this. He had learned that viruses were cruel in their quests for corruption, but that was what they were aiming for; corruption. They wanted to take over the system. This was savage mindless violence with no other purpose than to destroy.
He took a step forward. AndrAIa grabbed his arm. "Have you lost your circuits? We have to go before it notices us," she whispered. A game sprite's natural inclination is to destroy anything it perceives as an enemy but they also knew when they were outmatched.
"I can't, AndrAIa."
"I don't want you hurt. Please," she looked at his gold and black icon. "Ignore it."
"I can't." He picked up a bit of brick and tested its weight. He took another step and let it fly. It crashed against the virus's shoulder. Its head snapped towards them and Enzo saw the full version of the virus. His eyes were wide and they rolled in every direction. They focused on everything and nothing. More specially, they focused on Enzo.
More black ooze dripped from its mouth. "What's this; a guardian?" HIs voice was high and shrill. He started to giggle. The sound sent a shiver down Enzo's spine. The virus heaved his massive form toward them. "Have you come to stop me, little guardian?" He was practically screaming in his laughter.
Enzo forced himself to straighten his stance to his full height. "Yes." His hand rested on his gun.
This seemed to amuse the virus even more. The sound was getting so loud and shrill it was hurting Enzo's ears. He looked behind him and noticed AndrAIa coving her ears and her face twisted in a grimace. "Are you going to use that? Are you going to delete me, little guardian?"
The question gave Enzo pause. He had never deleted anyone before; never even conceived of it. Aside from the near constant hum (not as constant as it used to be) of the guardian protocol, aside from the knowledge that deletion was something that Bob would never do, was the belief that deleting somebody was something Enzo couldn't do. His fingers twitched on the gun.
"Then how will you stop me, little guardian?" The virus snickered. Enzo's frown was the only inclination of displeasure of being called little. He didn't think he was as tall as Bob yet, but he knew he was far from being the young sprite who entered the games. More than that, being called little was the same thing as being called weak.
"Make no mistake, virus," he spat the word, "you're done." He glanced behind him and saw AndrAIa with her had on her harpoon launcher in a deceptively casual way and Frisket crouched low, body vibrating from his growls.
Enzo looked towards the virus again and gasped. It had been slowly edging closer to them. Its lips pealed further away from its teeth in a frightening grin before it propelled itself towards Enzo.
"No!" AndrAIa shouted and launched a harpoon before Enzo had time to draw his gun. The harpoon landed into the virus's side and it shrieked, stumbling sideways. It pulled out the harpoon with a grunt. Its rolling eyes turned towards AndrAIa.
"Don't...!" Enzo cut short when the virus started to move forward. Enzo fired and the bullet hit its leg. The virus crashed to the ground squealing. Enzo ran to AndrAIa's side and aimed the gun at the virus's face.
Its leg twitched and its voice came out in a wheeze. "Please, guardian. Mercy." Its eyes continued to roll in every direction but Enzo felt that they were gazing at him. Despite everything that he knew of this virus, his hand shook.
"Enzo." She stepped forward and touched his arm. He couldn't tell if AndrAIa was telling him to ignore the virus's plea or heed it. He couldn't look at her; he couldn't look away from the frightening and grotesque face of the virus below him. There was no doubt in his mind that this being was vicious and cruel whose only purpose was to destroy everything around it. Even so, it was compiled and he was compiled and AndrAIa was compiled. How could he be any different from this beast if he had no compassion? What kind of guardian could he be if he ignored everything he was ever taught? Without realizing it, his hand started to lower.
It happened so fast. One nano the virus was still and gasping and the next it had heaved itself up on all fours. One front paw, claws extended, struck AndrAIa's leg. The claws, just as quickly, tore out.
AndrAIa screamed and fell. Enzo turned and caught her. The virus was already sprinting away, laughing. Frisket charged after it, but a quick command from Enzo brought him back. Although he found it alarmingly pleasing to imagine his dog ripping into it, Enzo wasn't sure if Frisket could handle the virus alone and he didn't want to risk it. At that moment, his main concern was AndrAIa.
Enzo looked around for something to bind the wound, but found nothing clean enough. He tore a bit of his uniform off and wrapped it around her thigh. He winced, knowing he'd have to tie it tight enough to stop the bleeding. "I'm sorry."
AndrAIa knew he didn't just mean he was sorry about the makeshift bandage. "It's okay. I'm okay."
He shook his head. "No. I should have ignored it. I should have..." He couldn't finish it. He slid his arms around her waist and under her knees, careful to avoid the wound. "I'll get you somewhere safe; you should rest."
It wasn't as safe as Enzo would have liked, but it would have to do. He set her down gently and rechecked her bandage. He was in constant movement, trying to make her as comfortable as the little space allowed. His eye was in constant movement as well, checking for any infected binomes and especially the virus. AndrAIa could hear him muttering to himself.
She tried to touch him through his frenzy. "No, Enzo, it's not your fault. I'm okay." He turned to her briefly and she could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe it.
Finally he stopped and knelt by her. "Rest; you'll feel better. Please." She didn't feel tired, but she closed her eyes for him anyway. The previous game and the stress from the fight caught up with her however and she soon fell asleep.
Once he was sure that she was asleep, Enzo began pacing again. "What's wrong with me? What kind of guardian am I?" Of course, he knew the answer to that. He was no guardian. He punched the wall. AndrAIa stirred in her sleep. Enzo stared at her, not even daring to breath. She settled again, but her faced twisted as her leg moved. Enzo could feel himself tense. Couldn't he at least let her sleep after what he'd done? It seemed he was always reminded of his never ending incompetence. He couldn't stand it. He glanced at AndrAIa again. He couldn't face it. His voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "Frisket, watch her."
The air was cool and it burned his throat as he ran. He welcomed it. The sting was not an appropriate punishment, but it would have to do. He could hear his harsh breath and the echo of his boots hitting the ground. Enzo was so focused on all this that he didn't notice he was being watched. He paused to catch his breath. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and he heard the laughter. He knew that laughter. He felt he would know that laughter until the day he was deleted.
The virus jumped down and landed quite easily in front of Enzo; all traces of any previous injury healed or forgotten. Enzo started to shift his weight in preparation to run, but it swept its long arm across the young guardian's face. The force sent Enzo flying into the side of a building. The resulting crash sent fresh peals of high pitched laughter from the beast.
Enzo pushed himself to his knees. The virus laughed harder at Enzo's obvious pain. It clasped its front claws together. "Oh, have mercy, little guardian." It snapped its jaws. "Your kind is always so easy."
Enzo stood. "Are you sure? No pretty little friend to distract me now, is there? How is your little friend, little guardian? She didn't look so good. Maybe I'll infect her after I delete you."
The laughter was screaming in Enzo's head, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out the memory of AndrAIa's cry. It wasn't loud enough to drown out the knowledge of his utter failure as a guardian. He failed Mainframe and he couldn't even properly care for his beloved friend. The horrible...thing was still laughing.
Enzo felt a pressure building inside him; squeezing his very core. He couldn't take care of Mainframe. He couldn't take care of Megabyte. He could take care of this.
His gun jumped to his hand. It was cold, but it felt warm to him. There was something twisting and it burned but it was oddly pleasing. Enzo heard an unnatural scream, but the virus's mouth wasn't moving although its eyes stopped roving and focused on him in truth.
There was a loud sound and Enzo's arm jerked back. The virus screamed as it exploded into light. Then there was no sound at all except for Enzo's harsh breath.
Enzo stared. There had been something standing in front of him. There had been a virus and now it was gone. His gun was pointing at nothing. He slowly lowered it. His fingers were still wrapped around it and he could still feel the hum of its use.
"No!" He threw it, but it didn't get far before it zipped back to his holster. Enzo stumbled as its weight hit him. He tried again, but it came back. "Leave me! I don't want this!" He fell to his knees and held his face. The tips of his right fingers could feel the cold metal of his eye that wasn't an eye.
"Please, User. I didn't want this."
End.