In a desert and unnamed planet, a Cluster drone was hiding inside a cave. Since he is a robot he didn't need to eat, sleep or worrying about freezing to death, but he had to hide from the beasts that come out to hunt during the violet night, because they really love the taste of metal. Then, he saw with his only functional eye a spaceship coming down from the sky, that he recognized as belonging to one of the races he once was at war with. He planned an attack, but he stumbled in the process an became the first thing the visitor saw after he get off the ship.

"What do we have here? A Cluster drone. I didn't expected you still exist".

"I don't know what to expect anymore", the Cluster answered, "I've been in hiding for too long, and I don't have news of the rest of the universe. I don't expect anything good, anyway".

"Exactly. Nothing good is happening", the visitor said, "Vexus was destroyed, but now there's something much worse out there".

"I think I know what you're talking about. It's exactly what I feared most".

"We were facing you for so long", the visitor said, "but we didn't know you were capable of such a thing"

"Are you going to kill me? Because I warn you, I will defend my life at all cost" The drone said defiantly.

"Surprisingly, I don't want to kill you. This isn't my fight anymore".

The cluster was surprised by that answer.

"I decided that a long time ago. Maybe you're interested in joining me. The food and the fire are in your hands, but you are more than welcome".

"Oh, how kind of you", the visitor said mockingly. "By the way, my name is Zelniq".

Zelniq gathered all the logs he found, took them to the cave and set them on fire with a ray pistol he always carried for protection. Then, he decided to talk with who used to be his enemy:

"What is a soldier from what used to be the biggest empire of the galaxy doing here?"

"What I can"

"This is an improper answer for a member of the Cluster. What happened to the pride of the conquerors?" There was irony in his tone.

"That pride died when the troops were decimated by the new threat".

"I'm really curious about what exactly happened to you. Who are these monsters?".

"Monsters? I thought there was only one".

"There's more. I need to know everything".

"I'd told you that is a long story, but It's not like I got something better to do. Queen Vexus was spending all of resources trying to conquer earth. There was a robot named XJ-9 protecting that planet, and she wanted her by our side no matter what. One of her last attemps to reach her goal included to disguise herself as a student of the school XJ-9 attended, but she was finally humiliated and called and "old lady" by the other students. At least, that's what they said. Vexus was so furious that he ordered to created a robot that could do the same job and being humiliated in case it was necessary: her name was Nexa, and she had the ability to transform into another beings and absorb their knowledge. Her creator was Krackus. That scientist was an idiot. His most important inventions were evil dolls that could be turned off with a switch and robots that could be destroyed with wáter. I expected his new infiltration unit to fall apart or to suffer a teenage crisis or something. Already on earth, she sended us reports every day: from fights with alien biker chicks to mad scientists and giant eyes. She seemed vulnerable, because she could barely fight and ended up really damaged after every confrontation. We even thought it would be the failure it should have been, but she was gaining XJ-9's trust, so the plan kept on going. After some weeks, her behaving changed. Her reports were more ambiguous and vague. We were going to cancel the plan, until Vexus sent us to Earth to invade it: she had XJ-9 in her clutches. We went to planet Earth and organized an earth-and-air raid. Humans were surrendering and the victory was our but, suddenly, something happened: I felt a program in my systems, and my partners were suffering the same. We wanted to stop the invasion and check what was happening, but we had orders. After a while, that program possessed us and took control of our actions and the one who did this was revealed: Nexa. We were hers now, and her first order was to destroy everything. No prisoners and no slaves. We obeyed and started to kill humans. I never could kill humans before that. The others were doing the same. In our way we found general Smytus with some silver robot I've never seen before fighting together to stop us. Several drones were destroyed, but I could escape and go to another front. When I was free from that barricade, I looked at the sky and saw Vexus and XJ-9 fighting side by side against Nexa. Not even them together could defeat her. Nexa seemed to have the same abilities than them, and improved. The worst part came when, after a desperate attack from Vexus that left her exposed, Nexa took her by the wings and ripped them off with her bare hands. When she was falling and before touching the ground, Vexus was cut into pieces. XJ-9 couldn't save her. I didn't want to see more, so I returned to the killing. After some hours we eliminate the last human, so we informed Nexa, and other drones from anothers parts of the world were doing the same. She gave us this order: "destroy each other. And may the survivors destroy themselves". I began to shot the soldiers that were like my brothers, and they did the same to me and to the others. I shot one, two, three, four, until I got shot in the eye. I was sure I would die, but I survived and I was unconscious. When my systems restarted and woke up, there was no one alive. Not only my partners were dead, but also the mighty warfleets were junk rusting in a dead Earth. I wander around looking for survivors, but I only could find Smytus with half his body blown off and a expression of terror totally new for him in what was left of his face. Also found that silver robot with a huge hole in his chest. I'd even swear I saw him bleeding. I never found XJ-9's body, but it didn't matter for me. I took one of the emergency ships and took off to Cluster Prime. When I arrived, everyone was evacuating. I even saw Vega, Vexus's daughter, being assisted by some guards, because her system was in critical condition. There was a powerful virus infecting and killing the clusters. It was obvious that Nexa was behind that, it couldn't be a coincidence. She was applying what she learned on earth for her own ends. It was then when I realized that, if that machine could destroy a planet and make an empire fall in few weeks and being watched by a tyrant queen, no one would be safe, so I came to this abandoned planet she wouldn't be interested in. So far, I'm right. Heck, that robot could absorb knowledge from others. How didn't see her coming? The worst part is that I have felt her present for so long. It's like she's watching and studying me. It wouldn't be strange".

"I know what you mean" Spoke, at last, Zelniq. "The news of Vexus's death and the fall of the Cluster spread out really quickly, and we all celebrated it. It seemed that the war would end and a future of peace was coming. It was just a matter of destroying the Cluster drones (no offense) and her local dictators. It was hard, but we know how to fight and how they fight. Years later, the monster appeared from inside our lines. She said that she destroyed Vexus with her own hands, and that she would do the same to us. Then, she shown her true form, and we surrounded her. We were going to shoot, but a soldier attacked us and, inmediatly, she transformed into a blue-haired white robot".

"XJ-9" interrupted the cluster, surprised. "Nexa must have reprogrammed her and modified her".

"We noted that they were playing with us, and that they only wanted a triunfal entry, because they defeated us easily. My people was dying: some of them vaporized, some stabbed and some burned alive. The survivors were taken to a lab, where they experimented with us. It was strange, because the experiments were just to put ideas in our minds: the origin of the universe, the concept of death, self-awareness. People from along the planet were suffering the same fate, until one day the monsters just left our world. They weren't trying to conquer us and it wasn't an attack in the name of the Cluster. The consequences of their actions came when we tried to continue with our lives. I've seen friends become so terrified of these ideas that they never dared to face the world again. Others were so furious for that new conscience that they tried to get revenge from that monsters. Others took their life because they felt unimportant in the great scheme of things. It was the first time I saw them out of their roles of warriors against an evil empire. Personally, I don't feel furious or scared, but really curious about what is my place in the universe. I've been traveling from planet to planet looking for answers and knowledge. Every planet I visited had been invaded by those creatures. I particulary remember two worlds: one where their habitants look like fishes and are decent and kind, and other with two species: one ugly and good, and the other beautiful and evil. At least, that's what they told me few habitants willing to talk, because that decent people were too rude and suspicious and that evil creatures were too afraid of strangers to be a menace. Something that never abandoned me in my quest was the feeling that these monsters are watching me. Like they guide my steps secretly. Just like it happens to you".

"Sometimes I think she reached omnipresence. According to what you told me, Nexa is even more terrible than the day of the Cluster invasion to earth. We should have left her die at the first chance".

Both stayed quiet and watching the fire until, some minutes later, Zelniq broke the silence:

"I've been thinking and reflecting about your story. Before Nexa, every one of us had an one-dimensional and designated role. Vexus was an evil queen, you were part of an automaton army, Krackus was an idiot scientist, we were the heroes that fought the evil empire. No one could leave their part".

"I don't understand" The clusted doubted.

"Our roles were typical of a fiction. That's because we are part of a fiction. No one died and Vexus was still a queen because we were participating of a kids story. Nexa is, somehow, out of that fiction. She is inmune to their laws and can do whatever she want".

"Now that you mention it, it's true. The destruction of Earth and the fall of Cluster Prime must have been ways to get us out of our routine. I'm sure she expected survivors".

"She want to take living beings and reality itself to the next level. She is preparing us".

"Exactly. She must feel that the universe is not made to her needs, and wants to adapt us to her twisted idea of evolution. That must be the reason why she transform XJ-9 into her slave. She was something like the protagonist of the story, and having her by her side was a big advantage".

"Everything was easier during the days of the Cluster" Zelniq lamented. "At least could tell friends from foes. I'll be back in a minute".

Zelniq returned to his ship, picked up a fridge and took it to the cave. Opened it and grabbed some bottles of purple liquid but similar to terrestrial beer. Gave one to the cluster.

"Why are you giving me this? You know I don't drink".

"It doesn't matter. Let's toast" Zelniq said.

"Why?"

He decided to do what Zelniq said to find it out.

"For the Cluster and queen Vexus. Cheers!" Zelniq drank his bottle instantly and snatched the one of his company from his hands.

The night remained quiet. The duo discussed about the fate of the universo and even sang, by the fire, the march that the Cluster interpreted when invading planets. It was probably the closest thing to friendship and camaraderie that has been in years. In that abandoned world, Zelniq found his purpose: to return that peace to the galaxy. The morning after, he decided to leave:

"Are you sure you want to do this?" The drone asked.

"Totally sure. I'll give Nexa a true challenge".

"Alone? No offense, but you won't last against her"

"Maybe, but I have something to fight for: my own peace. I don't need to pretend that I'm a brave hero and that everything will be fine anymore. Everything can happen: I could die, but Nexa too. I'm going to use this new conscience against her. Besides, I won't fight alone. I'm going to search for another people like me around the galaxy".

"You know what? I want to join you. I'm tired of being hidden. She destroyed my world and forced me to kill my brothers. I don't care about the universe, but I want revenge".

"Ok. Let's go".

And that's how designated heroes left that world and began a quest for people to help them achieve their mission.

They just don't know how right they are: we are more than just villains.