The man held a sword to her neck, quivering in anxiety. "In the name of Balthazar, I del-"

"You mean kill."

He looks at Dianna uncertainly. "No, I'm delet-"

"Cut the crap. I'm alive."

He shakes his head. "You can't be alive, you're just a program."

She nods. "You're right, I am. But than again, so are you. So, by your own laws, can I not kill you?"

The man growls. "I am alive, flesh and blood!" With a cry, he thrusts his sword downwards, right to her frail body.

Making a 'v' with her thumb and finger, she catches the blade, and flips it out of the way. "Is that what really deems life?" Spinning around his body, she grabs his hand and presses it against her chest. There, softly, a heart beats.

He pulls away, frightened. "No, that's just…just fake. It's-"

"It's a routine that my body triggers…and if that routine stops, I die. How is that different from you?"

With a strangled sob, he thrusts in and out, blade seeking even the smallest ounce of flesh.

She tries her best to stop him…but cannot stop the inevitable. His blade finds its mark, dropping her to her knees.

Holding her side to stem the flow of blood, she looks up at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "What gives you this right?"

His eyes narrow, as he raises his weapon. "It's my duty."

Smiling weakly, she looks into his eyes. "Duty. A man named Inouye once said that people have an obligation, a duty to disobey immor-"

The blade sinks through Dianna, and she falls into darkness.