Karuna Virus, chapter 18
Weeks passed without any real incident. And Draupadi managed to implement a routine of a sort.
She would wake up by X's side, and kiss her husband awake.
After some affectionate cuddles, Draupadi and Max would rise and bathe. X would take a bucket worth of water, delivered by leviathan and would wash up in the decommissioned wind shower while the ice guardien would take his wife to her own private quarter were the unchaste woman would also shower her with affection.
After a second quick bath, Draupadi would retire to her workroom, the new one decorated by Max and the rest of her friends and illicit lovers. It was not at the top of the tower, thank goodness, but still high enough to give the so-called devotee a nice view of the city's main canal and the expansive forest that belted the tower.
There she would work on writing down as many sacred pages as she could, knowing that her time was too precious to waste.
At around noon, Max would come back from whatever a retired... or closed to the retired emperor would do in the morning, bearing with him a mug full of energen, some whole E-crystals and clear water.
Some reploid treats too, sent by TK and Genevieve who, despite the initial drama, still wanted to hang out with the couple.
No, those two had no idea the Emperor and high empress of Neo-Arcadia had a dedicated spot on the couch and loved to cuddle with their cats. They still thought Max and Lorollei were just some average reploids who had no current job save data-encryption and some lowly administrative duties.
In a way, it was true.
She would watch X offer the bhoga to a picture she drew of hear dear Guru-ma sitting on her favourite rocking chair, her eyes filled with love, mischief and a wisdom Draupadi wished she had. And her smile...
it was a smile that was as old as time, and yet eternally young. It was filled with wisdom and child-like wonder.
The Fallen One would often fall at her feet, begging Mother Sri-Isopanisada for forgiveness, to find a way to fix the situation...
To find Alouette and Hibou and keep them close, to teach them.
To accept X... Max as her disciple, for Draupadi, knew she had no right to be a teacher of Bhakti.
A guru had to be spotless... and Draupadi knew her reputation was forever stained.
They would talk, mostly about what Draupadi had written down and what she knew about Krishna and the previous acharyas. Passing by all the avatars and whatever prank and goof Archa-Vigraha would pull back into the cyber-ashram. And how Bharat would sometimes enter into a prank war with the younger elf.
She missed those simpler times.
After some more cuddle, X would assist her in the writing by spell-checking everything and catching whatever misspelled words that managed to slip through his wife's vigilant glance. Then he would tell her of whatever realization he had about the lord.
To see Max so enlivened after close to two centuries of wars a strife... it gave life to the Vaishnavi.
After sharing more pastimes about the lord and discussing the ramification of Max's sadhana... and feeling like the biggest hypocrite of all. Draupadi would then migrate to Fefnir's arms.
Of all the Guardians, Fenfir was probably her second favourite, for he would never take more then what Draupadi was willing to give, and knew what would make her happy.
The Fire guardien let Draupadi rest in his hidden forest of a room... but on some occasion, he would take her out of Neo-arcadia to where civilization still stubbornly clung to life.
the part were it used to be green, obliviously. There, she met with many chiefs and tribal kings and queens. Surprisingly enough, it was not to slay them, but to try to make the outsiders cooperate with the Neo-arcadian Regreenig efforts.
Some were in, but most had scoffed at Fefnir, trying to scrap him for parts.
... Now, while Draupadi could easily destroy her red... Lover. The rest of the reploid and Cyborg that lived in the periphery of the wall obliviously could not.
But hey, it had been quite some time since the S-ranked hunter got to flex her synth muscles. And those she would slay were those whose sins were in plain view.
Oh, those raiders were usually very keen to display their preys all around their camp... and they had a thing for slaves.
But those camps were soon all exterminated and, or Converted and reintegrated in Fefnir's and Max's regreening plan.
And chanting the Lord's Holy names, of course.
But most of the time, the fire general would have a joyride with the cheater, jumping over dunes and old ruins as they destroyed zombified Mechaniloid and whatever else made the dessert inhabitable. And as the sun would go down. Draupadi would either fight with Fefnir, or Fefnir would arrange for a picnic under the stars.
In those moments... he would show himself to be a wonderful gentleman, and the way he treated X's queen made it easier for the wretched one to reciprocate.
When she would return, Max would be waiting for her.
His eyes had gotten brighter and livelier, and while he would sometimes enter into those sombre moods, those were rare.
It was working.
After that, Draupadi would seek out phantom, for the spymaster was currently dismantle numerous factions that would make Max's life and the spreading of the Karuna-Virus harder. Which included most of the council, the reploid factories ( Since, of course, reploids were still made in factories, demons could never live without their robotic slaves.) And the Buddhist.
Apparently, the spiritual situation in Neo-Arcadia was so bad, that people would rather become nothing then to keep this old and tired charade.
As Phantom would give his report, Draupadi would make sure her feet were bare and as close to the shinobi as she could, without making it look suspicious. Since Phantom was absolutely sold to X.
Really, between him and her, Draupadi would readily see the dark reploid as a better wife then even she.
After that, the so-called queen would hunt down Harpuia- or more specifically, Harpuia's work duds.
After a full day in the closed down decommission centres, the duds smelled of death and stall oil. And thus, the commander would simply leave them outside his door for the maid to pick them up.
Draupadi would take them all and would wash them and mend whatever was thorned.
Just like what Her mother, 'creator', and Spiritual father had shown her over the years.
True, Harpuia hated her guts, and he had made himself an enemy out of X. But it didn't mean that Draupadi had to antagonize him worst.
Oh, she wouldn't serve him as the rest of the Light's siblings (thankfully), but she could still serve and respect him.
After that, the fallen Vaishnavi would return to leviathan's room to be washed... and to give her company to the amorous mermaid. And then she would return to Max's side, tucking into the bed as both ancient warriors powered down for the night, using their time to clean up their files and burn some Karma.
She would wake up ad midnight, sneak out outside and weep bitterly, signing the Prayer of Pingala, the saintly Prostitute. And sometimes, she would spend hours awake, holding the mended white cat doll.
That was now Draupadi Zero's life...and she knew that this was more then what she deserved.
'Krishna, despite everything, thank you.'
"Draupadi-Zero no Jo-o?" Phantom asked, one night after Draupadi returned from her date with Fefnir...
The fire general must have heard from X how the red legend loved to feel the wind as they shred the road on their land riders. And thus, Fefnir had provided.
It had been great... and it had also given Draupadi to investigate the location where... Alouette's arm and Socrates had been found.
Call Draupadi a sentimental woman, and an idealist in deep denial. But she simply could not accept that her little bird had...
No... No, it didn't feel right... Paramatma was telling her not to lose hope.
Or... maybe Draupadi was desperate for another teacher of Bhakti to pick up her wavering torch since she... she had lost whatever little purity she had left.
Or... she missed her little sister, a daughter... a young girl who was murdered for simply existing.
Or she really was as tired as she felt.
"Yes, Hidden Phantom. Is there some news about who's in control of the reploid production lines?" She asked, moving away from those painful thoughts.
This had been something she and her Prabhu had spoken at length. They would make industrial construction legal and heavily punished. The only ones who would have to right make more reploid were reploids... and this, after a thorough mental scan and counselling.
It would be how their race would reproduce, and Krishna Willing, no one would willingly build a second Sigma, Gate or...
Well, Lumine was not that bad once you got to know them.
"Yes, Jo-o." Phantom confirmed as he bowed his head and made his knee touch the ground.
Apparently, this was not just due to the respect he felt for Draupadi, but also because... he was very much into Japanese culture... he loved to serve.
Yes, Draupadi could see the divine potential in this one, she just needed to find a good angle of attack.
Or... just let Andrew lead this soul, for it was clear the older-build was imbibing the revealed scriptures faster then what Draupadi could produce, and his realizations were...
They gave life to the fallen one.
"Alright... so, who is it?" She asked as she calmed her pulse generator. Despite the great sin she was perpetrating, other would carry the torch.
"A certain miss Karly Weil," Phantom spoke quickly, his eyes never leaving Draupadi's feet.
At those words, Draupadi's eyes grew wider in sheer shock. "No! Wait... how does she look like?" She practically demanded, the face of the doctor who pulled her out of Zero's body still etched in her memory partition.
"Blond, blue eyes, uncharacteristically short for an adult." Phantom described her most salient features.
"And that's her... alright, anything else about the immortal Karly?" Draupadi tried to joke.
" I have her information and..." Phantom licked his lips. "It's... extremely confusing." She spoke as he forced himself to look in Draupadi's purple eyes. " from what I've understood for her files, Miss Weil died sixty years ago... but I could not find any trace of a living relative... save for the other Weil, now roaming the desert for all eternity."
"That's a bit exaggerated, isn't it." The only one who had this curse truly was Ashwatama. Anybody else would have to expire one day.
"True, but I could not ascertain whether Master X choose whit specific punishment by himself, or was pushed to act upon it by the council."
"Whatever, it's in the past," Draupadi said. "So... Weil sister's died sixty years ago and-"
"And the reploid making facilities are all still under her name and... apparent supervision. Up until four years ago when all went to a girl by the name of Ciel Light."
Draupadi raised a brow and opened her mouth as she tried to work through all the implications. "... Please explain to this dull and dumb woman what it means." She asked as she tried not to show how... tired she was.
"Basically, Ciel, after fixing master X-"
"And messing with his codes." She reminded Max's second in command. Clenching her fist hard enough to bend titanium. "I should have known..."
"Jo-o, those facts I'm telling you were erased from the database, I had to sacrifice a few elves to have whatever shred left readable... also, elves can apparently re-spawn now." Phantom informed his queen, looking quite disturbed about this fact.
"You don't say?" She flatly said. "So, if I get this straight, Ciel is one of Light's descendent, Doc light that was so busy and hateful of woman that he'd made robot his kids and battle butlers instead of reproducing like the common mortal. and she's the one in charge of stuffing ghosts into overpowered dolls and the previous custodian was Karly Weil, the sister of Albert Weil, who had died sixty years ago yet, still owned that place... and Ciel's also the one who made X more prone to mistake, more sensitive to light and radio-waves, more open to human suggestion and she's also the one who, in a very roundabout way, made this whole situation happen." Draupadi gestured. "So I really was helping a Criminal."
And then there was Elipzo and the terrible abuse he would heap on his subordinates. But then... he may as well be one of Krishna's hidden protection.
Still, without Ciel Light, Draupadi would still be... She would still be dodging the Artificial Kalia as she tried to find a way to save the holy scriptures.
So... Thank you?
" You were," Phantom admitted, still kneeling. A haunted look passing in his dark-green eyes. "... I dare not imagine how things would have played out if Krishna would not have restored your memory and previous identity, Jo-o."
"Just Draupadi Devi Dasi will do... or just Dasi." Draupadi didn't feel like a Queen at the moment, and she knew plenty of prostitutes who were more elevated and worshipable then her. "And trust me, I know exactly how things would have played out." She readily admitted.
One thing with having a close to descent relationship with the Lord, and sometimes hearing him clearly was that He would reveal things.
Like how all guardians had a better sense of self-preservation then most. Meaning that, in their cowardly nature, they would turn their back and run away instead of facing death.
But for them... death meant that Max would feel the full brunt of it, and this would invariably make his mind worst.
The only casualty would have been Phantom, and he would do the 'honourable' thing and blow himself up in a bid to kill Zero.
And if things would have played out the way X and Ciel intended, X would have played the role of his own copy in a bid to get a release... and it would have work.
And Zero would get blown out in the middle of the desert, X's ghost saying his sad excuse for suicide and removing all traces of responsibility for Ciel before meddling some more.
In other words... everything would be worst, and nothing would improve it.
That's what Sri-Krishna had said anyway.
"Jo-o?" Phantom began, only to receive a leer from the so-called queen. "Draupadi... God, Krishna changed our fate, you do not have to torture yourself with what-ifs."
The Vaishnavi's violet eyes widened before softening. "Yeah... It's always been my biggest fault." She sighed as she tiredly rubbed her face." Well, now it is... centuries ago, X was the overthinker, and I was the dumb meathead." she admitted.
'So many things would have been avoided if only- Nope, not gonna go there.'
"So... we have yet another potential threat to Neo-Arcadia then." She said instead, moving away from those painful experiences that had shaped her.
"Indeed... and, unfortunately, I have yet to find the location of the new base, for all we know, it's an underground one." He admitted.
"And if Ciel is as smart as what he files reported..." Of course, in Draupadi-Zero's opinion, the true genius of the resistance had been Cerveau, for only he had been able to make all of her weapons from scratch and a bit of Data.
And... if Cardinal's report was true, the engineer had also taken to the Mantra, but only the mantra. For he felt like the whole thing was too fantastical for his elevated taste.
A pang danced in her heart. This man had been the one who repaired her, spoke to her when Zero didn't want to feel like an amnesiac and...
he had been a friend. A distant friend, but a friend nonetheless.
And the true brain of the resistance. Ciel may have started the thing, but Cerveau was the one behind its continued success until she...
"have the sky and ground team scout up to the sea, since this is where miss Light will probably find her material," she spoke with authority, once again escaping her grief. "Look through every garbage patch, every ruins and downed shuttles. Contact the Raiders and Negotiate with them, give them what they want." with this said, Draupadi turned her heels and makes her way to Harpuia's room. He should be back by now.
"Diplomacy then," Phantom said as he followed behind the Vaishnavi. "I never would have expected you, of all reploid, to be in with negotiation."
"Well, after over forty years of bloody wars and fifty more learning about God's way, you learn a thing or two." Like how to stop a war by listening to both sides.
Obliviously, this might have saved the Repliforce.
"Hmm, I have also learned from some of our spies that some of the raider's tribe have been impressed by you and your generosity." Phantom intoned approvingly. "While the councils are fuming about it, your decision to grant them medical care and amnesty for those who wanted to return was rather generous of you."
"I know that most reploids who live outside the city halls are either wrongly accused or simply wanting to escape the city. Also, Fefnir will give then hardy plants, we need to start greening this place at the latest." They had to get the people out of Neo-Arcadia. For as idyllic as it was, humans were not meant to live in tiny boxes on the top of jail-like towers.
Besides, the Somalia desert used to be green before, and the Lord had already given her a vision of a sea of green.
They were not in a desert, but only time separated the forest from them.
"I see. Oh, I have also received a message from your cult."
"Right, them." Draupadi knew those fanatics would knock on her door one day or another. And today seemed to be the day.
"They requested an audience with you."
"Not without my husband." She quickly said. 'Which on?' Her sly mind provided.
"I doubt any of them could take you on, Draupadi." it was clear Phantom spoke with experience... and some concealed affection.
Draupadi turned to face X's spymaster, raising her brow at the soft tone he had used.
'Him too... I'm not surprised.' She would have to monitor X's mood closely then, the last thing she wanted was another spiral.
The shinobi cleared his throat as he looked at a particularly interesting nonexistent crack in the shiny floor.
"As I was saying, I want X and you all with me." She said, carefully monitoring her tone. " I will see if they want to follow the path of Bhakti and help me spread its teachings." She said, for all she knew, it may be but a fringe type of cult and maybe fifty to a hundred head at most. "If they are a real cult and their leader truly surrenders to me, then Krishna will have an army of mercy-givers." She said, not bothering to hide her true intent, not her bright, blissful smile.
This place was not as utopic as first thought. People were bored, and many had taken to the path of minimalism. Meaning that, despite the wonderful opulence that surrounded them, they had chosen to live in the street, practising what they thought was meditation and aestheticism in the ever ongoing quest for enlightenment.
They called themselves the Seekers, and for them, life had to be more then what they could see, more then simply a hundred years at best after death ended everything.
In other words; Hippies!
And more then two hundred years ago, those same Hippies came in contact with Srila-Prabhupada and were converted into Happies, or Hare Krishna. And those same young men and women practically took over the world.
And just like Srila-Prabhupada, she would see whoever approach her for divine knowledge as God sent...
'And then they will find out I'm an unfaithful woman whose cheating her husband with his three brothers and one sister... yeah, this will go over well.' Draupadi's mind bitterly snarked. 'You know how this will end, shamed, chased away or killed... a war starting with those five fightings because they all want a bite for the apple of discord... well, maybe not X, but I doubt his spiritual practice will survive.'
Really, God had sent an apocalyptic maiden to perform the one Job only great Acharyas were permitted to do... and with his request to initiate Max into the Glorious Sampradaya.
"Draupadi?" Phantom once again caught the blond's attention, he looked extremely concern.
"Yes, Phantom... what were you saying?" She asked, know that she must have zoned out.
It was getting more and more frequent.
"Nothing... Jo-o. I'm just... worried about you."
Draupadi's eyes grew wider before they softened. "Oh Phantom, you don't have to be. I'm fine!" She assured him.
"Are you really?" The spymaster prodded, now sounding more like X then he had any right to.
"Yes, X is alive, my mission is going along well... why would I not be fine?" She asked as she turned away from the kneeling gentleman and down the hallway were Harpuia's new quarters were.
They were on ground level, small and spartan compared to the other's But Draupadi suspected that the General of the Brave Sky squadron resided at the very top of the tower, just so he could launch off quickly.
She frowned, on one hand, it felt good to have the one behind the reploid retirement centre serving time and getting a hefty humbling while at it. But if there was something Draupadi was very much aware of was how grudge-full Harpuia could be. Despite his so-called wisdom.
And yet, on the other, she had to endear herself to all of Max's siblings. And while all had affections for her, Harpuia hated her.
Really, who could blame him? Draupadi had practically barged into his home, stole Max's attention and seemingly turned into a mad man... when it truly was the opposite.
Then... All the guardians turned on the green General, including X.
She heard Phantom's footsteps, he was still following her. He looked at the fallen Vaishnavi, his eyes calculative.
"Yes, Phantom?" She asked.
"You are heading towards Harpuia's domain." The shinobi warned ominously. "You have no reason to be there."
"I'm the Queen of the place, I'll go wherever I feel like in my home." She declared as she resumed her trek.
"I thought you had no desire to be a queen." Phantom mildly challenged, catching up to Draupadi. Said queen could also detect some humour there.
"If being a queen mean that I can go where ever I desire... then fine, call me your queen," Draupadi said with a huff, Harpuia should be there by now, and he must have trow his clothes in the dirty hamper, ready for the specialized pantheons to take it away.
Or not, since the spiteful man's new hobby was to be a real pain to everyone, on the floor in a loose pile. Not that it disturbed Draupadi, being the only other woman around...
and having to deal with Archa... the incorrigible one.
Suddenly, she felt Phantom catch her wrist. And it took everything in her frightening power not to smash the shinobi into the wall hard enough to break his body into pieces.
She still gave a jerk and an accusatory leer.
But Phantom, despite flinching at the sight, kept the stolen limb in his hand.
"Jo-o..." He began whatever assurance withering. "I... You... I know... I..." His cheeks turned a blazing shade of red as he stumbled upon his words. "Don't go there, please?"
Draupadi's heart melted, Hidden phantom, the assassin, the one the resistance would not even dare to say his name in fear that he may, stutter with a light flushing on his cheek.
Draupadi knew this was his breaking point, Max had told him about how, of all the guardien, Phantom was like his Shadow.
Whatever he felt, the dark operative would feel the brunt of it.
Really, it broke Draupadi's heart to know how much Phantom had suffered.
He raised her hand to his cheek, and gently caressed it.
Behind his mask, the assassin's eyes grew wide.
"Phantom... I don't mind. I'm sure you know what I really am." She said with as much warmth and affection she could... not that it was hard anymore.
After all the time she passed in Neo-Arcadia, Draupadi had learned to love and appreciate all of Max's brothers and his one 'sister.'
Yes, they had their flaws, but they also had wonderful qualities.
Leviathan was Lusty, and yet, she was acutely aware of what Draupadi needed, and it was clear she had very little experience dealing with emotions like loss, grief and whatever else that didn't fall under the category of Mad, Sad, and smitten. But she was working on it with Draupadi's help.
She felt... so young compared to her brother's, so inexperienced despite her age.
Her body was pleasantly cool, and her smile bright and broad, it reminded Draupadi of the time X would be working in Cain's lab, trying to break the ice in this awkward, nerdy way.
Leviathan was also very sensitive to X's and other's state of mind, and now that she had more experience dealing with grief and the shame that accompanied the genocide she and her bother had perpetuated.
She had personally punished the head of the interrogation, and Draupadi had seen what had been left of the buck.
Really, Aztec Falcon had it easier.
The ice Guardien felt as helpless as X as to how to fix this whole thing without simply walking away from the mess, running away with her tail between her leg and her nose to the ground.
Fefnir... oh, he was harsh, loud, brash and always ready to fight for whatever reason. He was a warrior who would never back down from any challenge.
And yet, he had this side filled with a desire to love and nurture, to make things grow. And when he was quiet, Draupadi had seen this deep sadness at the state of the world they lived in, and a heartbreaking amount of jade in his red glance.
Just like her Max.
Harpuia was... Harsh and proud. He saw everyone below him as no better then trash at best.
And no one was above his Master X.
He would die for X in a heart, beat, and his dedication was second only to Phantom. And while his methods were incredibly sadistic, they had been effective.
He had to make sure X was seen as a demon instead of a Hero, and if it meant that thousands of Reploids had to die... Harpuia would gleefully slaughter them in the most ridiculous of ways if it meant that Ciel would be spurred into action, forming the resistance and finding Draupadi's sleeping body and setting the amnesiac Zero on X in this extremely twisted suicide.
No, none of the guardians (save maybe Phantom.) knew of the last part. They were simply following
But... with what she had learned about the mysterious blond who 'saved' her... Draupadi now heavily doubted it was really X's plan...
Or it was... how come Ciel had been pulling X's strings? What was her plan?
Nothing good, obliviously.
No matter. Harpuia's dedication to Max was something Draupadi admired. And she hoped she could have the same for her own master.
And Phantom, Dearest Phantom.
He was a rather taciturn man who was an excellent stalker... and she meant that in the most positive of light since, obliviously, being a spymaster required this type of skill set.
And Draupadi, who used to be at the head of the Zeroth ninja unit, this was a skill she could readily appreciate and praise.
Phantom was quite, meticulous, and always respectful and his care and concern for X were on par with the rest.
And that's and his love of doll were... the only things she knew about the Shinobi, and the fact that he would rather die then have to watch X killed himself.
It was clear he was rather close to her husband, as Max had said, Hidden Phantom was his shadow, practically.
Which was why the chaste kiss she'd given him was not as hard to give as the other.
The shinobi, X's closest brother gaped at the Fallen one. "So... how's midnight for you? I'm sure you would love some... private time with me." She suggested with an indulgent smile. Not quite coy, but definitely not innocent either.
It was easier then before... she didn't even want to but her whole 'it's for X only' spiel.
At this point, he should have known.
At this point, Draupadi knew it was for a good cause.
At this point... At this point, Zero's fate was in God's hand, and if Krishna still found some mercy in His heart for a Fallen soul...
It would be for his own glories.
She pulled back, Phantom was staring at her with eyes wide and his mouth agape.
"Jo-"
"If you need anything," Draupadi emphasized meaningfully. "Just call me... and I'll meet you... maybe not tonight, maybe tomorrow?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
"Draupadi..." Phantom breathed out. "You... why do you..."
"because it's what you want, isn't it?" She asked him, and the way his eyes widened confirmed what she knew. "Don't try to hide it, Phantom, it'll make it harder on all of us if you do." Draupadi gently caressed the side of the Shinobi's face. His initial surprise changing from regret to shame.
" If the situation would have been any different, I would praise you for your amazing self-Control."
"Jo-o." Phantom chocked out. Tears spilling from his eyes.
"I have to go... I don't want to keep Harpuia waiting, you know. But do keep me posted on your find." The Fallen Vaishnavi finished, her voice more professional.
As she turned and walked away to find the dirty pile of cloth, a thought hit her...
Maybe... Maybe Hidden Phantom, being the valorous and high-minded one not want her company for the night? Maybe... maybe he had wanted to tell Draupadi something else?
Fefnir, Leviathan and even Harpuia, to some degree, had shown some attraction to her, even as the clearly male Zero.
She could easily understand it, for all were connected with X in such a way that they were all influenced by each other. And thus, Draupadi had assumed that Phantom was like the rest of them... only now, she had a feeling, this terrible feeling that she'd severely screw up.
The failed servant sighed as she picked up Harpuia's dirty Laundry, she would be saved, this was certain, for the Lord had assured his dear Arjuna, and the world at large that his devotees shall never perish, for their devotion to Him was an eternal asset, not to be destroyed even by time and death.
Still... She would rather not force Sri-Gauranga and Sri-Nitiananda to exert more energy then necessary on her. She was merely a maidservant, after all. And it was not like Krishna could not send another Nitia-Mukta to clean up whatever mess she'd made.
It would take maybe another lifetime, or ten... or even more. but... despite everything, Draupadi had some hope left...
As she got up, She realized that Harpuia's door was open and that he was standing in the doorway.
"I see... so you are a Janitor-bot." The venom in his voice was barely concealed, but it was clear he was on edge. He was standing in the doorway, his
It was not quite a closet space, but it was highly practical, and Draupadi longed to have such a room again.
What was the use of a huge room when only a single person would live in it?
She returned her attention to Harpuia, a pleasant smile on her lips. "Yes... My first designation was that of a cleaner-bot and general assistant for Doctor Light." She revealed as she maintained her smile. "Eventually... my Original Creator got his hands on me again, and changed me to Zero."
Harpuia grunted, his eyes narrowing. "So, you are implying that you... are another sibling unit?" He sneered in disgust, shaking his head. " I know you had absolutely not Class, Zero. But this? That's a new low, even for you."
"I'm not related to any of you. If it can make you feel better." Draupadi replied. "My official creator is a certain Doctor Albert A. Wily, from the Dublin Institute of robotic and computer science."
"Wily? Like, the one our Father warned us not to fall for his trick?" Harpuia sneered.
Draupadi's smile didn't falter despite the fact that she knew whatever camaraderie she had with Harpuia was quickly eroding away. 'He Gauranga...'
"Yes, that's my dad." Then she let her smile fall as he played with the connector at the back of her head. "Listen, My father... I love him as much as you do." she let her hand fall. "Trust me, Harpuia, if I could, I would not have followed him to his workshop that day... but, I was young, immature and he had something I wanted." She lowered her eyes. " But... that's in the past. I can't change it, and it was supposed to happen like this."
"You are resigned to your fate then?" Harpuia asked as he shifted his weight. "How unlikely of you."
Draupadi shrugged. "We're all fated to enjoy and suffer a certain amount of misery. And it's not by being stuck in past that we can change it."
"Oh, you're a philosopher now?" Harpuia asked as he leaned in the doorway, his arms loosely crossed. "My, my my, a plain old housewife has read some books it seemed."
"I did... you should try it, sometime." Draupadi shot back with a grin. "you may want to start with the Gita."
Harpuia quirked his head to the side. "The Gita? The Song?" He asked.
'Oh?' "Do you know Sanskrit?" The blond asked the other. Maybe she could find a way to engage him in Krishna's service.
Harpuia would gain more then what he deserved. Of this Draupadi was assured.
Harpuia raised a imperious brow. "Oh? Don't you know? All of Light-bot were codded in Sanskrit." He revealed as he looked down at the Wily-bot. "So, I guess this put's credence in your claim of- Oompf!"
"OH, SWEET KRISHNA!" Draupadi exclaimed after embracing the Green sky generally. Jumping up and down as bliss swept her away. "I can't believe it! It's made so much sense! Harpuia! Thank you, Thank you so much!" The saintly Vaishnavi exclaimed as she twirled around with her best of detractors!"
"Gyah! Put me down, you glitch!" He roared. "I swear onto our divine Creator that if you virus drives me mad-"
But Draupadi did not hear the rest, for her mind was already working through the ramification of this discovery.
She was codded in a different language, She had been legally stolen from her father...
All reploids were codded after Max's hardware... meaning!
Without thinking much, she planted her lips on Harpuia's lips and ran off to her room, if she managed to fix Max's codding, then fixing her's should be even easier.
In Draupadi's dust, two Reploid stared at her quickly retreating back. Both touched their lips with a feather-light touch.
One was feeling like a complete failure, for he had been unable to articulate how he was willing to sacrifice his life for his queen, How he would readily kill his own brothers for her safety and that he longed to know more about the path she walked on. To protect her like she had protected X...
Like she was still protecting him.
Instead... he had an unwanted date at midnight... maybe For she thought the dark one desired her.
And the worst part?
She was not wrong... Phantom was admittedly smitten by her, like all of his brethren.
Draupadi had everyone wrapped around her little finger and dancing at her glorious feet.
And the assassin knew that both he and X were the main dancers... and the rest of the Zeroist.
Phantom's chest tightened... Tonight, the high empress would once again sacrifice herself to satisfy the treacherous senses of the so-called man who didn't even deserve to be touched by her shadow.
For peace...
It left a terrible taste in Phantom's mouth... despite the sweetness of Draupadi's lips...
And yet... his traitorous heart wanted to taste it more.
And to hold her feet to his warm core.
Phantom sighed... she was right. His desires to be with her were burning him up... and soon...
well, let it not go this far, shall we?
Harpuia, on the other hand, just kept staring at Zero's retreating back, trying to compute what had just happened while he tried not to let the fluttering of his heart give him ideas.
She was a traitor, a glitch in the system, hot trash ready to be disposed of...
She held the virus, and for all Harpuia knew, the medium of propagation was through contact.
And she had... pressed her sinful lips on his and whirled that proud general around like a bride.
Harpuia closed the door to his temporary apartment, away from his launching balcony.
X had stripped him of his ranks, his sky, his position and his reputation. Leaving Harpuia no better then a nobody with a past.
He threw himself on his cot, not even bothering to plug in since he already had received his ration of energen.
A ration of energen. As if Harpuia would overconsume fuel.
'Harpuia, for your punishment, you will be treated the same as those reploids whom we have crushed and treated so poorly." Master X had said, his eyes cold yet holding an unmentionable amount of regrets.
Regrets for having gotten rid of useless parasites that prevented the human's continued enjoyment of Neo-Arcadia. Already, Harpuia could hear to complain about how reploids consuming energy was the cause of those blackouts that still plagues Neo-Arcadia.
"reploids don't need electricity, they recharge using reusable crystals and, if everything goes well. The sun itself." Master X's words echoed accusingly in Harpuia's memory... and the demoted captain frowned.
'That's what master X said but... is it true?'
'Of course, it's true, you ding-bat. You use it daily.' His mind hissed.
He got up from his cot, he needed to have a word with Master X about this.
Nothing made sense in what they had done. Nothing made sense...
Neo-Arcadia had lost its structure, and Harpuia, despite having his wings clipped, flew with great freedom in the clear memories of his previous actions, a virulent storm-head that had scrambled his compass in such a way...
Maybe it was his own desire to know how he'd managed to screw up despite following Master X's every word. Or maybe it was something else, but Harpuia did something his engineer told him not to.
He looked back at his memories and thought about what he had done.
And what he saw... didn't match with what he was supposed to be.
'What went so wrong?' The green reploid wondered as he walked to X and Draupadi's quarter.
Then he stopped dead in his tract.
'No, I can't talk to my master with... Them around.' Harpuia realized as he turned his heels back to his temporary room, readjusting his angle of attack.
He laid back on his cot and began to compile all the Data he could about Reploid energetic consumption, the Tokamak and why it was closed. And how come the chosen retirement way was so gruesome.
And the more he looked back, more dread and self-loathing permitted themselves to infest Harpuia's heart until he could no longer wait.
[Master X, This is Harpuia... What the hell happened to us?] He sent to his lord.
Minutes passed before his Glorious Master bothered answering him.
[Hmm... Yes, Harpuia? How come... did I forgot to block you?] Oh, the Green General didn't like this tone of voice. Nor the implication.
Whatever it was, it was clear X... Master X wished to have the least amount of contact with his previous favourite.
[Master X! Please!]Harpuia shamelessly pleaded, he didn't have to try now. [I'm sorry! I... I reviewed the condemned facility records and...] The fallen general clutched his bedsheet, something... they had given him out of pity.[Zero was right... Reploids don't need that much energy. And we have no reason to block their sun-charging program, or to stop the Underground Tokamak and... and I...]
He could feel his ocular lubricant pool in his eyes, the sight, the sound... the smell...
the screams of the dying, his brethren... his brothers and sister begging for mercy as They, the guardians slaughterer them all as if for sport...
"You did well, this was exactly what the humans wanted.' A voice whispered from deep in his processor.
"No, this was wrong... I know it's wrong!" Harpuia screamed inside oh himself, straining against the codes that locked him in this body made of skynium.
[Harpuia, stay calm, breath.] X's words pierced through the gruesome images of his sins now laid barren for him to purview.
But the sight of the dead, of the, wrongfully condemn, has nothing to do with his state, only the glee in which he would send those poor units to their final belt trip.
What was him? What was not him? Was he really this bad? He could not fool himself that he had been right... but being wrong was even worst.
Was he a maverick? But he worked for the forces of good! For Neo-Arcadia!
Neo-Arcadia was good, Mavericks were bad! Neo-Arcadia knew what a maverick was and would label them and his job was to get rid of them, simple, easy, black and white!
His methods... just so happened to be a bit too extreme in his own opinion but it was OK... right? Right?
Right!?
No this was wrong, it was wrong so so wrong why did he do that, he knew it was wrong, he knew those were innocent he was acting like a maverick without being infected by the virus he should just die he was the worst he-
"Harpuia! Harpuia, I'm here." He heard the blessed voice of his Master, and indeed, Master X was at his side.
Would he kill him? Why would he kill him? Harpuia was a hero... he was a hero... He did what he was told, he did what was expected of him...
He killed his own kind because the humans, the good ones wanted it so... humans were his masters, all reploids were potential mavericks, better he deleted them all!
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
"Harpuia! Harpuia! That's my thought, not yours."
"M-M-Master... W-What Should I-I-I." His masters were the humans, not machines, machines could not be masters... Robots were servants.
'No, you know who your real master is.'
Master X was the Ultimate Robot master, but his allegiance to humans had ceased, he was a treat.
"Harpu... Oh, Krishna Bhagavan!"
Suddenly, he felt his Master's buster on his chest, and his personal cord jammed in his port, making the unravelling general shudder.
What was happening? Was this Zero doing? Did they corrupt his ever pure master in such a degrading way that he'd...
It must be, they were always the barbarians in the group.
Wearing a dress and reciting ancient 'prayers' would never change that.
Suddenly, a powerful... calm forced itself in Harpuia's overheating system, and no matter how much he fought against it, Harpuia could not break free... He could not break free of Master X... of his Big bother's warm and Comforting embrace, nor from the proverbial back rub as he calmed the master of the four winds like a scared child.
Eventually, Harpuia stopped struggling and finally let go. Simply accepting whatever his corrupted Master had in mind for him.
He felt the divine's hand move through his code, gentle, soothing, removing some updates he had received before being intronised as the greatest quarter of Master X's elite guards.
He tried to struggle, but his brother soothed his pain and fear. {It's alright Harpuia, everything is fine. I'm just clearing some of Doctor Ciel's earliest work on you.} He... read X's dialogue, and while it seemed free of tone or even voice, the Harpy-like general could feel his Master anger rolling off in waves.
{M... Master? Was I... Hacked?}
{No, no... not hacked. Doctor light has complete administrative right on us, as with all other reploids.}
{What? Wait, Master... what's going on? Was it... was I in control? Did I acted like a maverick on purpose of... was it the code?} His fear was clear. No, Harpuia didn't exactly re... well, he did regret this waste of resources, since reploids were not that easy to program. But at the same time...
No... no, there was something more there... the terrible realization that he had killed his kins...
but... he had also followed his codes.
He was Confused. Oh so confused.
Thankfully, the soothing presence of master X and... something else chased whatever fear and anxiety he had, and once his CPU was cleared, he felt his master gently retreat from his system.
Harpuia opened his eyes, looking right into X's bright green orb.
"Sage Harpuia, we have much to talk about."
"Yes, master," Harpuia spoke meekly, this episode leaving his shaken to the core.
