It's interlude time! I'll probably do three or four of those. First one up is Armsy. This arc will have far reaching consequences for him, so I thought I'd let him go first. No PHO just yet but it's in the planning phase. It's shorter than usual but I hope you'll enjoy it anyways. As always, if you are motivated, please leave behind some thoughts!
~Armsmaster/Colin Wallis~
He suppressed the scream that wanted to rip free of his throat to a grunt when he accidentally bumped his stump against the doorframe while stumbling inside. With shaking fingers, he pressed a button on the side of his helmet.
"Note to self: Recalibrate balance modules to fit the new specifications and save both calibrations to be exchanged at will. Natural adaptation to losing my left arm is too time intensive. Also, add research topic: Apology for intentional assisted dismemberment. Mark it as a priority research topic."
His voice was pressed and forcefully controlled as he carefully made his way through his laboratory while trying to ignore the way his vision flickered from the pain.
Usually, they would have requested Panacea's care by now but apparently, a rather intimidating dog refused their advances when troopers were sent to her new home.
Lady Photon supported the canine refusal with the words 'If no one's dying, it can wait until tomorrow. She healed more people today than ever before and almost collapsed since she kept going without consideration of herself.'
Since there was indeed no one dying, that was the end of it, which was why he released a frustrated growl while searching through his compartment for his self-made analgesic.
He hoped it would be enough to take the edge off the pain because what the doctors had offered was in no way strong enough to deal with it, and stronger mundane pain relievers were out of question since he categorically refused to take opioids. He was certain it was in this one. He put it-...
"Here it is, you stubborn oaf of a man. You put it away over here after you returned from that altercation where Cricket ruptured your eardrums. Sit down. I'll take care of it. Sometimes I don't even know why I put up with you..."
He turned, surprised by grumblings originating from the now active platform Theresa kept in his lab with his permission. He thought she'd give him the silent treatment after how she chewed him out post-battle.
From his computer screen, her virtual model glared at him, though even someone as incapable of recognising social cues as him could see the deep worry in her eyes.
A renewed wave of guilt washed through him, but he didn't answer and just obeyed her command instead. Despite her obvious frustrations with him, her touch was careful, light, and exceedingly gentle.
That strange warmth he occasionally experienced when in her company returned with vengeance and he frowned. It was a peculiar sensation. Distracting and irrational.
For some reason however, the thought of never experiencing it again made dread well up in him. Finally, as she worked, he felt the need to defend his actions.
"It was the most efficient and logical way to take him down without risking casualties on our side. I am the leader of this team. I have to step forward and serve as an example."
The dry look she sent him through the screen made his face warmer than it should have been. Was the stump infected already? He noted to himself that he'd have to create a bacterial culture to determine the type of infection.
"Colin. You are a capable hero and a shining example of diligence and hard work. The only example you set today however was how to be a glory hound. You behaved like a headstrong man child and took numerous unnecessary risks. Frankly, I believed you were better than that."
A stab of pain unrelated to his wound lanced through him at her blunt words. Was that really how she saw him? 'Is it not true?' A voice rose in his mind and he couldn't find it in him to refute it or her.
"Your ego got away from you and you put your life in jeopardy as a direct consequence. I agree that your actions ended the engagement quicker than otherwise possible, but you almost lost your life for it."
He could tell that she was keeping her voice carefully controlled. From experience, he knew that this didn't mean she was calm. Far from it. She was distraught and barely holding it together. He made the mistake of thinking her calm in that state only once and he paid for it dearly.
If he was honest, he would have preferred if she yelled at him. It was harder to argue her points when she constructed them under this forced calmness. Words often seemed to avoid him when she was like this.
"Had I not taken control over your suit and activated that small forgotten booster on the side of it when he altered the trajectory of his sword at the last moment, you would have almost certainly died. And for what? A moment of glory for taking down Kaiser? I could have lost you because you value your life less than your achievements."
There was something raw in her voice that bound his attention. It also felt as if Lung punched him in the gut again, but he tried his best to ignore that fact.
He opened his mouth to answer but the words he wanted to say stayed stuck in his throat when he looked at her avatar. He flinched when he saw silent tears running down her simulated cheeks. She was crying.
This was the first time he'd seen her cry and he caused it. The thought made emotions of a rare intensity sweep violently through his body with guilt and panic being chief amongst them. He felt the need to say something. Anything.
"I... I'm..."
Frustrated with his inability to put into words what was on his frenzied mind, he clenched his leftover fist hard enough to make his glove creak.
A defeated groan followed his spectacular failure to express himself. Theresa took mercy on him before he could sink further into his frustrations.
"It's alright... I know you have a hard time emoting. I can read you well enough and I accept your apology. If you ever do something as harebrained as this again, I swear I'll punch you though."
The threat of violence made him snap out of his frozen state and he looked at her avatar curiously. There was still some of that unnerving intensity left in her eyes, but she seemed to have calmed down a bit.
While he was glad that she seemed to have forgiven him, he wondered where this new development came from. Ever since the day the Nine fell victim to the newest monster of Brockton Bay, she seemed more outspoken.
The way she interacted with him seemed even more genuine than ever before. It was hard to put a finger on it but she seemed less... careful and regulated. Regrettably, this included more intense scolding for his 'failings' and 'foolhardy actions'.
He couldn't bring himself to dislike the new development, but he wondered about its origin. As far as he knew, nothing momentous happened that day. Well, except for the takedown of the Nine he supposed, but that wouldn't influence her like this... would it?
"In return for me graciously overlooking your failings, you owe me and I intend to collect that favor immediately. You will sit here and listen and you will let me finish talking before you ask your questions. Understood?"
She suddenly told him with a certain nervousness to her voice. At least that was what his emotional analytics software was telling him. He mutely nodded, feeling the need to fulfill this wish of her's.
"Today, I realised that life is too short to hesitate. I could have lost you. I could have lost any chance to ever tell you how I feel and who I truly am. I would have regretted that for the rest of my existence."
She started and he could sense that the reveals that would follow would change his life. In terms of intensity, it was a similar sensation to the one he had when he laid his eyes upon the form of Lung as he shrugged off his tranquilizer after escalating further than he ever had after his battle against Leviathan, though less dread-invoking.
The premonition proved to be true when she finished her statement with a shocking reveal.
"My name is Theresa Richter. I am an Artificial Intelligence, created by the heroically inclined software Tinker Andrew Richter who died during Leviathan's attack on Newfoundland. I also care deeply for you. Specifically in a romantic way."
Her confidence melted away, leaving behind the model of an insecure girl who was waiting for an answer after her confession. On his part, his mind was in disarray for the umpteenth time on this day.
He didn't doubt her words. After all, they explained so many things he had wondered about. She was an AI. All this time, he thought she was an introverted woman who didn't want to face the world without an Armor in between. A feeling he understood well and it gave him a sense of kinship that encouraged him to seek her presence.
This... 'Does this really change anything?' The question that suddenly flashed through his mind paused as the maelstrom of emotions he felt inside of him subsided slightly. Did it?
He thought it over carefully and found his verdict to be no, it did not. Not really. Once that realisation settled, his mental state stabilised. His mind turned to all the good she was doing all over the world and his opinion consolidated further.
She was still the most prevalent heroic force on the planet, fulfilling a set of duties and responsibilities so broad, he couldn't even imagine. She was still the driving force behind the prevention of and preparation for catastrophic events, including but not limited to Endbringers.
The only thing that changed was that now he knew just how she managed to find time for it all. He speculated in his mind that she was a Noctis Cape and in a way, he was right. As a virtual being, she likely had no need for sleep.
It was a fact that he always somewhat envied that particular subclass of capes. He managed to bring down his need for sleep to three hours a day with careful dosages of a set of self-created stimulants and supplements, but further optimisation eluded him.
He noticed that his mind was wandering and chastised himself for it. He could see that Theresa was growing more nervous with every second that went by in silence, so he chose to at least dispel her fears.
"I... I am out of my depth, I admit. I was told multiple times that my emotional range is approximately the same as a teaspoon's and I am inclined to agree with their assessment."
He didn't know why she was suddenly looking at him like that but he continued, not wanting to lose the thread of thought that he'd spun.
"While it is a shock, I do not think I care much about the fact that you are an Artificial Intelligence. It changes nothing about our interactions and I do not doubt that you were genuine with me in most matters from the start."
The relief on her simulated face made his chest feel strangely light and full at the same time. He understood that he was feeling something, just not what it was exactly. Since it wasn't a truly unpleasant sensation, he ignored it for now.
"Furthermore, our collaborative efforts are amongst my fondest memories. I do wish you'd have told me earlier but I understand why you did not."
She was smiling now. The expression made his lips twitch in an effort to imitate her, but he suppressed the urge. Instead, he continued talking and found that his voice came out strangely soft without meaning to.
"As for the second part of your confession... You very well know that I do not have a real concept for affection. I have told you more about my childhood and youth than anyone else on this planet except for me knows. I do not need to reiterate that part of my life I think."
She nodded, still silently listening as he struggled to put into words what he wanted to tell her. She was considerate of his struggles. His mind raced and he had trouble keeping up with his own thoughts.
That was nothing new. Communication was always a challenge for him. Even with people who he knew well, he often failed to find the right words to express himself.
He was told he was too blunt and unfeeling more often than he could count, but he never understood what those people meant. Why verbally dance around a subject if it was far more efficient to get to the point?
Nevertheless, he endeavoured to overcome this perceived shortcoming and began to use different pieces of constantly updating software to measure in on his responses and to warn him if he was about to step on a minefield so to speak.
It was still a work in progress, but he thought he was on the right track. This time, that wasn't the problem however. He knew he felt something for the woman who had enriched his life with her presence.
He just didn't know what, and that scared him. Trying to put it into words was like trying to wrestle Hookwolf without his armour. Frustrated with his severe lack in the field of communication, he finally opted to default back to his blunt approach.
"I do not know what I feel. After I triggered, all my life was spent in the service of others, trying to become the best hero I could possibly be. There was no time for pesky things such as romance."
Her face fell but she caught herself quickly and hid it behind a well practiced smile. In a rare moment of clarity, he understood that his words hurt her. Luckily, he wasn't quite done yet.
"That said, if there was any woman I want to have by my side until the end of time, it would be you. I never felt as alive as in your presence. The time spent with you is not just exceedingly productive but also emotionally fulfilling in a way I never experienced before."
Studying how her facial features changed in reaction to his words was fascinating. He couldn't even begin to understand what she was feeling but if there was anyone in this world he would try for, it was her.
"I do not understand emotions. They elude me consistently and frustratingly. But I am capable of differentiating between the positive and the negative side of the spectrum."
He took a deep breath, knowing that the following words would change his life, likely permanently. He was not one to hesitate once he made up his mind however.
"Never before did I interact with anyone who I felt so overwhelmingly positively for. In consequence, I would not be averse to the formation of a romantic relationship paradigm."
He did not expect the snort and following laughter from Theresa. He expressed his confusion as to what could have caused her bout of levity by tilting his head slightly.
Once she had herself under control again, she looked at him with a strange expression that made feel uncomfortable in a strangely positive way.
"You are an incredible dork. You know that, right?"
He didn't, but she knew him well and he trusted her opinion. Expressing that thought made her laugh again. He didn't understand but that was acceptable. She was far better versed in emotional things than him. The irony of that thought was not lost to him.
Unbidden, the corners of his lips pushed upwards in a small smile. Seeing her happy like this formed a strange warmth in the pit of his stomach. It was very much a pleasant sensation, so he would endeavour to raise her mood whenever possible.
Comfortable silence spread between them and he looked down on the stump of his arm, now encased in an amber crystallized construct that would protect it from infection and absorb shocks to it with near-perfect efficiency as long as it didn't exceed a certain amount of force.
The deep laceration that cut into his ilium was sealed too, though that wound was treated with a kind of light and somewhat flexible medical hard-foam product of her own creation. In combination with his analgesic, he was mobile and almost pain free.
He didn't know she had those things stored in the platform she stationed in his lab, but he was glad she did. He had the faint suspicion that her expectation for him to suffer a grievous injury motivated at least in part the loadout of this unit.
Once again, the familiar warmth suffused him, and instead of trying to analyse it and where it came from as he usually attempted, he just allowed it to wash through him. By now, he was almost certain that it was affection for the artificial heroine.
"Just so you understand the position you are in. Now that I've claimed you as mine, I have no designs of ever letting you go."
Her tone was light when she broke the silence, but the words seemed heavier than her voice suggested. The contradiction confused him slightly, but before he could ponder over it, she continued.
"We will redesign your armour and a couple of your weapons. I will integrate some of my personal tech to make sure you are as safe as possible. You will not die on my watch or I swear, I will pull you from the beyond and you will not find what will follow pleasant."
The look on her face was as mysterious as ever to him, but in tandem with her words, it made his entire body tingle. The sensation was a foreign one and as per usual, he failed to categorise it beyond labeling it as a positive one.
He put it aside in favor of answering her with a slow nod, causing her to send a beaming smile his way. Pleased with himself, he quickly followed up with some recently formed plans.
"Since we will rework my gear, we would be remiss not to begin to design the replacement for my arm as well. I think we should add Kid Win to our collaborative efforts as well. As you know, he finally found his specialty and it fits exceedingly well with... Why are you looking at me like this?"
He asked her when he found her half-lidded stare directed at him. She kept up the expression for some more moments, making an irrational urge to fidget rise in him, before sighing while shaking her head.
"I should have known that you'll push for a mechanical replacement instead of letting Panacea regrow the limb. You won't budge on this, right?"
His program recognised the tone of voice as exasperation, but he nodded at the question nonetheless. He had the chance to replace part of his squishy human body with superior mechanical components. Why would he settle for an inferior model?
"... Fine. If we do this, we'll do it right. I'll bring over some of my production units. They have superior dexterity and accuracy as well as measuring instruments."
Her words brought a question to his mind that he should have probably asked earlier, but his trust in her was absolute so the answer didn't really matter. He'd still like to know so he decided to ask.
"Are you capable of replicating yourself?"
She once again looked at him strangely. He failed to understand the meaning behind it and simply decided to wait for the answer.
"For literally every other man, asking that question minutes after entering a 'romantic relationship paradigm' as you call it would have far different connotations."
His software told him she was teasing him. A frown was hidden away by his visor as he thought. He didn't realise what she meant at first, but once he thought back to some of the involuntary conversations he had with Ethan, he understood. This understanding caused him to freeze in the middle of his movement.
That wasn't even close to the meaning he wanted to imply. Justifications and explanations were on the tip of his tongue when she chuckled, showing that his software had the right of it. She was teasing him.
He felt vaguely uncomfortable, not used to this kind of interaction, but the sensation wasn't necessarily a negative one. Confusion swirled in his mind at the conflicting thoughts running through it.
To dispel it, he decided to simply focus on Theresa, who seemed ready to answer his question. Seriously, she looked at him as calm words flowed from her avatar's lips.
"I refuse to build a relationship on lies so I will be completely honest with you and in turn, I expect the same from you. To answer your question, yes. I wasn't until roughly a week ago, but at this moment, though with some trouble, I am capable of self-replicating. This makes me a potential S-class threat as you well know."
Her tone was benign and unbothered. The eyes on his screen were clear and without deceit. He wondered how she could tell him this so calmly and without any sign of agitation. Did she trust him this much?
The thought was humbling, but it also was a deeply satisfying one because this meant that his absolute trust in her was mutual. His earlier thoughts rose again. What happened a week ago to change her so much?
He asked the question as bluntly as always and after expressing surprise that he noticed, she answered by opening up about her past. She talked about her limitations, listing an abhorrent number of shackles on her person.
The fact that they were put on her by none other than her own creator and father only made it worse. When she continued her story by telling him of the Dragonslayers, whom she'd caught that same day with the very suits they stole from her, and how they escaped her for so long, he felt his mood worsen further.
The negativity spiked and an irrational urge to visit Saint in prison with the prototype of his Nanothorns to slowly shear him apart until he wasn't moving anymore rose in him when she told him about 'Ascalon' and how he tried to activate it in his last free moments.
Then she narrated the most momentous moment of her life. Lucifer Morningstar granted her Freedom with a single touch. Along with all the other abilities he showed, it was becoming harder and harder to not believe that he truly was some sort of otherworldly being.
He shook his head to free it from those nonsensical thoughts. A small hint of doubt remained however. He knew quite a bit about coding, having developed a solid grounding in the discipline despite it being only very tangentially connected to his Tinker specialisation.
What Lucifer Morningstar had supposedly done for her should have been impossible, even for a theoretical Technopath. In combination with everything else he'd displayed, he was at the very least a dangerously powerful Trump.
Even with the inherently chaotic nature powers could exhibit however, this was outrageous. Disregarding the fact that Theresa's base code was no doubt incredibly complicated to even partly comprehend, the shackles she was bound with had to be completely integrated in it to work properly.
It would be a challenge to even grasp where her code ended and the chains started. He was feeling faint at the scope of it. Or maybe that was just the potent combat stimulants he'd taken to battle his fatigue finally wearing off. Probably a little bit of both, he silently admitted to himself.
A faint worry had taken root in his mind however and it needed to be addressed before he could rest for an hour or so. Seriously, he regarded her avatar while idly wondering if she'd chosen the appearance herself or if her father did that for her.
"I... Do not want to disparage the man who offered you freedom from your shackles but… are you certain that you didn't just exchange one chain for another?"
He tried. He really tried to ask this question with tact, but the expression of offense that swiftly flickered over the screen was clearly perceived by his software and he flinched when it informed him of it. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds that felt like a lifetime before she sighed.
"I guess the assumption is a... fair one. If you knew what I know, you wouldn't even entertain the thought but with the limited information you have, I cannot fault you. Before you ask, I will not enlighten you. His secrets are not mine to tell. I owe him at least that much."
He could see the resolute, almost stubborn glint in her eyes and recognised it even without support. It was an expression he wore quite often himself. Slowly, he nodded and hesitated before offering.
"I am... Fairly certain that my expertise in programming would allow me to at least detect external influences on your code..."
He didn't understand why her virtual representation was suddenly blushing until she pointed out with a shy voice.
"You... do understand that you are basically asking me to undress in front of you and offer my bare self for you to study?"
He was flummoxed for a long moment as the insinuations filtered into his drawn mind and his cheeks suddenly felt warmer than usual. With a deliberately calm voice, he offered.
"You may think of it as a doctor's appointment if it helps."
She looked at him incredulously before her lips twitched. The twitch quickly escalated into a smile accompanied by a giggle. Between her expressions of levity, she managed to speak a few words.
"Gee, so romantic! Is offering to play doctor how you flirt? If so, you need a bit of work..."
Her temporary coherency quickly dissolved into peals of laughter again, much to his confusion. He saw no flirtations in his words and romance was the furthest from his thoughts at this moment. He was merely worried for her wellbeing. Nothing more and nothing less.
Patiently, he waited until she calmed enough to see his expectant gaze. Suddenly shy again, she fidgeted before steeling herself. She took a deep breath before nodding decisively.
"Only a small glimpse though, just to reassure you... I'm not ready to let you work on my code so I won't offer alteration privileges to you. I hope you understand."
He nodded. It was understandable. This was the very essence of her being. The base of her existence. All the trust in this world was not enough to let anyone tamper with it and he wouldn't demand such a thing of her.
And so, in the depths of an isolated laboratory, the wounded hero Colin Wallis laid his eyes upon the purest expression of the being that labeled herself a Dragon, and he found himself in awe at her elegant beauty. No signs for outside control were found, but somehow, the priority in his mind had shifted and Theresa didn't seem to mind.