Friends? Foes?

A/N: I was bored and listened to Rockleetist and Ashe sing Bad Apple... on repeat. Even then listening to it while thinking about Cry and Virus (Or Mad, depending) makes this song fit with them somehow. Weird. Anyway, I decided to kinda have the two sing it together. Though if it does kinda get confusing or awkward... that's my bad, I've never done something like this before really. It was hard for my to match words and meaning of the lyrics with the talking, I just mostly winged it. I think of this right now as an AU of the Cry and Virus I have in my head, or could possibly be something that may happen. Idk, but I do know this doesn't have any real ties with any of the fics I'm writing. It was just something that sat in my head and wouldn't leave alone, so I typed it.

Works best with the music box version of Bad Apple if you want to have the mood right. But either way, its Bad Apple. xD

Pairing: None

Rating: G (I guess? There's really nothing bad in here)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*

Cry was content, eyes closed as he leaned back on his chair, listening to music on his headset. Particularly, Bad Apple. He didn't really know why he was listening to it; he wasn't very much into MikuMikuDance videos . But he did have to admit they did pick some good songs. Right now though, curious, he decided to give it a listen without the Japanese squeaky voices singing it, picking Rockleetist and Ashe's version to listen to.

Ever on and on I continue circling
With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony
Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanish-

The song glitched in the beginning as the song looped around for another go before pausing itself. The hiccup was enough to prompt the gamer to open his eyes and glance at his computer at what could caused it. He frowned as a replica of himself had appeared on the screen.

“Virus..” He greeted coldly, his pleasant mood gone at the interruption.

“Cryaotic..” The virus returned with equal contempt and disgust as he toyed with the media player, being the one  to have caused the hiccup on the song.

“Whatever it is you want, stuff it.” The brunet leaned back on his chair again and closed his eyes again, lifting a hand to shoo the program away. “Put the song back on and go away... I'm pretty sure you know the way out.”

The black and blue clad virus scowled at being dismissed as if he was a waste of time. “Of course I would... I am half responsible in the creation of the network and its securities...” he muttered bitterly, narrowing the lone eye that showed behind the broken mask he wore.

“So leave.”

“Don't think you still have command over me, Ryan.” Virus hissed, earning a dirty look from the man responsible for his existence as he used the gamer's actual name. Right now though, he wished he hadn't been created by the human before him. “You gave up that right long ago... I wouldn't be here wasting my time if I could help it.”

“Then why are you here? To get on my nerves? You do that every other day, what difference does it make for skipping our fight today?” Cry bit out, choosing to look up at the ceiling instead of his screen. He couldn't stand looking at Virus, not after what had happened. Looking at the program he created long ago just made his blood boil at the nerve the thing had in trying to kill him. “Don't tell me... you got bored and decided it was a great idea to break into my computer and just harass me. I'm relaxing... A Fuck Off Day if you will. So fuck off.”

“...I wanted to talk...”

The YouTuber froze, slowly lowering his head to look at his computer screen and furrowed a brow in confusion. Virus? Wanting to talk? That was new... and concerning. Still he was curious, although understandably wary of it all. Virus is a devious program with one hell of a silver tongue, he could easily be lying to lower his guard and attack. In some way at least. He knew that for certain from past experience. He found his digital twin idly playing Minesweeper, his index finger lazily poked at the boxes and avoiding the mines; yet Virus himself was distracted, his eye glossed over and wasn't focused on his apparent task of the game. Red flag. Virus hardly was distracted or unfocused, especially when around the gamer so this was definitely something that bothered the cyber brunet.

“Virus...”

No answer. The program kept silent, finger moving absently on the game.

“...Virus...”

Nothing. He was too detached from the present to listen.

Cry sighed irritably and tried again, “Virus!” he barked into the mic, smirking slightly as his viral twin jolted from his reverie; finger twitching to the side and poking a box that hid a mine, blaring the sound of a game over and causing his visible eye to twitch.

“Agh...” He flicked the game aside, annoyed with it. “What? Why did you need to scream in my ears for? Just because I'm a program doesn't make me immune to shrieking idiots!”

“You wanted to talk, not my fault you were off in LaLa Land.”

“Hmph.”

“So what did you want to talk about so badly?”

Virus went quiet, fiddling with the Media Player as he made it spin this way and that, letting the song play if anything to fill the silence that stretched between them. And for a moment Cry had thought he caught the expression uncertainty on Virus' face. This was new. Still it somehow unnerved him, he never seen Virus be hesitant to do or say anything. Almost as if he was shy. He filed it away for later thinking as he waited for the viral program to speak. “...Why did you delete me..?”

Ever on and on I continue circling
With nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony
Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing
And suddenly I see that I can't break free

Cry twitched at the question, caught off guard by it. Memories of that day were drug out, something he wanted to forget but knew he never could. Regardless of what he thought, part of him didn't want to throw them away but still the memories were painful. “Why do you want to know?” he whispered to himself then raised his voice to be heard, swallowing the lump in his throat that threatened to choke him. “You know why. So what's with the sudden interest in that..?”

“Because I deserve to know.” Virus pointed out, still toying with the Media Player window. “So... what was the reason for my deletion?” He had to know, Virus just had to know for real. Ever since he woke up alone in the dark reaches of Cyber Space, broken and fragmented, he asked that question to himself multiple times. Never finding the answer himself and it pained him not knowing. He couldn't figure it out, going through what he knew and remembered until only one came to mind.

That his creator had hated him from the very beginning.

I'm slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity
With nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony

Cry became evasive, honestly not wanting to tread into dangerous waters with him as it was. “Virus, you do know. I deleted you because you were dangerous. You were destroying computers and wouldn't stop, so I didn't have a choice but to delete you.” He lied. Pure and simple. He lied to in hopes the subject would drop. He never had any of his friends remind him of that day and never spoke of it himself to keep it locked away. But as contained as it was to him, he still regretted it. Regretted the action of hitting the delete key. It drove him nearly insane at times when the thoughts slipped his guard and questioned himself as to why he did such a thing. He knew the commands to recall his creation.. why didn't he input them?

To tell me who I am, who I was
Uncertainty enveloping my mind
Till I can't break free,

Virus growled, catching the unsure look on Cry's face. “That's it?” he hissed, nearly crushing the music player window in his hand, “You deleted me because I was simply following orders?!” That couldn't be right... was it? Virus checked his core file, looking over his own programming. Nothing looked out of place, nothing sent up a red flag. He scanned his file again to double check. Nothing came up as wrong. He froze, closing his eye to hide his fear. Did... had he done something wrong? He couldn't recall anything he did that would justify his creator's reason for his deletion. It wasn't his fault was it? No... there had to be a reason.. a different one. Not the one he was being told.

And maybe it's a dream; maybe nothing else is real
But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel
So I'm tired of all the pain, of the misery inside
And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night

“Virus?” Cry murmured in worry, he just saw Virus' image flicker. If he remembered correctly... back in those days... Virus would tend to flicker when he was distressed or very worried over something that sometimes caused him to forget to maintain his form. Was Virus distraught over the issue? No, he couldn't be... could he? The program he knew that stood before him rarely let anything get to him, let alone be worried. The YouTuber shook his head, pushing such thoughts aside. He really shouldn't worry over a killer program bent on taking over his body... but part of him was concerned over Virus' well being. Why was he so upset over it? His orders were wrong, didn't he get that? Oh who was he kidding? Probably a ploy by Virus to guilt trip him and he wasn't going to fall for it. Still... that flicker...

“Virus...” He couldn't help the worry in his tone, but painted it over with annoyance as he tried to keep his face neutral. “Are you okay? Or did the words cause your brain to short out?” Cry was tired, he didn't want to go through memory lane. He didn't want to remember everything that happened that day or the painful ones after that. He especially didn't want to recall the happy ones before either, as it just made the him remember how painful everything was. Part of him wanted to reach out but he was just tired of the manipulative ways and Virus' infamous silver tongue. He was getting enough of that in his life, he didn't need to have his sympathy used against him. No, that ship sailed long ago.

The virus shot him a glare and growled, “I'm fine.” Did his corroded voice just crack? He coughed to hide it, “I fine.” He wasn't. He really, really wasn't fine. Part of him wanted to let Cry know that he was worried about himself... as selfish as it sounded. Was any of it his fault? Was he faulty? No... he had to stay calm. It wouldn't do him good to show a fragment of worry, it could be used against him and he was sick of being used. Granted, he was only used once... but it was enough to make him wary of any pleasantries.

His mind rolled back to the old days, where he laughed at Cry's shocked expression when Virus had pulled a prank. He had scared him when he manipulated the data on the Media Player and taking phrases from videos and putting them together to 'talk' to Cry. Before that, Virus could only 'speak' through text on the screen but after that he finally gained his own voice, using Cry's from the recordings and integrating them into his own programming... Virus quickly slammed the door shut on that particular memory, tears threatening to well in his eyes. It was too risky, and unimportant to think about, not with the gamer there watching him. But mostly it was too... what was the human phrase for it? 'Heart wrenching'? Yes, that's probably it. It was too... heart wrenching.

He glanced at Cry for a moment, catching what he thought was sadness. Why was he sad? Was he sad or was it a ploy? If so... why did he want to comfort him? Before he had but now? Now... what the hell was he doing? He was fucking Virus!Cry! He shouldn't feel anything for the man that killed him for no reason... He shouldn't feel sympathy at all for anyone. If anything the hell he went through made him stronger. That's right, stronger.

So why did he feel like it was a good idea to just... let it go?

You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go
But I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know
If I make another move there'll be no more turning back
Because everything will change, and it all will fade to black

No, he couldn't think like that. Cry wouldn't have cared if he did... it would just make it easier for him to delete him a second time. He caught him looking at him again. “What? I'm fine... I'm just not buying the bullshit you're trying to feed me.”

Cry scowled, “What bullshit? You asked and I answered, what more do you want? I deleted you because you were dangerous and I didn't have a choice.”

“Bull!” Virus barked, glaring at him angrily. “You could have called me back! I would've obeyed and return without a fight! But you didn't! You didn't call me back at all! You just up and deleted me, Cryaotic!” There it went, laying it out to him even though he wanted to shut up and just take what Cry said as truth and leave it be as it always was. So why was he going on, hoping there was more to it? What would it change? Nothing would ever change the past... nothing would ever erase the feeling of being isolated in the dark.

“What do you want me to say!?”

“I don't know! The truth perhaps?!”

“I am telling the truth!” The brunet slapped his hands down on his desk, blue eyes avoiding the digital twin that continued to glare at him. He couldn't say it, what exactly would it change anyway? Whether he spoke the truth or not, wouldn't have mattered, Virus would still come after him anyway, he was sure. Then again it was a justified rage... he was at fault. If he had hit 'Enter' on the recall commands on the source file instead of the 'Delete' all of this could've been avoided. They still would've been friends... best friends... someone to talk to when he was alone... but now? Because of his panic... he lost all that. Shattered a friendship that would never be repaired. Hell if he hadn't fucked up the programming to begin with there wouldn't even be a problem.

“Liar.” Virus spat, “If you were telling me the truth, you would look me in the eye. But you're flinching away from me. Of all the times we fought for our lives... all the times we declared death on each other... not once had you looked away from me.” He growled, “So you doing so now is a fucking neon sign that you're hiding something from me. Might as well spit it out.”

“What truth? That it's my fault you're pissed off at me? Because that is the truth.” Cry said bitterly, glaring at the virus straight into his eyes. “It was my fault that you're rampaging. My fault that you were deleted in the first place and you're in the right to be angry with me. That's all there is to it. The bottom line.” The YouTuber tilted his head slightly in confusion at Virus' expression of disappointment. What did he do now?

Will tomorrow ever come? Will I make it through the night?
Will there ever be a place for the broken in the light?
Am I hurting? Am I sad? Should I stay, or should I go?
I've forgotten how to tell. Did I ever even know?

Virus sighed as he flicked the Media Player between his fingers, partly nervous, partly angry, all annoyed. He should've known that Cry wouldn't speak the truth. Then again part of him was proud... least the boy was learning to keep secrets to use as trump cards as well keeping his ass safe online from those creepy fangirls. Virus would know all about that for certain. He shook his head, tossing the praising aside. He shouldn't be praising but demanding answers, he didn't fucking spend most of his digital life in isolated hell just to be told to think nothing of it and fuck off. He growled as the song continued playing perfectly even as he bounced it about between his hands like a cat would a toy ball. He didn't mind the song really, he liked the music and beat... just felt awkward at hearing the lyrics. Who the hell came up with these?

He shook his head again, disliking the distraction. He was tired and he wanted to go home and just sleep... though he doubted he would get sleep. He missed his spot in the network where he used to sleep, now that he thought about it, he was virtually homeless. Virus lowered his electric blue eyes at the thought, was there any place he could call home now? Cyber Space was his new home but it was just so vast and... empty. He was the only living program there, and it still didn't quell the feeling of wanting to belong somewhere.

His mind wandered back to the old days despite his displeasure for it. The friendship he and Cry had... Sure they were creator and creation but also friends... he had someone to speak to and lent an ear when Cry was upset or annoyed by something. He even went as far as to make sure all his files were in order and saved if he ever fell asleep at the desk. Now... all of that was just gone. Cry hated him from the beginning and wanted him gone and never said a word why other than 'dangerous'. Why? Virus furrowed his brow in confusion at the twisting feeling in his chest. Odd. He shrugged it off. This was a waste of time, all he got out of that was just bullshit answers and runarounds, he just wanted go home and forget this happened but...

He didn't feel like leaving, he was puzzled at his own indecision and was annoyed by it as well. He wanted to leave and yet part of him rooted him to his spot on the screen, still clutching the media player. Then he did the unthinkable that even startled him.

“Please?”

Can I take another step? I've done everything I can
All the people that I see I will never understand
If I find a way to change, if I step into the light
Then I'll never be the same, and it all will fade to white

Cry blinked at him as Virus stared back in equal shock. What did he just say? The gamer tilted his head further and tried to see if he heard that correctly.

“Please...” The virus whispered softly, hugging the window to him. “I need to know, Cry...”

The brunet stared at him, the big bad in black and blue virus... whispering a soft plea for him to tell the truth. Cry flinched at the ache he felt in his heart by the broken look at his former creation. Should he really tell him the truth? What would it do to Virus if he told him exactly why? Nothing much would change he knew but somehow... somehow he felt that if he did... it would shake the virus more than he would think. But... he wanted the truth. Cry could refuse him all he wanted but would it change anything? Perhaps. The question is would it be for the better? Or the worse... for one of them?

Cry sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and leaned back against his chair.

“Are you sure, Virus?”

Again hesitation.

“Yeah.... I'm sure.”

Alright then. He sighed again, really not wanting to tell him. Though he wasn't quite sure if he was trying to protect Virus. Why would he? He glanced at his viral twin, he looked truly alone and broken as it was... his heart ached again. It had been Cry's fault all of this happened... what right did he have to keep the truth? Hell why was he lying to himself? He still cared... Virus was still a living being that he created... a friend even if Virus didn't care for him anymore he was still someone he wouldn't have abandoned on a whim had he knew he was alive still. But that chance to make it right had long since faded.

He launched into his story.. the truth. He went from the beginning, his reason to create Virus, despite the program griping about knowing all of that. Then he went to the good times, again pausing as his twin demanded to stop and just get over to the part of the truth. He continued, watching Virus's expression going from anger... to sorrow as the times went on, he often turned away from him at some parts. It piqued Cry's interest at Virus' reactions to those, surprised he still remembered them as well as he did. Once he thought he got a chuckle from him but didn't bring it up when Virus froze and scowled to himself. Then he got to the part of the error... the error  in his programming skills that carried over to Virus, making the mistake of inputting the wrong type of coding for Virus' main objective. Even admitting that Cry made the mistake of deleting him in his panic to stop the damages Virus was causing... all while the song continued to play and loop in the background.

Cry watched silently as Virus' figure flickered and glitched, the color drained from his face and still kept a tight grip on the media player, a thumb rubbing absentmindedly as if seeking reassurance from the song.

Virus said nothing, just sat there and held the music program as if it was a teddy bear, shell shocked and numb from the apparent truth he was told. Everything he thought... everything he believed... convinced himself of what had happened that day, had been a total and bitter lie to himself. What had he done? He check his core file a third time... 'Main Objective: Seek and destroy all traces of Cryaotic's private data from non-registered computers.' There it was... the blemish... 'Destroy',  it should've said 'Delete' but it didn't matter how many times he stared at it, willing it to change... it still said the ugly word.. 'Destroy'...

And destroy he did.

Everything he had, he destroyed it all under the false sense of doing what he believed was right. He choked back a sob, tears welled up and threatened to fall and he didn't want to... not in front of someone who he hurt and was hurt in return. Now what? There was too much damage to have everything return to normal... or at least normal before his first death. All he had left was emptiness and rage... the bitter feeling of abandonment. There was just too much to handle... and he had no clue what to do with it.

And forgiveness... he didn't have it... or rather didn't know how.

What was he going to do now?

“Ever on and on I continue circling with nothing but my hate in a carousel of agony,” A soft voice sang, mostly out of filling the silence. Virus looked up from his wallowing. Cry continued, “Till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing and suddenly I see that I can't break free...”

“I'm slipping through the cracks of a dark eternity with nothing but my pain and the paralyzing agony.” Virus murmured, “To tell me who I am, who I was... Uncertainty enveloping my mind till I can't break free, and..”

“Maybe it's a dream;”

“Maybe nothing else is real.”

“But it wouldn't mean a thing if I told you how I feel...” Cry's eyes reflected sadness over the times he had chances to fix everything but his fear and rage at Virus prevented him from trying.

“So I'm tired of all the pain, of the misery inside,” The virus shuddered at memory of his isolation, floating fragmented and weak in the darkness of Cyber Spaces plane for junk and discarded data. Basically a graveyard for programs and data that weren't whole or complete. He floated in there, wrapped in his own misery and it slowly driven him insane with rage.

“And I wish that I could live feeling nothing but the night.” The gamer reveled in the moment that he and Virus were on the same page... saw eye to eye. He glanced out the window of his room, seeing it was dark outside, stars sparkled above and the urge to take Virus outside and stargaze was strong. He wished he could show Virus how the night could make him feel better. Not everything in the dark meant loneliness and misery.

“You can tell me what to say; you can tell me where to go but I doubt that I would care, and my heart would never know.”

“If I make another move there'll be no more turning back because everything will change, and it all will fade to black.”

“If I make another move,” Virus sang softly, a little difficult with his glitched voice; unsure still of what to do as he hugged the music program tighter to him.

“If I take another step,” Cry was just as unsure as Virus was, he didn't know what to do after this. Were they enemies? Friends? Starting to rebuild their broken and shattered bond?

“Then it all would fall apart;” The viral being wouldn't admit it but he was scared, he rather liked the peace they had right now. It was an uneasy peace but at least it was one. They weren't screaming or trying to kill each other, just sharing space and just... talking. For once. He was just afraid that if any of them made a wrong move... whatever fragile co-existence they had would vanish and they would be back to square one. And perhaps he wouldn't live long enough to regret the next time. “There'd be nothing of me left.”

“If I'm crying in the wind,” Cry sang keeping pace with the music, “If I'm crying in the night,”

“Will there ever be a way?” Virus looked worried, partly hopeful that maybe... just maybe. Things would go back to the way were before his deletion. He wanted to go back to being happy and not so cold and angry. But could he truly be forgiven after everything he had done? He questioned that. “Will my heart return to white?”

“Can you tell me who you are?” The YouTuber asked him in song, prompting him to just think and not answer right now.

“Can you tell me where I am?” The cyber program questioned, looking a little lost on where he stood now with his creator.

“I've forgotten how to see;” Cry replied, expressing that he didn't know now, he wasn't sure himself where he stood with his creation.

“I've forgotten if I can.” Virus answered back, his eye showing regret and sorrow at he didn't know the answers either.

“If I opened up my eyes there'd be no more going back.” He didn't want this to end, gently asking if things would be better. If he would let him... he could try to fix the error, and go back as they were.

“'Cause I'd throw it all away, and it all would fade to black.” Virus shook his head. Too much too soon. He was at war with himself, he needed time to sort everything out. And after all the time they spent trying to best the other, he didn't remember how to be friends again with him. For him to get his error fixed and go on as if it never happened... would be a delusion on them both.

The song ended and the music faded, leaving them both in silence for a few seconds before looping again. Cry sat in his chair, gazing at the viral being before him as he seemed to struggle with himself. Running a hand through his hair, the brunet stayed quiet, waiting to see if there was anything else.

Then had to ask.

“...Enemies then?”

Virus twitched, “..Enemies.”

The gamer lowered his eyes in dismay, “You're sure?”

“Do you trust me?”

He looked up at the strange question and blinked at the gesture Virus did. Placing his hand up against the screen of the computer. Cry looked at it then raised his own hand, reaching for it... then hesitated inches from touching the LCD screen. His fingers twitched as if ready to pull away but pressed his hand against the screen, right on Virus' own hand. Virus seemed smile for a second, before he plunged his own hand past the barrier and gripped Cry's wrist tightly. The YouTuber jolted in fear, pulling back but the virus held firm, keeping his smile.

“You don't...” He smiled at the brunet's look of hurt before he released Cry without further incident, “Good.”

“Why?”

“Because I haven't forgiven you...”

“But-”

“I can't, Cry... I just can't...” He looked up at his creator, mouthing out something before continuing, “I built up too much hatred toward you... don't you think that's little dangerous to just keep around?”

“Virus...”

“Look... I need to sort this out myself. And I'm still not convinced that you told me the truth... so I just need... time.” Virus stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black coat, the electronic blue trimming and designs standing out against the darkness. “Besides, we're in too deep with our personal war to just drop it, hold hands and sing 'Kum-Ba-Yah', don't you think? Awkward.”

“...Yeah... I guess so.”

“Don't get sappy on me, Ryan.” Virus smirked as Cry glared at him again for using his real name. “There we go, that's what I want to see, someone who wants me deleted.” Cry's eyes flickered and Virus narrowed his at him. “Don't.” He warned before he turned away, pushing the music player aside to make room for his exit. “Besides, you'll see me again. I got a nifty plan going but it needs a few more touches.”

“Right.”

Virus turned to him and grinned sharply, “Don't die to Mad before I kill you, understood? I'd be disappointed if you lost to that asshole.” He gave Cry a strange expression like he wanted to say more but decided against it. “Laters.” And with that, he burst into data and streamed into Cry's web browser, back into Cyber Space.

Cry sat there, mulling over the last words before remembering what he mouthed out and sat back, a ghost of a smile hinting at his mouth. “I'll wait...” He closed his eyes and tried to hold back a sob, burying his face into his hands as a tear escaped.


“...friend.”

End