(Because I am so evil. Set in the past!)
"So, how are they?" CPU remarks as he leans over Lag's side. He hadn't seen the other Admin in a while, as he was always alternating between being in SMG0's universe and being at the Adminspace. "Causing any trouble?"
"Pfft, no." Lag chuckles, playfully sideyeing his fellow Admin. "They're perfect."
"They're trouble makers like you." CPU retorts, resting his chin on top of Lag's hat.
"You're so mean." Lag playfully hits CPU's shoulder as he leans against his chest.
"I'm so kind." CPU smirks down at him.
"That's like saying Buffer isn't orange." The green Admin snorts.
"Teeechinally, she isn't. She's orange and red." The red and pink Admin chuckles as he pulls away from Lag, and the two begin to walk through the research area. It was only them for the moment, other Admins out in the main lobby.
"You are such a pain." Lag sighs playfully. "Why do I put up with you?"
CPU laughs softly, making Lag do the same. CPU shook his head with a smile before glancing around. Then, he lowered his voice. "Have you.. heard about Byte lately?"
Confusion takes over the other's face. "No? Why?"
"He's been locked away in his office ever since his SMGs got ascended and all that." CPU informs him, crossing his arms. "He hasn't come out at all."
"That's kind of expected.." Lag frowns. "But it has been a while now. You'd think he'd at least have accepted it by now."
At a skeptical look from the other, Lag groans. "Let me try and give him the benefit of the doubt."
The two both knew that benefit was slowly declining. Everyone had been wary of Byte ever since his SMGs had ascended, and his Avatar had been killed by Cookie. His reaction had been volatile, as Byte had tried to attack Cookie, but every had chocked it up to grief.
But now, with the passing days, it was hard to tell whether or not he was actually grieving or if it was something deeper at play. Lag himself had been witness to it when Byte was helping him with getting the SMG Code down.
The way the other Admin seemed to lax on telling him things made Lag a bit worried, but at the same thing, SMG-2 and SMG-1 had been prototypes. So sure, there'd be changes to the real things.
"I'm sure it's fine." Lag assures CPU, rubbing his cheek when he feels a small ache there. "Plus, it's not like he'll do anything. I mean, he's scared shitless of Antivirus."
"Everyone is scared shitless of Antivirus." CPU snorts as he nudges Lag's side.
Lag chuckles, taking off his hat and gently hitting CPU's face with it. "Not me."
The two continue to talk, though Lag continues to feel pain in his body. First his cheek, then nearly all of his arm, and then some of his foot. It had gotten to the point when CPU was a bit worried.
"Are you alright?" CPU asks as Lag hisses in pain, hand coming to rub his arm as he also flexes that hand.
"I think so.. I think that I might be exerting myself too-" Lag cuts himself off with a pained gasp as he falls to his knees, gripping his arm as white hot pain spreads over his body.
"Lag!" CPU's eyes go wide as he kneels down beside the other.
Lag grits his teeth, fingers digging into his arm. It felt like his code was tearing itself apart, trying to keep something together.
Why did he hurt so much? What was going on?
"It felt like I was.. dying." Byte confessed to him, watching as Lag did a check on SMG0's code. He had wanted to make idle conversation, and asked about the other's wellbeing. "It felt like my code was frying itself trying to stay together. I could feel myself sever from -1 and -2."
Lag's pupil shrinks, and he feels something cut from him. Like threads being snapped. "0..! N-Niles..!"
CPU's breath hitches, and he quickly stands up. "I'll be right back, I promise. Just don't try to move!"
He barely hears the other, the searing pain across his body (but mostly on his cheek, arm, and foot) too much for him to focus on anything else. It felt like he was dying, like he was crumbling.
Soon, there's red and white in front of him, blurred from the pain.
"He can barely focus on me. Help me get him up. CPU, go look at SMG0's universe now. Be quick."
Lag hisses in pain as he's carefully brought to his feet. He can barely stand. Everything hurts so much. He doesn't even notice his hat falling.
But he can only focus on his boys. SMG0 and Niles. They had to be okay, they had to be.
"SMG0?! Niles?!" CPU shouts as he rushes through the portal command. He looks around, and his expression falls.
The universe was crumbling. Just like when Juliano..
"Please, no." He whispers, changing to his Manuver Form and taking off into the air. He flew as quickly as he could, despite the world crumbling around him.
"Niles?! SMG0?! Either of you?!?" CPU shouts. "Fred?!"
Coming to the clearing where the trio normally stayed, he dived down and landed, returning to his normal form. He looks around, hands clenching, before he spots the slowly fading body.. of Fred.
"Oh god." His expression falls.
He looks around, hoping to see 0's Guardian Pod, but it was nowhere to be found.
He winces, feeling like he was constricted for a moment. The universe starts to fall quicker, and CPU knows he needs to get out of there. But where are SMG0 and Niles? They have to be somewhere!
Changing to his Manuver Form once again, he flies into the air and looks around. There was no sign of either of them.
He feels like he's constricted again, and he exhales. He needed to go, now.
CPU turns and flies away, opening a portal command as he did, heart heavy.
"You're alright." Vitality assures him, pressing some code to the forming scar. Her eyes narrow. "But these.."
"I.. I don't care.." Lag mutters, voice hoarse. It had felt like hours, and the pain had only died down because of Vitality's work. Scary as she could be, she was the best medic there was. "0.. Niles.."
"We don't know yet." She sighs softly. "We'll know once CPU comes back. For now, you'll stay here. I'm going to go handle the others."
She turns and walks away, leaving no room for discussion. Lag exhales. And that was something he tended to sway on about her. She always seemed to have quite the bit of authority.
Soft footsteps enter his (admittedly still ringing) hearing, making Lag look up from the scar on his foot. He spots CPU and lets himself feel some hope. "CPU! Did you.."
He trails off, seeing how the other won't meet his gaze. The red and pink Admin sits by the bed he's on and looks at the ground.
Lag swallows thickly. "CPU.."
"I couldn't find them." CPU confesses, voice soft. "Lag, I.. when I got there, the universe was crumbling."
His body starts to shake. No.
"I went looking for them, and.. I found Fred. He.. he was dead."
His hands come up to grip his bandana. No. No no no.
"I looked as much as I could, but.. I couldn't find SMG0's Pod. I couldn't find either of them." CPU frowns.
"You're lying." Lag grips his bandana tighter. "CPU, tell me you're lying. Please.."
Tears collect in his eye. They were gone. Gone. Just like that.
Did he do something wrong? Did he not look over them enough? What had happened? He did everything right, didn't he?
His breath hitches as the tears fall. CPU moves and pulls him into a hug, and Lag clings to him.
Between the pain or the heartbreak, he doesn't know which is worse.
"He should've known, shouldn't have he? I mean, if the universe fell because he didn't have two Guardians.."
"Maybe he was feeling too arrogant about being the first to have a legitimate SMG and didn't listsn to Byte."
"Enough." Byte hisses, stepping between two Admins. They flinch. "Go."
As the scurry off, he looks back towards the medical ward. As he turns his head away, a smirk graces his lips. Rumors were already spreading.
My program, my playthings. How sad for you that you were chosen, Lag.
As he turns and walks away, Abyssal watches him beside Umbra, who was listening to Vitality explain Lag's current condition.
