[ Lightning ]

“One: I would never compare the destruction of an Ignis to the death of a human.”

Briefly, Revolver remembered what his father had told him - to him, the Ignis’ destruction would have felt similar. Despite always having done what his father had wanted, Revolver did not feel the same for the A.Is. All he could muster towards them was hate. If it hadn’t been for them, his life would have been entirely different. 

“Two: the tower was no crime I committed for my own benefit, but to carry out my goal. Three: you are supposed to be better than me, Ignis.” 

By far, Revolver was aware of the Light Ignis not being a good-willed A.I, yet he had felt the need to point it out. After all, the Ignis were created with that goal in mind - to be better. 

Heaving a sigh, Revolver crossed his arms in front of his chest. He would not allow this Ignis to play with his mind or feelings.

“Not that I expected anything else, considering you are the worst of them all.”

Oh? And so they were back to the other one's speaking pattern of three. Well Lightning had to admit that it had been a while since the other one had done so. It kinda reminded him of the small human the other one once had been.

In the end he let point one slide. Part of him urged to ask the other one if he would compare his own death with the death of an human. With the death of the other Ignis. But he felt like they just hadn't reached that point yet and the answer might disappoint both of them.

"Well even if it was for your goal, it means it was for your purpose right? So I honestly can't see a difference." And yet he had to admit that the teen was right. He was supposed to be better than the other one, right? Better than humans.

But Revolver decided to point out the one weakness Lightning wasn't really able to get right now. He was different. He wasn't as developed as the others. And even though the other one wasn't saying it like that, still leaving it open if he ever realized about that...it still hurt. And made him angry at the same time.

At points like this he really preferred having Ryoken around.

"Murder is not an option."

An uncomfortably cold shiver raced down his spine. Wearing a deceptively composed expression, Revolver swallowed the lump in his throat and averted the Ignis' gaze. Despite feeling like the next question would make way for an equally uncomfortable conversation, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Would you really consider killing someone for your own benefit?"

Revolver would rather overlook the fact that he had attempted mass genocide not too long ago. The guilt remained etched into his heart.

The light Ignis was rather well aware of the fact that there still were some topics his dear partner and himself had different mindsets on, but part of him hadn’t expected this to be part of it. After all he had studied the other one closely and he knew rather well from what kind of situation the human came to him not too long ago. 

“Oh is it not now? I thought you thought different.” he pointed out eventually, his eyes on the other one in an almost bored expression. 

“Wasn’t it you who came to my home five years ago trying to murder us on the behalf of your father? And wasn’t it you who put the life of thousands of ´humans to risk with that tower that wasn’t even your idea?” 

A sigh left his lips, before he shook his head slightly. 

“Well of course I would. It would safe me a lot of trouble after all.” 

Did he think he was hard to read? Well, in Lightning’s defense, to anyone else, he probably was, even now that he had something almost like a normal human face. And maybe he just assumed Jin wasn’t any different… actually, Jin wasn’t really sure what Lightning thought of her, despite being intimately familiar with his opinions on most everything else. He’d never seemed to care much one way or the other. Though—in a weird way, he’d seen more potential in her than anyone else ever had, even Shoichi. That was… something. Probably.

And he was troubled; that was something, too, even if Jin wasn’t sure what to make of it yet. She did hear the dig, though. “His friends.” Oof. Her lips twisted, and then she gave a sharp sigh, arms folding across her chest, almost defensive.

“Niisan doesn’t want anything to do with you. For good reason,” she added, pausing for emphasis. And then looked away. “…But me—I’m not so ready to write you off just yet. I don’t know why. I should tell you to go eat shit and die or something. You probably even agree. But, well. Humans don’t always do what they should. And I’m not used to getting to do things on my own either way. So. Here I am.” She clicked her tongue. “And here you are.”

Well he couldn’t deny that Kusanagi Shoichi had more than one good reason not to want to have anything to do with him, Lightning wouldn’t even try to argue about that. With everything he had done, had done to Jin, it was rather certain, that this human would never forgive him at all. Which didn’t bother the Ignis that much though. He wasn’t looking for the big brothers forgiveness. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted the forgiveness of his origin. The only thing that mattered at all, was something he already had, even though Lightning was rather, rather well aware of the fact that he probably didn’t deserve any of it. 

But he wasn’t about to make Ryoken’s promise public knowledge, so he just stayed silent about him, instead crossed the arms in front of his chest while watching the other teen with a curious glint in his eyes. 

“Oh I certainly do agree with that. You’re surely better off without me.” Again, no doubt. After all he had destroyed her in more than one way. Seeing her as alive and Independent like that.. it surprised him. And yet it made him proud. Another thing he’d never admit at all. 

“So you meant to say here we are.” he concluded eventually. Still it wasn’t telling him what exactly she wanted from him right now. He slowly got the impression, that Jin didn’t know herself. 

“What do you want Jin? And how do you want to do it? Do you really think I can help you with that, when we all know that everyone we know wants me dead?”

Well not everyone, but he was allowed to have some secrets, right? 

“I know you’re determined to be the worst thing that ever happened to me, but you came too late for that, Lightning. Sorry.” There was hardly any bite in it, either; Jin mostly just sounded tired. “And I don’t think it’s like you at all to want to be second best. So you might as well just give it up already. You don’t have to be my friend, I’m not that naïve, regardless what you think of me. But I’ll never hate you or fear you as much as you want. It really is a wasted effort.”

It was some rare occurrence. Definitely something the Ignis hasn’t expected. After all he knew rather well which part he had played in the humans pain and suffer. To hear e wasn’t the worst was... well actually Lightning wasn’t sure what exactly to think about it. He probably would deny it loudly, but he couldn’t help but feel curious about what the worst thing actually had been if not him. Had it been the incident that leaded to his creation? Or actually something he wasn’t aware of at all?

For a moment he was tempted to ask, but he knew better than slipping up like that. Instead his eyes rested on the teen for a moment, taking in how tired Jin actually seemed like now.

No, he really hadn’t expected their first real meeting playing out like this. With Jin being herself and not restrained by anything... he would have expected her to have a few words with him about everything he’d done but instead...

Well he wasn’t even sure what to call it.

Humans still made no sense to him at all.

“…i mean, you’re the smaller one between us, but, whatever.” jin couldn’t help it, the muttered aside, which was probably so very human of her. at the same, time, though… lightning didn’t often give her the opportunity to share her thoughts, so there was no point in holding back.

“i’m not really sure. you’re not like me, i know that much. i’d have sat and seethed for a lot longer than you did—maybe even forever, it’s just what i’m like. or i’d have just rolled over and accepted it. rationalized it to myself. so i guess that makes you kinda brave, your willingness to stand up for yourself. …kinda. because you still didn’t give me the chance to fight back, you sneaked up on me. which was pretty shitty. i mean, maybe i couldn’t have fought you. but niisan or, i don’t know, playmaker might’ve had a shot. and that wasn’t a risk you were willing to take. there’s a line between caution and cowardice, and you’re using it as a jumprope. …do you know what a—you know what, never mind. also, you know, you’re taking out your anger, however justified, on a bunch of people who don’t deserve it. you’re even willing to attack the ones who’ve only ever been kind to you. also shitty, both of those. following that logic, you’re what we little humans like to call… wait for it… shitty. or at least you’re someone who does shitty things. but that’s only part of the point; everyone does shitty things, you’re not actually special in that regard. you’re not different. all you’re really doing is lashing out because you felt persecuted. i mean, i’m a lot easier to walk all over than revolver. …figuratively and literally, i guess. but, in the grand scheme of things, my opinion of you doesn’t actually matter. and it’s not because i’m human, either. it’s because the only one who can decide who you are is you. that’s the power of self-actualization. does that make sense?”

The Ignis honestly couldn’t tell if it was normal for his origin to talk that much or if it was just because Jin hadn’t been able to speak for quiet some time now and the girl felt like making up to it. In the end it didn’t matter. It reminded him a little bit of the wind Ignis though. So many words in so many sentences and Lightning still wasn’t sure where the human even tried to go with all of this. 

Being called brave.... well he was rather sure a lot of people and AI alike would have to say something different about that, but it didn’t matter.   In the end Jin was right with saying he never gave the other one a chance to begin with. Rushing over and dragging her into this mess had been the first step as soon as Cyberse had fallen, but what Jin still failed to see was the intention behind it. 

In the end... it was kinda strange to be told he was just like anyone else. That he wasn’t different, because as long as Lightning could remember he always had been the odd one. The one not like the others. He knew that it was his own fault. And he knew where this road was leading him towards to. The reason for this war, the reason for this plan. Humans and AI couldn’t co-exist. But there wer exceptions he just couldn’t let go. 

That Jin actually went ahead mentioning Revolver caused the Ignis to chuckle quietly though. Revolver always was rather interesting to interact with. It was quiet easy to mess with that one. Kinda fun. Or at least the most amusement he had lately. 

“Humans rarely make sense.” he commented in the end, waving slightly with one of his hands, even though the expression on his face was rather thoughtful at that. 

The one who can decide who you are is you. 

Well who wanted he to be? It certainly was a question he had no answer to right now. Neither was it one he necessarily wanted to think about at all. 

“But it’s interesting. After all this time I thought you’d be mad at me. Not trying to teach me things, even if it’s only how shitty I am.”

"the horror you have seen is not who you are." ||  @ishikideta / (mostly) angsty drabble prompts

If Lightning was honest to himself, then there had been a lot of things he’d expected his dear origin to say given the chance to do so. Those words...those words certainly had not been on that list. It was kinda unnerving, because it proved that the Ignis still failed to understand. There was still something going on in that humans head that he failed to comprehend. 

He was supposed to be better than this. 

Loki Odinson You are enough. You are good. You are strong and smart and fabulous. Fuck anyone who told you differently. You've been surrounded by the bad all your life, that you've forgotten how to see the good. You've been fighting for so long, that you've forgotten that life is more than just survival. You were given knives and told to go for the throat. But there is bravery in being soft, and kindness does not make you weak. Put your sword down, but keep your head up.

Tagged By: myself

Revolver wouldn’t hesitate for even a more to answer the Ignis, taking one step towards him with an almost threatening glint in his lavender coloured orbs. He was clearly displeased.

“I can say with confidence that I do not desire to have my mind tampered with.”

To know that the Ignis even had the ability to do so already caused his blood to boil. Yet, at the same time, Revolver knew that he wouldn’t really be able to stop the Ignis from doing so and that he might not even notice it. Which was already more than enough reason for him to be suspicious and careful.

The next statement only caused him to roll his eyes in annoyance before he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Coming to my senses again does not involve me accepting this ridiculous fate.”

“Ho? You’re saying that, but your actions are clearly asking for it.” 

But maybe Revolver wasn’t realizing that in the first place? Lightning wasn’t sure about that, because honestly he thought it was obvious. On the other side he already had come to realize that humans tend to miss the obvious quiet a lot. It was one of their flaws after all. But he wasn’t talking to any human, but to his human. And by all means that meant that Revolver had to be better than the rest. 

He wasn’t really bothered by the fact that the other wasn’t that happy with the situation. It was nothing new after all. Ever since he had brought the other one here, he was acting like a pouting child, causing him to curse Hanoi with every passing moment because this boy was supposed to be his and they had not only taken him away all those years ago, but also turned him against him. 

  ❝I nap, I don’t do passing out,❞ with a sharp brush off, Playmaker didn’t feel like there was much to correcting Lightning – but talking back to the A.I felt like scratching an itch, something hard not to acknowledge, ❝and why would you even care?❞

“You don’t look like napping.” he pointed out, head slightly tilted to the side. He had seen his partner taking naps and that certainly had looked a little bit different than what the other one currently had been doing. 

“And I don’t care.” he added after a while, tipping a finger against his chin. “I’m just making sure whether or not I still need to include you into my plans or not.”