Zeroes and Ones

Riku didn’t know, but Hiro kept his walls up, though not as high as he had before. There was once a time, not very long ago, that Hiro would have chosen to remain stubborn - to limit himself and choose not to forgive. The world had been so cruel to him throughout his younger years, and he was still young and learning, but he had grown in ways he didn’t imagine. Forgiveness was a blessing for some, but for Hiro, he had learned that second chances should be offered. Forgiveness was earned, not given, and though Hiro was offering it to Riku now, he hoped that Riku understood that it was not going to wipe away everything.

“It’s not okay,” he said softly, tilting his head as brown eyes flicked up to meet the other set, a small smile pulling at his lips, “But, it sounds like you genuinely feel guilty. And, from what I understand, you really had a lot going on. Sora said that you guys were working for some kind of goal. So long as you’re not here to hurt anyone, I think it’s all right to give you a second chance. Everyone deserves at least that.”

He felt the slightly tight squeeze and, in response, squeezed back in a reassuring way. “Mm.” He nodded with a smile and slowly pulled his hand back. “I don’t really understand how it all works, but if you want to be called something else, just tell us.” He didn’t want Riku to think he thought he was just a copy.

But, the distress that Riku was feeling seemed to alert Baymax, who alerted Hiro in turn. Hiro looked behind him, listening as Baymax read out the scan, determining that Riku was suffering from: nausea, distress, stress and overwhelming worry. He chose to send Baymax down to the vending machine for some water. Hiro wrinkled his nose and turned back to the other, taking a few steps closer. Walls up, but his concern was arching over them easily. “Hey. Hey, take it easy,” he said, lifting his gloved hands up, “Listen, Riku… you can stay here. We’re not gonna drive you out of the city. It’s… I mean, I can tell that you feel bad.”

Stay out of your way and not cause trouble. That sounded so lonely. And Hiro knew how loneliness felt. That terrible, cold feeling of never having anyone at your side, never having someone to reach out for, never feeling reassurance or comfort. Slowly, a gloved hand moved to settle on the other’s arm, trying to grab at the leather material. “No one’s telling you to stay out of our way. Just- uh- take a deep breath, bud. We’re not gonna hurt you.”

Hiro shifted a step closer and tipped his head, brown eyes filled with concern as they flicked over the other’s face. “Here. Sit down right here and try to relax, yeah? Baymax will bring you some water or something.” He shifted to try and guide Riku to sit down, being rather kind for someone on edge. “Just relax.”

A second chance? A second chance?! He couldn’t be serious. For a moment he thought it couldn’t be real - just a trick played by the darkness and it would turn against him any chance now to drag him deeper into its clutches. “I’m not-I’m not--” He wasn’t apart of that group anymore, or didn’t consider himself to be. It’s completely possible that the shard of xehanort’s heart was still inside him, and that only his memories became unlocked and nothing else.He wasn’t working towards any kind of goal. He wasn’t going to hurt anyone. He wasn’t--

The comment on his name is either unheard or not commented on in exchange for trying to keep the darkness in his mind at bay. He doesn’t hear baymax entirely either, only knowing that the robot was talking. He could barely look at Hiro, let alone baymax. It might not have been that model he had attempted to corrupt, but it was a baymax all the same. He reaches up to cover his face with one of his hands, giving a heavy and pained sigh. 

Hiro’s voice somehow cuts through the darkness clouding his mind, and he peaks through his fingers at the human. Baymax was right about one thing, he was very, very, distressed. He can’t resist when Hiro tries to guide him to sit down, so he doesn’t. He sits where instructed, pulling his legs up to his chest as he tried to calm himself down. 

As he did so it was almost as if parts of his body were blinking red, the bugs were doing their work aswell it seemed. He swallows thickly, willing them back aswell with the darkness. How long will he be forced to suffer like this? After the anomaly seems to calm, he looks up at Hiro with a weak smile.

He doesn’t have the heart to say that water isn’t going to help him - can he even eat and drink in this body? Did he need to?  He knows he hasn’t since coming here but...- “I’m sorry.” He says instead, and again, before looking away from Hiro. He grips onto the fabric of the black coat he wore, not as tightly as before but tight still. It was so hard, keeping everything at bay and trying to figure out how to explain it all to Hiro. He needed to, he had to, but how? How?

“Everything that happened...It shouldn’t--” It shouldn’t have. Maybe if he had been stronger. Maybe if he developed some kind of resistance to the darkness like the real riku had- maybe-- just maybe-- “They...They reprogrammed me, somehow.” He shook his head. He wasn’t sure how to explain what had really occurred, but they might as well have reprogrammed him. It was a close enough example. “I didn’t mean...that is I...” He sighs, deciding to maybe postpone such a lengthy explanation when he could barely keep his head on straight.

“Y-You’re...”

He’s at a loss for words, honestly. 

Sora was someone always in his life, this was true. But this was...different. This was his first time meeting this Sora - the real Sora. No matter if he had Riku’s memories or not, no matter if he had the same relationship with his Sora that the real Riku did, this was different. There’s a feeling in his chest that swells when he sees the other. 

But he can’t exactly....pin down what that feeling is. Data could have a heart, yes, Data-Sora was proof of that. But...But did he...?

Well, that’s a thought for another time. He gives a smile through the screen, and breathless laugh followed. “Sorry.” He started, shaking his head. “I just...didn’t think I’d ever have the chance to meet you...”

“Your majesty? Is that you?”

He thought for sure it was Mickey or Minnie messing with the computer, maybe even Chip or Dale. So when he pulls up a window to see who could have possibly accessed the datascape - he’s stunned into silence for a moment. 

“You’re...”

She’s familiar. But he can’t place it. Not right away, anyways. There’s a brief pause as he crosses his arms. “Namine?” He asked with a tilt of his head. He hadn’t met the data replica of her that existed in the datascape. He had only heard second-hand from Data-Sora. But even with the description there was...something else. Was it because the real Riku knew her?

"I know it takes time to process all of this," the technology-related pun is definitely not intended, though perhaps, in all of this, it at least makes the other crack a smile, "but you can always talk to me, if you need to. Or even if you just want to, or if you want company. You don't have to have a reason."

The pun is noticed, but not acknowledged in the slightest. He’s too busy....lost in his own thoughts. Riku always did this. Offered to talk, offered to help. Did he seem that worthless? That distraught? Well, he would be right on both counts. 

He felt useless. He felt as if he was about to burst with everything weighing on his shoulders. But he hadn’t, and he didn’t plan to. Maybe Riku knew more than anyone why. After all, they were the same.

They were the same....

“Thanks.” Data-Riku said, pushing aside a holo-screen- keeping the one that he was talking to Riku through infront of him, though. “But I’m okay.” He wasn’t. “Besides, you have important Keyblade Master things to be doing, I’m sure.” You have better things you could be doing than talking to me.