#kb eclipse

Eclipse wasn’t feeling great today, but that didn’t stop him from being a nuisance. In fact, some would argue that it made him worse. But voicing it would make him downright irritable, and everyone knew better than to test those limits.

So, they tiptoed around him like he was a cryptid, or some sort of other beastly creature that was five seconds away from snapping. Eclipse didn’t mind. He liked his space.

Or, at least, that’s what he told himself.

Even if he frowned when Rays flinched away from him.

Even if he stopped mid-retort when Moon excused himself prematurely.

Even if he wanted to call out after Sun when he spent more time avoiding him.

Even if he felt a pang of sadness when Lunar declined watching a movie with him.

The only ones who hadn’t distanced themselves was Blood Moon. They stayed rooted at his side throughout his highs and lows, fetching a heating pad for when Eclipse’s temperature dropped, bundling him up in blankets when he was overwhelmed.

And Eclipse was grateful.

He just didn’t know how to show it.

Usually, all he could offer in response was a small “thank you” or “how’d you know” before settling back down into silence. But he would scoot over on the bed when Blood Moon approached, or made room for them by his feet when they felt particularly animalistic.

It was a silent, mutual agreement, in some ways.

Blood Moon cared for Eclipse when he was struggling, and Eclipse accommodated for their feral tendencies without complaint or judgement.

But today was not one of those days. In fact, it wasn’t day at all. It was night, and Blood Moon wasn’t here to coddle Eclipse in the ways he needed right now. It was hunting night, and Eclipse couldn’t bring himself to ruin that for them by giving some pitiful display of discomfort.

Instead, he dragged himself to unsteady feet and staggered to the doorway of his room. The world spun, a sharp pain lancing through the soldered plating on his chest as he clutched the door frame with desperate force. His claws dug into the wood, splintering it and leaving gouges where he held himself upright.

He didn’t even know what he was doing, really. He should turn around and lay back down. It would be easier and less strenuous.

Instead, he glances to the side, towards the cane that leans innocently against his bed frame.

With one hand still gripping the door frame for balance, Eclipse reaches out towards the tool - yes, it’s a tool, not a submission - and grabs it with his free hand.

He mutters something under his breath that even he can’t decipher, adjusting the strap mindlessly with lightly trembling claws. Once he has it in the most comfortable position, he slides his hand into place on the handle and pushes himself off the door frame, leaning heavily against the cane.

He’s not exactly happy about admitting his need for assistance, but it’s better than collapsing on the floor.

Grumbling quietly to himself as he goes, he enters the daycare’s backstage area - the “family room,” as Sun has insisted on calling it - and listens for the telltale sign of shuffling or muttering from Moon’s alcove. Sun is asleep on the couch, as usual, while Lunar and Rays are situated in a blanket fort they made earlier that day in the corner beside the ladder. That leaves only the possibility of Moon hearing him.

But it seems the night-themed animatronic has either already gone to sleep, or is tinkering elsewhere. The latter is more likely. Eclipse doesn’t dwell, carefully making his way to the door, trying to keep the sound of his cane as quiet as possible as he staggers across the room.

The hallway feels longer than usual. From the moment the door opens to the final step he takes to turn the corner into the theater, he’s struggling against unseen forces.

What am I doing? This is a terrible idea.

Eclipse wonders why he even has a processor if he doesn’t listen to it most of the time. His thoughts are suggestions, despite how right they are. He continues forwards.

I should be in bed.

But…

The light from the overhead projector casts a shadow over his head, covering the stage and screen with eerie white light. There’s nothing played this late at night, which leaves the room silent aside from the faint hum the projector emanates, even in standby.

Eclipse passes the stage without care, barely sparing it a glance as he makes his way towards the stairs. Once he finds himself at the base of the first step, he realizes, once again, the stupidity of his actions.

How the fuck am I supposed to get up the stairs like this?

His mouth thins into a grim line, taking in the steps as if they’re a mountain that no climber has managed to conquer. Maybe he should just turn around. Go back to bed, lay there miserably and contemplate how he ended up here in the first place. Sulk until the pain and dizziness goes away.

His expression turns sour.

I’m Eclipse. I have the damn Star in my chest. I don’t pout. I adapt.

Despite his better judgement, he shifts his cane onto the first step, his hand finding the wall for balance.

Each step is nauseating. He feels the Star stutter in his chest each time he strains himself, giving him warnings that he refuses to listen to. Weakness crawls up his limbs, and he’s reminded of darker days spent crawling across floors under scrutinizing eyes, wondering if he’ll ever be repaired - wondering if he wants that chance, or if he’d rather just fade away with all his wrongdoings.

He’s reminded of the cold. The chill, settling into every crevasse and component in his body. A profound frost that no blanket could ease or dispel.

He shivers, despite himself.

He should’ve brought a heating pad.

By the time he’s at the top of the staircase, he can barely keep himself upright. His legs tremble beneath him, struggling to support his weight. But he drags himself along anyways, stumbling across the platform, towards the door hidden behind a neatly stacked pile of crates.

He shakily pries the heavy metal door open and slips into the hallway beyond.

His sight - what little of it he has left - is spinning. His free hand comes up, claws pressing against the fabric over the scarring on his chest.

This is bad. Really bad.

Come on. Just a little further.

He’s about halfway down the hall before the door at the end creaks open. His hand is still pressed to his chest, and he’s leaning on his cane more heavily than he ever expected to. He must be quite the pathetic sight.

Vibrant red eyes glint from down the corridor, staring at him intensely. He can feel them, scanning him. Looking him over like a specimen under a microscope. Normally, that would unnerve him.

But, right now, he doesn’t have the energy to care.

Heavy footsteps begin to approach. The long claws along the edge of the door slide away as their owner moves, allowing the door to slip shut once more.

“Eclipse.” A raspy voice greets him curtly, stopping just a few feet ahead of him.

Eclipse offers a shaky smile. “Hey, Dad.”

Normally, he’d beat around the bush. Call his father a nickname, tease him like a rambunctious teenager. Instead, he greets him without formalities.

He’s so tired.

Kill Code steps closer, looking his son over once more. This time, the eyes bearing down on him aren’t there to test him. They’re assessing. Trying to figure out what’s going on.

“What are you doing?”

It seems he isn’t able to figure out the answer by simply observing this time around, because he’s asking the question after only a few moments of tense silence.

Eclipse’s grin sharpens sardonically. He tries to gather the strength to put on his old front, to play games like he always has. It only serves to exhaust him more. He never imagined that being himself could be so…tiring.

“What does it look like?” He rasps dryly, tilting his head the slightest bit.

Kill Code eyes him wearily. “Staggering around like a baby giraffe still trying to figure out how legs work.”

Eclipse cracks out a broken laugh, but it quickly dissolves into something else. Soft, choked sobs. His claws curl more desperately into the front of his vest, optic wide and angled towards the floor, yet not focusing enough to truly see anything.

“I guess it does look like that, huh?” He croaks miserably, still trying to inject his signature sass into his words despite the tears trailing down his faceplate.

Eclipse doesn’t understand this. Doesn’t understand how any of this works. This vulnerability, this instinctive trust he has towards his father despite all the ways Kill Code has failed him. The way he bends and breaks so easily around him, like it’s second nature to open up and allow the older animatronic to see what the world has done to him.

He doesn’t get it. He’s allowing himself to be hurt again and again by Kill Code. He’s asking for it, at this point.

But he can’t convince himself to stop, either. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how many times he’s pushed away or disregarded.

He can’t-

Suddenly, there’s a hand on his shoulder. He flinches, but it doesn’t put any distance between them.

“Are you alright?”

The low rumble of Kill Code’s voice surprises Eclipse. He sounds far gentler than he expected. Not exactly worried, but…concerned. Attentive.

Eclipse’s chest is seized by another sob.

“E-Everything hurts.“ He chokes out miserably, like a cat having just been dunked into ice-cold water.

Kill Code frowns. His hand slides down from his son’s shoulder, instead resting against his upper arm, running his claws gently along the fabric there in a soothing motion. Light pressure, not enough to hurt, but enough to ground.

“What happened? Are you injured?” Kill Code asks evenly.

Eclipse shakes his head. He doesn’t have the words to describe what he’s feeling. Other than simply…unwell. But he’s not physically wounded. At least…not anymore.

His claws tighten again in the front of his vest. He feels the uneven plating hidden beneath his clothes. It burns.

“Then…what’s the problem?” Kill Code asks with slight hesitance, seemingly running over theories to himself already.

Oh, but none of them even start to compare to the truth…

And he doesn’t quite know how to explain the truth, either. Mostly because…he’s not sure what the truth is. That day is hazy. All he knows is that he’s supposed to be dead, but the Neuton Star decided otherwise and is now situated in his chest.

“Can I just…stay with you for a bit? I can’t sleep. I want to be…close. To someone. Just for a little while.” Eclipse says instead. He lifts his gaze just enough to meet his father’s own, noticing how troubled he looks beneath the shell of indifference he wears like a suit of armor.

After a few moments of hesitation, Kill Code nods.

He moves a bit closer, leaning down and picking his son up under the arms with a surprising amount of care. Eclipse opens his mouth to complain, but the moment the pressure of standing releases from his joints, he relaxes. His head falls against Kill Code’s chest with a dull thud, the tension leaking out of his body like a wind up toy slowly losing momentum.

Kill Code shifts Eclipse in his arms carefully, retrieving his son’s cane with his other hand. Then, he carries Eclipse into the darkness, disappearing beyond the metal door once again.

-

Eclipse is set down on a mattress that is situated against the wall, covered in raggedy blankets and old, faded sheets. It all smells like laundry detergent and lavender, though, so it must be clean. He settles back into the linens carefully, wincing occasionally as he organizes the blankets in a way that suits his needs. Kill Code watches him for a moment before leaning the cane against the wall beside the mattress and returning to a desk nearby littered with numerous small mechanical objects and hastily written notes.

Eclipse glances up at him. His gaze darts to his cane, then back to his father.

“What’re you doing?” He asks quietly.

Kill Code pauses. “Tinkering.”

“What’re you tinkering with?”

“An idea.”

“What idea?”

Kill Code’s voice lowers in warning. “Eclipse.”

Eclipse looks away. “Okay. Got it. Sorry.” He mutters.

“Good. Now sit and be quiet.”

Silence follows. Eclipse fidgets with the hem of one of the blankets draped over his legs, silently sulking to himself as the sounds of Kill Code continuing his work echo from behind him.

It takes only a few minutes for him to get over himself and make more inquiries.

“Is this a new idea?” He asks cautiously.

Kill Code huffs. “No. Not exactly.”

“What do you mean ‘not exactly?’”

“I’ve had the plans for a while, but I just got the parts recently.”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“A couple weeks. Maybe more.”

“What is it?”

“Useful.”

“Useful how?”

“Eclipse.” This time, the warning comes out as a low growl.

Eclipse falls silent. He blinks. Once. Twice. Three times.

“Can you come here?”

Kill Code pauses, glancing over his shoulder at his son. “Why?”

“Please?”

“Give me a good reason.”

“Because I’m asking nicely.”

“Not a good reason.”

“It is a good reason.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“It’s not.”

“It is.”

“Boy, I swear to god-“ Kill Code snaps, slamming his tools down onto the workbench in frustration. Eclipse flinches back, pressing himself against the wall even as another spike of pain flares up through his chest.

He doesn’t wince, but his breathing falters momentarily.

“You can be insufferable sometimes.” Kill Code snaps impatiently, turning to glance over his shoulder at his son with a scowl set on his face.

Eclipse’s own mouth twists into a mocking grin, trying to hide the visceral fear that hides beneath. “Love you too, Dad.”

That…seems to do something. The anger fades from Kill Code’s face, replaced with a hollow look that unnerves Eclipse more than the rage did. The older animatronic glances away, down at the project that sits on the desk in front of him. Then, his gaze trails back towards his son.

With a sigh, he stands up, nudging the chair aside and making his way back towards Eclipse. He kneels down within his son’s reach, but doesn’t attempt to touch him on his own.

“What’s up?” He asks.

Eclipse stares at him silently for a moment. Then, his voice lowers into a sheepish, almost embarrassed murmur.

“I just…wanted a hug…”

Kill Code’s eyes soften. “You could’ve just said that.”

Eclipse looks away again, a sneer crossing his face. “Oh, yeah, because you’re the most huggable person ever.”

“I can be if you need me to.”

Eclipse freezes. He looks back towards his father slowly, meeting his eyes doubtfully.

“You’ve…never offered that before. At least…not in a long time.”

Kill Code carefully sits down in front of his son, tucking his long legs underneath himself in a neat manner. Then, without missing a beat, he opens his arms.

“I’m offering it now.”

And, without missing a beat, Eclipse takes his offer.

-

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I wrote something for this series! However, I’ve recently become infatuated with The Sillies™️ again due to the release of SOTM, which led me here. I’ve really missed writing Eclipse and Kill Code especially, so I thought I’d cook something up for them as a way to find my flow again.

This is one of those chronically miserable days for Eclipse. This is what the badder days are like, though it can get a bit worse than this in different ways that may be explored later if you’d all like to see it! Long story short, everyone and their mother avoids Eclipse when he’s having a bad day which is both bad and good in numerous ways. He needs some Dad Time™️ to help ward off some of the worst parts of being chronically ill: loneliness. At least, that’s my experience! It’s different for everyone :)

ye

This has been rotating in my head non-stop

‼️TW SEIZURE‼️

-

Sun had emphasized how important it was for everyone to be present during family movie night. Eclipse understood that, honestly. How would it be family movie night without the whole family?

He supposed that they’d just have to find that out tonight.

If he had to watch Air Bud one more goddamn time, he might just kill everyone in the room. And, contrary to popular belief, he doesn’t exactly want to do that.

So, he’s resolved himself to hide on the platform that overlooks the theater, peering in between the bars of the banister. His rays are retracted, the vibrant colors of his clothes hidden by a blanket that he has pulled over his shoulders. Plus, added bonus, it keeps him warm. Today isn’t a great day physically for him, so the extra comfort is appreciated.

When the soft chatters of everyone else begins to filter up to him from below, signaling his family’s arrival, he backs away from the banister and scuttles towards the door hidden amongst the various boxes and crates of equipment. With one last glance over his shoulder, he hears Rays quietly ask where he is, with Blood Moon’s more firm voice not far behind.

He lingers, one hand on the doorknob.

“What if he’s gotten himself hurt again? What if he’s stuck somewhere? What if-“

“Blood, he’s fine. He’s probably just skipping out on movie night because we aren’t watching one of his cheesy horror films.” Moon’s sharp voice cuts in, a sigh leaving his mouth as Blood Moon continues to grumble behind him.

“Hurt?” Rays’ soft, yet mortified tone paints a picture of his expression in Eclipse’s head: eyes wide, blanket pulled tightly over his shoulders, shaking fingers curled into the fabric. It’s almost enough to make Eclipse reveal himself and come down. Almost.

“Yeah, he’s kinda a danger magnet.” Moon admits, moving towards the staircase that leads up to the platform Eclipse is hidden on.

“I doubt he’s in danger, though. He usually gets paranoid when he’s doing stupid shit, but he’s been pretty chill lately. Have you tried calling him?”

Blood Moon pauses. “No.”

“Try that, then get back to me.”

Moon takes the stairs two at a time. Eclipse knows he likes to show off, since he only does it in front of others.

Tsk. I could do that, too.

Eclipse opens the door, slipping into the hallway behind. In a slight panic, he tugs on the handle, pulling it shut behind him as quickly as possible. Not long after, he hears Moon’s footsteps outside.

With a sigh of relief, he turns away from the door, facing the rest of the corridor.

He lets out half of a yelp before slapping his hands over his mouth, glaring daggers at the tall figure before him as Moon’s movements pause outside.

Familiar red eyes stare down at Eclipse, albeit dimmer than he remembers. He slowly uncovers his mouth as Moon continues on with his task, presumably getting the movie started.

“What are you doing here?” Eclipse hisses under his breath.

Kill Code blinks. Slowly, carefully, as if uncertain what the action’s purpose is. Acting on autopilot. Eclipse is further disturbed.

“…hello?”

Kill Code shakes its head slightly, letting out a huff. “My hall. You know this.”

Eclipse leans back, crossing his arms over his chest, reassured by Kill Code’s more familiar behavior. “You can’t own a hallway. I needed somewhere to hide. Can you help, or not?”

Kill Code narrows his eyes, his claws twitching at his sides. It sways precariously on unsteady paws.

Eclipse fights the urge to move forwards and steady him.

“Follow.” It grunts, turning around and beginning to saunter back down the hall. Eclipse hesitates a few moments before trailing behind, keeping his footsteps light in comparison to Kill Code’s heavy stomping.

It’s small things that catch his attention. The stumbles, the pauses. The way each step seems to take all of Kill Code’s energy. So much effort for a single movement.

Then, Eclipse jumps again, startled by the ringing of a call coming in. Kill Code flinches, too, tail lashing through the air as it turns to growl at Eclipse.

Eclipse stumbles back, Blood Moon’s contact flashing across his sight. He declines the call in an annoyed(and maybe frightened) frenzy, trying to move away, a snarky quip ready on his tongue to dismiss himself back to his sons. But a hand with long, sharp claws closes around his wrist, pulling him closer instead.

“S-Stop, stop! Dad-“ Eclipse grits out, trying to pry himself free from Kill Code’s grasp. For a moment, Kill Code remains still, gaze hauntingly hollow. Before long, however, it releases Eclipse, robotically leaning away once more.

“What is wrong with you right now? You’ve been off since I got back here!” Eclipse snaps, holding his wrist close to his chest, as if afraid Kill Code will try to grab him again.

“Ringing. It’s irritating.” Kill Code says lowly. His eyes still seem…off.

“It was Blood Moon, probably wondering where I am! You were there when they had their big breakdown about me being gone and hurt, so you should know how they can be!”

Ridiculous as it is…

Eclipse lets out a heavy breath, trying to expel his paranoia. Kill Code stares down at him blankly. Unmoving.

“I apologize. I overreacted.” Kill Code says flatly. Eclipse relaxes slightly, though he remains vigilant.

“It’s…okay. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Fine.”

With that, it turns back around and continues on towards the door to its room. Eclipse follows, less hesitant this time, hovering behind it nervously.

When it makes it to the door, it moves its hand up to grab the knob, but its hand misses and instead scrapes vainly against the rusted metal surface of the door itself. Eclipse watches quietly.

By the time it completes the process again with the same result, Eclipse has grown impatient. He reaches out and opens the door himself.

Kill Code grumbles to himself, but makes no comment, instead forcing himself inside with his son on his heels.

The door closes on its own behind them. Eclipse glances back at it, but doesn’t dwell long. “You…you’re sure?”

Kill Code pauses for but a moment. A slight hitch in its gait. It mutters something over its shoulder. Eclipse doesn’t catch the words.

“KC?” Eclipse steps closer. Kill Code’s arm spasms, and it growls, using its other arm to restrain it against its side.

“Stop prying, boy!” It snarls, still struggling against the twitching and writhing mess of its own arm.

“But-“

“But nothing!” It shouts, scaring the concern right out of Eclipse as the scarred animatronic doubles back on himself, eyes widening in fear. Kill Code turns to face him, tail whipping back and forth, back and forth, back and forth - advancing on Eclipse like a prowling tiger sizing up its next meal.

“Okay, okay, I-I’ll stop-!” Eclipse stumbles backwards, raising a hand to shield himself as his father looms over him, draping him in its morbid shadow.

“You never learn to shut up, do you?” Its gleaming red eyes pierce him like bullets, digging into him ruthlessly. “You always pay, pay all these prices and- consider, possibly, that you’ve earned some-“ It turns away again, bringing a hand up to the damaged half of its face, the remaining visible eye now wild with conflicting emotions.

“What? What are you talking about?” Eclipse asks incredulously, feeling that familiar warmth spread out from his chest, pure power running through his systems. His bad eye flickers to life, a dim light cast as an iris.

“They’re your children! They should be worried! You act as if their concern is a nuisance to you, such a disgraceful outlook-“ Kill Code continues to rant, the deranged expression on its face only worsening with each word.

“I never said that!” Eclipse retorts, his arm coming back down, aligned with his chest instead of his head. An offensive position, rather than defensive.

“Shut your mouth!” In the blink of an eye, Kill Code is bearing down on him again, claws reaching, shadow looming, face set in a vicious snarl. Eclipse’s jaw snaps shut with an audible click.

His confidence leaves much quicker than it came.

“I taught you how to care, I taught you how to be appreciative, but you act as if Blood Moon’s worry bores you - burdens you. You act as if being in the presence of the others is a damn chore, when all they’ve done is care for you. You’d be dead without them!” Then, it stops, speaking in a softer, more subdued tone than before. “You’d be dead without me, but you left years ago.”

Eclipse listens in silence up until the last few words, his anger and pride flaring before his self-preservation can rein them in.

“You sentenced me to death before you saved me from it.”

Kill Code’s entire demeanor changes. His hands retract, his body recoils, tense and shocked as if physically struck by Eclipse’s words.

“I…I never meant to…” It’s words are distant, almost confused, or lost. Its expression twists into borderline despair, snarl falling into a pained grimace.

Pricks of oil gather in Kill Code’s eyes, complete and utter shock hitting Eclipse with the force of twelve fighter jets.

Okay, so…that’s still a sore spot. Noted.

“KC….I….” Eclipse starts, fidgeting nervously with his claws. It is then that he notices Kill Code sway, staggering backwards. “KC?”

Eclipse gets closer, quickly grabbing his father’s arm, slowly lowering him to sit on the cold cement floor below. He feels the mechanisms in the older animatronic’s arm stiffening uncontrollably beneath his sleeve and plating, gears grinding, turning against themselves.

“I-I don’t know what to do, tell me what to do, how to save you-“

Memories hit him harder than he thought they would. It’s his turn to overreact, it seems, because surely his father isn’t dying - come on, he’s fine! He said it himself!

Kill Code’s eyes remain vacant, unfocused and dim. The only thing keeping him upright is Eclipse’s hold on his arm.

Oil. Oil everywhere. Covering his hands, coating his chest, leaking between his fingers as he struggles to connect the tubes back to the pump- god, please, PLEASE no, he couldn’t- couldn’t do this-

“Dad?” Eclipse can’t keep the tremble from his voice. It stays. His hands, they stay, shaking. Clutching at Kill Code’s arm, panic setting in faster than he ever thought possible.

There’s this ticking noise from behind Kill Code’s remaining faceplate, the visible wires on the other half sparking wildly. His eyes flicker a few times, then go dark.

He can barely see through the tears. It’s hard to put everything back together with hands that shake this badly. But he has to try. He has to. What would he do on his own? How would he survive? It’s just been the two of them for so long. He can’t do this on his own.

Right?

“DAD!” Eclipse shouts as his father goes limp for only a moment, spasms and convulsions seizing him in the next. He is forced to release him and back off, his trembling hands still hovering in mid-air in front of him as if poised to touch or hold or - or something other than just watch.

Tears gather in his eyes, a nauseating amount of panic crawling up his throat. Getting any closer would get them both hurt. But…but what…what is going on??

Is he dying again?

The thought forces a choked sob out of his mouth, trembling hands moving back to wrap around himself. His rays shrink in, hiding behind his faceplate, just as he wishes to run and hide somewhere else, as well.

He should’ve just watched the damn movie. Should’ve sat down with his family and rolled his eye at all the lame jokes, only actually uttering a laugh when Blood Moon made fun of the ironic moments.

But no. No, he had to cause problems.

He had to do it alone now. He was gone. His father’s tubes were too torn, his intake bent beyond repair. His pump had choked up on all the oil, so much of it covering Eclipse that he knows it would never be enough to keep Kill Code running, even if he had managed to keep him awake somehow.

So much oil. So much.

Eclipse tries to wrack his processor for any clue as to what is going on. System error? No, those never get this bad. Electric current disruption? No, that would just force a restart. Seizure? No, those are for-

Everything stops. His shaking, his crying, his panic. Seizure. This is a seizure.

Finally, he manages to pull himself out of his daze. He moves forwards, slipping one hand under his father’s back, shifting him onto his side. He pays no mind to his flailing limbs, even as a claw tears his collar and nicks his neck beneath. It’s not Kill Code’s fault.

Eclipse keeps one hand on his father’s shoulder once he is safely on his side, oil dribbling out of his mouth and onto the floor beneath. Even as he continues to seize, Eclipse remains in place, making sure he stays put and as safe as possible.

Logic still tries to press back against his conclusion. Robots can’t have seizures. It makes no sense. The very structure of a seizure relies on the brain and the electrical impulses that reside within. Sure, animatronics have a processor, which is the equivalent of a brain - but the cables have full control over the electrical current that is transferred to each system. That pre-set amount can’t be changed, and this has never happened before, so how-

It’s because he’s dying. Again. Stop trying to deny it, you know what’s happening.

Those damned tears sting at his eyes again, but he tries to hold them back.

Just like last time, you can’t do anything. You can’t save him, you can’t save yourself, you can’t save anyone. You can only cause harm.

It’s no use. The tears drip down his face no matter how hard he tries, a silent sob leaving his mouth. His hands start shaking again.

Then, Kill Code’s seizing begins to slow. It eases into only the occasional spasm or jerk - much more manageable, as far as Eclipse is concerned. Less panic-inducing.

Much to his relief, he feels the heavy rise and fall of his father’s chest as he vents to compensate for the heat he gathered during his…whatever that was.

All self-control leaves him in an instant. He curls up against Kill Code, sobbing brokenly into his shoulder for the first time in decades. His claws curl into his tattered shirt, slowly falling into screams of despair.

The tears blur everything together. Past, present, life, death. He’s trembling and screaming and sobbing so much that he can’t tell up from down. Can’t tell if Kill Code is still breathing beneath him. Can’t feel anything other than grief.

But he’s not dead. You know he’s dead. He’s not. He’s breathing. Is he? Yes. You’re imagining it. No. He’s alive. He’s dead. He’s alive. He’s dead. He’s alive.He’s dead. He’s alive. He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s-

“Eclipse?”

His eye sharpens immediately, focusing on Kill Code’s bleary expression. The tears stop like flipping a switch. He tries to focus on making sure his father’s alright.

“Yeah? You - um - you okay?” Eclipse stammers, trying his hardest to get and keep his shit together.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

Kill Code shifts, trying to push himself into a sitting position. Eclipse’s hands, still trembling, jolt forwards to gently urge him to lay back down.

“No. You need more time.” He insists, earning a shaky sigh from his father.

“I’m alright, Eclipse. I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Kill Code rasps in response, and it takes everything within Eclipse to push down the childish urge to curl into his father’s chest and hug him tight.

“No, no. It’s - it’s okay. Not your fault.” He knows his tone is distant. He’s not really here. Is he?

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

“Eclipse, look at me.”

“I am.”

“My eyes, you twit.”

Eclipse slowly lifts his gaze until it is locked with Kill Code’s, allowing his father to carefully sit up this time around without making an effort to push him back down.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, hm?” It reaches out one hand to gently cup his son’s face, a frown crossing his own as he witnesses tears gather in the corners of his eyes.

“N-N…um…” Eclipse stammers, voice shaking. “Nothing. Nothing important.”

He’s dead.

I’m looking at him.

What remains of him, you fool.

Maybe it’s the exhaustion in Kill Code’s eyes, maybe it’s the frightening way his mind fights with itself like a snake eating its own tail, but he can’t hold it in anymore. A sob wrenches itself from his chest, and he launches himself into his father’s arms.

He shuts his eyes tightly and buries himself into Kill Code’s chest, letting the tears and torment out into his father’s clothes.

And, no matter how exhausted and dizzy Kill Code is, he sits and he holds his son while he breaks in his arms. He waits and he soothes, allowing the desperate claws to curl into the back of his shirt, clutching at him as if he’s already gone.

At first, there is silence. Everyone stares at the screen in slack-jawed, horrified silence. Then, obligatory looks of disbelief are shared between the onlookers.

“I would not do that! I wouldn’t, I promise!” Lunar is the first to speak up, eliciting a sharp bark of laughter from Eclipse at his side.

“What is it with everyone turning on this ‘Earth’ girl first? Like - first that ‘Nexus’ dude did it, and now Lunar?? I just don’t understand…” Veil cuts in, and nods of agreement greet his statement.

“Haunted by the narrative.” Moon clicks his tongue. Everyone exchanges knowing looks.

“The only one who seems to be immune to all this is Eclipse! And that’s only because he’s in another dimension!” Sun leans forwards, peering around Moon to give his counterpart a playfully envious look.

Eclipse raises his hands in a show of innocence. “Hey. I’m busy being a father, apparently.” He defends, then wraps an arm around Blood Moon’s shoulders at his side. “Because, for some reason, I prefer human children, apparently.”

Blood Moon huffs. “Ghosts. Not humans. Ghosts.”

A smaller, softer voice speaks up from the other end of the couch.

“I just…don’t understand. Everyone seems so…detached. There’s constantly something new going on, but it feels…forced? I mean…they never process anything. I think everyone should be given an arc to simply process all they’ve been through. I think it would really help the development and growth of their characters.” Rays explains, smiling nervously as all the eyes of the room turn in her direction. She’s wearing a dress today, and requested that the others refer to her with feminine pronouns.

A larger figure leans on the back of the couch, red eyes focused on the screen as if contemplating how much force would be needed to break it.

“I’m dead, I suppose. Can’t help you guys out with this shit. Sorry.” Kill Code shrugs, turning away from the tv with a scowl.

“Us too.” Blood Moon adds, lifting their hands towards their grandfather. “Dead club. You, us. We’re the dead club.”

Kill Code’s mouth twitches up into a smile, but it disappears just as quickly as it came. He leans down and hoists his grandson into his arms, letting out a chuckle as they begin to gnaw at the bell that dangles from the end of his nightcap.

Moon snaps his claws and perks up at the revelation. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Who else here is supposed to be dead?”

Simultaneously, almost everyone raises their hands. Moon’s expression falls deadpan.

“I mean by the standards of the show, smartasses.”

Hands fall back down until only Eclipse, Rays, Kill Code, and Blood Moon are left.

“That’s more realistic. Eclipse, put your hand down.” Moon reaches out and swats at Eclipse, earning a hiss and bite in retaliation. Moon yelps, trying to free his hand from Eclipse’s mouth as the orange and black animatronic glares daggers at him. He only releases his hold to defend himself.

“Technically, I am dead! I’m still V1 Eclipse, not…what are they on now, V4??”

Moon examines the bite marks, though he turns his attention to Eclipse as he speaks. Kill Code grabs Moon’s hand and looks over the shallow wounds his son inflicted, and, surprisingly, Moon pays him no mind.

“If we’re going by those standards, I suppose I’m dead too. And Veil. And Lunar. And - just everyone except for Sun!” The night-themed jester shouts. Sun lays his hand on his twin’s shoulder with a worried look on his face.

“Sun is dead inside, so he counts too.” Eclipse snaps back, crossing his arms over his chest like a pouting child.

“Does this truly have to be a contest?” Kill Code asks calmly, returning Moon’s now bandaged hand to his lap. The navy animatronic stares at it dumbly, as if forgetting he had another limb altogether.

“I second that.” Rays adds, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. She isn’t fond of all the yelling, and it’s no wonder why. Especially since Eclipse is one of the voices.

Sun changes the topic before it can escalate further.

“I think it’s funny how we have characters that they don’t, and they have characters that we don’t. Like…Earth? Solar? Nexus? Never heard of them. But they’ve never known Rays, Veil, or the dude that’s on our asses right now. It just makes me wonder…is there a right way to tell this story? To tell our story? Or does it change based on who’s telling it?”

“All stories change based on who’s telling it.” Eclipse responds, his moment of anger now dulled into annoyance. “It’s never going to stay the exact same unless they’re reading from a script.”

“Can we go off-script?” Rays asks. Everyone mulls over this for a few moments.

“Maybe. Maybe there is no script.” Kill Code gently sets Blood Moon back onto the couch beside Eclipse. “Does it matter? We don’t suffer from their problems. It doesn’t affect us.”

Whispered discussions begin throughout the room, but Eclipse stays rooted to his spot on the couch, sinking back into the cushions while staring blankly at the screen. A million thoughts crowd his processor, but he isn’t able to grasp a single one.

“If there’s a parallel between this universe and that one…I wonder who has the star power here.” Lunar chirps at his side, leaning into his older brother as one would recline into a comfy chair.

Eclipse tries not to stiffen. That would be a dead giveaway, would it not?

“Yeah…good point. Maybe we’ll find out later.” Eclipse responds quietly, his tone lowered into a careless drawl despite the turmoil that rages within his chest. The turmoil that pulses in response to his paranoia. The turmoil that speaks to him in the dead of night, that keeps him alive and threatens to kill him all at once.

Eclipse doesn’t miss the large clawed hand that rests knowingly on his shoulder.

“Do you think that, if someone did have star power here, they’d use it to harm someone else? Like I did in the show?” Lunar continues, fidgeting with his sleeves. Eclipse slowly turns his head, his hollow gaze settling onto his little brother.

“I think they already have. We just don’t know it yet.” Kill Code responds in a cold tone, his hand drifting over his son’s shoulder before the weight vanishes altogether. Eclipse hears his father’s retreating footsteps, but he remains silent in response to his comment.

“Creepy dude. Has he always been like that?”

Finally, Eclipse turns to look over his shoulder in the direction Kill Code trotted off in.

“No. No, he hasn’t.”

HELLO THERE! I have some prompts for KC and Solar Flare and/or Eclipse to offer if i may because i'm having brainworms from when you said KC would adopt Solar JGKIFLGH

44. “This is not who you are. I know you better than that.”

69. “You don’t have to say anything, I’ll do the talking.”

71. “What did I do wrong!?”

(AGAIN i don't expect for all to be done or even any at all ahsfkfd just one if you feel up to it! Since i couldn't decide which prompt to choose so i'm leaving it to you gjdfkh)

I’m getting back into these I prommy 💔

“What did I do WRONG?!”

-KillCode, Eclipse, & Solar Flare-

The hallway seemed longer than usual. His footsteps echoed throughout the corridor in an almost haunting fashion, but it did little to deter him from his objective.

Moon had mentioned that things were going missing in the theater, and Eclipse was getting tired of convincing him, time and time again, that Blood Moon had nothing to do with it.

Besides, he needed to check in with him after…

He shakes his head so hard it rattles his sight, forcing him to blink a few times to clear it. He can’t think like that right now. It’ll distract him. Besides, Kill Code had to practically shove Eclipse out of the room after a day of his hovering, so surely he must’ve been fine if he had the strength to do such a thing.

But what if something has happened since I was last here?

Eclipse would never admit that he speeds up his pace after that thought, that his strides become longer and more pronounced. The jog to the door takes him little more than a few minutes with his increased pace, claws coming out to grasp the handle before he pauses.

He can hear talking coming from inside the room. He strains his audio receptors, trying to make out any words through the surface of the door.

He catches little more than the tone with which the voices speak in, calm and almost warm in nature. He hesitates far longer than he intends to, listening attentively to those voices mingling together in the room beyond.

One is Kill Code.

The other isn’t.

His claws close around the handle, shoving the door open with much more force than necessary. It crashes back against the wall with a SLAM that startles Kill Code and-

Eclipse narrows his eyes. Who the hell is that?

It looks like a fucking hedgehog.

Round marigold eyes stare back at him, curiosity clear on its face despite the fact that its mouth is held in a seemingly permanent grin, sectioned off by bars like a jail cell. Orange and yellow spikes of various shades protrude from its head, giving it the appearance of a cartoon character after a particularly intense gust of wind.

It stands just slightly shorter than Eclipse does, maybe half the height of Kill Code. Eclipse looks it up and down multiple times, studying it closely.

He’s so surprised by its close proximity to his father that he doesn’t immediately notice what is clutched in its hands, but when he does register it…

A stuffed animal. A grey stuffed animal with worn fabric and rough fur, carefully stitched together in places. A cute little black plastic nose, turned at an odd angle, haphazardly attached to its face as if having previously fallen off.

A single brown eye, clouded with age.

Eclipse lets out a rabid, guttural snarl.

“How dare you touch him-“

The scarred animatronic surges forwards with the ferocity of a wild animal, a crazed glint gleaming from the depths of his single functioning eye.

The smaller animatronic-hedgehog-thing makes no move to back away or beg for mercy Eclipse is surely not willing to give, instead standing with its head tilted slightly to the side, watching him approach in a calm manner.

But, before Eclipse can reach the intruder, Kill Code blocks his path. It narrows its eyes into glowing red slits, glaring down at its fuming son.

“Are you crazy?!” Eclipse hisses, one of his hands bolting out, grabbing hold of Kill Code’s arm, pulling him closer. The larger animatronic watches Eclipse carefully, but makes no attempt to pull away.

“Solar Flare will do no harm. Not to me, not to you, and not to your precious little wolf.” It quips, tone deadpan, borderline apathy dripping from its voice box.

“Fucking who?” Eclipse grits out through clenched teeth, his grip on his father’s arm tightening. Something wild and dangerous writhes in the depths of his gaze - a caged animal fighting tooth and claw to escape its prison.

Kill Code has seen it before. It doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

“Solar Flare.” It repeats, finally prying its arm free from Eclipse’s claws.

“That doesn’t explain much! Why is it here? What is it doing with Mr. Howls? Why was I not informed that Mr. Howls was here the entire time? Where the hell have you been hiding him?” The scarred black and amber animatronic starts firing off questions, earning a slightly disgruntled look from the beast that towers before him.

“Calm down. Your anger will not serve you well here.”

“You’re one to talk!” Eclipse fires back, taking a step closer to his father, if only to try and get past him. His attempt is thwarted by Kill Code shoving him back with a single hand.

“Stop. I mean it, Eclipse.” A warning hangs behind Kill Code’s carefully measured tone, leaning down to look his son directly in the eye. “Just as you once needed guidance, Solar Flare does, too. It’s unfair to judge before you truly know who they are.”

For a moment, all Eclipse’s anger dissolves into a sense of complete and utter disbelief. His gaze is lost, searching his father’s eyes for anything that may deny the conclusion Eclipse is slowly coming to.

His eye flits over to this ‘Solar Flare,’ those slender claws still curled so confidently around Eclipse’s old friend. It continues to look on quietly, unwilling to interrupt or stand up for itself in any way, shape, or form.

A coward. This thing is a coward.

Eclipse’s stare trails back to Kill Code’s unrelenting glare. Something is there, something in his eyes that Eclipse feels belongs to him, something that shouldn’t be felt for anyone else.

Protectiveness.

Kill Code is protective of that thing?

“Guidance? You…you’re guiding that thing?” Eclipse asks incredulously, a guarded edge to his voice.

“In a sense. The same way I guided you.” Kill Code confirms cautiously.

The fury comes back full force. “You mean the same way you raised me?”

He’s shaking now. His hands are curled into fists, white light glowing beneath his chassis. Cracks arc through his body, crawling up his neck, twisting down his arms.

Kill Code straightens himself out, letting out a calm hum. “I would suppose so. Is that a problem?”

Just saying ‘yes’ wouldn’t have been enough to portray the livid expression on Eclipse’s face. There was no word that could match his wrath.

“I never expected an act of betrayal from you.” Eclipse’s blind eye flickers to life, glowing a hazy marigold, slowly fading to a sharp, vibrant white. “Perhaps I should have.”

Am I so easily replaceable?

Kill Code watches him closely, noticing the changes to his appearance almost as quickly as they come.

He knows the Star’s influence when he sees it. It’s frighteningly hard to miss.

“I believe you’re misinterpreting this…” The former security bot begins with slight hesitance, taking a step back as his son, in turn, advances.

“No. No, I’m reading this loud and clear.” Eclipse’s voice twists, darkening even as The Star’s whispers brighten each mark it creates. He feels it whirring in his chest, warning him to stop, to back down, but he’s too lost to listen.

“Eclipse, listen to me! Solar Flare is not a threat to you!” Kill Code shouts, taking on a defensive stance despite his words.

Even as a manic grin spreads across Eclipse’s face, tears unmistakably gather in his eyes. He stalks closer. A wild animal, lost in the hunt, just as he was time and time again in a life he promised to leave behind.

“Threat? Threat?! Ha! I could crush that thing like a bug if I pleased! I’m not worried about threats anymore, father.” A crazed voice controlling infinite power, white streaks of light dancing between his claws. Oil foams at his mouth, his body crumpling under the pressure.

But he feels nothing. Nothing but rage and despair.

Those words have become so familiar to him.

Kill Code lets out a heavy sigh, shaking its head as if at a loss for words.

“In fact, it seems more like a pest than anything else.” The tone is tainted with disgust, flicking a claw off to the side in a lazy manner for emphasis. “Taking up your space, taking up your time…I can fix that. I can solve this little pest problem of your’s.”

Kill Code seems startled by the offer, but his expression hardens into cold resolve not long after. Apathy anchors him down.

“They’re not a problem. You, currently, are.”

Eclipse takes another step. “What’s changed? That’s all I’ve ever been to you, right? A problem? A nuisance? A distraction?” With every syllable, he gets closer, closing the distance in a tauntingly slow fashion.

Kill Code’s mouth falls into a faint frown. “I’ve never given that implication before. You scavenged that on your own, boy.”

He doesn’t even realize how much damage he’s caused. He doesn’t care.

Suddenly, Eclipse wants to be new again. Wants to relive the moments he spent with Kill Code leaning over his shoulder, watching him work, training him behind the scenes to protect the children if it ever became necessary for him to do so on his own.

Wants to be loved, without room for doubt.

His claws come up, hooking loosely, feebly, into the front of his vest, over the place where his scar hides. It aches fiercely, even as the raw power surges freely through his body. It crawls like ants beneath his plating, tingling in uncomfortable ways, wearing him down wire by wire, component by component.

It eats him alive, only to return that life to him so that it can repeat the process all over again.

Kill Code reaches out a tentative hand to his son, watching him closely, listening to his rapid breaths, borderline hyperventilations. He knows he’s made the wrong move moments before Eclipse reacts.

Those marigold, white-tinted claws come up, burning through the fabric of Kill Code’s sleeve effortlessly, digging into his wrist. The metal melts beneath his grip, the soft sizzling of the wires within following not far behind.

Kill Code retaliates on instinct, swiping his good leg low enough to knock Eclipse’s feet out from under him. Once he is off balance, Kill Code wrenches his arm free of his grasp, allowing him to collide harshly with the ground.

A paw is placed over his chest, enough pressure applied to drive the breath out of Eclipse’s vents, some of his strength ebbing with it.

His father glares down at him in cold disappointment. “I was not around to witness the cruelty that rumors say you wrought, but I understand where it comes from. I know it better than anyone else ever will. I made mistakes with you, Eclipse. But that doesn’t mean your tendencies have become a stranger to me. I wish not to pass these on any further. You don’t have the right to stop me from trying again.”

Eclipse leans his head back against the floor, tears flooding his eyes, warping his sight. He’s cried more in front of Kill Code than anyone else he’s ever known.

Those tears were his father’s fault, after all, and it seems that pattern has no intent to stop.

“What’s so wrong with me, huh? What’s so bad that you feel the need for a do-over, a second chance, a fucking redemption?” Eclipse’s voice slowly raises until it has become a shout of anguish, his charged emotions only further fueling The Star’s influence.

“WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!”

A sharp ringing is the only warning. It raises in pitch until it becomes unbearable, then abruptly cuts off as a loud BOOM echoes throughout the room.

Kill Code is thrown like a ragdoll, tossed aside with such ease that it almost seems impossible.

But The Star makes things possible. Like chucking an 11 foot animatronic across a large cement room.

Kill Code hits the ground with a resounding crash, rolling a few times before coming to a stop, lying still and silent.

But Eclipse isn’t done. He staggers to unsteady feet and begins to lumber across the room. The side of his body that possesses The Star is scorched and melted. His metal plating is bent backwards from the force of the blast, revealing smoking wires and sparking components.

He hovers over his father like a statue, oil slowly dripping to the floor at his feet.

He hadn’t intended to hurt him. He hadn’t intended to blow his arm off and melt it down to the endoskeleton, or completely shatter the casing around his shoulder.

His gaze slowly turns towards Solar Flare, of whom stands near the opposite wall with Mr. Howls still clutched in its hands.

“You…” Eclipse’s voice comes out as a distorted snarl, glitching and rattling. It cuts out at the end with the whine and crackle of a dying speaker, a few sparks flying from his voice box. The moment he begins stalking towards Solar Flare, the other animatronic, in turn, flees.

“I believe you are acting irrationally.” For the first time, it speaks, tone flat and unbearably standardized, as if those settings hadn’t yet been touched.

No matter. Eclipse doesn’t need its voice.

“I don’t care.” He says in equal measure, lifting his hand in a vague motion towards the door. The lock clicks and slides closed, deadbolt following suit.

“Oh no. You wish to harm me, don’t you?”

“No. I’m not going to harm you.” Eclipse watches the other bit skid to a stop, peering at him expectantly.

And he grins, reaching out towards it and closing his claws into a fist, a white crack crossing the floor faster than any being ever could. The crack seems to root itself in Solar Flare, dragging it closer to Eclipse as the deranged, broken and twisted animatronic makes a pulling motion with his hand. It struggles against invisible bonds, trying to free itself from his wrath.

But no one can fight The Star, and so, in turn, no one can fight him.

Marigold claws close around a surprisingly solid metal neck, that smile stretching, pupils nothing more than blazing pinpricks amongst an abyss of sadistic glee.

“I’m going to kill you.”