hack-and-stab gameplay

[bu773rfly]

» WHO? Erika, 9S, and A2
» WHEN? July 12ish
» WHERE? the bar
» WHAT? a bad idea
» WARNINGS? robot violence? ROBOT VIOLENCE. also suicidal ideation. nobody is having fun

@hudie -> @nines

Can you help me test out a possible new system exploit?

I'm in the bar currently.


[And so she is.

Her invitation is not technically a lie. If A2's hacking ability outstrips 9S's, then that could, potentially, be a consideration for future projects. Not the clock issue - she'll still maintain that that's too damn much effort to go to just to not use the station clock. But other things. Higher aspirations.

She sits at the table closest to the VR room and conveniently furthest from the bar's hall door, screen up and Memetan out and typing away just as focused as ever. The rest is all A2's work - hiding, catching him, hacking him, whatever it is that she has to do. Maybe Erika will get to record it. Maybe it'll be as enlightening as she hopes it'll be.]

Comments

[twoaffirmations]

[Seeing the message, 9S' breaks into a smile. Erika must have seen his network post offering assistance. To be honest, he found running errands pretty boring... But hacking, now that was something he could look forward to. He texts her back almost immediately]

Sure thing, Erika. I'll be right over!

[9S enters the bar, surveying the room momentarily before he finds Erika sitting at the far end of it. He raises a hand in greeting as he crosses the room to meet her.]

Hey, long time no see. So what was this about a system exploit?

[a2brutus]

[9S meets up with Erika, and that's when A2 makes herself known. She figures, maybe, it'll look better on her if she can get into a system on the defensive. That maybe she can prove her worth to this human.

A2 rushes at 9S after she's made sure he knows that she's here. She's weaponless, but that won't stop her from blasting her own self-conciousness data into his if she can get close enough.]

[twoaffirmations]

[9S catches A2 out of the corner of his eyes, and he skids back with a sharp inhale, barely avoiding her mental assault.

His mind raced, pulse pounding.

What the hell was going on here? A trap?

His gaze flickers to Erika, and he instantly regrets even considering the thought. There's no way that she would do that. She was probably being used by A2, or...

Something.] Get back! She's dangerous!

[Not satisfied with her reaction time, 9S grabs the table she's sitting at and flips it onto its side, the legs straddling her at either side. Then, grimacing at having to be so uncouth, he kicks the table with the heel of his foot and knocks her and it further back into the room. The legs hit the far wall and stop the table in its tracks, padding Erika herself from any serious harm.]

[bu773rfly]

[It's in the second after A2 steps up that Erika has a sudden flash of misgivings, and in the couple seconds after that that she recognizes the potential for this to go very fucking badly actually.

9S meets slightly wide eyes and a tiny frown, the first drops of concern seeping into blank contemplation. And a moment, after he yells, that she's taken aback and makes to say something, but doesn't quite put the words together in time.

Then-

-ow.

The table goes over and comes at her too fast to make sense of, except by going limp and letting it happen. Erika lets her vision spin for two and a half seconds before fumbling for the edge and yanking herself up to kneeling (ow) to see past it, alarm in her eyes.]

[a2brutus]

[The alarm in Erika's eyes doesn't get caught by A2, who summarily launches herself at 9S again in a blinding speed, outright disappearing for a few seconds before she's closing in on him yet again.]

I need some data outta you!

[She grunts, aiming to deck 9S in the chin to throw him off balance enough to get the upperhand and blast him with her self consciousness data once again.]

[twoaffirmations]

Guh--! [He just isn't fast enough. 9S slides back again, but in the blink of an eye A2 is in his face, and he feels a sharp pain rocket through his jaw. His vision cuts.

9S stumbles back, his vision flickering back in, but the color's gone and the detailed are muddled as he attempts to orientate himself. It's in that moment of vulnerability that there's an assault on his consciousness, his body freezing. He kicks her out within seconds, restores control of his senses, and pushes his arm forward to chuck his sword straight for her mid-section.]

[a2brutus]

[The thing is, A2 is too close to dodge, especially since she thinks that she has the upperhand for a moment. But he kicks her out, and it disorients her a little when he does that.

The sword, naturally, goes right through her middle, blade coming out the other side drenched in a thick, red, viscous fluid.

A2 grunts as pain and warnings flood her sensors, but it's not the worst she's gotten, and right now, she's on a mission.. She regards it momentarily, before she grabs it and pulls it out, chucking it aside.

She rushes 9S again, slamming into him hard while trying to force her way into his systems once again.

This time, it's significantly less gentle.]

[bu773rfly]

[Wait, she could say. Stop. Don't fight. But everything is happening very quickly, and her throat closes and stays closed until there's a goddamn sword entering the equation and, uh, entering A2,

and it does open up then to let a strangled shriek out, a short, sharp horrified noise that Erika doesn't actually hear over the white noise of panic.

(Wanyamon does. It comes tearing out of the VR room, plants itself in front of the overturned table, and puffs up to twice its size with a hiss. Thanks, Wanyamon.)]

[twoaffirmations]

[9S doesn't hesitate when his sword enters A2. As she throws it away he only pulls it back with his magnetic field, hoping to swing it in time to stop her. But once again, he finds himself just too slow. The air is knocked out of him as he's flung back, and this time with his body several compromised, and his already having been hacked once, A2 gets further into his data before he kicks her back out.

When his consciousness returns to the physical realm he's already hit the floor. 9S pushes himself up on an elbow and blasts his own self-conscious at her in turn, his teeth barred in a grimace. His goal is far more offensive. His hacking is quick and concentrated, aiming to distort her visual sensors. If he can knock out her senses, he can gain the upper-hand.]

[a2brutus]

[9S doesn't remember their other fights. 9S doesn't know that A2 has her own systems in place, just for him. A2 stumbles when 9S manages to pry into her systems, but she counters it all the same, pushing back against him with every last fiber of her programming.

She'll cut off locomotive functions first, if given the chance.]

[twoaffirmations]

Gah! [9S is knocked back as his self-conscious returns to his body only for it to be assaulted a split second later. He's able to push her back out, but not before she's done what damage she came for.

He stumbles, his sword clattering to the ground before he hits it in turn with a heavy thud. Anger boils in his chest, mixed with the high of adrenaline. He's completely vulnerable, working as quickly as he can to restore his functions.]

[a2brutus]

[She's losing a fair bit of fluid herself, but it's negligible to getting the job done.

She takes her chance, forcing herself into his systems once more to start rooting through his memories while he's distracted.]

[twoaffirmations]

[There's no way for him to focus both on her current intrusion and the restoration of his locomotive functions. He focuses on the latter first, until he feels a flicker in his memory data.

9S immediately pulls back and attacks her back with a frenzied panic, his actions reckless and clumsy.

Why? What does she need with his memories?
Is he going to forget?
Is this an execution of his character?
If he loses that here...will he forget home? 2B?]

Get...out... [He clenches his teeth.] Get...OUT OF MY MEMORIES!

[9S inhales sharply as he comes to. He scrambles for his sword on legs that barely carry his weight, with hands that can barely grip the handle. When he manages to stand and lifts his sword, he tries to run her through, but it's more like he falls into her, hoping desperately that he can kill her.]

sometime later

[twoaffirmations]

[9S could barely find the strength to walk. He didn't want to return to his room, but he had nowhere else to go. He had no place he belonged, and nowhere he could be of use.

Maybe that's why he'd ended up dragging his feet to the airlock, his fingers brushing over the lock as he came to a stop beside it. With no magboots on, his hair mused, and dried blood caked on his sword and gloves, 9S looked uncharacteristically disheveled and ill prepared.

He seemed lost in thought, his expression weary as he simply stood there, as if considering his next move.]

[wingstosee]

[ great. it's this guy again.

that's the first thing that pops into her mind when she checks by the airlocks and stumbles across him. it's not like she's had the greatest experiences with him so far, even if she does have to admit he's saved her life before. so she puts off approaching for a moment, choosing instead to look him over - taking in the bloody gloves, the lack of magboots, the general aura of roughed-up-ness.

he looks like shit. he looks like someone chewed him up and spat him out, and even if she's kind of irritated with his- well, his everything, he's a sweet guy. so she sighs, and makes her way over, and stops a few feet away to say: ]

Hey there. [ how is she supposed to bring this up? usually she's there when it happens, or she just- has no reason to ask. sigh. ] You, uh. You doing okay?

[twoaffirmations]

[9S lifts his head minutely at her presence, but he doesn't turn to face her. Uncharacteristic for the usually energetic android, he sounds utterly exhausted. His voice is monotonous and lacking, his movements sluggish as he pulls his hand back and lets it fall limply to his side.]

Hey, Venus. Yeah, I'm fine.

[wingstosee]

Whoa. You, uh... you don't sound so good? [ is that something that's supposed to happen to androids? the blood on his hands, it's- well, it's probably his, huh. she looks him over from a bit closer, pursing her lips in a combination between irritation and worry. ] Is this an Alucard situation? Should we head to the clinic?

[twoaffirmations]

[As Venus looks over him a little closer, it'll soon be clear from the state of his clothes that even though there's blood on him, there's no rips or tears in his clothing to accompany it. The only visible damage on him are a few scraps on his chin and jawline.

He shakes his head, eyes downcast.] There's no need for that.

[wingstosee]

Oh. [ ... ] That's good, at least.

[ she stops in her tracks, just trying to get a bead of what's going on with him. for a few seconds, she's legitimately silent - the only sounds being the fabric of her suit as she shifts her weight and crosses her arms. finally, she sighs before trying: ]

...do you want to talk about it?

[twoaffirmations]

[His eyes shift to her with a certain lethargy, before returning to the floor.]

Not really.

[wingstosee]

Yeah. I kind of figured.

[ ... ]

Would talking help, though?

[twoaffirmations]

I-- [9S starts, pausing to press his hand to temple.]

I don't know... What's there to say?

[wingstosee]

I mean, nothing, maybe? But sometimes just saying things can help. I mean, sometimes when I'm upset, I just sort of ramble about it and I feel a little better after?

[ sort of like she's doing now. ]

[twoaffirmations]

I just... [His lips twist into a grimace.]

She treated my memories like some sort of game.

[wingstosee]

Oh, yikes. [ okay, so maybe that's a little rougher than she was anticipating. ] Uh- who did that? Someone here?