Archive of Our Own ^beta

The Machine's actions are beyond his understanding. It could have left him to die, but it chose to be merciful. He thought it was waiting for him to perish, but why should it wait if they could slaughter him instantly? Despite heaven and hell falling apart, V1 recently learned how to play a violin and perfected it the. For Gabriel, the machine's action made no sense.

The melody that is played in a loop sounds melancholic yet beautiful. The Archangel listens to it quietly, feeling a strange peace in his inner turmoil. Gabriel's already tired body grows weaker, the Father's light disappearing slowly, a sign that his time is almost up.

The music stopped and Gabriel felt a small push on his arm, he lifted his head up and looked at the yellow optics staring back at him. He is not sure if the Machine wanted to wake him up or was just checking if he was dead. The thing he swore to destroy seemed to be comforting to him. V1 is no good for him, and he knows that. They are against everything he used to believe. They are a forbidden fruit who showed him the truth about the Council and... Father.

Right, God is gone, nothing matters anymore. He wished he could have opened his eyes earlier and realized he was a heaven's puppet, a dog obeying to a non existent God. He wished he could turn back in time and undo his mistakes. But even if he could, what would it change? It's going to be the same end result: Everything falls apart. Everything dies. The only thing he can do now is to weep.

V1 tipped its finger on Gabriel's arm, as if it was trying to get his attention, and spoke with a distorted robotic voice, which was often hard to understand. [What do you want to do?]

He doesn't know what he wants to do. Though he is intrigued by the way a usually mute machine tries to communicate with him, and for unknown reasons, it wants to spend time with him.

“I...”. Gabriel trailed off, not sure what to say and let out a wary sigh. „..I just want some company, that's all I ask.“

The Archangel watched as the Machine's hand reached out to him. Hesitantly, he placed his own on theirs. Both walked through the castle porch, while their metallic and armored footsteps echoed through the empty place. This palace in Treachery lacks warmth, but at least it keeps them both safe from the never-ending blizzard outside. Wondering where V1 takes him, he soon sees a ballroom with only a piano remaining. So this is where the machine received a violin in the first place. He sat down hesitantly and started to play.

V1 watched every movement Gabriel made, remembering every step by step. It then looked at the piano and pressed one key, causing the song to sound out of rhythm and nearly interrupting it. After a while, it pressed on another key, and the angel grunted annoyed, but he continued to play. Then it pressed another one.

He slammed on the piano. “Can you not!?”

Both stared at each other, with Gabriel being annoyed and V1 having an emotionless gaze as always. He sighed. "I see you seem to be interested in this instrument. The music is surely great, but even greater if shared. Come and take a seat.“

The machine sat down beside him, pressing random keys once again and finding out what each one of them sounded like. The Angel was intrigued to see a war machine having a sudden, strange fascination for music, even when the world outside is crumbling down. This thing has no purpose like him, mankind is dead, there is no blood left except him and without Gabriel their time would be up soon, too. Yet it still drives to do something, as if it's not caring what's happening to the world right now.

„Pray tell, Machine. Don't you worry that you will die soon?“

V1 stopped playing and slowly gazed towards him. Its voice is old and distorted. [It's not in my programming to worry or fear the death. I'm incapable to understand those feelings]

„No fear at all? Not even fearing that you will be shut down forever? Is this why you are doing things as if you don't care?“

It took a while to respond to it. [I do care, though it's not about what's going to happen to us]

„Then what is it about?“

V1 only shrugged with its shoulder as a response, which frustrated the Angel further. He realized trying to be philosophical with an object was pointless. The room fell quiet, and his eyelids felt heavier the longer he tried to keep himself awake.

[I do care about you] Spoke V1 suddenly after being silent for so long. Gabriel immediately perked up and looked back to the machine with wide eyes, which were hidden behind his helmet. [I see you struggling with the idea of dying. As I said I do not understand those feelings, but I do know music is comforting to you.]

Gabriel was too stunned to speak. „.. Is…this why you started learning to play instruments? Because of me?“

V1 nodded. He smiled slightly and blushed, mostly out of confusion and a mix of comfort. He thinks the machine would have every right to be reluctant towards him, because of their past fights. All the names and insults he had thrown at it. They both fought each other endlessly, ripping each other's flesh and wires, until they couldn't continue. And after all this, V1 still tells him it cares about him?

„Why?“ Gabriel whispered.

Suddenly, the ground underneath their feet grumbled. Gabriel grabs V1's hand out of instinct. He feels uneasy and, at the same time, expected it to happen. He had seen it before, it starts with a small earthquake, stops, and then comes again much stronger, breaking the whole place apart until time and space are also destroyed. Treachery, the last and deepest layer, will receive the same fate as the layers before.

As the earthquake disappeared as it came, V1 felt down from its seat and hits against the cold marble floor. Gabriel immediately stood up to kneel down beside V1. His voice is shaken. „Machine?“

Realizing the machine's fuel was low, Gabriel panicked. He pulled out his sword and was about to cut his wrist to give blood, however V1 stopped him by grabbing the sword.„What are you doing ? You need blood, machine.“

[I don't need it]

„Oh, I'm pretty sure you need it more than I do! I'm going to die either way! Now let go-“

They wrestled, and V1 pushed him away, tossing the sword aside, too. The machine stared at the archangel, and as its optic lens narrowed, it pointed with its finger to the big window. What's outside was not visible, the blizzard makes it look like a white void. They heard a loud crushing sound from afar.

[I prefer to have blood loss than getting killed by whatever is happening outside!] It's robotic voice and gaze revealed no emotion, yet the wording alone sounds as if they are terrified?

Gabriel can't blame it for wanting a less painful death. His heart aches. He hates the idea of V1 passing away before him, not because he likes them, he fears being all alone. V1 sees it the same way, they do not fear the death, but the loneliness. The machine slowly reached out to him, its arms wrapped around him, and rested their camera head on his shoulder. The Archangel responded by embracing it back and covering them both with his wings, which almost lost all its feathers, a reminder of Father's light vanishing.

„Do you think we will meet again, if there is a second live?“ The angel asked with a raspy voice. „We will meet each other... and... and we will fight again and maybe become even friends or a variation of it...“

[I dream of eternal sleep]

„Eternal sleep. That.. doesn't sound so bad either...“

Gabriel closed his eyes and sighed in relaxation, while V1 made itself comfortable and its mechanics purred softly. Both were not bothered, as they heard another earthquake approaching. And before it devours them both, their organic and mechanical heart stops beating.