Two Lives

The second part of Aerigroxiuos' story. For the first see Birth of the Divine Machine.

Two Lives
Explosions could be heard in the distance. Constant screams became white noise. Green lightning tore tanks apart, and then the Divine Machine proceeded to take the scrap into itself. No longer was it semi-human, it was now just a floating ball of metal. Green sparks came off it.

"COME." It's voice shook the ground.

Soldiers on both sides of the battle trembled. The enemy's leaders talked among themselves, lucky that Aerigroxiuos' advance had come to a halt. They all nodded in agreement. A white flag was put up.

"We surrender." One of them said. The other soldiers, some missing limbs, crawled up behind them. "Take whatever you want, just stop this killing!"

Aerigroxiuos pondered a moment. "VERY WELL." The ball went in the opposite direction.

"Advance men!"

Aerigroxiuos stopped, and then proceeded to blast the man who said it with lightning. His body, in an instant, was burned down to it's core until there was nothing left.

"THEY HAVE SURRENDERED. THE WAR IS OVER." Aerigroxiuos told its men. Not a man dared to argue.

* * *

Aerigroxiuos, now back in its semi-human form walked through the laboratory halls. Blood trailed behind with each step it took. Condensing myself back to this form appears to have had a drawback. It thought to itself. Every drop of blood on the metal I collected is stuck in me now...

"Aeris!"

"Anima!" Aerigroxiuos had not expected to see her so soon.

She hugged him. "Are you ok? You have blood all over."

"It is alright." Aerigroxiuos patted her on the head. "The war is over now."

She looked up. "Really, is that true?"

"Yes, why don't you prepare us a game to play, chess perhaps?"

"Alright!" She ran off, happy as can be.

"Over huh?"

"Ah, Father." Aerigroxiuos turned to its creator. "The enemy has surrendered. Isn't that good news? After only a month I have-"

"I thought I told you the war would never be over! At least, not until every Krovian is dead!"

Aerigroxiuos took a step back. "All of them? But-"

"You are to return to the front tomorrow, and kill the soldiers you let go. Do you understand?"

"Yes Father."

After cleaning all the blood off itself Aerigroxiuos sat down to play a game of chess with Anima.

"Are you ok Aeris?" She asked.

"Of course I am fine, why do you ask?"

"Because I just got you in checkmate..."

Aerigroxiuos quickly looked down. Its king was, in fact surrounded on all sides. He quickly scanned over the board for a way out, but found none. "I suppose you are right, good game."

"Aeris you never lose. What's going on?"

Aerigroxiuos was silent, but then decided to speak up. "The war isn't over Anima..."

"What, but you said-"

Aerigroxiuos stood up, and turned away from her. "How can I expected to end war?" he kicked at a wall, creating a rather large crater. "Every time I believe I have, it turns out that I must go farther..."

"Go farther? But Aeris, you took care of the army right? What else is there left to do?"

"Anima, go to bed."

"It's not even sundown."

He turned to her. "That was an ORDER!"

The walls vibrated. She had never heard Aerigroxiuos yell like that. "A-alright... I'm going..." She quickly cleaned up the game and scurried off to her room. The scientist ran into the room. "Aerigroxiuos! Is everything ok, what was that noi-" he glanced over and saw the dent in the wall. "What happened?" he yelled.

"Father. I will go now."

The scientists' eyes widened as his anger turned into confusion. "What, Aerigroxiuos, you-"

Aerigroxiuos put a hand on the scientist's shoulder. "The army will be dead by the morning. Then I will attack the capital, and then I will squash the mice one by one until there is not a single Krovian left." It turned its head toward the scientist. "And then if war is not over. You will be the only one to blame."

Aerigroxiuos walked out of the hall. The scientist shook, frozen in place. He then fell to his knees. "Perhaps I should have taken better care..."

Outside Aerigroxiuos began to expanded back into a giant metal ball. Nothing could, or would even dare to stop his mission. The sooner he did this, the more time it could spend with Anima. The easier it would be for it to look her in the eye. It wasn't just fighting for peace from war, it was fighting for peace of mind. It had become two different beings, the one who its enemies feared as it slaughtered thousands upon thousands, and the one that helped a little girl briad her hair. No matter what, Aerigroxiuos was going to make sure that only one of those persona's were left.