Error's POV a month later

Ah yes, destruction. Something that the multiverse seems to need constantly with how often Ink and creators work to overload it. Luckily I am always ready for the job. And I've had the time lately...Anyways, back to work. I've destroyed three dozen AUs already. I move quickly since the balance is close to being overwhelmed so my work has quickly gotten it back under the limit. I go on to destroy another dozen or two, then pause to check my phone. 

No new messages. 

No surprise lately.

I continue on my path but pause again getting a call from Buffer.

"Hey...Do you need help with that? I see you're on a spree."He says

"NaH, I g0t iT haNdLeD. ArE yOu uP t0 aNyThInG?"I ask

"Going to hang out with Cipher and Lust. Odd trio if you ask me but it is bound to be fun! I'll call you if it ends up being problematic."He says

"AlRIgHt. TaLk tO yOu laTeR."I say, hanging up.

I continue destroying AUs but pause when I hear a familiar voice weakly choking. I walk towards the voice, finding hidden behind a rock a very beaten-up Probe choking on his own blood and tears. A large gash runs across his face, the blood running down like a curtain shutting on his face. Absolutely disgusting. I frown, lifting him in my strings into a hammock. I wipe some of his wounds and bandage him, healing him through his code. I check his soul, relieved to find it unharmed despite his low stats.

He slowly calms down and recovers gradually, then glances at me.

"Ⓞⓞⓞⓗ...Ⓗⓔⓨ Ⓔⓡⓡⓞⓡ. Ⓦⓗⓐⓣ'ⓢ ⓤⓟ?"He asks weakly

"WhAt hApPeNeD tO yOu?"I ask

"Ⓞ-ⓞⓞⓗ ⓡⓘⓖⓗⓣ. Ⓦⓔⓛⓛ ⓜⓨ...ⓐⓢⓢⓞⓒⓘⓐⓣⓔ ⓕⓞⓤⓝⓓ ⓞⓤⓣ ⓣⓗⓐⓣ Ⓘ ⓢⓟⓞⓚⓔ ⓦⓘⓣⓗ Ⓔⓡⓡⓞⓡ ⓐⓝⓓ ⓖⓞⓣ ⓤⓟⓢⓔⓣ, ⓓⓤⓜⓟⓘⓝⓖ ⓜⓔ ⓗⓔⓡⓔ. Ⓐⓟⓟⓐⓡⓔⓝⓣⓛⓨ, ⓣⓗⓔ ⓟⓛⓐⓝ ⓦⓐⓢ ⓕⓞⓡ ⓜⓔ ⓣⓞ ⓕⓡⓔⓔⓩⓔ ⓣⓘⓜⓔ ⓕⓞⓡ ⓗⓘⓜ ⓣⓞ ⓢⓟⓔⓐⓚ ⓦⓘⓣⓗ ⓗⓘⓢ ⓔⓝⓔⓜⓨ. Ⓘ'ⓥⓔ ⓛⓔⓐⓡⓝⓔⓓ ⓜⓐⓝⓨ ⓣⓗⓘⓝⓖⓢ ⓐⓑⓞⓤⓣ ⓗⓘⓜ ⓐⓝⓓ Ⓘ ⓦⓐⓝⓣ ⓣⓞ ⓔⓝⓓ ⓞⓤⓡ...ⓐⓛⓛⓘⓐⓝⓒⓔ. Ⓘⓕ ⓘⓣ ⓒⓞⓤⓛⓓ ⓑⓔ ⓒⓐⓛⓛⓔⓓ ⓣⓗⓐⓣ. Ⓣⓗⓐⓝⓚ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓕⓞⓡ ⓨⓞⓤⓡ ⓖⓔⓝⓔⓡⓞⓤⓢ ⓒⓐⓡⓔ...ⓘⓣ ⓦⓞⓝ'ⓣ ⓖⓞ ⓤⓝⓡⓔⓦⓐⓡⓓⓔⓓ."He tells me

He looks exhausted and sad, like he got betrayed by this associate. I understand how deeply this must hurt him since that's the closest he may have to a friend that basically uses him for his power. At least, that's what it sounds like for getting mad at him for using HIS power that they schemed to only use for their own benefit...

"Ⓜⓐⓨⓑⓔ Ⓘ ⓐⓜ ⓑⓔⓘⓝⓖ ⓢⓘⓛⓛⓨ...Ⓦⓗⓐⓣ ⓦⓞⓤⓛⓓ ⓨⓞⓤ ⓓⓞ ⓘⓝ ⓜⓨ ⓟⓞⓢⓘⓣⓘⓞⓝ?"He says

"HeLl n0. DuMp hiS aSs. We bOtH cAn fInD bEtTeR aSsOciAtEs tHaT rEsPeCt aNd cArE fOr uS. YoU dOn't nEeD jErKs tHaT oNlY l0oK f0r y0uR pOwEr."I say

He looks at me as if I am joking as I heal his last wound.

"TrUsT mE, w3 coUlD mEeT aGaIn oN beTtEr tErMs aNd I cAn pRoV3 y0u wRoNg."I say

"Ⓡⓔⓐⓛⓛⓨ? Ⓦⓔ'ⓡⓔ ⓖⓞⓘⓝⓖ ⓣⓞ ⓜⓔⓔⓣ ⓐⓖⓐⓘⓝ ⓞⓝ ⓖⓞⓞⓓ ⓣⓔⓡⓜⓢ?"He asks

"PuH-Le3z. I aM a dEsTrOyEr oF aUs aNd yOu aRe a sKiLlEd hAcKeR. We aRe liKeLy t0 cr0sS paThS aNd y0u kNoW hOw t0 r3aCh m3."I tell him

Then something shines on Probe's wrist and he sits up. 

"Ⓘ ⓗⓐⓥⓔ ⓣⓞ ⓖⓞ ⓝⓞⓦ. Ⓣⓗⓐⓝⓚⓢ ⓐⓖⓐⓘⓝ." He says, leaving me in this AU.

I frown, honestly feeling bad for Probe and wanting to help him make sense of the multiverse as more than an experiment doomed to end by the creator's boredom. I want to show what good there is with AUs. Even though I may not always see much with these anomalies, I will leave it up to Probe to make up his mind about that. But there's certainly some good in it. And good in him. He is currently in a very dark place that I'm too familiar with and want to help. Though my family may be upset with Probe's hacking, I can't exactly blame Probe too much given his mindset and what he knew at the time of the action. Heck, I started out only destroying AUs out of pure hatred for their existence before I knew the good in these anomalies or the beauty that some had so I'm not in a good position to judge. And despite being said destroyer with that past, look at my position now. If I can find a good life with meaning, so can Probe.

I sigh, shaking my head. Then I return home to find Nighty cooking away in the kitchen. Very unusual given the fact that Horror usually is the only one cooking. Well, aside from when Killer nearly burns the kitchen down with his attempts.

I notice how shaky he is when cutting carrots, stepping closer to him. I put my hand on his, stopping him before he cuts his finger off. His eyes look vacant, as if he is somewhere else. 

 "NiGhTy, iS eVeRyThInG oKaY?"I ask

He blinks, glancing at me and frowns. His eye still looks vacant but he tenses up, nodding. 

"NiGhTy, I cAn tElL tHAt yoU aRe lYiNg. YoU nEArLy cUt yOuR fIngeR oFf."I tell him

"I'll be careful, Glitchy. But I assure you that it's nothing."He tells me, turning his back to me and continuing.

He pries my hand off of his to continue cutting, his tentacles curling in against his back. I frown, shaking my head.

That makes over fifteen dozen lies in the past month. And that has to be the fiftieth time that he has gone from vacant or shaky to a brick wall...Shutting me out again...What has gotten into him? 

I leave to go to the antivoid once making sure that Perl and Misty are cared for. I Paps working away at the code again to find the "hacker". He glances toward me and smiles. 

"HeLlO, ErRoR! HoW wAs yOuR dAy t0dAy?"He asks

I shrug.

"FrUsTrAtInG I guESs?"I say

"ThAt sEeMs tO bE bEcOmINg a fr3quEnT aNsWeR fRoM yOu. WhAt bOtHeReD yOu tHiS tImE?"He asks, patting the spot beside him.

I sit beside him and retell the events of my day, including Probe.

"YoU mEt tHe hAcKeR? AnD eVeN heAlEd hIm?"He says in surprise

"WeLl iT iS aCtUaLlY tHe sEcOnD tImE I hAvE mEt hIm. He fr0ze tiMe oNcE wHen yOu wErE mAkInG sCrApBoOkS aNd I gOt tO kNoW hIm a bIt. He iSn'T tHaT bAd, jUsT a BiT naIvE t0 tHe mUlTiVeRsE. He g0t aBuSeD bY cReAtOrS aNd bEliEvEd tHaT AuS wErE jUsT aS dAngErOuS, oR jUst ExPeRiMeNtS oF cReAtOrS s0 h3 uSeD hIs hAcKiNg tO defEnD hImSeLf aNd bE tHe oNe iN pOwEr. He diDn'T EvEn kNoW wHaT a s0uL oR fAmiLy iS, pApS. He iS aCtuAlLy niCe aNd liKeS uS sInCe h3 kn0ws tHaT wE'vE g0ne thRoUgh hELl bEcAusE oF tHe cReAtOrS And tHoUgHt tHaT hE cOuLd cOnNeCt wiTh. He jUsT fELl iNtO tHe hAbIt oF beiNg liKe hIs cr3aTorS tOo mUcH. OuR fAm iS tHe fIrSt gOoD tHaT hE hAs f0uNd. He iSn'T bAd, PaPS, hE iS jUsT l0oKiNg f0r s0me coNnEctIoNs aNd g0oD iN hiS liFe."I explain

"Ar3 yoU sUrE?"He asks

"He hAd eVerY cHaNcE t0 eRaSe yOuR pROGrEsS iN hiS c0dE oN hiS vIruSeS bUt hE hAsN'T. He iS iNtRIgUEd bY yOuR eFfOrtS aNd nAmEd yOu gOoD sOuL nUmBeR tHrEe. He s3eS yOu aS a kInd pErSoN aNd sEeS y0uR aTTeMpTs aS aNoThEr pOsSiBlE cOnNeCtiOn, wh1cH iS beTtEr tHaN nOtHiNg."I say

He smiles after a few moments, chuckling.

"He hAs OdD mEtHoDs oF maKinG frIeNdS."He says

"I wAsn'T tHaT diFfErEnT. jUsT l0oK aT hOw i meT bLuE."I chuckle, which makes him nod.

I see a smile appear on his face.

"NoW i wAnT to geT tHrOuGh tHiS t0 reAcH hIm aNd mAke iT clEAr tHaT hE doEsn'T hAve t0 be AlOnE! He d0eSn't hAvE tO fReeZe tImE tO cOmE oVeR t0 chAt!"He says, seeming determined as he turns back to the code.

I chuckle, smiling at him.

"ThOuGh wE sHoUlD kEeP tHiS beTwEeN uS. ThE rEsT mAy nOt BE aS uNdeRsTanDiNg, EsPecIaLlY sInCe NiGhTmaRe iS aCtInG stRanGe. I gReEt hIm aNd hE rUns oFf aS iF hE iS hiDinG sOmEtHiNg."He says

"YeAh, He iS rEaLlY aCtInG stRanGe. He hAs liEd tO mE muLtIpLe tImEs oR jUsT beComES a bRiCk wAlL. He oNlY cOmeS foR cuDdLeS lAtElY."I say

"WeLl uNtIl hE oPeNs Up aBoUt wHaT He iS hIdInG, wE cAn kEeP tHiS betWeEn uS. It iSn'T hArMfUl aFtEr aLl."He says

I go into my hammock and start making puppets, relaxing as he works away.

Hopefully, this goes away in a month.

TBC