Karmas bitter but so am I (S.A.M.S.)

Chapter 4 - Mirroring

(Narrators POV)

It was like looking in a horrifying fun-house mirror. The big wide smile, ever-present, reminiscent of days that Eclipse considers distant history despite only being a few days prior. He cannot believe he made this abomination with his own hands, cannot believe that he was proud of his creation. It seems to have...changed...despite his acute programming- he never intended for it to be so violent. It was supposed to be an exact copy, but...

That psychotic glee is not something he shares.

He pulls Lunar closer as this... creature approaches. His eyes narrow, a guttural growl rising from his voice box.

"How curious..."

The imposter hums, moving further into the room, claws dragging lazily on the wooden chair against the wall.

"How the hell are you activated?" Eclipse snarls, moving so that Lunar is out of this beast's reach as it slides over to the bedside, eyes trailing over its creator in silent challenge.

"You! You died, remember? Protocol~" It reaches out a careful hand, but Eclipse bats it away. It recoils, giving him an incredulous look.

He knows what it's referring to. This particular copy- the first- was designed with a simple activation procedure: if Eclipse's signal stops transmitting, even for a moment, it turns on. A flaw, admittedly, since there are much better ways to transfer existing AI after deactivation, instead of copying earlier versions onto entirely new cards. Which...is what he did with this thing. He only vaguely remembers what he was like back then, and, if this is any show of his personality at the time of this AI's creation, he cannot help but feel a bit disturbed. He doesn't recall being this... invasive.

"I'm surprised you still work." Eclipse drawls, earning an irritated look from his copy.

"I'm surprised you care about that maggot." It sneers back, fueling Eclipse's growing hatred for an animatronic made by his own hands. Lunar whimpers, stifling a sob in his older brother's shoulder, which seems to amuse the knockoff, since it lets out a chuckle at Lunar's show of fear.

"He's not-" Eclipse starts, but his imitation cuts in before he can finish.

"Ah, but he is. Stepping stones, both him and Blood Moon. Or did this one catch up with Blood in the whole lackluster-loyalty department?" It's face breaks into a grin again, rays spinning, cutting through the air like blades. It leans down to Eclipse's level as its rays settle once more, hands wrapped neatly behind its back, movements smooth- precise. It's here for something.

"You're a stepping stone as much as the others are. There's only one Eclipse, so I suppose that makes you an off-brand bastard?" Eclipse cannot help catching a smile of his own as the other's face falls into a frustrated grimace, acting as if the words don't hit something that Eclipse can tell must be sensitive. So it's picked up soft spots already? This should be a breeze, then. Easy to pick apart.

"That's ironic, coming from the one that looks like an abused puppet." It bites back, and Eclipse cannot find a retort before claws flash forwards, ripping the blanket off, throwing it off to the side, dangerously gleeful gaze landing on Lunar.

I think the fuck not.

Eclipse acts on an instinct he didn't even know he had.

His claws connect with dented metal, bringing the more intact of the two tumbling to the ground under the greater weight that is Eclipse's fury. Lunar yelps from the bed, cowering away, but he pays no mind. Wild eyes focus in on perfectly reflected alarmed ones, orange meeting orange in a moment that can only be described as all out war.