Crynime: Encryption

Chapter 8: For My Friends

"Th-The storm's still at a c-calm, Cry..."

Startled, Cry whipped his head to the source of the familiar, glitchy voice.

"...You again..."

The clone grinned under his mask.

"Y-Yep."

The two were currently surrounded by a black abyss; glowing, green 1s and 0s passing by them from time to time.

"Where's Scott?"

The clone waved his hand dismissively.

"Che, ya' don't n-need to wo-worry about him. Th-This place is like a fr-frozen place in t-time."

"Why are you here?"

The clone chuckled softly.

"J-Just wanted to t-talk to ya'. Is th-that so wrong?"

Cry felt a sense of foreboding at those words.

There was a sudden flare of pain in Cry's chest area; the brunet coughed harshly as he slowly fell to his knees.

"...What...did you...do?"

The soft chuckle from before slowly became louder, a cackle escaped the clones lips.

"Y-You won't l-live long, Cry."

"What...?"

The clone simply waved his hand in the air as if he were swatting a fly.

"W-Well you c-could live l-longer...but your fr-friends would have to t-take some of the burden."

Cry coughed again.

"Wh-What burden?"

The clone laughed.

"The b-burden is...that all of y-you will s-slowly die in th-this world."

Cry widened his eyes at the new information.

"Y-You humans a-aren't meant to e-exist in this w-world." The clone yawned. "So you g-guys will s-slowly f-fade away..."

Cry coughed again, heaving slightly; he glared up at the clone.

"...But what...do you mean...about carrying...the burden?"

The clone gazed at Cry with a sudden evil air.

"You can s-save your friends f-from dying. Y-You just ha-have to take th-their time limit a-away."

"How do I do it?"

The clone's aura changed to a shocked one.

"Wh-What?"

"Tell me...how to freaking take my friends' burdens from them!"

The clone widened his sea-green eyes behind his mask before narrowing them.

"This will sh-shorten your l-life furth--"

"Does it look like I freaking care?!"

Cry smirked underneath his mask as he staggered slightly to his feet.

"Their my friends. I'd give up my life for them any day."

The clone gazed at Cry with shock.

"Y-You're c-crazy...a c-crazy human."

Cry grinned.

"Heh, but that's what makes us humans so interesting."

The clone faltered as he stepped back; he was slowly dispersing into 1s and 0s.

"...Y-Your friends' b-burdens are g-gone...your l-life is now sh-shortened further, Cry."

Cry simply smirked before he made a thoughtful noise.

"Ah, wait...what's your name again?  I remember you telling it to me before, but I forgot about it..."

Once again, the clone was flabbergasted.

After a few seconds of silence, the clone begrudgingly said his name.

"...Virus...you can c-call me V-Virus..."

Cry grinned under his mask before waving cheerfully back at Virus.

"I guess I'll see ya' later, Virus! Thanks for taking my friends' burdens away!"

Virus disappeared completely, and Cry could've sworn that he heard the other say something.

"F-Foolish human th-thanking me for killing h-him faster n-now..."