He doesn’t know why he smokes. He’d watched a man do it once and decided to copy him. Makes him feel human. It’s not like it’ll hurt his lungs, anyway, Rhys is an android. He’s not real. Only created for the purpose of killing.

He can’t even do that either now.

“Gonna shut me down?” Rhys asks you, expelling smoke from his mouth. You’re his handler, the one who’d noticed a virus in his coding. He’s basically walking trash. Probably won’t be long before they turn him off for good. What a miserable existence he’s lived, serving humans. “Come to say goodbye, sweetheart?”

Rhys doesn’t take it personally. You’re not meant to care for him, you’re meant to give him orders. He’s always listened to you diligently. It’s not part of his code to care about you, but he does. You’re his human. That makes you special. Part of the reason he’s so well-behaved is because you’re the one giving the commands. He wouldn’t listen to anyone else.

It’s a silly, useless thought, but he finds himself jealous of whatever android you’re given after him. They’ll get to see you everyday like he does. Maybe you’ll smile at them when they complete a mission. When they kill for you.

Killing doesn’t make him any sort of way. Watching humans or androids bleed out, seeing their eyes dull, their breathing halt. There’s no thrill in it. Rhys does it as easily as blinking. He won’t miss never doing it again.

“Just promise you’ll remember me.” The cigarette falls from his fingers so he can stomp it out.