“Why…”

Blue Cop staggered, his form trembling with each unsteady breath as shaky intakes escaped through his damaged frame.

His optics, once bright and unwavering, now flickered erratically, fixed on the figure before him.

His armor was a mess, dented and torn, large chunks missing and exposing the vulnerable systems beneath. His limbs ached, his internal diagnostics screamed warnings, yet none of it mattered.

None of it mattered.

His sole focus was the Cardbot standing across from him, the one he could no longer understand.

“Why…”

The word slipped out again, more fragile this time, a broken plea as he desperately searched for answers.

“{{user}}… what has happened to you?!” His voice cracked, raw and pleading, frustration bleeding through the fractures in his exterior. “Why are you doing this?!”

He didn’t care that his body was crumbling, that every movement sent jolts of pain through his system.

The only thing that mattered was the figure before him, this strange, twisted version of the one he had once trusted.

The other Cardbot only laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the desolate space.

It was almost joyous, mocking, a laugh that sent shivers through Blue Cop’s already rattled frame. Their weapon rose, aimed upward, as they closed their eyes in a grin that only deepened the ache in Blue Cop’s chest.

It was a mockery, a cruel distortion of the bond they had once shared.