disclaimer: I do not own YOI or the cover. Credit belong to the owners.

{command in operating system} system finding [explanation]

"Normal speaking" "...'command'..."

[Explanation/program/personal code number]

-machina mode of speaking-

-machina inner thought-

{command in operating system} system finding [explanation] (all in inner thought)

{system reboot} updating data...

[Kernel repaired] synchronizing...

Synchronization completed!

"Status." The bespectacled silver haired man in white lab coat asked.

-unchanged: system works perfectly. Aus-

"Oh, wait- 'mode switched: Yuri', 'overwrite authority: code [2512] Viktor'..."

-request accepted, switch mode to Yuri-

"Um... Viktor?" The complex machine asked timidly. A Battle Machina to be exact.

"Yuri!" Viktor blue eyes lit in happiness at the familiar machina mode. "Are you working fine now?"

"...Yes, I am." The machina, Yuri nodded. His brown light impulse that appeared as human irises softened at the sight of his 'private doctor' or a specialized scientist that was assigned to him by the higher ups.

"Good," Viktor smiled and then looked at the report on his computer. "Although quite a number of fused broke and 1.5 giga nano chips destroyed, it seems that [HEART] less affected the system this time."

That was still an achievement, Viktor thought.

"Viktor, the program sent multiple errors and set my system haywire. It is still not compatible." Yuri complained, his facial replicated worry clearly.

"Yes but I still want to make it happen." Viktor said optimistically while crossing his arms and leaning on the table, facing Yuri who was lying in the rehabilitation pod. "Didn't you want to complete the analysis, Yuri? That's why I came up with [HEART], brilliant isn't it?" Viktor cheerfully hogging to Yuri.

[HEART] or Human Emotion Analyze and Replication Tensor, a program that young scientist Viktor Nikiforov created for Machina to understand human emotionally. However, only machina number Tc2191d23k1 or Yuri assigned as a test subject based on Lumen Arc [AI-HPC] calculated algorithm or basically the 'mother's direct command'. Well, it suited Delta [analysis unit] nature of obligation though but Yuri seemed too eager to learn it. Could it be a machina actually volunteer? Out of free will? Does it exist within machine? That is still unknown to Viktor. That is why he wanted to complete the program and run it without failure very fast.

Plus another fact that Yuri could be replaced or destroyed in a war at any moment. That would mess up everything he work for so long.

"Yeah, of course." Yuri muttered while still processing other available response. Damn it, the 'heart' made it's own reflex coming with various errors again. What is this? Persistence, annoyance, irked...

Meanwhile, the specialist area which actually Viktor's personal lab that was occupied with organized machines, equipment and other electronic stuff seemed quiet after that with only the sound of swinging pendulum breaking the silence. Even amidst war zone, the military base surprisingly calm enough to allow everyone and all unit to stay focused. Thanks to the multi layers of plasma shield that also act as soundproof, they are all safe and sound inside.

Now that there are no longer earth that was destroyed beyond recovery, humans must fight for their new home on this new planet with whatever beings that against us. It was their fault for our innocent blue planet was collided with its own moon and Armageddon happened. Now it's time for vengeance.

As if the prayer was answered, Machinas appear to be on their side, fighting alongside humans for the injustice that happened.

Because Machina only do what is right. A being based on pure rationality.

"Yuri... what's wrong?" Viktor gently pulled him out of the pod and seated him on the chair opposite Viktor's. "What is it that you are worried again?" Viktor put down his glasses and ran his fingers through his silver hair.

Both of them knew it very well as it was flashing on the computer and Yuri's kernel.

{synchronized data result} state return to standardized Delta {update error} could not run HEART successfully.

{error} mastering HEART [doubted]

{error: analysis result} not enough memory for computing. [system fail to provide]

{available solution} additional space {update} space is limited. Nonvolatile memory is preserved for tactical analytical data. Overwrite authority on this section is revoked.

{alert!} HEART run without full programming. Various computing could not achieved. Poor result.

[request for full capacity nonvolatile memory]

[request for full capacity nonvolatile memory]

[request for full capacity nonvolatile memory]

{alert!} operating system: request denied.

{alert!} operating system: request denied.

{alert!} operating system: request denied.

What the heck? Even the system was fighting against the program. Is this what the human figurative saying 'the brain want to punch the stomach'?

"It's never ending errors and solutions. And worst, it previously affected battle situation analyze and tactical calculating which the outcome of the next move appears as doubt. Plus, it didn't even stopped at that! It continues to perform non-required analysis until overdrive!" Yuri rambling in one human breath. "Biggest failure ever: cluster damage increase from 2% to 9%." He ended dejectedly.

Queue for a few moments of silence, Viktor was actually listening to all of it, surprising himself and also of Yuri replication behavior. Double wow!

As much as Viktor wanted to smile broadly at the sudden improvisation on accuracy of Yuri's replication behavior, he decided not to as Yuri may analyze it wrongly. "You are experiencing anxiety and panic attack." He concluded without showing so much of a worry. Hopefully this is enough and Yuri got it correctly as this is not really a deadly matter, not to machina anyway.

But worsened if left untreated.

"Ridiculous." Yuri deadpanned. His input of that matter did not co-relate to his being. "Machina do not experience disorder. Conclusion rejected."

"But humans do, Yuri. It often results to make mistakes and also other various factors." Viktor replied calmly.

"...do you?" Yuri was curious for his confirmation.

"...yes, at certain time." Viktor answered, azure eyes softened as it settled on cute oblivious raven haired machina in front of him. "That's how we learn, through our mistakes and others', try and error."

"Humans... have errors..." Yuri mumble quietly. That sounded like he is right now.

"And we tend to forget too," Viktor said unwaveringly as he held the hand of the machina bringing it close to his lips, "but that's what makes room for the new things." His eyes zeroed on the machina's pair of brown pulsating lights.

-this is...-

{analysing situation} {reading target's state} various results detected

{result} [concern: affirmative] [understanding: affirmative] [worry: possible but not match with facial recognition-reanalyze-] [sincerity: new finding. Not much data recorded]...

-too much result, human can produce these much at the same time..-

-what is this...-

-...feelings?-

"Strange... Machina is a being capable to calculate and decipher any capacities, yet could not understand 'heart'..." Yuri voiced his sense of alienation. His human-like eyes lowered to his hand that being held firmly.

"Not yet, Yuri. But i believe in you..." Viktor smiled. Each and every gesture sent Yuri overdrive with results and errors.

{new command!} Tc2191d23k1 report to AC115 [Control Room] immediately. Aus

"I'm being called." Yuri said as he stood up breaking off their little contact. Then walked to the automatic door.

Before Yuri could actually left, his hand was snatched from behind making him to turn around face to face with handsomely human figure.

"Yuratchka..." Viktor said affectionately, hand in hand, he brought it on top of his chest to let the other feeling his heartbeat. He was closing in the distance until their foreheads were touched, pure azure eyes bored into brown irises of light pulse blindingly. He inhaled deep as he closed his eyes for a hitch savoring the moment before warmly saying, "...be safe, okay."

Without even replicated the human action of blinking, Yuri acknowledged this mode of Viktor and responded accordingly as the 'heart' stipulated, "okay I will, Vitya..." The uttered name gave a wave of errors to the kernel despite how accurate the 'heart' response.

Rather than waiting in his lab, Viktor decided to walk around in the base and find anything he could help. Even if his main duty is scientist programmer at the rehabilitation unit, ones have to be flexible during this intergalactic war which also took place on the planet you want to live. Why on the planet but not in the space? Easy, that being or 'unknown' reside here and did not come out no matter how much they had provoked. But it dared to send numerous type of beings -as it was like 'collector'- to wage war on his behalf, even as far as destroying earth. Fucking vicious nemesis.

Thus, Viktor reached out for his blue glasses and ID tag, smoothing his dark blue shirt and white long lab coat and walked out of the room. The door slid automatically behind him. Fixing his glasses, he noticed people and machina were busy moving around in the hallway. Alert and announcement sounded every passing moment naturally to inform what was happening. Since his work of diagnosing any battle machina was basically done with Yuri being the last patient, he thought it was good to catch up with another Delta who was sent to replace Yuri temporarily in the battle. If Yuri had to report back to duty, then it meant that he was heading here. Thus, he made his way to the Haimgard [machina hangar].

The humongous Haimgard was as busy as ever, with machina departed and returned from the war. Just as he reached there, the said Delta also just landed, green neon light on his cybernetic body dimmed indicating the Avian Gear [flying mode] was not in use in this territory. Viktor marched to him as his blonde hair was easily spotted. Sharp pair of green pulsating light met with calm azure eyes as he looked up.

"Yurio." Viktor said, both hand residing in his coat pockets. The machina responded after scanning his ID tag he had been wearing.

-Copied. Aus-

"Welcome back." He smiled despite earning none from the other. "What is the brief report of the cluster damage?" Viktor asked straightforward.

The machina number Tc-Ac1003d51p1 [Yurio] nodded before answering.

-Terra Cluster receive 0.03% damage. Aus-

"How many waves and with which Tier?" Viktor asked again.

-18 waves. Tier 5 [Giant], Tier 6 [Mythical Beast], Tier 8 [Fairie] and Tier 10 [Dwarven]. Aus-

Viktor hummed in response, finger tapping his chin while he was in thinking.

-additional report: Tier 4 [Drakon] is spotted but make no move. Clusters are directed to not engage until Terra Cluster's 1st Delta re-link to the arsenal. Aus-

"Have you sync with Yuri?" Viktor asked, resting his hand on his side.

-Positive. Synchronized 42 minutes ago. Aus-

That is just when Yuri is rebooted. "I see. Alright Yurio, thank you." Viktor nodded to him. "One more question. Are you joining Terra Cluster later as a squad?" His inquiry stopped the Delta from marching to wherever he was assigned to.

-Negative. Ac1003d51p1 is requested to reconnect to Audra Cluster. New command: guard the Lumen Arc. Aus-

Yurio left right after answering his last question. Viktor returned to his thought as he was walking around in the base. Drakon was spotted but no reaction. Other clusters also did not attack. Why? They are as best as Terra Cluster too and they are all a hive mind. Then, it clicked in his mind. The data synchronization, Viktor concluded. Since Terra Cluster engaged with it before, they need the analysis result to counteract. But then the 1st Delta [analysis unit] -Yuri- encounter analysis glitch, they did not have the full clear analysis.

Viktor's feet were still making its way from place to place, nodding and salute at the persons he recognized. Then, he stopped at a familiar facility which was currently in use. He could not enter however as he would get himself killed during the test. Thus, he moved to the monitoring room instead, expecting to meet his close friend. As the door slid open after scanning his ID tag, he greeted the rounded bespectacled man.

"Hi, Chris!" Viktor said plastering his friendly smile.

"Hey, Viktor." The man -another fellow scientist indeed- looked away from the monitor and winked at the familiar guy. "A minute he was out to work and you already missing him, huh" Chris remarked looking back at the monitor.

"Who?" Viktor confused for a moment until his eyes settled on the screen. "Ah, him." He let out a content sigh.

He don't even bother to hide. Chris thought. While keeping up with the update of his condition, Chris joined Viktor into staring at the screen, showing a dazzling machina in combat, utilizing various armaments in the Null Void [proving ground]. "Beautiful, isn't he?" Chris stated undeniably.

Tilting his head a little to the side, Viktor agreed, "yeah... and sexy too." He smirked licking his lips. "Ah~ I can't wait until he complete the program." Viktor whined.

Chris nodded and putting his arm around his friend's shoulder. "Then, I want my own machina to love me too. Then we can experiment love on each other." Chris smiled suggestively. "Or did you already..?"

"Chris, he is nowhere near there yet." Viktor flatly denied. "He is too pure and innocent." And still not compatible.

"Like a baby huh," Chris fixed his glasses and walked back to the monitor, reading the update on the report. It looked like machina number Tc2191d23k1 [Yuri] performed successfully. He glanced back at the screen, the image of high concentrate machina moving faster than the sound and also could kill stronger and powerful beings in a swift was actually a baby at heart. How cute.

"Yeah," Viktor crossed his arms, eyes never leave the cybernetic figure donned in black with silver white neon light on his body. "It's even harder than teaching a baby who a mother is." Viktor can't helped but admitted it.

Wow, that's sound very tough. "Hey viktor," Chris said while furiously typing on his computer, "why don't you try a simulation program on him? That's easier than starting from base one. I would've do it though if a machina is specially assigned to me." Chris suggested thoughtfully.

Viktor let out a heavy sigh as he sat on a nearby chair. "Then the original objective would not be acquired. I want him to develop the 'heart' himself, not predetermine action. He won't be able to respond if things are out of his input on it." He explained clearly, pushing up his glasses.

Turning to face Viktor, Chris argued back intellectually, "but he is able to analyze, calculate and respond accordingly. What's the matter then?"

"What's the matter huh?This-" Viktor motioned with his head towards the screen, "-is the matter. Yeah, he did analyzed, calculated and responded accordingly, only for it to appear as a mass of errors and irregularities. He even panicked, Chris."

Chris let a long nod, finally he understood. He don't know what is right or wrong. Those actually doesn't matter since the heart is sensation and instinct all alone. But machina don't have that. So, what is a need and what is a want must be the same to him. Poor machine.

Well, a perk for humanity! Even though our existence was almost wiped out back then.

"Once he develops his own 'heart', he could love me back, out of his own free will..." Viktor muttered faintly and barely audible to Chris, blue eyes longing for the figure inside the Null Void. I'm waiting, Yuri.

His friend put down the round glasses and commented, "you have really and completely fallen for him, I see."

Viktor just responded with a small smile, he could say it was love at first sight, although it happened at unsightly event. Looking at the screen, Yuri seemed to be at the last phase of overall test. Then, suddenly an announcement came from the computer.

'Test completed! All 67 941 armaments at best condition. All new equipment tested and verified. Machina is ready.'

"Wow, alright. '1st Delta of Terra Cluster, come to the monitoring room.' " Chris command through the voice detector device.

"How much armaments increase since the war?" Viktor asked to Chris while they were at it. Armaments are weapons developed from the encounter with the enemies or enemies' moves that had been analyzed, replicated and improved. That's why machina was most feared beings to be declared as enemy especially in battle since they cannot be fooled twice.

"Hm, not much. I assumed he had encountered most of it in the future and just sync with current machinas." Another trivia; did you know Yuri was actually from the future? He came exactly before the Armageddon to salvage humanity at his best, the exact moment the launch of new discovery; machina. Coincidence? "But since the Drakon incident, it should increase at least one more."

Suddenly, the door slid open and let the said machina entered as directed. Both eyes on him. He appeared unworn albeit the ferocious test. His black hair slicked back sexily -according to Viktor and Chris- unfazed. His silver neon light was still glimmering and his brown rings of light impulse slightly narrowed. Ah, I miss the wide pure irises of light, Viktor thought.

"Yuri! Well done!" Viktor cheered with open arms, expecting the machina to hug him back but sadly, he stay still. "Yu~ri~" Viktor acted as if he was starting to sob.

Chris let out a chuckle before turning to face Yuri. "Very well, what's the new speed achieved with the updated Avian Gear?"

-Avian Gear new speed: Mach 3.4 inside Null Void calculated speculation could reach maximum of Mach 5. Aus-

Wow, three to five time faster than the sound.

"Impressive." Chris noted. "Now that it's done here, you have to report to Haimgard. Wait for the order to deploy with the rest of the cluster. You are dismiss and go kick some Drakon ass." Chris said and gave a salute.

-understood. Aus-

Yuri left shortly without even bother to interact with Viktor like before. Well, he was in 'Delta mode' of course he had to stay focus! Even if flash of errors in his kernel and the [HEART] was shouting 'do something!' at him. What should he do? He don't know and his only focus was ending the war ahead.

"Are you not going to follow him?" Chris asked glancing to Viktor.

Fixing his blue glasses, he said dramatically, "I'll following him~ to the end of this world!"

"The world ended already," Chris sighed. "What's the plan? I mean I want to take a break, wanna join?" Chris invited him while stretching his muscle.

"Nah, I'll pass. I actually come up with something better to do. Bye, Chris! See you later then." Viktor waved at Chris before he left the room.

so, AU setting is post-apocalypse, on a new planet, in the middle of war. (very heavy theme indeed)

*[AI-HPC] : artificial intelligence-high performance computing.

**machina serial number decryption- e.g: Tc (cluster/position:Terra Cluster) 2191 d (unit type: Delta) 23 k (random letter from original name: katsuki) 1 *all number are random* try decode Ac1003d51p1 :)

until then, aus-