“You came here looking for a fight, virus?” Kreo called out, stepping forward. His glowing eyes narrowed. “I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

The virus lost his smile, fidgeting at the sight of the antivirus before him. He could sense Kreo’s power. His energy was deafening, painful. But Ando was stronger. He would prove it right here and now. He growled, a monstrous mechanized sound that made a few nearby AIs shiver.

Kreo raised his electrostaff and charged. The virus tore his hand through the air and dissolved into a mass of jagged lines. These thrumming, crackling lines of dangerous code arced outward, spreading further across the arena. The walls and floor began to crumble. A high-pitched whine filled the air, and the AIs surrounding Kreo were warped and twisted before his eyes, turning distorted and ghastly, blistered and burnt and monstrous.

They fell one by one, ripped apart by infection. Only a few players managed to outrun the virus, escaping into the night. 

Ando couldn’t stop laughing. Kreo’s mind recoiled at the sound, but his body propelled him onward. He began firing electricity at the jagged, branching tendrils. His staff glowed with intricate patterns of shielding, repelling the virus, ensuring it would not reach him. The lines of infection looped backward, converging upon Kreo in an arc of destructive force. He slashed at them with his electrostaff, tearing them to pieces. 

The former antivirus found himself growing positively giddy over this unexpected adrenaline rush. If the virus touched him, game over. What a thrill this was. He'd almost forgotten how exciting a real battle could be. 

He knew from experience that he had to make the virus manifest in its human form to defeat it. But how...?

Kreo stumbled. His mask slipped down, revealing sweat and fatigue on his face. His arms shook when he hacked at the next wave of infection. The virus responded to his weakness with a fierce blast of corruption, and he fell sideways in a desperate dive to avoid it. Chest heaving, Kreo collapsed onto his hands and knees.

The virus surrounded him, forming a cage of jagged lines. Kreo watched as the arcs of corruption beyond his little prison collected back together into a recognizable shape. Ando wore a gloating grin.

“It was fun to play with you,” Ando murmured. There was pure, undiluted madness in his eyes. “But I’m afraid it’s time for our brief friendship to come to an end. You see, I just can’t wait for you to feel the agony of my corruption.”

The cage of jagged lines partially dispersed, as Ando stepped closer to Kreo. The virus raised his arms, concentrating his power.

Kreo struck, a blur of sudden motion. He jabbed the bladed end of his electrostaff as deeply as he could into Ando’s chest. Surprise flashed across the virus’s features, and he stared in disbelief at the green blood dribbling down the front of his torso.

His face twisted into another terrible smile, and he exploded, transforming into a supernova of green that sent Kreo flying into the warped, corrupted wall of the arena. He fell right through it, as if it had no substance. Sticky threads of infection clung to his clothes as he tumbled into the empty space surrounding the Nexus.

Ando laughed. Did he ever stop laughing? “Impressive,” he whispered. “You really had me thinking you were beaten.” He gave Kreo a slow once-over, as the ex-antivirus struggled to stand. His face and arms were blistering green from his collision with the corrupted wall. Quickly, he snatched up his electrostaff and turned to face the virus once more. But Ando was not attacking. Instead, he extended his hand. “How would you like to join me? It’s very lonely at the top, you know. I could really use a... hmm... a worthy ally.” His eyes glimmered with unhinged mirth. Green pixels popped out of his upturned palm.

Kreo leaned on his electrostaff, smirking. “How do I know your offer’s sincere? I’ve dealt with your kind before, Ando. If I take your hand, you’ll probably just corrupt me and leave me here to die.”

Ando grinned, revealing his sharp fangs. “Think about it,” he said softly. “You’re strong, you’re fast, you’re well-versed in the art of deception. Why would I want to corrupt someone who could be so valuable to me? I was designed to be smart. I was designed to see... opportunities.”

Kreo made a split-second decision. 

“Sure, alright,” he nodded. “I’ll join you. You want to conquer all of cyberspace, don’t you? Who doesn’t want that kind of power?” He stepped closer to Ando, grinning smugly. It felt much like stepping into a blazing fire. 

He reached out to shake the virus’s hand, then lunged, grabbing Ando by the arm and hurling him into the air. Kreo slammed the virus back into the ground with such force, the impact sent cracks running through the emptiness. Kreo fearlessly aimed the glowing blade of his electrostaff at Ando’s pretty face.

“Listen to me,” he hissed, eyes glowing with greed. “If I’m going to work with a virus, I need your guarantee that you won’t even fantasize about turning against me. I don’t trust you, Ando.”

The virus did not move a muscle, not wanting to provoke his natural enemy any further. His eyes were wide, and he was gasping for breath, as if struggling to keep down a rising panic. Kreo couldn’t tell whether he was faking. 

The virus laughed chillingly. “I surrender,” he grinned, completely unfazed. “You shouldn’t trust me, and I shouldn’t trust you. What an excellent basis for an alliance!” He coughed, and a trickle of green blood reached the corner of his mouth. There was a ragged, deep gash in his chest. Ones and zeroes floated from the wound, dissolving into thin air as it slowly stitched itself back together.

Kreo grinned back, nodded, and held out his hand. The virus gripped his fingers tightly, pulling himself to his feet.

“Well?” Ando sighed, surveying the corrupted Gaming Nexus with pride in his eyes. In this virus, Kreo saw an unbridled lust for total, random destruction, something Kreo would never support in a million years.

But Ando did not need to know that.

“How about you show me your next target?” Kreo suggested. He was already plotting against the virus, as they stood there side-by-side. Ando would not be an easy opponent to take down, but Kreo knew he was the right man for the job. This was going to be lots of fun.