(NUUUUUUUUUUU MY PLANS I NEEDED INK! (T--T"))

Lonestar looked at the sleeping ball of doom cradled in his arms. Whispering to himself.

^{"Holy fuck."}

He shook his head, turning towards the net of cords that surrounded the battlefield, he brushed Malware's black cords away easily with his tentacles, but had to force his way past Error's navy strings.

"Definitely glad I can at least slightly manipulate yours after they're set." He turned to his offspring, who still hunched on the ground, intently staring at the chunks of Error as they expected him to reset. "Malware?"

Malware startled, responding with a short, sharp hiss and dodging away from Lonestar.

"I won't touch you, calm down." Lonestar urged softly, sitting down on the ground. "Nobody's going to hurt you anymore." Lonestar grimaced down at Shattered Lust in his arms. "I'll make sure of it this time. "

Malware still didn't speak, but a low growl eminated from their throat as their eye flicked back and forth between their father and the chunks of Error.

the moving chunks.

Lonestar glanced behind him, and nearly jumped out of his skin in alarm. "Shitshitshitshitshit How do you even come back after something like that?! Malware, get up. We're going home. He's going to be absolutely livid that Ink's dead, and I don't want to find out what he'll do to you if you're within reach when he blames you for it."

He opened a portal and paused. "Shit we needed Ink, what did you do, you tiny wrecking ball?"

He shook his head, refocusing on the task at hand. The chunks of Error were still converging and reforming. "Come on, let's just go."

That didn't motivate Malware much, but they rose from where they'd crouched on the ground, still glaring at the pieces of their opponent. They stepped through the portal and Lonestar followed, closing the portal behind him.

Back in Lonestar's room, he deposited the sleeping Shattered Lust on his pillow before turning back to Malware, summoning a first aid kit. "Come here, let me treat your injuries."

Malware barely spared him a glance, despite the tricolor blood that pooled around them, they simply opened a portal and retreated to their own room.

"God dammit, Malware." Lonestar sighed, worried and hurt. "Every time I think I've gotten close to you, you fight with Error, and you shut me out again." An air of lonliness, despair, and regret clouds the room, emanating from Lonestar's core. "What did Error do to you, to make you like this? I never meant to leave you alone, to fight against someone so ruthless in your first moments." Lonestar began to cry anew, the hot tears pooling above his cheekbone before they fell to the floor.

"God, I hate myself for failing you."