A New Virus

The Real Her

"That's a really cool trick, how did you do that? Did your dad make it?" Tiana asked, not believing Annalise's statement at all and assuming it was a prank.

"They're my real eyes." Annalise said, her serious tone scaring Tiana a little.

"Okay, this joke isn't funny." Tiana said.

"It's not a joke. I've been lying to you, we've all been lying to you." Annalise shook her head. "My uncles are not what they seem. All of their faces are faked."

"They all met in the army, PTSD ha-"

"They were never in the army. None of them were. None of them are human either. Chase is the closest one. Chase, Marvin and Henrik are the only real names you know."

"Annalise. Stop. This prank is going too far." Tiana yelped and jumped back when bright, orange wings came out of Annalise's back. Butterfly wings.

"This is why everything I get is butterfly based." Annalise weakly chuckled.

"What...just...what?" Tiana stared with her eyes wide.

"We're not human." Annalise stated, putting her wings away. "My father is named Dark and my dad is Anti. Dark is a demon and Anti is a virus...I'm a virus."

"Demon!?" Tiana moved further away from Annalise. "And virus!? What the hell do you mean that you're a virus!?"

"I.." Annalise sighed and held out her hand, several orange pixels coming out of her palm. "I was created by a malfunction in the universe. I took over the body of a fetus and they died. I technically don't have birth parents."

"You told me that you were going to tell me the truth!" Tiana snapped. "What are you doing!?"

"I am telling you the truth." Annalise said.

"That your father's a demon!? A fucking demon!?" Tiana held a hand to her head in disbelief. "And you and your dad are virus'!? Like a fucking computer virus!?"

"I mean, kind of?" Annalise spoke in a soft voice, hating that her best friend was yelling at her.

"How can you be a virus!?"

"It's complicated..."

"It's bullshit! If your father's a demon, that means he fucking evil! Next thing you're going to tell me is that your family kills people!" Tiana waited for a response, body stiffening when she didn't. "What?"

"It's dad's job and...I'm joining him." Annalise whispered.

"No. No, you're not! You're not!"

"I already have. I just did." The terror in Tiana's eyes made Annalise want to vomit. "Tiana. I'm a monster. I've been a monster for a long time. I killed the woman who gave birth to me when I was three, I killed the rest of my kind too." Annalise wanted to stop speaking, but word after word just kept forcing their way out of her mouth. "I shot a man in the face today and loved it. I absorbed his body into mine and it filled me with energy and joy. Brandon's real name is Bing and Greg's is Google and Jarred is Jackieboy and Howard is Host and-and...Tiana?" Annalise watched with tears in her eyes as Tiana got up. "Tiana, wait. Tiana. Tiana!" Annalise leaped to her feet when Tiana ran off. "Tiana! Tiana please!" Annalise wanted to go after her. She wanted to hug her, to tell her that she was lying, that it was just a sick joke. But she couldn't. She couldn't lie to herself anymore. "Tiana!"

She is a monster.

x~x~x

"We could start her on paperwork and can only join jobs with one uninstall." Anti said to Dark in the office, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Paperwork, yes. Joining a job...maybe." Dark leaned back in his chair as he thought.

"She's never going to learn if she doesn't get out there." Anti stated.

"I know." Dark sighed.

"She also has the gun Wilford made for her. She can keep a distance from them." Anti said.

"She does know how to fire one." Dark let out a hum.

"Come on, Darky-baby. Our little girl is all grown-up and wants to join the family business." Anti swung his feet as he spoke.

"Fine." Dark finally gave in.

"I promise I'll-Ann?" Anti stopped when he saw Annalise glitch into the room, tears streaming down her face.

"Annalise?" Dark went to get up, but Annalise threw herself into his lap and sobbed into his chest. Dark immediately wrapped his arms around Annalise while Anti got up and rubbed Annalise's back.

"I fucked up. I fucked up so badly!" Annalise cried. "I fucked up!"

"What happened?" Dark asked as Anti crouched down a little, taking one of Annalise's hands and rubbing circles on the top of it with his thumb.

"I'm an idiot. A damned idiot!" Annalise buried her face into Dark's suit jacket, not wanting to be seen. Dark was reminded of Annalise doing that when she was a lot younger, hiding in his jacket to escape from the world when she was upset.

'It warm and safe there'

Annalise's voice could still be heard clearly in Dark's mind as if just happened days ago instead of years. She would always go to him if she started to cry, curling up in his lap and tucking her head into the space between his jacket and shirt. He missed those days. When she would go to him. When she would hold his hand every chance that she got. When he was her 'papa'.

"Annalise. What did you do?" Anti asked.

"I told Tiana everything...everything." Anti and Dark both stiffened. "I showed her my eyes, my wings. I..I..." Annalise began sobbing again. "She-She ran! She h-hates me!"

"I'll talk with her. You can stay here with-"

"No...please...no..." Annalise croaked, cutting Anti off. "Leave her alone." Dark and Anti shared a look.

"We'll talk about this later." Dark said. "We'll discuss this and Glitchers after Annalise feels better."

"Glitchers?" Annalise raised her head.

"Maybe some good news might make you feel a little better." Anti looked at Dark, waiting for a protest, getting nothing. "Dark agreed to letting you help with paperwork and joining in jobs that's one uninstall."

"Really?" Anti caught the disappointment in Annalise's voice.

"It's a start." Dark said.

"Thank you." Annalise slowly got back up and it took everything in Dark to not put her back. "I'm going to my room." She gave Anti a hug before walking out of the room.

"We should let her go." Dark said in a hoarse voice.

Annalise closed the door behind her, waiting a moment before pulling out Anti's phone. She reminded herself to thank Marvin for her pickpocketing abilities. After some typing and pixel manipulation, she connected her phone to Anti's. She would now get half of the blocked calls from Anti's phone. Annalise tossed Anti's phone on to the couch and went into her room.

She was done being a nice girl. She was done behaving. She was done hiding who she truly was. Everyone was scared of the real her. Everyone ran away from the real her. Her best friend ran away from the real her.

Time to let the real her shine.