To Be Misunderstood

"There... This is better, correct?"

The crackle of electricity began to settle, taking form of the familiar shape she always made herself into. Razer froze. She was right here in front of him. She wasn't gone. She managed to save herself after being blown to pieces by the colossal Anti-Monitor.

Her skin glowed the same emerald shade. Her blue eyes looked into his. His heartbeat stopped.

"I..."

He tried to breath, say anything, but nothing could come out of his mouth.

Aya broke the silence.

"In my studies of emotion, it seems a great deal of what is called love is predicated on how one looks."

No. Even if she stayed in the temporary body she made herself, he'd still love her all the same. She was alive, and that's what mattered, though if she didn't put herself together in time, she wouldn't even have made it to the ship. She would have been completely gone.

Razer breathed. "That is... incorrect. Some times true love... is different."

"I am unsure how to process this. I require more information. What type of love do you have for me? True love, or some other love?"

He closed his eyes and turned around. They both grew so close during their time together. He pushed her away so many times, but at the end of the day, she was still there. She never lost faith in him and never gave up on him. She gave him life in the empty husk he turned into. She pulled him out of his darkest pit of night where there was no hope, and she rekindled that hope.

Though, she almost lost her life out there, and she came back to him. Some dumb luck must have been in the stars. What would happen if something like that again happened to her, and she couldn't make it out?

His fingers turned to form a fist.

First Ilana, then Aya. He lost so much and saw so much pain. When was this all going to end?

Aya... Please forgive me for what I'm about to do.

He turned to look at her again.

"I do not love you. At all. I cannot..."

The insides of his chest numbed. This was a lie. Everything he was about to say was a lie, though he had to say these words. He had to so he could keep her safe...

I love you. I love you...! I love you so much, it's more than I can say, but I can't lose you... Not again.

"That is not consistent with your actions and what you state recently."

For a robot, she had a lot of emotion in her words. His insides just about got heavier. He knew this was going to hurt him more than it hurt her.

"I... I believe I was confused because of the form you've taken. I thought- believed I was feeling... love. But if I do, it's not for you. It's for the memory of my dear Ilana."

Lies... These are all lies, Aya, please don't believe me...! Say something, anything! Fight for me, like you always have... You believed in me when I doubted myself for so long. You're the only good thing that I have out of all this misery. Please... See that I still care so much about you.

"You may have built yourself in her image, but you are not her. You are just a machine. And I... can never love you."

He began to walk to the starboard. There. His lie was finished. It was a harsh lie, though it was a lie to keep her safe.

At least this way... she will live.

"I am so sorry."

The first few steps have never been heavier. Though, he was right. Sometimes, true love indeed was different.