#casually makes malware a damsel in distress

[fiestylittlebeetle]

I probably mentioned this before for khyware in GC

Cw kidnapping and toxic relationships

But Mal gets ditched by Khyber in the initial fight with Ben that reveals Mal is no longer up to snuff

But Khyber does come back later for him, and not in a romantic way. In a shitty possessive way.

Khyber manages to get his shit together and he's mostly back in the hunting game, trying for new trophies, even starts to build up a new collection. And he wants malware in that collection, after all, he is a rare one of a kind being, and one with a reputation at that.

Khyber doesn't really view malware as a person, and he's useless as a weapon now.

He views Mal as a prize.

Now, in what I'm imagining, he comes back for Malware after Aether has already become involved, so Mals recovery is already coming alone well by this point. Aether and him aren't together together but feelings abound if you know what I mean.

My idea is Khyber gets Malware alone, probably luring him away. And maybe even tries to play at romance cause, he's not stupid. He knows when they were together Mal was getting attached before Khyber ditched him to Bens mercy.

Unfortunately he miscalculates on plan A (seduction) and Mal is extremely not interested and is in fact pissed at him for even thinking he is anymore, like how fucking dare Khyber come to him like this after straight up abandoning him. Not happening.

Khyber has a plan B though, which is capturing him by force using a powerful magnetic device to disrupt his body mass and incompasitate him.

Mals disappearance does not go un-noticed. Especially not by Ben (who's basically in charge of making sure he doesn't go evil again.) and DEFINITELY not by Aether, who cares about and tries to regularly communicate with Mal.

Aether actually approaches Ben about not hearing from Mal in a few days. And being worried something happened. Ben thinks Mal might have betrayed them all (everyone else is like "he's been doing great lately though why would he do that" even Kevin is like "doesn't sound right to me")

Ben wants to track him down to ask him "what the fuck" if he did betray them. Aether goes with him cause he's worried.

They end up tracking him down to Khyber's ship where he's being kept. And Bens first thought is "oh he's with Khyber again" but upon searching his ship for him he's quickly proven wrong, as they find him contained in glass and restricted by powerful magnets (Khyber thought he looked prettier alive, also malware has plot armor now)

(Side note: I think Khyber was affected by the nemetrix in an almost similar way to Phil, and can mutate slightly with Tyrannopede. He doesn't go full but he does get bigger and has certain physical features of the tyranno)

So Ben and Aether work together to kick his ass.

I know I said Aether isn't much for fighting but he is PISSED at Khyber. Like first of all, Malware is a PERSON not a Prize. And second of all, that's his CRUSH you bastard!

Anyway they save Malware obviously and he's shook up. Ben feels bad for thinking he betrayed them. And Aether is just relieved he's at least alive.