Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hey, Dad, Dad!” said a little girl drone to the bigger drone. Her golden oval eyes - like her father - shone with excitement under purple hair. Her smile was big and energetic, as she couldn’t sit still.

The exact image of her mother, thought her father as he tried to tuck his little one in. And maybe a bit of me.

“What’s up, littleBiscuit? You know, it’s bedtime for baby drones,” said the adult drone, leaning over the droneling’s bed where drawings of all sorts were stuck - his daughter drew wonderfully, better than he did.

Not that he was jealous of her natural talent. A true artist. Like her mother, he thought in a thought full of love and tenderness as he recalled her. His eyes — those of his screen — turned to the posters proudly displayed. There were some that represented some of the stories he told his daughter: the silhouette of a winged drone and a smaller one flying together; a spaceship in the stars; a pair of drones dancing together in a ballroom; another where they fought some kind of Eldricht-human-machine hybrid — yeah, maybe he really shouldn’t have told her that, and his wife had given him an ear about it…

The little drone was bouncing on her bed, restless. “Tell me another story.”

“I already did it earlier,” her father reminded her, his yellow cartridge-topped tail tapping the droneling’s hair very lightly. “Two stories, even! It’s time to go to bed, now.”

The little girl pouted and shook her head. “Buuut you’ve already told me !” she complained (even though she had loved hearing them again). “Can you tell me a new one, please, please, daddy?”

“Oh no, not the puppy eyes…” The adult drone whined at the images of golden retriever puppies on her daughter’s screen. She knew exactly what she was doing. And the crunchy whine, with her little lip trembling. Yeah, definitely the mother's programming...

"Okay, okay, you win, princess," the drone laughed softly, as his daughter squealed and settled on his knees, looking at him impatiently. "So, a story I've never told you... Hmmm~ Maybe there's one."

_________________________________________________________

Night had settled on Copper-9, illuminated by the gas giant and another exoplanet. It was the dreaded hour, for many drones who didn't live in a bunker or colony. As soon as the sun set, the Sky Demons would come out of their lair and go hunting.

Better to hide and pray to escape their piercing yellow eyes. It was not uncommon to hear the screams of those who, unlucky, had not managed to escape the sharp claws of the Murder Drones. Their deranged laughter often accompanied the wails of the dying and their cries of pain.

Nowadays, a small, female-looking drone wandered unconscious through the dark, empty streets, littered with car wrecks where frozen human skeletons were sometimes found. Hands stuck in her pockets, watching her feet tread the snow, the teenager with the appearance of Worker listened to a nightcore track - the wild music screamed through the borrowed headphones. It had been an hour since she had left the safety of the house, in order to enjoy a little freedom outside.

Alone… And the cold felt good. It soothed her, also stopping her from thinking too much.

She sighed, letting out a white mist of her warm breath, and frothed in the middle of her screen, between two dark-ringed eyes whose pixels were a strange purple and yellow. In the past, they used to be different and of a unique purple hue like any other drone. Not the only thing that had changed about her… The atmosphere in the bunker was not the same as before. Although she certainly did not regret the time when the Workers were harassed her, but now, they looked at her with more fear and awe, instead of contempt or mockery. This time was almost too much: hearing their core accelerate in her proximity, and their hot and tasty oil pumped faster…

Ping !

Warning :

Oil level : 43%.

The stinging sensation, followed by the taste of her own oil in her mouth, woke her up.

Stop, stop thinking about it! She shook her head, as her tongue ran over her sharp fangs—another change that contradicted her Worker nature a little more. The drone sighed again, more annoyed.

She was going to have to refill. The bunker’s oil reserves were not unlimited, and the ex-Worker could no longer used them as usual. That was why, tonight, the drone was also investigating for food.

Suddenly, the little drone stopped, going from a carefree attitude to having become more alert. She had smelled something familiar and irresistibly sweet. Freshly poured drone oil. There, she saw it a little further away, blackening the snow at the corner of an alley. The legs of a drone protruded from the structure, spread out on the ground.

And, almost inaudible, the sounds of sucking and chewing metal, with low growls.

Her program, carried away by her wild instinct that excited her senses, made her salivate. A nervous whistle remained stuck in her throat, as she slowly approached. But after the drone took a few more steps, the sounds stopped abruptly.

When she arrived, her eyes flashed before the morbid - though not frightening to her - scene of a drone with their chest shredded, core gone. The red FatalError was written on their screen, and last expression reflected absolute terror. The drone moved a little closer, curious, then crouched down in front of the mutilated body. Her head tilted to the side, making a thoughtful sound. Slowly, her enamel fingers dipped into the still-warm pool of oil, before bringing them to her own mouth, unconsciously moaning at the taste. She ignored her surroundings completely, as well as an apex predator hanging higher up on a wall.

The screen topped with a burning yellow cross watched her moves, and five other lights - the hunter's other eyes - erupted from its white curls. They were all focused on the little drone.

Defenseless.

A jagged smile, made more frightening by the black traces of oil from his last meal, spread further as the bigger male drone crawled against the wall like an insect, the sharp blades of his claws sinking silently. His tail, topped with a box of yellow acid nanites ending in a long stinger, trembled with excitement.

Only a few meters to go… The servos on his arms and legs tensed, preparing for the assault. Just as the Murder Drone was about to pounce on his prey, a slightly amused sigh left her, even if a small and sharp smile was on her lips.

Without turning around, she said: “N, I know you’re here. Stop acting stupid and get down.”

Chapter Text

The X on the screen of the Murder Drone (or Disassembly Drone being the correct term) flickered, then was replaced by the annoyed expression of N, who narrowed his eyes and grumbled: 

“Uziii, you’re cheating! You used your powers again, right?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about at all~” Uzi snickered as she heard the larger drone continue to complain about her cheating, about being a bad player, as he descended to join her on the ground. 

As Uzi stood up from the half-eaten carcass, she let out a small cry, “What the hell, N?!” as she felt two arms carry her, then be pressed against the warm, almost boiling body of her boyfriend. His big head rested against the teenage drone’s, smiling even as Uzi continued to struggle - not with all her force - against him.

“I missed you…” he sighed, arms and tail wrapped around the small body. 

“I-Idiot…” Uzi finally stopped fidgeting and let herself be carried, only to roll her eyes jadedly, but the embarrassed blush invading her screen revealed her true feelings. She huffed, blowing a purple lock of hair off her screen, “Dude, it hasn’t even been a few hours since we last saw each other.” 

Uzi responded to his affection by patting his arms, desperately trying to maintain her cool facade, because she was a freaking goddess ! But it was difficult as N’s hug became harder. Uzi could even hear the rhythmic and rapid beating of his flesh core. Like her own. Soon after, she felt a tremor shake his chassis, growing stronger and stronger and a powerful sound came out of him. Uzi held back an amused laugh: N had started to purr. 

The murder drone often did this when he was very happy, and a lot recently. Uzi remembered when she first discovered it : they were watching a pirated movie together in her room - after having managed to convince her parents that the young couple would do nothing else. She was then installed against him, her head against his chest, eating some batteries and, in the middle of the movie, the drone had heard a strange buzzing sound nearby. It took her little time to understand where the dull noise was coming from. It was an incredibly awkward moment (for N) and hilarious time for Uzi, who had not stopped teasing him the rest of the time. 

It's a big cat, she amused herself, before correcting her thought while she saw his tail waving happily and kicking up snow everywhere it passed. But above all a golden retriever. “You know, I didn’t disappear. Earlier, I answered one of your messages,” Uzi reminded him, her voice slightly mocking. 

Said “golden retriever”, after finally putting her back on the ground, but without letting go of her, faced her with big yellow eyes overflowing with love and brighter than usual. He still continued to purr. “But you missed meee~” Without warning, N put his head against her own - the simple contact caused a blue spark between their screens. 

Uzi’s eyes suddenly tingled - admittedly very pleasant - and stammered, while N noticed a more pronounced blush in Uzi who was completely frozen in shock. He smiled widely. “I was running out of energy Uzi. I need to recharge my battery !” 

Alert: 

Hopelessly Romantic Personality: On. 

“Y-You, moron ! Don’t do this without warning !” Uzi slammed a firm hand against his head and pushed him away, managing to breathe. Her processors were threatening to fry, and her internal temperature had skyrocketed - a warning had started flashing for a few minutes. If this kept up, her core was going to overheat ! 

Even if it wasn't a direct kiss - since they had been going out for a year, it didn't go beyond holding hands or a lot of more or less intimate hugs - it was enough to put her in a state. And N's smug look at her agitation didn't help... 

Uzi scolded herself for falling so easily before his charm and she gave herself a mental slap to return to her angsty personality. But still blushing like an idiot. Oh you're sooo lucky to be so damn cute... That won't stop her from getting revenge later, though.

Come on, girl ! Pull yourself together ! “So, what are you doing here?” Uzi crossed her arms against his chest, trying to regain some dignity and casually pointing at the Worker’s body. “I didn’t think there were still drones hanging around town; at least, not this close to the Tower.”

N only shrugged, not really surprised. "I was out flying, when I caught him rummaging in a junkyard not too far away. They hang out in places like that sometimes. This one had his head in a pile of metal, probably looking for spare parts or equipment, then he heard me coming from the sky. The Worker managed to run a little further before I caught him." As he spoke of his hunt, N felt his fingers still trembling at the thought and his teeth itching.

The feeling of excitement that remained in him, after having stalked his prey, let it leave the warehouse and then, with a stroke of his wings, swooped down on him to plant his metal claws in his chest and tear his still-active core from his chest. Like any other Disassembly Drone, N's programming exponentially aroused his violent predatory instincts and increased the pleasure of cornering and then tearing his prey to pieces. It didn't get any better when his oil levels were too low: he became much more brutal than usual. He may not have been as sadistic in his methods as V was, or made as many victims as J used to be, but N couldn't help but feel a certain pleasure in eviscerating the other drones - which bothered him a little more lastly. 

N shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Hehe, at least I didn't have to go too far to hunt!" Quick, change the subject! Then he realized: "Sooo... what are you doing here? Usually, when you come out of the bunker, you're with me or V." 

Uzi scoffed, her smile turning proud and arrogant and widening to reveal her fangs, as she retorted: "N, I'm a freaking goddess! I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, and with whomever I want..." as long as my parents know and I get back to the bunker before sunrise... Uzi kept this part quiet. While N was still waiting for an answer to his earlier question, Uzi sighed and added: "I was trying to find some Workers' bodies that were still full to stock up on oil: there's hardly any left at the medical center, and I went below average oil earlier today. Happy?"

N's tail whipped the air more briskly at her answer, and the boy's usually bright expression turned harsher, as he frowned, "Didn't you promise that, if your levels ever dropped too low, you'd let us know so we could bring you back something to feed you ?” 

"Bite me, I didn't pay attention ! Besides, I'm not that low yet: I can last a few more hours." Uzi grew annoyed, thinking he sounded like her parents grumbling their daughter, either when she slept late or when she didn't come home on time. 

N shook his head, before reaching past her and grabbing what was left of the Worker. After shaking the body - and scattering more oil stains on his coat, which he'd have to clean later - he raised his head to his girlfriend: "There's still some left in this one: you can come and help yourself!” 

“...Are you sure? It’s yours.” Uzi calmed down, her eyes growing round with surprise that N was willing to share some of his food. 

In all the time she had been around N and V, Uzi had always made sure to keep her distance from them during their meal. After each hunt, the two were quite protective of their catch, hissing and growling at each other like wild animals (much more V), and sometimes hiding in their nests to consume their food. Uzi supposed that some primitive part of their programming was acting on their behavior, in order to retrieve all the necessary oil and materials. Usually, they became more civilized and friendly again - at least N did, because V did not change at all. 

There was still quite a bit of oil left inside the Worker, and N offered it to her again: “I’ve eaten enough already, and you need it ! Here, take it.” 

Uzi hesitated only two seconds longer before grabbing the body, mumbling a soft “thank you” under her lips. Grabbing her thermos, she busied herself with emptying the rest of the oil, which flowed easily from the deep lacerations. As she did so, Uzi felt N’s gaze on her, all his eyes as he watched her. 

N waited impatiently for her to finish filling it all up, playing with the edges of his old coat as he danced on his feet. “So, I was thinking… Weather is pretty good tonight ? No toxic storms or blizzards at all.” 

Standing up as he spoke to her, Uzi made an intrigued noise as she looked at the sky. N was right: the weather was calm. It was a rather clear and beautiful night, with few stars shining through the clouds. “Yeah, we shouldn’t worry about freezing again because of a gust of wind.” 

N exclaimed, startling Uzi: “Great! We’re lucky! Hehehe… He he… Huh…” N lost his words, as two-tone eyes flashed at him, questioningly. Oh, biscuits. I don't know what to say anymore... Come on, this is not the time to be stupid ! N gulped: "S-so, maybe I had an ulterior motive when I said that. Since the night still young and there's still time before you leave, we could... you and me... you know, walk around the city together ? " 

Uzi's eyes blinked several times at her request, as N anxiously waited for her answer. The drone Worker-Solver was not fooled: N was offering to spend time together. And Uzi would be lying if she pretended that he didn't touch her. His hopeful gaze was as bright as the stars above. 

Uzi thought : usually, when N and Uzi did things together, it was usually at her place, watching movies in Uzi’s bed, or other activities like playing cards, horsing around in the snow with the others or, occasionally, flying together in the sky (which was her favorite). Getting around town on foot was a first. But with N looking at her with puppy dog eyes… how could she refuse him ?

I could use the opportunity to pick up some parts for the railgun, Uzi decided, and she nodded. "Go for a walk, then !"

N's smile lit up and he jumped into the air. "Great! You'll see, I know lots of places you haven't visited yet that are nice!" before leaving, all excited, and grabbing her hand in his larger one.

Uzi tensed in his unexpected grip and (involuntarily) almost pulled it away, but she quickly relaxed as N guided them.

My adorable idiot…

_________________________________________________________

"... and this is the 120th reason why golden retrievers are my favorite dogs! They're also smart, loyal, and great at therapy! So three more reasons."

"Hmhm..."

"Ah, and their fur is so soft! I'd love to pet one…"

"Hmhm..." 

"Do you think they still exist? Oh, I wish they did!”

As they walked, still hand in hand, N had just launched into yet another impassioned conversation about dogs and his favorite breed - of course, golden retrievers. Which makes sense, since he is one himself, Uzi had thought, following his monologue with half an ear. 

The conversation had been on his favorite dogs for almost an hour! And even for her, it was starting to overload her memory disk. Her impetuous nature came back to the surface, and Uzi could not help but emphasize: “You know, N, if it’s true that the dogs survived the core explosion, then that would imply that humans managed to escape by taking them. And you know that I would prefer it if they were gone for good.” 

N gave her an awkward smile, rubbing his cheek as he knew his girlfriend’s opinion of humanity in general. Not that he could blame her, seeing as the Copper-9 Workers had been exploited by the company. 

“Hehehe… Yes, I guess.” Then his eyes brightened, “But you know, humans weren’t all bad! Some were quite nice.” 

Uzi raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Still, I remember your old masters of the manor, those James and Louisa. Good they were blown up, if I must say so.”

“Urgh…” The big drone shuddered at their memory. “Riiight… They weren’t great,” he admitted, showing a genuine look of disgust that made Uzi sneer, before continuing, “But otherwise, others could be quite nice to us.” 

“Just name one human who would come to mind.” 

Tessa… And at that thought, almost instinctive, N’s mood dropped a little, the lightness of the moment disappearing. 

Uzi felt the grip on her hand grow weaker. She looked at her boyfriend, and her core tightened, seeing the pained expression he wore. She understood immediately who the drone was thinking, and she felt guilty for bringing up this still sensitive subject for N. Great Uzi, you’ve just made him sad, Uz reprimanded herself, with her big mouth. 

The angsty drone was not unaware of the importance that his human had in N's life : his savior, a guardian, a friend... almost an older sister or a mother. The fatal fate that the Absolute Solver had reserved for her, wearing her torn skin and pretending to be the certified technician JCJenson Tessa James Elliott in front of her former companions of the manor... Even for Uzi and despite the negative feelings she had towards humans, it was just cruel. 

Especially for her friends. 

What N had been forced to do in the church, while Uzi was impaled and nearly killed by the impostor, and then their fight against this robot-satan AI had impacted him badly. And even if he didn’t say anything, Uzi could guess how hurted he was. Everyone was, but N and V had lost the most in this story : they had discovered that their guardian had been killed and her skin used as a simple costume, and their leader who had betrayed them to serve the perpetrator of genocide against humanity the being who had cursed them to become mere puppets in its destructive madness.

At least, in this whole nightmare, Uzi had got her mother back. 

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. After a moment of silence, Uzi wanted to try to comfort him. With a terrible effort - for her to recognize it - the drone admitted reluctantly: “Your human…huh,she looked…pretty okay. I guess…”

She felt N's hand clenched her hand tighter in response, and Uzi was relieved to see his expression soften at her attempt.

“Yeah, she was. You would have got on well : Tessa too, she liked to build crazy things and disobey to get herself into trouble! She drove J crazy back then.”

“...Is that supposed to be a compliment?” But that didn’t stop Uzi from smiling, especially when she heard N laughed, the sad look on his screen having finally disappeared. She took the opportunity to resume the conversation: “But if there’s one breed of dog I’d like to see, it’s rottweilers. In the pictures in the books you showed last time, they looked cool!” 

The clumsy tactic worked, and N’s screen brightened up a lot more as they returned to his favorite topic. “You’re right, those dogs are cool… even if they scare me a little.” 

“Hey, they’re badass and they bite hard ! Like me.”

“Hehe…True~”

Chapter Text

The young couple walked quietly through the deserted streets, once bustling with humans and Copper-9 drones. It was now nothing more than a ghost town, abandoned and frozen in an endless winter. Buildings and other structures were collapsing on themselves, and the snow-covered ground was strewn with human skeletons or drone corpses. 

N and Uzi arrived in a neighborhood, towards the outskirts of the city. The crackling light of half-standing streetlights dimly illuminated the street filled with malfunctioning machinery equipment, thrown out of the open hangar of an old drone factory. The light breeze made the icy metal pillars creak and roar at the broken windows, making the atmosphere more gloomy.

And, of course, a large quantity of drone frames, never put into service, lay in several piles everywhere. Uzi stopped, her eyes sparkling at this treasure that would have looked for any other Workers like a graveyard. 

"I can't believe I never found this place before ! There are so many components, much better than those of the bodies at the Tower!" Uzi got excited, barely containing her eagerness. She rushed over and looked at each element with an expert eye, revealing a manic smile. "Everything looks good and functional: N, it's great!" 

Her boyfriend gave her a huge smile: “Glad you like it, Uzi.”

N had discovered this depot several years ago: at the time, the Disassembly Drone had just arrived with J and V. He was on a hunting patrol when he came across it, but when he checked, he had not found a single body containing the slightest drop of oil and he never had returned there. 

Today, N was glad to have remembered this place, as Uzi began to wander further, looking for interesting parts to tinker with. While she searched, N walked quietly behind her with a carefree air. However, under his pilot's cap, the five eyes on his headband were constantly on alert. Each camera vigilantly scanned the area, switching to his thermal and infrared vision, the internal computer analyzing every millimeter of the surroundings. His highly amplified hearing picked out the surrounding noises, attentive to the slightest creak or suspicious rustle. 

N’s distrust was justified: Uzi and him were at the edge of their territory. It was not a place where, in the past, his team had been used to going. But he knew that other drones lived here, whether they were hostile Workers or other Disassembly. And N was determined to avoid a bad encounter. He wanted to keep Uzi safe at all costs. 

Then a small, mean voice crept into his head: Remember, Uzi doesn’t need you to protect herself anymore, inflicting a painful pinch on his core, and N held back a plaintive groan. 

Unconsciously, he slipped one of his hands into a pocket deep in the coat, anxiously fingering what was inside. 

“Ahah!” That’s when the little drone cried out in victory, pulling out a perfectly good core. She inspected it. “It’ll be perfect for my railgun, so much better than the other one that was half broken! And I found some glass plates for beam amplification and some thermal insulators! N, you-” Uzi broke off, seeing her boyfriend, looking thoughtful and his eyes hollow instead of his usual agitated one. Her joy calmed down, worrying a little about his silence. “N, you okay?” 

“Huh ?” N blinked as he realized Uzi was talking to him, then she appeared right in front of him. His screen reddened, and he gave her an awkward smile. “Ah, it's nothing at all ! I was just thinking ! Hehe…” 

Uzi's eyes narrowed in suspicion, not really convinced by his poor excuse. She placed her hands on her hips. “Are you sure?” 

N’s sweaty screen didn’t help at all, and his processor went into overdrive to find a distraction. “Huuuh…” Then luckily, the big drone remembered what he had been trying to show her. Oh, biscuits, I almost forgot ! His confidence restored, he smiled, “You know, I just called me back from another place I wanted to show you. It’s on the other side of town. Could we fly there?” As he spoke, N regained his drive and hoped that Uzi would agree. 

“Mhmh…” Uzi wasn’t entirely sure yet that N was sincere, nor what had upset him, but she was curious about what her boyfriend wanted to show her. He seemed very cheerful, if his wildly waving tail was anything to go by. She nodded. “Okay, let’s go.” 

With a cry of joy, N's steel wings sprang from his shoulder blades, extending into large, sharp silver blades, usually tucked behind his back. The metal feathers tinkled slightly as he turned to Uzi. “Good for me !” He waited until she was ready. 

“Give me one minute.” The Worker-Solver felt the familiar burning pierced her back, as two bat wings slid into the two specially designed holes in her sweater, one purplish and one white, then lifted majestically. The jagged wings lowered, her talons twitching as Uzi groaned in discomfort as her long tail shot out between her hips and snaked to the ground. The spiky lavender head of the hissing creature lifted, its many shiny eyes staring coldly at her as Uzi checked their look. 

Purple, not yellow. 

Uzi released the breath she had been holding, then nodded to N, who was waiting. He crouched down : his magnetic energy thrusters activated and, with a powerful flap of wings, the Disassembly Drone launched high into the air, kicking up a cloud of snow, making Uzi cough. 

She glared his boyfriend above. “N, watch out!” 

N gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry.” 

After getting rid of all that disgusting, wet snow on her screen, Uzi followed, first running on the snow, then with a leap dragged onto the hood of a machine that served as a springboard. The push carried her several dozen meters. Her gaunt wings beat fast to catch N, who glided gracefully through the air, giving only an occasional flap of wings. Soon, the two of them were flying side by side in the night. 

Every time they flew, Uzi could not help but smile at the feeling it gave her. The exaltation she felt then warmed her with a feeling that had nothing to do with overheating. It was the freedom that flying gave her, as the ground passed beneath her. The wind in her hair and the air that tickled her. Ever since N had first taught her to fly, it was always this intense every time she took off. 

N adored it when Uzi and he flew together. It filled him with an indescribable happiness, that he had only felt with her. When they played in the clouds, or like now when their wings brushed, N had the impression that nothing existed except them. That night, the bright sky allowed him to appreciate the vision of Uzi so close to him, her eyes clearer than usual, and her innocent and joyful smile that only he knew. It was more beautiful and precious than anything, for him. 

His resolve only grew stronger in him, stronger than at the beginning. Tonight, I will tell her how I feel about her, N vowed to himself, as he pointed to a building below them. “It’s right there!” And he pointed to the grand balcony that towered above the other buildings. 

With an adjustment of their tail and a movement of wings, both of them fell toward the terrace. First, N landed gently, while Uzi arrived with more clumsiness and landed with great blows of her wings. Once Uzi tucked her limbs into her, N approached his girlfriend and showed her the place with a grand, spectacular gesture. “We’ve arrived !”

Uzi observed this new place : most of the tables and chairs were destroyed, where the remains of chic decorations hung. It must have used to be some kind of outdoor restaurant, back when humans lived here, Uzi guessed. Even though it was a mess, the balcony looked nice and chic. Of course N wanted to go there.

But, to her surprise, N didn't seem to have come for that : he walked away to the barrier and beckoned Uzi to join him. She soon came to his side, her core pounding strangely since they'd arrived. “Why did N bring me here?" wondered Uzi, as she climbed onto a box to sit on the barrier, beside the big drone.

Her own tail was twitching in anticipation, but seeing N, who was staring dreamily at the horizon, Uzi decided to quiet her question and followed his example. The view impressed her : beyond, the entire city stretched out before their astonished eyes. The night sky, the buildings, and the snow were resplendent in pure white. Further on, the pointed top of the Tower almost touched the stars. And beyond, looking the other way, one could make out the faint lights of Outpost 3, the bunker where Uzi lived. 

It was magnificent. 

After a while, N spoke softly, “I used to coming here and just standing there, sometimes staring the city for hours. Back then, J was often mad against me” N curled up slightly as he spoke of this, as if he'd been hit, which made Uzi look at him with concern. But he continued: “So when I wasn’t running and hiding in my nest, that’s where I was going.” 

His unexpected confession made Uzi’s head turn to him, her screen shining with emotion as N confided this. He continued, “When I was here, I forgot how sad I was, and everything seemed so much easier. Now, I come a lot less often, but I wanted to show you that.” His voice had become warm. 

Uzi did not hide her emotion, touched, and felt herself privileged as N invited her into what was for him his secret hideout. She smiled kindly at him, without sarcasm. “Thank you for showing me this place, N. It rocks.” Uzi felt something wrap around her tail : checking below, she saw N’s tail closely tied to her own. She didn't pull it out. 

N was still looking at the city, but his screen was a unique yellow. He stammered, "I-I'm glad you like it." Without Uzi catching him, his hand had returned to the pocket as he clutched what he was concealing. "Uzi?"

The little drone made a questioning noise, as N finally dared to look at her again. Once again, words failed him. Uzi was resplendent under the night light, her dark hair under the traditional cap looking like silver threads. Her intelligent, energetic eyes had the sparkle of jewels : topaz and amethyst. Once again, N felt incredibly lucky to have fallen in love with someone as great as her, regardless of the rather awkward circumstances of their first meeting. All their adventures, however horrifying, dangerous and traumatic, had only made him love the little drone that had invaded his life even more. N felt blessed that Uzi was part of it, and N was part of hers.

N wanted her to know. For months, he had waited. Now he felt ready to take another step forward.

Come on, N. You can do it ! N took a deep breath, gathering all his courage to utter the following words: "Uzi, I... I wanted you to know-"

Beep !

Beep !

Beep ! 

The warm bubble that united them burst, as a loud ringing emanated from Uzi. Her eyes, hollowed out in shock, filled with irritation as she clapped a hand on her screen she exclaimed, "Come on, you gotta be hell kidding me ?!", while N remained completely stunned. His hand, which he had almost pulled out again, hastily put away whatever it was he was holding, as he and Uzi separated when the teenager walked away cursing copiously. 

Why the hell now ?! Everything was so perfect for... for... For what exactly ? wondered Uzi as she accessed her internal mailbox. Anyway, it had been wonderful, and now the mood was completely ruined!

Message from Mom : 1 (unread)

Mom : come back to the bunker, kid. sunshine in a bit so stop cuddling your murderous boyfriend and come home! >O(

Uzi let out a hoarse groan and looked up at the sky. She was grateful for Nori's return to life, and that her mother was back among the living. But damn, her motherly instincts were scary and, right now, very annoying!

Me (to Mom) : coming…

The young drone returned a few moments later to N who was waiting, much less enthusiastic than before and back to her old self. "I've just had a message from mom : the sun's going to be up soon and my parents are telling me to come home," growled Uzi, wondering if her mother hadn't chosen to send the message at that moment on purpose. Her expression turned sour. Hell, she’ll do it : it’s mom, after all.

N held back an annoyed grunt, almost angered by the interruption when everything was going so well. He had great respect for Uzi's mother, but he couldn't help feeling frustrated by the situation. Checking his digital clock, N noticed that dawn was approaching. In ten minutes or so, the sun would appear.

He sighed before confirming: "You've got to go home now: it's going to be light soon. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, N, you have to go back to the Tower or you'll burn," Uzi refused firmly, then she moved closer to him. The drone's gaze softened, as did her voice when she spoke again, "Before I go, N, was there something you wanted to tell me earlier. What was it ?"

N's eyes widened, caught off guard. "Huh-..." He hesitated for several seconds, trying to gather his courage as he had earlier. Not succeeding.. The Disassembly Drone gave up and decided to address a reassuring expression toward his girlfriend: "It was no big deal, buddy. Really. Y-You should go.”

Uzi sensed his discomfort and frowned. This time, he wasn't going to get away with it. She prepared to argue, when her screen caught the lavender touches of the sky. Daylight was approaching. She decided to let it go for now, and looked up at the larger drone.

"... Call you later ?"

N nodded with great enthusiasm, always enjoying it when they called each other. "Of course, Uzi ! I'll wait all day if I have to."

"You dork, you need to rest too" Uzi chuckled, amused by his impulsive response.

Just as she was about to put out her wings for the second time, Uzi felt N grab her as earlier and wrap her in his arms. Then, in a soft purr, he murmured, "Good night, Uzi."

"... G’night, N." And, this time, she turned to give him a gentle hug. After N released her, Uzi headed for the balcony. Her wings spread, she leapt from the terrace, her feet on the railings above the void. With a big, wry smile for N, she let herself fall backwards to the bottom, before gliding towards the path to the bunker. 

Staying back, N watched his girlfriend's silhouette gradually shrink until she disappeared. He whimpered sadly, already missing her, before flying off in the opposite direction. 

Back to the Tower.

V was probably already home from the hunt and asleep. Sparky, her tame pet Sentinel, lay just in front of the passageway, a freshly cut Worker arm tucked between its fangs like a dog toy. The metal reptile raised its flaming red eyes to N and chirped as the large drone approached the entrance.

Just in time, as the sun's rays poured out of the gaps and the solar star his species hated flooded the world with its deadly light. 

Up in the Tower, N saw V hanging from her perch near her nest, hanging by her tail upside down, wrapped in her wings and deeply asleep. Before doing the same, he cleaned the oil stains from his uniform to prevent them from becoming embedded and impossible to remove. Fortunately, as well as helping to heal and neutralize the nanite acid, their saliva made an excellent stain remover, and their rough tongue rubbed surfaces well.

N set to work, trying to be quick and efficient as the need to recharge arose.

Energy level : 21%

As his tongue gradually erased the stains, N began to think about what had almost happened earlier on the terrace. His screen reddened again at the thought and his tail twitched. Everything was magical: where they were, the mood of the moment, the glances they shared.

Just one more minute… he thought, his core beating wildly in his frame that threatened to burst out. 

His hand took out the purple box he had prepared for the occasion. When he opened it, a beautiful silver ring adorned with a magnificent purple stone was resting on red velvet. 

N had found it not long ago on a walk, at the feet of a human skeleton kneeling in the street. The sheen attracted him. It was one of those objects that human couples used to swear their loyalty to each other. He had picked it up and noticed how beautiful the stone was, the color being perfect for Uzi. N didn't know whether Uzi would appreciate this human custom - maybe not - but drones didn't really have another proposal equivalent, and he was desperate to show her how much he cared.

And he was a very cheesy hopeless romantic.

N had decided today, after months of uncertainty. Maybe he'd have better luck next time? But it had to be perfect. Uzi deserved no less.

"So I can tell her 'I love you' properly," N decided, closing the box as he determined to do everything right, and he flew off to join his nest to go into sleep mode.

_________________________________________________________

Just as the sun was coming up, Uzi returned to the bunker. At her annoyed banging of fists against the huge doors, Ron opened the hatch and gave her a cheerful "Glad to see you alive again, Uzi !", to which she grumbled an unkind "Bite me !”

The huge hydraulic doors opened with a bang, letting her storm in as Uzi ignored Ron's remarks about what she'd been doing out all night. Especially about her murder drone friends, and the big boy she was close to. At this question, when her tail hissed viciously at him as it snapped its jaws aggressively, he finally let her go.

"Aaah, these kids..." he muttered, rather amused as the drone returned to his surveillance post, where he kept hanging the childish apology drawing one of the "genocidal drones" had given him.

Uzi raced home and, after locking herself in her room to sulk and recharge, the teenage drone spent the rest of the day brooding, reassembling her reconfigured railgun and eating dinner with her family. Her thought circuit looped around last night's events.

What was N trying to tell me then ? she asked herself all the time.

Chapter Text

Uzi walked through the dark, cold corridors of the bunker. With no one in the way. The lights sizzled, sparks flying from the chipped white bulbs. A deathly silence hung over the place, interrupted only by the electrical tension in the power cables, the creaking ventilation system and the sound of her own footsteps. 

Creepy... She furrowed her yellow eyebrows, intrigued and worried by the absence of life. 

Uzi brought hands to her mouth. "Hey, is anybody here ?" called the little drone. 

Here...

... here...

... -re...

Only her own echo answered her, repeating itself endlessly in the metal and grid structure. Okay, what the hell is going on here… Uzi decided to search around. Eventually, she would come across someone who could explain…

But what was bothering the Worker-Solver was that she couldn't remember what she was doing here. Or why she was here. And this place... It looked a lot like the way to the school structure. Still, Uzi sensed something was wrong.

"What happened here?" she wondered, reaching the first door. Uzi found an empty room, but the eyes on her screen widened when she saw the huge mirror in the center of the dark room. It was the only one illuminated by an invisible light.

Hypnotized, Uzi approached slowly, until all of her appeared in the mirror. It was her, the little purple-haired drone covered in a woolen hat, in her traditional sweater and boots, looking constantly provocative and currently tense. 

Then her screen flickered, invoking the Solver symbol.

Crack !

The surface cracked into thousands of shards. Uzi cried out as her image changed abruptly : several all-too-familiar cameras and a huge, disgusting centipede crabe body had replaced her for a brief moment, staring at her. 

And the glass shattered, scattering all over the floor, reflecting her face, which was filled with shock and fear. 

Then fear gave way to hatred. Uzi spun around, invoking [null] with her hands. “Show yourself, Cyn ! I know you’re here!” she spat, her fangs bared and her eyes narrowed in anger. The purple and yellow black holes buzzed furiously, responding to her violent emotion. 

But only darkness surrounded her. Uzi stepped forward, on guard. A long, low growl left her throat, as the drone searched for the exit that had disappeared. How convenient… 

This Thing wanted to slow her down, keep Uzi separate from the others. Her breath quickened, starting to feel a panic attack that the teenager tried to control. She had to find her parents. V and N too, if they were there. 

Her email sent dozens of messages to all her contacts, without success. No one answered. N did not show up, no matter the messages full of concern she sent him, even though he always responded. 

N… Uzi had still not seen him. Whenever she had a problem, the big drone seemed to be alerted and flew to rescue her. He always did. Not this time. 

Where are you ? she called out to him in her mind, as if to summon him. Please, be okay… 

He must have been terrified and worried. Then Uzi’s core froze and her screen dimmed. What if Cyn had found him before she did? If she had… 

Then this voice appeared. "Oh... This is fun."

Uzi froze at this robotic voice, cold and emotionless. It was coming from beneath her. Tail rose up to face Uzi, a toothy grin animating the head.

Malevolent yellow eyes pierced her right down to her primal program, as its cruel voice tore at her head: "Don't you remember, Host Uzi ? Tilt head to the side." And as it spoke, the reptile head imitated the gesture. "Host Cyn is no longer here. Her core has been destroyed. You're the only one responsible. Mocking chuckle. You're not taking our warnings seriously. You're the one who started all this. When you absorbed us."

Uzi's oil froze in her circuits as she hissed through her teeth. "What the hell are you talking about ?!"

Sickly yellow eyes lit up. "Annoyed sigh. Easier to see than assimilate. Understood. We're going to have to do... something shocking."

Then the darkness tore away, and Uzi's eyes widened in fright. Under the impact, the [null] spheres shattered.

Drones. 

Everywhere. 

Dead. 

Her boots were soaking in their oil, which covered the ground. Everything was illuminated by an organic red light. Just like the Camp. It made it possible to distinguish the red FatalError displayed on each screen. Uzi saw the scattered limbs of her classmates, synthetic viscera sprawled across the floor. Other drones she'd come across from her colony had been brutally mutilated, hundreds of them. Uzi saw the severed head of her teacher, next to his half-missing body. Thad lay further away, his jaw and neck ripped off. Lizzy had her cat headband crashed into her screen, her arms and legs torn off.

Uzi retched. She felt her stomach rise and acidic bile poured into her mouth. The teenager swallowed hard.

"Wha... What happened here?" moaned Uzi, before crying out in horror at the sight of another drone. "DAD !"

She threw herself at the foot of the body that was once Khan Doorman, shredded and pierced through. FatalError appeared. Who held against him, protecting her, Nori's shattered core of flesh. Her single, once violet eye was cracked, empty and dark.

Oh no no no it's not true it's not possible why why why why why-

A heart-rending, anguished howl left Uzi's frame. Her tears kept flowing, a mixture of sadness and hatred shaking her body with tremors. Under the stress, an alarm had gone off and was buzzing in her head. She ignored it. 

Her oil-stained fists clenched. Her core was overheating, overstimulated by the wave of emotions that threatened to drown her. The servos in her jaw creaked under the immense pressure they exerted.

"Did... you... do... that?" Her low voice was full of vengeful promise, as she watched the Thing that possessed her tail close in on her burning gaze.

Below Uzi, her darkened reflection on the oil grew more and more uncertain, the drone’s silhouette constantly shifting. Uzi didn’t notice, but the Thing did. 

The alarm was still blaring.

“Shake head. Not enough. I see. Perhaps a familiar sight can help.” It seemed to think, then it hissed playfully. “Idea.” 

The scene changed. No more bodies or red lights. Uzi was kneeling in the snow, outside the bunker. In front of the Tower. Uzi heard the cries and pleas inside. It was N’s voice. She rushed towards the entrance as the shrill noises grew louder, sinking deeper into the structure. Uzi cried out, “N, I’m coming!” 

Please make him okay, please make him please please robot-god I beg you I beg you… 

But before she could enter, a strong pressure gripped her shoulder and pulled her out of this hell. “N!” 

No, no, no, I have to reach him ! Panicked, she struggled against, reaching out to reach her loved one. 

“N !” 

“...Uzi ?”

_________________________________________________________

“Uzi, it’s time to-Wow !” Khan Doorman narrowly dodged Uzi’s powerful jaws, which snapped in the air a finger away from his neck. 

The teenager, still disturbed by her dream, hissed wildly at her father as the alarm still rang in her ears. The purple X on the screen burned for a few more seconds, threatening, before being replaced by two hollow, panicked yellow-purple eyes.

“Wh… What’s going on ?!” She knocked to deactivate the damn alarm, and the distressing images of her dream faded. The Tower and the hallway full of bodies had disappeared. Uzi saw her room from the bottom of her bed, where she was curled up. 

The digital clock read 7:15 am.

Still in shock, her father stood there, a few steps away from her bed after the older drone had jumped back to save her life. [translate] had been used to take him away, the purple symbol around Khan's hips summoned by the raised claw of none other than Nori Doorman, his wife and Uzi's mother.

After their last battle with Cyn, the Doorman matriarch had returned to her husband and daughter; a few days later, Uzi had gone in search of her and found her mother near the ruins. And after some discussion and hesitation, the former drone was back with their family after many years' absence. This had certainly changed many things for them; especially at the bunker, where the news of her return had been greeted with surprise.

After a few explanations and tears, Khan had immediately taken his wife's core in his arms. Moved beyond words to find the love of his life he had thought lost forever.

Uzi was still getting used to the idea of her mother - the one who had disappeared after being passed over as dead: things hadn't been easy, and a lot had remained unsaid. But today, they had found each other again as mother and daughter.

At that moment, her flesh-colored crab body clutched at her husband's coat, her white claws digging into his shoulder. The purple eye, bright and stern, furrowed at her still-shaken daughter after this nightmare. She crossed her claws, miming an angry expression. 

"Uzi Doorman, you should know that we've been waiting for you at breakfast for over ten minutes," she began in a motherly tone. "Your alarm wouldn't stop ringing. Your father and I came to get you, again, only to see you struggling on your mattress. And you were this close to ripping his head off as he woke you up.” 

“...Oh,” came the crackling reply that Uzi gave from her electronic larynx. 

Her father and mother were both here. Alive. So… it was just a nightmare? 

Another one… Uzi sighed, mumbling an apology to her father as she lay back on her bed, exhausted even though she had been charging all night.

How many times had she had these visions, in the last few weeks now? The Worker-Solver had stopped counting. But each one was getting more horrible than the last. This time, it all seemed so… real and terrifying. 

The remnants of terror still clung to her chassis, making her core twitch unpleasantly. Uzi gripped her wig, pulling on it as she growled inside. This thing was driving her crazy ! Uzi had threatened it to stop, hundreds of times : this Thing just chuckled into her tail, and the torture continued.

Nori and Khan stared at their daughter with concern, seeing her more disturbed than the previous mornings. It had become a regular occurrence, they had found her like this, in the grip of a terrible nightmare, screaming and struggling.

Uzi hadn't said anything about it, but the dark and haunted expression on her screen was enough for Nori to draw a conclusion.

After a few seconds' thought, Nori moved a claw over Khan's screen, tapping lightly on it. "Khan, go make breakfast please. I'll stay and talk to her."

"Of course darling, I'll see you both later." Khan lovingly grabbed his wife's body, before tenderly kissing the top of her head.

Nori squirmed in his grip and stammered. "K-Khan, not here !" as her husband deposited her on the bed of their daughter, who watched the scene with revulsion, sticking out her tongue in disgust, before shaking her head.

"Urgh, gross ! Could you do it somewhere else !" she grumbled before staring aimlessly at the ceiling. 

She heard her father’s deep laugh, before he left and left just her and Nori together. One year ago, Uzi would never have thought she would see this side of her father, loving and warm, instead of that famous architect father who was distant and always absent in her life. Khan had started to change after his daughter was banished (and left for dead at the clutches of the Disassembly Drones) ; slowly, he had tried to come back to her.

It was funny : before, it was Uzi who had spent every ounce of her energy to attract his recognition and make him proud of her. 

Even my hopeless father trying to change, Uzi thought, not without a certain dark humor. It took the threat of a Robot-Satan and the world being almost devoured by a creepy eldritch god, for their relationship to gradually begin to mend. 

Still on the bed, Nori sighed again, muttering something against her flirtatious husband, before heading towards her daughter who was still lying down. Uzi felt a weight on her stomach, forcing her to look in the direction of her mother who was staring at her with warmth. 

“How are you going, kid ?” 

Bite me, was what Uzi almost threw, but knowing that Nori wouldn't be impressed, the drone preferred to answer laconically : “As you can see, Mom... Wonderful.” Uzi felt her servos creak, the fibers of her joints still stiff with fatigue, as she stood up to face her mother. She cautiously held Nori’s burning, fragile core on her knees, while a gentle claw caressed her arm, comforting. 

“Hmmm…” The little body made a thoughtful noise, considering how to approach this delicate terrain with her daughter. “You know, the visions I had every night made me jump out of bed every time,” Nori told her, continuing her soothing gesture. Her eye moved with emotion in memory. “You were still a tiny droneling, barely transferred from your baby pill. That Thing kept sending me nightmares and its plans for destruction. I saw everything it had in mind. It whispered monstrous and disgusting words to me. Manipulated my dreams. Gave me hallucinations. It… It twisted my mind over and over. Almost… broke me in the end.” 

Nori’s voice broke towards the end, and Uzi leaned against her mother, hugging her tighter. She felt the tremors that ran through her mother, and a furious thought invaded her against the demon which did it to her. 

Her mother was hard and not easy to reach emotionally. What could it have shown her to traumatize her still today? 

After taking a shaky breath, Nori continued, “But there was Khan - your father - who supported me. Every time, he tried to comfort me when I broke down and rambled. The fact that he was by my side gave me strength, even when I wanted to give up on this thing. I didn’t want to let you down both. So, I decided to take action and begged your father to build the bunker doors. I told him everything, at least about my nightmares. At the time, he didn’t know what to think or if my visions were real, but he trusted me. When Khan finished the doors, that was the day the Demons arrived.”

Uzi's eyes blinked as she heard the story. It was... the first time her mother had told her that. Everything Uzi knew about these events, she had read in Nori's notes and drawings that Khan had given her, when she looked for responses. But it was something else to hear from Nori herself.

"Mom, why are you telling me that?" Uzi finally asked her, her head tilted to the side, as the young drone couldn't understand what her mother was getting at. 

Nori laughed, but there was no joy in it. It was bitter. "Kid, you're stubborn and hardheaded, like me. After I left the labs, it haunted me for years. So I know that this Thing will try every possible way to disrupt you and look for any weakness in you.” Her eye became blazing, letting her cold anger burst forth. “Believe me, it can be really vicious in its methods.” 

“Yeah, I noticed…” Her nightmare was still vivid in her head, and enamel fingers trembled against her mother’s tiny body.

She gently patted her daughter’s hand, but her gaze remained firm.“My point is, don't give in to it. Don't care what it wants to show you, because it's only out to hurt you.” 

“But you were able to build the doors thanks to the visions it sent you, right ?” Uzi questioned her, raising a yellow eyebrow. 

“I only decided to use it to protect you and your father. Besides, I think it didn’t appreciate me putting a stop to its plans like that and that’s why it got rid of me. Prick…” Nori grumbled and coughed nervously, then raising her single eye to her daughter’s attentive face.

She pointed a claw in her direction and concluded: “So stop thinking about your dreams and hurry up and get ready. You still have school in less than an hour. Therapy session over.” 

Uzi saw her mother jump off her to land on the floor, before coming out, slamming her sharp claws against the floor. The teenager took a long breath, feeling better after this discussion. As a former Worker-Solver, like her daughter, her mother was probably the one who understood her best. Nori had gone through the same struggles as her, with an AI trying to use it to assimilate the world. And the consequences that came from it had been the loss of her body…

One day, Uzi would try to give her one back.

Maybe with her powers, she could integrate her into a new frame. But that was a thought for later. Her mother was right : she shouldn’t let that Thing manipulate her. 

“I should do as she tells me and not thinking about those visions anymore,” she decided before grabbing her school bag, wearing a better face than before.

She used [translate] and textbooks, pens, filled thermos fluttered across the room. With a wave of her hand, she moved them into the bag. Other half-assembled parts were added to tinker with during the teacher's boring class, and the zipper closed. Bag settled itself on her back.

But Uzi thought she had to do one last thing and stopped in the center of the room. She knew the Absolute Solver would hear her. It was always in the corner of her mind, spying on her. 

The new goddess made sure to put as much venom into each word : “I beat you once already. If I have to beat you up again, next time, I’ll make sure to annihilate you completely. That’s a promise. So, from now on, leave my dreams alone. And don’t you dare touch anyone.” 

This time, no tail came out to taunt her. Uzi finally left, closing the door to her room. She didn’t notice the golden shimmer that had slipped into her shadow, before disappearing as the drone left for the high school. 

“Sarcastic smile. You will be responsible for all this, Host Uzi,” the voice warned, before slipping away, deeply in her mind for the rest of the day until evening.

Chapter Text

In the Tower, V thought she was going to go crazy. Her metal claws tickled against her thin leg, and a tick of annoyance shook one of her eyes. Even Sparky was keeping away from V at this moment, the raptor whining and keeping a distance from the wagging tail that was tracing smoking furrows where the acid was dispersed on snow and pieces of metal. 

If she was in such a nervous state, it was partly because of the voracious hunger that was beginning to dig into her insides, causing her temperature to rise extremely unpleasantly. But it was mainly because of the large drone in front of her, unable to stay seated, who was pacing back and forth at the entrance to the Tower and moaning Uzi's name since he woke up. 

The little drone was late: she'd been late a lot lately, unlike before. But tonight, the wait was becoming interminable, especially for a certain overly noisy drone.

V grumbled, repeating for the tenth time in fifteen minutes: “Calm down, N. The purple thing will be here soon.” 

“But the sun has already set for two hours, V ! Uzi said she would be here as soon as night fell !” N complained, checking for the hundredth time if his girlfriend was already there. 

And hope died just as quickly upon he realized her absence. 

Still not. 

This time, N spread his wings, determined to find Uzi. “I’m gonna go out-ouch !” Disassembly Drone cried, his vision flickering at the impact of a snowball sent straight at his head. The pilot’s cap flew to the ground, which N immediately picked up and cleaned. He pouted: “Not cool, V…” 

V, who had launched the icy projectile, sent him a dirty look in response. "She told us earlier to wait for her. You might miss her if you go looking for her, and I frankly don't feel like chasing after you!" Before adding to herself, "She'd better have a good excuse for being late, or I'll cut her to pieces !" Her screen flickered to X for a microsecond, then returned to her annoyed expression.

N stared at her for a few seconds after her outburst, then decided to let it go. V became very irritable when she was hungry. And more murderous, too. He too was beginning to feel the pressing need to feed soon. Under his reinforced military steel feet, the heat was melting the snow into a burning pile of water.

Time continued to pass. V's snarls grew louder, her curses against Uzi more numerous. And N was no longer holding still. His plaintive moans never ceased. 

V had told him to wait here, but N was getting really worried. Uzi usually kept to her schedule. She also knew that the team had to go hunting tonight. And, worst of all, Uzi wasn't answering a single one of his messages ! 

N had sent her at least fifty since he'd woken up, without ever receiving a single reply:

Me (to Uzi): im wak n u? (unread) 

Me (to Uzi): wher r u? (unread) 

Me (to Uzi): u ok? :'( (unread) 

Me (to Uzi): uzi??? (unread) 

His mind was racing with several frightening hypotheses. Perhaps something had happened at the colony ? Or on the way here ? Was she hurt? Has someone hurt her ?

Dozens of ideas raced through his head, each more alarming than the last. An anguished growl erupted from him, and N became more restless and anxious as the minutes passed. The devouring hunger too was playing on his attitude, and just imagining that Uzi had been in big trouble awakened a darker, wilder part of his programming. It made him want to shred something, anything, and the feeling was beginning to get the better of him.

He abruptly stopped spinning in circles like a beast in a cage and made a decision. "It's not right that she's not here yet. That's it, I'm going to search for her !"

V sighed and warned, reaching the end of her own patience: "N...", but a glance towards her teammate's expression silenced her. 

Terrifying. His hollow, stressed eyes shone with a blinding glare. He looked ready to commit murder. V raised an eyebrow, quite impressed. The gentle golden retriever didn't look as harmless as usual. Back to his drone-hunting self. Even she didn't dare go near him. Wow, emo girl has an effect on him.

As N stormed out, V followed him to make sure he didn't do anything reckless - and not because she was also starting to seriously worry about the absence of their third member ! - when a familiar voice was heard outside: "It's okay, guys, I'm here !" and they stopped. 

Uzi had just arrived, from above, and she landed awkwardly in front of them before stowing her wings, looking terrible. And unharmed, V raged, all worry gone having been replaced by anger. 

“Sorry, I got caught at school. By the time I got out, it was already dark,” the teenager said, completely unaware of the current mood and the intense waves of anger that were currently erupting from V. She hadn’t anticipated it would take her this long. Damn school counselor, she swore. 

“Are you kidding ?!” V suddenly exploded, not knowing what was stopping her from wringing her friend’s neck. The Disassembly Drone pointed a sharp claw at her: “We’ve been waiting like two idiots for hours! You could have warned us that you’d be late!” 

“Bite me !” Uzi irited violently at the verbal attack, her tone having taken on a steely note. 

Her temperament was returning to her old, irritable self, no thanks to the constant mental nagging of the Absolute Solver, and today the school counselor - who seemed to have about as much intelligence as an old Windows hard drive - had gotten on her nerves. He was a rusty metal box, wearing lame glasses and a ratty sweater as he sprawled casually in his chair. If someone told her that he was her teacher's brother, Uzi would believe them. The same exhausted, condescending face, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here, as he took randoms notes on his students without caring. 

Uzi despised this kind of person who allowed himself to judge skills and plans for the student’s future. As for his question asked without conviction : “What role would you like to play in society?”, Uzi had answered him energetically “A sick goddess and completely badass as hell!”, very proud and sure of herself. Oooh, Uzi hadn't liked that disdainful look he'd given her at all, making her cold, while the drone had laughed at that "deranged Khan’s kid" he'd mumbled. But damn, Uzi had heard him perfectly ! And she'd made a point of correcting him - because no one laughed at her future plans ! - rising from the desk where she'd sat and giving him a terrifying smile, while her teacher's ass looked up at the swirling purple symbol with surprised eyes. 

After a moment's amusement at her unfortunate victim, Uzi had seen the time and, more importantly, all the very worried calls from N. Oh shoot ! had sworn Uzi, and she'd rushed to the doors (ignoring Ron as she used the magnetic card). Outside, she had flown as fast as she could, but not fast enough, to the Tower. Really, Uzi didn't think her teammates would have waited so long for her to go hunting. But they had. I really should have warned them before going to that rendezvous, she regretted.

Seeing V, absolutely furious, and N completely frozen in front of her (He hasn't said anything since earlier, that's rare, Uzi mused), the little drone felt a little guilty and decided to explain herself:

"Look, I didn't see the time on my screen, until I managed to get out of school" after using [rotate] on that moron's chair, she thought with sadistic pleasure. He still had to spin at full speed and throw his drink all over the desk, begging for it to stop.

His screams of terror had been extremely satisfying to hear. She was about to throw this in to lighten the mood a little, hoping it would make her two friends laugh, when a shadow engulfed her and two arms wrapped around her against a burning body. By the time Uzi realized what was happening, N's tail was wrapped tightly around her and he was holding her tightly. 

"Huuuh, N ?" Uzi choked, crushed by the immense pressure of this hug. It was like being caught in a hydraulic press. If Uzi were a normal drone, she'd howl in pain as her chassis crashed like an aluminum can. Her gears and bolts creaked with discomfort and several "Alert: high pressure exerted !" warnings glowed on the side of her vision.

The teenager felt him press his head against hers, and she didn't know what to make of this embrace. It wasn't his usual gentle, cautious way ; N were holding her as if she was going to disappear any second. And he was trembling. It was almost like... like when Uzi had been possessed in the church and the Absolute Solver had almost overwhelmed her, and he and her mother had pulled her out. But it was fiercer than before. Almost desperate. She heard his loud whine and purr through his frame. What's happening to him?

Uzi craned her neck and glanced questioningly at V, who was watching them with frustrated boredom, and sent her a discrete question, which she displayed on her screen : wats wrong with n?

waiting for you, moron, was V's short, scathing reply, placing an annoyed hand on her hips, tail throbbing. Then, faced with her incomprehension, V added with a layer of reproach : next time, answer him.

Now, Uzi felt really bad. Clearly, her absence had had a big impact on N. And she knew how quickly N could worry about her. Maybe even a little too much... But never that bad ! I really should have taken the silent mode off, Uzi blamed herself, not having thought today to check her mail more often.

"Hey, buddy, I'm okay. Sorry I'm late tonight... Again. Really," Uzi ignored the "You'd better" V tossed out, and rubbed her big boyfriend's back locked against her. The embrace eased a little.

After a moment, N finally released her and Uzi sighed with relief as she felt her joints freed. He looked better than earlier, and the taller drone rubbed his neck with an embarrassed smile: "Sorry about that, I shouldn't have squeezed you so hard."

Making sure no bolts had been crushed, Uzi couldn't help teasing him a little, punching him amicably on the arm: "I'm tougher than that, you know. It'll take more than a hug to kill me. At least add a crazy god, and even that wasn't enough."

Uzi could distinctly hear the irritated squeak deep in her thought-program. She smiled wickedly: what, am I wrong?

Before it had time to retort, V interjected, "Speaking of which, does it stay quiet ?”

She seemed to be asking this with no ulterior motive, but Uzi knew what she was implying underneath.

Uzi squinted, crossing her arms against the dark glass plate of her core. "If by that you mean, does it still keep trying to regain control ? Then yes, it keeps trying. But it can bite me, because I make sure it knows its place. On probation." She spat out the last words, her former lightness forgotten as she remembered the last few weeks.

N and V didn't know about Uzi's nightmares: she hadn't said anything about it. Even with her mother this morning, Uzi hadn't revealed their content as they chatted together. It was too... disturbing. 

To see the mutilated bodies of her loved ones, slaughtered by something. She was the only survivor. 

The desperate cries of N. 

V, who was never there. 

That... broken mirror and the body of the Absolute Solver replacing her own reflection.

None of this felt like mere bad dreams. It was all too dark, unhealthy and merging with reality. Above all, a bad feeling had begun to grow inside Uzi, nibbling away at her from the inside. She never reached the end of the nightmare, never made it to the Tower where perhaps an answer awaited her. Never seeing what was happening to her friends who were still alive.

And it drove her almost crazy not to know. Exactly what the malevolent AI wanted. 

Following her mother's advice after this morning, the teenager had done everything to not have to think about it for the rest of the day. This Thing wanted to make her crack, and Uzi would not give her that pleasure. But as soon as she stopped thinking or the drone briefly turned off her screen, the images of the nightmares came back. 

The bodies, the oil all over the floor, the Tower. N screamed. 

Always. 

Her mother had told her that she had acted against the Absolute Solver, instead of letting it happen. Tonight, Uzi was going to do exactly the same thing. And she had a little idea of where to start her research. But for now, she preferred to keep that to herself. After N's behavior earlier... her motivation had waned a little.

Is this really a good idea? I'm not sure anymore...

“...-llo, Uzi? Hellooooo?” The loving voice of N, who waved a curious hand in front of his screen until she blinked at him. “Sorry, you seemed to have gone somewhere else.” 

“Huh… Yeah, sorry. I was thinking.” Uzi apologized, seeing N looking at her curiously and V who fidgeted a little more. 

“We asked you what you wanted to tell us that was so important, that we had to sit there and wait in the Tower until you finally showed up!” V repeated, who had only received a blank and distant look for her first question. Her teeth were beginning to itch, and every fiber of her being was crying out for fresh, sweet oil to soothe the agonizing burn. If she’s kept us waiting for nothing, no matter what N says, shorty will be good, V promised herself, half-seriously. 

At least a few pints of oil as compensation wouldn’t hurt too much ? V would make sure not to tear her shoulder off while quenching her thirst and hunger. 

Uzi shuddered under the hungry gaze that V darted at her - goodness, V still freaked her out just as much, even though they’d managed to make peace. And she suspected the Disassembly was doing it on purpose. Even N’s smile was sharper, revealing his steel fangs longer than usual without him seeming to notice them. 

Waiting no longer, Uzi told them about the message her father had sent her earlier, which she'd received just before turning off her notifications to go to class. The email contained a summary of the meeting with the colony's councilors - of which Khan Doorman was a founder and respected member. At each session, these representatives would discuss a topic aimed at improving the colony's living conditions and anything else that might benefit the future of Outpost 3's drones

That month, her father had led the day's session and discussed the possible integration of Disassembly Drones into the bunker, now that relations with their main predators had improved.

"They were discussing it, and the meeting went on for quite a while," concluded Uzi, who couldn't help but feel a certain warmth at her father's initiative.

Honestly... Uzi had been surprised. She'd never believed that Khan Doorman, the creator of the doors and the bunker, who had devoted himself to protecting the colony to the point of abandoning his own daughter in every conceivable way, would be the drone to suggest such a thing. 

Damn... he's really trying to change. In herself, Uzi wondered if her father was doing this for his daughter. Maybe ?

"Oooh I can just imagine the look on the toasters' faces when they heard it," V scoffed, but imagining how satisfying it would be to scare so many drones to her heart's content - and possibly eat the ones she didn't like.

"Yeah, they didn't take it too well" Uzi grimaced, the question apparently having had the effect of a bomb dropped on the board, before adding, "But it could have been worse. My father's words. At least a few seemed to back him up."

N was absolutely delighted, his tail held high and his face beaming : "So we wouldn't have to wait for you to meet us outside ! We could even meet in the bunker. Oh, we could even go with you to school !"

Uzi had to calm his excitement... even if the idea of her boyfriend being with her during school was quite tempting. She shook herself : don't even think about it ! and threw out: "We're not there yet, you know. My dad just suggested it, so it might be a while before a decision is made. The next meeting won't be for another month."

"But Uziii, we could be sitting right next to each other!" N didn't stop, growing more and more enthusiastic. "You'd help me understand the exercises, we could eat together, we could do all the cool stuff in your series !”

N's enthusiasm was contagious. Uzi's eyes widened as she imagined exactly all of this... and perhaps more ? Her screen became more purple, involuntarily, as she murmured, "Y-Yeah, that'd be nice..." 

Now Uzi was really hoping the next meeting would be favorable.

Okay, this is too much ! V had heard enough, and seeing these two birds in love was the last straw. The message: Warning: oil dropping to 21%, brought her to an end of this endless discussion.

"Hey, silly lovebirds ! I remind you N that we're about to overheat if we don't leave right away !" For good measure, she sent her pointed leg forcefully into the taller drone's back, causing him to stumble forward with a shriek and almost crash into Uzi.

Neither had time to dodge. Only their screens clashed... and their mouths grazed. At its touch, as light and brief as a feather, Uzi's eyes widened, while N rubbed his back in pain, grimacing, oblivious to what had almost happened.

His yellow eyes crinkled in annoyance at V, who called her utahraptor over, the big metal beast complying with a squeal of delight at the prospect of hunting and cooing under its mistress's affectionate caress.

"V, was that really useful?" complained N, certain that his chassis bore a dent where her heel had crashed.

"Please, are you really going to whine about this ?" V rolled her eyes at his complaint. For good measure, she shook her provocative silver square haircut with a gesture: "Welp, I'm going ahead. See you later, losers," were her last words, before winging away, Sparky behind her.

N shook his head, massaging his back one last time. Before leaving, he looked back one last time at Uzi. Who... looked very distracted. And her screen was very purple as she touched her lips with her fingers. 

[Loading...]

Last-minute integration process. 

Personality parameter [: angsty teenager] decreased.

"Huuuh... Uzi ? Are you okay?" N worried : had he hit her too hard when he fell? She hadn't bitten herself, had she ?

Uzi's screen flickered, then seemed to return to normal. But she still looked a little disturbed. "Y... Yeah," she stammered, before pulling herself together, "You should go too, N. Your reserves will soon be too low."

"Sooo... Will you wait for me at the Tower until I get back ?" asked N, then added: "Is your oil level okay ? Do you need me to bring back some oil for you ?”

"... No, I've got just what I need," was her reply, pointing to her bag containing the half-empty thermos, before N took her back into his arms, purring softly.

"I'll be quick," he promised. "If there's still time, maybe we could go for another ride." That was what they'd been doing a lot lately, and N had planned on going to the park not far from town. It was very pretty. 

Uzi chuckled into his coat, before shooing him away with amusement. “Come on, idiot, you’re starting to boil right there ! If this keeps up, you’re going to try to bite me again !” 

N stirred with discomfort at the memory of the one time he'd fallen into critical overheating in front of Uzi, badly wounded after an attack by other drones... and gone after his friend, who'd been forced to flee for her life. Then, once things had calmed down, she had given him some of her oil to stabilize him. Uzi still bore the mark of his bite towards her shoulder, the scar remaining since it dated from before the awakening of her Solver powers.

It was still a... very awkward subject for N to bring up. "Seriously?" He groaned, as his girlfriend scoffed mercilessly.

"Oh you know I'll never let you off the hook with that~" Uzi smiled mischievously at him. "Now go!"

The big drone lingered a few moments longer, before giving Uzi one last gentle smile and gesture of good-bye. Then he finally took off, before disappearing behind the buildings.

Instead of returning to the Tower as promised, once she was sure N was far enough away, Uzi's smile fell and she took on a guilty expression. After what had happened earlier with N, the little drone wondered if her plan for tonight was still a good idea after all...

Seeing him so distraught about being late, and him throwing himself to catch her, trembling... It had made her question what she was preparing to do. Maybe she could wait until he got back and talk to him about it ?

Then the images of her nightmare assailed her violently, frightening her, and she made up her mind. She just had to get it over with before he returned from the hunt.

Neither he nor V would know.

Uzi hated herself for betraying N's trust and hiding what she was about to do from her team. Doing this kind of thing on the sly without telling them, even after all they'd been through together. But she was determined. She had to sort this out.

"Sorry, N," the teenager mumbled, before pulling out wings and tail to take off into the air. Uzi went deeper into the city, where she knew N and V never patrolled. 

She set off to find an old enemy.

Chapter Text

Uzi was heading to a geographical area of the city, far away from the Tower and any other place her friends used to go. Currently, they were each hunting in the opposite direction from where she had flown off. The teenager always knew their approximate location ; sometimes when she concentrated enough, a landmark would guide her to their position and the exact distance. 

UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010 : distance 3586 meters from UZI administrator. System status : online.

UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION V-X00100000 : distance 6342 meters from UZI administrator. System status : online. 

This is what she was seeing at the moment, as the numbers were constantly changing as each one moved. But the status of her teammates always remained the same. It was an administrator privilege linked to her new status as main Host, which Uzi used regularly because it was very useful - and N often complained when he tried to sneak up behind her before failing miserably. Only N and V were concerned, the two Disassembly Drones being the ones Uzi cared about. 

Knowing that her time was short, Uzi hurried to make the crossing, while ensuring that she stayed in the large territory that her teammates guarded. To do this, the little drone relied on certain important clues, such as the sharp claw marks left on the buildings by N or V. They were much more numerous towards the Tower and in the center of the city, showing the regular passages of the team. 

At first, when Uzi sometimes accompanied N during his patrols, she had seen the big drone stop and screech his sharp blades against the metal pillars or the concrete more than once. Seeing her friend doing that, the teenager had laughed and asked him if his claws were itching. At first, N had blinked strangely, not understanding her comment “But, Uzi, I have to do that to… oooh” before realizing and laughing nervously, remembering that his new friend was not a Disassembly, and therefore that she did not know the rules between them. He had then patiently explained to her that it was used to mark their assigned territory, which included their team a large part of the city, and which were several warnings to other outside squads who would approach. And N had shown her the many similar markings all around them. “Make sure to check if you see our markings in an area,” her friend had advised her. 

Over time, Uzi had seen that this behavior among the Disassembly Drones extended to their own belongings and their nest, rubbing their claws on everything they owned. From being around them, Uzi could clearly make out the ones associated with N, larger and deeper than most, very clear. Less obvious but recognizable, V’s were smaller and jagged. 

The further away she got, the fewer she could see claw marks, until they practically disappeared when she reached a destroyed neighborhood. “Apocalyptic” was the best word for the place. When the Absolute Solver had shattered Copper-9, and the planet had returned to its former self after their victory, these tall buildings - most of them apartments - had been the hardest hit, collapsed and shattered by the violent earthquakes. Nothing had been spared by the cataclysm. 

The perfect place to hide. 

The Worker-Solver deftly zigzagged between several collapsed structures, twisting and diving around several street corners when the path was blocked. Uzi flew for several minutes, tireless and following a precise destination that only she could know. From there, she recognized nothing, having never ventured this way before. The only thing guiding her was the sharp pulsation in her head, growing stronger as she approached the target. Her eyes searched every inch of the area, until she found what she was looking for. Her wings brought her closer to the ground, until Uzi landed in front of an office trapped under a half-collapsed building. 

Ping ! 

Proximity alert ! 

(Identification in progress…) 

UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION J-10X111001-2 : distance 15 meters from UZI administrator. System status : online. 

Yes, she was there. 

Many claw marks littered the entrance, messy, very different from the ones she was familiar with. And the buzzing was intense, irritating the synapses of her program. Very different from her team's signal - and reassuring when it came to N. The disturbance made her want to smash her head in. 

Her tail moved agitatedly, the creature's mouth hissing and baring its fangs with animosity as Uzi faced the entrance, then barked authoritatively, "Hey, J ! I know you heard me ! Get out there, or I drag you out of your hole !" 

She frowned at the lack of response, as the traitor she sought remained hidden within the debris. All was quiet. But the signal in her head screamed otherwise. Bracing herself for any suspicious movement, Uzi began to cautiously advance forward… when a missile flew toward her head. 

Her reaction was instantaneous, and Uzi lifted her hand, [translate] blocking the blast. The already fragile structures shook upon impact. The teenager swore abruptly, furious. This will be the hard way, then… before smirking evilly.

Fine for her.

Behind the wall of flames, she threw a second [translate] straight into the nest. A wild whistle sounded as Uzi tightened her grip and brought the responsible drone back. 

Prisoner and at the mercy of the Worker-Solver, the Disassembly Drone with two silver pigtails focused her contemptuous and hateful yellow eyes on her, unable to escape. She struggled, as the tip of a thin white tentacle shot out from Uzi's back and stabbed the base of her neck.

"Do something like that again, and I'll fucking swear to kill you for good!" Uzi threatened, deadly serious and showing her fangs to J as she tossed her carelessly into the air. 

Despite the symbol crushing her vocalizer, J hiccuped and turned her expression hostile. "Let me go, toaster, or I'll brea-!" before letting out a pained groan when Uzi applied more pressure around her neck. 

Oooh, she was very tempted to do exactly that and throw [null] on her core to get rid of Cyn's dog. Since her master's fall, the former leader of the team had disappeared from the surface. V had searched everywhere around the debris to make sure that the traitor was definitely dead. Without ever finding her again, the Disassembly had concluded that she must have been destroyed after she fell into a rift. Uzi had known very early about J's survival. Faint, her signal was still emitting, hidden and hiding in a hole far from sight, but which she could still perceive. 

It would be so easy to eliminate her now, Uzi thought, turning the thought over and over again. She still didn’t know what had made her keep the truth from her companions, or why, now that she was holding back, the drone wasn’t finishing the job. Uzi also didn’t forget that N, in particular, had suffered from her presence for years, making him feel like less than nothing, trying to kill him the day she and he had met. 

With a damned virus spike. 

The memory was enough to make her boil inside. It would be so rewarding to make her pay for all the abuse she had inflicted on him. For N. 

But bringing back her persecutor’s head might be too much, Uzi realized. Also… J had been by Cyn’s side until she arrived on Copper-9, after Uzi had blown her up with her railgun. Twice. And I need informations, she admitted reluctantly, as Uzi threw her roughly to the ground, with as much force as she could muster. 

After… Well, Uzi could be free to do with her as she pleased. Not that anyone would regret her, she decided. 

Kneeling down, J coughed and let her system heal the crushed neck, before glaring at the teenager who, despite her smaller size, completely outclassed her. The Disassembly... didn't look good. Her hair was messy and disheveled; her suit was covered in lacerations. She looked as if she'd just come out of the ultimate confrontation with Cyn.

Uzi savored the glint of fear she read on her screen and, for good measure, she decided to add slyly : "It would be too simple to kill you too quickly. I still need to think about the best way to proceed. By making the pleasure last as long as possible."

As she spoke, the drone adopted a "V"-style posture: dangerous, her tail whipping through the air, her quivering wings outstretched and the three tentacles extended so as to block passage on all sides. Her smile widened, cold and merciless, as the Solver symbol flashed on the screen.

The further she advanced, the more J recoiled from her murderous aura. Her hollow eyes searched desperately for a way out, until Uzi cornered her at a dead end.

Back to the wall.

Then, finally, Uzi dropped the attitude and let out a "But not yet", before putting away all the deadly limbs inside her and reverting to her almost normal teenage appearance.

"You freak !" spat J, unable to completely stop the tremors that shook every mechanical circuit.

Uzi carelessly stuffed her hands into her pockets, satisfied with her little effect. At least the Disassembly Drone would be quieter while she cooked her and extracted useful informations. She had to hurry up and finish off this traitor as soon as possible. The teenager sat down quietly on a metal bar sunk deep into the permafrost. 

“Now that I've made things clear, you better not act stupidly again,” Uzi continued, while J stood up hesitantly, still beaten by her abruptness. 

Realizing her position, the Murder Drone huffed ungraciously. In a reflex gesture - and completely stupid, thought Uzi, who was impatiently waiting for her - she brushed off her employee outfit. Finally , she sighed and pinched her screen, where her nose would be if it existed. J glanced unkindly at her rival. "So I wasn't dreaming last time: it's you who's become the new Host." Her gaze narrowed, darker. "You've absorbed the Absolute Solver?"

Uzi rolled her two-toned eyes, unimpressed by her statement. She pointed at herself, showing off her physical changes: “Nooo, seriously ? Teach me something new.”

“Dear corporate… Out of all the drones, it had to be you.” J pulled her tie up, not in a hurry at all as she took her time to get herself in order. “So, you came without V and this synergistic responsibility ?” 

Uzi flew into a violent rage as she heard the Disassembly that was belittling him. Again. Uzi pointed her finger at her, shouting: “That’s cute moron, and you better keep him out of your dirty mouth! Or I’ll make sure to rip your jaw off.” 

J bared her teeth and whistled, before crossing her reinforced arms in front of her. A cruel smile invaded her screen. “Waste is still waste, no matter how much you try to make it better than when it was thrown away. Mistakes like him would be better off left in a junkyard, forgotten.” 

Uzi had to hold herself back, hard, so as not to tear her to pieces right then and there. J was provoking her on purpose, that was obvious. And she knew exactly which sensitive wires to lean on. Her fingers left her perch and sank into the solid material, breaking under her strength as she kept herself from hurting her. 

Not yet… 

“I’m still deciding about you,” Uzi reminded her, back to her feet - and J jumped ever so slightly. “Then, unless you like to suffer, I advise you to cooperate. Here I go : after I obliterated you, you stayed by the Absolute Solver’s side for a long time. I want to know everything you know about it. Anything that could help me against it.” 

As Uzi spoke, the shadows danced around her, invading the space around them. She didn’t see it, too focused on J. But J did, and she felt the pressure the new goddess gave off keenly. It was like being close to that. 

The former team leader tried to keep a haughty front, though her voice was strained as she spoke, “Honestly, do you think you have control over this power ? That you and those morons won ?”

“Because it’s not clear enough, idiot? After an epic battle, I burned the Cyn’s core in the sun. I imprisoned Robot-Satan in myself. You and it lost to us,” Uzi shot back, wondering if the Disassembly was having problems with her memory drive. 

She was about to redirect the discussion back to the original question, when J did something that stunned Uzi : she laughed. Maniacally. The deafening, unpleasant noise echoed all around them. 

“Oh, that’s what you think, isn’t it?” J wiped a yellow digital tear from her screen, mocking her. “You’re so sure you’ll resist that demon, it’s ridiculous.” Then her expression changed to something else… Uzi thought she knew what almost seemed like pity in J, before she continued, “Just like Cyn before you.” 

“What do you mean, ‘just like Cyn’?” Uzi repeated, narrowing her eyes. “You talk about her like she wasn’t always weird and creepy.” 

“Weird and creepy, she was. But, before all that shit, she was still partially in possession of her own program.” J turned away, seeming to be lost in her memories. Before the end. When she was just an ordinary servant at the manor, with Tessa, V the shy one, and N the idiot. Before Boss dragged this thing from the bottom of the hole where it should have stayed. “At first, everything went well. Like the three of us, Cyn took care of the Boss and the manor. She did her job properly, without ever complaining. She helped Tessa and me in her cellar, to fix other things. She helped V to serve Masters James and Louisa. She loved to follow the moron around, like a shadow. No one could have suspected anything or what was inside her.” 

At first, Uzi had wanted to yell at her. She wasn’t there to hear her tell an old story, but her next words stopped her before she did. 

“And then Cyn started getting hungry. On top of not being able to go out during the day, or avoiding any glass surface, and the fact that she was much warmer than a normal Worker. She would often shake and cry. But most of all, she was very hungry. And nothing she was offered was ever enough. One day, Cyn started talking to that thing. That’s when she started to change.” 

Everything J said, except for the hunger… It sounds like what happened to me, when I transformed, Uzi realized. 

All around them, the wind howled loudly, shaking the buildings as if to punctuate her words.

Uzi let J continue, strangely talkative in front of her - and discreetly keeping one of her arms out of girl drone's sight, as internal mechanisms kicked in : “Her condition only got worse by the day. Workers from the mansion started disappearing, one after the other. I was the first to notice her actions, and I warned Boss.” J’s expression became upset, even more than before. “I advised her to get rid of Cyn while it was weak. Tessa was convinced she could cure her of her “disease,” and simply ordered me to keep her locked in her cellar, to protect us, until she figured out what to do.” 

“Not that it did much good, in the end,” Uzi replied, knowing what happened next from seeing it with her own eyes, the day she had to hack into N and V to save them from a digital lobotomy.

So Cyn was like any other Solver-infected drone. She had a latent period before it possessed her completely, Uzi reflected inwardly. The drone glared at J, who had fallen silent. "But unlike Cyn, I've outgrown this thing! So why are you having fun comparing the two of us ?!"

"You're harboring that thing, so it's only a matter of time before the hunger overwhelms you too." Since earlier, J hadn't been facing her. She'd been staring at Uzi as if she'd pounce on the Disassembly at any moment. Wary. "Maybe not as quickly as Cyn, but it'll eventually make you give in."

"Bite me, I never bend my knee to nothing and no one !" Uzi stormed violently, vexed by J's words.

But the Disassembly Drone wasn't done with the little drone and continued to attack her: "You wouldn't have come looking for me if you could handle this as well as you claim, toaster. For you to come and see me, without killing me on sight, then it must manage to impact you more than you want to admit. You're so desperate, it's miserable ."

Uzi glared at her. It was becoming increasingly obvious that J wasn't going to teach her anything more, but her hypocrisy touched a nerve with her. Clenching her fist nervously, Uzi coldly retorted, "Who's the more desperate or miserable of the two of us? Huh ? You, who were so terrified, in order to survive, you flipped your coat and sided with this monster, even after everything it did to you, N and V. To those you once served."

She saw J freeze, and if her gaze could kill, the one she cast on the teenager would have. Her face contracted, and J concluded through gritted teeth, "There's no escape, even in death. It doesn't matter how hard you struggle, or what means you use to escape. No one can against it. You can only pray that your suffering will soon end. Or become its docile puppet." J's yellow eyes grew brighter, overcome by intense emotion, concluding, "But let me give you advice. It needs a living Host to survive. That's what the humans were studying, creating the patch in those secret labs and testing it on drones they infected with its program. The patch was the only thing the Absolute Solver really feared, because killing the main Host meant killing it. Find a way to take this thing with you, before it drags you down first."

"Is that what you call advice ?!" snapped Uzi.

"Whether you follow it or not, I don't really care. But the day you devour all life on this planet, I'll make sure I'm gone of that hellhole."

Before Uzi could react, J turned to her, dropping something on the ground that rolled. An explosion of light blinded Uzi, who screamed and instinctively spread her wings to protect herself from the danger. She heard the screeching of metal, then the detonation of an object thrown into the air. After a few minutes, the light faded, partially restoring her vision - although still blurry - and Uzi could only see, to her anger, that J had disappeared. 

“You gotta be kidding me ?!” Quickly, Uzi tried to check J’s position, without managing to locate her. Error: Unable to geolocate UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION J-10X111001-2, was the message every time she tried. She should be out of range by now. And probably out of town. 

“I’m an idiot, that was a stupid idea to begin with! I couldn’t even deal with her! Aaaaargh !” 

With a screech, Uzi kicked a piece of scrap metal hard, annoyed at being fooled like that, and sent it flying toward a building. The sound of shattering glass accompanied her explosion, relieving some of her frustration. 

The only thing J had told her was to make sure the Host died and kill that thing in the process. That was why the Solver had been obsessed with the labs in the first place, and the patch made to kill him. Not that Uzi could use it, if it meant killing herself in the process. 

Nothing that idiot told me was really useful… except that whole Cyn thing, Uzi thought, slightly disturbed by. She… didn’t know how to take the fact that she and the former Host shared a similar fate. 

The teenager tried to silence the worried voice in her head. “I’m not Cyn !” she repeated to herself. She was Uzi Doorman ! The one who had defeated the Devil and become God herself ! Nothing could dominate her. And that statement gave her new energy. 

At the same time, Uzi thought about what J had said about the labs. And an idea came to her. Maybe there would be more clues in other research centers, like the one at the cathedral. That place had been destroyed by the Absolute Solver, but her mother might know of similar structures ? She lived in, after all !

Uzi could think about all that once she got to the Tower. After staying here for so long, she grew assured of N and V's position, and relaxed when she saw that none of them had come back, still in the middle of the hunt. But knowing N, he wouldn't have long before he went back to the place.

“I should go back there before him” Uzi decided, didn't want to see him panic again after the scene earlier - her frame was still creaking after his hug.

As she turned away, her gaze fell on the shape of a dark bow that lay on the snow. Curious, the drone leaned over and grabbed the torn, soaked accessory. 

Uzi didn’t remember seeing it earlier. Then she realized: it must be J who had dropped it while running away like a coward. 

This bow… looked a lot like the one that Solver, disguised as Tessa, wore in its hair. 

Without really thinking, Uzi put it in her pocket and, without further distraction, she flew away from the abandoned ruins.

Chapter Text

N was hungry. 

Thirsty. 

He was terribly hot : his synthetic insides, but especially his core, were literally consuming him from the inside. Uzi and V were right, he couldn’t have waited any longer to find oil. The Disassembly Drone had first searched the dump - where Workers tended to go. Landing heavily on the snow, his scan had analyzed the footprints that covered the white ground. Barely a few hours old, from the beginning of the night. He had sniffed the surrounding air : the smell was not recent. His audio sensors detected no breathing sounds or movement. 

Welp, they don’t seem to be around yet. Sighing, N took off again for another hunting spot, propelling himself high into the air. 

He had been flying for a long time now : the city was huge, but tonight he couldn't find a single Worker outside. Despite the danger, most of the drones living outside also preferred to go out at night. For fear that, during the day, they would come across other unscrupulous groups, who could tear their fellows to pieces to recover useful components. 

In this collapsed society, the Disassembly Drones had not become the only danger ; it was better to go out when night fell, while remaining on guard. Unlucky drone, who heard the sudden whistling of the air, or whose gaze caught a yellow glow, was already dead without even realizing it.

But it was very late tonight. Too late. It wasn't the best time for hunting : now, the Workers would have already returned to their hiding places, in silence. Outside the bunker and without huge armored doors to protect them, drones had learned to be very discreet. Especially those in the city. Less so the drones that lived outside. V had probably taken her Sentinel out of their territory to hunt ; he hadn't picked up her signals for a while. N endeavored to stay in town, even though flushing out Workers in these parts was becoming increasingly difficult. 

Despite this difficulty, he... preferred to stay close by. In case Uzi ran into trouble, he came back to her side as soon as possible. 

It's no longer useful and you know that, idiot, hissed that unbearable voice, and N growling to silence it by shaking his head. 

He had to concentrate ! 

Another hour later, the poor drone could no longer stop the saliva from dropping from his mouth. N wiped with annoyance the hot drool that responded to his increasingly annoying hunger. His reserves were diminishing faster and faster : it was always accelerating as he approached the end. 

Alert : oil level drops to 17% ! 

Risk of overheating : urgent restocking. 

He sat on a lamppost, balancing precariously as he winced at the sudden wave of heat rising from his molten core. He clutched his chest painfully, his enamel fingers twisting in the leather of his coat as his belly tore him apart from the inside. His jaws gnashed and closed tightly. 

Quick ! He had to find some food ! 

His thoughts began to become more primal, turning again and again to "need... food". His tail whipped through the air, drawing a neon yellow arc behind him. A shrill squeak accompanied the appearance of his claws, which forcefully grasped his perch and threatened to topple it over. His eyes became briefly a yellow cross, the golden cameras on his head swiveling everywhere in search of a prey. A long, high-pitched hiss escaped his throat.

He had to eat !

Alert : oil down to 15%.

Minimum limit reached : overheating imminent.

Nearby, he found a half-buried Worker carcass. N landed in front of the body, butchering it savagely to remove a slight drop of oil.

Empty.

He let out a disappointed groan before returning to his flight. After a few minutes hovering in circles above the buildings, without finding anything, N asked himself: what could he do ?

Thinking it over, he finally reached the end of an alley N hadn't yet explored, certain that it was a waste of time. Then he heard a muffled, faint sound.

Disassembly tensed and slowed his pace, heightening his sharpen hearing.

Footsteps.

N hooted with joy : food ! 

Finally. 

He dived forward and slid into the rubble of a building. The noises were clearer : it was below him. Silent, N crouched on all fours and moved slowly, letting instinct guide him. In the dark, everything was perfectly clear : he saw stones and debris, avoiding them to silence his presence. As he approached a crack, N made sure to lower the brightness of his screen to the maximum so as not to betray himself, using only his other eyes, which glowed faintly under his cap. 

Finally, he saw. 

Target locked ! 

A Worker, in the middle of what looked like an old underground car park. Alone and unarmed. Despite the hunger that was literally consuming him and screaming at him to jump on this easy target, N crouched lower, wary of his surroundings. He…had already dealt with traps set by the Workers. Like using one of their kind as a decoy. Usually he had escaped without much damage - and the horrified Workers ended up torn to pieces or shot dead - but some used explosives. And that… was terrible. Before launching himself, he combed the entire area, looking for a suspicious cable, a hidden bomb, a slightly raised slab, or any other presence hidden in the shadows. 

Nothing. 

His claws dug anxiously into the ground. N was so hungry and hot... Warm slobber slipped from his mouth and dripped onto his arms, evaporating with a slight hiss.

Alert : oil fell 12%.

Core overheating !

His screen blinked to a yellow "X", while a slow, sharp smile spread across his face. The servos tensed, ready to hurl him towards his prey. Just as he was about to give in to the urge and spill the drone's oil to drink, the latter suddenly stopped walking and looked beyond N's field of vision. 

N stopped himself from leaping out of his hiding place and waited : he heard others footsteps. Soon, he saw a new arrival.

Beneath a cloak, he looked taller and sturdier than the puny Worker. His walk was heavy and noisy, not at all cautious.

Two drones together... N could handle them. But at the sight of the individual, he felt a pressure that put the drone on alert. N didn't even dare arm himself with a pistol to shoot each of them in the head. The stranger's relaxed attitude contrasted strongly with the Worker's nervous, terrified one.

Something is wrong with this drone... N decided to wait and suppressed the anxious rumbling in his chest. He stepped back a little, so that he could no longer see the new drone. But thermic captors still can.

"You're late ! I've been waiting for you for two hours !" the Worker whispered furiously, keeping his voice low. 

Useless. 

He could hear him perfectly, his audio receivers so good that it was as if he was screaming. The drone would hear them perfectly from its hiding place. He would not miss anything. And when the time came… 

“I hope no one followed you, or that you did not get spotted by a Murder Drone… Dammit, why did I agree to this meeting here?” 

Hollow and stressed eyes of the drone showed his fear. 

N could hear the oil inside his chassis, beating faster in the circuits of its agitated prey. He had to clench his fists to keep from giving in and jumping at its throat. Wait… 

While he was struggling with himself, the drone continued to complain, and stared suspiciously at the other drone that had remained silent until then “…whatever, I hope you have what I asked of you. My services are not free.” 

The stranger still said nothing, but he threw a pouch at the Worker’s feet, which tinkled on impact. The drone rushed towards the small bag. N looked the Worker to open it, revealing many spare parts, digital chips, repair equipment. Very good quality. 

The smaller drone nodded, impressed. “Very good. Alright, here…” He reached into the pocket of his patched coat, and pulled out what N recognized as a USB stick. 

The Worker threw the tiny object, and N heard the other catch it with a metallic noise. 

For the first time, he spoke in a deep, masculine voice: “Is the location indicated in there ?” 

“I was one of the drones used in those labs where the humans worked before the core exploded. My team and I were assigned to a region further north. The route and access codes are still inside.” 

What have they been talking about all this time? Labs, like the one not far away ? N had a hard time understanding what these two drones had been talking about all this time. He was too hungry… The stone he was lying on was becoming hot.

His level was very low. If they didn't stop soon, he was going to crack...

Finally, the strange drone began to move away, his footsteps growing fainter, before coming to a halt - N fell back to the ground in exasperation as he was about to grab the other one just beneath him. But his annoyance turned to shock as he heard the other drone say :

"Another thing. While I was moving around town, I heard some... rumors about a drone. One that's neither Worker nor Murder. Would you know anything about this ?"

"They're just rumors... everyone knows that," Worker grumbled, in a hurry to get away, before he froze as more objects were hurled at him.

Magnets. Several of them.

His pale eyes deepened, and the Drone swallowed, looking this rare booty with greed. Then he continued : "... but many say that a drone can control these beasts. Two of them, who live in the Tower near Outpost 3. We avoid the place because of the stories. There's even people talking about this Worker practices some kind of robot-witchcraft, and can turned into a monstrous form like a Murder Drone."

"Really ?"

N noticed the change in the camouflaged drone's tone of voice. Interest... He forgot about his hunger, despite his unstable state, and N wanted to get out of his hiding place to silence the drone - strangling him with his own viscera if necessary - which was definitely talking about Uzi. Why was the stranger so interested in her ?

Nothing good, his instinct whispered to him, bristling and growling inside him. His claws digged ground in silence. Should he take the risk and get rid of the second too? 

“Let’s just say that before, I didn’t give any more importance to all that. But since what happened, like Copper-9’s explosion, that huge scary thing deep in the core, and then everything went back to normal, or almost… well, my vision has changed a lot.” 

“I see…” The drone was silent for a few seconds, as a faint, barely perceptible noise rose up - N could hear it faintly and wondered briefly where it was coming from - then the hidden drone continued. “Thanks for all this useful informations, friend. And for the key… Farewell.” 

___________________________________________________

“What a strange guy,” Dev, the informant, muttered once the stranger had left, before putting away what he had gained from the exchange. 

Dev was very good at providing information : it was useful to have good contacts throughout the different sectors of the city. He had met this drone during a run with his group. Never seen him before. He had taken Dev by surprise, appearing behind a pile of garbage that he was searching. The stranger had asked about him, apparently, and where he could find him. 

He… had offered to provide him with equipment and parts for his group and him, in exchange for providing him with information on the laboratories. Dev was one of those still alive that the humans had brought to build and monitor the research sites. The coordinates of the laboratory where Dev had been assigned, the structure of the building and the different access methods… The Worker had transferred all the data into this USB key. Whatever interested this stranger so much… Dev had been careful not to tell him that the experiments that the humans were conducting there were quite particular.

And frightening. 

The shiver that ran through him at this unpleasant memory shook his frame. The drone preferred to forget this place. 

"But it was a good deal…" he concluded before leaning over to retrieve the supplement.

He thought of the strange questions about the monstrous Worker. Dev scoffed. An urban legend, nothing more. 

Any drone in town knew about the thing. Stevy, the crazy drone from another group of survivors lodging in the sewer labyrinth beneath the city, said he'd seen it with his own eyes. A Worker Drone with Murder Drone features - a young female drone, he described, with a dark appearance, who invoked strange witchcraft symbols enabling her to control her environment. Much seen with Murder Drones, often with the tallest male, who followed her closely.

These rumors bore some resemblance to the older ones of another red-eyed Worker, a young drone too. Haunting the streets, who appeared and disappeared at will like a stalking ghost, wielding knives with strange powers as she hunted down her victims before slicing them up to devour the unlucky drone.

Honestly, Dev found such stories a little hard to believe. But the other had paid him dearly to find out more. And after what had happened a few months earlier...

"Maybe there's some truth in the whims of that crazy Stevy," he wondered, playing with a magnet Dev planned to stick on himself later.

He thought about hiding it : no way he shared such good magnets with someone else…

Dev stood up. A noise from above caught his attention. He turned his head up, then his world flew around him, with a slight pain, as his weight suddenly lightened to his head alone, which rolled to the floor.

Alert : frame damaged !

Critical damage detected !

System shutdown imminent !

"Wh-What-What..." he sputtered, his voice trembled with static, his eyes became hollow.

He couldn't feel the rest of his body. Red FatalError messages invaded his screen. His head finished rolling in a puddle of hot oil. His oil, bitter, which he tasted through his open mouth : the last thing Dev saw was his detached body shaking with spasms. 

And above, a large drone was savagely biting the stump of his neck, voraciously sucking up the precious black liquid that was now soaking the ground.

System shutdown in 10 seconds...

System shutdown in 9 seconds...

System shutdown in 8 seconds...

The yellow cross on the screen flashed violently towards Dev, his glittering central core torn from his torso, which the male Murder Drone held between his fangs, smiling, before crushing it easily in a loud Crack !

Dev's vision turned slowly red.

His consciousness faded...

System shutdown in 3 seconds...

System shutdown in 2 seconds...

System shutdown in 1 second...

FatalError

___________________________________________________

N could not have lasted another second. As soon as he was sure that the unknown drone was no longer there, he had jumped out of his hiding place onto the other one when he got up. A quick claw blow later, the Worker’s head fell, and his mouth locked on the metal neck bleeding profusely. The first mouthful overwhelmed him, the savory taste of the oil on his tongue stimulated him, and the Disassembly savagely tore his body apart in a hurry to get his fill. Satisfied, his tail moved in an excited yellow swing, and he purred with happiness : too hungry to care about his bestial behavior.

N was not a very clean eater : soon, he was completely covered in oil, especially his face. He would clean it later. N was too occupied to worry now about it. 

Each sip of oil, and the infernal heat dissipated a little more as his own supply increased to more bearable levels. N tore off an arm, tearing it from the frame in a shower of sparks. He swallowed it in a few swipes of his strong jaws, the horrific cracking echoing all around the basement, before the hungry drone moved on to the other. Metal after metal, external and internal plates, cables and energy chips. His internal system would convert each piece into new nanites for his own supply, allowing N to heal himself or build his various weapons or new materials. 

After a while, N stood up in the middle of this bloody mess, wiping his blackened mouth and smiling, satisfied as his screen turned to happy “U” eyes inversed. 

“Aaah… Feel better now !” he rejoiced.

From the Worker frame, there are still just some parts, electrical wires and torn clothes soaked in oil. N had eaten as much as it could. The magnets were still there, N ignoring them, not interested in that.

The large drone quickly checked the indicators on his various levels : 

Nanite reserve level : 86% 

Oil level : 100% 

Energy level : 47% 

"Perfect ! I'm good for a while with this !" He wouldn't have to hunt for several days, or even two weeks if he was careful. 

N’s glowing screen changed from cheerful to thoughtful as he looked at the Worker’s decapitated head. The Disassembly thought back to the conversation he’d overheard, and the other drone. 

This guy… He was sooo weird, N thought to himself, unsure why he looked so different. 

He was taller than average, not at all terrified of the night and its dangers unlike his victim. That feeling when he was near… N’s yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion, nervously biting a finger as he pondered. 

Could he… have been another Disassembly ? Before N shook his head. No, that’s not it : those weren’t the same signals that V or other Disassembly nearby were giving him. It was similar, but sounded different. And he doesn't attack the drone in the end, just leaving.

What else, if it wasn’t a Disassembly? 

“Maybe V might know about it…” N hoped, preparing to send a message to his squadmate to warn her of this discovery. 

He also wanted to talk about this conversation, the story of the laboratory and the drone questioning the other about Uzi. This last thing worried him a little. He didn't send the message : the big drone jumped, his core of flesh missing a beat as a sudden notification appeared in his mailbox. 

It came from V. 

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : are you done ?

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000): yes n u? 

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : we need to talk. found something odd. 

N frowned. There was a tone of urgency in her message. The Disassembly didn't have time to ask what, as V sent another message : 

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010): tell shorty we won't be back before dawn coming. i'll send you my coordinates. 

“Wait, I have to come ?! ” N groaned, not having planned at all that he would have to join her. 

A destination was written on his internal computer, guiding him well beyond the city limits. V had gone really far to hunt… From where he was, N would just have time to get there before the sun was there. No time to go and get Uzi. And she had to be back before the end of the night. No way for her to come with them. 

It made him feel worse than before. He really didn't want to put Uzi aside. She was their teammate! They did everything together... And N felt reassured with her by his side. Stronger and more confident. But... if V wanted him to come, and she didn’t mention it by text, it must be important. 

N sighed, rubbing his hair uncomfortably, but understanding that he didn’t have much choice. 

Too bad for his plans tonight. Forget the walk in the park...

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000): coming also have to tell u about weird drone i found.

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010): …ok. hurry up. 

I hope Uzi doesn't get upset…

___________________________________________________

“Come on N, hurry up,” V grumbles, crossing her long-clawed arms against her. 

This night didn’t go as she planned: it had started normally, V finding a group of Workers hiding in a wood. Seven Workers, now all scattered everywhere. Sparky had also amused themself by chasing a drone screaming in terror, which had escaped her ambush from the top of the frozen trees. But while V was savoring the fruits of her labor, her Sentinel had let out a cry of alarm. And the Disassembly had flown at full speed towards the robotic reptile, the X on her screen and sword blades out. 

She had expected to find another Disassembly, being out of their territory. Worse, maybe an entire squad. If that was the case, she would have to get out of there with her Sentinel. 

However, V had stopped, her eyes hollow, in front of what had alerted Sparky, the red eyes creature hissing and spitting against what was a crashed ship in the middle of the clearing. 

Still smoking in snow and in very good condition. Around many Disassembly Drones, frames scattered and exploded.

Chapter Text

Uzi was upset. 

Any drone in the area who had passed her this week could tell, as she could be heard growling and saying “Bite me” under any pretext, stomping on the floor or slamming her locker shut. 

In the classroom with nearly forty seniors and their homeroom teacher mechanically scrolling through a series of boring slides, only one drone truly cared about his upset classmate. 

Thad was currently lurking behind his notebook in the back of his classroom. What could have happened at Zi ? he wondered, regularly checking Uzi's back, arched as usual above her desk (unaware of the chair behind her or even that it existed).

"Uzi, could you sit normally on your chair like your other classmates ?" grumbled their teacher - Lizzy's father (no one really knew his name) - without him having to turn around in his chair to know the position of the anxious teenager. 

"Bite me !" Uzi threw, probably for the tenth time in the space of an hour. 

Thad grimaced at her outburst, while the teacher sighed only at his student's insult. It was as if she had gone back to her old days. Grumpy, Uzi's bad mood was well known, but it had been improving slightly for almost a year - coinciding after N&M's and she met each other. 

Besides, I haven't heard from him in a week too, Thad suddenly realized, thoughtfully tapping his pen against his cheek. 

An imaginary digital light bulb suddenly flashed, and his green eyes lit up. Maybe there was a connection ? Had something happened between them ? The only time Uzi and N hadn't seen each other for so long... was after they had briefly fallen out after the centipede crab monster attacked the bunker. Uzi had been terrible all that time too, irritable and explosive. 

Obviously, he couldn't contact the other drone in question : unaivalable for all that time. The blizzard that had been blowing outside for a few days wasn't making communication any easier. And it hadn't calmed down. 

Thad pouted, worried for his two friends. He could ask Uzi what was going on... But how could he broach this potentially delicate subject with her ? 

The young drone skater continued to stare at the little drone, thinking about how to talk to it without risking being rebuffed, when in front of him, Uzi suddenly began to sigh. And Thad's internal messaging system - the alarm fortunately on silent during the lesson - sent him a notification. 

A message from Uzi : 

Zi (to me) : dud, ur gona dril hole in my head by staring me like n idiot, were the words. wat u want?! 

Me (to Zi): nothing serious. just to know if everything's ok? 

Zi (to me): i m fine, and beter if u stop it, Uzi replied aggressively. 

At that, she gave him an annoyed two-tone yellow-purple look, which further emphasized the "Get lost or I'll punch you !" 

Better not to insist too much. At the risk that the little drone would end up sending a heavy manual on his screen - if she was nice. Her launch was surprisingly strong for such small arms. So Thad decided to let it slide - for now. But next, Uzi sent him another message : 

Zi (to me): rdv cryo later wth u know what. beter u not getting caught ! >:( 

Thad held back a laugh at her so-called threat, and assured Uzi that he would come discreetly as soon as the class was over. What she was waiting for was already hidden at the bottom of his bag, under several books. Impossible to notice it. I could take advantage of it to question her further, he decided, and the drone tried to focus on the digital board again. 

Their teacher was giving them a speech on the upcoming presentation that each student - in groups or individually - was to present on a topic of their choice, and the expectations of the assessment that counted heavily for their grades. 

“The only instruction is that this topic should represent you, and if possible highlight all that it has contributed to your outlook on life,” the teacher explained, as he mechanically moved on to another slide on the expected structure. 

For the first time since the beginning of the class, Uzi seemed to show a real interest in the teacher’s monotonous speech - if Thad judged the broad smile and excited expression - as she frantically took notes.

She was going to present them with something huge again... Maybe another railgun or a sick new equipment ? wondered Thad. He envied her a little: at the moment, the young drone didn't really have any ideas. 

Message from Lizzy :

Lizzy (to me): great, the freak is going to blow up the room again. my dad's getting depressed having to ask subsidies for repairs.

Thad turned an unimpressed gaze towards the popular drone, and daughter of the professor. Lizzy sat nonchalantly in her seat, surrounded by her followers and admirers. Not listening to her own father's lesson, she was quietly tapping away on her phone, never taking her pink eyes off the screen, occasionally lifting a blonde lock from her face.

Me (to Lizzy): be a little nicer to her, Liz...

Lizzy (to me): never. prefer die.

The teenage drone let out a weary sigh . It was a waste of time, Thad knew. Even if Lizzy had stopped picking on Uzi, they were far from best friends. Last year's camp incident... probably hadn't helped that, a possessed Uzi having come close to decapitating her and to eat her like Sam, Emily, Brad, Rebecca and Darren. Plus that whole Prom of hell thing with Doll... Yeah, that wasn't great. The only thing they had in common was that they were friends with V - the one who, incidentally, had taken the blame for the field trip murders, and the witnesses had never divulged the truth (thanks to the threat from the Disassembly Drone of making balloons animals with their viscera).

Thad returned to the lesson, while their teacher gave more information for the rest of the term. 

The adult drone sipped loudly from a cup of coffee-flavored coolant - and probably with diluted ethanol - before grumbling : “Okay, let’s get to the point. I remind you that in the coming weeks, you will have to be assigned to various service units within the bunker. Whether it is engineering, medical, school, or even the WDF. It doesn't matter where or with whom, as long as you are somewhere, I don't care. And far from the classroom, preferably." 

One of the drones in their class - Garry - raised his hand and asked a question: "We should find where we do this internship ourselves? Aren't you supposed to send us to suitable places?" 

"Like the creepy freak in an asylum..." a female voice mocked from behind, followed by the hilarious laughter of some students.

If Thad frowned at the insult to his friend, Uzi turned on her desk to glare at the teenager - Rachel. "Say it again, you dumbass !" 

Just because most of their classmates had stopped bothering Uzi, that didn’t mean they all did the same. Rachel, one of Lizzy’s rivals who was almost as popular, was one of them. And the fact that Uzi could easily tear her apart didn’t scare her. 

Her orange eyes glowing with arrogance, her ginger long-haired hair braided and her peach dress, she openly taunted Uzi, who was frantic - and, Thad guessed, was having a hard time stopping herself from strangling her. Like Lizzy, Rachel’s father was an important member of the Outpost 3 council, in charge of resources. And therefore, by extension, untouchable. Picking on her would be a very bad thing, and the filthy pest took advantage of it as she pleased.

Rachel wasn’t done with Uzi, and she continued in a fake-friendly voice: “What’s wrong ? This is the perfect place for crazy people. You should go there, be where you belong. Or maybe you’d rather play psycho outside with your Murder Drones friends…”

“Bite me!” 

“Honestly, everyone can keep talking about your so-called exploits and creepy friends, animals like them and you would be better off staying outside.” 

Thad felt like he was going to have to intervene quickly before it turned baddly - a careful look at Uzi, he saw the living head of the reptile that had emerged from beneath her back and hissed its hatred at the hostil drone, very agitated. Worst, the strange symbol of Uzi’s powers that had started to appear at the tips of her fingers. 

“You little sh-…!” 

And it’s time to intervene… Thad decided. “Uzi, don’t list-” 

“Rachel.” 

Until then occupied only on her phone, Lizzy’s voice suddenly boomed in the room and interrupted the argument. Her unexpected entrance surprised Thad, but also Uzi, who made the purple hologram disappear, while the popular drone put her phone down at the desk. She turned an unsympathetic and cold pink eye towards Rachel - who had lost her momentum. 

“I was outside that day, remember, while you and the others were hiding in the bunker. I also saw what happened.” Her digital eyebrows furrowed further, clearly intimidating. “And let me remind you that one of those you call animals is one of my best friends. She’ll be sooooo happy to hear your opinion about her, face to face, as soon as I tell her about it. Which, as you know, could really happen soon~” 

Her suggestion and the smirk had the effect of making Rachel at least a little anxious, as her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, suddenly less vehement.

“A-As if they could still come here since the Prom and the camp disaster,” she mouthed, her jaw clenched. “As long as my father is on the council, he won’t let it. No matter what the other morons, or even Mr. Doorman, say at the next meeting.” 

And the drone turned away to sulk, suddenly silent. Those who had laughed at the joke about Uzi and the Disassembly had the decency to look embarrassed or worried. When the calm had returned, Lizzy sat back down on her seat and resumed her activities on her phone, looking victorious, while the professor continued to speak, unfazed by the shouting behind or by his daughter’s actions. 

Thad blinked, frankly impressed. He released the breath that the drone boy had been holding without realizing : Lizzy's popularity wasn't unfounded. She was a powerful leader who led her followers, mercilessly crushing her opponents by any means possible. Her influence wasn't to be taken lightly : her voice alone had blown the storm. Rachel risked having a hard time digesting this defeat. 

Me (to Liz) : thanks for the help here

Liz (to me) : let's be clear, it's not for the freak but to shut up this pest. 

Me (to Liz) : of course. nice one by the way. 

Liz (to me) : my pleasure.

Thad chuckled quietly, before going back to listening to the class now that the crisis had been averted. Maybe he could consider his upcoming internship ? The WDF could be a good alternative, if he wanted to be quiet to do cool activities. 

These guys take it easy all the time, that would be great…

___________________________________________________

Uzi tried to stay calm for the rest of the day, her head tucked under her hood - beanie included. To help herself, she had picked up her headphones again and was playing one of her pirated nightcore playlists. But even the intense rhythm and fiery lyrics of the song couldn't calm her down. Rachel's words, and her classmates' laughter at her harassment, had really pissed her off. More than Uzi already was, as her fingers nervously crushed her pencil. 

For years it had been happening to her, Uzi was used to this treatment and the constant rejection of her peers. It was just… so infuriating that they brushed aside all the efforts she and her friends had made to save their world, killing this demon of Cyn and subjugating the Solver. Not the slightest thanks or slightest gratitude, like after chasing Doll after the Prom massacre. Depending on the person, it was mockery, or fearful looks, that were thrown at her - she could understand the latter, given the incident at the camp last year.

It was as if none of them were aware of the hell they had lived through, of all these supernatural and scary things that had happened at Outpost 3 ! And that… the teenager didn't accept it. 

I'll show them these idiots, make them open their eyes ! Uzi vowed to herself, as she worked out her outline of a presentation amidst the half-assembled spare parts she had brought back. 

To anyone else, it would look like a complete mess. To her, no, as she followed several very precise mental schematics, and one of her sub-program - her father's inheritance - analyzed the characteristics, function of each element and how to assemble them together. Uzi made sure she was constantly busy, sometimes performing several tasks at once. It was no good when the anxious young drone did nothing with her hands and started thinking. 

Especially lately. 

Her thoughts... wandered a lot towards the memory of the nightmares. All of her images were engraved in her mind and played on a loop. But for a week, like at the moment, she mainly thought about her teammates who had gone somewhere. 

Very far away, if Uzi relied on their last coordinates, almost 90 kilometers to the North. And they hadn't moved since. 

What had they gone so far to do ? she wondered, savagely biting her pencil, which was already cut and covered in fang marks.

N had vaguely mentioned that V had found something abnormal, without being more specific, and that they were going to take a closer look. 

And no news since. 

Obviously, Uzi hadn't appreciated being left out at all ! From the moment she received the message - and N's apologies quickly ignored - she was getting ready to follow them to hammer them with her not-so-nice thoughts.

Then the blizzard came. 

Terrible and incredibly violent. The worst I've seen in ten years, Ron had exclaimed at the gates, while Uzi had been forced to return before her circuits froze - her joints had already started to freeze. As for her wings and tail, they were as hard as stone, covered in a layer of shiny frost. 

This kind of storm that sometimes shook Copper-9 was an unpredictable meteorological phenomenon, dangerous depending on its intensity and duration. Some gusts of wind sometimes made the foundations of the bunker tremble, and the inside of the structure was colder than usual. 

What a pain ! Uzi rubbed her forehead, before burying her head in her arms. She hated feeling like that. 

It sucked and so uncool from her ! The only thing that reassured her was their data always online, which she checked whenever possible. 

UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010: distance 95,789 meters from UZI administrator. System status : online. 

UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION V-X00100000: distance 95,801 meters from UZI administrator. System status : online. 

N was - V and him were still fine, Uzi remembered. Certainly stuck because the blizzard. Even if they still silent. Until the weather calmed down a bit, and no way of knowing for how much longer… 

While Uzi was moping, her tail, which had not come back since her surprise exit in a fit of anger, was chewing on the back of the chair without its owner noticing. Behind her, a frightned drone with a curly brown wig and a shy appearance, much to her misfortune sitting behind Uzi for some time, stared with her stressed eyes at the reptilian thing aggressively gnawing at the metal with its terribly sharp fangs. Each snap of its miniature mouth made the poor drone jump. She held a pair of scissors in her trembling hands. 

Just in case… 

Suddenly, the creature froze, stopping its teething - the damage done to the seat was significant for such a small thing. Its sparkling purple eyes, previously expressionless, changed to vicious, mean yellow tones. And a sort of mocking mimicry seemed to animate it, as the frightening head undulated soundlessly under the desk. The drone stirred, no longer seeing the purple shape of the tail.

“Um…” 

Uzi raised her head, as a feeling of hunger tickled her mind that she tried to overcome. Then it became more and more pressing, to the point of being unpleasant. Uzi scowled : she had eaten a handful of batteries at home before leaving - despite her father’s disapproval that "junk food wasn't nourishing enough". 

Checking her oil reserve, it remained at around 80% : Uzi'd drunk earlier in the day, so she'd be ok for the rest of the day. Her internal temperature was normal - a little warmer than average for Workers, as if she'd caught a virus, but still bearable.

Weird… Am I missing something? Maybe it’s the stress… Uzi thought, letting out a puzzled sound as she checked her internal systems for an anomaly in her parameters. 

It wasn’t normal… 

"Aaaaargh!"

High-pitched scream erupted from behind Uzi. She and the entire class turning to the shy drone behind the little teenager, who froze. Crying "Get off me !" repeatedly, the drone screamed in pain as she was scratching in vain to tear away the creature clinging to her hand. Uzi’s tail bit firmly into the damaged limb, twisting like a snake, while the oil disappeared into its hungry maw and flowed abundantly onto the ground, diffusing a heavy, overwhelming scent.

And tasty.

Chapter Text

Uzi had to accompany - reluctantly - her classmate to the infirmary with their teacher. To explain the incident, which lasted several uncomfortable minutes for Uzi, during which the drone medic replacing his chief had looked at her strangely, while bandaging the bloody hand of the crying student.

One of the nurses who knew her well had called out to her: in recent years, the young drone Doorman had been a regular in the area, coming in after physical traumas due to her inventions. She was one of the few people to talk to the colony's notorious outcast. The drone caregiver had suggested that she come in for an examination of her frame as soon as possible - to which Uzi had replied "Bite me!" grumpily.

Ever since the Solver infected her and the... damage it had done to her body, she'd refused to go.

When she came out (an hour later), Uzi closed the door of the office in a huff. The little drone had to restrain herself so as not to throw [translate] at their teacher, asleep against the wall in the waiting room after having taken his two students, and was snoring loudly on his chair. 

It wasn't believable: this guy had not the slightest consideration for what had just happened ?! 

Welp, no surprise : he didn't care that several of his students had been devoured and brutally murdered in the middle of the forest, just for a salary story ! Uzi recalled, who threw a last disgusted glance at the sleeping drone before leaving. 

In the classroom, it had taken long and painful minutes before Uzi managed to unhook her damn tail from the poor drone's hand - which was still being repaired by the medic. It was a lot of work : the damages weren’t superficial and would require new materials to rebuild the damaged hand. The jaw had crushed it and refused to let go, as if locked despite all of Uzi's unsuccessful efforts to force it open or remove it. Its non-obedience had frightened her, and when Uzi noticed the color of the eyes… 

She had no choice but to use [edit] on the scissors that had fallen to the ground in all the commotion, then sharpen the edges. With [rotate], the spinning of the sharp levitating blades had accelerated, and Uzi had decapitated with a clean blow to the head which continued to drink. She had barely flinched as she did so, just uncomfortable. Fallen to the ground, the creature's mouth had hissed in agony, spitting a little oil and drool, before going out and dying. 

Its eyes… yellow - which had been staring at her, Uzi had thought - had turned purple again the next second, then clear white as soon as the last nervous twitches animating it had exhausted themselves. 

Finally, outside the medical center, Uzi glanced at her backpack. Inside, she had put away her old tail to get rid of it, dead. The looks she had been given when leaving the room… Yeah, now Uzi was certain that no one would be behind her for the rest of her schooling. 

Far from the infirmary, Uzi leaned against a wall, towards an empty hallway for more peace. But her thoughts were anything but calm, as the scene and the screams of earlier invaded her. 

What the hell happened ?! Why did that damn Thing take possession of my tail to bite that poor girl ? she wondered, without understanding what had happened or for what reason. 

If the ex-Worker hadn’t cut off the head like she had earlier… Uzi wasn’t sure her classmate would have kept her hand. And even though her shortened tail had immediately regrown - before retracting it into her chassis, Uzi had made sure its eyes were no longer yellow - the damage to Workers tended to be permanent. 

…Why had the Absolute Solver done that ? 

“Hey, Zi !” 

Thad called out to her, as he trotted toward his lone friend. She took refuge in the shade, and Thad joined her. As he reached her, his big green eyes stared at her with concern, while Uzi curled up more tightly. 

“Are you okay ? How do you feel ?” Thad asked, still concerned for her. 

Uzi raised a yellow digital eyebrow at the taller Worker, before laughing, bitter. “Ah ! You ask me, am I okay ? Newsflash, Thad : I’m not the one who almost lost her hand to a fucking uncontrollable parasite.” 

It was typical Thad : caring about people like her, who others avoided worse than the plague. It reminded her of the first time they’d talked, right after her prototype railgun exploded. A lifetime ago. Everyone who’d met her had laughed, except him. No surprise he and N are such good pals, always trying to sympathize with outcasts, Uzi thought, before realizing that she’d unwittingly thought of her tall boyfriend again. 

Again. 

He wasn’t there, she reminded herself, getting angry all by herself as Thad continued without being warned of her agitation: “... Maybe, but I still ask if you’re okay,” the teenager smiled cautiously at her, before adding : “And you cut that thing with scissors yourself to free her ! It wasn't a small deal !” 

“Pfff, barely a nuisance !” Uzi sighed, as she consciously passed her hand towards her throbbing core. 

Still sensitive where, in a fight to the death, the Solver had pierced her frame and brutally torn out her soul in an attempt to devour her. That… that was really painful. And the scars remained, invisibles, but which sometimes sent terrible electric shocks. Like a reminder of what had happened that horrible night. 

Uzi crossed her arms around her torso, as if to protect herself, as she glanced over at Thad. "So did you just come to check up on me, or are you just here to annoy me ?" 

Honestly, she'd rather be alone right now, and Uzi hoped the - not-so-subtle - message would get through. She had a lot on her mind, and the girl wasn't in the mood to chat with her friend, even if her way of pushing him away was rather rough.

But Thad wasn't put off so easily by the little drone's rough words - after all, that was her cool way of being - and he nodded cheerfully: "Well, believe it or not, I was coming because I was worried." He saw Uzi roll her eyes, unimpressed by his confession, before adding enthusiastically, "But it was also to give you back the book you lent me. You know, your sho-Hmph!"

He had no time to say more : Uzi grabbed him by the collar of his sweater, almost strangling him with her strength, as she violently placed her hand over his chattering mouth. She silenced his surprised spluttering with an angry "Shut up!", ignoring his shocked hollow eyes - Thad swore he saw a purple X on her screen for a split second, before returning to her fiery gaze. Uzi frantically checked surroundings, still empty except for a maintenance drone whistling as they cleaned the cold floor. The drone pulled her classmate towards other corridors, going fast on her little legs.

Thad tried to follow and not stumble, stooping forward as the smaller drone dragged them away from the medical area. They headed back toward the school floor, before Uzi had them take several turns, in an area where few drones went. They arrived at the cryogenic chamber : there, several frozen crates - which probably contained frozen human bodies, no one had checked yet - lit up the hall with a bluish white. 

Uzi finally let out Thad, who took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. Damn, she was strong ! He sometimes forgot… 

“Give it.” The small drone’s hand appeared into his vision, impatient. 

Thad didn't make her wait : he leaned over to open his bag, rummaging through his textbooks until “Ah ah !” he found what he had brought. "There it is !" Thad exclaimed.

Smiling, he pulled out a manga, surprisingly well preserved for such an antique. An old shojo, illustrating a human high school girl next to a human high school boy, with lots of shimmering colors. 

Uzi nearly ripped it out of his hands when the teenager handed it back, checking that there was no damage or torn, damaged pages before shoving it with hasty gestures into her own bag. Thad caught the brighter purple on her screen, and he tried to keep his expression neutral, to avoid embarrassing his friend further. 

It was completely by chance that Thad had discovered that Uzi collected these kinds of books : while looking for a discreet place to ride his skateboard, he had found her hidden under a staircase. The colored manga in hand, concentrated on the pages Uzi was reading, when Thad had called out to her - holy, her scream of terror had pierced his ears as Uzi dropped the book away from her, and toward him. Picking it up, Thad had been able to read a few pages, before Uzi had used a [translate] to retrieve the shojo, but it was too late. She had sworn “Make him swallow his cap if he dared to say it to anyone !” with a killer look, her pointed teeth menacingly bared. 

But Thad had taken her completely by surprise by begging her to let him read it, having enjoyed the few scenes he had glimpsed - where the human was willing to show her feelings to this boy. Her answer was a blunt "No". After Thad had knelt down, Uzi had agreed, albeit very reluctantly.

"It was fun, I really loved reading it !" His eyes shone, sincere, as Uzi finished closing her bag. "Hana wants so badly to confess to Ryu that she loves him, just after he's stopped her from falling down of stairs ! A-And he's got the same feelings for her, but doesn't know how to tell her. Although I didn't see any sparks between them when they touched. Shame..."

"Yeah... humans don't spark like we do. Contact with electricity hurts them." Uzi grumbled, looking everywhere but at him. 

She wasn't comfortable with people finding out about the softer side of her character. It wasn't so much that she liked this kind of book style dripping with love - yuck! - but sometimes, she herself was tired of looking at horror, blood and anguish. It was just a way to temporarily detach herself from her dark phase. And then, lately... she needed to think about something else. The drawings weren't bad. So were the characters. Especially when the OC was a lonely, isolated, misunderstood dark one. It stimulated the imaginative part of her neural system.

Uzi noticed Thad waiting, stamping his feet. Again, very similar to a certain golden retriever drone...

She sighed, before retrieving another manga from under her jacket : from the same series, the next volume Thad was eagerly awaiting. "Don’t let anyone seeing you read it : you give my manga back to me at the end of this week !” Uzi warned him, before giving him the precious book. 

Trying not to cry out in joy, Thad lifted his head and eagerly retrieved the manga. But, he remembered, glancing at his friend, the reading would have to wait. He fought the urge, and chose to put it away for later. The teenager had more important things to do, and that concerned Uzi. 

“There’s something else,” Thad admitted, much less bright than he had been a few moments ago, and more preoccupied. “About… N&M’s. Um…” Seeing Uzi’s expression briefly change - more pinched - he quickly looked for an excuse. “I was supposed to... huh, teach him... how to skateboarding !” Nice save ! “Yeah ! And with this blizzard, it’s not possible even more. I haven’t been able to get news from him either. Sooo, maybe you managed to reach him on your side ?” 

“No.” 

“Oh.” Uzi’s lack of response was not good : Thad had been right, her bad mood seemed to be related to the Disassembly. “And he’s okay with V ?” 

Uzi gave him an annoyed look, seeming to have had enough of his insistence. “Why are you asking me all these questions ?! It’s not like I can get out of this prison with this crappy weather to check ! Go ask Miss Cheerleader glued to her phone and let me go !” 

Without waiting any longer, Uzi turned away from Thad and left. The other drone didn’t dare follow her after her explosion : Uzi took the path back to her apartment. Her look was terrible : when she came across other drones, they wisely avoided her when they saw her scowling. She ignored them. 

All this discussion had brought back her annoyance at the abandonment of her squadmates, who had decided to leave without warning. 

What a bunch of quitters ! Leaving her behind like that, bored to death and having to endure the constant pressure of the bunker all by herself, it was not right. Not between squadmates !

However… Uzi could not completely blame them. Hadn't she done the same with them while looking for J ? By hiding the latter's survival? By hiding on her nightmares ? And it pissed her off not to be resentful. Uzi was especially very worried. Even if these two were very capable of defending themselves, she would have wished to accompany them. Everything that happened recently, and this hasty departure… her premonition of these last few days only grew.

Uzi sighed, massaging her temples as a pseudo headache coming. 

Halfway there, Uzi received a message from Nori. Not a very good sign. “Urgh, great ! I feel like I’m going to like it” she moaned, glancing over : 

Mom (to me): kiddo, what happened at school ?! you sent someone to the infirmary ??? 

That idiot teacher spoke with Dad after I left, Uzi realized, clenching her jaw. And her father had warned her mother - of course. The young drone really didn’t want to answer. Yet she had to : the drones talked a lot and rumors spread quickly. 

Me (to Mom): not me, that dmn tail. it bit the girl behind my back. had to cut that off.

Mom (to me): …we’ll talk about it again at home. want you tell me everything. 

Uzi winced and tucked her head into her shoulders, recognizing her mother's authoritative tone in the message as she read it. This time, she wouldn't escape interrogatory : Nori would want to hear and know everything. If she suspected her daughter was hiding something, she'd make her talk, even if it meant forcibly plugging her core into a computer to view her files and discover her little solo excursion, as well as the contents of her nightmares.

Fabulous, just fabulous ! Uzi clutched her dark purple wig with her beanie and tugged at it, tousling hair in the process. Could things get any worse right now ?!

Yet, as if the universe itself wanted to prove her mistake, a new notification popped up on her screen. And what she read stopped her just here, in front of the door to her home, as her trembling hand touched the handle.

Warning !

Critical frame damages detected on UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010. System status : compromised.

Uzi tensed : a painful twist tortured her core at these words. The oil in her circuits disappeared, and his panic was immediate : "N ! What ?! What the hell-"

Uzi had no time to understand : another message followed the first, even more terrifying.

Warning !

Critical system corruption detected on UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION V-X00100000. System status : system shutdown imminent.

Robo-God me, V too ?! What's the hell happening ?! panicked Uzi, as the same sensation earlier in her core struck her.

"Uzi, are you there ?" Her father's muffled voice was heard.

The door in front of her opened, revealing Khan, then Nori's small body on her husband's shoulder, waiting for their daughter. "Uzi Doorman, we need to talk-" Nori began, her tone serious, before falling silent as she saw the hollow, panicked eyes of the little drone, suffocating with fear and pain. Her single violet eye crinkled with concern. "Hey there, kiddo, what's going on-"

Nori didn't even have time to finish her sentence: Uzi snatched the magnetic card from her father's coat, threw away hee bag and bolted out of here without hearing their cries calling her name. The drone ran faster than she'd ever run before, even when chased by N or Cyn. In the corridors, every drone she met in front of Uzi was jostled, sometimes violently, but she was too focused on the messages being displayed to care about the altercations.

She ran to the colony's main entrance hall. Without stopping, she passed through the first two doors and reached the last one. A group of drones were there, chatting and laughing, before noticing her presence.

"Oh, it's that you, Uzi ?"

One of the WDF guys playing Gin Rummy, seeing her coming, tried to greet her joyfully. In response, he received a [translate] that threw him against a wall with a bang, to get him out of the way. As for the table, cards and bets went flying the air. 

“Wow Uzi, what’s wrong ?!” Ron shouted, but didn’t dare stop the purple fury when he saw the condition of the other guy, the screen cracked and dazed, surrounded by his worried comrades. 

Uzi hit the lock with the key, almost breaking the sensitive casing under the impact that grimaced “Ouch!”, and the deafening roar of the hydraulic mechanism accompanied the opening of Door One.

Come on, faster ! Faster ! She stopped herself from angrily throwing a [null] at the door, too slow to open. With enough space to let the snow in, the little drone slipped outside: a violent gust of ice almost made her fall to the ground. She held on, sinking into the white powder up to above her boots. 

Her tall clawed bat wings tore her back : with a single beat, Uzi flew high, just as Khan and Nori joined her ; the power of her flight sent them flying backwards. 

“UZI !!!” they cried together, horrified but unable to hold her back as purple and white eyes watched helplessly as their daughter’s winged silhouette disappeared into the deadly storm. 

Warning ! 

Extremely low outside temperature! Risk of frame breakage ! 

Uzi ignored the warning, determined and desperate: she would overheat her own core to melting point if she had to compensate!

The wind's howls deafened her audio sensors, like hundreds of screams. Uzi's shredded wings were battered, almost torn from her back under its power, and already frozen. Her body was being tossed in all directions, and every ounce of her strength was struggling to stay on course, causing her energy reserves to plummet. Uzi was flying blind: all around her, her yellow-violet vision flooded with statics, she could discern neither sky nor land. The lights of Outpost 3 were already no longer visible, plunging her into a white fog as Uzi crossed the city. Miraculously, she managed to narrowly avoid the gigantic infrastructures, invisible until she was too close to them. 

Venturing out like that in the blizzard was suicidal: the only thing guiding her was the light indicating the location of her squadmates in danger.

Warning !

Critical frame damages detected on UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010. System status : compromised.

Warning !

Critical system corruption detected on UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION V-X00100000. System status : system shutdown imminent.

The messages kept repeating themselves, harassing her. Uzi let out a long, anguished moan, piercing through the howling storm. The jerky movements of her wings, hard and heavy as stones, slowed, their thrusts growing weaker. So did her tail, stoic and stiff. Each of her gears and bolts creaked with her slow movements. Her trajectory became more uncertain : the Worker-Solver almost crashed into a site crane, before barely regaining heights. Realization hit her hard : she'd never make it in time. She had barely made any headway, the distance to N and V not decreasing, and already exhausted. Even as the fucking Robo-God, Uzi remained weak against the raging elements, and anger overwhelmed her.

"Aaaaargh !!!"

Uzi screamed her helplessness, drawing further on her near-empty reserves to move forward. How can I reach them?! Fuck, fuck ! FUCK !!!

Meter by meter, wingbeat by wingbeat, Uzi continued to exhaust herself. Hissing and panting, as her screen flashed with alarm as her energy dropped to less than 30%, ever faster.

"N, V, don't die! I'm coming soon, guys!"

Her screen covered under shiny ice flickered, as digital tears appeared. An uncontrolled sob escaped Uzi, and a silent prayer. 

Please N, don't die… 

Chapter Text

Few hours earlier :

N looked sadly at the box that contained the ring, and the shiny purple jewel. Alone in his corner for several hours, he painfully remembered a certain drone with hair of that color. Her provocative eyes - yellow-purple - overflowing with energy and intelligence, her large mocking smile shouting "Bite me!" everytime, but her fiery temperament hid a more caring side that few knew. 

His yellow eyes lowered sadly at her absence, and a plaintive whimper escaped him.

Uzi... I miss you. N sighed and leaned against the wall of the cabin, where he and V had taken refuge for several days.

He wondered what she could be doing in the bunker, unable to contact her. And... if Uzi was angry with him for going off like that, leaving her alone, even if Mr. and Mrs. Uzi were present with her.

N mumbled pitifully : Oh biscuits, of course she must be furious ! And he continued to lament.

Almost a week earlier, when the big drone had arrived on the scene following V's urgent message, the blizzard had suddenly lifted. It... had almost drained his battery facing the weather outside - even as a more resilient machine of destruction than an ordinary drone, the Disassembly couldn't have held out for long. Fortunately, his squadmate had indicated a nearby shelter, and N had joined her in the ruined building, but in good enough condition to protect them. Since then, V and N had been hiding inside, waiting to be able to leave again.

The bodies of the Workers, whom V had hunted before the blizzard and then brought back, piled up in a corner, rationed between the two hungry Disassemblies. They shared oil and material, taking turns to eat : N often left his share, too depressed to want to feed himself, but V made sure his supply was full enough to avoid overheating.

As N continued to miss Uzi, footsteps approached him ; then something was thrown at his legs. The big drone looked up at V, who was staring sternly at him, then down at the severed arm of a drone whose oil was dripping. The appetizing scent whetted his appetite, but N made no move to seize it.

The female Disassembly pointed a claw at the member, then at N, who remained motionless.

"Eat," orderned V, in a tone that left no other choice, as she bent her cones legs to sit in front of her squadmate.

Her tail thumped briskly, irritated by N's behavior. He had become such a wreck as the days went by. Silent and depressed : the complete opposite of his usually energetic, sunny self. V was beginning to worry about him, and she watched for the slightest sign of deterioration.

As N sighed and brought the arm stump to his mouth, at first unwillingly sucking the sweet oil inside, the shiny glint of an object on the ground beside him caught V's attention. She noticed the box N had placed on the floor, and her eyebrows furrowed in suspicion.

"What's that?" Drone asked, intrigued and drawn to the glittering object.

"Hm ?" N didn't react right away, too busy chewing his food now that it was in his mouth, with more of his old energy. 

He finally saw her sudden interest : curious, the drone followed her gaze, thinking that V had spotted a small cyberbug wandering around, but which was actually headed… 

…Towards the ring. 

Oh no… 

N’s eyes widened, as he moved a protective arm to hide his possession.

“So ?” V’s deadly tail was twitching a little more, and her eyes had narrowed, almost to a pin, as a long, excited smile spread across her face. 

“It’s nothing at all !” N lied, his voice too high as he closed his hand on the small box, wanting to stow it safely in his coat. 

A quick movement of the tail was his only warning : suddenly, V threw herself at him, X on her screen and claws forward towards the coveted object. N was certainly not going to let it happen and grabbed her with his own changed claws. Everything was nothing more than a mess of yellow crosses, tangled tails, claws and shiny fangs - they were careful however to keep their stingers out, to avoid a bad acid wound. Growls and hisses accompanied the agitation of the two unleashed drones, clinging wildly to each other ; lying far away, the Sentinel Sparky chirped, following the whole scene with its intrigued red eyes. 

Fight barely lasted two minutes ; very quickly, N found himself face down, with V sitting victoriously on him, one hand crushing his head on the ground and the other holding the box. The large drone could no longer even whip her with his tail, one of her legs crushing it to avoid a treacherous attack. 

“Ah ! I won !” V taunted him, waving the box in front of his screen, which had returned to normal, and N groaned in defeat. 

“V… It’s not fair !” 

“Nah nah, you know the rules~ I win, so it’s mine !” 

Although N was stronger and bigger than her, V was lighter and more agile. Very useful in close combat. As usual, she had dominated him. And the winner took home the coveted possession : whether it was an object or a territory, that was how it was with the Disassembly and the squads. 

V didn’t wait to see what she had won: opening the box, her smile suddenly became surprised as she contemplated the magnificent ring. “It’s…” She lowered her guard, loosening her grip on her opponent a little : big mistake. 

Below, N shook himself like a wet dog, unbalancing and unsettling V. On the ground, the female Disassembly tried to get up, but N threw himself above her, pointing claws and tail at her screen, stunned. His reinforced knee crushed one of her arms to immobilize her. One hand held her other arm, guarding the box.

"Never let your guard down ~" teased N, pulling a gray raspberry toward his friend's face. "You taught me that."

V grumbled, unable to believe she'd been fooled like a beginner, and let her head fall back to the floor. Really, N had changed a lot, she admitted : this was probably one of the few times he'd beaten her - the first being during the bunker intrusion. 

Defeated, she opened her claws in surrender and submitted to the larger drone. "Okay okay, I lost. Now get off me, you big lump !"

Satisfied, N complied and even gave a friendly hand to V to help her up : she took it, rolling her eyes. Good loser, the drone returned the box to N, who hurried to put it away. At least all this exercise seemed to have awakened him from his trance, but V still had a question :

"Tell me, N : that ring you've got, are you planning to give it to Uzi?"

N's luminous expression sank, then he nodded slowly, shyly. "... Yes".

"Does she know?"

N played with his fingers, a little uncomfortable by this conversation. It was supposed to be a secret... but he thought he could talk it over with V. "Uh... I was planning to give it to her on the way to the park, before you called me."

"Oh, N." V felt guilty, immediately understanding better where N's bad mood for the past week had come from. Her attitude turned desolate, and she turned away. “I didn’t know, N. I… Damn, no wonder you were so withdrawn lately,” she mumbled. “Excuse me.” 

“What?” N’s big eyes blinked, uncomprehending, before he realized what she meant. N fidgeted, wanting to avoid a misunderstanding. “No, V, you… you don’t have to apologize! I wasn’t mad at you at all! I promise !” 

V stared at him, lost before his statement, and pointed at the ring. “But you said you were going to-” 

“I… don’t think I would have managed to do it, V. Even if I could have taken Uzi there,” N admitted, ashamed as they sat down and sighed. “I… I never have the courage. I’ve had this ring for months and I’ve been trying to…” He stopped, burying his head in his arms. “I can’t do it…” 

That was all it took for V, who joined him. “What’s the matter ?” she wanted to know, genuinely concerned. N seemed genuinely upset by this and... someway she wanted to give him some form of support.

Seeing him like that… V remembered a former little drone. A clumsy and shy Worker butler, but with a big heart, who came to fetch another drone maid with glasses from the Elliott manor. At the end of each service, he would offer her in a trembling voice the reading of a book that Tessa had given him, or a pretty flower stolen from the family cemetery accompanied by a smile full of hope… 

Alert : reading memory files. 

Nostalgic emotions triggered.

Immediate stop of reading and deletion of the emotional phase ! 

V repressed the images that played in her processors, and very quickly erased the ghost tears on her screen before N saw them. Giving a mental kick to the saddened little maid, V leaned over and placed a comforting Worker hand on his shoulder. N saw V's encouraging expression - only that, and not the overflow of sooner. Then her soft voice : 

"Talk to me, N. What's wrong ? Unless it's the purple thing that's bothering you. You know, I can scratch a little of her chassis with my claws~" She smiled, showing sharp fangs, looking predatory, even if not serious in her words to her friend. 

Well, not entirely… 

"Oh no no no, Uzi had nothing to do with it !" N shook his head sharply, before explaining, "It's just... I wonder if it's too hasty? I mean..." N rubbed his hair, uncomfortable and blushing, the screen more yellow. "I know I want to stay by Uzi's side. Always. Everything's so good between us, and Uzi's so great ! I love her. And... she does too. But..."

"But ?" repeated V.

N groaned, before confiding with a dramatic gesture , "V, we've never kissed ! Like, really! With the lips, and everything else that's done afterwards, like the anime stuff Uzi shows me-"

"Pause, N !" V silenced him with a wave of her hand, becoming embarrassed now. "I get the message, no need to be descriptive. Geez... Anyway, does it bother you ?"

"... Maybe ? I know Uzi isn't comfortable doing stuff like this : we only cuddle, and I'm always the one to initiate it - not that I'm complaining, of course ! So... I don't know. What I can do next. I don't want to make her uncomfortable. If... is it okay for her to be just like this ? And if I'm getting too carried away..."

Finally, having heard the whole story and what was bothering Disassembly - in fact this big, corny romantic didn't know how to show his love to his partner without being awkward - V nodded thoughtfully. "And you, N?"

N raised his head toward V, not understanding her question. "Hm ? What do you mean, me ?"

“What do you want ?” 

“Well... I want to make sure Uzi is happy- ouch! “N received a not hard tap on the cap by V who looked at him impatiently. "V !"

She pointed at him. "I'm talking about you, you idiot ! Your feelings about this ! What you really want."

N was lost for words, and gazed at the yellow-black tips of his metal feet, thoughtful. He... had never given much thought to what he himself, as a boyfriend, would want. To be honest, N was more concerned about Uzi's well-being than anything else. Knowing that she had long been deprived of real relationships with the other drones, N tried not to rush her. Himself was no example of sociability - having befriended stones for years ! So far, everything went so good, and they were both happy. Going slowly was the right thing to do.

... Wasn't it ?

V guessed his thoughts. Judging by N’s expression, his head was a mess - as usual. She chose her next words carefully. "If you ask me, you shouldn't hold back for fear of the others' reaction. Who knows? Maybe shorty feels the same way. Dude, go with your gut ! And if it all works out..." She pointed to the pocket containing the ring, and gave him an encouraging wink. "Well, you'll know what to do next !” 

Seeing his squadmate’s confidence, N’s doubts eased. A little. Tail wagging happily behind him, the big drone gave her a big smile. And in a move that surprised V, he gave her a huge hug, purring deeply and affectionately. 

“Thanks, V. Really. You’re a great friend !”

V’s throat tightened : at first frozen, she shyly returned his warm embrace, then buried her screen in the fur of his coat as her receptors were tingling in her emotion-filled eyes. “You’re welcome, N.” 

Before she could get too emotional, V pulled away from her friend - who seemed in much better form - before hearing Sparky chirp outside. The female Disassembly noticed that the sound of the wind had died down and stood up. As she walked towards the door, her eyes widened as she realized that night had fallen. 

The storm had finally calmed down : only a few flakes were still falling, revealing a new white landscape radiant under the light of the gas giant and the moon. 

V called N, who joined her : “N, get ready to go ! We’ll finally see what’s in this ship.”

___________________________________________________

The duo flew towards the forest clearing where V had discovered the ship.

Landing, V immediately drew her blades, vigilant and wary of the ship's surroundings. As for N... he stared at the snow-covered remains of the other Disassemblies, oil everywhere - and several pieces of metal all over the place : spikes ? - his eyes widened at the massacre. Particularly when he saw all the flesh cores, ripped out of the frames.

Crushed, perforated, shredded, pierced, incinerated... Destroyed in such a way as to prevent the Disassembly from returning in monstrous Eldritch form and rebuilding themself. It was... absolutely terrifying.

A fearful growl shook his chassis as he stared uncomprehendingly at his squadmate. "V, what happened here ?"

After her quick inspection, the Disassembly approached her shocked partner. "I've no idea. Maybe an attack from another squad ? That wouldn't really be surprising. But the ship does. Look at it." 

Prompted by V, N took a careful look. It was... just like their own ship in the Tower - exactly the same. Almost immediately, the big drone understood what had confused V, and why she'd asked him to come and check it out.

"This ship... crashed not long ago : its exterior still intact. Not dented or rusted at all. And the inside..." N glanced at V, questioning as he pointed to the capsule, and the female Disassembly nodded in permission.

The capsule was not trapped : she had made sure of that beforehand. 

N slipped inside the cockpit : once again, it looked a lot like their own ship. His hand brushed the pilot's seat, thoughtful hissing, before sitting down in it. He looked around : everything was in perfect condition. N inhaled deeply, mouth slightly open to "taste" air : the recent smell of other drones living here was present, but different from his, V or other Workers'… yet strangely familiar without being able to identify it. N frowned, perplexed :

What does that mean ?

The dashboard was undamaged by the landing : to start up, N pressed one of the countless buttons. The screens lit up, one showing the surrounding area and the status of the ship. By experience, the drone selected certain parameters: the engines were operational; the external shields were undamaged; the aircraft's mobile claws were working properly. Even the energy reserve was sufficient for take off into space !

This wasn't just a single-use missile: it had to be used again. 

V came up behind N, and pointed to the large computer that controlled the whole flying machine, and via the drone having the pilot programming.

"N, do you think you could connect to the ship to get some information ? Like where it's coming from, or data on who's been sent ?"

Symbol loading appeared on the corner of N's screen, as he pondered the implications behind the presence of this ship. Now... after everything.

It wasn’t logical, and N was quick to share his doubts with V while waiting.

"V, nothing makes sense ! I mean, why else would Disassembly be sent to Copper-9 now? After C-" Even though evoking the little and clumsy drone who had been his former little sister and tyrant was still sensitive, N strove to overcome the fear and sadness still too fresh. He took a deep breath: “Uzi destroyed Cyn’s core, and the Solver is no longer a threat… Right ?” 

V understood N’s remarks: she’d been asking herself the same questions for the past few days, not understanding either. But there was no other explanation.

“You have a point, N. But there’s only one way to be completely sure. So check it, I’ll keep an eye on the outside while you’re connected. Just to make sure the drones… whoever may have done this carnage don’t come back now.” 

Right now, N wasn’t a big fan of this plan, which consisted of V being the one taking risks, but she was right : he was the only one with the access codes to this kind of ship. That was why V had told him to come in the first place. 

I’ll have to hurry, he thought, before giving V an encouraging thumbs up. “Okay, be careful !” 

When V nodded and went out, N searched under the dashboard for the USB cable needed to connect. He fumbled until his fingers caught the long cord and then pulled it towards him. 

“Here you are… Okay, time to go !” 

N pulled up his curly silver hair until it revealed a small trap door at the bottom of his head. Pressing it, he slid it open and revealed an internal USB port : N plugged in the wire which Click ! and fell limply into the seat, screen black. Several lines of code appeared on his lifeless face, and the connection started. 

[Identification in progress…] 

[UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010. Statut : DISASSEMBLY DRONE. Fonction : pilote.]

Waiting…

Error : drone unit not recognized in JCJenson database (in spaaaaace!). 

[Synchronization failure…] 

A sudden overload inhabited N's body, as his screen displayed [synchronization failure…], due to the ship's program trying to push him away. Grimacing from the pressure in his head throw sparks, his fingers gripped the armrests tightly, his tail twitching and his body shaking. 

With difficulty, N focused on his program, searching between the lines for a specific code : if he could just… try something.

Here ! 

As suddenly as it had started, the Solver virus mixed with his own program reacted to the attack and cracked the security of the central computer : pain immediately eased. The screens flickered, briefly displaying the three-pointed symbol, before another sentence appeared :

[System reprogramming : access granted to UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N-0X0010010. Function : pilot] 

Then everything calmed down, when N regained consciousness and breathed heavily. He exhaled long, throwing his dizzy head back and sweating. He raised an arm victorious before his success and grinned. 

“Ooof… That was intense.” N had a soft thought towards Uzi : answering his question, she had explained to him how to hack files to watch her anime series, games and scans of manga - an expert in that field.

Notably, his girlfriend had bragged to him about how she'd managed to hack the Solver program to steal the main access from Cyn, saving him and V from lobotomy. N was even more in awe of Uzi's intelligence and ingenuity : it had saved his life before... and still does. 

A loving smile settled on his face, and N promised himself to thank Uzi later.

"Come on... let's see what these files tell us..." Not at all perturbed at having almost suffered a widespread system failure, N hastily rummaged through the ship's multitude of data, sorting out what V had asked him to look for : the ship's passengers, and where it was coming from.

___________________________________________________

Outside, V made sure nothing approached the ship. She had changed one of her blades for a submachine gun, surveying the forest with her thermal and infrared vision. Danger could come at any moment, lurking in the darkness. Sparky was not far away, conducting his own patrol on the other side.

V wasn't comfortable being out here. This place... looked too much like Camp 98.7. The same immense thorny trees, hiding whatever beast was burrowing in. Her audials could still hear the deranged laughter in the sky, accompanied by the frightened cries of drones being blown to pieces one by one. Where she'd almost been killed... V couldn't remember when she'd been so scared, at that twisted smile and the purple Solver symbol - Uzi - pinning her down and, holding her own severed yellow acid canister, preparing to deliver the fatal strike.

Concentrate on the present ! V shook off the disturbing memories of the past year. That was in the past, and Uzi was her friend ! The little drone wasn't even there. 

V grumbled for letting herself get distracted. Really, the sooner the team left, the sooner they'd be safely back at the Tower. N just had to finish his checks. 

Until now, nothing has happened. No suspicious movement, no enemy suddenly appearing.

All was quiet.

... Too quiet.

V fidgeted, anxiously raising her weapons. Her sixth sense, developed in her and any Disassembly, warned her of a presence. Someone was watching her: Worker ? Disassembly ? 

With cautious steps, V advanced to the edge of the pines, weapons ready and her acid-filled tail arcing forward.

A few paces from her, towards the treetops. At the same moment, a cloud passing overhead parted, allowing the glow of the planets to illuminate the wooded area. In the foliage, a light between the branches caught her eye. It moved slightly, hiding.

There is it.

And V raised the barrel of her gun, a smirk on her face, ready to fire at the threat... until her Sentinel shouted in alarm behind her.

V turned, burning yellow X on her screen to face ennemy… she gasped in pain. Her hollow eyes looked down at the viral spike stuck in the silicone of her vulnerable belly. Behind the alarm symbol [!] that had gone off, the drone in front of her appeared out of nowhere. A female drone, judging by this silhouette identical to her own, except for her Worker-reinforced legs and brown hair. But more horrifying was her face, and V's eyes trembled at the symbol.

Solver.

An icy inversed Y invaded this screen, then two emotionless blue eyes as the strange drone removed the cannon from her abdomen. When she spoke, her voice was cold and carried a strange accent.

"Welp, I thought we'd gotten rid of the vermin in the sector, but I guess I was wrong.”

Alert : Virus detected !

Firewall failure ! Virus download in progress...

Critical system corruption of UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION V-X00100000 ! 

Virus download : 1%...

Virus download : 5%...

"WwWha-h-O0" 

Unable to pronounce one word, V felt strength desert her. Gradually, her entire screen was covered with windows of affected programs, blinding V. Error ! kept popping up. 

V collapsed on the snow, shaking violently as her claws scratched her frame in a desperate attempt to remove the spike. The smell of oil came from the deep wounds she had inflicted, unable to heal. 

She was dying…

Virus download: 17%...

Virus download: 23%...

Her Sentinel roared with rage ; detonations rang out. In the distance, N shouted her name...

He had to get out of this death trap she had led them into. Her mouth twitched, although V was unable to utter a comprehensible word :

N, run away…

Chapter Text

This isn't a chapter, but I wanted to thank everyone watching this story so far. 

Thank you all for reading. From the bottom of my heart. I wanted to share SOFT with other people what I imagined to be a future AU, and maybe make them appreciate this universe, allow them to continue the series beyond its end. Like other authors do with passion and love. I would never claim to do as well as some I read, but they have inspired me to try.

I only started writing fan fiction a little over a year ago. And I stopped for a long time due to lack of interest. I didn't pick it up again until November, after Murder Drones had finished, and as I read other MD stories, it just clicked in my mind "I want to try again !" 

My main fear, which remains to this day, is that English not being my first language, I can't write properly. Or that my phrasing/vocabulary wasn't right. I corrected myself as best I could, but I still have this fear of not doing well enough. I can, however, promise to do my best and to be as serious as possible when writing ^_^.

Thank you again for reading this far. 

... Now I'd like to offer some information as a sort of thank-you gifts ;)

Plot points ! (no real spoilers, but if you prefer to keep the plot a secret, skip the paragraph section -oOo-):

-oOo-

. SOFT focuses mainly on the characters' post-series evolution : Uzi with her goddess-like powers, N and V integrating into Worker society, relationships and world-building. There will be ANGST, mainly, and ROMANCE (of course :3 nuzi and vhad forever~). Adventure and fight won't be my priority, except when it serves the plot , and the story will be a lot around relationships.

(Warning : Slight spoilers) Now, I fully intend to use as many cannon characters as possible, and by that I mean, ALL those who had a big impact in the series MD. For the moment, I'm avoiding tagging them. So~ Let's just say you might be seeing some of them again soon... I've already slipped a few light references into chapters ;) That was a slight spoiler gift. Each of them will get a character development (yes, even you J, you'll get one !).

. As for NUZI and VHAD, I have some plans in mind. I confess I've never really written romance, but I think I've read enough of it to try and write fluffy chapters :3 maybe more~ In any case, relationship development is a key point in the story, more than the resolution of the mysteries and trials to come. Each will need the other to grow, to overcome their traumas (no, they won't make it on their own like invulnerable heroes, and it doesn't go well when they try) not aimed at anyone in particular.

. After the SOFT series, I might consider writing a sequel. I've already got a lot of work on the current one, so it won't be right now. But later, who knows... However, this one won't focus on the main characters, but on the chil- *cough. I'll also be writing small one-shots later, whether pre-series or post-series. 100% character relationship development.

. Last point : I can't promise, but occasionally I'll try to insert drawings from the story. Or if I can't, to link via Tumblr. I like to illustrate characters or a few scenes, so I'm tempted to try here ^^ Whether from the Murder Drones series or SOFT.

-oOo- 

Well, I finish here : I really wanted to thank you (again !) : your nice comments and kudos are really encouraging ^^, and I'll see you next time ! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. If I can, I'll write a message ;)

Bye bye ! ADD.

Chapter Text

Outside Sparky's shrill cry, then the sound of gunfire, immediately alerted N which stopping his search - turning off screens. He abruptly ripped the plug from his head, ignoring the sharp pain and rushing to the exit. 

"V !" He shouted his friend's name, looking for her on all sides at once, until his yellow cameras zoomed to the side and spotted her further away. 

Collapsed on the ground. 

N spread his sharp wings, replacing his hands with blades ; he flew with a furious roar against the drone that was dodging Sparky's attacks. The Sentinel held the Disassembly arm in its maw, changed into a pistol that was aimed at the drone. The drone protected herself behind a huge pair of metal wings - almost similar to those of the Disassembly, but equipped with several rows of small sharpened feathers. 

"Bloody beast..." She grimaced under the repeated impacts, one of which made her swear as the drone held her bleeding abdomen - hit - before changing her arm for her own pistol and fired a volley of bullets at the metal reptile that dodged it. " Imma rip you !" 

Focused only on the Sentinel that was harassing her, the opponent did not see the danger rushing behind her. Until N arrived at her height, furious gaze burning. He raised his sword, ready to decapitate the drone that finally detected him and turned to see N, shocked. But before delivering the final stroke, an alarm “Danger: missile approaching!” warned N, who moved aside in time: a missile crashed between them, then exploded in the snow. 

The blast threw N beside V, unconscious. Ignoring the alarms and his own flank burns, painless to any other damage his nanites were already healing, the big drone crouched beside her. He checked that V hadn't been hit by the missile: fortunately, the cloud of snow raised by the explosion hid them from the attackers. But they were not far away.

V and him couldn't stay there. 

“Hold on V, I’m here,” he mumbled softly, reassuring her; his eyes widened as he saw the viral component, downloaded at 53%. And continued to climb. Very bad memories… 

The nail had been driven in deep; V had lacerated herself without succeeding in pulling it out, and her wounds were bleeding profusely. He absolutely had to get it off her. This thing... it was going to kill her if he didn't do something immediately. 

But not here. 

N made up his mind and easily lifted V into his arms : she was hot up against him. She whimpered, seeming to acknowledge his presence despite her buggy screen. V turned towards him, gripping his coat tightly. She looked like she was in pain, all trembling, her tail dragging weakly on the ground and her mouth twisting as if to say something. 

"N-nn! W-@1c/uTS-01-S0L-✓& R !" V hissed, but the virus was parasitizing her synthesizer, preventing N from understanding her, or for her to send him a message, although he sensed her panic.

N tried to reassure her, but tensed as the angry voices of their enemies sounded nearby. That woman drone who had injured V snapped a few meters away :

"Damn it, Hans! You bastard, I was there: you could have blown me up!

"That Disassembly was one hair away from having you. You'd better thank me !" A new voice - a man - approached. A body crashed not far from their position, and N backed slowly toward the woods.

"I've lost them : where are those two drones ?" the female stranger snarled, her shadow waving to clear the fog, before crying out, "Watch out, their damn creature's coming at it again !"

A loud roar from Sparky, then the stunning flash was projected onto the drones to try neutralize them : this was N's signal to take flight. 

He flew at full speed with V towards the trees to hide. His gravity engines howled, the large drone hurtling through the forest, not checking behind to put as much distance as possible between these strange drones and them. Far behind them, there were more gunshots, and curses from the two drones followed by bestial cries : Sparky was covering them.

For how long ? 

N couldn't help the Sentinel : V needed him urgently and to hide her. Thousands of questions raced through his head: the files N had downloaded were still being decoded, but he was sure that the two drones who attacked them in the clearing were the ones sent to the ship. Their appearance resembled Disassembly, but neither was sending back the same signals. Like their scent... N swore he'd smelled it once. But... there was no time for answers. 

V had to be saved right away, and they had to leave.

When they had moved far enough away - at least, their assailants didn't seem to have followed them - N gently placed V on the snow-covered ground, which immediately vaporized beneath her back. Watching her anxiously, his five other eyes monitored the perimeter from all angles. Checking the bolt's surface, N winced as the virus downloaded to 90% : V was less responsive to his hand wrapping around her shoulder. Not good, but N tried not to panic. He just had to free her from this thing to slow down the process.

"Almost done, V. I'm going to take this off you right now !" N changed his hand to a wrench with same shape as the spike.

As Uzi had done for him, N extirpated this horror from his friend's body - even though it wouldn't completely solve the problem, the virus was still in her system. He wound up the screw, which creaked in her body and made V struggle weakly. N apologized profusely, his screen beaded with sweat and continued until it came loose after several manipulations - and the viral download stopped at 96%. N threw it away, then checked V, now motionless and the screen black. 

Don't panic : as long as the virus wasn't cleaned from her system, she'd stay in shutdown to protect herself, N tried to think, even though his hands were shaking with fear for his friend. Unlike Uzi at the time, who by habit always kept a USB key containing several software and antivirus programs of her own, N had none of these.

N groaned softly, clenching his fists in his lap : he didn't know what more he could do to help her. The drone felt so useless and swallowed his tears painfully.

It was... It was his fault, isn't it ? N shouldn't have left her alone. "V..."

Before he could think of doing anything else, the optical sensors on N's head detected a stealthy forward movement. The air suddenly whistled, then N saw several projectiles hurled in their direction. He only had time to move his wings slightly to block a few that fell to the ground, but points pierced his wings and one hit N in the leg and sent him staggering, under the shoulder and one arm. The large drone grunted in discomfort, and tore off spike lodged in his leg. Oil spurted from the wound, before his system healed it, while N looked at the sharp silver metal - a sort of dagger-shaped feather. As N disposed of the other two, a large figure fell from the trees. N growled furiously at the stranger, raising his tail already dripping yellow acid to the ground and aimed a missile launcher at his new opponent. He stepped between V and it, preventing them from reaching her. 

“You better give up, kid, and surrender while I ask,” The large figure tucked their strange wings into them back and approached the two Disassembly. 

N froze, recognizing that voice : this drone… it’s the same one from last time ! he realized. 

Oddly, his deep voice was surprisingly young - barely older than N - despite his general appearance, slovenly and exhausted. Beneath a fringe of long gray hairs tied up in a quilt, a pair of green eyes gazed indifferently - even boredly - at the two Disassembly Drones he had trapped. A metal ring similar to his own buzzed beneath his kepi, but adorned with a single green glow aimed at them. 

Draped in a military cloak beneath his cape, he was taller than N, towering over him by half a head - adding to his matching cap. Although he appeared relaxed and unguarded, he gave off an aura of strength that N had felt even in his Primary Program… and which made him seem weaker. 

N was certain : this guy was dangerous. Maybe more than the others. And that unnerving feeling continued to warn him : threat ! threat ! threat ! His core drummed in his chest, stirring. Why was the feeling of his presence so familiar ?! 

His arm, transformed into a missile launcher, trembled before his vision. He had him in his sights, Target Locked ! screen displayed : the impulse commanded him to fire immediately. On the contrary, his instinct paralyzed him on the spot, as the stranger waited at a distance - curiously. As if this drone soldier expected N to obey him.

I've got to get out of here with V ! N had to make a decision right away. It was too risky to engage him in combat. But that drone looked heavier. Maybe if he flew fast enough, N would catch V and lose him like the others...

Suddenly, all N's vision was obscured by the drone's large body now in front of him, green sparks fading around him : he teleported ?! N panicked and tried to move back towards V... before he felt an electric shock - almost painful - in his back, near the core, which spread throughout his body.

Alert : critical frame damage detected ! Impaired regenerative functions.

Presence of paralytic substance in the frame. Significant loss of motor functions !

N barely had time to understand this warning before his legs fell out from under him and his arms collapsed. He couldn't get up, or move his weapon. Next, N saw the toxic green glow of the sting of the large drone's previously hidden tail, mingled with a misshapen body of flesh whose twisted, slobbering maw closed around his poison-filled emerald cartridge - as if a reptile's head had fused badly onto it. This thing... it was almost like...

Like Uzi's Solver appearance… 

Completely paralyzed and terrified, N could only look at the screen of the drone above him - and the green Solver symbol that flashed. Suddenly, N understood where this impression came from : very similar to that of a Solver drone, like Doll or Uzi’s scent (although the latter was rather reassuring than frightening), and this terror that the Absolute Solver had inspired in him to its glory. 

“Too bad, kid… You should have surrendered : I wouldn’t have had to do it.” His apology could have been sincere, if his attacker hadn’t smiled like that in a completely deranged way - it only lasted a short moment. 

Unable to move, N could not stop the drone from dragging him by his coat, with V also stiff and inert, to return to the clearing they had fled. As they advanced, N’s worry only grew : what was going to happen to them ? Would they end up… like the other Disassemblies before them? 

But if they just wanted to kill us… why spare us and just take us prisoner ? thought N. If only he hadn’t hesitated to shoot… again. Or if he had immediately fled with V. 

Back to the ship, V and he were thrown like trash at the feet of the other two squadmates : the drone that N hadn’t seen yet, - Hans, he thought - a smaller drone with a short blond wig, dressed in a red aviator’s parka, his gaze as white as the oldest generations of Worker Drones. 

Then he looked at his comrade, who was standing back. 

“Michael, why haven’t you finished off those two? We have a job to do, remember ?” 

Michael rolled his eyes, as if he had just said something stupid. “They’re not just any drones we came across : better to keep them alive for now.” Then he looked at the third member of their squad, who was grimacing at a bullet lodged in her stomach. Then he asked coldly: “Are you dying, boss?” 

Snatching the metal bullet with surgical forceps replacing her hand, in a sucking sound. Then the squad leader - in uniform that looked strangely like what J was dressing - dusted off her commander’s outfit and glanced at Michael: “Hilarious, lieutenant. I knocked that big beast out for a long time,” she growled, pointing to the inert form of Sparky further - destroyed ? knock out ? N couldn't say. The Sentinel was no longer moving at all, and its once-red sensors were off. 

Once she was clean enough, the drone came to stand over Michael, pressing an accusatory finger against him. "What the hell have you been doing for the last week ?! We got stuck in this storm waiting for you, in a lab warehouse before we could get back, and find those meddlers !” 

Michael didn’t flinch at her icy accusing eyes. “The same thing as you, Nova : blizzard,” before adding in a low voice, which N barely heard - not that I could go anywhere else. Michael looked at his chief and showed her the USB key, which the missing Dev had given him, N remembered. “I have what you wanted : a map of the lab, Zone 51-bis, and the access codes to the structure. We can enter now. As for those two…” Michael pointed at N and V, as if he had just remembered they were here. “They might interest you. Your bosses… had identified them for us as important targets once we landed on this planet.” 

N’s eyes widened in apprehension : what was he talking about. He and V were important targets ? For whom ? What did those drones want with them ? Why… not finish them off ? Of course, being alive - for now - was more enjoyable than being - well - dead, but N didn’t know what they wanted from them. Not that they would tell him if N asked nicely… or would they ? 

No, stop N, this is not the time to be stupid! He reasoned, seeking to fight against this paralyzing agent that was always acting. 

Presence of paralyzing substance in the frame. Significant loss of motor functions !

After the revelation of this Michael, the drone Nova looking interested - N did not appreciate the glint in her gaze, going from indifference to unhealthy interest in a second. It did not seem to be good news for V and him. 

“Really ?” She leaned forward to get a better look at them, remaining silent for a few seconds. Then her eyes narrowed before she spoke again : “ Serial Designation N and V… What a surprise it is.” Then she gave a curt nod to the team’s largest drone. “Good job, Michael.” 

The male drone didn’t answer. Taking his chance, N caught the group’s attention - lucky, his mouth wasn’t paralyzed by the venom : “Excuse me ma’am, but how do you know our names ?” By engaging in conversation, N thought he’d convince them that they weren’t a threat and keep them busy enough until his system eliminated the poison from his body… 

At least, he hoped so, because N couldn’t do anything else to save them both. And V who was still unconscious… If they decided to eliminate them right away, he wouldn’t be able to do anything. While he was at it, he’d try to gather some useful information… 

“Oh, we know you Disassembly Drones very well,” Nova spoke to him - again, she looked at him like some kind of disgusting insect, or a pest. “Your rampage on Earth System and the other exoplanets - Proxima System and Plat-Binary System - has caused nearly everything to become extinct. You were programmed to annihilate, to serve under the orders of the AI that currently controls the Host drone.” 

“The Host… drone. You mean Cyn, right?” N asked cautiously. So that's what they were looking for. The reason still eluded him, but when she mentioned the Host of the Absolute Solver… something bad in the tone Nova used about it warned N not to mention Uzi - the actual Host. 

For her safe. 

First time this week, N was actually relieved that Uzi hadn’t come with them. 

Fortunately, the drone didn’t seem to suspect his lie, at least this time. “...Indeed.” She thought for a moment, before pointing at V and him : “But among all the drones she infected, we are actively looking for those from the first wave. And they all come from one place : the Elliott Manor must tell you something, right ?” 

This person frightened N more than J ever had. Clearly, she was informed about them : denying her question would be useless. N answered : “That was where I- where V, J and myself worked, like other domestic Drone Workers.” 

“With Cyn.” Nova's voice hardened, and her eyes flared with violent emotion, as if shattering the ice in her gaze with her fury. Before she could catch herself, she continued without letting anything show. “Listen carefully, Serial Designation N : the main reason that keeps me from destroying you both is that we are trying to locate Host Cyn, whose most recent position indicated Copper-9. And that was several months ago. But look around us…” 

Nova pointed at the entire expanse of snow and forest, as if to emphasize her next point : “The planet is still intact !” 

“And…isn’t that a good thing?” N blinked his yellow eyes, not understanding the problem. 

“Everytime that thing came, it was only a matter of hours before a world was completely devoured. But this time, none of that, except for this gaping hole through that icy rock.” Nova's expression changed, suspicious towards N. “Why?” 

“Uh…” N had to find a good excuse. It didn’t matter if it was Uzi or Cyn, it wasn’t a good idea to tell them about this battle... and its final conclusion.

Before he could think of an answer, a message suddenly appeared in his vision (thank goodness the paralyzer was still working, he would have jumped). It come from V ! N realized, stopping himself from looking at her at the last moment so as not to arouse suspicion. She must always hear them… somehow, giving him some relief.

Not so much her warning : “don’t tell anything,” only written down. But it was enough for him to half-answer their opponents : “All I know is Cyn hasn't appeared in a long time. I swear. Maybe… she just disappeared.” 

He met Nova’s burning gaze - well, as best he could - while lying on the ground in the snow and unable to move even the tip of his tail. But from the face the squad leader was making, she didn’t seem to trust one word of his semi-truth. 

Was he sweating on his screen ? N would swear he was… 

“So even Cyn’s hounds don’t know… How unfortunate.” She said, emotionless. Then a wide, cruel smile - like the ones J reserved for N when she planned to beat him badly - came on her face. “You know, I’m glad you answered that. I would have been disappointed that you cooperated so easily.” 

“Nova…” For the first time in a while, Michael seemed to react. He looked… disapproving, though Nova dismissed his intervention with an angry wave of her hand. 

“Why would it bother you, Michael ? Do I have to remind you of what these things did to us? Do you need me to repeat it ?” Nova’s hateful expression made her teammate back away. 

Before stepping aside while she brutally held over N, Michael gave him a pity look. And almost… apology. Hans didn’t move, letting it happen. N really didn’t like where everything was going, especially when Nova grabbed a long cable from her pocket. 

A new message was sent by V :

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : what's going on, n ?, seeming anxious at hearing this commotion and seeing nothing.

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000) : they were arguing. v...

N thought he knew what was going on, as the drone manipulated her torso and opened it, revealing the blue glow of her core. 

N's yellow eyes widened in horror as Nova did the same to him, pulling back the front of his coat, then removing the black glass plate : the icy air hit his burning core of flesh and metal, which twitched in an involuntary spasm.

She'd do it... N understood the big drone's disapproval better. It was... wrong. His insides twisted with fear, as V continued to call out to N, worried by his sudden silence.

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000) : v, i think she wants to see my memory-files... by linking to my core.

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : what ?!

"Kid, this is your last chance to confess," Although Nova glanced unkindly at his squadmate and Hans sighed, Michael ignored them and continued : "You’ll not suffer needlessly. She'll eventually find out if you're hiding anything by looking in your core. And there's nothing pleasant about that. So if there's something you're hiding, you'd better tell us. Now."

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) :  n they're not bluffing.

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT V-X00100000) : v, i can't let them know about uzi, N panicked, now deathly afraid of what would happen to them, and especially to Uzi if he let the drones do this.

But N swore to himself : Uzi, I promise to protect you, and that gave him courage, before Nova approached the connector to a USB port driven in the wet flesh.

He couldn't help but grimaced, his eyes hollowing at the repulsive contact that sought to force its way in, producing unpleasant noises and notching the inside. Bad ! Hurt me ! I'm scared ! Threat ! I'm scared ! Help me please ! screamed his mind and N's breathing quickened in panic. He preferred not to look anymore, so as not to have to see what was happening. But even if it hurt and he trembled with terror... N would hold on.

For Uzi.

Then a searing pain shot through his chest, and N screamed.

"AAAAARGH !!!"

Chapter Text

N had never experienced such violent pain. Even when his torso had been sawed open, his limbs severed many times, or his head torn off… 

His first attempt was to fight back, preventing Nova from progressing : N was pushed by a mental slap and forcing him to retreat. Then other sensations tore him apart : those of his program - his soul - completely destroyed in the search for his memories. His codes were mercilessly torn from their line, and each file opened by force then crushed; nothing was spared by this invasion. Each act made him scream louder, and his screams could be heard for kilometers. 

“Stop! Stop it! Leave me alone, please!” He cried, without being heard by anyone. 

Only V tried to comfort him, but N paid no attention to her messages, being in too much pain to notice.

His core was hurting horribly, even worse than the overheating: if the drone could, he would struggle. The only signs of his distress were his pleas - ignored by the evil-doers - his hollow, revolting eyes and his foaming mouth from which oil flowed, so much he bit his tongue with his fangs and scattered everywhere in his screams.

Even J, at her worst days, had never gone so far as to hurt him. It was so bad that N almost fell to a shutdown, but a jolt of pain brought him back every time.

"What a mess... where do you hide your memories of Cyn?" The Nova drone didn't care about the consequences of her passage as she battered her agonized victim's system, searching his files for the slightest trace of the Host.

Despite the haze of suffering, N wasn't making it easy for her. He strove to keep every image of Uzi far away from his persecutor's merciless clutches. In the best defense of his firewall, at the heart of his Primary Program, he kept every element concerning her. Yet, if Nova had been paying attention to his thoughts buzzing around her, she would have heard her name - Uzi - repeated over and over again. To resist - anything for her. 

Any torture for Uzi, N repeated himself, before letting out other more horrible cries in a new more brutal effort from Nova. 

"Stop slowing me down and give up, you brat!" raged the drone Solver, who delivered a particularly powerful punch to N's face, so much so that his screen cracked, and covered her knuckles with a disgusting mixture of saliva and oil.

The impact stunned poor Disassembly, enough for Nova to approach the solid firewall of his Primary Program. And where he had transferred everything connected with Uzi as quickly as possible. Every memory of her, every images, videos and pictures he'd taken without her knowledge, from the moment he'd met her to the night of their separation earlier that week.

And, of course, the secret of her true identity - the Host of the Absolute Solver.

After many long and tiring minutes, Nova dug deeper and finally came close to the border, which piqued her interest as she discovered this unexplored program area. 

No! N panicked and quickly deployed his last bit of strength to pull her back. He diverted all the power of his processors, already badly damaged, and fortified the wall to make it more resistant, more ferocious.

"Uuuurgh!!! Dammit!" This time, Nova was forced to back away from the firewall's menacing fangs. The snap of its digital jaw shook her, not expecting such a retort when the drone beneath her was so weakened.

Enraged gaze met his, which, despite circles of stress and his hollow eyes, shone with defiance.You won't pass, no matter what, I'll stop you from going further, was written on N's face. A heavy growl came from his throat, weak but deep. 

Nova furrowed her pixelated blue eyebrows, irritated by this show of strength, but guessing that he was desperate to keep her away. So what she was looking for was necessarily behind this fortification. "Try everything you want, but I'll end up knowing what you're keeping secret!" 

From that moment on, it was a fierce struggle that began between the two of them. Even though N had the impression that each Nova's attack killed him, then returned in a vicious loop, the Disassembly fought back more savagely, his firewall hitting and biting like an extension of himself. 

Above, the drone was losing patience; she was no longer progressing and, to her frustration, N was managing to shake Nova’s own program. More and more effective in making her retreat. Anger overwhelmed Nova; suddenly, she stood up - tearing the cable just as quickly made him scream again. 

Bzzzzzt !

An electrical noise drew his exhausted gaze upwards, and the Solver drone who had replaced her hand with a taser. Her blue eyes were filled with evil intentions, as Nova loaded her weapon. And her voice became sinister as she spoke: 

“You wanted it: if you want so much to suffer, Disassembly, you will be served!” 

Then, with a quick movement, she planted the electric spikes right into N’s core. 

None of the previous screams were as piercing, and despite the poison, N's body arched under the shock. It was even worse than before, the shock shaking his soul and reaching deep into him. Then Nova withdrew. N's consciousness wavered, trying to recover as he moaned pitifully, before the drone began again, doubling the electrical power each time. 

Again. 

And again. 

And again…

A terrible smell of burning flesh and hot metal began to rise in the air. After several minutes, N's screams weakened, barely able to stay awake. Everything became numb, even the pain. His vision was clouded and he could barely make out his surroundings, but as he waited for Nova's next strike, one of the group members approached, then grabbed her arm as she was about to repeat. 

"Nova, he's going to die if you don't stop," Michael warned, showing his superior N's deplorable state. "How he is now, you won't have any trouble accessing the files anymore." 

On the verge of unconsciousness, N didn't even have the strength to mount his defense again as firmly. The critical damage to N’s core had severely damaged his firewall, and his programs were using more power to repair his vital components. This time, Nova would have no trouble bringing down his wall, as she brought the cable closer to his USB port again. 

Uzi… 

He had failed. They would know about Uzi: N was unable to protect her. None of his decisions had been the right ones: it had gotten them captured, V and him. He had failed to slow their attackers, or cure the poison.

He was… useless. And that realization hurt him more than anything Nova had done. Or J's words to N.

It broke him. 

Uzi, I'm so sorry, N apologized sadly, waiting helplessly for his tormentor to reconnect to her core with his own. 

But it didn't happen. 

There was a deafening noise of static, and a blinding purple flash illuminated the clearing. N weakly looked over Nova's shoulder, who had stopped, and met a familiar yellow-purple gaze - worry, anger, hatred, rage, fear- that lit up with all those emotions as she saw him. 

It couldn't be… She couldn't be there. But she was. Why? How?  “U-Uzi?”

No, she shouldn't have... If Uzi got caught...

“N!!!” Uzi shouted, and as soon as he heard his girlfriend call him, N lost consciousness. 

Not until he had one last thought for Uzi, as his vision faded with her: Be careful… I love you.

___________________________________________________

Uzi had heard him call, in the distance. Prisoner of the blizzard, as her wings gave way and she began to fall inexorably through the air, unable to fly and frozen. Suddenly, weak words, like whispering to her audials, had invaded her: 

Bad! Hurt me! I'm scared! Threat! I'm scared! Help me please! 

She realized : It's N, can I... hear him? Uzi was surprised at first to recognize him, without understanding how he did it, even though it didn't look like a message. Then she suddenly reacted : He's calling me! N needs me! 

It was as if Uzi was back in that nightmare. Exactly the same: N who was screaming, tortured and wounded. Who was calling for help and begging. Unreachable… Him, that golden retriever robot who always laughed for anything, his huge puppy smile and full of warmth… in danger. 

Or worse… 

That vision awakened something in Uzi. The light of her eyes blazed with a destructive energy, more intense than any star. Which poured into her dead wings, and the teenager stood up to glide. Filled with all this force. 

Nothing would stop her on her way: no one would take away the only light of her life! She would destroy the threat, even if it was a being worse than the Devil! 

Well said, girl !

Oddly, an incredible calm invaded her, while around Uzi, the raging elements slowed down, until they froze. The atmosphere was now of a deathly silence, while Uzi raised an arm in front of her, guided by a mysterious instinct - but not possessed: she was still in full control. Her core throbbed, stimulated by the power that accumulated in her system, while a new series of codes was written on her screen: 

WDID UZI : host_absolute_Solver 

>_[translate]_reconfiguration=[teleport]: SUCCESS 

[Research coordinates UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N…] 

> Unit drone localized: SUCESS 

>_use_[teleport]_(=>to UNIT SERIAL DESIGNATION N): SUCESS 

In front of Uzi, a huge purple Solver symbol appeared, which his system identified as [teleport], and tore through space. 

"N, I'm coming!" Without the slightest hesitation, the young drone dove into it and disappeared in a flash… 

…to reappear in a foreign place. 

There was no blizzard, only the clear night sky lighting up the forest around, lots of snow in the clearing where a ship had crashed. But the first thing Uzi saw was the dull and painful look of N. 

Who seemed to slightly illuminate as he looked at her. “U-Uzi?” Uzi heard him weakly pronounce her name, and all the calm that had invaded Uzi earlier was replaced by an overflow of emotions. 

“N!!!” She cried, horrified to see all the damage on N’s frame. 

Be careful… I love you.

N’s expression faded, and her boyfriend’s screen went black. That was all it took for Uzi to land next to N. And the drone above him screamed as a huge claw of flesh and metal crushed her against the metal of the ship. 

Uzi didn't even pay attention to her blows against the limb that had grown with cracking sounds on her back - without her noticing. She was focused only on N, her huge eyes seeing only his wounds, which she lightly brushed with her hand. 

Still alive, he was barely breathing. His charred and smoking core, exposed, barely emitted a faint yellow glow in his chest. The glow of the nanites was slowly repairing the damage that had been inflicted on him. 

By the three drones around them. 

None of them - except the one Uzi held - had moved, too shocked by her sudden appearance. She slowly raised her head, in measured slowness, and looked at each other - the tall soldier, the one with the red coat, and the one in the uniform she had trapped. Uzi saw V not far away, also injured and unconscious in the snow. Her anger swelled, to the point of almost overflowing and she spat angrily between her teeth: 

“You bastards… I swear I’ll make you pay for this.” The teenager’s tone was low and serious, like a snarling growl that echoed through space. Her own tail hissed with fury, its spikes bristling and its fangs bare against her opponents, promising a terrible fate. 

Oh yes, she would make them suffer… as much as they had done to her companions. To N… 

Under the emotional overload, her screen changed constantly, sliding between the Solver symbol and burning X. Uzi's thoughts accelerated, filling her, as her reason was gradually swallowed up. 

Gonna to kill them gonna to kill them gonna to kill them-

It wasn't like before, when the Solver controlled her. It was all of her, all of that anger and bloodlust: only Uzi. Her own thoughts, which revolved around a single goal: death. 

And an evil laugh left the twisted smile on her face. 

The drone trapped under her claw, finally managing to free one of her arms, turned it into a blade and cut off the limb with one blow. Uzi checked the cut, not flinching as the stump spitting oil, already regenerating. Her smile intensified as other claws cracked in her back, then the bristling white tentacles snapped in the air.

Towards the enemy. 

Catch! 

“Damn!” The female drone barely moved away from the sharp limb that tried to impale her, as she returned to her companions. 

“Come back!” Uzi wanted to catch her and sent immediately [translate] to her, but her silhouette glitched slightly, escaping her and, to her great surprise, a message appeared immediately: 

Alert: 

--//ERROR absoluteSolver_trn

[like object non-interactive] 

Oh?

Uzi's cross blinked in surprise, her hilarity subsiding a little. This... were these other Solver-infected drones? Like her before? Uzi frowned, annoyed: wasn't expecting that...

Then gunshots brought her out of her contemplation, sent by the big military drone that had pulled himself together, forcing Uzi to wrap her wings around herself. Several bullets hit right, exploding claws and tentacles that grew back very quickly. There was no time to think, which reminded Uzi of her mission: to crush these insects. 

Behind her wings, her smile grew a little wider... Briefly, X on screen changed into a Solver symbol, then back again. She would gladly tear them apart with her bare hands. It was going to be a massacre: Uzi would make sure of that.

It didn't matter that they had the program: she was God with the real power.

For the second time, Uzi used her newly-acquired [teleport]: her form faded in a violet flash, then she found herself meters away, behind the shooter's back, who flinched as she disappeared. 

So he'd be the first.

"Damn Michael, behind-!" Not far away, the female Solver drone tried to warn her squadmate, but not fast enough.

When "Michael" turned as he heard the air buzzing behind him, his surprised expression disappeared as [null] was hurled at his face, taking a large chunk of body all the way to his hips. Collapsing lifelessly, Uzi burst out laughing at the horrified faces of the rest of the team. 

She’d have to be slower for the next one, it wasn’t as much fun anymore. 

Now… who was going to be next? 

Decision didn’t have to be made: together, the two surviving drones rushed at Uzi, the redcoat arming himself to aim a missile straight at her and the other disappearing before reappearing in her blind spot. The teenager easily dodged the bomb, which exploded harmlessly behind her, and smoothly avoided the drone woman’s sword that was aimed at her core and only tore a sleeve. Predictable. 

Uzi sent a claw to stab the side of her opponent : the force of her blow pierced the woman’s frame and made her crash further away. The drone collapsed, groaning and bleeding, badly hit and spitting oil. 

“Nova!” The other drone with the red wash flew towards this Nova, while Uzi cackled even louder. 

It’s fun, fun, fun! More, more, I’m hungry, more, kill them, it’s fun, I’m hungry ! 

Without giving them a moment's respite, Uzi pounced on them at full speed, while the male drone tried to raise his partner, worrying. She saw Uzi's assault, practically on them, and warned him.

"Hans, dodge !"

Drone "Hans" turned - she was near to grab them - and sent another missile at Uzi. Straight for her core.

This time, she had no choice but to use [translate] to protect herself, and the blast sent her reeling backwards. Uzi held on with her claws, which sank like butter into the hard permafrost and maintained her upright. 

Uzi glared at the two drones, which had also been thrown further and separated. It was time to end it all. 

She felt so hungry now...

Uzi's wings catapulted her high into the sky, hovering over the clearing and the trees like an avenging demon. Then she landed heavily on the red-jacketed drone, who screamed as he felt her boots crush his torso. Before he could arm another missile, Uzi's sharp tentacles pinned his arms to the ground, preventing her prey from moving.

"Hans!" Drone Nova flew towards them to interpose, but too recklessly: Uzi's watching tail whistled at her approach, allowing her to see attacker coming through its extra eyes. 

Once in her reach, Uzi caught that Nova with one of her metal claws, which dug into her shoulder blade and pinned her to the ground. The Solver drone swore and struggled: Uzi crushed the limb more fiercely in the joint that she felt dislocated, making the drone scream. But she didn't kill her. 

Not so quick. 

Her smile returned, cruel and evil as she looked at the two drones on the ground and at her mercy. She laughed darkly, the X on her screen changing to show her merciless eyes: "Now, it's your turn to suffer" then returned as before. 

Uzi looked at Hans, still held helpless under her boot. His panicked white gaze reflected the purest, most total terror... Somehow, it reminded Uzi not so old memory, more horrifying, but her mind was more disturbed because of this strange hunger that invaded her. 

She had used so much of her power and effort to get here. Uzi was so hot, especially her core: if she checked her oil supply, it would probably be low. Her stomach felt like a bottomless pit, begging to be soothed. She needed to eat something, anything before she could continue any further… then a dark thought, whispered by a twisted voice deep in her mind, whispered to her:

Assimilate them, become stronger, you have to feed them, they are enemies, eat eat eat! 

It was like being in a trance; Uzi leaned towards the drone without hesitation, ignoring his pleas and cries that made her chuckle louder as her fingers clawed at his chest. Faster and faster, to the point of creating sparks everywhere and digging inside. Using the talons of her wings, Uzi maintained a grip on her prey, which struggled and screamed to death as she opened him with a terrible crack : next to them, that Nova screamed just as loudly, but not because of the pain. 

Are you really going to do that? You don’t eat people: it’s not you. Don’t give in to this insanity, to this hunger : don’t become like Her. Deep inside Uzi, something - a rest of reason - tried to reach her, to warn her. Uzi didn’t care and ignored her: she was hungry! 

The smell of oil stimulated her even more; she sank her voracious fangs into the synthetic viscera and savored the hot black and red liquid, drinking mouthful after mouthful. Another Solver drone’s oil… having tried, hers tasted terrible, but his was better than any drone’s. Sweeter and more nourishing. 

Not enough. 

She wanted more! 

Much more! 

Her mouth sank further and closed around a spongy, burning body. But it was stuck in the frame, refusing to budge. With a grunt, Uzi pulled harder upwards, carrying the crab creature away from the safety of the frame. The teenager cackled in victory, but she had to hold the small body that was wriggling its claws to escape. 

Crack!

A powerful bite crushed the core, which froze and hung flabbily in her mouth, lifeless, as Uzi swallowed it whole. 

Finally, the hunger calmed a little. The feeling of satiation was a welcome relief that soothed Uzi, satisfied. She sighed with contentment… until she saw with a clearer eye, not shadowed by this hunger, the butchery she had perpetrated.

The FatalError on the screen of her victim, who had fallen silent. 

Her eyes widened, a violent jolt ran through Uzi, who realized what she had just done. Satisfaction became horror, mixed with disgust. An immense feeling of unease invaded her, while the frenzy that had animated her faded little by little. 

I…did I just… myself… 

“Hans! No, no, no!” The drone’s cries, still stuck by her claw and trying to flee, pulled Uzi out of her thoughts and to avoid a passing anxiety attack. 

Uzi took a deep breath, pulling herself together. This was no time to lose her nerve: there were more important things to do. No matter how much her outburst was freaking Uzi out, right now. She’d deal with it later. 

True, I still had to finish this and get back to the others. They need me.

Uzi straightened up to face this Nova, who confronted her with her blue gaze full of hatred for her. The teenager returned her own bitter expression, and formed another [null] with her fingertips: this time, she'd finish the job quickly and cleanly.

"So you're the real Host... not Cyn. That Disassembly sure had us fooled!" She gave her an evil, bloody smile, which despite Uzi's dominating stance, sent unpleasant shivers down her spine, so much nastiness was in it. "Don't think you've got rid of us, monster. It's only a postponement, now that we know what you look like and where to find you!"

To which Uzi provocatively warned her, "Go burn in hell with your stupids friends and stay there. Or I bloody swear you'll regret it! And especially you, bitch!" she shouted, before waving an insulting hand at her.

Not giving the drone time to retaliate, Uzi hurled the black sphere at her body, large enough to disintegrate her. Completely. She couldn't even let out a scream as the last Solver drone disappeared into oblivion. 

When [null] faded, nothing remained. 

Uzi spat contemptuously where that drone had once been, before proceeding to clean her oily face with her jacket, adding a little snow to help remove it. She had it everywhere, it was a mess. Never mind that her clothes might smell strange afterwards: it was black and would hide the damage until she could wash it. 

Then the ex-Worker realized she had easily forget what just happened. To wash herself like she did, as if nothing had happened. 

Huh… It had upset me at first… but not so much now. Still… her hands shook with each pass of the cloth. It made cleaning complicated. Uzi spent more time washing herself because of that. 

Damn, why didn’t it stop? It wasn't the first time she'd killed or ate someone... But never like this. Brutally and... of her own free will.

She had just finished correcting her appearance, when the young drone heard a beloved voice behind her again. “Uzi?” 

Turning, Uzi saw N. Standing, although he was painfully holding his chest and struggling to keep his balance - still afflicted by the paralyzer. Badly beaten and with a haunted look, but N was in front of Uzi and waiting for her. 

At that moment, Uzi forgot absolutely everything and wanted only one thing : to return to him. “N!” 

A purple blur struck N, who recoiled awkwardly under her force, but Uzi held on tightly to his waist to keep N from falling. She had locked her arms around him, refusing to let go even though he was leaning practically all his weight on her, and he returned her embrace. The low purr she barely heard was broken, irregular. But very present, as if he were forcing it to reassure her. He who was so wounded.

Uzi buried her head in N’s chest, not caring if the oil was dirtying her again. It didn't matter: it was his oil. She felt his core beating above, behind the glass protection he had put back. The pulse was rapid, but strong. 

Against her coat, the teenager hid the tears streaming down her black-smeared screen, but her voice was broken as she stammered, “You-You’re okay. N, you’re okay. Are you okay?!” 

“I’m okay, I-I think. Mostly.” Himself emotional, N leaned his head against Uzi’s beanie, sighing in relief that they were together again. That she was with him, unharmed. 

N had really thought... that he'd never see her again. That he would break his promise to her: to stay together. To never leave her.

They still like that for a long time, inseparable. Refusing to let go after being almost separated forever. Then, slowly, as the minutes passed, N realized about something of really, like really disturbing. 

The big drone hesitated, not wanting to spoil this magical moment, but it was so obvious that he finally asked, "Huuuh, Uzi?

"Wh-what?" Her voice muffled in his coat, Uzi refused to look at him in this state - completely weak, and not cool like earlier. Even though N probably wouldn't care and would find it "adorable." Which, actually, was much worse.

Her boyfriend pointed to something behind Uzi, looking a little awkward. "Is that new... those huge claws behind your back?"

"... Oh, that." Uzi glanced behind, to see said claws sliding behind, useless dead weight. She'd completely forgotten about them, and Uzi ran a hand through her hair, a little puzzled: "Yeeeah, I don't know where they came from. It... happened when I gave that trio of morons that beating. I think. Wait... give me a moment."

It wasn't like her wings, tail or tentacles retracted easily. Uzi winced and held back an expletive, sensing that it was sticking to get in. Then she remembered an old trick, and Uzi smiled softly as he remembered: if I did it like that again…

At the beginning of her flying lessons with N, when having wings and a tail was totally foreign to Uzi (and terrifying), the  Disassembly had advised an inexperienced Uzi to visualize action in her head, and the sensations that followed. It had helped her a lot to master her new limbs: and hey ! Uzi had learned that N was a very good teacher... when he wanted.

So Uzi imagined exactly that, that the claws were falling, cut by an invisible blade. A shudder animated them, then Uzi felt her back lighten, as the pointed limbs fell to the ground. When the Worker-Solver looked at them, she winced at how much it reminded her of Cyn. 

And after what had happened… And there’s more, she remembered. Earlier, I thought- 

“Uzi, are you okay?” N asked her, noticing Uzi’s troubled look and interrupting her worrying thought. 

Uzi's eye ticked with irritation, looked and detailed N's condition. “Seriously dude, you really should worry about yourself much more !” Uzi growled dryly, but her tone lacked usual biting and carried more concern. The teenager lightly touched his damaged core, before stepping back, sending N flinching at her touch. 

Uzi checked his uncomfortable expression and grimaced guiltily, thinking she'd hurt him, "Sorry." She sighed, longing only to leave this place, "We should get back to home."

"Hmhm..." Feeling Uzi pull away from him, N missed his girlfriend's warmth and caught her back in his arms again, tighter and whining in protest, comforting himself with her presence. 

Although Uzi stared at him with surprise, she didn't pull away from N again. For once... she would simply stand there.

A peaceful silence enveloped them both, enjoying each other's company. Then this moment was broken by a message sent to the two companions, now lost in their own world and brutally brought back to reality:

Message from SERIAL DESIGNATION V: hellooo guys, I'm still waiting? you can kiss each other when I'm not, you know, dying?!

N reacts immediately, waving his arms around: "Oh biscuits, V! I'm so sorry! We'll be right there." He felt terrible for having left his friend out momentarily. "Just hold on a little longer, Uzi will fix it!"

Message from SERIAL DESIGNATION V: seriously, such good friends...

N shriveled a little more, very guilty, as Uzi detached from him and stomped grumpily over to V's inanimate body, knowing she was annoying them on purpose.

"Bite me, V! I was just joining you in thirty seconds, ok?!" scolded Uzi, the screen very bright, and pulled a USB key with the antivirus from her pocket, hooking it without delicacy behind V's neck.

Watching Uzi helping V to regain consciousness, N remembered something and looked around. Maybe it stayed here...

Before they left, he staggered towards the half-destroyed body of the military drone. He had hidden the key in one of his pockets and, checking the remaining ones on his coat, N finally caught the small object.

N contemplated it, pensive: they wanted information to get into this laboratory. Maybe there'd be something important there? he wondered, before putting the USB key in a pocket.

It might be useful for later…

Chapter Text

"Guys, are you sure you've recovered enough to move?" Uzi checked with V and N, before using [teleport] again so they could get in.

"Yeah, we're good, purple ! I just want to get out of here, like right now !" V grew impatient, very quickly back on her feet after Uzi's antivirus intervention, and holding both Sparky's inert body and N.

Who gave to Uzi a trembling thumbs-up.

"Me too, I'm ready to go. Anytime, Uzi." N assured, showing a smile that seemed a little wobbly. Uzi gave him a suspicious look: he really didn't look well: his screen was bugging more and more, his eyes badly affected ; his joints were shaking. N’s condition was getting worse, and he was trying to hide it. Not very credible.

She'd do a full body check-up as soon as they got back. "... Okay. Here we go !"

Before leaving, they'd dealt with the troubling presence of the ship: at Uzi's request, V had sent a missile to blow everything up : in case a tracker installed inside was transmitting. Maybe she was a little paranoid, but Uzi didn't want to take any chances. Especially as they didn't know where the flying machine had come from. And N had downloaded the most important data, so there was no point in keeping it. The remaining bodies of the strange Solver drones had been thrown in, just for good measure. 

"Might as well blow it all up," Uzi had concluded.

Explosion was very satisfying to watch for her and V, who had sent a missile. A giant firework, and the metal carcasses that twisted and melted under the heat. 

A good thing done ! And now, it was time to leave this cursed place. Uzi prepared her robo-witchcraft ready : 

“Okay, then… I’ll do it again, like before.” She concentrated, searching for the Solver command to use [teleport] and get back to the Tower. 

They waited several minutes, during which Uzi concentrated and remained silent. After almost fifteen minutes, N realized that something was wrong, and V began to stir, her tail quivering with impatience as she looked at the back of the smaller drone. 

Until she snapped and shouted at Uzi: “...So? When do you decide?” 

Uzi turned furiously in front of the Disassembly, her fists clenched: “Bite me! Let me focus. Dammit, dammit!” She continued to persist in the void: it wasn’t working! Why now?! 

V slapped her own screen seeing this spectacle, growling : they weren’t leaving, and the sun would rise soon.

Much more concerned by the little drone's difficulties, N detached himself from his squadmate and moved towards Uzi, who stubbornly turned her back. He didn't dare call her immediately. As he approached, N heard Uzi cursing - very colorful words, which his auditory sensors heard perfectly well and made him wince. Once in front of her, he saw her annoyed face. On her screen, N noticed the frustration symbol, which doubled when Uzi missed another attempt.

"Damn you! Will you obey, yes?!"

"Uzi, e-everything okay?" N cleared his throat when his voice breaked, a little nervous : not good. He hoped no one had heard it. Especially not Uzi.

Fortunately, Uzi didn't seem to notice, too distracted by this unexpected difficulty. "Come on ! I don't get it: I was able to get here earlier." Uzi gnawed on the tip of a finger, not bothering to cut the fragile white enamel - and N had to restrain himself to stop her. 

Uzi tapped her foot against the floor, very angry : "I don't know why the Heck it won't work now ! Aaaargh... Damn stupid program."

"Er... I-I don't think getting angry is going to improve the situation?" N received a sullen look from Uzi, and he sighed at her temper: his girlfriend didn't like to fail, it put her in a bad mood - well, more than usual. 

Then, he calmly suggested: “M-Maybe you did something in particular to get here? Do you r-remember something?” 

N's simplistic suggestion made Uzi react. It was... not so silly. “Something in particular? Well… Let me think about it…” She stopped pouting, massaging where her temples would be, and closed her eyes as she forced her processors to visualize memory files from that moment. 

She was desperate to reach N and V... N who was calling her from far away - besides, Uzi still didn't know how he'd done it. The program had started without her intervention, as if it were writing itself... looking for N's coordinates...

N's coordinates…

Wait a minute... Uzi raised her gaze to N's yellow one, waiting beside her while V stayed behind. The young Worker-Solver's expression brightened, abandoning her earlier attitude and, with an excited laugh, she grabbed N's chubby cheeks.

Who emitted a surprised sound as Uzi joyfully shook his head: "U-Uzi, what-?" As his girlfriend bumped her forehead against his, and he blushed like an idiot who hadn't escaped the destruction of his core earlier.

"You're a freaking genius, N!" Uzi played with his face one last time, as N's eyes widened at her compliment. It was... unexpected. But appreciable, truly, and his tail quickly wagged accordingly. N loved it when Uzi praised him - he hadn't been used to it for years.

How pleasant her scratching was! Then she left : oh, couldn’t it have lasted longer…

"Great ! Now, if you've remembered how to do it, could we get the hell out of this hellish hole?!" interjected V, who picked up N still quite happily as Uzi walked away to do, highly motivated.

"I'm working on it... This time, it's the one!" 

Uzi raised an arm - hoping that this attempt wouldn't disintegrate them through space - and concentrated as the program from earlier activated:

WDID UZI : host_absolute_Solver 

>_[translate]_reconfiguration=[teleport]: SUCCESS 

[Research coordinates UNIT SOLVER HOST DRONE NORI...] 

> Unit drone localized: SUCESS 

>_use_[teleport]_(=>to UNIT SOLVER HOST DRONE NORI): SUCESS

___________________________________________________

“Nori, honey, you can’t get out now. It’s not safe.” Khan repeated to his furious wife, as the Doorman were locked in Khan’s office. 

Several hours after Uzi had escaped, he had tried to reason with his wife who wanted to pursue her: without success. He had only managed to bring her back, out of sight: Nori was not yet comfortable enough to go out in the bunker. But right after they had returned, she had decided to leave the bunker, and Khan did everything to stop her. His wife was stubborn ; a strong and bold character, which he adored in her - on that, Uzi had really taken after her mother. But now, Khan was worried about her insistence on risking herself in the middle of a storm in her condition.

Running out of arguments, Khan looked for another: "Without your frame, you'll freeze in a few minutes. I'll leave myself to find Uzi and -”

"And what, Khan?!" Nori banged a claw against the table where she lay, confronting her husband with a wrinkled purple eye of anger. "What next? Get killed by an errant freaking Murder Drone? Huh ? Or by looters searching for spare components? You have no defense to walk outside: I still have my Solver powers." She pointed to herself, refusing to discuss.

Khan, however, disagreed with her about her resources. In fact, he knew exactly how to respond and winked mischievously at her: "Oh but I'm not defenseless, love!" boasted Khan, who pulled out a firearm from under his coat - a little antiquity from human colonization he'd kept hidden for several years: "Tada! A good old Colt M1911 in perfect condition: I've still got the magazine and bullets inside!" To prove his point, the old drone loaded the gun and unlocked the safety catch with an audible "clack!".

Unimpressed by his smirk - adorable, she admitted, when he was clowning around to impress her - Nori insisted: "If you come across an enemy that's too tough, this tiny thing won't help you ! As for me, if I equip myself well enough, I'll be able to slip out of town without being seen, and if anything goes wrong…” 

Raising a claw, Nori used power to throw [rotate] around a solid lamp several times her size, which twisted with a deafening creak. 

After her little demonstration, Nori fixed Khan, who was looking at her with the same pleading expression. But Nori would not give in. She would not fail Uzi again: not a second time. 

“Khan, I have to go search her. I was unable to help our daughter when she needed most: for almost two fucking decades, I was dead to her. She had experienced horrors and I thought I would preserve her by remaining a ghost. I was so wrong: this time, no more excuses to protect her and you.” 

Nori's words shook Khan, who looked with tenderness at the core that was his incredible wife. Since her disappearance, his beloved had not changed one bit inside, something he had noticed the day Uzi had brought her home. The same passion, the same courage, the same untamed temperament and that rage to protect her family, even through the most difficult and dark moments.

The words she had said echoed in him, who carried a feeling identical to hers. And Khan smiled behind his false mustache: 

“Ahahah. We are definitely both on the same thought. It always has been.” Khan sighed, putting his weapon in a hidden pocket. “Believe me, I know what you’re talking about. Me too, I am trying to repair for not being there for her, for letting her down. And for you too, honey. Forever, and I will continue until I fall apart.” 

Nori’s eye softened at Khan’s confession, and she approached the edge, allowing her beloved to lift her up to his cute face. “Together?” she asked with a warm voice - if she still had a screen, Nori’s would be so purple and blushing. 

“Together. Nothing will separate us anymore.” Khan confirmed, resting his head lovingly against his wife’s small, burning body, but which vibrated with the same energy as before. “Just promise to be close so that I can protect you. I will never let anything happen to you under my watch again.” 

“...Deal. Even if we know perfectly who will protect the other.” Nori teased gently, snuggling against the gentle drone she was so madly in love with: a feeling that had never changed in twenty years. 

Emotional sequence over, Nori pulled herself together: “Okay. I suggest we search the direction she went first. I think it was toward the city exit, to the north,” she suggested, clinging to Khan’s shoulder as he grabbed his access card (the second one). Then, as they prepared to leave, Nori became more severe: “I swear that when I get my hands on that kid, she’ll get the punishment of the century…” 

Khan had barely opened the door, when a noise rang out behind the Doorman couple, who turned around in shock. They were even more, when a familiar purple symbol appeared in the air. 

And three drone forms that escaped: their daughter, the other two Disassembly Drones - and a deactivated Sentinel - which crashed with a scream onto the table in an explosion of purple codes.

"Ouch ouch ouch... I-I tripped on the way o-out," N was completely disoriented - and a little nauseous - after the instant transport almost a hundred kilometers away. 

"Holy N, get off me, you're super heavy- ouch!" Beneath him, V struggled and hissed as she felt a foot - Uzi's - step on her poor tail. "Damn it! Watch it or I'll throw acid at your screen!"

"Oh, stop crying ! Get off your big ass first so I can get out of here!" Choking under all that weight on her, Uzi poked her disheveled head out from underneath and groaned from her crushed joints.

"I'm so s-sorry, Uzi ! I should have looked where I was stepping-”

"Ahem."

Uzi, N and V stopped talking, and at the same time looked up to discover Khan and Nori Doorman. Initially in shock, they were now staring sternly at the little troupe.

Particularly their daughter, who was beginning to sweat profusely as she sensed trouble coming - if she guessed the crazed expressions they had, Khan crossing arms and Nori’s claws too. It was looking bad. "Hi, mom. Hi, dad."

"Uzi Doorman..." they began together, making the moment more terrible.

It was really looking very bad.

Nori continued, "First of all, young lady, you're grounded for the next month for leaving without permission in the middle of a freaking storm." Before pointing a claw at them one by one. "And each of you will have to provide an explanation for this whole fucking circus.”

___________________________________________________

Somehow, Uzi managed to convince her parents to let her take care of her seriously injured friends. As for Sparky's damaged body, V had put it in Uzi's room, who had promised to fix it. After all, she might be locked up for a long time... 

They needed to get back to the Tower, before other Workers noticed them and it caused panic again. Fortunately, the walls were very thick, for their crashing entrance. It had certainly helped that N could no longer stand, and had nearly collapsed on a piece of furniture, mumbling a contrite apology as Nori glared at the poor boy. So with the promise that she would tell absolutely everything tomorrow, Nori and Khan had reluctantly agreed to let the trio go. 

“Tomorrow, kiddo, prepare yourself for a long chat about what the hell happened. And next, I can guarantee that we will decide about your punishment !” Her mother had reminded to Uzi, as they quietly left the house. 

Not being seen by anyone, the group had slipped into the hallways: except for security, most of the drones were charging deeply at this late hour of the night. 

Once under a vent, Uzi had helped V lift N through the passage, before climbing up. V made sure they were behind and Uzi closed the entrance, before moving: “Okay, follow me closely!” 

Guiding everyone through the maze, V made them take many detours, following a route that only she knew. Around them was lit yellow, the metal surface reflecting the screen of the Disassembles, a little tinged with purple when Uzi passed. Their movements were not discreet, and the boom boom boom boom thundering noise of metal deafened the squad, especially for V and N with their very sensitive hearing. 

After a while of crawling like worms, V finally called out to Uzi who was painfully supporting N: “I noticed it before, but your mother has a strong temper…” 

“Where do you think I got that from? It’s one of the most common things we have! Urgh…” Uzi grimaced as she helped N move forward, slowly, as they took a new turn for the fifth time. 

Or was it the seventh time? 

Her skinny Worker arms were starting to suffer from the weight of N, who was mumbling more and more excuses as he struggled to keep up with them. Uzi was afraid that he would collapse on her at any moment; worried, she ended up cradling V's shoulder : "Are you sure this is the right way? We've been crawling on all fours in these conduits for almost half an hour, and I don't have the impression that we're getting close to the doors like you claimed when talking about a shortcut!" 

"Yes, idiot, I know where we are!" V hissed, irritated, as they stopped - finally! - in front of a trapdoor whose bolts were slightly unscrewed. She pointed to the access, and began to detach the support. 

Uzi frowned, not understanding: she was certain that they had not reached the gates… Yet she saw, behind the bars that V was removing, the exterior of the bunker. The blizzard had calmed down: there was very little snow, the worst of the freezing storm having subsided. 

“Huh, V? How did you know that exit?” 

"It was Lizzy who showed me this way to sneak in: it's directly connected to the outside, no need to go all the way to the doors." The female Disassembly explained, finishing off the last bolt. "Pretty handy for sneaking in and scaring you toasters." V scoffed, giggling as she opened the access to the outside. "VIP access into your old man's supposedly secure bunker - besides, don't tell him or he'll freak out. It will bad."

Uzi opened huge eyes as she discovered this - very ingenious - ploy to sneak in. She let out a grunt, not believing she'd ignored such a passage.

"Seriously... I wouldn't have had to borrow my dad's key card every time..." Uzi grunted, as she helped N land at the bottom, while V landed him. "And you never thought to mention it before ?!"

V winked mockingly at her accusation, amused at her friend's scowl, "Relaxxx, I'm talking to you about it now, babe. Anyway, it helps to have good contacts, right?"

To which Uzi grimaced unappreciative, sticking her tongue out obnoxiously. "Yuck, hell no ! If it means having to gossip, put on make-up and make friends with dozens of other strangers like Miss Queenie, I pass my turn!" 

And V burst out laughing seeing her disgust, garnering a dirty look from Uzi. 

The small drone jumped out next, joining her friends who were waiting for Uzi and came to lend a hand for N. 

Below, N saw her approach with a tired, but joyful expression, as Uzi supported him with V and, together, they walked into the city, towards the Tower. However, the large drone felt uncomfortable at one point, and became embarrassed as he spoke: “Uzi?” 

“Yeah?” Uzi looked at him with her tinted eyes, without stopping walking or they would fall together into the snow. 

“Huh…” N hesited : darn, he had lost the words! However, the big drone knew that he had to quickly talk to Uz about tonight’s events. “I-I wanted to… apologize for not b-bringing you. Leaving you in the bunker without m-much explanation. And because of that, you had to c-come help us and it created a fight w-with your parents. I’m-m… really sorry.” 

Uzi looked at his heartbroken expression, not expecting this, before concentrating only on her boots in the snow. It wasn't that she was mad at him for leaving - not really… But the circumstances of their reunion were generating too many negative emotions, that Uzi feared would eventually explode: seeing him lying on the ground, battered and practically dead, while this… bitch, doing something as horrible as manipulating his core… It was driving her mad… So much so that if she could, Uzi would bring Nova back to kill her again. 

Yes, she was angry, and this feeling was threatening to come back to the surface any second, but she didn't want releash it against N.

So Uzi made sure to close the subject very quickly. “N, let’s not talk about it now, okay? Tonight, you need to rest, and I need to make sure that nothing too serious has been damaged.” Before leaving her house, the young drone had taken her bag, with a computer inside to check N’s program. 

However, Uzi didn’t know if N would accept after having experienced something so traumatic with his core. She would have to go slowly.

Meantime N, interpreting with apprehension Uzi’s shifty gaze - strangely calm when he knew how upset she had been earlier, he felt confidence lowered. And very ashamed. Because of him, Mr. and Mrs. Uzi were angry with their daughter; she had put herself in danger to save them, alone against an entire squad. And he didn't do anything to help... 

Tail low and face sad, N held back a plaintive noise from escaping his throat and tried to move forward properly.

Nearby, V checked on N's sad expression. Although she said nothing, her own tail twitched widely.

Almost an hour later, they reached the Tower, just as the sun was about to rise. Letting V transport N, Uzi watched the sky turn the colors of dawn, the sky completely washed out after the blizzard. 

The last stars were already fading.

Uzi grimaced, not realizing they'd dragged so long. "Great, no way to get back to the bunker now." 

She could always use her new [teleport] ability... but the teenage drone was exhausted and starving - and this after eating part of a Solver drone's body. Yeah, still creepy when I think about it...

Even though she was aggravating her punishment, Uzi decided to send a message warning them of her return at nightfall. "i'll be back as soon as the sun goes down," she wrote, before silencing the notifications. 

Just in case.

She was about to return to her friends, when Uzi realized that N was slowly climbing against the Tower wall, upwards.

"V, where's N going? I need to check his program first," Uzi called out to her friend, who had spread her wings to leave on her own perch. 

"He's going back to his nest: wasn't feeling well and all." V watched Uzi, before placing a hand on one hip and drawing her attention back. "Don't blame N for earlier, shorty. I'm the one who asked him to come and got us into this mess. He only came at my request, nothing else. So if you've got anything nasty to say, I'm listening. Speak out !"

Hearing V defend N like that, Uzi stood motionless, saying nothing. She was too surprised by her reaction to do something. The female Disassembly waited a moment, her gaze defiant, then she sighed and flew upstairs. Uzi coughed and annoyedly pulled off the snow V had lifted on her, watching her settle on a beam, head down, then go into “Sleep Mode”.

Finishing shaking her signature beanie, and placing it on her purple hair wig, her gaze returned to N's nest, as his yellow acid cartridge disappeared into the hole. All the anger, or frustration, that had accompanied Uzi during the week turned to concern about N, as she flew to his nest. 

It was like a small cave dug into the Tower, where the Disassembly gathered their favorite things and rested there occasionally. The space was spacious enough so that Uzi could easily slide in with her wings, before hiding them to move crouched. All around, there were the intermingled bodies of her kind and the broken screens of the drones displaying the red FatalError, and many claw marks where sharp blades had torn victims apart. Creepy, but that hadn't bothered Uzi anymore. Usually, she never came that far - her friends didn't appreciate anyone coming into their lair, unless they allowed. Because it was N, Uzi knew he wouldn't chase her away and, if he really wanted privacy, she would leave right away. 

I only need to see him for a few minutes, and if possible check the damage to his core, Uzi thought, as the walls expanded into a small room. 

N's nest was a perfect reflection of the sweet Disassembly Drone: colored lights were hung everywhere, brightening up the place. There were an impressive number of posters of dogs, with dozens of drawings - most of them represented a small purple drone with a larger yellow one, always smiling - and various colored pencils lying around. Several pillows had been laid out, as well as an old blanket to make the floor comfortable. It looked so much like N : welcoming and warm. Not at all like an oil thirsty drone killing Worker Drones. 

Uzi grabbed one of the many stuffed dogs that N had collected over the years: this one had brown fur, its big yellow eyes and a pink tongue. Given its slightly worn state, it looked like it was regularly cuddled. 

Gently, Uzi approached the tall drone, which had curled up in a ball on the blanket, stayed in his big coat covering him, and turned his back to her. N had only taken off his pilot's cap, but he was not asleep: Uzi noticed his tail, which was moving obediently, fluorescent glass filled with deadly liquid tapping the blanket faster now that she was there. 

The small drone smiled slightly, and brought the stuffed animal closer to N. "Hey, big guy. You might want this with you to sleep better." 

She put the cute dog next to his face: N's eyes blinked, then Uzi saw his hand rise towards the plush toy. But instead of picking it up, he grabbed her hand. And began to caress her delicately with his thumb. 

While Uzi was too surprised to move away, N finally turned his head to her and looked at her timidly. “T-Tell me the truth: a-are you angry-y with me for j-joining V without you, U-Uzi? I-I wish you would answ-er.” 

“N, that's not like I-” Uzi stopped, realizing that lying to N about it wouldn't do any good. She sighed, deciding to be honest about her feelings: “Yes, it's true that I was angry at you and V for leaving me behind.” 

Seeing N look down in shame, the drone sighed again, and turned around so that their eyes were facing each other again. 

She continued: “N, I’m not mad at you. I just…was really scared for you two. To find you dead, N, and that I wouldn’t be able to get there in time. You… mean a lot to me and…” Uzi took a moment to catch her breath, throat tight, while N stood up a little. 

The teenager turned away so as not to see N’s expression, and tried to regain control of her voice. “I don’t want to lose you, you idiot! And I won’t be able to protect you if I’m not with you!” Uzi got angry, losing her composure. 

It wasn’t her plan to get angry, but her damn feelings were starting to bubble out of control again. Uzi took a shaky breath, closing her eyes so that N would not have to see her tears. She didn’t like to show that kind of weakness, which N was so easy to reveal in her, something that Uzi still found very disconcerting to be so vulnerable. 

A warm hand placed on her cheek, enveloping her, made Uzi look forward to N who had come closer again. 

“U-Uzi…” His large golden eyes were overflowing with love, as N tilted his head to hers, until his silver curls tickled her, and their foreheads touched. “M-Me too, I was very sc-scared. O-Of never seeing you again. I-I missed you so much-ch when you weren’t th-there, I-I kept wishing that you w-were by my side. Because, w-when you’re there, no-nothing scares me, and I-I feel so much strong-ger. W-When we’re together, I feel like I’m i-invincible.” 

Uzi’s core was pounding wildly in her chest. N’s words were so gentle that it soothed all the fears that had overwhelmed her. 

But he still lit a burning fire in her, that continued to grow as N spoke: “Y-You know, wh-when Nova look-ed at my files, I-I only thought of one thing: you. A-And it’s thanks to y-you, wanting to see you, to protect y-you, that made me hold on for so long.” 

N didn’t know why, tonight, his usual timidity wasn’t present and allowed him to speak with such confidence. But he wouldn’t stop, while he still could. 

Now, Uzi didn't know how to hide her blushing screen. Goodness, she was in such a state, it was dizzying! Uzi was completely losing her cool. "You smooth talker: how can I scold you if you say such embarrassing things!" She tried to keep her annoyed facade, but the smile on her face said otherwise. He was so corny, yet endearing : not fair.

N saw Uzi's expression but, before he could say anything else, a violent stab in his chest made him tense up, detaching himself from Uzi as he held his painful core.

Watching N in pain, Uzi reacted and pulled out her computer. She apologized to N, panting, as the drone manipulated her chest to reveal her injured core. Uzi grimaced, seeing how damaged the flesh and circuits were. It might take a long time to heal: maybe using [edit] could speed up the process, but she wouldn't have the consequences on his program until she connected to it. 

The worried look N gave to Uzi, as she pulled out a cable, made her to wait before continuing further. She let him take more time to prepare himself. After a few seconds, N withdrew the hand that was protecting the access, and slowly nodded his head. 

“I’ll be quick, I promise,” Uzi recomforted him, before gently, cautiously inserting the cord into the USB support - the big drone below locked jaw tightly, to keep from showing his fangs by reflex.

Uzi never hurt him : he trusted her with all his being. Always. Waiting, N squeezed dog plush, his grip so strong it almost tore the fragile seams.

Although N tensed, when "Access request: YES/NO" appeared, he authorized Uzi's computer to access his entire program. 

[Connection to the unit's Primary Program SERIAL DESIGNATION N... ]

//:(in progress...)

Access authorized. 

With an expert hand, she scrolled through all the lines, immediately spotting and repairing any anomalies. It was a real mess; this Nova hadn't cut any corners, with no consideration for N... He'd suffered. An unhealthy feeling of pleasure at having been the one to kill her invaded Uzi, before she refocused on her work. 

Almost all done.

Luckily, none of N's vital programs had been severely affected, and Uzi managed to recover most of the corrupted files.

Majority were internal notes, or some data that concerned information on dog breeds - there were so many, Uzi was impressed. Other things concerned weapon schematics, the regeneration function, memory files and a few related neural circuits, which Uzi restored as best she could. All the while, she respected N's privacy and didn't open any of the files she gradually put back in their place - although some with her name and his written on them intrigued her a little. However, she would never pry into his private life. A few minutes later, the Solver drone gently unplugged her computer from N, who seemed a little relieved by her intervention. But very tired, if Uzi was to judge by his fading eyes.

She'd done enough for one night. "Feeling better?” 

N took a deep breath, as the pain in his core became more bearable, and he relaxed a little. Then an exhausted, but grateful smile towards his girlfriend. "...Yes. Thank you, Uzi." 

At least the glitch in his voice was corrected, and Uzi gave an encouraging sign. “Good. I’ll continue later, before going back to the bunker. For now, you should rest.” Uzi closed her computer, feeling just as tired as she yawned longly. Seeing in her settings the battery displayed at only 11%, she understood better. 

Me too, I feel it’s time for me to sleep…

For today, she would sleep on her old bunk, in the old ship. It had been a long time, but her bedding from her “banishment” must still be there. Let’s hope V hadn’t gotten her nosy hands on it… 

As Uzi was about to leave, her arm was held by N, who looked at her unease; however, he didn’t let go. 

“Something is wrong ? Are you hurted somewhere ?”

“Huh… It’s just, you know, I can’t seem to activate the repression program to forget about what happened. I-It’s strange, isn’t it?” 

“… I don’t think I had time to reprogram it. There are still a few damaged lines and unstable code that I must have left aside.” Uzi explained, and she regretted not having fixed it. 

N looked terrible and she thought : will he even be able to rest? 

He seemed to be thinking about something, as his screen turned yellow while his eyes didn’t leave her. “…Until you return home, would you agree to stay with me? I… I’m afraid I won’t sleep well alone.” N asked her in a voice so low, almost childish, that it was almost impossible to hear. 

But Uzi did perfectly, and it was her turn to have her screen very colorful. N… had just asked her to stay? 

Like, with him, and in his nest?! Wait, wait, did I misunderstand?! 

“You… want me to- ?”

“If… it’s not bothering you. I'll pass you the blanket.”

Oh robo-god me… N asked me to sleep with him! Uzi’s thoughts were racing, thinking she had misunderstood. Yet, N’s imploring gaze… there was no doubt. Uzi swallowed nervously. 

Holy crap… Did N understand how awkward his request was, or was he completely off-base like most social conventions? 

Or maybe not, as Uzi checked, his screen was completely yellow too. But Uzi read his fear on him : it saddened her to see N like this. So vulnerable and scared… And, despite her initial embarrassment, the drone decided to accept.

“Okay… I’ll stay with you, buddy.”

She would comfort him that night, as he did many times before. Service rendered for service rendered: hey, it didn't sound so bad after all. And how could she say no to the puppy dog face he was making? 

If my parents ever found out about this, I'd be so dead... 

As soon as Uzi accepted, N smiled brightly, relieved, and gave her enough room on the blanket. When Uzi settled down, it was warm under her, where N had been resting. Before sleeping, she reached for her portable battery and plugged it into the back of her neck to charge : suddenly, N's big head appeared and pressed against her neck, beneath her own.

Wait, what’s he doing ?! Uzi held back a startled cry, feeling his happy sighed breath against her bare metal. Oh gosh gosh gosh !

She should say something, tell N to move, not stick to her so much! But Uzi could do nothing at all: her mind raced even more than before, paralyzing her body as N came closer and made himself comfortable. Damn, this was more intimidating than she'd thought! This wasn't like his usual bear hug: it was so much more... adult! 

Uzi's core was pounding against her chest, faster and harder! Damn it, N was going to hear it if this kept up!

But he just mumbled a satisfied "Thank you, Uzi", and yawned, before going into “Sleep Mode”. In one second. 

It was her end : Uzi didn't dare make the slightest movement, or move away a little, trapped by N's arm around her waist, and his tail that had taken advantage of the confusion to wrap itself around their legs intertwined. Thanks whatever, he'd kept his coat on, even if the slightly undone button revealed his upper torso. Uzi avoided looking too closely.

Even asleep, N purred softly, completely relaxed, and vibrations resonated in her frame. Making her sleepy, all the tensions of the day melted away. It was very… pleasant. 

Well, it’s not as bad as I thought, Uzi decided shortly after, already very deep into sleep, as she snuggled up against her big boyfriend. Strange… he smelled like new metal, the more pungent oil, and a sweeter spice. Cinnamon? She had never paid attention. He smelled so good... 

Her screen buried in his soft hair, Uzi took a deep breath of the newly discovered scent, and slowly prepared to enter “Sleep Mode”. 

Then a memory came back to her sleepy mind, that Uzi thought she had heard it, but she was not so sure anymore. 

I love you… 

Come on, Sheila ! Listen, you can't keep ya feelings from the lovelable little butler, can you? Say something !

What would go bad if she answered, even if Uzi was wrong? N wouldn't hear her. No one would know. Besides... She might never get the chance again. That night, Uzi had almost lost N. What if something even worse happened? Maybe... she should do it: have no regrets.

That's the spirit, Uz. Now, do it !

So, with a gesture she would never make fully conscious, the young drone lightly kissed the top of one of his switched-off white cameras, leaving her lips a long time.

Before murmuring: "I love you too, N", very softly in a voice full of tenderness, before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

:// reconnect drone unit : SUCESS

Current status : online.

First thing Michael saw, when his system finally came back online, was the white, glowing ceiling of the room he was currently in. 

As the parameters of his cameras stabilized, he gradually noticed it was no longer the frozen toundra, where the big drone had been, just a moment ago. No, that was three weeks ago, Michael realized, looking at his digital calendar for the year 3072, and grimaced painfully.

His head hurted him so much, like several heated metal spikes had been inserted. Just… what the hell happened ?

The last thing he remembered was the little drone that had appeared behind him… had thrown that sphere at him. Then, a brief pain. And... void. 

Oh…

Realisation struck him, while his big eyes widened with stress. Michael guessed what had happened. So she - that weird girl drone - killed him. And Michael, at least his backup, was back on JCJenson’s station where his entire program had been transferred to a new frame. 

Far from Copper-9. 

Strange this feeling inside him : first dead, then come back to life. Michael didn't know if it was a blessing, or a curse. Maybe the latter in his situation. 

He remembered this symbol... the yellow-purple inverted "Y" that had pierced him in his soul-program. Michael felt a shudder when he thought back to this bloodthirsty metal demon.

So this was it: the Absolute Solver. 

And this drone girl was one of its hosts. 

So, what that Worker Drone said back then in the city, was true : drones affected by the Absolute Solver still existed on Copper-9. It was confirmed. 

The military drone tried to get up from the table, growling in annoyance as he realized that restraints were holding him prisoner, so tight that his wings or tail couldn’t get out. He wasn't even wearing his coat: even though his body was simply built, like any other drone, it annoyed him that no one could bring it to him.

I'm not even entitled to a little dignity...

All around him, Michael finally noticed the damages: claw marks, feathers embedded in the wall, burns from explosions. 

“I must have lost control earlier, before I woke up.” He guessed, and let his head fall back, closing his digital eyes - even if the others continued to see his surroundings. Now, he had to wait for the scientist team to come in to check him. 

It didn't last long: a few minutes later, a high-pitched beep! - Michael winced painfully at the high frequency his audials were picking up - preceded the opening of the room. 

Michael saw a unit of heavily armed soldiers, in suits bearing the image of “JCJenson in Spaaaaace!” entered, before aiming their EMP rifles at him - theoretically powerful enough to knock out a Disassembly Drone. It was surely thanks to this that they had been able to contain him, and that he felt so strange.

Charming… Michael turned his optics: very pleasant welcome.

Then an old, scrawny-looking scientist, stepped forward toward Michael as he pushed up his huge round glasses. 

“Finally awake, soldier. Although a little aggressive, admittedly…” He pointed to all the damage with the tip of his pen, casting a tired glance at the drone. “At least you seem to have recovered all your functions. No alteration caused by your death. Excluding the initial mission failure and other littles… inconvenients, the field test is indeed conclusive. Yes, very satisfactory.” 

Fortunately for the scientist, Michael was securely strapped in. Because he would have liked to sink his claws into the throat of this idiot, whom he despised passionately. But the sight of the guns pointed at him dissuaded Michael from rebelling. 

True : to them, I'm nothing more than a stupid test subject. A simple disposable machine, bolts and cogs. They won't hesitate to dismantle me if I act out, he reminded himself bitterly. So, Michael held back, while the scientist signed to another soldier, who approached with a pair of titanium handcuffs. 

Virtually indestructible, and they slipped them behind his back before the man pressed a remote control to finally free him from the camisole.

“Just a precaution for the transfer, 'Lieutenant Michael’ : after all, you're still considered by the company to be a dangerous criminal. At least, your former self was," before the scientist laughing out loud, as if it were a hilarious joke.

Don't kill him, stay calm. Calm! Michael let no emotion show and stepped forward slowly, towering over most of the men present - you're just a drone now, remember: nothing more than a drone. Another soldier moved in behind him, as the group left the underground isolation room and ventured into the huge station.

This structure was the last bastion of all humanity, which had escaped the annihilation perpetrated by a malevolent AI - the Absolute Solver - and its army of Disassembly Drones. The few humans who had escaped the destruction of Earth, then of other exoplanets, including Copper-9, had built a fragile society on one of the only planets spared: Exodus. A deserted rock icy planet with a poisoned atmosphere, which was during exile the only land that could accommodate the last intact ship and its passengers. Then, the rich and powerful technology company, JCJenson Compagny, had founded in a few months a gigantic city to accommodate the hundred of thousands of survivors. Today, all of humanity was gathered in one place, surviving day to day in this factory-like metal, which provided mediocre air to breathe : a far cry from its past glory of 20 years ago, when humankind numbered in the billions and founded numerous spatial colonies. But nothing more than a memory of an era now gone. 

On the way to headquarters, Michael and his guardians had to pass through some residential areas: the majority of humans worked for the company, and to maintain the JCJenson’s industry that kept them safe. As they passed by, most of them gave him looks of fear, or even hatred. Logical, because of his appearance based on those of the damned Disassembly who had massacred and devoured their former masters: some humans were old enough to remember this time. However, scientists had copied this form from destroyed Disassembly, and studied their blueprints, which could be used to create a new series of drones: Seraph Solver Drones - or just Seraph Drones. 

Made to fight against the Absolute Solver and its army: the ultimate weapon that human searchers had worked for a long time and cost many lives - with failures that had also contributed to a terrible disaster that was covered up by the company. 

Everywhere, more common models of Worker Drones were taking care of the building, diligently following the orders of the humans. Michael watched them do it, not questioning or complaining about the hard work, with fake smiles and emotionlessness. 

Good little servants - submissive slaves. Only "Yes, sir!", "Does that satisfy you?", "I'll do it right away!", and, at the end of the service, they loaded into simple lockers. Right : humanity would not change its bad habits with its creations - even that had caused its loss. The difference in their behavior between these drones and the active Copper-9 drones was obvious, for the short time that Michael had spent observing them and looking for access to the Zone 51-bis laboratory. 

It was... very disturbing. But mostly an interesting experience. 

And with it, came an important question : what makes those from here so different of Copper-9's drones ?

Michael's green eyes turned to the scientist, who had continued to speak , but the Seraph Drone didn't listen to him, as they arrived in the company's exclusive quarters. "Where are the other members of my squad, Commander Nova and Officer Hans?" he asked, as the soldiers finally left them. 

The scientist cleared his throat, as if it were sore after talking so much. But he answered Michael's question, as he chose a series of codes: "Your… squadmate, Nova, woke up a little while ago, and she was stable enough to report to the CEOs and the administration office. She's waiting for you in another room... to discuss some points of the failed mission with you." 

This…can’t be good, Michael was warily, not understanding Nova’s need to talk to him.

Usually, she just gave him orders and demanded that they be carried out. Which he had tried to do, even when it displeased Michael, to keep her from being on him. 

Something bad must have happened.

Michael’s suspicions grew, as he was led towards Hans’s recovery room. And as they opened the door, Michael found Nova standing in the center of the room, perched above the body of a drone. Strange… 

“You have five minutes. Not more,” the scientist told them, before locking the room behind Michael. 

Nova didn’t move, remaining in her place as their time was running out. The large drone, still handcuffed, finally approached, walked around the table and trying to catch a glimpse of the inert body. And his eyes widened as he recognized him. This person… 

“It’s-” 

“Hans. He didn’t wake up,” Nova finally spoke, in a dull, serious voice. One of her hands held that of the motionless drone, and she was shaking. “The company’s scientists have tried everything to animate him, but his backup copy fails to transfer. As if he… was permanently dead. They think that this drone, the one infected by the Absolute Solver program, did something when she devoured his core.”

Hearing this, Michael was a little shocked, being unaware of his fate after his own disappearance - a rather monstrous ending - but he remained calm.

“Our bodies were simply destroyed, and we were able to be brought back. Unlike Hans. No recovery program worked: his frame will soon be destroyed.” 

Then, for the first time since his entrance, Nova's cold, furious gaze met his own. Michael recognized this familiar expression from previous encounters: intention to kill.

"You knew about the Host !" she screamed, unable to keep the angry growl from her voice. "Your memory files that our superiors viewed show that you inquired about the Solver Drone Project, without being ordered to! What you did was not a priority, and disobedience. Explain yourself!" 

Michael didn’t let himself be put down by her accusation - even if it was true. If Nova had the proof of his intentions, then they would never have brought him back.

But just lying would not be enough : he would have to be cunning. And his excuse was simple. “It’s a coincidence: during my research, surviving Workers in the city were talking about a strange drone wandering here. It was a rumor that I explored a little, but nothing tangible enough to be important.” Then Michael smiled, falsely friendly, before continuing: “After all… the test subjects in the Copper-9 labs, the ones you were in charge of in the past and experimenting with the effects of this AI on Workers, were all supposed to be destroyed.” 

A dark, deranged laugh left Nova's throat. Michael didn't move an inch, letting on nothing. Not even when he saw one of Nova's arms change into a buzzing laser cannon, that she aimed straight at his core and pressed it against his uniform.

"Don't forget, Michael: the only reason I'm not killing you right now is because I can't lose any more members of my squad. And that's why we're both still in one piece. We have no replacements, and for our next mission, I have no choice but to keep you. But the next suspicious move..." Nova left her threat unfinished, waiting to see Michael react in fear.

He didn't, and remained perfectly still. Even when Nova elbowed him out of the way and repositioned herself in front of Hans, mourning her missing companion. 

Michael wasn't nearly as upset than Nova by the sudden loss of his squadmate : it wasn't as if they were close. The trio had only been brought together because they were the survivors of an experiment, to provide humanity with drones they could use to defend themselves against the Absolute Solver.

Their plans changed a year ago, when their nemesis failed to consume the Copper-9 planet. The drone Host Cyn had never left this once human-inhabited land, which the explosion of its core during an experiment had killed before her arrival. The squad, led by Nova, had been tasked by JCJenson to investigate the inactivity of the Absolute Solver, and searching the exact location of the dangerous genocid program by using one of the still functioning laboratories on Copper-9.

However, their encounter with this strange drone who killed them changed everything. Obviously in possession of the Absolute Solver, this supposed new Host required all their attention.

The fact that she didn't look possessed was an even more important variable. Good or bad, they'd still have to act on the orders of their superiors.

An alarm sounded in the room, as Nova and Michael were due to join the new meeting organized by the JCJenson managers. This put an end to their conversation. 

"Get ready, Michael. We're leaving." Nova ordered, as a small Worker Drone butler in charge of leading them appeared running. As Michael's heavy handcuffs were undone, while the drone freed him, he saw Nova stand up to him. 

"Don't forget what I told you, for your own good," she hissed, not hiding her animosity. 

Then they left, heading towards the upper districts and to receive their next order.

___________________________________________________

Uzi collapsed against the foot of a large machine, currently located in the sector where the Workers were working in the Colony Factory. Break time had finally come: the team leader in charge, a tall, authoritarian-looking woman drone, unkempt black hair glistening with grease under the drone helmet and caramel eyes, had yelled :

“Break, guys: thirty minutes!” 

Everyone had quickly finished their work, before leaving to regroup with colleagues, to eat while chatting happily and sharing some food. 

For Uzi, as usual, she stayed alone and took out her own lunch from her bag : rations of batteries, several metal plates covered in plastic, and the usual thermos full of oil that she had drunk greedily, more than half of it. For a while now, her appetite had increased, forcing her to eat more than she used to. 

Uzi tried to look at it with hindsight, without making creepy assumptions.

It had nothing to do with what J had told her then: she only needed more materials and oil than before. It was nothing else. Besides, the Solver was keeping quiet. It continued to bother her, of course, appearing unexpectedly to insult her, or possessing her tail on occasion. But even the nightmares became calm.

In any case, Uzi swore: never again would that Thing have control over her. She was the “freaking Uzi Doorman”, not Cyn, and nothing would contradict this fact. 

Uzi swallowed a last sip of sweet oil, sighing contentedly as her internal temperature finally dropped. She licked her lips, and cleaning a black drip from under her chin. Then, as she put the lighter bottle back in her bag, an unpleasant sensation crept up her spine. 

It could only mean one thing.

Feeling watched, her tinted eyes rose, to meet the gaze of several Workers who were staring at her oddly from afar, whispering. 

Wow... Those hooligans won't let you, Uz. What a bunch of weirdos...

“You have a problem, you morons?!” Uzi hissed, showing her sharp fangs as a growl rose in her throat. She felt her own reptile tail press against her frame to spurt out, the pressure almost painful down of her hips, but she held it back.

Don't start a useless fight.

It wasn't the first time they'd done this: she recognized the faces of some of them, who often spied on her. Her burst had the desired effect, and the group quickly went about their business. 

But the rest of the day, the teenage drone continued hearing them whispering about her, non-stop, while all the drones here, including her, got back to work. As she had done since her first day here, Uzi did her best to ignore their conversations about her, as with her stupid classmates.

The large drone team was made up of almost a hundred Workers, divided into four groups of twenty, and among them a few young apprentices. They were busy patching up old machines, or assembling a large quantity of engines, mining machinery, plumbing, etc...

Now, Uzi had been here for almost three weeks: the early days were an agonizing torture to get her bearings, and avoid the other drones which staring at her strangely. At least things had calmed down a bit.

Obviously, she would never have come to this place, even her teacher had demanded that they look for an internship, if Uzi had not been forced to by her father. Nori and Khan had not only grounded their daughter indefinitely: in addition to the punishment, they had chosen where her next intership would take place. 

She had thought her father would send her to the WDF, to keep an eye on her and praise the merits of his work, convincing her to join his “elite security group”.

Instead, he had put her to work in the Factory, in this team that mainly took care of assembling machine parts. And Nori had approved. The old chief of the WDF had surprised his daughter by announcing that she would be going there. What could he have had in mind? Uzi kept asking herself. 

Surprisingly, his decision suited her quite well. So far, Uzi had managed to keep up with the sheer volume of work: even though the pace of work was demanding, and the boss expected a strict quota, Uzi enjoyed using her skilled hands like this. In the end, it wasn't so bad - she hadn't bitten anyone yet, or sent objects flying at people's heads. Working with machines was interesting. 

And... it helped keep her mind occupied. 

Especially when her thoughts were a little too focused on a certain Disassembly Drone, whom she hadn't seen for some time. Very often, when Uzi let herself daydream, she remembered them sleeping together in N's nest, cuddling each other, his pleasant scent- 

Oh gosh! She was drifting again!

Aaaaargh! Stop that right now! What's wrong with me?! Uzi slammed her head down on her workbench, amidst the engine parts she was assembling.

But... Uzi couldn't help herself. The young drone always ended up like this. The kiss she'd given him: Uzi could still feel the sensation of her lips on him. Hypnotized by the voice that whispered to her. What had possessed her to do that... taking advantage of his sleep and doing something so disgusting. Even if it hadn't been so unpleasant.

Uzi groaned into her sleeves, as another overheat mounted in her processors, and pulled on her beanie until it almost covered her head, the better to hide her shame.

What was happening to her? In the year they'd been dating, this was the first time she'd been so disturbed.

And she missed N so much... I hope he going better, Uzi hoped, not having seen him since her return to the bunker - an eternity.

N’s latest messages to his girlfriend, which she scrolled through one by one, were reassuring and full of emojis. No significant feedback about decoding the ship's data, but that wasn't the most important thing. Mostly saying that his core was getting better, but that he missed her. A lot. That he really wanted to see her again. Hoped her punishment would be over - not anytime soon.

Poor needy puppy... Uzi couldn't help but scoff a little, and a smile escaped her lips.

"Hey, you!” 

Voice surprised her, as Uzi snapped out of her soft thoughts. Standing up, Uzi saw Workers - those she had driven away - heading toward her. They were drones a few years older, five of them. Who didn’t look friendly to her. Before Uzi could react, they surrounded her from all sides, preventing her from escaping. 

Uzi scowled, suppressing her instinct to send them flying into the wall and then flee. She backed up against a pillar to protect her back from a treacherous attack. 

“Now what do you want from me?!” 

A drone - who looked a bit like Thad, but was rougher and more hostile - came up to Uzi and towered over her. His name tag on his spotted coveralls spelled out “Rob.” Rob stared at her with unfriendly grey eyes: “You should get to your task, instead of doing nothing while we do all the work.” 

"Got a problem, greaseball?" Uzi provoked him, not at all appreciating that they were trying to put her down.

“You called me what?!” Reacting to her insult about his appearance, the drone agited a filthy finger in front of her face - damn it, Uzi stopped herself from biting it off, this guy smelled so bad she'd have a stomachache.

"Watch it, freaking Doorman! Just because your father is an important head, but a buffoon, doesn't mean we'll let you walk over us. It's bad enough we are working with a monster like you, who hangs out with those Murder Drones bastards, and has no business being here. So you'd better make yourself very small."

"Well, smaller than that, minus!" returned one of the bullies, and the others laughed wickedly.

Uzi didn't know what stopped her from hurling herself at them, as her fists clenched in fury. A bunch of idiots: they were going after the wrong drone. It was one thing to insult her, she was used to it. 

But not her friends or family. 

Pushing back the urge to simply invalidate them - not that Uzi didn't want to: there are too many people, and Dad might get in trouble.

She thought she'd wait until later to toss them all into one of the dumpsters. Or better still, at the bottom of the burning pit to recycle this bunch of trash. The metal would melt easily and no one would know... 

It might be fun to watch them scream...

The ex-Worker pondered this Insidious idea, who tried to convince her to listen, until Uzi saw another person arrive on the scene, coming behind the bullies who hadn't noticed her yet. The Worker-Solver recognized her immediately: it was their boss - Uzi didn't know her name yet - and oooh ! who looked very upset. 

“Hey, you all !” She shouted at the group, who jumped as one at the sight of her. “What the hell are you all doing here?! You still have a job to do!” 

She held a huge wrench in one hand, and each of the factory guys backed away, fearfully from her outburst. Uzi couldn’t help but admire the authority she wielded.

Rob, the one who had provoked Uzi first, explained wobbly: “It’s… It’s the newbie’s fault, Eliza. She hasn't been doing anything for a while. W-We just came to bring her back into line.” 

So, Eliza is that woman's name…

At the same time, Uzi sent a bad glance towards the shrivelling drone, while Eliza took out a notebook and looked at some notes: probably all the work done so far by the employees. Screen blinked, and her eyebrows furrowed - more than before. Her gaze fell on Uzi, who was getting tired of waiting.

“Doorman, you finished your quota for the day several hours ago: what are you still doing here?” she asked at Uzi, and Eliza’s words caused a surprised hubbub around them. 

Uzi shrugged impertinently, nonchalantly, “I just wanted to continue, nothing more,” while all the noise was giving her a headache. 

“So she had already finished?” one asked in surprise, “How did she do it?” another drone asked, “That’s not possible ! Boss, she must have used her weird witchcraft !” Rob got angry, refusing to believe it. 

Before Uzi decided to rip the damn guy's tongue out, Eliza silenced the exclamations. “Shut your craps !” She waved her tool aggressively in their faces, intimidated and silente. “All of you, get back to work and mind your own business instead of other people's! Rob, I’ll see you at the end of your shift. And don't let me catch you all making a mess again, or I’ll cut everyone’s monthly pay!” 

Her final order sent them off, heads bowed and expressions down, back to work. But not before glowering at Uzi, who delighted in their misery. Last to linger was Rob, casting a vengeful look on his face at the smallest drone, before leaving the scene.

These guys could be trouble later... They seem to hold a grudge against me.

Eliza was still in front of Uzi, and she didn't seem to be done with her : "Doorman, finish what you were doing, and come to my office before you go home. I have to talk with you, discuss what just happened and other stuff," before she finally went back to walking among the teams and shouting orders. 

“Greaaat…” Uzi let out an upset groan, before kicking against a piece that was lying around, and went back to the workbench with hands in her pockets. Trouble was already starting. 

It didn't take long... 

She hadn't even been able to get revenge on the idiots.

Chapter Text

I said it, and I've done it: I'll include SOFT's drawings as a bonus chapter. 

To thank you for reading this story, I'll sometimes illustrate chapters that may feature certain parts of the story: even if they're not so much spoilers ;) Just a bit of lore.

So here goes~

Some explanations:

Disassembly Drones have many programs that imitate the behavior of certain animals that have disappeared from Earth, mainly to hunt, defend themselves or feed (fauves, birds of prey, bats, etc.)

I decided to incorporate into SOFT an element that I sometimes find in certain fanarts and other Murder Drones stories: the nest. 

In short, like a bird, a Disassembly will create a nest to house its mate and their young. An elegantly decorated, comfortable and secure environment, which the Disassembly will watch over very carefully:

Beware of any intruder who gets too close! X )

So here's the nest N made for Uzi not far from the bunker (mixing his and Uzi's tastes), a scene I plan to write in the future :3 he he he

Chapter Text

Eliza’s office was further up the Factory, it required climbing stairs. That was where Uzi had to go, coming to join her boss there as she had requested. 

And probably to receive some criticism. The teenager didn’t waste any time and she entered without permission, deciding to get it over with quickly.

"I'm here, what the-" Uzi began, before realizing that there was no one there at the moment. 

Instead of waiting outside, curiosity got the better of her and she cast a critical eye around, recognizing this as the home of someone who liked to build. And had no organization. It was a real mess, there wasn't a better word: lots of plans and schematics were strewn across the walls, the floor and the single table cluttered with machine parts. A garbage spewed out a heap of drafts, thrown carelessly all around. Cups - empty ones, that is - piled up on the shelves and table. Not to mention the tools that were scattered all over the space. 

How could anyone find anything in this room…, Uzi wondered.

And... was that a mattress lying around? There was even a charging cable and a ratty blanket. This drone woman was definitely living in this factory that was too noisy all day, and smelled of greasy machinery... 

Hehehe, wow! And here I thought your own room, Uz, or your old man's office, was really something!

Damn... Irritated by this disturbance, Uzi pinched her screen where her nose should be. This kind of sudden thought was happening to her more and more often. Sudden comments, that she had not thought of a moment ago, and fell silent as soon as Uzi would notice. 

If the ex-Worker had to compare them, it was like hearing disembodied whispers. Sometimes, it tickled the bottom of her mind, strong enough to form a brief thought. Depending on her emotions, it was either relaxed and mocking when she was calm, or aggressive and bloodthirsty in her moments of anger - like earlier with the group of idiot drones, Uzi remembered. But even if it sounded strangely like Solver when it spoke, it was not the same oppression that Uzi felt when it manifested itself. 

No, it was not that cold and empty voice, which made you want to split your head open to get rid of it. It was… manageable, and still very random. At least, no tail was controlled by another evil program and did not bite people at will… she hoped. One was enough for her.

"What could it be, these auditory hallucinations? Maybe something with the processors affecting the thought circuit…" Uzi wondered.

And above all… should she be worried? In addition to the Solver. That was a lot to deal with the nightmares, the hunger, her rampage in the clearing. Maybe she should at least talk about the voices with someone else- No, maybe it’s nothing at all! It started after that fight with those weird drones. You’re just stressed… and a little mentally unstable… 

Unable to stay calm, Uzi paced freely around, waiting - no matter if someone would blame her, they could bite her. Then she noticed the many portraits and photos, hanging on the walls or in frames. Curious, she looked at them more closely one by one. Uzi recognized Eliza, alone or with other Workers, from the factory’s work team or strangers. They were working or simply posing, smiling, some of them were simple magazine reviews about machines. 

But her gaze widened in front of one of the oldest photos, and she picked it up. Uzi immediately recognized her father, Khan, who was holding a large complex plan while talking with other drones. Next to him, Eliza was holding a blowtorch to assemble several rows of beams. And the other woman who stood between them, with purple hairs adorned a single braid, the one who looked so much like her… 

Wow, it’s mom! Dad and she are with that woman Eliza. And this place, it looks like… 

Behind the small group, Uzi recognized the immense base of a door. And under the photo, something was written in bold: First day of the foundation of the Outpost-3’s doors. 

Completely focused on the photo, the teenager no longer paid attention to her surroundings; so absorbed by it that she did not notice the silhouette that slowly approached her from behind. 

And, suddenly, who heavily tapped the top of her beanie : “Hey girl !” 

Uzi’s reaction was immediate, who leapt to the ceiling in a high-pitched, beastly hissing, followed by a menacing growl towards the threat. Danger! Threat! screamed the most primal part of her system, which acted quickly against the enemy. The fingers of her free hand spread, invoking the Solver symbol [translate] around the intruder’s neck to tear their head off… 

… Turning out to be Eliza, who let out a strangled panic cry and stressed hollow eyes as the code crushed her neck, close to decapitating her. Still hanging upside down, Uzi’s head twisted to get a better look at the drone, before realizing what she was doing. 

Oops… Uzi’s “X” screen returned to normal, and she corrected her mistake, releasing her grip on the poor drone who collapsed to the ground with a gasp. At least she was unharmed… almost. 

“Breathe… urgh…” 

“Sorry, ma’am, you scared me there,” Uzi apologized from above, having the decency to feel a little guilty for almost killing her by accident. 

To get back down, the Worker-Solver crawled further, before falling from the ceiling where she had been hanging on and caught herself deftly on her two legs. Lucky, her wings and tail had remained wisely in the containers of her frame despite Uzi's great fright. Checking the curled and trembling body of the drone she had accidentally attacked, Uzi offered a cautious hand towards the boss. 

Eliza didn't push her away, or fear Uzi, and she accepted her help to stand up, not seeming terrified by the surprise attack. She acted as if nothing had happened at all. "Well, you wouldn't be the first trying to kill me and fail," Eliza rubbed her neck delicately, the metal slightly bent and probably needing to be checked later. 

She snorted humorously - which Uzi thought was pretty weird after she narrowly escaped death. "Actually, it brings back memories of my old pal Nori. She, too, tried to slit my throat the first time we met. Yep, you really are her young." 

Oh, so she really knows my parents - and mom tried to kill her? And… then they became friends? Uzi was a little uncomfortable with this information. It sorta reminded her of that strange encounter with that crazy-head Alice... Not a very pleasant memory. 

She was a little wary about Eliza’s story, but the drone didn't seem to be setting a trap in her office, or about to kill her. Still holding the photo, Uzi put it in front of Eliza’s screen, tapping a finger on the silhouettes of her two parents: 

“That’s my mom and dad there with you, right? I recognize this construction site: it was when the bunker was starting to be built, right? This is the Door 1 before it was finished.” 

“Hmhm. That day, I really thought Khan and Nori had definitely lost their minds. Especially with their crazy story about Sky Demons. How ironic, when I think back…” Eliza grabbed one of her cups, the least dirty one, and filled it with caffeinated coolant - before taking a flask of battery acid out of her jacket and pouring some in? - then sipped. 

Damn, what are the adults of the old generations who want to get drunk so much? Uzi had never been attracted to that, which made her kind even more stupid.

"My parents never told me about you, until now...'

Eliza seemed to have forgotten she was present, enjoying her drink; then, noticing Uzi's suspicious look, the woman drone sighed: "Khan and Nori were old friends of mine. When the core collapsed and killed the Copper-9 humans, Khan and I were on the same search party: that's where we found your mother Nori, and another drone: Yeva. By the way, when your mother saw me trying to help Khan lift her, her first reaction was to pounce on me and try to tear my head off. Saying it, I have a bite mark on my arm..." 

And Eliza removed one of her work gloves ; Uzi recognized the deep mark, and several punctures, some of which came from sharp fangs, that had tried to chew through the arm preventing Nori from maiming her victim.

Wow... Mom didn't miss her.

Eliza hid her arm and continued, looking amused and nostalgic: "It took Khan, two other beefy drones - the others were busy dealing with Yeva too - and a few hard blows from my wrench to calm her down. A real fury and aggressive as a virus. Result: everyone becomes friends five minutes later."

Finishing her story, she retrieved the picture Uzi had been keeping, before placing it back on the place where it had been. Her eyes seemed to soften a little, as she saw the photo of her old friends, remembering those gone and still here. Before her gaze became firmer, when she looked back at Uzi. 

“But I didn’t call you to talk about the past, or to relive the good old days with your parents. I think you know.” 

“Yeah, sure.” Uzi rolled her eyes, thinking she knew how it might get through. How it always did. But she kept her cool, mainly because she now thought Eliza was clean, not wanting to hurt her. 

So the angsty teenager leaned against a wall and waited, while Eliza fixed her with a critical eye. 

“I’ll be honest: when Khan came to ask me to take you on my team, I was this close to ripping his damn mustache off and making him eat it. It’s hard enough running the factory and all the bigger orders for this colony, without having to babysit. And if it turned out you were wasting my time, kid, I would have taken you back to your father and kicked each of you in the ass.” 

“So? You have something to say about my work?” Uzi brazenly crossed her arms, not afraid of her attitude - even if a glance at her thick boot didn’t make anybody want to get spanked. However, no one spoke ill of her work!

Oddly enough, Eliza laughed at her rude answer and put down her already empty cup, before drinking directly from the flask of battery acid. When she offered it to Uzi, her reaction was a grimace of disgust as she smelled the liquid from here, which stung her scent receptors.

Eliza continued to stare at her, seeming to assess her - and perhaps looking a little amused by her rebellious behavior.

"You're just like your mother, brat: the same sharp tongue. Don't worry, you do very good work, and far more efficiently than any of my boys. Khan didn't fool me when he said you were competent for your age!"

Hearing that her father had praised her, Uzi tried to hold back the embarrassed blush from her screen. Yet she couldn't help adding: "And you don't believe what that Rob guy said, that I use my weird witch powers to cheat?"

"Kid, I've been watching you for practically three weeks: I didn't notice anything like that - and if you'd done anything like that, I'd have kicked you out straight away. I'm not stupid, I know Rob was trying to put you on the spot: it wouldn't be the first time he and his gang had caused trouble for the new guys. But it makes me wonder... why didn't you?"

Eliza moved a little closer to Uzi, her eyes shining with an emotion the young drone didn't recognize, and waited for what she had to say. 

And Uzi understood : It's a test, I’m sure of it. Why Eliza was doing it, the teenager didn't know. But she knew what to say, and Uzi raised her head with pride and provocation: 

"Because nothing beats a job done by yourself, from drawing the outline of the plan to mounting the last piece. I built my first railgun without any power. Many times, my prototypes exploded in my head, and I can't count the number of times I went to the infirmary. I had to fight to get all the parts I needed, and sometimes I really risked my life! It would make no sense to build something without putting the slightest effort into it!" 

Really, Eliza was liking Khan and Nori's daughter more and more. She was just like her parents, a tough character and a defiant attitude; very different from the average drone. She nodded, approving of her words, and smiled at the little drone who had completely convinced her. 

Dang Khan, Nori, your daughter is quite a phenomenon. You weren't lying to me, old man... She has potential, and Eliza approached Uzi, who didn't move as she stopped right in front of her. 

And Uzi read in her eyes... respect? 

"Uzi Doorman, during the time you work for me, I'll be expecting a lot from you. And I'm glad you're on the team. So, welcome late." Eliza rubbed a hand over her clothes to clean off the grime, and gently held it out to her. 

Uzi looked at her with surprise, her round yellow-purple eyes alternating between this hand and Eliza who was waiting for her. She was the first drone Worker - outside of Uzi’s family or her few friends - who had shown her consideration. This Eliza had her own vision of things and the world. 

This pleased Uzi, who started to lower her guard a little... and cheerfully returned her handshake, smiling broadly as she enjoyed being considered an equal for once: "I'll do my best, boss."

"Glad to hear it, newbie! And don't worry about Rob or his guys: I'll keep an eye on them. Keep up the good work, and you'll soon earn your place ! One more thing: Khan told me a bit about your famous railgun, and I confess I'd like to see what your plans look like. From the echoes I've heard and Khan's words, it must have been some sick gun to kill a Demon or an Eldritch centipede/crab monster !"

Uzi promised, enjoying to share it with someone else who seemed to regard her work with such interest. Something, the teenager realized, that everyone had dismissed as the delusion of a child wanting the attention of others.

It's never happened before that someone seems to appreciate my work… I like the change.

"Last thing, Doorman: tell your old mom I say hello, and her old pal Liz will come round on occasion!" Eliza added, as Uzi left her office.

As the daughter of her dear friends left to go home, Eliza chuckled to herself and finished her flask of battery acid. This discussion had been... interesting. And decisive. 

“Old Khan, man… you never talk bullshit. I should have known with the bunker's story.” Her caramel eyes returned to the photo she and Uzi had talked about.

At the time, even though Khan and Nori's story was completely crazy, about monstrous drones about to invade them, Eliza had agreed to follow them in their foolish project. Because they were olds friends and all... 

Who would have believed that, a few months later, when the bunker was finished, their world would change forever, only restricted to three huge doors, and hell outside. 

And now, their whole world was about to change once again. Which reminded her of… 

Sitting heavily in her chair and casually placing feet on the table, Eliza checked some documents for the materials request, and some information from the mining Workers, who reported from the underground rock veins all the resources for the Colony. Compared to the current needs of all the drones in Outpost-3, the numbers… weren’t very good. Very not. 

Eliza sighed heavily, rubbing her greasy hair angrily. “Damn. So there’s no escaping it, is there?” She opened a drawer of her drink, grabbed another one and drank several mouthfuls of clear liquid that burned her throat. Her screen began to misfire, but it helped her relax a little. 

And Eliza made up her mind: finally, it was time for the Colonial Factory to start producing other types of machines.

Like something to enable drones to venture outside and protect themselves from danger.

That is, depending on what is decided at the next meeting this week. But one thing was certain: this decision would mark the history and future of the Outpost-3 colony.

___________________________________________________

Back in her room, Uzi stayed up late. Her internal digital clock showed 11 p.m. and, curiously, N hadn't contacted his girlfriend. Very unusual, but Uzi preferred not to disturb him: perhaps he was still resting to heal. And if anything happened, she knew that V would let her know: Uzi would come, whatever the cost.

Even if N's absence made her feel lonely... Ugh, she was becoming as sweet as he was.

And she wrote a short message: hope you're feeling better, buddy. rest well. There : it wasn't too much, was it? Or too short ? 

Seriously, I'm no good at this…

For a long time she sat on the back of her chair, Uzi stared at her computer screen. Very interested in the schematic diagram: it was the plan of a huge structure - a laboratory, it seemed - and the complex was, for want of a better term, impressive.

Zone 51-bis laboratory: the one those strange Solver drones were looking for, and from which N had retrieved a USB key from one of them allowing access. 

"That key," he'd explained, handing it to her before she headed back to the bunker, "was on the military drone, the big one I saw during a hunt, the day I joined V. He had received it from a drone that knew about this laboratory." This contained the plans and access codes for the structure 

While munching on several handfuls of batteries, the bowl resting carelessly on Sparky's inanimate head still under repair, Uzi explored each room of the abandoned building and whistled, impressed by the immense 3D complex that stretched far underground. 

“Incredible… it looks even bigger than the one in the church, where Mom was…” Too bad there was nothing written in the files about the experiments and research conducted by those damned humans. 

But it certainly had something to do with the Absolute Solver. Underneath her, legs trembled, feverish, and Uzi thoughtfully held her head between her hands, while curiosity gnawed at her. 

And a little hope.

Maybe she could find a way there to definitively subdue the Solver program? Even if it was calmer, Uzi was not fooled: the Thing was just waiting for an opportunity to regain control. Uzi still had that hungry feeling, gnawing at the depths of her mind. It was very painful to ignore, all the time. And a bad feeling was growing day by day...

You're not taking our warnings seriously. You're the one who started all this… Sarcastic smile. You will be responsible for all this, Host Uzi, had been its warnings against the little drone who kept it imprisoned. 

It had only bitten a poor drone in my class, but then what? Uzi stood up, determined after having made a decision: she was going to go there. 

No matter what. 

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and Uzi recognized the claw-clacking of a small body in motion. She didn’t have to turn around to recognize her mother, who jumped on her desk and moved to join her. 

“Hello, Mom. What’s up?” 

Nori emitted an evasive "huuum" - she certainly wasn’t going to talk about spending quality time with her father before he left for work - and then she scowled as she checked the screen, recognizing the research building her daughter had been studying since they got back. 

“Still on it, kiddo?” she asked, before grabbing one of Uzi’s snacks and nibbling on it. 

Uzi snorted lightly, holding back a laugh as she saw her mother to eat the battery like rodents used to do: if she made even the slightest comment, Nori would take it very badly. 

As if her mother had guessed her thoughts, she narrowed her single violet eye, daring her daughter to mock her condition which was still a sensitive subject. 

But instead, Uzi took a deep breath, becoming more serious again as she confided in Nori: “I have to go to that lab, Mom. I can't let the Solver off that easy.” 

“Kiddo…” Nori scolded her, her gaze growing harsher, and pointed at her with a sharp claw. “There’s no way I’m lifting your punishment now, young lady, after what you’ve done. I remind you that you put yourself in danger, running away in the middle of a blizzard, all to save those two Murder Drones-” 

“Disassembly Drones, Mom,” Uzi corrected her, holding back an angry growl at Nori’s way of talking about her friends and feeling very defensive. “N and V could have died if I didn’t go. N who, I remind you, saved your life, and, adding, who’s my boyfriend (even if you still have a problem with that, seriously…) 

Nori simply rolled her eye at her reply, even if she didn’t raise the last one mumbled remark from her daughter, or she got annoyed by her interruption. “Anyway, we haven’t decided with your father when you’ll be released yet, so don’t even think about going out to throw yourself into another possible trap! And don’t dare to repeat your race from the last time.” 

Uzi let out a hoarse moan, annoyed by Nori's stubbornness. “Mom, it’s different! I’m going there for me, to deal with this Thing if it ever wants to do something stupid again.” And because what I did to that drone freaked me out, she added in her head. 

Memory replays that moment, when she tore the core out of that guy’s chest, still alive, and… Ate him. Without the slightest hesitation, she had devoured him like a common piece of meat. Uzi hadn't told anyone what had happened. Not her parents, not V, not N. Especially him. No matter what made her do that... This time, she hadn't been possessed by the Solver. Or she still had the control doing this. 

Uzi didn't know which of the two perspectives was more frightening. 

You shouldn't hide what's happening from them, Uz: I don't think it would change what they thought of you- 

Shut up, you! Argh, that damn voice. This wasn't the time... Oh great... Now she was attacking her own hallucinations. But as if intimidated by her anger, it had stopped. 

Several years of hiding her emotional problems allowed Uzi to mask her confusion and anxiety. Nothing except a slight twitch of the eye, imperceptible. 

But that was enough for Nori, who always seemed to sense that something was troubling her daughter. Her expression - or at least, Nori’s body - sagged slightly. As if a huge weight was crushing her: a burden from the past.

And then, her heavy voice warned her daughter : “Believe me, kid: nothing that has been done or studied in these labs will bring you anything that can help you. Only show you more horrors, and all the mistakes that have been made there by stupid and cruel humans.” 

Her claws dug into the table, as images came back to her. Those of her peers carried away by humans, their cries of despair; her own, while a scientist held her to the table, struggling, managing to bite a hand to the bone, but others had managed to connect a cable to infect Nori with the Absolute Solver program. Hundreds of tests followed, more atrocious and painful one after the other… 

“Mom?” Uzi leaned worriedly towards her mother’s trembling body, and grabbed her to take her to the bed. 

She waited a little, holding this small body that seemed so fragile. Her mother was so strong, and yet Uzi realized that she was unaware of what she had experienced. What trauma and torture her mother had suffered, at the hands of humans. 

Nori gave a long, tired sigh, managing to recover. And she looked down at her daughter, looking completely exhausted. 

“Go sleep, Uzi. So that your next day goes well. And about the Solver, don’t worry: I’ve been through a lot of possessions myself. If anything happens, tell me, and I’ll help you the best I can. But remember: as long as you’re still bold, it won’t do anything to you.” 

“I know, Mom. Thanks.” For once, Uzi decided to obey and stop her research, at least for this night. Even though it was still early. No need to argue further about the mysterious laboratory, Nori was clearly against it. And seeing her mother so affected… she didn’t want to remind her of other bad things tonight. Or tell her about her more recent problems. 

Later, Uzi decided, before simply lying down on her mattress and connecting to her power cable. 

She didn’t flinch when her mother gently caressed her face, saying “Goodnight”, like towards a young droneling, while Uzi let her do it. Strangely appreciating such a loving and maternal gesture, something she had been deprived of for years. 

Uzi even allowed herself to smile a little, and in return wished her mother a “good night,” who jumped out of bed and settled on the living room couch. 

Before switching to “Sleep Mode,” Uzi suddenly remembered earlier: “By the way, Mom: Eliza says hi and would like to see you sometime.” 

She saw her mother stop, just as she was about to close the door. And Uzi was glad to have remembered, while Nori seemed to brighten up a little at the name of an old friend. 

“Thanks, kiddo. If you see Eliza, tell her it’s appreciated, and that I’ll think about it. Good night,” and she left, leaving Uzi slowly to fall asleep.

Soon, dreams came to haunt her. 

Chapter Text

"Aaah !"

In the Tower of Corpses, before the evening, N awoke with a start and almost fell from his perch. Again. Fortunately, his tail, wrapped several times around the beam, held him well enough. At least he hadn't fallen hard to the ground, dozens of meters below.

Like so many times before.

N was breathing hard and fast, terrified by the still vivid and horrible images of his dream. His big golden eyes wide open and hollow, the tall Disassembly tried to suppress the nervous trembling in his arms, which fearfully encircled his core to protect it.

It hurt, always burning him.

In his horrible nightmare, N had had yet another vision of Nova, leaning over him and smiling cruelly, laughing. Torturing him with unhealthy pleasure, and exposing the most vulnerable part of himself, his core, which she manipulated and abused it without caring about his cries and pleas. The pain had then awakened him. 

“Aaaaah...”

N inhaled deeply, trying to calm down a little. This wasn't the first nightmare he'd had: like shattered memories of his old life at Elliott Manor, about his former masters' torture, J's mistreatment of him, the violent rampage on the human colonies... mostly.

But never so bad.

His sad, ringed gaze turned toward the entrance of the Tower. Outside, the sun was beginning to set; not far from him, V continued to sleep peacefully in a light sway, her blade wings surrounding the female drone like an indestructible cocoon. 

N looked at her for a few seconds, envying V for sleeping so well; after such a horriful nightmare, he didn't think he would be able to rest anymore. His core still hurt, and a particularly unpleasant pulsation made him moan, silently so as not to wake his friend.

Even if V had told him to report the slightest problem, he didn't want to disturb her. 

He had to leave. 

N largely deployed his wings, which quivered slightly because of his agitated state, then he unhooked himself from his dorm, the tail untying until he fell, and nimbly stabilized his flight. Far above the ground, the Disassembly let himself glide easily, until he returned to the safety of his nest. Alone.

There, among his pillows and dozens of favorite stuffed dog toys, N sat down and unbuttoned his coat; then, more hesitantly and slowly, he spread the two metal plates of his chest. The large drone brushed the black glass, before sighing deeply. 

Go ahead, do it, N. And N complied, expecting to find his core more wounded than ever.

This was not the case. 

“Hm?” N checked the progress of his healing, curious.

As he had for the past few days, he noted - somewhat relieved but puzzled - that the lump of flesh was gradually improving, his nanites repairing the remaining damage. Before leaving, Uzi had cast [edit] on him, after N had given her permission, to facilitate biomechanical regeneration, repairing most of it without difficulty.

But N was still in so much pain: why, when his core was practically restored?

“What's happening to me...”

He sighed, before closing his insides to groan pitifully in his nest, and the big drone collapsed into a ball: he missed Uzi. So much. 

When will she be back? wondered N, hoping once again that Uzi's parents would soon lift her punishment. 

Everything would be easier... if she were with him.

The drone inhaled slowly: he could still smell his beloved inside the nest, especially on the old blanket where she had slept three weeks before. Her perfume was still there: the sweetness of mint - the latter, she had once explained to him, blushing, that the teenager regularly used to wash her clothes and wig. Another scent, more subtle and sweet, all Workers wore and usually made N hungry for their oil - to hunt them down - but which attracted him more to Uzi.

It wasn't his fault she smelled so good!

N had to avoid sniffing her too often, or making it obvious with an entranced air; Uzi would certainly die of embarrassment if she found out, shouting “creepy” or “sick” at him. Although, N smiled a little, his girlfriend was very cute when she blushed and got mad at him for putting her in that state. Sometimes, he would embarrass her on purpose - without ever crossing the line - just enough to catch a glimpse of this adorable side of her.

Uzi... I want to see you so much. The big drone buried his head inside the blanket. And enveloped in her scent, the pain in his core softened, until it almost disappeared.

Slowly, N relaxed: the screen glued to his Uzi-scented blanket, he had wrapped himself around it as if to hold her body - similar to their first night together in his nest.

It was nice. Warm and safe. His arms and legs held his precious blanket tightly, tail curling up to hold it. His screen displayed “Sleep Mode” as N drifted back to sleep without realizing it, soothed again. And this time, he dreamed only of the fiery little drone he missed so much. 

Of her passionate face where her purple locks rested, of her gentle smile that only he knew, and that tenderly pronounced his name.

I love you, N… She whispered to him, nestled in his arms, as her lips tickled against his cheek. Of course, N had quickly understood that it was not really Uzi - she would not say those three words so openly, or act so tactile.

Yet… he let himself be convinced by this wonderful apparition created by his mind. 

But later, - as N held Uzi in his protective arms, possessively, kissing her on a delicious shoulder as his sharp fangs caressed her chassis ever so lightly, tasting the black pearls of oil on his tongue. Growling tenderly and purring loudly. Not afraid, Uzi encouraged him with soft words that made him shiver, her fingers playing timidly with his snowy curls and the glass surface on his core. Making him raise his head towards her and meet her beautiful, tinted and intelligent eyes. Then the two gradually approaching each other, lovingly, to kiss…- a call outside that woke him up to this pleasant vision. 

And N suddenly stood up, the screen very colorful. 

Passionately kissing his blanket that he had hugged against him, now a little torn by his teeth and soaked in drool, before spitting it out. “Bleh!” 

I… fell asleep again? N realized and he tried very quickly to become normal again and not so yellow. 

His beautiful dream was already fading from memory, but the sensations remained. His tail wouldn't stay put, wagging happily in all directions - fortunately his sting didn't dissolve anything - as N stretched unhurriedly and yawned, sufficiently rested. It had been a long time.

N guessed it must be late and, displaying his internal clock, realized with a shocked cry, no longer sleepy, that it was past 11pm.

"Oh biscuits, Uzi! I haven't sent her any messages today!" N exclaimed, wide awake, as he rushed out of the nest.

He also saw a notification appearing in the background - oh, Uzi was asking him how he was feeling, it was so sweet! - and making him smiling. But before N could reply with a message and apologize for his absence, he heard V calling again, looking for him below of his nest.

“Over here, V!” N poked his head out of the tunnel and gestured wildly towards his squadmate, who finally spotted him.

Exasperated, V's tail made large waving arcs behind her. "N, what the hell are you doing here?! I've been looking for you for over half an hour! Man, I thought you'd disappeared!"

“Sorry,” N grinned, not having thought to warn V for moving while she slept. “Hmm, did you want to tell me something?”

“Are your oil supplies okay?” 

N didn’t answer right away; he hummed, checking his current reserves. The big drone felt great. Having not moved much since their return, too weakened, and having hunted a bit for them, his reserves were comfortably at 72%. N could easily last two or three days without having to restock, if he continued to be reasonable. 

“I’m a little more than 70%. And you?” He asked V, who, N knew, hadn’t left their house much for a while. 

V replied immediately: "The same, around 84%: I had a bit to drink after waking up. If you're okay, I'm off to the bunker to meet Lizzy: I promised her I'd make it up to her for not coming around more lately, by having a ‘special cool people night to celebrate her promotion’ or something. Go figure out what she means by ‘promotion’..." 

V grimaced dismissively, as if annoyed by the whim of the popular pink-eyed drone who was her best friend, but N recognized from her slightly higher tail that she was delighted with the invitation. Her hair looked shinier and well-combed, her uniform free of oil stains, and her frame had been rigorously cleaned of the yellow canister of acid right down to her murderous claws.

Despite her criticisms, V had dressed up for the event: from her original personality, the former Elliott manor maid had always been attentive to detail and never careless about her appearance.

Seeing her like this, N almost gasped in realization: so I'm going to be by myself tonight, and his eyes lowered a little sadly.

He wouldn't be able to play cards with V again, one of their few activities together, although he wouldn't hold her back from having fun. Although it was likely to be boring tonight, and N didn't like being alone.

It hadn't happened for a long time; not since Uzi had come into his life.

Until, few seconds later, V suggested: "Hey, do you want to walk me to the bunker's conduits ?"

“Wait, what? You want me to come with you to your girls’ night?” N asked, thinking he misunderstood as his head tilted to the side at the question. 

At N’s answer, V rolled her eyes and shook her head: “No, idiot, I mean that instead of feeling depressed in your corner like a loser, you could also visit the other purple loser, by going through a conduit that leads to her room. Normally, she would have one.” 

It was N's turn to be surprised by her audacious idea, at first very silent except for the blinking of his round eyes ; then his expression panicked as he imagined doing that: 

"B-But, Uzi is punished! Well, of course… I would like to, b-but still- Her parents could-"

"N, calm down! Remember, it's Uzi who's grounded, not you! Her parents didn't explicitly defend you from coming to see her, right?" V explained simply, although aware of the weak logic behind her reasoning. 

Honestly, she didn't expect him to accept. V had thrown out the idea like that, impulsively and without being too serious. Surely Uzi's parents wouldn't appreciate N slipping into their house discreetly, to see their daughter in her room. But even if she thought N would reject the idea, the Disassembly had had enough of seeing him brood and mope over the absence of their friend, secretly looking at that ring when he thought she didn't see him doing it. 

Gee, maybe I should ask Lizzy to change her plans, by taking her to one of the stores nearby… 

However, N began to think about V’s impulsive suggestion, a pensive expression on his face, replaying her words several times. And his expression brightened. V was right: Mr. and Mrs. Uzi hadn’t forbidden him to see Uzi, and Uzi to see N. She couldn’t leave the bunker… but nothing prevented the two drones from being at her place, in her room. 

Oooh, perfect plan ! N smiled excitedly, happy to have found a solution: what an idiot, why hadn’t he thought of that sooner! 

He threw himself out of his nest, and landed heavily in front of V, surprised by him. Before he caught her and spun her around several times with a big laugh. 

“H-Hey!” V shouted, not expecting that, as N held her back, and slammed N’s hard head with her reinforced arms, pushing his screen away with her claws. Though, much to V’s frustration, he didn’t care. “N, what the hell-” 

Even his friend’s agitation didn’t calm the boy down, as N exclaimed “V, you’re a genius! Oh thank you thank you thank you! We have to go right now!” He spun her around once more, before setting her down and V stumbled clumsily.

Tail wagging happily and his trademark smile on his face, N sped off outside; his magnetic engines wings kicked in, and he took off like a golden comet, speeding towards the bunker, his thoughts chanting Uzi’s name. 

He was finally going to see her again after so much time apart! 

"Urgh..."

Still a little dizzy from N storming, V stayed back, until her eyes stopped drawing spirals of dizziness. She noticed N's disappearance, and she sighed exaggeratedly. He had taken her proposal literally. 

"What did I expect, of course he was going to accept my idea," V rubbed her now ruffled silver hair, not being surprised by the turn of events.

It was N, after all. 

"At least he found his exhausting energy again," V improved her look, and she spread her wings to go after him, N having already been very far away. 

Probably having arrived there first. 

She hurried to join him and, annoyed, the drone hunter cried out, putting a hand to her mouth: “Wait for me, idiot! You’ll get lost in the conduits without me!”

___________________________________________________

It was dark. 

Very dark. 

And freezing. 

Uzi didn’t know where she was; her body was in pain, overwhelmed by both the cold that surrounded her and the furnace of her core. 

Her hunger was immense. Unbearable. And her teeth were grinding in her mouth. 

She advanced slowly, with difficulty, wading through a strange viscous liquid. Sometimes, her legs hit an invisible obstacle, which floated further away. Before it sank to the bottom, into unknown depths; a slight red shimmer betrayed the presence of several of them under the surface. That was what she was walking on. 

Uzi was scared: a feeling she'd always tried to dominate or hide; not anymore. Being in this place, starving, disoriented, alone, it made her anxious.

Where am I ?!

Her eyes crinkled suddenly, having spotted something ahead - no, someone. Cowering and trembling just as much as she was.

“Hey!” Uzi called to them, hurrying to join this person for answers, what this awful place was, and what the hell she was doing there.

The closer she got, the more the little drone thought she recognized the figure who wasn't getting up. Until she let out a surprised little cry, mingled with relief, when she recognized him.

It was N.

“N!” Uzi rushed toward her boyfriend, splashes soiling her sweatshirt and boots, avoiding falling into the hot liquid that smelled more intensely of delicious drone oil.

Finally, N flinched as he heard the splashing behind him; he straightened up, turning an indecipherable expression towards Uzi, who hurried to join him. 

She was almost there.

“Uzi?” His voice trembled, broken. But it was definitely him.

Crying digital tears and smiling with happiness to find him, unharmed, Uzi opened her mouth to answer him. Suddenly, darkness exploded all around them.

It was no longer completely black. But the devastated landscape of a world about to be destroyed.

And Uzi recognized this place with a shock: the ruins where Cyn had fought them, with J. On that walkway above the consumed core. The same thick fog surrounded her and N - who continued to watch her advance more slowly, without moving. 

Just staring.

Uzi had the feeling that the Host of the Absolute Solver would appear at any moment, and ambush her. But that wasn't the most important thing, and the little drone turned back to her beloved.

"N, I was worried. I'm so happy to see you! Are you fin-?"

(Click!)

Uzi's joy gave way to fright, and she froze without taking another step, just a few meters from N.

… Who was pointing the barrel of a gun at her.

His yellow eyes... were no longer full of love and adoration at the sight of her. But hollow and stressed, frightened, full of anger and hatred.

Was this... was this really N? No, he-he'd never do that….

"N ? I-it's me. Uzi." Uzi tried to move forward, her tone calm yet worried, gently raising her hands to reassure him.

This didn't please the Disassembly at all, who backed further away from her, as if repulsed by her presence, and loaded his weapon.

“Don't... Don't come any closer!” N warned her, low voice, and the warning hurt Uzi even more.

Who shook violently as if someone had just swung a hammer right into her core. And crushed.

“N, what’s happening to you ?!” The Worker-Solver was distraught: what was going on?! 

N would never do that… threaten her like that. Never. But that expression he had… was so similar to the terrified look he had against Cyn before. 

Why was he doing that to her? It… didn’t make sense! 

“N… I… I don’t understand. W-Why?...” Uzi didn’t even pay attention to the sobs in her voice, just wanting to understand. 

“He… hehe…” N mocked her attitude; it was cold and full of resentment, as his eyes narrowed as he stared at her. 

As if Uzi was some kind of abomination, that just looking at him would make one sick and crazy. 

All around them, the elements were stirring - lightning in the red sky, the rain falling, the wind howling - and the shadows moved all around them, almost becoming alive. 

“N, why are you doing this?” 

“... You won’t tricked me anymore, you monster. My ‘Uzi’ is long gone, and she'll never come back. You took her from me… and everyone too ! Now I have nothing. I’m alone.” For the first time since they’d met again, N’s expression broke, and golden tears streamed from his eyes. 

Uzi couldn’t stop crying, not knowing what hell she was in. But one way or another, she had done something horrible to N. 

“N… I… I’m-” She raised an arm towards him, reaching for the drone who was not moving anymore… “Stab.” 

(Crack!)

… And N collapsed, spitting oil as his face twisted with pain. And betrayal.

Stabbed through the core by the large scythe-like claw that had emerged from Uzi's back. 

Who screamed as Uzi saw what she had done, as the blade pulled out of the dying drone. 

"No, N!" 

Uzi ran to him, falling to her knees to pick him up. 

"Oh no... N... what did I do... No no no..." 

N vomited more black liquid, coughed, his eyes hollow and terrified, clawing in vain at Uzi's face, which did not move away despite the cuts he made. A hole in the chest showed his destroyed core, which pulsed in agony, its lights fading. 

Uzi tried to save him; to use [edit] to repair the core. But the symbol did not appear, her fingers moving uselessly in the void as life slowly left N. 

"No no NO! Why does nothing work! Come on, work ! Damn you, work now!" Uzi lashed out, shaking her hand, slamming it into the floor until plastics and joints were scratched, damaged and bent. 

But nothing worked anymore. 

Helplessly, she was forced to watch her boyfriend beneath her struggle, weaker and weaker....

"No... N. N?"

... Until the core shut down, as N stopped moving and fell dead into Uzi's arms, inert and the red FatalError screen lighting up. 

"N?!"

Uzi stood there, unable to do anything but watch. Touching N's inexpressive face with a trembling hand, completely covered by his tasty oil.

“Ah... Ah...”

The little drone could no longer control the erratic beating of her own core, hurting her, or the scream that escaped her throat, growing louder and more mournful. 

“NNNNNNNN!”

Uzi collapsed onto N's body, clinging to the shreds of his coat. Desperately screaming his name. Apologizing profusely. Begging him to come back. To wake up.

“I... I didn't mean to do that... N, I-I'm so sorry I-I didn't mean to... I-it was an accident... Please, please, come back...”

Don't leave me alone...

Host Uzi wants big brother N to come back? Tilt head to the side.

Uzi choked, lifting her head from N's chest as she recognized the voice that had answered. Like an evil whisper, it scratched at her processors like a thousand blades.

That was...

We can grant your wish. Wry chuckle. Look. 

[callback ping]: Stand up. 

“Urgh!” 

Abruptly, N's broken body arched over her knees, as if puppet strings were straightening him up. As a horrible emitting noise left his twisted mouth from which more oil flowed… mixed with the dirty red and organic color of blood. 

“W-What?!” Uzi stood up to go beyond, frightened and fascinated, seeing the Disassembly mutating… his body shaken with spasms and strangled rales, while in the center of his shredded chest, a black hole swallowed his viscera. 

Arms dislocated with cracks and fell to the ground, useless, replaced by metal and flesh crab claws… the lower jaw fell to reveal several rows of long sharp teeth at the top, from which escaped his burning breath, filthy oil flowing and moans… the lower half of the body melting to become a long, sinuous fleshy body with thousands of pointed legs. 

“Oh no…” Uzi was horrified to see this nightmarish transformation, to hear the painful gasps of this deformed Eldritch N, who clawed the ground and began to crawl his body painfully towards her. 

“aaaAh U… Uz1i-Zi…” A monstrous groan left N’s mutilated head, dozens of projectors and the yellow “ Y ” solver of the screen staring at her with hunger and fury. 

Oh. Big brother N still recognizes you. Cute=false. Gross=true. But he looks angry. Sneaky expression.

No... that thing wasn't N. It wasn't N anymore, realized Uzi, who slowly backed away from the horror.

Come on and join him. Join us. Treacherous soft tone. Catch !

“uU-Zi… RaaaAah !!!”

Huge claws tried to grab her - or cut her in half - but Uzi barely escaped and ran into a destroyed building, pursued through the corridors by the ferocious creature that was once her gentle puppy drone.

Now savagely roaring her name.

Why is this happening why is this happening why is this happening why is this happening-

Remember: you're the one responsible for this, Host Uzi. Satisfied smile. And we'll catch you. You won't be rejected. So let's quickly become... one.

Her scream exploded, as Uzi fled in despair. “Please, help me!”

Chapter Text

Under the red light, Uzi eventually managed to lose Eldritch N behind her, and she hid in an empty room. The little drone fanned rapidly, her breathing uncontrollable and panicked, as the hissing and growling of the centipede monster grew louder.

The clicking of its claws was close...

Calm down, or it'll find me! Uzi clamped her hands against her mouth, holding her angsty breath and crying as the beast stopped not far away.

"Uuu-Zii1? uz-Uzi..." Under every door, the creature sniffed her trail, trying to locate her.

Uzi struggled to remain completely still, and to stop her servos from shaking so much. That thing outside, it couldn't be N. It wasn't him. Even if it looked like him, sounded like him, the same glance... The young drone had guessed that it was just another illusion of the Absolute Solver. 

It had fooled her before like this. This AI loved tricks and deceptions of this kind, this coward using its victims' worst fears against them. Just like in their great battle.

But... Uzi could still feel her long claw piercing the warm N’s core, killing him by her own hand.

And then another voice called out: 

Host Uzi wants to play hide-and-seek? So you're the mouse and we're... the cat. We like this game.

Scratching, moaning and more growling... the thing that had been hunting her tirelessly, with the stolen appearance of N, was now checking inside of every room. 

One by one. 

How long before this thing comes to check on mine? Uzi wondered.

A furious roar shook the foundation, followed by the explosion of a door destroyed by the monster, impatient not to find her.

Too soon, the monster arrived near the room where Uzi had hidden. Hesitating in the middle of a two-hallway intersection: the small drone was in the one on the left. Uzi listened to Eldritch N growl, blowing into the air as it tried to guess which way its prey had gone. Under the small opening at her feet, she saw its shadow moving in all directions, searching for her. 

Not left. Dammit, not left, not left. Go right, you fuckin’ monster. Uzi's core was beating wildly, which was not helped by her high internal temperature, as the creature advanced further… 

…And decided to search the rooms on the right. 

“Haaaa…” Uzi let out a groan of relief. 

She was saved… for now. But it would eventually come back to look this way, Uzi knew that, as Eldritch N continued its destruction next door, becoming more and more agitated. 

“UuuuuZii11I!!!” In a fit of rage from the monster that couldn't find her, a wall was destroyed, making the building shake, and Uzi cowered to avoid the debris falling from the ceiling. 

What can I do now? Uzi wondered, considering her few options - which weren't much. 

She no longer had her powers - she checked by trying to create a [null] or [translate], without success -, no map, and she didn't know where she was. In hell, probably. 

And who knew what the Absolute Solver planned to do to her. Become one with her, that Robo-Satan was singing to her. It was nonsense... 

Uzi's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing fiercely, and fists clenched until her knuckles cracked. Whatever that meant, it could stick its claw in the webcam if the Solver thought she'd let it ! No one would dominate her, and no matter what tricks it pulled, it certainly wasn't going to be that psycho program that would: she'd still kick its ass. 

But how ? I have nothing to defend myself with, no weapons, no more powers, just some hacked anime moves and I don't know how to get out of here… 

Uzi's processors worked at full speed. Now the effort was difficult, while her fever was only rising. Uzi wiped the digital sweat from her screen - even though it was useless, only stupid coding that did that. 

It was overheating, but Uzi had no oil to deal with. She knew it was only a matter of time before it affected her too much to the point where she couldn't move anymore. Still… 

…I have no choice. Either I try something, or I wait here until it finds me. And Uzi stood up, determined. 

Hiding like a coward behind a door wasn't her style. Not like the other weak drones in her colony. But rather coming out like the true badass anime damaged heroine and main protagonist she was. 

"Okay, let's go..." Ready for a fight, Uzi began to open the door... 

Don't worry, Sheila! I've got your back, so go for it! A voice in her head screamed so loudly that Uzi almost fell backwards against the door before barely catching herself. 

Her eyes widened in disbelief and unable to figure out where it was coming from. What was that?! 

At the same time, the sound of light footsteps could be heard coming from the hallways, and which seemed to be approaching the hallway where the hybrid beast was rampaging. It interrupted its actions, when the beast looked this new individual emerged from the shadows. 

An incredulous exclamation left the monster, surprising by this unexpected apparition, and the Solver: 

You?! 

“Hello, company. Did ya miss me?” The new voice - feminine and young - rang out calmly, without fear, and which belonged to someone brimming with reckless confidence. 

Uzi heard the surprise - and irritation - in the Absolute Solver's growl, then the person stopped in front of the monster's face. 

Slowly opening the door, Uzi saw the centipede-crab creature turn towards a figure invisible to her. And the monster hissed aggressively at them, its immense body turning completely away from Uzi. Now in the beast's blind spot. 

She heard the stranger whistle, feigning admiration. 

“Nice beast, that thing~. Impressive, really; looks as bad as one of those damned hellspawns birds with helmets. But ya know, it bothers me that you're having fun deforming the body of one of my ol’ friends and traumatize his girl." 

Who could it be? Uzi wondered, taken aback by this unexpected intervention. And... hadn't she already heard this voice a long time ago? Gee... Hard to say where she was hiding.

However, this was neither the time nor the place to reminisce. 

Might as well take advantage of this welcome diversion. Uzi began to cautiously go out into the corridor, backing up slowly and cautiously, far enough from the monster now occupied elsewhere. Whatever was happening at the moment, this was the opportunity or never to escape. 

While they distracted the enemy. 

And the Solver seemed to have completely forgotten that it was looking for Uzi, getting angry and growling at this annoying intruder. Half of N's body was leaning to them, threatening. 

Anger. You're supposed to be dead. You can't be real! 

“Nah nah nah, I am - welp, as much as I can be here, y’know. And fit enough to beat the crap out of ya. By the way…” There was a cutting noise, and Eldritch N roared in pain, as Uzi saw one of its crab claws fall, sliced off by a sharp object. “That's for what ya did to me last time. And trust me, I’m not done with ya.” 

The Absolute Solver responded with a deafening whistle, and made Eldritch N step forward while the other one backed away, making more stupid and annoying noises to provoke it. And lure the Solver out of there. 

Now’s the time! As the monster chased after those who had injured it, Uzi turned and, without looking back, ran in the opposite direction, all the way down the hallway where, she hoped, there would be a way out. 

Stay still! 

The monster rushed towards its target who was dancing around, all of its mortal limbs wriggling to mow down or impale them, but they always deftly escaped danger. 

“Whoa, time for me to run away!” Another insectoid leg dodged, the familiar human figure shook her dark braids in front of her face dotted with freckles. And looked behind the immense body possessed by the Absolute Solver to see Uzi, who was getting out of here safely. 

‘Tessa’ smiled widely. Great, mission accomplished! Now it’s up to me to flee! Gonna be hard, on the other hand… and the backup still not here. 

Oh, she knew worse. 

Her sword in hand, the young woman raised her arm in a wide arc in front of her, the edge of her oil-stained blade crippling Eldritch N who collapsed. 

It squeaked in pain, and the human couldn't help but bite her lip in discomfort as she looked at the drone's damaged face. Damn, why did it have to look so much like the cute butler drone?! 

Having gained a few seconds, she grabbed the stained front of her frilly dress - honestly, it wasn't ideal for fighting a monster, especially with pairs of heeled shoes! - and ran away in the other direction. 

You won't escape us. We're going to correct your anomaly, that means erasing your existence. Annoyed expression. 

"Try it and see, ya idiot!" the swordswoman provoked it, reproducing the same victorious V with her hand that N had made in the past to insult the odious Louisa Elliott. 

To think that I was the one who taught him... And, taking out a Colt 1851 Navy Revolver from under her skirt, ‘Tessa’ fired a loaded bullet into the fake N's screen. 

“ AAaaAaarGh !!!” Who roared louder and jumped on impact, crashing violently against the walls. 

Ignoring the black geyser oozing from its half-exploded face, the monster rose to the ceiling and chased her shortly after, before disappearing to chase her at full speed down another corridor. Taking it to the opposite side of the small drone already very far away. 

Meanwhile, Uzi didn’t stop running, escaping as much as she could from the monster controlled by the Absolute Solver. Too busy saving her life, she didn’t even question what had happened. 

Or this person who had saved her. 

Just that she had to put as much distance as possible, with her body ever weaker. But it was becoming more difficult, as her strength diminished, and the unbearable heat inside her increased, like her hunger. 

It hurt. 

Warning: Critical Frame Overheating! 

Everything around her seemed to warp, the ruins were bugging strangely and space was fragmenting; several lines of binary code, 0 and 1 from programs that were corrupting and altering the environment. 

Suddenly, Uzi stumbled in the middle of rows of benches and computers. She looked around, not understanding. 

“Huh? I… went out?” 

Breathless, she recognized after several seconds the underground church; where experiments on drones were conducted by humans. 

Where the Absolute Solver had tried to trap her and N. 

She walked slowly towards the center of the large structure, holding her head as a terrible headache took hold of her, and her vision glitched more and more; Uzi staggered up the stairs, and she collapsed to her knees on the neon-covered stele where her own mother had once been chained, completely exhausted and suffering from a terrible fever. 

Her screen misfired again, and the image of the church changed partly; this time, Uzi had returned to another corridor. The ice-covered one of the bunker. 

“U-Uzi?” 

And it was… N? For the second time, she saw him in front of her; blurry as if her vision was double. Calling her name from afar, unable to reach her. 

Concerned, he grabbed her gently by the cheeks and his golden gaze reflected her own face, the screen blank and expressionless. As if she were asleep… before writhing in pain, a [!] appearing and a new message. 

“Uzi, are you hurt?!” His frightened voice, which approached at hearing her moan; he seemed so real… for another hallucination. 

“Ha… Ha…” 

Yes, she was in so much pain… Hot. And hungry. 

Her hold on 'N' grew tighter. Soon, Uzi couldn't ignore her need anymore. She was going to die if this continued. This wasn't N, it probably wouldn't… matter if she used this other double to save herself? This vision was there to heal her, it had to be. 

Reason slowly left her; but before, as she approached him, Uzi could said few words: 

“N-Hel-pme…” 

Unable to resist any longer, Uzi bit 'N's' shoulder, her fangs easily pierced the reinforced metal. And even though he let out a surprised noise, N didn't go away and stayed. The oil flowed freely, and nothing else mattered but to calm this fire in her, as N let her do it and helped her feed better, pressing her head against him as if they were embracing. 

In the back of Uzi’s mind, a feeling of doubt and fear prevented her from doing too much damage. And she managed to restrain her instinct to tear her prey N apart, who was helping her out of this deadly overheating. 

Meanwhile, a pair of red deadpan eyes stared at them from a remote corner, observing the disturbing scene without reacting.

Just one monotonous phrase : [So, it's happening again, isn't it?]

___________________________________________________

Lost in the middle of the air ducts where he was sliding on the frozen surface, N stopped in front of another junction. His head turned to look several directions, not knowing which one to choose, and he became agitated as time passed. 

The large drone groaned: he had no idea where he was. “Biscuits, I should have waited for V to show me the way…” 

N had already tried to turn around, after having wandered for a long time already, only to end up even more lost. He had no idea where he came from, all the paths around him looked the same. 

It would be easier to move forward if I went down, N considered, starting to feel cramped, and the drone moved to a vent where he dropped to the ground. 

“Ooof… There it is.” Once N landed in the hallway, he straightened up to better observe his route - maybe there were signs indicating the directions? - and he looked everywhere. 

But almost immediately, his audio sensors warned N of other people coming towards it. And the Disassembly tensed up at the sight of torchlight illuminating the walls. 

"Oh biscuits!" N climbed very quickly into the passage where he came from and as quietly as possible, praying that he had not been seen. 

Just as his tail disappeared at the top, two WDF drones arrived, absently monitoring the perimeter while becoming more involved in their discussion. 

“So, you think this story about Ivan dating Cid’s girl is true?” 

“Oooh man, if that’s the case, Cid’s gonna freak out. He’s usually a cool guy, plus they’ve been friends since childhood… but I’ll bet half my salary that he'd kick his ass!” 

“Bet taken, hehe. But Ivan’s one of the best at fighting.” 

Luckily, the Workers had continued their patrol, without spotting on the ceiling the yellow lights of the Disassembly. The cameras and his screen were turned off, and the drones had passed below him without suspicion. 

Ooof… N sighed, relaxed. 

It was better that he not be spotted by other drones, wandering around the bunker in the middle of the night. It could be suspicious, and N could compromise the surprise visit for Uzi. 

After this, N continued to move forward on all fours, hoping at some point that he would be able to reach Uzi’s room by finding it by chance. And to avoid choosing the same conduits, a claw marked with a cross each of the paths already taken. At each dead end, N turned around and took a new route. 

From memory, he remembered that Uzi's house was located in the Workers residential sector, and her was closest to the doors; where her father worked, who could go immediately to the access hall at the slightest anomaly or alert. 

After a while, N checked another corridor and - to his relief - he thought he recognized what looked like residential doors. 

He let out a small muffled joyful noise: maybe it was that way. He would soon see Uzi again - his tail was hitting the conduits, and N had to control it better before anyone noticed him; a single drone opened a door to check, scanning the area with an annoyed look, before yawning and returning peacefully. 

N could sense that he was approaching; no matter what, but a strange feeling vibrated deep in his processors, telling him that he was coming. 

The Disassembly was checking each door for the name of the Doorman - even if N was bad at writing, he could read very well fortunately. After a while, the big drone thought he heard voices further down the corridors. 

At first thinking that they were other drones still awake despite the late hour, N leaned forward thinking he recognized those of Mr and Mrs Uzi - Khan and Nori. 

"Could they be here?" N was surprised, and finally listened hoping to understand what was happening. 

Maybe Uzi was here ?

Shortly after, N saw Uzi's father running down the corridor, a torch in his hand and poorly dressed, clearly suddenly awakened. Nori's small body clung to his head, looking everywhere equally frantically. 

Both of them... looked worried and stressed. And Uzi wasn’t here.

Where is she? N’s panic grew, and he turned up the volume settings on his hearing to catch their conversation better.

It could be seen as sneaky, but right now, he didn’t care. The large drone heard Nori whisper Uzi’s name, and N had to stop himself from leaping out of his hiding place to ask questions. 

Above them, he listened to them talk: 

“... -her room ceiling was half destroyed when we got there: I think she came in through the air ducts,” Nori stayed calm despite the fear in her voice, unaware that they were being spied on. 

Khan nodded, his expression serious, and suggested: “Most likely, she headed for the cryogenic chamber: it’s one of the closest exits near our house. Nori, honey… all the weird flesh that was all over her room-” 

“I know, Khan. She must have overheated, and the program took over. But why now-” 

N had heard enough: the Disassembly stopped thinking, and he passed Uzi’s parents, no longer worrying about making too much noise or being discreet. He had only one thing on his mind: find Uzi. 

Uzi… Where ? Must find her !

As if guided by an invisible program, N finally arrived where he wanted to be. He looked sideways at the gaping opening, which led to Uzi’s room. 

Something had ripped the grate open with force. And, as her parents had said, the walls and floor were covered in dark, pulsating flesh. In places, the plates of the conduit in front of him were stained with a strange dark fluid, which N touched with a finger before tasting it. 

And his eyes widened as he recognized the oil… mixed with the organic, ferrous flavor of blood. No doubt, it belonged to Uzi. 

He hurried off to track down Uzi. His sensory sensors detected her scent in the air, but it smelled strange, dominated by the more disturbing fragrance of Solver, which was usually so light on Uzi. Even if it sent unpleasant shivers down his spine, he continued on his way, unperturbed. 

The large drone followed the entire path she had taken, without getting lost again and guiding himself through the ducts as if he were holding a thread. And at the very end, it would lead him to Uzi. 

Until he arrived at the cryogenic room. 

"Uzi ? Where are you ?" N came down from above, no longer afraid of being seen. His worried yellow eyes searched everywhere, as he walked alone through the corridors in search of his girlfriend. 

His worried messages weren't delivered. No more traces on the ground. He sniffed around him: her scent was everywhere now, and very strong. She had to be around there. 

"Uzi? Are you here ? It’s me, N. I came to see you,” N called out, moving slowly until they reached the first chambers where humans were frozen. 

It was… so dark. The lights were off, and a gloomy, sinister atmosphere was currently hovering, that even his enhanced vision couldn’t quite make out. However, N continued to move further; Uzi had to be there. 

“Uzi?” 

The upper light of the room crackled, casting a faint glow over the half-faded sign where N read “CRYOSLEEP: Authorized Personnel Only.” As he passed, the previously unlit backlight automatically lit up, probably equipped with sensors detection, to reveal what was hiding in the darkness. 

N’s core skipped several beats at it: a huge centipede body, which was hugging the walls and crawling in this too-small space. Something he hadn’t seen in a long time, after Eldritch J. 

“Oh my god…” If N wasn’t scared earlier, he definitely was. But even more so when he smelled Uzi in the middle of this monstrosity.  

“Uzi, I’m coming!” N jumped over a section of the body and rushed inside the beast, impulsively raising two chainsaws created on each arm and engines humming. 

He had to get Uzi out of here.

The insectoid legs flinched at his intrusion, rubbing their chitinous blades against each other as if to warn him not to come any closer. No matter: he would go in there to save Uzi. She had to be in danger! As he continued his traverse through the middle of the beast’s nest, N watched every inch around him, avoiding stepping on flesh and keeping an eye on the path the body was taking, while the others watched all sides at once.  

He growled nervously at every limb around. As soon as one of the pincers snapped too close to him, with a quick movement, N turned and didn’t hesitate to slice the thing apart with a roar; the whole body shaked, in pain, as the severed limb twitched. 

“Back off!” N warned, his tail whipping behind unknowingly spraying drops of poison, and the acid that dissolved any surface it touched. 

His warning was enough to push the beast back, keeping its distance from N and his killing blades, or the sting of his tail. It was strangely… calm compared to the last time with J. Not that the tall drone was going to complain, as he finally neared the end. 

And what N found trapped there froze him; amidst the claws and spotlights, there was Uzi lying inside. 

Unconscious. 

“Uzi!” N cried out, terrified, and ran the distance that still separated them. 

But as he finally touched her, his hand passed through Uzi’s face, which trembled, before disappearing completely. A simple hologram projected by one of the projectors, which moved away. 

N did not have time to understand what was happening, and suddenly, the large monstrous body, until then peaceful, retracted and wrapped itself around N. Directly fell into the trap set. 

The Disassembly strangled a cry of pain, unable to escape the constricting force that blocked his arms, his entire body, and dragged him towards the ceiling plunged into darkness. Up there, a beloved silhouette - N immediately recognized Uzi, the real one this time - slowly descended towards him. Merged up to the hips in this fleshy body. And who stared blankly at him, the screen black and absent. 

“U-Uzi…” N wanted to warn her, try to wake her up. Suddenly, the alert symbol [!] and the message “critical overheating!” lit up on her face, making Uzi moan and wince. 

“Urgh…” 

“Uzi, are you hurt?!” 

“Ha… Ha…” 

At least, her pain made Uzi loosen her grip a little, allowing N to slide his hand down to touch her face, currently more worried about her than his situation. 

She was horribly burning; through his thermal vision, N saw her body appear as bright and blinding as the sun. 

“Uzi?” He called out to her, though she remained silent. 

N’s tender hand on her face made Uzi react, but she still didn’t seem to be conscious. Her own arms - free of the fleshy envelope she was encased in - wrapped tightly around N, her fingers digging into his coat. Tight enough that he couldn’t escape - not that he would anyway. She moaned louder, her crackling voice ripped with hunger and fear. 

“N-Hel-pme…” She stepped closer. 

And her head dove to the side of his neck, pushing the front of his coat aside, when N gasped at the biting sensation that struck his shoulder - more in surprise than in pain. Uzi was greedily drinking his oil; he could feel it leaving his body, sip after sip, and filling her eager mouth. Her jaw almost squeezed to the point of tearing his arm off, his joint cracked every time her fangs pierced further, but N’s body was strong enough to handle the pressure. 

He stood there, perfectly still to satisfy Uzi’s need. Her reserves must be down below two numbers, just one ; her body is trying to preserve itself, and I'm the only one nearby who can give some oil, N understood, as he felt Uzi's high temperature against him slowly drop. 

So if that's what it took... His hand still against her, N slid it up to the back of her neck, encouraging her to feed more from him. 

Feeling that he wasn't struggling, but helping her by positioning the little drone better, Uzi's fierce grip on him eased a little. Slowly, they both returned to the ground, in the middle of the monstrous body that supported Uzi. 

As the little drone continued to drink from him, still unconscious, N slowly advanced both of his hands near her hips under her hoodie, towards the limit of separation between metal and flesh. N had to free her from this; who knew if it wouldn't end up swallowing her completely. He replaced his hands with the sharp claws and, delicately, N dug little by little under the flesh of the other half of the body. Uzi groaned slightly at the inconvenience, to which N responded with a soft chirp to console her. And when his girlfriend seemed to calm down, he carefully repeated his gesture of cutting the flesh and tendons. 

The Disassembly continued his horriful work, as the oil and blood spurted around them, but incredibly gentle and careful in his method, until Uzi was finally free and fell into his arms. As he pulled her closer, all the flesh that had stuck to her slid out of her waist like a macabre costume, and the whole body collapsed. Half of her frame was gone, having been absorbed into the flesh; gradually, the nanites restored her missing viscera, stomach, and legs.

N did not leave Uzi; after a moment, her head lay back in the fur of his coat collar, sufficiently nourished and the burning heat finally returned to bearable levels, as she became inert again. But alive and well. 

"Haaaa... Haaaa..."

The Disassembly was breathing hard, his breath steaming from the internal heat and his body's ventilation system trying to cool down. N’s own oil supply was now dangerously low and his temperature was rising rapidly in turn, but he didn’t care. If he had to, he would offer his last drop of oil to Uzi. And more if she still needed it. 

“Uzi…” She was safe. He had her. He wouldn’t let her go. 

Protect ! Protect ! Mine ! Safe ! Protect ! Mine…

Affected by his loss of oil that was forcing N’s systems into a more primitive mode, he contented himself with gently caressing her, cuddling her, rubbing their two faces together - to comfort her, to reassure himself; not caring about his tail that had wrapped itself around her, or the wings that he had unknowingly extended and enveloped them. 

Even when Khan and Nori finally arrived a few minutes later, stunned by the damage around them and the giant, smoking remains that were slowly melting into a shapeless, unrecognizable mush. 

“Damn, kiddo…” 

“What… What happened here?” Khan stammered, before he lowered his lamp and saw under the light N protectively holding the currently vulnerable frame of Uzi. “You… N, right? What are you doing here and… did you find Uzi? Is she okay?” 

But as Khan tried to move closer to join them, he missed the low growl from N, or the flash of his fangs as he pulled Uzi even closer; not Nori, who clearly saw the warning signs and immediately warned her husband: 

“Khan, stop!” And she threw [translate] to stop him from taking another step, saving his life. 

“Why- Wow!” The old drone jumped back, narrowly avoiding N’s dangerous stinger that had whipped in his direction. 

Aiming for his screen. 

And a new cold, bestial hissing left the big drone, usually so friendly, but who curled around their daughter like a wild beast guarding its food, as the terrifying metallic noise intensified. 

MINE !

Khan swallowed at the threatening yellow ‘X’ flashed before disappearing, feeling like the first day they met - helpless and afraid. Right, he almost forgot sometimes that, beneath his appearance of a nice, harmless and smiling boy, N was still a Disassembly Drone. A killing machine capable of slaughtering a dozen Workers as easily as Khan could build doors. He knew that at the slightest gesture interpreted as aggression, the boy could attack them. 

Nori was less impressed by his wild behavior; N did not move and remained close to Uzi, cradling her unconscious form, in the armor of his wings, and using his very agitated tail that struck like an angry snake. A real living defense, and the stressed eyes of his screen focused only on their daughter he held. But he had to keep an eye on them via the other cameras on his head, reacting immediately to anything that approached. 

Even though he was acting very strange and out of character, Nori grumbled as they wasted time, and she tried to talk some sense into him: 

“Hey, jerk. No matter how you got in, we need to get Uzi home. If anyone from the colony finds us here with you, and our daughter in this state, things are going to go very badly. So make yourself useful and help us carry her to safety.” 

“H-Honey…” Khan tried to warn her, unaware of how the Disassembly would react. 

But his fears were unfounded, as N hugged Uzi tighter as if his life depended on it ; slowly, he stood up with her in his now harmless hands. Still keeping a safe distance, he obediently followed Khan and Nori, when the latter motioned for her still hesitant husband to walk. 

“Let’s go home.” 

Everyone made it back to the Doorman family home safely - Nori thanked anyone who could hear her that they hadn't run into anyone on the way, especially not their very bulky surprise guest. That would have been a disaster. 

We'll just have to hope this mess in the cryo room goes unnoticed until it's cleaned up, Nori hoped, as Khan fiddled with his key to open the door. 

They let N in, who had to duck his head so he and Uzi could get through the small door. Struggling to carry the slightly slippery Uzi, he looked for a comfortable spot for them. There was nothing on the ceiling to hang on, so he looked toward her bedroom. 

The Doorman matriarch's voice stopped him: "Her room needs to be cleaned before she can go back in; you can put her on the couch," Nori gestured with a claw to the sofa in the middle of the room. 

N gave a little nod to show he heard her, albeit a little distracted, as he led them both to the bunk and heavily sat down. He checked one of Uzi's pockets to pull out her backup charger and, carefully, plugged it into her neck. 

Khan and Nori watched as he lay down with their daughter still in his arms, completely enmeshed in her, before covering himself and Uzi in his wings, his tail hanging out in a hypnotic swing. Clinging to Uzi, he fell asleep with her for the third time. 

Safe. Secure. Mine. Uzi. Safe…

Neither of the Doorman parents dared to say anything, or intervene as the young drones lay dozing. 

"Um... Don't you think we should do something?" Khan grumbled as he pointed a finger to the young couple settled on the cushions, not really comfortable, and not very enthusiastic, about letting their daughter sleep with a boy. 

To which Nori sighed and jumped on a table, exhausted by all these emotions: “He’ll definitely keep one eye open, so no way to get close until that boy calms down a bit. Given the way he is, what he saw must have been pretty traumatic.” 

“I’ll believe you, honey… So what do we do?” 

“Wait until tomorrow, at least, and try to figure out what just happened. Darn it, these kids are going to drive me crazy…” 

And Khan and Nori stood there, watching worriedly from across the room at their daughter, resting in the arms of her protective boyfriend.

Chapter Text

And here's our Aussie girl, whose ghost haunts Uzi's mind (much to her annoyance) and keeps the Absolute Solver from taking control of the little drone.

I love her - she's so a gremlin !

Tessa first appears when she saves Uzi from an Eldritch N controlled in a nightmare by the Absolute Solver.

In her previous life, she was heiress to the powerful Elliott family, and daughter of James and Louisa Elliott. Her childhood wasn't great, with abusive and neglectful parents. It was she who found J, V, N and Cyn in the junkyard and repaired them, making them her friends - the only ones she's ever had.

She's very fond of her drones and, in general, is one of the few humans to see them as people.

During the gala at the Elliotts' mansion, the Absolute Solver went on the rampage and slaughtered all the guests, including her parents. Instead of fleeing, Tessa fought the malevolent AI, seeking revenge and saving her drones, the last members of her family.

Unfortunately, she ended up losing and, still alive, the Absolute Solver skinned her to use her as a costume, to deceive the humans and, later, N, V and Uzi on Copper-9.

Tessa's remains, converted into a line of biological codes, was held prisoner and tortured for a long time by the Absolute Solver... until Uzi absorbed it, with Tessa too.

Bonus info: she's NUzi's biggest fan!

Tessa: Oooh they're so cute together! *looks on with a smirk Uzi's memorie of the two kiss passionately.

Uzi: *invokes [null] and mad hissing : STOP IT NOW!!!!

Chapter Text

System status : online. 

The monstrous internal heat woke N, as the large drone’s systems alerted him to the overheating. His cameras headband and black screen lit up, revealing his pained expression. 

Warning: Critical Core Overheating. Risk of Meltdown. Oil Reserve: 13%. 

“Urgh…” N winced at the burning pain in his core, the hunger and thirst that tormented his insides. He needed oil to cool down. 

Quickly, or this would end very badly. 

But the large drone quickly realized that he was not at the Tower. Gradually, N became aware of his surroundings. Of the soft, comfortable floor beneath him - the cushions of the couch. Of his wings surrounding him… with someone else pressed against his chest. 

Huh? His eyes widened as he realized that he had Uzi lying back to him, asleep and in his wings, as his head placed at the junction between her neck and shoulder. 

N’s thoughts stopped for a moment in shock, amnesia about the last few hours of his life - the current overheating not helping. 

And why did he have Uzi with him? 

Memories came back to him bit by bit: of him going to the bunker, listening to Mr. and Mrs. Uzi's conversation, and finding his girlfriend in the cryo room, half-fused into that monstrous body. Of her overheating, and drinking his oil to cool herself down - ah, that's why his reserves were so low now. 

He had kept her close - Uzi was safe, and there was no more danger. 

The rest was hazy, only that he had carried her to her house. 

"Urgh!" A new flash of pain made him tense up, as the heat slowly melted synthetic organs and flesh. 

Worse, the scent of Uzi around him was becoming more and more appealing, as his arms held her tighter against him. And the little drone responded favorably to his embrace, moving closer to him in her sleep. The temptation was strong. 

“Biscuits…” N swallowed the saliva that threatened to flow out of his mouth. 

Even though his fangs were itching, and his systems were screaming at the big drone to bite - oh robo-jesus - the little drone to feed himself before it was too late. 

But the Disassembly valiantly ignored his hunger and stood up, finally letting go of Uzi. 

He would never take advantage of her like that, unasked and defenseless. 

Careful not to disturb Uzi, N sat on the edge of the couch and sighed, slowly tucking his wings into his body to save as much energy as possible. 

“Hmmm…” Although still disconnected, Uzi made a disgruntled pout, disturbed by the absence of the embrace, and moved closer to N who remained there. 

Looking at the ex-Worker lying there, as she clung to his coat with a small, satisfied smile, N almost wanted to lie back down immediately, to hold her in his arms once more. Even his need for oil diminished, to enjoy this rare sight of Uzi relaxed. He couldn't help but take several sets of pictures, although he felt a little guilty for doing so in secret. She was so beautiful, soft, and so peaceful… 

His hand moved a purple strand out of her face, brushing the glass as he allowed himself to look at her - in response, he heard a soft sound coming from Uzi, purring briefly at his touch before falling silent again when he pulled away. He'd never heard her do that before, and N melted. 

She’s so cuuuute…

A strange feeling rose within him, warm and urgent. Trying to push him to give in and return to her. Maybe he could… 

Before he could do anything, a voice stopped him: “Hey, jerk. Are you going to keep staring at my daughter like that, or are you going to end up walking away?” 

N jumped and jumped off the couch, his tail sticking up high in surprise. “H-Huh?!” 

In the haste, he had forgotten that Uzi was holding him back; thankfully, her hand had come loose from his clothing, and arm fell back to the side of the couch, unfazed by his outburst. 

N recognized Nori, who had been staring at the large drone from the table she had not left all night to watch over the youngsters. Her luminous eye narrowed as she looked at N, who was squirming uncomfortably in front of the small core of flesh that did not seem to be in a good mood. 

She had watched the large drone, visibly agitated and hungry when he woke up, ready to send him flying if he had touched her daughter. Useless, in the end. 

N didn't know what to do, a little intimidated by her unexpecting presence, but he greeted her with an awkward gesture and a nervous smile. "Um... H-Hello, Mrs. Uzi." 

He vaguely remembered that Nori had let him into their home, even though his visit was not planned. After a quick inspection, N noticed that there were only three of them in the Doorman house: him, Uzi and Nori. 

Then there was a new message: Alert: oil drop to 10%! and a shock of immense pain ran through N, assaulting the core and his processors going crazy. 

The feverish drone emitted a low, tortured moan, in agony as his program pulled him again, and more violently, to find any drone and drink oil right away. Through the walls, his sharp hearing picked up the noisy voices of other awakened Workers and their movements. Dozens and dozens of drones, old, young, and children, the residents of Outpost 3 unaware of the hungry Disassembly Drone hiding in their shelter. 

Food! Prey! Hungry! His rampaging system screamed, and N fought against himself to fight his predatory instinct, refusing to endanger Uzi, her parents, or anyone else in this colony.

Control yourself! Stay there! N, resist! His yellow cross appeared in succession, uncontrollable. 

Curling up, he held his claws from coming out to tear down the walls, or from running towards the exit to rip the neck of the first Worker he saw with his fangs. 

Nori saw his desperate struggle, and she acted quickly before disaster struck: “Hey, catch.” 

In huge pain, N only had one word of warning, before something was thrown at his face with a [translate]. The drone grabbed it skillfully, without thinking, and when he checked what it was, the eyes on his screen widened as he recognized a can full of oil. From Outpost 3's medical supply, that was what it was written. 

He looked at the can and Nori, both surprised and grateful for Uzi's mother's generous gesture. "T-Thank you very much, Mrs. Uzi." 

Nori's only reaction was to roll her eye to the ceiling, before pointing at him with a claw. "I don't want you to lose control here. So shut up and drink every last drop of this." 

N wasn't fazed by Nori's harsh tone, and his tail wagged happily behind him as he hastily snatched the container with his fangs. He lifted the overflowing can up to his mouth and tasted the oil inside. 

As soon as the tip of his tongue dipped in, N had to hold back a grimace, almost repulsed by the bitter taste of it. It wasn’t as sweet and delicious as when it was pulled from a freshly hunted drone. 

Ugh, it tasted like the old oil in Uzi’s thermos… But his temperature was starting to come down. It was effective. 

N forced himself to swallow the entirety of the oil, ignoring how cold and thicker it was, until he licked what was dripping off the rim. Within minutes, his body cooled down enough, and N sighed in relief before wiping his black lips recovered of oil. Thanks to this meal, the crisis was narrowly averted, as the dismantling program became a silent whisper in the back of his mind. 

And N thanked Uzi’s mother again. “Thanks you.” 

“Hm.” Nori wasn’t done with the large drone yet. As soon as he put the can down, she waved her body to get his attention. “Now that that’s settled, you and I are going to talk a little about what happened earlier, with Uzi.” 

Khan wasn’t there, having left two hours earlier for the WDF office - apparently, an emergency required his presence at the office - so Nori would be in charge of questioning him, while N sat down cautiously on a chair. 

“I’m not going to argue for hours, so I’ll go right to the question : when you found our daughter, what do you remember?” 

“Um…” N hesitated a little, trying to get his thoughts straight. 

Not everything was clear, and several images were missing, but he described his search through the ducts, following Uzi’s trail: “When I got to the cryogenic chamber, I looked for Uzi to bring her back. I went there, calling out to her, and that's when I saw the… uh…” He couldn't finish the sentence, curling up as the memory hit him. 

Nori finished for him, her tone serious: “Uzi is the one who created this monstrous centipede body, huh?” 

“Y-Yes. She… She was inside. Unconscious. Although she was acting like she was awake, but weirdly.” Without really thinking, N rubbed his shoulder, where Uzi had bitten him to feed on his oil. It was healed and didn't hurt. 

Nori looked down at where her injury had been, something she had noticed when she and Khan had found them; very imperceptibly, her usually dry expression against N softened slightly. Only a little. Before she pulled herself together: Ah, no! Don’t start getting soft on that jerk!... Welp, guess I owe him one for tonight. 

But if this kept up, she might get caught. Might as well change the subject. “What about you?” 

N gave Nori a questioning look, not understanding what she spoke about. He pointed to himself, “Me?” 

“Yeah, jerk. When you were with Uzi, in the middle of all that mess: do you remember what you did afterward?” 

“Not really,” N admitted uncomfortably, running a hand through his white curls as he tried to think. “Just that I carried Uzi here. The rest is in a fog.” 

Nori’s orbital camera narrowed as her claws crossed in front of her. “Really? You never stopped being glued like a leech to our daughter, weirdo, not once did you let go of her - oh, in fact, you almost stung my husband when he got too close to you two.” 

N’s eyes narrowed abruptly and mouth opened at this revelation, shocked, while Nori didn’t seem to be joking at all. The room fell silent, the Disassembly frozen like the human skeletons outside, and then the next minute he was up from his chair, shouting: 

“I did what?!” 

He had no memory of it at all! What the hell had he done?! And why? Horrified, N did the only thing he could do and threw himself on his knees towards Nori, very low, and clumsily banged his head on the table in an apology. 

“I am so, truly, deeply, completely, sorry for what I did, Mrs. Uzi! I… Biscuits, I may not remember, but I really do!” 

Nori grumbled as she heard him scream in her audials - yes, she had them - as the boy continued to mope in tearful apologies for what he did the night before. 

He really has no memory of that… Scary. “Okay, I heard you! Shut up, you’re going to wake my daughter up with all that barking!” 

Realizing how loud he was, N checked behind to see that Uzi was still asleep. Aside from a soft sniffle, and a faint sigh, her screen still wrote “Sleep Mode” and ZZZ. She hadn’t been woken up by N’s frantic screams. 

He came back to his place with his tail and head down and couldn’t look at Nori anymore. The large drone was terribly embarrassed, and he buried his face in his hands, full of shame. He wished very much that he could become an insignificant cyberbug, crawl away and hide far away from here! This is horrible: I almost hurt Uzi's family! And I don’t remember ! Biscuits, why did I do such a thing?! Bad N! 

“Hey, idiot.” Nori's voice called out to him again; slowly, N shyly separated his fingers to look at Uzi's mother. 

Nori kept herself from falling for his beaten and sorry puppy’s expression - she had more important things to do. She sighed and placed a claw against her face, not believing what she was about to undertake. 

How could I decide to do such a thing... But now, I have no choice. 

The small core of flesh stood in front of N, who looked at her curiously. She finally spoke: “Lately, Uzi had been looking at the schematics of a laboratory; the one that group of weird drones were looking for, and nearly wiped out you and the other girl. Do you remember the key you got from one of them?” 

“Y-Yes…” A shiver of unease ran up the silicone of his back at the memory, still disturbed. The trauma repression system wasn’t operational yet… 

“I decided to take a trip there.” Nori continued, deciding it was for her daughter’s own good. Even if she didn’t like it. “Whatever’s in there interested those weird drones; since they seemed to be after the Absolute Solver Host, it seems like a good plan to find information.” 

N’s screen showed his astonished expression, his mouth falling open in shock at Nori’s reckless audacious plan. “Y-You… want to go to that place by yourself? But… But you’re-” 

He squeaked as a claw smacked his head rather hard, and he was blinded as Nori jumped on his cap and gripped him tightly. She leaned down until she was practically gluing his screen, forcing him to see only her and she tapped his visor. 

“Not just me, idiot! You’re coming with me that weekend, to take me to the lab facilities, while I look for something useful to help my daughter with that Robo-Satan.” 

At first confused by what the Doorman matriarch had said, a smile slowly spread across N’s face, and his golden eyes sparkled with excitement. Nori had just asked him to come with her! To help Uzi, no less! That was awesome! 

Nori scowled at the large drone’s excitement. “Why do you look so happy? I could send you to the dump if things go wrong. You already know that places suck, and they are bloody deadly.” 

N shrugged nonchalantly - something Uzi did quite often. He replied: “But… this is the first time you’ve asked me to help you. And it’s for Uzi, so of course I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect her. Even if it means accompanying you to mysterious and horreful laboratories!” 

Nori eye's blinked to his instant response. Not really knowing what to think about it. Whether he was brave, blindly in love, or really stupid.“You… you’re really weird, you know that?” 

N smiled wider, revealing his sharp fangs, and his eyes became inverted “U” before proudly proclaiming his signature phrase: “Haha. I love to do anything!” 

What an idiot… Despite herself, Nori was quite amused by the energy of her daughter’s boyfriend, and she stifled the little laugh that threatened to come out. 

“Mom? N?” 

N and Nori turned together to Uzi, who had just stood up and was unplugging the charger cable from the back of her neck with a grimace. Her digital eyes were blinking a lot, pale and ringed with fatigue despite having charged for several hours. Her seized joints, especially in legs, cracked as she stretched. 

Damn, I hurt all over like I’ve been in a fight and been beaten up… Uzi didn’t feel very well, very dizzy, and a splitting headache was pounding through her processors. And most of all… she had the unpleasant feeling that something had happened last night that involved her. 

But her thought circuit was running in slow motion… Why? 

“Uzi, are you okay?” N approached Uzi, supporting her as she visibly struggled to move her legs. 

Uzi’s face reflected her deteriorated condition, her screen streaked with nausea, as she took small steps forward, as clumsy as a droneling that had just acquired a body. Her joints squeaked, as if rusty. “Urgh… I feel like shit…” 

“Language, kid,” Nori scolded her daughter without much will in her sermon, as she returned to the table. She waited for Uzi to step forward, then motioned for him to pull up a chair. “We have things to tell you. Something happened to you last night… pretty bad. And you should sit down and listen.” 

N moved right next to Uzi, gently holding her hand, as Nori recounted what had happened that night - not leaving out anything about his disappearance, and her new transformation in the cryogenic chamber. They watched the small drone’s degraded yellow-purple eyes widen in shock, and her clenched fists tremble more and more. 

At the end of the explanation, Uzi remained silent for a few minutes, expressionless, before asking only one thing in a low voice. “Did I… kill someone from the colony?” 

“There was no body… where we found you.” Nori chose words carefully, hesitant to say anything more right now. Just in case, when Khan will inspect the surrounding areas.

Staying close to her, N wanted to reassure Uzi and give her comfort, but she pulled her hand away from his; without warning, she moved away from him and left the living room. 

“Uzi?” Uzi didn’t listen to N, nor to his mother who called out to her next. 

Moving, her numb legs weakened and the little drone stumbled forward with a scream, but someone - N - grabbed her shoulder to help Uzi stand up. 

“I’ve got you, little buddy.” He supported her kindly, to make sure she wouldn’t fall or accidentally hurt herself. 

However, his touch pushed her away instead of comforting her, and she slapped him away with a rough slap. Angry, to the point that her tail burst out of her chassis and aggressively snapped its reptilian jaws at the surprised Disassembly. 

“Get off, I can handle myself!” 

Her wild growl in the sentence and the hissing threat of her hissing tail made N back away, who immediately released her, slowly bringing his hands back. “S-Sorry.” 

Then Uzi’s aggression subsided, seeing N’s downcast face, hurt by her rejection. Her core twisted with guilt, not understanding where this sudden anger towards N was coming from, and she returned to her boyfriend to grab his arms. 

Damn it Uzi, he just wanted to help you, she blamed herself.

“Sorry, N. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Um…” Uzi bit her lip, very embarrassed, while N’s expression improved a little. She let out in a small voice: “Can you help me walk to my room… please?” 

N smiled again, as his tail rose again and wagged at her request. “Of course, Uzi! Wait, I’ll carry you!” 

“Wha- Hey!” Suddenly, Uzi let out an embarrassing squeak when was ripped off the ground, and carried bridal style by N down the hallway. Her blush deepened, pinned against him as, beneath her, her own tail swung a little too happily. 

She hadn’t told him to… Oh, never mind. Let him be gallant if he liked. 

N led her to the front of her room, before carefully setting Uzi down to let her in. The little drone looked at the damage, stunned by the mess she had caused. All those veins of flesh, like so many disgusting, dark vines climbing the walls; the ripped-out vent where she had escaped; the belongings scattered everywhere in this rampage - Sparky's dismantled body and her drawings and including N's, had been miraculously spared... 

And on her bed... there was an agglomerate of flesh and vines, ripped open after letting something out. It was like being back at camp. It had all happened while she was asleep. And this time, Uzi hadn't noticed anything. 

Beating of her core quickened, remembering the screams of her comrades, the spilled oil and the limbs torn off as she laughed. Of her body controlled like a puppet by the Solver. And had she... again... 

Fear and anxiety began to take hold of her. She... didn't feel good... 

“Oh...” Uzi felt violently nauseous, and she hunched over, putting her hand over her mouth, as her insides churned. 

“Uzi, are you okay?” N knelt down and stood closer, hovering his hand over her, and he hesitated only half a second before rubbing her back in a comforting gesture. 

This time, Uzi didn't push him away, barely noticing as the taste of oil invaded her throat with a stifled gasp, before swallowing painfully. Her eyebrows furrowed, finding the taste strange; she opened her jaw, and Uzi put a finger inside to check it. She brought it up to her olfactory sensors. 

This oil... tasted and smelled more ferrous and organic than the other Workers'. Like her own, a drone infected by the Solver. And like... 

"Oh no..." Uzi realized, as the rest of the memories from her nightmare came back to her in blinding flashes. 

Of the chase with Eldritch N possessed by the Solver; of her arrival at the church. And… N. Helping her cool down by letting her feed on his oil. 

Delirious from hunger and overheating, she had believed - or wanted to believe - that he was just another hallucination.

But he hadn’t been, right? Uzi raised her face to N’s, worried about her. 

Wanting to be sure, her hands grabbed his collar while N watched in amazement and, in a quick movement, she undid the entire front of his coat to push it aside - the sleeves only held by his arms, and his belt wrapped around. In order to check N’s shoulder, who jumped at being exposed before her. 

“U-Uzi?” he stammered, intimidated and unsure of how to react. 

At first stunned, N felt Uzi touch the plate on his shoulder, which she brushed against, her gaze serious, and he didn’t move. Under her caress, N had to suppress the thunderous purr that threatened to shake his frame - he loved it when Uzi touched him, any touch from her made him happy - and the large drone remained upright, even though his tail was wagging wildly. 

Uzi had other concerns on her mind, not noticing N’s struggle or the idiotic smile he was making. She didn’t have to look long. It was there, though invisible to the normal eye; Uzi’s enhanced vision noted the slight marks of perforations in the metal that his nanites had healed, and the small bumps of the bite under the enamel of her fingers. 

It confirmed her suspicions. 

Her screen went dark, as her arms fell back to the ground. She had started again… again. And tonight, N had been the victim. It shouldn’t have happened. 

What the hell did I do… 

Guilt-ridden, Uzi let her head fall back onto N’s chest, feeling her digital tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, N.”

Uzi blamed herself so much… And her reaction to him earlier had been so horrible, when all he had done was help, even if it meant putting himself in danger. Again. 

But soon enough, she felt his arms wrap around her to hold her closer, then his loud purr, as N leaned towards her. His yellow gaze was all love and affection - not like the other “N” in her nightmare - and he tenderly caressed her face. 

The large drone comforted her, “I’m glad you’re okay. That’s the most important thing, to me. And you didn’t hurt me. You just needed oil.” 

“But I attacked you! I thought you were… just a dream and I still did that!” Uzi protested through her tears, stubborn, refusing that N would forgive her so easily for something so bad. 

“Oooh, it didn’t hurt at all! Just tickled me. In fact, I’m kind of flattered that you dream of me.” N joked, as he felt Uzi struggle a little more against him to escape, but he refused to let her go. 

She gave up with his strength, and the little drone got completely angry: “Y-You don’t understand anything! I - shit - I almost tore your shoulder off, idiot! I… I could have killed you. Damn, you should be mad at me like hell after what I did to you-ouch!” 

The Worker-Solver let out a small whine, as a - slight - sting spread across her shoulder. And she saw N leaning over it… biting her?! 

“N!” 

Disassembly pulled away, impulsively licking the bite he had made to close it before facing Uzi shocked, smiling proudly - and a thin black trickle of oil was running from his mouth. “Now, we’re even! So don’t blame yourself anymore, okay?” 

Uzi was no longer upset, at least. N was more appreciative of seeing her usual annoyed expression - but kinder towards him - again, as the small drone finally pushed him away with a friendly punch. 

“You, idiot-” 

“Ahem!” N and Uzi, who had completely forgotten that they weren’t alone, looked at Nori - who didn’t look pleased - both blushing horribly on their screens. 

The small body sternly called them to order: “Instead of acting like idiots, you two could start cleaning this room. We’ll talk later about what we’re going to do… about this incident. And you, moron…” Nori glared at N with her violet eye, who swallowed nervously. “Since it’s daylight outside, you’re going to stay here exceptionally until you can leave again. But I want to see you each other from five feet away. And put your coat back on.” 

While Uzi grumbled at her mother’s bossy behavior, N quickly nodded and quickly buttoned up his buttons, while Nori returned to the room grumbling.

Oops, he had felt like he had fixed things a little with Uzi’s mother, speaking about helping Uzi and the oil can. Seemed kinda screw it with his acting.

“I shouldn’t have done that…” N mumbled, as Nori left.

As he and Uzi retrieved brooms and cleaning products, the large drone began to remove the vines and organic flesh while his motionless girlfriend threw [translate] everything that went into a trash bag. To be incinerated later. 

Then after a while, half done tidying up, N suddenly realized that V hadn't sent any messages.

I wonder if her evening went well... he thought, before returning to finish cleaning with Uzi.

___________________________________________________

System status : online. 

V woke up with the worst headache of all time. She stared in pain at the ceiling above her - too bright -, lying crosswise on a mattress, while vision was very unstable. And her tongue was tingling a lot, very sensitive. 

"G-goodness... I sh-shouldn't have touched s-so much ba-battery acid..." Her electronic larynx was misfiring, and throat was burning after drinking so much of that drink. 

Any drone would have been in critical condition and would have required an emergency purge by doctors; fortunately, her repair system managed this excess well and filtered the liquid. At the cost of a monstrous hangover. 

Robo-God, that was bad… 

With a low moan, the Disassembly clumsily got up from Lizzy’s huge, soft bed, where she had collapsed at the end of the party; the one her friend had organized after becoming an Outpost 3 temporaly advisor - a role held by her father thanks to his position as a teacher. 

“I asked Dad if I could take his place for the internship, and he didn’t mind,” the chic, pink-eyed drone had explained, who had gathered most of her classmates at her house to celebrate. 

Of course, V had been invited to her house for the occasion; no one would have dared to say anything about her presence tonight, and they were too busy dancing to the music, having fun with each other, drinking without restriction and trying out various magnets. 

The atmosphere had been… fun, V admitted. Better than that disaster of the Prom. She had felt comfortable enough to let herself go in the celebration. 

“I wanted to try their disgusting drink… not a good idea.” V winced as a new jolt of pain shot through her processors at the sound of her own voice being too loud. 

The disgusting taste hadn’t stopped her from downing several liters of it, her frame quite capable of consuming a whole bowl of battery acid under the cheers and encouragement of the other Workers. 

Hey, the female Disassembly wasn’t going to lose to common toasters! And she made sure no one would beat her.

Then, she got caught up in a group of drones, who were challenging each other to Truth or Dare. Lowering her guard, she hung out with Lizzy and joined the gang. 

But later, they were caught up by another drone. Who was… N, Uzi and Lizzy’s friend, who sometimes went outside with them. The one she had impaled and lacerated during her first intrusion with J into the bunker. 

Vhad… no, Thad? Her exhausted golden eyes narrowed as she remembered seeing the green-eyed drone in the skater outfit. 

She remembered… he had appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the crowd of excited teenagers and the boy had tried… to stop her, concerned about her not-good condition while V was having a little too much fun, completely unbridled.

Then before she left, as her arm was being pulled away by him, a drone had thrown V one last challenge… rather daring. And it was to kiss… 

Her expression turned livid, as random sequences of… embarrassing memories came back to her. “Oh no…” 

Quickly, she grabbed her phone from her pocket - yes, Lizzy had insisted she get one, which she had pilfered from an old store. Frantically, V scrolled through the hundreds of recent photos in the group chats. And in her shaking hand, she stopped on one of them that showed her kissing Thad full on the lips. 

Completely glued to him and passionate, while the poor Worker was totally stunned and green as a pepper. 

The door to the now silent room opened, as Lizzy entered without knocking to check on V who had locked herself in. “Hey, girl. You're awake-" 

"Holy fucking shit!!!" V threw her phone against the wall, causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces all over the room. 

Lizzy was barely shaken by her savagery, raising a digital eyebrow to the yellow "X" that appeared on her screen as her tail whipped behind V. 

"You look better. And in good shape, after having so much fun yesterday." Her gaze fell back to her own phone, responding to the appreciative messages from the party. 

V's face grew grim and dark, unable to suppress her agitation, or her sharp claws extended as they tore at the mattress. She ignored Lizzy's protest at the destruction of her bed, as her jaw clenched, almost to the point of grinding her teeth. 

Welp, the Disassembly girl was going to have to kill someone urgently…

Chapter Text

Khan was currently in the bunker's entrance hall, fiddling with some of the electronics on Door 3 that had failed last night. After checking the control panel, the ancient drone had to admit defeat; the opening buttons were unresponsive. Opening the control panel, he had quickly located the problem. A stray cyberbug had chewed through some of the wires in the casing to feed itself. Multiple sections were affected, and Khan's eye twitched. 

The culprit appeared under his mustache, twitching and waving its pointed antennae at the drone as it groomed itself; until Khan shooed it away with a vengeful flick and sent it tumbling to the ground. 

"Damn parasites..." he had grumbled as the insect squeaked and fled fearfully under a pipe, before dismantling the installation to assess the damage - and check for a nest. 

These bugs were becoming a real scourge lately; in one week, Khan had been called countless times because of a breakdown caused by these damn pests. This was the case during the night that Uzi had returned, while she was sleeping in the arms of this Murd- Disassembly Drone N, one of the members of the WDF had contacted Khan. 

“chief, it’s an emergency, you have to come!” Ron had written to him, while Khan wasn't in the mood, and too preoccupied by his daughter’s health to worry about anything else. 

Nori had convinced him to go there, arguing that he had to make sure that no one had seen the damage in the cryogenics room. “Also check if there are any disappearances…” she had added in a worried tone. 

Luckily today, nothing too important or irreparable had been damaged. Child's play for the old builder, who opened his toolbox to retrieve some pliers. With an expert hand, he cut the faulty wires, then asked a new recruit of the WDF, the inexperienced Steve Smith, to retrieve others intact to connect them to the system. Even if the young drone had not left and continued to observe him not far away, it did not bother the elder. 

"Let’s start..." Khan had set to work, repairing the big Door as easily and quickly as breathing. 

He knew the plans of the structure by heart, the Worker knew exactly what to do and how. With all the professionalism and ingenuity for which Khan Doorman was famous, he proceeded scrupulously step by step; replacing each damaged circuit, checking the electrical conductivity, insulating each wire... It was a long and tiring job, but one that he always carried out with great seriousness. Because so many people counted on him, the drone had never done his job badly. Not when the slightest mistake could cost them everything, and doom their community. That was what Khan had believed, and dedicated himself to for twenty years. Even now, as the threat of the Disassembly Drones almost nil, hostile drone gangs could try to invade their community, and Khan's maintenance of the Doors was still necessary. 

But nowdays… things have changed. He was no longer the same drone who only cared about his Doors, who coddled them and spent days repairing them. And if Khan had to point to a cause… the main one would be his daughter. 

For better or for worse, he guessed. 

After further checks, Khan withdrew from the installation and closed the wall computer. Well, time to see if this problem is fixed, the Worker straightened up and, pressing a command, the hydraulics of Door 3 roared loudly, which closed and then opened. 

Problem solved. 

Now he could take care of other, more important matters before going back to home: that too, this desire to return home was new. And after finally remembering that he had a family waiting for him. Something… he had forgotten for too long. 

Having watched Khan all along in his work on the blast door, now in working order, Steve clapped his hands at this technical feat, impressed. “Amazing, Chief! You fixed it like it was nothing. When Door 3 broke down, I thought it would take days to get it working again. But you did it in a few hours ! You are a true genius!” 

Khan met the aquamarine eyes, filled with an immense, naive admiration of the young drone for the older one. But the WDF leader only shook his head, uncomfortable with the compliment as he packed up his tools. “It was nothing special, boy. Anyone else could have fixed it; there is nothing extraordinary.” 

“Mr. Doorman, you are too modest!” Steve protested, before pointing to the complex machinery of the gate. “It’s thanks to you and your Doors that Outpost 3 has been able to protect us for almost twenty years, keeping us safe from Murder Drones and raiders from outside! Without you, we would have suffered the same fate as the colonies that must fight to survive. You know, you are a true hero to me: it has always been my dream to join the WDF and work with you!” 

Khan’s tired, white eyes stared at the drone so enthusiastic about his work. He realized that this one was about the same age as Uzi; yet so different in every way. 

“I wanna join the WDF and hide behind doors like cowards while playing cards and stuff…” Uzi stammered out an insincere excuse, to lull her father’s suspicion, hoping that he would believe such a lie. 

Damn, I really did, back then, Khan thought, as Steve’s words were the ones he had dreamed Uzi would finally say to him one day. 

“Well... When you build doors so good...” Khan cuddled the door behind him affectionately, missing Uzi’s disgusted look, “Good door, good door... There's no need to fight! Uzi, this is great news!” Gullible, he had driven Uzi to Door 1 himself, before entrusting her with his personal wrench for her so-called class project. 

Then, upon returning from the storage room where Khan had gone to get more cards at the request of his guys, Uzi had finally returned from outside… 

…But not alone. 

His gaze wandered to a section of the wall of Door 3; no one had repaired it yet, so he could see the gash made inside by a sharp, honed blade. As well as an old black trace, that of drone oil. From Uzi. 

Alert: reading traumatic memories in progress, from the “Regrets” file. 

Trapped in the cold corridor and in the middle of the carnage that had been perpetrated, Uzi was thrown against the wall and screamed in pain, spitting oil as the Murder Drone that was pursuing her mercilessly pierced her shoulder with his sharp wing. She tried to fight back and raise the railgun she had built, but the large, enraged drone snatched it from her before throwing it carelessly at Khan’s feet. 

Who remained frozen there, unable to move, as his only daughter was about to be killed. 

She grabbed the blade feather to pull it out, but her opponent only pushed it a little further and she let out an agonized rattle. 

Khan still did nothing. 

The small drone had turned her head towards her father, frightened and pleading as she fought for her life. “D-dad... point and shoot! Trust me!” Uzi gasped, becoming desperate as her efforts were in vain.

Hearing Uzi seemed to wake Khan, who snapped out of the trance he was in. The railgun was right there, loaded… he only had to lean over and… 

The shrill whistle of the Murder Drone pierced his audials, as Khan had reached for the weapon that could save his daughter. He froze in his tracks, unable to take his eyes off the predator that could tear him apart in a second. With his sharp claws that still slicked with the oil of Khan’s dead teammates. Or with his fangs revealed in a sinister grin, dripping with bloody, black-stained drool. 

The burning yellow cross on his screen pointed at him, threatening, made his Primary Program tremble, and the rest of his body as Khan took a subconscious step back. 

Then another. 

“D… Dad?” Uzi’s broken voice barely reached him, as he ducked behind the floor demarcation of Door 3. 

If he did this, if he dared to fight this thing to save his daughter… it would be the end for both of them and the rest of the Outpost-3 colony. Khan had to sound the alarm and get his people to the escape rooms. He had no choice. 

He had no other choice! 

In his shaking hand, he held the remote control for the doors, and his thumb slid towards the close button. Khan hung his head in shame, unable to bear the sight of his daughter, and her growing horror at the realization that he was abandoning her. 

Leaving Uzi to her death. 

Sorry, Uzi… I’m so sorry. 

And he closed the door, condemning her. 

Maybe back then, if Khan hadn’t done what he had done, the consequences could have been more tragic. In an instant, N would have killed Uzi and then he would have killed him, and nothing would have stopped that squad from completely annihilating the entire colony. And everything that had followed after that, up until today, would never have happened. 

Maybe… but that didn’t take away Khan’s grave sin. By not staying to save her, he had abandoned his own daughter to a horreful fate. He had betrayed her… And not one day did the old drone not think about it or feel remorse. 

On the shoulders of the Murder Drone that had helped his daughter get rid of the others, a pair of violet eyes, that he had thought he would never see again, met his when he coughed. 

Seeing him, her victorious expression fell, and was replaced by barely contained anger. Never before had she looked at him like this. 

A wrench was thrown contemptuously at his feet - his own tool. And her bitter voice rang out: “I brought the Murder Drones here accidentally…” 

Khan tensed at the accusation, while Uzi’s furious gaze turned to sadness, resentment, and betrayal. And it was his fault. 

“You CHOSE to leave me for dead instead of just freaking BELIEVING IN ME!” The echo of her emotional words filled the silent room full of shocked drones, and hit him hard. 

Then… she was gone. Banishing herself on her own terms. And Khan didn’t have the courage to hold her back. 

[End of memory reading…] 

If he could go back, Khan would try to change all of this… But it was impossible. 

“Um… Mr. Doorman? Why are you staring at that wall?” Is there a problem?” Steve stared blankly at Khan, who had frozen in front of the wall that brought back so many painful memories. 

Khan sighed, rubbing his screen as his processors hummed with exhaustion. He was a little sleep deprived, but the cause of his discomfort was something else. 

“It’s nothing… I was just thinking about the committee meeting that will be held this weekend.” He replied, his eyes shining with determination. 

Yes, it was true. The old drone had made many mistakes in his life, and his greatest mistake continued to haunt him. And always would. But… he was not the same drone he had been a year ago. The past could not be changed, but the future could. 

And Khan Doorman was determined to change things for this colony, starting with doing what he should have done that fateful day. 

A first step towards redemption and his daughter. 

-o-o-o-

Several hours later, Khan dragged his feet to the Doormans’ home after spending the entire night and morning repairing the Door, then part of the afternoon conducting an inspection of the bunker. 

He was exhausted: all week, he had led his team through the residential areas near the cryogenics room. To make sure nothing had been noticed by the other Workers… or any other disappearances that might have occurred. Under the pretext of a control patrol, the WDF had wandered throughout the sector, staying in contact with each other to report the slightest alert. And since that night, nothing suspicious had been reported. No drones had disappeared so far, and almost the entire bunker - except the cryogenics sector - had been inspected. 

Which meant that Uzi had not hurt anyone that night. 

That’s reassuring, Khan thought before yawning, and digging for his key in the bottom of his coat. Uzi didn't need any more stress right now, she was going through enough. 

All this time, her daughter had acted as if nothing had happened, that what had happened to her hadn't affected her. A routine of coming and going had set in, where the teenager would go and do her hours at the Colonial Factory, then come back towards the end of the day. And she hadn't said a single word about her disappearance. Their daughter would lock herself in her room, tinkering with her weapon or any other project until late. A kind of protective mechanism, where the teenager tended to isolate herself in work when something was worrying her; Khan knew this well, it had been his case after Nori's disappearance and his obsession with doors. 

Like father, like daughter... 

Khan hadn't dared to disturb her; he wasn't good at talking to Uzi. Not after almost twenty years of abandonment. And lately, his few efforts were often met with nothing more than an annoyed look, or a curt “Bite me!” before being literally pushed out of the room by the purple symbol. And the door slammed hard in front of his screen, locked. 

I get what I deserve now, Khan thought, as he unlocked the front door and stepped inside: “I’m back!” 

No one answered, and the old drone looked around the room, which was empty. Nori wasn’t there; at the moment, she was locked in her office, scheming without wanting to talk about it. Uzi was still at the Colonial Factory at this hour and would be back soon. Khan walked across the house to his room for recharge, until he came to Uzi’s. 

Which was wide open. 

Khan stopped right here ; usually, his daughter kept it closed when she was gone, to avoid prying eyes. But in that case… why was there noise in her room? Like someone moving around, too big for it to be his wife. 

The Sentinel wasn’t repaired yet, so it couldn’t be that either. 

“Uzi? Honey?” No one answered. A bad feeling rose in him; the drone regretted leaving his weapon on his desk. 

Nervously, he approached stealthily. And as he wanted to go back in, Khan ran into a large solid body, which hissed in surprise at the collision, and the sight of seven bright golden yellow eyes and fangs made Khan retreat hastily, away from the threat. 

Holy Robo-Jesus, a Murder-!

And then a: “Oh, biscuits, Mr. Uzi! Sorry, I didn’t see you! Are you ok ?” cut off his panicked thought, as N’s polite voice rang out, and Khan immediately recognized his daughter’s Murder- Disassembly boyfriend. 

In their house… in his daughter’s room! 

“N, you…” 

Before Khan could panic or lose his temper altogether, Nori finally appeared, coming out of the room they shared. She had heard the shouting and, seeing that her husband looked ready to lose his cool in front of the equally panicked boy, she joined them to defuse the situation. 

“It’s okay, honey, he’s with me. I asked the kid to come over as soon as he could to talk. Since you were at work, I didn’t want to disturb you by calling you - (maybe I should have warned you…)” Nori explained, as Khan looked at both N, who was nodding frantically, and his little wife. 

That… was surprising. He knew Nori wasn’t the biggest fan of Uzi’s boyfriend – whenever Uzi managed to get him in, she had always shown her disapproval. So hearing that Nori had told him to come was new. 

Khan’s face showed his surprise, hearing that his wife's idea. 

“You did?” 

“Yeah. I had to talk to him… about something I'm planning to do this weekend. Um... I'll explain later, I promise." Nori was clearly uncomfortable, as a claw scraped the ground, her single eye actively avoiding Khan's more suspicious gaze.

She hadn’t yet told him about the little plan to visit that abandoned lab far up north, to look for clues about the Solver to help Uzi. It wasn’t… an easy discussion. 

N squirmed, a little uncomfortably between the couple, as he closed the door behind him - careful not to trap his sensitive tail in it. 

“W-Well… Mrs. Uzi told me to stay until evening - intolerance to the deadly sun’s rays and all that…” 

“Oh… True, you’re like my daughter, right.” 

“Yes. Oh, and I was waiting here for Uzi to come home so I could ask her how her day was when she got back from the Factory!” 

“I see…” Khan calmed down a bit as he understood better the reason for his presence - at least the whirring of his core had calmed down a bit. 

Now that disaster had been averted, Nori took advantage of N’s distraction to slip away discreetly to the room to continue her… mysterious preparations. And avoid any more questions. 

That left just the two of them - Khan and N. 

A heavy atmosphere settled between the two men in the room; both of them realized inwardly that this was the first time that it was just the two of them, with no one around. 

Finally, the Worker decided to go back to the living room to sit for a while. And seeing N who was stupidly standing in the hallway, he called out to him: “Come, N. Uzi shouldn’t be long, you can wait for her with me.” 

“R-Really, can I?” The large drone had looked at him in surprise, before agreeing enthusiastically. 

As they walked together, Khan had shivers of apprehension as he heard N’s heavy footsteps behind him, so tall that he towered over him by a head and a half. Compared to his daughter, he was a real giant, and he towered over any other Worker in the bunker. In his presence, Khan’s systems continued to identify him as a deadly threat - the sight of the hunter’s spiky tail waving and the nanites acid canister not helping his nerves - until the old drone pulled up a chair and settled in with an exhausted sigh after the hard day. 

His servos were starting to wear out. He was getting aged… though technically, drones didn’t really. Nothing a visit to a technician couldn’t fix. 

N mimicked the Worker and pulled up a chair, hands resting anxiously on his knees and fingers grasping at his coat. Tail twitching at his side, which he actively kept from shaking too much knowing how much the drones feared it, he avoided looking directly at Khan, including the cameras. The big drone wasn't very comfortable... knowing that he hadn't been good to Uzi's father, between his break-in into the bunker earlier this week, and then... what had happened. 

Oh biscuits, this is awkward, N lamented, hoping that Uzi would arrive soon. 

Khan, meanwhile: Damn, what can I say? 

Minutes ticked by, and the awkwardness between them grew even thicker. Even Khan, who didn't know much about Disassembly Drones other than how dangerous they were, could tell that the drone was nervous. He exuded very little confidence, hesitating in his posture, as if intimidated by the Worker in front of him; which was ridiculous, of course. He was the biggest threat in this house, not the other way around. 

Unable to stand the atmosphere any longer, the Worker decided to be the one to start talking, N clearly too disturbed to take the initiative, as if a barrier was preventing him from doing so. 

With great effort and a deep breath, he addressed the large drone: 

“N?” 

The Disassembly almost jumped out of his chair, not expecting Khan to call out to him: “Y-Yes?” 

Khan tried to overcome his initial fears, wanting to put his daughter’s friend more at ease instead of leaving him in this state: “I can see that something is bothering you. Know that you can talk to me if you need to… or not if you prefer to keep it to yourself.” 

For a moment, N didn’t know what to say to this consideration. Coming from Uzi’s father, no less. But he had something to say. He rocked back and forth in his chair, unable to formulate a sentence or how he could express himself. It wasn’t easy. 

Finally, N took a deep breath, and he began: “It’s… It’s just that… uh… About… Biscuits, it’s complicated…” 

N’s fingers frantically rubbed his hair, at the base of his sensitive cameras, as the glass of the yellow acid tapped harder on the ground - Khan prayed the stinger wouldn’t accidentally pierce it. 

And for the first time today, N faced Khan, who took in his apologetic expression, before he leaned forward, very low, like what he had done earlier with Nori.

“Mr. Uzi, I’m really sorry about what happened that night!” N finally let out, when he could no longer contain himself. 

“That night… you mean…” Khan finally understood where his unease was coming from, as N continued: 

“Your wife… Nori explained to me how I behaved towards you, when you found Uzi and me in the cryogenic room. I… I don’t really remember it, I admit, and it’s very fuzzy in my head, but I really wanted to apologize for what I… almost did to you. And also for entering the bunker without permission. Sorry!” 

Seeing a Disassembly Drone that was honestly apologizing for almost accidentally hurting him, the old drone would never have thought he would see that one day. He looked at N who straightened up, with the most sorry and ashamed face in the world, while Khan was still processing what was happening. 

He looked closely at this Disassembly Drone; the one who had accepted Uzi for the person she was, and who had helped to heal her core after years of loneliness and betrayal. The one who had spared her, and who had become Uzi's best friend. The one who had helped her through all trials, had supported her through difficulties, and who had managed to break down some of the walls that his daughter had built around her. 

And Khan finally realized that, aside from his scary features, he was a nice boy. And with a heart of gold, bigger than any other drone. 

At that moment a new feeling rose in the old Worker, different from the fear or distrust that Khan usually felt towards the Disassembly, but gratitude for the young man who had saved his daughter. Like a button that had been pressed, his vision of the big drone changed from a "scary, murderous cannibal Uzi’s boyfriend" to "scary, murderous cannibal but kind Uzi’s boyfriend". Simply. 

Khan approached N, who remained seated in his chair, and the Worker placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the large drone who was waiting fearfully. 

And then who stared at him with wide, questioning eyes, alternating between the hand on him and Khan. 

The latter smiled under his moustache, patting the drone in a friendly manner, astonished by his gesture. “You don’t have to blame yourself, kid. I don’t accuse you: you were only protecting my daughter, as you always have. Know that I am grateful to you, and not just for earlier this week. For everything so far. Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you in the past, so I will…” 

The old drone moved in front of N, who barely understood what was happening, and his eyes widened, before filling as Khan reached out a hand towards his visor. 

The patriarch continued, his tone full of warmth: “Thank you for watching over my daughter, all this time. And most of all, I am grateful to you for sparing her that night, a year ago. Without you, your kindness, Uzi would no longer be among us. I certainly wasn’t an exemplary father for years, and I wasn’t there for her when she needed it most. I failed her, I seriously failed in my role as a father, and it is something I will continue to regret until my disconnection.” 

Khan’s throat tightened, confessing aloud all the mistakes he had made towards the only family he had left at the time, and confiding his regrets to someone he recognized as as exceptional as his daughter. 

He smiled, the screen shining with emotion: “But you, you are a person who cares for her more than anything. Thanks to you, I got a second chance. I'm trying to change to be a better drone, father and husband. You're a good person, N. Uzi trusts you, and I do now too. I know that as long as you're by my daughter's side, she'll be in good hands." 

N didn't know what to say, as Khan told him all this. Moved, he blushed yellow all over his screen in front of the old Worker, his core pounding, as the large drone stood up to shake Uzi's father's hand and was very careful with his strength. 

Khan returned his strong and - ouch! - crushing grip that practically twisted his fingers, though he kept his composure as he concluded: "Continue to take care of Uzi, N." 

Then N snapped out of his petrification. He felt very happy indeed to be accepted by his beloved's father, as he smiled back. The drone regained the use of his voice, hoarse with gratitude. “T… Thank you, Mr. Uzi. I’ll always take care of her, I promise,” as his tail swished faster. 

“I have no doubt about that, son. And please, call me Khan.” 

“Okay, Mr. Khan!” 

The two drones looked at each other with newfound respect; it was at this point that Uzi came into the living room, hands in her traditional sweatshirt and carelessly throwing her bag around. “I’m home…” 

For once, Uzi’s day had gone rather well: no new auditory hallucinations, the Worker-Solver had drunk her entire thermos and eaten enough to not be hungry, and the group of drones that had been picking on her had been relocated to another part of the Factory - probably at the intervention of Eliza, whom Uzi was growing more and more fond of. Finally a drone that seemed to have some spirit… They had even discussed her railgun a bit, and while Uzi didn’t know why the team leader was so interested in it, the teenager loved to brag about her creations. 

Arriving in the living room, the teenager saw the scene with her father and boyfriend sharing a handshake. She stopped abruptly and raised an eyebrow in surprise. 

“Uh, that’s new,” she mumbled, then looked at the larger drone who turned to her. “Hey big guy, you didn’t tell me you were coming...” 

And she only had a second to prepare herself, as N gave a big bright smile and shouted: “Uziiii!” 

His figure disappeared as he crossed the living room to join her - despite his large size and weight, the drone moved incredibly fast - and the next moment, he grabbed her to give Uzi the biggest hug.

“I wanted to surprise you! And this time, I succeeded!” He purred, caressing her stunned face against his. 

Uzi tensed against him - there was her father just here! - and she protested, blushing all over the screen: “N, damn it, not in front of my father!”, pushing his head with one hand as she tried to escape from her overly affectionate boyfriend. He was ruining the whole image of a cool, badass goddess! 

And the lovable idiot replied with a disingenuous “Sorry~”, as his wagging tail came to wrap itself around her boot like a pet, doing its own thing. 

The Worker-Solver growled lowly against him, her struggle weakening as she reluctantly enjoyed this closeness, which demanded lessening the distance more. Uzi would deny it violently, but it was becoming harder for her to stay away from N - today, she had to stop herself from thinking about him too much. And as he held her, something primal inside her sang Happy! Happy! Safe! Warm! Happy! Mine!, wanting her to pull out her own tail and wrap it possessively around his and draw even closer, like he sometimes did. A need she fought angrily… 

Stupid hormones. Stupid N… But she stayed.

Standing aside, Khan couldn’t help but frown a little at the public display of love from the two children, as Uzi stopped struggling against N who was wrapping himself around her. He refrained from intervening, his late fatherly instinct wanting to impose some limits on the couple regarding the acceptable physical distance under his roof. But at least they weren’t kissing. 

For now… a thought grumbled in his processors, suggesting he keep an eye on them so they didn’t do anything funny. 

And then Nori finally came out of her lair, which Khan caught the burning core of flesh in his arms, as she sighed in dismay at the sight of the two lovebirds, “I swear, one day, I’m going to program a castration code for that boy if Uzi or him keep doing this.” 

“We’re no better, honey~,” Khan couldn’t help but tease her suggestively, as his wife protested with a pouty “bite me” and squirmed, which made him laugh. 

When the two finished their reunion session, Khan approached Uzi as N finally released her, and after giving him one last annoyed look, the little drone turned to her father. Who was oddly… nervous. 

“Uzi, I want to talk to you about this weekend’s meeting. As you know, I’m going to bring up your friends’ situation with the other members of the Committee.” 

Uzi's eyes narrowed slightly, remembering the council's initial reaction when her father had brought up the subject. It hadn't been... very conclusive. 

Her arms crossed against her chest, she reminded her father of the result, who seemed to have forgotten it: "These guys weren't very keen to begin with, am I right?" 

While N and V had helped her save the world, that didn't mean the Workers had lost all fear or ill feelings about their former predators. Uzi continued to hear gossip about the "Murder Drones", or "Genocidal Drones", which fell silent when she approached the drones with a dirty look. 

Khan confirmed her words with a nod, but he didn't seem destabilized. And quite confident. "You're right... but circumstances have changed a bit lately. And let's just say that I've prepared some arguments... in favor of integrating our friends." 

Oh, now Uzi was interested. For her father to say that, and the smirk he gave, he must have had a strategy in mind. Despite all his flaws, she could recognize in her father his ability as a leader, who had been a pillar of their society for years. 

And she was… a little curious to know more. Very vaguely. “And your arguments are that good?” 

Khan laughed nervously, as he pulled the bottom of his mustache - which was a nervous tic of his. “Well, not good for us or this colony… in fact, it’s rather bad for us...” Faced with Uzi’s lost gaze, the old Worker explained: “But it will help me make them accept my proposal.” 

The Worker-Solver understood less and less the logic of her father, on this plan that involved her friends. And seeing her mother who nodded, although not looking enthusiastic, it seemed that she was also in on the secret. Whatever it was, her father seemed determined to talk about it during the meeting. 

Only one seemed happy to hear it. Next to her, N showed a playful smile, wagged his tail that he raised high, and brought his hands to his beaming face. 

“Really? So that would mean that soon, I could come live here, with V? Like, settle down for good?!” He exclaimed, forgetting his restraint as he radiated joy at the idea of being able to come to the bunker freely. 

No longer having to hide, seeing Uzi whenever he pleased, day and night… That would be the dream. Oh, too bad V wasn’t here to hear this, N regretted her absence. Besides, she had been disappearing a lot lately when he woke up, like today… and her tracks almost all led to the bunker. Maybe she was there? 

With the excitement of the big drone, the old Worker made an affirmative sound. “Well, I hope so. I’ll try to convince them, and I’ll do my best to get them to accept. That’s why, Uzi…” 

At this point, Khan looked less sure than before, then coughing : “I know you’re not much into this boring stuff, but since it concerns your friends, I thought that maybe… Well, you’re free to refuse, of course, but…” 

Seeing her father behave like that made Uzi more than perplexed; however, nothing had prepared her for his next statement: 

“Uzi, would you like to assist me during the meeting this weekend?”

___________________________________________________

“Haaaa… why do I have to check this place out all by myself? This is so creepy…” 

Steve was slowly walking down the hallway, after the other WDF members had told him to finish inspecting the area. 

Alone. 

And the others must have gone back to play cards, lazy and laughing about his unenviable chore. 

The young Worker suspected that he was undergoing some sort of hazing: after all, he was the newcomer to the group, and the youngest - Steve had only been in his adult frame for three weeks. He had not yet proven himself to the team. 

The place was not very well lit, and a white mist rose into the air. Steve's own breath formed a condensed fog in front of his screen. And the temperature made him tremble - or was it fear? 

He clutched his flashlight, trying to keep calm: the young drone had joined the prestigious WDF, to protect the colony and work alongside his idol! If he worked hard, his efforts could be recognized. 

Yes, he would. You'll see, Mr. Doorman, I'll make you proud- 

KLANG!!!

"Aaah!" Steve jumped and turned; in his haste, boots skidded on the icy ground and he collapsed. His helmet slammed hard, cracking his visor with the force, and misfires blurred his vision. 

Steve groaned at the searing pain, clutching the crack where oil was leaking, before he pulled himself together and thrust his arm forward to shine a light down the hallway. His breathing is irregular, and the hum in his core has intensified. There was no one there; but the sound was like something hitting metal. 

“H-Hey? There’s someone here ?” Steve called, his voice shaking with fear. “Guys, is that you?” 

No one answered; only silence and his respiration, too loud in his audials. 

Then he heard footsteps. Everywhere and around him.

“Th-This isn’t funny, you know! Really, I get the joke, you can stop!” Steve willed himself to be braver, as his eyes were hollow with mounting stress. 

Slowly, he moved toward the source of the noise, which had gotten louder and louder… like someone running. Steve followed the sounds, until the drone came to a section that ended in a dead end. There was no one there.

And the sounds had abruptly stopped. 

“What the…” Confused, Steve looked around, searching for any access or sign that someone was there. 

The young Worker didn’t see Death looking down at him, its extra appendages clinging to the ceiling covered in ice stalactites, the screen darkened so as not to be spotted. 

And who smiled, with deadly fangs, before stealthily lunging at its prey. 

There was no scream; oil spurted from the torn neck and splattered the walls, as the boy’s lifeless body was dragged along the ground by the insidious creature to the ducts. 

To be dismembered and devoured in the darkness of its nest.

Chapter Text

Evening had finally fallen; and, thankfully, no snowstorm. Just an exceptionally clear sky, and not a single shadow hovered over the stars: tonight, no Demons were out hunting. 

In the silent Corpse Tower (especially since a small, energetic angsty drone had stopped coming lately), V poked her head out of her nest, screen and cameras slowly turning on as she stretched like a lazy feline. The drone had just woken up, more disheveled and sluggish with each restart. 

Nothing but a snack wouldn’t help. 

A severed arm from a Worker was stuck in her mouth, which she finished nibbling after retrieving from their shared stash with N. V chewed her bland food half-heartedly. It tasted unpleasant, less savory: it wasn’t as good as fresh oil, but neither she nor N had hunted in the last few days. 

They should repeat their patrols as soon as possible… but not now. 

Let’s just say that V… went to the bunker a lot. Not just to see Lizzy, but she was looking for a certain green-eyed toaster. So far, without managing to get her claws on him, the drone was too… surrounded, never alone without other Workers. But tonight, she would start stalking in the ducts again. 

Maybe I would have better luck, V wondered, who violently tore off the wrist to lick the dripping oil. 

A wicked grimace pulled at her features, as the metal of the arm between her teeth cracked: she was not going to let him get away unscathed after what had happened. Hoping that his oil was more pleasant than what she was eating: that was why V ate light. To be able to enjoy a better meal; the sweet taste of revenge. 

Then she thought back to N, who often went to the bunker; he spent time with the purple dwarf - of course - but when she questioned him, the big drone had told her that Nori often called him to come to their home… Doing some bussiness. 

Literally so insanely suspicious…

Well, it’s none of my concern. As long as he doesn’t hurt himself… V crunched the remaining fingers of her meal, before she was sufficiently satisfied and had to tidy up her appearance a bit. 

As she finished flattening her silver hair, her eyes lit up when her audials picked up an enthusiastic and melodious whistle. It was N… 

Looking down, V saw him towards the pod and turning his back to her, looking very busy. Her eyebrows furrowed at his actions. “What’s he doing down there?” 

Tail raised high and drawing wide yellow arcs, the tall Disassembly was humming an old tune in a cheerful tone; he couldn’t remember where it came from, but it was a joyful and rhythmic one that Tessa used to play in her room. He imitated the music, as the drone finished gathering several things into a box marked 'N's Stuffs :3'. 

To do that, he had woken up before the sun had set, spending the rest of the twilight emptying his entire nest to sort out what the drone would keep. All his stuffed animals were gathered there; his favorite drawings - mainly the ones with Uzi - and pencils; a few books about dogs... The rest, like his decorations and blankets from his nest, stayed there so as not to clutter up. 

Still, there was a lot to take to the bunker, if Khan got the Committee to accept them, V and him... But that was another thought. 

I hope I didn't forget anything... N checked that everything was there, and that nothing important had been left. 

Tomorrow, he would go with Nori to the lab, so N preferred that everything be ready when he returned, as the meeting would normally be over by then. The big drone had finished soon; he could visit Uzi later tonight, before leaving with Nori. Besides, he wondered if Nori had told Uzi and Khan about their plan: she had said she would - threatening forbidding him to tell anything to her daughter first. 

Oh, and he shouldn't forget to tell V: neither he nor she had really seen each other lately. 

Observing, the latter was starting to get too intrigued by what he was doing. And her curiosity finally got the better of her: she had to see this. So, V crawled out of her own nest, clinging to the wall of drones with her extended claws, before falling towards N. She approached the large drone, which turned when he heard her land, the Disassembly putting a hand on her hip as she pointed at the filled box. 

“Yo, what are you doing?” 

“Oh, hi V! Perfect time, I wanted to talk to you!” N greeted her with a big, soft smile - one that always warmed V’s core a little, a nicer feeling than overheating. 

Although he would have preferred to start by talking about the lab, the drone could do that after, and N answered her question. 

He pointed to all his stuff that had been brought down. “I’m starting to see what I could take with me to the bunker. I’ve already made a lot of progress, and I was making sure I had everything.” 

V’s expression revealed her surprise. What was he talking about? And the story about the bunker. “What are you talking about? It looks like you’re going to move- Oh.” Suddenly, she remembered that story about their integration into the bunker. 

She wanted to slap her screen, not believing she hadn’t understood right away. I can’t believe it, he’s still on it. V groaned, hoping that he and the others would drop this crazy idea. Apparently not. 

Seeing him so motivated, she preferred to calm him down a bit, to remind N not to overdo it. And not to have too much hope for their chances. “N, listen-” V began, wanting him to pay attention. 

But to her annoyance, N absolutely did not, completely immersed in preparations, and continued without hearing his friend. “You should start looking in your nest to see what you would like to take. I left some boxes aside for you.” He showed her other empty boxes in the pod, having even written 'V's stuff' on them. “Just in case, we could always come back here to get what we need once we get there!” 

The female Disassembly frowned. Seriously, he really believed it… Had he forgotten what they were? 

“N-” 

“I don’t know when we can go to the bunker after the meeting is over, or if they have any place for us, but I’m sure we’ll find somewhere that’ll be good.” N couldn’t hold back anymore, ignoring her friend’s growing temper. “Oh, I could ask Mr. Khan when I go-” 

“Damn N, listen, you stubborn head!” V hissed, unable to hold back any longer, and N fell silent at her explosion. Trying to regain her composure, V took a deep breath, before facing the large drone that remained motionless. 

Standing, N didn’t understand why she had suddenly become angry: had he done something bad? Was it the boxes? “V, is something wrong?” 

V’s eyes narrowed into pins, as she stared at her gullible squadmate. “N… be realistic. Do you really think the Workers of this colony would accept that we - Disassembly - could come to their bunker? As a reminder, we are their worst literal nightmare. The Reapers who devour them for their oil! The Murder Drones who have killed thousands of their own!” 

At V’s stern words, N cowered, his gaze lowering to his feet in the snow. He hadn’t forgotten, of course. Yet… when Uzi had first told them about it, V hadn’t reacted like that. What changed? 

N looked at V, not understanding his change of heart: “But, V… we talked about it with Uzi, remember? You too-” 

The female Disassembly grumbled: “N, I wasn’t serious! I was joking about it. I mean, think about it: why do you think they built their stupid shelter? Certainly not to house those they fear!” 

“V… things aren’t the same anymore. I mean, we don’t hunt that colony anymore. A-And we don’t attack their doors anymore. With Uzi, we also stopped the Solver from destroying this planet. We’re allowed to come sometimes.” 

…Even if he had to stay hidden by going to Uzi’s house, so no Worker would see him. Under the WDF’s surveillance, while everyone was asleep. And when V went to Lizzy’s in secret, she made sure to threaten the other teenage drones who might be there to keep quiet. 

“N…” V growled, losing what little patience she had tonight. Especially seeing how much N believed this could work. In his dreams, maybe. “Don’t be so naive: those cowardly toasters would never want to be around monsters like us. Take a good look at us, what we look like, and what we live in!” To reinforce her words, she pointed to their home, made of hundreds of mutilated bodies that they fed on. 

A monstrous place, just like them. A frozen mountain where the carcasses of the drones that the three of them, N, J and her, had killed en masse for years were piled up. This was where they were supposed to be. 

Faced with the female Disassembly's pessimistic words, N's eyes saddened. The way she described them... He glanced at his deadly tail, which fell limply in the snow, then at his hands - which became claws and weapons at will - as fingers grabbed his coat. Yes, that was what they were: hideous monsters in the eyes of the drones... Dangerous and terrifying : it was surely how the other Workers saw them.

V was right. When he walked in the bunker, N was aware of the terror he saw in the eyes of the WDF drones escorting him. Or the whirring of the cores, pumping their oil so fast that the big drone had to hold back his instinct to chase them. They kept their distance from the Disassembly, thinking he would turn on them at any moment, ready to run away and hide. He knew all that. 

Yet… N tried to regain some confidence, remembering that Uzi’s father had promised him that he would defend them at the meeting. The Disassembly trusted him, and he confronted V who stubbornly stood his ground. 

“Mr. Khan said he could convince them, V. And I think… no, I’m sure the others will listen to him. We’ll probably have to prove ourselves… show to the other Workers that we mean them no harm. But we could live with them. It’ll work.” He said this with as much conviction, to reassure her as much as for himself, while thinking about his own future with Uzi who lived in this bunker. 

And he would do anything to make it a reality, because N could not imagine living without her. He swore it to himself; on this ring, that one day the drone would offer her. 

Unaware of his desires, V could not help but let out a loud laugh. Without any restraint, and without any joy, while her yellow eyes shone with a fierce glow. 

And almost… dejected. “N, you seem to forget that we were programmed to exterminate them. Without mercy, to tear them to pieces down to the last one. So… even if by some miracle we were allowed to come, I can’t see myself managing to refrain from making a few toasters for my dinner. Not speaking to live with hundreds of them.” 

Then, before she could see N's hurt face and regret it, V took off outside and flew away in an explosion, kicking up a cloud of snow. Not slowing down, despite N's call as she gained height, until she was flying above the clouds. A minute later, the city was there, and she headed to Outpost-3. Looking thoughtfully at her own winged shadow cast by the glow of the exoplanets, the Disassembly tried to ignore the remorse that was beginning to invade her. Her harsh words had been insensitive, pushing back N's hopes by confronting him with the sad reality. 

But was it really necessary for me to go this far? V thought, before shaking her head. No, I had to make him understand... 

Avoiding the powerful lighting in front of the huge door, she landed at the only conduit leading in and out ; barely concealed by sheet metal. Really, V was still wondering how none of their squad had noticed this before. So much easier than trying to break through their damned barricade. She crouched down in front of the opening, her claws easily manipulated the bolts, which were withdrawn when V lifted the bars, before getting on all fours in the tunnel. Her guilt melted away like snow under the sun, as her instincts took over. Leaving only a methodical and ruthless hunter. By now, V knew the path very well, having walked it dozens of times. 

The further she went into the large bunker, the more her senses went wild - the noises, voices, smells, and below, the Workers! -, which forced her to control herself so as not to fall into the middle of the drones to kill while her system screamed Preys! Hunger! Kill! Preys! 

Of course, V did not want to hunt the drones of the bunker anymore: except one. And it was him she was obsessed with. 

Hoping that skinning him would calm her enough of her torment and guilt.

___________________________________________________

“Dude, remind me why the Heck you insisted on coming all the way to my house?” Uzi asked Thad.

Who was hanging around not far next to her; a good distance from her wagging tail that bit the air - exceptionally free, to relax her overly compressed fleshy limbs a little. 

On her way home from work, the ex-Worker had come across him by chance, still in his brand new WDF uniform, hiding in the corridors. Fearfully looking at each duct as if he thought a horrible monster was going to emerge to get him. Totally freaked out. And then Thad had seen her; he had practically grabbed her ankles, asking her - begging her - if he could walk her home. 

Too shocked by his behavior, and obvious panic, Uzi had agreed. 

They walked together towards the Workers quarters and Uzi looked at the stressed drone, which she had known to be reckless and daredevil, which trembled at every noise in the pipes and ventilation. Usually as talkative as a droneling barely settled into their childhood frame, telling about sports or boring anecdotes from his day, Thad was more mute than a dead drone. Not a word had come out of his mouth. 

Really, what was wrong with him? 

At the little drone's question, Thad looked away from her suspicious gaze. He laughed nervously, rubbing his blond hair under his maroon cap as he searched for a credible excuse. Anything but the truth. "Well, you never know... If you had a problem on the way..." Not great. 

And Uzi chuckled in front of his stupid face, offering one of her well-known deranged smiles full of teeth. And her fangs snapped as she spoke, her unique eyes shining with defiance: "Do you really think anyone could do anything to me? Nah, find something else, man." 

Thad grimaced: she had him there. He tried harder... even if it wasn't better. “Uh… I’m a gentleman? And leaving a girl isn’t… uh-” The drone stammered pitifully, swallowing a little as Uzi stopped. 

And she huffed as she turned to him, no longer looking joking. It was too weird how the drone was acting, and all this secrecy was starting to get on her nerves. She wasn’t going to let him go until he said something, even if it meant getting the truth out of him. 

“Spit it out, or I’ll make you talk myself,” Uzi growled, as her tail rose up to practically touch the poor drone’s screen, which sped away. 

He raised his hands to defend himself, both to calm her down and protect his face and neck. “U-Uzi, you don't have to show me your cool but kinda scary tail…” 

To avoid its bite, Thad backed up until he was cornered; out of sight of the other Workers, few in number at this hour. His eyes widened at the sight of the dark bat wings that Uzi pulled from her back spread out so as to prevent him from running away ; while he backed away from this reptilian head capable of doing damage to a drone's hand, like their poor classmate. 

Far enough, Uzi finally stopped, crossing her arms in front of her chest with an impatient look. "So?" 

Sweat was pouring down Thad's visor, intimidated by the smaller, but very fierce girl with her more demonic appearance, and her excited tail that looked very tempted to taste his metal. But he couldn't do that... say what had happened. It was too risky. 

About V; and at that memory, despite the fear it gave him, Thad couldn't stop his screen from turning greener despite his stress - this sight astonished the small drone even more. 

That night… Thad never thought he would see, or even experience, something like this. That look that the Disassembly had then… was nothing like the bloodthirsty look of their first meeting. Her yellow eyes were not cold or angry, but filled with warmth. A completely different person. Unrecognizable… and so charming. Then, the touch of her lips against his… 

Momentarily forgetting his situation and Uzi, activity of his core intensified slightly as he remembered, and more green colors invaded his screen, before Thad pulled himself together. 

Stop thinking about it, dude ! Don't forget that she wants you dead! At least, according to Lizzy who had warned him by text, about the photo of that moment and V mad with rage (image to show the feral Disassembly). 

"you would do better to stay hidden for a while… and avoid hanging around alone at night. just warning you", the pink-eyed Worker had added, leaving him terrified for his life. She wasn't kidding at all (and surely their friend must have been laughing at the situation). 

That was why he had taken precautions: staying with other Worker friends as much as possible, and at home with his mother. Every time he went out… Thad had the unpleasant feeling of being watched and followed. 

Tonight, having finished later because of the paperwork the adult drones of the WDF had asked him to sort, there was no one left. The staff had long since left, and so had his friends; his mother, Ellen, had warned him that she would be working late at the nursery for the transfer of UNNs to their toddlers frames. Taking some courage, Thad had left the office to wander the corridors; every second, he had feared seeing the vengeful silhouette of the Angel of Death fall from the ducts, and the yellow cross lighting up her face. And then, he had seen Uzi; Thad had seized the opportunity. 

Now, though… The drone almost regretted it as he watched how aggressively her tail was wagging, Uzi standing far enough away to keep it from grabbing him. Just enough for Thad to speak, forcing his hand. And she wasn’t moving. 

How was he going to get out of this? “Zi, I swear it’s nothing weird…” Thad tried to defend himself, before falling silent when the pair of drooling jaws snapped a millimeter in front of his screen. 

“You don’t want to say anything is,” the Worker-Solver replied, letting out a dark growl at his stubbornness as her wings spread wider in front of the frightened Worker. 

It was annoying, what he was doing. Like their classmates, keeping Uzi at bay like the outcast she was. What the hell is wrong with him, pretending not to hide anything when he obviously is?! Uzi couldn't stand being taken for an idiot. Between her recent sleepwalking problems, her Eldritch transformation and, yesterday, her father asking her to come to this meeting... her frustration was starting to eat away at her. 

She didn't even know why she was so insistent on knowing what Thad was hiding... maybe to take her mind off her own worries? 

No surprise you're feelin’ a bit cranky, Sheila: ya haven’t put yourself in ‘Sleep Mode’ to recharge for ages. Right, after what ya went down, may not feel like snoozing, but it’s not good for a drone to be on the go all the time, y’know- 

Oh shut up, you! Uzi snapped, faced with the reproaches of this annoying voice that she was hallucinating. Again. 

Bruh, not cool… Just tryin’ to be nice, it grumbled, surprisingly annoyed for a hallucination, before falling silent… for now. 

Damn, the voice problems were only getting worse. Even if it didn’t sound like the Solver, she was wary of it. If something else was trying to control her… 

Uzi tried to keep her cool, so as not to make a scene in the hallway. It was ridiculous, same for the story with Thad. 

She’d better go back; maybe N would be here? He’d come more often lately. 

Then, when Thad thought he wouldn’t make it, Uzi let out a long, annoyed sigh, and pulled her tail out of the drone - the appendage hissed.

She felt it grind teeth, as if disappointed at not being able to take a bite. “Keep your mystery if you want, but I’m going back. Alone,” Uzi clarified as she put away her torn wings, shooting the drone a sharp look to warn him not to follow her. Then she remembered, “By the way, next time we meet, don’t forget to give me back the book I lent you. Bye.” 

Thad blinked, realizing he was out of the woods. And he saw Uzi leave, letting him there. Feeling a little guilty for his behavior, he wanted to hold her back. “Wait, Uzi!” 

The Worker tried to join her, before backing away from the tail that saw its toy come back into its reach. And Uzi who didn’t turn around, but she had stopped. 

“Um…” Thad wanted to explain to her what his problem was. Maybe she could help him fix things with V, being friends with her - not Lizzy, she was rather amused by the situation. But, knowing Uzi, she must have her own problems to deal with. He didn't want to add his own to her... and keep things peaceful between them. 

"It really has nothing to do with you, Zi. I promise. I just... have some problems at the moment. And I needed some company... with a friend." Thad admitted, preferring to give her part of the truth. Before adding, with one of his old smiles: "It was nice to be able to be with you for a little while: with the internship, we didn't really get to see each other anymore. I missed it."

"Thad, that's so corny and cheesy what you say," Uzi scoffed at his ridiculous statement. But the shadow of a smile threatened to appear, which she immediately suppressed so as not to soften.

Without commenting on her slightly wagging tail, Thad saw Uzi calm down and disappear into another area… Before he sighed: here he was alone again, in these deserted and dark corridors. 

To think back then, he loved to stay out late at night. Well, that was before he alienated a Disassembly woman who would make balloon animals out of his insides. The Worker hurried to go to another corridor, not lingering any longer than necessary - and trying not to jump at every creak of the pipes, probably the fault of cyberbugs… he hoped. 

Fortunately, Thad made it home, unharmed, and went back into the apartment with a sigh of relief. 

“Mom, I'm here-” he began, before slapping his visor as he remembered that his mother worked late. Really, he was looking forward to recharging and just sleeping. 

Before, he made sure he had closed the door properly, checking that the key locked the lock. Then he took off his things, the WDF uniform and his own jacket, which he hung on a coat rack so that he was only in his shirt. He put his cap on the counter, before going from the living room to his bedroom. 

There was no one else; it had been a long time since Thad had spent an evening alone. The drone lived alone with his mother, since his mining father Joseph had died, crushed in a tunnel landslide. The boy had only been a pill baby when it had happened, so the man's face was very blurry; however, there were a few photos of him from that time - very similar to his son except for the cyan eyes -, among his own and those where he posed with his mother. 

Their house was furnished very simply, decorated a little according to Ellen's tastes who loved artificial flowers and statuettes. His room was next to his mother’s, which he opened when the Worker came running past. 

“Phew… finally here,” Thad relaxed as he closed the door behind him, and locked too, as he looked around at his room littered with his clothes, skateboard, sports trophies… 

…And V, sitting on his chair in the middle of the room, one of her cone-shaped legs resting on the other. 

Who grinned wildly at the petrified Worker, her tail twitching as she waved her claws in a mock greeting: “Hello, green eyes. Did you miss me?” 

The next half-second, Thad tried to open the door before those processors could even treat the information; and a three-bladed hand slammed it shut, as the Worker felt the hot breath on his neck from the Disassembly towering over him. 

And the yellow cross pinning him in place, as Thad was against the now inaccessible exit. Completely at her mercy and helpless. Oh Robo-God, he was done… 

“I-Is that y-you, V? A-Ah, what a-a su-surprise…” 

V chuckled coldly as she leaned forward, right in front of the terrified drone’s screen, screeching her claws horribly on the metal door. To hold her prey’s chin. 

“You know, I’ve been waiting for days to see you again~” she purred, moving another sharp claw on the glass, almost like a caress. “It’s not easy to talk to you in private when you are surrounded by so many noisy toasters. You weren’t making it easy for me at all.” V continued speaking, pressing a little harder on the screen to leave a thin trace. 

She relished the expression the Worker was currently making; all that hunting had finally paid off. Waiting for him to be alone, for no one to be around tonight… For the moment when he would come home. 

V was going to enjoy every second of it, as his tantalizing scent increased her hunger. Tail straightened, as the poisonous stinger skimmed the drone's cheek in a controlled movement, making him quiver. Not enough to pierce, though. She liked playing with food, after all. 

"Y-You're mad, r-right?" Thad stammered stupidly, not really thinking as he stood before Death herself. "About... the k-kissing?" 

At that, the yellow 'X' faded to reveal the oval eyes of the Disassembly. Who was taking her time, savoring it. And she adopted an innocent expression, as well as a honeyed voice - horribly sweet. 

"Not at all~ I know it was my fault, you idiot. At that party, I drank too much, and you wanted to help me. It was just an accident, right? You had nothing to do with it at all." 

Thad blinked, not expecting her to accuse him of taking advantage of her situation at all. On the contrary, V was claiming the opposite. And then… his mind was starting to realize how close they were! He was trying not to meet her gaze, and especially not to look at her mouth, as the oil in his frame circulated even faster and his core was spinning out of control. 

Why, despite the life and death situation he was in, were his thoughts focused only on the strange predatory beauty that had trapped him?! 

Meanwhile, V took his silence and frightened, but strangely green screen posture, as fear of her, and she continued: “It’s nothing personal, you know; let’s just have a reputation as a killer to uphold. And there’s no way I’m going to look weak in front of toasters…” Her eyes hardened as she stepped even closer. 

Now, she and the Worker were practically screen to screen, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was physically there. 

Too close, too close, too close! Thad was completely panicking now, holding his breath as the slightest movement would cause them to collide with the almost nonexistent distance between them. 

The cross coming back onto V’s screen, as she claimed, “So… what do you prefer? Do I kill you now, or do I start by making animals with your tubes?” As her claws lifted the shirt to dig into the soft silicone of his stomach. 

“I... Urgh, excuse me, I-!” Somehow, Thad just wanted to pull away a little to breathe and shift. Against all common sense, he gently pushed the Disassembly away to provide some safety. 

His grab caught V off guard, not expecting the Worker to “fight” against her. Her balance unsteady, she stumbled forward a little… 

Zzzzt! 

V and Thad stared at each other in shock; their screens brushing against each other after accidentally touching. And an electric arc had struck both of their faces… which came from the totally embarrassed Worker, displaying a bright green color across his entire screen. 

In the room, nothing moved and the seconds ticked by, without anyone doing anything. 

Thad was sweating profusely on his screen. Robo-God… he was so dead. But somehow, it was preferable to the shame he was currently feeling. 

V’s hollow eyes displayed the same shock as she finally pulled back, cutting her momentum. She had replaced the claws with a hand, which rubbed the still sensitive screen which tingled a little. 

Then her eyebrows lowered flat, and she pointed at the poor, mortified drone. “Did you just… flash on me?” 

“I- I-... Please, just kill me right now,” Thad pleaded bluntly and hid his face, preferring to get this over with before it all got any more embarrassing. 

“Uh…”

"Thad, I'm home!" Thad and V froze, hearing the new voice of a drone - the Worker recognized his mother's, who had just returned.

"Dammit..." Disassembly swore between her teeth, believing she had more time to do what she'd come to do. 

If that green toast decided to call back... V hadn't come to make any more victims. Disposing of one body without a trace was easy for her. Two, on the other hand...

On the other side, Thad knew how perilous the situation was. What do I do now? The drone knew he had to make sure his mother didn't come to the room.

The couple heard her walking down the corridor, approaching the door to the teenager's room, where the two drones held their breath. And V unsheathed her claws as she prepared herself, ready to strike.

"Thad, are you there big boy?" The handle lowered, and Thad reacted instantly.

"I'm changing, Mom! Don't come in!" He lied, rushing to the door to keep Ellen out. Just in time: he heard her recoil, and her shadow as she apologized.

There was a commotion behind, then a loud noise in the duct; when Thad looked into the room, V was gone. Disappeared into the vent, which she had ripped open to enter.

“Thad, what’s all that mess ? What are you doing inside?” With the door no longer guarded by Thad, Ellen entered into his room; revealing a drone as tall as her son, with a long brown braided wig and soft, kind neon green eyes. 

She saw her teenager putting the plate back up, as if nothing had happened. Before Thad smiled at his mother, even if it was a bit forced, and the blush from before hadn’t quite faded. 

“Just the bolts from the vent came loose, Mom. Nothing serious. Did your work at the nursery go well?” he asked, holding her in his arms as Ellen hugged him back. 

“Pretty well. Sonia and Katie’s new UNNs are adorable. The transfer went very smoothly, without incident. They started moving their new little limbs almost right away…” 

After hugging, the little family went to dinner, telling each other about their respective days. Throughout the evening, Thad tried to maintain a normal, relaxed demeanor in front of his mother; trying not to think about what had happened earlier. 

But as he returned to his room, plugging himself before lying down on his bed, Thad still remained awake - even though it wasn’t pleasant to charge without going into “Sleep Mode”. 

Staring at the entrance of the vent, he waited to see seven angry yellow eyes, belonging to the female Disassembly who would come and finish the job. 

It didn’t happen.

Chapter Text

Awwwww... I so love these little drones being idiots in love :3

So here are ships for NUzi, Vhad, Jessa (yes !) and Khori !

These are currently the ships of the fic. So, who are your favorites ;)

Chapter Text

Honestly, N's night hadn't started well: after the argument with V, who had abruptly left, the Disassembly had abandoned his preparations and tried to contact her to get V back to the Tower - without success. Before sending her a message to warn her that he was leaving with Nori in the lab... 

… Avoiding to mention the real reason: namely Uzi's recent transformation. N hadn't told V about it yet - not that he'd had the chance. And he didn't know whether he should or not; the female Disassembly might panic, and the last time it had happened at the camp... 

No, N didn't want to take any chances, until he and Nori had checked. And he didn't want to worry her unnecessarily. Uzi... wouldn't end up like Cyn. N would make sure of that. 

Later, V still hadn't answered; intentionally or not, N didn't know. But even though he was a little anxious, the drone knew that V could take care of herself. Although she had left upset by N's plan, probably to sulk somewhere else. 

The echo of their conflict still resonated in his head, and V's words about them haunted his mind; while right now, he should be more worried about the expedition with Uzi's mother, and all that could go wrong by going there. Instead, his thoughts returned again and again to his unease about the meeting, to the point that a slight fear began to creep into him. 

And that inner voice whispered "Why would the Workers accept monsters like you?", weighing down his bruised and throbbing core. For several hours, he had remained alone in the Tower, planted on the frozen ground, while his fears grew. About the future. 

Their future among the Workers. 

Because how could they integrate into Outpost-3? 

How to get the other Workers to accept them? What if something bad happened? 

What if… what if neither V nor I could go to the bunker at all? And- 

Beep! Beep! Beep! An alarm sounded at that moment, interrupting his thoughts and making him wince as he deactivated it to stop this headache.

"W-What's that ?" Checking, N's eyes widened as he saw "Notification", a reminder to go to the Doormans, to pick up Nori.

Shoot... He would have preferred to wait for V's return before leaving. But it was already time. Nori should probably wait for him before going to the lab. 

"Biscuits... I better get going before I'm late. I hope V won't be too mad about it." The large drone hurried away, despite his discomfort. Right now, the most important thing had to be his mission: to help Uzi. Nothing else mattered. 

Alone, N had flown across the dead city; his visual sensors even showed him from afar the glimmers of Workers' eyes, some groups searching for materials which disappeared behind debris as they discerned the disturbing silhouette of Death above the buildings. Then he moved away towards Outpost-3. 

Before, he always came with a big bright smile on his face ; now, arriving in front of the entrance, the drone approached with hesitant steps. N shook himself to pull together. 

Come on, get some nerves ! Then he took a deep breath, before striking with enough force, three large strokes of his reinforced arms that made the metal foundation shake. And he waited. 

A few minutes later, the opening opened, revealing a pair of intrigued eyes, and N was relieved to see that it was Ron who was on guard that night. Knowing that the drone was more comfortable than other members of the WDF on N's visits, Khan made sure that he remained at this post towards the Door as much as possible. Not that the drone ever complained. 

“Hello, Mr. Ron! I’m back!” 

The drone in the green military helmet grinned broadly as he recognized the Disassembly; it was one of the few Workers, other than Thad, who wasn’t terrified of him and appreciated N. So the guard greeted him enthusiastically. “Good to see you again, killer boy! Been seeing you around a lot lately,” Ron said amusedly, as he opened the control panel beneath the poster N had given him long ago. “I’ll open it right up!” The Door swung open with a low rumble. 

While the Disassembly entered as the large Door locked again, the Worker walked away towards the office before adding, “Don’t move from there, I’ll get a guy to accompany you.” 

Soon, Ron had returned with another member of the WDF; it was the first time N had seen this drone, which was much less happy to be here. From where he stood, his frame was shaking in place, which didn't get any better when the large drone greeted him politely - and tried to hide his fangs and tail behind him. 

"As usual, someone will come and get you later when Khan calls us. Have a good night, mate!" Ron wished him, as N and his reluctant guide left. 

"Thanks, Mr. Ron! See you later!" N waved back, before following the other, intimidated Worker. 

The latter led him through the bunker, taking a path he had taken dozens of times; outside the ducts, N was very easy to find his way around. He had known the route perfectly for a long time, but N wisely stayed behind the WDF Worker, who kept a large distance between them. The drone agent didn't speak, very quiet in his presence; hidden so that it wouldn't be obvious, N noticed that the nervous drone held a defensive weapon under his uniform - a taser that was completely ineffective against the large Disassembly behind him. 

Although N had seen it, he tried not to worry about it. Just to be as un-scary and as inconspicuous as possible as they walked without saying a word. 

Be nice, don't scare him any more than he already is, N reminded himself, because that was probably how many of the Workers would behave when they got there. If that happened-  No, don't think about it, N! Focus on tonight: nothing else.

Soon, they arrived in the residential sector, and once in front of the Doorman apartment, the Worker scampered away from N without a farewell. 

First, he wanted to announce his presence, but his fist stopped just before knocking on the door. And N’s eyebrows furrowed: he could hear muffled noises on the other side. It were louds, angry speeches, growing louder as N recognized them; Nori and Uzi's voices. 

He could hear the anger - especially from his girlfriend -, to which Nori responded with frustration. But why ?

Reflecting briefly that it wouldn't be right, but curious, he leaned in to hear better, increasing his audial capabilities. Just to make sure nothing bad happened, N told himself to feel less guilty about listening at the door; luckily, no Workers were here. 

Now, he could follow perfectly, as if he were inside; meanwhile, the argument continued, more intensely as N caught the conversation in progress. 

It was Uzi loudly speaking - oh biscuits, she was not happy at all. 

"...and why did you hide from me that you and N were going to that lab, mom?! Why didn't either of you warn me?!" Uzi shouted, and N winced at the sound of his name. 

The little drone was very upset ; the Disassembly imagined her with her typical dark look, stomping her foot violently with the boot; and with each word, the ground slammed loudly. Oh yes, she was absolutely furious. 

“Kid, I made the decision to go after your damn transformation.” Nori spoke, her characteristic firm and authoritative tone. “Your murderous boyfriend will help with transportation, while I go search this place. It won’t be exploration: just find some computers that are still intact and see if the human researchers there have files on the Solver. Two people is more than enough.” 

A groan of annoyance left her daughter, clearly agitated by her mother’s stubbornness. “Why can’t I go?! Because of this stupid punishment that’s been dragging on for almost a month? Are you planning on locking me up in that stupid bunker for the rest of my life or something?! That’s stupid: worse than prison!” 

This time, it was Khan - to N’s surprise - who spoke. And it wasn’t to reprimand Uzi. But his wife. “Honey, you could have at least told me about it! This plan… it’s completely insane and sudden. We could have discussed it together.” 

There was a sigh from Nori. Then her response to her husband who was visibly disturbed by his wife’s decision. 

“Khan, this really isn’t the time…” 

“So when, Nori?! You’ve been avoiding my questions these past few days. Avoiding me, hiding in a corner of the room!”

“Because I knew you’d be against it! Or that you’d want to come with me!” 

A morose grumble came from Khan, who replied: “Of course I am! If I had known, I would have declared my absence from this meeting tomorrow. Or better, I leave immediately with you: I would let the other councilors debate among themselves.” 

“Don’t be absurd, Khan… You are one of the main members of the Committee, and you have to manage this bunker: didn’t you say a few days ago that the situation of the colony was urgent? Would you really leave like that?” Nori argued, which silenced her husband. 

Not Uzi, who intervened after being pushed aside for a moment. And still very angry. “Hey, I don’t give a damn about this bunker: we are talking about my fucking life right now! And I have my word to say about !” 

Still behind the door, N’s tail twitched in all directions, betraying his nervousness in the face of the escalating argument. And his face grew darker and more worried, while he nibbled on one of his fingers - as Uzi sometimes did. 

I have a really bad feeling about this: this is not going to end well… N was stamping his feet, wanting to intervene before it all got out of hand, even if it might be rude. 

However, before he could decide, Nori continued, even angrier - like a mother in front of her stubborn daughter: “Kiddo, believe me when I say that if you stay out of this trip, you better obey me. I am your mother, and I am the one who will go to that damn lab. Do you understand me, Uzi Doorman?” 

The silence that followed her final declaration was heavy, oppressive; the tension palpable. Leaning against the door, N heard a bestial hiss - that of Uzi's tail, when it was angry. 

And then, the cold words of her, full of resentment: “You have no right to decide for me, when you chose to hide away yourself all my life instead of being here for me ! And I never needed anyone to sort me out.” 

There was a deafening static noise; N winced and clapped his hands over his audials, suffering from the interference that grew louder and louder. 

“Urgh!” The Disassembly was paralyzed by the sound, grinding his teeth and irritating his systems that thought it was a threat. He wanted it to stop. 

Finally, the shrill sound faded; but Khan and Nori’s cry of “Uzi!!!” rang out, making N react from his painful position. Something had happened to Uzi; the worried drone was certain of it. And he acted. 

The next second, N shouldered the door open with a violent blow, which swung open to reveal the living room. Where Khan stood, huddled in on himself and visibly in shock; Nori stood up from the chair, having lain down from the ear pain, and her claws shaking. 

The two of them saw the tallest Disassembly enter the room, even more agitated upon noticing Uzi's absence. He didn't even answer when they called him, while his girlfriend had vanished. No longer there; N quickly lost his temper, turning to the Doormans. 

"What happened?! Where's Uzi?" N cried out, trying not to lose his temper as fear began to overwhelm him, and the need to find his missing girlfriend grew worse. 

Where are you? Fear. I'm looking for you. Answer me! His systems were pressing on him more and more.

Khan looked at the Disassembly, whose entire body was tense and the expression almost feral he wore. Without commenting on his crashing entrance - the door was half torn off by the impact - the old Worker answered his question: “She… Uzi disappeared suddenly. In an instant, that light made her disappear…” He saw again that symbol, which his daughter had made appear from the void with her powers. “There was that hologram: it looked like the one you three came from, after Uzi went to get you.” 

“Yeva used to do that too, before. The kid must have teleported somewhere else… probably out of the bunker if I had to guess,” Nori approached the two male drones, who watched her slowly advance towards them. 

The expression she made was dark. And sad, N noticed her eye narrowed downward, and her small body of flesh that remained against the ground. Khan didn’t look any better, his preoccupied gaze was even more ringed than usual. 

“Damn…” Nori covered what used to be her face with a claw, letting out a mirthless laugh, “I really screwed up this time, don’t I ?” 

“No, it wasn’t your fault, sweetheart…” Khan sat back in the chair, limp, his head falling into his shoulders. He pinched his screen, dismayed. “I should have behaved better, instead of complaining.” 

Although N was affected by the parents’ grief, at the moment, he was more concerned with finding Uzi as soon as possible. Which wouldn’t be easy, if she had indeed used her powers to teleport away. 

She was upset as she left; he had to hurry up and go find her. The large drone tried not to completely panic. 

Where could she have gone from here? N thought, remembering every place Uzi went. There were so many: the Tower, the junkyard, the buildings… dozens of possible places. 

He addressed Khan and Nori, who had not said or moved since: “I’ll go outside and look for her. You should check the bunker, just in case: maybe she’s still there.” The tone in his voice didn’t sound like a request; it sounded more like an order, which was unlike the large drone that was always so respectful. 

Thankfully, none of the adults took offense. Both nodded, finally pulling themselves together. Soon after, N was heading back to the Door, this time accompanied by Ron, whom Khan had called before leaving with his wife to search each sector. This time, the Disassembly didn’t wait, the guard forced to run after the large drone was ahead of him all the way

“Quick, open the Door!” N grew impatient, his nerves on edge as his wings popped out of their hold behind his back, the magnetic motors vibrating. Knowing he'd better obey the agitated drone, Ron asked no questions and hurried.

As soon as the opening was big enough, N threw himself out of the bunker and, with a flap of his wings, he broke the sound barrier in a deafening BOOM! 

At full speed, the drone flew to the Tower: it was the place where he thought he had the best chance of finding Uzi. N landed on the pod, keeping his wings still open. But there was no sign of his girlfriend. 

"Uzi, I'm here! Please come if you can hear me," N searched everywhere, frantically: first in the pod, but without finding her. Nothing behind the piles of bodies either. He even tried in their nest with V, J, and him just in case. 

No sign of the little drone. 

Groaning in anguish, N left after several minutes of inspecting the lair. He had to try somewhere else. And that was what he did for a long time; darting like an arrow to every place he remembered hanging out with Uzi. 

In the buildings near the Tower, especially the ones where Uzi collected materials to build. But they were still failures, and N grew more desperate the more he went. The messages were no good either: begging for her to answer him, N saw each send fail. Uzi must have disabled his inbox. 

SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to UZI): uzi answer please! 

“UZIII!!!” N’s scream, the loudest he could muster, echoed throughout the city. 

Alas, his only response was the sound of the wind, as he landed on a lamppost not far from the dump. 

His heart pounded in his chest, more painful than ever as the flesh stirred ; fingers twisted its metal support, each eye checking for any movement, and he sniffed the air hard for her scent; anything that might indicate his girlfriend's presence.

Where was she… 

Suddenly, one of his cameras panned to the dump, where a tiny shadow slithered to take cover behind debris, and the sound of light footsteps on the snow. "Uzi?!"

Before he could think, N threw himself toward the falling figure, hitting the ground in a shower of snow. Hoping to find the one he was looking for. 

There was a scream of terror below; to N's immense disappointment, a ragged Worker teenager cowered against an old washing machine. Mortified at the gigantic drone that had trapped him, his orange eyes hollowed out with terror. 

“P… Please…” He pleaded in a weak voice, the drone shaking so much that it made the machine vibrate against his back. 

In his frustration as he checked everywhere around, N’s tail whipped annoyedly behind, unintentionally spraying drops of acid - some of them right next to the Worker who moved away at the impact of one not far from his screen, melting the metal. 

The dump was the last place Uzi could have gone. But there was no clue of her anywhere. 

Then his gaze lowered to the drone still here, which did not dare to flee from his predator, thinking he would die there. In a horrible way, if he tried to escape.

But instead, N asked him a single question - and the Worker’s eyes widened at the sound of him speaking. “Have you seen a drone girl: short, with purple hair and eyes and a beanie, here or elsewhere?” N questioned, hoping at least someone would know. 

But then came the Worker's stuttering reply, "Uh... N-No," noticing the absence of the malevolent yellow cross, and his desperate gaze, nothing like the oil-thirsty creature he should be. 

N felt his last hopes go up in smoke, before leaving the dump and the Worker still dazed by this encounter he had miraculously escaped. The Disassembly didn't know what to do anymore: he had searched absolutely everywhere! Uzi was nowhere they knew. The night was gradually advancing; Khan and Nori had not warned him. It was a nightmare... 

N flew over the neighborhoods once more, trying to continue even if it was blind. Maybe she wasn't even in the city right now; who knows where Uzi’s power had taken her? She wasn't in any of the places they were going to. 

Damn, he had checked everywhere-

Suddenly, an idea crossed his panicked mind. Then his eyes lit up at a memory. No… there was still one place left! 

Praying that he was right, N turned around; he headed towards the center of the city, towards an area he had not yet checked. 

"Please , be there…"

___________________________________________________

Earlier, Uzi had not thought: after what she had said to her mother… seeing the shocked expressions of both her parents, and her own anger intensifying, she had wanted to leave. 

Far from here. 

The next moment, [teleport] had covered her with a veil of purple codes. Then she was outside the bunker ; on top of a roof of a building in the city.

"What... How did I get here?" First surprise by the wide-open space and vision of the buildings, she looked around. And her expression blinked with recognition, as the Worker-Solver remembered the decorated restaurant, on the terrace that offered an incredible view. 

Yes... it was there. Where N had taken her on their date, almost a month ago - like an eternity. But... Why ?

How did I do that? Uzi wondered, just closed her eyes for a second, wishing she wasn't here. And the next...

Unlike last time, she hadn't needed anyone's location. The drone grimaced, thing her powers had done something weird... again.

Maybe she'd unconsciously wanted to go back there, and it had transported her here. But for the moment, Uzi didn't care why.

The only thing she wanted was to calm down, while her mind itched to throw a [null] all around. 

Instead, she pressed herself against the wall of the ruined building, whimpering as she slid to the ground to hide her head in her arms, tail wrapped around her legs as if to comfort her.

What she'd said in the living room... it had come out like that, before she'd realized it until it was too much. The teenager was aware that she'd pushed too far... but the worst part was that Uzi actually meant it. After all, her own mother had passed for dead all her life, hiding in that damn lab; her own father had abandoned her, never caring about the daughter he had left.

None of them had the right to make decisions about her. No one could tell her what to do!

"True: I've never needed anyone..." Uzi repeated himself, trying to pull herself together before he became an emotional wreck. 

It wasn't really working... And as if that wasn't enough, her stomach was still screaming with hunger. Are you kidding me, I ate not long ago! 

“Argh, fuck it!” The little drone cursed, having taken nothing with her in her escape. She tried not to think about it, as the feeling grew worse by the minute. 

And then at her feet, the flesh tail was wagging more frantically. Yellow eyes filled the retinas of the small creature, who snickered as the Solver stood up to meet Uzi's an unhappy face. Her pixelated eyes narrowed, as a low growl vibrated in her throat. Threatening. 

"Don't start, you." 

Sneer. Pathetic, aren't you? Poor, sad and lonely puppet. Complaint=false. Mockery=tr- 

Her hand grabbed it by what served as a throat, strangling, then clapped its mouth, as the small drone gave to it a single warning: "I warn you, parasite: I'm not in the mood to hear shit coming out of your mouth!" 

The reptile's body twisted in her palm to bite, as its teeth pierced its protruding tongue. Uzi felt a jolt of unpleasant pain, crushing what was technically part of her body, but the Solver looked even more deranged. It gave her a certain sadistic satisfaction, almost forgetting the consuming hunger. 

The entity continued to struggle, managing to move the lips of its head, its sockets radiating malice. Annoyed expression. Host Uzi should just submit, and all her problems would be solved. Easy solution. 

"Are you kidding?" Uzi growled, not knowing what was holding her back from crushing the thing to mush to shut her up.

An angry hiss left the body she was holding. Joking=false. Struggling won't solve anything. It's futile. Annoying=true. And I'm starving. I want to eat!

We both are, but at least I'm not bawling like a UNN. Uzi finally let go of the demon, who cracked its jaw almost to smithereens and shook itself like an animal. "And you'd just like me to give up, is that it? Like that's going to happen..." 

You will. Like former Host Cyn before. I'm patient, and strong. You're broken... and weak. Miserable. Sarcastic mockery.

"Shut the fuck up!” 

At the cruel grin of the Solver before her, a crazed Uzi grabbed a piece of metal with [translate], then used [edit] to shape it into a blade that decapitated that hideous head. It fell limply on cracked floor slabs, its hideous maw gurgling blood painfully as the body died, before Uzi gave it a vengeful kick to throw it into the void. 

Yellow-purple cross invaded her screen, which glowed with violent emotion as oil boiling in her circuits, and her core burning as internal temperature climbed. Uzi didn’t care, watching in hatred as the cursed tail grew back under her jacket, but no longer yellow. Fists clenched, to the point that her knuckles cracked. And Uzi’s fangs stung her own mouth as she hissed. 

“Damn you-” 

“Uzi?” N’s voice came from above her, without any warning. Turning around, her surprised eyes met his, which widened in joy ; crouched on the roof of the collapsed building, the Disassembly expressed immense relief at having found her. 

“Uzi, I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and your parents too! We were all worried about you: we didn’t know where you were!” N climbed down from his perch, while the little drone stood there, not moving. 

Just… staring at him. He… was looking for me this whole time? Uzi quickly understood; but at the time, she had no joy at seeing him. 

Only annoyance, although less strong than before. N knew about her mother, and that they were going to the lab. He hadn’t told her anything at all, hiding it. And… Uzi had a hard time accepting it. For now, she wanted everyone to leave. Even him. And she turned away, going back to sit in her corner, while N waited for Uzi. 

And his smile fell, not knowing what to do when she didn't come. "Uzi? Do you... want to talk?" The big drone tried, hesitant to approach or leave her alone. 

"N, go away. I want to be alone for now." The look Uzi gave him was very clear; and to be even clearer, she took out her wings to wrap herself in them. Cut off from the rest of the world in this warm, fleshy cocoon. 

The poor drone was a little hurt to be pushed away, seeing the physical wall she'd built between them. But he respected her request and didn't approach. However, N didn't leave. Uzi's stubbornness had rubbed off on him a little; he just fell back, sitting on his side against another corner of the wall. And he remained still, not taking his eyes off her. 

Although she knew he was still there, at least Uzi didn’t say anything. 

“You know… I was listening at the door. When you and your mother had a fight tonight…” N began; the large bat wings twitched slightly, without opening. But he continued anyway: “When I came in, you weren’t there anymore. Your parents were worried. Like, badly…” 

"And what difference does it make? I should feel bad, right?" Uzi growled, her words muffled by the wrapper. Outside, her tail slapped the ground irritably, staring aggressively at N, baring fangs. "You and Mom didn't say anything about the lab. You decided all this without warning me or asking my opinion! And it concerns me! My bloody life!"

At her harsh, accusatory words, N buried his head in the coat, feeling very guilty. Aware that he'd done wrong, even if Nori was the one who'd stopped him talking about it. But that's no reason... to stay quiet and obey, he admitted, seeing the result.

Uzi was angry with him; and deservedly so. He'd almost felt worse when he'd hidden Cyn's intentions, then disguised as Tessa, to kill her in the lab. He'd done it so as not to frighten her, being frightened himself. And it had almost ended very badly.

"I... I'm sorry, Uzi. For... not telling you. I was wrong." He apologized in a small voice, horribly ashamed, and wanting to do nothing more than hold her against him. But for now, her wings and wagging tail prevented him from approaching.

Neither spoke to the other, remaining trapped in silence for a long time. Facing what was probably the first real argument between them since they'd known each other. It had never happened before - not counting the Eldritch J incident.

So N waited for Uzi to speak, giving her as much time as she needed to calm down. She had come to this terrace, to his secret hideaway where he himself went when things weren't going well. He'd remembered showing it to her. Tonight, N had had the intuition that she might be there. And he'd been right.

But now... N didn't know what else to do. Except sit there, looking sadly at Uzi. Hoping. 

After long, dreadful minutes of waiting, a sigh left the teenager; her wings opened a little, letting her two-tone eyes gleam in the darkness. Opposite her, N looked so downcast, so depressed, that her agitation subsided a little. He seemed to be very angry with himself... And everything in her was crying out to join him and make peace. In any case, she'd never been able to stay away from him for long.

However, she didn't give in so easily. At least, not without a few explanations: "Why did you agree to Mom's plan? And especially after what happened with those weird drone morons?" She asked him, slightly softer than before.

And N's head straightened, glad that Uzi was talking to him again. Even if she didn't look ready to give up yet; although his girlfriend seemed more concerned about his motives for going to this potentially dangerous place.

Before answering, N thought carefully about what he would say. He didn't want to make things worse. But he had to be sincere: "It just... seemed like the right thing to do, to go with your mother to help her. Even though... it could be risky. And..." Disassembly paused, losing words again.

"And?" Uzi repeated, noticing with some amusement that his screen was yellowing visibly. 

Scratching his cheek, N stammered, "A-And... that's kinda my role now, you know. To protect you if you ever have a problem. As I'm your... your boyfriend..." He said shyly, wanting not to sound silly as his internal temperature rose in both his face and his core, which beat faster.

Uzi did the same; she turned away before N noticed her. "D-Dorks. Let me remind you that I'm the one who saved you and V's asses !” 

"He he... It's true."

Shortly, the ex-Worker abandoned the act, rising to join N. And she pressed herself against him, resting her head against his coat; he did the same. Both enjoyed each other's presence, soothing each other; their tails came together, tangling lovingly. N's loud purr was soon heard, followed by Uzi's softer one - although she usually suppressed it before being heard.

This time, however, it didn't bother her so much. He was the only one for whom she'd drop her tough facade. Only for him.

As she and N making up, the teenager had the impression of hearing strange whispers nearby. And became curious as she listened. Soft "I love you", "Warm", "Pretty", that sounded like N; although he had buried his face in her beanie. Almost the same as those weird voices, but Uzi knew it was him. Strange... but it wasn't enough to break this pleasant moment, the two alone in the middle of the night.

Her shy hand met his larger one, their fingers joining together. Then raised between them, as Uzi spoke again. "This is a bad idea, N..."

"Maybe... but I'd do anything for you." He looked adoringly at the smaller drone; so strong and sure of herself usually, who worried for them. For him.

Uzi bit her lips, as anxiety overcame her. "If something happened over there-"

N's loving face leaned toward hers, his screen rubbing against hers in an affectionate gesture, enjoying the tickle of her purple strands. "I'll call you right away, I promise. With your new power, you'll be here in an instant."

A sigh left Uzi's lips, both of appreciation at his touch and apprehension, which her gaze betrayed. "N, it would be better if I came with you..." 

The big drone carried her against him, on his lap, to better hold her and bring her closer. To reassure her. "I know, Uzi. But... trust us. Please. We'll find something on the Solver. And we'll come back. I won't let you down. Always together, remember?" Using the wall behind to balance himself, he rested his head against her chest, hearing the powerful beating of his beloved goddess's core. 

His whole world.

Neither of them said anything more; there was no need. Clinging to each other, N holding her tighter as Uzi caressed his white curls, the warmth that surrounded them was unlike anything they'd known before. Loving and protective. Holding each other as if nothing else existed but them. And that was just fine. 

Neither of the two young drones was really thinking anymore, acting as if under the control of some strange program. Prisoners of this strange attraction, their faces turned towards each other; blushing and their processors became useless. But overflowing with desire, adoration. 

Their faces touched; there was the spark that struck them. And the next moment, their lips met. First brushing against each other, then timidly resting on each other's mouths, before becoming bolder. They started gently, learning how to hold each other. Sometimes more brutally and quickly, before becoming tender again. They tasted each other's flavors, mixed with oil when their teeth touched. This new physical language, to which they were unaccustomed, was awkward and impractical.

It didn't even last long. A handful of seconds; when they pulled away, panting, their screen glowing and feeling as if their chests were about to explode; their lips bore scuff marks from the fangs. Smiling stupidly. Still, Uzi and N felt they had experienced something incredible. 

Unique and precious.

Something that would remain forever in their memories, as they leaned towards each other under the starry sky.

Chapter Text

“Get up. Come on, I know you can hear me: don’t pretend.” 

… Uzi woke up under blankets, disturbed by an annoying voice demanding that she get up. Seemed to be some girl, who started to be getting impatient, and even shaking her to keep her from falling back to sleep. 

(Oh shut up…) Whoever it was, the person who dared to enter her room without permission was going to get a well-deserved [null]. 

As she sat up, Uzi felt like she was moving more awkwardly than usual, strangely limp and weaker. So unpleasant… Why was she so hot? Then a shooting pain assaulted her wrist; she bit back a plaintive groan. 

Now fully awake, Uzi looked to the side at her chained hand… 

Wait a freaking minute, it was… flesh? Huh? 

The other hand also inserted itself into her reduced field of vision (without any parameters displayed and low LD quality). This… flaccid thing was also held by a heavy rattling chain that made the skin raw. Finished by five thin pieces of meat hung like twigs, ending in manicured nails. 

(Robo-God me… What Am I ?! What the hell happened ?!)

Devastated, Uzi tried to look at herself, despite her blocked neck; no metal, no silicone covering that body, and no plate to protect it. Only more meat everywhere. And so skinny, that the slightest movement could break her bones. After the initial shock, Uzi began to panic, trapped in a body that was not hers, and which was getting rid of the thick blankets that covered it. Revealing very human legs under a nightgown. 

(Yuck… Gross...)

“Finally up, Boss. You really need to learn to stick to the company schedule.” That voice from earlier was still a long time coming, sounding awfully familiar to Uzi as her head turned to the side… 

…Pointing to the drone waiting for him on the other side of the bed, dressed in a maid's outfit. Those two ridiculous pigtails that framed that detestable, always pretentious and haughty face that Uzi despised. 

(Is that J?! W-What is she doing here?! Ooooh… I'm going to kill her. )

Instead of hissing at J’s face, or instinctively baring her fangs while strangling her, Uzi felt herself smile at her enemy, strangely relaxed. Or at least the person who actually possessed the body did - damn, it was a horrible feeling to experience. 

“G’day, J. Is it morning already?” The human girl yawned and tried to get up, but in her haste, the grip squeezed her injured wrists, making her squeak - and Uzi did too, sharing her sensations. 

(Dammit, be careful, you stupid human...) 

“Holy mother of the company, be a little more careful, please.” Contrary to the severity of her words, J's expression softened, worried even, as she advanced towards her mistress. 

Uzi saw her take a key from under her apron, to undo the rusty metal rings that fell heavily to the ground. Well, it doesn't look pleasant to wear these things... The ex-Worker almost felt sorry for the one she possessed, which rubbed her bruises. 

Meanwhile, J was looking at her with disconcerting sympathy, and the next moment sat down beside her to check the dark bruises ; the female drone touching without hurting while she controlled her strength with incredible gentleness. She carefully massaged the limp limbs with her much colder metal hands, to deflate her throbbing ones and help the blood circulate. 

It was strange to see J being… so kind, and caring about someone. 

(Disgusting…) If she could, Uzi would throw up. 

“Thank you, J…” The human smiled at the Worker - who looked surprisingly embarrassed, by the way - and Uzi noticed her appearance, the drone being her former Worker self from the time of the manor. 

When N, V and that bitch J were still in the service of humans, before the massacre of the gala. And this place… 

Uzi was beginning to understand what it was; a kind of memory, although she did not know why it was happening. Over there was a window that revealed the summer dawn on Earth. 

(This room… it is probably the one that belonged to the human), where she inhabited the body. And if Uzi had to guess who this person was… 

Interrupting her thoughts, the door to the room opened wide. And there was the old V, in the same clothes as J, with that same armband marked for ‘Disassembly’, and wearing her glasses. She silently entered the large room, and the girl Worker smiled kindly when she saw the human up. 

“Hello, Tessa. J already woke you up.” 

(Okay… I kinda figured that. It sucks, like, really), Uzi thought. But unable to do otherwise, stuck as she was, the drone contented herself with observing. Until she could get out. 

“You look in great shape, V. Your new charger seems to be working a treat!” 'Tessa' greeted V warmly, her friend nodding happily. 

Then her smile fell a little, noticing the human 'Tessa's' reddened wrists. Uzi saw the servant leaning over, without her usual grumpy, sullen expression, as she carefully examined the wounds like J used to. A true dedicated nurse. 

(Well well… It'll be fun to tease V about that… )

“Don't worry, V: it hardly hurts anymore…” Tessa reassured her, before looking around, buzzing, as if searching for something or someone. “By the way, isn’t N with you? Usually, you lot are always stuck together. Especially lately~” 'Tessa' asked V teasingly, who stopped at her suggestive question. 

And was she… wiggling her eyebrows at her? The drone’s visor reddened slightly at her antics, glinting - oh, Uzi didn’t like what she was seeing at all, feeling a pang of jealousy rising within her. 

(Urgh… I forgot those two had a thing together… )

That feeling didn’t improve as she looked at V, who brushed back a stray strand of hair from her wig, looking away. 

“H-He went sneaking into the kitchens… to get you some food.” 

‘Tessa’s’ stomach rumbled at the mention of “food.” And Uzi felt the human's cheeks heat up in shame, the sound rather loud - she sounded like she’d missed a few meals… which she might have. And quite often, considering how thin the human seemed. 

(Seriously, why am I seeing this…) Uzi hoped this would be over soon. Or at least that she understood why she was here. 

“Synergy responsibility should hurry up, then. We need to get Tessa ready for her morning lesson… and try to cover up the marks on her hands.” Ignoring V’s sharp glare at the insult, J moved 'Tessa' to her dressing table, and sat her down on a stylized chair. 

Also 'Tessa' reprimanded the drone who was getting her ready. “Be nicer to N, J…” and Uzi could hear J’s insincere “Yeah yeah, Boss,” making her seethe, as the human decided to let it go. “But yeah, let’s not give Mother another reason to punish me by being late to another lesson; last time, she yelled at me like a cassowary for just thirty seconds.” 

The girl chuckled lightly, though neither drone was amused - V was nervously clutching at her dress, and J’s reflection showed her brows furrowing even more. 

“Turn around; I’ll start combing your hair. V, go get her clothes from the closet,” J commanded, grabbing one of the brushes and undoing her bun, and hair cascading down her shoulders. 

Before them, the mirror finally showed a young face - that of a teenage girl, long, dark brown locks that were almost black, organic skin that was lightly tanned and dotted with tiny lighter spots. And big, green eyes, full of life; no empty sockets covered in festering crusts from which two malevolent yellow crosses shone. 

From Uzi’s perspective, it was still hideous: too fleshy, ungainly, and unpleasant to look at. But at least it wasn’t this rotting, macabre, disgusting appearance covered in sores partly fused to the body of a drone. The reflection still made her chassis shiver, though… 

Few minutes later, as everyone finished covering her with a ridiculous set of green fabrics that made up the frilly dress, another person entered. 

“Tessa, V, J?” This time, Uzi immediately recognized N; of course, it could only be him. 

The drone butler arrived in turn, in his beautiful dashing outfit, and his white gaze like the other two - not yellow - which lit up when he saw them. So adorable, even as a Worker… 

(Seriously… how can he be so cute?! )

“Hey, N! You made it!” Tessa turned to him, eliciting a mumbled reproach from J who was trying to attach the bow to her haircut, while V waved him kindly. 

“Yeah! Look what I got!” Still with that same kind and bright smile, N easily carried a tray filled with good things; hot buns and other stolen sweet treats, and three bowls filled with lithium batteries for the trio of drones, so that they could all eat together. 

In front of this vision, surrounded by each of them, a feeling of foreign nostalgia rose in Uzi, almost unbearable… They looked so happy, at that moment. 

Then she clearly heard a sad sigh resonate next to her, very close to her; suddenly, the drone was thrown out of the body, finally free of her movements. And turning around, the silhouette of 'Tessa' appeared, which she had not noticed earlier. 

Where did she come from?! 

Without looking at her, Uzi saw the human place a hurt hand towards the frozen image. Before addressing her: “Ya know Uzi, my life there was not always very joyful. Yet… having all three of them by my side, and when Cyn joined us at the beginning… It was like being with my real family. I wish they could be close like they used to be; and I would give anything to see them again.” 

And her dull gaze met Uzi’s, a slight, but false smile adorning her face. “Such foolish dream, don’t ya agree?” 

This doppelganger of the human… Her presence was unlike that of the Solver, angst-ridden and sinister; rather weak in comparison - although Uzi was not at all reassured, ready to defend herself at the slightest sign of hostility, claws or tentacles that would emerge. 

“You…” Before the drone could do anything - call out to her or restrain her - everything around her disappeared… the human becoming transparent. 

The last thing Uzi saw was the grimace from 'Tessa', who hissed between her teeth. 

“Crikey, that took less time than I thought! Getting in touch with you isn't easy at all, and I’m starting to get a bit knackered. Well... it'll have to be another time: let’s hope we can chat more.” 

And with a friendly wink, the human completely melted into a mass of formless codes. Leaving nothing behind, as Uzi gradually regained consciousness. 

...

:// reconnect drone unit : SUCESS

Current status : online. 

Hello, UZI! 

Uzi restarted with a groan, half lying on her desk where she had been working. Her eyes blinked slowly in front of the radio, barely displaying 1:00 pm, as her face rose in front of the spare parts of the railgun, having tried unsuccessfully to reduce the cooling of the energy beam chamber. And on the ground dragged the deactivated body of Sparky, the drone-eating Sentinel practically repaired. 

Oh yes, I should warn V so she can have her pet back... Uzi thought absently. No way was she turning this thing back on here, the animal was likely to go wild. 

Stretching out at full length, cracking the servos in her joints that were a little seized up by inertia, the Worker-Solver didn't remember falling asleep. She must have gone into "Sleep Mode" without realizing it, just for a handful of hours. And what a strange dream... it was unlike anything she had ever experienced; more like living the memory of others, like the hacking she had done at N and V's. 

"That was so fucking weird..." 

Pulling out a hidden drawer from her desk, among the tools lying around, Uzi took the bow she had taken from J out quite a while ago. She had had it for a while: no matter what was pushing her to keep it instead of throwing it away. She had time to realize, it must have belonged to the weird human Tessa, and that the Disassembly had kept near her - for whatever reason. 

Her yellow-purple eyes narrowed a little more in front of the accessory, not knowing if this strange encounter had really happened. But it didn't tell her anything good... 

A groan left her throat, exasperated. "I really hope I'm not haunted by some kind of ghost: I already have enough to do with Robo-Satan..." Uzi grumbled before putting the bow away, already wanting to forget about it. 

Maybe she should code a new antivirus in a kind of light version of the patch. Hey... it could work... 

To get rid of the unpleasant static buzzing that was running through her head when she woke up, the teenager tapped her screen which beeped by activating ancillary systems. 

> [Recording playback: in progress…] flashed on her interactive HUD, as the memories of the day before replayed. 

She remembered the day before, after N had found her alone on the roof of the building. And everything they had discussed. Although reluctant to stay out of that expedition to the lab, Uzi had decided to comply. 

N’s arguments… had helped a lot. And what they had done next… Her screen turned purpler at the memory, as the drone buried her face in her hands. 

Seriously, when has he been such a charmer?! Being so cute was cheating! 

“N, you dirty cheater…” Uzi complained, as her legs pounded the table below. 

She hadn’t been able to fight back against him - and she hadn’t tried to. Her lips still tingled from their kiss, even though the lacerations had healed and there was no trace left. Their very first kiss… was it him or her who had initiated it? It was a blur in her head: just that N was damn good at kissing her, while she melted against him. 

Thank Robo-God her, no one was seeing Uzi right now ; she must have been grinning like an idiot. But what they had experienced was absolutely incredible. If only she and he had had more time together… 

The two of them had to leave to join her parents, who were waiting for them in front of Door 1. Nori and her… hadn’t spoken much before her mother left. Only Nori reminding her to wait for them, and Uzi only managing to nod reluctantly; though she wanted to say more - anything else, or even protest one last time. But she had remained silent. Just… hoping that nothing bad would happen to them, until N and Nori flew away. Leaving Khan and Uzi to return to the bunker alone, and while her father was lost in thought, the teenager had taken refuge in her room. 

To try to keep herself busy, tinkering like what she did to lock herself in work playing some music, to the point that her batteries had only displayed a single percentage. With her last strength, Uzi had managed to barely connect to an external charger, to collapse on her chair before the emergency shutdown of her systems. 

“And then, I disconnected. Alright…” In her notifications, she checked for any message from N or her mother.

No news. 

From what she could see at the moment, everything was perfectly fine. No anomalies either at the Disassembly… And when Uzi looked at their coordinates, it was not very far from where V and N had gone. Probably near the clearing, waiting for night to fall. Which didn't stop her from worrying, so the drone sat with difficulty in her seat. 

"Ughhh... I really wish I could go with them." And then, Uzi wouldn't worry all day; which the teenager probably would. 

Uzi hesitated for a moment, before logging into her email and sending one to N - even though he probably had to sleep, to recover from his long, tiring flight. Outside, the weather was pretty stable; without a storm, the Disassembly should get her message. 

It wouldn't hurt, she decided, typing a few words quickly in her own way before reading: 

Me (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : take care of urself and come back soon, both of u. 

"Hmmm... Maybe too short?" Uzi added a little note, and she was satisfied. 

PS: don t u dare die n or i’ll kill you seriously >:( get some rest. 

There, that was better! 

Even if Uzi was still unsure of herself when it came to messages, she was starting to feel more comfortable sending them to her boyfriend. She didn't need them to be all sweet or tender - yuck. Just being herself, it was good. 

And it's always nice when he answers me, she had to admit it to herself with a little smile. 

"Will he see it soon-" 

Notification! 

Alerted by the bell, the little drone hurried (a little too quickly) to open the file, and saw N's response for her: 

Message from SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to Me): awww, thanks uzi :3 we re waiting for night in a hiding place. ur mother checking if there's entrance nearby. i'll be careful and so will nori i promise. 

Uzi chuckled as she imagined him speaking with his happy and affectionate tone. And a sly look crossed her screen : why not motivate him a little? and Uzi decided to make one last word: 

Me (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : u better do idiot >:3 and if u come back fine, maybe you ‘ll have a little surprise~ 

N's excited response was not long in coming - and as expected, Uzi saw him thrilled : 

Message from SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to Me) : oooh a surprise!!! what will it be???! tell me please please please 

Me (to SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010) : u'll see when u get back don t ask anymore or u ll forget! :P 

Uzi was amused by N's reaction, wanting to give him at least one good reason to be very careful. And as for this surprise, the idea had come to her on the spur of the moment. Not that she knew what to give him. 

“Hmmm… Something he'd really like…”

Maybe show him some movies, or make a cool gadget for him? The teenager pondered, trying to choose something that might be nice. Although she was sure N would love anything from her; anything was always fine with him. 

Something that would be more awesome…

So maybe... a slightly more intimate reward? And the Worker-Solver saw herself again with him kissing her, on the roof of the building. It had been wonderful... Could be a kiss- 

Uzi got carried away imagining this, embarrassed by the turn her thoughts was taking. “Ugh, no, surely not! Like hell I’ll do it !...” She inhaled deeply, core pounding as everything raced through her head. And also, the idea of kissing N. “... Or maybe... just a little....”

No, it wasn't because she wanted to do that again with him, to have been carried in his arms! Or that the feel of his lips had been wonderful! So much so that she'd thought she'd melt like snow consumed by fire. It was just a... slightly more direct way of showing her affection- 

"What the hell am I thinking, seriously?!" Uzi snapped, pulling hard on her beanie to hide in it, so ashamed was she.

He he he... You don't have to be embarrassed, Uz. I mean, when you were together back there, N looked really cute and hot~

"You shaddup..." The drone grumbled against that voice; no, she wasn't going to admit to herself that she was chatting with a ghost who - if it really wasn't a trick of the Solver - could be the human Tessa from her dream.

It was too... creepy. Whatever it was.

And it - 'Tessa' - seemed to sigh at her thought. Alrighty... You can stay in denial a bit longer if you want, I’m off. By the way, N sent you another message. Just saying…

Indeed, Uzi noticed her boyfriend's ignored email on the screen - making her forget what had just happened. And what she read accelerated her jerky beating core... and even made the little drone smile, softening her expression.

Message from SERIAL DESIGNATION UNIT N-0X0010010 (to Me) : thinking about you all the time: i'll always come back to your side, uzi. always ^^ miss you 

"...You too, puppy," Uzi sighed softly, blushing a little at the unintentional nickname she'd given him, starting to read the last note he'd written several times over again.

Really, since when had she become so mawkish? Even so... the feeling wasn't unpleasant.

Uzi stayed like this for a while, deciding to wind up her railgun at the same time, humming softly to an old but soft tune (without remembering where it came from). Until an alert on her oil and materials reserve snapped her out of her mind.

Alert: oil reserve at 34%.

Alert: materials reserve at 29%.

"You gotta freaking kidding me..." A dull growl left her, annoyed by this disturbance; she had already fed the day before, and drank a large quantity of oil! 

What was wrong this time?! 

Uzi grabbed what was left of her practically empty thermos; just the bottom, which she downed in two gulps. After licking the last drop, she winced as she realized it was her last bottle... 

Hell, her rations from the infirmary should have left her alone for another week! Not to mention her ravenous frame, whatever it was that was provoking this growing need in her. Even though the little drone had emptied the cupboards of metals and AAA batteries over the last few days, her material reserves had barely stabilized. She needed more... always more. 

And she didn't know what else to do, as Uzi buried her head in her arms; all earlier good humor gone.

Damn it... what can I do before this gets out of hand? If I fall too far... could I lose control and turn? Into that horrible thing? Uzi worried… and she preferred not to think about this terrifying possibility. 

It was so distressing to endure this. Not to talk about it ; about the voices or the strange dreams, and this voracious hunger that tore at her, so as not to worry the others and her family. 

No, Uzi had to find alternatives to fix this, just by herself. The oil that was missing, she could ask N or V to bring her some from outside during their hunt. But to get more materials, that was trickier. 

Normally, each drone could retrieve portions of metals and more food from the Refinery. However, the quantities supplied were based on the daily needs of the ordinary drone, whereas Uzi was depending on more now! It was a real pain...

Damn, I don't know what else to do!

Wrong. Don't forget this isn't the only source of food... How do you think N and V eat?

Uzi's eyes narrowed at this... horreful idea. The drones themselves were composed of the materials her changing body desperately needed.

But... to go so far as to devour the bodies of her kind? Despite herself, Uzi shuddered with disgust. Drinking oil was bad enough, even if she tried as hard as she could to make it psychologically acceptable and bearable. Cannibalizing other drones, on the other hand... it reminded her too much of what had happened at camp and with her classmates, when she first lost control.

Or more recently, having devoured the insides and core of that stranger drone who had attacked them. Without giving him a chance, as he screamed, still alive as she eviscerated him. Until she tore out the little burning body inside, before devouring it to satisfy her appetite.

Swallowing, her fingers almost twisted the metal rings on her arms, as nausea rippled up her internal circuits. No, not again; not if the little drone could avoid it.

There had to be something else… “Or maybe in the Storage…” Uzi mused, biting a finger viciously as the others nervously scratched on her desk. 

It could work… as long as she didn’t get caught raiding the colony’s stores. This place was usually not being guarded, with low security, so she could sneak in and out with what she needed. Normally. 

But Uzi didn't have time to plan it, before she was interrupted when the door to her room opened. Letting Khan enter, as her father smiled kindly at the sight of his daughter. 

“Heya… How’s it going, kiddo?” He asked; a little hesitantly as he approached her. 

“Same as always, Dad.” Uzi answered simply, saying nothing as the old drone arrived in front of her desk. And she noticed his apparent fatigue: “You don’t look in great shape either.” 

“He he… Is it that obvious?” Khan joked, without much enthusiasm as he rubbed his screen. 

He looked exhausted, with circles under his eyes more than usual. His night must not have been easy, the little drone guessed, suspecting that her father must have been worried about her mother. Then she noticed his outfit, more elegant than his old WDF uniform.

Oh yeah, there's Committee’s meeting today, she remembered.

Here, the old Worker had put on his best costum; it was a formal suit, without being pretentious. Besides, he didn’t have his pair of red glasses. 

But looking at him so tired, Uzi was worried to see her father barely standing. “Dad, are you sure you’re gonna be fine with the meeting? You look like you’re about to collapse.” 

Khan smiled slightly, touched by his daughter’s concern; something he appreciated. “Don’t worry, kid. I still have enough energy to hold on.” The drone ruffled her hair affectionately, and laughed when Uzi got annoyed and slapped his hand - not too hard. 

“Robo-God me Dad, hair!” She pouted, straightening her ruffled wig. Then she narrowed her eyes as she noticed the documents Khan kept tucked under one arm, and grew curious. 

“What’s this?” 

“Well… these are the latest reports from the mines and the Refinery; that’s what I’ll be discussing with the advisors today, and I had to double-check them earlier before the meeting started.” Khan explained, offering the documents, which Uzi quickly read, checking all the notes.

Then… she became more concerned, as the numbers and additions were processed by these high-performance processors, her eyes widened. This wasn’t good, not at all. And the Worker-Solver looked at her father apprehensively. 

“Dad… are you sure those are all recents production and excavation ? Because it’s so-” 

“Not much? Yes, that’s all there is, I’m afraid.” The drone said in a deep voice, letting out a long sigh. “For some time now, the mine’s resources have started to run out. The veins are almost all exhausted. Now that the colony has several hundred individuals, and if the situation doesn’t change soon… we risk experiencing a very serious general shortage throughout Outpost-3. For now, apart from a few advisors and myself, no one in the colony knows about it.” 

“A shortage….” Uzi repeated, shuddering at this worrying idea that did not bode well. But in a way, it didn’t really surprise her.

Twenty years ago, the entire population of drones that had managed to reach the bunker and take refuge there numbered just under two hundred individuals - a boring lesson in the Outpost-3 history, where Uzi remembered half-asleep. Today, those Worker population numbers had nearly tripled. 

Suddenly, her own problems finding supplies to consume seemed much less important, realizing how vital the meeting with the Committee would be to the survival of the colony. If nothing was arranged... then the society inside the bunker would be severely impacted. It could be very serious.

“Are there any possible solutions?” Uzi asked her father, feeling far more involved than she should have, like the rebellious outcast she prided herself on being.

Khan didn't take long to reply, having already considered a few ideas. "Well... in the first instance, we should temporarily implement better resource management; prioritize care areas like the infirmary and nursery, and the machines that keep the bunker running. And it will be necessary to ration supplies - at least until we can ensure a renewal of materials. We'll need to do this as soon as possible, to limit losses, and take a full inventory of what we still have."

Great... Just what I needed right now, Uzi held back a frustrated grimace; so if she was going to sneak back to the Storage, she shouldn't dawdle. Probably tonight...

"And also..." Khan continued, Uzi turning her attention back to him. "I had considered reorganizing WDF excursions outside Outpost-3, in order to make supply expeditions."

"Wait, are you serious?!" Uzi exclaimed, stunned to hear that her father - of any other drone - would propose such a plan. And especially dangerous. "You... you'd really do that? But you don't have anyone on your team who can defend themselves; all you guys know how to do is attack each other with cards!"

Khan grimaced at her honest words, scratching his screen uneasy. "Ouch... It hurts to hear my daughter say that." The old Worker complained, but the flat look on the little drone's face made him admit she was right. "Yes, you're not wrong, sweetie. And that's why your friends could help us."

Suddenly, Uzi's mind clicked to realization, and she opened her jaw wide as everything fell into place. "Wait a minute... you don't mean-"

"Well, against looters and other Disassembly, they'd make perfect WDF protection members! The ones who'd train troops and run operations out there, while providing security during missions. And in exchange for their service... Well, we could offer them a place in the colony, and provide some oil to feed them. So, wouldn't that be ideal?" Khan offered his daughter a knowing wink.

Uzi understood her father's plan and why, last time, he seemed so sure of himself to succeed in integrating N and V. It was very well thought out. And clever. It... It could really work. 

The ex-Worker laughed: "Ah! You really thought about it, huh? That's clever: none of the guys from the Committee could refuse. A hell of a plan! Brilliant!" The teenager smiled, reflecting the same sly expression that everyone knew to be wary coming from her. 

"That's right... still I have to get them to accept the missions outside... and to collaborate with Mur- Disassembly Drones. Which is still a long way off," Khan explained, knowing that some of the advisors might strongly oppose this plan. 

Then he pointed to Uzi, deciding to rephrase his old request: "Uzi, I'd really like you to come with me to this meeting. Of all of us, you're the one who's been outside the bunker the most, and who's been with N and his friend. Your presence could help convince the Committee of my proposal.”

“Or piss them off more: they must not be the biggest fans of me after the fiasco of my little expedition last year…” Uzi gave him a tense look, but not accusatory. Rather uncertain about her chances of succeeding in helping her father. 

She still wondered how he had managed to convince them of a ridiculous punishment instead of banishing her… 

Khan placed both his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly as he approached his face near hers. Encouraging. “Trust me, little one. Many know what you did with your Disassembly friends to save Copper-9. You all have a much better image than you would think… especially you, Uzi. And then… Don’t forget that you made me change my mind, and that’s something!” 

Trapped in her chair, in front of her father who was impatiently and hopefully waiting for her answer, the Worker-Solver wanted to refute his assertion; more than anything, she was afraid of disappointing him by making everything go wrong. 

After all, she wasn't good at speeches, but at action. 

What if she said something wrong? 

What if no one accepted? 

What if- 

What if I stopped freaking out to begin with?! That's so uncool! Uzi pulled herself together.

And finally, she decided to try rather than be intimidated by something so stupid - fighting a demon while the world exploded around her was so much more intense! 

She was freaking God! 

They could bite her if it went wrong; Uzi was going to try, even if it meant changing their minds by crushing screens under her boot! 

"Okay. I'll go.”

______________________

Hanging upside down in his favorite position, with his tail wrapped around a sturdy beam in the dilapidated cabin he and Nori were in, N was lost in his own wonder-filled thoughts. Of course, they were full of Uzi, and he kept replaying the images of the previous evening they had spent. 

When N had held her, the two of them hugging each other as if nothing else existed. Then they had kissed… 

Pure bliss. 

He had been replaying this memory over and over for hours, ever since he and Nori had hidden in the hut where he'd taken shelter with V, not far from where the ship had crashed. Fortunately, the flight there had been much easier than last time. The cabin had remained the same, ideal and safe for waiting.

"We'll stay here until it gets dark, then look for an entrance to the laboratory. I'll look at the plans of the structure; don't bother me," Nori had only told him, and N had decided to recover a little from his rapid flight.

For a while now, he hadn't been able to stop smiling immensely, and his wings had been flapping against him with excitement. Even more so since Uzi had promised him a surprise earlier, if he returned without injury. And the Disassembly was determined to keep word!

"I wonder what it could be?" N hoped for something awesome - although anything from Uzi would make him more than happy: maybe a dog stuffed animal, or a drawing. Among other things, and even a colored rock.

Or… or would she want to do that again, the kiss? N wondered, wishing that as he turned even yellower than before, hugging himself even tighter. That… wouldn’t be too much to ask? Would his girlfriend agree? 

Now that N had tasted her lips and been this close to her, he was desperate to do it again. And not stop, keep going as long as they could… 

Yes, N had become much more needy than before.

“Hey, you idiot!” 

Nori’s loud voice downstairs snapped him out of his mind, and even though he could see her with the cameras on his head, N’s face twisted towards the small crab body just below. 

There, Nori held a tablet against her with one claw, which showed a 3D map of the lab. Her eye narrowed as she watched the Disassembly swinging strangely on the ceiling, hid wings quivering, and his digital eyes blinking faster. 

What could possibly be making him so agitated? He wouldn’t be nervous, would he… 

“Y-Yes?” N coughed, trying to control the loud sound of his artificial larynx, as he fought against his emotions that were begging him to find Uzi. 

It wasn’t easy, with his systems screaming at him to fly at sonic speed back to the bunker; but no, he had a mission to accomplish, and it was for Uzi’s sake, N had to remind himself. 

That was enough to calm him down enough… for now. 

Completely oblivious to what was really bugging the drone, Nori sternly reminded N of the purpose of their mission to get him to concentrate : “This is no time to lose your cool, murder boy. Don’t forget, we’re here for my daughter, so pull yourself together! And try to recharge enough : just in case things get heated down there and we need you in shape. You never know.” 

Understanding the Doorman matriarch’s concerns, N nodded. Nori was right; he should be in top form for tonight. 

The blades of his steel wings covered him again, and he positioned himself better from his perch. “Okay, ma’am.” He yawned, letting his systems slow to a halt. Then he noticed Nori still working. “Um… aren’t you doing that too?” 

“No need: I must to review the schematic of this damn lab to figure out exactly where to go… it’s a fucking maze in there.” She retreated to her corner of the room, settling comfortably into the pilot’s cap N had lent her, Nori’s single orbital camera glued to the screen in concentration. 

Meanwhile, N was ready to enter “Sleep Mode” until it was time to depart. The large drone groaned lowly in satisfaction, turning off first his darkened visor, then his other yellow eyes on the headband which turned gray, before falling asleep. And he etched Uzi’s face into his head. Gathering courage to face the unknown. 

Anything for her.

I love you I love you I love you I love you…

Chapter Text

Currently, there was a certain tension in the bunker; Eliza could sense it, as she walked with a determined step through the crowded corridors. She hadn’t even cleaned herself up when she left work, remaining in her greasy clothes, and her hair more disheveled than ever. 

Around her, the Workers were murmuring among themselves, more agitated than usual. All the way, the Factory leader had felt their eyes on her as she passed. 

Anxious. 

Scared.

But mostly wary. 

“Do you think the rumors are true? That they’re not dangerous anymore?” 

“What do you think they’ll decide?” 

“They say some of them come to the bunker sometimes… terrifying.” 

“Damn… it was going to happen one day. This is the end.” 

Their discussions were not reassuring. And all because of the meeting… Eliza thought, as she walked to a quieter place. 

This was a first, such a commotion; usually, no one cared about this kind of event, which usually discussed the management of Outpost-3. 

However, she understood why this change: after all, the Committee and its council were going to discuss their future relations with the Murder Drones. So soon, Outpost-3 could integrate within their walls the sworn enemies of their people. To allow them in. 

And to think that the idea came from Khan himself… 

When he had done it, Eliza remembered perfectly the reaction of all of them, at that meeting a month before; the shock, the anger, the incomprehension. She herself… Eliza had been taken aback when she heard him speak. And… she didn't know exactly what she had felt. Anger? Surprise? Disgust? But above all, the Worker woman had been intrigued. Eliza didn’t know what today’s meeting would be like; however, since she’d known Khan, she waited it to be something big. 

“It wouldn’t be surprising; the old man is capable of anything,” Eliza rubbed her stuck neck with a greasy hand, the worn joints cracking deliciously as they snapped back into place. 

She wouldn’t lie; the Worker had her doubts about this possible coexistence Khan had suggested. And, like many others in this bunker, Eliza had lost people dear to her in the claws of their predators, to be devoured by them. Or simply to cruelty. And for the longest time, she had dreamed of flattening one of the yellow crosses on her wrench. Until the oil squirted on her face. 

That was still her deep wish. 

But lately, her opinion of them had changed slightly. Especially when meeting Uzi, Khan and Nori's daughter: the one who had accidentally brought the Murder Drones into Outpost-3 a year ago. And then, who had teamed up with them to save their planet. Something... that most of them struggled to understand, even after all these crazy events, and after Copper-9 had been broken up, then sent into space.

A feat nonetheless, and one worthy of praise.

Uzi Doorman... Eliza had to admit: she was a kid with enormous potential. As boisterous and weird as the rumors claimed... which didn't displease her. And her railgun that she had seen was a technological feat. 

Of course, the Worker woman had heard the whispers of the other drones, about her unnatural friendship with their enemies; the disaster of the camp she was involved in; her strange need to consume the infirmary oil - yes, it was creepy when she caught her at work cleaning a black line running from her mouth - and the strange witchcraft powers. 

As for the Murder Drones, the fact that they were no longer a mortal danger, at least for their bunker, aroused as much suspicion as relief. No one really knew how to react to all this. 

Or maybe it was a sign: the Workers should accept change, and accept to change themselves. Even if it meant accepting their former predators among them. 

Even if some might be violently against it... You must know that, Khan. Eliza thought, as she arrived in the resources sector of the bunker. And that was precisely where one of those who might be problematic for the meeting of the day worked. 

It was for him that Eliza came... even if she had not warned him, deciding to visit unannounced. 

Passing over a rickety footbridge, she ignored most of the Workers carrying several cartons full of goods, watching her go as they made their way downstairs to the huge, poorly-lit Storage premises; most were half-empty, struggling to be filled by the meagre metal and copper production. A situation that wasn't going to improve any time soon... unless something was decided today.

Eliza made her way back to the main office. And without much politeness, she entered unannounced, her loud voice thundering through the room: "Don, are you there?" as she slammed the door behind them so they wouldn't be disturbed.

Her caramel eyes met the amber ones, narrowed in annoyance behind a pair of rectangular goggles, belonging to the tall, stern drone who sat behind a wide desk. Apparently, she had interrupted him in his work, comparing the reports of the miners and the Refinery, which were piling up in impressive piles of documents. Dozens and dozens, which he had read for hours, and becoming a little more gloomy with each reading that were not pleasant. 

Already in a very bad mood, Don sighed in annoyance as he rubbed his exhausted screen, where a broken square of frustration was emerging. 

And his harsh words, carried by his deep voice: “Robo-Christ, Eliza… I thought I had already told you not to come without warning me. You know that, though!” He swung his hand in exasperation, the movement threatening to collapse the towers of paper that remained in place. 

Too bad, it would have been funny to see him pick up his mess… Eliza thought, raising an eyebrow at his attitude, avoiding saying it out loud. 

She had known Don for a long time; The Worker wasn’t known for his patience, he was rough and short-tempered - something that hadn’t improved since his wife died years ago. But lately, it has been getting worse. Eliza could guess why… but now wasn’t the time to bring it up. 

Not right now. 

Instead, she asked, “So, how’s work going down at the mines? And production at the Refinery?” There was a low grunt from the male Worker, and Eliza couldn’t help the amused expression that crossed her face, knowing her knack for provoking the grumpy Worker. 

Realizing he wouldn’t get rid of the stubborn drone that easily, Don ungraciously handed her a sheet of the latest calculations. “Look, if it amuses you. Even though you probably already know that.” 

Eliza didn't need to be asked twice, not listening to the Worker's complaint as she casually sat down on the desk to read, the drone woman studied the ink numbers, the writing inelegant and full of crossings out. But her own expression became concerned at the alarming results. Before sighing, her gaze closed. 

She had expected it a little... but not this disastrous, however. She bit her lip nervously. "We're really in trouble, huh?" 

"That's an understatement..." Don stood up from his seat, towering over Eliza by a few inches as he put his blue work fleece back on. 

The Factory chief saw him leave his desk to prepare himself a cup of coffee-flavored coolant. He curtly refused the vial of battery acid Eliza offered him, which she drank while he contemplated his boots, looking lost in thought.

Which didn't seem to be good ones, Eliza guessed from the twitching of his mouth and the squinting of his eyes. After a final sip from her bottle, she spoke again.

"The meeting's about to start; you know we'll have to talk about it-"

"There's nothing urgent yet, Eliza!" Don interrupted her, gripping the metal cup tightly as it twisted under his fingers. "If we dig deeper, maybe there could be another vein somewhere..."

"Don, this is-"

"It's our main source of food and supplies!" Don raged, facing his comrade as he lost his head. "If word gets out about the shortage, there'd be panic all over Outpost-3. The consequences would be disastrous!"

"Don, we have an obligation to do this! We're part of the council forming the Committee, don't forget that!" Eliza reminded him sternly, returning her annoyed gaze to his. Before continuing, "And don't forget that Khan must know too. He certainly will-"

That was that: Don threw his mug across the room, spilling his unconsumed coolant everywhere. And hatred made his eyes glow like white-hot metal, as he hissed through clenched teeth. Pointing a menacing finger at her; even if his fury was directed at another. 

"Don't you dare... talk about that guy in front of me!" Each word was articulated, placing as much venom as he could against the offending drone within.

Eliza wasn't intimidated by his angry gesture, as the dented mug rolled to the floor. She squinted her eyes in defiance at his behavior. "Don, really? Are you seriously going to behave like that at a time like this?” 

Don spat in contempt, not hiding his animosity at all. “He’s just a fool now, Eliza. Everyone knows that! Ever since his damn kid brought those monsters… those things here, nothing’s been going well. Bah! The Committee should never have been so lax about what she did: and today, this is the result…” 

“Yeah… I advise you not to talk about his daughter like that in front of the old man. Unless you want to end up with a door welded on your head.” Eliza scoffed, even though she worried about his apparent anger. 

It couldn’t end well if he acted like this, especially in front of Khan. Already the last time, she had felt it necessary to stop him from attacking him physically for talking about the Murder Drones. 

To think that those two were good friends… Now, neither of them can talk to each other without fighting. Especially Don. Eliza looked with a little pity at the bitter Worker. She knew the reasons behind his actions: after all, Monica - his wife and the mother of their daughter Rachel - had been killed by the Murder Drones. 

Don’s hatred was justified, driven by grief and anger; however, it clouded his judgment. To him, the Doorman had become his nemesis. And at their last meeting, the Worker had shouted his refusal to integrate the Murder Drones into their bunker. Never mind that they had saved them from annihilation. Many others had followed suit, though she and a few of the advisors had refrained from responding. 

Still… 

“Don, we should reconsider what Khan told us about these drones.” Eliza began cautiously, knowing she was treading on fragile glass. “Given the… precarious situation we find ourselves in, it may be necessary to reform resupply groups to send out. Having allies like them could be beneficial to the colony.” 

Eliza guessed that Khan must have already thought about this; in any case, it wouldn't surprise her if the old Worker had waited for this opportunity to put forward his plan. Even in the human era, the mine had been exploited for a long time, while the colony was growing larger every year: one day, the resources would have ended up running out. 

The leader of the WDF must have foreseen this eventuality for a long time. 

Don was not at all convinced, dismissing her argument with a contemptuous gesture. "We might as well hire those miserable city thugs! Eliza, don't tell me you're seriously considering this insane plan?!" He was indignant, losing his composure a little more. 

The female Worker crossed her arms in front of him, eyeing him condescendingly: "And if I do it? After all, it would be for the good of the entire colony; something you and I must not forget, Don. Or am I mistaken?" She didn't like anyone dictating her decisions at all, ready to confront the drone that would. 

Now, the atmosphere between the two drones was stormy; Don who was shaking with fury, and Eliza who did not waver in her positions. Both of them defied each other with their eyes like attack dogs, without moving. 

Until the resource manager retorted, coldly: "And you then, what about Eric?" He had a smug grin at Eliza's hollow eyes, who suddenly tensed at the name. "Would you be willing to forgive those creatures for taking him from you?" 

The dying drone's smile appeared as she saw him kneel before her, suffering because of his screen half melted by the nanite acid, his large sapphire eyes with rings meeting hers filled with tears. They had just reached Door 1; one of the winged monsters had ambushed them, not far from the bunker. 

The poisonous stinger had aimed at Eliza’s core; Eric had thrown himself between them, throwing his weapon at the Murder Drone’s screen to knock it out as the enclosure closed, narrowly saving them. 

But the Worker had collapsed to the ground, screaming after the stinger had pierced his face, the acid slowly eating away at the metal and silicone. 

And his trembling hand rose to caress her cheek, a loving gesture that would be his last. “Eli… I wish I could marry you…” 

Eliza held her dying lover against her, until the “FatalError” appeared. And she screamed his name, destroyed and full of grief. 

<memory_file ‘adorable_buffoon_:3’: Access denied.>

Trauma_management_system: activated. 

Despite the growing rage bubbling up inside her like vitriol, Eliza took a long breath to calm her erratic core, and his last dying words fell silent in the depths of her processors. Restraining herself from grabbing her wrench and smashing it against that head in front of her, the Worker moved her hand away from the tool dangling from her belt. The drone knew she wouldn't be able to control herself, so Eliza pulled herself together as best she could. 

"... Don, you really should be careful what you say. The next time you say that name in front of me, trust me man, you're going to need to go see Marie in the infirmary to straighten your damn dented frame. I came to tell you what I thought. We'll see what happens at this meeting. Whatever is decided or said, you'll have to accept it like everyone else on the board." 

As she was about to leave before turning on him, Don called out to her one last time, "Answer me first, Eliza: would you forgive them? And be sincere."

Opening the office door, Eliza didn't turn back to him. However, she decided to answer his question. "Nobody said anything about forgiveness, Don. Personally, I'd know how to put the survival of our colony ahead of my own feelings and resentment. And so should you."

Then she left for good, leaving the Worker inside to ponder what she'd said. Or ignored it, Eliza didn't really care. In the face of her fury, none of the drones present dared restrain her, or question her about the many tears beading her visor.

___________________________________________________

“And what the hell are you doing here, exactly?!” Uzi raged at the female drone sitting across from her, scrolling through her phone. 

The drone in question, turning out to be Lizzy, barely spared a pink glance at the nervous little drone, who was glaring at her from across the table. 

There was no one else in the room other than the two students, the other advisors would be here soon. And Lizzy ignored him just as quickly, returning to her main activity on the networks. 

To Uzi’s frustration, she leaned forward on the table, slapping her hands against it : “Hey oh, I’m talking to you, Miss Low-end Barbie !” 

Lizzy’s eyes rolled at the little drone’s cries, as annoying to her as a buzzing cyberbug. Too bad she couldn’t get rid of it as easily as waving her hand. 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m filling in for my dad at the meeting.” The popular girl simply answered, not wanting to elaborate or interact with the one she couldn't stand - even if she wasn't as bad as Rachel. 

Even if the angry little purple gremlin had tried to eat her and her friends massacred in the forest. Happy memories. 

"The teacher, huh..." The ex-Worker's expression turned astonished, while her rival sent her a haughty look - partially annoyed, which she returned. "And why are you here instead of him?" 

"My poor girl... that's more my place to ask. We're discussing serious things here; not stupid and weird stuff like you." Lizzy mocked her coldly, turning away from Uzi to cut the discussion short. 

Uzi's eye twitched on her screen, unable to bear this attitude that made her grit her teeth, and want to smash that smug screen. The latter suppressed the urge to send her a [rotate] to shake that girl up a bit. The idea was very tempting, really… 

Huh, could be fun… Uzi thought, summoning her power with hand, as a wicked smile spread across her face. The pretentious pest who had turned away from her was in for quite a surprise. 

Her fingers extended towards her, ready to fire… 

…Until the door swung open, Uzi’s surprise canceling the [rotate], as several drones entered the room. There was Khan, of course - the old Worker gave her a warm smile; Eliza came up behind him, oddly tense and whispering a few words, to which her father replied in a low voice, as they sat down in their seats. Several more drones arrived, whose names Uzi didn’t know, but knowing that they worked in the nursery, infirmary, resources, mines, and the Refinery; all took their seats. 

While some seemed surprised to see her, the weird Doorman girl, friend with the Murder Drones, who were quickly turning away from her, none made any comments. For the moment. 

And then, Uzi thought she felt a gaze on her, very unpleasant and oppressive; from the other side of the table, she met a pair of digital amber eyes, which stared at her with undisguised hostility. Then her father, who did not seem to notice - in appearance at least. The Worker-Solver barely held back the hoarse growl from leaving her throat, as she sank into her uncomfortable chair. 

What's this freaking guy's problem? Uzi frowned, feeling the pressure on her lower back as her tail sprang out and hissed, agreeing with her mood.

She ignored the gasps and discomfort of her neighbors who saw the head reveal its fangs, Uzi sinking grumpily into her seat; as Khan began the Committee meeting:

"To begin with, I'd like to thank you all for attending despite your busy schedules. Knowing that, I'll make sure I'm efficient in outlining the day's points-"

"Wait a moment, Khan." The drone, which had been glaring sideways at him and Uzi, immediately interrupted. And he pointed at both the increasingly agitated little drone and Lizzy, who hadn't lifted her screen from her phone: "May I ask what these kids are doing here - your daughter and our other strangely absent advisor's daughter- when we're supposed to be in the middle of a meeting?!"

If Lizzy did nothing more than raise an eyebrow, without even looking at the other annoyed drone, Uzi rose from her seat and returned her own dark gaze.

She pointed at him rudely, hissing at the older drone, "What's your fucking problem, man?!" without bothering to make a scene.

And Khan immediately stepped in to temper the atmosphere, keeping his cool with this interruption: "Uzi has come at my request. Her presence will be needed to discuss one of our current problems. And Lizzy has replaced her father as temporary advisor; which you know perfectly well, Don." 

As he defended her, the two drones exchanged glances heavy with bad feeling; impatience coming from Khan, and more anger on Worker Don's side.

On Uzi's side, she tried to remain calmer, having managed to return to her seat. She was already beginning to regret having agreed to come.

"What a jerk, that guy..." She muttered between her teeth, as the other drone backed away from Khan.

Then the teenager heard someone chuckle nearby, and someone leaned in toward her; Uzi saw her boss Eliza, whom she hadn't noticed, hanging down to her hearing level and whispering : "Don't worry, he's a jerk to everyone. Well defended, anyway." And the drone gave her a knowing wink.

The Worker-Solver appreciated that she didn't seem to be the only one who despised the drone. Even if he had looked at her with a resentment that was not unfamiliar to her. 

He really reminds me of someone... Uzi searched among the many, many faces of the drones who didn't like her. Could he be the father of one of her classmates? 

Hard to say.  

"Now we need to discuss some things that require our attention," Khan spoke again, presenting the documents that Uzi remembered reading earlier, and that each drone was currently looking at in front of them. "For some time now, the mining networks have been reporting very little ore, and the latest reports show a clear decrease day by day. Right, Gus?"

The said Gus drone - a Worker marred by numerous scratches and with exhausted blue eyes - nodded darkly. "It's true, Khan. My boys and I tried digging deeper to find a better vein. But nothing. And it's starting to get dangerous for us; the day before yesterday, we narrowly escaped a ceiling cave-in. Two members of the team, Gary and Fred, had to be taken up to the infirmary."

There were worried murmurs in the small assembly; Uzi saw their stressed looks - only her father, Eliza and this Don kept their composure. Lizzy didn't seem to really care.

Really, what was she doing here, apart from looking at her phone? Uzi wondered, even though the situation was clearly bad for their colony.

Her father wasn't kidding about the shortage; the way things were going, it was likely to get worse very quickly. She wondered when Khan would speak up about his plan, and when she herself might intervene, as the meeting continued.

Another Worker questioned the mining drone: "What did you do after that?'

"I had to close several galleries because of the incident," Gus sighed, rubbing dirty brown curls under his helmet. "We're trying as best we can to bring in enough ore. But it's getting harder and harder."

"Are you sure you're looking hard enough? Did you and your team go somewhere else to check out another location?" Don insisted, his voice louder after what the drone had said.

"Yes, he's right."

"We'd have to start digging again."

"Come on Gus, there must be some ore left somewhere!" Don snarled even more, rising from his chair. 

Affirmations accompanied the Worker's words, many drones agreeing as everyone began to realize the magnitude of the situation. Because without the mine, the entire population of Outpost-3 was at risk of starvation, and the solutions to get out of it were slim. The tone was starting to rise in the small assembly. 

This could soon degenerate, Uzi realized. But she still did not hear her father speak, remaining silent. 

What was he waiting for? 

She was not the only one wondering; the small drone heard Eliza, who was impatiently following the whole scene, muttering "What are you playing at, Khan?" 

"And what are you all implying?! That my guys are not doing their job, is that it?!" Gus got angry, clearly upset by the inappropriate and accusatory remarks against him. “We’ve dug as deep as we can to find another vein, but what happened last year on Copper-9 has made most areas of the mine inaccessible! We’re doing everything we can, but I’d risk the lives of other Workers by recklessly sending them anywhere!” 

Uzi was surprised to hear the aftermath of her confrontation with Cyn, and what the planet’s fragmentation had wrought on the Colonial Mine network. And she was witnessing it right now. 

Meanwhile, Gus’ furious gaze challenged anyone to contradict him; Don didn’t hesitate to do so, unaffected by the miners’ current plight: 

“And we now have a major crisis to deal with, because none of you dare take any risks at the mine!” He argued, and other drones agreed. 

"This guy is such a prick..." Uzi hated him more the more he opened his mouth. 

And the situation degenerated. This provocation was all it took for Gus, fists clenched, to rush at Don and grab him by his coat, facing him head-on. 

"And you have an idea, perhaps?!" He growled between his teeth, the screen almost crushing the other Worker's, who didn't flinch. "No? Then stop criticizing me and the other miners!"

Really, Uzi was beginning to think this was going to go badly. The whole council was starting to panic over the news of the shortage and the state of the mine. But just when she thought the two Workers opposite were going to punch each other, right next to her, Eliza stood up. The ex-Worker saw her boss's expression... and her hand holding her wrench. And lift the tool.

KLANG !

She slammed it down on the table with a loud bang, causing it to rattle. And that put an end to the arguments, as everyone looked at the female drone.

"We're not going to find a solution by arguing each other! You're all acting like dronelings, geez..." Then she turned to Khan, who hadn't moved since. "I think everyone here understands how bad it is, Khan. What are you waiting for to tell the others about your brilliant plan?"

"I was just waiting for Gus to tell us about the mine, if anything had changed," Khan replied. And, finally, the old drone rose from his seat. His gaze passed over every drone present, eagerly awaiting what he would say. "As Gus explained to you, the situation is not about to improve. We can't rely on the mine right now, to take care of the entire population of Outpost-3."

"And do you have an idea, Khan?" Another female drone, dressed in medical garb, questioned him. "Right now, we have to print a lot of frames for dronelings. Our sector is likely to be heavily impacted by this situation."

"I was getting to that..." 

And like what her father had explained to him earlier, Uzi listened with the other advisors as Khan outlined his plan to spread resources, where it would be most useful. In the infirmary and nursery, machines would have to be prioritized. It was exactly the same as what Uzi had heard.

All the drones around were attentive to his words, and the majority nodded in agreement with the measures to be taken. But some kept a worried expression. 

When Khan finished, one of the Workers quickly expressed concerns to the rest of the Committee. “I agree to take precautions on the distribution of resources… but that would only work for a while. We can’t hope that this will be enough to manage the whole of Outpost-3. At least in the long term.” 

At that moment, Khan looked in Uzi’s direction. And she immediately understood the implication.

It will be my turn to speak... So she got ready. 

“...You’re right, Gil. That’s not a solution. And that’s why I decided that the WDF, with a little outside help, we could make supply runs into the city.” Khan quickly calmed the exclamations that followed his statement. And he gestured to Uzi. “As you know, my daughter has been outside the bunker a lot. Uzi, you’ve been looking for materials in old factories and hangars, right?” 

“Y-Yeah…” Uzi’s voice trailed off, sounding like a shy child in front of all those drones. And then in the back of the room, Lizzy giggled, mocking. The teenager glared at her, before composing herself more forcefully: “There are quite a few abandoned places where humans kept construction stuff, construction equipment and other stuff. I’ve been there a few times; If we also go there to bring it back to the Refinery, it could be enough to feed everyone.” 

“I already talked to Khan about that earlier,” Eliza continued, and Uzi felt a greasy hand pat on her shoulder. “With the right equipment and weaponry, like the one that kid made with her railgun, and restore old guns, the WDF could protect themselves from possible attacks by thugs. Welp, it could be tried.” 

Khan nodded. “At least until the mine has a new vein, or we find another alternative, that’s the best thing to do.” 

While all the other drones seemed to agree, Uzi thought this was going to be easier than expected. But she was still cautious; they hadn’t mentioned N and V yet. 

And Don, who had been silent after his confrontation with the miner, spoke again. His screen glowed with fury, shooting lightning bolts. “Tell me, Khan… When you say outside help, who are you talking about; other than your damn Murder Drones?! You think I’m stupid enough to fall for it like everyone else!” 

He lashed out at the WDF leader, shouting the words ‘Murder Drones’ with so much hatred that all the drones present fell silent. 

And hearing him bad mouthing about her friends - about N - like that, Uzi instantly went into an intense fury. She had to stop herself from killing him immediately, throwing [null] at him. Even if he deserves it, as her tail snapped its jaw in agreement. 

“Watch your mouth, jerk.”

Khan tried to restore calm. “Don, we already asked the Disassembly for help during the school trip to camp-” 

“Those monsters killed most of them! And those kids were so terrified they wouldn’t tell what happened!” which made the drones hesitate when Don recalled the incident at the camp. 

This guy… he talks bullshit without knowing anything at all! Faced with this, Uzi wanted to shut him up and reveal her real role in this story, to exonerate her friends who had defended Uzi’s comrades from her. 

But she didn't have time to open her mouth when her father did it, looking badly annoyed by the other drone. 

“They helped my daughter save us from their creator! Without them, we would all be dead!” 

“HA! So what, we should thank them maybe?! To these same things that MASSACRED us ; let them enter the bunker, forgetting all that AND KEEP MOVING ?!” Don raged, more and more agitated against Khan. “YOU’RE JUST A FUCKIN’ HYPOCRITE ! YOU kept shouting how DANGEROUS these creatures were! That YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING to stop them from INVADING US! Even after they SLAUGHTERED your men! All in all, a BUNCH OF LIES! We didn't have your luck to get back your dead wife, or your damn brat who survived! 'Come on everyone, befriend those Murder Drones and let them in! Let's make peace!' THAT’S WHAT YOU TRYING TO TELL US, HUH?!"

"Yeah, you should do it, asshole, instead of continuing to insult them!" Uzi raged, jumping up onto the table as she stood to her full little height. Confronting the entire council, who remained silent - and rather frightened by the agitated reptile head. "You guys keep them out, without once being grateful for saving you more than once! To be eaten by a fucking planet! From that Eldritch monster bitch J who slaughtered everyone in the hallways! Or from prom with that freaking Doll!" 

Out of the corner of her eye, Uzi thought he saw Lizzy tense at the mention of her dead former friend, her expression suddenly faltering. The small drone ignored her, as she let her effect hit them all, in front of their faces of discomfort. 

“We don’t really have a choice, Don.” Eliza pointed out to the Worker dryly. “It’s either we accept the Disassembly’s help, or we risk WDF losses to other hostile drones, or we fall apart due to lack of materials. Personally, I’ve already told you my choice.” 

“They’re already coming to the bunker anyway. Might as well make it more official, it’d be easier,” Lizzy said quietly, continuing to tap away on her phone. 

And Khan, who had let Don have his say, faced the Worker's resentment. "Perhaps I'm a hypocrite, Don. It's true that I've changed since my wife came back, and my daughter made me aware of my misconduct. I don't hate Disassemblers like I used to, and I don't deny that my decision is fueled by having my family back. But today, I'm considering the future of our colony. And I have every confidence in my daughter's friends to help us. I intend to open my Doors to them so that they can join us very soon, and I have no fears about our allies. No matter what they are. If anyone has a better idea to help, please come forward. I'll listen." And Khan concluded his speech.

This left the whole council silent, with no one speaking for a long time. As everyone assimilated what had been proposed, and looked for another solution.

There was none. And Uzi saw the resignation in every councillor's eyes. Everyone had understood that there were no possible plans other than her father's. The Workers were simple drones; even if their program trembled at the thought of officially joining forces with their former predators, it was clear to them that this was the only option.

Until Don laughed maniacally; without any joy, as he slapped his screen to cover it with one hand, paying no attention to the goggles which twisted under the violent impact.

"After you've made it clear we can't do otherwise, Doorman, you've got us up against the wall! We have no other choice than the one you impose on us! I don't even see why we should bother to have this meeting, given that everything seems to have already been decided!" 

With that, the Worker stormed out of the room. Leaving the council to vote on the acceptance of Khan's plan. All hands rose in favor; albeit very reluctantly, except for the empty seat of the departed drone.

And Uzi shared her father's clear smile. Happy with this outcome, a clear victory!

N... You're in for quite a surprise when you get back! I hope you'll be happy.

Chapter Text

Night had quickly fallen at the bunker, almost without anyone noticing. After the Committee meeting, all the advisors had gathered to discuss the shortage and the Disassembly integration. How could they announce these two news to all the other Workers without creating panic? Curiously, the announcement about Uzi's friends seemed to be their highest priority, rather than starting to organize the sharing of resources.

This was beneficial for Uzi, who took advantage of the adults stupidly arguing among themselves - only her father had noticed her moving away, but he hadn't tried to stop his daughter - as she walked to the door and quietly left the room. 

That was easy. Now all that remained was to reach the Storage, to get what she needed. 

Crouching in the narrow ducts, Uzi waited silently for the last Workers to leave the immense room, chatting quietly as she put away the last boxes. They were filled with bits of iron, copper, bolts, and everything needed for a drone. 

Her stomach clenched painfully as the emptiness gnawing at her deepened, and the constant hunger intensified. 

Warning: 20% material reserve drop!

Risk of damaging the frame structure. 

Patience ! Uzi reminded herself, as she held stronger her batwing bag close to her, taken to retrieve supplies. 

As she waited nervously, someone tapped her shoulder behind. Uzi sighed, slightly annoyed, as she turned to the person waiting with her- Thad, of course. 

Who seemed quite concerned about their presence there. And his green eyes met hers. “And we're here in the vent, waiting for the guys down there to leave, because?...” 

“Because you couldn't help but follow me when I came back from my house, and you should shut up before we get spotted?!” Uzi hissed in a low voice, hoping the skateboarder would shut his mouth before drawing attention to themselves. 

Fortunately, the group of drones was too busy laughing amongst themselves for one of them to think of checking up high and noticed in the overhead duct the two pairs of eyes shining. At least Thad understood the message and, despite his questions, remained silent.

Finally, after several long minutes, the Workers left, closing the main entrance to the Storage. Then the generators shut down, plunging the area into darkness. Leaving the way clear for the two teenagers, Uzi crawled the last few metres and, once she had reached the end, unscrewed the grate blocking access to the other side. And the plate was moved behind them. 

Still silently, Uzi dropped into the huge room, landing nimbly on stacked crates.

"Uzi, wait for me!" Thad called out to her, as he joined her less gracefully, not seeing the floor as well as he nearly fell backwards.

The little drone's hand caught him by the jacket before that could happen, Uzi huffing at his clumsiness as he apologized, and she handed him a flashlight from her bag.

He gladly accepted it. "Thanks, Zi."

"Seriously man, you didn't have to come. I can take care of myself." Uzi pointed out to him, as they fell back to the ground to start rummaging.

"Bah, I wasn't going to let you down! There's always fun stuff going on with you, and I've been getting really bored for a while at the WDF!" Thad smiled, lighting up all the sections around him. "Seriously, it reminds me of the time you, N, and I were stalking that weird monster. Don't you think?"

The Worker-Solver decided not to pick up on his comment. Except by mischievously replying, "And you almost got eaten when that thing grabbed you, didn't you?", making Thad laugh nervously - who looked more nervously at the shadowy corners.

It seemed like ages ago, Uzi thought, and so much had happened; it was also from that moment on that she realized how twisted her friends’ - and her own - origins were. 

Now the Solver was hers, but it was still a thorn in her side. Trying to force the infection into her mind to regain control. A curse she had absorbed back then to save them. 

She wasn't going to let it happen. 

Thad and Uzi looked through all the shelves and crates in storage. There was still a lot... for now. But the effects of the shortage were starting to be felt; several sections were already empty in places, where essential components to feed or maintain a drone were starting to run out.

Her father's decision had been the right one, deciding to ration now. Uzi felt almost ashamed for raiding their stockpile knowing the crisis. 

But it's either that, or I risk transforming and going on a rampage, the teenager reminded herself darkly.

There was no way she was taking the risk. And she had no other... morally acceptable way to feed herself sufficiently. Then she heard chewing nearby, breaking Uzi from her thoughts. 

“What the hell is-…” 

Intrigued, Uzi checked around... and saw Thad already starting to lean into an open crate. Filled with several lithium batteries, the boy was eating by the handful. She watched him do this without moving, until he noticed her watching him gorge himself.

Thad swallowed the treats hastily, blushing greener having been caught. "Um... I'm enjoying this one last time before it gets put away. These batteries are my favorite..." Guiltily, he played nervously with his fingers.

"And you know they'll get them back how??" Uzi questioned him, pretty sure no council drone had made a public announcement anytime soon.

Until Thad reached into his pocket for his phone... and showed her Lizzy's latest posts on her account. All the messages talked about the meeting, and what had been decided. Both about their reserves and N and V.

There were so many comments... really alarmed. By now, her father and the committee members must have had the whole of Outpost-3 flooding them with questions and outrage.

A grumble left Uzi, who looked up at the ceiling. "Of course... that was what she'd been doing on her damn phone all along.”

“Sorry.” Thad apologized, as he saw his friend upset.

Who, after a final sigh, finally shrugged. “Don't be; I'm doing the same thing as you,” as Uzi began to collect everything nearby; bolts, metal, plastic… 

Her friend helped Uzi grab as much as possible to put in the bag, preferably small enough to carry as much as possible. 

I hope these guys don't start a check-list. Or they'll notice someone's been here, Uzi hoped as her bag grew. 

But she was pretty sure the Workers who'd been working here for a long time were helping themselves to the best bits. So it should go unnoticed. 

Uzi and Thad were collecting as much material as they could. And as she picked up several parts, the Worker-Solver considered how she would be able to supply herself sufficiently from the reserves. After all, sneaking around had its limits. It could end up getting noticed.

So how could I do it? Uzi wondered, absentmindedly eyeing several identical pieces of bolt in her palm.

The way to get more of these things... and suddenly, an idea crossed her mind. And Uzi almost laughed, having almost forgotten.

I'm so stupid! Doll could duplicate her knives as much as she wanted! Then that would mean I could! Uzi's eyes sparkled with excitement; if she could do it, not only would food not be a problem, but the shortage crisis at the bunker as well !

The only fly in the ointment, however, and made Uzi's mood drop to preoccupation. She had never developed this kind of power before. In the past, when every use risked her being possessed by the Solver. And today, her skills had barely evolved. Except for [teleport], and that came suddenly. She didn't know exactly what had triggered it.

Maybe it was a big mistake now, when this powers could be so useful, but were still such a mystery to her. What a god she was right now...

So, how to do it ? Uzi wondered, staring at the metal pieces in her hand, as if a new intuition would arise, and more would appear.

But nothing.

"Would Mom know..." 

While the little drone was too busy to remember how Doll controlled her power, Thad continued to search on his side. And he finally felt his earlier questions coming back to bother him. Uzi's behavior was really strange; he had the impression she was keeping something serious. Enough to make her go to steal the Storage room. Concerned, the Worker had decided to follow her to make sure everything was okay for his friend. 

And his curiosity finally got the better of him: 

"Tell me, Uzi, it's not really your style to do something like this. Helping yourself to the Storage..." Thad asked at Uzi, which stopped momentarily. The skateboarder hesitated briefly before continuing, “It isn’t for another project, right ? Usually, you go outside to salvage stuff, or use pieces from old machines. So all this must be for something else, no?” 

“...That’s my business, Thad.” Uzi blurted out after remaining silent for a few seconds, before pinning the Worker with her stare. “If it bothers you, you can leave. I’ll manage on my own.” 

And Uzi quickly walked away before she heard Thad trying to stop her. She refused to answer this question, which was very insightful coming from the teenager. And there was no way she was going to say a word about her hunger, which was getting worse all the time, and the fact that at any moment she might snap at some poor innocent Worker - like him at the moment, Uzi had been trying to concentrate elsewhere since earlier. No freaking way.

But she only got a few steps further… when she suddenly froze, her eyes were hollow. 

“Uzi, wait for me! Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Thad had run after her, to apologize for being too nosy. But he noticed her troubled expression. And see her take deep breaths of air, several times. “Uzi?” 

Her two-toned eyes shone brighter as Uzi smelled the sweet scent of oil that overstimulated her olfactory receptors. And instinctively, saliva flooded her mouth, while the beating of her flesh core accelerated. 

She was hungry… 

Then Thad brought her back to reality. Asking her. “What's going on, Zi?” 

“It smells like oil… a lot,” Uzi replied simply, suddenly nervous because of the smell - so strong - and the drone decided to go searching. 

According to her, it was higher up, towards one of the storage containers. Even if they could reach it on foot, Uzi abandoned her heavy bag as bat wings and tail unfurled behind her back. Unmindful of Thad, she took flight, relying on her sense of smell to guide her in the dark.

Thanks to her enhanced night vision, she landed easily on the metal. Just above where it smelled so much like oil, on all fours in a defensive posture as a wary growl left her. The atmosphere all around was sinister... death reeked. The strong talons of her wings pierced the metal as she inspected the scene, even using her tail to check behind her back through her multiple eyes. If anything was trying to sneak up on her.

Given how intense the smell was, the hurted drone must have died from the consequent loss of oil. Moving forward cautiously, Uzi followed the trail behind several rows of stored crates. At the far end, out of sight... she found what she was looking for.

And the sight stopped Uzi in her tracks. "Holy shit..." was all she could say in the face of such a morbid scene.

Thad arrived shortly after, winded from the physical exertion of the obstacle course while carrying Uzi's belongings. His wheezing through the vents and his cooling system lowered his internal temperature as he straightened up. The teenager approached the small drone, which hadn't moved upon his arrival, ignoring him.

"Zi, you could have waited for me! What did you-" And in the flashlight, he saw what had shocked her. All the oil in his body instantly left him. 

A drone lay inert against a container; a corpse - at least, what was left of his body - that Thad illuminated before their horrified gaze. Dismembered, his synthetic entrails half-eaten and falling into a pool of oil. Nothing remained below the waist. The torn-off head, falling askew and jaw ripped off, displayed the red 'Fatal Error' on his cracked screen. 

It was a real butchery.

The first to react was Thad; the smell hit him hard, sickening to him now that he was close enough. Pale-faced, he turned away and vomited up his last meal - batteries and coolant. He hiccupped as his processors tried to limit the massive traumatic shock.

As for Uzi, if not truly appalled by the corpse, the young drone was experiencing her own torment, as she tried to fight the urge to pounce on the body to feed on it. The smell made her feverish again, and it took all her willpower to extinguish this instinct, as sharp fangs pierced her lips. Instead, she concentrated on the discovery, puzzled as to how it could have happened.

Such savagery... "Who the fuck is this guy? Did he... work with my father?" Uzi had noticed the torn WDF uniform worn by the drone, but hadn't been able to recognize him.

"I... I know him." Thad stood up, clumsily wiping his dirty mouth. He was still shaking, and his eyes were stressed. Despite the drone's condition, the teenager remembered the new recruit who had helped him in the office. His throat tightened. "His name is Steve; he was a Worker who recently joined the WDF. It's been a while since... since anyone's seen him back at work. He's..." 

Alert: Emotional instability detected!

Resetting AI security settings [in process...]

Thad tried to catch his breath as his systems began to regulate his emotional spike to stabilize him. When he calmed down enough, only despondency remained in his voice. 

"He... was a nice guy." 

The Worker-Solver noticed how affected her friend seemed. She fumbled for words, not knowing what to say. “Dude, I… uh…” 

Then the two young drones jumped together as they heard dull thuds coming from the vents above. Getting louder and louder: it was approaching fast. 

“Shit!” Uzi wasted no time; the surprise was gone, she summoned [null] in one hand. Her sharp tentacles that sprouted from her back pointed at the likely assassin, while a shredded wing pushed Thad back to protect him from the attack.

She stood ready to fight… and when a heavy body fell nimbly from above, Uzi lunged forward with a deafening scream, a flaming yellow-purple cross displayed on her screen. Her appendages captured the arms and legs in her grasp, which thrashed and hissed angrily as it was caught.

It was strong, Uzi realized, then she gasped painfully after a heavy blow which cracked her screen and momentarily blinded her, but she managed to keep her balance to aim right. 

The sounds of their confrontation echoed, roaring, angry growls and blows exchanged. Suddenly , a bright yellow flash pierced the darkness right to Uzi… and a long, deadly stinger grazed her chest at the core, her opponent's tail stopping just as she was about to throw the destructive black sphere at V. 

Who looked in equal surprise at Uzi, the angry yellow 'X' flashing only to be replaced by a surprised expression. And who became annoyed. “You?” 

“V?” The Worker-Solver realized who it really was, and when her visual interface finally healed.  Glitchs in her vision faded, seeing V, as she finally released the very angry Disassembly. 

Annoyed groan. This was getting funny. More murder! The Solver decided to intervene, the reptile's head miming a pout as the two drones separated. 

“Uh… I think the demon's back, Zi.” Thad warned his friend, focused on both the entity and V, as he cautiously backed away. 

Neither of them reacted to his remark as the girls caught their breath after the fight - even though it had only lasted a minute. They looked at each other with the same annoyance. 

“Damn it, gremlin, you almost disintegrated me!” V accused the smaller drone, making the tiny buzzing black hole disappear between her fingers. 

Uzi glared at her, crossing arms defiantly. “And you almost melted me with your acid, Carrie! What the hell are you doing here?! Oh, and while I think about it, were you the one who butchered that drone?!” 

V, who was about to retort, closed her mouth when Uzi mentioned the drone, and followed her accusing finger as she pointed to the horribly mutilated body. The ex-Worker was increasingly suspicious of her friend being responsible, given her brutal hunting methods after having seen them. 

It couldn't have been N, who would never harm another drone - at least not from this bunker. 

As for the other possibility - who was J - Uzi briefly checked if her coordinates were showing up. They weren't, probably outside the area. 

That left V… who, after a moment, firmly shook his head, looking closely at the dead drone. And who seemed just as surprised. “Nah, I didn't do it. Someone else did.” 

“Stop talking shit, V, I'm serious-” 

“I'm telling you, I had nothing to do with it, damn it!” V grew annoyed, braving Uzi's accusations. “I saw right now; I smelled the oil when I was in the ducts, and I went down there to see what the smell was coming from… until you attacked me!” 

“Don't tell me… another Disassembly could have done that. Enter our bunker.” Thad hardly swallowed at the possibility - and when he and V met their gaze. 

The look she gave him when she finally noticed his presence was terrible, and the glint of her raised claws. Thad was nervous, sweating as he didn't know what to say. 

Uzi, who hadn't noticed their nonverbal exchange, considered what the Worker had just said about another Disassembly.

It was possible… Aside from the only three she knew, Uzi didn't have coordinates for any other squads. Not that the Solver had ever bothered with its other puppets, sending them to be slaughtered and their copies to labs. Still, the lack of a trace was odd: V would have sensed it, and Uzi too, if one of them had been nearby. And why would a single Worker be the victim? It was against the Disassembly's programming to ignore so much prey gathered in one place. 

It didn't make any sense.

"What do you think, freak?" V asked, her yellow eyes narrowed at the thought that rival drones had entered her territory. 

And if they had, she'd gladly tear them to pieces. 

"I don't know. It's so weird..." The Worker-Solver hated not understanding what was going on. 

One more mystery that needed to be unraveled as soon as possible... 

"Uh... Uzi?" Thad spoke again, clearly hesitating as he looked down in fear. 

"What?" 

Trembling, the Worker pointed to the carcass... and her tail, which had discreetly approached it without Uzi’s knowledge, as the reptile's head had grabbed its food. Gnawing on the victim's chassis, drinking the cold oil, taking advantage of the fact that nobody had noticed its presence. All three watched in shock for a moment.

“Creepy…” V commented darkly, nervously, as her twitching tail moved a few inches higher, the stinger toward her former tormentor. 

“Damn it, drop it!” Uzi grew angry, and slammed the Solver’s body to knock it. 

Bite! The entity hissed and, vengeful, clumsily slammed its jaws onto Uzi’s fingers. 

Stunned by the violent blow, it only missed the white enamel by a millimeter, which the small drone had pushed aside just in time. The head’s yellow eyes emitted an evil glint, staring at the trio. Its disgusting tongue licked its body to collect the drone oil it had coated itself in while feeding. 

I want to eat. 

"You think that entitles you to do whatever you want, huh? You must love having your ugly face ripped off, parasite." Uzi growled, ready to decapitate the reptile's head right now.

But the next words it uttered as its head approached hers, coldly, prevented her from carrying out the threat, as it breathed out its disgustingly cold breath:

Anger. I'm not a parasite. Host Uzi will soon understand her place. Without knowing what happens. I can still reach you !

"... You know what happened, don't you?" Uzi understood, and in the face of the Solver's unhealthy silence, she grabbed it forcefully. "Answer me right now!"

Too late: after one last smirk, the reptile's eyes lost its yellow pupil, and to Uzi's frustration, she shook her unconscious tail.

"You coward! Come back at once!"

"Zi, I don't think it's any use," Thad tried to calm her, as her friend practically crushed the semi-independent head, ignoring the pain she was inflicting on herself.

In the end, she gave up as she let go with an angry cry of her own, the body hanging from the cord falling limply to the ground before struggling to stand up after such abuse.

For her part, V watched all this with a wary eye, her large claws scraping her crossed arms. She paid no attention to the scratches, too preoccupied by what had just happened. There was nothing reassuring about what the Solver had said; obviously, it was plotting some twisted scheme to regain its freedom. It had ideas of which they, and especially Uzi, were unaware. And if it had succeeded in killing that Worker…

What would it do next? And them: what should they do? 

As long as it's active in the gremlin, this thing will stay alive... 

"We need to get this guy out of here, before anyone sees this..." Uzi decided automatically, lost in similar thoughts. 

She and V looked at each other; each saw the worry written on the other's screen, the situation having suddenly worsened in the space of a few minutes. With the possibility of a killer present in the bunker, and the Solver having been involved in this murder, they understood that the storm was going to be terrible. 

As long as their enemy lived... 

"We need to get to the bottom of this, as soon as possible before something else like this happens again..." Uzi decided, wanting to understand what was going on in Outpost-3's shadow. Then she ordered Thad, who was struggling to touch the dead Worker: "Thad, take care of hiding the body. If anyone finds it, it could cause a panic. V and I will search the bunker."

For now, Uzi's plan was simple: if there was any Disassembly, or Eldritch horror around, they'd find and kill it, whatever it might be. 

But also, the teenage drone wanted to take the opportunity to talk to V about what had just happened. 

She certainly has quite a lot to tell me, Uzi guessed, casting one last anxious glance towards the corpse as she spread her fleshy wings to take flight.

"W-Wait, Uzi! I've to do..." Thad wanted to catch her, but the little drone took off to the duct in the ceiling and squeezed through, disappearing inside. "Robo-God, do I have to do this alone?" He groaned, desperate to be left to fend for himself with a corpse.

That left him and V; still on the ground, the Disassembly sighed, before turning to the Worker, who was looking at her strangely. She immediately hated that look.

"Do what the purple thing told you, toaster." V hissed, and pointed a menacing claw at his screen. "And I better not find a drop of oil on my way back!”

And when Thad nodded vigorously, V hurried to join Uzi. Her expression was grave, as events unfolded. Without speaking, she had understood Uzi's intention, to talk in private. It was perfect for her: the two girls had important things to discuss. In the path of the conduits, she quickly caught up with Uzi who had stopped to wait for her. 

The two stared at each other, before the Worker-Solver signaled her to move forward. A clear message: questions could wait until later, after they'd made sure to check the bunker. 

“Let's go.” Uzi stepped aside to allow the Disassembly to go first. 

V reluctantly agreed, as she walked ahead, avoiding any contact with Uzi's cursed tail, which hissed as she passed. Though she made sure to at least keep a watchful eye on the small drone as they set out together to hunt down the intruder. 

One thing was for sure: this was going to be a long night…

___________________________________________________

Much further north, once night had fallen, N and Nori had headed beyond the cabin. Outside, visibility was excellent; it was an exceptionally clear night, the stars and two planets illuminating Copper-9's frozen ground, and N couldn't help but regret not being able to fly there with Uzi. 

With Nori providing the coordinates, the Disassembly had taken them further, past the clearing where the destroyed ship - by V - lay covered in snow. Seeing this, N was overcome by memories of what had happened here. 

Especially Nova torturing him, assaulting his core. 

And it shuddered painfully in his chest, as N gasped. 

It still hurt. He was scared.

Without a second thought, he flew faster to leave this dreadful place. 

Nori had to hold on to her jacket at the sudden change in speed. And even though she was almost thrown off balance, any protest was silenced before she could lose her temper. The former drone had noticed the haunted, pained look in the boy's hollow eyes. And from what Uzi had told her about what had happened here, she guessed what N was thinking. At his expression, she stopped the harsh comment, feeling a rare pity for him.

And retained herself insulting him as usual, she directed him where to go: "Keep straight on, boy; it should be near."

"Okay ma'am." And N accelerated his wings even more, his anti-gravity engines screaming as he spun across the sky like a golden comet.

The forest unfurled beneath him; they passed a group of Workers in a camp who, seeing N flying over them, fled into an old dilapidated barn ; he ignored them. But further on, his senses went on alert as his cameras caught distant yellow glimmers moving across the sky. And panic grew inside him as he recognized this.

“Oh no.”

A Disassemblies’ squad. Three of them. And they were approaching fast from the air, right on them.

N had to slow down, groaning anxiously at the threat as he landed on the dead branch of a tree. This was serious, he must have entered the territory of a whole group; the solitary drone was likely to be no match for them if he had to fight. And his fellows might make mincemeat of him and Nori if they found them.

"Shit!" Nori swore, seeing the threat too, as clinging to N's shoulder to search for a hiding place. And her purple eye lit up as she found an old, collapsed cottage. She tapped her claw on the drone's head, to make him look at her, then pointed to the destroyed ceiling. "Hide inside!”

"Okay!" N wasted no time, and dashed into the attic. 

Just as he hid his wings and pressed himself against the wall, in the shadows, the Disassembly looked up to see the winged silhouettes of his peers passing above without seeing them, flying away elsewhere. N and Nori thought they were out of the woods... 

...Until the ceiling shook with a dull thud, then the muffled sounds of footsteps, and they froze, realizing that one of the drones had just landed on the roof. The individual moved forward, until they could see them; not the other drone, which had their back partly turned to them, nanite acid tail waving and armed with claws. 

It was a male drone, dressed like N in a heavy coat, except for a thick hat. Clearly, he was looking for something; N saw the murderous 'X' on the screen, and the terrifying grin jagged across his face as the hunter looked everywhere. 

Did he see us? N asked Nori, displaying the short message on his worried screen. 

She signaled for him to be quiet and turn off his lights. The large drone obeyed, dimming everything to the maximum, front-facing cameras disabled, even pressing his tail against his back to reduce any glare that might betray their presence. 

And they waited. 

For the moment, the foe Disassembly wasn't looking into the house, growling as walked slowly on all fours above the structure. While Nori and N remained silent, the core slowly raised a claw, ready to throw [edit] and [translate] the poker at the back of the room and impale it on the drone's screen. As for N, he changed one of his hands into a sword, the other into a pistol; ready to riddle the enemy with bullets. His systems displayed "Target locked!" as they identified him; a cross replaced one of his eyes as he prepared to defend them. 

Fortunately, neither of them had to act; suddenly, one of the drones that had passed by earlier, a female, returned to her late companion. 

Without landing, she caught the attention of the Disassembly, who turned to her. “S, hurry up! We found Workers barricaded in a barn! C is waiting for us!” 

“Wait, T… I thought I saw something over there, towards the forest.” The drone named S glanced toward the tree where N and Nori had been a moment before, then gave up. His expression became puzzled. “I must have been dreaming.” 

“Come on! The toasters might be hiding! And my oil reserves are starting to run low.” 

Right after, the two Disassemblies set off in the same direction; N released the breath he'd been holding, lowering his weapon once he was sure they were gone, and climbed onto the roof to leave with Nori. 

“That was really close…” The core grumbled, trying to calm the fear she had hidden, before pointing N in another direction. “Follow this road: we should come to a camp the humans have built.The lab is over there!” 

And N obeyed, taking them to where Nori had told him they would find the place where humans were experimenting on the Solver. In order to destroy it, before Copper-9's core exploded. 

They didn't have to go far; within minutes, N found what looked very similar to Camp 98.7. Several buildings were in ruins, like there. Except it was larger, looking more like a sort of village surrounded by a large wire fence. 

The entrance sign read 'JCJenson Orphanage'. 

What is it? The Disassembly wondered, before settling into the snow, looking around curiously and suspiciously. 

“This is where the lab is?” 

“According to the coordinates, yes.” Nori watched each house, gathered in a circle around the area. 

Involuntarily, she remembered being in an almost similar place; but in this camp, there were children's playgrounds everywhere. Slides, bikes, swings and various toys were scattered everywhere. Unlike the former property where Nori and several dozen other drones had been herded together to be nothing more than objects of study, this place had been used to accommodate young humans. At least, it wanted to look that way.

"They... guarded children here?" N looked curiously at the place, which was nothing like he'd imagined. 

More like a summer camp on Earth. In the past, N guessed, it must have been a pleasant place to live. Many people and children must have stayed here, and for a long time; as the big drone peered from a distance through an open door, he saw several beds set up. Dozens of them.

"I... I never would have thought the company took care of orphans on Copper-9." N remarked distractedly, as they continued to move forward.

But something was missing, and N was troubled by this absence. There wasn't a single skeleton here, child or adult, as the drones continued to advance.

"It doesn't look like a laboratory at all, Nori..."

"Trust me, I doubt this was meant to be a simple orphanage." Nori retorted, grabbing with [translate] a card lying in the snow, sending it flying right in front of N, who caught it.

It was a scientist's badge, in poor condition; the photo was ruined, but they could see 'Dr. Ethan: Experimental Area' written on it. And around them, Nori noticed the presence of several Sentinels, guard dogs ; but the metal reptiles crumpled in the snow and destroyed.

By what?

This orphanage belonging to their old company, JCJenson, Nori understood at once that it must have been a cover for the real activity that had been going on here. Shady and probably unethical things, based on her own experience. She wasn't fooled; the lab had to be there. Out of sight. And she knew exactly where to look for the entrance, according to the plan of the structure she had memorized. 

Just behind the largest building, N went around it, following the instructions given to him by the former drone. 

Finally, they arrived at a huge metal trapdoor. Closed and intact. Suspicious in a place like this.

"Bingo." Nori indicated, as N approached her to a wall-mounted access screen, curiously still in working order and powered by electricity.

Nori dialed a series of complex numbers, while N kept an alert eye out for any danger. Her claws quickly flew over each code, without making a single mistake. Until the screen displayed: 'Access authorized', unlocking the hatch's hydraulic system, which shook open without difficulty.

Allowing the two drones to descend into the depths of the building.

Chapter Text

Since the last chapter, we've passed the 100,000-word mark! Honestly, it's still hard to believe! And it's largely thanks to you that I'm motivated to do this story :)

I know it hasn't been long since I posted my last drawing, but here's a little thank-you gift:

NUzi moments! (Moments that could happen in the SOFT universe) hehehe :3

Note bonus :

As I said above, it's very much thanks to you, to know that this story is read by others and appreciated, that I've continued to write and keep motivated.

Often, I doubt very much whether I'll succeed in offering a quality story; I have lots of ideas, including expanding the MD universe, with other plots like Outpost-3, the drone society, and other things. I'm afraid of dragging out the plot too long, to be confused about the development of the story and that this fiction will end up losing interest.

Not to mention that when writing in another language, English, I try to be grammatically correct.

Of course, I still love writing Sort Of Fairy Tale :) It's been my biggest project, and it's very close to my heart. But I still have doubts about my ability to write properly, compared to other stories I read.

That's why knowing that others find the story interesting fills me with joy. And it gives me even more energy! It was important for me to let you know.

Once again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart ^^ See you next time!

Chapter Text

As they descended beneath the orphanage building, the gloomy atmosphere there put the two drones inside on edge; the tall Disassembly was particularly on guard, as he and Nori descended the metal staircase steps that led them ever deeper into the depths of Copper-9.

The electricity was miraculously operational, activating as they arrived, though the light bulbs flickered intermittently, most of them having become defective after so many years. 

"How far down do we have to go?" Nori grumbled, even though there was no end to this staircase. 

Then N made a noise as he noticed the stairs finally stop, leading them to the end of a long, darker corridor, which they followed until the pair stopped in front of an old elevator shaft. 

"Urgh... Such a bad joke..." N growled between his teeth, tail wagging nervously under the emotion behind his back.

“An unpleasant experience with that?” Nori asked him, as the large drone flipped a lever to raise the platform - which worked, the machine roaring as it rose. 

N slowly nodded, the grim expression of his fake eyes flashing on the screen, as the memories returned. “Yeah. It was… well, terrible.” 

He could still see the Sentinels attacking them and their paralyzing flashes; hear their many piercing screams. Of him holding Uzi, her arm severed, both of them terrified through the Solver possession. Of V deciding to stay behind, saluting them bravely before severing the elevator cable. N had thought he would never see her again. That he and Uzi would have to continue without her. 

But the Disassembly forced himself out of his terrifying memories as the elevator arrived and the doors opened, as he stepped inside the elevator. None of that mattered anymore: V had made it, and together with Uzi, they had killed Cyn. 

That was in the past.

And we won, he reminded himself, thinking about what was really important right now. 

Uzi, who was counting on them tonight. On him. He should stay focused. Even if he missed her presence by his side.

Meanwhile, Nori had remained silent at his shoulder. Seeing that he seemed nervous, she decided to give him a break. Then, checking his determined look, the Doorman matriarch lowered her arm to the control panel. 

“Are you ready?” she warned him, and when N nodded, Nori moved her claw to the “Secret Lab: Restricted Sector” button. 

Yes, humans had really invented a control like that for this elevator. Which made Nori roll her violet eye at the appalling stupidity of the scientists of the time. 

Although she pressed it, declaring “So here we go!” with mock enthusiasm. The elevator moved before the winch took them further and further down, toward what was probably hell the lower they went. 

Lower floor of the Zone-51 bis laboratory: sector 3-a! announced an old, faulty speaker in the elevator shaft. 

The duo were in a huge room, where there were many offices and switched-off computers; dusty and abandoned. It was strangely warmer there than on the surface. The metal cage opened with a creak; armed with a submachine gun (as a precaution), N entered this new place with Nori. All the cameras on N’s head were constantly scanning the surroundings, attentive to the slightest threat, and ready to fire on any suspicious movement. Same for the former drone, who kept her powers within claw reach.

“Keep a close eye on all sides, killer boy; you never know what you might encounter.” Nori warned N, who gave her a positive nod. 

“Okay!” He responded, ready for anything... or so he hoped.

No, N! This is no time at all to flinch and doubt. Just stay focused! 

So he did.

Shortly, they encountered their first skeleton; Nori snorted contemptuously at what must have been a scientist, in a torn uniform and sprawled in their chair. There were plenty more just like them, having met the same grim fate after the core’s destruction. It was a veritable underground graveyard. 

“At least we’re sure no humans from here survived,” she commented grimly. It didn’t matter how they perished; whether it was the explosion, lack of oxygen, or starvation. She enjoyed seeing the deaths of those who had cursed her, her own AND her little girl; having no pity to be satisfied by the sight. 

“And it looks like the Solver couldn't have sent any Disassembly here either,” N realized, after looking everywhere in the offices. 

Unlike last time, he didn't see any mutilated bodies of his fellows, sent to destroy the labs where the humans were studying a way to destroy the evil AI. As Nori directed him where to go and look, there were only human skeletons, scattered on chairs or on the floor. And for the Sentinels, N remained vigilant for reptiles, knowing how deadly those things were, able to spring from any trap and hatch.

There weren't any Workers either: it was completely deserted. Except for the numerous cyberbugs swarming on the floor, squeaking whenever the Disassembly walked too close to them, though he tried to avoid them as best he could. 

Who apologized: “Sorry, little buddies!” every time he almost crushed one under his metallic feet. 

As the older core grumbled over his shoulder, “These things are definitely everywhere…”, though she had a kinder thought for the one her daughter had tamed, which sometimes hung around their apartment and hid from Khan. 

Her husband hated that thing and its ilk so much! 

N and Nori continued to move forward to find a computer that was still intact, the others in this place being unusable. But none of them seemed to work, in ruins, and most were falling apart, which increased their apprehension; at the thought of having come all this way for nothing. 

"Come on, there's got to be one left that works..." Nori grew angrier, cursing the humans for not investing in better equipment. Her gaze wandered further. "Any one- oh." Until a corner of the floor caught her eye.

And when Nori showed it to N, revealing in the shadows a large sealed door, with a sign above it reading “Restricted Access: Experiments and Research”. But one detail struck them both. This door was barred by a huge, peeling reddish cross; like dried blood. Where “Do not open!” and “Monsters: Danger” had been noted by the humans in these offices. Even though the warning made N and Nori wary, they looked at each other, wordlessly deciding to check the only other entrance to the room. 

Whatever was inside, it must have been horrible enough that the humans had decided to prevent anyone who came after their deaths. And then… they noticed the Solver symbol: the three-pointed star of the Singularity. 

Sooo suspicious…

“It must be there, Nori ; where they were studying the Solver. Like in the church!” N said out loud what they were both thinking.

“Sure, considering how they sealed this place.” Nori confirmed, and she urged N to bring her to a digital code. 

It required a new security combination: of course. 

Fortunately, the access codes N retrieved from the military drone worked. Skilled with computers, Nori had no trouble cracking the security, and once the last number was entered, the large metal door slowly opened. And warm air escaped, hitting N's visor, as his eye wrinkled as he recognized a ferrous smell, similar to blood.

Weird… Intrigued, his mouth opened slightly to better 'taste' the strange air, his advanced sensors on his tongue analyzing even the molecules. 

And confirming its organic origin. 

What could it be? He wondered, but the thought was interrupted when the door opened completely. 

And revealed a Sentinel lying on the ground in front of them, startling N back. And Nori swore, “Oh fuck!”, hurrying with [translate] to tear a pipe from the ceiling. As N aimed his weapon at the beast, tail raised forward ready to sting, and growling ferociously at it. 

But despite their commotion, it didn’t move. Still inert. 

“Wait…” N realized then that the Sentinel’s body was half missing; lying in its synthetic viscera and oil. “It’s… dead.”

Completely destroyed. 

Cautiously, the big drone stepped over it, as he and Nori entered to discover that it wasn't the only one. At the same time, their breath was taken away as they realized that dozens of Sentinels had been destroyed in the same way. Their limbs torn off, disembowelled, impaled by metal bars, or crushed against walls. Gathered in heaps in certain corners, which N illuminated with his other arm turned into a torch, and keeping his gun in the second. Showing deep gashes in some places, lacerated with immense force.

But they discovered something far more frightening; before their frightened eyes, it spread everywhere in what looked like organic flesh. Bones twisted like thorns, crudely assembled in places. Which gave off heat, pulsing in places. Staring at them through bulging, bloodshot eyes, closing as soon as N blinded them with his light. Hissing through sorts of jaws, which snapped menacingly. Bodies of scientists AND other drones - so they were in there - lay inside. Trapped by this thing, which seemed to have tried to assimilate them into its body. 

“Robo-God… What is this place?” Nori was horrified by such a sight; it looked so much like the church, where the Solver had made its nest. 

N whined horribly, trembling with terror as his hollow eyes now watched for the slightest Eldritchian apparition to appear. Be it a deformed centipede, or hundreds of arms. Or... Cyn. He remembered being dragged into the bowels of something similar; almost devoured before Nori barely pulled him out. He froze completely, retreating a step behind the door; when he felt Nori's touch tapping his shoulder, making him stop.

After the initial shock, she had tried to compose herself. Gesturing for N to continue, despite his reluctance, even though he was shaking all over. “We need to check in there; those scientists probably have notes about the Solver.” Nori insisted, convinced they would find answers inside. 

It was their best chance; they had to go. 

N had to summon all his courage to force himself to refocus; this was the kind of situation where the trauma suppressor would have been useful! 

No, you're doing this for Uzi! He remembered; that gave Disassembly enough motivation. Then an idea came to him; like his girlfriend, N slapped himself, hard enough to shake his program (and almost dislocate his jaw) and the loading circle flashed on his screen. 

“Ouch…” N massaged his sore cheek, the silicone having deformed a little under the impact.

Emotional parameters reset! 

Reduced traumatic impact. 

“All right, idiot? Got it together? We have to move on now.” Nori called after him, keeping her voice steady despite everything; she'd been through enough horrors without being too affected anymore. 

And after taking a deep breath, N replied enthusiastically, “Yep, I'm better! No worries!” He smiled, feeling a little better after that. And even though a nervous jolt ran through him, he stepped forward onto the reddish floor invaded by flesh. 

As they moved in this mass of flesh, N and Nori were on their guard, looking at each side of the floor they were crossing. For now, the appendages remained calm, the many eyes content to watch passively the intruders crossing. 

There were always more drones and mutilated humans inside; but also other sections of the floor that they covered. Other corridors were laid out in the same way, forming a more complex sector, where flesh had grown. These were more bedrooms, like those on the surface of the camp. But these were much smaller, imposing panes of glass used to observe the interior; probably one-way mirrors, most of them broken. With several series of numbers above them, “01”, “02”, “03”, etc…

And the children who once lived there weren't there either. Inside, there were signs of a struggle: the beds torn, the furniture destroyed, the walls and floors slashed. 

N and Nori stood there for a moment, not understanding what they were seeing now. What could have been done here that had anything to do with the Solver except this living flesh. 

“These beds were for children,” N said, his digital eyebrows furrowing as he saw drawings and toys like over there. “They made them here too: for orphans? But why… does it look like that?” 

There were still no children’s bodies… not in the rooms, not in the mass of flesh that was beginning to thin out as they walked forward. 

Where had they gone? 

“What could they be doing here?” Nori was starting to get a bad feeling. 

Whatever had happened here must have been awful. Back when the Solver was attacking humans, they had been willing to do anything to stop it. Even if it meant infecting dozens of innocent drones with the virus, spreading the demon to other hosts. And exploiting any weakness the scientists discovered by mass-torturing Nori and her fellow sufferers. 

So much suffering… 

“Nori; are you okay?” N was concerned by the tension emanating from the core, and the claws that had gripped him tighter. 

“I’m fine.” Nori hissed, refusing to let the memories affect her. Not again. “Let’s get out of here.” 

Thankfully, the next room they went to finally cleared; there was much more space, much larger than the church, the flesh mostly clinging to the far walls.

And in the center of the room, N and Nori stopped brutally as they discovered the body of a smaller, crouching drone dressed in a robe, strangely twisted and misshapen. 

Chained to a pedestal surrounded by lightbulbs that formed an illuminated pentagram - one that made Nori shudder, the sight too familiar for comfort. Growths had grown on the body; a clawed hand that reminded N of those of the possessed V, many empty eyes protruding from curly brown hair. But most horrifying were all those flesh vines, N and Nori realizing that they had spread from the central body to invade everything. 

Destroying and killing everything in a wild rampage, drones and humans alike, before being stopped by the impassable door. And certainly by the still-active pedestal, which had immobilized them until the droneling could no longer move at all. 

“I've never seen anything like this before…” Nori murmured, the first to speak, before jumping off N despite a warning from the tall drone.

Who held the strange figure at gunpoint, but didn't dare fire immediately. He didn't know what they were dealing with yet; whether it was alive or hostile.

What should we do?

Driven by curiosity, Nori trotted to the front of what remained of the droneling. Who didn't react to her, as she approached closer - testing the waters, seeing if the bulbs were responding to her presence - but gravity didn't shift, allowing her to move. Slowly, she reached out her claw to tap the child's foot. No reaction. They must have been dead, by now. And the Doorman woman examined the youngest, looking at the abomination with mixed feelings of horror and fascination. 

In all the archives of the laboratory where she had lived, everything concerning the Solver and what had been discovered, Nori had never seen anything like it. 

Soon followed by N, who, although he kept at least five of his cameras behind his back and all around him, those on the screen expressed deep emotion at such horror. He couldn't help but approach, before crouching down to the level of the small body who remained motionless. A bracelet caught his eye, attached to the drone's wrist. While watching the droneling, which still wasn't responding, N retrieved it, reading aloud the name written on it: 

"Subject 10: Liam." 

"More drone experiments, huh." Nori huffed, having finished looking at the poor little thing having been tied up like an animal. However, something intrigued her about what she was seeing. "This seems different from what happened to me at the church, and with the others." 

N looked oddly at the core, unsure of what she meant. "What's different?" 

Although she couldn't express herself much with this body, Nori's orbital camera blinked more brightly. She was truly concerned about this discovery. “I don't think it was Solver possession. Or else this place would have imploded long ago, and this planet too. It's like… he controlled that power, to attack everyone here. To escape.” 

“But he didn't succeed…” N began to think, before remembering the rooms they had visited. “You think that in addition to the orphans upstairs, they kept dronelings here?” 

Nori made a thoughtful noise, continuing to look at the small drone. “It seems more complicated than that… We have to keep looking.” 

But before leaving, both of them stared at the imprisoned body, unsure of what to do. 

Something bothered N about leaving the chains on the droneling, without doing anything about it. Impulse was for him to undo them before leaving. But looking at the vines again… instinct adverted him not to touch them. To leave that child as he was, even if it wasn't right. 

Nori looked the same, her gaze alternating between the links, her claw emitting a glow as if to rid him of them. But clearly hesitating, and the symbol faded, before she finally sighing, “Let's go.” 

Sorry, kid. N mentally apologized, as they left the droneling in the same position. 

Leaving that room (with one last compassionate look at the body), they went to another area. Which led only to a dead end, where N stopped in a smaller, bloodless room… with a computer station. Which seemed intact. 

“Maybe it still works…” Nori hoped, and she jumped onto the desk, her claws playing with the keyboard to turn on the network server. 

N discovered several notes scattered all over the desk, which he picked up by chance. He looked at the yellowed sheets of paper, most of them illegible and formulated in complex mathematical formulas; his processors were able to interpret most of them, particularly about the manipulation of matter and space. 

Others, however... 

Many of the sheets spoke of the orphans; and their photos, where underneath had been written a lot of data. Including the names. 

“Sarah, Jack, Lola, Vincent, Felicia, George, Suzuki…” N read each of them, dozens of them. 

Which were either crossed out or circled, whatever that meant at the moment. But next, one of them made him gasp, as N saw the image of a young human boy with a sad smile and tired eyes. 

“Liam.” 

Here's what was written on the sheet, or at least what the drone could read: 

“[...] from the now-destroyed Earth. Boy of English descent (no physical alterations) —... 13 years old (good physical condition) —... named subject 10, exhibits high neural activity (excellent cognitive results) —... discussed with other scientists for experimentation —... several deaths having been noted in other child subjects—... transfer compatibility. Discussed with Dr. Moebius N—... Solver program. Approved.” 

The document N was holding, shaking, because of his fingers. Almost crumpled, as he slowly realized what it revealed. 

This child… was subject 10: Liam. 

Chained droneling… that was him too. 

What humans had done… using children of their own kind. Orphans, taken in, to use in experiments. Which had killed many of them. To successfully integrate them into the drone bodies. And then... infect them with the Absolute Solver program. Dooming them. But... why? 

Why? N repeated to himself, as a strange, dull anger rose within him. It struck a chord within him, one he hadn't known existed until now. 

Even if he himself had been responsible for the deaths of children, dronelings and UNNs... and even though he couldn't remember most of them from his previous copies, N had never done it out of cruelty, or to inflict suffering. And he had always strived for their deaths to be as quick and painless as possible. But not these human scientists: under the guise of taking in orphans, who no longer had anyone, they had used them as guinea pigs. For experiments that caused their deaths - which must have been abdominal. 

“Hey brat, you’re good?” Nori turned to Disassembly, hearing his growling intensify. 

She had managed to boot the computer; the control screen had lit up - luckily, the scientist's session was still open. On it were several files, dating back about twenty years - before the core exploded and the humans on Copper-9 died. 

Most of them were recordings: Nori had opened the last one that had been recorded. 

_experiment: subject10/absoluteSolver.video (19/03/3050) 

This one had been created in the months before the annihilation of humanity on Copper-9. But before looking at it, Nori was interested in what her daughter's boyfriend had discovered, which had him in a fury she had never seen in the boy. 

“Look.” N showed her the sheets he had found, unable to take any more as he let Nori read the documents. 

A few moments later, the core's eye narrowed in shock, as was N. Not expecting… such a thing. So revolting. 

“What could those stupid humans be thinking…” She snapped furiously, knowing they’d gone so far as to sacrifice children to achieve their ends: what could their motives be? 

For that, there was only one way to find out. 

And Nori clicked on the video file, she and N determined to find out what could have happened here. The screen went black, loading the file’s data as the player booted. 

Then the face of a human woman appeared. Her blue eyes were icy, devoid of emotion, and her hair was simply styled. Her appearance should have been unremarkable… but N gasped at the image, jerking back from the computer. 

Panting, as he painfully clutched his chest where his core was beating. Ignoring Nori’s call, as an anguished whimper erupted from him, in the grip of a panic attack. 

“It's her… It's her…” He repeated, horror rising within him as another face was superimposed over the one. 

Fleshless, and metallic. But identical in every way, so much so that his systems mistook it for the drone that had violently abused him. 

Hurting his core to find Uzi, even as he fought desperately. 

“Who her?” Nori joined him; however, she was unable to reason with N, who retreated to a wall and cowered. 

“Nova.” He hissed. 

And that voice - when it spoke, it was exactly the same. Inflicting the same pain on N's dying core, which burned and hurt him, as the woman introduced herself: 

“Today's report to the Zone-51 bis laboratory by Dr. Nova Moebius.” 

Hearing that name, Nori looked curiously toward N, wanting to know how he knew that name. But given his psychological state, she restrained her questions, focusing on the human woman. 

“Update on the experiment on Subject 10. This has proven far more successful than anything anyone could have imagined. While until now, the majority of subjects have not been able to withstand the transfer into another body, that of Subject 10's human consciousness has been successfully converted into stable biometric data. 

“To do this, we downloaded an isolated portion of the Absolute Solver program into a core, allowing the mutation to alter Subject 10's codes to make them compatible with the transfer into a blank, adapted drone frame. The Absolute Solver program assimilated the data and reproduced it perfectly; everything was preserved, even memories, without the subject losing anything when he woke up. JCJenson's administration was mistaken; it is possible for humans to preserve their consciousness in another body. So we continued the tests, following the same procedure.” 

As they listened, Nori struggled to remain calm in the face of this human scientist's revelations. She had the eyes of a fanatic, joyfully describing the fruits of her great labor. Exposing the results of a feat she boasted about, even though it had come at the expense of several lives. 

“Over time, we have observed a clear mental deterioration in Subject 10; particularly in his personality. More aggressive and hostile, I must say. It is important to note that this subject was infected by the source program, not by a modified Host program. However, the subject does not display any symptoms of possession like those of ordinary drones; yellow eyes and the loss of free will. Although bodily mutations have been observed… 

“Another significant point to note is also the manipulation of space and matter; each subject was thus able to develop various kinds, such as [translate], [scale], [teleport], [edit], or even moderate [null] in some. Others, such as Subject 10, saw biological limbs develop in them, increasing their already highly developed strength as a drone - we count five of them whose stage is advanced.” 

The scientist paused briefly; in the meantime, Nori noticed a commotion at the back of the video, several humans in yellow suits - and even a priest armed with a crucifix patch!, making Nori gasped - everyone running like idiots in the same direction. 

What's going on? She wondered, while the scientist seemed to lose interest. But more importantly, what about the crucifix?! 

The old one she owned had been destroyed, but if there was another one…

If she could get it back… Then, Uzi…

“And about the Subject 10, our priest thought about changing the procedure-” As Nova spoke again, the image jerked, and everything abruptly went dark. As if the video had abruptly stopped. 

“Damn it! Not now! Come back!” Nori cursed, she immediately checked what was going on. 

They had a crucifix patch with them! If only she could see more of it… what had happened. And where it might be. Uzi… it might help her daughter ! Even if it didn’t cure her of the Solver, it might help contain it or weaken it. Nori had never been able to produce another one like the one she’d retrieved - those damned humans had made sure the drones had no access to it. This might be her best chance. 

“I… Is it over?” N slowly got to his feet, walking back to the desk as he regained his senses. Even though the Disassembly continued to hold himself as if he would collapse any minute. 

“Brat, what was wrong with you earlier?!” Nori asked him, a little brutally as she was annoyed with the patch thing, but still worried about what she had witnessed with N. 

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. But he could only think of one thing; about that woman. This image haunted him; his tail wrapped fearfully around his legs, as if to protect him. Acting like his old self Worker, afraid of the wrath of his former masters.

“I… That human…” N began, knowing what he was about to say sounded completely crazy. But after what he had just heard… not really. “She looks exactly like that weird drone; the one from the ship, who attacked us with other guys like her.” 

After what he had just learned… Could it be that same scientist Nova, who was human at the time? And then became a drone? 

Nori thought about what N had just said, having the exact same thought as him at that moment. In any case, it was highly likely, if their experiments aimed to integrate human consciousness into drones. Although at the time, it was still only theory for human scientists, perhaps this lab had succeeded? 

“It's not impossible…” Nori reluctantly confirmed. 

Although it didn't matter so much, in the end. After all, Uzi had killed her and her squad. And there were more important things to worry about. Like that famous crucifix. 

Nori gestured for N to listen carefully, who leaned closer to her: “More importantly, killer boy : these guys used a patch in this lab here too; in the video, one of the guys in suit looked like a priest. He was holding a crucifix identical to the one I had. Do you remember it?” 

N's eyes brightened, recalling the object Uzi's mother had given him when they first met. “Yeah! I remember it!” 

“Perfect. I think there's one nearby, somewhere around here. Go check if you can find the patch, or the priest who held it: we have to get it back at all costs!” 

“Okay!” And N hurried out. Before stopping, as he looked hopefully at Nori. “Could… does this help Uzi better control the Solver?” 

The small core of flesh wriggled her body, mimicking a determined statement. “If I tweak it a little… I hope.” 

That was all it took for N, who hurried back to the main room of the sector, wishing to leave this room as quickly as possible ; returning where the droneling's body had been chained. Although as he moved away, N didn't see the lights on the base go out for a split second, due to a sudden drop in energy levels. 

Or a spasm that stimulated one of the fingers of the small, inactive drone. 

Nori was about to join N, ready to participate in the search to find the patch; when suddenly, the video appeared behind her back. And the human scientist, very upset, as one of the men in the suit seemed to be talking to her. 

Before she sighed : 

"As I said earlier, Subject 10 was showing a lot of aggression towards my scientists, attacking human and drone personnel on several occasions. Hurting them. Killing them. Several scientists have been... eaten, leaving little behind; the same goes for the Worker Drones. We've noted numerous escape attempts, each time contained until today.” 

Far from being moved by the fate of her associates, and even less by that of the drones, the scientist seemed more bothered by the individual's presence. 

“His appetite appears to be a consequence of the integration of the Absolute Solver program. Also, Subject 10 exhibits weaknesses similar to those of the Worker subjects in the laboratories; fatal sensitivity to solar exposure; overheating upon oil or blood exhaustion; heat intolerance. The crucifix patch also appears to be a means of temporary control of Subject 10, though unlike the Host drones, there is no possession alike subjects from the Cabin Fever Lab : it only seems to affect artificial intelligence.

“It is also important to note that as I speak, this study highlights a real breakthrough in the use of the Absolute Solver by human beings, despite its unforeseen, hum… omnicidal tendencies.” 

"Yeah... Like hell you own it: I think I'm beginning to understand why this thing tries to massacre you on every planet." Nori grimaced (mentally), at the human's pretentiousness.

Playing with this demon to steal its powers; that wasn't smart at all.

“Madam!” Suddenly, the scientist beside the woman cried out urgently. “As I told you, the priest has just been killed. We activated the pentacle, but the flesh continues to spread out of control: it'll soon invade everything-” 

“I know that, idiot!” Nova snapped, glaring at the human, who fell silent. “I already had the sector locked down when you deployed the gravity pedestal. The rest of the building as well. He won't be able to leave here. The Sentinels should slow him down enough until everything is sealed.” 

“But… But you didn't warn us, ma'am. Or give the order to evacuate!” 

“I didn't see the point. Another complaint?” 

Although Nori couldn't see the human's expression, she guessed the horror that washed over him, while her superior didn't bat an eyelid. The former drone looked on in dismay at what she guessed to be the last moments of the scientists in this laboratory.

"N-None of us will be able to get out. Madame, this door cannot open from the inside! You..." Anger swelled in the man's voice, and he clutched her uniform. "You had no right!"

Again, the video paused; this time, Nori searched for the button to scroll the file faster, so as not to miss anything. This Nova woman... She hadn't hesitated to sacrifice her men. A mad scientist.

And when the video came on, Nori made a shocked sound as she saw the weapon the human was holding, wiping away with disgust the blood that had splattered her face. The gun was still smoking.

“She killed that guy, huh… Typical plot twist.” Nori was kind of expecting it.

“Sorry, I had to settle a small… disagreement with one of the employees.” The human lowered her weapon, casually putting her crumpled uniform back on, before stepping away to close the door behind her back.

There were other background noises; screams, Nori realized. The sounds of bodies being broken and torn apart, which the scientist ignored, concentrating instead on the recording. And Nori suddenly noticed she was smiling.

A cruel smile, laughing even, as the scientist stared through the screen. 

"To the person watching this video - whoever you are - please know that this was in no way intended to be viewed by anyone. What happened here, leading up to Project Solver... must not leave this place. That's why I've made some... arrangements. Which I've just put in place, before going into another room to... well, arrange to leave on my own. Before that thing does.

"And for you : the moment that file was opened, another program would kick in and deactivate the pentacle holding Subject 10. Although neutralized, he would normally regain consciousness as soon as it's turned off. And he gonna be particularly hungry, if it has been several years since his last meal. To preserve himself, his systems are capable of shutting him down to reduce consumption and prevent death by overheating... until he wakes up. Now, I imagine it won't be long. Too bad I won't be able to see it. Oh, of course, I wouldn't wish you luck.”

And the file stopped for good, leaving Nori trembling with fury, her single eye reduced to a burning point. A good reminder of why Nori hated humans.

A trap... 

They'd fallen into a damn trap! And N, who'd gone to get the crucifix. Alone.

"Holy shit... Brat!" Nori rushed outside, hurrying back to her daughter's endangered boyfriend. To warn him of the threat, and hopefully escape before disaster struck. 

But once in the big central room, she discovered with horror the unlit pedestal, every light bulb destroyed, exploded. Around the pedestal where the droneling (and former human Liam) once rested, the chains and flesh vines no longer held anything and lay on the ground: the child gone. 

And N wasn't anywhere.

“Bloody hell…”

Chapter Text

N had hurried off to look for the crucifix, as Nori had asked; he'd wasted no time - staying in the previous room was unbearable for him - rummaging through the flesh that had clung to the nooks and crannies of the floor. Nori still hadn't arrived: perhaps she was checking something else on her own?

No matter; N could manage. He'd bring the object back to her as soon as he'd located it. It had to be here somewhere. However, to the Disassembly's growing concern as he continued on his way, it was proving rather fruitless for the moment. 

The patch was nowhere to be seen.

Looking at each human corpse trapped inside, none of them looked like a priest, or had the crucifix that could help Uzi. None of his orbital cameras could see anything either.

"Where could this be?" N wondered, hoping he'd find it soon.

And then they'd go back to Uzi. She'd be so happy to know it had gone well, and that they were bringing something back from this expedition! Something that could potentially help her with the Solver.

And... I'd get that surprise... N thought, blushing yellower as he thought of what his girlfriend might offer him - a new kiss, he hoped with all his being. It motivated him even more to look.

As he moved to another area with more flesh, pushing aside more human bodies and drone frames but still no crucifixes, N tried to focus on that rather than thinking about Nova; the human or the drone. Though it wasn't really working: what they'd seen on the video wouldn't leave his mind. Maybe that scientist had been the one who'd attacked him with V... 

How? 

N briefly thought about the data uploaded from the ship the three drones had come from, which hadn't yielded much; not only had most of them been corrupted after his core was damaged, but it wasn't really helpful in understanding what these drones were up to, or why they were there. What their purpose had been.

Just their three names, and a series of approximate coordinates of where the crew came from: to a galactic system unknown to N, several light-years from Copper-9. A place that wasn't listed in his internal data, and the directions too vague to even locate a near star. 

Still, someone must have created them: perhaps other humans are still alive? 

When he'd told V about these coordinates, his squadmate had reluctantly admitted that she didn't know where it led; but she didn’t recognize a planet previously invaded. And Uzi hadn't come up with a better one, which had upset her that she didn't have the answer. 

In the end, N had given up. 

After all, neither Nova nor either of the other two were still alive. I saw their bodies, N reminded himself, trying to ignore his worry. 

Whether or not it was the same person, both Nova were dead. Neither was there anymore, and that was for the best.

Well… it wasn't just the video that made N uncomfortable; this whole lab did. 

And it wasn't just the flesh and the trapped bodies surrounding him that were to blame. Knowing what the humans had done there was something he couldn't accept. To survive, they hadn't hesitated to use their own children; to defend themselves against the Solver and them (him). 

And for what?

N had the result right in front of him, as he walked past another ruined room. A drawing scratched into the wall caught his eyes; several, in fact. It was the same one: the three-pointed star, drawn several times in the same way. 

“Uzi did that too…” N remarked, wanting to get a better look. 

When he went inside and illuminated it with a lamp, the Disassembly was surprised to discover the body of another drone, covered by flesh, inside the vines. The corpse too was inactive... but the tall drone had the strange sensation of being watched. An unpleasant feeling rose in N as he cautiously backed out of the narrow room. And without stopping to watch the dead drone, and the others around him, he had the impression they were watching him. 

Or was it all those eyes everywhere, which seemed strangely more active than before? Was there as much flesh around, quivering impatiently as he approached?

Huh… It's getting more and more morbid around here… He had to find that crucifix. And get out of this cursed place with Nori as quickly as possible! 

“Where could the patch be?” N was exasperated, hastily turning back when he still hadn't found anything. 

Before he came to an abrupt halt, braking with his feet as N saw before him, lying there, a corpse he swore he'd never seen before. That pontifical hat and the gilding, it looked like a priest... the one he'd been looking for ?

And the crucifix was embedded in the suit, having stabbed him to death.

N didn't move immediately, himself finding the coincidence too suspicious. To discover the body, as if by chance, when he was beginning to notice that something strange was going on. He stood still for a moment, his tail twitching, while nothing else happened.

It was too weird... However, did he have another choice? 

“Okay… I'll just take this.” He decided, as he began to walk towards the crucifix. 

Very slowly. And watching every shadow suspiciously. 

Then the Disassembly leaned towards the priest, to retrieve the crucifix he so desperately needed. Ready to risk falling into a trap, he cocked a loaded pistol in his other hand.

He tore the sharp, soiled object from the body, which collapsed to the ground. At least it didn't look like a hologram; and unscrewing the outer shell, N discovered the USB key still perfectly intact. A sigh of relief left him: he'd found it.

Now, he and Nori had to get out of here, and the negligent drone lowered his vigilance slightly.

Happy to have succeeded, N exclaimed, "Huh, that was easy-", when one of his cameras caught a movement above him, then a bone-sharp, bladed limb sprouting from a duct. Ready to decapitate him.

And not far away, Nori's voice warned him: “Brat, get out of here!!” before a beam from the building was launched towards him at high speed. 

Oh biscuits! N didn't think twice and instinctively dove forward, nimbly dodging the claw and beam on all fours, as he left the corridor to land towards Nori, the latter having launched the projectile with [translate]. 

There was a loud crack, then a shrill cry, and N straightened up against the invisible menace; he let out a roar of his own, and fired a burst of bullets at the creature's limb, which let out more high-pitched - and horribly childlike - plaintive cries until it disappeared into the corridors.

Nori wasted no time, climbing on top of the Disassembly whose narrowed eyes stared back at the place where he'd been standing a moment earlier.

"Brat, do you have the crucifix?!" She asked hastily, and when N nodded, she continued. "Great. Now let's get the hell-" before she squealed at the sudden movement of the drone she was perched on.

N had just narrowly dodged the twisted beam she'd thrown previously, having been thrown back at them, and it sank deep where they'd been before.

All around them, the vines of flesh wriggled, crawling out of the walls and the pentacle that N found empty, towards the corridor that was their only way out: until they disappeared entirely. Soon, the whole room emptied; neither he nor the core dared move, as they waited for the enemy to come to them.

Which they soon did.

First, there were faint footsteps. Then the small silhouette of the child drone left the darkness where it had been hiding, the hole in his chest closing where the beam had pierced it, not far from the core, and several bullet holes. Staggering awkwardly, he advanced towards the couple attacking him. 

Immediately, N pointed his gun at the child. Threateningly. 

“Stop right there.” He snarled, ready to defend them immediately at the next aggressive gesture. And when the young didn't seem to listen to him, N loaded his gun, shouting : “Please, don't move!” 

And the deformed droneling froze at the sound of his voice, stopping about ten meters away, as “Subject 10” looked up at them both with a sickly, white-rimmed stare; through his disheveled wig, his other bulging organic eyes were all turned in their direction. 

Although Nori thought it was dangerous not to kill it right away… she said nothing, watching in turn how the situation would evolve. For the moment, the small drone didn't move an inch, just staring at them passively. With a blank expression. 

Seeing that drone like that… reminded N and Nori of a similar scene, in a church. And someone dear to them. 

“Robo-God…” 

“Nori, what should we do?” N asked the core, hesitating whether to open fire to escape with her, or try to reason with that child. 

He only looked away for a brief second; and Nori didn't have time to warn N, when the droneling's body abruptly disappeared… 

... And reappeared below the Disassembly, much more fleshy and savage; the fangs gleaming in a outstretched mouth bit into his arm, and his clawed hand sinking into N's belly as he eviscerated his entrails. The touch burned the taller drone, hotter than he was; and N was hurled across the room with a deafening crash, as Nori fell further away and collapsed, stunned.

“Argh!” N cried out painfully, vomiting copious amounts of oil from his mouth. 

His whole body ached as the nanites treated the grievous wounds, and a series of “Alert: Critical Frame Damage!” “Healing Process in Progress…” appeared on his cracked screen. Trembling, his hollow eyes checked the extensive damage; his left arm had been reduced to a bloody stump, ripped off up to the elbow, and his other hand weakly tucked the rest of his exposed viscera under his jacket. He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from screaming, gasping with the effort. 

Higher, and his core would have been hit. 

At least the crucifix was still intact, N made sure of that, hidden in the safety of his coat. 

The attack had been so swift, so lightning-fast. And facing him, N saw the child busy gobbling up his stolen organs, with frightening voracity, covering himself in his oil. Laughing and snarling madly, as his missing arm was the next thing to disappear into his hungry mouth, swallowing it like a bird of prey. His powerful jaws crushed metal with an excruciating metallic screech.

He was completely ignoring him… for now. None of his many eyes were watching him. 

While his missing limbs grew back, N suddenly realized Nori was missing from his shoulder. And he saw the small, motionless body nearby. 

Oh my Robo-God… “Nori!” 

Seeing "Liam" was still busy eating, N struggled to his feet as his wounds slowly closed and joined Nori, who was coming to her senses, her cracked purple eye flashing; albeit very badly and her flesh flayed in places.

"Useless, weak body... urgh..." She struggled to sit up on her wobbly claws, her vision partly damaged, and her whole body aching horribly.

"Hold on, Nori. I've got you." N hastened to pick up Uzi's mother, bringing her gently back to his shoulder, to which she clutched with difficulty. "I'm so sorry, Nori; I should have shot him right away…”

“Never mind: the crucifix is intact?” Nori wanted to make sure, and when N showed her, she was satisfied. “Okay; now get us out of here!” 

But easier said than done; the droneling raised his head towards them, not satisfied with this meager meal after so many years. His tongue licked the remaining oil from his claws, while an unintelligent gaze remained fixed on his two prey. With a loud crack, a pair of sharp claws tore through his back, the sickle bones stained with oils and blood. 

“More.” “Subject 10” spoke for the first time, with a dull and cold voice. 

And for the second time, he rushed towards them to catch them. 

This time, N was ready; and spreading his wings, he launched himself into the air just as the creature arrived, narrowly avoiding the chitinous blades, as the infected droneling crashed into the wall. Having recovered his lost arm, the Disassembly transformed the two into missile launchers, and he no longer hesitated to bombard the ground where the child lay. N went on a rampage, throwing everything he could as the entire building shook around them. 

Until the entire room was engulfed in searing flames, completely destroyed by the incessant explosions. 

And N stopped when he was no longer able to see anything in the thick smoke. Landing not far away, though he chose to switch to swords to fight. Had he succeeded? 

“I-Is he…?” He didn't dare finish - fearing he would bring them bad luck. 

Alas, it was too late; when the dust settled, he and Nori saw with shock the droneling still intact. And the symbol that had protected him, [translate] fading as “Liam” emerged from the fleshy wings where he had hidden. Hissing furiously at the two drones, a terrifying metallic screeching noise, as N backed further back and responded with his own menacing-frightened growl. 

And Nori moaned, “Of course, it couldn’t be that simple.” She searched for a way for them to get out of this trap, as the Solver drone surprisingly took his time with them. 

Fighting a Solver drone was a pain, as [translate] and [rotate] were useless directly against an infected one. On the other hand, there was debris everywhere... The structure had been weakened by the explosions, and cracks had formed right up to the vault. 

And that gave Nori an idea, as she weighed up their chances; risky, and she was in no shape to use her powers, but they didn't have many alternatives.

One of her claws tapped N's face, and he turned one of his cameras towards her; remaining focused on the hungry child who was beginning to approach.

"Kid, on my signal, you'll fire a missile towards the corridor to collapse on him; I'll try to get him there." She quickly explained her plan, hoping it would work.

Hearing her plan, N let out an anxious groan. This really was perilous. But he had no time to complain; Nori made use of the debris on the ground with [translate], using [edit] to turn them into sharp stakes. The ex-Host skilfully threw several at the child, who was surprised by such a sudden attack.

Even though he managed to dodge most of them, the crazed droneling could no longer get near them and flew across the room, pursued by Nori who made sure to give him no respite. N wasn't to be outdone, flying after him and firing relentlessly to support the Doorman woman. While "Liam" could do nothing but run further and further away; screaming like an enraged demon, but unable to do anything but avoid. 

Fighting an Eldritch evil god had prepared N for this kind of opponent; no matter how hard he tried to scythe him down by riposting, the Disassembly gracefully avoided the sharp claws, and sliced as soon as it got too close, before opening fire. 

He had to keep going. 

His eyes suddenly widened when a [null] was thrown towards them, but with a powerful flap of his wings, N easily dodged the sphere, and continued to pierce the wings of the child who was losing altitude. 

Nori also held on, seeing that the drone was approaching the entrance. A little more... Despite her diminished powers and injuries, the core managed to push the little drone far enough into the corridor.

This was the moment: with a [scale], Nori modified the size of one of the pieces of debris, and sent it crashing down to block the entrance.

Then she shouted forcefully: "N, do it!", as long as the drone was stuck.

"All right!" N obeyed and immediately launched a missile to destroy the entrance, and the rampaging monster inside.

This was enough for the vault to collapse, crushing everything inside as a large part of the wall collapsed. The building shook even more under the explosion; N struggled to avoid the ceiling half falling on them, taking him and Nori quite a distance away.

Then the room's collapse stopped, allowing them to land far from the devastation.

“Hope it worked...” The Doorman matriarch prayed, sighing as her body was reduced to a limp ball of flesh. She had used all her strength to hold the child; her core-reduced body wasn't as efficient as if she had her old one. 

N was just as exhausted, his ventilation hatches hyperactive as his internal temperature soared, having consumed most of his reserves - material and oil - as well as energy. 

"I think so..." His visual sensors switched several times from thermal to infrared; detecting nothing beneath the rubble for the moment. Then the pressure collapsed inside him, as he recovered after such a fight: "What was that? Why... Why did he attack us?”

His hand cautiously rubbed his stomach, which had been able to regenerate and his missing entrails, which remained terribly sensitive to contact. This time, it hadn't been far off. 

“It was a trap.” Nori replied immediately, her eye glittering with anger as she thought back to what she had seen and heard. “That human woman… she made sure anyone who came here was killed by that thing. As soon as the video ended, I saw he was gone. The pentacle had been deactivated, and that child woke up.” 

N felt his core freeze, understanding how nearly the scientist’s deceit had gotten them killed. “But why?” 

“Who knows: surely the company wouldn’t want anyone finding out what was going on here,” Nori replied bitterly, before composing herself, forcing her frail body to maintain her posture despite pain and exhaustion: "We've got the crucifix for Uzi; we've got nothing more to do here : let’s return home.” 

N could only agree; now that their only entrance was sealed, the Disassembly noticed that the partially destroyed ceiling revealed a vent. It might lead them to another floor; and with any luck, the elevator should allow them to go to the surface. The tall drone darted toward this new exit with Nori, both of them more than relieved to be leaving this place. 

Until he felt something grab his ankle, stopping him in his tracks; and looking down, N saw with terror a tentacle grabbing him, wrapped around his leg until it crushed the metal. And “Liam” was down there, coming from nowhere. 

Unharmed. And grinning wider as he finally had them. 

Nori saw this and panicked, “Oh shoot!”, trying [rotate] around N’s leg to sever it and help them escape from that grasp. 

Her fatigue prevented her from being fast enough; with a swift movement, the creature sent both her and the tall drone crashing to the ground. N cried out on impact, face first, and Nori dug her claws in his coat to keep herself from falling. Before being lifted again, high up. Then thrown once more with immense force, against the walls and the floor. Smearing every crater black from the oil N was losing. 

Again. 

And again. 

And again… 

Until every one of Disassembly's joints was shattered; his head reduced to nothing but sparks and shards of glass. Coughing more oil onto the ground by what was left of his mouth, his whining voice damaged. 'Error' messages screamed through his processors, and N couldn't get up anymore.

Pain! Pain! In danger! Help! Pain! his frantic systems repeated, as N rolled onto his back. 

“UuuUurgh…” 

Blinded, only two of his cameras were still operational; allowing him to glimpse the small drone appearing above him. In an instant. 

He'd teleported... again. That was how he'd escaped the landslide in the corridor, N realized.

Nori was right next to him, still conscious; squirming angrily under a long, clawed hand, which the droning had sprung from his back to imprison her, unable to escape it. She could no longer move to defend them, every movement cutting her deeply.

"Liam" leaned toward them, chuckling darkly as his expression twisted into one of consuming hunger. Close enough that N, in a desperate survival reflex, tried to stab the drone Solver with his tail, the stinger brimming with acid aimed at where his core was. 

But with a quick hand, the droneling snatched the can before it could reach him. Then snatched it away, making N scream from his sensitivity, as the drone toyed with the stolen weapon above his head. 

"Hungry." "Subject 10," he growled, throwing away his grip as he towered over them completely. And starving.

Ready to finish the hunt.

N felt his cold claws lacerate his coat, enough to touch the metal plate and glass that covered his torso, digging inside. Where his core was, to seize and devour it.

This time, it wasn't going to end well.

Yet the Disassembly refused to give up. Not until he'd tried everything. He had promised Uzi he'd come back, and he was ready to keep that promise!

And with one last effort, N managed to lift his unbroken arm, now transformed into a pistol. Straight towards the droneling's screen, which stopped in front of the danger... too close to escape.

BANG! 

There was a sonor bang, as his face exploded in a geyser of oil, and “Liam” collapsed backward. Releasing both N and Nori, who had just narrowly escaped death. 

“Nice work, boy.” The core groaned, struggling to right herself as best she could from the internal and external damage. 

N was in no better condition, as the repair system struggled to treat all of his injuries, straightening his shattered limbs so he could reuse his legs. First and foremost, he checked to make sure the crucifix was intact. 

And, surprisingly, it was. “p-Patch isn’t b-roken.” 

“Wonderful… The only problem now is surviving.” Nori looked at the droneling’s damaged body, which scrambled to his feet with ease.

And with [translate] extracting N’s bullet from his face, with a sickening crissing sound as the oil finished dripping. The screen crackled as it healed faster than them… and the drone visibly upset by this rebellion, as the projectile was deflected back at them. 

“Die.” 

N's blade ricocheted weakly off the metal tip, and the sword snapped in two on impact. Even though he continued to point the broken blade against the enraged threat, who seemed finished with them. 

And ran towards him like a beast, claws and fangs ready to tear him apart bolt by bolt. 

At least, until the sound of thunder, and a bright violet light illuminated the room... as N saw a strangely familiar black boot shoot out - belonging to a beloved small drone with purple hair and her old beanie, who stepped back towards N. Uzi crashing angrily into the droneling's face, which let out a panicked scream as he was sent tumbling, and a silvery winged figure pursued him in fury.

"Hands off my boyfriend, sucker!" The young drone goddess shouted, suddenly at N's side; as her companion took over.

Who raised her submachine gun at the monster. "Die, you bastard!" V hissed, mercilessly strafing the creature that had been threatening her squadmate a moment earlier, while he avoided her by moving swiftly.

At least the routed creature was distracted, struggling against the murderous Disassembly that was driving him away.

If N's core vibrated with happiness at seeing his friend defending them, he chirped happily at the sight of Uzi standing right next to him. Seeing her absolutely filled him with joy, the rest of his tail wagging at full speed. The drone didn't even wonder why the two girls were there, at that very moment.

Uzi was there with V! They came to save them.

“V! U-Uzi! I'm so glad t-to see you… A-And Thad too?” N was surprised, noticing that the Worker was there too. 

Who seemed completely lost and panicked at being outside Outpost-3 - where the three of them had been a minute ago. 

“This is crazy… A warning next time, Zi.” The teenager quickly recovered, and seeing Nori nearby, he rushed over to pick her up, before greeting N, and gasped as he looked him “Whoa, are you okay, man?!”

N laughed awkwardly, knowing he must look horrible to look at - even though most of the wounds were closing, and his screen showed one eye again. But still serious and deadly damages ; any Worker would have died in his place. "Y-Yeah... Things got k-kinda messy a-around here."

As for Uzi, she didn’t look pleased at all. Angry, even, and when she saw her boyfriend’s badly damaged body - which still had many wounds - her two-toned gaze became absolutely furious. 

"You're a pain in the ass, N! I thought you'd call me as soon as there was the slightest problem!" She yelled at him, fidgeting, and her mood didn't improve when she saw her equally injured mother, whom Thad was carrying in his arms. "Seriously, look at you and Mom! Why didn't any of you warn me?!”

This reprimand… it slightly scared N - who remembered a little too late that he had said that to Uzi. 

That night... "I'll call you right away, I promise."

Biscuits, I forgot. “Uh… I was trying to get us out of there. And Nori too. H-He took us by surprise,” N tried to defend himself pitifully, as the small female drone groaned nervously and circled around him. 

Oh Robo-God, it was hard to stay calm; even though she was mad at him, and the timing was off, he had to restrain himself from hugging her. He was so happy to see her.

"Uzi- Oof!" Before he could apologize, suddenly the little drone collided with him, having embraced N first as he grunted in surprise, frozen... before returning her embrace in turn.

"You jerk... You scared me so much." Uzi muttered as she hid her face in her coat, smelling the oil - his oil - that had dripped.

Moved, N leaned toward her, blaming himself as he realized he had worried her; she was shaking against the drone, holding him as if he were about to disappear. He tightened his arms around her even more, enveloping her. 

And whispered, “Sorry.” 

“Buddy, that really messed you up.” Thad swallowed as he saw his friend’s half-destroyed face, barely repairing himself. And he looked worriedly down at the damaged burning core, which he held gently. “Ma’am Nori, how are you feeling?” 

“As good as I look, kiddo,” Nori said simply, as she gradually recovered. Her eye flicked up to Uzi, suppressing her annoyance at seeing her daughter and her boyfriend pressed together. “How did you know?” 

“God power, Mom. You’re welcome.” Uzi replied, finally pulling away from N - hastening to erase the tear on her screen. 

"Uzi told us you were in trouble, Mrs. Doorman; she panicked at the bunker-ouch!” Thad yelped when Uzi struck his arm, squinting menacingly to silence him. The teenager understood the message, and changed the subject: "Anyway, the next thing we knew, we were there with you," Thad explained, as he occasionally glanced toward V, who had mastered droneling.

“What the hell is she fighting? So freaking weird…” Uzi commented, confused by this demonic drone child the female Disassembly was hunting. 

V was handling the situation perfectly on her own; in top form and chasing the child who couldn't match the Disassembly's fighting skills. And with a violent kick, V knocked him against a wall, further destroying the already unrecognizable room. 

She landed back at the group, snarling ferociously at the creature - which had cut her a bit. “Damn, I felt like I was fighting Cyn! What is that thing?!” 

“A creepy experiment by humans. Don't let him out of your sight: he's fast and strong!” Nori warned them all. 

“Humans?” Uzi repeated, eyeing the thing warily, noticing the fleshy growths sprouting from him.

“He's called Liam. He's… He was a human child. The scientists working there used orphans to control the Solver. By transferring their consciousness into drone bodies, infected with the program…” N revealed what they had found, very briefly.

Their reaction to the three newcomers was shock, learning this disturbing truth; confirmed by Nori. 

“He managed to get the brat and me. If you hadn't arrived in time, it would have been our end.” 

And Uzi understood better why, as the Worker-Solver did indeed feel a strange connection coming from this strange drone; he was like her. Undoubtedly, the Absolute Solver's program had to be part of his too. But it seemed horribly wrong… and something inside her screamed at Uzi to get rid of him. By any means necessary. 

It must die here and now. 

Kill it! 

He's suffering, he's afraid, he's hungry. The poor child… 

A furious growl left the droneling, as he was outnumbered. He stood back, hunched over like a trapped animal. 

Everyone was ready, Uzi first, who approached him. And although N wanted to follow her, a hard glare from her immediately stopped him. 

“I’ll take care of him myself,” she snarled, as her hand loaded a [null] to throw at the monster. Before adding more gently, seeing N struggling to stay upright, “I won’t be long; afterward, we’ll look at your injuries.” 

Even though he wanted to protest, N shuddered as another jolt of pain overwhelmed his sensors. Realizing he would only slow her down, having not healed sufficiently. 

“Very well… Be careful.” N stepped back, though not happy to leave her to do this alone. V placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, though she kept a sharp eye on the other drone. 

Once Uzi was sure her boyfriend was safe, her expression turned grim again as she turned towards the droneling, ready to end the pathetic thing’s existence. Even if it were a child… It was too great a threat to ignore. It should never have been created. This fleshy, grotesque, monstrous appearance in which he was imprisoned manifested his madness. 

The shape of his curse. 

Her hand rose towards him; she would make him disappear, and put an end to his suffering- 

“Uh… Guys?” Thad suddenly panicked, having lifted his face towards one of the vents. And what he found approaching, as his eyes widened wider as he grabbed a trailing iron bar. “Uzi, we have a little problem here!” 

“You've got to be kidding me…” V reacted too, quickly arming herself as she clearly saw what was happening. 

One after the other - even Uzi, who turned away from her target - saw a drone emerge from the tunnel. Wrapped in that cursed flesh, the corpse moved despite its dead appearance and the dark, missing screen. This didn't stop the thing from walking towards them, using the claws on its back to keep it upright.

“Look! There's more on the way!" Thad warned them, as other shapes came after.

Another joined the first, just as damaged and deformed. Dozens of monstrous drones surrounded them, crawling out of the ducts. Armed to the teeth, in a mutated form that made them ferocious. Deadly.

Growling and hissing, as the small team huddled together, forming a defensive circle against this wave of enemies from hell.

Chapter Text

Faced with this army of corpses, deformed and horrible, Thad couldn't help but swallow hard. He couldn't help regretting that he only had a piece of iron to fight with. Uzi's railgun would have been better.

Damn, I feel like I'm in a remake of Resident Evil 2 that Uzi once showed me... 

"Zi... I feel a bit silly asking this... but I don't suppose you can teleport us to the bunker?" Thad turned to Uzi, as the fight had clearly just swung in their disavantage.

All these drones... deformed beyond recognition. Because of the foul flesh that controlled them like mindless puppets. N and V stood guard; protecting them behind their outstretched wings, hissing through their fangs and armed with blades and cannons.

Would that be enough?

When the Worker turned to his friend, who hadn't answered him... his core ceased its activity for a moment. Seeing a terribly familiar "X" for a brief moment, through the fingers that covered Uzi's screen. Shining with a terrifying brilliance... before her violet-yellow gaze returned, and Uzi shook her head.

A little confused. What the hell was that?

"I wouldn't have enough energy to move all of us to the bunker. I... I've had trouble locating this place, and even more trouble managing to get all three of us here." Uzi explained, as she struggled painfully against the devouring hunger inside her.

She had had to deactivate the [null] sphere, unable to maintain it as her power became unstable.

Now... the young drone felt her whole frame twisting painfully. It was as if the Singularity within her sought to devour the frame, pulsing dangerously in her core. And as she fought it, it only got worse. Breaking her little by little, to escape and invade her entirely. 

She was hungry.

She had to eat.

She had to feed!

Alert: material reserves down to 10%!

Start of material collect sequence (in progress...)

>Forced stop by [UZI user]

Failed.

Sequence restarted...

Failure.

Threatening glare. If I don't intervene, Host Uzi will die.

Stay away, you fucking parasite!

Gradually, the Solver retreated, reluctantly, and the sensation faded - for the moment. Enough for Uzi to think better, and come up with a brilliant idea. With no way out, and so many enemies, how could they get away? And as she overrode her processors, an intuition made her sit up straight. 

Although Uzi was uncertain, she caught the attention of her comrades, who listened.

"I... I'm going to try something. To stop that kid. He's the one controlling these creatures; so if I can neutralize him, that should help us. I think.”

Time was pressing; she hadn’t had the chance to test this theory before. The idea had come to her suddenly; Uzi had remembered another battle, not so long ago… and what Cyn, under the influence of the Absolute Solver, had tried to do to her. Using the same connection she herself felt from the droneling. 

That ping… The [callback ping]. If she used it in turn, it might work. But… how could she know if it would be effective? 

“Whatever it is, freak, you better hurry,” V urged her rather roughly, as the infected drones approached them more and more. 

For his part, N cast a disapproving glance at his squadmate; but he saw her nervousness, as he had seen it very rarely in V. Like all of them. Uzi was no better, while she seemed so hesitant. The little drone looked at him uncertainly, as if she were trying to ask him to help her. 

And N encouraged her with his usual enthusiasm, more than ready to trust her with his life in this perilous situation: “You can do it, Uzi! I know you will!” 

Faced with N's honest support, who seemed so sure she'd succeed, the Worker-Solver nodded, and she decided to give it a shot. Not that they had any other solution, anyway. 

Following her instincts, Uzi used her power, digging deep into the program; she stared at "Subject 10" hiding behind the roaring troop, as her gaze and his met.

//:Connection established.

Now!

[callback ping]: Stop! 

Uzi's right eye was replaced by the Solver symbol; his voice rose to a trill that spread. V gasped at the sound, and N looked at her with wide, surprised eyes; their systems reasoning with the Host's call, directed at the other Solver bearer. As her will crushed her target's...

... Causing “Liam” to scream in pain, convulsing as his screen blurred. A glyph appeared on his screen, the same color as that of the main Host.

It worked!

It was going to work-

________________ 

(I'm scared.) The scientists tied him to a chair; his hands - full of flesh - were so injured. Why, what had they done?! He and his friends had been chosen; they had tried to run away. I'm scared. (Help me.) He was in so much pain. The Sentinels had caught up with them. (Mom, Dad, help!) Wires were coming out of his head. (I'm going to kill you all!) He and the others had been separated. Everything was black. He was so hungry. Why are they doing this? His body was so heavy. Metal? (I'm a monster.) No one will come to save us. (Kill them all.) Everyone who had hurt him is dead. The others have become drones too. (Kill kill kill)They told him to eat his friends. (I'm sorry.) He was strong enough. Those guys, that woman, they were all going to pay! (Kill me) It burned so badly. He ripped off one of the arms of the scientist who had approached him. He was still hungry. (Please; kill me)-

 ________________ 

It was too much. 

Her head… it was going to explode! 

It had to stop! 

“Stop, shut up!” The Worker-Solver panicked, forcibly severing the connection that had almost broken her program. 

Were these… memories? Thoughts? What she had seen was awful. 

“Uzi!” N panicked when he heard his girlfriend scream. And even more so when he saw the haunted expression on her screen, shaken horribly. “Are you okay?!” 

She struggled to regain her composure, as the other drone’s feelings/memory/thoughts had overwhelmed her. She partially managed to regain her calm, even as fear grew within her. 

But also... the ex-Worker felt sorry for the lost child. Victim with others from human scientists. Experiences... that he and others were forced to do. He... was trapped inside the body those guys had forced him into; his mind tortured in an endless loop of nightmares. 

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Nori wanted to leave Thad’s arms to approach her daughter, but gave up when her body refused to get up. 

N stayed close to her, trying to comfort Uzi. He had never seen her so scared before; the tall drone stayed with her, supporting her as best he could. 

Fortunately, V continued to watch the creatures - which had stopped, as the droneling collapsed. Had it... worked? The female Disassembly... still couldn’t believe what Uzi had managed to do. That ping... it was Cyn’s. And V couldn't help but feel nervous, thinking back to the perceived indirect order. 

How similar are they? V just thought, before pulling herself together to prepare to fight. 

After a few deep artificials breaths, Uzi managed to pull herself together; although still very impacted. “I-I'm fine. I was just surprised.” She tried to sound convincing; even though around her, none of them seemed to believe her words, worried after her. “Look… we have to make sure we disable him. He's… completely messed up. We can't let him leave this lab.” 

And… we can't leave him like this. It's just too cruel. 

"Liam" seemed to be having as much trouble recovering as Uzi; the droneling was struggling to stand. But he had enough strength to let out a deafening scream, like a hundred howls. This made the sensitive-hearing Disassemblies, Uzi and Nori, and even Thad, wince.

It was a signal, the drones present understood with anguish. And, almost immediately, the infected rushed at them. Bellowing like rabid animals, they charged towards the trapped drones. 

The whole team reacted spontaneously: V tore the infected drones apart with her claws, scattering their oil and blood everywhere; N targeted and shot precisely at their remaining core, where the flesh was mostly concentrated, killing them. Thad was quick to finish off the survivors, hitting them in the chest with his improvised weapon to prevent them from getting up again. Uzi was busy crushing each drone with efficiency, using [translate] to defend them with the rubble, decapitating them with [rotate] before sending them flying further away.

Even so, Uzi didn't see their numbers diminish. With every infected one that fell, the droneling shouted to send more to replace them. And there were still so many...

It really sucked. 

"Uzi, look out!" Abruptly, N braced himself against her; above, he'd just caught a drone that had tried to sneak up behind Uzi. Merciless, he ripped its head off with his bare hands, crushing it in his claws like an aluminum can. Before hurling it straight at another infected, who collapsed, N using his terrifying strength. 

And his acid-filled dart pierced finished its core before letting it regenerate.

Despite all that was going on around them, she couldn't help blushing madly as she felt herself pressed against him. This boy was such a class act... And when Uzi caught herself thinking so, she reacted impulsively, pulling away from him, and returned to the fight. 

"There's too much; it won't stop!”

“Listen, everyone…” Nori finally chimed in, having wasted no time trying to come up with a plan. “If this lab is operating like the one in Cabin Fever, there should be a self-destruct program in the computer systems. It could destroy all these drones and that flesh. But…” With a claw, the core pointed towards the computer room; the path was inaccessible. Numerous drones blocked the way. “The main problem is getting here.” 

There were still too many infected; and “Liam” was near. It would be impossible to access it now. But this was their best chance… 

“It’s not like we have another option, Mom. We have to take a shot.”Uzi got rid of more troublesome drones, before turning to V and N. 

These two would know how to handle their opponents; if Thad carried his mother, and N and V accompanied them, they might have a chance of getting there without too much difficulty. 

She hoped so.

And me... I'll take care of the kid.

Uzi checked on "Subject 10", who still seemed affected by the mental attack she'd inflicted on him. This might not last very long… And after what she'd seen... putting him out of his misery would be a mercy. She also had an idea for a way out - however risky.

The little drone made up her mind quickly; deciding to take the reins of the operation. 

"V, N: you two try to clear a path for Thad to take my mom to the computer over there! I'll try to save you some time!" Uzi asked the two Disassemblies, who were covering them by firing incessantly at the enemy - fortunately, they could produce as much munitions as they wanted.

Completely covered with oil, looking like a punishing angel, V finished lacerating the entrails of an infected who had managed to get close enough to scratch her, before standing up to look at Uzi. After a single second's thought, she offered him a brief nod. "Yeah, could manage them. What about you? What do you plan to do?" 

N eyed his girlfriend suspiciously, sensing that she was in danger of doing something foolish. He recognized the bold gleam in her eyes; it was when the little drone had a crazy idea in mind.

"Kiddo, what are you planning?" Nori wasn't fooled either, sharing N's suspicion.

And their suspicions were confirmed when, in response, Uzi let her jagged wings and fleshy tail sprout from her back. Then she flashed them her maniacal smile, and laughed with excitement, raising a fist. 

“I already beat Cyn once; it should be within my power to handle the kid. As soon as you're done, come join me!” she declared; and, before anyone could stop her, she launched herself towards her target. 

“Liam” reacted immediately; and, with a similar flourish, the droneling flew into the air to meet her. Driven mad by hunger, he didn't even consider the trap she was setting for him. 

"Sorry, little guy." Uzi apologized, feeling genuinely sorry for the child she knew was trapped inside. But that didn't stop her, as soon as he reached his claws for her core, from delivering a powerful punch to his jaw. 

Her improved strength sent the creature crashing down below; onto one of the footbridges overlooking the area. Uzi joined him, landing on the support suspended above the void. Below, she could hear the sound of explosions, the high-pitched screams of the infected. Her friends must have been fighting like hell. And just as she was about to rush towards "Subject 10," the bridge shook again, knocking her off balance. 

When she turned around, expecting to find a new enemy… her eyes widened at the sight of N following her. Then frustration rose in her, as her tail whistled in tune with her mood: What was he playing at?! 

"N, what the hell are you doing?! Go back and help V!" She joined him... before stopping when she saw N's expression.

His gaze... was fierce. Upset, even ! And absolutely determined, as he lowered himself toward her. "V can handle the infected on her own; she'll protect Thad and your mother - who asked me to join you. We'll do it, Uzi. We both will. I won't change my mind; there's no way you're fighting on your own with no one to help you. Not like in church." N replied firmly...

... Before shooting the droneling in the head, which collapsed after trying to catch them. N grabbed Uzi with him, without giving her time to react, and set them down on the other side of the structure.

The two drones locked eyes, both adamantly refusing to give in.

Uzi wasn't used to this kind of stubbornness from N. It unnerved her slightly, before the little drone insisted. Harder.

"N, you've got to come back down! You've already had a hard time with him! I can take care of myself!” 

And suddenly, her anger subsided at the gentle smile he showed her. It unsettled her enough that she didn't see her boyfriend's next move; brushing her cheek, before kissing her without warning. A light kiss, like a feather. At once, all of Uzi's agitation and fear vanished at the feel of his lips, as she let out a soft cry. But she didn't chase him away. 

Then N withdrew, as his golden eyes gazed down at her. And her own trembling ones - topaz and amethyst - round and bright as stars, as her mouth formed a stunned “o”. Their cores were beating very fast, she and him were also blushing all over their screen; yet, it was in a calm voice that N spoke : 

“We've already fought an evil god, and we've thrown ourselves into a freaking abyss of a planet. Together, there's nothing we can't do, right?” N said it with such ease, as if it were obvious… 

Uzi still couldn't get over what he had just done. Before blinking stupidly at the hand he extended to her. Inviting his partner to join him. 

“Together, okay?” N told her enthusiastically, arming himself with his swords. 

He’s a real sicko… And suddenly kissing me like that… 

Even though hundreds of thoughts and emotions were flooding through him, Uzi could only laugh maniacally, his own wings popping out as a mad energy surged through him. In the end, the Worker-Solver decided to let him have this victory. 

"Seriously, dude, wait till I get back to you later." She tapped his shoulder, gently. And took his hand. "Come on, handsome, let's go for round three!"

At the same time, the pair charged towards the infected droneling, both crossing space without a moment's hesitation. "Subject 10" was waiting for them, having managed to heal his head wound, and he leapt towards them, his huge claws raised like Death's scythes, determined to tear them apart.

__________________ 

"I can't believe it, we made it through..." Thad leaned against the door, collapsing after he and Nori had made it through the enemy-filled room in extremis.

He winced as he felt his shoulder, dripping oil after a nasty bite. It was crackling with sparks: his servos must have been damaged, and he was struggling to raise his arm. All his clothes were soaked in oil, blood and flesh. Filthy... as he wiped the splashes from his face.

There was even some in his once blond hair, his cap having disappeared.

“Urgh… How did we survive this?”

It hadn't been easy... at all. As soon as Uzi and N left, and V had started bombarding the infected drones, the Worker had rushed through the creatures ; without thinking, like a rugby player - it helped that he played on the junior team. Several times, he had hit their screens, kicking them in the legs and knocking them over. Dodging when Nori shouted at him to do so, to avoid an attack. He had acted quickly, so as not to have time to be afraid. 

But in his run, one of the infected drones had almost managed to rip the Worker's arm off, biting him on the shoulder, nearly breaking the joint. 

And it could have ended very badly, if V hadn't intervened upon hearing him scream, to save him with Nori, while she had thrown herself without hesitation on the infected and reduced it to shreds. When she was finished, an angry look from her as Thad got up told him not to dawdle... even though he had thanked her, as the female drone continued the massacre. 

"Just make sure you don't die, idiot!" She had told him, before going on her rampage again. 

V was still fighting outside; he could hear the explosions outside the door. She was impressive. Incredible... And Thad realized he was drifting off into thought - even though he was in less pain - while his entire screen was noticeably more colorful and greener.

“Rest for a moment, you look awful; I'll try to make it quick!” Meanwhile, Nori was back at the computer, rummaging through the hundreds of files that appeared. One of them was to be used for self-destruction… 

“You… you think you can do that, Ms. Doorman?” Thad asked her, trying to distract himself from his injury. 

"Kid, I already knew how to hack a network before you were downloaded. Where do you think my daughter got her hacking talent from?" Nori boasted, as her claws rapidly tapped in front of her.

The core of flesh maneuvered deftly, cracking several security codes that tried to stop her hacking. Completely useless: these humans had terribly neglected data protection in this laboratory. She knew almost all the passwords inside, thanks to the USB key recovered by N from Michael's military drone.

It was all too easy.

Just a little longer... and Nori let out a victory cry.

"And that's how it's done, amateur!" The ex-Worker had finally found the self-destruct program. 

She typed in one last line of code, and the computer displayed a countdown.

Alert: self-destruct initiated!

Time remaining: T-5 minutes…

"That's great, Mrs. Doorman... but now, how do we get out of here?” 

__________________

Alert: Self-destruct initiated!

Time remaining: T-5 minutes… 

From hidden speakers, the warning warned those fighting that self-destruction was about to begin. 

At the top of the footbridge, Uzi dodged away from the droneling that had teleported behind her, jumping back to avoid a chitinous claw that was about to pierce her, while N grabbed the child to throw him away, before joining her. 

“Okay, Mom and Thad did it… Good.” The Worker-Solver sighed in relief as their fight continued. 

She and N were performing incredible teamwork; wordlessly, they supported each other as each of their attacks followed one another. As N fired, Uzi moved behind the droneling, which was shielding himself from the shots behind his wings, to strike him in the back. She immediately dodged the claw that sought to impale her; flying at high speed, the Disassembly came up behind and, with a swing of his sword, severed the limb and forced the droneling back. 

Together, they were effective. As one, perfectly coordinated, the duo managed to destabilize their enemy. 

Down below, Uzi and N saw their friends join V; the female Disassembly had single-handedly disposed of several of the infected - with missiles and lasers. Only a few, a little wilder and more skilful, still seemed to be holding out... but the explosion would finish them off with the rest. 

And now... the other part of Uzi's plan could begin. 

Time remaining before self-destruct: T-3 minutes. 

She and N stepped back as they moved away from "Liam". Although he was a mess, the mutated flesh was immediately rebuilding his limbs. He seemed indefatigable, unlike the two drones fighting him, continuing to attack, screaming and roaring wildly. A rather interesting variant of the Solver, this unusual durability... The more he was damaged, the more the biomechanical nature of the creature asserted himself, halfway between drone and centipede.

To what extent? 

"Biscuits... he's getting more terrifying, Uzi." N shuddered as his overheated body began to make it harder to move.

"Okay... I think we've given them enough time." Uzi thought aloud; taking the opportunity to check on the condition of her badly battered companion. 

And she grimaced to his look. Tired and barely standing, the Disassembly was clearly approaching his physical limits; it was a miracle he'd lasted as long as he had, despite the after-effects of his old wounds. Other lacerations had been inflicted on him, which were slow to heal.

Uzi was no better, and she was facing even more worrying difficulties. As her program and that of the Solver fought for control. The Singularity was desperate to escape. Its Host held it back even more fiercely ; the Worker-Solver refusing to let it overwhelm her and let her run wild.

Angry growl. Why don't you devour that usurper's core? We're so hungry.

Uzi laughed darkly at the entity, mocking its complaint. You'd like that, parasite? There's no way I'd sink that low. I'm not like you or Cyn.

The Singularity's growl crossed her mind, and it bared its fangs. Your plan will fail.You're putting us in danger! Menacing look.

Wanna bet? And stop talking to me, you'll break my concentration-

"Uzi, watch out!" At the same instant, N pounced on her, pushing her aside; while a tentacle whipped around where the distracted little drone had been standing a moment before. 

Still, Uzi saw the sharp point manage to tear N's coat… and let loose the golden shape of the crucifix he had retrieved earlier. Instantly, the little drone froze at the sight; a mixture of incomprehension, fear, surprise… various emotions coursed through her. And as the object slid further toward the edge, the Disassembly lunged at it as the patch was about to topple off the footbridge. 

Just in time, he caught it. 

“Oof… I almost lost it.” N straightened as he held it, wiping the sweat off his screen, before turning to Uzi to make sure she was okay. 

And he caught the strange glint in her eyes. Almost… menacing. Before fading as if nothing had happened, as Uzi joined him, worried that he was hurt. 

“N, are you okay? Did he hit you?” 

N was trying to process what he had just seen, “Uh… no? I’m not hurt at all.” He decided to give up, as they pulled away from each other. 

Nah, I must have been dreaming. Yeah, probably it.

“N…” Uzi spoke carefully, unable to ignore what she had just seen. What N had on him… “Is that… a patch?” 

The Disassembly smiled broadly, nodding happily as he tucked the cross into his coat. “Yes, the people in this lab used one here too! It should contain a version of the antivirus against the Solver! Nori wants to try using it to help you!” 

"That's... great, N." The Worker-Solver pushed herself to be delighted, absolutely avoiding looking at N as she struggled.

She should be glad they’d succeeded; N and her mother had risked their lives to retrieve the object, which she thought was destroyed. But the small drone wasn’t. 

Something was terribly wrong. 

That thing... It was freaking out. And it broke through her firewalls and code like a violent tidal wave. Forcing its way through her weakened systems.

“Uzi?” N called after her, not understanding his girlfriend’s sudden silence. 

When she didn’t respond, and he saw her usually lively tail suddenly rigid, the tall drone wanted to approach, fearing something was wrong. Fearing she'd run out of strength. 

Unbeknownst to him, a sphere [null] formed in her hand; as Uzi watched, as if mesmerized. 

Destroy them. Destroy this object and him- 

Time remaining before self-destruct: T-1 minute. 

“N! Uzi!” Thad’s voice came from behind them, as he and Nori were carried by V to the platform. 

Terror was written all over the expressions of all three, as the couple failed to see the threat they had forgotten. Until the last moment. 

“Look out!” “Uzi, kiddo, go away !” “N! Uzi, react!” 

Time remaining before self-destruct: T-30 seconds. 

“Liam” had just created another sphere [null] in what remained of his flesh-infested hand; no longer having any discernment, the droneling wanted to throw it at them, taking advantage of their distraction. 

“Uzi!” Finally seeing what was happening, and not having time to shoot down the drone, N wrapped himself around Uzi, trying to shield her with his body. 

T-15 seconds… 

A flash of sanity passed through Uzi, who suddenly realized what she was doing; as she abruptly snapped out of her trance, she saw the sphere coming. This was the moment. 

"N, move!" The drone managed to free herself from her boyfriend and with a deafening scream, she threw her own sphere straight at the creature's.

T-10 seconds...

5 seconds...

The two opposing forces collided like black holes trying to devour each other, gathering more power as they spun faster. The pressure between them was building dangerously, ready to explode at any moment.

"Wow... what's going on, Zi?" Thad stepped back, frightened by the sight.

3 seconds 

2...

Bracing herself, Uzi grabbed the whole group to pull them closer to her, before forming a [translate].

"Everyone hold on!"

1...

0.

The Worker-Solver strengthened her defense even more, hoping her plan would work. And that they would survive.

In perfect synchronization, the [null] spheres collided and merged. The monstrous shockwave destroyed everything in its path, including the droneling, which screamed in agony. And the bombs stored in the building drowned the basement in an ocean of flames, washing away the rest of the infected and the flesh.

Chapter Text

When Uzi woke, groaning and weakened, the first thing she saw was darkness. In the gloom, her tinted vision was blurred. Her eyes blinked a few times, unable to calibrate them; the Worker-Solver slapped the screen several times to fix the fault. 

Her processors hummed, slow to boot, as she forced them to activate.

"Wha... What happened to me?" Uzi tried to remember what had happened, fighting the numbness that washed over her, slowing her thoughts. "Ooooh... My fucking head."

Honestly, it was all very muddled inside her mind, but she still remembered the lab very clearly; V and Thad had accompanied her to save N and her mother. Then there was that weird droneling child, infected by the Absolute Solver program. Covered in mutated flesh and manipulating other dozens of zombified drones, a whole army of monsters.

Yes, I remember now. Then... they'd fought together. And there had been the explosion...

Her digital yellow eyebrows suddenly furrowed, as she finally remembered the last part. "Okay... that wasn't really a good idea. And this place..." 

Cautiously, she tried to right herself, having little confidence in her balance as her metal legs shook. She winced as she noticed that below, her feet were sinking into a slimy black substance. But it was frighteningly familiar, and a bad feeling of foreboding made Uzi raise her head and survey the lifeless, sinister surroundings; she'd been here before.

Several times, even... And her core suddenly beat faster, recognizing this place from her recent nightmares. It was identical. 

"Damn... I must be dreaming." Uzi stayed put, swiveling his head in each direction warily.

Lately, none of her dreams were going well; the deaths of her family, creepy ghosts chatting with her, and monsters attacking her. And as she strained to wake up, slapping her cheeks and her face, her fruitless attempts were useless.

"What a bummer!" Uzi hissed, as she gave up to check the surroundings. Here, anything could happen.

What was it going to be this time?

She expected the worst. And most worryingly, the drone didn't know what had happened outside, after the laboratory explosion. Were the others all right?

I've got to get out of here as soon as possible.

Not that she saw an exit door, which miraculously appeared as she stared into space. But as she turned around, Uzi finally noticed a figure, turning their back to her from afar. It caught her attention, and she tried to get a better look at who it was. As small as Uzi was, they unmistakably resembled a drone. Imprisoned in the substance covering the body. Deciding to go meet them, the Worker-Solver approached slowly, ever on guard, disturbing the surface of the liquid ground by raising waves beneath her feet. 

Even if it was risky, Uzi came close enough to get a better look at them.

Presumably, it was a drone woman; smaller than herself, as she crouched and curled up on the ground. Motionless, this person didn't react to her surroundings; even when Uzi was close enough to face her, trying to see who it could be. She leaned towards the body... and her oil froze inside her, brutally, as golden eyes opened, blinking curiously as if she hadn't expected to see her. 

Uzi hiccupped in shock, her eyes turning into circles on her visor.

This appearance... This distinguished wig that resembled her former owner's, and this servant's outfit that made her look like a delicate doll. 

What was she doing there?!

She had no skin, but Uzi recognized her immediately. And she didn't know what kept her from hurling herself at the drone, tense beyond belief, as her name coldly left her mouth:

"Cyn."

"U... Uzi?" Her voice expressed surprise, and fear, as if the former Host hadn't expected to see the furious drone here.

Uzi's fist clenched, the joints cracking in her palm as the current Host looked down on her fallen predecessor. The sight of her awakened the most violent instincts within her, as she contemplated her vulnerable sworn enemy. It had to be one of the Solver's traps; it had to be. But instead of hurting her, albeit with great difficulty, Uzi couldn't help but wonder.

If it was still in her mind, it could have appeared to attack her long before Uzi noticed. But it was... chained in this substance, waist-deep, soiling her dress. Unable to move. Did it want to push her to attack a hologram?

And as Uzi watched, it didn't feel as cold and uncomfortable as usual. She seemed more... faint and familiar?

Then 'Cyn' seemed to react at last; her expression grew more concerned - even worried? - as she leaned towards Uzi, albeit restrained.

“Uzi, what are you… y-you shouldn’t be here.” She whispered, as if the drone feared being overheard. 

A more striking detail struck Uzi - the emotions the small drone was expressing. It was pulling at her restraints, as if trying to grab the little drone, before falling back helplessly with a frustrated whimper. And she seemed genuinely panicked, as the drone looked at her with distress and pleading. 

It was… weird. 

“What are you…” 

“Look… I-I know you won’t believe me, but I’m not that thing. You can’t stay here! You have to leave!” 'Cyn' flailed even more, unable to break free as her slimy bonds held her. 

Uzi was increasingly disturbed by his behavior; it wasn't cold, condescending words that the entity preferred. There was no cruel smile, or the slightest anomaly like the head slipping or the image glitching. This 'Cyn' seemed so, and frightfully... normal.

Although that wasn't enough to convince her; not at all, as the Host pulled herself together. She wasn't supposed to fall for this so easily. It had to be a charade to trick her: again. And she looked at the terrified drone with cold hatred, refusing to be fooled.

"Nice try, parasite. You think I'm going to fall easily into the trap? It's already failed once."

"I... I know what it looks like, but..." 'Cyn' tried to speak, even though she seemed to be having more difficulty. Her struggle was weakening, and she seemed distracted. She moaned weakly. "Please go away. It... It'll come back here."

At her distress, which seemed genuine, Uzi began to wonder what was going on. And she was asking him to leave? The drone was writhing in pain, crying as she collapsed. Despite Uzi's knowledge that the Solver liked to manipulate others, a doubt began to creep into his thoughts. 

This 'Cyn' was looking less and less like the Solver; and despite all caution, she joined her below.

"What are you talking about? Explain yourself!" Uzi exclaimed, grabbing her clothes to force the other drone to her feet. "If you're really Cyn and not the Solver, tell me what's going on!"

"Go away.... Please." Was her only reply, through clenched teeth.

A faint look flickered across her screen, as the former servant looked ready to turn off. Crushed by the bonds that tightened further, twisting her limbs, as her black shackles sank into what was once her core. 

Uzi saw them and, without hesitation, grabbed the oil ropes to tear them from the damaged frame. Cyn's shrill cries pierced her audials as the links slipped through her fingers. They were firmly attached, smaller roots having caught between the metal and plastic plates. But the Worker-Solver continued, pulling more out of the disgusting thing as the drone in front of her suffered.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."

"Stop complaining, I'm almost there." Uzi grunted, having rid herself of most of the bonds; there remained those at her core, squirming in her grip.

Honestly, she didn't know why she'd do this for someone who'd ruined her life and that of her family; but if this was indeed the real 'Cyn', maybe she could tell her about the Solver. Yes, she was only doing this for her own sake. There would probably be no more opportunities like this.

"U... Uzi..." 'Cyn' spoke again, just as the little drone had almost finished. "G-go..."

More low moans followed her statement… and when Uzi tugged at the last links, ready to untie her, the whimpers suddenly turned into giggles. 

Making Uzi freeze, recognizing that laugh all too well. 

And when she lifted her screen, her gaze widened as she caught the jagged smile on 'Cyn's' now expressionless face. And the Solver “Y” symbol glowing with an evil intention. 

Laughter. What are you doing, little mouse? 

“Oh, hell!” Uzi wanted to move away, realizing it was a trap. 

Alas, the restraints she had torn off wrapped around her hands. They spread over her arms, and as she struggled and screamed in anger, to the rest of her body. Soon, Uzi couldn't move at all, or even scream at the entity that continued to laugh - her mouth was held shut by the black ropes and gagged her. 

I knew it… it trapped me. Uzi regretted her recklessness, as a Solver claw emerged from 'Cyn's' back. 

And the tip grazed the delicate silicone of her cheek, like a caress. Uzi shuddered in disgust, as her face tilted toward her. 

We were worried. Disapproving pout. Into this lab : if you were to break our vessel, it might be problematic to find another one. Idiot. But we finally caught you. 

Uzi grunted as the restraints crushed her joints; her eyes glared at the Solver, who seemed to revel in her predicament. And its next words plunged her into anguish, as she felt herself being dragged into the ground. 

Time to rectify this. Goodbye.

No! Was Uzi's final thought; then, suddenly, she was pulled into the depths of her own mind. 

Deeper and deeper, the bonds dragged her far below the surface. She tried to struggle free. Refusing to give up, despite the cold numbing her, and the burning in her core as the bonds tried to reach the Singularity within. 

She had to try to get out, even as her strength slowly failed her as the darkness suffocated her. She hadn't seen anyone again, not knowing if they were okay. And N… 

I can't abandon them. I have to see him again! 

His smile and the warmth of his body when he took her in his arms, something she cherished. Uzi clung desperately to that image, to those sensations.

Just one last effort… 

With a final burst of energy, the small drone managed to untie one of her arms. She removed the restraints that were trying to seize her core, chasing them away, and she tried to climb back up. 

Her hand rose upward, trying to slow her sinking with something. 

Anything… 

… 

__________________ 

________________ 

______________ 

... As Uzi's consciousness weakened, she suddenly felt something soft grip her wrist, and the drone thought she recognized a flesh hand struggling to pull her up. Reflexively, her fingers grabbed it to prevent herself from slipping; however, the bonds continued to pull down.

Before she could let go, a second hand appeared, this time from a drone: four fingers only, where the top of her hand was adorned with a dark broken LED.

Thanks to their combined efforts, Uzi was lifted with incredible force. The bonds loosened, ceasing to draw her into the darkness. She breathed in the fresh air as her head rose out of the black liquid.

"Hang on, Uz! We'll get you out!" cried Tessa's voice, as the human helped her.

And with one last effort, the rest of her body came out. She collapsed on what looked like a carpet, which the female drone soiled by spitting out more black matter. Trembling, she began to regain control of her shaking breathing, and recovered enough to stand up.

Uzi saw 'Tessa' leaning towards her, visibly worried as the young woman checked that she was all right.

When she saw no apparent damage, the human sighed: "You gave us quite a scare, Sheila! A bit more, and the Solver had you!"

"... What do you mean, us?" Uzi was wary, stepping aside as she looked around them - a spacious, shabbily decorated room, with various things lying around; the strangest being human bones lying around on the shelves.

Creepy. But it disturbed her more to know how she'd ended up here.

"Sorry about the mess... I wasn't expecting company." Tessa apologized, smiling nervously at the perplexed drone.

Uzi turned a watchful eye on the human. She avoid my question. "Answer me: where's the drone that was with you? And who was it?”

That hand she’d seen… the Worker-Solver swore someone else had lifted it. But no matter how hard she looked, Uzi only saw the human she'd met before. 

“Well… Is it really important right now?” Tessa clearly seemed hesitant to answer, which didn't improve Uzi's confidence. 

And after what happened with Cyn… She might not have powers here - whatever this place was - but she could still defend herself. Might as well play it safe. When ‘Tessa’ remained silent, Uzi quickly lose patience and approached the human, who backed away from her menacing aura. 

“Whoa, easy, little buddy! I'm on your side!” Tessa panicked, holding up her hands to dissuade her from attacking her. 

Until Uzi backed her up against a wall; and once the human was cornered, the small drone retrieved a chipped, dirt-covered shovel. Instead of knocking her out directly, she brought the metal head up to the human's pale, fleshy neck. 

Who swallowed loudly, looking down at the angry drone. And tried to save her life. “Uh… I-I helped save you right now ? Haven’t you forgotten already… have you?” 

Of course Uzi hadn’t forgotten; but… she wasn’t going to take any chances talking to that weird ghost of ‘Tessa’. Not again.

“I’m warning you, if you try to attack me too, I’ll flatten your meaty face.” She brought the shovel closer to a strange, deep scar, emphasizing her threat. “So you better answer me-” 

Before she could continue, a sharp pain hit Uzi in the center of her chest, towards her core. And the sensation of hunger she hadn't felt since waking up returned with a vengeance. She tried to struggle, moaning, before the drone fell to her knees and dropped her weapon. Holding herself in her own arms, her whole body creaking as it failed her.

"Uzi!" Instead of running away - or taking advantage of this moment of weakness to attack her - Tessa hurried to retrieve the Worker-Solver.

Through her turmoil, Uzi watched her uncomprehendingly; this ‘Tessa’ seemed genuinely concerned about what was happening to her. So bewildered was she that the drone didn't flinch when the girl supported her on her shoulder, despite her repulsion of flesh against her.

Helping Uzi, even though it has difficulty supporting the heavier weight of the drone despite her very small size, the Elliott girl took her to the big bed, where the young human helped her sit up and supported her, as Uzi's condition worsened.

It was excruciating; as if all her insides were collapsing, devoured by some kind of expanding bottomless pit.

Tessa faced her, but she looked at her without malice. Her big green eyes met her terrified ones. "Look, I know this is all very rough, and you have every reason in the world not to trust me. But I swear I'm only trying to help you! And you've got to get out of here; what's happening to you... It's because of the use of the Solver's powers. It's having a huge impact on your Singularity... which is trying to compensate. And it takes advantage of the slightest weakness in you; while you're unconscious, for example. That's why you've got to wake up."

"... Then it's true; nothing here is real." Uzi replied, before another jolt of pain sent her reeling.

"It's more complicated than that; if I had time, I'd explain that it's all happening in a deep part of your program. Like a sort of inner place where we can talk." Suddenly, her gaze turned sad and dark, as Tessa turned away. Before murmuring, "Even those who, like me, are no longer alive..." as she scratched a scarred wrist with her fingernails.

Uzi gazed at her skeptically, not knowing what to make of what this ‘Tessa’ was saying. What if it was true, or a lie invented by the entity. "So you're pretending to be some kind of ghost... It's creepy. How can I be sure you're not another Solver trap?” 

"I wouldn't have helped you if that was the case... I think." Tessa replied with one eye closed, in a slightly arrogant tone; and even though it was pretty annoying, Uzi found it hard to argue with her point. "Honestly, I don't know myself if I'm really a ghost, or a hallucination, but I doubt I'd be working for the Solver if I saved you from its clutches. Twice."

"Wait a minute..." Uzi remembered the first time she'd found herself trapped by the Solver - in the form of an Eldritchian N. And her eyes widened: "It was you who got its attention?!"

Tessa nodded her head, waving her dark pigtails around her smug face. "Yeah: and it almost caught me, before I found a place of your program where I could hide. And I've made it my home ever since."

Uzi's eyes narrowed, as the Worker-Solver remained silent for a moment, wanting to contradict her. But she had to admit that her help had gotten her out of a tight spot. Finally, she grumbled, reluctantly accepting her argument:

"Okay... Let's suppose I believe you. How do I get out of here?" Uzi really hoped she could manage it: her hunger was only getting worse, as was her pain.

She didn't dare imagine what state her body was currently in, or if she'd gone wild - last time, she'd almost devoured N.

Tessa smiled at her reluctant words, seeming satisfied that the female drone had decided to trust her - for now - and replied confidently, "I told you: this place was made from lines in your program. It's outside the Solver's zone of influence, so you could hypothetically modify this chamber to make an exit."

Uzi's eye twitched at her idea; finding it hardly plausible. "Hypothetically? Not very encouraging."

Tessa shrugged, which didn't improve Uzi's mood. "Well, I've never tried it. But it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. Besides... don't you want to see N? I'm sure the little guy's out there worrying about you~"

"B-Bite me!" Uzi raged at the laughing human, but couldn't help blushing more purple.

And... there'd be no point in hesitating. Might as well try something, and see what it would do. Helping herself to the human, the Worker-Solver struggled to her feet. As she carried her, Uzi couldn't help noticing more scars on the human's skin: multiple lacerations on her arms, at eye level, and a larger one above her dress, towards her chest.

The same wounds from the Solver's fused form, where flesh mingled with metal. Uneasy, the drone preferred to avoid staring at them too much - the human not noticing her.

“Okay: what next?” Uzi asked Tessa once she was standing in front of a wall, unsure of what to do next. 

The human's uncertainty didn't reassure her, even though she looked equally puzzled. "Like I told you, it's only a guess. Not a solution. This place is created from your program, and it's pieces of code that are all around us." To back up her words, Tessa pointed to the entire environment. "Every piece of furniture here, and everything you see, takes shape thanks to lines of code I've picked up."

"So what: I just have to imagine some kind of door that would take me back to my body, and that would work?" Uzi scoffed sarcastically, mocking the logic of the human who supported her.

"Well... I managed to recreate my room with it. You could try it yourself." 

Frankly, Uzi doubted it would succeed. But did she have another solution? The drone didn't think she had time to think of anything else.

"By the way, Uzi..." The drone looked at the human, as she spoke. And she saw her smile warmly at her; which surprised the little drone. "I wanted to thank you for what you did. Taking care of the Solver. And... I really hope to see you again soon... That is, if you don't mind."

Tessa pronounced this last sentence with more hesitation; and Uzi thought she detected a certain apprehension in her voice. As if she feared the drone would refuse.

Not that Uzi would want anything to do with this strange ghost; she'd rather get rid of it, in fact. One nagging entity was bad enough. But there were many things she didn't know that the human seemed to - like what had happened earlier.

And finally, swallowing her frustration, she replied in a growl: ".... We'll see. I've still got a lot of questions to ask you. But you'd better behave. Do something weird, and I'll use that crucifix myself to end you.”

“Promise!” The former human was practically fizzing with happiness, clearly pleased despite the thinly veiled threat - which didn't delight Uzi, who sighed louder. 

This girl is missing a box... 

But there was something more important: getting out of this place. She'd deal with that later. Then Uzi concentrated on a way out: a door that would take her back into her own body. 

Imagine that... Uzi did just that, closing her eyes as she used the full power of her systems to make it appear right in front of her. 

To return to her frame... and as she opened her eyes, they widened, and Uzi's breath caught as she saw, replacing the wall, a door exactly like the one she'd imagined.

"It was... strangely easy?" Uzi grabbed the handle of the door, which lowered and opened.

And a blinding light hit her full force... absorbing her…

__________________ 

When Uzi regained consciousness a moment later, the first thing she noticed was that she lay amidst the facilities of the now-destroyed laboratory. And alone.

And above all... that she could see in many places at once. It was as if dozens of eyes allowed her to see everywhere. Including her own body... and the drone was horrified by the vision she had of herself.

What the hell?!

She was much taller; even taller than a drone, and longer - like four school cars in a row. More carnal too, as half her frame disappeared into that of a monstrous centipede which had invaded most of space, growing among the debris. Crab claws and many chitinous sharp limbs clicked faster, hitting the damaged floor hard, as panic overwhelmed her. Several projectors with yellow-violet light also emerged from the rings of her insectoid crab body, the cameras illuminating the hole more intensely with a violet-yellow glow ; they were what enabled her to see in so many places at once, like with her tail.

"S-So, I look like this thing... Is that how N and my parents saw me that night?" Uzi whimpered pitifully, shamefully, cowering further as she saw the abomination she had become.

It looked so much like... Cyn. There wasn't much drone left now.

Uzi saw her own horrified expression, contemplating herself with revulsion. And soon, after the horror, another feeling overcame her, sending her crashing closer to the ground and growling louder, like a beast.

It was hunger. 

Alert: material reserve at 5%! Risk of deterioration of Host frame!

Material recovery procedure initiated!

And this time, the Worker-Solver didn't struggle. As the Solver symbol flashed on her screen, she gasped in pain. Her whole long body rose to search, throwing everything around to find something to eat.

Anything. 

The first drone in her reach - an infected corpse, which had exploded from the blast - she grabbed with her claws. Her mouth opened wider, revealing much longer teeth than before. She didn't care for the moment: she had to satisfy her hunger by any means necessary! The drone's entire body disappeared into her jaws, as she engulfed it, metal and flesh, drinking oil, to appease the Singularity inside her. A satisfied purr left her all body, which trembled with pleasure as her reserves finally rebounded. Slightly, though. 

It wouldn't be enough. More! 

And Uzi searched for more bodies. Unconcerned about feasting on corpses, she tore them apart in her grasp, one after the other, eating them greedily. Beneath her teeth, the bodies crunched and disappeared in a few quick bites. As at camp with her comrades, only the satisfaction of feeding mattered. Particularly when she tore out the cores inside the frames, and swallowed their pale glow. The sensation that accompanied it was as if more energy invaded her.

More...

Until, after a long time, once she'd had enough, Uzi finally came to her senses. And terror overwhelmed her as she realized what she'd just done; even if she hadn't killed anyone this time, it was an abdominal thing she'd done.

Shit... How many of them did I have to eat this time?

Uzi hadn't counted, too busy eating them... But the female drone thought she'd consumed dozens of them.

... She had to regain her appearance. If N, V, or even her mother or Thad saw her like this… it might not go well. Especially if the temporarily appeased hunger took her back.

"Where the hell are they?" Uzi realized she was at the very bottom of a huge crater; in the ruins of what had once been the laboratory.

There was no one else around her; only the destroyed bodies of the infected. But none of her companions and family. That must mean they weren't there. She couldn't remember recognizing them among the bodies - despite having been busy eating.

Perhaps they were all still alive... She hoped so, refusing to believe otherwise.

To the surface? Uzi's head lifted towards the ceilingless summit - she could see the lighter color of the sky. The drone hissed when she saw that dawn was approaching: she didn't have much time left.

However, before Uzi could set off in search of them, there was still one big major problem. Literally.

"How can I go back to the way I was?" Uzi looked at herself in disgust, seeing the flesh that had invaded half her body.

She doubted she could escape it on her own, her body imprisoned up to her core in this filthy flesh. Her frame could barely contain her wings and tail. There would never be enough room for such a thing...

... Or was there?

Uzi thought she had an idea; though she didn't know if it would work. The Singularity in her core was what gave her powers and mutations, and acting like a bottomless pit that demanded so much material. It all had to go somewhere: into that black hole pulsing within her burning core. 

And Uzi imagined all that flesh and that hideous, misshapen body being absorbed by this. 

“Come on… Get inside!” 

What followed... was a terrible torture. At once frighteningly long and fast. In fact, it lasted only an instant: Uzi's whole body twisted, drawn by the Singularity obeying her Host's will. She screamed in agony, as violent spasms overwhelmed her. And the next second, the Worker-Solver was back in her old body, bruised but alive.

As if nothing had happened.

"Fuck... Never again." Uzi groaned, her face and purple wig against the dusty, dirty floor as she recovered from the torment.

But a sudden noise above her drew her attention... and a groan left her as she saw all the way up the mass of flesh clinging to the droneling, crawling out of the hole to the surface.

He had survived the combined explosion of the [null] and the laboratory.

Worry overcame her: what if the others were down there and he found them unconscious?

"Fuck it..." Uzi hissed as she forced out her bat wings; even though she lacked strength, the drone managed to lift herself into the air - just as the dying experiment was leaving his destroyed prison.

The little drone hurried to catch up, aware of the danger to the others. She had to make it. Beating her wings faster, Uzi managed to escape from the burning, still smoldering ruins. Her eyes immediately scanned the surrounding area - all the buildings had been blown up by the explosion, giving the landscape a battlefield look - and she saw "Subject 10" below. And her face turned to pure rage as she saw him stop to sink his fangs into an inanimate body.

N's, who lay unconscious in the snow.

“Aaaaaah!!!” Uzi’s roar exploded in the air; as the drone swooped down on the monster to prevent him from devouring her partner. 

Her intervention prevented him from hitting N and, in a fit of ferocity, Uzi grabbed one of the tentacles that whipped wildly towards her winged form. She had no trouble grabbing him, lifting the creature higher above and, with another angry cry, Uzi threw him much further away. 

Crashing him several dozen meters away, as the deformed droneling collapsed in the clearing that once served as a park. Uzi joined him, determined to put an end to this once and for all. And before the creature could retaliate, she was the first to take the initiative.

[callback ping]: stop!

This time, Uzi was ready for what was to come: she shielded herself from the mental backlash, preventing the screaming child's consciousness from invading her own. The female drone held firm, refusing to lose her grip, and she reinforced her call. Not to possess him, however... Uzi had something else in mind. She continued, until the youngest drone stopped screaming and no longer resisted, groaning muffled. 

And his exhausted gaze lifted to hers. Surprisingly more... lucid.

Did it work? Uzi released her power, breathing heavily after the effort, as 'Liam' clumsily got to his feet.

He looked much calmer than before; the rest of his body tensed as if he would collapse at any moment. And his face turned to hers, all his eyes - digital and organic - looking at her almost fearfully. And... regret?

"Hey, kid-" 

"Uzi!" Just as she was about to reach him, N's scream stopped her.

Then Uzi felt herself lifted; swept into the arms of the Disassembly, who pulled her away from here. She saw his panicked expression and the stressed circles in his eyes.

Then the Worker-Solver looked at Liam. Who was also looking at her, who was no longer trembling or afraid. But smiling and peaceful. His eyes expressed mute gratitude... as behind him, the sun appeared behind the horizon and, as it rose, its deadly rays enveloped the drone-child.

The sun!

Uzi knew immediately what was going to happen; she was shocked to see the droneling's body exposed to the sun's energy. Unable to withstand it, the flames enveloped him, reaching right down to his core, which melted instantly.

Preventing any regeneration.

Before suffering the same fate, N dived behind a piece of wall still standing. There, he deposited Uzi and, before she could do anything, the tall drone placed himself between the dangerous star and his girlfriend, spreading one wing like a big shield to keep them in the shade.

A gasp left Uzi as she saw the sharp feathers immediately melting, and N agonizing and moaning as he held her tighter.

"N !”

Chapter Text

For a long moment, N was plunged into darkness. The blast had sent him flying outside the lab, and flying debris had destroyed half his head. It had taken him a while to recover, completely inert and unaware of the world around him. But when he heard Uzi's scream, his processors had instantly rebooted. 

And his vision returned, as the Disassembly slowly regained consciousness. 

"Where... Where am I?" N had seen himself lying in the snow outside the lab and orphanage, which had obviously been destroyed after the explosion. There was almost nothing left. 

Abruptly, N's core skipped a beat. Right above him, the droneling had appeared out of nowhere. Badly wounded, his mouth dripping with oil, blood, and drool, as he prepared to rip his head off. 

N couldn't run away or move... when he saw Uzi grab the infected droneling that had nearly devoured him. And with another scream, the Worker-Solver threw him away with incredible force; without seeing her boyfriend, who had regained consciousness, she flew off in pursuit of the infected drone. 

“U… Uzi… Biscuits!” The Disassembly mustered what little strength he had left, wanting to join her. Groaning as he recovered from the damage caused by the destruction of the laboratory. 

His condition was bad: he was almost out of materials to make repairing nanites, and his body was heating up dangerously after losing so much oil. All his systems were going crazy; dozens of warning messages appeared on his screen, which he impatiently removed. There was something far more urgent: to find Uzi, then leave this place with everyone.

“Phew… the crucifix isn’t too damaged. Good.” It was still against N, who was relieved to see it intact. 

Now he had to find Uzi.

But as he stood up, still wobbly from his ill-programmed balance, his eyes widened as he saw the sky clearing: only minutes before the sun rose - to his horror.

Uzi had left for a clear corner of the park; N absolutely had to catch up with her, or at least make sure she was all right. But the absence of V, Thad and Nori kept him on the ground.

What about the others? 

As luck would have it, a few seconds after looking around, N spotted Thad, miraculously unharmed after digging himself out from under a mound of snow, and striding over to join V lying further away - the upper half of her body crushed under debris. As the Worker tried to extricate her, despite his drone strength, it was far too heavy for him.

"Thad, I'm coming!" N hurried to join the two drones; he demolished a large section of the wall with a laser cannon shot, and lifted the rest of V, as Thad slid her further away.

And Nori, where is she? N worried that another member of the group was missing.

Then he turned to Thad, who was busy recovering V in his arms as she slowly rebuilt herself: "Have you seen Nori anywhere?"

"No. She wasn't there when I woke up." Thad replied, equally concerned before calling out the matriarch Doorman's name - with no response.

Time was running out; already, daylight was chasing away the last stars. They had to hide from the sun as soon as possible. Nori still wasn't there. And Uzi who wasn't coming back....

Thad supported V, whose crushed head was reconstituting her body under a luminous, bluish viscous liquid. N watched her, making sure the process continued. She'd be fine soon, but the drone woman was likely to have an abominable migraine when she woke up.

For himself, N had to make a decision, and fast. "Thad, get V to safety right away, and try to find Mrs. Nori! It'll be daylight soon! I'll get Uzi!"

The Worker looked at him with hollow eyes, seeing the danger his friend was talking about. Thad nodded, very nervously, before wrapping V in his maroon vest. To protect her from the sun.

"Make it quick!" Thad shouted back, holding V against him as she rebooted, her screen flashing, before leaving to hide her and look for Nori.

N prayed that all three would be able to get to safety in time, hoping that everything would be fine; as he took off to join Uzi on the other side of the park. His core was racing, drawing on his last reserves of energy to catch up with Uzi.

Copper-9 horizon was burning scarlet, above the icy land, and the cloudless sky was turning lavender. And just as the silhouette of the sun loomed, painfully blinding him, N saw his girlfriend, facing the drone child, motionless and standing in the middle of the clearing. Exposed to the deadly daylight, with nothing to shelter her as she approached the droneling, talking to him. 

"Hey, kid-"

All of N's thoughts went wild, rushing towards the small female drone. 

"Uzi!" The large drone warned her of the danger, making Uzi turn towards him as he grabbed her. 

Then he spun around with her in his arms, and he flew away as far as they could; catching a brief glimpse of Liam's expression - smiling strangely peacefully. He didn't have time to catch him too, as the biomechanical fleshy body burned in the sun and burst into flames. 

N had only a moment to dive behind the first wall that was still miraculously standing, then deposit Uzi in a small nook where there was a little shade.

That won't be enough for two, the big drone realized; and in an act of desperation, he extended one of his wings to shield them from the rays.

Uzi looked at him in shock, seeming to want to say something, before her expression turned horrified as the sun's rays hit N head-on.

It hurts it hurts it hurts!

The Disassembly groaned painfully, almost on the verge of collapsing immediately from the star that wounded him, his frame overheating dangerously. The coat covering him did little to protect him; very soon, his whole body was smoking and emitting the smell of hot metal. His internal temperature was rising incredibly fast, and the oil in his body was drastically reduced to almost nothing in few seconds.

Alert: frame damaged!

Alert: high frame temperature! Risk of explosion imminent!

Alert: oil loss detected!

Alert...

Don't give up, N. Ignore this. Disassembly fought as hard as he could, drawing strength from his mind.

They'd survive this.

"N !"

Through his systems screaming into his processors, he heard Uzi shout his name, as his vulnerable wing twisted and melted. Drops of molten metal fell into the snow, like beads of incandescent light, as the ice sublimed and evaporated.

N saw her grab him, pulling with her skinny arms to move him forward into the little shade available. Although she was strong, Disassembly dug his metal feet deeper into the frozen ground, refusing to endanger her. Uzi raged against him, shouting for the taller drone to come. But he just stood there, ignoring her pleas or the loud alarms.

Hold on... He had to hold on.

Or they'd both die.

-oOo-

Uzi panicked, seeing N's body take significant damage in a matter of seconds. She tried to pull him to safety as well, tugging at his coat to make him move towards her - not caring at all about being hit by the sunlight - but N refused to budge. 

“Damn it, N, you have to move!” Uzi fumed, losing her temper at her boyfriend's stubbornness. Then her voice became pleading, seeing the warnings flashing across N's tortured screen. “Please, come on!” 

He wasn't listening to her, continuing to block the way and extend what remained of his wing; an unrecognizable, shredded metal bar. The large drone shifted further and further to the side, to fill the shadow that was shrinking as the sun climbed higher in the sky. His entire body was burning now, the heat he was giving off becoming unbearable. 

Faced with the perious situation, Uzi looked for a solution. If they stayed there any longer... N might melt completely. She had to find a way to get them out of there.

Her powers... Uzi could think of nothing else. If she could move them to a place with more shade, she and N could get to safety. After feeding herself, the drone thought she had recovered enough to do it.

There was just one problem: Tessa had warned her that overusing the Solver's gifts was what had precipitated the transformation. Uzi didn't know how much she could trust the ghost in her head, but the drone felt she had been telling the truth. What had happened earlier...

"Urgh!" N was beginning to weaken, now almost completely exposed. His wing had fallen off, becoming a silvery liquid puddle.

No time to hesitate: not when N was suffering to protect her. I'll take my chances!

"I've got you, N!" The Worker-Solver caught him as the big drone collapsed, unable to hold on any longer, and grunted into her arms. Out of strength.

Before they both fell, bending under the weight of the big drone, Uzi spotted a piece of roof wedged between the trees. This might to be work... 

... And she concentrated her powers to teleport them both there, before the light reached them completely. A tugging in her core accompanied the use of [teleport], and Uzi prayed she'd make it. 

A second later, the world disappeared in a violet light. She lost her balance with a scream, falling into the snow and gasping as the weight of N lying on top of her crushed her. She'd managed to get them under the destroyed roof. 

No creepy transformation, as Uzi looked briefly at herself... She was still normal. 

"Fuck, I did it..." Her head turned upward, hitting N's forehead as he lay on top of her. 

He wasn't moving at all, but he was still alive: Uzi could feel his core beating powerfully against her, and hear him breathing heavily close to her neck. His golden eyes shone faintly as he looked at her. Relieved, the little drone wrapped her arms around him.

"You're okay, N..." 

N smiled weakly at her, before wincing at his damaged and burned body. But that wasn't the worst that was happening to him, and the Disassembly was beginning to feel an urgent, pressing need. Vital.

Alert: oil reserve dropped below10%!

Overheating imminent!

And when he looked at Uzi beneath him... The drone felt the sting of his fangs on what remained of his lips, and his thirst was increasing. Swallowing, he avoided concentrating too much on her inviting scent, or the thought of her sweet oil-

Oh biscuits… This is horrible! 

Below, Uzi noticed his discomfort. More importantly, she freaked out as she felt him boiling against her, overheating. His melted wing barely clung to his back, one of his arms was half gone, and the sun had eaten away all the silicone on one cheek; revealing the inner mechanism of his jaw, and the fangs beneath. Part of his hair was blackened, almost to ash.

N's frame had to be cooled as soon as possible, before his core exploded and his entrails turned liquid. 

Uzi stirred beneath him, and she winced, crushed by his weight.

Damn, he's so heavy! 

Fortunately, the little drone was flexible enough to free herself and, once outside, she hurried to roll him onto his back. On contact with the infernal heat radiating from N, a puddle of water formed before releasing steam. The big drone grimaced at the sensation, but the cold did him a world of good.

Although it didn't last long, as everything melted beneath him. And his cooling system went haywire...

"Don't worry, N, you’ll be fine." Meanwhile, Uzi reassured him, though N actively avoided looking directly at her.

He really was acting strangely... She noticed, but she had to deal with the heat first. 

Using the snow to lessen the burns, she plunged her hands into the icy ground, before covering N - especially around the sun-exposed limbs and his poor deformed wing. It disappeared very quickly, instantly turning to gas within seconds, and forcing the female drone to repeat again. Around them, a thick cloud of mist rose, becoming denser by the second. By repeating her actions, what Uzi was doing seemed to be working; the heat N was giving off was becoming less unbearable.

But it wasn't just the frame that needed cooling, Uzi reminded. His core needed it just as much. First, his coat had to be removed... 

... Wait a freaking minute.

Uzi stopped briefly, incredibly embarrassed as the female drone realized she should help him. N was still too damaged to move himself. She was going to have to undress him instead... 

Oh robo-christ, this is going to be so weird! Uzi hesitated for a second, before stifling her shy attitude and she quickly unbuttoned his coat, exposing N’s core beneath the black and yellow glass. 

“U-Uzi!” Despite his fever - and avoiding too much thought about consuming his girlfriend's oil - N couldn't help but feel incredibly embarrassed by her actions. Even though he didn't have the courage to stop her, strangely, as he was stunned by the touch of her fingers tickling his torso... 

Uzi was no better, throwing his coat aside, the screen completely purple as she prepared another snowball. But she didn't slow down; the most urgent thing was to reduce the overheating. 

"S-Stay still! I must... well... I have to lower your temperature. That's all!” Uzi justified herself, miserably…

...Before throwing more snow onto the hot, naked body of her dying boyfriend - the little drone avoided paying too much attention to his military-grade metal plates, which outlined his athletic figure, or the softer silicone of his stomach-

Oh, she was also starting to heat up dangerously too... and N staring at her wasn't helping at all. 

For several minutes, she struggled to lower his body temperature as much as possible. After a while of doing this, Uzi gently touched him and found that his body was no longer burning hot, and the enamel and silicone weren't smoking as much. But it was still too hot, and his screen kept displaying a warning. 

His system couldn't compensate… 

Down below, N was finding it harder and harder to stay calm - or to ignore Uzi's presence. His tail curled around one of his legs, which he squashed to keep his cartridge from getting too close to Uzi. He could hear her core pulsing, close by. And most of all, he imagined the oil inside her, flowing into his mouth as he held her against him-

“N, are you still there?” Uzi leaned toward Disassembly, who was starting to get seriously delirious. 

She frowned; for a second, the “X” had replaced N's soft, now concerned look. It disappeared, replaced by a warning about low oil. 

He must have lost too much oil during the fight. And what little he had left must have evaporated in the sun, the Worker-Solver understood quickly, feeling guilty. It was her fault: if she had been careful earlier… 

Sighing, Uzi faced him, holding N's face with both hands to bring it close to his so he could look at her. 

“Be honest, N: how much are you in your oil reserves?” 

“Uh…” N swallowed uncomfortably. He couldn't take his eyes off Uzi's shoulder - imagining the oil inside. The drone tried to answer, uneasily, and concentrated on articulating. “Not… Not very high.” He admitted, not wanting to tell her the actual percent. 

Only a number left, and one that was dwindling closer and closer to zero as the minutes ticked by - less quickly after Uzi's idea of putting him in the snow. It continued, however, worsening the murderous inner voice screaming at him to feed; forcing him to hold back his instincts. 

Uzi was quick to make up her mind; checking her own oil reserves, which were fairly topped up thanks to her hearty meal, she could give enough to N. The little drone helped him to sit N's moaning body up, careful with his still painful burns so as not to hurt him. 

N's eyes widened as she removed her own hoodie, exposing her shoulder before leaning her boyfriend closer.

"U...Uzi, what-"

"Drink." Was the only command Uzi gave him, drawing N closer - and avoiding thinking too much about their proximity. "Hurry up."

The intoxicating smell of mint nearly drove poor Disassembly crazy; as his hand clung to Uzi's arm, almost to the point of crushing him. Although the overheating was practically making him lose his mind, the drone boy hesitated.

"Are... are you sure, Uzi? You know it's... it's hard for me to stop..." He could still remember the one time he'd fallen so low in oil.

It... hadn't gone so well; the little female drone had retained a scar. N could still make out the silvery arc of the fang marks on the metal. He didn't trust himself to stay in control. Not in this unstable state.

Uzi raised her gaze to the sky, grumbling at his thoughtfulness. It was very kind, but there was no time for him to worry. Not when he was about to melt into her arms. Literally. 

“Yeah, I remember! If I have to stop you, I will. It'll be easier than last time. Now stop complaining and just bite me!” 

N struggled for a few more seconds… before Uzi felt the large drone's resistance lessen. He muttered:

“O… Okay.” The male drone straightened; his screen flickering back to the yellow cross and becoming expressionless as his will weakened. “Okay…” 

Uzi braced herself for the bite, remaining perfectly still as N's warm body held her own. Although his sharp metal claws came out with a sinister screech, due to his systems being reduced to "hunting" mode, what little consciousness he had left prevented them from sinking into her body, only grazing it. His tail wrapped around her belly, firmly but gently - a way of reassuring her? - and instinctively, she drew hers out to join him. 

She trusted him; and if worst came to, the drone would handle it.

Come on, N. It'll be alright.

Okay…

It was quick; N’s fangs pierced the metal with ease. The force of his jaws gradually increased, crushing the fragile metal with a dreadful noise, as the teeth dug deeper. Uzi yelped, making N stop as his program tried to force him to feed. He waited for Uzi's pain to pass, one of his cameras staring at her; after a few seconds, he felt her stroke his burnt hair to reassure him.

Nodding, she encouraged him to feed. Continue.

As soon as his teeth reached Uzi's internal oil circulation, N moaned with pleasure at the taste of the vital black liquid. And his first sip was followed by several more, to satisfy his craving. He remembered the first time Uzi had offered him her oil... She tasted nothing like the other Workers. Sweeter and tastier than anything he'd ever known. And the guilty part of him that resented enjoying it was all but dead and buried, when he took all she had to offer. A satisfied purr emanated from him, made strangely euphoric.

More…

For her part, the Worker-Solver tried to resist the pain - curiously, it wasn't as bad as before - and she didn't flinch when N became wilder and bit down even harder. At least his frame was finally cooling down, quickly returning to a more stable temperature. But the taller drone was coming down harder on her shoulder and becoming more reckless; she had to stop his stinger from accidentally stabbing her in the stomach, the head of her tail biting his glass vial. Behind her back, the tips of his claws were beginning to lacerate her frame and clothing.

Okay... Time to calm the pup down a bit. The female drone had to keep enough oil for herself. And she began to push him away quietly, hoping to get him to react. 

"Calm down, buddy. That should do it."

Immediately, N's purr changed to a menacing growl, his meal disrupted; and his embrace deepened to the point of preventing Uzi from moving. Driven by a possessive, alien impulse, he made her stay put. 

To keep everything she had to offer. For himself.

More! Mine! 

Uzi froze in surprise; she'd heard those two words perfectly, even though N's mouth was locked to her shoulder. Were they... thoughts? Like on the roof, she could understand them. It couldn't be a coincidence.

But there was something more important... Uzi pulled herself together, before starting to shake N again.

And to wake him up, she used her head to hit him, banging against his screen. Hard. “N, pull yourself together now!” Please don't make me force you away. Behind, her hand glowed, ready to use [translate] to hold N down. 

Luckily, she didn't need to go that far; the light blow seemed to reboot N. His fake eyes returned, widening, as he finally removed his fangs from her shoulder. 

"So... Sorry!" Disassembly began to panic as he saw the condition of her arm, and his claws, which he moved away from her bleeding back. "I've done too much!"

“I’m fine, dude. No stress.”

Uzi waited for her regeneration and N's healing saliva to take effect, closing the wound and perforations. Then, seeing him wallowing in self-pity, she grabbed one of his still clawed hands. She tried to reassure him. Just a little.

"Chill out N, it's okay! Look, I've got almost nothing left already." To prove her point, the drone pointed to her completely healed shoulder. It was the same behind her back - although she'd have to stitch up the tears with thread.

Most important, N was feeling better; under her hand, his heat had completely dissipated.

N sighed, before wiping the oil that remained on his lips; uncomfortable at having lost his nerve feeding on her oil. It was quite... frightening, what it was doing to him. 

He kept his head down in front of her, as the little drone pulled her sweater back into place.

"I'm sorry you had to do that... again."

"It wasn't your fault, N. I don't blame you."

"It's still wrong..."

Uzi paused, seeing N's somber expression. She thought he was worrying too much, for so little - well, even if his attitude was a little creepy earlier. She wanted him to shut up, instead of continuing to feel sorry for what had just happened. And she had a brilliant idea how to do it; though she had to summon her courage, as she grabbed his shoulders, a determined look in her eyes. Making her almost ferocious.

"Uzi, what-"

"Shut up, you idiot!"

And before N could react, she kissed him forcefully. 

Uzi swallowed N's weak cry as she deepened their kiss with more ardor. Her core throbbing, the little drone led the kiss, rendering N completely helpless - although behind him, his tail began to moved faster and faster. 

It was even more intoxicating than before... and N decided to follow her.

Uzi's lips danced over his, tasting her own oil as her tongue as her tongue slipped. Even if she'd done this to get N to stop complaining, the Worker-Solver enjoyed it more than she'd care to admit.

And when she withdrew, breathing more rapidly, a brief pride overcame her at N's blissful expression, the golden screen everywhere. Then her air of satisfaction turned to stupefaction, the realization of what she'd done hit her.

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh-

Before N could regain his composure, the little female drone retaliated:

"I-I told you I'd get back to you later, right?Now we're even! And stop blaming yourself, it's annoying ; you, too, let me take your oil when I transformed. And I could have killed you." She reminded him, taking advantage of N's confused silence. "Like you, I won't let you die: even if I have to start giving you my oil again. Understood?"

"O... Okay."

N looked at her in surprise, Uzi's gentle words reaching deep into him. And he smiled stupidly; staring at her dreamily, still under the spell of what had just happened... before this charm faded as he was blinded by his coat ; which his girlfriend threw in his face.

Not fast enough to hide her embarrassment, as she turned away - because - dammit, she'd just remembered he was still technically naked! And she'd kept looking at him...

However, they still hadn't moved away, their tails still linked together.

"Go and get dressed! I'll try to see where the others are. It's time we got out of this crappy place!”

________________________

The couple couldn't stay here much longer; even if the roof covered them thanks to the trees, it would become too risky to be hidden there as the sun rose. For now, they sat in the shadows, holding each other. They didn't discuss what had happened earlier - Uzi wouldn't have hesitated to hit N, and he saw his girlfriend still very colorful; he himself was still in a daze. 

However, their proximity had dwindled to practically nothing; while the Worker-Solver was almost in the lap of the big drone, who was currently resting his chin on her head. And meanwhile, Uzi had started looking for the other part of the team.

First, she made sure to contact her mother ; as he was putting his coat back on, N had told her that Nori was missing, and that Thad had tried to look for her before sunrise. 

“I'm sure Nori's fine; she must have hidden before daybreak.” N had tried to reassure her - and himself - as Uzi searched for - and found - Nori's location. 

She wasn't far away, V wasn't far away and, presumably, Thad had to be with them. The little drone's screen lit up, her expression changing from worry to relief when she received - finally! - a response from Nori: 

Me (to Mom) : mom, r u ok?  (read)

Response from Mom : yeah kiddo. and you? (read)

Me (to Mom) : fine too. where are you ? (read)

Response from Mom : behind a still-intact wall: i hid after crawling out from under a beam. a little more, and i was frying in the sun. (read)

Oops… So much for her plan to blow up the whole lab. Maybe she overdid the strength of the [null]. 

Me (to Mom) : sorry, didn't think it would do this much damage. 

Uzi gestured to N, indicating that she was talking to her mother. 

“How are Thad and V? They’re fine?” N wanted to know, hoping they were both okay since he left. 

The Worker would be unharmed, not having their deadly intolerance to the sun. But V wasn't in good shape when he left, so he was worried about his squadmate. 

Response from Mom : where are you? (read)

Me (to Mom) : i'm with n. r the others with u? (read)

Response from Mom : yes. they're fine. I found them when I woke up. We'll stay hidden while the sun shines. (read)

Good, they were all three together.

And Uzi repeated Nori's message to N, who visibly relaxed and happily gave a thumbs-up. They could finally all leave: the Worker-Solver drone refused to stay here a moment longer. 

Me (to Mom) : stay where you are, we're coming to join you. i can teleport us all to the bunker. i think. (read)

As soon as Uzi located her mother, who wasn't far from them, they both appeared behind what was left of an orphanage building. There waiting for them was Nori, who warmly welcomed her daughter, as the latter joined her mother, each relieved to see her daughter/mother doing well. Nori, then V thanks to Thad, had managed to take shelter before the sun reached them. Luckily, the area had been large enough to accommodate them all; the Worker had helped V to safely go there, taking her to where Nori had beckoned them, keeping her protected in his shadow.

"It's thanks to Mrs. Doorman that we were able to come here; she warned us in time." Thad explained to his friends, reassured to see them back.

Meanwhile, V remained silent, refusing to move from where they were.

The Worker held her, reassuring the drone as she clung to him fearfully. Her dilated yellow eyes stared into the blazing daylight, the light burning less than two steps from her frame. The Worker's jacket he'd draped around her earlier still covered her.

But as soon as she'd seen N coming, V abruptly pushed Thad away; though surprised, he let her go without trying to hold her back. 

"All those in favor of leaving this damn place, say it!" V grumbled, trying to preserve what little dignity she had left; and everyone responded in the affirmative, equally wanting to leave. She turned to the Worker-Solver, impatient. "Get us out of here, freak. You can use that power again, can't you?"

And Uzi nodded in the affirmative; though she avoided looking directly at anyone. Not wanting them to see the shame in her eyes... Not after what she'd had to do to regain enough strength. Although she'd have to talk about it sooner or later... But not now.

"I'll make it, don't worry: everyone, get as close as you can. I need to concentrate." She warned them, the young goddess preparing to put in an extra effort to get them all back to the bunker.

Less than five minutes later, they appeared in the entrance hall of Door 1. The first drone to greet them was Khan; the old drone smiled with joy, reassured to see his two girls - and especially Uzi, who had disappeared after the meeting - both safe. 

"I'm so glad you're alright!" He joined them and, although Khan had dozens of questions - particularly about Uzi - the drone took it upon himself, to hold his wife against him and checked his daughter. He looked at them all, worrying as he noticed the marks and dried oil on them.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry, Dad. We're... fine..." At that moment, Uzi stumbled forward and fell to her knees, out of breath after using the [teleport]. 

Everyone called out to her, shocked and worried to see her collapse. Khan wanted to pick up his weakened child, who was coughing up oil mixed with blood. But N was quicker than him, catching his girlfriend in his arms to hold her bridal-style.

"It's okay, N. I... It's okay." Uzi groaned as she felt the Singularity in her core pulsing.

"Are you sure?" 

Uzi didn't answer N, trying to control the violent backlash. The effort had been too much... taking so many people at once had cost her a lot of energy, and it was mobilizing a lot of her resources. [teleport] had a devastating effect on her body; she should be wary of using it.

I warned you... Seriously, don't you ever listen to what you're told? Tessa's voice intervened, coming from her processors.

I didn't ring you. Mind your own business... Uzi replied to the "ghost" in her head; the human grunted, vexed, before shutting up.

Really, what had possessed her to agree to let this Tessa girl stay? Why had she given in to her request? It was bad enough with the Solver pestering her. The drone reproached herself for having been stupid in her decision, especially without knowing who this human really was... or at least what she claimed to be, assuming she was telling the truth. Very soon, Uzi was going to have to lay down some rules about the conditions of her presence, or it would drive her mad.

After a handful of seconds, the pulsations calmed down, and her heartbeat became calmer. Uzi lightly slapped her boyfriend's arm, so he would release her. “It's okay, N. I can stand on my own.” 

But N refused to let her go, and instead, he held Uzi tighter, who squeaked as she felt him keep her closer. A cocky smile plastered on his face as she was stuck with him. 

“No. I’d rather wait until I get you home.” 

At his insistence on being such a gentleman, Uzi huffed heavily, pouting against his chest - though for once, she didn’t try to fight him. She even let him position her better, to make her more comfortable. And she had to admit, it wasn’t too bad… being carried like this. 

I could get used to it more often… 

…Or maybe not, and Uzi’s gaze widened as several curious Workers began approaching them, wary and pointing at them. A crowd forming around their group, quickly growing louder and larger. 

"Oh shoot..." This is going to cause trouble again.

Chapter Text

It was Khan who took charge, managing the crowd of curious drones as they grew in number. Seeing the two Disassemblies appear at the bunker, along with Uzi and Thad, and a funny little creature, all wounded and covered in wounds, oil and bits of meat, attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

Soon, the hall was filled with noisy, suspicious Workers. As the crowd swelled, Khan realized that the reunion would have to wait.

"I'll take care of it: why don't you all go to the WDF until I join you," he suggested, trying to control the influx of questions.

Their group had had to agree, albeit reluctantly - now that sneaking in wouldn't work. For the moment, waiting for things to calm down was the best thing to do.

Now they were all in one of the WDF offices.

Into the entrance room, there was Thad, who was sitting having his arm repaired by one of the medical drones: Emy. Earlier, Khan had called her when he saw the young drone's worrying physical state. As she worked on him, repairing damaged composants, the teenager squeaked like a UNN as he felt tools unscrewing bolts from his damaged arm - even though the doctor had brought two magnets to anesthetize the limb.

"Geez, easy please." Thad fidgeted in his seat, unable to sit still.

"Oh, you!" Finally losing patience, Emy slapped his head following the annoying complaint - and winced as she felt a sticky piece of flesh stuck in his hair under her fingers. "Urgh... Seriously Thad, how did you manage to do that to yourself?! Where have you been hanging out all night?" 

Discarding the rotting piece of meat, she handed him a rag to wipe himself with, lightly soaked in cleanser.

Which Thad gratefully accepted, and began to get rid of the blood and oil on his frame. As for his clothes, he'd throw them away later.

He replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders: "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..."

The drone gave him a cyan glance, her gaze crinkled and rather stern, as she continued to manipulate the bolts on his faulty arm. She knew the young drone well; his mother was a colleague at work, and Thad often came for repairs following skateboard falls. But this time, it was far more serious than a cracked screen. She recognized a bite, inflicted by a creature with crushing jaw strength, almost to the point of tearing his arm off.

Like the female Disassembly, V, who was currently in the room, waiting. Her frightening appearance - covered everywhere in oil and now dried blood - didn't help reassure the doctor. And even though, inwardly, she was dying of fear, Emy concentrated on her patient.

Looking at him, conscious he escaped near the death, she sighed, "When your mother hears about this-"

"Whatev, she's already going to kill me for not coming home. Mr. Doorman has already called her- ouch!" Thad grinned harder as the Worker locked his leaking servos with a screw, to stop the oil bleeding.

"I think he must have asked her to wait for you at home. But yeah, you're probably in big trouble, young man."

Although she worked on her patient, rummaging through her emergency toolbox, all her attention riveted on him to repair the faulty wires in his arm, the Worker was stressing under the other watchful, predatory gaze she sensed. 

An unbearable tension emanated from the third drone in the room, who was sitting further away from them. While N, Uzi, and Nori had gone to Khan's office, Khan had chosen to stay in that room with the doctor and Thad. 

She hadn't moved since, nor said anything. Although her screen's eyes stared with boredom and annoyance at the ceiling, her real eyes discreetly watched the poor, injured Worker; seeing him in such bad shape, and smelling the scent of his oil throughout the room, the Disassembly couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. If she had kept a careful eye on him-

No, wait: why would I blame myself in the first place?! It's not my problem! 

V grew annoyed, her tail slapping the floor with a sudden noise - startling Emy, who accidentally touched one of Thad's wires and made him yelp from the stimulation. 

“Sorry.” Emy wiped the sweat dripping onto her screen, avoiding the irritated Disassembly's burning gaze at all costs, and focused on her work. 

“It's okay…” Thad lied through gritted teeth as he looked at V, worried about what could be agitating her so much. Unaware of what was causing it. 

The female Disassembly scowled alone in the corner, sulking in her seat as her sharp claws placed themselves on her arms. She was desperate to get back to the Tower; however, there was no way she was going outside in the blazing sun. Not after nearly melting less than an hour earlier… before the teenage drone protected her. The female drone gritted her teeth, trying to contain her composure - and to ignore the little Worker who continued to watch her occasionally, through her operation. 

Without really realizing it, she bundled herself up a little in the jacket Thad had given her to cover her. 

__________________

Meanwhile, in Khan's office, the two women Doorman and N had settled down to await the return of the old Worker; in the meantime, they had all cleaned up so as not to dirty the seats too much. Then they sat down quickly, especially as Uzi began to feel the effects of fatigue.

"Feel like puking again, kiddo?" Nori inquired of Uzi, her fleshy body settled on her husband's worktable.

"No, I'm better. It's calmed down a bit."

Uzi sighed in her seat; inside, the dark Singularity was quiet again, her temperature remained stable, and her reserve figures had returned to acceptable levels. After eating so much, she was feeling better, unlike in previous days. Half lying on N, now all clean, and the big drone wasn't complaining at all, happy to let her use him as a cushion. 

He purred softly, his inner core throbbing and vibrating mightily in his frame, as he kept her close to him. One of his arms enveloped her in a loving, protective embrace, while underneath, his tail wagged gently on the gridded floor. 

N was so... warm. And reassuring.

Soothed by the gentle vibrations of his frame, and the light touch of his fingers on her shoulder, Uzi felt good. Better than fine, even, enveloped in his scent; and even though she knew she'd have to tell them about what had happened in the lab - about the dream and the transformation - her yellow-purple eyes darkened briefly. Exhausted a bit, her system was slowly starting to shut down, the light on her screen dimming.

Until the touch of Nori's claw on her hand woke her up, almost making her jump out of her seat.

Her mother's purple orbital camera stared back at her... looking strangely guilty, as she stepped back a little to get a better look.

"What is it, Mom?" Uzi asked her, wanting to know what could be bothering her.

"... I wanted to apologize, Uzi." Nori began softly, making Uzi's eyes widen as he heard her. The core continued, emitting a slight artificial sigh: "I... I shouldn't have hidden my intention from you about going to the lab, and asked the idiot not to tell you. I thought I could manage on my own... but it ended in disaster. Even though we got the patch back."

Surprised, Uzi's processors shut down for a microsecond, thinking she was dreaming of hearing Nori say that. This time, she was fully awake, her earlier fatigue forgotten. This... didn't sound at all like her stubborn mother.

“I should have prepared us better than that; or if I'd been more careful. I did better at Cabin Fever, back then-” 

She paused when Uzi firmly shook her head. Glaring at her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. And her agitated emotions finally boiled over:

"Stop it." The intensity of her expression reflected unspoken pain: "You'd disappeared for years, Mom. To be able to get that damn patch back... To flee away or hide yourself from us!"

Faced with her daughter's accusation, the words sounded frighteningly real, Nori trembled as if she'd been hit. "N-No, Uzi, it wasn't... like that. I was... I was trying to protect you, and your father. I didn't mean to..."

"I don't care! You've got to stop thinking that you're the only one who suffered from this! What you did destroyed Dad. And I... I had no one. Someone who could have explained to me what was wrong with me! Who could have stopped me from accidentally eating classmates on a field trip! Or just... have a mother..."

As she spoke, that little drone expressed what she'd held back for so long, what she'd cried out arguing with her mother before they left, and how she'd felt tonight. 

Even if she partly understood her mother's decision… She doesn’t.

"I don't want to go through this again... Mom, don't ever leave us again." Hearing her own voice break like a droneling's, weak and shrill, Uzi overcame the shame she felt.

At that moment, her hard facade crumbled. And she cracked.

Seeing her beloved daughter like this, Nori thought her core body was breaking for good. If she had a screen, purple tears would have appeared. She would have liked to hold her beloved daughter in her arms; the one she had hurt through her hasty decision to disappear, to leave without her, and her actions having almost gotten her killed: again. Regretting her old body, all she could do was bend down and stroke Uzi's cheek with a claw.

And whisper, in a saddened tone: "Forgive me, kiddo. Uzi... you were right to say that I have no right over your life. I... I lost that a long time ago. When I left you and your father." Nori acknowledged, though it hurt her to do so. "I wasn't there for you, to raise you as I should have. I broke up our family. And all these years... can never be made up for. I can only... ask for your forgiveness."

For a long moment, neither of them said another word; yet they shared a look between them heavy with meaning: regret, sadness, apology...

Standing back, understanding that the two Doormans needed this moment, N gazed at them with a desolate expression. Suddenly, his hearing picked up a male sob behind the door; and when it opened, Khan appearing in his turn. 

The old Worker looked just as devastated, N realized, as he stepped slowly into the now silent room.

From the other side, he had heard everything Uzi and Nori had discussed. Light tears appeared on his screen, beading under his white-rimmed eyes. He saw his two girls, and the last member of the Doorman family joined them the next moment. Taking them both in his arms, as he wept with all his being.

"I ask your forgiveness too, both of you... Uzi... Nori... For not having been there for you." The old drone articulated between his cries; apologizing both as a husband, and as a father.

Soon, the room was filled with the tears of the entire family; Khan holding everyone, Nori and Uzi together in his arms.

The only one left behind was N, who watched them emotionally, discreetly wiping a golden tear from the corner of the screen. He respected being in the background this time, as the Doorman family was reunited; although his hand hadn't left Uzi's, he still held her firmly.

_________________________

“Everyone, it's time to leave now! For the love of Robo-God, let them pass, and get back to work!” 

Khan urged the crowd to disperse as they all filed out of the offices. Under his authority, most of the drones obeyed and moved away. There had been few of them left after the old Worker had intervened the first time, leaving only a few curious onlookers. 

One of them, however, Don - Uzi recognized him among the troop - quickly stepped into the path as they left, his expression burning with anger. 

“I hope this is a joke, Khan! You're going to let them in like this, when these things… these Murder Drones just appeared from who knows where?! With these… three!” He pointed at Uzi, Thad and, with some revulsion, Nori's flesh-body. 

This one shifted in her husband's arms, as if to hide herself from the curious looks - and some disgusted, especially from Don - being thrown at the biomechanical body of the Doorman matriarch.

Faced with the Worker's hostility, N held Uzi tighter to him, his gaze hardening imperceptibly. Instinctively, his unusually motionless tail curved a few inches higher toward the male drone, as an inaudible growl rose within him. But he wasn't moving; not yet. No one saw it - except Uzi, who felt him tense and heard the threatening sound echo. 

Beside Thad who didn't look pleased either, V seemed to be ignoring the rude Worker ; but her claws had surreptitiously raised, and an eye twitched.

Uzi too…. had to restrain herself from tearing his head off in public; in her mind, the Solver's mournful whisper encouraged her to take action, to rip the insides out of this drone until he screamed. 

Please do, it could be fun, it whispered, as real as if that thing had whispered it through her possessed tail. For once, she was almost tempted to agree. Almost.

Fortunately, neither of them had to do anything; as Khan stepped forward to confront his colleague. And he stood in front of him, standing intimidatingly against the Worker. He was clearly pissed off when the old man spoke, his voice betraying his desire to attack the other drone. 

“Yes, Don. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to bring my wife and daughter home, along with those two Disassemblies and that boy. Since you weren’t present last night when the vote was taken, please know that we’ve decided to welcome them into the bunker, and they can come at any time.” 

He took another step closer to the other furious councilor, who remained motionless, his entire body tense. 

"So now you're going to leave. So I can take care of my family. Or you can count on me to weld a door in your face."

Hearing this, Uzi felt an immense pride for her father - as Don reluctantly backed away, before disappearing as he spat a curse, grumbling with hatred "Fools..." before cowardly walking away. 

This intervention drove away all the other Workers still present, unwilling to undergo the same treatment.

"I think you've made quite an enemy, babe." Nori commented darkly, though she was blown away by her husband's attitude.

"All I did was put him in his place; he behaved like an asshole. And I saw the way he looked at you, Nori." Khan growled into his beard, still upset by what had happened.

"And you looked sooo badass. And hot."

Khan laughed at his wife's flirt, before turning to the rest of the small group, showing them to follow him. Now that the coast was clear, no one came to disturb them. However, it wasn't until they reached the family apartment that everyone relaxed. 

When the group reached the door, despite the Doormans' invitation to stay, Thad preferred to return to his own house.

"Mom must be about to go ballistic. I'd better go home. I don't even know what I'm going to say to her..." 

Khan, and especially Nori, thanked him for his help; the core insisted to Thad to go to the medical area for his arm, fearing that his damaged servos would eventually fail. N greeted him cheerfully. Always at N's side, Uzi felt sorry for Thad, who would have to explain his absence and injuries to his mother.

She knew from experience, having lived it personally, that it wouldn't be a pleasant time.

"Cheer up, man."

"Thanks, Zi. See you, N&M's! Goodbye, Mr & Mrs Doorman."

Greeting everyone, the Worker looked at V, who was deliberately turning away. Since they'd returned to the bunker, she'd walled herself up in silence and distanced herself from him. Although she had kept his jacket, Thad made no move to retrieve it; instead, he gave her a hesitant wave of his hand.

"Thanks again for saving me, V. See you soon." He thanked her, to which the Disassembly replied with a muffled grunt; though she nodded slightly.

Even though they saw their weird exchange, no one commented until Thad left; though Uzi made a suspicious, and rather amused, face. Especially seeing the way V was acting. 

The latter immediately noticed her smirk expression, and bared her fangs menacingly: “What you want, gremlin?!” 

“Nothing, nothing…” Uzi laughed, not being able to help but notice the new jacket she still had on - and N stared blankly at the two bickering girls. 

V hadn't stayed either: briefly, she explained she had business elsewhere, remaining vague. And before anyone could stop her, she slipped into the nearest duct and disappeared.

Rest of their group filed into the Doormans' living room - N and Uzi on the couch, refusing to separate, Khan still held Nori against him as they settled into a chair. The core busied herself by telling her husband what they'd discovered; the lab, the crucifix, the experiments the humans had been conducting at the time - including the infected droneling they'd fought. 

And Nori shared what worried her most: “N told me he recognized that mad scientist, Nova, as one of the drones that had been after them. The ones with Solver powers… and who were looking for its Host.” Nori trailed off, mulling over the rest of her theory. “I'm pretty sure someone sent them to Copper-9, right after Robo-Satan was defeated.” 

“You mean humans? Would there still be any left?” Khan asked her, worried about the implications that their former masters might still be alive. 

Listening to her mother share her thoughts, Uzi had just come to that conclusion herself; and seeing N tense, distress written all over his face at the mention of this woman's name, her reaction was explosive: 

“I already killed that crazy bitch once! If that wasn't enough for her, I'm totally ready to blow her up if she decides to come back with another squad!” 

"Kiddo, language." Nori reminded her, though quite amused by her feisty daughter.

At least, Uzi saw N relax and smile at her. The little drone held his hand tightly. To reassure him. 

Why don't ya go see the memories of that drone you devoured? Tessa suddenly intervened - and Uzi thought she'd jumped when she heard her out of the blue. 

Luckily, she'd gotten very good at masking her emotions. 

Fuck, you scared me! And be more specific: I ate a bunch of people. 

She could feel the human rolling her eyes. The drone in the red jacket… The one from the ship whose core you ate.  Hans, right ?

An imaginary loading symbol appeared in her head - she was trying to keep a neutral screen - and ran for a few more seconds when the female drone remembered it. 

Ah, that one. What's the matter? 

It's just a guess… but by eating other sentient beings, the Solver had the ability to appropriate their memories and store them; at least, that's how it must work. Now that you're the Host, you might be able to track them down to check where the crew came from, and what they were doing here. 

That... that wasn't too shabby. It's true she could do that. She could try. Uzi kept the information in the back of her mind; in the present, Nori continued to explain what they had found.

It was then that she pointed to the crucifix on the table. The object had been a little dented after their fight, particularly the golden shell that protected it. But it was still intact ; and, more importantly, the data inside that contained the program to counter the Solver.

"Even if it didn't go as planned, the main thing is that we got this patch back. I'll be able to work on it, patch it up a bit... and try to adapt an effective antivirus for you, Uzi."

To which the little drone replied with simulated enthusiasm; unable to detach herself from the constant unease she felt at the sight of the crucifix-shaped patch.

In turn, Uzi told them what she, V and Thad had discovered at the Storage: the body of a drone working at the WDF - Khan gasped as he heard the name of Steve, the victim of this savage killing.

"Oh my god, I-I didn't know that had happened to him. I… remember his parents telling me they hadn't heard from Steve when I asked about him.” 

Khan rubbed his face, learning of the apprentice's death hitting him hard. "I... I have to warn his parents. They're not going to take it well.”

"Hold on, Dad. Don't tell them the truth," Uzi warned him, still seeing Don go after them earlier. "They could blame N and V for this. We have to say as little as possible, until we catch the thing that did it." 

She didn't mention what the Solver, controlling Uzi's tail, had told them. Although that wasn't the whole truth, maybe it was for the best, Uzi thought, seeing N, Nori, and Khan listening to her with shock and concern, learning this news together. 

“S… So there’s probably a killer roaming the bunker right now…” Khan swallowed, imagining what it might be like. “At a time like this.” 

"As Uzi said, we'll have to catch it and finish it off, before it causes any more victims. Hopefully it'll be the last.” Nori grumbled. “One thing’s for sure, no one but us can know about this right now. It would create panic.” 

“I’ll organize more patrols in the bunker sectors: if it ever happens again…” 

As the two Doormans discussed what should be done to prevent another killing spree, Uzi remained frighteningly silent. Seemingly lost in thought. N noticed; Usually, his girlfriend would be excited by this kind of plan. Not this time. 

“Uzi, what's wrong?” Disassembly asked her kindly, when the little drone didn't react. 

In reality, she was constantly being bothered by Tessa, who hadn't finished talking in her head and was distracting her. Trying to communicate with her, the human was making all sorts of silly noises to get her to react. Seriously, why hadn't Uzi knocked that pest out with that shovel when she had the chance?! 

Stop ignoring me! 

And Uzi snapped: So don't be such a stalker, you creepy ghost! 

Tessa's outraged growl followed. Who retorted: First of all, that's mean. I'm just saying, now would be a good time to tell them what happened in the lab, when you got separated.

Sure. Easy for you to say.

They deserve to know. And you shouldn't keep things like that from them, Tessa scolded her - Uzi could guess the grim face she was making. Terrible. Believe me, I know the consequences of letting a secret linger.

Uzi sulked; this time, they all noticed her in the living room while she was attacking Tessa. Khan, Nori and N were all looking at her.

"Uzi, is there something bothering you?" Khan asked her.

Taking a deep breath, as the human in her head encouraged her, the Worker-Solver decided to speak - reluctantly. Explaining that, after the explosion, she had run out of materials, and the Solver program had taken over while she was unconscious. The Singularity had gone into overdrive... initiating the material collection protocol.

Voraciously devouring the drone corpses she'd discovered upon awakening. Then, she'd managed to make the whole body disappear into her core.

"I... I have nightmares too," Uzi confessed in a low voice, as they all looked at her catastrophized. "Most of the time, it doesn't do anything to me at all. Just... horrible visions."

"What about this time?" Nori wanted to know, having a bad feeling; surprisingly calm despite her daughter's revelations.

Purposely avoiding talking about Cyn and Tessa's recent interactions - not while N was listening to her, she didn't want to imagine his reaction - Uzi described to them the Solver's two failed attempts to win her over.

Unsuccessfully.

"So far, I've gotten away with it. I managed to use my Singularity to hide all this... flesh inside. But... it's taking advantage of my slightest weakness to get me. I... I'm getting hungrier." Uzi curled up on the sofa, staring at her legs. Trembling under the anxiety. "I always need more material and oil so I don't fall too low. I think that's what causes the instability. And... And it gets harder every time."

The drone knew how serious what she was saying was; she waited for their reaction, imagining that they must be panicking right now. 

Yet... nothing. 

N, who hadn't moved from his seat, had instead moved closer to her and taken her in his arms. Feeling her tense against him, he brought his face close to hers.

"It's going to be fine, Uzi. Now we have the patch; we'll be able to handle the Solver together if it tried to start up again." He smiled at her, confident, as Uzi looked at him wide-eyed, surprised by his calm. "You're not on your own. Don't worry."

"I'll try to program a firewall to contain it a little better... until I can code the patch." Nori came over to Uzi; then, regaining some of her motherly attitude, she added more sternly, "In future, I'd like you to let me know sooner when the Solver becomes boring again. Or when you get the munchies, don't wait until the last minute to take care of them."

"I'll make sure I bring you enough supplies, Uzi." Khan assured her, wanting just as much to support his daughter. "And as soon as possible, I'll organize the WDF's first field trip for resupply. If I can count on your help, N?"

"Of course! I'll talk it over with V when she gets back."

This... was going better than Uzi had imagined, as she told them about her recent problems with the Solver.

Told ya.

This time, Uzi didn't throw out a sharp reply. Genuinely grateful that it was going so well.

"T-Thank you.”

They had all been talking for a long time: it was much more relaxed and calm than earlier. Khan and Nori were planning to come to their daughter's presentation when she returned to class, in a few weeks' time. Which Uzi had completely forbidden them to do, threatening to expel them.

It would be totally humiliating!

N hadn't been much help, adding "I hope I can join your class, it'll be great!" to his girlfriend's annoyance.

When they decided to separate to recharge, Uzi had remembered in time what she had been thinking about at the Storage; now in her room, accompanied by N who had joined her and sat on her bed, Uzi had decided to test her theory. Taking a bolt, the drone tried to at least double it. She had a hunch that modifying the program [edit] would be a good idea, as it controlled the material. Despite her best efforts and no matter how hard she concentrated, the Worker-Solver couldn't manage it.

Her eyes crinkled in annoyance, insisting on rewriting the code. Come on, work!

By dint of her insistence, the glyph rewrote the piece of metal in her hand, which trembled and swelled into a useless, disgusting ball of meat.

"Damn it!" Uzi threw the useless flesh away, annoyed and exhausted by this failure.

Faced with her growing frustration, N decided it was time to intervene. "Don't worry Uzi, I'm sure you'll understand in the end. Just like you did to save us last time with V."

The Worker-Solver failed to sulk at the confident face N gave her; he truly believed she would succeed. And Uzi finally gave up her annoyed look.

Adding more moodily: "Of course I will; I'm a fucking goddess now. There's nothing I can't do!"

N laughed at her confidence, and Uzi returned his smile. Then, looking at N, she saw how dirty his coat was, where oil and blood had dried. Not wanting to leave him in those clothes to recharge, she searched through her bedroom drawers for something that might suit her gigantic boyfriend; until she found an old black t-shirt by the human band Metallica, which came down lower than her knees. 

This should be good...

She handed it to N, having nothing larger. "Here, take this before you hook up. I think it'll fit you."

Immediately, he had been ecstatic that she'd let him have his garment, while he happily accepted it. "Thanks, Uzi!"

"It'll be better than your filthy coat. Anyway, it really needs cleaning. You can keep it for yourself if you like." Uzi had told him with a smile... and she'd become empurpled as she watched him begin to undress in front of her. Screaming as she stopped him, "N-Not here, you moron! In the changing room!"

Luckily, her parents had already gone to bed and must certainly have been in 'Sleep Mode'; they hadn't heard a thing. Uzi had chased a confused N from her room, practically throwing him out, showing the other room to change in before hastily slamming the door.

Then she rubbed her still very purple screen in indescribable embarrassment. Already earlier, cooling his naked body with snow, and now! Uzi was in danger of overheating.

"Seriously... this guy is impossible. Taking his clothes off like that..."

Don't blame him: on Earth, he only wore a butler's outfit because it was protocol, not a social norm... but it was funny to see you so embarrassed, 'Tessa' scoffed gently - of course, she'd seen and heard it all, in her head. And don't act like you didn't appreciate it ~

"Oh, bite me..." Uzi grunted into her hands, hiding her luminous screen.

Wouldn't you rather N did it-

"Shaddup!!"

While waiting for N to return, Uzi had removed her own sweater, which she would have to clean out, for another, cleaner outfit - a simple black t-shirt with suspenders. Lying lazily in bed, the Worker-Solver listened distractedly as Tessa instructed her to delve into the codes of her program. At her core, she explained, were lines of data that should belong to the outsider drone whose core she had consumed. 

It was interesting information to learn, which could prove quite useful. 

However, Uzi found it strange that the supposedly dead human knew this, and when she asked to Tessa about, her answer was even more so:

I just know.

After a long hesitation, though still suspicious of the authenticity of her words, the drone had agreed to listen to the chatty ghost's plan.

"And then what? What would you like to do with it?" Uzi questioned the ghost hanging around in her mind.

'Tessa' seemed to think about it, even though the idea had just come to her.

Well... it's just a hunch. If I could retrieve the data you've assimilated on this guy, I think I'd be able to give you the ones you're interested in. I could retrieve his memories - at least if a fragment of his consciousness still exists.

Despite her doubts, Uzi had to admit it was a good plan. "That seems good. And how-"

Suddenly, someone knocked on her room, interrupting them both.

"Uzi? Can I come in?" It was N's voice; he must have finished changing.

Regaining her composure, the Worker-Solver allowed him in, and N moved slowly in absolute silence until he entered the room. Seeing his satisfied expression, he didn't seem to have heard her talking to herself and the now silent ghost - Uzi could hardly see explaining to her boyfriend the presence of Tessa in her head.

N had swapped his coat for Uzi's suit - and the little female drone had to admit it looked pretty good on him. The tall drone had also removed his cap, leaving his white curls free on his head where his five other yellow eyes shone.

"You're classy, N." She greeted him cheerfully, happy with his appearance, which gave her a better view of his solid body.

If her tail was out, she'd quickly bump the mattress. The pajamas barely covered her boyfriend's belly, the drone being much bigger than she was.

N seemed to appreciate the compliment, his tail wagging higher and faster. He, too, loved seeing Uzi's more relaxed look, as she had set aside her favorite beanie while her purple wig fell over her shoulders, just having Nori's necklace. Seeing that she was waiting for him, he joined her in bed, sliding in like the drone did when they had movie and anime nights. 

That was only a few months ago… now it seemed very long ago. 

One second later, N's heavy weight came crashing down on Uzi's skinny legs, who let him settle quietly into her rickety mattress, neglecting the blanket. Neither of them needed to say anything to the other about staying together; they needed to know each other was safe. To be close again. 

Soon, their bodies were entwined in a loving embrace; Uzi held N's head against her chest, close to her throbbing core, while his tail and hers - which she had instinctively pulled out - curled together as a festive garland.

Mom and Dad would freak out if they were awake, Uzi mused briefly; both her parents had to be offline right now.

She didn't care about the risk of being caught; instead, Uzi moved closer to N, who did the same. It was so strange, how they became more at ease with each other. When no one could see them, all Uzi's shyness would vanish into N's arms. Only with him would she allow the walls protecting her to come down.

The male drone had noticed; when they were alone, his girlfriend was much more affectionate. He felt privileged to know this other side of her complex personality; wanting to see more.

"You can plug yourself into an outlet, you know. I've got another cable lying around on your side." She mumbled into his hair, enjoying the ticklish sensation at their touch.

"Mhm~"

However, N seemed to be thinking about something other than recharging, although he really needed to; he'd raised his screen to hers, his gaze brighter than ever.

"Now that we're back at the bunker, have I earned the reward you promised me?" The big drone asked her hopefully, recalling their conversation the day before.

Uzi squirmed in his arms, her hollow two-tone eyes flashing several times in succession, and her black face more colorful at his request. After pulling herself together a little, at her boyfriend's expectation, and her expression became more mischievous:

"Hmmm… thought I made it clear that you should come back without a scratch, didn't I?"

"I did!" To prove it to her, N sat down opposite Uzi to show his body; which had practically recovered from his wounds by using up almost all reserves in nanites.

Uzi didn't fail to remark, deciding to tease him some more: "Tsk Tsk, that's cheating, boy : it doesn't count if you heal yourself! Besides, you'll be starving when you wake up."

N's disappointment showed on his face, like a dog denied its tasty treat ; but faded the next second when he realized Uzi was pulling his leg, seeing the sly expression he knew so well about her. 

As the little drone approached, sharp teeth glinting through her dangerous smile: "Buuut since you insist~"

And she grabbed him by the shoulders to drag him down. As earlier, the little drone kissed him fiercely. The next moment, having recovered from the initial shock, N returned the kiss with the same intensity. Unlike the first time, which had been rushed, and their other brief kisses, this one was much slower. 

More tender.

Deciding without a word to take their time, they lost themselves in each other's gentleness, enjoying as the loving drones expressed their affection. Learning how to hold each other, as Uzi held N's strong shoulders, and the big drone's hands gripped her hips, allowing her to straddle his legs. Uncoiling, their tails wrapped around each other, crossing and joining around their burning bodies, whose temperature was rising.

"U...Uzi..." N was half-aware of their state, half-hypnotized by the absolutely saintly appearance his girlfriend had for him. Without the fear of tearing the shirt, he'd like to wrap her in his wings, to make sure he keeps her closer.

Uzi saw it too; separating very briefly from him feeling her temperature panic and N's. But as long as they were careful, she wasn't about to stop. Looking at N, he seemed just as excited.

And they continued, with more passion than before.

After a moment, Uzi couldn't help shuddering, slightly uncomfortable when N brushed against her back; where two scars crossed her deformed frame. The Disassembly immediately moved his hands away and stopped, feeling Uzi tense against him, as his big, worried eyes looked at her.

"Are you okay?" He feared he'd gone too far; Uzi looked troubled.

Inside, her wings quivered, as if to get out. As if, suddenly, space ran out in her frame, threatening to overflow all that it contained. The beating of her core quickened, to her panic : before Uzi could hold all of this.

Not here.

Gradually, the sensation of being overfilled eased, and her heartbeat slowed. Catastrophe had been averted.

"Y... Yeah. Just there... where my wings come out. Still sensitive," Uzi breathed, moving slightly away from N so as to hide her back out of his sight.

With only a light cloth covering her, she wasn't comfortable letting anyone see the havoc the Solver had wreaked on her body. If N ever found her disgusting because of it, where flesh lay in the scars...

Maybe it was her imagination because of her low battery, but for a second, Uzi thought she heard the Thing's mocking sneer. 

"We should rest a little," she decided, not ignoring N's slightly sad and guilty look.

Not wanting him to feel at fault, once they had plugged in before going into "Sleep Mode", the young goddess beckoned N to come closer, as she lay down.

The big drone immediately understood what she wanted, and went back to lying down as before, holding his girlfriend like a doll ; this time, he was careful not to touch her back, mindful of her comfort.

"Satisfied?" Uzi quietly stroked his hair, paying attention to the five yellow cameras still staring at her, enjoying his loud purr - and her own accompanied, more timid and faint.

"Yes..." N purred, happy beyond words, before his screen slowly went blank and the light from his cameras dimmed. "G'night, Uz..."

"Good night, N."

Although Uzi didn't fall asleep and fought the impulse to doze off, fearing that the Solver would try to take advantage despite her full reserves, it didn't stop young goddess from relaxing. Appreciating having N with her, the Worker-Solver let herself be enveloped by his warm, comforting presence.

__________________

V was off on a mission ; she would have to deal with the dead drone lingering in the Warehouse, to cover up evidence before an Outpost-3 resident accidentally discovered it. She preferred to clean on her own.

In her previous life, the Disassembly could boast of being pretty good at her job as a maid at the Elliott mansion.

So far, no one had come across her yet; the Disassembly had crept through the ducts, taking advantage of the fact that the bunker was still fairly quiet - the drones were just starting to leave home. But as she returned to the spot behind the stacked crates where the drone should have found the corpse to be disposed of, V stared only into the void. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as she twisted her head in all directions. 

But nothing. 

The drone's lacerated and mutilated body had completely disappeared. In his place... a steaming, tarry puddle lay there, gleaming under the golden light that the Disassembly projected.

"What's that?"

Crouching down, V cautiously touched the substance with the tip of a claw, sniffing it, not recognizing oil; under his fingers, the texture was more compact. Darker and thicker. She stuck out her tongue, licking the thing to taste it. The Disassembly didn't recognize the flavor, and winced in disgust. It was horribly bitter, with a hint of organics she recognized.

Error: material unknown. No match in the database.

"Well, it was worth a try..." V decided to give up for now, even more suspicious than earlier.

The intruder had returned... She and Uzi had searched everywhere for it, but found nothing. Clearly, it knew it was being stalked; and it was taunting them by reappearing behind their backs to retrieve its booty. For V, it couldn't have been clearer what was going on.

Something was haunting Outpost-3; something dangerous and deadly. 

The Disassembly wanted to look for further clues of its passage, scanning around with her cameras. So focused was she that she failed to notice the presence of a male Worker who appeared behind her back.

He was checking off his list of supplies, having decided to come to work early. He himself didn't see her until the last moment, as he turned into the alley. He froze at the sight of her wagging tail and quivering claws, recognizing her as one of the two Disassemblies Khan Doorman planned to integrate into their colony.

So it's true, they can really get into the bunker? Don must be furious, the employee thought. 

Not having been told she'd be coming here, curiosity finally got the better of him.

"Hey, you!" He called out to her, before noticing the strange black thing the female drone was staring at.

The Worker wanted to approach, but V was surprised by his arrival; what saved him were his papers, as the Disassembly's poisoned tail pierced his folder, which instantly melted in his hands. The drone threw it away with a horrified scream, falling to the ground. The screen displayed "X", hissing and snarling as V almost decapitated the Worker. She pulled herself together, her blade close to severing the Worker's neck.

It would be easier to kill an inconvenient witness... but N might not like it. 

Riiight... You mustn't do that anymore, V reminded herself, slightly annoyed.

Her screen reflected an upset look, before she leaned predatorily towards the terrorized drone who looked at her thinking his last hour had come.

"Say anything to the others, about me or that black thing on the floor, and you're dead, toaster!" She threatened, bringing the sword closer to the terrorized individual's head.

As soon as the Worker nodded, trembling, she ordered him to go and get her something to clean up that alleyway in the Storage. He was only too happy to run away, without really understanding what the heck had just happened.

Chapter Text

The halls in the JCJenson company's main building were much busier than usual today; employees were hastily sorting out the crew for the ship which will shortly take off for Copper-9. The artillery was armed, the attack guns were loaded, and the ship's piloting programs were rigorously checked.

Almost a month after the failure of the first mission, the CEOs had tripled the drone and human manpower to organize the new expedition. Not a day had been wasted, until the final day: of course, Michael was part of it. Earlier, soldiers had come to pick him up in the building where the drone was confined, to load him onto the ship ready for takeoff. 

To send them back to the frozen hell from which he and Nova had been killed. Where Hans hadn't returned, unlike them.

Yet, Michael hadn't shown the slightest resistance as the drone had been surrounded and handcuffed, allowing himself to be led away by the soldiers escorting him to the launch area. Surely Nova was already waiting for him there; both of them would be inactive for the duration of the journey through hyperspace, to Copper-9's destination.

"Michael, wait."

The large military drone called out, amid the heavily armed and armored human soldiers, turned to see the Worker drone behind the troop. Like all the others, his screen was white and dressed like any JCJenson machine, with no distinguishing marks on him other than strange dots scattered below his digital eyes. His badge identified him as "Maintenance Unit: Joe".

Until now impassive, Michael noticed him approaching them. His scowling green eyes brightened a little and, ever so slightly, his biomechanical tail lifted as he recognized the drone.

Unit Seraph Drone Michael (to WD Unit Joe): What are you doing here?

WD Unit Joe (to Unit Seraph Drone Michael): It's important to talk. I'm handling the situation.

Michael didn't understand exactly why the drone was here, but he let him and keeping a cautious eye on his friend. he tried to act normal in front of the soldiers.

The humans saw him in turn; their commander, for his part, blocked the Worker's path. Weapon in hand.

"Back off, drone," ordered the high-ranking officer, in a low, threatening tone. 

Michael had to contain an irritated growl at the man's aggressiveness; for the moment, it was best to keep quiet. Especially when the Seraph was handcuffed and guns were pointed at him, ready to fire at the slightest suspicious move.

Joe merely glanced impassively at the rude man. Without flinching, he replied to his superior: "With all due respect, sir, the certified technician Mrs. Walter wishes to make a final inspection before Michael is transferred to the ship bound for Copper-9."

The soldier frowned, the bottom of his uncovered face scowling with contempt. "Ridiculous. She doesn't have the position to-"

Joe interrupted the man, stepping up beside him. "She also received authorization, less than an hour ago. Here it is." 

Michael saw the smaller drone display it on his screen, and all could read the agreement written and signed by one of JCJenson's bosses, allowing a brief inspection under surveillance of the combat drone. 

He had to hold back a mocking smile at the commander's disappointment, who was reluctantly forced to step back.

"Very well, then. Two soldiers will accompany you to this woman. Bring him back in less than thirty minutes, before take-off."

The order was given; after a last dark look at the two drones, he let them leave the corridor with his men.

It didn't take long for the small group to reach another area; this was reserved for Workers maintenance, where several technicians were checking the structure's various malfunctioning machines. Several drones were also present, either being repaired, or assisting the humans who were giving them orders, making them run all over the place.

Some interrupted their tasks to watch Michael pass by, guided by Joe to the office of Theresa Walter, the team's superior, who was waiting for them. The door opened, revealing a short, middle-aged woman coiffed in a tousled red bun. She was bent over her computer; hearing the newcomers, she stopped writing her report. Recognizing Michael and Joe, her honey eyes sparkled behind her round glasses.

He himself was delighted to see his old friend and mentor, but had to wait for the soldiers to leave the soundproof room first. They'd have to talk before the mission.

"Don't delay in making your final revisions, technician. He's due to leave in half an hour," one of the soldiers warned him, before leaving the room.

Until the human woman stopped the second, younger-looking soldier and grabbed him by the shoulder. Her eyebrows furrowed, she didn’t let him go away. 

"Untie him before you leave; it'll be easier for me to do my checks." She pointed to the handcuffs that restrained Michael and restricted his movements as he moved.

The soldier seemed taken aback by the request; he must have been a recent recruit, Michael wondered.

The man wanted to oppose the woman, obviously concerned for her safety. "This drone is not subject to Asimov's three laws. If he ever rebelled..."

"He won't." The woman retorted, standing up to the company soldier. "Don't waste my time; I've got to get him ready before takeoff."

The soldier sighed, hesitating, and turned to his colleague, who shrugged.

"It's your choice, ma'am."

The guard finally obeyed the orders without further insistence in front of the stubborn woman, taking out a key from his suit. The next moment, Michael was released from his bonds, glancing coldly at the human who left the three of them: Joe, Theresa and himself. The door was closed, allowing them to be alone at last.

"Theresa..." Michael began, before the technician motioned for him to be quiet.

"Wait a few seconds..." She pulled what looked like a telephone from her pocket, which the human connected via a cable to Michael's USB port.

Virtual Private Network mode: ON, appeared on the Seraph Drone's screen, before his eyes reappeared.

Then the human pressed her computer's keyboard, deactivating the security cameras, which temporarily ceased to function. They were now completely isolated.

"Good: no one will be able to hear us. I've also hacked into the cameras in this room. We should be safe for a while."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, Theresa? Joe told me you wanted to talk to me." Michael asked, not understanding why she'd wanted him to come here. Mostly... "You know it's not safe for us to be seen together. I'm a former criminal against the company; if anyone makes the connection between me and you, the leader of the resistance, everything would be compromised!"

"I agree with Michael, boss. It would be a disaster if the CEOs found out what we were doing, and there were still resistance fighters in the ranks." Joe intervened in turn, the Worker siding with the other drone.

Theresa sighed, understanding her comrades' concerns for taking such a risk. She was the one leading a group made up of humans and drones, fighting in secret against the company that had established itself as the entity ruling this colony. 

"I know. We have to be on our guard before we can act."

After what remained of humanity had fled, the Absolute Solver and its army of Disassembly Drones had annihilated all the planets' colonies. Following the fall of the government, the JCJenson company had only made matters worse; duped by the Absolute Solver's ruse, scientists had spread the virus by working in laboratories that had conducted horrible experiments to study the dangerous entity - in secrecy, concealing their unethical actions.

However, some did get wind of the truth; sharing the same anger at the company that had led them into this situation and used them, a few rebellious humans and Workers had tried together to sabotage the laboratories to stop them. What did humans and robots have in common and unite them? Their hatred of the company, which had ruined their lives; whether through the massacre on the Absolute Solver, the loss of their homes, or the many human and drone disappearances. The company's involvement had been hushed up, further igniting the desire for justice to be brought down on the culprits. In response, JCJenson carried out a major purge of the population, labeling the rebels' actions as "terrorist", disgracing them by manipulating the truth, imprisoning dozens of humans and dismantling drones.

Today, those who remained were operating in the shadows; trying to hide from the company while maneuvering to bring their exactions out into the open.

Theresa had lost her entire family during an enemy invasion, forcing her to flee her home with her young cousin. Shortly afterwards, as chaos reigned among the survivors, she and her relative were separated under strange circumstances. The young woman never saw him again.

It was during her research that, a few years later, she met Worker Joe, who was going through a similar torment. The drone had come from Proxima System; living there with a companion - unbeknownst to humans, who didn't look kindly on drones acting independently of their function - his wife Johanna had disappeared suddenly, along with a hundred other Workers. There had been rumors of experiments in several laboratories, but none of the human officials would give him any explanation. He was unable to find his wife, until the drone was forced to leave the planet when the Absolute Solver arrived. After discussing their experiences and doubts about the company, they had agreed that they should do something about it; Theresa and Joe had gathered together other people and drones who had suffered the JCJenson’s misdeeds.

Michael had joined them shortly afterwards; a former young JCJenson soldier, before he discovered the company's side projects, which were studying the Solver program to make it their own, rather than annihilating it completely. A disgusting betrayal for him, which led him to make contact with the resistance that Theresa and Joe had created. United by a common goal, three of them had become close friends.

And Michael continued to support them, while serving the company as a war machine infected by the program of the demon who had taken everything from them. 

"Over the years, several Workers and I have managed to infiltrate among the others drones working here. Theresa, you managed to gain access to the position of Chief Technician, and others of your acquaintances as staff members. Thanks to you, Michael, we've been able to gain access to a great deal of inaccessible information, including that on Project Solver. Now we must wait for our moment to act." Joe reminded her, standing by the door to make sure no one came.

Theresa nodded at the drone argument, but looked sadly at her longtime friend Michael; seeing the metal that had replaced flesh, in that Disassembly body where the Solver mutations had grown. Inside, however, his program still contained the memories and personality of the former human who had fought by her side. The one she considered another member of her family.

Unable to contain any longer the regrets she'd harbored after discovering his fate, she came close to him before placing her hand on the big drone's warm metallic shoulder.

"Michael... I'm so sorry for what happened to you. If I'd known what was going to happen..."

Michael stopped her, shaking his head to keep her from continuing. "No, don't say that Theresa. You couldn't have foreseen this. What happened... was just an accident."

During a mission to sabotage one of the laboratories and gather classified information, an incident had caused an installation to explode; several fellow drones and humans had perished during the operation. Michael had been seriously wounded, his body shattered by the explosion and on the verge of death, when he was discovered by the soldiers and identified as one of the attackers. The only way for him to survive had been to agree to an experiment designed to transfer his consciousness into the body of a Disassembly. He had managed to return in this form, at the cost of losing his human status.

Now, he worked under the orders of the former scientist Nova - the one who had studied the transfer of human consciousness to an artificial body during her lifetime, and the former chief scientist of the Copper-9 laboratories. Although the drone was having a hard time of it, he had made sure to keep his spy cover.

"In the end, it's not so bad; I was able to see what was happening on Copper-9 and confirm who the Absolute Solver Host was. Besides, this body has several advantages." Michael deployed his fearsome curved claws, as his poison-green-filled tail wagged at the glass-fused head. "As soon as we leave and land, I can intervene on the spot. What happened... what happened to us on Earth, Plat-Binary System and Proxima System will never happen again. We won't let that demon exterminate us again."

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. You told me it was a different Worker Drone that possessed the Absolute Solver: did she seem... possessed to you?" Theresa asked Michael, having had only a vague echo of what had happened during the mission. 

She had been surprised to hear that a different drone, one with the same powers as Cyn - the very one responsible for their near extinction - had wiped out the reconnaissance team sent to Copper-9. The failure of the mission had been widely decried by JCJenson officials as a way of calming the population. Theresa had her own sources, eavesdropping on the top brass and delving into classified reports. Among employees, rumors had done nothing to reassure her, but she preferred to hear it from her comrade, who had confronted her.

That was why she'd taken the risk of bringing Michael in, before he left on his new mission.

"Hard to say... I was the first to get killed." Michael couldn't help shuddering as he thought back to their encounter with the little gothic female drone mad with rage. "According to Nova, after destroying me, she went after Hans, torturing him savagely before devouring his core. Then she quickly finished off our superior. But... this drone didn't seem possessed at all; the Host seemed to have some control over her powers, and to be acting on her own."

The technician wondered briefly if this was one of the test subject drones she'd read about: 002. Those who had directed the report had pointed out the uncanny resemblance between these drones: was it the same one that had destroyed the core and wiped out the Copper-9 civilization? The images and videos from the archives: those from twenty years ago in the cathedral, and the visuals of the entire team exterminated by the wild little drone. Watching them, the human had been terrified.

And fascinated.

"And... what have the CEOs decided to do about this drone?" Theresa questioned the Seraph, wanting to know their final decision.

Michael didn't answer immediately; on his screen, Joe and Theresa saw his eyes squint and tremble, betraying his agitation, his tail twitching. He played nervously with his hands, twisting his fingers.

"In addition to Nova and myself, combat units will be sent into the field to counter any threats from the Disassembly or the Host. On board the main ship, the chief researcher and a team of scientists will also be present. Several dozen soldiers will be on board to ensure their safety. Officially, their priority is to annihilate the threat from the Absolute Solver and destroy the Host." He repeated the instructions Nova had given him shortly before their departure.

The Seraph Drone was not at all convinced by the last sentence he uttered; he knew how much the company had wanted to appropriate the capabilities of the quasi-omnipotent entity. He couldn't believe that these unscrupulous men would give up such power - not without trying to get their hands on it.

Theresa understood what was troubling him; she herself found it hard to believe that the company would give up so easily. "You think they've got something else in mind, too?"

"Probably. But I doubt Nova will tell me anything," Michael grunted, mentioning his teammate, who had dismissed him from other details of the mission. Then he added, "No matter what, I'll make sure the Absolute Solver is no longer a threat."

He had vowed never to let the tragedy happen again; the genocide of Earth would never happen again. Michael might not come back from this mission alive, but he would do what was necessary to protect their existence.

And that would always be under threat as long as the Absolute Solver and the company existed.

"I'll let you take care of the company. As for me, I'll follow Nova's orders on Copper-9.”

Before leaving, Theresa checked that the drone's motor functions had not been impaired. The check took her only a few minutes, making sure all was well until the hour was almost up. In their final moments together, Michael shared a handshake with Joe, who greeted him respectfully. Turning to the technician, he discovered Theresa on the verge of tears. Then, without the slightest hesitation, the woman embraced the large drone, who heard her sniffle softly. 

All three were aware that this was probably the last time they would see each other.

His core pulsing with emotion, the Seraph had to keep his half-conscious tail from wrapping around her ankle with affection. Preferring instead to return her embrace with his own - but still careful with his strength -, as they said farewell.

"Michael... Take care." Theresa pulled away, wiping behind the glasses her watery eyes.

"I will be. And I'd prevent another massacre. I'm counting on you for the rest; if I can find something there to bring down the company, and if I make it out alive, I'll do everything I can to contact you."

As they parted, the waiting soldiers came in to collect him. Once again handcuffed and led outside, he took one last look at his companions whom he was leaving behind. Promising himself he would succeed, he was led by the soldiers to the ship, owned by JCJenson, and he was taken to the one that would send him and Nova there. As soon as he was installed in one of the capsules, he was disconnected like his superior; and they would not be reactivated until they reached their destination to carry out their new mission.

The ship lifted off, leaving the frozen planet before entering the atmosphere; soon, Exodus shrank before disappearing completely among the stars of space; as the engines accelerated, en route to the Copper-9 exoplanet.

Their crew would not arrive for another three months.

Chapter Text

"Aaand slideshow... finished!" Sitting on knees at her desk, like she usually did, Uzi smiled in victory as she finished her exhibit.

For added security, she saved the file and made a copy in a purple USB key stylized with a skull and crossbones. Inside, the drone Solver had told her entire story and that of her friends; the epic tale of a gothic outcast angsty teenage girl, she had soberly named "The Hero's Journey"

Yeah, a hell of title! But it sound good, so she chose it.

She'd spent several weeks on it ; since she hardly slept at all (mainly for fear of the Solver playing a dirty trick on her), the Worker-Solver had had plenty of time to prepare and organize her next presentation. Dozens of pages filled with anecdotes, traumatic personal experiences and self-made drawings!

Uzi was pretty proud of the final result. No one would do it better than her, that was for sure! Maybe it could be a famous autobiography for future dronelings?

The thought made her laugh. I can already imagine the faces they're all going to make at school ; they're all becoming sooo jealous! Oh, and there'll be N and that grumpy V.

Yeah: her friends will coming soon in the bunker. In a very short time, the two Disassemblies will finally integrate their colony. Her and her father's efforts had finally paid off. That was something she was really proud, and she waited.

Soon, now...

Uzi reached for her thermos lying nearby: it was next to other documents and plans lying around on the desk; not just about improvements to her railgun, but where she had drawn a diagram of a drone - her father's name was written on it too, as he worked with her. A project that he and she had discussed some time ago, and which they had slowly begun to bring to fruition as they gathered the necessary materials.

Meanwhile, her tail grasped the bottle between its fangs and allowed her to drink from it. Then the teenager bit into the bolts she'd filled in her bowl earlier. Following Nori's recommendations, the Worker Solver no longer waited for her reserves to drop to critical levels; her mother had advised her to feed only what she needed.

Although the little drone was always hungry, Nori had advised her not to give in.

"The more your body grows, the more you'll need to feed. Better to be careful and stabilize your reserves as much as possible, so the flesh doesn't grow anymore," the core had explained to her.

The little drone ignored the muffled growl from her belly, which was already starving even though she'd just fed. It wasn't cool and pleasant to be constantly hungry and thirsty; at least Uzi hadn't had any more transformation crises in the meantime. So as not to overload her body for too long, more and more often the little drone would leave her tail free, like today, or occasionally stick out her outstretched wings. In this way, the tension in her body was clearly reduced, making the overload more bearable. 

After a while, Uzi was able to better control the changes in her body. The Singularity remained calm, and the Solver only occasionally appeared to annoy her.

And someone else too...

So, when are you going to pay attention to me, Uz? I may not technically be here anymore, but it still hurts.

Uzi really had to restrain herself from swearing, as she did every time this happened.

Yeah... Tessa was always there in her head ; she wished don’t remember about it. That was hell: Uzi had been forced to endure her annoying presence for several weeks. So far, the freaking spectre had kept neutral, as promised; and although the Worker-Solver didn't appreciate this imposed presence, she'd let her stay there for a while longer. However, the human spoke to her often - too often; as if to make up for all that time without anyone to converse with. And it had to be her.

In public, Uzi had to pretend everything was fine, while inside, she wanted the ghost to shut up already.

"Sometimes I really regret meeting you the first time," the drone growled as she rubbed her scowling face, provoking the unwanted human to complain.

Nice... While I'm struggling to find the weird drone's programs in yours. Do you know how complicated it was to put everything together in one file? To restore several hundred lines of code? A thank you would be nice!

Uzi ignored her; at the same time, her screen lit up, and she smiled slightly as she saw a small, luminous green shape emerge from a slot in her wall. The cyberbug's antennae waved joyfully in her direction.

It was Bot; the keybug she'd discovered on her class trip to camp, and which had enabled Doll, Uzi and the others to get to Cabin Fever's underground laboratories.

[Hello, Uzi :D] appeared on the hologram projected by the little creature, which wiggled its abdomen with the gusto of a small dog.

Hey, you're ignoring me again! What about the file?! Tessa continued to pester her. 

"We'll talk about it later, stalker. I've got something else to do right now, and much better.” 

Without giving Tessa time to protest, Uzi cut off their conversation and silenced the human just as she was about to get annoyed. She bent down to the insect, which climbed into her hand. The little bug seemed happy to see her, and its climbed up her arm to snuggle against the drone's neck.

"How are you, little buddy? It's been a while since I've seen you!" 

[I was nibbling a bit on stuff ;)]

Uzi chuckled, thinking back to Khan's hatred of those insects he called vermin. Her father hated those swarming little things that loved to eat electrical installations and break down his beloved doors. Because of them, the poor old drone worked overtime to repair the damage they caused in the machines.

"Yeah, Dad curses you for the damage you do, you rats. Why is it now that you're here, the bunker is infested with even more cyberbugs?" The Worker-Solver stared at her little pet, who was busy waving its little paws over antennae.

As if that mess didn't concern it.

[I don't know~ (o3-)] Bot denied knowing, but its mistress wasn't fooled at all.

The little beast must have met its soul mate in the colony in the guise of a charming cyberbug, and now their thousands of young were driving the WDF chief crazy.

"Be careful, though. One day, my dad's going to build a flamethrower to reduce your nests to ashes. He has to fix it behind you every time. It's really starting to piss him off." Uzi scolded Bot, who at least had the decency to look a little guilty and squirmed.

I hope Dad won't have so many problems now.

But then the little drone placed some treats and oil for her insect, who became excited at the sight of the food and climbed down to feast on the feast.

Uzi also had an important question for her tiny friend: "By the way, Bot. Have you and your boys noticed anything strange in the ducts or the bunker lately? Anything... unusual?"

Of course, she was talking about the intruder who'd broken into the bunker several weeks earlier. The one who had killed a drone in the Warehouse, which V, Thad and she had discovered mutilated. Despite searching every nook and cranny of the bunker, neither she, N nor V had found anything. Each time, they came back empty-handed and Uzi grew more frustrated. At least there had been no other casualties, Khan had reassured her.

Even so, Uzi remained cautious. No one knew when someone else would be killed.

At her question, Bot raised its body towards her, its antennae twitching with incomprehension and leaning slightly to one side. 

He didn't seem to understand; Uzi tried hard to hide her disappointment. "It's okay, Bot-"

[You mean about the weird shadow?] The insect wrote, and Uzi's expression immediately brightened.

"Does it look dangerous? Have you seen it do anything bad?"

Bot didn't look reassured, releasing a worried squeal, and the animal was shaking all over its insect-like body. 

Another hologram appeared: [It keeps eating lots of others like us :'( The thing is… very dark.]

[With scary red eyes and fangs. It suddenly appears and disappears, and everything it touches is covered in black, slimy stuff.]

"Bot, do you know if it killed another drone a while back?" Uzi asked, worried by the description of the monster Bot was telling her.

It didn't look like a drone, or a Disassembly. It was a different monster from the centipede. And it looked abominable. The perfect culprit.

It had to be this thing that had slaughtered the WDF's newest recruit! Uzi was certain.

And the keybug confirmed her suspicions.

[We saw it bring a drone into the ducts, one day. It had killed him by surprise. Then it vanished.]

Too bad, Uzi would have liked to know where this creature could have hidden. But she was satisfied with this information; there was finally a lead, after so much searching!

The little drone thanked the little insect, which greeted her with a claw before heading back to its nest. Uzi thought back to what she'd just learned; at least she'd confirmed that this thing was indeed hanging around in the bunker. And it would remain a threat until she eliminated it.

Speaking of threats... Uzi stared at her deformed tail, whose eyes returned a blank, white expression.

"I know you can hear me, parasite. Surely you know something, don't you? Why don't you tell me about it?” 

The Worker-Solver hadn't expected the Solver to answer her; why should it help her, when it was probably its fault? Yet, to her astonishment, the head's pupils changed to yellow, and a smile stretched the maw's lips, as the head lifted towards hers and faced her.

Agreed. Nodding. I'll answer to you.

Uzi's two-tone eyes flashed in shock. "Seriously? It was that simple-"

Interrupt. In exchange, you have to give me something. Every wish has a price.

Nevermind. 

Of course, it wouldn't cooperate so easily, Uzi thought with annoyance. The drone sent a dark look to the entity controlling her tail, who was now haggling with her. Not that she'd give anything away... however, the teenager was curious.

"If I gave you what you wanted, would you obey?" 

Nodding. If you do as I say, there won't be anything you don't know, Host Uzi. Promise.

"And what would you want?"

You. Stare.

Now, it was playing her for a fool. Uzi's fists contracted under her force, but she held back from crushing this pest. It wouldn't do to threaten that thing.

"And why on earth would I agree to this kind of pact with you? Why should I trust you, you fucking Robo-Satan?"

Her tail was so close now: the little drone could smell its stinking breath so close to her screen. The creature's burning gaze gleamed with a sinister glow.

Who continued to speak, hissing: Because soon, you won't have a choice. Menacing expression. We'll soon have this vessel, and nothing in the universe will be able to stop us. Host Cyn understood this. In the end. 

"As if I'd let you do that, you moron!" Uzi felt her annoyance wash over her, making her breath quicken and the jerky beats of her core quicken.

... A little too fast. 

Snide laugh. Maybe we won't have to wait too long. Choose wisely, Host Uzi.

"Dammit..." Uzi struggled to regain her composure, painfully. 

A heavy growl left her, as she felt the overflow of flesh seeking to leave her chest to spread throughout her body and spread. Her core was beginning to overheat.

Alert: frame instability!

Risk of irreparable structural damage!

Don't panic... Mum's still at home. I just... need to get out of this for a bit.

She'd been through this before... The drone knew what to do, to limit the damage.

Uzi tried to control the momentary crisis, even though she was sweating profusely and her skinny legs could no longer support her. Her body creaked unpleasantly, ready to crack like an eggshell. Inhaling deeply through ventilation, the little drone concentrated, controlling the flesh forming on her back. Soon, her bat-like wings sprouted from the scars, causing both a familiar sensation of pain as they appeared, but instant relief in the little drone's frame.

That should do it... for now. She looked at her a bit ; her frame didn't look too damaged. And as soon as she took a sip of oil and ate a little more, the furious Singularity fell silent again.

The drone's yellow eyebrows furrowed, worried by the sudden commotion. "Mom... I have to... have to tell her." Uzi wanted to move to the other room where Nori was supposed to be.

But immense fatigue overcame her at once; suddenly, her processors were running in slow motion, preventing her from formulating a concrete thought. But she saw that her battery was low now ; but it had only been a few hours since the last charge, so she couldn't understand why she had discharged so quickly.

Crap... Why am I already out of energy? How?

Alert: system overuse! 

Loss of energy-saving efficiency! 

Energy deficit in secondary processors!

Impaired motor skills. 

The bad news kept coming; trying to understand what was happening to her, Uzi tried to run a diagnostic to pinpoint the problem. The answer came the next instant, and it was clear: overexertion due to numerous consecutive recharges while awake. Her systems hadn't appreciated staying active for so long.

Damn... Not such a good idea after all.

Uzi thought she heard Tessa calling her, but unable to clearly understand what she was saying. The light on her screen was fading too fast. As much as she wanted to tell her mother what had happened, the young drone gave in to the urge to fall asleep. 

Running out of energy, she collapsed on the footstool lying around her room. Uzi only had time to send a brief message to her mother to warn her, quickly connect to the power grid, shakily guiding her cable.

Come on...

She managed to connect just in time: Charge in progress (9%...) Sleep mode activated, before sinking into unconsciousness.

___________________________________________________

Later, in the middle of the night on Copper-9, at the darkest hour, a snowstorm was blowing; normally, in such weather, the two Disassemblies would remain sheltered in their sinister lair of carcasses, until the elements calmed down. 

It had already been a long time.

V had been waiting by the entrance for hours, lounging on a pile of bodies as she surveyed the storm. All around, her Sentinel wandered excitedly; Sparky had been inactive for a long time, stretching its legs by trotting around the corpses, sometimes tearing off limbs to play with. Meanwhile, N drank more oil from his thermos in preparation for going out: Khan had given him some from the medical sector and to V at his request, in order to get used to the taste - at least, N was gradually coming to terms with it.

Exceptionally this evening, the two predator drones would go on a raid together; although N preferred to avoid killing other drones for food, as they would soon be joining the colony, V had insisted on one last hunt as a squad. 

The gentle look she'd given him... N hadn't been able to resist.

Since they had been waiting, half the night had passed, and the howling of the wind was gradually diminishing in intensity. Very soon, the little team would be able to set off on the hunt.

It shouldn't be long now, V thought with a slight sigh, looking with disgust at the can of oil N was drinking, sitting in his corner.

Disgusting.

If she swallowed one more drop of the filthy oil in the thermos N had given her, V might commit murder. Hers was still lying on the ground, which she'd thrown into the snow; unable to appreciate its overly bitter flavor. As Sparky approached her reclining mistress: the beast let out an intrigued chuckle at the sight of the bottle, before grabbing it to shake it and play with, chirping.

N watched as the big robotic reptile enjoyed crushing the container between its fangs, then V: "You should keep trying it - you get used to it pretty well." He tried to encourage her.

In response, V gave him an absolutely disgusted look. "Seriously, I can't understand how you can like it. It's even worse than the freak's licorice coolant."

"It's Uzi... And no, I don't think it's that bad. You're overdoing it." N backed up his comment with a final sip, licking what dripped down his chin.

Disassembly held his squadmate's unimpressed gaze, looking as if to say "see?". But he had to wait until she turned her screen away from him to wince slightly at the taste of the oil, restraining himself from sending back what he'd just swallowed. So bland... Maybe that last sip wasn't such a good idea. 

Was the oil too old?

V had noticed his shenanigans through the eyes of her blindfold, amused by the face he was making. "I've seen you, you know. No need to pretend."

Damn.

N's screen yellowed slightly under the shame, and his tail wagged in discomfort. He stammered, "I'm... I'm doing better than when I started. And it's working, since I'm not overheating." N sulked like a droneling - not that he really was - scattering a bit of snow with his toes like a child, before walking away.

V held back a mocking laugh. She didn't want to upset him. In fact, the female drone admired N's efforts to fit in before they moved away.

In just a few days' time, they would be joining the Outpost-3 colony to live alongside the other Workers. N in particular had been looking forward to this moment; almost his entire nest had been emptied weeks ago. He couldn't stop talking about it - V would swear he was nervous, but her squadmate systematically denied it.

"Come on, V. Why... should I be nervous about going to the bunker? Everything should be fine... right?" He contradicted her every time, with both a nervous laugh and the sweaty screen. 

A very bad liar. 

Usually, Uzi would come to the Tower to see them, and she usually managed to keep N busy. But curiously, she hadn't shown up after dark - probably occupied elsewhere.

So tonight, V wanted to help N take his mind off things. It should be a relief; he was an excellent hunting partner, and the big drone's concentration was better. Although J had criticized him a lot for his lack of performance, always bringing him little prey to quota compared to her or V, in reality, the male Disassembly was incredibly tenacious while hunting.

V could give him credit for that, and she hoped it would relax him a little. N tended to worry too much.

"Get ready to go: the blizzard's finally letting up." V called to her, descending from her perch as, outside, the storm was running out of steam. 

Outside, the clouds gradually disappeared, revealing the luminous shapes of the exoplanets and thousands of luminous fragments. It was shaping up to be an ideal night for their outing.

Although N joined his friend, he didn't show the same enthusiasm for hunting. After drinking from his thermos, his oil supply was sufficiently topped up, and his materials supply remained at comfortable levels. Usually, Disassembly hunted only for food - or, in the past, because it was his mission.

But V had pushed hard for this, and he didn't want to disappoint her. 

"Don't worry, N: just what we need. No massacre." V noticed her friend's growing unease and reassured him.

N nodded appreciatively: "Fine by me."

They took to the air at the same time, Sparky following on the ground as the two companions flew silently over the city. After a few minutes, N's apprehensions slowly dissipated in his mind; instinct took over, as his sharp gaze roamed the shadows of the buildings in search of prey.

Together, V and N scoured a wide area for one or more Workers who might be out there. It didn't take long; soon, one of N's cameras picked out silhouettes behind a mountain of garbage - and V whistled softly, having seen them too.

Here! Look here!

Silent as ghosts, the two Disassemblies circled their targets to avoid being seen; hiding on the roof of a building to see everything. They pressed themselves as close to the ground as possible, modifying several systems in their processors to increase their sensory capabilities tenfold.

"Look down..." V pointed to the group of Workers who hadn't noticed them yet.

There were several of them; seven of them looking rough and battered surrounded two other drones - a woman holding a droneling protectively against her. Those holding them back were armed with hoses, and one with what looked like the barrel of a gun.

"Leave us alone, you brutes!" The female Worker protected the child and herself, holding a harmless piece of metal. Her salmon-pink eyes were hollow and ringed.

She looked as if she'd already been badly battered by their pursuers, N and V noticed; her screen was leaking oil profusely, but she kept a fierce, furious expression. The child clung desperately to her leg, crying.

One of the assailants, carrying a rifle, approached them; half his screen was cracked, and only one evil red eye worked. He was probably the leader - he spoke up: "This is our territory. You should have checked who you were going to steal from before we found you and that brat."

"This place doesn't belong to anyone! It's not property! Anyone can help themselves to it!" The woman raged, not taking her eyes off the group.

"Since this shit started, it does. And everyone who comes to pillage us ends up in pieces. Woman or kid.” 

The situation was about to get out of hand, as the seven bandits came dangerously close to the two cornered drones. The female drone hid the smaller one behind her, even though she was shaking all over. But before a blow could be struck... a shadow fell from the sky. Snow exploded around the group. There was a laugh, and a head flew up, displaying the red letters of Fatal Error. The Workers present saw the body of one of the thugs collapse heavily into a pool of steaming oil.

Everyone froze, first in shock. Then fear overcame them all as a mournful cackle sounded. The fog around them cleared, revealing the winged figure of a murderous angel. A burning yellow cross illuminated beneath the screen, while a tail filled with deadly nanite acid dripped onto the snow, and an ominous toothy grin crossed a dark screen.

"Run." The seductive feminine voice from the female Disassembly purred at them in a predatory tone.

The rogue leader was the first to back away fearfully, slowly raising the barrel of his gun towards the huntress; probably to shoot her point-blank, although his chances of aiming at a vital component were slim. He didn't have time to use it, however; before collapsing with a death rattle when a shot exploded his head. 

And N landed in the middle of the group, shaking the ground as he crashed to the ground with a dull growl, his mouth dripping with drool.

As soon as he arrived, panic ensued. All the bandits, except the female drone and the droneling, fled without thinking, screaming "Murder Drones!" N's tail whipped towards the chest of one of the fleeing cowards, instantly melting the interior into a steaming yellow-gray puddle as the drone collapsed, before fading away. Only four remained, and they ran away from the Demons. But as they rounded the corner, two more suddenly froze under the blinding red light flashing from a Sentinel's front lens. Sparky screamed and rushed to finish off its paralyzed prey, leaving only one survivor among the seven bandits.

Apart from them, only the female drone and the little droneling remained, completely tetanized amid the corpses that V and N were tearing apart with uncontrollable voracity. 

Until the latter raised his oil-filled head towards them, from which the menacing "X" still shone, scanning their motionless bodies. Overwhelmed by the smell of freshly poured oil and the desire to kill, his systems screamed at him to rip them off, "more prey!", "kill!", "more! But he quickly pulled himself together. 

N put on the least threatening expression possible, replacing the cross on his screen with his warm yellow eyes. He waved them off.

"You... should go. Both of you. We won't do anything to you." He wanted to reassure them, avoiding looking too dangerous - not obvious, with his current appearance.

V didn't seem to care much, too focused on her own food. She moved further away to take the bandit's body and eat it quietly.

For a moment, the two drones stood there, unable to move and looking at him as if he were going to kill them as soon as they took their eyes off him. N went so far as to move away from them, more than a dozen paces away. Finally, the female Worker pulled herself together; without further hesitation, she grabbed the little one in her arms and fled behind the nearest building.

"Thank you, sir!" The young droneling smiled at him, shaking their little hand in his direction before disappearing into the city.

N was moved by the boy's words, smiling slightly; he hoped they'd be safe. However, although he was pleased with the action he had taken tonight, saving them from dangerous drones, the Disassembly man couldn't help remembering other, very different events.

Parents protecting their young from them - from him; destroyed by his own claws and weapons. Pleas, before he decapitated them, plunged his blades into their viscera, or greedily devoured their glistening cores like candy.

It's true: at the time, he was no better than the bandits they'd just killed. Much worse, in fact.

A sad thought washed over him: surely this was how the drones in the bunker remembered him and V.

"N, what the hell are you doing? Hurry up and get over here before all the oil is lost!" V called him back, seeing him staying away. 

N sighed, before turning back to the two drones he'd shot down. His sad mood lightened slightly as he smelled the sweet smell rising from the bodies; he grabbed hold of one of the torsos to rip off the head and bit into the oil-dripping neck with his fangs. He held back a satisfied growl, a purr running through his frame as N drank greedily. Yes, it was much better than the oil in his thermos: more pleasant and nourishing. Soon, the big drone was feeling much calmer after the hunt.

It was as if his nervousness of recent weeks had eased.

I really needed this, N surprised himself; as if his body was overflowing with pent-up energy after avoiding the hunt for so long.

He'd have to thank V later; besides, N knew that Uzi was looking for Worker components that were still functional and not too damaged. Like limbs, modules, chips or wires; she needed them, Uzi had explained to him earlier that week, to build a new frame for Nori. 

Of course, Khan was also in the know; he'd discussed it with his daughter shortly after their return from the lab. Seeing how damaged the little core of flesh that guarded Nori's program had become, they had agreed that this was becoming a real necessity. Of course, Uzi had told N, who had sworn to secrecy. He even volunteered to bring back the best quality equipment - and his girlfriend always congratulated him on it! 

Today, he had just picked a good crop. They could use it.

"And I'll take the opportunity to come and see Uzi later on," N decided, quite happy and finding it a wonderful idea to spend the evening with his girlfriend, as she hadn't come.

Apart from messages towards the beginning of the evening, she hadn't come out to see her squadmates.

Maybe she was still working on her school assignment, N thought.

In that case, I'll come! Maybe we could watch a movie or a series!

N smiled at his idea, very pleased with himself: an evening for two with his incredible girlfriend! Before returning to the Tower, he took the two bodies to get what Uzi could use; fortunately, they weren't in too bad a shape after N had devoured them. 

V noticed him leaving, as she dismembered her meal.

"You don’t stay?"

"Yep! I'll stop by Uzi later to check on her! Thanks again, V!" He waved cheerfully, before taking off and flying away at full speed.

Chapter Text

“Uzi… kiddo, you can’t stay locked in your room forever! You’re going to have to let us in, either your dad or me.” 

Nori was losing patience, her purple orbital camera peering with annoyance and concern at the locked door leading to her daughter's room. She had been holed up inside for hours, after the matriarch Doorman had been alerted by her daughter about her brief temporary crisis. 

don't panic, i broke down and my systems went haywire. need to recharge a little, was Uzi's message before disconnecting.

Then, Nori had heard a lot of noise inside. Deciding to check, she had tried to see Uzi to make sure everything was okay. The core had encountered a closed door and the young drone stubbornly refusing to open it. She had stood there, trying to let her in. 

Without much success, so far. But she could tell something was going on because of the noise she heard.

What the hell is that girl doing inside? 

Her daughter was making a hell of a racket, banging and fussing; it was as if there was a war going on inside. Many times, Nori tried to open the door with her power, but it was countered by another symbol - Uzi's - which prevented her from passing. Her strength bounced off the young drone's, unable to pass through.

"Leave me alone," replied the Worker-Solver, who seemed determined to hold her ground.

"Uzi Doorman, open this door, damn it!" Nori tapped the metal with a sharp ivory claw several times, starting to run out of ideas.

Fuck it, if I still had my body, I would have smashed that damn door with my foot, the former Worker regretted bitterly. 

"Nori? What's going on?" Khan joined his wife, having just returned after a particularly tense moment in the corridors.

Temporarily stepping away from that cursed door, Nori gasped when she saw the state of her husband, who was exhausted and battered. "Khan, what happened?!" Switching from shock to anger, she pointed to his bruised face. Even his usually neatly combed mustache was disheveled.

But she looked at a particularly visible spot on his screen.

"Oh, that..." He rubbed under his eye, which had a nasty crack. Nothing a glue couldn't fix. But he was more upset with the person responsible. "I had to deal with a confrontation in the hallways. Because of Don."

The old Worker had just avoided a riot by having an almost violent confrontation with his rival in charge of the resources sector, Don - who, incidentally, had just left his post. Despite all his diplomacy, Khan had quickly lost his temper in the face of his insults, calling him a traitor, a hypocrite, a fool, and other more offensive words; especially after Don warned him that he would be forming a group to protest against the WDF and Khan’s project to collaborate with the Disassemblies. Dozens of other drones had joined him, especially those who worked with Don, supporting their leader.

"This is our response, Khan Doorman." The Worker had looked down on him with a disdainful expression. 

And of course, their conflict had attracted a crowd, who had listened to their argument and had exclaimed their opinions.

"You're an idiot: this isn't the time for us to be fighting when our reserves are so low!" someone had shouted, joined by several others.

“Rather, those who want the help of these animals are, you jerk!” another had protested, with more drones.

Two sides quickly got into an argument, and soon, blows had began to fly. Khan had no choice but to call in reinforcements from the WDF to separate the angry Workers - he himself had taken a few hard punches to the face. After about thirty tense minutes, the crowd has been dispersed, limiting the number of injuries.

"How is she?" Khan preferred to think about their daughter as they both looked helplessly at the inaccessible room.

"Stubborn, as always." Nori sighed, looking sadly at the door behind which Uzi was. "She's been locked in her room for hours, and she won't listen to anything."

Khan was just as concerned about the situation: it reminded him too much of all those years when the young female drone preferred to stay in her room, dealing alone with her problems. Before, the old drone would have left by herself; this time, he wanted to talk to her. Of course, when Khan tried to unlock it, as his hand rested on the handle, the purple hologram appeared just before he could open the door. His hand crackled, and the old drone groaned slightly in pain as the glowing glyph pushed him back; spinning for another five seconds before fading away. 

I'll never get used to this powers…

After a few moments, Khan tried another approach and tapped gently on the impenetrable door.

"Little one, you really don't want to let us in? Your mother and I are really worried about you, you know."

The drone moved a little closer to try to hear what was happening on the other side. He thought he heard his daughter muttering, seemingly agitated inside, moving furniture that creaked as the little drone moved around. It sounded as if several people were walking around the room - which was strange.

"...Go away. Both of you." It was the only response he received, angry and frustrated from Uzi.

Disappointed, Khan and Nori returned together to the living room. Both were upset by the situation, unable to help their daughter, but for the moment, there was nothing they could do but wait.

Lying on the table, Nori nervously played with the crucifix from the lab she had been working on for a few weeks. The core had patched it up, removing the golden shell for black protection with purple skull, and drawing a flame logo on it for the design. However, although they had managed to retrieve the program to counter the Solver from the laboratory, at the risk of their lives, Nori had still not managed to program an antivirus effective enough to help her daughter. 

Until now, she had made dozens of attempts, trying hundreds of different patches each time. But it wasn't ready yet; far from it.

"What am I missing here?" Nori grumbled, before pushing the thing out of sight.

"How did you try to improve it, again?" Khan asked his wife, wanting to think about something other than his failure as a parent.

Although doors were his specialty, and he didn't understand much about programmation, the Worker had seen Nori work tirelessly for days on the antivirus. With her own computer set up in their bedroom, the core had typed away for hours on the keyboard, her eye glued to the screen. 

With each failure, she seemed a little more discouraged.

"I had to adapt the program to make it compatible; as it was before, the patch completely destroyed all the Uzi’s code I had downloaded, leaving nothing behind. As a Host, her program is too altered by the Solver's. It messed with her lines, very badly. If I had used the patch like that... it would have killed her, no doubt."

Khan's expression darkened as he listened to his wife and contemplated the perilous task ahead. It sounded terrible, and the burden weighing on the flesh core to help their daughter manage the entity that was parasitizing her.

"Did you find a solution?"

Nori swayed slightly, as if to nod - though her gaze remained preoccupied. "Yeah; using my own code as the basis for the new patch. I got the idea a few days ago; Yeva had already downloaded a version of the old patch into me when the Thing possessed me. When... when I destroyed the core, twenty years ago."

She spoke nostalgically of that moment - which did not escape Khan, of course. Nori remembered that time; the darkness that had overtaken her when the Solver had almost completely taken control of her. It had caused her to slaughter all the people in the lab - humans, drones, Sentinels - and almost blow another scientist's head off, before Yeva had intervened to save her.

I wish you were here, Yeva. You've always been smarter than me about this, Nori thought sadly.

She missed her friend terribly... but for now, Nori had to pull herself together: she still had a stubborn daughter to save.

"I was able to rewrite part of the patch so that it only attacks the Solver part while leaving the code less affected by the virus intact. Thanks to that, I neutralized most of the infection, at least enough so as not to kill an infected Worker. Like me."

"What about Uzi?" Khan felt a glimmer of hope as he listened to her explanation.

Unfortunately, Nori cut short the celebration, even more gloomy than before.

“Not enough to be completely effective for Uzi, though. Each time, the virus quickly regenerates from a few pieces of code. I still need to do more testing to make it more effective... and I'm running out of time.” 

_________________________

They're worried about ya, girl.

In the corner of the dark, messy room, the crackling shape of a female human figure stared with undisguised concern at the large body that took up most of the space. Above her head, a dim spotlight shone, projecting a low-resolution image of a young woman.

Tessa - indeed, it was her - had appeared at the same moment that Uzi had released the rest of the body across the room. In her makeshift bedroom set up in Uzi's code, the human was going about her business - and complaining about the poor treatment she got after her hard work- when it happened. She had sensed that the Uzi had awakened... very agitated. And then, suddenly, the ghost found herself out of bed. The next second, she ended up in the young drone's messy room.

This was something new, of course: Tessa was stunned for a moment, not understanding - but very quickly, she realized that her body was not physical. Now, she was much more concerned with the mass of flesh writhing around the room. 

And at the very end of the huge writhing worm, Uzi was breathing heavily, trying to get away from the door where her parents had been a few moments earlier.

"Damn..." She felt so cramped here, forced to adapt to the limited space available by curling up, pushing furniture around to make more room in the room. "Why does this shit only happen to me?"

After charging for a little while, her awakening had not been pleasant; the constant pressure Uzi felt had become unbearable. Almost painful. Just spreading her wings and tail didn't help, and she felt an urgent need to release as much flesh as possible before bursting.

Now... she looked like this. Only half a drone remained; a long, dark insect centipede body covered with sharp chitinous legs, projectors sticking out everywhere serving as eyes - through them, Uzi saw an indescribable monstrosity.

Disgusting. Repulsive. Even bigger than before, in the lab.

It's not that bad, y'know. Trying to reassure the moping Worker-Solver, Tessa had approached cautiously - even though the hologram couldn't touch anything - and stood close to Uzi to comfort her.

But it didn't work very well; barely concerned with the free human who was supposed to be stuck in her head, Uzi just wanted her to leave her alone.

Hey, Uzi. You really need to calm down or-

“Shut up!” Uzi pulled away from Tessa’s outstretched hand, which was leaning toward her as if to squeeze her shoulder.

In response to her reaction, she unintentionally raised a huge claw that tried to slash at the human, unable to control it. Uzi held her breath as she watched the limb pass through the ghost’s static form without doing any damage.

And Tessa looked at herself, motionless, her green eyes wide as she stared at her dress at the level of her stomach, where a real body would have been cut in two. 

Oopsie... hehe. Good thing I'm already dead, right Sheila?

Let out an anguished moan, Uzi took her head in her hands - as the wings behind her back enveloped her, as if to pull her out of this nightmarish vision. It was useless, as the numerous cameras continued to show her.

She had prevented her parents from coming to see her, fearing their reactions upon seeing her like this. And... she didn't trust herself in this state.

I'm so hungry, Uzi used all her willpower not to move, as her screen rapidly alternated between her stressed gaze and the "Y." 

Before, the little drone had felt too full... now in this body, she felt an insatiable emptiness in her core. Her reserves weren't even that low, but this imposing body demanded to be filled with any food. 

Anything...

She swallowed, feeling the sting of her fangs in her mouth and the saliva rising. Uzi panicked, aware that her control was hanging by a very thin thread. And already fragile. She couldn't even leave the bunker without risking encountering a drone and devouring them.

Or worse… dozens of Workers.

Uzi had completely barricaded herself in her room, and her parents had finally left - just in time, before she lost control in the face of hunger.

As long as I'm like this, I mustn't move from here... Why can't I just make this go away?

Meanwhile, Tessa looked sadly at the small drone in distress and fear. Unable to do anything, the human was powerless and helpless to at least calm her down, while Uzi hid behind the rings of her trembling body. She sat down nearby against the wall, her pale green eyes fixed on the sealed door, then Uzi. 

Hoping that things would get better for her.

___________________________________________________

After the thrilling hunt, N made a quick detour to the Tower, first to wash off the oil (to look his best tonight, he had taken special care to polish his metal plates and even sharpen the blades of his wings) and collect some equipment, all of which he gathered into an easy-to-carry bag. He then headed back to the bunker, eager to find Uzi and spend the rest of the evening with her. Of course, he wondered why she hadn't come; she had warned him that she had work to do to prepare for her return to class.

But… Uzi almost always let him know if she couldn't go out, no ?

Or maybe he was worrying too much: Khan and Nori would have told him if something serious had happened.

"Well, I hope so," N couldn't help thinking aloud, flying faster as he landed in front of the bunker door.

As he retracted his steel wings, the entrance slit opened, revealing Ron, who was on guard duty that evening. His expression lit up when he recognized the Disassembly waiting patiently, genuinely happy to see him, as the guard saluted with a broad smile.

"Glad you're here, N! Wait a second, I'll open it right away!"

As soon as the Worker opened the door, N made sure he had hidden all the Workers' spare parts in the bag - to avoid any misunderstanding - and entered the brightly lit hall. Ron wouldn't go so far as to ask him to open his bag… or he hoped so.

"Good evening, Ron." N shook hands with the other drone, who shook his hand back - and, fortunately, didn't ask any questions about what Disassembly was carrying.

Meanwhile, three other WDF drones continued playing cards, watching the newcomer without interfering. Even though they kept a cautious, wary eye on Disassembly while he and Ron chatted cheerfully, they said nothing untoward since Khan had worked hard to allow his daughter's friend to come freely. 

And none of them were going to risk upsetting their boss.

Soon, another familiar green-eyed Worker arrived in the hall and joined them; it was Thad, carrying a stack of papers in one arm. On the other hand, he held a notebook with dozens of signatures.

"Ron, I just finished my shift. I collected quite a few signatures... Wait, N&M’s? You were here" Thad stopped when he recognized his friend.

"Hi, Thad!" N greeted the Worker, glad to see him looking rather well. "You look better : how is your injury?"

The teenage drone seemed to have recovered quite well from his shoulder injury, which now only left a slight deformity. His mother had practically dragged him to the medical sector every day to have his wound repaired, in order to avoid irreparable damage. 

Thad nodded, showing off his new shoulder. "It's healed pretty well; the medical team fixed me up. But my servo was ruined, so they gave me a new one, but from a different series. I'm still getting used to it."

Indeed, when the young Worker moved his arm, N noticed a slight discomfort around the Worker's joint, which moved more slowly and couldn't be raised very high.

"Mom wouldn't let me go play football with the others, and she confiscated my skateboard until I had my doctor's check-up," Thad sighed, remembering how he had argued with her. In the end, she had gotten her way. "So I stayed at the WDF to help recruit supply teams." 

Of course, the young Worker had been severely reprimanded by Ellen. His mother had been disappointed in him - her words - for disappearing without warning and coming back seriously injured. For hours, she had criticized his recklessness, even though Thad had tried to explain that it was to help friends.

Then, suddenly, the Worker drone noticed the absence of the second female Disassembly.

"V isn't with you?" he asked - perhaps more quickly than he should have.

"Um... no?” 

Although N was slightly taken aback by Thad's unexpected question, he didn't show it and replied, "V and I were in town earlier. Doing... um, some stuff?" He narrowly avoided blurting out about the massacre of several drones - even if they were thugs. "But she should be back at the Tower by now."

Probably finishing her meal, he thought to himself, but avoiding saying it out loud.

"Oh." 

Although Thad was a little disappointed, before anyone could start to suspect him, he quickly changed the subject and joined the other WDF drone. He handed him the signatures he had collected, during his walk.

"Here you go, Ron: these are the volunteers who signed up today."

"Perfect, kid! That's good work! Hey… we got quite a few people this time. Holy hell, even Samuel!"

"But the guys in the resources sector practically kicked me out. I couldn’t finish seeing more people. What a bunch of jerks…"

"That was to be expected." Ron grumbled about that idiot Don, although he was satisfied with the numbers.

N became curious when he saw the papers Thad and Ron were looking at while the Worker counted the number of participants. He seemed satisfied with so many people.

"What is it?" he asked, pointing to one of the flyers Thad had handed out while collecting signatures.

"Khan's idea, buddy. We didn't have enough people at WDF to start trips outside for supplies," Ron explained to Disassembly. "We need more guys to prepare teams, so Thad went to the colony to look for drones ready to join us."

N read the small poster with interest. Dozens of copies had been printed and distributed throughout Outpost-3. The title was quite catchy:

WDF recruiting for supply teams!

Volunteers wanted

For our families, let's fight the shortage together 

"And how did the other Workers react, knowing they'll have to work with…huh, well… V and me?" N wanted to know, curious about their reaction, but also a little nervous.

Because, of course, the whole colony must have known that the Disassemblies would also be participating in the expeditions. They probably weren't very happy about that.

"Don't worry, kid. Khan is a pretty respected guy, and the colony's drones listen to him. They'll come to trust you guys eventually." Ron gave N a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Anyway, I hope the boss can give you and your friend an apartment soon. It would certainly be more comfortable than the mountain of corpses outside, and in the cold..." Then Ron thought he might have been rude, and he looked a little sheepish: "Sorry, I should have phrased that better."

"No problem, Mr. Ron." N excused him with a soft laugh, not taking offense. He understood that the Worker might find their nest of bodies unpleasant - even though N had made sure in his to cover the corpses as much as possible.

Feeling a little better after talking, he left Thad and Ron, while the big drone headed straight for the Workers' residences. Since the meeting where the Outpost-3 advisors had authorized the integration of the Disassembly into the bunker, N no longer had to hide in the ducts or be accompanied by a WDF member along little-used paths.

It's so much more convenient than before, when I had to hide and be discreet when coming here, N thought.

Now he no longer had to worry about being discovered and getting Khan or Uzi into trouble. Well... that didn't mean it was easier.

Although it was late, a few drones crossed N's path, stopping almost immediately when they saw the large Disassembly. Seeing their worried expressions, he tried to be as friendly and harmless as possible. In particular, he kept his dangerous tail as still as possible - that was what the Workers feared most as he passed by. It wasn't natural or pleasant, he had to stop himself from waving it around, but N preferred to avoid a potential incident before they came here. 

So as not to ruin everything like an idiot, as he so often did.

"Hi!" He wanted to be polite, smiled and greeted the small group of frightened Workers in a friendly manner. 

But they practically ran away, taking another corridor.

N’s expression becoming a little pained, but he tried not to take their reaction to him badly - it was quite justified.

It had only been a few weeks since he had been allowed to come freely to the colony. Even though his efforts hadn't paid off much so far, he just had to be patient.

Fortunately, N soon arrived at the Doorman's door. When he knocked, the Disassembly heard noise, then curses; at first cheerful, the drone began to feel less comfortable. 

Very quickly, Khan was the one who opened the door... and he looked ready to beat up whoever had come to disturb him. The Worker seemed particularly on edge, his screen more darkened and wrinkled than usual - in fact, N noticed the crack where he had applied translucent glue.

"Robo-God... I swear, Don, if it's you again, I'll-" At first annoyed, his white gaze softened slightly when he recognized N - who swallowed hard when he saw him. He lowered the wrench he was holding in his clenched fist. "Oh, N?"

"Hello... Mr. Khan. Is everything okay?" N hesitated to enter, a little concerned by the old drone's agitation. "Am I... coming at a bad time?"

With a sigh, Khan put his tool away on a shelf. Rubbing his exhausted visor. "No, N. Today... has been a tough day. Oh, but come in, son." He let the larger drone pass, who timidly crossed the threshold, before the tired Worker closed the door.

He locked it several times, with a padlock, latches, and the magnetic lock - just to be sure.

"Is the murder brat here?" Nori glanced at N when he entered the living room.

"H... Hello." Disassembly was a little intimidated by the atmosphere in the living room, his tail curling fearfully around his leg. Then, looking around, he saw that Uzi wasn't there. "Um... Where's Uzi?"

"In her room." The core replied, before adding, "She's had some recharging issues. You can try going to see her if you want. But the kid is a little... grumpy, you know."

"Okay! Thanks, Nori." 

Regaining his good humor - as if he hadn't heard the rest of Nori's sentence -, N hurried to his girlfriend's room, not hiding his impatience - and completely missing the slightly tense and concerned looks of the two Doorman parents, who remained on the lookout. He stood in front of the closed door, beaming, his tail making big yellow arcs behind him when he heard noises behind.

"Hi, Uzi! I ended up coming since you weren't there. Oh, by the way, I brought you some cool stuff," N knocked lightly on the closed door, expecting to see the energetic little drone any second.

Before he realized it, the door burst open with a thunderous noise; then the tall drone was pulled inside in a strong embrace, and the room was loudly locked again with a purple glyph. He was pinned to the floor, and despite the darkness, N realized it was a metal claw crushing him.

And above him... was Uzi. Towering over him, looking down at him through her strangely dark screen.

Oh, biscuits... N swallowed, not quite understanding what was happening, or why Uzi was acting that way as they stood there. But he didn't struggle, remaining still beneath her. "Um… U-Uzi? Are you okay, buddy?"

Adjusting his vision, Disassembly then noticed that Uzi's body stretched across the entire room, surrounding them between numerous rings where her multiple claws and pincers clattered. The spotlights dimly illuminated the ransacked room and themselves with a purplish glow; even though he was trapped, N remained calm, more concerned about his girlfriend's current condition.

"Hey, Uzi: are… you still there?" His hand reached out to the small drone's cheek. 

Uzi wasn’t responding, though N could see her getting closer to him, heavily breathing; feeling his hand, she finally reacted, and her visor lit up, displaying her familiar yellow-purple eyes - but strangely absent and lost. Like… she wasn’t here.

“I’m… hungry,” the Worker-Solver hissed through clenched teeth.

Frantically sniffing the air as her face slowly turned toward the bag N had brought with him - he had kept it, even though he had been taken by surprise.

"Oh! Hum… So these are arms and legs I salvaged from bodies. Cables, bolts, servos... I… well, I thought you could use them for Nori's new body," N explained, seeing how close Uzi was getting to the bag, as she made a strange sound - like a cooing.

And without warning, she grabbed it with barely contained frenzy, almost tearing off N's arm, who let go just in time. The Solver symbol sparkled on her screen, then turned to an wild "X" as Uzi mindlessly devoured everything inside - arms, bolts, electronic parts, chips... Her jaw snapped greedily, purring with satisfaction as the little drone swallowed everything, leaving nothing behind.

"Wow... you were really hungry," N wasn't upset that Uzi had eaten everything he had brought back, watching her finish her meal.

"More… I… I want more…" 

Once again, she leaned toward the male drone unable to move beneath her, still trapped under her claw. Her purring intensified, the entire body vibrating powerfully, while N was completely defenseless and he didn't know what to do.

Chapter Text

Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well :)

As usual, I wanted to thank you again for continuing to follow this story, which is still ongoing and has just passed the halfway point of the plot I had planned. Most of the elements are in place, and I can't wait to finish it soon.

You all are truly a source of motivation and joy when I write ^^ So really, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now, some news:

- As you may have noticed, I've slowed down the release of new chapters a bit. I'm trying to better adapt my pace to my studies and my life, but I'll make sure the breaks aren't too long.

- In addition to this story, I will soon be turning it into a series to flesh out the universe with other secondary characters: in particular, I have started writing a short sequel that will focus on a character you know well ^^ And, if all goes well, the first chapter will be released this weekend.

- Finally, I have a few plans for this story once it is finished. For a while now, as I've been reviewing my old chapters, I've been thinking about rewriting certain parts of the story later on to better adapt it. It's just a project, and I still have time before writing the final chapter.

Now, as a gift, here are some drawings I made for my characters (this time, there will be quite a few):

Chapter Text

Unsure of what to do and unable to move, N continued to stare at Uzi. He was still beneath her, blinking stupidly with his huge golden eyes. Since earlier, the yellow-purple cross had been staring at him: once so hungry, the screen now glowed with a different light. Hotter, almost hypnotic, as she pressed herself against him. 

Her entire sinuous body wrapped around them as if to capture prey that had recklessly ventured into the predator's nest. At least she had released the grip that pinned him to the ground, avoiding accidentally crushing him.

Meanwhile, an N still in shock wondered, Oh biscuits... what do I do now? as he sat up slightly on his elbows, looking at his Eldritch girlfriend.

Despite her clearly bizarre and creepy appearance, the rest of her centipede body resembling that of the Solver more, and even though he was in a vulnerable position, the Disassembly did not feel in danger at all; it was nothing like what had happened in the cryogenic chamber the first time he had seen her like this, and unlike earlier when a hungry Uzi had voraciously thrown herself on the bag containing the detached parts of Workers for Nori's body. He didn't know why it was so different.

N couldn't help but admire her for a few moments, guided by a strange fascination as he looked Uzi. It was... mesmerizing, as the atmosphere almost vibrated between them. 

After a few seconds, N managed to pull himself together, shaking his mind to restart his processors, before he tried to reach Uzi, who was deep in this trance.

"U-Uzi-" He began, but his voice died immediately when the drone's face suddenly came close to his, silencing him.

Her hot breath caressed his face, smelling deliciously of sweet oil, and her rebellious purple strands, which he adored, brushed against his screen as it turned yellower than ever. And despite the strangeness of the current situation, his first thought was: Damn... she's beautiful, while N decided to wait and see what she would do; no matter what.

He enjoyed the incredible view that Disassembly had of her, enhanced by his settings that allowed N to memorize every pixel with precision; little by little, he began to give in to the urge inside him that was screaming to accept his companion's advances. It just seemed... natural.

"You're... so kind, N," Uzi finally said, although her voice didn't sound like hers; it was enchanting and soft, something he had never heard from the little drone before.

Never.

N yelped, almost jumping, when she gently caressed the side of his visor with her forehead, lovingly. So surprised was he that he barely noticed her wings gripping each of his hands, lifting them off the ground and holding them above his head, immobilizing him, though he didn't care. N let out a soft, uncontrolled moan when Uzi slid toward his shoulder and pressed closer to him, and chirping. She laughed at his reaction, clearly amused, and continued slowly toward his neck. Beating so hard, N's overactive core caused his own deeper, jerky purr, which joined hers, higher-pitched. The temperature of his internal circuits was rising rapidly; and above, Uzi's body also seemed warmer.

Although his consciousness was hanging by a thread about to snap, N was still undecided. The better part of him refused to take advantage of the situation, and even though it was killing him inside to stop, he did not completely give in to the burning temptation that was consuming him.