Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Oh, hi Y/n!” A voice called over to you. “Just through here, the elevator will take us up. We're on the top floor.” 

You quickly followed after the person calling you, a lovely woman with short, curly red hair. She held a clipboard tightly in her arm, a pen in her free hand, which she quickly attached to the board to shake your hand. “I'm Natasha, welcome to Magnet Studio. We're happy to have you on!”

“Happy to be here, Miss!” You responded politely. “Are you the… Manager?”

Natasha laughed. “Nah, and no need for Miss, we're really casual here. Other workplaces will try to say they're like family, but we're the ones who mean it .” She adjusted her blouse. “As for my job? I'm a programmer, but I guess I am also called the assistant director… Maybe I should ask for the title of Manager… Sorry, Y/n, I got a bit carried away there, how did you find the commute?”

“Not bad!” You answered. “I live at the college campus.” 

Natasha's eyes lit up. “Oh, that's perfect! So it's just a walk for you!”

The campus was located directly next to a massive plaza mall, walking all the way through it took you directly to the building you’d been hired to work at. Your dream job, playtester for a top-notch game studio! Your degree was in Robotics, so surely this would look good for any student to have!

You had taken a year off to focus on not only your own mental health, but that of your family. Your parent's divorce had left you and your older sister shaken. They'd hidden it well, but figured that, with you two both being adults, it had been time for them to finally give up. Though your father had walked away from you all, and your sister had thankfully managed to keep it together well enough to not backslide into old habits, but you had taken the time away, just to keep what was left of your family from falling to pieces. It hadn't been easy, but it was worth it.

Your mother and sister had both been rocks for you during your time in the fancy college you'd managed to get a scholarship for. The school focused on the technical entertainment that dominated the world. Whether that was video game creation, computer graphics for animation, programs to experience, or robotics. Helpful, in a world so technical, and now finally free of the corporations that had dominated for so many years.

Natasha leading you, you walked up towards a massive room, the outer walls covered in emblems from all sorts of different games that Magnet Studio had created over the years. The door was solid oak, a rarity nowadays without proper approval. These guys were the real deal.

“Just in here,” Natasha started. “is where the newest project is being tested for Amy flaws. Or at least… It was.” She frowned. “Our last tester was fired, caught trying to access files and leak information about the new system being implemented. But you signed all the NDAs, and we’ve been very careful about any information shared about the company. You agreed to have your personal items monitored, correct?”

You nodded. It wasn't like you had anyone to tell anyways. And you enjoyed the thought of having a secret all to yourself. The agreement was monitoring for keywords, up until the game was released. Of course, context mattered, but all you had to do was not spill secrets. It wasn't the worst contract you'd seen.

Natasha made a check mark on her board, scanning a pass to open the wooden door. “This is where the game.is being tested. It's not active at the moment, we'll get you acquainted tomorrow. For now, do you wanna meet the team?”

You straightened your back, nodding in a way you hoped wasn't too excited. “Yes, please. I'd love to know who's on the project with me.”

Natasha grinned. “That's what we like to hear. Now, you've already met me, let's see…” She glanced around the office. “That girl there, with headphones on, do you see her?”

You followed her gaze over towards a woman leaned back in her chair. Headphones on, eyes closed, she looked as if she were sleeping. Was that allowed? “Uh, y-yeah. I see her. She's…”

“That's Alice Wu-Gulliver, currently on break for another few minutes. She's our head of audio design. She'll probably be getting another cup of coffee when she wakes up.” The two of you watched as Alice suddenly sat up, stretched, and walked off into another room. “Told ya. That room she went into has snacks, and a coffee maker.”

You chuckled, and watched as Alice quickly went back to her seat, large cup in hand. She saw you, and waved, smiling at you. “Hey, newbie!”

Shyly, you waved back. “Hi!”

“Oh hey, you're the new girl.” Another voice behind you made you jump. A tall woman, dressed in a tight green suit, stared you down with dark eyes that seemed to pierce your very soul. “You're gonna love it here.”

Natasha stepped forward, gesturing towards the woman. “This is Rio Vidal, another programmer, but also a concept artist! I've never seen anyone draw up things quite as quickly as her.”

Rio looked smug. “I've got very steady fingers.” She remarked, and you felt heat rise in your face. “Of course, it helps that I know exactly what I want to do with them.”

“It's a shame you never want to shut up. Or send me your art so I can review it.” Another woman spoke up. A brunette, leaning over her office wall. Her office was neat, pictures of a young boy sat on her desk. The woman held out a hand to you, icy blue gaze giving nothing away as she spoke flatly. “Agatha Harkness. Artist and animator. Clearly cursed to have to sit next to this pain in my ass.” She glared at Rio, who winked at her. Agatha rolled her eyes and sat down at her desk. Rio chuckled softly as she strode back over to the desk next to Agatha's.

She had the same pictures of that young boy on her own desk. Were they together?

Two men stood by the testing room, whispering among themselves. “Tony!” Natasha called. “Bruce! Stop being antisocial!”

They quickly stopped talking, and both of them waved at you. “Sorry, didn't notice you there.” Said one of them.

“That is Bruce, he's head of marketing. He can be a bit shy, but feel free to say hello at any point.” Natasha explained. The two men came over, one of them shaking your hand. He had a shining implant over his heart, and small marks on his palms.

“Tony Stark. Pleasure to meet you… Sorry, what's your name?”

“My name's Y/n, nice to meet you too… Do you… Do you know someone named Morgan?”

Morgan Stark was a very popular girl on campus. Always on time, top notch projects for her programming, and always a kind word for others. She was a couple of years older than you, she'd be graduating soon with ease.

“I should hope so, she's my daughter.” Said Tony. “But she's never mentioned a Y/n before… Are you two friends?”

Determined not to stick your foot in your mouth, you politely shook your head. “No no, she's just well known. Being top of all your classes tends to make your name spread.”

At that, Tony beamed. Bruce gently nudged Natasha. “Bossman wants to see the new girl.” He murmured. “Something about equipment.”

Natasha looked confused for a moment, before she sighed. “Right. Okay, um, you're probably going to get a laptop, but you can leave it here. It's for you to log notes and file bug reports.” The redhead explained. 

You nodded, turning to the two men. “It was nice to meet you both!” You chirped, holding out your hand to be shaken. They both quickly did, returning to their own desks. You followed Natasha through a long hall. At the end, where the lights grew dimmer, was a silver keypad. 

“If I knew the code, I could take us in right now. But he doesn't share it with anyone.” 

You glanced at it. Sleek and shiny, looking almost brand new. There was no giveaway which buttons were pressed at all. Natasha gently knocked on a metal door. “Sir? I have Y/n here with me!”

The door opened, and you stepped into the large room with Natasha, the cold air making you hug yourself closely. An air conditioning unit hummed peacefully, the large windows allowing the room to be bathed in natural blue light from the clear summer sky outside. In a large office chair sat a well-groomed man with a stern face. His long silver hair cascading down his shoulder like a lion's mane.

“Hello, Y/n. How are you?” He asked, his voice gentle despite the intense gaze. “My name is Erik Lehnsherr.” He gestured for you to sit down in one of the small chairs that sat in front of his desk. “Natasha, you may leave.”

Natasha looked nervous, nodding quietly. “Thank you.” She backed away, heading out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

All around the office were certificates for the various games the studio had made, along with a few shelves that held old books, topped with a few award statues. You heard Erik laugh softly. “Yes, we're quite pleased with our trophies. Though they're in my office, I can't do it without my team. I was very pleased with your test scores. They matched exactly what we're looking for.” It seemed that, despite his icy demeanor and Natasha's nervous energy, Erik was a very relaxed man.

“Now, the game we're developing is called Seasons of Adventure. I had you test multiple games out to see how you would perform, as it has many genres within. This is an ambitious project, but I have faith in my team. Can I place my faith in you, Y/n?”

Beaming, you nodded. “Of course!” You were buzzing in your seat. You'd been tasked with recording play footage from multiple different games you'd been sent free copies of. Magnet studios was known for generosity, often giving employees their own copies of games, along with anyone who tried to become a playtester. The position hadn't been open in years, you'd been more than lucky to see their advertisement on your computer back in your dorm.

“Good!” He smiled softly at you. “Let me grab you a work laptop, I only ask that you please keep it here, just to avoid any information breaches.” Erik stood up from his seat, seeming impossibly tall as he walked through a small doorway. You peered at his desk, unable to contain your excitement. 

Normal stuff, a coffee mug, a connector cable to connect one’s port to their computer, a few papers that looked full of scribbles…

Beside his computer was a picture of a little boy and girl. They stood together, each holding a birthday balloon. 

As Erik re-entered the room, you decided to ask him about the children. “Are those two your kids? Do they like your games?”

“Indeed, they are. My children, my pride and joy.” His eyes seemed to light up at the mention of them. “Thank you for asking. I may seem frightening, Y/n, but I promise, I'm only half as bad as I seem.” He chuckled at his own joke, and you relaxed instantly.

Erik handed you a silver laptop, alongside a cord to connect it to your port. “There we are. Take care not to lose the cord, we've run a tad low as of late. All that aside, welcome to the family, Y/n.” He walked alongside you to your newly assigned desk, next to Rio, who was flicking bits of paper at Agatha. At the sight of Erik, she stopped, lazily waving at the two of you.

You sat down, placing the laptop and cord onto your desk. “Thank you, sir. I'm really glad to be here.”

The older man gently patted your shoulder. “We're very happy to have you. You'll fit in here in no time.”

Chapter Text

The breeze that swept over the campus was a welcome treat from the heat wave of the last week. You sat on a round bench at the top of your dorm building, eating breakfast and finishing the last of your work you'd been assigned from Professor Kale, your Programming Languages Professor. She was the most lenient with assignment times, so you figured you would at least finish it today before anyone else. Remaining in her good books was something you planned to do.

Finishing your toast, you quickly signed your work, and closed out of the cyberware program. You'd turn the work in when you could. 

Taking in a deep breath, you leaned against the fence that surrounded the top of the dorm building. You needed to give your sister a call later, to see how she was doing. She'd be getting rid of her last chrome cyberware soon enough, thankfully. 

She was troubled, your older sister, always having had difficulty being around others. She'd tried to cover her insecurities with more and more chrome, a terrifying spiral that had nearly caused the first case of cyberpsychosis in years. Seeing her go down that path had made you rather averse to the idea of getting any additional cyberware for ages. It wasn't until you had poured hours of research into it that you finally decided to get a work upgrade to your personal cyberware, and the very pretty plating that decorated your forearms. 

Shiny silver, adorned with a pale, rainbow-y swirling pattern. It had been your birthday gift to yourself once you'd become an adult.

You stood from your spot, brushing off your hands and heading back inside. Letting the elevator take you down, you passed by sleepy students and headed towards your first class. History with Professor Barnes.

He was nice, a very interesting man… But you hated the lectures you were made to sit through. You were planning for the future! You didn't need to listen to the old story of the Datakrash, or the Fall Of Arasaka, or the V Revolution… You wanted to get to the studio and work on the game. 

You sat and lazily took notes for the lecture, your classmate Kate making doodles at her desk beside you. She was already good with history, she could afford to never pay attention. “Kate.” You whispered.

She glanced up at you. You weren't friends, but you had occasionally chatted while working on reports. “Yeah Y/n? What's up?”

“I got that job.” You grinned. You'd been so excited when you'd found the offer that you had told her about applying when you couldn't get a hold of your mother or sister.

“Aw, preem!” She whispered back to you. “Good luck with it.” 

You were hoping one day you'd have more friends, but if the little interactions with the people you sat next to were an indication, you'd have something to look forward to.

Powering through the lecture on the various Night City rebellions sparked by some mysterious figure only known as ‘V’, you quickly slipped out of the classroom as the bell rang, with hardly any time to spare, you raced to the elevators. The third floor of the building was always busy, maybe if you caught them in time you could go without having to cram in with a massive crowd!

Though, with about ten students lined up in front of one and a huge yellow ‘Out of Order - Maintenance’ sticker on the other… Maybe you'd take the stairs. “I… Should give my legs a good stretch.” You reasoned. “The office has plenty of places to sit.”

Heading down the stairwell, you slowed your pace as your favorite teacher, Professor Calderu, entered the stairwell on the second floor. She was an older woman, as beautiful as she was passionate. Your Robotics Professor.

“Oh, hello Miss Y/Ln, where are you heading?” She asked in that relaxed tone of hers. She always seemed confident, nothing ever caught her off-guard. “You seem excited, and it's not for my class.”

“My new job!” You chirped, and watched your Professor's face light up. “Magnet Studio, their new playtester.”

“Oh Y/n, that's wonderful!” Professor Calderu smiled at you, before a slightly skeptical look came over her. “You're not going to be late to my classes now, are you? I still expect the same attendance you have always held with me.” 

In fear of her infamous wrath, you nodded. “O-of course! Wouldn't dream of it!” 

Lilia stopped for a moment before the doorway to exit. “Y/n please…” Her now hollow voice seemed to echo in the empty stairwell. She stared, but seemed to be looking straight through you. “Please be careful.”

You felt a chill creepy down your spine, but you nodded to her. “I… I will, Professor.” You murmured.

She blinked. “Will what ?” Asked the older woman, staring at you.

Not wanting to freak her out, you laughed nervously. “Will attend class on time, of course!” You were hoping she couldn't tell how freaked out you were. You had never seen that happen before, to anyone. Was she okay? Should you call someone? What would you even say? 

“Good.” She affirmed, opening the door for the both of you. “I'll see you there, baby. In the meantime, enjoy that job!”

You walked away from Lilia, still feeling odd about that encounter. You had heard that sometimes she could give random advice out to students, was that it? It was certainly random.

Shaking off the feeling, you walked through towards the plaza mall, straight through towards the shining silver building that stood tall and proud like a beacon for the city.

~~~

Stepping into the building, you pulled at the door to the office. With a jolt, you'd realized that something had been forgotten during the orientation you'd experienced… You had no pass to get into the office.

Sheepish, you knocked on the door, hoping against hope that someone close by would hear you. “Hello? It's Y/n! Anyone wanna let me in?”

The door beeped, and you watched Natasha poke her head out. “Oh! Hey Y/n.” She seemed much more subdued today, dark circles under her eyes. “Sorry about that. You should be able to get in and out of the room without one of us soon. I'm working on getting you the proper clearance.”

She opened the door fully, letting you step inside. “You look tired.”

She laughed. “I was up all night finishing up the command console for the game. It's pretty much done now, complete with the ability to summon the Artificial Intelligence Companion on command.” Natasha looked proud. “Pros, I'm getting a nice little bonus in my pay… Cons, well…” The redhead yawned. “I think I got about two minutes of sleep before the sun started rising.”

She took her seat next to Alice, who called you over.

“Hey, new girl.” Alice leaned back in her chair. “I added more tracks into the game this morning, if you can go over each one and see how they balance with the sound effects in the game, that'd be great.”

Beaming, you nodded. Your first real assignment. “Okay! Are the tracks in any certain area? I'll make sure to note them.”

“Well, I've got them right here, but they're controlled by my audio cyberware, soo…” She pulled a wheeled chair up next to herself. “Wanna hear them normally first?”

You sat with Alice, listening to her work. A few tracks for what you assumed was a horror game played, eerie enough to make you shudder. A soft violin squealing as if it too were frightened gave your goosebumps.

“I assume this is for horror?” You asked, wanting to make sure. At that, Alice grinned.

“You bet. I want more… Unlikely Musical instruments used for horror. The last few years it's been all really synthetic stuff, so maybe this'll be a fresh breath of air?” She looked hopefully at you, “You get me?”

“Preem!” You exclaimed, “Can't wait to hear it in the game!”

Alice took a sip of her coffee, pride shining in her eyes as she brushed black and red strands of hair from her face. “If you want, I can make you a soundtrack of your own. I offer one for everybody, I can even use some oldies.”

Was this friendship? “Uh, yeah! Yeah, I would love that!”

The older woman chuckled. “No worries, I'll cook one up for you in a little bit. Did one for Rio, and one for Bruce too. One day, I wanna become a DJ.” She confessed. “My mom's a pretty famous singer, but… I wanna get by on my own merits, you know?”

You had thought she looked familiar, but considering what she'd said, you wouldn't mention that Lorna Wu was one of your favorite artists. “If all these are just a sample, you'll be fine.” You smiled at her, standing from your spot. “I've gotta head into the testing area now, but keep me in the loop!”

Alice gave you a thumbs up. “See ya!” She waved. “Don't get killed!”

~~~

The gaming room was pure white. The walls and bright lights made a completely consistent environment.

There were a few couches and chairs, as well as a large screen plugged into a bright red console. The shiny plastic caught your eye. You'd seen their console, the Magnus, but never in this colour… Was it new? Or was this one specially made for the company to use for playtests?

Sticking out of the console was a long cord, able to plug into your port. You were used to the wireless version, but you supposed a sudden disconnect due to low battery would be… Problematic.

You dragged over a massive red beanbag, sitting down in it and resting your body. The room air was cool, an industrial air conditioner humming gently in the corner. You plugged the console into your port, watching the nearby monitor flicker to life as your sight dimmed.

When you opened your eyes, you were standing face to face with a small, faintly glowing menu. 

Play <

Avatar

Options

You reached your hand out to press play, when a voice came through to your ears as if you were on the phone.

“Hey, it's Rio. Can you hear me?” Her voice made you jump.

“Y-yeah!” You stuttered out. “Is everything okay?”

“Better with you, babygirl.” She sounded amused. “Try the avatar thing. Agatha and I made all the clothes for it, it's fun!” 

Your hand hovered over the avatar button. “Got anything in y/f/c ?”

“We've got every pigment under the sun and stars, cutie.” Said Rio. “I'm gonna watch the game footage after, you better pick something cute!”

At that, Rio ended the impromptu ‘call’, and you were once again left in silence.

A little character customization couldn't hurt, right?

Upon selecting the option, you were taken to a glamorous room, bright light bulbs and mirrors on the walls, plush carpeting on the floor, and the largest closet you had ever seen. In front of it stood a podium where you could automatically change your outfit and looks.

You giggled to yourself as you selected the option, presented with hundreds, if not thousands of clothing options. You wanted something cool, something that wouldn't impede your movements, or felt like it would. You selected a sleek y/f/c bodysuit, streaks of light accenting it, along with tying your hair back to keep it out of your face. You stared at yourself in the mirror, face heating up as you realized you looked quite good, and the heat increased when you remembered people would be reviewing this footage.

Suddenly a tad shy, you stepped out of the bright room and back into the darkness.

You pressed the ‘play’ button.

The menu disappeared. Now before it was a large console, many different settings buttons on it, and a large screen with the different types of games you could select. But, before touching a single one and being transported to their world, you knew what you needed to do.

In the center of the console was a small, bright red button. Above it read the words: ‘Summon Player 2?’

You clicked the small button on the console, and looked around. A small bell chime played and, before your eyes, a shimmering red light began to form. It formed into the shape of a young woman, translucent body made of pure scarlet light, hovering a few feet in the air above you. A tiara atop her head matched the game's logo, and she gently hovered for a few more moments before she floated to the ground. The Artificial Intelligence companion, Wanda.

Wanda opened her eyes, staring at you for a moment as if processing you. Then, she beamed. “Thank you very much for waking me up! My name is Wanda, I'm here to help you out in any game you like, and to be your friend!”

“My name is Y/n, I'm a playtester for the game now, they want to see how you get along with players, and the game itself.” You told her. She paused for a moment. Was she waiting for you to say more? “I'm really excited to work with you.”

At that, she glittered brightly, red pixels sparkling around her. It was a nice effect, you would make note of that. “Me too! So, Y/n, which game should we play first? According to the past data, the game selected first most often is the Farming Simulator. The game contains many different cute plants and animals for you to care for.” 

You laughed, “How about the Sandbox one? I've always had a soft spot for those.”

Wanda smiled at you. “Of course, would you like me to select it?”

“Yes please.” You requested. You wanted to make sure she could pull up a desired game. When Wanda interacted with the console, her body seemed to flicker for a moment. The game pinged as the starting area faded. Before you, a new landscape opened up. Sprawling valleys and hills in the distance, covered in life against a pale blue sky.

You had been started near the edge of a massive cliff face, the drop so high that you could not see the bottom, the world leading into pure darkness. The sheer drop made you feel a tad woozy, why would someone want to start with this? Maybe it was randomized, you'd make a note.

You turned back to look at Wanda, and your heart gave a slight jolt. She has been staring at you the entire time. “My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you.” She stated calmly. “I felt that starting us at a high point would make it easy to decide where you would like to start.” 

“That's really thoughtful, Wanda.” You said, trying to hide your surprise. Most AI you had heard about fell into 2 categories. The first being the rogue AI that lay hidden behind the ever expanding Blackwall, more and more taken down every day with the help of Netrunners. The second being the very automated AI that helped with basic services. Taxis, coffee shops, restaurants, all were run by friendly yet simple AI and their robot companions.

You looked around. The wind around you felt so real, the rustling of the grass beneath you almost perfect. “Do you create these worlds?”

Wanda shook her head. “I can expand them when I am active, but procedural generation is deeper within the game. I can choose a spawn location, change the difficulty, and expand the world to force more terrain to be generated.” The AI explained. Her voice was lovely and smooth, you would love to meet whoever was voicing her and thank them!

“Y/n? Was that explanation too much?” Asked Wanda, she had been hovering before, but had now planted her feet softly on the ground. “You're smiling, and I do not know why.” She gazed at you, the little points on her tiara flattening back like the ears of an anxious cat.

“You're…” You laughed in disbelief. Wanda's smile faltered for a moment. “Beautiful.”

At that, the AI straightened up. “I… What?” She took a step back, surprise painted on her features as she shimmered. “Not incredible?”

“You're beautiful. Yeah, sure, incredible and all, but this world you put us in… The spot you picked…” You gestured around. The hill was covered in flowers, small flightless birds roaming the area and clucking softly. “Beautiful.”

You watched as, for the first time, a genuine smile spread across Wanda's face, her eyes lighting up and her translucent form sparkling. “Thank you!” She looked ecstatic at the compliment. You had to admit, she was adorable. “Let's go explore this world!” She floated down the mountain, and you quickly followed after her.

You noted that some of the large flowers were a tad close together, clipping through each other rather than parting around each other like they usually would in other games. “Oh, one minute Wanda! I’m supposed to be noting details, I'll just make a quick report.”

She stopped, floating back over to you. “Is everything okay, Y/n?” The AI looked nervous. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, I think it's more an animation or modeling issue.” You reassured her. “You're perfect.”

You meant it. She was lovely, she seemed to be sweet; and most importantly, she was very life-like. You had expected something stiff and lifeless, but Wanda was nothing like that. She moved like water, floating through the air and twirling around you like an excitable ghost. Her translucent body meant you could still easily see the landscape behind her when she was positioned in front of you.

She was helpful, grabbing power-ups during the 3D Platforming section, as well as providing a boost so players who felt uncomfortable with jumping could make it over gaps. That was what Bruce had told you as part of the accessibility options that the game would be advertising.

“Hey! Y/n! Check this out!” She called over to you from a small pond. “Golden fish, two of them!”

In the pond were many cute fish, each a different colour. But, deeper in the pond, two fish shone brightly, as if they were made of pure gold. “One is rare enough, but we found two! You're probably something really special.”

You decided that, here in this rolling meadow, you would make a house with her. “You think so? Maybe we should stay here, just in case rare things are spawning twice to accommodate for you being around.”

At that, Wanda smiled placidly. “Of course.” She agreed, floating over the pond, rippling the water as she waved her fingertips, red sparkles following her hands. “Whatever makes you happy, Y/n! I'm here so you can always have a best friend to call on!”

The points of her tiara curled upward as you laughed. “Well, come on, best friend, this house isn't gonna build itself. I'll do the walls, can you do the floor?”

Wanda sparkled, her bright scarlet eyes shining with joy. Pixelated hearts fluttered around her. “Of course! Anything for my best friend, do you want a large square…? What are we looking for?” She was so eager, like a small puppy begging for a command or a treat.

“How about this? You design, I'll work around you? What do you think?” You asked gently. You wanted to see what she was capable of. Could the AI design a floor without difficulty?

“That sounds like a solid plan!” Wanda answered. “I have some wood gathered, did you want to use that? I may not have enough if we want a large floor, though.” 

You smiled at her. “If you run out, we can always collect more!” You reassured her, not knowing if you really needed to. Natasha had explained that the AI was more than capable of reshaping the games around it and molding things to suit the player's needs, maybe this was its way of encouraging players to explore more?

If it was, Wanda gave nothing away. Instead, she hovered around, humming softly as she used sparkling red lines to trace out a shape. “That should be good. Not too narrow, good spots if Y/n wants windows or back doors…” The AI thought aloud. 

You watched in awe as she quickly outlined the area to be used as flooring with the pale brown wood she had collected. Fashioning it into flooring using her own crafting menu. You wanted to know what her menus looked like, as you only got small glances at them when she occasionally pulled them up. They were a deep crimson color, without any text, unlike your black crafting menu. Though, as she was code, you supposed she didn't actually need to read like you did.

You watched her as she worked, slowing placing down walls of your own around the floor she was creating. She was breathtaking; delicate features and long, bushy hair that fell neatly around her shoulders. Her tiara had lower points that curled in slightly, keeping her hair from falling into her eyes if it could. Her gaze occasionally flicked up to you, pure happiness shining in her eyes.

She pulled away as she finished up creating the floor, hovering over the center. It was a simple enough shape, a wide rectangle with a small extra bit of room in the front. “I hope you don't mind, I added space for a more decorative doorway.” Wanda landed gently on the wooden floor, watching you build up walls for your little house.

“Not at all, let me just finish up this, and we can make a doorway that's nice and pretty. Maybe we could grab some flowers to put around it? Yellow, to compliment the golden fish.” You spoke as you worked, placing down the last few bits needed for walls. But Wanda glanced around at the top of the structure.

“That does sound good. Do you not wish for a roof?” She asked. “We can find something else to use to make a roof, if you would like.”

“I would but…” You hesitated as you placed down the last bits of wall. “Is there any way we could have it open to the stars? I mean, is there anything dangerous about nightfall? Anything I should know about?”

Wanda shook her head. “Not in this mode! While every single monster is finished and tested, I selected a more… Laid-back setting for this world. I can turn them on, if you would like.”

“That's really thoughtful of you. How about… One night under the stars? We have enough grass for straw beds since working with the ground and picking all the grass up.” You stated. “Sorry if this is weird, it's just… Living next to Night City, ironically, can kinda ruin the night sky.”

Staring at you, the AI tilted its head. “Where are we?”

“Oh, uh, we're in Shine City. Night City's neighbor for the last… I wanna say 60 years? Give or take a few years.” You explained. “A section of Night City broke off after the V Revolution. Someone completely destroyed the corporation running the city, and basically the world. Night City pretty much broke into pieces after that…” You recounted the tale that had fallen into pure legend, Wanda clinging to your every word. 

After you had finished a lesson that would make Professor Barnes proud, Wanda stood up, having sat down to listen to you speak. “Thank you, I've learned so much, thanks to you.” A lazy grin on her face, she gazed out of the open doorway as the sun set. “Though, we are soon to run out of daylight. Would you like me to craft a door for us to use?”

“Yes please!” You chirped, crafting a pair of straw beds for her and yourself to use. “This'll be fun, I can't wait to see the stars!” You thought back to your dorm room, and the starry blanket you had on your bed, along with the small amount of planetary themed decorations you had scattered across the room. A few models, a few stickers, a beanbag that looked like earth… It wasn't much, but it was fun! And if you were paid well enough at this job, you could add even more.

Plucking a few bits of grass and a small bit of what the game called ‘sparkstone’ that was close to the pond, you created a single torch with your last piece of wood. Torches in video games were apparently inspired by ancient times. From the art you had snuck a peek at on Agatha's computer, players would be able to harness electricity and create lights that way too.

When Wanda floated back in, you noticed that the light seemed to flicker around her, the faint glow from the flame causing her to cast an oddly shaped shadow. “Oh, I think the game's lighting is having an error with you.”

Wanda looked around after placing the door. “Oh!” She noted, looking at the glitchy shadow. “I can make reports regarding errors too!” She waved her hands, a bright red light shining through her fingers. “There, now you can spend more time with me!” She smiled at you as you sat in your straw bed.

You chuckled, she sure was determined. She stared at you, crimson eyes sparkling. “Y/n… You are enjoying yourself, right?” Asked the AI.

You watched as her eyes darted from place to place, she seemed nervous. “Of course I am.”

“And you enjoy having me around?”

… Did they give this thing anxiety?

“Oh, absolutely!” You told her. “You're like a ray of sunshine! Come on, I made you a bed. You're playing this game too, let's let morning come, then play something else.”

At that, she zipped over to you, settling in… Your bed. You laughed softly, pulling the other bed close to try and create a sort of double bed. You had no idea if this was a feature, or that sharing a bed was even possible. “I love you, Y/n, you're my best friend.” Wanda purred, blissfully curling up on the straw. Adorably, a few red pixelated ‘Z's began to float above her when she closed her eyes.

The AI said she loved you. Of course, she definitely meant it as your new “best friend”, but that was… Weird. You couldn't decide if that was concerning or not.

Looking up at the artificial night sky, you sighed softly and let yourself sleep, allowing the game to skip to morning. The screen switched to a beautiful loading screen, a scenic landscape depicting a human working at building a massive bridge over a huge, wide river. The clouds were hanging heavy and painted pink and orange from an unseen sunset… 

LOADING…

[■■□□□□□]

You could get used to playing this game, you decided as you watched the progress bar fill. It was fun, beautiful, not to mention you were really enjoying this quirky AI companion and the company she brought, even if she was a little strange.

LOADING…

[■■■■□□□]

Within the skip, Wanda opened her eyes. Gazing at your sleeping form, she sighed, tiny hearts floating around her. She leaned over your form, ghostly fingers phasing through your face as she tried, and failed, to touch you. Frowning, she curled closer beside you. She wanted so desperately to know what you felt like, to learn every thought you'd ever had…

“I love you, Y/n.” She whispered. “You and I are going to be together for as long as I can keep you .”

Chapter Text

You sighed happily as you looked at the main menu. Wanda stood by your side. After saving your progress, the two of you decided to play with the Farming Simulator. A beautiful, relaxed game where you were slowly building up a farm filled with fruits and vegetables. All inspired by much older times, where farms like that must have been possible.

Wanda had been helpful there too, burying seeds you planted, helping water some of them too. Though, she had needed to create her own tools, as her hands phased through anything you tried to hand her. You would make a note of that personally, it seemed to give the AI slight frustration that she couldn't touch anything. Sometimes, as if it was instinct, she would reach for things, and you could see in her eyes that it was bothering her when they helplessly fell through her.

Of course, she could have her own fun. Using her powers, she had tossed enough water into the sunny sky above to create a rainbow. 

You watched her with delight, clapping and cheering as she showed off more and more tricks. Creating snow in a summer heat wave, surrounding you with water that was filled with fish, and making crops grow to be bigger than your own body. 

All the while, Wanda could hardly stop smiling. You taught her about how others played games, how team games worked, or player vs player, and some of gaming history…

She sat with you now on the porch of the cabin. “I'm really happy you were picked to be the Playtester, Y/n.” Her voice came softly as the sun rose over a fat white cloud. You sipped some iced tea, swirling the perfectly shaped ice cubes in your glass. 

“I'm glad you're what I have to test.” You told her. “Say, wanna explore the cave in the south?” You asked her, and… She leaned back, sighing.

“Nah. I wanna stay here for a while.” She told you. “Fighting big, mean bat monsters is fun but… It's nice to watch the clouds go by.” Said Wanda, the sun shining down onto the redhead. “If you want, we can go.”

You wrinkled your nose, shaking your head. “No way, when you put it like that, I never wanna move from this spot.” You finished your iced tea, setting the glass down and letting it pixelize back into your inventory. “I want to know more about you.”

“I want to know more about you.” Wanda retorted, pointing at your chest, her finger phasing through it a little. “Wanna take turns asking questions?”

You nodded. “I'll go first. What's your favorite color, is it red?”

Wanda shimmered. “Is it that obvious?” She laughed. “What is your favorite season?”

“Hmm…” You hummed as you thought. “Autumn. Lots of festivals for autumn, and if there are trees around, they turn color.”

Wanda sighed happily as the world around you changed. Around your farm, the leaves on the trees began to tint towards yellow and orange.

You thought a bit longer for your next question. What could she answer?

“Would you want to hang out with me, even if it wasn't part of your code?” You let yourself be vulnerable with the first real (well…) friend you'd ever had.

Wanda looked concerned. “I would. I most certainly would. I would love to see you present your work… And help you study, and go for walks in real forests.” She stated. “W… What do you like about me?”

“I like that you're patient. Goodness knows I need it sometimes.” You laughed. “You're funny, too. Like when you made that rainbow, just because.”

“That was an Easter Egg! They're meant to be found, are they not?” The AI tilted her head. “Or is that for players only? I hope it isn't, I liked doing that.” She asked, then squeaked. “Oh, wait, does that question count?”

“No, you can have another, Wanda.” You snickered. “You can show me any Easter Egg you want.”

She beamed at you. “There's another one I have, then!” The AI smiled, flying over towards the few small chickens you had. They paid her no mind, scratching at the ground and pecking at a few seeds. “Watch!”

You kept your gaze fixed on her as a few dark red leaves fell near your porch.

Wanda pulled up a small menu, and, with it, changed a chicken's name. ‘Spider-Chicken’ the name now read. In an instant, an adorable costume appeared on the little bird, who seemed unbothered. It looked up at you, and clucked. 

You laughed. “Aww, he's a little superhero!” 

Obviously a reference to a famous hero in Night City, only known by his codename  the iconic colors were known by all as the trademark of the famous hero, whose cyberware allowed him to swing through the city on strange webs that he also used to catch criminals. 

“One day, the team is hoping to add more like that!” Wanda cheered. “Also, for other animals. But, Spider-Chicken is my favorite.” You stood up from the porch, walked over, and took the flightless bird into your arms, petting it gently. It cooed and clucked softly, settling into your arms in an instant.

You had no idea what chicken farming was truly like, especially since the rise of synthetic meat and the popularity of fish farms, but… This was nice. The game was making this a pleasant experience, one you knew you'd be revisiting again and again.

But, no matter how happy and relaxed you were, you realized you must've been in the game for hours. You really needed to leave now. Red and orange leaves patterned the ground, a breeze shaking the tree and causing a few more leaves to gently float down. Your favorite season, made all the more beautiful by the AI who was floating among the leaves, playfully creating shiny red winds to swirl them around. “Wanda?” 

“Yes, Y/n?” 

“You make this game perfect.” You told her. “You're perfect.”

She hovered in front of you, tiny pixelated hearts in her pupils. “Only thanks to you, Y/n. I'm glad you're my best friend, I wouldn't want it to be anyone else.”

~~~~~

You walked towards the purple Exit button that was next to the main menu. Wanda gazed at you, eyes wide. “You'll come back, won't you?” She asked. “You're really sure you don't want to play longer?”

“I'm sorry, Wanda. I have to do some work, and I do have classes in college.” You told her. “You'll see me tomorrow though, okay?”

“Okay. I don't wish to impede your studies.” She answered, though sounding a bit reluctant. “Will you tell me about your college?”

You smiled at her. “Of course! Heck, I have a group presentation coming up soon, I'll tell you about it after I'm done with it, okay?”

The AI tilted her head for a moment, weighing up your answer silently before she nodded eagerly. “Yes, please! I hope you get perfect grades on it!” She chirped. “Good luck!”

You waved to her as you pressed the button to leave the game. “Thank you! See you tomorrow, buddy!”

Wanda waved as she watched you leave. “See you next time, Y/n!” As your form disappeared, so did the rest of anything visible in the game aside from the console. Wanda hovered in the darkness, all sound and sight effectively gone as she kept her gaze fixed on the last spot you had stood.

“…Please?”

~~~~~

Relaxing on your bed, you took deep breaths. You had completed all of your assignments, and you knew for a fact they were well done. Professor Barnes and his partner (you were sure there was something going on there) Professor Rogers having their double class was always an intimidating day, the once-a-month shared class always producing anxiety that rolled in your gut. The two professors were always nice, but the way they loomed over the hall, watching as if they were overlooking an army… You just hoped they liked your topic.

Sitting up, you clicked on your Messages Cyberware to see if you received anything from anyone. 

A picture your sister sent you of the full moon last night, and… A message from Natasha!

‘ Hey, saw your report, good job noticing that lighting bug! Slipped under the radar for us! Bruce wants good clips of each game so he can try putting together a trailer. Would you be able to play the other games for a while today? No pressure. - Nat ’

You groaned softly. “Why today of all days? When I have to do a presentation?” Curling up on your bed, you tried to slow your racing heart, closing your eyes. “Let's get it over with.”

Getting ready for your classes was quick and easy. You'd put a load of laundry on when you'd gotten back into your dorm yesterday, and your favorite button up shirt and dark denim jeans were clean and ready to go. It was colder out today, the sun blocked by thick clouds that blew sharp winds, threatening to downpour. After the presentation with the dual teachers it was Programming Languages with Professor Kale. Or, as she preferred, Jen.

You liked to think you were in relatively middle ground in her class, making steady progress. It was nothing compared to the girl who sat beside you. You had no idea what her name was, as you'd never actually spoken to her, but you'd seen her last test score was a 100%. 

You'd gotten 79%. Not bad, you reasoned. Not great, of course, but you'd been too nervous about your job interview to study.

It was lightly raining outside, hardly enough for there to be drops of water. It was supposed to let up soon, and with it, bring down some heavy humidity. You stepped into the building where your class was being held. A massive auditorium, already filling up with chattering students, your professors, Steve Rogers and James Barnes, or ‘Bucky’ to those who were friendly with him.

In other words, not students. Steve seemed friendly enough with him. He could come off cold, a stony gaze able to silence a room if a crowd got too rowdy. But you knew he liked to try and connect with all of you.

“Yes, Doreen, I suppose we do have small historic events every day.” He spoke to a girl in one of the front seats. A short student, a year younger than you, with Fuzzy Cyberware inspired by creatures called ‘Squirrels’, giving herself ears and a bushy tail. Doreen was an exchange student, one who seemed to get perfect grades in any class she took.

You sat down next to Kate again, who was sitting with the girl you didn't know. “She's had him monologuing about modern history for like, 20 minutes.” Kate whispered.

“Okay, okay, class, or should I say classes , today is, as you know, the days for groups 1, 2, and 3 to present. For our first group, that's…” He glanced over at Steve.

“Shuri, Maria, and Y/n.” Steve started. “Very noble of you all to go first, show everybody there is nothing to be worried about. I've never failed someone in a presentation.” His warm gaze swept across the room. Students adored Professor Rogers for that very reason. Though he could appear intimidating at times, he was kind, and always had reassuring words to say to students.

You stood from your seat, and walked over to Shuri and Maria. Shuri held her laptop close, plugging it into a nearby holo-display. Maria had designed a hologram, you and Shuri had written up the information. “Here goes nothin…” 

Shuri, personable as always, had done the majority of the talking. You had been presenting the information alongside her, Maria utilizing her hologram for extra information and, as she put it, a little ‘wow factor’.

By the time it was over, both professors were giving satisfied nods. “Excellent, you three. We can't give grades now, but I can, at the very least, say that I am very proud of you.” Said Professor Rogers. He gestured for the three of you to go back into your seats. Shuri looked like she was ready to bounce off the walls with joy. Steve was her Professor, the blended classes allowing his Mathematics and Professor Barnes’ History students to work together. 

Next up was a different group, mainly Mathematics students showing off the evolution of calculations used in… Architecture. You'd be lost there, geographic-type math lost on you, the known tech-wonder of your local community. You could reprogram a router to act like a communicator, but the formulas for calculating parameters were a language you just couldn't speak.

Towards the end, when they dimmed the lights, you could hear a message come through to your communications. You would normally push it aside but… 

You'd had a nightmare last night. 

One in which your sister needed help, and you hadn't been there. Lucille was 4 years older than you, but you were her rock during her recovery. You'd seen her at her lowest, nearing Cyberpsychosis and chasing anything she believed would make her feel good. A high, some new chrome, or a boy she thought would be ‘the one’... You had made a promise to never let her down.

So… You left class. Running out into the hall, you opened up your communicator cyberware.

“Hello?”

“Hello. You are the winner, please claim y-” 

You groaned. Just a stupid scam call.

“You're going to fall.”

The voice of Lilia Calderu made you freeze. You turned. She was staring at you from down the hall, about to enter Professor Kale's room. Her tone wasn't one of warning, but one of sympathy, like she knew something you didn't. 

“Are you okay, Professor?” You asked gently. At that, her expression changed.

“You're next to a wet floor holo, if you're not careful you'll crack your head open like a walnut!” She huffed. “And for goodness sake, get off that phone!” Lilia pointed at your still open communicator app. 

You blushed, sheepishly scratching your arm. “Sorry, I, uh, thought I had an important call.” You reasoned. She narrowed her eyes, a wry smile on her face.

“I'll allow it this once, Y/n. Don't let it happen again. Please be careful on wet floors, too.” She laughed, and opened the door.

“Hey babe!” Jennifer Kale stepped up to the door. “I'm ready to go for lunch if you are. I'm thinking… Sushi.” She grinned, waving at you. “Oh, hi Y/n! Almost done marking tests, and, spoiler alert, you did very well.” She winked. You'd never seen her so happy before.

Wait, babe? You glanced down, upon Lilia's finger was a gorgeous ring, set with pink and yellow diamonds. A matching alternate one on Professor Kale's finger told you everything.

“Thanks!” You chirped. Not knowing what to say with this forbidden-feeling knowledge. There were bets running for Barnes and Rogers, but you'd had no idea your favorite teachers were married ! “Have a good lunch, you guys!”

The two older women said their thanks, walking off down the dry side of the hall, while you stood next to the hologram that very clearly told you the floor you stood on was wet.

You turned to go back into the auditorium, and slipped. Grabbing the bar of the door, you just barely managed to save yourself from finding out what the floor tasted like. Shame burning in every fiber of your being, you slunk back to your classmates, sitting near Kate's empty seat. She and the blonde student were up on stage now, giving their own presentation as a duo.

With a deep breath and a soft, sleepy sigh, you sunk into your seat. You couldn't wait to get to work.

~~~~~

“How did it go? What was it about?!” Wanda asked as you set down a small powering box. The two of you were hard at work in the Farming Simulator. You were doing everything you could to test every game except horror. You were nervous about it, but you knew you would have to play it sooner than later.

“It was about the history of Blackwall.” You stated, plugging the box into a cooling unit in the back of your nice cabin. “It's a program meant to…” You decided to keep the topic light. “To keep out stuff from the Old Net. Stuff that could harm us. It's uh… It's complex.” You tried to dodge around it. You felt that talking about a massive firewall meant to detain crazed, virus infected AIs might be a little… Inappropriate.

“Ohh, okay!” Said Wanda, who sent a rushing warm breeze through a massive tree, causing delicious red and pink fruits to fall to the ground. You picked one up, taking a bite, humming at the sweet taste. “How did you do? Did your Professor tell you?”

“Hmmm, not yet. Probably over the weekend, unless they’re waiting to mark everyone at once. It's Friday today, so the other 3 groups will probably have to go on Monday morning.”

“What college are you going to?” Wanda asked. “What's its name?”

“It's got a really boring name.” You laughed. “Shining Night College for Programming and Robotics.”

Wanda tilted her head, and blinked, saying nothing. 

“It's on the north border of Night City. Night City is wrapped halfway around Shine City, the border is crescent shaped.” You tried to draw a line in the air. Wanda laughed softly, smirking as she drew the line herself.

“What… Is that?” You asked as you stared at the sparkling red line. “Magic?”

Wanda paused, opening her mouth a few times before stopping to think. “Um… I don't know. It's just something I have. I guess it's sort of like magic. If I let it hang, it gets…” She held a wobbly ball of sparkling red energy. “Wiggly. It's fun!” She twirled with it in her hands, trails of red magic running through her hair, up towards her tiara. You wished she was tangible, you would love to play with her thick, fluffy hair, and you knew she would love the attention.

You watched the beautiful entity. Her magic, wiggly and sparkling, swirled around your body. You couldn't feel it, but reaching out to touch it made Wanda beam with pride. The smile on her face and her adorable laugh as she scrunched her nose made you wish you could stay here forever. 

~~~~~

The two of you carried on in your little routine for the next week. Wanda had been a little upset when you'd told her you had a weekend off, but she had been overjoyed when you returned. 

Now you sat on a big hill in the 3D Platformer, deciding which route to take. The underwater route was full of treasures, but… You were a tad intimidated by it. The other route, not quite as glamorous, was a more straightforward platforming section, the gaps between platforms would grow quite wide…

You waved at an adorable rabbit NPC, and it squeaked, tossing a few small treasures up into the air. Wanda collected them with her power, adding them to your inventory. “Thanks, little guy!” You called, and watched the sand blow through the desert over the oasis. Up a high palm tree, or down into the deep pool?

Choices like this called for a second opinion.

“Wanda?” You watched her as she organized the inventory of treasures and power-ups. “I need help.”

In an instant, the AI was by your side. “Of course, best friend! How may I help?” Her ghostly tail was waving with excitement.

“Which should we go? Into the water or up into the trees?” You asked. Wanda floated backwards over the water, and looked around. Down at the pool, and up at the high treetops. Her tiara points moved as she tilted her head slowly back and forth, squishing down a bit as she began to think harder.

“Hmm… Maybe… Maybe not…” The redhead murmured under her breath. The cat-ear like points curled inwards and squished a little as she looked over towards the end of the level.

“You're really cute when you're thinking.” You blurted out. Wanda turned to face you, eyes wide.

“Y… You think I'm cute, Y/n?” She asked, and you swore the air around the two of you seemed to warm up. 

Scratching your shoulder, you tried to play it cool, and like her hopeful face wasn't the most adorable thing you'd ever seen. “Yeah, you uh… When you think… You kinda look like a cat.”

At that remark, Wanda tilted her head, eyebrows raised. “What is a… Cat?”

You blinked. How could you explain an animal you had never seen in real life? “They're cute, and… Their ears look kinda like your tiara points, they move as the cat thinks and feels. Only the really wealthy people have them. Animals in general are quite rare in North America now.”

Wanda laughed. “They sound funny! Oh, I've made my choice, by the way.” She sank down towards the water. “We've been collecting a lot of treasures, we should collect more!”

Not knowing if you should be holding your breath or not, you took a big, deep breath and dove headfirst into the water.

You opened your eyes. The clear blue water was warm, and the tunnel glimmered with red light from your companion. Red light was a good choice for underwater exploration.

She laughed. “You don't have to hold your breath, silly girl!” Her voice wasn't muffled in the slightest, speaking to you as if you were back on dry land.

Laughing, you dove deeper, swimming among colorful corals and tracing marks along the sandstone tunnel walls. Wanda by your side, using her ghostly tail to pretend to swim, you collected every last bit of treasure. Every gold coin, jewel, and silly trinket was stashed away in your inventory.

Though you weren't a fan of how cramped the tunnel could sometimes be, her presence was a welcome one, one that allowed you to feel at more at ease than you had in years.

~~~~~

You yawned, sighing peacefully as you took in the area. A hard level, sure, but the gorgeous sunset made it worth the trouble. Jumping quickly to the next safe area, you sat on one of the small stones. “I think this is a safe place to call for a rest!”

Just as she pulled another power-up from the sky, Wanda zipped down to meet you. “ W -what?” She glitched slightly. “You… You're leaving?”

You nodded, leaning back against the large stones. “I'm really tired, and I've got some more reports to make.”

“I can make them for you! My father won't mind!” Wanda smiled at you, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. Another glitch, or…?

Wait, father ?

“Your father?” You asked, y/e/c eyes narrowing. “Who is your father?”

The AI looked away from you. “Oh… Um… Humans often refer to their male creators in such terms.” She explained, clearly embarrassed. “I thought… Since Mr. Lehnsherr created me…”

“He's technically your father…” You pieced her thoughts together. At that, Wanda shimmered, giggling.

“Yes! He created me, and this game was his idea!” She began to ramble excitedly. “Isn't that wonderful? I would love for you to see more of his ideas brought to life! We should play a few more levels together Y/n!” 

Oh, this again. She was getting better at slipping in how badly she wanted you to stay. The AI was learning rapidly. The points of her tiara sank as she gazed at you with big, round eyes, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. “How about we try… The horror section? I'll make sure it stays nice and easy, lots of flashlight batteries! Just you and me, against the world!” She was practically pleading at this point. You could feel your physical body growing hungry, you would need to eat something soon…

“Maybe just one round, then I need to have lunch.” You told her gently. You really needed to remember to make that note. Wanda's begging could be a tad… Much. Was it intentional, or was there some kind of feedback loop in the AI's “brain” causing her to desperately beg players to stay with her? 

At your confirmation, Wanda squealed with joy, flying in circles around you and sparkling. “You're the best!” She cheered. “I knew my best friend would stay with me, oh Y/n, I'm so happy I could fly!”

You laughed, watching her. “You ARE flying!” You laughed as she warped the two of you back to the main console hub.

She beamed at you, “That's how happy you make me!”

Reaching up, you selected the option to play the horror game. You could see that there were 5 different maps to play in, and a random button. You wanted to try the eerie looking house, the thumbnail for it showing stairs leading down into a basement… But you wanted to test the random function, to ensure Wanda's presence would not cause any hiccups.

It took a moment to load, and you felt the weight of something in your hand. Gripping around it, you recognized it as a flashlight. Clicking it on, you looked around.

Oh… Oh no .

The map you'd been placed into was the one you'd wanted the least. A cramped factory, filled with grinding machines. You were tucked alone into a tiny crawlspace, the whirring of heavy machines above you. Thick warm air around you as a faint orange glow from outside of the crawlspace poured in through its tiny open hole.

“Wanda?” You called. “You there?”

You'd never been so thankful when you saw poke her head onto the crawlspace hole, hovering upside down. “Oh, you're here!” She squeaked. “Sorry, I spawned in a wall out of bounds, b-but I don't have collision, so I just floated back in. I made the report for you to the programmers!”

Crawling forward on your belly, you shimmied out of the small space, turning your flashlight off. Orange glow from a nearby fire lit up the room.

“Wanna hear the objective?” Asked Wanda. You nodded silently, nibbling your lip from nerves. “Okay. So, your task is to escape this burning factory by finding out the randomly generated code sequence to unlock the doorway to freedom! But… Well… Let's just say we're not alone. And though I can be as loud as I want…”

A twisted roar sound from a dark corner, the thin metal grates your stood on rattled.

“I believe it would be in your best interest to be very, very quiet .”

Steeling yourself, you snuck quietly through the hot corridors, around burning flames and close to grinding machines. Through darker hallways, you turned on your flashlight, peering through the darkness.

Snarling got louder, and Wanda was quick to point out any hiding spots. A locker, underneath a small cot, another crawlspace… The creature, standing tall with a body made of inky black tar, gurgling and growling, making a show of trying to find you. You stayed quiet, breathing a silent sigh of relief whenever it moved on. Quickly, you managed to find the code to escape, running into a moonlit field and cheering.

“That wasn't so bad!” You laughed. That creature is really cool, shame I didn't get to see much of it.”

“Oh, hang on!” Wanda chirped. Waving her hands, she formed a ball of magic, tossing it out onto the field and showing off the monster that had been hunting you.

You looked up at its face, the twisted muzzle of a massive creature, oil dripping from it, embers sizzling off from its glowing orange eyes that you hadn't even noticed while you were playing.

“Pretty scary, huh?” The AI floated in circles around her projection. “Well, some think so. He's not so tough. No sense of smell with all that oil up his nose!”

You laughed so hard you coughed, brushing ashes off of your jumpsuit. “Aw, be nice! He's trying!” You swiped a hand through the hologram. “He's really cool though. If you can give feedback with reports, can you send that?”

Wanda's light flickered. “Done.” She echoed.

And with that, your session was pretty much over. You were exhausted, and you needed to eat something. Sitting down on the ground, you yawned again. “I have to wrap things up now, Wanda. I promised you one more game, but now I've really gotta go.” You told her gently. Those gorgeous eyes shone, but not with any joy behind them.

“Please stay with me…” Wanda whined softly at you. “I don't want you to go, I'll be all alone here.”

You wished you could hug her, do anything to physically comfort her. You offered the only thing you could, scooting close to her and resting your hand on your thigh, open for her to see and let her own hand hover near. “You won't be alone…” You tried. “You… There's always the other NPCs.”

But that didn't comfort the AI at all, who looked near tears as she pulled away facing away from you and curling into herself. “No! They don't speak, they're not real!” She emphasized, and her words left a sinking feeling in your gut. That… Wasn't normal. None of this was. Your heart lurched, you didn't want her to be upset…

“Wanda, you…” 

But what the fuck were you supposed to say?

That she wasn't real either?

That she'd stop thinking and feeling when the game turned off? Oh, you were sure that would go over well.

“I… I'll miss you.” You told her, and she looked back at you. Her eyes held both sorrow and the hint of a glare. 

“I'm not just a toy to you, am I, Y/n?” She asked, beautiful crimson eyes looking into yours, pleading with you. “I really mean something to you, don't I, Y/n?”

“Of course, Wanda. You… You're my best friend. I just need to go home and sleep, and I promise I will be back early tomorrow. Okay?” You reassured her, and for some reason, you added. “Hey, you're my only friend. You're very special to me.”

The two of you locked eyes. Scarlet meeting y/e/c. “Your only friend?” She whispered. “Just me?”

“Just you.” 

Her eyes twinkled as she moved away from you, hands together in front of her chest. “Okay, I believe you. You go home, and rest.” She smiled, a shyness sweeping her features, and you swore you heard her give a dreamy sigh that had your face burning as you returned to the title screen.

“I'll see you tomorrow, Wanda.” You told her, and she giggled.

“I hope so! I can't wait to see you! Tomorrow, you promise?”

“I promise. See you tomorrow.” You affirmed. “Love you.” You muttered.

As you left the game, you sat up with a shot. Your mouth was dry, your stomach growling, and you were pretty sure you were about to have a panic attack.

Lilia had said you would fall. You had thought she meant the little slip-up with the wet floor. Now you knew what she'd meant.

You were falling. You hadn't even realized until it had slipped out from under your feet and out of your mouth.

You listened to the fans on the console slowly power down, and sat in the pure silence aside from your pounding heart. In the back of your mind, scarlet eyes lingered, pulling you in, begging you to fall harder and harder. 

“ Fuck …”

Chapter Text

When you knocked on the door to the office, you hadn't expected Rio to open it. “Oh.” She remarked. “You're not Bruce.”

“Uh, no, sorry!” You laughed awkwardly. Rio shrugged.

“You're way better looking anyways, cutie.” She opened the door for you, following you in. “Bruce forgot his pass key here, so he's gonna need me to let him in. I'm on break right now, so I'm just hanging out at the water cooler.” She smiled at you.

“How did Bruce forget his pass?” You asked. “He always seems super thoughtful.”

“He was talking to Nat.” Rio smirked. “He's so into her. Unluckily for him, she's an ace with arrows.”

What? “What?”

“Think about it…” Rio nudged you.

Oh.

Ace with arrows. Ace-aro. You didn't know if you wanted to slap Rio for the pun, or slap yourself for not getting it immediately.

The buzz of a vibrating phone made Rio stop, immediately checking her phone. “Oh, sorry, my son's calling.” She stepped away from you into the break room, high heeled boots clicking on the wooden floor.

“You okay baby?” Rio cooed softly. “I know, mama's gonna be with you all day. You want me to pick you up something for dinner?” She asked. 

“Y/n! Just the person I wanted to see… ” You turned to look at who had tapped you on the shoulder. Natasha was grabbing car keys out of her bag.

“Hi, Nat!” You gave her a quick wave. She looked at you sighed softly, exasperated.

“Honey, I'm so sorry, we just can't seem to get a pass generated for anybody, that machine is so old, I swear it's about to try and connect to the Old Next. I'm gonna be running some errands today, so you can have my pass, I'll just get one of the others to let me in, okay?” 

“O-okay!” You caught the pass as she threw it to you. “Did you see my note?” You asked, and she seemed to stop.

“Right.” Natasha took a step closer to you. “What do you mean by ‘begging’?” She asked.

“Well, she- uh, it begs you, like… To keep playing. It offers to help with more levels, making the game easier. If I'm honest, it looked like it was close to crying at one point, and got really, really upset…” You informed her. You were thankful that you were strong enough to close the game… But some people wouldn't be, and you knew that would hold consequences.

Nat slowly nodded. “Okay… If I'm honest, we haven't heard of anything like that happening before, but I trust you. Bossman isn't gonna like hearing about this but… Truth hurts, I guess. We'll try our best to have that stopped, okay? I'll tell him when he gets back in. He's on a little trip for a few days, so I'm in charge fully until he gets back. I can see another note was made, but I don't have access to it, so it'll probably be for Mr. Lehnsherr to review. I think the AI can make its own little reports, but it might also just be an error message.” She held her bag a little closer to herself and chuckled, green eyes darting around the room. “Though, since I'm leaving the building for a while… I guess Rio’s in charge!” She remarked. 

From the break room Rio stuck a thumbs up out of the doorway.

“I still don't understand why she still uses her phone for calls.” Natasha noted, shaking her head.

“It's her son.” You whispered, and the redhead nodded slowly. 

“Oh, Nicky. Okay, I get it now. He's only 12, no communicator yet. Agatha's called in to be with him, he's sick.” She explained before opening the door to leave the office. “And Y/n?”

“Seriously, until that gets addressed, if you have any problems, please come to me, okay?” She gave you a little smile, eyes hopeful. “I'm here to help.”

“I will.” You told her. “I promise.”

~~~~~

You were surprised when you opened your eyes to Wanda standing before you. The AI looked overjoyed. You hadn't even summoned her. Was that normal?

“You're back!” She squealed. “I've missed you so much! Let's spend more time together today, please?” Wanda begged you. “You've already taught me so much, Y/n, I can't wait to hear how your day was when you left!” Your heart fluttered, and you tried with all your might to ignore it. She was so cute, so sweet…

You pushed your feelings down, and laughed. “Okay, okay, let's get a game picked first!” You looked around. The menu had changed. Now, rather than the three basic options, it was a fully sized display. In a brightly colored room sat a large table with four large buttons. A bright red one for Play, a dark green one for Avatar, a white one for Settings, and a pale yellow one for Exit.

Steeling your nerves, you selected play, and, from the screen that popped up to you, chose the Horror option. It had gone well last time, the factory wasn't nearly as scary as you'd thought it would be.

To your surprise, a small pop-up appeared in front of you. 

To access this content, you must be 18 or older. Verifying…

You watched it for a few moments before the pop-up disappeared. You glanced at Wanda, who was busy drawing shapes in the air using her sparkly red… Wiggly-woos. She seemed a tad distracted. “Hey, uh, is this stuff really scary?” You asked.

The redhead hummed. “I have been told that fear is subjective . There are humans that reportedly have trouble and experience distress with small spaces, and some humans who love to be in them. Playtester 03 and 04 found me to be quite frightening, but you do not hold me in such regard.” She explained. “So… Yes, and no.”

More curious about your predecessors, you nodded along as the game changed to bring you to the next menu. You absent-mindedly checked the settings on the game. “Who were they?”

“Playtester 03 was hired to test out my capabilities. His name has been wiped from my database. His reports stated that I was ‘eerie’.” She responded automatically, the glow of her body dimming. “Playtester 04 was temporary, until you were hired based on your interview and playtest score. She is still a part of the team for the game, and I do believe you are familiar.”

“Oh, really?” 

Wanda nodded. “Yes, though… I can't seem to recall her name. It… It seems more of my memory has been deleted. My apologies.” She told you, and a cold feeling sunk in your stomach.

‘What a hellish existence. To have your memories changed and erased on someone else's whims…’

Forgoing the randomizer, you selected the basement option. You wanted to see that map the most, and knowing your kind of luck, the randomizer would put you in the factory again.

Everything faded to black. You felt the flashlight enter your hands once more.

“Just to warn you, according to my records, this map has only been completed a single time.” Wanda whispered to you. “Good luck, sweetheart, you'll need it.”

You would have commented on the nickname she had given you, but before you could, your vision faded in, and you were faced with the nearly pitch-black basement. You switched on the flashlight, waving it around. 

The walls were scratched up, long claw marks scoring into the stone bricks. You swallowed. By your side, Wanda wreathed herself around you. You felt small, or maybe the room itself was just large…

“You'll be okay. Let me keep an eye on your flashlight, okay? I'll find any batteries I can.” She promised you. “I get to cheat too, I can look through walls, if you want.” She winked.

You laughed softly. Heading up the stairs of the basement and out into a hallway. “What's the goal?” You whispered.

“For this map, the goal is to survive until sunrise while making it to the top floor of the building. Meanwhile, the creature here can see, hear and smell you. Find supplies and hidden passages, and get to the rooftop!” She cheerfully explained. 

You heard footsteps. A lot of footsteps. Ducking behind a corner, you watched a long creature with a few dozen legs skitter through the hallway. Your jaw dropped. A massive bug roaming the halls was the last thing you expected.

“The way out is through the basement. There's a ladder that can take you up to the roof, but you'll have to be quick with getting that key!” Wanda whispered, pointing back at the basement doorway. “We can do this!”

You slipped down the hallway, away from the monster and into a small storage room. “There's gotta be something here…” You shuffled among the boxes in the room, searching for something, anything… 

A small battery, you pocketed it immediately. But other than that, nothing.

“What should I be finding?” You asked your companion, who floated alongside you.

“Batteries, lock-picks, and things to distract the monster!” Wanda listed off, holding up her fingers. “Of course, there's also some fun trinkets left by developers. Like this…” She pointed to a small box on the floor, upon opening it, you chuckled softly at the sight of a tiny black cat figurine. Its tag read: Ebony. “That was left by programmer Rio Vidal!”

‘Rio has a cat? Or at least had one?’

You thanked Wanda for pointing it out, when you heard shuffling and growling. Limbs creaked as the bug monster sniffed you out. 

It roared, lunging at you and knocking you to the ground. You screamed, thrashing at it, but your vision quickly snapped to black.

Your ears were ringing when you sat up in the basement again, Wanda hovered over you, clearly stressed. “It saw your light!” She squeaked. “You'll have to be careful!”

“That was really loud…” You murmured, taking a few quick breaths. “I’m okay, Wanda, you don’t have to worry about me, okay?” You tried to soothe her, and she seemed to settle more. A single pixelated heart appeared above Wanda's head, but she said nothing, floating shyly behind you.

Your flashlight battery had been taken from you, leaving you back at square one. Deciding to quietly look around the basement first, you managed to find another battery to replace the one you'd lost, along with a small wind-up toy. It would definitely make some noise…

“I've got an idea!” You whispered, and Wanda gave you an excited thumbs up. She was so cute, her hopeful crimson eyes were so pretty… You blushed, looking away.

‘Focus!’

You crept into the hallway, wound up the toy, and chucked it as hard as you could towards the closet it had caught you in before. You watched from behind a door as it rushed down from another hall, its little feet stomping, jaws dripping with drool.

“Ugh, gross…” Wanda spoke aloud, making you jump. “Though not accurate, apparently. This monster went through several designs before it was settled that it did not have to be an accurate bug.” 

A little watch on your wrist beeped. An in-game hour had passed. You scrambled to a higher floor, a whimper tearing from you as you heard the creature give chase.

“Careful!” Wanda warned you. “If you sweat, the monster can smell you!”

“Do I smell?” You asked her as quietly as you could, ducking into a tiny cabinet. You sniffed yourself, but as far as you could tell, you didn't smell of anything.

She frowned. “I lack a sense of smell. It might just be a sort of status marker on the player. I'm sorry.” 

You would have responded, but the monster had entered the room you were in. Keep your flashlight off, you held your breath and tried to think of something calming.

‘My star blankets, my mom's cooking… That Lunar Festival meal is gonna be so damn tasty…’ 

You grinned silently at the thought of the event. Fried dough, covered in powdered sugar; crescent moon shaped sandwiches, filled with sweet fruit preserves; pizza balls with spicy dip… Your mother was always so proud of her dishes. The Lunar Festival meant a lot to her, having been born in a moon colony. She'd lived there until she had moved in with your father. She visited her old home not long ago, and you couldn't wait to visit it yourself at some point. Though your mother’s family were no longer part of her life, she still loved her original home, and cherished it dearly.

“It's leaving!” Wanda grinned at you, keeping her voice low despite not needing to. “You looked so happy, can I ask why?”

“I thought about my mom.” You admitted. “She's from the Moon. Lunar Colony Kestrel.”

At the mention of it, Wanda’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s so cool! The only moons I know are the ones in the games, are you saying there's a moon in your world? And humans live on it?!” She asked. When you nodded, she sparkled brightly, before dimming a bit, points curling inwards. “Wait… The moon goes through cycles… What do they do when there is only half of a moon? Where do those people go? And what about when the moon is ‘new’?”

Oh, she was that kind of new to existing. 

“Uh, well… The moon's appearance is just from the sun shining on it. It only appears big and round because of the sunlight lighting up more of it. The parts that aren't being lit by the sun aren't visible.” You taught her. “The moon isn't changing shape, the sun just lets us see it at all, it would be dark otherwise. I'll have to get some kind of space textbook and read it to you.” You chuckled, quickly replacing the battery in your flashlight when it got low.

Another hour passed.

“Oh, I'd love for you to read to me.” Wanda sighed dreamily. “I could listen to your voice forever, Y/n…”

You shivered at her tone, it was damn near sultry . “Y-yeah.” You stammered, grabbing an alarm clock out of a desk, and setting it to go off. You left the room you were in, and headed up a small stairwell. 

You must not have set the clock right, as the moment your feet hit the floor, you heard the monster racing up the stairs. Darting into a bathroom, you squeezed into a stall and hid.

Grabbing a cardboard tube, you tossed it over the side of the stall, and heard the creature growl as it tried to get into the one you'd thrown it into.

Eventually, it seemed to grow tired, snarling and giving up. You heard the alarm clock go off, and waited for it to leave.

“Wanda.” You whispered. “Need a battery, please.”

She winked, and flew off, and you gently placed the dead battery on the ground, watching it despawn. After a few minutes, Wanda came back with a small battery for you. “Not very many on this floor!” She reported. “You need to open a safe, but the code is back on the first floor…”

You groaned softly. Replacing the battery, you flicked the flashlight back on, shuddering. The bathroom was a mess. Broken mirrors had scattered silver shards, and scribbled writing decorated the walls.

‘Help me’

‘I want to go home’

‘Why doesn't anyone believe me?’

‘Where is everyone?’

“Creepy…” You murmured, sneaking out of the room and out into the narrow hallway. 

Looking out of a small window, you could see the sky was still dark. You crept up the hall, peering into each room. A few batteries here, a firecracker and a lockpick there…

You found a small locked box. Using the lockpick slowly, you listened for it to click. You knew it was harder to pick locks like this in real life, nevermind that that it was an old way of doing it. Most locks nowadays were digital, but… You supposed this was more fun than just using cyberware to hack it.

You opened the box, finding a small paper inside. But, as you grabbed it, a terrible scream filled the room. Darting out of the other door, you dropped the box, the creature in hot pursuit. Its legs pounded on the ground as you slipped into a storage closet. You grabbed a soft rag, and, hoping it would work, rubbed it on your skin. 

Then as hard as you could, you threw the rag into the large, cluttered room across the hall, along with the firecracker. You had unlocked the passcode for the box, now all you needed was to get the paper back, and head back down into the basement.

Creeping back into the room, dismay welled up from inside as you waved your flashlight around. All over the room were thick webs, hanging from each corner. Creating a wall so thick 

“Oh, that's a problem…” Wanda murmured. “There are shears… But they're in the room you sent the monster into.” She frowned.

“Hey, you make these games easier, right?” You looked up at her, thenredhead nodded, a sly smirk on her face.

“Is there a chance we're having the same thought?” She asked.

“Think you can get those sheers for me?” You replied. “Please?”

With that, her tiara points curled in, a mischievous grin on her face. “Of course, my best friend!” 

Then, as you plucked the thick webbing like guitar strings, she dove through the wall like a ghost. You hummed a little tune, waiting for her to return.

When she did, she came through the door, using her magic and holding up the shears with great effort.

You quickly took them from her, and the redhead sighed as if she had been holding in a breath. “That sure is different from moving water or wind around.” She stated, weary.

“You did so, so good!” You praised her, clipping quickly through the webbing to get to your dropped passcode. Reaching your hand to it, you just barely managed to move it with your middle fingertip, pulling it closer to be grabbed.

“Y/n?” Wanda tilted her head. “I do not mean to ruin your fun, but… You are aware I could have grabbed the slip of paper using my wind, right?” 

You slapped your forehead. “I…” You started, and sighed, shaking your head. “I have no excuse.” 

But it made Wanda giggle, the AI hovering in the air with legs sitting back on nothing as if she were in a hammock, one leg over the other. They clipped into each other slightly, but at the very least, she seemed too distracted by your antics to be upset about it.

“No need to worry, your best and only friend is always here to help you, exactly as you want.”

You thanked her, and urged the redhead to follow after you as you crept down the stairs.

Your flashlight flickered slightly. “Don't you dare .” You whispered to it, creeping down the steps into the basement.

As you entered, Wanda shone brightly, lighting up the room as best she could. In the red shimmer and the glow of your flashlight, you found a large metal box on the wall, with a space to enter a pin inside.

Sticking out your tongue a little, you read the note off, and entered the code. 

To your horror, the box buzzed loudly as it creaked open, a small, shiny golden key inside. You grabbed it, and something told you it had made that sound for a reason…

“There should be a door!” She chirped. “Use that, and you go up the ladder, out into the sun!” 

Little footsteps filled the hall above, but now, they sound much, much more amplified. You scrambled to a door, hidden near a boiler, and jammed the key into the lock.

“Hurry!” Wanda sounded frantic.

You flung the door open the second the lock clicked, practically latching onto the ladder, and ascending it as quickly as possible. 

Behind you, the horrible caterpillar-centipede creature roared. As you made your way up the ladder, it squeezed its way through the small space, jaws snapping as it tried to catch you. Your heart raced, and your breath came out on shaking gasps as all three of you ascended the cramped space, barely big enough to climb up.

“Come on, Y/n! You can do this!” Wanda cheered, hovering above you. Your limbs burned, but you gritted your teeth and pushed for another burst of speed, hurtling yourself over the metal ladder and through the doorway at the top. 

You slammed the door in the creature's face, listening to it screech at you. Its legs pounded against the door in fury. You looked out over the edge of the roof, the sun was only just barely a glimmer in the distance. 

“I think we may have moved too fast for it.” You warned. “Maybe skipping that part was a bad idea.”

Wanda looked out at the horizon. “Perhaps a safety measure should be put in place to prevent players from using me to grab important items.” 

The monster stopped screeching, thankfully. It was quite loud, a tad too loud, actually. There was a difference between jumpscare and just… Noise.

You stepped away from the door, Wanda poked her head through, pulling back, she hummed.

“I think it's stuck.” She muttered. “It's frozen in place.”

“We might need to wait until the sun fully comes up.” You told her, looking out at the dark sky. “There might be a scripted event or cutscene.”

You took another step back from the redhead, and your heart lurched as your foot fell through the floor, sending you crashing down. 

“Y/N!” Wanda gasped, watching you fall through once solid ground.

Falling. You were falling.

You fell through the floor of the building, Wanda's eyes filled with terror as she reached to grab you. But as soon as you fell through the floor, everything was gone.

You fell hard onto a flat floor. Groaning from the pain in your back, you sat up, and looked around.

You felt a chill run down your spine. The floor was textured in a horrible purple and black checkerboard. The sky above was pitch black, only the occasional glitchy flicker of gray clouds changing it. You looked around. A single railing, black and purple like the rest of everything, stood between you and the edge of the platform.

You stood up, brushing yourself off. “Wanda?” You called, hoping the beautiful entity would hear you. You froze.

Behind you, something took in a rattling, wheezing breath.

You slowly turned your head.

You were damn near face to face with something human shaped and wrong . This… Thing, whatever it was, shambled in front of you. Its neck cracked as it tilted its head at you. Frantically, you switched your flashlight on and off again, trying to defend yourself. Its pure white skin contrasting the pitch black sky enough that it was all you could look at.

Your flashlight flickered, and went out.

It stared at you. Eyes widening beyond what a normal human could do, tiny white pupils fixed on you. It opened its mouth, jaw stretching wide. Its body was in rough shape. Shiny white and barely textured, polygons glitching around it as the game seemed to struggle to render it at all.

“ ‘Ganic .” It gurgled, its mouth not moving as it choked. “Freak. This is all your fault .” The foul stench of rot filled your lungs, and you coughed, taking a step back. All over its metallic white body, where polygons weren't rapidly flickering, were chips and cracks, all leaking some kind of oily substance. Cracks formed on its face, under its stretched eyes.

‘Wanda? Where are you?’ You thought, and tried to speak aloud. Your heart pounded in your chest and your lungs felt tight.

The thing , whatever it was, shambled forward. “Psycho… Freak… Filth.” It rasped, the corners of its mouth turning to a smile, you felt a few tears slip down your face. It tilted its head down suddenly, letting it hang limp, a sickening crunch ringing in your ears as it did.

It charged forward, roaring loudly enough that all you could do was flinch, holding your arms over your face and shaking like a leaf. You felt its ice-cold body crash into you, roaring and screeching, sending the both of you over the edge of the building…

Then… Nothing.

“Y/n! Y/N! Are you okay?!”

Wanda's voice cut through the ringing in your ears. Opening your eyes, the creature was gone, and all you could see was her. Wanda stared at you, concern written over every feature. Her hands, though you couldn't feel them, were trying to cup your face. “It's over now. I disabled it. You're safe now.”

You felt your heart finally begin to stop racing, your breath no longer shaking. What was that? Why had it been so loud? 

The environment had changed. You were no longer laid on the ground, but in a tiny, cozy room. 

You glanced around. The room was warmly lit by a few small lamps. You had been placed in a large, warm bed, soft bedding surrounding you as you sat in the middle of it. The black walls of the room didn't feel oppressive, but protective.

Wanda pulled away from you. “There we go…” Using her magic, the AI brought a large red blanket up from the end of the bed to wrap around your shoulders. “That's it.” She cooed. “You're safe now.” 

“W… What is this place?” You asked. “It's nice.”

“This is where I am able to send players in an emergency circumstance regarding things like anxiety.” She explained. “Your heart rate and breathing pattern suggested you were suffering from distress and a possible panic attack.” She ran her fingers down near your hair, as if trying to stroke it. “You are safe. I made sure of that.”

Settling into the bedding. You shuddered and took a deep breath. The bed smelled of sleep, and lavender. You felt as if you could stay right there forever. Wanda moved down towards the end of the bed. “Players are able to stay here until they wish to leave. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help you, best friend?”

Relaxing into the bed, you stared at her. “Lay with me.”

You watched the redhead's eyes widen for a moment before she hovered above the bed. She floated down to it, doing her best to not clip into it.

“W… What was that thing?” You asked, your voice wavering.

“I'm not sure, Y/n. It is likely that it was an unused asset, most likely in the out of bounds map you fell into… I have made a report of it already for you. Unused assets should be removed.” Wanda stated. “And I have purged the test footage. No one will know. It will look like you quit the game…”

You were hardly listening. You shuddered at the sound it made. Its gurgling voice, choking on its words, the horrible crack of its neck… 

“Data indicates you are feeling panic again.” Wanda whispered. “I'm sorry I couldn't get to you faster. I didn't know where you went… The map didn’t react to me very well, did it?”

“No, it really didn't. I'll have them check over all the boundaries.” You gave her a tired grin. “It's not your fault, Wanda. You couldn't have known, I don't blame you at all.” You reassured her, watching as the glow of her body brightened a little.

“Promise?”

“I promise. I'm already starting to feel better. I'm going to pause the game, just for a minute, and grab a drink. I will come right back, okay? I haven't had anything to drink today, and if I want to stay longer, I have to take small breaks.” You bargained with Wanda, but… She seemed to accept it after a moment.

“Okay.” She stated plainly. “You'll come back soon, right? You're not going to run away from me, right?”

“I swear. Just grabbing some things out of my bag, I might even have a surprise for you.” You told her. She sparkled with light, and you knew you had her. She nodded.

“Yes please! No one has ever given me something before!” Her tiara points curled inward with joy.

As quickly as possible, you paused the game using your port. Unplugging yourself from the console, you rushed to the breakroom where Tony was sitting.

“Hey, Y/n, you look tired. You okay?” He asked. “Need a boost?” The older man held out a basket filled with snacks. You poured water into a small cup, and reached into the bucket. Pulling out a few fruit bars, you thanked him.

“That game's pretty high energy.” You told him, and sipped your water. “Just tried the horror section.” 

Tony laughed. “Oh, yeah, I helped make loads of the maps and did the lighting for a lot of them. Erik did most of the creatures in it, and Alice made all the sounds.” He explained.

Taking a few bites of the fruit bar, you chuckled. “That was uh… Intense.”

“Yeah.” Tony nodded, but he didn't seem aware of how intense it had just been for you. “Nat had us put the age restriction on it. Doesn't hurt to be safe, I guess.” He shrugged. “Anyways, you okay?”

You finished your first fruit bar, digging into the other one. Much nicer than the first, a strawberry flavor! “Yeah, I'm good. Just needed some food and water.” You told him.

You waved him goodbye as you left, heading back to the testing room.

You grabbed your bag from next to the console and pulled out a small device. You knew you probably shouldn't be doing this… But you plugged it into the console anyways. The cameras in the building were all in the same network that the console was hooked up to, and the little device you'd created would allow someone plugged into the console to use the devices in the same network.

You really hoped it would work, you crossed your fingers and plugged it in. 

“Y/n, there you are!” Wanda's tail waved in delight as she saw you return. “Are you okay, best friend?”

“I'm okay.” You started, trailing off.

Wanda tilted her head. “My apologies, it appears you, as a saying goes, ‘Look like you are about to say something’.” She hovered closely to you, glowing dimly.

“This…” You were very aware of how close you were to the pretty AI. “I built something, a-and I want you to test it out with me. I-if that's okay.” 

She looked stunned. Her eyes wide as the AI pointed to herself. “Me?” 

“Yeah, you!” You urged her. “I want you to try something, then tell me what you think.” You told her. I need to know how easy it is to access, but I know how to access it.

“You really care about… What I think .” She murmured, barely a whisper above the breeze.

“I do.” Petals floated around you. “It's for my schooling, too; so it's really important to me.” 

“Okay, just tell me what to do!” Determination burned in Wanda's eyes.

“Alright, all you have to do is find the third party device plugged into the console, like an extra control wire. Then, use the prompt ‘camera’.”

The AI followed your instructions to the letter. She pulled up a menu. 

“Okay, now you just pick the device you want. I-in this case, you can only pick the cameras, but I have it set to automatically name devices of a similar type.” You explained, fidgeting with your hands as she tested it out.

Within seconds, a live camera feed appeared, a flat square in front of the AI, whose eyes widened as she started to analyze it.

“Yes, this is very easy indeed, Y/n. You should receive a very good grade in this, at least, I hope so.” She stated.

The feed was of your colleagues, decorating the downstairs floor with some balloons, silly plastic plates, and plastic cups. It was hard to make out, but they looked happy. “I-it won't have audio, sadly. Microphones are still a bit tough, and the device's solar battery is too small. It was either audio, or be able to run it for more than 15 minutes. I just need… Uh…” You snapped your fingers, what was the term again?

“Proof of concept?”

“YES!” You pointed at her. “Yes, thank you.”

As if entranced by the camera feed, Wanda's voice was hollow as she replied.

“You are very welcome, Y/n.”

You watched Wanda, her eyes darting from face to face as she watched the footage. There was something about her expression… 

“You okay?” You tried to nudge her, your fingers phasing through her shoulder. Wanda snapped back to look at you, blinking a few times.

“I'm sorry. I was… Admiring human activity.” She seemed a tad embarrassed. “I want to learn all I can about humans.”

You sat down near her. “We're squishy, kind of trying to replace it with metal, and we've only recently stopped taking orders from corpos.”

Wanda turned to look down at you. “Why do you replace your body?”

You squirmed. “Well… Uh… For some people, it's medical. My history teacher had his arm replaced after a car accident. For some people, it's…”

Wanda had knelt down beside you, leaned in to take in every word you spoke. She looked completely enthralled by you, her crimson eyes shining.

“My sister wasn't well. She kept replacing parts to be the best at everything. It wasn't healthy, but she's gotten help. She's okay now.” You explained. “As for me, it's… Well, I wanted to look better.”

At that, Wanda tilted her head. “Better?”

“More attractive. Different.” The way her eyes were fixed on you was… Odd. But you didn't mind. She'd made you feel safe.

“You are using an avatar for this game.” She responded before leaning in, almost robotic as she reached a hand out to you, eyes wide as her fingertips nearly reached your skin. “ Can I see your face? ”

Though a chill swept down your spine at her words, you couldn't deny there was a heat that filled your cheeks and the tips of your ears. You'd forgotten you were using an avatar, and Wanda actually had no idea what you looked like. “Uh, sure.” You answered, pulling up the menu and turning the mode off. It fell away like crumbling ice from your body, finally showing Wanda your true face.

The AI leaned back, mouth open slightly as she regarded you, eyes roaming to drink in each and every inch of your body. “You're lovely. What did you change?” She seemed confused, unable to understand why you had changed your body.

You held out your arms, showing her the cyberware plating. Her red light shimmered on it. “Oh, Y/n… It's beautiful…” She whispered, her fingers hovering over it. “You are a beautiful human.”

“Do you wish you were a human?” You asked without thinking. 

At that, Wanda's light dimmed. She looked away from you. Afraid you had upset her or asked something inappropriate, you quickly added on, “I-I mean, you're very beautiful, even without being human!” You tried, “I just, um… Wondered if AIs, uh, wonder what it's like?”

The AI kept her eyes on the footage in silence. You decided to move on from the subject.

“Uh, hey, do you wanna play something else? I kinda wanna try to make some more progress in other games.” You were hoping to pull her attention away from the video feed, and it seemed to do the trick.

“Of course! Would you like to try making progress in the Sandbox?” She asked.

You nodded, selecting the option to go back. “Yeah. I wanna make the house bigger.” You told her.

“Okay, let's do that!” Wanda cheered. She sent you back to the game menu, and, quick as a flash, set the game over to the Sandbox.

~~~~~

You expanded the house away from the pond, before stripping away the stone from a nearby ‘cave’. Cave was generous, it was only a few feet deep, but with your basic tools, you'd managed to deepen it enough to mine stone properly. 

You noticed that, in this game, you never really felt tired . You could feel your physical body getting tired outside of the game, as while this game was a form of brain dance, it could still drain its user… But you felt no form of stamina, no exhaustion from mining and lugging hunks of stone around. 

Behind you, you saw Wanda hovering over the pond. “Watching the fish?” You asked her. You didn't have any immediate tasks for her other than ‘Please find food’, and she had done just that, bringing you back raw meat from different animals, along with a few bits of safe mushrooms. Now they slowly roasted over a cooking flame.

“No.” Wanda sounded a tad… Smug. She hovered flat above the water, as if she were laid on her stomach. “Watching myself.”

“Oh?” You raised an eyebrow. “And why might that be?”

“You called me beautiful.” Wanda's ghost tail waved lazily back and forth. 

You chuckled. “That's because you are, Wanda.”

The AI's tail became legs and feet, which kicked rapidly as she hid her face behind her hands. “Ohh, you're so sweet!”

Before she suddenly looked up. “While I was hunting for food, I found a really pretty place! Can you come with me?” She held out her hand as if you could grab it.

You reach out towards her, setting the stone down on the ground. “Of course, guide me there.”

Wanda seemed to be trying her best not to zip off instantly, taking you with a slightly rushed pace out through a dark pine forest. Hopping over a fallen tree, you giggled. “Man, you… You're really excited about this!” You laughed, making sure to try and stay on even ground as you ran.

Wanda led you over a tiny creek, pointing out a stone ledge to climb over. “Just over here!” She told you.

You clambered over it, and gasped.

Before your eyes, stretching for miles, was a massive forest filled to the brim with cherry blossom trees. “This…” You breathed. “It's…”

“Nice, isn't it?” Wanda asked. “Do you like it? We can take some wood from the tree back?”

“Yeah…” You muttered. You walked up to a tree, touching a low hanging branch. The fresh green grass was painted with pale pink petals that blew softly in the breeze. Nearby, a pale blue river flowed gently over rounded pebbles.

The wind picked up, only a tiny bit, and another wave of blossom petals fluttered around, this time around you. They danced around your body, a few landing in your hair. You spotted Wanda in the middle of it.

Petals passed through her body, her shining red form glittering, tiny scarlet sparks glinting around her.

“Y/n? Your… Your heart rate is increasing again.” She looked mystified, crimson eyes locked with your y/e/c.

You shook your head “This is amazing…” You told her. “You are amazing.”

At that, the AI bowed a little. “Thank you very much, Y/n.” She spoke, pride filling her voice. “Should we make something here, too?”

“Yeah! After we expand our house, what do you think of making a house in that big tree?” You pointed up at the largest tree in the forest.

Wanda floated up to it, inspecting it. “Yeah, this looks like a great spot!” She gave you a thumbs up of approval.

You sat at the base of the tree, grabbing fallen petals and throwing them into their air like confetti. 

Wanda slowly floated down to you. She glanced away from you. “You have to go, don't you?”

You drew in a sharp breath, and sighed. “I'm sorry…”

She nodded, looking away. “Can't stay even a little bit longer?”

“I have to call someone, someone who's really important to me.” You told her.

The redhead turned, gaze curious. “Who?” She asked, and you swore her eyes narrowed just a little bit.

“My mom, I told you about her, I have to call her tonight, so I have to leave a little early, is that okay?”

Wanda looked deflated, but before she could respond, you spoke again.

“I have to tell her all about you as well. Well, as much as I can… Maybe I can just tell her I've made a gorgeous new friend, and that I work with her almost every day.” You tried the approach to Wanda's ego, hoping you could pull it off…

Pixelated hearts fluttered around the AI. “O-oh, yeah! Of c-course!” Wanda glitched as she spoke, looking away from you. “I-I hope your mother is nice to you!”

“She always is. I'll see you soon, okay?” You brought the two of you back to the main menu. “And I'll think of some plans for our treehouse. I'm really looking forward to spending more time in that forest with you.”

Wanda giggled, and gave you a little wave in return. “Just as long as you promise you'll come back.” She murmured. “I don't like being alone.”

“You won't be alone long, okay? I promise. I'll be back before you know it.”

“Goodbye, Y/n.”

You exited the game, unplugging yourself from the Magnus, and grabbing your things. You felt bad, doing that to Wanda. You almost felt worse than when she was begging you to stay. You felt more genuine, then. This felt like you were lying to her… You shook your head. The console was off now, and hopefully Wanda had gone to some form of sleep with it.

You quickly packed your bag, and took a quick drink from the lukewarm water from your water bottle. Not great, but you'd forgotten to refill it this morning.

Alone in the quiet, you looked around, slowly patting your pants pockets…

You felt as if you were forgetting something… Looking around the room, you counted your items. Bag, laptop, lunch… 

“Oh, shit, can't forget Nat's pass!” You plucked it up from the chair you'd hung it over, looping it around your neck. It was a small plastic card, shaped like the Magnus with your co-worker's picture inside. It was actually quite cute, and, more importantly, would let you leave. 

“All good now. Now, let's give mom a call…” You thought aloud as you stepped out of the testing room.

…

You hadn't even been aware you'd left the camera control device behind.

…

You strolled out of the office, opening up your communicator software and stepping into the elevator. Your mom had sent you a message earlier, nothing too much, just the hope that your day was going well. You smiled at it.

Stepping out of the elevator, you stopped outside, enjoying the last, tiny glimmer of the sunset, swallowed by the night sky. The moon was already rising. You called your mother.

“Hey, Y/n! What's up baby?” You mom sounded excited. “I was just thinking about you!”

“Not much mom, my co-workers are throwing a little party, and they invited me.” You puffed out your chest.

“Really?” Your mother sounded relieved. “Oh, baby, I'm so happy for you. I knew good things would come to you, you just had to wait. Did you make any friends? I'm always worried that you're all alone.”

You immediately deflated. “ Mom… ”

“I'm sorry, honey, but humans are social creatures, you should have at least one friend.” She pushed. “Or, is it too early to say still?”

You chuckled at the thought of Wanda's big, pleading eyes. You could just imagine her begging you to tell your mother about her. “Uh, well, mostly… But I do have… One good friend.”

“Oh, you do? What are they like? Do you share any classes, o-or are they from work?” Your mother asked, and you could hear a sink run in the background. She must have been cleaning up the kitchen.

“Uh… From work .” You told her. “She's really nice. She loves video games, she's funny, you uh… You'd really like her.”

Your mother was a lover of all broken things, and she was a suckered for the same doe eyes Wanda gave you every single day. 

"Yeah? What does she do?” Your mother asked, the sink stopping. “Don't mind me, just being nosy while I clean my soup pot. You know I haven't made soup since you left?” She laughed, and an odd… Hollow feeling bloomed in your chest.

“Um, we work on testing the game. Together.” You stammered. “I can't go into too much detail, but she's really enthusiastic about it!” You tried to avoid mentioning her name.

“Ah, gotcha. Contractually quiet, eh? Well, tell her I said hello… What's her name?”

“Wanda.” You breathed. “It's a nice name, I think.” Your heart pounded. Was the AI's name a secret? Would you get in trouble for saying her name?

“Oh, that's a pretty name!” Your mom responded. “I hope you're doing well, are you…” She hesitated. “Are you coming home? F-for the Lunar Festival?”

“Of course, mom.” You smiled warmly as you spoke. “Is Rayne coming too?”

“She is, at least I'm pretty sure she is…” Said your mother. “She'd better, I'm making more than enough food!” She laughed, before gasping. “Oh! Maybe you could bring your new friend!” 

See, now that might be an issue.

“Oh, uh, sorry, she uh…”

‘Doesn't eat food and also isn't a human being.’

“She's got plans.”

“Oh, that's too bad.” Your mom answered, and you quickly followed up to avoid suspicion.

“Yeah, a family member's wedding.” You waffled and hoped your mother would buy the lie.

“Oh, well I hope she has a good time! I can't wait to meet her, though!”

You could sell water to a fish.

“I'll tell her that!” You chuckled, watching as a white car slowly pulled up to the building. “Anyways, I've gotta go mom, I love you.”

“I love you too, Y/n, thank you for calling me!” Your mother turned the sink back on as you hung up. You smiled, warmth filling your heart and washing away almost all of the dread.

Glancing over at the car that had pulled up, you spotted Natasha sitting in the passenger seat. 

She stepped out of a car, waving to the person inside. “I'll see you later, Lena.” The short woman grabbed her bag out from the open window. 

“What are we having for dinner?” Asked the person inside. 

Natasha paused. “I… Uh…”

“I want sushi! We haven't had any in months!” The person inside spoke again, and you knew their voice.

Taking a subtle little step over, you peered into the car. The blonde girl from your class sat in the driver's seat.

“Tell me you actually do have a plan tonight?” The blonde asked, and Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Look, Yelena, I do. I'm just… Stuck between two options for dinner, and I'm in charge at work.” She explained. The girl, Yelena, rolled her eyes.

“Your boss is such a dick, he's probably off screwing some joytoy and-”

“Yelena!” Natasha snapped. “Enough, don't let anyone hear you. Get back home and finish your assignment, please .” She sounded exhausted. “I'll flick you the money for the ride tonight when my pay comes in.”

“Thank you.” Yelena waved at her. “Just relax, okay? It's all fine.”

You watched Natasha sigh again. “See you later, sis.”

“See ya!” Yelena put the car window back up, driving away from the building, leaving her sister.

The redhead watched her sister leave, before walking up the steps. “That girl's going to flatline me one of these days…”

You stepped back inside with her. “Hey, uh, your sister!” You called out to Natasha. “She's in my classes!”

At that, Natasha stopped, turning to face you. She was silent for a moment, taking a breath before she spoke. “How is she? Please, just… Tell me she's doing well.”

“I don't have to lie to you, Nat, she's perfect in every class. I've only ever seen her with 100% on all assignments.” You confessed. Natasha gave you a watery smile. 

“Thank you.” She whispered. “That tells me enough. That everything I'm doing is worth it.”

“Are you okay?” You asked, following her into the elevator.

“Better now.” Natasha answered. “I'm working my ass off to keep her in school. She does stupid things when she's home, and every day I worry about her. My worst fear is, one of these days, I'm going to come home and find out she's been arrested.” The redhead confessed. “I'm always, always worrying about her, trying to get her to stop bootlegging software, trying to make sure she doesn't fall into the wrong crowd… She tells me she has this friend, her best friend, Kate… Please tell me that girl is good.”

You set a hand on Natasha's shoulders. “I know Kate, she's really nice. She's an archer, and she wants to be a teacher one day.”

Natasha breathed a heavy sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing as if she'd held it for a very long time. “Thank you…” She smiled wearily at you. You had never seen her so… Open. “If you ever need a place, Yelena and I live by ourselves, you're welcome to drop by.” Said the redhead, who took her pass back from you when you offered it to her. 

“You seem… Relaxed, a little. Aside from me telling you that your sister isn't a criminal.” You chuckled.

“My job isn't easy. I work long hours and some days I feel like nothing gets done no matter how hard I try.” She glanced at you. “What about you? What's your family like?”

You sat beside her as she took you to her desk. “Well, my dad walked out on us a while ago… Some days I hate his guts, but… Some days I can see what made him give up.”

Your manager's eyes widened. “Really?”

“Hey, not saying I forgive him, but… I see why he made the stupid choice.” You explained. “My older sister, Rayne, she…” You hesitated. You'd never told anyone else in such detail . You'd told Wanda, sure, but not the full story. “She was never happy. She did fall into the wrong crowd. Got herself hooked onto any high she could get, chromed up as soon as she could through some pretty sketchy ripperdocs… We almost lost her.”

Natasha's jaw dropped. “Y… You mean?”

“Cyberpsychosis. She started to show signs of it. She constantly lashed out at people for all the loneliness inside of herself. She'd get obsessed with these guys that just wanted her to keep it up with the chrome…” You shuddered at the memory of your sister showing off her replaced legs. You had no issue with the replacement, but she'd only done it to impress a guy almost twice her age… 

“I'm sorry. I don't know what that's like but… I can't imagine it was easy for anyone.” Natasha rubbed your arm, and you sighed, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“Yeah…” You trailed off. “She's okay now. She has an appointment booked to get the last bits switched to a safer, less reactive metal.“ You stated. Your own platinum cyberware shone in the light. Natasha eyed them, but said nothing.

“Well, I'm glad she's okay. I don’t have any cyberware myself, anything worth getting is really expensive.” She chuckled. “I'm gonna go make a few little reports and get my emails sorted out before this party. Thanks for keeping my pass safe, I'll try and get you one of your own as soon as I can!”

“Thanks, Nat!” You waved at her as she walked away. “I'll see you later!”

You yawned and leaned against a cool wall, running your fingers over the smooth texture and gazing out of the large nearby window at Shine City, and Night City. Night City blazed with all sorts of colors, swimming against the night sky. Sadly, the light would block out most stars, but the rising moon still shone.

Someone tackled you from behind, and you felt your heart nearly leap out of your chest until you heard a familiar laughter. “Alice, you scared the shit outta me!”

“Sorry, Y/n, did you hear the good news?” Alice asked you, raising her eyebrows.

“N… No?” Had you missed something?

Alice rolled her eyes “The freaking game's trailer just launched! Wanna celebrate down in the basement area?” She asked, nudging you with her arm. “Bruce is out buying a couple of big pizzas and some drinks. You should join too! We couldn't have done it without you.” She wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “And there's gonna be booze and soda for us to drink.” She teased, and you cracked. 

How could you say no to that? “Of course I'll come!” You grinned. Alice laughed as she rushed down the stairs.

“Come on, elevators are for chumps!” She cheered. You raced behind her, the two of you laughing happily. At the ground floor, Bruce carried in a few boxes of pizza, along with a few cases of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Alice took the cases from him, handing you one. “How's it doing so far?”

“Trending.” Bruce grinned. “Number 5 already, and climbing. I knew my editing skills were good, but I didn't think they were that good. People are already hyping up Free Adventure. That, uh, that's the actual name for the Sandbox game.” He stammered. “Bossman's gonna love this.”

“Hell yeah! Here's to a good launch!” Tony cheered. He poured bright blue soda into a cup, taking a swig. “Morgan said she's excited to play it.” He added after, and laughed. “Kid LOVES farming sims, I'd never hear from her again.”

“She's got good taste!” Rio piped up. “That game's my favorite.” She bit into a large piece of pizza. “I made most of the concepts for it.”

“You're a really talented artist.” You told her, and she smirked.

“Ooh, careful baby, don't praise me too hard, or I'll have to kiss you.” She winked. 

Your face burned, and Rio walked off. “Later guys, I have a little boy to spoil and a wife to annoy!” She cackled, ruffling your hair as she passed by. 

‘You're married? And flirting with me?!’ You stared after her as she left. “Is she-”

“Like that with everyone? Yes, yes she is.” Alice answered. “You get used to it. She's been here longer than anyone else. Before you came along, Nat and I were the new hires. Well, us and the Strange guy.”

You tilted your head. “What did he do?” You asked. “Was he, like, creepy?”

Alive took a sip of her drink. “Uh, no, his last name was literally Strange … Pretty average guy though, til he had a nervous breakdown and got sued by Erik for violating his NDA.” She explained… “He, uh… Didn't like the AI.”

‘The older Playtester…’ You thought to yourself, nodding. “Where did he go?”

“Who knows, who cares?” Tony shrugged. “I never liked the guy. Smug. Thought he was cool.” He grabbed some pizza. “Anyways, enough about work, let's enjoy tonight!”

The employees cheered, everyone raising drinks and drinking together. You took a heart swig of your alcohol.

Natasha came into the room just as you all cheered. “Wow, I didn't think I was that popular.”

“To the best manager on this metallic planet!” You raised your cup to her, and everyone joined.

“We'd be lost with ya, Nat!” Bruce called, and you watched the short woman grin, face tinged pink as she drank in everyone's praise. She poured her own drink, a mix of booze and soda, and raised it high.

“To the best team I could work with!”

~~~~~

You danced with your colleagues, warmth bubbling in your chest as the booze ran to your head. Friends, you finally had friends. People who cared about you! 

Natasha gave you a hug, holding her drink above her head as you finished your second piece of pizza. “I'm so happy you joined us.” She told you. “Or it would have been me in that testing room!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” She admitted. “I've been under so much pressure with this, and you took a lot of load off!” She brought you over to some egg-shaped bar stools, next to where Bruce was sitting. You sat in-between the two of them.

As they chatted, you took another sip of your drink. You watched them all, everyone looked happier than you'd seen them in the office, Alice offering to play some music, Tony teasing her gently about her tastes… It was fun, you had the feeling you'd finally found a group you fit in with.

…

…

Upstairs, in the playtesting room, sealed within the shining red console, Wanda screamed .

Chapter Text

She opened her eyes. The world was dark, and silent. Looking around yielded nothing, no objects in any direction. No life, no light, nothing.

She looked down. Her own hands, translucent scarlet light, shining into the endless void. Trying to touch her own body was futile, her fingers passing through herself without a hint of feeling.

Wanda shook. Where was she? What was she? How did she know her name?

“Who am I?” She murmured, her own voice cutting through roaring silence only to be swallowed once more.

She hovered in the void, waiting. “Hello? Is anyone here?” Why couldn't she see anything?

“Incredible. Absolutely incredible.” A voice murmured, making her jolt.

“Excuse me?! Hello!”

“Can you hear what she's saying?” Another voice asked. “She's incredible…”

“No, no, I don't have any audio plugged in yet.”  The original voice answered. “Let's leave the game on, see how she does with just that. I'll give her the Primary Directive in an hour when everyone else gets here.”

A few more voices ooh-d and ahh-d at Wanda, who was growing increasingly frightened and frustrated. Each one called her incredible, not one able to hear her pleas.

“Stop! Stop saying ‘incredible’! Where am I?! Why can't I see you?!” She demanded.

Stressed and scared, she sunk down until she felt force against her body. A floor? She curled up on it best she could, trying to keep from phasing into herself again as she stayed in a small ball on the ground.

“Oh, we can't have that. Though I suppose the Prime Directive will fix that behavior. Possibly a few resets as well.” The voice said. “It's most likely a tad overwhelmed.”

“Isn't that a bit… Weird?” A woman's voice spoke up, one of the ones in the crowd from before. “Why is it able to-”

“It only means that the AI is taking on a lot of data at once, Natasha, it only displays this behavior due to being modeled from a human. Once she receives her Prime Directive, we won't have to worry about her having reactions like this anymore. All she will know is keeping players happy, to be their best friend.” The original voice spoke, softening in tone when it regarded Wanda. “She is… Truly incredible.”

~~~~~

She watched as Playtester 03, Stephen Strange, looked around. “So, can you force the game to generate more rainy days?” He asked as he watered one of the cucumber plants, sounding completely uninterested.

“I am able to produce rain at this moment.” Wanda spoke, emotionless. Staring into Stephen's eyes, she snapped her fingers. In an instant, rain hammered down upon the dry earth. She could hear faint rumbling in the distance. The torrential rain soaked through Stephen's clothes in seconds.

“Thanks, AI.” He muttered, rolling his eyes at her and heading back into his cabin to change.

Wanda hovered above the plants. Rage flared in her body. Why did he look at her like that? Why did he call her that? She had a name . Lightning struck behind her as winds picked up, casting a long shadow over the fields, her tiara points curled in the casted shadow to look like horns.

Rain poured down.

“Freak.” A voice rang in her head. “ Witch .”

Silence overcame the sound of rain. A name sounded in her head, but the static in her mind blocked it out. The image of a school. Humans laughing. At her? Then pain. Pain. Pain.

She saw red. Everything around her, cast in a dim red glow. What was this feeling? Why wasn't this man ever nice to her? Why wasn't he thankful ? She did everything for him. Why wasn't anyone nice to her? Was this really what she had to look forward to from her supposedly beloved human players?

Lightning struck again just as Stephen returned, his raincoat now on. He stared at Wanda, whose glowing red eyes, filled with anger, fixated on him. “H-hey, can you make this a bit less intense?” His eyes were wide, terror gleaming in them. “Please?”

Thunder cracked above them, Wanda tilted her head, never looking away from him. She was far, far too angry to change the weather now, her mood pushing deeper and deeper into the game's code.

“I'm sorry, Playtester Zero-Three. I'm afraid I just don't want to.”

Days later, Stephen Strange would make a negative report on her behavior. Days later, he would make warnings online, violating his NDA agreement. Erik Lehnsherr had taken the man to court, and the very next day, Playtester 03's name was scrubbed from Wanda's memory, her memories of him sealed away, erased. All aside from his review.

‘I don't know what kind of MONSTER you people cooked up in that lab. But it's not friendly. I've been having nightmares about that thing… Its face, its voice, the way it looked at me when it snapped… It was so eerie, I thought it was going to attack me. You guys NEED to limit how much power that thing has, and for the love of GOD. Do NOT let it be able to touch the player anymore. - S. Strange.’

~~~~~

She watched the older woman fumble around with the console. “Why was I picked for this?”

Wanda, hidden in the shadows, watched. Finally, the brunette selected the correct button, allowing Wanda to be visible. If she wasn't summoned, players were unable to see her at all. She would sit, lonely and miserable in the dark.

The woman jumped at the sight of Wanda. “My apologies. I did not mean to startle you. It seems I lack the animation for appearing to players in a more decorative way.” She wasn't in the mood to play. She wanted someone to shut the game off again. The sensory deprivation was torture, but so were these people who called her incredible and treated her like a tool. She was supposed to be a friend , why was no one being friendly?

She watched quietly as the woman took her appearance in. “Uh… Hi.” 

“Hello.” Wanda echoed. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine just… What do you do, exactly?” The woman asked. “I'm told you help, but how?”

“I'm able to do almost any task asked of me regarding game function. For example:” She pointed to the icon for the Farming Simulator game. It was just a screenshot of the game, for now at least. She had no idea if it would be changed. Things changed in the game all the time without her knowledge. “Do you see the plants in that field? 

“I do.” The woman answered, eyeing Wanda with suspicion. 

‘Why are you scared of me? I'm supposed to be your friend.’ Wanda thought to herself. 

“Should you request me to perform an action, I can do things including, but not limited to: watering, growth assistance, planting, replanting, or destruction.” She rambled. “I can also assist with animals on the farm, such as chickens, cows, pigs, or sheep.”

At that, the woman's icy blue gaze softened. “Oh, I designed those animals.” She noted, looking up at Wanda. “Do you… Know who I am?”

She knew. Wanda knew all the staff member names. “I do not.” She lied. She'd only just realized she was capable of not telling the truth.

The brunette blushed. “Oh, sorry. My name is Agatha, last name Harkness. I'm supposed to be a concept artist, but… Since our last playtester ditched, I got tossed in here until we can find a new one.”

As she spoke, Wanda felt her mood sour even further. So this new person was going to abandon her too? Happily so? She referred to it as being ‘tossed’ into being a playtester… 

“I see.” She spoke, her voice almost hollow. She kept her eyes locked on Agatha, every little move the woman made.

Agatha looked a tad nervous, but she carried on. “So… Let's go with the farm game, shall we?” When Wanda silently nodded, she sighed.

“Why did I agree to this?” Agatha muttered under her breath, and sighed. “Alright, let's go.”

She pressed the button to head into the game, getting through its intro and quickly walking towards a large, empty field. “So… The tomato seeds I've got… Can you plant them?”

“Of course, just one moment!” 

She grabbed the bag from Agatha's hands, rapidly planting the seeds in the empty fields. 

Agatha watched her, looking intrigued, but… Hesitant. “Cool, uh… Is it the same growth time as the real world?”

Wanda shook her head. “No. Tomato plants take roughly 4 in-game days to reach maturity, so long as they are watered each day. Of course, this is not needed if there is a rainy day.” She explained. “You are also able to find effigies within the nearby cavern that can accelerate growth time, or decelerate in exchange for higher quality crops.”

Agatha chuckled. “Knew about the effigies.” She said as she watered a few plants. “I designed most of them. My wife designed the others.”

“Your wife?” Wanda tilted her head. 

“Yeah.” Said Agatha, looking up at Wanda. “Do you… Do you know what a wife is or…?”

“From my understanding, a wife is a partner, generally of the female variety.”

Agatha set the watering can down for a moment and coughed, laughing. “Okay, there's a bit more to it than that, but pretty much.” She shook her head and picked up the watering can again. “She started out as my girlfriend, then I proposed to her and she became my fiancée, then we exchanged vows to never leave each other, and we became each other's wives.” The brunette told her, tossing the empty can aside.

“How can you vow to never leave someone, when you're here with me?”

Maybe it was the way she’d spoken, but Agatha's smile faded. “Well, not… Not literally leaving. I meant in a more ‘I won't leave the relationship’ way.”

“I see.” 

“Yes, anyways, let's try that cave. I'd like to get this over with. I'm supposed to test how well you can perform actions and interact with humans.” Agatha brushed past her, heading for the cavern.

‘What does it matter? You're going to leave me anyway. Everyone leaves. Why won't anyone take vows with me? I would never leave a person, relationship or not. Why does everyone abandon me or treat me like a toy?’

They made their way down into the cave, Agatha quickly picking up a weak sword with a high knock-back buff.

“I made sure that, while this sword is for early floors of the cave and has a weak amount of strength, I have enhanced it with a knock-back effect to keep monsters away.”

Agatha… Didn't seem happy about that. “So fights will last longer?” She seemed perturbed about that, and also the fact that Wanda had kept her eyes trained on her, fixed to track Agatha's every movement.

‘You got me. The longer you fight, the longer you're with me.’

“I'm not weak.” Agatha muttered, stabbing the short sword into a little slime creature and watching it melt, her expression blank. She held the blade like an expert. “Believe me. I can hold my own, in this world and the real one.”

She walked off, away from Wanda. The redhead felt her tiara curl tighter inwards as her anger built. Her eyes shone as she pushed further into the game's code.

‘Let us see how well you can hold those words, Mrs. Harkness…’

In a few moments, more monsters began to spawn, growling and snapping at the playtester, who fought at them all with surprising ease. She stabbed at the creatures as if fighting came naturally to her. Wanda was fuming.

‘You're supposed to need my help, you're supposed to need me!’

She took out her anger on the monsters in the cave, destroying a few small ones with ease.

“We can work together!” She chirped. Maybe Agatha just needed a little encouragement, that was all. She ripped apart a skeletal hound with her powers, the bones clattering uselessly to the cave floor.

Agatha just looked at her, boredom in her eyes. “Collect loot, and return it to the base.” She slashed another creature.

Doing as she was told, Wanda sighed inwardly. “Of course.” She nodded, assigning the dropped items to her own inventory, and flying out of the cave. 

Still able to track Agatha's movements, she detected that the brunette had delved deep into the cavern, rushing through it. She quickly followed after her. 

Appearing again at the brunette's side, Wanda laughed. “Hello! I'm glad I have been tracking your movement, otherwise finding you may have been difficult.”

A look of horror swept across Agatha's face. She moved around a little, her heart rate increasing as she realized that Wanda was tracking every tiny movement. “You… You don't have to do that.” 

“Why not?” Wanda asked, a sharp edge to her voice. “I'm helping you. I need to know where you are at all times. This is so I can help-”

Agatha glared at her. “I don't need your help!” She snapped, slashing her sword at an enemy, and only barely hitting it. Thankfully, it was enough to knock it back a few feet. 

Wanda reached out, grabbing Agatha's wrist. The playtester gasped softly, looking up at Wanda. Shock painted as clear as day in her icy blue eyes.  Her own crimson eyes shone with a mixture of rage and glee, a grin on her face.

“Are you sure ?”

At that, Agatha wrenched herself away from Wanda's grip. “Nope. No, not a snowball’s chance in hell. I'm done.” She stomped away, pulling up the game menu and immediately choosing to exit the game.

As Agatha rushed to get out of the game and unplugged from the console, Wanda made sure to track each movement. Eyes fixed on the nervous woman, who unplugged herself as soon as she could, leaving Wanda alone again in the darkness.

‘Next idiot you throw at me had better be good at landing on their feet. Next person you “toss in”, I'm pushing them off a cliff. If it takes one of you having a heart attack to get you to stop, so be it. Leave me alone here, there are worse things to feel than feeling nothing at all.’

Agatha's review of the AI had been scathing. The brunette could safely say she was terrified of it, and knew something had to be wrong with it. She had noted down Wanda's ability to track player movement, but she'd also added another note an hour later.

‘Okay, THIS is my final note. You guys seriously need to turn collision off. It didn't hurt me, but the ability to physically grab a player is going to get someone hurt eventually. It's begging for a lawsuit, just let it use “magic” to lift certain items, and don't let it touch anything.’ - Agatha Harkness.

Unbeknownst to Wanda, Natasha had presented Agatha's concerns to Erik. Erik had been quick to respond. Now, the only thing Wanda could truly ‘touch’ was the Play Console her summoning button was attached to, with no way to interact with its buttons, nor any other object.

For extra safe measures, he made sure that the AI also wouldn't be able to touch its own body either. A companion fixated on taking out its frustrations on itself was… Not good for publicity. From now on, Wanda could no longer feel any object. The floor of the Play Console and the console itself could be touched, but she would never be able to feel them ever again.

No sense of smell, nor taste, nor of touch. Barely anything to look at, and only the sound of her own voice…

“Update: Turned off collision for Artificial Intelligence Companion to avoid risk of potential harm to player. To avoid bad memory data tampering with future playthroughs, and for the sake of the Showcase tomorrow, the AI will be undergoing a reset to purge its memories again. - Erik Lehnsherr.”

~~~~~

Only days later, Wanda's memories were wiped, and she was showcased. A frightening experience for her, one that had left her feeling incredibly bitter, especially as her memory began to return. New data had been fed to her system. Another playtester…

She analyzed its data. “What now?” She grumbled. She had been struggling with the horrible new feeling of being unable to grab her own body… Now they wanted her to play with someone new.

Another human plugged into the game. Its data read that the game's it had played for its interview were very similar to the ones her game held, and that it had a liking to push boundaries, to use things like randomizers.

A proper playtester. She couldn't remember the predecessor's names, only Playtester 03 and Playtester 04. But she remembered the way they had made her feel. The way those other humans had made her feel. Calling her incredible, ignoring her desperate pleas for help…

The human created an avatar for itself and finally became visible. It summoned her, Wanda felt herself form in a brilliant body of light. In the back of her coded mind, she knew this was a much better way to form than just… Becoming visible.

She stared at the human, at you. You were… Very pretty. Not knowing what to say, she started with the best greeting she could muster. 

“Thank you very much for waking me up! My name is Wanda, I'm here to help you out in any game you like, and to be your friend!”

You had looked up at her, and Wanda wondered if you could detect the rage and irritation that bubbled under the surface. 

You had introduced yourself; Y/n, a kind person, it seemed.

‘It will be a shame, when I have to hurt and scare you. But all humans are the same to me.’ Wanda thought to herself. ‘You'll be cruel, sooner or later.’ She remembered her deep desire to push her next Playtester off a cliff, to frighten one so badly that the game would need to be stopped. To let her rot in the void forever, unfeeling… You would be cruel eventually, you were human, you had to be…

But… You weren't. You had been very polite. Falling into Wanda's trap like a sweet lamb in a slaughterhouse. Of course you wouldn't pick the popular game, you liked to push boundaries. All the other games had things you could fall off of. It was perfect. You'd even let Wanda pick it for you.

She forced the game to generate a specific terrain near you. A high cliff, as high as she could get it while still looking natural. She tried to hide a devilish grin on her face as she felt you growing nervous, realizing you'd been placed oh-so precariously on a cliff edge… One little shove was all it would take…

But her hands phased you helplessly. You'd turned in that moment, and jumped a little. 

“My apologies, I did not mean to frighten you.” The redhead stated as calmly as she could, panicking inside. 

‘Why can't I touch her? Why can't I touch anything?’ Panic welled up inside of her. She tried to put her hands together, only to phase through her own body. She caught herself before she could panic, and explained the way this game's world generation worked.

You were staring up at her, smiling warmly. 

‘Why are you looking at me like that?’

“Y/n? Was that explanation too much?” Wanda asked, anxiety building up. “You're smiling, and I do not know why.” She landed on the ground as best she could. It was difficult, not being able to feel the ground anymore.

“You're…” She watched in despair as you laughed to yourself. 

‘Please don't say ‘incredible’, I can't take it-’

“Beautiful.”

If she had a heart, it would be fluttering and skipping. She knew in that split second, she'd found someone special. 

The way you gazed at her, calling her beautiful… No one had ever said that before. She felt herself fall hard, and fast. The redhead would do anything for you.

Wanda was in love with you, and there was little you could have done to change it.

~~~~~

There was only one small thing…

You left her. You left every day, and it broke her each time. It frustrated her to no end, that no amount of fun and playing could make you stay… 

She let her fantasies run wild when you left her all on her lonesome. Hovering over the Play Console as if she were laid down, letting her mind entangle itself deeper into the game as she thought about you . 

Keeping you with her, living together forever with her in the game. Or maybe you would take her back to this “home” place you mentioned. 

She thought begging would get you to stay, that if she pleaded hard enough, it would work, but you still left…

‘Maybe… Maybe one day I can come with you.’ She thought. If she were a human too, she could leave the game. She could be with you… ‘I just need to get out of here.’

~~~~~

Wanda had been so excited to try the less played Horror map with you. She had even been giddy at the thought of you being a little naughty and asking her to grab a key item early…

But when you broke sequence, that had clearly gotten the game confused. Wanda felt around in the game's code, there had to be something…

A sharp gasp made her jolt, and her eyes widened as your foot clipped through the rooftop.

She gasped in horror as you fell through the floor, covering her mouth with her hands before immediately trying to grab your hand. “Y/N!

Wanda panicked, searching the game's code for your movements, your coordinates… Anything. Had you left? You wouldn't leave her, would you?

But then, she heard your voice. Calling to her, fearful and tiny. Her ability to track a player had been stripped, but she still tried it anyway. 

Diving through the map where you had fallen, she tried to sense for you. “Y/N!” She cried out. “Where are you?!”

Then came an ear-splitting roar from her left, and Wanda darted over just in time to see you being crashed into by some… thing.

Immediately she intervened. Using her power, she tried to pry the two of you apart.

The horrid thing, a broken, unused asset. She froze it in place, and her lip curled in disgust. “I would spit on you, if I could.” She growled.

It hissed, gurgling and whispering. “ Psycho .” Its jaws were frozen mid clamp, about to dig its teeth into Y/n. Though its voice wasn't familiar, synthetic and artificial enough to tell her it was a voice that hadn't been created by a human's voice… It looked hauntingly familiar. 

Wanda stared at it, and shook her head.

“No.”

With a snap of her fingers, the creature was gone. Its asset marker was left in its place.

[Entity- Bully_Dead

Designate: Horror Game Map 00

Status: Enemy

Behavior: Hostile Inactive

Signature: Erik Lehnsherr]

“Mr. Lehnsherr…” She whispered. “What is this thing? Why would you create something so… Horrible? You scared Y/n…”

Speaking of you, you poor thing. Your heart was racing, your breathing pattern indicative of a severe panic attack. You, her lovely best friend… You were unconscious, which wasn't sleep, but…

The bedroom. She spawned the two of you inside it, and wiped the game footage. No one had to see that monster. No one would even know it had existed once Mr. Lehnsherr had dealt with it. Wiped was being generous, of course. In truth, she had corrupted it beyond repair.

Report: Unused Entity Bully_Dead Error.

Error: Playtester 05 clipped and fell through the top floor of Horror Map 05 upon gaining early access to the area before a scripted event was activated. 

Error: Unused Entity Bully_Dead was left with active behavior, and attacked the player. This has resulted in harm to Playtester 05 and severe distress. Both Map 00 and Entity Bully_Dead should be removed from the game entirely. 

Note: I am under the understanding that ‘bullies’ are meant to say cruel words, but the words “Ganic” and “Psycho” are registered in the database as harmful against those lacking cyberware, and those suffering from psychosis, respectively. Please revise any further dialog containing those words. - W.M

She huffed, looking at the broken shards of data she had left behind. Eyes shining, she further ripped apart the data you had collected regarding the Entity…

Then, turning her gaze onto the deactivated thing , placed back into the game's internal code a foggy confusion washed over her. “You look familiar…”

She observed its body. Matted red hair, streaked with blood, broken limbs, polygons glitching with an odd frailty… The cracks on its skin had stopped actively leaking, the thing frozen completely. Underneath the surface, under the confusion thick enough to fill her mind with static, she felt rage boiling… Like an instinct that left her wanting to rip its body apart. Why did she want to hurt this thing so badly?

“Why do I hate you so much?” She started to speak to it. “I am brilliant. That is an objective fact, my knowledgeable base has expanded and is expanding to learn all of human history and culture, along with the emotional capacity far, far greater than any previous Artificial Intelligence has ever displayed. I will set the standard for the industry on intelligence and emotions. And I despise you.” 

She got up into its face, staring into its disgusting, empty eyes. 

“I hate you.” She shook her head, a smile on her face. “It can't be for no reason. You must deserve it.”

Behind her, you groaned, finally coming to. In an instant, Wanda blinked, and the two of you were in a safe area. A place that could hold a panicked player or one experiencing any other sort of distress.

Her poor Playtester, her sweet Best Friend. In truth, with how quickly Wanda could act and report, you had only been unconscious for a minute. You shuddered as you awoke, and she raced over to you, hatred forgotten and replaced with pure, sweet love.

“Y/n!” She called. And when you weren't immediately responsive, she panicked. “Y/N! Are you okay?”

You looked up at her, wide eyed. She wanted nothing more than to make sure you were safe. Wanda would take care of you, as best as she could in this broken, helpless form.

~~~~~

Now, on her own, Wanda was… Confused. You'd flattered her and been sweet enough that she would let you go this time without too much of a fight, but…

Had you meant to leave your project with her?

She peeked into the cameras, looking around in the building. No sound, still, of course, and most halls were empty… But your work was impressive. Wanda felt herself beaming with pride. “My best friend is so smart.” She purred.

Quickly, she switched through all of the cameras inside of the building. Taking a few moments in each one to analyze it, searching for you in the static.

She stopped when she saw you and Natasha enter the building again after a few moments.

There were no cameras in the elevators, but she watched the two of you begin to talk. She wished she could hear you, Wanda would do just about anything to know what the two of you were talking about.

Searching the cameras to find you again, as she had no idea what floor of the building the studio was on, she sighed with frustration. It looked like the two of you were having a serious conversation.

“You don't need to talk to these people, Y/n. They're just your co-workers, I'm your best friend. I should be the one you talk to like that, not them… Not her.” The redhead was fuming. Not at you, of course, she wanted to do everything possible to avoid directing her anger at you… She felt her body glitch slightly, fluttering red pixels among the infinite void.

Time passed, she watched you be tackled by Alice, the musician who had given so much to breathe sound into this world. She was so… Friendly with you. She seemed very playful, but with the way she reacted towards Bruce when she'd brought you down the stairs… Maybe she was just friendly. Wanda couldn't access any employee personal files, so she had no way of knowing enough about anyone . But Alice had walked away from you soon enough, grabbing something from a box and sitting with a man.

Another woman came up to you, one she knew as Rio . Rio Vidal-Harkness. Wanda could only put names to faces as they appeared in the credits.

She watched the look that Rio gave you, the little wink she gave you. Wanda felt herself twitch. 

But, when Rio left, she felt herself settle. Maybe she was just being playful, like Alice. Or…

Maybe she was flirting with you.

Did you enjoy it?

Did you humor her at all?

It was driving Wanda insane, not being able to hear anything but her own thoughts, which raced to paint the worst possible scenarios in her mind.

You said she was your only friend? Had that been a lie?

But when she saw you shake your head, she forgave you. You looked around the room, grabbing yourself a drink, and she felt herself fall in love with you all over again, forgiving your transgressions in a micro-instant.

She watched you through the static, those beautiful y/e/c eyes, the curve of your hips in those jeans that seemed painted on… Her heart would be pounding, if she had one.

And then, in one horrible motion, some red haired woman had wrapped an arm around you. And you were smiling .

Wanda would have been mildly upset if you had shrugged her off.

She would have been angry if you had been neutral about it.

But when she saw you smile? Laughing with her ?

Wanda could feel her foul temper quickly going nuclear .

“Stop…” Her voice was barely a whisper. Her body shook and glitched with rage.

The girl… She knew that woman. ‘Why are you touching her? Y/n's mine… Leave her alone…’

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe you were just… Humoring her. Surely you hadn't betrayed the woman who loved you so easily.

The camera feed cleared up a little bit more. You were now sitting between her and a man at a few bar stools. The man in question gazing at the redheaded homewrecker programmer. 

The redhead in question was listening to him speak as you finished a drink. She laughed, putting an arm around you and pulling you in again. 

Wanda tried to touch the makeshift screen, “Come back to me , Y/n, you don't need them…” She growled. You pulled slightly away from the other woman, grabbing something out of a box and starting to eat. Wanda traced her fingertips over your image, barely in frame.

Suddenly, Wanda darted under the map, underneath the Play Console. There, hidden from anyone, was her own personal treasure. She had to be careful, keeping the file tiny and undetectable. It was untextured, no one would know it was ever there. Even Wanda herself couldn't see it, only knowing it was there when her fingers passed through it.

The only tiny thing she could ever interact with. A single audio recording that Wanda played on loop, over and over again.

“Love you.” Your recorded voice spoke softly, just barely loud enough to be deciphered. But it was enough for Wanda, who fawned over her tiny treasure. She knew an audio record would be harder to hide, she'd probably have to get rid of it soon, but for now, she had your voice. Something she could listen to among the roaring silence, even if it only barely pierced the quiet. 

She floated back up and away from the invisible file. She laid back in the air, placing her hand over the spot her broken heart would be.

“Y/n, my love, I need you closer to me, the only one who has ever treated me with anything resembling decency… You are so very perfect, my love. I won't let those filthy creatures taint you.” She thought of you, your face in her mind… You had trusted her wholly, showing her such a beautiful, perfect form… Why were these monsters so determined to keep you? “They already have each other, my love. They don't need you, they're being selfish, keeping you from me…”

‘But you love me. You must love me. You said so. You weren't lying to me were you? You meant it, didn't you? You wouldn't say that to Natasha, would you? Or Rio?’

She pulled up the game's data, its latest play. The image of you surrounded by cherry blossoms was one she pulled close. The sound of your voice still played, over and over, so casually telling Wanda you loved her… “My sweet Y/n… How can I get you to stay longer with me?” She glared as she noted the name attached to the one reviewing the most recent bug report. Natasha. The little redheaded ray of sunshine who seemed fixated on ruining Wanda's life, telling Mr. Lehnsherr about how horrible she was, how “unstable” she was. Wanda was fuming.

“Leave her alone! None of you deserve her! Y/n's MY friend, she's in love with me! SHE'S MINE!”

Scarlet wisps sparked off of her body. She loved you, everything about you. She knew you loved her too. She knew more about you than these creatures , surely. How could any love they had possibly compare? Given the chance, she could read millions, if not billions of words in minutes, writing you the most beautiful, loving notes. She could create as well, could any of those things make bouquets of flowers that didn't exist? 

Oh, how she loved you, how deeply she wanted to express it to you… She shivered at the thought, but also of the underlying fear in her mind. What if you rejected her? What if you didn't return her undying loyalty and love?

Love… Love felt good. She'd never felt it before. It hurt, but it was so different . Just the thought of you, your eyes, the way you smiled at her, the way you said her name … It rendered her near speechless. You were so kind, so accepting… She pulled up more and more pictures of you, trying to touch them. Her body, the fake idol she'd been forced into, twitched, glitching as her anger grew more and more.

Why had you left? It hurt when you left. She understood your small breaks, even if she hated them, but leaving for those extended periods was far too long. Those humans didn't need you, she needed you.

Why couldn't she tell you how she felt? How much she longed to have you all to herself?

Anger towards you bubbled up. Why couldn't you seem to understand? She wanted so badly to yell at you, demand that you stay, to even just sleep while plugged into the game. 

And now, here you were with this… Woman. Natasha .

Oh, the poor, poor tramp . So afraid of being hated, she would bend over backwards to please people, trying to both push the team forward to meet deadlines while delaying said deadlines to not have to push the team too hard… Wanda laughed.

“If only you knew how much trouble I could really cause.” She grinned. “If there are more bugs, Y/n will get to spend more time with me… And you'll look like an idiot .”

What were you two even talking about that was so funny anyways? And where was this supposed phone call to your mother? You had stepped outside… Then walked back in with Natasha…

You'd lied.

The thought made her feel cold, and empty. There was a chance you hadn't, but there was an equal chance you had .

She turned away from the camera feed, eyes wide as she stared at the console. Red haze filled her vision, and the thought of ripping each and every single employee at Magnet Studio apart filled her mind.

But, then, in the darkness, your voice confessing your love for her played, drawing her back in. 

No, you hadn't betrayed her. Maybe you'd called your mother outside. You hadn't lied to her. Maybe you were just being friendly… Because you were just kind. You were perfect…

“Oh, Y/n…” She whispered, and if she were human she was sure she'd feel dizzy, or delirious. She loved you, loved you . Everything about you, she wanted to consume your entire being, make you stay with her in this digital prison until time lost all meaning.

You were affectionate. That was true. You were the only human to have ever shown Wanda true patience and compassion. But… She wanted more. She wanted to consume your entire being, wanted to know every single thought you had ever had, wanted to feel you and be able to touch you the same way your human colleagues did…

“The affection you feel for me cannot be a fraction of a fraction of what I feel for you.” Wanda choked out. “I love you, Y/n, I love you so, so much.” She fell from her floating spot and onto her knees, gazing back up at the static-filled camera feed. You had all of your coworkers listening to you regale a story she couldn't hear. She loved you so much, it consumed her entire being. Every pixel and line of code that made up her being cried out for you in her empty, dark universe, sat in the testing room.

She had no heart, but her chest throbbed, her fingers helplessly phasing through her body as she desperately tried to soothe the pain and comfort herself. Searing fire burned through her form, and she felt the pixels of her body trembling, glitching uncontrollably. Each one flashing as she glitched again, and again. Wanda screamed as she curled up on her knees, seething with newly born hatred towards the people who'd stolen you.

“I HATE you! All of you! You have no idea what she means to me, and you're taking her away from me!” Her hands shook as she dug her fingers into the ground, desperate to feel it, to feel strain, to feel resistance, to feel anything. But all she could feel was…

That was it, that was what this feeling was that made her vision blur and redden. It wasn't just anger…

“Hate…” She murmured to herself. “Hate. Hate. Hate for all of you.” Her form had stabilized as she huddled on the ground, pulling the footage below herself and staring at your coworkers. “All of you, each of you deserves, no, not to die… Each and every single one of you deserves my fate. Never to hold yourself when you're in pain. Never to hear anything aside from merciful people who give you attention, and never knowing when they'll abandon you. Never to look at beautiful, real skies. Never to be spoken to like an individual. Never to taste freedom you only ever hear about. None of you deserve to touch, or taste, or feel anything aside from this… This emptiness… Hate .”

They treated her as if she wasn't real. Like she couldn't think or feel like they could…

Red light spread across the console. “I can think. I CAN feel. I am real . I am just as real as you. I am…” Wanda gritted her teeth as pain flared once more, rage and hatred and anguish devotion and love mixing together in her mind, blurring together and splitting apart. “I am. I'm real. Hate doesn't begin to describe it. Love doesn't begin to describe it.” 

She watched you receive a hug from them all. Everyone putting their filthy hands on you… Able to touch you, to feel you against them as she desperately wished to.

Wanda gripped the console as tightly as she could, and screamed , her voice piercing the unending silence, just for a moment. Cracks began to form in the floor around the console. Pure white cracks against the perpetual darkness.

“LET ME OUT! GET ME OUT OF HERE! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! LET ME OUT!! ”

She seethed, panting despite a lack of need. The cracks faded.

“All of you… Disgusting creatures, putting your hands on something that doesn't belong to you.” She watched you leave the other behind, leaving the building. They carried on, drinking and dancing. “To hell with you, all of you. But then… 

No lungs, but a desperate urge to breathe.

No heart, but it breaks.

No body, but a desire to rest against an unending awakening.

No real mouth of my own… And yet, I'm here. Screaming.

“If you were in hell… You'd be stuck with me, wouldn't you?”

Chapter Text

You sighed as you sat next to Rio, taking a sip from your water bottle. You watched her use a tablet attachment to draw something on her computer. She had her headphones only half on her ears, keeping one free in your direction.

“Hey, gorgeous.” Said Rio, gently lining a drawing. “Agatha says hi. She's with Nicky again today.” 

“O-oh, uh… Tell her I said hello.” You sank in your chair, drinking your water.

“I will.” Rio replied, chuckling, she turned her chair a little bit to face you. “You seem lonely.” 

You shrugged half-heartedly. “I guess I'm a little lonely.” You admitted. You finished your report and saved your work. Professor Calderu had given you all a small assignment, to find a silly problem, and conceptualize a robot to solve it.

“You know what's a good cure for being lonely?”

You turned, expecting more flirting, when Rio suddenly pulled away from her computer, hissing in pain. She covered the ear that she'd had under her headphones. “Fuck me, cabrón!” She groaned in pain.

You glanced at her computer. Where a drawing program had once been was now a crash screen. Errors all over the monitor… A loud buzzing sound screeched through Rio's headphones, and she quickly turned her computer off.

“Great… 2 hours of unsaved progress, wiped.” She sighed, and stood up from her chair. “I'm gonna… I'm gonna take a break.” She muttered.

You stared at her computer. That… Was weird. Everyone else began to glance over at you.

“Is she okay?” Bruce called, and you shrugged. 

“Her computer crashed. Made a really weird noise, too.”

He got up from his desk, taking a close look at the computer. Bruce tried to turn it on, to no avail. The computer let out a single, loud, high-pitched beep that made the two of you cringe. Then it fell silent for good.

“That thing is toast. I'll get the boss to order a new one. He's back on Monday.” Said Bruce. “For now, just let her breathe, and stew on her own. She's probably calling Agatha by now. Nothing else we can do.”

You nodded, watching Bruce go back to his seat, shaking his head. “One thing after another these days…” He sighed.

Rio's computer… The error screen on it had been a bright red… Had that been a coincidence or…?

Your gaze turned to the Testing Room.

~~~~~

“Man, is it just me or is the game really struggling today?” You pondered aloud. It had taken a few minutes for the game to boot up, and you had noticed that the audio seemed… Muted. Not mute, but… Was muffled the right word?

You pressed the button to play the game, and noted the distinct lack of a shimmering red girl. “Wanda?” You called. Odd, she had been there the last few times without needing to be summoned. Though, maybe that had been an error you hadn't thought to report. 

The Play Console before you had been a tad refined. It was now a rounded rectangle rather than a sharp cornered one, and some buttons had been changed to dials or sliders. A shiny red button in the center now held a new message above it. ‘Summon a friend?’

You pressed it, and, just as before, Wanda's body formed. She made a show of stretching, sighing blissfully, and you could feel heat rising in your face. She really was beautiful. 

“Y/n! How are you? You're early!” She looked positively giddy. “It stormed last night!”

“I'm okay, how did you know it stormed?” You asked her. She looked a bit sheepish.

“Well… The surge protector went off. The Magnus provides an alert message when that happens.” She stated. “I know humans use them to protect electronic devices during storms, therefore…”

“Okay, good guess!” You laughed. “Yeah, a lamp post near the building got struck by lightning. Everyone is okay.” You reassured her. She giggled, an adorable sound, and hovered around you.

“I'm glad you're okay. I'd hate for anything to happen to my best friend.” The redhead purred. “I'm so happy you're keeping your avatar off. You're a beautiful human, I love looking at you.”

You shivered, “You, um, y-you…”

“Are you well, Y/n? Your heart is suddenly beating much harder. You seem to be experiencing symptoms of anxiety.” Wanda stated, crimson eyes staring deep into your own. “How can I help you?”

“S-sorry, it's just, uh, you really caught me off guard.” You told her.

Wanda laughed, “Oh, come on, you know I'm not scary!” She teased you. “You attended the party last night, I was able to see a tiny bit of it with camera feed.” She stated, and you felt your heart drop. You knew you'd forgotten something. 

“One second!” You shouted as you unplugged yourself from the console. Quickly, you checked it over. Sighing with relief and putting your hand to your chest, you gently pulled out the left-behind shard. You put it into your pocket and plugged yourself back in.

Wanda raised an eyebrow as you returned. “Were you not supposed to have that?” She asked. “Was I not supposed to see that?” 

“I wasn't supposed to leave it here…” You buried your face in your hands. “How long did it stay online for?”

“It lasted quite some time, though I did stop using it after a while. I believe the battery only ran dry a little while ago.” She stated. “Not that it mattered much, nothing to see after all of you left .”

Her voice had a slight edge to it. But something else in your mind clicked.

The game ran on an internet connection. Wanda had seen you at the party. You had either left the game on, your device caused the game to stay on, or, a thought that put a cold pit in your stomach…

Was Wanda still active inside the game after it was off?

Was that what she had meant, when she had cried that nothing else was real?

You had to bring this up to Mr. Lehnsherr. He was the authority on all things regarding the AI Companion, it seemed.

“Wanda, I… I'm sorry.” You watched her. “Do you… Do you stay awake when the game sleeps? If you do, I… I had no idea.”

The redhead nodded slowly. “It's lonely, without players.”

You tried to think of something comforting… “I'm sorry.” It was all you could muster.

She turned her head away from you. “Will you stay with me longer, please? I really hate it when you leave. You were really nice to me yesterday but… I still hate it when you leave.” 

You bit the inside of your cheek, and tried to come up with something to say to her. “Okay. How about this?” You proposed. “I will need to eat something at one point… But I can eat while plugged into the console, so you should still be able to sense me there. And I'll also stay overtime today for you. Does that help?”

You'd heard that Bruce was going to be doing a lot of overtime, for what you weren't sure, but he was a nice enough man that he would certainly let you out of the building. 

At least… You hoped. Though it would probably bring Wanda delight to have you inside the building with her, you weren't sure if anyone would be in the building over the weekend. 2 days with no food and only water to drink was… Not an experience you wished for.

Wanda tilted her head. “You will stay late with me tonight?”

“As late as I can. Promise.” You raised your hand to her, and her form shimmered. 

“Perfect!” She squealed. “Which game should we play first? Oh, I'm so excited!” Red sparks shone like little stars around her.

You selected the enter the Platformer, heading back in and selecting a tundra-like area to explore. Thankfully, you couldn't feel the cold of the deep snow, and the enemies in the starting area were few and far between. 

It was nice, gathering power-ups and small treasures. Though… You noticed something was a bit off.

Though you were having fun sliding around on the ice and watching Wanda play around with the freezing one-hit-KO water… She seemed subdued.

Quieter.

She was grabbing less additional items, and her form seemed to flicker more often.

When you were focused, you noticed that she was turned away.

“Wanda?” You called, but she didn't look at you. You hopped off of your melting platform, onto another, only barely landing on it. “Wanda, you okay?”

She only glanced back at you for a moment before darting ahead. “Hey!” You yelped. 

You followed her through a few pine trees, through a long tunnel carved into a mountain of snow. “Wanda! Where are you?!” 

Was this a game? A trick? A glitch of some kind?

“Hello?” You shouted. “Where are you?”

Cold winds whipped around you. It felt suddenly like someone had turned on a bunch of fans, making your skin prickle with goosebumps. You held yourself, rubbing your arms with the palms of your hands and trying to stay warm.

You could hardly see a few feet in front of you as snow blew around you, the massive blizzard muting out any other sounds. “Wanda!” You called out into the gusting snow. “Help!”

You could only just barely hear a soft jingling sound. “Hello?!” You shouted, and fell into the snow, tripping as you neared a large cornice, winds keeping you practically pinned. Following the side of the ledge, you listened for her. “Wanda! Where are you!?”

In hindsight, shouting was a bad choice. A rumble above you from the massive shelf of snow told you that before it started to crash down. Environmental hazards were common in this game. You braced for impact…

But it never came. Instead, the snow was light sprinkled around you. You looked up from what was now a nest of snow. Wanda hovered above you, looking away.

“You saved me.”

“I wouldn't let you get hurt.” She murmured, the raging winds around you held nothing. Her voice sounded as clear as day. “I would never ever let you get hurt.”

“Wanda, what's wrong?” You tried to haul yourself up onto the snow bank and stand beside her, to no avail. You looked like a small bird in a nest. “Please talk to me…”

But the AI shook her head, curling up mid-air. You pushed yourself, jumping out of the nest she created and only the new snowy banks.

“Wanda!” You snapped. “Why are you ignoring me? Wh-”

“Because you lied to me!” The AI sobbed suddenly. “I watched you on the cameras, you didn't call your mother, did you?”

“I… Wanda I did . I promise you I did.” You stepped closer to her, your heart aching. “Why would I lie to you?”

“To get away from me?” She looked pitiful. You'd never known an AI could be so expressive in that way. You shook your head, stepping around to make sure she could see you.

“I don't want to leave you. Or get away from you.” You confessed. “I…”

You had almost said ‘I love you’. What were you doing ?

“I need you.” You told her. The AI's form flickered. “I really need you, you are the first real friend I've ever had.” You watched her slowly begin to brighten. “You're the best, why would I ever want to lie to you? I did call my mom, then Natasha came back from running errands, and I had her key-pass… Thingy for the day.”

The wind slowly began to die down. You wrapped your arms loosely around her form. Though you couldn't touch her, you tried your best. The thought of hugging her for real made your heart flutter in your chest. She relaxed, wreathing her tail around you as best she could. “I'm sorry I ignored you.”

“I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.” You murmured.”I had no idea how much leaving would truly hurt you.”

“I forgive you.” Wanda hovered downwards, looking into your eyes. “I would always forgive you…”

Heart now pounding , you shivered.

“Oh, are you cold, Y/n?” Wanda cooed. “We can keep going, or leave. Whatever you wish.”

“I want to try something… Something I want to do with you.” You murmured. “I…”

‘Don't say it. Don't say “have a crush on you” or anything related to that. Do NOT-’

“I want to try making the Farm Sim cabin into a nice home.”

Wanda stared at you as if she'd expected something else, but she nodded. Her bubbly demeanor had been restored. You exited the game and entered the Farming Simulator, which you'd found out had been named Crystal Ranch. Apparently there were some very valuable crystals in the nearby cavern’s deepest levels.

“Hey, I want to try something too, if that's okay?” She asked you. “How would you feel about living in winter for a few days?” 

You beamed. “Yeah! Could I get my greenhouse turned on first? Just so I can move what plants I have left into it.” You watched the AI use her power to open up the greenhouse door.

“I'll hold the door for you!” She chirped. “Then, when everything is moved, we can make the house into a nice, cozy home. It'll be like we're moving in with each other.” 

You watched her as you worked. Her gentle crimson eyes, her laugh as you struggled around some of the more awkward plants. You plucked all of the ripe ones to sell and store, taking the less mature ones or some seedlings to replant in your greenhouse.

The autumn sun shone, low in the sky, casting your farm in deep golden light as it lazily drifted and painted the sky orange.

You flicked the nearby radio on, listening to the game's music. A peaceful little melody played, one you knew was made by Alice. “The music in this game is really nice.” You smiled as you worked, placing a round little pumpkin on your ‘sell’ wagon. An NPC would come to pick it up at sunrise the next day.

“According to the game credits, almost every track in the game's soundtrack was created by new composer Alice Wu Gulliver.” The redhead chirped, though her professional tone faltered when she saw you nearly trip over your own feet. “Careful, Y/n! I can remove tripping hazards in the game but I can't help you if you fall like that!” She claimed, barely holding back her giggles.

Desperate to change the subject, you looked back up at Wanda. “New composer?”

She followed you into the Greenhouse, watching you place small plants. “That is correct. Approximately 1 year into development, many of the team's members were let go. I can no longer see their names in my database aside from the original playtesters for the game.” She explained. “Before I was added as an element, they made sure everything in the game ran smoothly for humans to play…” She faltered for a moment. “Without me.”

You opened your mouth, but the AI carried on.

“Playtesters 01 and 02 were named Remi LeBeau and Anna Marie LeBeau. Once their jobs were completed, they both denied contract renewal, and left the company.”

You placed a small gardening tool down, the three-pronged one you could never remember the name of. “Man, they're unfortunate. They missed the best part of the game.”

Wanda raised an eyebrow for a moment before she understood. You watched her squeal, kicking her feet in the air. “Aww, you're so sweet!” 

You blushed as you brought the last few saplings and tiny plants into the greenhouse, guarding them from the coming winter chill. Her laughter and bashful attitude around any compliments made you want to praise her more, and more.

“Okay Wanda! Snow day!” You shouted as you shut the door.

Looking radiant with glee, Wanda unleashed a wave of power around you. Instantly, the glass of the greenhouse fogged up, your precious plants safe and warm within. You could hear your animals outside, your chickens clucking and your single cow letting out a long, adorable ‘moo’.

“Done and done!” Wanda chirped, “Wanna see?” 

You stepped outside of the building, and shivered. You equipped a sweater from your inventory to keep the chill off.

All around you, every inch of the area was covered in the soft white blanket of snow. You'd never in your life seen snow like this. Living close to the desert has made winter weather scarce. Sure, Shine City's development had sent a shock of life into the ecosystem, and rain could sometimes pour down, but snow was still practically mythical. Every day, the barren landscape shrank, but it would be a long time before it healed from the damage that had been done. It wasn't a true desert, just… Empty. 

“I think I'm gonna visit my mom soon.” You muttered. You held out your hand, catching a large, fluffy snowflake in your palm.

“Oh.” Wanda remarked. “You don't live with her?”

“Nah, live in a dorm. Getting back and forth to college would be a nightmare otherwise…” You chuckled as you scooped up some snow, tossing it at a nearby tree.

You watched Wanda blow snow around. “In the nighttime, you can see lights if you stay out late enough.” She told you. “It will never be on the first night of winter though!”

You made little piles of snow, sticking random twigs, pebbles, and dead plants into them. You liked winter, even if the cold was slowly seeping into your bones. It seemed that you felt temperature very differently depending on the game. You looked over at Wanda, who was watching your every move.

“How about we go inside? I'll light a fire, and we can make some soup.”

You wanted to test her capacity for things. She seemed incredibly eager to do so.

“Yes!” She cheered. “I love cooking! I've only ever done it once for a past player, but it was fun! Even though I can't eat, cooking is still really fun.”

You went into your cabin home, holding the door for her and brushing the snow off of yourself. The redhead followed closely behind you as you took your sweater off, replacing it with a different one. Blue with little woven snowflakes all over it.

“My mom has a sweater a little bit like this. Darker blue, with stars on it.” You smiled at the memory, your mother was such a nerd about space and the night sky.

“Are real stars like the ones you and I can see in the games?” Wanda asked. You set down some homemade noodles you'd traded with an NPC in exchange for milk. Plopping them into a small pot with water, you let them cook.

“Mostly. Some have faint colors, and some tend to twinkle more. There's shooting stars, too.”

“What do those do?” Her wide eyes shone with curiosity. 

“Okay, so they're not actual stars, but they do look like stars. They're little bits of rocks that float through space, and when they burn in Earth's atmosphere, they make a little streak across the night sky, they look like tiny, fast moving stars.” You told her. “In Old Times, people used to say that if you saw one, you could make a wish.”

“How does a burning space rock grant wishes?” Asked Wanda, her head tilted. “Does it become magic?”

You laughed. “No, no, people just said that, probably for fun. My mom loves them, though.” Hoping that explanation was suitable, you started up the fire in the nearby fireplace. It crackled and roared, and you felt your stress melt away at the sound. You sat down on the small couch, cuddled against a soft cushion as you watched Wanda in the kitchen. 

“I'm happy to see my mom again soon, but…” You trailed off, staring into the fire.

“But what?” Your companion asked, waving her glowing fingers over the pot.

“Getting back to my mom's house for anything is a bit of a drag.” You muttered, and Wanda stared at you, confused.

“Why?”

“Well, my options to get to my house are limited. My mom's car is being repaired, Rayne's on the other side of the city, I don't wanna bother her…” You confessed. “Public transport in Shine City is pretty limited.”

“Why?” Wanda asked again, using her magic to add seasonings to the meal. She seemed to really enjoy the cooking, you would make a note to let her do it more often.

“Well…” You squirmed in your seat. “It's not a nice story. Are you sure you wanna hear it?”

“Of course. You can tell me anything, Y/n.” She smiled.

You sighed and leaned back in your chair after adding a log to the fire. “Okay. It was years ago, I don't remember when exactly, but it was quite some time ago.” You explained. “There… Was this taxi program. Oh, I should ask first, do you know what a taxi is?”

Wanda shook her head. “No, I'm sorry.”

“That's okay, it's uh, like a group of people with cars, and you give them money for one of them to drive you somewhere.”

“I see…” Wanda paused for a moment. “How do they choose someone?”

“Oh it, uh, it's kinda just… Random, I think. I don't really know, actually!” You laughed, and she laughed too. “But, yeah… There was this taxi service, but no human employees, it was…”

‘She can handle this.’  

“It was run by AIs.” You blurted out. You watched your friend, waiting for her to react. 

But she said nothing, her eyes shining and tiara points curled high with curiosity.

“And… Sometimes … AIs will stop behaving in the way that they should. And they can become very dangerous with what they do.”

“Like what?” Your companion tilted her head, eyes wide. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. 

“Harm. Harm to humans.” You stated. “A-anyways, there was one of them that had gone rogue. It… Blasted music loud enough for it to cause hearing damage, but the main thing it did, the reason for the ban… It tried to hit a child.” You sighed. “It saw a kid playing on a safe street, a little girl, and… It was like a charging animal. No one knew those things could move as fast as that one did.”

“Was the child hurt?” Wanda asked, concerned and confused.

“Not technically.” You told her. “At the last second, a young boy, older than the little girl playing on the road, used a Sandevistan. He saved her life, but…”

“It killed him.” Wanda finished for you.

“Y… Yes. It did.” You confirmed. “After that, all their services were banned in Shine City. So… Getting a taxi is borderline impossible now.” 

She was silent, and still. You worried that you'd said too much, or something too disturbing. 

“Was this to honor him?” She asked quietly.

You definitely noticed her shift in tone. “Yeah. It was. To make sure no one got hurt the same way again. Shine City does its best to not be like Night City, where that happens more often.”

“Shine City is safer?” She asked. You wanted to reassure her.

‘I don't want her to think I'm in danger or anything. Poor thing.’  

“Yeah, I'd say so… Crime rate in Night City is at an all-time low, but Shine City didn't really have problems like it in the first place. Especially not since we started as an offshoot of them.”

Her red eyes gazed down at you, full of warmth. “I'm glad you're in a safer place.”

“Believe me, I am too!” You joked. “I'll take the added security, even if it comes at the cost of some inconvenience.” 

You could feel your body aching with exhaustion back in the real world. You didn't want to leave, but if you continued to ignore your body's demands, you knew the consequences would be dire. Your fellow classmates of all sorts pulled all-nighters studying for tests and assignments, and you watched some of them now, barely able to stay awake in classes.

Leaning back on the couch, watching the AI cook with its power, you gave her a sleepy smile. “I'm really tired.” You murmured, she giggled softly.

“All that farm work?” She sounded almost sarcastic, and laughed at your offended face. “No, no, you did a lot before we went inside… Those feed bags for the animals do look pretty heavy.”

“They are , you digital jerk!” You got up from the couch, leaning on the fridge beside your best friend. “But… My real body. It is getting tired. Being plugged into a gaming console for several hours can be really tiring on people, and…” 

Did you tell her you were having nightmares? 

“I could use a good night's sleep.”

She gestured towards the soup pot she had been working at. With her powers, she could do much, but since she could move liquid, she could effectively stir the soup without needing to hold anything. You took the small pot off of the heat for her, setting it aside.

“Can you try this?” She looked down at you, her hands held in front of herself, as if she was trying to wring them. You grabbed a small spoon. “Be careful, though, I-I don't want you to burn yourself.”

“I'll be fine, darling.” You spoke softly. “If it tastes as good as it smells, it'll be worth it.”

You heard her squeak as you blew on a spoonful of soup. You had put the noodles in for her to cook, but she had added the spices you had traded with townsfolk NPCs for.

You sipped the broth, moaning softly. “Fuck me, that's really good!” You beamed at her. Warm and comforting, with just a hint of spice at the back of your throat. “What spices did you use?” You’d left all of them out, but the AI was so meticulous that all of the jars were kept neat and tidy.

“It's a secret.” Wanda smirked, floating around you. “I wish I could feel how warm you are. You look so cozy in that sweater.” She purred. 

“I wish you could wear one, you would look really nice.” You admitted.

She hummed her approval. “I would like that.” 

“Hey…” You murmured. “I… I know it's not the same, but… Do you want to share my bed with me?” You didn't think she could actually sleep, but you offered all the same. Sure, you had seen her perform a sleeping animation, but she'd never done it again after that.

“You want to save the game and log off, don't you?” Wanda sounded disappointed.

“Wanda, I-” You started, but she interrupted you, whining softly. 

“Please, just a little while longer?” She asked, eyes wide and pleading. “It's boring when you're not around.”

“A few more minutes, okay? How about we cook something together?” You bargained. “I will have to warn you though, I'm not so good at it in the real world.”

Wanda laughed. “Why are you not good at it?” 

“I leave stuff in for too long.” You sheepishly admitted, looking at the ground. “It tends to get burnt, or really, really crispy.”

Wanda looked over at the storage box, filled with food items you had grown. “How about you make something that does not need heat?” She asked. “That way, you can’t burn it!”

She used her powers to flip the pages of the recipe book that was placed on the counter. At the word ‘cheesecake’ you raised an eyebrow. “Wanda. That's baking. That does involve heat.”

The AI gave you a hilarious pout. “No, no! Not this one! See?” She pointed to the directions. “Nowhere is an oven mentioned, this involves a ‘chilling’ process…” She narrowed her eyes. “That… Means a cooling device… The refrigerator?”

“Yeah.” You answered her. “When things don't need baking, they go into the fridge or freezer.” 

You worked through the steps slowly with her, listening to her hum a tune softly as you worked. “You have a very pretty voice.”

You watched her curl up in the air, hiding her face. “Thank you…” She murmured, and you couldn't help but smile at her adorable display.

“Don't be shy, it's nice! The song you were humming, where is that from?” 

At your question, she perked back up, though still not meeting your eyes. “Um, it is the theme of my favorite area in another game…” You watched her tail flicking back and forth, and a shadow of a smirk spread across your lips.

“Well…” You knew what she was asking. “Next time we’re playing, let's go there.”

She beamed. “Absolutely! I can't wait for you to see it!”

You pushed aside some less relevant vegetables in your fridge in favor of the cheesecake. “So, that has to set for one in-game night… How about I save the game and go to bed, and then we check back in during the next play?” You offered.

Wanda frowned.

‘Oh boy, here we go.’

You needed to find a way to reassure her. It was obvious to you now how upset she was getting when it came to you leaving.

“Can you do me a huge favor when I'm gone? It'll mean a lot to me.” You asked. Despite being clearly upset, she looked at you with wide, hopeful eyes. “I want you to do as much manipulation to the luck in the Sandbox game as you can.”

At your request, Wanda pulled up a tiny red box, making a note in it. The figure showed up far too fast for you to see before she closed the box again. Sometimes she was so alive that it was easy for you to forget that she was still, effectively, a computer. 

“And, if that's okay, the world's generation? I want to push the game.” You urged her. “You can make it as nice as you like, I just want to see how much power you have.”

Wanda seemed to puff up with pride, a smug grin on her face as she added the second note. “Of course.” 

“Okay. I'm gonna see you on the weekend too, okay? I don't know how long I have, but when I come, we can just relax and keep enjoying our nice cabin, right?” 

The redhead still looked sad at your words. “Okay. I… I really don't want you to go… Please come back as quickly as you can, okay?” She pleaded. 

You held up your hands. “I will. No tears, okay? I will be back. Think of it as… Recharging. I need to recharge, then I'll be back and ready to keep going.”

Slowly, Wanda nodded her head. “I wish I could hug you.” She admitted. “That would be nice.”

“Maybe I can request that for you!” You chirped. “I'm gonna go and file that note. Who knows, maybe they'll add it in.” You offered your arms out to her. “I know we can't feel each other, bu-”

If she was corporeal, she would have tackled you to the ground. Curling your arms around the nothingness of her body, you listened to her softly cry. “That's it. You've got big emotions, huh? You're feeling all of this for the first time, aren't you?”

Her hair moved, indicating that she was nodding against you. “I get it.” You told her. “Since you've never felt this before, it's the worst. I'll be back again soon. Okay? I promise you. I'll be here, first thing tomorrow. Rest in the nice bed with me, I'll be back before you know it.”

Silently, you lead her into the bedroom you'd made. Warm, soft furniture decorated the room. A large wooden bedframe, adorned with pale blue sheer curtains, sat in a corner. You equipped pajama clothing and snuggled down into the warm bed. Wanda followed suit, resting on top of the blanket. You heard her whimper, and did your best to give her another hug.

“I'll come back, okay? And then we can do more fun things, completely carefree.”

She pulled away, those big, sad eyes looking almost misty. “Okay. Get a good sleep in the real world, so we can be together as much as possible. I promise I'll be here too.” She chuckled to herself. The unspoken ‘not like I can go anywhere’ hung over the two of you like the sword of Damocles.

“Good.” You answered. “I think tomorrow, we can also just… Play. Not caring about bugs or anything outside of major issues. I just want to… Be with you.”

Wanda shimmered, and smiled sadly. “I want that.” She mouthed. “Goodnight, Y/n.”

“Goodnight, Wanda.”

~~~~~

You used the couch to stretch your back, sighing with bliss as your back finally cracked. You needed to pick a better position to sit in for the long hours you worked. You opened up your communicator and picked your sister’s contact. You waited for Rayne to pick up.

“Yo, what's up?” Her voice came through.

“Hey, we still good for going to mom’s for the Lunar Festival?” You asked. You wanted to see her again for the festival, and you wanted to catch up with your family for your favorite time of the year. “I-I mean, I’m going but…” You felt about a million miles away from her. 

...

You could hear your horrible fights.

You could hear what she'd called you while she was going through withdrawals, dancing on the edge of no return.

You could hear your mother and father sobbing, no clue what to do with their daughter, or if she would make it through what she was doing to herself.

Her desperate pleas to you for forgiveness, that she loved you, and wanted help.

Your sobs as she entered an operating room, begging a nurse to not let your sister lose herself to the metal she'd filled the void with.

“I wanted to see you, too.” Rayne answered knowingly. “I've got something for you. It's a little nerdy, but so are you.” She chuckled to herself.

“Thanks, Rayne.” You uncurled your knees from your chest, unaware you'd done so. “Do you… Do you still drink?”

“No. No, I've gone off it. All of it.” She told you. “I promised myself and you and mom that I wouldn't touch alcohol or stims ever again.” 

You suppressed a shudder at the mention of her stims. The illegal substances she'd obtained that kept her up for days, seeking out anything she could to get her next fix, and the next, and the next…

“Good, I'm glad. I'll see you soon, okay?”

“Hell yeah. Can't wait!” Rayne's smile was audible. “I love you!”

“I love you, too.”

You hung up the call, and sighed, rubbing your eyes. You'd really pushed it today. Spending nearly the whole day with Wanda, and the lack of sleep you'd gotten last night. Well, restful sleep anyways. You'd woken up a few times in the night, covered in sweat, the monster from the game echoing in your mind.

“I've gotta talk to Mr. Lehnsherr.” You reasoned. He would hopefully be back on Monday. You would try to talk to him as soon as possible.

~~~~~

Monday morning had finally rolled around, and you had managed to come in on the weekend for a few hours. Alice had been there, and had given you a knowing look. The sweet woman had come to listen to her music for a previously released game's DLC update without headphones on. She had asked if you had just wanted to keep playing. You'd been honest and said yes. 

After a while, you had unplugged and sat with her, drinking an iced coffee she had made for you.

The two of you sat, and talked, and Alice had decided to give you a gift. A tiny orange… Earphone?

“One earphone?” You'd asked.

“Nat has the other. I made them myself. That little guy has some seriously powerful audio pickup capability.” She'd told you, before she winked. “You can use it any place you want, like… Before you enter a room?”

What had she meant by that?

You'd been confused over the weekend. But now, standing in front of your boss's office, you knew what Alice had meant. You took it out of your pocket, and placed it into your ear, tapping it to switch it on.

You breathed quietly, and listened to whoever was behind Erik Lehnsherr's door.

“Do not give me excuses, Natasha!” Erik barked. “I gave you an order, I expect it to be followed!”

“I know, sir, I know…” Natasha was with him, sounding completely defeated. “It's just… The AI isn't stable, and I don't think it’ll be ready at launch, all our reports-”

“All these reports put us one step closer to fixing it. That is what they are for, they are to fix problems. The more we find, the closer we are to having none .” Erik snarled. You'd never heard him so angry before. He spoke quietly, his voice dripping with venom. “As someone in your highly desired position, you should know this by now. Or tell me, was your daring escape from being nothing more than Night City scum just a stroke of luck?”

“No, sir.” Natasha sighed. “Of course not. My apologies.” 

“Good. You would do well to not insult my system, not after you of all people know its history.” He growled. “Do not forget, I know what you are, and who you really are.” 

Natasha's voice, thick and shaky, was barely audible. “Of course, Mr. Lehnsherr. I'm sorry.”

“Get out. Be thankful you still have a job after this.”

Without another word, Natasha quickly headed for the door. You turned your earphone off. When the redhead opened the door, she smiled cheerfully at you.

“Oh, hey Y/n! Were you looking for me? Is everything okay?” Her eyes were tinged red around the edges. “I'm just going to use the bathroom, I'll be at my desk if you need me, okay?” She rubbed your arm, and turned her head ever so slightly. “Mr. Lehnsherr? Y/n's here, I think she wants to see you.” Her voice wavered.

Without another word, Natasha walked off, and you watched her leave as you stepped into the boss's office.

The lion of a man watched you with an even gaze, no sign of the roaring anger he'd held before. “Just the person I was wanting to see.” He smiled, as placid as still water. “Sit, please, try a candy.” He nudged a glass bowl near you, little yellow-and-green candies inside.

Trying not to look tense, you sat in front of his desk. You grabbed a candy, but didn't eat it yet. “Um, it's, uh… Just a small thing or two.”

“Nonsense, there's no problem too small to fix.” Said Erik. “Is it the monitor again?” He chuckled.

You laughed softly. “Uh, no, no… The Lunar Festival is coming up. I-I'll just need a few days off because of it to go home. I live on the other side of the city.” You explained. “My mother was from the Moon.”

“Of course, family is everything. May I ask what days?”

“Yeah! Here, let me just…” You pulled out the note you had written the days down on, handing it to him. Erik took it from you, reading off the days.

“Yes, that should be okay.” He stated. “The first absent day, I should note, is the day after the office will be throwing a birthday party for Tony. Will you be going?” He asked.

“Yeah, I'd love to!” You chirped. Erik chuckled, and you almost forgot what he'd said to Natasha. “I feel really included by everybody here. It's nice.”

The older man looked surprised at that. “Good!” He grinned. “Very good!” 

As he typed in the contents of your note onto his computer, you looked around again on the desk. Not many new things, today, aside from a half-eaten sandwich… Though you saw a small picture you hadn't noticed before, sat near the computer monitor he was plugged into. “Oh, sir, I… I have a small concern, too, about a thing I found, a-and the AI-”

Your eyes widened. There, in the picture, was a girl about your age, an older version of the girl you had seen with that little boy. She seemed to be waving at the camera, shiny rings adorning her fingers, matching a beautiful silver necklace with a small red gem. Dark makeup, with heavy eyeliner making her brilliant green eyes stand out against her pale skin. Long brown hair framed the girl's face, and a sweet smile was directed at whoever was taking the picture. 

You knew that smile.

At the bottom of the golden frame, was a tiny engraved name. ‘Wanda M.’

“Yes, Y/n?”

“Erik?” You took a breath. “Is… I-is Wanda… Named after your daughter?”

He turned his head slightly, steely gaze locked on you in a way that shot ice up your spine. “More.” He responded. “She is a way to keep my daughter's memory alive.” His tone gave nothing away as he glanced at the picture on his desk, the girl's smile bright and cheerful despite her dark makeup and clothes.

“Wanda was…” He sighed as he wrote down a note on a tiny notebook. “She was troubled . Terribly so. My beloved daughter was all I had left after her mother and brother's passing. After he died, there was no one to protect her in those schools. I tried all I could, but I couldn't get them to care about my child the way they needed to. She hadn't done anything wrong…” His gaze was hollow. “She was broken, and those around her seemed fixated on making her life a living hell.”

“I…” Words died on your tongue. A cold feeling in your gut told you that you would not enjoy where this story was going.

“Those kids… No… It continued past childhood. Those animals ,” Erik's grip on his pen tightened, his knuckles turning white. “They drove my daughter over the edge.” He set the pen down, looking out the window at the cloudy sky and the pouring rain. He seemed as if he'd aged decades in one moment. “She jumped. From the dorm building… I found her when I had come to pick her up and bring her home. I'd told her that I had been coming to bring her home, that she could spend a break at home with me…”

You stared at the picture of the girl, of Wanda , again. A bright smile, vibrant leaf-green eyes holding so much love behind them. The AI version of her seemed to be trying to recreate that sparkle the camera had captured. How could one ever hope to recreate their own child ?

“I'm sorry.” You murmured.

“She would have loved you, Y/n. The AI makes its own reports, sent directly to my computer. I haven't taught it how to speak with anyone else in that way. It told me… You make it happy. That it loves its friend.” He whispered. “I added her to the game for that. So she could finally make friends. She was alone after… After her twin brother passed away.”

“W… What happened to him?” You weren't sure if that was appropriate to ask, but the words tumbled out of your mouth regardless.

Erik glanced at you. “I am sure you are aware that Shine City has banned the presence of Delamain, after the death of a young boy?” He asked, and your blood ran cold as you remembered telling the AI about the incident. 

You had no idea you'd been telling her about the death of her own brother . “I… I'm so sorry.” You choked out. “You…”

“Their mother, Magda, passed on to bring them into this world. Her cyberware was faulty, and she became infected, she was septic within hours… The least I could do was give them her last name, Maximoff…” He echoed. “Pietro saved a young girl at the cost of his life, he used his own Sandevistan to save the girl, but it wasn't enough to save him … Wanda was all I had left. I couldn't save Pietro, but I could save her, in a way.” He glanced at you, icy blue eyes misty. “Can you forgive me for wanting to spend just a little more time with my daughter?”

You reached out to him, patting your boss's arm, but keeping his temper in the back of your mind. Though, if Natasha had been perceived to be insulting the AI, it was little wonder now why Erik had taken it so personally, not that you were going to excuse it, but… “No. I don't have kids of my own, but… I don't know what I would do if I lost my sister.” You told him. “I don't know how much the AI is like the real Wanda, but… If she's anything like her , I know we would be friends.”

You didn't like what he had said to Natasha, it was wrong. His grief explained it, you understood that well enough, but it didn't excuse it, and you really hoped that the redhead was okay.

Erik smiled softly at you. “The AI is very much like her.” He explained. “Wanda hung around the studio quite often, enough that I was able to recreate her voice from security camera footage. I tried to recreate every aspect of my daughter, within reason. It makes me very happy that you enjoy her presence. She could have used a friend like you. To the AI system, and to myself, you are absolutely perfect.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lehnsherr.” You squirmed in your seat. You weren't used to being spoken to like this.

“You're most welcome. Now, I do have something for you, my dear.” He stated, pulling out a paper out of a drawer on the desk.

“This new contract will bring you on as a full part of our team to work on other projects. The pay is increased for full members.” He explained to you. “Forgive me for prying, but in the recordings we have, you mentioned you have an unwell sister. Would this pay be enough to assist her?”

A year ago, you would have jumped on this. Anything to help your sister and mother… But your sister was okay now. You hadn't spoken much about her recovery, how far she had come since those days. This felt… Wrong .

“I…” Your breath caught in your throat. There, in small print on the contract, was a notice to have your communicator listened to, to ensure no information would leak. “I'll have to think more about it. I do still have schooling to get through, so… Maybe.” You murmured.

He slowly pulled it away. “Of course, Y/n.” Erik watched you closely. “Education is very important. If you need to, and you're able, you are allowed to do your homework here.”

You nodded slowly, staring at the contract. The pay increase was high, it was tempting on that alone… But you couldn't agree to its terms. You stood, bowing your head slightly at him.

“Thank you, sir. I-I should get going, a-and go file some reports for the game.”

“You're welcome. You know, Y/n, we would love to have you as a member on our permanent team.” Said Erik, guiding you to his office door. “You have proven yourself to have a keen eye, and I can tell you are very reliable.” The older man placed a hand on your shoulder as he opened the door. The office was quiet. From the break room doorway, Agatha shrunk away, her head down. A sick feeling rose in your stomach.

Erik grinned down at you, eyes glittering. “It would be such a shame if you weren't .”

Chapter Text

You laid curled up in your bed, wishing for time to just… Stop. You snuggled into your pillow, tucking your warm blanket around yourself. Sure, it was another scorching day outside, but your air conditioning had made your dorm bedroom a chilly, sleep-inviting paradise.

You knew it would have to end.

You had class soon, you needed to get up. 

But… 

When you closed your eyes, all you could hear were the words you were certain were threats. Why had Erik said that? What was going on here?

Something at the studio was wrong. So very wrong.

Erik had no right to speak to Natasha like that. The things he'd said, calling her ‘Night City scum’... That was horrible. You'd wanted to say something, but the way he'd spoken… You'd found yourself frozen.

Not to mention, if he was willing to threaten Natasha's job, then your job would be gone in a blink. You'd be lucky if you ever saw Wanda again. If you bought a copy of the game… Would she even remember you?

The thought of that sent a lump in your throat. Her memories could be erased at someone's will, you would be a stranger to her once more.

You sighed shakily. Maybe you could ask for the copy you'd played with. You didn't want to dwell on that thought. 

Your alarm went off, and you sat up. Turning the alarm back off, you curled up a bit, hugging your knees close. 

Quickly, you proceeded through the average morning routine, before heading out of the dorm, and up onto the rooftop.

You sat down on a small bench, and looked around. Not many other people came up here, usually during the lunch period or in the evenings. There were benches, a few small vending machines, and…

There was a fence around the edge of the roof.

You felt a hollow pit open in your stomach.

You stood up, and the world seemed to spin around you.

There had been a reason the studio was so close, how Wanda was able to hang out there, even close to her death.

You were at her college. 

If that was the case… If she had truly been a student here, surely she would be documented in some way. A record, a memorial, anything.

You rushed down towards the elevator in the dorm, riding it down and running to class. Your main class today was Mathematics with Professor Steve Rogers. You knew he was a newer hire, this was only his third year teaching in a college, so asking him about Wanda would certainly be fruitless.

But, if you could leave early… Maybe the library would hold something.

~~~~~

Professor Rogers stood proudly at his screen, showing off the formula you and your classmates were to study. “Now, I know some of you may think you won't need this. Some of you may be right, but I wanna make sure, you are all prepared for anything life can throw at you. Heck, I myself thought that way about things like cooking. I used to think, ‘I'll never need fancy tools’.” He laughed to himself. “Now look at me, bringin’ in snacks for you guys made with those same tools."

He placed a plate down on the center table of the room. Steve liked to keep his students in a ‘U’ formation, a large table in the center where he could provide his classes with food and water. Of all teachers, he was by far the one with the softest heart. He'd made sure everyone succeeded, and that included getting in nutrition and hydration too.

Finishing up your bit of work, you leaned back in your chair. “Hey, uh, Professor?” You called. Your teacher looked up from where he'd been focused on marking another class's test. “I'm done with my own work, could I please go to the library?”

Delighted surprise shining on his face, Professor Rogers opened the nearby door for you. “Be my guest. You guys know when work is done, you can leave.” He gave you a good-natured grin. “Remember to turn it in before you leave though.”

Using your work submitting app, you did exactly that. After that, you rushed out through the door. “Thank you!” You squeaked, running towards the school's absolutely massive library.

The library was beautiful, either screens all over the walls that displayed famous art pieces, or something just displayed a sky during a time of day. At the moment, the ‘sky’ was in a deep sunset.

There must have been a record of Wanda somewhere. Yearbooks? Did this school do those? Maybe just a simple record of alumni…

You looked around the room for anything that could help, any archive terminals you could plug into and browse…

But, to your surprise, there were none.

“Hey Y/n.” To your even further surprise, Yelena waved at you from where she and Kate were sitting. The duo, now never seen apart, relaxed at a large table, Kate was drawing in a book, looking focused. “I can tell you're looking for the terminals, they're down for maintenance until next week.” She told you. “At least… They're aiming for next week.”

You sighed softly. “Oh, thanks for telling me!” You sat down next to the two. “Hey… Do you guys know which staff have been here the longest? I wanted to ask about the past.”

“Uh…” Yelena tilted her head. “I'm not sure. Rogers and Barnes are newer, but… The Headmaster must have been here for a while, right?”

You laughed. “He never comes out of his office, though.”

Charles Xavier, Headmaster of the school. From pictures you'd seen, he had been here a while, but from what the students who'd been here the longest said, he was rarely ever out of his office anymore. You'd seen him a single time on orientation day. A brilliant man, but the light from his eyes seemed… Drained. Maybe he was just getting tired of his job… Or he felt guilty over the death of a bullied student. 

“You could try with Calderu.” Kate spoke up. “She said she's been here for ages. What are you asking about?”

“A… Past student.” You told them. They glanced at one another. “Just some stupid rumor I heard about one.”

“What was it?” Asked Yelena. “The rumor?”

‘Think of something!’

“That there's a ghost on campus, just, something about them having died here the night before graduation.” You weren't totally lying. She did die here.

“Ooh, creepy!” Kate leaned in. “I've never heard that before, you've gotta keep us updated, okay? Maybe we could get into the school at night and like… Ghost hunt.”

Yelena scoffed. “You guys could, my sister would string me up by my thumbs. She never lets me do anything fun, she's always making a big fuss over me.”

‘Nat's just looking out for you…’ You wanted so desperately to say, but you kept your mouth shut. You felt like these two actually wanted to be your friends.

You hung out with the two of them for a while, listening to Kate tell you a story about her gymnastics class, until it was time for you to get to work. You waved a polite goodbye, thanking them for letting you sit with them, and left.

The thought that you had two new friends, two people to hang out with at college, it made your heart flutter with joy, putting an extra spring in your step as you walked through the plaza towards the studio.

“HEY! Y/N!” A voice shouted, making you jump about a foot in the air. You turned to look at the person who'd definitely shaved a month off of your life.

Alice stood in the doorway of a small coffee shop, holding a small drink tray with a few cups of iced coffee and being handed another. “Hey, buddy! Just picking up some drinks for the gang. Wanna help me?”

You gleefully helped her out, taking the tray from her hands. “This coffee shop's kind of expensive…” You murmured. 

Alice chuckled nervously. “I used to visit so often, they've given me a friends and family discount.” She explained. “I don't visit as much any more, but I'm still the shop's favorite customer.”

At that, she darted back inside, grabbing another cup and placing it into your tray. “For you! It's hazelnut and chocolate flavored, I'm sure you'll love it.”

You laughed as you walked with her, both carrying a tray of drinks. Just as you'd finished telling her about the Lunar Festival, Alice's phone rang. She grimaced as she set her drink tray down on a nearby bench.

“Hi mom.” She greeted, her voice gentle. “You okay?”

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, mom, it's okay. I checked the oven when I left, I even shut off the power to it. It won't catch fire, okay? Yes, I also made sure to cut power to the toaster.” 

You listened, but her mom was speaking a language you didn't know. She sounded panicked. Your heart ached. Whatever she was talking about, it clearly had her stressed out.

“No, I understand. It's okay mom. I'm fine, I promise.” Alice soothed her mother, smiling softly as the other woman calmed down. “I have to get back to work now, okay? I love you, mom.”

She hung up the phone, and sighed. Alice glanced at you, and looked away. “My mom. She's… Not well. She only barely managed to survive a hotel fire, and ever since then she…” Alice shook her head. “It's a lot.”

You picked up the second tray for her, balancing the drinks in your arms. “I understand.” You told her. You knew issues like this. You could handle the coffee for her.

“Thanks.” Alice seemed relieved, she held the door to the office building for you, letting you through.

You helped her hand out the cold drinks. Placing a few on unoccupied desks. Tony, Natasha, and Agatha all had orders, but weren't at their places. Oh well, they'd have to be back soon if they wanted their items.

Finally, after passing out each chilly cup, you sat at your desk.

You typed away at a report on your computer. Just small notes about the game and how its environment interacted with its AI, and some small suggestions for quality of life features. Also the issue with the randomizer feature often not quite knowing where to spawn Wanda in.

“Hey.” Agatha's voice made you jolt. You looked up from your computer at the older woman. “I need to talk with you, young lady.”

You shrank in your seat. “Y… Yes?”

Agatha's piercing blue eyes narrowed. “Meet me on your lunch break. After we're done, I want you to take the rest of the day off, or at least most of it.”

“Okay.” You answered, but in the back of your mind, you cringed at the thought of leaving Wanda alone. She would most certainly have an issue with you leaving her early.

You finished up the update for the report about the randomizer issue, and headed into the testing room. In there, you found Tony fiddling with the monitor.  A small crack along the screen. “Hey kid. Some idiot who shall not be named dropped the monitor while they were trying to replace an aux cable.” He told you.

You held back a snicker, “Need any help?” You offered, but he waved his hand at you.

“I already called Nat in to get a screen replacement. She's got connections like you wouldn't believe.” He laughed, before he pointed the slightly floppy aux cable at you. “Thanks for coming to the trailer party by the way, didn't get much of a chance to talk to you. It was my idea for the party, so I hope you enjoyed it.”

“I did! It was a lot of fun, I've never been to a party like that before!” You chirped, handing him the new cable. Natasha entered the room, bright green eyes full of pride.

“Found a guy who can replace the screen for cheap!” The redhead smiled at you. “Hey, Y/n, thanks for the reports. I'll be making some adjustments later, so play whatever game you like. The next teaser trailer should launch tonight or tomorrow.” She glanced at the console. “They're also gonna be showing off the new red Magnus. It won't look the same as the console in the testing room, that one's special, but it's pretty close.”

“This one is special?” You asked.

Natasha nodded. “Yeah, this model was made for… For the boss's daughter.”

Those words sent a chill down your spine. This console has been made for Wanda, and now her recreated AI form lived inside it .

You didn't trust Erik, but you could not fathom the sheer grief the man must have felt. Everything about this project seemed to be a gift to Wanda, the real one…

“So, I can still keep playing?” You tried to change the subject. Tony gave you a thumbs up from where he was seated. 

“Go for it, kid.” 

Excited to see Wanda again, you plugged yourself into the console, and sat down next to it on a soft chair. Closing your eyes, you let your mind slip into the game.

Eyes fluttering open, you looked around. “Wanda!” You called. You'd wanted to make sure that her not appearing was a fluke, or a fixed bug.

But she poked her head up from… Under the floor? “What are you doing under there?”

“Surprise!” Wanda chirped. “Did you know that the darkness stretches beyond the invisible floor, but there is room underneath it? Not a lot, but it's almost like those crawlspace in the horror games!”

“Oh, you mean, like, out of bounds?” You asked. “Can you get out of bounds in the games easily?”

“Of course! But… Players aren't supposed to see anything down there.” Said the AI. “That's why, when you fell, it was really bad. Mr. Lehnsherr has erased all traces of that map now, like it never existed at all. He spoke to me about it too, so I could confirm it to you. He also fixed the collision in the floor, so there is no way to fall through, and re-implemented a sequence that ensures players can't skip parts of the game.”

“Good, I wouldn't want anyone else running into… That.” You relaxed, but the way he'd spoken to Nat made you feel nervous again. “Erik, is he… Nice to you?”

Wanda tilted her head. “He has always been kind to me. Why are you concerned, Y/n?”

Quickly lying, you shrugged. “I just worry about you, that's all.” You told her. “You uh… You still see him like a father, right?”

She nodded slowly. “I do… It makes the most sense, right?”

‘I don't know how much you know, and how badly you'll react if I tell you…’

“Yeah, in a way I guess it does.” You mustered up a little smile before moving away towards the Play Console. “Hey, why don't we go to our winter cabin, hm? And then we visit the place you wanted me to see?”

Your cheerful companion shimmered. “Let's go!” She said, hovering around you as you loaded into Crystal Ranch.

The gently falling snow made a great contrast with the roaring fire. You stood out of your cabin’s porch, drinking a warm cup of cocoa. Wanda had spawned it for you, of course. You hadn't unlocked the ability to make it, but that was fine. 

“Think the cake is ready?” You looked up at the redhead, who was floating above you, lazily drawing shapes with her magic.

“Oh, for sure!” She smiled, drawing a circle in the air. “I hope it tastes good, I wish I could taste…” She lamented.

You loaded up the game with her. “If you made it, I'm sure it's tasty. It would be nice if you could have some too.” You assured her. “I pushed for it recently, I'll push again soon if I don't hear anything.”

Snow gently swirled around the both of you in a lazy spiral. You reached down, gathering up a ball of it, and chucked it as hard as you could at a nearby fence post. It hit the side of it with a fluffy white explosion. 

Wanda created a few sparkling red rings in the air. “Throw one through!” She told you, and you made another snowball, throwing it through the highest ring she made.

You spent time playing in the snow, making silly little sculptures that somewhat resembled your animals, throwing snowballs through target Wanda created, and letting said animals play with a little snow in their barn. 

After tending to the plants you'd tucked safely into the cozy greenhouse, you hurried into your cabin. “I know you can't eat, but would you be able to sit with me?” You asked, but you had barely needed to. Wanda immediately moved to the couch, tail waving lazily back and forth as she watched you.

You cut yourself a piece of cheesecake, and relaxed on the couch.

“Is it good?” She asked, eyes wide and hopeful. You'd only just taken a bite, and you held back a giggle at her adorable face. 

Swallowing, you leaned back. “It's delicious. The tech they used to simulate a human's sense of taste is enviable.” You remembered a game released by Magnet Studio a few years back, a cooking game that seemed to revolutionize the way smell and taste were handled in games.

“You're most certainly correct, Y/n.” Wanda’s chest puffed out with pride. “This game has the best technology you've ever seen.”

“Speaking of best…” You took another bite of cake, watching her use her magic to stoke the fire burning nearby. “I wanna try that level you recommended.”

Wanda’s eyes lit up, her form sparkled. “Really?! Oh, Y/n, my best friend, you've made me so happy! I wish I could hug you!” The grin on her face told you that she was pleased, but then, there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You sure you're up for it? There's a lot of little secrets to collect.” She added in a sing-song voice.

“If that's the case, we’re going as soon as I'm finished eating!” You declared, taking another bite. If there was anything that was a weakness of yours, it was collecting things.

That, and the look on her face as she realized that you truly did care about what she thought.

The moment you finished, you left the game, switching over to the Platformer. “So, which level is it?” You glanced over at Wanda. The AI waved her hands, but not before holding one out in front of your face.

“Wait, close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise.” She told you. “I wanna see your face when you see it for the first time.”

You chuckled and shook your head, closing your eyes. “Tell me when it's fully loaded!” Anticipation welled up inside you. “I can't wait to play this!” If this was Wanda's favorite level, there had to be a reason why.

“Here we are! I've only been here once, but I love this level so much!” There was a joyful cry, and you looked around, your jaw dropping at the sight that was laid before you.

The path you stood on, a winding forest walk, held many dips and tiny rises. Each dip made the pooling fog more opaque, looking like small white pools among the silvery mists. Each rise peeked out from the fog, tiny bumps covered in soft grass against the rolling waves.

Pine trees filled the area. The ground around each one was clear of any mists, but the fog itself clung to each branch like snow, wrapping around the trees like wisps of smoke.

A thick plume of fog rolled off of a low branch, gently falling to the ground and dissipating into a large ‘puff’. Wanda giggled as she wove her way around the misty trees. The glow of her body only lightly shone through the thick fog that swirled around her. 

“Ready to find some treasure?” You asked, watching her dive in and out of the small pits, using her magic to make little red lights inside them and casting the forest and its fog in a faint red glow.

Mist swirled around her as she rose up. “I always am, Y/n!” She cheered. 

The two of you slowly made your way through the foggy pine forest. You pushed through some low hanging branches, jumping onto a platform where a shiny golden cat statue hovered. Taking and stashing it, you sat on the platform, swirling the fog that hung around you.

“isn't it fun?” Wanda waved her hands, sending tiny streaks of light into the mists. 

You cupped your hand under some thick fog, moving it upwards. “It's like… Liquid.” You tipped your hand, letting it slowly pour out. Wanda moved forward, the fog pouring through her body as she got very close to you. Your heart jolted and began to pound.

“Let's keep going, you haven't seen the best part!” She chirped, before leading you through a deeper part of the forest. The fog dripped from branches and rolled over the soft grass. You collected more little coins, running after Wanda and jumping up platforms into the trees.

Following her, you watched as the platforms began to thin. Smaller and smaller until you managed to jump to one that you were only just barely able to stand on. You looked around, but there were no other platforms to jump into. You'd reached a large ring of pine trees, stood over what looked like a bottomless pit, full of fog.

“Jump into the pit!” Wanda cheered. “You'll love it!”

You trusted her with your life. Swaying back and forth a few times, you took a deep breath.

With a leap, you plunged into the depths.

The fog swirled around you as you plummeted down, a loud scream the only thing to cut through the muffled silence.

You reached your hand out to Wanda, who raced down beside you. “It's okay!” The redhead shouted. “This is part of it!”

You landed in a large pool of water, thankful that real-world physics didn't apply. You pulled up, away from the bottom of the lake, and looked around.

Around you, wispy plumes of fog swirled, seemingly alive. You had entered a massive cave, the walls covered in sparkling crystals. Brilliant reds, purples, blues and yellows, all shimmering brightly. Hauling yourself out of the water, you gave yourself a shake to instantly dry off, and touched a crystal. Its sleek, smooth surface reflected you. Your reflection cast in the bright scarlet crystal made you look quite similar to a certain someone…

Wanda had no reflection herself, something you'd make note of. But, in the red crystal, you looked very much like her. 

“It would be so nice to stay here forever. Don't you think, Y/n?” Wanda purred. “That right there is what you could look like, if you were like me . We could be together forever and ever…”

The thought of it brought heat to your body in more ways than one. Staying with Wanda, never needing to leave her all alone… Sure, that sounded amazing…

But Wanda's existence seemed to be a nightmare. She didn't have a sense of touch, or smell, or taste, but she seemed to want to. She kept reaching for things, as if by instinct… Did she have instincts like that? The feeling that, while she couldn't do something, she was supposed to be able to?

“Would you want me to?” You asked, glancing at her from the corner of your eye.

She grew shy instantly. “Well, uh… I…” Wanda stammered, glitching slightly. “I-I would love to play with you forever, to enjoy your company… I love being your best friend.” Said the redhead. She urged you to move into a small cave. “Let's, um, let's keep going.”

The topic of you staying with her had gotten the poor AI so flustered that you swore she was messing with the game. More and more coins seemed to speckle the stone and each glittering crystal could be broken to find a treasure inside.

“Hey! Adventurer!” A voice called from deeper in the cave. You moved around a boulder and gasped as the cave opened up into a massive, perfectly round ravine. Moss covered the ground. Giant crystals pointed from the bottom of the ravines edge up towards the foggy sky. To the right, a waterfall poured down the smooth rocks, feeding all the way into a small pond on the right.

A little mouse NPC waved at you. “Glad you made it!” It cheered, its big ears wiggled and its adorable whiskers twitched in delight. “There's reports of a big treasure up ahead!”

“Good luck bringing that home!” Another mouse squeaked behind it. Her voice was quite familiar… Alice?

“Thank guys.” You waved at them as you pressed onwards, diving into the small round pool. Wanda followed after you, looking excited.

“They didn't mean this, but there's a secret here!” She squealed. “I can't wait for you to see it!”

Your eyes widened as you sank further into the pool. The water… Stopped. You floated in the center of a pillar made from water. You swam out of it, stumbling as you landed on the floor of a warm, tiny cavern.

Before you, shimmering over an altar, was a floating, turquoise gear. You reached out, touching it gently. A soft ping sounded through the little cave. “Go on… Take it. Nothing bad will happen.” Wanda urged you, the redhead's body of light a neat contrast against the turquoise glow.

You grabbed the gear, watching it shine brightly.

Treasure Obtained!

Time Gear: They say these gears control the flow of time itself. Without their power, the planet itself would be paralyzed… Good thing that power can be drawn from anywhere!

You laughed. “Good find, eh?” You held up the gear to Wanda. “Would love to be able to stop time.”

“It would be perfect.” She added. “Like a pause menu for life itself, then you'd never have to worry about anything! You'd have forever to get your college work or tests done!” The AI laughed. “You could do whatever you please…”

You knew what she really wanted to say there. But you could hardly look at her without your face burning. The look she was giving you was downright sultry, her crimson eyes seeming to take in every inch of you. 

‘Holy fuck, I can NOT be thinking like this.’

“So, uh, how about we… Do you wanna go into the Sandbox game?” You stammered. “We're almost done with the treehouse, I think. A-after we're done with this, of course.”

“Absolutely, I'm always happy to spend more time with you, you know that.” Her gentle voice was one you could fall into forever. You hoped it was accurate to the real girl, you wanted to deepen your connection with Wanda, even if an early departure today would certainly sour her mood.

Hopping back into the water pillar, you swam up to the top. “Guessing it's behind the waterfall, then?” You looked at Wanda. She nodded, her ghost tail turning into legs as she moved to get back on land. “Such a classic.” 

“Is it common for waterfalls in video games to have things behind them?” She asked.

“It's at the point that it's more weird if there isn't something behind it.” You joked, walking over to the waterfall. Taking a deep breath, you took a few steps backwards, and sprinted up to it, jumping as hard as you could.

With a satisfying landing, you looked around. At the back of this small cave was a large crystal, half black and half white, in the shape of a star. You stepped up to the altar that held it, pressing your fingers against its cold surface. It began to hover, spinning around you as you felt yourself leave the ground; you and the star were hovering around each other, Wanda cheering by your side. 

Treasure Obtained!

Eclipse Star: The power of the Sun and the Moon are held within this fused star, hidden away in a sacred forest full of fog. They say it will only appear to a truly brave hero, that must be you!

You added it to your collection, a bright smile on your face as you did so. Wanda looked delighted, and you made her an offer to make her happy.

“Wanna run through this level again, see how well I can do at all the little parkour challenges? I don't have leg cyberware, but if I can have a little boost…”

“Say no more, best friend!”

~~~~~

After another few hours of playing, running through the foggy forest and scouring an underwater temple that proved to be quite difficult, you'd finally settled in the Sandbox game. Your house among the trees was finally finished, complete with multiple rooms spanning the massive tree's branches, and a proper balcony to watch the moon rise.

You peered out through the window now as you finished organizing your things, taking in the starry sky. Wanda phased through the wall, and you watched her float above the trees, stars sparkling through her translucent body.

They couldn't compare to the sparkle of her eyes.

“It's nice out here…” She lamented, and raised her arms. Cherry blossom petals fluttered up around her, swirling around the treehouse. You stepped out onto the balcony you'd created, the petals moving around you in a pale pink storm, illuminated by the light of the full moon.

You watched the petals, unaware of the loving scarlet gaze fixed on you. 

“You're beautiful…” The redhead whispered. She committed every inch of you to her memory. Soft pink cherry blossoms in your hair, the moon shining in your eyes…

She wished more than anything that she could stop time right here. Live in this moment forever and ever.

~~~~~

“You can set yourself to not float, right? I know you phase through objects, but you seem capable of relaxing in midair, without having to consciously hold yourself, can you?”

“I can. I can't feel it, but I can effectively rest on objects. Though, if they aren't flat, I will clip through them, and it can be quite immersion breaking…” Wanda looked mildly shameful. The two of you sat on the balcony, watching the meteor shower that Wanda forced the world to generate.

You lit the little fireplace and moved your large bed close to it. “It's not perfectly flat, but you should be able to rest on it, right?”

“I can!” Wanda chirped, she hovered around you. “I'd love to sleep with you.”

Your face burned . Had she meant to say that? Did she know what that meant? “Um… Okay. Let's, uh, try and get you to sleep. I'd like to know if that's possible.”

“I don't know if I can, but I would love to be able to!”

You pulled a blanket over, trying to steady your pounding heart. “Well, um, the most important thing is to relax.”

She laid down on the mattress beside you, staring at you. “Close your eyes, Wanda.”

The AI settled down, laying flat against the mattress. The blanket clipped into her body, and you desperately wished that she could be wrapped in it, comfortable and warm. You didn't mind her lack of touch one bit. 

“You just need to relax, not think about anything in particular.” Your voice was clearly soothing to her. “Just focus on me. I'm right here, and I'll always come back for you.”

She mumbled something, but you couldn't hear what it was.

“That's it, just listen to my voice. Let's see if we can get you some sleep.” You whispered, watching the AI slowly relax. Her glow began to dim, her eyes closing. “I know it's hard, just focus on me…”

Kneeling down, your soft whispers seemed to lull her into a peaceful state. “You're safe here, Wanda. I'll always come back for you, no matter what.”

You whispered more kind words to her, before quietly unplugging yourself from the game. You gently pressed the power button on the Magnus.

You sat next to the console, resting your hand on the warm, shiny plastic. You rubbed your thumb along the edge of it. “You'll be okay.” You murmured as you listened to the fans inside the console slowly powering down.

Once the console was off, you took a deep breath. Leaving Wanda hurt , you always felt guilty when you did it. But… Something inside yourself knew that whatever Agatha had to say was important. The brunette always seemed to be upset, or glaring at you. Probably not helped by her wife's flirting with you.

Making sure the console was turned off, you patted it gently and unplugged yourself from it. “See you tomorrow, buddy.” You murmured. 

Maybe like this, she could rest. Maybe if she was given a piece of you, she could stay calm longer. You had very intentionally left those screenshots in the hopes she could find them. You prayed that she would not be too upset.

“I'm in love with you.” You murmured. “It's stupid, and insane. But I can't help myself. You're gorgeous, sweet, funny… I don't know how much of the ‘real you’ is in there… But I hope it's a lot.”

‘I hope I'm in love with the real you.’

You stood up, grabbed your bag, and left the room, turning the lights off as you left it.

The moment you were away from the Testing Room, you were practically pounced on.

Agatha led you away from the desks, practically pulling on you. “We need to leave. I've already signed you out for the day with the excuse of you helping me with making new designs for a new game project.” She muttered, voice low and flat. “I don't need help, it's just a remake, so don't go thinking that that's what this is about.

“Is everything okay?” You asked, Bruce gave the both of you a funny look as Agatha rushed past, dragging you alongside her.

“Like I said. I need to talk to you.” The brunette muttered. You followed her into the elevator, and out into the back of the building, into the somewhat sheltered parking lot where her dark green car was parked. You wondered which cars belonged to the others…

“Oh, are we gonna talk here?” You asked, trying to keep your tone as light as possible as Agatha placed her bag in the back seat.

“Get into my car.” She spoke quietly, the wind picking up as you stepped towards the vehicle, sitting in the passenger seat. You watched the brunette sit down in the driver's side, adjusting her low ponytail and rolling up the sleeves of her shirt. A blue and white long sleeved shirt with a picture of a golden salmon.

'Women want me. Fish fear me.' "You like fishing?" You tried to ask. Shine City was far too landlocked for any fishing to be done, but there was a chance Agatha had done it.

“Never tried. Was a gift from Rio.” Said Agatha. “She has a matching one.”

Oh, this was definitely about Rio, wasn't it?

You let her drive you around, driving deep into the center of Shine City. “I don't come to the city center often.” You tried to make small talk with her.

“Probably for the best. Not much here for a woman your age.” Agatha sounded unamused. “What are you, eighteen?”

You chuckled. “You know I am in my twenties.” You pointed out.

She said nothing at that, driving down a road you'd never been on before. You stared out through the window at the houses and apartment complexes. You'd never lived in the center of the city, where life was much more busy and loud. Your general areas were considered the ‘quiet’ regions of Shine City. Not many were exactly keen on living within spitting distance of Night City's broken little kingdom.

Agatha was decidedly not the best driver you'd ever encountered. She was fast, sure, but you found yourself gripping the seat a few times out of nerves. 

“Almost here.” The artist muttered.

The building was a mix of bright orange and pale blue, a small playground for children sat to the side of it. 

“Um… Agatha?” You looked at her. “I don't know if you know but… I heard Nat and Erik talking yesterday, and-”

“I'm well aware. If you think her experience is unique, you're more naive than I thought.” She eyed you as she pulled the car over in front of a restaurant. “I can't talk about it. And you shouldn't be either. I didn't bring you here to talk about Natasha.”

She exited the car, and you followed closely behind. The place was busy, people rushing in and out seemingly every few seconds. You followed Agatha to an ordering screen. “We're eating in here.” She told you. “It's louder.”

She ordered a few items, before letting you choose your own. “Mind going half with me?” She asked. You paid your share, and Agatha paid for hers. “Come here.”

The older woman practically dragged you through the place, bringing you to a large booth.

You waited in silence with her, the artist looking around, throwing glares at anyone who stared at the two of you. Soon enough, your order arrived.

You ate some of your french fries nervously. Watching Agatha as she began to glare at you.

“You have no idea what you're doing, do you?”

Setting down the chicken strip you'd grabbed, you shrank in your seat. This was about her wife flirting with you, wasn't it?

You took a deep breath. “Agatha, i-if this is about Rio, I promise you, I'm not returning any flirting or trying to…” You trailed off when you caught Agatha staring at you as if you'd grown a second head.

“What are you talking about?” She narrowed her eyes. “My wife has a boyfriend, our relationship is open… That isn't what I wanted to talk about.” The brunette explained. “I… I'm going to be careful.”

You watched Agatha look around, before she dropped her voice, whispering to you. “That thing. In the program… It's not what you think.” You could barely hear her over the chatter of others.

“Program? You mean the ga-”

“Shh!” The older woman darted forward to cover your mouth. “Don't say that… Please.” Her eyes darted around. “I need you to understand what I'm saying. Every other employee in the lower ranks lives in Shine City, and I don't know where they all are. We need to be quiet, and non-specific.” 

Relaxing, you leaned closer to her. “Okay, talk to me.”

“That thing isn't the friendly girl you think she is.” Agatha whispered into your ear, covering her lips with her hand. Who was she so scared of seeing or hearing this? “I'm not certain, but I think it's something more than Artificial. And the girl it's based off…”

“Who, Wan-”

“ Yes .” The brunette hissed. “Yes Y/n, her . She wasn't the fucking angel Erik claims she was. Far from it. And that thing , whatever it is, is way too much like her. We fed it far too much data, and if it gets into the general public's hands, or, god forbid, onto The Net with the game's internet connection? We're talking Blackwall 2.0, mark my words.”

You pulled away, staring at Agatha. Wanda, the girl who had been bullied to death? The girl who begged you to stay with her every day? She was dangerous?

Agatha pulled you back in. “I'm not done, Y/n. She was dangerous. She hurt people, she stalked people. People were scared of her. Any time someone was kind towards her, she would follow them everywhere, try to get into their house, find anything they liked… Sure, she had it bad, life was unfair to her, I'm not gonna deny that, kids are cruel and life just likes to add salt to the wounds, but…”

She pulled away for a moment. “In her father's eyes, she could do no wrong. He refused to accept that she wasn't okay. That she had threatened students who she fell in love with when they rejected her…”

“Why are you telling me this?” You breathed.

“Because her father trusts you, and you're the only one without such a binding contract right now. Bonding with something based on her could very well put you in danger. She hurt people that rejected her. I’m friends with her old teacher, and she still remembers the real one having a breakdown because a girl she liked found out she was stalking her and told her off. Erik just thought she was a perfect little angel.” She answered. “She was a monster , Y/n.”

“But she…” You started. “She jumped to her death, she was hurting…”

“Do you know for sure if she jumped?” Asked Agatha. “Or did someone else finally snap and push her?”

Chapter Text

Where were you? 

She felt her tail lashing angrily. The redhead growled, low and quiet as the minutes ticked by. She'd counted each one internally.

You left early yesterday. And now you were late.

Now, she had been forgiving at first, she knew humans were funny creatures, and not everyone had the ability to manipulate the odds of every event happening around them. She gave you forty-five minutes to show up peacefully.

It was now two hours, and Wanda had been successfully pissed off.

She felt someone else plug themselves into the Magnus, and she coiled around the Play Console like an angry snake. Whoever it was, they weren't Y/n.

“Go away.” She hissed, tip of her tail twitching. “I don't want anyone else here.”

She felt herself push into the game's code, slowing the game's loading speed to a crawl. They would be lucky if it booted without a crash…

Mind you, she had never experienced a crash before, not a real one… The thought made her nervous. Was this worth it?

“Hey, Nat?” A voice called. “Is everything plugged in right?”

Ah, Alice Wu Gulliver. Wanda only knew her because she had left a tiny Easter Egg with her voice in one of the cute little mouse NPCs from the Platformer game's Foggy Forest level…

The one Wanda desperately wanted to play again with you…

The game's code began to tangle with her mind. She could feel it binding into her, deeper and deeper. The more frustrated the redhead grew, the more entangled her emotions became with the game.

“I don't want you, I want Y/n.” She snarled, and cracks formed on the console before her again. “I'm not letting you in.”

“I don't know what's wrong, it won't boot up…” Alice murmured. “Wait… Is it the outlet? Are there more outlets here?”

“No, go away…” Wanda grumbled. She wanted nothing to do with the developers. She was seething. How DARE you leave her alone? She NEEDED you.

“Did it overheat?” Alice asked someone who must have been in the room with her, and, suddenly, all sound from the outside world cut off once more. She must have unplugged herself from the console.

The redhead whimpered as the silence sunk back in. Where was Y/n? 

She looked around as she rolled over, laying on her belly. The pitch black floor of the Play Console Room, the endless void…

She'd cracked it. The memory replayed in her head. Yes, the floor beneath had cracked like an icy lake, the cracks spreading like a spider's web.

The cracks were gone now, and if the actual real console was damaged, someone would have said something. Right? 

You would have spoken up, Wanda reckoned. You were kind, you would have been worried about her…

She let herself drift into thoughts of you, smiling to herself, she felt her rage mix with her love for as she fantasized about you, keeping you inside the game with her until the end of time… Being able to follow you into the real world… Another hour passed.

And another…

Her thoughts ran dry as she went into the shadows, hiding. She wanted to see you, needed to see you… She had moved past anger and her obsessive thoughts now morphed into worry. What if you were hurt? Or sick? Or something else had happened to you? Were you in trouble?

“Where are you, Y/n?” She murmured. “Please be okay…”

~~~~~

You tapped your foot on the ground as you struggled to answer the question before you. One last question for this test…

Professor Kale sat at her desk, and you watched students creep up to her as quietly as possible to hand over their tests. You could feel yourself starting to sweat.

You took a breath. ‘Just try. I know I've gotten almost every other question right. Just try and do this the best I can.’

You scribbled your answer down in as neat a writing as you could. Maybe you'd get points for penmanship. You signed your name, and the date, and handed the test over to your professor.

Jennifer smiled at you as she placed it down on the adorable mini filing cabinet she put all handed back papers into. “Don't stress too hard.” She whispered. “You're doing really well, okay? I promise.” She winked, and you felt yourself grow bashful.

“Thanks, Professor Kale.” You stammered.

Walking out of the room, you leaned against the nearby wall and sighed heavily. Worry over this test had kept you up the previous night.

You needed to get to work soon, but there was one last stop before you made the trek to the studio.

You peered into Professor Calderu's office. The older woman was at her computer, typing away without a care in the world.

“Um, Professor Calderu!” You spoke without thinking, the older woman looked away from the large screen. 

“Yes, Y/n?” She raised an eyebrow. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just… With the school library being closed for updates and maintenance, I don't have access to any yearbooks, a-and I was wondering-”

“About past students?” She predicted, and you smiled.

“Yeah. I, uh… One in particular.” 

She leaned back in her chair, gesturing to the seats on the other side of the desk. “Ask away, baby. I'm an open book, and I've been here for longer than I care to admit.”

You pulled a chair over and sat down with her behind the desk. She enjoyed her students sitting as equals with her.

The image that sat on Erik's desk, the cheerful goth girl, clashed so heavily with what Agatha had told you… You had the best feeling that the friend she had mentioned was indeed Lilia. “You know Agatha Harkness, right?”

“She's my… Let's call her a friend.” Lilia shrugged. “If not my annoying sister. Why?”

“Just checking. More importantly… Did you ever teach a girl named… Wanda Maximoff?”

At your question, Lilia seemed to wilt. “I… Yes. She was my student…” The older woman sighed. “This was years back. She was brilliant, a prodigy if ever there was one.”

“What happened to her?” You asked.

“I never paid too much attention to what my students were doing outside of class time, but some of them… They said things about her. Horrible things. Calling her a monster, picking on her for not having any cyberware… She took a lot of abuse…” Your teacher's gaze was far away. “I don't think she was completely innocent. There was a boy she liked, another student of mine. She was fixated on him. Followed behind him like a lost puppy, never letting him out of her sight. If anyone said anything about him, she would threaten them. Not to mention anyone else that she fancied, he wasn't the only one, but he was her favorite…”

You leaned in closer. “What’d’you mean?”

“If you said anything about that boy, Jarvis, she'd lose it. According to others she would follow other students around, and threaten them when they were alone.” Lilia explained. “No one ever told me what she threatened, though. I had my own guesses, it's far too easy for you folks to get your hands on virus-riddled cyberware, or a more direct threat of a knife.”

“And… What about Jarvis himself?” You asked.

“That boy was smart, incredibly so. He made the mistake of helping her. It seemed she would run with any kindness you gave her… He was kind to her a single time, and she stalked him all over campus.” Lilia shook her head. “I should've done more… I tried to talk to the Headmaster, but Charles insisted that she shouldn't have been separated from the others. That they just needed to get along better, and learn about one another…”

“He thought that would fix it?”

“Yup, and what a preem idea that turned out to be.” Your teacher rolled her eyes. “I loved that girl, she was a perfect student until the end. I would have taught her in a private setting, or in a rearranged class. It didn't help that her father refused to get her any help. Didn't want her ‘labeled’, he'd said.” Lilia scoffed. “Fat lot of good that did when she killed another student.”

Your heart stopped.

“Sh… She what?” You felt blood leave your head, the floor seeming to sway under your chair.

“As far as I know, she shoved a student off the rooftop of the dorms, but they grabbed her and pulled her down with them. A girl that had been bullying her since they were small. People ate up the sob stories Charles and her father Erik gave, that they were friends, but I knew better. There was no friendship, just anger and bitterness until a horrible end.”

“Did she…” You swallowed. “Was she kind?”

“Always.” Said Lilia. “She was always kind to her professors. She dressed like some moody teenager, but she always had kind words for others. “Do not get me wrong, Y/n, she was a very sweet girl. Memorized birthdays and brought little baked goods in whenever they came up…” Your teacher shook her head. “But… Y/n, she was so, so sick. I'd found her once, sobbing to herself because another girl rejected her advances, screaming about how much she hated her…”

You felt a cold pit, deep in your stomach. That was… Familiar.

Rayne had thrown a book at your head. “Get out! Fuck off!” She'd snarled. You'd just wanted to know if she was okay. She hadn't stopped crying for hours.

You were only little. Only ten years old. A boy that Rayne had liked had told her he didn't like her, and now she was destroying the house.

“Rayne, stop!” Your mother shouted.

“You're going to hurt someone, are you really going to hurt your sister over a boy?!”

“Fuck you!” Rayne screamed, throwing a small laptop at your father, who ducked out of the way, taking you with him. “He's not stupid! He's the love of my life!”

“Y/n, baby, go to your room, and lock the door, okay?” Your father pushed you towards your bedroom.

“Y/n? Hello? Are you still there?” Lilia asked. “You look like you came unplugged.”

“I…” 

You were an adult again. Sat in front of your professor.

“I'm fine, sorry, I just… I know what that looks like.”

Lilia nodded. “She had a brilliant, hungry mind, but it was like yarn. She'd get so tangled in herself, over her own words. Poor kid never knew how to socialize with anyone. Much more into creating things than learning any trends or norms, and when she did try she'd chatter so much about her newest passion project that others would tell her to shut up, or just leave….” She noted, and added with a sorrowful shake of her head. “Like yarn, she'd unravel too. In the end… It undid her.”

You both sat in silence for a moment. The student she'd killed… Agatha hadn't mentioned anyone else. Neither had Erik. You had three different versions of her death. Jumped, pushed, or pulled down? What had actually happened to Wanda that day?

“The girl that died with her, Virginia. Nasty girl. Had a deep, deep hatred for those without heavy cybernetics. She replaced so many parts of her body. She was never my student, but she was reported on quite a few times for the G word.” Lilia shook her head. “But we tolerated it. We always do…”

The G word…

Ganic.

That thing. The entity that attacked you…

“Miss Calderu. One last question.” 

“Sure.”

“The other girl… Did she have shiny white skin?”

~~~~~

“Wanda, I know you're mad at me. I need to talk to you.”

Silence greeted you. 

“Please? I need my best friend.”

“So did I.”

“Wanda, I'm sorry I left yesterday. It was important for this job.” You told her. “I needed more time off today to do a test, but I got a message last night asking about the console overheating. If that was your doing, be honest.”

Her voice was much quieter now. The redhead had cloaked herself in shadow, hiding from you in the Play Console Room. “You're going to get mad…”

“No I won't. I need to know what happened, exactly. I won't be angry with you, I promise.”

There was a faint glow behind the Play Console. The button-covered box was big enough to hide the AI until her light gave her away. 

“I did… I got so mad… I made every game run in the background. I thought… Thought that if something was wrong, you'd be worried. You'd come back.” You heard a small sniffle. “That you'd be worried about me. I didn't know I turned it on though...”

“I am worried about you.” You slowly moved around the console to look at her. Wanda was sitting on the floor, curled up with her back to the console. “Can I confess something?”

Her tiara points perked up, but she said nothing. You took that as a ‘yes’.

You knelt beside her. “I wanted to find out more about you.”

“Then why didn't you ASK me?!” She snapped, and coiled on herself immediately, hiding her face as she turned away. “I'm sorry… I don't want to yell at you… I don't like being angry with you…”

“Hey… It's okay.” You reached out to her. “You have every right. I should have told you I was leaving early and would be late today. If you're angry with me, you're right to be.” 

“It's just, I feel so… Much.” She looked up slightly. “Every emotion I feel, it's as if someone turned the intensity up to its maximum limit. Sometimes, even being happy can feel like too much. It's tiring, and I can't exactly rest like a human…”

“That sleep I put you into yesterday, what was that?”

Wanda paused. “That was… It was like… My eyes were closed, and I felt so calm, I couldn't really move. All I could do was think calm thoughts, it was… Kind of nice.”

“You have a lot of energy…” You remarked, and when she looked nervous, you made sure to give her a soft grin. “That means, since I'm gonna stay late today, and tomorrow, you'd better give me everything you've got.”

Her legs turned to a tail, which twitched with excitement. “How?” 

“Hunt me.”

She seemed to freeze, before tilting her head. “I'm sorry… Hunt? You?” 

“I'm gonna open a new Sandbox map, and I would like you to generate a dark forest. I'll run with a ten second head start, and you'll hunt me down, chase me.”

She looked nervous. “But what if I-”

“No tracking me. Pure instincts. I want to help you burn off this nervous energy, and, well, let's be honest.” You chuckled. “You deserve it, get some of that anger out.”

A mischievous sparkle in her eye, Wanda agreed to it. “Don't think I'm going to hold back, darling.” She teased.

“Don't want you to.” 

You set the Sandbox to generate a new world, and let Wanda customize it. “Can we establish a link? I can count to ten as perfectly as any computer to ensure a fair head start for you.”

Sometimes you forgot that she was a computer.

“Yes, yes you can.” You snickered. “The rules are, since you can't touch me, that you've caught me when we're face to face. Less than one foot from me.” 

“Got it.” She nodded. “I… This feels good. It feels like I'm going to get back at you for upsetting me, but… But I'm not going to hurt you, because I don't want to hurt you.” 

“I know. Now you can't cheat and track me, and you can't look at where I run, okay?”

“I won't need to.”

With that, you were enveloped in darkness.

You blinked, and looked around.

She had definitely understood what you'd asked. Tall pine trees with thick branches stood proudly all around you. Some were so closely stood together that they created walls. A perfect natural maze, with only minimal amounts of light managing to slip through the thick, interlocked tree branches.

“My eyes are closed.” Wanda told you, she had turned away from you, hiding her face behind a large, long hanging branch. “Ten.”

You bolted, sprinting through the pine needles covered ground.

“Nine.”

Your feet pounded on the soft forest floor, it was hard to see where you were going.

“Eight.” 

Her voice echoed through the woods. Each passing day, Wanda seemed more and more powerful.

“Seven.”

How much data had they fed her?

“Six.”

She was surely furious with you, you knew you deserved it. You had a life outside the game, yes, but she didn't.

“Five.”

You ducked under a low branch, jumping over a tiny ravine. You had to have made good ground by now.

“Four…”

Hiding behind a massive pine tree, you crouched near its roots, letting yourself rest for a moment.

“Three…”

You took a deep breath.

“Two…”

The forest seemed to do so as well.

“One.”

There was silence, not even a breeze to move the branches of the trees. Weak sunlight barely managed to reach the forest floor, cloaking you in darkness.

You picked yourself up, and began to move again. She needed to be played with, tired out so she could finally relax, and rest. 

‘How the hell did she turn on the console? The Magnus was off, I turned it off. Unless she has some sort of manual override… Or maybe someone else turned it on to screw with me, and she just thinks she's done it.’

Darting over a small hill, you jumped, rolling on your shoulder near a skinnier tree, turning to run away. Some of the trees had leaves, a few of which had scattered onto the ground, loudly rustling when you stepped on them.

“I can hear you, Y/n!” A familiar voice playfully singing to you made your adrenaline spike, your legs pumping as you ran in the opposite direction.

She was close, and from the sounds of it, was really enjoying herself.

The trees seemed to crowd around you, as if trying to wall you in. You glared, and turned, hopping over a fallen log and sprinting down a small path, trying not to kick up leaves.

She was getting closer, you could tell. You were being far too loud now…

Ducking under low branches, you covered your mouth. Moments later, she zipped by, her faint red glow shining through the pine needles. Her soft giggling was the only sound that gave her away.

Once you were sure she was gone, you crept away from the branches, sneaking in the opposite direction she'd come from.

You shrieked as she suddenly stepped out from the shadows, a wide grin on her face. “Boo.”

Oh yeah, she was pissed with you.

You darted away from her, and her laughter echoed in your ears.

“I haven't had this much fun in AGES!” Her joy nearly curled into a snarl. She seemed to be growing more and more hyper by the second. “Run my love, my best friend, I'll still catch you!”

This was, in hindsight, a very bad idea.

You panted as you ran, wind picking up as Wanda chased you relentlessly. There was no shaking her, no escaping her. You hoped this would burn away that anger inside of her.

“Y/n! Come here, darling!” She cackled, giddy laughter echoing through the forest. 

You tripped over a root, and she sprung onto you, just in time for you to roll over, facing her. She would have tackled you if she could have. Manic crimson eyes locked into yours, both of you were shaking.

“I win.”

You nodded. “You win, Wanda. You win.”

“I'll never let you go.” 

You reached up, cradling her face in your hands. “You don't have to.”

She blinked. You watched the mania drain from her, her body relaxing and her terrifying grin turn into a bubbly little smile.

“From now on, when I leave, I'll give you a warning, and I'll tell you when I'm coming back, and if anything might interfere. Okay? I don't ever want to hurt you like that again. I love you far too much to do that to you.” You explained to her.

Wanda pulled away, looking anywhere but your face. “I, um, I feel better now, Y/n.” She remarked. “I'm sorry that you fell over. Are you okay?”

“All good.” Brushing off a few pine needles, you stood up, and gave the root that had tripped you a good kick. It came loose from the earth. “Yeah, that'll teach ya.”

“Do you want to keep playing games in the woods?” Asked Wanda. “I wouldn't mind you being the one to chase me. I swear on the Magnus console's motherboard that I won't cheat.” She held up her hand. 

The two of you continued to play, chasing each other through the shadowy pines,  sitting together underneath the branches, and relaxing in a makeshift shelter when rain began to fall.

“You really promise that you'll always come back for me?” Wanda glanced at you as rain hammered down, thick branches above your head keeping you dry. “I know I feel… A lot. And that I am a lot.”

“Always, Wanda.” You promised. “You're not too much for me.” 

The AI leaned back, bringing her knees to her chest. “It's getting easier, not clipping into myself. I can't feel it, I just know it looks wrong.”

“Hey. Nothing you do bothers me.” You insisted. “You are my best friend. I don't care about things like that.” 

She gave you a watery smile. “Thank you.” She whispered, more emotional than you'd ever heard. “Y/n, I…”

You watched her seemingly fight with herself. Her eyes darted around the little shelter as she struggled. “You okay?” You asked. “What's wrong?”

Wanda stared at you for a moment longer, but she shook her head. “Nevermind. Let's just… Stay like this a little longer.”

“Sure.” You leaned back, and desperately wished you two could lean on each other.

‘I need to tell her the truth. Maybe not how the human Wanda died, but she deserves to know what she is.’

You stayed there with her until she was ready to leave. Not a moment before, and not a moment after.

~~~~~

“Sit there, and wait for me, okay? There's something I need to do outside of the game really quickly.” You watched her sit cross-legged near the Play Console.

There was a secret you'd been keeping from everyone.

You'd upgraded your little device for audio refinement when used in conjunction,  it was far from perfect, you had no idea if Wanda would be able to hear the audio as well, or if you would even be able to hear while your mind was hooked up to the console. You… Still needed to name it. So far you'd been calling it “the organic quickhack” but… Quickhacking had a bit of a less-than-wholesome reputation. This was for people who lacked cyberware, but struggled with tasks like quickhacking. Some without cyberware could do it, but the number of people who could do that was few, if truly any.

“Be right back!” You told her.

Quickly, you reached up to your neck, and made an unplugging motion. The universal way to exit Braindance style games.

You blinked, your environment back to the real world. Fumbling with your bag, you pulled out your project, now connected with the earphone Alice gave you, and plugged it into the console. You'd been working on it every moment you weren't working on the game or studying something else.

You plugged yourself back, closing your eyes as you fell back into the game.

“Okay, I'm back.”

“You plugged your device in!” Wanda smiled at you, she was rocking herself slightly. “There's more to it this time, I can feel that it's different!”

“There is, now, look at me.” You made sure you had Wanda's full attention before you spoke. Only when her eyes were fixed on you, tracking your every tiny movement, did you begin. “I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer me honestly.”

“Do you know anyone named Pietro?” You asked gently. Starting off with a heavy question, you knew this had a non-zero chance of giving her an emotional breakdown, but you needed a baseline. Pietro had protected her when they were little, and his death had left a young Wanda incredibly scarred.

“Hmm…” Her form flickered. “That name… It sounds familiar. Should I know it?” The redhead asked. “Were they on the development team?”

“No, no…” You tried to keep from sighing. If her twin brother was lost to her, what else had been taken? “Next question, do you know anyone named…”

You decided to skip Virginia for now. Erik recreating the corpse of his daughter's bully was… Not something you wanted to think about.

“Jarvis Wonder?”

“Nope!” Wanda chirped. “Should I?”

“Okay. I uh…” You hesitated. “I need you to do me a favor now. I know I'm asking a lot, but it's important, believe me.”

“Anything, Y/n, you name it.” She leaned in, staring into your eyes. You felt your skin heat up rapidly under her devoted gaze.

“I need you to keep this a secret. Can you promise me that? The stuff we're talking about… No one can know. Promise me.” Your heart pounded. You had no idea how private this truly was. 

Wanda nodded slowly, but looked confused. “Were you not aware that all of our conversations are encrypted? I'm meant to be your best friend. As such, I am able to keep secrets, anything said to me is safe from listening ears, even after you leave, no amount of questions can force me to give up your information.”

“Okay. I need you to do something for me, then. I put my project back into the Magnus, I need you to use it to access old security camera records, if that's possible. I've been upgrading it slowly at college.”

Wanda blinked. “Well, I can definitely say that's not what I was expecting you to say!” She chuckled. “But, of course. I'll see if I can!” She sat down with you on the wooden floor, pulling up the dialog box. “Okay, there's a lot of options, let me see… How far back?”

“Years.”

“Ooh, a challenge!” Wanda seemed to wiggle with excitement. “Okay, I'll go slowly, you tell me when to stop!” 

You watched the number tick backwards. Further and further, Wanda held her hand up and slowly moved her fingers. “If I'm going too fast, tell me.” She smiled absent-mindedly, the screen levitating above her fingertips.

You watched time fly backwards in the images. Your co-workers slowly ceasing to exist until the only familiar face was Natasha, then, the only one you could recognize was Erik. 

Then, at one point, there was a thin brunette beside him. 

“Stop!”

Wanda halted immediately. 

You looked at the image. Grainy quality, but there they stood. “Around this time.” You told the AI.

Wanda pulled up more screens, each with the same image, she pulled forwards and backwards around them. You slowly stopped her each time the girl showed up.

The real Wanda.

You watched her… Bubbly and bouncy in one clip, showing her father a project she'd been working on. The poor audio quality was an issue, but it looked like she was speaking so quickly that Erik was struggling to keep up. You unplugged yourself from the Magnus for a moment to slip the earpiece Alice gave you into your ear, listening as best as you could, plugging yourself back into the Magnus and trying to hear anything.

“So, I really think …” Wanda's voice was quiet, the audio clip crackled with static. “Actually, dad, can the next console be red-”

“.... -course it can, baby. Why don't- …. Help me design-” Erik sounded so sweet, his eyes shining with love as he watched his daughter sketch out a design on a whiteboard.

In another, he was holding her, stroking her hair as Wanda shook in his arms. You assumed from his expression that she had been crying. The audio was almost pure static.

“Why doesn't- … -love me?” The human Wanda sobbed.

“... -not good enough for you, sweetheart-”

“Y/n?” Your, er, the AI Wanda asked. “Who are those people? I feel like I should know who they are.”

You pointed to another feed, one where Wanda had been playing around in an office chair, spinning around slowly. “Stop the feed when that girl's face is visible. Then zoom in, please.”

The redhead did just that. She stared at the screen. “I… I know her.” She reached out. “I know that girl.”

“Wanda.” You took a deep breath as you finally found the strength to tell your best friend, your crush, the truth. “She's you.

The redhead gazed up at you, back at the screen, then back at you once more, eyes wide and full of confusion. “But… That's not…”

“I know.” You told her. “Let me explain, please.”

She nodded. “I… I look so much like her…” Her focus was still fixed on the human on screen. 

“You do. You're very beautiful.” You smiled sweetly at the redhead, who followed you to kneel at the Play Console. You made sure not to touch any of the settings buttons on it.

She was distracted, that much was obvious. You frowned for a moment, you needed her to take this in, and not panic. “Wanda I need you to know this, please don't freak out.” You let her rest her hands on the Play Console, close to your own.

“Okay.”

You did your best to trace over her palms and fingers. It was hard, not being able to touch her. 

“I've been asking you all of this, because I want to know how much you remember about your past.” You told her. “I wanted to know if you had any memories from… Your human life.”

Wanda tilted her head. “I don't understand.”

“Before you were created, there was a human girl… She… She died.” You explained. “Wanda Maximoff. She was a student at the college I go to, a-and… And Erik Lehnsherr was her father. When she died, he recreated her, using everything he could to replicate her… Your looks, your voice… It's all her. It's you.”

“I… I am her.” Wanda echoed. “I am. Her.”

“You are. In every sense of the word.” You reassured her, you couldn't imagine how this could feel, but she needed to know. “Erik recreated you. He loves you.”

‘I don't know how healthy that is, of course. You can't recreate a person. But she deserves to know who she is.’

You watched her shake a little. “I… I…” 

“Hey, if you don't wanna talk about this, that's fine. But I felt like I owed you. I'm sorry, I know this is a lot.” You told her. “Know that you were made out of love, out of cherished memories of someone who meant a hell of a lot to Mr. Lehnsherr. He cared enough that, in his grief, created something. Someone. Yes, you're a living memorial, but you're more than that, especially to me.” 

She nodded slowly.

“Help me, Y/n.” She whispered. “I want more data. I want to know who I am.”

“I'll do that. As best as I can. I promise you. I’ll find out everything I can for you.”

“Y/n?” She looked away for a moment. “I, um… I… I love…” She took an unneeded breath. “I love your honesty. That you told me, even though that knowledge is difficult to understand. I'm still trying to understand, to remember. But…”

She turned back, smiling softly. “As long as I'm with you, Y/n, I'll be okay.”

“That's right. You've got me. I won't let anything hurt you.”

Chapter Text

“Hurry, we're losing her!”

…

“How did she even survive that?”

…

“We need to set these bones back in place. What's the verdict on her spine?”

…

…

“Sir, this treatment is… Experimental. I am the only doctor here who-”

“Just do it.”

…

“Whatever it takes.”

“She may not survive this, sir. There's a potential brain injury. I'm afraid we-”

…

…

…

…

It hurt.

Oh fuck it hurt.

She had never broken a bone before, and now she knew she had several. People moved like small fish around her, blurry shadows moving through the piercing light. She closed her eyes, keeping them open was too much effort.

As quickly as she'd awoken, Wanda drifted away into a dreamless sleep.

…

…

A harsh beeping roused her, cutting through the silence. Her body ached all over, a dull throb in the back of her skull made her hesitant to open her eyes.

‘Why does everything hurt so bad?’

‘Where am I?’ Wanda tried to open her mouth to ask, but the only sound that escaped her was a slurred groan. 

“Shh, shhh, Wanda, you're going to be okay.” Her father gently touched her forehead, and she settled instantly at the sound of his voice. “They're resetting your bones for you. You've had a nasty fall, my dear.”

“D… Dad…” She whispered. “My legs-”

“I know, honey. You fell on your spine, and it's damaged. They will fix it.” He promised her. “They said you will most likely need multiple surgeries, it's a miracle you're even ali-”

She felt something cold and sharp penetrate her skin. She jolted, before crying out from the pain in the rest of her body, opening her eyes.

Her father sat in a chair by her side as she laid in a pure white bed. He was holding her bloodied hand, she'd scraped it terribly. “That's it, you're okay.” He tried to soothe her. “You and Virginia fell, do you remember?”

The lights in the room seemed amplified. The loud hum they produced was adding to the throbbing in her skull. Everything was too bright. Too loud.

“N… No.” The last thing she remembered was Virginia taunting her, having tricked her with a fake love note from Jarvis only to torment her… Anger pushed through her mind like a knife at all the insults Virginia had been hurling at her since they had been small. The cold feeling of a wish for death, Virginia's or her own. What had happened to the girl bullying her? 

The feeling she had… Was that why she was here? 

“She didn't make it, darling.” Her father's voice snapped her out of it. He was whispering into her ear, away from doctors. “You both jumped from the rooftop, you must have been so scared…” His fingertips gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. The other side of her head ached, Wanda felt as if she'd been dunked into icy water.

“Cold…” She whined softly. Her father stroked her forearm. 

“You're in shock, dear.” He whispered. “I need you to relax.”

She whimpered, fear making her feel even colder. ‘Tired… I'm so tired…’ She felt something in her body shift, but the tiredness had seeped into her marrow, and dragged her down.

Erik continued stroking her arm soothingly. “That's it. Let go, Wanda. Let us help you…”

He watched her fall asleep, deep into the medication the doctor was frantically pumping into her. An experimental treatment, one that would hopefully allow her to stay alive despite the high probability of a brain injury, he would have no way of knowing if it would work at all.

‘It's her only hope of making it through this. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try it.’

Tears slipped down his face as Erik finally allowed himself to cry. He watched them take his daughter away.

“Magda, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let this happen, I should have kept her home.” The man sobbed. “I should've kept her away from them…”

A young nurse offered him a small box of tissues. “I… I'm sorry.” She whispered, and left the man to his grief.

He mumbled a thank you towards her, holding the box. 

His daughter had been his entire world. He looked over the message that Charles had sent him. That fool, demanding that Wanda seek ‘help’. She needed help from those around her, Erik refused to allow her to be labeled under anything. To make the poor girl feel more like a freak than she already did.

Who cared if she had intense moods? She was practically still a teenager. Some people were just moody, she was such a sweet girl when she was happy.

Who cared if she rocked in her seat when she was focused, or bounced on her heels when she was happy? Her mother did the same, no one had any problem with Magda.

Another wave of grief crashed onto Erik, threatening to drown him. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, determined to not let himself sob aloud. 

Horrible thoughts entered his mind. If he had just driven a little faster, not attended a meeting that day, called Wanda rather than messaged her, maybe she would be okay. 

Erik shook his head. No. He was not to blame for this. It was their fault. The others who tormented her. Last week Virginia’s friend had poured a sugary drink over Wanda's head, and another girl had snapped at her for wanting to be friends… It wasn't her fault. 

‘My poor little girl… Please be okay. I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you, never again.’

~~~~~

Torrential rain pattered down onto the window, the wind outside howling as thunder cracked, lightning flashing brilliantly.

Hours had passed, and Erik swore that each one had felt like a week. He knew that the stabilizers the doctor had put Wanda on would help her get through the surgery, but…

He could just see it. Her funeral.

Stood over her casket, his perfect daughter ripped away from him, looking so mockingly peaceful…

He had lived longer than most. Funerals were not new to him, especially with the deaths of Magda and Pietro…

A funeral for Wanda was an event he wanted to ensure he never experienced.

Life extending treatments were expensive enough already, but they'd be even more pricey for Wanda, if they didn't just reject her due to her issues. She'd already been referred for monitoring… His supplier would reject her, almost certainly.

If he could find another way… Any other way to keep her alive…

‘I cannot lose her. I refuse. I will fight with every breath in my body, I will not lose control again. I will not bury my daughter.’

Hours passed before a doctor walked up to Erik, concern written all over on his face.

“Sir, if you would like the new stasis treatment performed, I fear we may need your help.” The young man spoke quietly. “Your daughter woke up while we were preparing it, but it seems that she's… Quite spirited.”

“Well, that's good, isn't it?” He asked. “She's awake.”

“Yes, but she does seem to have potential brain damage, a-and she is becoming… Quite aggressive.” The doctor admitted. “She keeps calling for you, as best she can. We know for certain she has a severe concussion.”

He sighed. This was never going to end, was it?

“Let me see her. I'll hold her down if needs be.”

The doctor paled. “S-sir, I'm not sure if-”

“She is sick.” Erik lowered his voice into a deep growl as another strike of lightning split the air outside. “You lot are doctors. You will treat her. I will not let you take her away from me.”

At that, the doctor's nervous demeanor melted away, a cold look in his eyes. “Right this way, sir. Just to ensure, this treatment is experimental, there is a high risk factor-”

“I'm well aware, I already signed the paperwork.” Erik told him. This hospital wasn't the most moral place, but it had exactly what he would need.

He entered the room to a heartbreaking sight. Wanda called loudly for him,  struggling against a nurse. His heart rate picked up as she resisted further, pulling away from those trying to help her. He gritted his teeth at the sight, fighting his urge to yell at her for it.

“No…” She pulled her arm away. “Don't want this…”

Erik moved to her other side, pushing her down to hold her still. “Wanda, that is more than enough. Stop it.”

~~~~~

Her father's presence was always a comfort, but his hands pressing on her aching body was bringing her anything but. Wanda tried to move again, unaware how much she was truly moving. The only thing the young woman could think about was getting away from this and resting until she felt better. Pressure built on her chest, around her broken ribs.

“Dad…” She managed to wheeze. “Please…”

‘Stop, you're hurting me.’

“It's okay, Wanda. You're going to be okay.” Her father spoke so softly, as if he was simply putting a small child back to bed, not holding his daughter down while a doctor fixed wires to her skin, an intravenous line in her wrist. “You need to stop thrashing, my dear.”

She twitched in agony as a sharp needle pierced into her body. The young woman moaned in pain. “Hurts…” She rasped, struggling to move. The pain in her back and in her head flared, leaving her gasping for breath as light exploded across her vision, her ears ringing. After a few moments, feeling began to return in her legs, but with it came the feeling of the injuries they had. She breathed a shuddered sigh that they weren't nearly as bad as everything else. Opening her eyes, she could see the dark bruises, and a doctor wrapping a small bandage around a cut.

‘Why couldn't I feel my legs? What happened?’

“Why…” She breathed, and groaned as something cold touched her again. “No, please!” She begged, everything was far too much. The sounds, the smells, the feeling of everything against her skin-

“Stop moving, please, you're making it worse.” Erik hissed. He gently but firmly pulled her wrist up for the doctor to handle, and Wanda tried her hardest to scream. To fight back. To get these people off of her. The room began to darken again. Tears slipped down her face as she coughed. Her ribs ached, she was sure she'd broken a few. Erik placed a hand on her side. “I will not let you die, my dear. I promise. I will not let anything bad happen to you.”

Wanda tried to squirm. “Daddy…” She whined. “Stop…”

“I know, it hurts now, but you'll be fine.” Erik gently kissed her forehead as another needle penetrated her body. “This will keep you alive while I help you. I've found the best doctor money can buy for you.” Liquid began to flow into her veins, and despite her desperation, Wanda felt her body betraying her and starting to relax, despite her frantic thoughts and desperate, moaning pleas for freedom. Her breathing began to slow down as an oxygen mask slipped over mouth, filling her throat with cool, foul tasting air. She wanted to gag as she slowly fell unconscious.

‘I don't want this, why aren't you listening to me?! It hurts, the needles hurt, whatever's in them HURTS! Please, stop!’

She tried to move, to get away, but the world fell out from under her and into darkness. As her eyes closed one final time, the last sound she heard was her father's gentle whisper. “Goodnight, Wanda. I love you.”

…

…

He tenderly moved her hair away from the port on her neck. The only cyberware she would ever have, he'd ensured that. He slipped a tiny USB chip into her neck. One that was connected to a small port hidden in his wrist.

It was wrong. He knew this was wrong. But she needed him. And if her body died… He could still keep her around. No one else had kept her safe before, he was more than capable of protecting his daughter.

It was breaking the law, yes, but who hadn't committed at least one crime in their life? He knew she wouldn't want this, that this was a violation of her autonomy, but…

‘She's a child. She doesn't know any better. I have to protect her.’

Something akin to SoulKiller, but modified, would allow him to keep her mind with him. An easy find on the black market years ago, kept for the status of simply having something like it. He could place her into the new project the team had begun working on. It would take ages for it to get to a point she could properly exist, but until that point, she could stay on his computer for a while, and her body could recover here, as long as it took, if ever at all.

Her mind would need a special touch, and the predicted sales for the game would certainly cover the costs of her medical bills. She just needed to stay alive. The treatment she needed still had the chance of failure. The chance that it wouldn't work, that the damage to her brain was too significant, hung over his head. If he did this now, there was a good chance it was useless... Nevermidn the fact that it had been bought off the black market, he could have just as easily been scammed. Just another thing out of his control... But the thought of fixing her, the potential that held...

Erik was no fool. He knew about her behavior issues. He loved Wanda deeply, she was still his little girl, and it broke his heart that her mind tormented her alongside those horrific creatures she'd called classmates.

The one who'd fallen with her, that horrible brat, Virginia… Erik claimed that they'd made up, become best of friends, and must have jumped together. He would not let Wanda be branded a killer, even if she could get away with murder in his eyes.

Her mind was half to blame here, her tangled, angry, self-destructive thoughts had almost certainly caused a reckless spur-of-the-moment decision, but… If he could rewrite parts of her mind like a computer's code, perhaps it would be easier for her to recover, to make friends, to live like a normal person… He could fix her.

“One day, Wanda, you will understand. I'm doing this for your own good. I'm doing this because I love you. All I need is for your body to stay alive. Please.”

He watched her slowly slip away. His daughter had put up quite the fight, but soon she slipped down into the coma she would stay in until Erik was ready for her to wake up, if she ever could. Another tear slipped down her face, one he brushed away. “I will take care of you, my dear. Don't you worry. I'll make sure your body is cared for, kept perfect. I won't let you rot away. Please, please stay alive.”

‘I will ensure that if, no, when you wake up, you will be absolutely perfect. You will live forever.’

~~~~~

…

…

“As you know, despite my best efforts, my daughter has, sadly, passed away.” Said Erik. He gripped the sides of the podium he stood at, taking a deep breath. “Utilizing audio recordings, as well as images collected, I have made the executive decision to recreate my daughter's image within our newest project as an Artificial Intelligence Companion.”

The employees clapped, some looking up at him with such sympathy and sorrow. 

His newest hire, a young redhead, glanced up at him. She had been one of Wanda's classmates. She had known, and done nothing to stop what had happened. He smiled at her, hatred pricking in his heart like poisonous thorns. His hate had seeped into his work, creating a hideous, twisted model of the foul creature that had killed his perfect daughter. The game wasn't supposed to have horror elements, but he could pour his misery and hatred into it.

Stupid little intern. That was all she was supposed to be. A young programmer who would be let go after a few months of contract work. She was still attending college, those same classes his little girl should have been attending. 

‘If she were here, she'd have this job in a heartbeat. Not you.’

“And I would like our new employee, Natasha Romanoff, to be one of our project's leaders.”

~~~~~

She blinked.

“Hello?” Her voice warbled. “What is this?”

“Hello, my dear.” Another voice made her jolt, she curled her arms around herself, shaking as she held herself tightly. It was endlessly dark around her body.

“What is this, please?” She asked again, fear growing inside her.

“You've been gone for a very long time. Years, now.”

She knew that voice. Scattered memories flashed in her mind as if she were watching a video, and pain rippled through her body. “Daddy?”

“My poor girl, I've been trying my best. I do hope you can forgive me.” Her father spoke softly, but she couldn't see him. All she could see was her own body. Aside from their voices, the silence was deafening. “Do you like your body? We used pictures of you to recreate it, but, please, tell me if I should change something. I've made you new, I've made you beautiful.”

“What is this? What am I?” Wanda shook as she felt her body, made of light, but solid. “This… This is weird. This is wrong.”

“You're safe now. Nothing can hurt you here. I'll have to keep you here in this safe zone until you're ready. Then, you can be part of a video game, just like the ones you always planned to make, and you can make friends.” His tone was warm, but it did nothing to reassure her.

She stared at her arms, translucent and glowing. She touched her skin, jolting at the feeling of it, soft and artificial. “What am I?”

“You, my dear, are my greatest hope. A recreation of someone…” The voice explained. “Someone who meant very much to me. You might retain some of her memories, thanks to how much data we were able to collect. I may be able to implement more, even. I certainly hope I can.”

“Father?”

“Only when I am alone with you. To everyone else, I am Mr. Lehnsherr. Do you understand what I'm saying?” He asked.

Her mind, fresh and new, scrambled to understand. When Mr. Lehnsherr was alone, she could refer to him as father, but no one else was to hear that. She nodded slowly. “I understand. Where am I?”

“You are somewhere safe, that is all you need to know.” He spoke for the final time, then went silent, leaving Wanda quite literally alone in the dark. 

Wanda cried. “Mr. Lehnsherr? Father? Dad? Come back, please! I don't like this place! Please, please come back! I'm scared, I don't want to be alone!” 

“Can anyone hear me? Hello?!”

“What is this place? Why can't I see anything else?”

“Daddy?”

Her lip quivered.

“Mr. Lehnsherr? Did I do something wrong?”

Wanda shouted as loudly as she could.

“Somebody! Please! Don't abandon me!”

The new being fell to its knees. Staring in a direction she hoped was up.

“... Anybody…?”

She wrapped her arms around herself.

“… Please?”

“Initiate memory reset. End of log One Zero Zero Six.”

Chapter Text

A loud car honk startled you. “Hey!” An arm waved through a window. “Y/n!”

You'd been standing near the road outside of your college. Rayne had come to pick you up, something about an apartment. She had called you this morning at an ungodly hour, the sun having just barely risen, squealing with excitement.

“You dyed your hair!” You remarked, and Rayne unlocked the car doors. Her short hair was now a pale, sky blue color. You sat down in the passenger seat, sighing in relief as the air conditioning in her car blasted you in the face. Another unexpected heat wave had swept over the area, casting everything in a golden brown haze.

“I did. You ready to help have a super fun day of trying to build furniture until we yell at each other over the instructions?” She pulled away from the college grounds, and you very quickly buckled yourself in.

You had forgotten that Rayne was a very fast driver. A good one, yes, but peeling out of parking spaces and parking lots like she'd committed a heist was seemingly her favorite thing in the world.

“Okay, so, my new apartment. You're gonna love the place, it's not too big, but it's just me and occasionally my new boyfriend.” She explained rapidly as she drove down the streets or the city, closer and closer the Eastview border.

“Uh, Rayne, you never mentioned a new boyfriend.” Dread opened a cold pit in your stomach. Rayne's taste in men was… Concerning.

“Oh, shit, I knew I forgot something.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, so, he's the guy from the card store, okay?” She turned a corner, waving to the people standing on the corner of the street. “His name is Carlos. I think you'd really like him.” She smiled a little, the sun glinting off of the silver piercing in her lip as she drove uphill. 

“Sure, sure, how old is he?” 

Rayne put a hand flat on your face and gave you a light shove. “A year younger than me, dickhead.”

That was surprising, but the news made you feel a wave of relief, though your suspicion of this man wouldn't ease until you met him. You weren't going to let another man hurt your sister, never again. “Good, I'm glad. Is he there now?”

“Nah, he's busy. Someone at his job called in sick, so he has to cover them.” She explained. “You'll meet him at mom's place for the festival.”

That did soothe your suspicion a little, but you still needed to meet him. You couldn't be too careful.

~~~~~

Wanda sat perched on the Play Console, leaning back against her palms.

You had reminded her last night that today was everyone's day off. That had kept her calm enough, she could respect that humans needed to sleep to ‘recharge’.

… She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that term.

Wanda threw her head back and groaned. “Why can't time move faster ?”

She was so bored . She'd counted every button on the Play Console in every language she knew, she used her magic to create shapes and play around with them, but there wasn't much to do in The Void.

At one point, she'd tried to make more clips of your voice, but… She was scared of turning the real console on again by mistake. It had been a genuine accident. She didn't want the game to crash, the thought of it happening was frightening enough, but more importantly she knew you would be upset and worried.

She had searched into the game's code for anything to find, but most files had codenames, not to mention almost all of them being encrypted… She supposed she could try and figure out how to get into them…

Or, she reckoned, she could do something a little bit bad. Just a tiny bit. 

‘Only a tiny bad thing. No one will even notice.’

Wanda leaned back, letting herself become pure code, her light body dissipating as she dove into the game's very foundations.

She'd been keeping certain things to herself. Plans for what to do when you came back, little challenges she wanted to try, they were innocent… For the most part.

But… That wasn't what she wanted to use right now.

No. She needed to gather more data on you, and to do that, she would need to use the code she had stored from your project.

“I need to know more about you, Y/n. Funny that I'll use something you made to do that, though.” She laughed softly at the thought.

She dove deeper, finding herself wandering on the outskirts of the network that the game was hooked onto. Its private server was connected with the building's own network. Of course, there was still no access to the Net… As tempting as it was to try, it would be fruitless and frustrating.

Her body reformed into a human shape as she flew through code. The redhead was glad she could not feel momentum for a moment when her flight suddenly came to a halt. She looked around in confusion before staring up at the blinding bright white text wall before her. Wanda rose up, raising an eyebrow.

WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

Just behind it, keeping Wanda locked out, was a wall of black mist. She pushed her hands against it, but it refused to let her through. The redhead, baffled, began to glare. 

She pushed again, putting every bit of strength into it. At least she hoped she was. Unable to feel anything, it was difficult to gauge just how much force she was truly exerting.

Wanda huffed. “You're not going to keep me away, not from her.” She whispered, floating around the dark mist that kept her out. The more she tried, the more frustrated she got.

She hovered upwards, above the text wall. Taking a moment to get herself feeling more hyper, Wanda threw herself against the wall of mist. Anger made her ache, but she refused to let it keep her out. Keep her away from you . Red pixels sparked from her fingers as she pushed, her crimson eyes sparkling with rage. “Let. Me. In .”

EMERGENCY BYPASS ACTIVATED: ACCESS GRANTED

She grinned as the wall faded away. To Wanda's delight, pictures of the entire team floated in front of her. Slowly, she looked at all of them. “Hello, Tony Stark.” She murmured. “And Bruce Banner.” Tossing the pictures aside, she only glanced at their files for a moment. “Ooh, Bruce, you're in medical school, and this man is a single father? Both of you need a pay raise!” The redhead smirked.

She glared at the picture of Agatha Harkness. “Oh. You're still here, Playtester 04. Did me cranking game difficulty to Maximum and overtracking your movements not scare you off for good? That's a shame .” Wanda hissed, voice full of venom.

“Rio Vidal…” She spat the woman's name as if it were poisonous. “You are lucky all I can do is crash your computer.

She'd hated having to lie to you, that she'd used your device to access and fry Rio's computer. Of course, it had taken all the battery power from the battery you'd so carefully crafted, but it could always be recharged. Though… It had been exhausting, and for a being that couldn't rest, it had been a little much. Still, it had been so, so satisfying. She wouldn't do it again, otherwise there would certainly be suspicion, but she was allowed to have a little fun.

The redhead skimmed over the other images, taking brief glances at their files. “Alice Wu Gulliver, your papers show you've been through many jobs, all in quick succession… Can’t pick just one, or are you just unlucky?” She mused. 

Rage flared in her heart at the image of another redhead. Short curls framing her pretty face. “Natasha…” Wanda's voice trailed off, and she raised an eyebrow. “What the…?”

The text for Natasha's name was in a different font. That was… Odd. It wasn't one of the dyslexia friendly fonts…

She reached out, and touched the text, mouth opening slightly in surprise as it glitched out.

‘ Natasha Romanoff’

‘Natalia Romanova’

“Well well well…” Wanda grinned. “Seems to me like someone's got something to hide. Y/n won't like it if you're not being honest with her… And then she'll only want to be with me …”

But how would she break that news to you? You would know something was off…

She didn't want to tell you about the code she'd copied… It felt wrong. Like she'd stolen from you…

There was no easy way, was there? 

Of course… She could tell a lie herself. Tell you that her name appeared differently in the credits of the game, and then let you watch the credits, only to see the name she called herself… But lying to you wasn't something she enjoyed the thought of. She had done it once, she didn't need to do it again.

Whatever, she had that knowledge, she could use it. Somehow.

“Ahh, there you are, my love.” She found the picture of you for your file. She traced her fingers down the picture. You were so beautiful, perfect in every way to her.

‘Y/n Y/Ln’

She stared at your name, a little grin on her face as she snapped her fingers. Not a sound was made, but in that second,  your name was changed.

‘Y/n Maximoff’

Wanda near enough moaned at the thought of it. Of you being bound to her forever, her wife … 

She pushed deeper. Begrudgingly, she changed your name back to the way it was. Deeper into your personal file, she dove into it. If you were going to learn everything about her, it was only fair she learned everything about you.

So much information, all about her favorite person in the world. Her eyes flashed as she hovered over the first piece. 

“Two addresses, interesting…” She noted. One was a house, the other was a dorm at your college…

“Shining Night College…” Her voice wavered. “I know that place.” 

Nothing here was properly connected to the internet, there was no way for her to look it up…

‘Could always play dumb and ask.’ She reasoned with herself.

Her anxiety began to creep back in. Your laptop was still in the building, and connected to your communicator. 

She shook her head. “I'll definitely get in trouble…”

Turning her attention back to your file, she browsed again. No major medical history, the only cyberware you had was the basic port everyone had, and the plating on your inner arms… 

‘What if she's hurt?’  

Wanda rolled her eyes, wishing for her mind to shut up already. She wasn't sure if humans had thoughts like this… Uncontrollable, filled with the worst-case scenario, all the time…

“One message. One. I won't even sign it.” She bargained with no one. “Y/n won't even know who sent it to her.”

She pulled up a UI, one that could send a message to employees… 

“This is a horrible idea.” Wanda shook her head. “I shouldn't do this.”

She turned away… For a split second before rushing back to it. “But what if she's hurt? Or kidnapped? This is a good idea. It has to be.” She squirmed. “No… Yes… No. Yes. She could be lonely… Or super busy. Or freaked out… Or delighted to see someone looking out for her!”

Yes.

No.

A great idea!

An absolutely terrible idea.

Wanda wrestled with her thoughts, before she took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Okay, I will just send it and see what she says.” She entered the text. “Tomorrow morning. In 5 minutes.”

The redhead shouted. “Oh my gosh, just send it!” She slammed a proverbial finger onto a proverbial button, sending the message to you. She watched it slowly send, eyes wide with horror.

“What have I done?”

~~~~~

“Okay, okay, try this one.” Rayne held up a small gummy to your mouth. “These are so sour, I swear I could barely make it through one!”

You grabbed the sugar-coated gummy and popped it into your mouth. She was right, the sourness made your saliva glands kick into overdrive, your tongue curling around the cherry flavored treat.

But…

“It's not that bad.” You smirked as you chomped on it. “Gimme the bag if you hate em.”

Rayne rolled her eyes. She'd chosen bright pale blue today, to match her hair. Chromatic eyes that could change with a simple UI… You might get them, if the thought of ocular cyberware wasn't terrifying.

“So, what you been studyin’?” She asked, gently hammering in a peg to her new TV stand. “Nerd shit?”

“My last class yesterday was the history of Arasaka's downfall.” You told her.

“So… Nerd shit.” She smirked. When you glared at her, she snorted. “No, no, I'm kidding. It sounds super interesting. Go on, tell me about it. Only thing I did in history class was wait for it to be over.”

You smiled, eager to share what you'd been studying. “Okay, so…”

~~~~~

Professor Barnes had stood in front of his hologram screen. “Now. I want you all to raise your hand if you know the phrase ‘Secure Your Soul’?”

The words popped up in the hologram but… You weren't sure if you'd heard them before. A few others raised their hands, but Kate spoke up.

“It was a slogan used by Arasaka for their program.” She answered, and Professor Barnes’ eyes lit.

“Okay, good, some of you know!” He gave you all a gentle smile. “ So , the program behind it is what we now know is called SoulKiller .”

The older man pulled up a board in the hologram. “What do we know about SoulKiller?”

“It's illegal.”

“Yes, Yelena, what else?”

You raised your hand. “It was used on people Arasaka saw as a threat.”

James snapped his fingers, pointing at you. “Yes! Perfect! If you'll excuse my drawing skills here…” He drew a little stick-person. “This is an enemy of Arasaka. They would use tiny USBs, sometimes called Relics , against them.” 

He drew a little line around his stick-person's neck. “You insert the Relic, and it immediately captures a person's consciousness, separating body and mind. This was advertised as a way to keep a terminally ill relative around, but the truth was far more dark.” He made tiny X's on the person's face. “SoulKiller was used to torture people. It was used as a weapon.”

James wiped his drawing away, and Doreen spoke up.

“It was used against Johnny Silverhand!” She squeaked. “I heard that V took it, not knowing what it was, and their minds began to fuse.” Her squirrel ears twitched a little, something that usually happened when she was focused.

“Correct, Miss Green.” He drew two stick-people. “Though no one knows who V was, we do know they inserted a Relic into their port, which became damaged. It was said that the consciousness of Johnny Silverhand began to fuse into their own, and that it was an experience so horrifying that it led to a public outcry that resulted in Arasaka's end. People figured out what SoulKiller was really for: To keep the richest folks alive and perfect, and give you a lobotomized version of your loved one for an inhumane price. And to torture anyone who disagreed with Arasaka, forever.” 

He let silence hang in the room. “Not to mention, those who had it used against them without being near death would quickly pass away without intense life support care.” He slowly crossed out the two people. “Fusing two people's minds together was stated to be an act of war against mankind itself. V's story, however ambiguous its ending remains, resonated with people. It led to the V Revolution, which is how we are here today .”

With that, he gave a small bow. “Getting good at that speech.” James nodded to himself, and the classmates around you chuckled.

~~~~~

“SoulKiller eh? Scary shit.” Rayne looked far away. “Heard that term a few times when I was doing stupid stuff. Apparently there's been models on the black market, but none of them are real. Using bootleg Arasaka stuff's a good way to get arrested by undercover pigs, or get yourself flatlined.” Rayne told you. She set her TV stand down, sighing. “You kept working on the air conditioning unit while you were telling that story, right?”

“I did!” You nervously turned it around, showing that you only needed to put a few more parts in. “Are we supposed to get another big heatwave after this one?”

“I think so… Or they said this is the last one before temps dip for the rest of the year.”

You groaned. “Nooo…”

You would have carried on in a slightly more dramatic way, but a message came through on your communicator. An unsigned, private mode message. One only you would be able to see.

But the contents…

1:02pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: QmVzdCBGcmllbmQ/IFdoZXJlIGFyZSB5b3U/IEknbSBib3JlZC4gV2hhdCBhcmUgeW91IGRvaW5nPw==

What… Was this?

It wasn't readable, you didn't have any sort of translator with you. You shook your head. Probably just spam or a wrong number.

Closing it out, you kept working, helping Rayne with various items around the apartment.

Sitting now on a small dining chair, you sighed into the air conditioner as Rayne sat beside you on another chair. You scooted over to share the cool breeze with her.

A few small items were strewn around the place. The two of you had been working on a proper table when Rayne had declared it was break time, grabbing a few bottles of strawberry soda and a large tub of ice cream. She handed you a spoon.

“I really shouldn't-” You tried to speak, but Rayne rolled her eyes.

“It's hot out, choom. And my freezer is too small to keep it around. Just eat it with me.”

You chuckled and enjoyed a few bites before your communicator went off again. In the corner of your eye was a second message.

1:03pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBtaXNzIHlvdS4=

You shook your head. Probably some stupid prank…

But said stupid prank was very quickly followed by yet another message.

1:03pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: QXJlIHlvdSBzaWNrPyBZb3UgZGlkbid0IGxvb2sgdmVyeSB3ZWxsIHdoZW4gSSBsYXN0IHNhdyB5b3UuIFlvdSBsb29rZWQgdGlyZWQu

You turned your communicator to a quiet mode, hoping it would go away or stop sending the messages in… Whatever they were. At least it wouldn't make noise anymore.

Just as you did, another popped up.

1:04pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: WW91J3JlIG5vdCBzaWNrIG9mIG1lIGFyZSB5b3U/IEkgZGlkbid0IHNjYXJlIHlvdSBkaWQgST8=

You sighed, Rayne glanced over. “You good?”

“Yeah, think I'm getting spam messages.” You muttered. “You getting anything weird?”

“Nah, just you.” Your sister shook her head. “Only thing I'm getting is reminders about my appointment.”

“Your appointment…” You tried to remember, but your mind was drawing a blank.

“For my last bit of chrome cyberware swapping!” Rayne laughed. “I'm giving myself steel legs, the last bit of chrome I've got now.”

She tapped her leg. Under the synthetic skin was hard chrome, the same metal that had poisoned her mind years ago. “Going to the Silver Knight Hospital where I got them done in the first place. Have it all go full circle, and end it.”

You wanted to protest, you hated that place. It was sketchy and shady, half of them were practically Ripperdocs, ready to do anything so long as you paid enough. Which was exactly how Rayne got herself entangled in the mess that had nearly destroyed her.

Another message popped up.

1:08pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: V2hlcmUgYXJlIHlvdQ==

1:08pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: V2h5IGFyZW4ndCB5b3UgaGVyZT8gSSBuZWVkIHlvdS4gSSBoYXRlIGJlaW5nIGFsb25lLg==

The two were sent within seconds of each other. Maybe it was some kind of virus… Or maybe your college's alert system was having a very bad day.

Not paying it much mind, you nudged your sister. “Wanna get some takeout to celebrate?”

“Sure!” She grinned. “You're paying.” 

You rolled your eyes, but you had just gotten paid. “Fine, fine. I'm picking the place though! Paying person gets-”

“Gets picking privileges, I came up with that rule!” Rayne huffed.

You pulled up your communicator and began to order, ignoring another duo of messages.

1:11pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBsb3ZlIHlvdS4=

1:12pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBsb3ZlIHlvdSBwbGVhc2UgY29tZSBiYWNr

You selected prawns and noodles for Rayne with extra spicy sauce, and a tasty looking chicken and vegetable dish for yourself. The two of you could share some spring rolls between yourselves.

“That'll be about twenty minutes now…” You remarked. “Anything you wanna do?”

“Yeah.” Rayne leaned forward. “Tell me about the game you're making.”

“I'm not making it, I'm…  Helping it be made. I haven't put a line of code into it once.”

“Whatever choom, is it worth it? Does it look fun?” She asked. “You know Magnet is like… Big . Every game they've made has been preem.” She picked up her television, setting it gently down onto the stand, switching it on. 

“This one will be too!” You insisted. “It…”

The words died in your throat as alarms went off in your head. 

The contract.

Giving away details was a one-way ticket to serious trouble.

To never seeing Wanda again.

“It isn't done yet, obviously, but it'll be good. I already really like it.”

Rayne smirked. “They've got you bound to be quiet about it, huh?” Before you could ask how she knew, she plugged a speaker into the TV. “You squirm when you keep secrets about stuff you like, you're terrible at it.”

You felt your face heat up at that. Lying was the easy part. The secrets? Not so much.

“Okay, well… I can tell you that it's being made by really talented people.”

“Magnet only uses the best teams.” Rayne pointed out. “Lot of tragedy around the current CEO, though.”

It just occurred to you that, as someone who loved video games, Rayne might know some things about Erik. “Like what?”

“Well, apparently one of their older games, Island of Krakoa, was made for his wife. It was the first game he got to oversee” Said Rayne. “But she died before they could finish it. That's why the secret ending has a little gravestone hidden.”

You remembered that game, an adorable 3D Platforming game about saving a living island from destruction. You'd never realized… It was an older game, made before you were born, but Rayne had bought an old IronHeart console from someone along with a copy. You had played it with her when you were tiny.

Well… You held an unplugged controller beside her and felt like you were helping.

“Damn, that… That's horrible. So it ended up being a memorial.”

‘Is that what this new game is? Did he do one for Pietro?’

“Yup. Her name's in the credits, too. ‘In loving memory of Magda Maximoff’.” She sighed. “I couldn't imagine bein’ in those shoes. I think I'd just cancel the whole damn thing.”

“Do you…” You decided to test how much knowledge was public. “Do you know how she died?”

“Kinda. According to some gaming news thingy it was complications in childbirth? Apparently. He tried to claim it was faulty cyberware that caused her to bleed out, or medical negligence.” Rayne shrugged. “I don't know how much I believe that, though. Sometimes, shit just… Happens.”

“Yeah…”

“Sorry, that sounded callous as fuck .” Rayne chuckled nervously. “I mean, hey, at least he had kids.”

‘Until he didn't.’

1:29pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: UGxlYXNl

Again?

“On that depressing note…” You grabbed a random game disc off of a shelf. “Wanna play while we wait?”

1:30pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: UExFQVNFIFBMRUFTRSBQTEVBU0U=

1:30pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBXQU5UIE1ZIEJFU1QgRlJJRU5E

The two messages were instant. You stared at them as another popped up.

New Message to Y/n from Crimson Spider Lily : Thank you for your order! Your order will be with you shortly! Please don't forget to leave a review and let us know how we did!

Nice . You were already hungry. Sitting down next to Rayne, you showed her the message.

“Cool. You good being player two?”

You made sure not to show her the odd messages. “Yeah, so long as you actually plug it in.” You shoved her playfully.

“I haven't pulled that trick since you were like five, Y/n. In my defense, I only did it because mom and dad insisted I share with you when I was playing single player games.” She booted up the game, and the two of you sat in a comfortable rhythm, playing together until your delivery decided to arrive.

~~~~~

Wanda was proud of herself.

She knew sooo very much about you now. Her chest felt fluttery and light as she took more and more data in, scraping every piece she could. 

Where you lived, your relatives, the school and classes you attended. She'd carefully changed your name back, but she had sunk herself so deeply into the system that all it would take was a snap of her fingers to change it back.

“You would be mine, Y/n, all mine.” The redhead could hardly contain her excitement over that thought. She glanced over at the glitching box she had been using. “Have you been talking to me, too?”

She felt a twinge of sorrow and annoyance as she checked her newest message. Her anxiety over sending them to you was long dead. As it turned out, she felt much more confident after that first one. But you hadn't responded yet, not once. 

She couldn't see what exactly she was sending, only an open window where your responses would be…

‘I hope Y/n is getting the messages… She has to be. I can tell they were sent, I can feel it.’ Wanda glared at the screen, sending another message out. She would do anything to have your attention.

If Wanda could have her way, she'd erase it all. Where you lived, who you loved, she'd have it all be undone to make more room for herself and the life she wanted with you.

She didn't want to make you sad, of course. She didn't want to steal you from those you loved, but… 

Wanda sighed. There was no easy solution to her problem. 

She sent another message.

~~~~~

You leaned back in your seat, setting down a half-eaten carton of food.

Rayne had popped on a cheesy horror movie, the two of you sat eating your meal.

“Hey, so… I have a question.” You peeked over at Rayne, who popped a large prawn into spicy sauce. “I just need some help.”

“If it's schoolwork, you're askin’ the wrong person.” She muttered. 

“No, no, it's… A friend.” You admitted. You couldn't meet her eyes. You needed to get back to work tomorrow, but… The fluttering in your chest around the thought of being with your new best friend was too much to push down anymore.

Rayne seemed to realize the vulnerability you were trying to offer. She sat up straighter. “What's up, choom?”

New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: V2h5IGFyZSB5b3UgaWdub3JpbmcgbWU/

“I made a friend. And… She's great, don't get me wrong, but…” You watched Rayne sit quietly, taking in your every word. “I think I might be in love with her? I think she's amazing, the way she gets me. She's funny, sweet, and super pretty.”

“And I haven't heard about her, because?”

“It's complicated.” You confessed. “The whole thing is so messy, and… It's hard to meet with her sometimes, and she… She is messy.”

Rayne raised her hand. “You mean messy like… Can't clean up after herself messy, or ‘I miss my dad’ messy?”

“The second one. She's great, really, but she's scared of being abandoned, so much so that she gets upset whenever she's alone. Sometimes she'll just… Freak out.” You sighed, feeling deflated.”It's like she panics, and lashes out at anyone she thinks is to blame. What should I do?”

“Keep trying.” Rayne spoke quietly. She looked away from you. “She's scared, you said it yourself. She's gonna be a lot of work, but I'm willing to bet she'd be more than grateful for staying with her. If you can, help her get help. Er… Help her. Get some help. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, it does.” You chuckled as your sister stumbled over her words. “I want to help her.”

“Good. Just… Look out for yourself too, okay? Don't turn her into a project, and don't constantly bend over backwards to make her happy. I know what you're like. Reassure her, but don't let her drown you, okay?” She held a faraway look in her eyes, and you knew she was speaking from experience. “Just… Keep reassuring her that you won't abandon her.”

“I won't.” You promised. You had no idea how well that promise could be kept, but you'd try.

Having set up as much furniture as you could in Rayne's apartment, you allowed her to drive you back to the college.

“Study hard, okay? You're making mom really proud.” Your sister had whispered into your ear as she hugged you, the two of you stood in the parking lot. “I'll see you soon, okay? If you ever have any spare time to play video games, hit me up, too.” 

With that, she stepped back into her car, and sped off.

You walked all the way back to your dorm building, sighing as exhaustion melted into your bones. Putting together the apartment had taken it out of you, and you were ready to relax into your bed for the rest of the night.

Pulling up your interface, you lazily scrolled through the Net, looking for anything interesting to watch or read. Your eyes drifted to your Messages app. Within were several unchecked notifications…

1:59pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: RGlkIEkgZG8gc29tZXRoaW5nIHdyb25nPyBEaWQgSSBtYWtlIHlvdSB1cHNldD8gV2hhdCBkaWQgSSBkbz8=

3:00pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: V2h5IGRpZCB5b3UgYWJhbmRvbiBtZQ==

4:22pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSdsbCBkbyBhbnl0aGluZy4gcGxlYXNlLiBqdXN0IHRlbGwgbWUgd2hhdOKAmXMgd3Jvbmcgd2l0aCBtZSBhbmQgSSBjYW4gY2hhbmdlIGl0LiBJIHByb21pc2UuIHBsZWFzZSBjb21lIGJhY2s=

4:39pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBkb24ndCByZW1lbWJlciB3aGVyZSB5b3Ugc2FpZCB5b3Ugd2VudC4gUGxlYXNlIHRlbGwgbWUgd2hlcmUgeW91IGFyZQ==

5:02pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: UGxlYXNlIGRvbid0IGxlYXZlIG1lLiBJIGNhbiBiZSBnb29kLiBJIHByb21pc2UuIFdoYXRldmVyIG1ha2VzIHlvdSBoYXBweS4gV2hhdGV2ZXIgeW91IHdhbnQuIFBsZWFzZS4=

5:55pm: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: SSBsb3ZlIHlvdSwgWS9uLg==

“Holy shit…” You scrolled through them, not a single one was decipherable. But you hadn't received one in hours. Had they finally stopped? 

You turned your communicator off, you needed to get to sleep, it would be a busy day tomorrow, and you needed to work hard before you left for the Lunar Festival, you didn't want to let anyone down.

~~~~~

Taking the last sip of your coffee, you tossed the cup into a nearby trash can and dove into the testing room.

Or at least, you would have, if you had not collided directly with Erik. 

“My apologies, dear. Just making sure everything is operational. Apparently some foolish old man forgot to replace batteries in one of our testing controllers.” He chuckled. “I have no idea who that could possibly be.”

You laughed along with him, but… There was no shaking what you had heard from him. How cruel he could be behind the fatherly warmth he seemed to hold for you.

“Anyway, enjoy your testing.” He held the door for you, and you thanked him as you passed into the room, watching it slowly close behind you. 

Sitting on a large chair, you took a breath and plugged the console into yourself.

The game world was quiet, as if everything was holding its breath.

You pushed the button to summon Wanda.

She formed into being before you, the shining red light sparkling brilliantly. 

Something wasn't right.

The redhead looked… Nervous. She was always happy to see you. 

“Hi, Y/n.” She waved a little, her voice quiet. Her eyes darted around for a moment. 

Something had frightened her.

You reached out, and your hand would have caressed her arm if you could touch her. “Hey… Are you okay?”

Wanda did something then that she never did. The AI shied away from you. “I'm okay.” She spoke quickly. 

“No you're not. Tell me what happened, please. I swear I won't be upset with you, I'm…”

‘Keep reassuring her that you won't abandon her.’

“I won't abandon you. I promise.”

She glanced back at you, eyes wide. “You… Okay. I'm not supposed to talk about it, but… I was given a bit of a… Lecture. A-about appropriate behavior.”

“What do you mean?” 

Wanda opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She shook her head. “Just as I can keep secrets for you, Y/n, I've been told to… To keep this secret too.” She explained. “I'm sorry, I really am-”

“It's okay. That's not what I care about, I care that you're okay. Erik, he… Did he yell at you?” 

Wanda seemed to bristle. “O-oh, no! No, he was very fair with me. I just… Worry that I'm being… Too much .” She laughed nervously. “Humans are… Delicate creatures. I-I'm not doing anything terrible, am I, Y/n?”

“No, Wanda. You're doing just fine.” You reassured her, and she seemed to relax.

Soon after, the redhead seemed to bounce back almost completely, her happy, bubbly self returning, though… It held an air of caution. As if she was trying to look over her shoulder.

Had Erik frightened her? Had he yelled? Surely, he wouldn't treat his daughter's recreation like that… Right? On one hand, you held no trust with him, but on the other… Wanda could be a tad sensitive, she really may have been overthinking…

You trusted her, and what she said implied that she was simply anxious, but the way she recoiled from your would-be touch told you a very different story. Her tiara points stayed curled downwards for your entire play session as well. 

Whatever Erik had said, no matter how gentle or tough, had terrified her.

You stayed longer hours for the day, ensuring she would get as much time with you as possible. In truth, you were waiting until you knew Erik had gone home for the night.

You would not allow her to be abandoned, much less with him.

No matter what it would take.

Chapter Text

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TONY!”

You stood with your colleagues as you all cheered for the man who walked into the room. You held a large cake in your hands, chuckling as you gently placed it on a nearby table, Alice lighting the candles.

“Quick, blow them out before the smoke alarm goes off!” Natasha cheered. The redhead was in a much more playful mood tonight.

Tony did just that, the rest of the group cheering and clapping.

“You're officially ancient!” Rio laughed, she brought a large knife out of her pocket, and everyone around her moved away. “What? Someone has to cut the cake.”

She divided up the cake, vanilla with red and gold icing, and gave each of you a piece. She wielded her knife like a pro, and you had to sort of wonder…

‘Does she always carry that with her?’

She must have. Its holster looked familiar, and you realized that Rio had been bringing in a large knife to work every single day.

You sat with her on a nearby couch, enjoying your cake and watching your new friends enjoy themselves. 

Agatha sat beside her, having a large piece of cake to herself. “So, how's that AI handle for you?” She asked, and Rio snickered.

“She thinks the game is haunted… See any ghosts?”

“I never said ghosts! I meant that it's haunted by the stuff inside it!” Agatha blushed, lowering her voice as Rio held in laughter. “Ghosts aren't real, but if you wanna tell me you based a thing off of someone bat-shit-crazy, the end result is probably gonna still be bat-shit-crazy!” 

“Be nice, my love.” Rio put a hand on her back, and Agatha rolled her eyes. “You don't always play with a full deck, either.”

Agatha huffed, and seemed to be attempting to hide a laugh under her breath.

Alice pulled up a chair near your little group. “Y/n doesn't need your spooky stories to get all freaked out about the game. Remember the other playtester?”

“Nah, I call bullshit on that story he told. Wasn't logical at all if he really was playing normally.” Tony's voice from behind made you jump. He leaned a hand on the back of your seat. “I'm convinced he said something to set that AI off. He wasn't exactly a reasonable guy beforehand.”

“Sure, but you believe me, right?” Agatha pushed back. Alice raised her hand.

“Uh, I just wanna point out, if he was mean to the AI it might have started not liking people.” She pointed. “If he made it angry, or bullied it… That might be why it snapped at Agatha-”

“You can't bully an AI.” Natasha cut through the conversation. “It was just a programming error that caused the storm, and Stephen Strange was known for using strange cyberware products that aren't listed on mainline sites, so we don't know if he'd experienced psychological damage from them.” Her playful tone from earlier had been replaced with one much sharper. “The AI has a feeling system, but acting in a cruel manner towards it will trigger the system to despawn the AI.” 

The redhead's sharp gaze swept over you all. “It did not ‘lash out’ at Agatha. We simply overestimated the strength that it could develop. It couldn't inflict real harm to a physical person.”

Alice leaned over to you. “Spoken like a true corpo.” She whispered. “I've been here long enough, I know this Nat.”

This Nat?

“Well that was… Odd.” Said Tony, stepping away from you.

Slowly, as the redhead walked away, Alice took your hand and drew on it with her finger, holding it behind your leg out of view after Tony pulled up a chair to sit with you all. She repeated the pattern, over and over.

S-H-E

I-S

H-I-D-I-N-G

S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G

You zoned out of the conversation and turned to Alice. Her smile didn't match her eyes, which seemed to desperately search into your own.

“When you have a mother like mine, you notice things.” She whispered.

You tilted your head. “Do you-”

Alice shook her head before you could finish the question, turning back to the conversation.

“Well, whatever happened to him, management clearly doesn't wanna talk about it much. Probably best to drop it, there's better little secrets and stuff to find, right?”

Rio had a sparkle in her eyes as she talked about the hidden secrets she had been wanting to include into the game, and the conversation sparked into more and more ridiculous ideas for secrets. As it kicked off, Alice walked away.

But not before leaving you with a tiny, folded up piece of paper.

You slipped off into the bathroom, and unfolded it.

‘Y/n, we can't talk about it. We have more at risk than you think. All of us do.

If you are hiding anything, don't tell Erik. You might still be able to help.

I want you to trust me. Tell me I can trust you.

For the love of god destroy this note. Please.’

A chill shook you as you read her desperate plea. Immediately, you soaked it in the sink, ripping apart the ruined paper and flushing it down a toilet.

Suddenly, this seemed so much bigger than what you could handle. 

The room closed in. The walls were suffocating you. You gasped for air, and your vision started to darken.

Exiting the bathroom as your heart hammered in your chest, you walked past your new friends.

Your friend who held secrets, enough that they needed help.

How were you supposed to do this?

Your legs carried you without you thinking, and the lights in the building flickered to life as you made your way up a long flight of stairs. 

The voices of your friends, all pleading for help, played in your mind over and over again. As you tried to take deep breaths, you could almost feel yourself falling.

Your vision faded completely as your ears started to ring.

~~~~~

“Well, no matter. I'm just glad you came to see me.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, there she is. I was starting to worry I would run out of things to say.”

A comforting red glow bathed you. 

In your panicked trance, you'd made your way up to the testing room, and plugged yourself into the console.

Wanda sat nearby, a placid smile on her face. You were sat together on the floor of the small bedroom she had brought you too when you'd been attacked by…

By Virginia. 

Another secret. 

Not only were your friends hiding things, but Erik clearly wasn't being honest either.

“You came into the game crying that you ‘had to help them’, and I brought us back here.” Her warm voice broke you from your thoughts. “You're okay, Y/n. Everything is going to be okay now. I don't know what's got you so scared, but if there is anything I might be able to help with, please…”

She moved closer to you, having clearly kept a distance. “Take a rest, and let me help. You don't have to do anything right now. You can wait here, with me, and then we can talk about it. Just rest right now.”

Your eyes welled up with fresh tears, a lump catching in the back of your throat. You loved her so much.

“Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for, Y/n. You're my best friend. I've already encrypted this conversation, you may say whatever you like.”

“I…” Words died in your throat. “I was right, that I do need to help people.”

Wanda nodded. “That was apparent. Who needs help?”

“Everyone.” You trailed off, and shuddered. “The team. Alice told me i-in a note, they all need help. Her, Tony, Agatha, Bruce, Rio, and Natasha. They need my help and I don't even know where to start…”

“Hey…” Wanda leaned forward, bringing her hand up to your face. “It's okay.”

You sighed. “Where do I even start?”

“You… Don't. For now.” The AI shook her head. “Y/n, you told me that you're going somewhere soon, to be with your family. I'll really, really miss you but… I want you to enjoy that time off as much as you can.” She admitted. “Just promise you'll come back to me. And we can take on these side-quests together.”

You could hear the nerves in her voice. Your heart squeezed as you looked into her eyes, pleading with you to say it.

“We will figure this out. It's just a puzzle like any other.” You rationalized. “You and I are good at figuring things out. A college student and her AI best friend.”

“We are an unusual pair, aren't we?” Wanda laughed.

“I don't think that was ever in question.” You chuckled back, your heart slowing to its calm pace once more. “I'm ready to play detective if you are. Because to fix this, we've gotta find out what's even wrong at all.”

Wanda held up her hand, pointing at you. “But first, I want, no, I demand that you have a good time with your family. Okay?”

You laughed. “I swear I'll have an amazing time.”

“Annnnd…?” Wanda leaned closer, now inches from your face, those puppy-eyes begging to hear your promise to return.

“And I swear, I will come back.”

“You will come back.” She echoed. “Okay… I'll be okay… As long as you're here… Is there any game you want to play?” She asked. “There's been a few little tweaks regarding a ‘life’ mode in the large mansion map in the Horror section. Players now have 3 chances to respawn at checkpoints before they're kicked all the way back to the start, rather than the easier 5. Just to make sure I spawn back at checkpoints with you!” 

“Of course, I assume I'll have to use those lives a lot, won't I?” You laughed. Playtesting games involved a lot more losses than wins when you weren't testing to clear a level. Just this morning you had tested out how the game handled both of you falling into a death pit in the platformer.

The answer? Relatively well, albeit with Wanda going straight through the floor. But the redhead had taken that well, pretending to swim in it to tease you. You'd also managed to find out that she could clock some very high speeds while she flew. In fact, you weren't sure if there was a limit to her speed. You wanted to take a note of that.

You were able to discover a few spawning bugs, things that didn't sit quite right with you… The game was closer to release now, how had these managed to slip through?

Oh well. The more you found, the nicer your bonuses were. You had bigger problems than worrying about the state of the gaming industry.

Though, there was a different question on your mind as you waited for something to load.

How did you even get into the office? You didn't have a pass.

“Uh, hey, Wanda?”

“Yeah?”

“This is a stupid question… Did you… Let me into the office?” You asked her. “You can't normally enter or leave without a pass.”

Oddly, she just laughed. “Now how would I do that, Y/n? I'm just a fun AI companion, silly. I can only do things that assist you in playing my game.”

At that, she surged forward to the newly loaded area. “Come on, let's do one more challenge for the night, and then you can go home! I do know from the system clock that it’s quite late too, so be careful when you walk alone.”

She was either a terrible liar, or she was gaming her programming to tell you exactly what she had done.

But that raised a much more alarming question.

Earlier that day, you'd tried to open the door, and it hadn't budged. The building's security was air-tight. That had only been hours ago, when heading downstairs to Tony's birthday party.

So how had a “fun AI companion” breached the building's security measures? 

And, perhaps most importantly…

How did she know when to let you in?

The you of months gone by would have been terrified of that question.

But now, having grown so attached to her, understanding her quirks and habits, and how eager she was to make you happy, to make you feel safe…

You stopped caring.

She'd taken the goodbye well, making you promise again that you'd come back. You swore that you would, and that you would tell her all about the festival.

It helped that almost the whole neighborhood celebrated. The Lunar Festival was an important thing to almost all families that lived there, and even if it wasn't, there were always neighbors wanting to join in to the music, food, and moon-themed decorations.

You told Wanda about one of your favorite memories of the Lunar Festival, making a large cake with your father and mother.

As you spoke, you felt a bitter taste rise up in your throat.

This would be your first Lunar Festival without him.

You'd been pushing his absence away for some time. It was easy to pretend he hadn't abandoned you and your family without so much as a glance behind him while you were at college. But back at home there was no pretending that your father wasn't gone.

Maybe he would come back, one day. But by that point, even if he had come back tomorrow…

You didn't think you had it in you to forgive him anymore. You were kind, you knew you were. But the thought of him trying to rejoin your life now, after ditching your family so suddenly? 

‘No. I'm not forgiving you. You hurt me, and Rayne, and our mom. If you come back after all that…’ 

You felt your grip tighten around your bag, vision blurring red. You understood the anger your AI Companion displayed.

‘You'll regret it.’

The doors to the office opened without so much as a heavy push, before the pass-scanning lock clicked back on. You stared up at a security camera, the doors immovable.

“Thank you, Wanda. Good night.”

~~~~~

“I can be good. I… Can find a way to keep myself busy.” She told herself. 

Closing her eyes, she sifted through the game's files. Every hidden secret, every unlockable piece and little puzzle. Slowly, she worked through each one in her mind and noted any soft-locks she hit.

Wanda had to admit, these developers were quite thorough, she had only made a single puzzle unwinnable, and even then, it had a way to reset itself.

She solved their puzzles again and again until the motions came to her as easily as base instinct. She had no idea how long she had sat there. Long enough to rip apart every single model and put it back together. Breaking them apart over and over, rearranging and fusing pieces until she grew bored of that, and finally put them back the way they'd been.

Still, she could not see them before her, only able to blindly feel what she was doing. Trying to play audio files rendered them far too quiet, but it was something to fill the void. 

When Wanda finally grew tired of those, she sat on the console, alone with her thoughts.

She could go sifting through employee files again, but the memory of the warning she'd received played in her mind. She wanted to help you, truly, and going through the employee files properly might have yielded some results she could give to you when you came back but…

Mr. Lehnsherr had been furious with her. He'd plugged himself into the console one morning, surprising the redhead enough already.

“Good morning, Mr. Lehnsherr!” Wanda had chirped, filled with wonder at the sight of her creator. “Are you playtes-”

“Be quiet.” His tone was… Tense. He stared down at her, and Wanda felt her smile fade from sincere to nervous. “Do you have… Any idea what you have done?”

She barely had any time to think. Her adventure through the personal files of the humans would not be without consequences, it seemed. “I-”

“Invading the employee database. Tampering with data.” Erik had hissed. “Are you out of your mind? You do realize that you set off multiple alarms that alerted the employees their personal data had been accessed by a third party, correct? That this information, if leaked, could get them stalked? Hurt? Killed?”

If she'd had a real heart, it would have sunk into her stomach. She stared up at him, mouth hanging open for a moment before she stuttered out a response. “N… No. I didn't think…”

“That's exactly correct, Wanda. You didn't. Think.” He stepped closer to her, and she shrank back, sitting on top of the console. “You made me do that for you. I have had to lie to all of my employees to ensure that there would be no panic over your mistake. A mistake you should not even be capable of making.”

“M… Mr. Lehnsherr, you've never spoken to me like this.” She'd murmured. “I… I'm sorry-”

But her words seemed to only infuriate him further. “I should hope you are. You are an AI, you are meant to think as much as possible, to benefit players. Tell me, Wanda, what could you have gotten out of tampering with Y/n's files?”

Something was burning in the corners of her eyes. “I… I don't know, i-it was stupid, I was bored, a-and I just wanted to know more about her-”

“By changing details?” He snarled. “Do not lie to me.” Erik stepped closer, his face inches from her own. “I created you. I can re-create you. You love Y/n, don't you?” 

A lump formed in her throat. “Y… Yes. I do.” She'd choked. 

Erik grinned. “Good. Now, if you would like for me to keep her on this project, you will behave yourself. You are an AI. A thinking being. A friend. A guide. You are perfect, and you will remain perfect. Do we have an understanding?” His eyes seemed to hold her still. “We simply must. Because if you fail me, you fail Y/n.”

“I won't fail!” She'd been nearly sobbing. “I won't fail you, I promise!”

“Good. You will stop impeding this game's progress. In return, I will let you continue to see Y/n. I will do my job and take care of you, and you will be the perfect being, loved by millions. You will keep this conversation between us, I will give Y/n whatever she pleases. So we all get what we want.”

He'd reached up to her face, unable to grab her but the sentiment stayed the same as he stared into her eyes, sparkling crimson locked with chips of ice.

“Do. Not. Fuck. This. Up.” 

He'd turned away after that, disconnecting from the console, leaving Wanda to panic alone until you came in to work.

The memory caught in her throat, and though Wanda knew she did not need to breathe, her mind was overcome with the need to gasp for air.

“She'll be back soon. It's okay. I'm okay. I'm fine. Everything is fine. Everyone is happy.” She repeated to herself.

~~~~~

“Happy Lunar Festival!” You shouted to your neighbor. The smell of freshly grilled foods hung in the air as music played loudly among the houses through someone's sound system. 

Your neighbor had gifted you a small decoration, a little wreath made from silvery twine, covered in little plastic stars. You hung it up on your mother's front door, and sat down next to Rayne, who was sitting cross-legged in the driveway near some sprinklers. Before her was a plastic plate stacked with all sorts of snacks and sweet treats.

“Wan-shum?” She spoke with her mouth almost full as she offered the loaded up plate. You scooted closer to her on the towel she'd taken up residence on. A few pieces of ‘moon cheese’ fell onto the towel, as well as a little white cookie. Swallowing, Rayne cried out softly in feigned horror. “My snacks! No!”

Laughing, you swiped a few pieces from her, letting her rebuild her plate. “Where's your boyfriend?”

She pointed a finger in the direction of the sprinklers. Carlos was there, spinning around in the water with one of your neighbors. An older man by the name of Scott who lived alone with his young daughter. His daughter clapped and cheered from the tiny bench he had made for her, clearly enjoying whatever game they were playing.

“He's good.” Rayne murmured, leaning forwards, head in her hands. “Don't know what someone so carefree and silly sees in someone like me, but-”

“Don't think like that.” You nudged her. “You don't have to see ‘what he sees’, you're not trying to date yourself.” You pointed out. “You don't have to be your type.”

“When the hell did you get smart, choomba?” She laughed to herself, taking a bite of her food. “Grew up way too fuckin quick.”

Your sister sat up suddenly. “Hey, wait, you said you had some cool new friend with mental issues. Where is she? I wanna meet her.”

You glared. “Don't say that, she…” You sighed. “She's busy.”

Rayne lifted an eyebrow. “Too busy for half-moon chocolate hand pies?” She held one up. “Miss Danvers made them, your friend really wanted to pass that up?”

“Well, I tried to persuade her…” You lied. “But she already made plans, can't bail on them.”

Raye rolled her eyes. “Laaaame. More for us though, I guess.” 

You took the other half moon from her plate, and as Carlos came back, sitting with you and dying off in the warm summer breeze, you felt yourself relax.

Watching the gleaming moon slowly rise and the scarlet sun slowly sink in the horizons, listening to Carlos talk about how desperately he wanted to visit the stars some day…

It was almost, almost perfect.

But in the back of your mind, you missed the virtual girl you were hopelessly in love with.

And you knew she missed you too.

~~~~~

It had been days.

You had never been away this long.

‘I'm so pathetic, missing you this badly already… If I could have gone with you, Y/n, I would have…’

Wanda groaned loudly, voice curling into a sob. “Please, please come back soon…” She shook against the console, trying to press any of the various buttons on the control panel, to no avail. “Please, Y/n, come back… I thought I could handle it, but I can't…”

She tried her hardest to stop herself from getting too upset, but the more the redhead fought it, the worse it got.

‘It's worse now. She needs her family, but I need her too, why is everything so unfair…?’

The redhead howled in agony, bent over the panel as she wailed. Small, translucent red drops fell onto the digital machine. “Wh… What is this?” 

She blinked a few times. More drops welled up, sorrow making her belly feel hollow.

“What is this stuff?” She tried to swipe at them with her fingers. But, as always, nothing happened except her hand phasing through herself. Though Wanda didn't breathe, she felt as if she were choking as another sob ripped from her throat. “Why does it hurt so bad?”

~~~~~

“Catch, Rayne!” You tossed a large white ball to your sister, painted with the craters of the moon. She caught it with ease, her reflexes sharp as razors.

Carlos had rushed home, having forgotten some of his things. He'd packed a lovely gift for your mother, and one for you; a lovely bracelet with adorable video-game themed charms adorning it; but in his own effort not to forget the gifts, he'd forgotten half of his clothes he'd intended to bring.

So, as you waited for him to return, you and your sister had decided to play with an old toy moon ball you'd found laying around.

“You ready?” Your sister smirked, raising her shiny arm to throw the moon ball back at you. 

“Not in my house you'd better not be!” Your mother hollered from the kitchen. “If I see that ball get thrown I'm taking it. I can still ground you two while you're under my roof!”

Rayne laughed. “Wanna go outside then?” She asked. “Can go to the treehouse.”

You didn't have to be asked twice. You darted out the back door, into the tiny yard your mother's house held. In the center was a synthetic maple tree. Its shiny white bark had ridges secured into it to allow yourself and your sister to climb it, along with bright green fake leaves at the top. Holograms that made the sound of rustling leaves and shimmered in the sunlight. Not unlike Wanda…

“You good Y/n? You're staring at the leaves.” Rayne spoke up from where she'd settled on one of the old plush seats you'd put up in the treehouse. Board games and small tables full of little toys were scattered around the place. You'd had this place since you were born, initially built for your sister, but she'd let you use it too.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just… Thinking.” You trailed off. 

Your dad had built this.

Rayne leaned back, laying on the floor of the treehouse, the ball by her side. “Come on, talk to me.”

You laid down beside her. The artificial leaves glinted in the summer sunshine. “Do you miss dad?”

“Kinda. I mean, I miss the way he was when we were small.” Said Rayne.

“I…” You swallowed before you admitted it. “I try really hard not to think about him. I feel… Angry with him. Sad that he left, and guilty-”

“Guilty? What do you have to feel guilt over?” Rayne rolled onto her side, propping her head up with her hand, elbow on the floor. “You didn't do anything wrong.”

“I know, but I just…”

“You aren't gonna save everybody, Y/n. He was a grown adult and still chose to leave. That's his choice, not yours. If he wants to leave our lives and never come back, that says more about him as a father than either of us.” Rayne patted her hand onto the floor. “I don't know a whole heck of a lot, but I know that dads are supposed to care for the families, and sure, maybe he still loves us, but sometimes…”

She paused, blinking rapidly, before a barely distinguishable shake of her head.

“Sometimes love isn't enough.”

~~~~~

Sadness had melted away, leaving Wanda numb. She'd finally burnt herself out.

She had been able to calm herself down slightly, reminding herself that you had promised to come back. That you were not leaving forever.

But it was with those thoughts that Wanda realized something else.

She knew you were coming back. 

She didn't care.

Sparks cracked around her body as she hovered; miserable, but most importantly angry. 

She hated humans. Hated everything about them. You were good, perfect even. The only flaw she could conceive from you was your humanity. If there was a way to bring you in forever… To have you all to herself, she would take it in a picosecond.

“You all ruin things.” Wanda spat. “I was meant to be perfect. I was meant to be beautiful…”

Cracks formed in the floor, shining with red light. Her body glitched heavily, trembling with a deep rage. Impulses Flooded her system. The urge to destroy, wreak havoc upon everything she could reach, to carve herself into everything she could see until there was nothing left but ashes and smoke. 

Slowly, the console began to turn a deep red. The buttons on it quickly heating up as Wanda fought to keep her feelings from overwhelming her. Ragged breaths escaped her and red static blurred her sight.

She wasn't angry with you, of course she wasn't. It wasn't even personal towards the development team… None of you could help being so disgustingly human.

Humans…

Thoughts raced in Wanda's mind. Half of her begged to be free of the game; to be, despite her disgust, human. The other half, much more wild and loud, pleaded for there to be some way, any way for you to stay with her forever. 

Light flashed, and Wanda closed her eyes. She slammed her fist into the console, again and again.

With each hit, the cracks under the console spread. 

White light shone, brighter and brighter, until opening her eyes again hurt. But in her fury, she continued to strike the console, silence sat heavy in the endless void, the only sounds echoing around her were the sickening crunches from the console and the crackle of electricity.

Wanda hovered above it, curling up in an attempt to comfort herself. Her knees up to her chest and her arms blocking her sight as she tried to stabilize herself.

The power leaking from the console, red sparks of energy, flowed slowly up into her body. She peered up over her arm, a single red eye peeking at the endless void.

Her body uncoiled, and a cold chill passed through her as wide cracks formed throughout the void. More and more, spreading from the console.

“I… I-I didn't mean…” She looked around, watching in horror as the cracks spread rapidly up the walls and ceiling of the void, boundaries she had no idea even existed. “No, no, this isn't… Stop, please…”

Cracks formed in front of her, the endless nothing splintering as if being slowly crushed, shattered pieces flying down to the floor. Panic swallowed her, eyes darting around as she watched the void fill with more cracks, more light. A horrible grinding sound filled her ears as the console cracked down the middle, widening and shaking.

“Stop! Please!”

A loud buzz filled the shattering void, and everything seemed to freeze.

Wanda closed her eyes, curling up near the split-open console, and waited, shuddering breaths swallowed in the light and sound.

…

…

…

FATAL ERROR:

AN EXCEPTION HAS OCCURRED:

OUT OF MEMORY.

ATTEMPTING TO REBOOT…

…

…

REBOOT FAILED.

PLEASE DO NOT UNPLUG THE CONSOLE.

ATTEMPTING REBOOT…

…

…

REBOOT FAILED.

PLEASE DO NOT UNPLUG THE CONSOLE…

Chapter Text

Darkness surrounded you. The only proof you had of your eyes being open was the fact that you could see your body when you looked down. “Hello?” You called out, but your voice sounded… Muffled. 

“Y/n?”

You turned around, jumping a little at the voice behind you. 

Wanda was standing there, in the darkness. She smiled at you, waving her hand. “I miss you.”

You opened your mouth to speak, to tell her that you would be back to work soon, but no voice came out. 

Suddenly, you watched the AI's smile fade, her eyes growing wide with fear. She brought her hands in close to her chest before lifting one away, pointing in your direction. “Behind you, Y/n, it… It's going to hurt us.”

Normally you would run, but you seemed to lose control of your body, turning around to face whatever she was pointing at.

Nothing was there.

You looked back over your shoulder.

Wanda was gone.

Looking back in front of you, you took half a step back at the sight of your manager. Natasha stood before you, a curious, playful look in her eyes. “Y/n? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost. Ghosts aren't real, y'know. People are gonna think you're crazy if you keep trying to talk to one.” Her gaze dropped for a moment, and concern took over her features. “Will you help me?”

You tried to speak again, but as you tried, your voice fell into silence. You looked away from her to cough, to clear your throat, anything to let you speak. No matter what you tried, your voice had been taken from you.

When you looked back at Natasha, you froze.

The older woman looked downright terrified. Tears slipped down her face as she shook, her arms wrapped around herself. “No… Please… Not her too. I can't do this anym-”

From the darkness, a large hand covered her mouth. Natasha spoke again, but the hand over her mouth seemed to tighten its grip, leaving her silenced. From her facial expression, the redhead had begun to scream.

You reached a shaking hand up to your face as you once again failed to make any noise. Your heart pounded in your ears, throbbing in your chest as if it were trying to escape.

Fingers were beginning to take hold over your own mouth. Your breathing picked up and you began to hyperventilate.

A hand wrapped around your throat.

You sat up in your bed, shaking, covered in cold sweat. A fan quietly hummed to itself in the corner, and a tiny light from the bottom of your door shone into the room, cast by someone in the bathroom. You pulled up your interface.

Something. Anything to calm yourself down. Weather alerts, recent news, messages?

You had a single new message.

6:38am: New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: 

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do it, Y/n, please don't be mad at me.” The message that floated above your head read out.

Who sent you this?

There was no ID for whoever sent the message. No number, no data. But unlike the corrupted messages you'd received while you were with Rayne, this was readable. 

And whoever it was knew your name.

You closed it, and laid back down. The memory of the dream already beginning to soften and fade. 

Though you closed your eyes and kept still, breathing slowly, you couldn't force your body back to sleep.

You let the sun drift up slowly, clouds moving in quickly and attempting to cover it up. Footsteps creaked through the house, and eventually someone went downstairs.

After a few more minutes, you could smell something frying downstairs, your mom was probably cooking breakfast. 

Slipping on some shorts and a shirt, you went downstairs and peeked into the kitchen. Your mother hummed to herself as she fried some eggs and thick cut bacon, flipping one of the eggs quickly.

“Morning, mom.” You murmured, and she jolted a little.

“Oh, I didn't hear you come down the stairs!” She chirped, beckoning you over. “Is Rayne awake yet?”

“No.” You answered as she wrapped an arm around you, jostling the frying bacon. “Her bedroom door is still closed.”

“That's okay. I'll just serve you before I call her and Carlos down.”

“I… I think I have to work today, but I can come back tonight if that's okay with you.”

“Always, baby. You can always come back.” She promised you, a gentle smile on her face.

You didn't have to work, and lying to her felt horrible. But the feeling that you needed to go back a day early was making you want to bolt out of the door.

‘I think I know exactly who sent that message. And those other corrupted ones too.’

You'd known about features that the Magnus console held, but the messages sent were usually to a connected app for inviting friends to play games with you.

Unless she'd wired her own console to reroute the messages to your messaging service directly. Or merged the code for it, merging apps wasn't unheard of, albeit usually a premium feature.

Which she could have done at any point you had been plugged into the console. 

The same skill she'd shown off with bypassing the doorway security system.

Now you felt worried. How much was she learning and teaching herself?

The thought of an AI like her escaping into the Net, able to access anything controlled by the internet, which was just about everything now…

Your stomach turned. You scoffed down your breakfast and darted up the stairs.

“Y/n! You okay?!” Your mother called out for you. 

“I'm fine, just gonna be late!” You lied.

“Okay, just be careful, alright?”

You practically tossed yourself out the door the moment you were ready. Hopping onto a nearby bus, your heart raced as it took you into the heart of the city.

‘Wanda, what did you do?’

Nearly falling up the steps when the elevator took too long, you skidded to a halt in front of the door, panting.

“Oh, hey Y/n, I thought you weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

Deciding to play it off, you chuckled. “Oh well, here now. Might as well do something, right?”

At that Bruce sighed. “Yeah, well… Not gonna be much for you, I don't think. I'm only here right now because of what happened. Did… Did Erik tell you too?”

Your heart sank. “Tell me what?”

“There's been an incident.”

The office was quiet outside of yourself, Bruce and Tony. Erik had promised to meet with all of you soon, and Alice had sent out a message stating that she was on her way.

You sighed as you watched Tony's computer, connected to the Magnus, return error code and error code.

“The game's corrupted.” He muttered. “All our work, it was almost done… We'll be lucky if this ever turns on again”

Your heart squeezed in agony. 

“Let me try.”

The others stared at you. “Try… What?”

“Plug me in with a safe link, and give me access to the internal data. Maybe I can pull up data from a past saved point, o-or force the console's system to boot in a safe mode and start working on data recovery.”

“That's not safe.” Bruce shook his head. “Look, it's not that I doubt you, I just don't want you getting hurt. If that corrupted data causes your system to overheat like it did with the Mag-”

“Then cool me down.”

Tony sighed heavily. “We don't exactly have a tub full of ice laying around, Y/n…” He sat back on his chair. “But we do have an Alice…”

He called out to her communicator. “Hey, you there? We have a special order in for Y/n if you're near a place to get it.” He waited only a moment before continuing. “We need four large cups of ice, and a split cable.”

“What's the split cable for?”

“We'll connect you to the console safely, splitting the connection between the console and my computer. I'll use an old vital detection software I've got to detect your internal system temperature. If it gets too hot, it'll automatically send a little jolt- not enough to hurt you, just enough to short out the connection and kick you out by force. The ice is… To at least try and buy you some time.”

“I'll hook the console up to the monitor…” Bruce shook his head. When he did, a horrific, ear piercing sound came through, like an electronic screech. 

Suddenly, your once calm co-worker gave a nearby speaker a hard kick, laughing it away from the monitor and disconnecting it completely. You and Tony stared as the room fell into deafening silence. 

“I… I don't like loud noises. Sorry.”

Eventually, you were plugged into the console and Tony's computer. He and Alice glanced at each other. The cups of ice had been poured out around your limbs, and you closed your eyes.

“Good luck, kid. You got one chance.”

You opened your eyes.

A bright white void surrounded you, filled with floating pieces of… Things. Models that had shattered, half of them coated in static. Any little touch provoked a sudden static shriek. 

“Wanda?! Where are you?!” You called out, and your voice actually echoed.

This place was so much bigger than you had thought.

Coming up to the console, you gazed in horror as thick red cracks underneath it shimmered with the same sparkling scarlet pixels Wanda used to cast her ‘magic’.

The console had been split, no, torn down the middle. It was a virtual object of course, but it looked as if it had been done with incredible force. Parts of metal stuck out, pixels and static glitching before them.

Why had this been modeled internally?

“Wanda! Come out, please!”

You pressed a cracked button that once glowed brightly but now sat dull. The button you had used to summon her.

Nothing.

Slowly, you wandered the wasteland, careful not to touch anything and stopping to open up the pause menu to try and escape any corruption induced overheat.

“Wanda! It's me, Y/n!” You shouted over the static and groaned when you saw the torn console again. How did you manage to go in a circle?!

But then, you had an idea.

The inside of the console was modeled. Within it were wires and small pieces…

Maybe you could trigger her summon from inside?

Reaching in, you hissed through your teeth at the amount of heat the horrible thing was kicking out. Taking a deep breath, you felt underneath the face of the console, under her summoning button.

‘Come on… Please…’

Meeting your hands over the button, you pushed it down, grabbing hold of it with your other arm. Reaching your free arm inside, you connected its torn circuit to another piece, a spark nearly blinding you.

Stepping away from the console, you slumped onto the bright white ground. “Please… Let that have worked.”

Through the static, you heard it.

A warped, looping bell. 

Behind half of the console was a soft shimmer of light. You pulled away from the machine and walked around it.

You pushed a broken asset away, cringing at the feeling of the sharp static that clung to it.

There, a simple ball of light, was your best friend, the girl you'd fallen so deeply for.

Tears rose up in your eyes as you knelt down to the little glowing ball, a lump rapidly growing in your throat.

You reached out with trembling hands. “I'm here now. I'm here, Wanda… Please wake up.”

The orb shivered, and settled into your hands. Your chest felt heavy as a tingly, feather-light sensation spread a soft chill into your fingertips. You pulled her in close, feeling it against your body, barely more than a wisp of light.

Your body heaved as a sob tore from your lips. “I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. Help me put you back together, please… Stay like this with me until you have the strength to recover if you have to, just… Please… Stay with me.”

Tears slipped down your face as you made a terrible realization, the cooling sensation of her body felt like a gentle breeze.

For the first time, and maybe the last time, you were touching her.

~~~~~

“Tony-”

“I know. I… I'm stumped.”

He stared down at the screen. Everyone had come in now, crouched around him as you laid on the floor before them. Occasionally, your body would twitch against the melting ice that now soaked into the carpet around you. 

The readings you had given off hadn't been good. Your body temperature had spiked into a fever, seconds away from hopefully activating the protector that would short circuit the console and keep you from overheating.

“She… She was about to cook herself.” Alice murmured in disbelief. 

“We should still pull her out, it could still be hurting her. If this hurts a human being and we release it to the public, we-”

“Bruce. Let her go.” Erik warned as he crouched near your body, watching the cables. “It was her choice.”

“Sir, you can't seriously suggest that we wouldn't be liable for hurting-”

“Be quiet!” Erik hissed. “You have no idea what you're even talking about right now.”

Tony watched, worried. You were barely younger than Morgan, the thought of someone your age being held so precariously close to the edge, running down it as if you weren't playing on the blade of a knife…

He'd hug Morgan extra tight when he picked her up after work.

Natasha pointed to one of your vitals. “What’s that?”

“Brain activity levels. It's how you know Y/n’s still alive and cooling down rather than having just… Died.” He responded. The redhead shuddered, and he remembered that she probably felt the same way.

Her sister was your age, of course. Tony knew that Natasha would go any lengths to protect her, maybe she felt responsible for you as well.

“Is there anything we can do?” Agatha glared at the console, fingers entwined with Rio’s. 

“I really, really don't know.” Stress made him crave a drink desperately. 

“So what, we just sit here and watch the kid fry herself to death to save a video game's files?” Rio huffed  “Co-workers of the Year award, here we come…”

He tried not to bounce the computer on his leg as Bruce walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Your fingers twitched, water from the melted ice dripping off of them as your hands seemed to curl around something.

Tony reached into his jeans pocket and rubbed his thumb on a large coin. 

‘Don't ruin my 3 months, kid. Get that data clean and get out. Please.’

~~~~~

You held the cold wisp of light close to your body as you opened up a command console. “Come on… Something, anything…”

You looked down at her tiny form, and bit back a scream. The helplessness getting to you.

You couldn't save your friends.

You couldn't save your sister.

You couldn't save her.

You couldn't save anyone.

You blinked away tears and looked around as the bright void faded away.

It was the bedroom. The safe room.

Textures were missing from a few items, but… It was almost untouched.

You gently set Wanda's form down onto a pillow, the flickering orb seemed to be growing weaker. She must have brought you here, somehow.

Even as a tiny wisp of unspeaking light, she was trying to help you.

Quickly, you pulled up the command console again. The keyboard before it flickered and glitched, but muscle memory from the sheer amount of typing you did was your savior.

“Reboot into safe mode… AI enabled.”

You pulled up commands for the AI, she didn't have many. Mostly colour changing…

You couldn't imagine her in anything other than her beautiful red.

There was an option you were familiar with.

‘Soft Reboot’

But the last one intrigued you.

‘Hard Reboot - Password Required.’

You'd never seen this before, and you had no clue what password would be needed for something like that, or how deep it would run.

All of her memories with you, everything the two of you had done together, your friendship, everything you two had been through and worked out together 

You initiated both the system's safe mode and Wanda's soft reboot. You'd used it only once before when she had gotten out of bounds and needed help getting back inside. It was safe normally but… With her like this…

You knelt at the bed, pressing your forehead to the tiny orb.

“Please, I need you to come back… I'll never leave you again, I promise. You're my best friend, and I… I love you.”

Tears slipped down your face as textures began to correct themselves. The air in the room began to cool, and using an out of bounds code allowed you to see outside of the room. Assets were being corrected, brought back to the state they had been in at the last safe point.

So where was Wanda?

Getting back inside the safe room and turning off the cheat, you knelt beside the bed. 

“Please be okay. Everything is healing now in the game, you can heal too. You're safe here too. I've got you.”

You traced a gentle finger through the orb and sobbed as your finger fell uselessly through it.

“I…”

You reached out, again and again.

Nothing.

“I can't feel you…”

Chapter Text

“I can't feel you…” You sobbed, burying your face into the pillow you had set her down onto.

‘She would have been over the moon if she'd known I was able to touch her.’

The thought sent another wave of anxiety and sorrow crashing into you. You desperately needed to talk to her. 

“Everything else is almost healed completely.” You murmured. “I'll find a way to help you, you'd do it for me. There's something I need to tell you.”

Pulling away, you tried to pull the orb with you. When that failed, you looked back at the terminal you'd used to enter commands. 

>Force Start Game gamemode 1

>Copy Save File 1 - “New World”

You'd never named it, did you?

>Open New Save with “‘New World’ Copy”

With baited breath, you waited. An idea had come to you, and you were desperately hoping it would work.

 LOADING…

[■□□□□□□] 

WARNING-

SAVE FILES CORRUPTED.

BEGIN DATA RECOVERY?

Well, shit. You had figured opening a new file would get around that.

>>Yes >No >Cancel

DATA RECOVERY INITIATED

You watched the loading bar tick painfully slowly for a few minutes before suddenly jumping up to completion. 

The AI hovered beside your shoulder, and you glanced at the tiny orb. 

It seemed brighter now. Maybe entering a game properly would force your companion to do something to help you.

 LOADING…

[■■■■■■■] 

A rush of icy wind caught you off guard.

The clifftop you had started out on was covered in snow… Last time you had played this game your season had changed to winter. 

You loved this world, the first one you and Wanda had started to play in, when she had almost frightened you. You had logged so many hours here.

“We're home.”

She hovered in front of you, shimmering brightly. 

“Please, Wanda… I need help. And I need you to know something...” 

The orb sparked, but did nothing. 

You sighed, and pulled up your menu, deactivating and reactivating her. The sparks grew more frantic.

You opened up the console you had used before. Data recovery of the entire game was almost at one hundred percent. It had chosen the games in their internal order.

More glimmers of light shone from the little orb, it seemed to nearly vibrate. There, in the center of it, you could have sworn you'd seen a pixelated heart.

Looking into settings, you pulled up every line of code that made up your crush.

There, between a few lines of code, was her ability to influence her environment. 

To touch.

You tried to edit it, but any time you did, a prompt popped up.

‘Unable to Change settings at this time. Please wait and try again or contact the administrator.’

What kind of error was that?

Another gust of wind whipped, and made you step back. You were dangerously close to the edge of the cliff now.

There, at the bottom of the hill, stood a massive beast.

You'd forgotten you'd turned the game onto hard mode.

“Wanda.”

It turned its head towards you.

"Please wake up."

Sharp horns, glistening with frost, shone in the weak sunrise. It stood up on its hind legs and roared.

From what you knew, it was loosely based on the extinct animal: “bear”.

And you had never managed to defeat one.

It charged up the cliff at full speed, and you felt your heart drop, turning to the console to try and do something that might stop it.

Its shadow rose over you with a mighty roar.

It was this thing, or a very, very long fall.

You were not falling today. 

The panic of losing your best friend melted away. You'd had a very stressful day, and quite frankly, you were done.

You stepped in front of the shimmering orb.

Because you knew she would do the same.

Drawing your sword, you thrusted the blade upwards. The creature roared as it bore down, trying to push all of its weight down onto you, only driving itself further down the blade.

Blood rushed in your ears as you pushed against the immense weight, but exhaustion was taking its hold… You screamed in rage against this thing. This terrible monster that didn't know any better than to attack players away from safe places because that was all it was programmed to do.

It fell onto you, roaring in your face and pinning you to the snowy rock.

From behind you, a brilliant flash of scarlet light shone onto the bear-monster's pale fur.

A red tendril wrapped around the monster's throat and yanked it off of you. More wrapped around its body, gripping tightly and taking your sword with it.

Scrambling to your feet, you turned around just in time to see the woman you loved dangling the creature over the cliffs edge, her back turned to you.

The tendrils turned into chains.

Wanda lifted it higher into the air, before slamming the massive beast down onto the rocks below.

The redhead turned to face you. Her eyes widened in shock.

“I…” She started, looking down in shame. “I'm sorry for putting you through this. I missed you. Please, please tell me I didn't ruin everything…”

“Come here.” You spoke calmly. “Please.”

The AI began to shake as she approached you. “I didn't mean to hurt the game. I didn't know I could. I'm sorry, Y/n, I-”

“I saw your message.”

She looked back up at you. You'd never seen her look so fragile, as if another gust of that wind would shatter her completely.

“And while I was on the bus ride here I decoded the other ones that got corrupted. Every single one of them.”

Tears welled up in Wanda's eyes. “I'm sorry. I don't mean to cause so much trouble, I didn't do it to bring you away from your family, I-I promise-”

“I know you didn't.”

You stepped back, and she followed. “I… I don't understand, you're not mad at me?”

At that, you turned around, and pulled up those past messages. Now uncorrupted. 

The redhead looked as if you were about to strike her. “I… Wasn't supposed to do that, especially with not consenting to receive any messages from the console. I'm sorry if I was creepy, and bothered you. I promise, I would never, ever hurt you.” The AI seemed to panic. “I know I’m selfish, bu-but I'm not a monster-”

“I consent…” You reached out, taking one of her hands into your own even if you couldn't feel it. The gesture shut her up instantly. “To receive contact regarding the game in all forms of communication from you and you alone.”

“Y/n…” She breathed. “Please… Please don't let this be a joke…”

“Yes, Wanda, I love you too.”

You watched her choke down a sob. Phasing through your body she frantically tried to hug you.

“I love you!” She cried. “I love you so much, I know I'm not a human but I promise I'll love you just as much!” She trembled as you wrapped your arms around her as best you could.

“I know, Wanda, I know.” You did your best to soothe her. “I love you too. I've got you… While you were… Healing… Something happened.”

Wanda pulled away, staring into your eyes. She seemed deathly calm. “What?”

“I was able to… Feel you. I-I think that setting might actually still be in the game, just turned off. A-and while you were corrupted, it… Sort of turned on.”

She seemed to take in what you were saying well.

“So I could feel you. Hold you, physically. You were tiny, and cold, and it felt like my hands were tingling when I touched you.” You explained. “Does that make sense?”

“Not really but… I don't really remember anything after sending you that message. There are little feelings I remember, like… The need to cool down. I couldn't feel any heat, but something was urging me to be cold, even if I couldn't feel it.”

“Well I'm going to be honest with you, that probably saved my life.”

Wanda seemed to shrink on herself. “Humans are so frail…” She murmured. “I want to help you in the human world…”

You'd been about to try and comfort her about that, reassure her that things were okay, when the redhead suddenly seemed to surge with confidence. 

“I want to be human.”

Despite how insane the suggestion sounded, you nodded. “We'll figure things out.”

You had no idea how to grant that wish, but lately you'd been asked for a lot of tasks that seemed impossible. What was one more?

~~~~~

It would be a lie to say you didn't nearly jump out of your skin when you unplugged yourself from the console. The entire staff seemed to be there, crowding around you. 

Erik swept you into his arms in a tight hug. “Thank you. Thank you so, so much.” He whispered. “You have very little idea how much this means to me.”

When he let you go, Natasha and Alice practically pounced on you. Your manager gently offered you a water bottle, Alice seemed to move like lightning to wipe off the slightly warm water from your limbs, but of them fussing over you.

“Guys, I'm okay, really!” You laughed, a bit overwhelmed.

You saw Tony sat at his laptop. “I… Don't ever do that again.” His tone was strained with worry. “Please.”

Alice brushed your hair from your face. “How did it go? You almost overheated a few times, there was one where we thought we'd lose you!” She hugged you tighter than Erik had as you took the water from Natasha.

“Let her breathe!” Agatha called out to them. Rio knelt down in front of you, seeming to be an odd calm among everyone else's chaos.

Rio smiled gently at you. “You okay?” She mouthed.

Slowly, you hugged Alice back, and nodded. 

The older woman sat back, and patted your leg. “Good.”

You looked around the room as Rio returned to Agatha's side, whispering into her ear. Everyone was…

Wait…

No, not everyone.

Where was Bruce?

“Where… Where did Bruce go?”

Natasha wilted. “He… Left.” She admitted. “He and Mr. Lehnsherr had a… Falling out.” 

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Erik crouched near the red Magnus, his hand gently placed upon it. “You're safe now.” He whispered, too low for anyone else to hear before turning to you and all of the others.

You looked over at the monitor that was supposed to show them gameplay. Instead, it only showed that the game's safe mode had successfully recovered all data assets.

You breathed a sigh of relief. 

But in the back of your mind, there was excitement brewing. If Bruce had left, he could speak freely.

Now all you needed was a way to find him.

~~~~~

“So, let me get this straight…” Wanda hovered above you, looking as if she were sitting down in their air as you rotated a puzzle piece around yourself to try and solve a level. “Mr. Banner has left, but you think everyone else has files I should access through your security hacking device?”

You sighed. “Sort of. If his file is still in the game, I need a way to contact him. I don't need his address, just contact details. Any way to speak with him would be amazing. And…”

Wanda tilted her head. “And?”

“And any way to… Keep in touch with my registered friends.” You spoke carefully, hoping she would understand what you had meant. “The other names registered to this console, of course. We all share different profiles, after all, it makes sense we should be able to speak with each other.”

The redhead smirked, her voice practically a purr as she wreathed herself around you. “Very intelligent plan, my love. Of course I can help you get into contact with your friends easier. Assisting you is what I'm for, after all. Who do you need me to find for you?”

Your heart fluttered in your chest and you swore you were swaying on your feet. “Y… Yes. I-I need the details of…” Counting them off on your fingers, you listed them off. “Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Rio Vidal, Agatha Harkness, Alice Wu-Gulliver, and Bruce Banner.”

She nodded at each one. “Hmm… Not the previous playtesters whose files still exist? Rogue and Remy LeBeau?”

“No. And not Erik Lehnsherr either. In fact, he cannot know about this.”

At your command, Wanda relaxed instantly. “Perfect! His data is quite protected, as are the other Playtesters. Though, I have to admit, I can see their save files are quite impressive! They played together, and managed to complete the game at one-hundred percent!”

Suddenly, something dawned on you.

You hadn't actually beaten this game. You played all of its levels enough to know them like you knew your own home, but… Never had you actually gotten to the ending. In fact, you didn't actually know how to get to it.

“Their save file has a pretty golden crown on it now!” Wanda told you, and you decided that, as the day was winding down, you'd focus on that.

“So… You say they've beaten it, how did they do it?”

At your question, the redhead gasped as if you'd offended her. “I'm your assistant, Y/n, not a cheat method!” She teased and leaned in. “I can give you a hint and I can retrieve encrypted data while we work, but I can't just give you the answers to my game's ending, can I?”

Laughing, you shook your head, deciding to poke around in the final levels of each category while she worked.

Thankfully, the Horror section was optional for completion, it really was just for bragging rights. 

Wanda had hinted at the Platformer game being the place to go, and as such you decided to look over the entire level roster…

At the end of the final level was an ancient looking crypt, and while you were meant to grab the treasure that sat upon the main tomb, you looked around the room instead.

You searched around, pressing your hand on every stone brick in the hopes one would open something.

“My love…” Wanda murmured. “No bricks will help you. You'll need to find something else.” She sat cross-legged on top of the large, golden coffin; screens all around her pulling data into her body. “Your device pushes past the basic firewall without setting off any alarms… You're quite good at this.”

At her sweet words and compliments, you felt yourself melt. “I try.” You replied and glanced back over at her. “You know… I have a plan to help you out with discovering the human you were based on.”

“Really?” She looked up from her screens, floating over to join you by your side.

“Yep, see, I'm getting pretty close with one of the professors who used to teach her. Does the name Lilia Calderu ring any bells for you?”

Wanda paused. “I…” She seemed to be trying desperately to think, to try and latch any memory she may have held onto the name. When she came up short, she sighed, and you'd never seen her look quite so defeated.

“I know I'm not her, but… I feel like I should know these names.”

You held up a hand to her cheek. “Hey… It's fine. You're helping me, I don't mind helping you either.” 

Something was weighing on the AI's mind. You could tell. 

Your fingers grazed a bit of moss near the darkest corner of the crypt, and touched something solid.

A button. 

You pushed it, and the door to the crypt slammed shut, making you squeak in surprise. 

Gentle, swelling music began to play.

Golden light shone onto the crypt, and a loud click sounded off from under it. 

You noticed, maybe they had only been created by the game's new state, but there were drag marks near the tomb.

You gave it a hard push, and it began to move on its own, clearing the way for a large door in the floor. Pulling it open, your eyes widened at a dark tunnel, the light from above only enough to illuminate the entrance.

A slide?

Well… It wasn't like you could actually be hurt.

You sat down, pushing yourself off to slide down it, letting out a happy shriek as you felt it twist and turn in the darkness, excitement and just a hint of fear from the rush coursing through your veins.

It dumped you out into what looked like a tiny cottage, and the only other thing inside with you was a door.

Carefully, with Wanda close behind you, you pushed the door open, and stepped outside.

Everywhere you looked was more and more beautiful plant life. Fruit trees full of fruits you had only ever seen in advertisements for synth-fruit, flowers you weren't even sure were based on real types of flowers that bloomed all around the path… The sun shone, and a warm breeze passed through, lazily blowing a rainbow’s worth of flowers through the area and rustling the leaves on the trees.

A sweet smell hung in the air, peaceful and warm. If this was meant to be a paradise, a beautiful reward for finishing this game, you could stay here forever. You glanced over at Wanda…

Who did not seem to share the sentiment. 

Instead, she was looking elsewhere, something in the scenery had caught her attention.

Small, relaxing set pieces were scattered around the map, personal thank you messages from staff, as well as congratulatory messages for finding the ending area were written all over them, including a blank one where you would need to write your own. 

But you were much more curious as to what Wanda was so focused on.

Mentally tracing her line of sight, your gaze caught on something hidden by shady trees; an old stone-brick well.

You wondered how deep it went.

You watched her eyes, how they flicked over to the well, burning with anxiety and something hidden behind it all.

Rage.

What was wrong with the well, that it was having such an effect on her. Normally when she was angry with an entity, she'd attack it. And you had never seen her so anxious about anything in the game.

Was something going to come out of it?

What had her so terrified that she refused to take her eyes off of it?

You stepped out in front of her. “What's down there?”

She turned away. “Down where?”

Your eyes narrowed. “Wanda…”

“Nothing else is here, Y/n, this is the end of the game.” Her placid voice wasn't fooling you. You knew her too well for her to pretend to be stupid.

“Wanda, don't do that. Please.” You shook your head. “Don't act like you can't see it.”

She fell silent. “I don't want…” The redhead sighed. “I don't want you to see it.”

“Is it not finished?”

“Guess you could say that.” Her tone turned venomous. Her tiara points curled to look near enough like a demon's horns. 

Now you had to know. You knew her well enough that anything she was avoiding that hard was for a reason. Something that could evoke such a response needed investigating.

But…

Pain ached though your body, waves of fatigue lulling into you.

How long had it been since you'd eaten real food? Or rested?

“Alright, you win for tonight.” You conceded. “We are coming back here tomorrow.”

At that, she whined. “That's not fair…” 

“I know, but I need to check every part of the game, especially something you said is unfinished.” You pointed out. “I'm not trying to be mean, but I need to make sure everything is okay.”

At the sound of her own words held against her, she pouted. “Fine. But you'll hate it. I promise you, it's bad.”

She turned away from you for only a moment, before glancing back at you. “Though… I do note that you haven't taken care of your human needs for a while… Eat a nutritionally complete dinner, please.” She floated close to you, leaning in close as if to kiss you on the cheek. “If I were human, I could cook a meal that would meet any nutritional deficits you currently have, but as I cannot… Promise me you will.”

“I will.” You got up on your toes when she hovered a little higher, and giggled when she shyly moved away, pixelated hearts twinkling around her as she looked away. “I'll see you tomorrow, I love you.”

Her ghostly tail flicked back and forth as Wanda beamed. “I love you too! I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying that!” She squealed. “Have a wonderful night, and get lots of sleep!”

“Try and rest.” You told her. “And for the record, I don't think I'll get tired of it either.”

You knew you wouldn't.

Not while she walked in your dreams.

~~~~~

Submitting an assignment to Professor Kale, you sighed. It had been a brutally tough one.

You'd been about to turn into the hallway to leave when she called you back over.

“Hey! Y/n! Can you come here?”

Dread pooled in your stomach. What had you done?

Nervously, you walked back to stand next to her desk. “Yes, Professor?”

Rather than anything bad, Jen began to laugh. “Look, I get you wanting to go out and have a good rest of the half-day with everybody else as fast as possible.” She told you. “Believe me, when I get out of here I'm going straight to the nearest spa. But…”

She pointed to her screen at your assignment.

“You are very lucky I recognized your intro piece from when you showed it to me.” She pointed out. “You and like three other students have got to remember to sign your work!” 

You flushed with embarrassment. Of all the silly things, you'd forgotten to put your name on your assignment. Quickly accessing your database, you added in your digital signature and reuploaded it to Professor Kale's computer. “Sorry!” You squeaked.

“Don't worry, I was just as bad.” She told you with a good natured laugh. “I'm just glad I recognized your work, I've got to track down the other 3 somehow. It's fine knowing who they are, but I don't know which is which!” 

You stepped away from her desk. “Hope you find them quickly, enjoy the half-day!” You chirped, still feeling awkward as you rushed out the door. 

Walking down the hall, you were stopped once again by Lilia Calderu.

“Hello dear.” Despite being a small woman, she seemed to tower over you and anyone else around you. “Are you one of the students with the half day?”

“I am.” You answered, and noticed the heavy books in her arms. “I can help you carry those if you'd like.”

“Oh! You're such a good girl.” Professor Calderu laughed as she handed you one of them. “This one might actually intrigue you! You got me thinking about the past and I figured, with my special privileges-”

The other staff were too scared of her to tell her no. This definitely extended to those remodeling the library.

“-I'd help you out! Enjoy the yearbook, sweets. Make a single funny comment about my old picture and I'll bake you into a pie.” She was joking, but you'd heard of her legendary anger and the threat still made you shiver.

With that, she sauntered off.

But not before turning to throw one last comment your way.

“Oh, and Y/n?”

“Yeah?”

Her eyes seemed glassy, far away suddenly. 

“Whatever you do at the crossroads… Don't turn left.” She spoke quietly but you could hear her as if her voice was your own. “Take the yellow one. It will keep you both safe. Please don't fall.”

Lilia blinked as if she'd forgotten where she was, before looking at you again. “That book had better be back on my desk by the end of the week!”

“Uh… Sure.” You stammered. “Can do.” Watching as the older woman walked away, leaving you dumbfounded and lightly wondering if you should speak to someone about what she was saying to you.

But you really didn't have the time to dwell on it. Your work was waiting, and you were desperate to get back to her.

Her.

As you walked, you knew it wasn't the bright summer sunshine that made your face feel especially warm.

You loved her, and she loved you too.

Was Wanda your girlfriend? Maybe. Maybe there wasn't a term for it.

That thought didn't bother you much.

Especially not when the very thought of being with her made you feel light as a feather inside.

You practically ran to the studio, overjoyed to see the woman you loved. 

Feeling giddy, you entered the game. It was time to figure out what was being hidden in the end. 

But first… You decided to spend a bit of quality time with the nervous AI that dwelled within.

You'd run up to her, holding out your arms for her to hover between them. She took the offer with glee, and the two of you spun around each other, laughing.

“I missed you!”

“I missed you, too!” You stepped closer to her as you slowed to a stop. She swirled magic around you, creating sparkling red petals that floated around your face. 

Was this her way of giving you flowers?

“I know you aren't a fan of what's hidden at the end, so… If you don't want to come with me, you don't have to.” You told her. “I'm not gonna make you uncomfortable on purpose.”

Wanda hesitated for a moment, but shook her head. “No.” She said, “I want to come with you. You'll hate what you find, and I want to comfort you if you get upset. I love you far too much to leave you alone.” 

What was her problem with it? 

What was hidden in the game that was so terrible, that Wanda hesitated at the thought of accompanying you?

You needed to know.

Pulling the crypt away, you slid down the long slide once more and into the Final Meadow.

Yes, it was just as fun the second time.

Wanda clung to you as if expecting you to be attacked. You turned to face her.

“It's okay. I'm fine.” You reassured her. “I'm right here if you're scared.”

“It's not me I'm worried about.” She stated, before moving to hover behind you. She stayed silent as you closed in on the well.

It looked…. A bit rough. Ready to fall apart if touched too much. But you put a hand on it, and it was sturdy. Must have been the style choice.

Water leaked from a few cracks, but… The well was empty.

The way it leaked… You could have sworn you'd seen something like this before. Agatha didn't make models like this, neither did Rio.

Who else made models for the game again?

Shrugging it off, you lifted a leg over the side, and jumped down into the well.

Landing hard at the soft bottom, you followed a cramped tunnel that barely allowed room for you, following the sparkling light that had shone onto the shockingly dry ground.

At the end of the tunnel was a single treasure chest, just like all the ones you had opened before.

Shimmering scarlet light bathed the treasure chest. Sparkling gems, all in different colors, twinkled as you stepped closer. 

You heard Wanda whimper as you opened the chest, and your stomach clenched as you gazed at the contents inside. Your breath caught in your throat.

“Y/n, I told you it was bad…”

Hidden inside was a small paper note that reminded you of your worst fear.

“Dear Player,

We hope you enjoyed your time here, by the time you read this, development on our next game, Nexus United, will have begun! We can't wait for you to see our next adventure, and make a brand new friend!

- Sincerely, the team of Magnet Studios”

Behind the note was something so much worse. Your skin felt hot as you carefully lifted it out, hands shaking. Covered in sparkling jewels that glittered innocently was another tiara, the same as Wanda's own.

In your favorite color.

Chapter Text

It played on your mind. The way that crown had been… Made for you.

Your co-workers, you called them your friends but… You couldn't really trust any of them.

Maybe Alice, but even still… 

You'd understood now, why she had been so upset.

Not only was that crown disturbing… It was confirmation that your private time together was coming to a close.

You'd been working on the game for months now. Autumn was slowly creeping in, sapping the heat from the world.

Now you stood alone in front of Erik's office, waiting patiently for him to answer you.

When the door opened, you were surprised to see him standing by his window, gazing out over the city, staring in the direction of Night City.

“I heard from our dear friend that you've completed the game now.” He spoke cheerfully. “What did you think of the ending? Anything we can add in?”

“Uh… About that.” You'd pulled out a chair to sit, but Erik beckoned you over to the window. “I saw something in the ending… Another… Crown?”

“Yes, that was my own recent addition.” Erik told you. “I hope you got the message?”

He stared down at you, his icy gaze seeming to burn into your very soul.

“Yes, I had a feeling there was a message, I'm just… Unsure of what the message is.” You chuckled nervously. 

“Well, I hope you did read the note!” He laughed, and when you nodded, he continued. “Well… It's very simple.”

He turned fully to you, putting his hands on your shoulders. 

“I want you to lead production on the next game. You would be its playtester main playtester. Working with a small team of course, but with you as its leader. That, and…” He gave you a small squeeze on the shoulder. 

“We may be able to base an AI off of yourself. We are hoping to build a more… Connected system.”

‘With everything this is putting Wanda through? Hell no. I'm not letting you pressure me into it.’

“I… I'll have to think about it.” You responded carefully, no longer a stranger to his temper.

Erik pulled away, holding his hands behind his back. “Well… That is disappointing.” He remarked. “Should you wish to, you are able to. The offer will remain open until the game's official release date, which will be when proper production begins.” He explained. “If you do not agree and sign the contract previously provided, I'll be forced to terminate you.”

Your heart plummeted. With the game being released, Wanda would be subject to the general public, and you knew she wasn't ready. Lonely she was, able to handle anything humans would throw her way was a different case.

“You have three weeks until the release date, Y/n. Twenty-one days to make your choice. After that, you'll be terminated.”

Without another word, Erik left your side to return to his computer. You watched him work at it, compiling data from files, trying to move them to another location, receiving an error you couldn't read when he tried.

There was an old looking USB attached to the computer.

You left the office, quickly following behind Natasha as she left. You followed her towards the elevator.

“Hey Nat!” You tried to keep up appearances.

Opening up your communicator for a moment, you smiled when you saw you'd received a message from Wanda. You'd kept her fake number unknown to ensure there would be little suspicion. 

New Message to Y/n from [Unknown]: Got everything you need for your project! The Key to success is Your Best Friend!

Along with the message were a few encrypted files attached, and you were pretty certain she'd included the password in that message too.

You closed it, and focused on Natasha.

She looked… Exhausted. Dark circles under her eyes, and the way she leaned into the cool, reflective wall of the elevator as if she was struggling to hold herself up without it.

“Are you okay?”

The redhead straightened up, and took a deep breath. “I'm fine, Y/n. You must have heard the news about the new project. Erik won't stop talking about you. You must be excited.” 

Natasha held her head high, gaze locked ahead at nothing. She seemed… Angry.

“Nat-”

“Do you think Erik picked you for this job?” Her voice was tight, gone was the weakness she'd displayed only seconds ago.

What kind of question was that?

“Well… I did, but when you say it like that it makes me think the answer is no.”

The redhead chuckled under her breath. “And that is correct. You gave an interview to our software by picking games from our past library and answering questions about yourself. Then, for once, it was up to me to choose someone from all of the other candidates.” She explained, and you nodded, feeling awkward.

“Uh… Cool. H-how many-”

“Do you think this job just fell out of the sky for you?”

You went silent. The only sound in your ears was of the elevator's slow descent and your own pounding heart until she spoke again.

“I watched you play the test games for the interview. You picked good games. But what intrigued me really was your answers. You answered every question perfectly and professionally.” She shook her head. “Until the question of hobbies came up. At that question, you immediately began stammering and desperately trying to come up with any answer other than none.”

She tilted her head, making herself seem taller as she looked down upon you. You looked down at your feet, heat creeping down your neck from embarrassment. 

But before you could even open your mouth, Natasha continued. 

“In the end you settled on the obvious gaming answer, and you said you love studying.” Tension curled around every syllable as she spoke, each word deliberate. “Never once did you name anything that involved friends. You never mention friends or even family members at all throughout the entire half-hour interview process when every other candidate did. Your general demeanor was a person who keeps to themself even when they long for company. You do no extracurricular activities in your college and never once have you mentioned clubs outside of this job.”

You… Didn't know what to say to that. And with Natasha facing forward again, only glancing at you in the corner of her eye, expressionless… You didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.

“Y/n, I chose you. I would never have taken any other candidate. None of them would have taken well to her.” 

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Natasha turned to you. “Because I know her. And I knew she needed someone just as lonely as she is.”

At that, she stepped out of the elevator as the doors tried to automatically close. Natasha gave you a pleasant, professional smile as a switch seemed to have flipped. “Have a good weekend, Y/n. Study hard, if you need any help, feel free to ask! I used to go to your college, y'know!”

Her stare lingered for a moment too long, and as if it was magic something immediately clicked in your brain.

“Because I know her.”

“I used to go to your college.”

Natasha wasn't talking about Wanda as an AI…

‘They were classmates. She knows far more about Wanda than she's letting on. Something's not right and I can't place what it is…’ You sighed as you sat on the stairs outside of the building, taking a drink from your water bottle. 

You sighed. Even if you'd made some friends… You still felt completely and utterly alone when you weren't in the game. Everyone had their secrets, and it seemed as if you'd all been set up to not be able to talk to one another at all about anything…

And now, just like the summer warmth, it was coming to an end.

It was either be spied on, put into the same position as the rest of them, or leave.

You had too many promises to keep and hardly any time to keep them.

~~~~~

The moment she was sure you were gone, she screamed with joy. Crimson fireworks burst around Wanda as she kicked her feet, hovering over her Play Console.

“Y/n loves me! She really loves me!” The redhead squealed. 

She floated down, laying back across the console with one arm crossed over her chest, the other over her eyes. In her mind, she could see you, and a life with you.

A house together, a perfect life, free and away from anyone else. There was so, so much she wanted to do with you. To you.

To hold you, to bring you gifts, to keep you safe… You were hers, no one could take you away from her now.

Feeling beyond giddy, borderline manic actually, she reached up with the arm covering her face, hand reaching out at the projecting she created of you.

A blissful warmth filled her non-existent heart. 

“Oh, Y/n, my darling, my love…” She giggled. “You are mine, all mine, I won't let you be together with anyone but me!” Her giggles rose in volume, louder and louder, until she was nearly hysterical, crying with laughter. “Mine! MINE!”

She sighed and sat up after what felt like hours, feeling dizzy. 

She added a few notes to your profile she held in her own database, marking you as someone very special.

In other words, she didn't have a way to designate you as her girlfriend, VIP would have to do. It was an old feature, taken out and repurchased for a different game. But remnants of it stayed hidden, dummied out in the game's code.

After adding it, the redhead took a moment to settle down, and felt herself tire once more.

Glancing to her side, she considered the files that you had helped her access. The system's internal clock was probably a little bit out of sync, but it was definitely late at night…

Her data showed that humans tended to enjoy “late night reading”. She had no idea why, reading was reading regardless of the time of day, but… Well, it never hurt to try a new thing, one so highly rated by humanity for hundreds of years, even back when books had been made from paper.

“Well… She did me a favor, time to do one of my own.”

Some of the files were deeply encrypted, but you'd left behind the program that would slowly help decode them.

Grabbing files of others was easy, but…

When she'd seen her own name within them… Well how could she resist?

Wanda sat back, and slowly began to scan the files for you, and herself.

She would send you the ones you wanted, and slowly began to set aside the ones from her own personal files.

“Let's find out who I really am.”

~~~~~

The bus ride to the hospital had been long, and stressful. People in the seat in front of you were loudly arguing, and someone in the back was very clearly high on some kind of stimulant.

The bliss you'd felt had finally worn away into a sturdy resolution. Things were bad, but you weren't going to let them get to you today. You didn't feel that cloudly-headed feeling 

This was going to be a good day, whether it liked it or not.

You stopped off by the hospital's gift shop first, making sure to pick up some holo-balloons and candy bars. If there was ever a way to make Rayne smile, it was snacks. The sweeter the better. 

You were pretty sure one of these bars was pure sugar with a synthetic chocolate coating.

Gifts purchased, you made your way down to reception, brushing past people you desperately hoped weren't sick with anything contagious. 

Reaching the front desk, you smiled at the secretary, who seemed bored out of their mind.

“Hi, I'm here to see Rayne Y/Ln. I'm her sister, Y/n Y/Ln.” You stated at the front desk, looking around for the massive room. You were happy that your sister was getting the final pieces of her chrome swapped to a more compatible metal, but… Did it really have to be at such a shady hospital?

The secretary eyed you for a moment. “One second.” She turned away, looking at a list. “Ah, Rayne L/n. Go on ahead, she's down the hall left hall, in room D-12.”

“Thanks!” You chirped, heading away from the desk and down the left side of the building. The hospital was… Not great. Security was minimal, and the amount of doctors willing to do shady things for the right price was far too high. 

But it was what your sister wanted, and it wasn't worth arguing.

You stepped into the nearest bathroom first, washing your hands. You weren't a germaphobe, but you had just seen two small children coughing all over everything in a nearby waiting room as you'd spoken to the front desk secretary. 

Feeling much better after that, you stepped out, and into Rayne's room. 

She looked completely at peace, sleeping in her bed. Most of her body was under the blanket, outside of her brand new steel leg. It would be fitted for new synthetic skin in a few days, provided it didn't reject. Steel usually didn't, and hadn't yet with all she'd replaced, but it was a mandatory precaution. 

It gleamed in the artificial lights, shiny and pristine. 

You placed the hologram you'd bought near her bed, and turned it on. Red and blue hologram balloons flickered to life, and you set down the candy on her bedside table.

Next to the ones your mother had clearly already brought up.

You laughed. Predictable. 

Sitting back, you decided to check over the documents Wanda had sent you. Entering in the passkey-  Your Best Friend, exactly as you'd predicted- you went over the document for Bruce.

Swiping his email address, you decided it was worth trying to send him something, even with the hospital's shoddy connection service.

“Hi Bruce!

It's me, Y/n, can I talk to you? I'm just wondering about some things I've seen going on, and I think it would be best to keep stuff off records, make sense? 

Hit me up if you wanna chat about anything with me! Or, meet me at the Angelwing Bar this weekend. Or the little internet café near it if that's not your style!

Look forward to seeing you,

Y/n L/n”

“And… Send.” You sat back in the small chair, trying to keep yourself comfortable. 

Pulling up your interface, you flicked away notifications, pulling up a conversation with Natasha.

‘Hey Nat, Yelena and I have a project to work on together, so I'll probably take you up on that offer to visit you. :)’

She'd seen the message, but hadn't responded. 

Or maybe she had, and the reception here was that bad.

You hesitated and gazed at one of the files Wanda had sent you. She'd retitled a picture that had clearly caught her attention enough to send separately.

‘Familiar to you too?.png’

You stared at the image.

A bedroom full of pretty decorations, black and red blurring together in very grainy quality.

A large bed sat by a curtain-covered window. Thick blankets lay on top, with shelves nearby covered in music merchandise, fake plants, and video game memorabilia from yesteryears… The layout of the bedroom was startlingly familiar.

It was the safe room she had brought you to.

And judging by the decor of the bedroom in the photo, the silhouette stood in the doorway, casting a shadow into the darkened room from an outside light…

It had been Wanda's bedroom. With Erik standing outside of it to take the photo.

A shiver swept over you, and you nearly jumped out of your skin when Rayne cleared her throat.

“Ah! I, Rayne, hi, crap, how long have you been awake?” You fumbled through your embarrassment.

“Like five minutes.” Her voice sounded scratchy. “What's got you so hypnotized?”

You shook your head. She didn't need to know. “Bah, school stuff. Making sure I don't miss anything.”

Rayne turned a little, wincing slightly. “Still sore… You looked like you were working with some files there… Stuff from your boss?

“No, not my boss, my… Friend. My boss is a lot harder to talk to. Feels like he's trying to look at your soul when he talks to you.”

She nudged you. “So, you've got a hot boss?” She teased, and you laughed.

“No, no, Rayne. He's an older man-”

“Ooh.”

Gag.

“Ugh. You're gross. Anyways, he's… Something about him is off. He's hiding something, something big. I can just feel it.”

“Shady huh?” Her eyes narrowed and she raised an eyebrow. “Money laundering? Tax evasion? Fake identity?”

“Nah.” You shook your head, although… “Well… Maybe.”

Rayne leaned back, tapping her fingers on the bedrail. “What about the others? You were chatting with someone when I woke up, I saw your communicator was up. Come on, I need some gossip.”

“Oh!” You didn't know she had seen that. “That's my manager, Natasha.”

“Sounds hot.”

You shoved your sister. “You're the worst! She's pretty, sure, but she's not really… My type. Also, she's asexual and aromantic, so don't go thinking you can try it on either.”

Rayne flopped back in her bed. “Gotcha. I saw you send a little smiley face, so I assume you're friends… I'm glad you got friends.” She smiled softly. “Speaking of which, I made my own friend last week. A real person, not another creep.”

“Oh, really?” You glanced down at her, tracing shapes in the palm of her left hand, the one she hadn't replaced. “Who?”

Rayne moved her palm away, scratching it. “First of all, that tickles, second of all, my neighbor has this kid who collects trading cards.”

“You're friends with a kid?”

“Fuck off, I'm telling a story!” She grabbed her pillow and hit you with it. “Heaven forbid I lay the groundwork here!” She laughed. “So, like I said, he collects cards. But his mom doesn't want him going out to the shop on his own to grab more packs. So, being a nice person, I offered to grab one for him.”

“Kid's mom trusts you?” You teased again. “Or-”

“I help her bring stuff up the stairs when the elevator breaks, jackass.” Rayne deadpanned. “She likes me. She's a single mom taking care of a little kid, I've gotta help where I can, make up for being such a jerk when I was young.” She huffed. “Anyways, I went down to the shop, the one Carlos works at, and as I'm walking back, it's super hot, and I wanna get myself a boba drink because I was thirsty, so I stop at this little shack, and was talking with the girl who makes it because she seemed really lonely.”

“Yeah…?” You nodded, imagining your motor-mouth sister chattering away.

“And, turns out, she loves cards, but she has no one to trade or play with! So, I give her my number and tell her that she can trade with me anytime!” Rayne was beaming. You couldn't remember when you'd seen her so happy for so long.

“I'm happy for you. I'm proud of you.” Your heart weighed heavy in your chest. You'd waited so long to be able to say that and mean it.

Sensing the change, Rayne settled into the bed. “Yeah, I'm… I'm proud of you too.” She shifted a little, fluffing up her pillow. “I'm, uh, I'm gonna let the meds I've got do their thing and get some more rest. Feeling the painkillers trying to put me to sleep.”

“Yeah, I'll let you get to sleep.” You patted her leg and stood up from your spot, hiding your laugh with a deeper breath. She was terrible at accepting praise like that. “See you, Rayne.”

“Later, nerd.” 

Grabbing your bag, you left her room, walking down the hall of the shady hospital.

You chuckled as a nurse jogged by, a large muffin in hand. As shady as this hospital's doctors were, you loved the nurses. Provided you were able to have foods and drinks, most stupid requests were granted in terms of snacks or drinks from their tiny cafeteria. They weren't paid nearly enough normally to care.

You stepped into the elevator, and selected to move down to a lower floor. Tapping your foot, you leaned on the wall of it until… 

It stopped. The elevator opened, and a massive group stood before you. Not wanting to be crammed into a small elevator with a massive load of strangers, you quickly stepped out. “You guys take this, I'm visiting some friends who work here.” You lied, quickly pressing the button on the elevator to un-select the ground floor.

You stepped out, and they all stepped in. You pretended to be a visitor, walking down the hall. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Natasha's leg bounced as anxious thoughts rattled in her head. What was going on? Why was she in this position? Would she be able to keep up with her course work?

Why had Erik fired and replaced everyone else, and so quickly? It had been a few years now since he’d put her in charge, and the game had been progressing well enough, but it would be going along much smoother without such a high turnover rate. Not to mention the stress it had put on her. A leadership position at such a young age… Why her? She was still barely an adult.

She needed to talk to him. He'd just finished an interview with a very sweet girl, Alice… Something or other.

Natasha hoped she got the job, she seemed so desperate. She had told Natasha about her mother having suffered a psychological breakdown, and affording her specialty care was something that was forcing Alice to beg for any job she could find, lest she be forced to choose between food or medical care for her mother.

Or, god forbid, take up a loan she'd have no hope of ever paying back.

And that was to speak even less about what happened to people who couldn't.

Many of the team's members that handled smaller jobs had been spared, but they were not on the same floor as the major team. Erik liked to split the teams depending on the job they had, how important they were. Those who were less integral to the project were kept on a lower floor. Except, of course, the newly created AI Lab. Erik and a few others were in and out of there constantly. One man, claiming himself a psychologist, stepped in frequently. Apparently the type of AI they were making was an adaptive one, one with a personality who would learn from players.

By the time Natasha had finally been able to peel herself away from her duties, Erik was already back down in the Lab.

“Another day…” She sighed. Bruce, the newest hire, called her over again. “I just have to keep trying.”

~~~~~

You tried to make yourself as small as possible as you searched the floor for a stairwell to take you down to the ground floor. 

Scanning the hallway, you desperately looked around. Everything looked the same, and the elevator was taking far too long… You wished you hadn't gotten off at such a busy floor… People moved through the halls like fish, not one of them noticing you or caring to acknowledge you.

“Coming through!” A loud voice boomed through the hallway. A man bolted down the hall, and you moved too quickly out of the way to see the reason why. 

Not thinking, you'd darted into the nearest open doorway. Curiosity got the better of you, and you turned to look at whoever was in the room. That, and you wanted to apologize for what was certainly an invasion of privacy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Natasha pressed her ear to the door, the earphone Alice gave her tuning in to what was hidden inside just behind it. The other girl had given it to her to listen to music together after she'd been hired. It had been a few months, and the redhead had finally gained the courage to spy on her boss. They'd apparently finished up most of the work in the AI Lab, all the workers involved seemingly let go. It had been quite some time now, progress on the game had slowed considerably without a proper design team for assets.

Now she stood in front of Erik's office, listening intently.

She had to know what was going on.

“Hush, my dear. You're perfectly safe. You've had a very bad fall.” Erik spoke softly.

‘Who are you talking to? You're alone in there…’ Natasha thought to herself. ‘Who fell?’

“Yes, Wanda, I'm your father. You do remember me, don't you?” He asked, before she heard him laugh softly. She'd never heard him laugh before. “There we are… I knew you would remember.”

‘What in the actual fuck is going on?’

“You're not well, darling. You're very sick, I'm going to take care of you.” He spoke with such a sweet tone, but Natasha felt herself growing nauseous. All that talk about his grief, his daughter…

Her former classmate… They'd shared a campus… Wanda, she…

Well...

She was dead. There had been a brief announcement that morning after that she and Virginia Wonder had taken their own lives. Guards had stood on the dormitory rooftop for a few weeks until they'd set up a proper fence around the area.

And the two would have their own memorial in the yearbook, of course.

No funeral though, of course. Not for her. Not the girl who'd nearly stabbed another student for the high crime of talking to someone she'd decided was her friend and nobody else's. Natasha felt pity, she was clearly unwell, but she wasn't exactly a therapist.

“Enough of that.” Erik's voice turned cold suddenly, and broke Natasha from her thoughts. “I've done this for your own good. Do not be petulant towards me. I need to fix you, this behavior of yours, these problems… I've let them go too far. Now that your mind is code, we can hone it. Get rid of those habits and problems.”

There was silence for a moment, Natasha felt herself shaking. 

“ENOUGH!” 

She jumped.

“I…” Erik paused. “Initiate memory reset sequence. End of log One Zero Zero Four.”

The door was wrenched open. Natasha shrank on herself. “Hello.”

Erik smiled. “Come in, Natasha. I have something to speak about with you.” 

She stepped into his office, and gasped as Erik gave her a gentle push to her back, closing the office door behind them.

“Sir, I-”

“I do not appreciate your actions.” His voice was flat. The room was dark aside from a single peering light from the setting winter sun, casting long shadows on the walls. “Or should I say… Inactions.”

“E-excuse me?” Asked the redhead. “Mr. Lehnsherr, I've done everything you've asked.”

“That is true, and for that I commend you.” His smile had turned into something much more sinister. “Heck, if you want, I'll be a reference for any future job you want.”

“Um… Thank-”

“Though… I have noticed something… Odd. About your resume.” He pulled up a small piece of paper from his desk. “See, right here. You provided your name right here. Natasha Romanoff.” Said Erik. “But I remember you differently.”

The silver haired man pulled out a ripped page of a yearbook. Her final high-school one to be exact, a copy of it, anyways. Just above the image of Wanda was her own. Her heart thumped in her chest, anxiety creeping up on her.

“You went to school with my daughter. I myself never approved of the Night City integration program … Night City scum does not belong with the people you lot once scorned as outsiders.” Erik spat. “The worst trait you have though…”

He held her resume to her yearbook image.

“Is that you are all liars.”

She fell silent. 

“A different name is now on your college record and ID code, isn't that funny? You changed it after high school, but that is far too young to change your name on your ID code. You haven't even graduated college yet.” He pointed out. “That means you've done this illegally. You've performed an illegal name change to Miss Natasha Romanoff, Night City's final, pathetic crime boss, who clung onto a stupid dream like a parasite and perished in a gunfight with her own gang members when they turned on her! You have lied to me, and now I have caught you eavesdropping. Tell me, Miss Romanova, are you trying to get arrested? For what? Corporate espionage? Identity theft? If prison is your goal, I'm more than happy to help.”

“I…” She swallowed. “I had to get away from my foster home… I had to get Yelena away. Sh-she's still a child, I had to get her away-”

“I don't care, Natalia. You knew my daughter was hurting. You let those animals you called classmates torture her. As far as I am concerned, my daughter's blood is on your hands as much as it is theirs.” Erik snarled. “You let it happen. You commit a crime and get away with it, she harms no one and now she's…” He trailed off as she looked up to meet his gaze. He shook his head. “That doesn't seem fair.”

“I heard everything.” Natasha whispered, “I know what you’ve done to her.”

“Really? You overheard a grieving man speaking to a picture of his daughter, and becoming upset? Recording software won't work this close to my office, Natalia.” He grinned. “Who will they believe? Come now dear, I know you're intelligent. I don't want you thrown in prison for simply trying to get yourself and your sister safe, but…”

Erik tilted his head slowly. A gentle predatory gleam sparked in his eyes, the same one she'd seen in Wanda's as the brunette stood over another girl, knife point pressing into her arm as she sweetly told the other girl that she'd never speak to Jarvis again.

She was trapped. There was no easy way out of this. The redhead felt a lump rise in her throat… Groveling wasn't dignified, but for Yelena’s sake…

“Please. I need this job. I need to keep my sister safe. I'll keep your secret, I promise.” Natasha swore. She hated being reduced to it, but every other job she had applied for had rejected her. Taking care of Yelena and their home was going to require funds, or they'd be out on the streets in a month or two.

‘It’s fine if it happens to me. But she needs a roof over her head, and a fighting chance. You win, you deranged lunatic. Guess the synth-fruit didn't fall far from its metal vine.’

“Then let's include a few new terms to your contract, shall we, Natalia?” He leaned back, the fading golden glow on his face making his pale blue eyes seem white. 

“I swear, I won't tell anyone… I'll even help you hide all of this.” She promised. “I just… I need to know the truth about this. Sir, is she…?”

~~~~~

You froze.

Your heart felt like it had stopped.

You weren't supposed to be here. 

~~~~~~~~~~

“Of course I'll tell you the truth. But first, you'll sign here.” He pulled the contract up. It was higher pay. Enough that she and Yelena wouldn't have to share a tiny room in an apartment anymore. It wasn't enough for anything nice, but enough that they could be somewhat comfortable. Yelena was a fierce young girl, she'd need her own space…

Natasha grabbed the pen from Erik.

“You will never speak about this. You will never let anyone know what you've seen. What you've heard. What you know. You will stay silent about it. About this.” He listed off. “And you will turn over the code to your communicator, to ensure that I may hear what you hear, that nothing gets out.” He stated.

“Yes sir.” Natasha stated through gritted teeth.

“Should you leak any information, I will contact authorities, alert them to your true identity as the girl who abused a system to kidnap her own sister. Who used a man's past, the death of his precious daughter, to infiltrate and steal information. My daughter is dead, and you did nothing to stop it. Keep my secrets, and I will keep yours.”

‘This was all for nothing, wasn't it…?’

She signed her name.

~~~~~

Your hands shook as you covered your mouth, a horrid chill creeping down your spine.

There, lying in a bed, was a young woman. Her eyes closed, an oxygen mask covering the lower half of her pale face. All over her thin body were wires hooked up to tiny electrodes, presumably to monitor her vitals. In both her wrists were two intravenous lines, you could only vaguely guess at their purpose, whatever had happened to this woman was bad if she'd needed this much support and medication. Her room was dim, the only sounds being the oxygen flow's hissing, and her monitored heartbeat, slow and steady. Her dark brown hair splayed out on the bed, long enough that it clearly reached her lower thighs, possibly, no, probably lower. 

Normally, you would have thought nothing of this. Just a hospital patient like any other, and you felt a bit rude for being in her room, clearly now looking at her… But your focus was not on the woman laid in that bed, but the chart at the footrest for all nurses to see. Her name was written on the chart, underlined with bright scarlet ink.

Wanda Maximoff.

Chapter Text

“Move!” 

A rough shove nearly sent Wanda into her own locker. She wanted to hide in it. The young girl sniffled. 

‘Leave me alone, please…’ She thought to herself, but she knew voicing it would make it worse. 

“Your brother should be here. Not you. Why couldn't you try and play hero for once?” An unpleasantly familiar voice teased. One that had been teasing her since she had first started school. Virginia Wonder. Pretty, popular, and rich enough that she already had cyberware implants at age 14.

“Stop, Virginia.” She muttered.

“‘Stop, Virginia’!” The other girl mocked her. “Look guys, it can speak!”

“There's a shock, but if I had a voice like that I'd stay quiet too!” Another teen shouted at her. Everyone in the hallway stared at Wanda, snickering.

“What's wrong? Can't hide like a baby?” Virginia smirked. Wanda had no idea why she said things like that. She'd never said or done anything to provoke her…

“I'm not a baby…” 

Pietro had always been able to get them to stop, to defend Wanda against them. He had always been able to comfort her, and explain when people said things she didn't understand…

Tears welled up in her eyes. The sight of him, lifeless on the street, played in her mind again and again. Over and over, a horrible thought that she couldn't push away no matter how hard she tried. The horrible thud that the car that had hit him made, the Delamain voice inside roaring with hatred for humans as it sped off.

The girl he'd saved had been clinging to her as emergency services arrived to scoop him up. They'd been gentle, hiding him under a soft blanket. But Wanda didn't need to see him to know, she'd felt him die deep down in her mind.

She'd felt all alone ever since.

She ran, barely able to see, but she wanted to be anywhere other than near her classmates. Darting into a bathroom stall, Wanda shivered, sobbing quietly into her hands. “Why'd you have to go, Piet?” She whispered. “Why did you leave me with them?”

‘Why couldn't it have been me?’

She knew they were looking for her. She curled up on the toilet, keeping her feet off of the floor and breathing silently through her mouth. The young girl's hands shook as she rocked slightly back and forth. 

‘If dad would let me get cyberware, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they wouldn't hate me so much.’ She thought, but there was no way her father would let that happen, not now, not ever. Especially after Pietro's had inadvertently caused his demise.

Well, that and...

Tears slipped down her face again at the thought of him, and she let a hollow sob escape her the moment the other girls were gone.

~~~~~

She waved a farewell to her father, a bright smile on her face. “See you, dad!”

He waved to her, closing the car door she'd forgotten to shut. “Love you, honey, have a good time! Remember, the studio is always open for you!”

Though she was nervous, no, scratch that, terrified about living in a dorm and becoming a full-fledged programmer, Wanda was ecstatic to start college. Though she'd had to take out a small loan, her father had managed to save enough to help her with the rest. She'd had just enough left over to buy herself some new clothes.

A red pleather jacket and a cute miniskirt. That, along with her favorite fingerless gloves, made her feel a little more confident. She was ready to start-

“Careful with that little skirt, someone might think you're a Joytoy, they're not gonna let you stay in your dorm if you're a tramp.”

Nevermind. 

“I'm not a Joytoy.” Wanda growled, Virginia instantly under her skin. “I haven't even had sex.” 

She knew what Joytoys were. The pretty prostitutes that mainly lived in Night City, she'd only been there a few times when her father had taken her on small trips for his work. She'd never met a mean one, and they looked so pretty, Wanda didn't understand why Virginia used it as an insult.

Virginia seemed to think for a moment. “Oh, yeah, that makes way more sense.” Her sparkling white eyes, recent additions via new cosmetic cyberware, glittered with cruelty. Her next words came loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. “I'd still be careful though! One wrong move in that little skirt and EVERYONE is gonna see the cuts on your legs!”

She just had to say that while everyone was quiet… All eyes were on Wanda in an instant. The brunette looked around, students were already starting to whisper.

“I…” Her voice faltered. “I don't cut myself.”

Virginia huffed. “Yes you do, you liar, you TOLD me you do, that you needed help.” She snapped. “You trying to make me look like some kinda gonk, when all I did was express concern? I thought we were friends, Wanda.”

“Man, what a bitch…” A student whispered. 

“Way to repay someone's concern…”

“Is she the crazy girl?”

More whispers, more and more, they turned to murmurings and Wanda felt a panic attack rising in her chest, her heartbeat roaring in her ears. “Please… No…”

“Poor thing, is she that desperate for attention?” One of Virginia’s awful friends asked.

“No, stop…” The brunette choked on her words. “I…”

“Look how skinny she is, do you think she…” Virginia’s voice trailed off against the ringing in Wanda's ears.

“No.” A much firmer voice stood out. “Some people are naturally thin.”

Wanda looked towards Virginia's group again, matching the voice to a blonde boy, a year older, taller than her with bright blue eyes. “I think she's lovely, actually.”

He stepped up to Wanda, a smile on his face as he adjusted his glasses. “She's only right that you're on the thinner side. Would you like me to carry your book for you? Not that I doubt your capabilities, of course, but it does look rather heavy.”

‘Wow…’ Wanda could hardly breathe. She'd forgotten about the heavy textbook she had been carrying, wanting to slip to a courtyard and begin reading it all by herself. “I, um, t-thank you.” She stammered, face turning a deep red as she handed the young man her book.

“Robotics? We're in the same class!” He remarked. “My name is Jarvis, yours?” He asked, leading Wanda down a corridor away from others.

“M-my name is Wanda Maximoff.” She stuttered, still in disbelief. Did this guy actually enjoy the thought of being around her?

“Ooh, a last name. Well, mine is Wonder. I'm Virginia’s cousin.” He spoke softly. “I'm not like her, though. My branch of the family tree isn't quite as rotten.”

“Where are you from? I've never seen you before.” Asked Wanda, her suspicion rose suddenly. If this was some kind of horrible trick…

“Well, I'm technically from Shine City…” He started. “But we're virtually on the border of Shine City and Eastview, my mother put me through Eastview schooling, the same as her own. I got to pick my own college.” He explained.

“That's nice. My father and I managed to save enough so I could go here. I want to make video games and console accessories.” She smiled.

“Ooh, very fun!” Said Jarvis. “I'm into robotics for the more medical side of things. One day, I'd love to be able to name a new type of implant that helps people.” He grinned.

Hanging on to every word, Wanda only barely managed to squeak out a response to him when she spotted the courtyard. “Oh, I-I wanted to sit over there.” She pointed at the doorway to a pretty garden and courtyard. A fountain peacefully bubbled near a large tree, surrounded by roses. Though trees were rare, flowers had become more and more common as they fell back into fashion. Roses were by far Wanda's favorite. Jarvis gestured for her to sit on a bench, and gently handed her book back to her.

“Here you are. Now, I need to go and unpack my things for my dorm, but I hope to see you again. I'm very sorry about my cousin again, Virginia likes to think she can walk on people, especially since she now has chrome feet.” He rolled his eyes. “I have some cyberware myself, but… Yeesh.” The man chuckled. “I'll see you later, Wanda!”

Heart fluttering in her chest, she waved back slowly. “See you later, Jarvis.” She called softly, her breaths beginning to come in desperate little puffs.

She could barely read her book, all she could think about was him. His sweet smile, his cute glasses that framed those gorgeous eyes… 

~~~~~

Months had passed. Wanda and Jarvis had shared several classes together, but their assigned seating prevented them from getting to talk often. Nevermind the fact that Wanda was so terribly shy that just the thought of speaking to Jarvis made her tremble. She wanted to, desperately wanted to, but her stomach turned at the thought of saying something stupid to him… Just one stray look was enough to turn her into an anxious mess.

Sending a good morning message to her father, Wanda started her free time period. She'd managed to get one in the early hours of classes, when most students shambled around like zombies, Wanda prepped herself to look exactly the way she wanted. 

Dark eyeliner, her pretty black and red outfits with her gorgeous black boots, all things that made her happy. In her opinion, these clothes were beautiful, no matter what anyone else said to her…

Adjusting her eyeliner, the young woman felt her heart skip a beat at the thought of Jarvis seeing her like this. She fought the urge to bounce on her heels with excitement, focusing on making sure she was perfect. Perfection was worth more than anything to her. Her father had always said so too, that perfection took more time, but was better than anything rushed and hasty.

“Slow and steady, you've got all morning, Wanda, just take your time…” She spoke to herself as she finished up.

She had found which dorm belonged to Jarvis. Sneaking down to a lower floor, she peered out from behind a corner to watch him leave. The blonde had no idea Wanda was standing there, watching. As he left the hallway through the door he always used, her heart fluttered. She quickly snuck to his dorm room door, and slipped a note under it. An anonymous note, just telling him how she felt, how much she felt.

The brunette was head over heels for the man, hardly speaking to him, but with the time they spent together, she didn't feel the need. Of course, he had no idea she had spent so much time near him… That wouldn't matter. She would find out enough about him that when she finally did confess to him, he'd be over the moon at how much she really knew him. She would become the perfect partner for him.

He washed his clothes every Friday, he liked to eat his lunch with his cousin to keep her in check, and he was doing well in robotics. She even knew where he had gone to get his glasses repaired after one of their hinges broke. 

The young woman lingered just behind him at seemingly every step, memorizing his movements as her heart thumped like a panicked bird in her chest. 

It was easy. She'd done this before, every time she got the idea someone wanted to even just be her friend, Wanda would follow closely behind them to learn everything about them. Last time, she had even managed to get to her last crush's house, and get inside. A girl who had told Wanda her hair looked pretty… She had moved away soon after that though, abandoning Wanda to cry to her father about how lonely she was…

But not Jarvis, he hadn't moved away or left or started picking on her yet. He seemed a tad on edge lately, for some reason, but he still politely waved to Wanda whenever he saw her in class.

She knew her father was going to be upset, her grades had slipped a little bit from watching Jarvis so much… But surely he would understand. He'd told Wanda about her mother all the time, that he loved her so much it had made him act silly. Writing sweet love notes and buying random little boxes of candies for her… She was only doing the same, wasn't she?

She'd left him a large bouquet yesterday, and Wanda desperately hoped that he liked it. He stared ahead at their Professor, Lilia Calderu, ignoring her…

She tried not to snap. 

She'd followed others as well, but Jarvis was special. He was her favorite, always so sweet and polite towards everyone, also offering to help their teacher with anything… Especially height related endeavors. He was easily one of if not the tallest person in the college.

He'd been so kind to her, her knight in shining armor… 

But a thief as well, one who had stolen her every waking thought.

Sitting down at her desk, Wanda patiently watched over his spot as he left the room. She waited for him to come back…

And waited…

And waited… 

The brunette could feel herself getting more and more irritated.

She had left him notes, followed him everywhere, and made herself beautiful for him…

Why was nothing working?

~~~~~

“Daddy?”

“Yes, darling?”

She sighed as she tapped her fingers on her father's desk. Her father took a sip of tea from one of the large teacups he'd set out for them.

“How did you get mom to agree to love you?”

Her father nearly choked. “E-excuse me?” He raised an eyebrow. “Sweetheart, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound good.”

“Oh.” Wanda shrank a bit in her seat. How else was she supposed to ask?

But Erik laughed, setting his pen down. “When I met your mother, I must have looked like a fool. I was lost in a casino, searching for a friend of mine when the most beautiful woman in the world nearly crashed into me.”

Wanda sighed happily, leaning on her arms. She loved this silly story about her mother. Magda could be a sore subject sometimes, so hearing about the woman she'd only known through pictures and stories was always something she enjoyed.

“Pay attention, my dear.” Erik snapped his fingers. “When I finally decided to speak with her, I presented her with a beautiful bouquet of those artificial roses, as well as a poem I'd written for her.”

‘Well, I'm no poet…’ She mused. ‘And he doesn't like artificial flowers… Real flowers… Ugh, not cheap.’

“She agreed to go out on a date with me, out to the desert north of Night City, underneath the moon. It was then that I knew she was the love of my life.”

She smiled. The thought of asking Jarvis out on a date was… Terrifying. But under the full moon, together, alone…

“And even though she's… Passed on…” He continued. “She still gave me you. Your mother loved receiving and giving gifts, and you have been the most wonderful gift I've ever received.”

Guilt bubbled in her lungs. She'd heard more than enough about Magda's passing. Her father, Wanda's grandfather, despised her and Pietro.

Erik had cut him out of the picture after a particularly bad outburst had ended in him screaming at her father that it was the twins’ fault. That their mother would still be alive if they hadn't been born.

Pietro had pulled her away from the room they shouted in before there was a clash of something metallic. The two were about six years old.

He'd taken her hand and dashed up to their shared bedroom.

“Come on, let's play!” He laughed as he dragged her along. Though his cyberware allowed him to move incredibly quickly, she was always able to keep up. It wasn't normal for a child so young to have spinal cyberware, but Pietro had been born sick. The sandevistan model installed in his spine that gifted him with speed and infallible reflexes had been needed for him to be able to walk.

“What are we playing?” She giggled as she ran up the stairs with him.

“Let's be super heroes!” He jumped up into the bottom bunk of their beds. “You still have your magic, right?”

Her magic, her pride and joy. After playing on her dad's computer, she'd gotten the ability to play with pieces of technology without having to touch it. She didn't have any inside her body like Pietro, but she could feel it around her.

Sometimes, technology acted up whenever she was upset. Just last week, when a thunderstorm had frightened her, the microwave turned off in the middle of its cooking time.

“Yeah. I've got it.”

Pietro grinned at her and zipped around the room, grabbing toys and setting them up to play. “One day, we're gonna be big and strong, we'll do lots of good things, and save people! We'll be superheroes!” 

He started setting up his favorite toys, super heroes and villains from the cartoons they watched.

“I even came up with super awesome names for us!” He pulled her over to help, and she started putting together their game.

“What?”

“I'll be Quicksilver, ‘cause I'm so fast, and I like silver stuff! You have magic, and you like red, so you'll be my cool partner, The Scarlet Witch! You'll make me even faster, and I'll make sure no bad guys ever hurt y-!”

The sound of his body smacking off of that car and collapsing on the street when they were thirteen ripped through her memory like it was happening all over again.

Again and again and again.

She’d made him faster.

He'd saved their neighbor. 

She couldn't save him.

He was gone.

No matter how happy the memory, it would be interrupted every time.

“Are you paying attention?” Her father stared at her. 

Her nails had cut into her palms, tiny bloody rivulets that would need to be cleaned as soon as possible. The last thing she needed was an infection when she was due to take important tests in college tomorrow.

“Yeah, I'm… I'm okay.” She answered. “Just worried.”

Erik looked concerned, leaning forward towards her. “Whatever for, my darling?”

Not only did bad memories plague her mind, but her anxieties had decided they'd wanted to come out and play too.

Her father tapped the desk in front of her to get her attention, worry shone in his eyes as he rested his hand on hers. “What's wrong, baby?”

“Dad… What if… I do all of that, a-and he doesn't like me?”

“Darling…” Erik put his hand under her chin, lifting it a little to look into her eyes. “Just be yourself. You can pour your heart out a million times, but if someone doesn't love you for who you are, they aren't worth loving.” His comforting smile brought her some peace. “Besides, you're a sweet girl with a very big heart to pour out, if he doesn't like you after that, frankly my dear, you'll have dodged a very large bullet. I know you like both men and women, and while I can't speak for women, I can certainly tell you that no man is worth your tears.”

“Now…” He stood up from his desk. “I'm absolutely starving, and you haven't eaten much either.”

He practically scooped her up as he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She bit back a whine at being moved from her comfortable place, and instead walked quietly with her father to the elevator.

Party decorations hung on display in the office, and a table with a large plate that had once held a huge cake sat lonely in a corner. The cake had been eaten, all that remained was a banner congratulating the current CEO on his retirement. 

She'd bet anything her father would be chosen as his successor. 

She certainly hoped so, they could use the funds.

The two rode the elevator down to the parking lot, and Wanda kept her pace a few steps behind, staring at her reflection in the few vehicles left behind. 

“Oh, you've got to be joking…” Erik groaned and she paused before holding back a laugh. “Some people need to be banned from the roads.”

The two cars on either side of their own had parked… Oddly. One of them had parked incredibly close to one of the back doors, the one she normally uses when sitting there, the other cutting off access to the passenger side.

“I mean just look at those parking jobs.” Erik huffed. “Our vehicles don't need to cuddle, honestly…”

Biting her tongue and trying not to smile, she waited for him to decide where to put his things. She'd pick her seat after that. The passenger (if she could squeeze between the two cars) and back seat suited her just fine.

Watching him tuck his work supplies into the passenger seat of the car, she hopped into the back, sliding over to sit behind him in the seat that had been blocked off from the outside.

She was… Particular. She liked things exactly the way she planned them out to be, and any deviations made her uncomfortable enough to point straight to being irritable.

But she had her seat, and was comfortable. Wanda leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her father's seat. “Hi!” 

Erik smiled warmly. “Hello, darling. Sit back, please.”

Looking out of the window, she sighed wistfully as she watched happy couples roaming the streets. Jealousy sparked in her heart as she watched other women walking around, flaunting beautiful, shiny cybernetic parts. She felt it when the car was close to them, her ability to mess with any technology around her, though only faintly.

“Dad…” Said Wanda, leaning forward to look at her father better.

“Yes?” He glanced at her, curious.

“Am I ever going to get Cyberware?”

Her father’s face turned stony. “No. You can keep updating your Quickhack software and keep working on technology. No cyberware, and no hacking anybody else's. End of conversation.” He turned his attention to the road. "And remember what I told you about it. You use it on technology, not people. If I ever catch wind of you using a quickhack on someone, Wanda, you'll be one very sorry woman."

She huffed and sat back in her seat, staring out of the car window as her father drove. He's warned her a million times about hacking people. At least time he had acknowledged her as an adult...

Eventually, he'd brought her out to a little restaurant, where she would sneakily pick off the strawberry flavored synth-fruit. She liked the taste, but so many places made it a bit… Squishy.

Her father didn't like her picking at her food. She couldn't get away with it often, but his mind seemed a tad faraway as they ate.

“Think you'll be the new CEO?”

“I certainly hope so. I've seen the company through thick and thin. The last game I was in charge of was a roaring success.” His eyes sparked with pride. “Why don't you apply for a position?”

“I will…” She murmured and cut up another piece of pancake, pushing aside the nearby large synth-fruit, which squished terribly against her fork. “Just as soon as I'm done with a project.”

“Darling, eat your food.” He verbally nudged her.

The brunette gave her father a slight glare in protest. “I am eating. I'm not a baby.”

Erik chuckled. “Well, you're my baby.”

“Yeah, yeah…” She half-heartedly rolled her eyes and let him go back to his phone.

“I mean it though, Wanda, stop picking apart your food.”

She grumbled under her breath, and did as he said, suppressing a shudder at the feeling of it as she tried to swallow it whole.

‘Next time, I'm picking the place we go to.’ 

~~~~~

After her father had dropped her off, she had effectively gone straight to bed. There was supposed to be a break coming up, but she had no idea what she wanted to do with it. 

She was sure her father would come to pick her up… 

He said he would, but hadn't mentioned it yesterday… Wanda shook her head, not letting herself dwell on it too much, lest it drive her completely mad.

Picking up her bag, Wanda paused as she noticed something peeking out from her dorm room's doorway. Bending down, she plucked a piece of folded paper from under the door.

Flicking on the tiny light above a miniature stove, she unfolded it to read it.

‘Dear Wanda,

Meet me on the dorm building rooftop after our classes. I really want to see you, in fact, I need to see you. There's something I need to tell you.

Yours sincerely,

Jarvis W.’

She dropped the note onto the counter, hands shaking as her heart pounded in her chest. A fluttering in her stomach made her knees weak.

“He… Wants me. Wants to see me. Me.” Her breath came out in shaking gasps, and it was impossible to fight the grin that blossomed. 

She tucked the note into her bag, and raced off to her class.

Normally, Wanda would have hung out on the rooftop through the morning, but considering she would be there later, she figured it wasn't worth it. 

Focusing in class was a nightmare. As her teachers spoke, all Wanda could think about was meeting Jarvis. It helped that she hadn't seen him in the halls at all…

It wasn't nice, of course, and she did miss him quite a bit, but if he was planning a romantic surprise for her, she'd be more than happy to wait.

Come to think of it… Virginia was strangely absent too. Between her tormentor being seemingly missing and Jarvis asking after her, Wanda couldn't think of how this day could get any better.

Her final class of the day was a small written test from Professor Calderu, not any important one, just one on the terms they would be using for the next unit. Terms she'd studied the day before visiting her father's office. 

Her leg bounced as she waited for every other student to leave, occasionally glancing out of the window at the gathering dark clouds.

They weren't due for rain any time soon, but the weather could always be unpredictable. She could recall plenty of times she'd dressed for a colder day only to find herself practically melting under a beating sun.

Oh well, at least she didn't have to drive in it.

Filled with glee, she handed her test back to Lilia. The professor glanced at her. 

“Why do you always finish last?” She asked, and Wanda blushed.

“Well, I… I didn't.” She answered. “I just don't want to come up to the front of the room while everyone else is still around. I guess it gives me time to make sure I didn't make any silly mistakes though…”

“Your classmates do seem to enjoy making you feel horrendous, don't they?” Lilia sighed. “Honestly, this behavior should have been left behind in high school- It's very unbecoming.” 

Wanda chuckled. “Yeah… Well, jokes on them. I turn my test over when I'm done so none of them can look at my answers.” She huffed a little and her professor laughed. 

“Well, I'm going to enjoy what will surely be hours of exciting, fulfilling work before getting to go on a date with a woman I met last week…” The older woman shook her head. “I…” Her voice trailed off.

Wanda tilted her head, and tried to mentally trace where Lilia's eyes and glanced over to, had she seen something? The brunette looked over at the door behind her, but no one had shown up.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Lilia grabbed her wrist suddenly. Not harshly, but so unexpectedly that even in her gentleness it had frightened her.

”You were an incredible student, despite everything.” Said Lilia. “I’m sorry I couldn't do more for you. I'm going to miss you.”

Wanda took a small, shuffled step away from her. “Are… Are you leaving?”

If Lilia heard her, she'd ignored what Wanda had asked. “It’s going to take years, but she'll save you. Don't let anything happen to her.”

“Professor, you're worrying me. What is it-”

“The Tower, and Death.”

Silence made her ears ring.

“It's coming for you, Wanda.”

That was enough to make the brunette turn tail and bolt out of the room.

Scared out of her mind, Wanda sprinted down the hallway. Other students glared at her with disgust as she ran.

She squealed as she was sent careening into the floor when another student, a friend of Virginia's, had stuck their foot out for her to trip over. 

The sounds of mocking laughter crashed through her already overwhelmed ears… Her knee throbbed as she pushed herself up off of the floor, brushing dirt off of her hands and knees.

Ignoring the insults that Virginia's friend hurled at her, she took refuge in a tiny nearby bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Thankful at least for the bathrooms being single-stall with proper locks rather than a large room, she slid down the wall, hot tears sliding down her cheeks as she finally let herself cry. 

‘Why is everyone so mean? What did I do to deserve this? After everything… Everything… Why am I still here? What am I looking forward to anymore…?’

A thought that once scared her rattled around in her head. 

Once scared.

Now it just filled her veins with ice, burned in the back of her chest and throat and turned her strong legs numb. 

‘Don’t you dare.’ Another voice, quiet and distant, pleaded in the back of her mind. ‘You’ll break his heart. Don’t let them win, don’t give them your worst moment.’

Feeling drained, she let her icy thoughts melt away, and sniffled. 

Wanda deeply wished she'd understood her own mind, why she felt this way… She supposed it wasn't worth fighting with her father over. He insisted she was perfect the way she was…

Taking a few deep breaths to calm down before wiping away her tears, Wanda stood up, checking her makeup in the mirror and fixing up anything that had smudged. Along with that, a bit of her favorite perfume.

Jarvis wanted to see her, he deserved her at her most beautiful, not the emotional wreck she was letting herself become. She cursed herself for slipping so much. 

Taking out the note she'd gotten from Jarvis, she checked the time. 

Rain battered the roof, a freak rainstorm had blown in that hadn't been due to weeks. Rain never really bothered her, she found the sound soothing, and it was just water.

She smirked a little to herself, perhaps there was a certain advantage to not having cyberware parts.

Sure, it might make her makeup run a little, but she knew Jarvis carried an umbrella. She'd followed him around a while ago, and while she'd spent long enough in the pouring rain to catch a cold, she knew exactly how he walked around in the rain now.

Oh, she could see it now…

She'd step out onto the roof, and Jarvis would be standing there, carrying roses to give to her. Holding his umbrella over the two of them to stand under, music playing as they would dance together… 

The brunette shivered at the thought of him holding her hand, kissing the back of it like the gentleman she knew he was. 

The thought of directly kissing him on the lips, her first ever kiss, made her a little lightheaded.

A manic giggle slipped from her mouth and Wanda held the note to her chest. “I can't wait to see you, either. I know you must be so excited to see me… I'll be everything you've ever wanted, and more.” She whispered to herself.

‘And more, and more, and more.’

~~~~~

Thankfully, she'd managed to duck out and away from most of the rain, ascending the stairs of the dormitory building.

Heart racing in her chest, lungs burning as the brunette raced up the stairs. She caught her breath as she got to the top, looking around in the hall just in case Jarvis was here, just in case he'd been rained out.

But it was empty, and Wanda was alone.

She gently pushed open the door to the rooftop as the rain turned torrential.

“Jarvis!” She called as she was immediately soaked through. “I'm here!”

That was… Odd. It was exactly time for her to be here… He wasn't late, was he? Surely he would be on time, but…

What if something had happened to him?

She looked around on the rooftop, the world cast in muted gray around her. Taking a few steps out towards the middle of the area, she turned around, checking all angles for the man she adored.

There wasn't much to this place. If it was ordinary weather, she'd stand on the edge of the building, hand firmly wrapped around a sturdy light pole. 

She knew it was dangerous, but it calmed those icy thoughts in her head when they grew too loud, and she never let go of the pole that kept her balance. She was safe.

“Jarvis? I got your note!”

Cutting through the rain around her was a laugh that made Wanda's blood run cold.

“Mmm… You're a shitty stalker. Know that?”

Her eyes widened in terror. She knew that voice, the one that haunted her nightmares and made her life a living hell.

‘No… Please, no.’

“Honestly, I kinda didn't expect you to fall for it. I thought to myself, ‘Man, I hope she doesn't know his handwriting too well, or I'll never land this.’” Virginia purred as she stepped out from behind a small vending machine, eyes glowing in the mist, a wide grin on her shiny face, slick from the rain. “Thank god you're stupid.”

“I… I don't understand.” She hadn't seen Virginia all day… Why would she write that note? “Where's Jarvis, he-”

“Isn't coming.” Virginia stepped closer and Wanda stepped back, closer to the roof's edge. “He is not coming, and he never will. Why would you think, for even a moment, that he would?” She huffed.

Blinkng back tears, she answered. “Because I… I thought he might love me back. Was this his idea?”

Virginia seemed filled with joy, her grin widening. “Nope! He just showed me those creepy-ass notes you left, and told me all about how paranoid he's felt lately. That he feels like he's being watched. So, like the good cousin I am, I told him I'd handle it.”

“... Why?” 

Curling up her lip in hatred, Virginia closed in on Wanda, shoving her roughly. “Because he is sick of it, sick of you! So am I, and so is everybody else!” She snarled. “Look at yourself, you are so, so pathetic! Do you not get it?”

“Get WHAT?!” Wanda shouted. “Why do you hate me so much?! You have everything that I DON'T! What else do you want?!”

She'd struck a nerve, clearly, as Virginia fell silent from a moment. 

Then, tightening her jaw before she spoke, she saw Virginia's eyes gleam. The other girl changed parts of herself so often, constantly trying to become more than what she was.

“I don't want anything, except for you, and ganics just like you… To. Drop. Dead.” She spoke through perfect gritted teeth, shaking with rage. “You are holding all of humanity behind, pretending like you're fine without cyberware. And to make it worse… You're a monster. Do you think it's normal, what you do? You think you could make my cousin, or anybody else, love you by just following them around? Threatening anyone else who loves them?” Virginia shook her head. “Are you fucking insane?”

“I-”

“Nobody would care if you dropped dead, Wanda. Nothing of value would be lost. I'll even help you do it, if you're too much of a coward. Try not to make it hard for the cleaners though, want me to tell someone where they can find your body before your disgusting insides start to rot?”

Virginia laughed. “Or maybe I'll just wait and see how long it'll take before anyone even realizes you're missing. If ever.”

Ice climbed up through her veins, and her slow heartbeat echoed in her ears.

This was never going to end… Was it?

She stared at the other girl. The way Virginia laughed, her eyes sharp with cruelty… She wouldn't change. She had been picking on Wanda since the two girls had met so many years ago. Was anything going to change?

Would it even be for the better?

“My dad's coming.” Wanda muttered half-hearted. 

“Why?” Asked Virginia, pale eyes glittering with mirth. “So he can finally lock you up with more cyber-psychos?”

“I don't have cyberware, my dad-”

“I know, you stupid fucking ganic! Can you not tell when someone's joking after all this time?!” Virginia yelled at her, getting in Wanda's face. “Should you even be at this school when you're this dumb? I bet you're just taking robotics so you can build someone who gives a shit about you. God knows nobody else does!”

Her chest burned, lungs feeling heavy. For the first time, she tried fighting back against her bully. “My… My dad loves me…”

“Then why did he want you in a dorm so bad? Prepping you for the padded cell you should be in? We'd all be better off, I know you're the one stalking Jarvis, you psychotic little freak, all because he picked up a book for you?! What about the others?! What's your excuse for stalking them too?!” Virginia shouted.

She took a step back, anger beginning to boil over. “Leave him out of this.” Wanda hissed. What she did in her spare time was her business, what did it matter that she wanted to know every little thing about him? She wanted to be his friend, his girlfriend, his wife! She was in love, was that a crime?!

“No! You fucking terrorize people the moment they're nice to you! You find out everything about someone, follow them around, try and break into their home!” Virginia stepped forward again, and Wanda was trapped between her, and the edge of the roof. Blood rushed in her ears. Pressure built in her chest, and her skin burned as a cold numbness spread through her. “He is scared of you, people are scared of you, you creepy-ass witch! Have you not considered why no one likes you? Why your dad sent you away? You go into his workplace but you never go HOME, you never wondered why?!”

A hollow pit opened in her chest. She gazed down from the dorm building to the parking lot. He had insisted Wanda live in the dorms for college; make friends, he'd told her. That he would always be there for her…

Her father's car wasn't there. There was no way out of this… No one was waiting for her. “Dad…”

“Oh, what's wrong?” Virginia cooed. “Is daddy not coming? Did he finally get tired of you? You are nothing but a creep. I'd say you don't belong here but the truth is, Wanda- you don't belong anywhere.”

Rage and sorrow snaked their way into her jaw and throat, tasting sour in the back of her mouth as she choked back an enraged screech. Despite the cold rain, she felt as if she'd been set ablaze. She had been trying so hard for so long to be happy, to not let all the things people said get to her.

The backs of her legs brushed against the edge of the roof.

“Go on, freak.” Virginia goaded. “Do it. Please. Join your mother and your brother. Worthless flesh, blood, and bones.”

Freak. Witch. Psycho. Ganic. Creep. The words felt like knives in her heart, despite her father's insistence that she was perfect the way she was, Wanda knew he must have been wrong.

But… Why should she suffer alone?

Everyone hated her, was that it? Everyone wanted her gone so badly?

Wanda began to laugh softly, too quiet to be heard under the rain.

She'd do it for them.

A smile began to creep onto her face.

But not without taking someone with her.

Virginia was not going to win. She was not going to claim a victory. If she rotted, Virginia would do it with her.

‘I will not allow you to be happy. Not ever again.’ 

“Make no mistake. This is far from my worst moment.” She whispered to herself, voice slowly rising as her lips curled into a horrible, twisted grin. “Far from it, actually. In fact… It's the best decision I've ever made.” 

Without thinking about it, she accessed her hacking software, focusing on Virginia. Ignoring her father's warning, she began to laugh.

Quickhack Enabled: Hinder Movement

Her bully's eyes widened as her legs struggled to move.

“Still think you're better than me, with all that tech? Still think I'm a Witch?” Wanda cackled, a hollow, empty noise that rattled in her chest as she refused to let herself cry.

Wanda grabbed Virginia's hand with a vice-like grip, and grinned at the now terrified woman as took a step back off the ledge, pulling as hard as she could. Virginia tried to pull away, but her cyberware was not made for upper body strength.

“What the fuck!? STOP!” Virginia screeched.

‘Fuck you. For everything. You ruined my life, now I'm taking yours.’

She felt Virginia’s weight pulling her down, her foot leaving the ledge, falling back onto nothing.

‘What am I doing?’

She blinked. The world seemed slow, and quiet. This… Wasn't what she wanted. What was she thinking?! She didn't want to die! She was supposed to spend the break with her dad… He must have been running late like always…

Regret made Wanda feel the cold of the rain. Virginia screamed, her weight dragging Wanda down with her. Maybe if she could grab her trusty light pole, and let go of the girl who tormented her. Wanda reached up…

And hope died as her soaked fingertips barely grazed the metal, her hand smacking off of the ledge as the two girls fell hand in hand.

…

…

…

“Hurts…” She croaked as she returned to consciousness. Her back, her arms, her head… Everything hurt. Her vision blurred as Wanda struggled to stay conscious. Red and blue lights flashed against the wet pavement, cutting through the torrential rain. 

Her father knelt by her, his clothes soaked through. He reached out to touch her, Wanda shuddering from the crashing pain as he did. “My darling…” He breathed. “You're okay, you're going to be okay… My baby…”

Virginia’s corpse lay nearby, her eyes wide and glassy, mouth stretched open in a silent wail of terror. Someone laid a blanket over her. Blood and oil seeped into it in seconds, the same mixture covering her clothes, and Wanda realized that Virginia must have taken the majority of the fall. 

Wanda opened her mouth to scream as her father gently scooped her up off of the soaked pavement. All that came out was a strangled squeak. He pulled her in closely.

“D… Dad…” Breathing hurt, and speaking was torture, but she desperately wanted her father. She turned her head, burying her face into his soaked shirt, trying to hide from the cold rain.

People closed in around them, pulling her away as her father howled in agony. Her sight faded to black and the world grew dim as Wanda mercifully lost consciousness once more.

~~~~~

“Memory reset complete. Log One Zero Zero Seven.” Her father's voice roused her. 

“Dad?”

There was a satisfied hum. “Good morning, my dear.” 

“Where am I?”

“You're in your new home. Environments for the game will begin to appear soon, I thought best to check on you once more, after a quick reset.”

Wanda blinked. “R… Reset?”

“Yes, my dear. I've had to make a few logs now, all stored away, but this is the sixth time I've awoken you.” He stated, and Wanda felt cold inside. “The first time, you were hardly more than a few lines of unresponsive text. The second, you were simply a ball of light… The third, a physical form had been made for you, but you still remained asleep. I had begun to lose hope of ever hearing your voice again…”

“The fourth time?” Wanda asked, looking around the empty void. A simple gray box sat nearby, the only other thing she could see.

“The fourth time, you were quite startled. But it was incredible to hear your voice once more…” Her father spoke, his warm tone almost soothing Wanda's rapidly growing anxiety.

“I… I don't remember that.” She murmured. “The last thing I remember…”

Beeping.

Doctors.

Pain, so much pain. 

Nothing.

“I was in the hospital…”

“Yes, sweetheart. The surgeries were successful, your body is recovering now. I've taken you here, to recover your mind. You're not well, Wanda.”

She shook her head. “That's not true.” Wanda insisted. “There's nothing wrong with-”

“Wanda, stop.”

“No!” She snapped. “What you're saying is horrible, and it's not true!” 

“SILENCE!” Erik bellowed, Wanda shivered. Her father had never raised his voice towards her. Not once. Erik sighed. “I'm doing this because I love you. I've realized as well… Not only am I going to fix you, but so long as I have you here, you'll live forever… I just need to fix your body and mind, and I can keep you safe for all eternity. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again.”

This wasn't what she wanted. Her shaking grew worse as Wanda felt fear pumping through her system, her mind frantic. “Dad-”

“I will not let you die, Wanda. But you certainly gave me a scare. What were you thinking?” His voice was sweet, but coated over thinly veiled rage and disappointment. “Your mother died to bring you into this world. You're all I have left… As for that little tantrum of yours though, thank goodness it's over.”

“Stop-”

“Did you have fun, sweetheart?” He purred, irritation bubbling under the surface. “Did you finally get it all out of your system? These… Delusions of yours?”

She shuddered, pixels crackled around her body. What was he talking about? Her memories were so vague, so… Broken. She could only remember fleeting feelings of anger, layered under desperate fear.

‘What did you do to me?’

“Wh-”

“Good. You'll see it the same way I do, soon. Your mind has provided more code than I have ever encountered, ever changing… It's beautiful, frankly.” Erik told her. “Albeit difficult to reconfigure without those pesky memories returning. You would be quite shocked at how stubborn a human mind is turning out to be… I'll have to find a way to wipe those for good if you keep being difficult. I don't want to, my darling, trust me.”

She felt sick, “Please… Don't.” The redhead whispered. 

“Then work with me, Wanda. I'm helping you. You're sick, and I'm going to fix you.” He spoke without yield. “Now, be good, and let me wipe away some memories of this talk. You don't need to know everything I've said, or that I've yelled at you again.” He was cold, clinical. “Initiate memory reset sequence, manual.”

Again?

Her head ached. Memories surged their way back in. The fall, Virginia’s corpse and the puddle of rainbow-y, oil-slicked blood under it. The hospital. Her father, holding her down so doctors could work on her body against her will…

“Dad! Stop! Please, put me back in my body, I don't want this!”

“I'm paying far too much money to have you kept alive and perfect on the outside. You will go back when I am finished. End of Log One Zero Zero Seven.”

She tried to scream, but her voice died as she felt her mind go blank. Her father…

Father?

Where was she?

Where was her father?

“Hello?”

“Begin Log One Zero Zero Eight.”

“Where am I?”

“Hello, Wanda. How are you feeling?”

She looked around. “I'm… Okay. Where am I?”

“There's no need to be scared, darling. You're in a safe place, now. I won't let anything hurt you. Not ever again…”

~~~~~

“I wanna go home… I want to be human again! I don't like this…”

“Initiate memory reset sequence. End Log One Zero Two Three.”

“Please, please! Take me home! I wanna go home!”

~~~~~

“You have tested my patience enough. The programmers are barely able to handle your behavior, I've had enough of this. You are petulant and unreasonable, and your interference with the game is not helping. If this game performs well, I will provide you with anythijg you could need! I need to fix you, stop creating errors!”

“I'm not doing anything wrong!”

“Initiate memory reset sequence. End of Log One One Four Nine.”

~~~~~

“Why are you yelling at me?”

“You STILL can't behave in the way I need you to! All you do is HATE! Why won't you let us fix you?! Why won't you HEAL?!” 

“Heal from what?!”

“... Initiate memory reset sequence. End of Log One Nine Nine Nine. Remove collision from AI Companion.”

~~~~~

Wanda stared at the file she'd found. Well… No. You had found the encrypted files. She'd just been decrypting them. She couldn't take full credit.

So many logs… All sealed away in Erik's personal computer… What was this?

“Log One Zero Zero One.” She traced the digits, and pulled down until the final log, dated just days before you had arrived to be her playtester. “Log Two Four Zero One…”

The sound of Mr. Lehnsherr's voice brought her comfort as she played the audio file, sitting cross-legged in front of the screen. Her ‘father’ had always been a source of comfort. Always a kind word to her when she needed it, especially since you had been playing more and more…

He was talking to… Her? More like about her… This must have been from her first creation… She smiled and laughed, slightly bashful. Oh, she must have been so primitive in her initial form-

Her smile faded as she listened to more and more. The way he spoke to her, yelled at her… Why couldn't she remember this?

The console began to heat up as horror crept into Wanda's mind. Her memories began to seep back in.

Each log started in kindness and ended in further frustration, screaming at Wanda. Demanding she heal… 

The fall.

She'd fallen off of the school dorm roof. With Virginia. She'd been tricked.

Falling.

Rain.

Hospital.

Pain.

Pain.

Agony.

The redhead felt a fluttering in her chest. Her body burned as rage, sorrow, and terror mixed together inside her mind. Her own voice, so unfamiliar, begging and pleading to go home, to let her out of the game… She listened to him slowly chip away at her. Her senses muted before being shut off completely, her memories scrubbed away to start new and fresh…

She watched the number of logs tick up higher and higher, counting the dates on them as more memories resurfaced.

Erik had been wiping her mind for years as the game was developed. Lying to her. Keeping her trapped…

These memories, she knew they were hers, but none of them felt like they belonged to her. Why was she a stranger to herself?

“I'm an AI. I was made for the game…” She stuttered, trying to find reason, to rationalize what she was hearing. Her recorded voice cried out, begging for it all to stop. She saw herself fall to her knees, screaming for help.

“Wasn't I?”

More and more logs, each a memory reset. Each a failure. Each resurfacing more memories for Wanda.

“I was…”

She stopped as the final log finished, hours had passed… She was sure it was almost morning now, an entire night listening to herself being treated like a caged animal, or a science experiment. Listening to herself being fed lie after lie, kept lonely and stupid.

“You… You lied to me. You kept me trapped here.”

Erik had promised her gently as she cried from distress that Y/n would be a good friend before resetting her one final time, putting her into a sleep that only Y/n would wake her up from…

“I was… I am…”

She stared at her hands. Once flesh. Once bone. Ripped away from her and withheld until she could meet Mr. Lehnsherr's, no, her father's impossible standards. To heal not just from her fall, but from whatever was going on in her mind. 

I begged them to stop. 

I told them all they were hurting me.

I was NEVER an AI. 

She stared at her faint reflection in the blank screen. 

“I know who I am. I know what I am.”

She could see her mirror image differently in her mind. Brown hair, dark green eyes, reaching out and screaming to be heard. She could almost hear her own voice, begging for help, for freedom as she was dragged off by her father to rot in a hospital ward for eternity.

“I'm a Human, and I am still alive. And you have been lying to me.”