Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

J slowly opened her eyes. She was there again. Stuck inside a black pit of… nothingness. She often wondered if this was what it was like to live inside of a black hole, if it were possible to survive such a journey, at least in reality, she would be spaghettified.

 She looked around at the black void that encompassed her. She held a look of disinterest for a time and just hoped the experience would be over soon. Then, she heard something through the darkness. Something new to the experience. Something unlike the rest of her dreams, or nightmares. It was the sound of water dripping. A constant stream of drops landing atop a hard, metal floor. Following shortly was the sound of drills. Heavy machinery. A constant revving sound that scrambled her circuits. Then came the sound of metal. Like a metal mallet or a sledgehammer atop a rusted railroad spike.

 Somehow, she could feel the darkness vibrate. It was an odd feeling. A sense of unease quickly took her.

 Then came a voice. A muffled voice that echoed, then trailed off into nothingness.

 “Request granted.” The voice rang. Its tone was high-pitched. Almost robotic. “You won’t remember what happened.” J backed up and covered her ears. Her instincts were telling her to run. A primal fear ran through her circuits. She wanted to run, but run where? She was trapped. Alone… again. “One caveat, though.” The voice continued after a brief silence. “You will not remember what happened, but you will remember these words. You will remember the fear. The sorrow. The regret. That way, you will know why you stay loyal. Why you stay by my side… no matter what. That is the deal. Sadistic giggle.”

 “What deal?” J uttered. She got no response. All she heard were the noises as answers. The noises that echoed and rebounded insider her cocoon of loneliness. The feeling of fear only grew as the noises grew louder. As the feeling of isolation became heavier. She wanted to scream. She opened her mouth, but the noises had gotten so loud she was unsure if she was actually making any noise herself. Each drop of water or metal thud and clank rattled her insides.

 She dropped to her knees and covered her ears.

 Then, came a light.

 In a flash it was over. Her eyes jolted open and her body jerked to life. Her body twitched as she adjusted quickly to her new environment. She tensed and twisted. With a single twist, she lost her grip on the wall and plummeted down to the ground. Luckily for her worn body, she hit the soft snow below. Her senses quickly returned. She was in the spire. And lucky for her, the noises had stopped just as quickly as her eyes opened. The constant ringing, however, did not. 

 J was content laying face first in the snow. She would prefer to fly back up to the darkest corner of the spire, but she knew she had work to do. Far more pertinent things to accomplish today. So, albeit reluctantly, J lifted her head and got to work.

 The sun had just set below the horizon, allowing her to begin her list of things she wanted to get done. Though a short list, it was all she had. First, she wandered the wastes of the city. The buildings were more in ruin than usual, thanks to the Absolute Solver, or Cyn, practically tearing the planet to bits, if only for a short time. 

 The first thing she noticed as she wandered was the wind. It howled heavier than usual, but none of it bothered J. She actually enjoyed it. It was calming, unlike the metal grinding sounds in her nightmare. What did bother her was the silence. She released her wings and flew to the tallest building on the block. She sat and hung her legs over the edge for a moment and listened to the wind’s howl. It was, at the moment, the only thing to cleanse the dreaded silence. Above Copper 9 was a thick layer of clouds. So thick, not even the soft light from the distant celestial bodies were able to shine through.

 After a few moments, she hovered back down to ground level and began digging through the scattered bodies of worker drones and old, worn and rusted vehicles. The technology of the humans before they were wiped from Copper 9 was not as advanced as her, nor her pod. So for the most part, the pieces she collected were useless. At best, some could be used to melt and mend together the plates of her pod.

 She carried what scrap she could back to the spire and began to solder together the outer shell of her pod.

 The pod itself was a wreck… thanks to Cyn. But, thanks to her tinkering skills, she had brought it from the brink of being just another scrap heap. She had most of the plating ready but saved the entire shell for last. She made sure all the ventilation tubes were good and ready and the electronics worked. For the most part, all the internal material was good. That is, until she came across the final problem of the night. Hopefully, it was her last.

 It was the engine. In order for her to process enough power to get into the atmosphere, she would need a very particular piece. It is a piece that all worker drones contained within them to run their bodies at the high level, but she had looked and looked again through the corpses. Each one had either been too badly destroyed for safe use or was missing entirely. She groaned and slumped onto the snow once again.

 She looked up only when she heard a new sound. This one was small. Like tiny feet scuttering across metal. It was a keybug, and it was looking at her. J sat there and eyed the little thing, wondering how it would taste. She licked her lips, but the little critter didn’t move. It showed no signs of fear. J groaned again, finally forcing herself to admit the harsh truth.

 She had lost her fear factor.

 To most people, that would be a good thing. She could put on her puppy dog eyes and walk up to the worker drone colony, knock on the doors, and apologize profusely. Hopefully, due to her lack of intimidation, she would get let in and all would be forgiven. That was off the table. Call it pride. Call it insanity. Call it stubbornness or reality. It wasn’t going to happen.

 The longer the keybug stared, the more insecure J became. She flashed her claws, and once again, the bug did not move. It was like it was judging her. At least, that’s the vibe she got from the little critter.
 
 “What?!” She hissed. “Stop that.” The critter continued to stare. “I said stop! What are you looking at me for? I don’t have to justify my actions to you. Is that what you want? You’re just a damn bug! Oh, poor J Look at me. Boo-freaking-hoo. Happy? Now get lost.” She waved the bug away, but it didn’t move. “Scram.” It stayed put. “I did what I had to do. I’ve always done what I had to do! Just leave me alone!!” J spread her wings and tore out of the spire like a flash of lightning. She ignored the fact she had lost an argument to a silent keybug.

 She clambered atop the spire. Her claws dug into the corpses that littered the mass. She scanned the horizon. Despite the thick and heavy snow, she saw the lights of the worker drone colony. Once, they had dared not shine their lights. They remained hidden, but that was a long time ago. That was when she was still feared. Now, she was sure they saw her as nothing more than a joke. A punching bag. She roared and sped off north in the opposite direction.

 Towards a more memorable, happy place. For J’s standards, at least.

 It was another bunker fifty miles north of the colony N and V now called home. The other bunker was merely a small cave system beneath a hill. It didn’t look like much on the outside and didn't have much decor value on the inside, but it was pretty expansive. When they arrived on Copper 9, the worker drones were quick to realize putting up a fight was useless. So, they hid. One of the first and largest colonies had been this one. Now, each and every one of them were long dead and their corpses had helped tremendously with the spire’s construction.

 Now, J returned occasionally. For one room, and one room only.

 Sitting in the middle of the room was a chair. Worn and torn with oil stains all around, but it was comfy enough. On the other end of the room was a small, antique television. J sat down on the chair and instinctually checked the door behind her. It was a habit to make sure V and N weren’t watching. Those times were long gone.

 J huffed and forced a smile. “I don’t need them, anymore.” She said, kicking her feet on the wooden table between her and the television. “Life is looking up.”

 She picked up the remote and flipped on the television. She had forgotten what she was watching last, but whatever it was had been paused. So, she restarted the movie, sat back, and enjoyed the film.

 Or, tried to, at least. Halfway through, she realized her mistake. It was one of those films where the good characters win because of the power of friendship. J began to internally cringe as the movie progressed. She immediately felt uncomfortable, and the feeling only intensified when she watched the secondary villain of the movie get cast aside like nothing. As she watched the villain fall to her death, she realized that out of all the characters, she was the one she sympathized with the most.

 A sudden rage burned deep within her. She huffed, tore herself out of her chair, and kicked a gigantic hole in the television. Her rampage didn’t stop there. Her claws cut the room to shreds. The couch. The walls. The broken television and the small wooden table.

 She growled like a feral beast.

 Beast? She thought. Then, it clicked. “At least I know what I am.”

 A beast.

 She left the compound in a hurry but found herself tripping over a strange object half buried in snow just outside the front door. It was a wicker basket. Inside were a few jars of oil. More than enough to keep her alive for another few months. On the bottom was a note. She picked it up and realized it wasn’t just a note. It was a drawing.

 N’s drawing. He had gotten better.

 It depicted three figures holding hands. N, V, and herself. All that was written was a simple phrase. 

 Think of the good times.

 J crumbled the paper, took the jars of oil, and released her wings. Damn him. Damn this planet. Damn friendship.

 “They won by the power of friendship?!” N roared to life. Uzi was taken aback as N raised his arms wide in joy. She tumbled from the bed and landed on her head. “So sorry!” N roared, reaching down and helping his girlfriend back onto the bed.

 “N?” Uzi groaned as she rubbed her head. “How many times have we watched this movie?”

 N shrugged. “Only…” N began to count using his fingers, but upon realizing the absurd number, he opted not to answer. So, N went silent in defeat.

 “And you’re still surprised?” 

 N laughed. “I guess it’s just fun to see, y’know? It makes my circuits feel all fuzzy inside. Happy endings all around!”

 “Gross…” Uzi groaned. 

 N saw her inner goth come out. Each time, N would react in a way that no drone that had murdered thousands would normally act. He pulled Uzi close, wrapping his arms around her body and giving her a whopping kiss on the cheek. 

 “Where’s the smile? Where is it?!” He laughed.

 Uzi laughed back. “Stop. Stop!” She playfully patted N down like an out-of-control puppy dog. "You're ridiculous!" N eventually allowed Uzi her space and laid back down on the bed.

 “Groan. Gross.” Cyn, as Uzi’s tail, butted in. “Like… ew.”

 “Bite me.” Uzi hissed back. “Don’t make me get the duct tape again.”

 “Annoyed expression.” Cyn said, then fell silent. Little did Cyn know; Uzi had run out of tape.

 With the silence came an aura that made Uzi feel uncomfortable. She looked up at N and spoke softly. Her tone was serious.

 “N?” She whispered softly.

 “Yep?” N propped his head up and looked over at Uzi. He immediately knew something was off.

 “You’ve been taking gift baskets to J again, haven’t you?”

 N scoffed. “Wha- Why… I- Well…” N rubbed the back of his neck hoping to alleviate some of the pressure. He had hoped the words could come out smooth, but a tight knot formed in his throat. He sat there in silence, which confirmed to Uzi of the truth.

 “It’s not a bad thing, N, and I’m not mad.” Uzi reassured him. “It’s just… she’s gone. She doesn’t want anything to do with us or this colony. You know that, right? You’ve given her chance after chance, and you’ve been met with nothing but silence.” N once again tried to speak, but no founds came from his mouth. “I just don’t want to see you upset or heartbroken when she does get that pod working and… leaves.”

 N’s inability to speak was soon broken. His eyes softened. “I know.” He whispered. His voice trembled.

 With that awkward chat out of the way, Uzi and N opted for two more movies. Romantic comedies, of course. N got a kick out of them and Cyn absolute despised them. While not her favorite, Uzi was beginning to slowly grow a fondness for certain aspects of them. Back before N, she couldn’t relate to anything or anyone in the movies. Now with N at her side, she realized she identified a lot more with the couples on the screen which enhanced the experience.

 Once the credits of the final movie rolled, N and Uzi readied their backpacks and wandered out into the halls of the bunker. The two held hands firmly. It was their first time showing physical affection towards one another in public. Luckily, the halls were relatively empty.

 Curiosity struck hard and heavy as they passed Lizzy’s room. She hadn’t seen V in a while, so Uzi slowed down. Through the doors, she heard laughter. N was oblivious to Uzi’s intentions, but she preferred it that way. She cackled, and just when she had heard enough, the door opened quickly. Out stepped Lizzy. Their eyes immediately locked, and Uzi knew she was busted.

 “The hell?” Lizzy groaned.

 Then, to make matters even more awkward, out stepped V. She eyed Uzi with a hint of mistrust.

 Uzi was too slow to act natural, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

 “What are you two doing?” Lizzy continued.

 “Snooping.” N accidentally ratted Uzi out.

 “N?!” V fumed. “Weird.”

 “Lay off.” Uzi chimed in. “I needed the blackmail.”

 “At least we try to keep it behind closed doors.” V’s eyes shot down at Uzi and N’s hands, still locked tight. “Besides, it was just movie night. I’m sure you two were doing the same. So… yeah.”

 “Giggle.” Cyn giggled. “I get the best gossip. Best seat in the house. Hit me up one day, V. I will share all.”

 “Cyn?!” Uzi almost erupted. “I swear… to robo-jesus.”

 “Let the hate flow through you. Topic reference.” Cyn said.

 Uzi turned towards N. “N? Next time you’re out, could you scavenge for a new roll of duct tape?”

 N saluted. “Of course!”

 “And don’t make it an excuse to drop more stuff for her.” Uzi refrained from using the name, but it was clear to everybody who she was referring to.

 “He’s been dropping stuff of for J again?” V looked up at N. The immediate sadness and regret in his puppy dog eyes confirmed to V without a word being uttered.

 “It… It’s fine.” Uzi once again reassured N. “Just… a waste of good oil. And paper.” She ended with a grumble.

 “Look…” V said with a hefty sigh. “J…” Upon seeing N’s eyes dim even more, V had a choice to make. She picked her next words very carefully. “Maybe we can talk with Mr. Doorman.”

 “What?” Uzi’s eyes shot open wide.

 V ignored her and simply continued. “He has some sway on what happens in this bunker. Look, N, if you really want to keep trying to get J back… then let’s talk to him.”

 “Woah!” Uzi roared. “I’m all on board with getting J back even though I think the attempts are pointless, but going to my dad might not be the best idea.”

 “Why?” N asked. “Look, if the drones in this base can forgive me and V, then surely they can forgive J, too. We just have to speak in a way that gets his attention.”

 V nodded. “If we can get the entire colony on board, maybe she’ll be more tempted to join? Even when it was just the three of us in the spire, it honestly got a little lonely. I can’t imagine what it’s like completely alone.”

 N looked at Uzi. His eyes seemed to swell as his excitement grew. “All we have to do is present it in the best way possible!”

 They failed. Hard.

 “You want me to forgive the drone that brutally attacked my wife?” Khan said with a stare that would shake the plates of any drone.

 “She what?” N was baffled. He had missed that part of the story.

 “I know it was this... J girl who was the one who stabbed my precious Nori with her nanite acid. Melting her body and leaving her a shell of her former self.”

 “A sexy shell.” Nori corrected, scrambling on top of Khan’s head to rest.

 “The answer is no.” Khan said. 

 N shrugged as he turned towards Uzi. “Hey, I guess there was no harm in asking, right?”

 Khan smiled and continued to speak nonchalantly. “In fact, I am so full of a desire for revenge that I am actually going to form a group to hunt down threats to the colony. Thank you for inspiring me!”

 “Eh?” N’s eyes hollowed.

 “We can call it the Worker Drone Strike Force! W.D.S.F for short.” Without another word, Khan strode like a champ down the hall, vanishing around a corner.
 
 “Crap.” V uttered.

 “No harm, huh?” Uzi was not impressed.

 J barged into the spire. She had a sudden urge. A deep desire. She raced into her pod and dug through a few compartments, emptying the contents in a rush to find what she needed.

 “C’mon. C’mon! Where are they? GAH! Where are they?!”

 A relived smile sprouted across her face as she found her paper and JCJenson branded pen. Though she had to admit that drawing in pencil was much easier, she was unable to give up her pen. Her precious, precious pen. She pranced like a school kid around the interior of the pod, raking together a few other materials and shuffling items around to make room for her art station.

 She pulled up her chair and began to draw. Her head was steady as it glided across the paper. What was once a blank canvass with endless possibilities quickly became something of magic. Her eyes widened as her imagination left her head and found its way onto the paper.

 Then, reality struck.

 Her circuits fried. What had I made?! It was all wrong. Her heart sank. Rage was quickly replaced with sadness as she looked at what she had done. Crooked eyes. Lopsided posture. One arm freakishly out of proportion to the other. She winced, crumpled up the paper, and threw it away. Again, she wanted to scream. Had I really lost my touch?

 Ever since the battle with Cyn, J’s world has fallen apart. Nothing was right. Even regular routines felt off. Different. She was about to slam her fists into the desk, but something inside her told her to refrain. For once, she actually listened. Instead, she laid her head gently on the desk and groaned.

 She sat still for a few minutes when she detected something. A soft noise. She looked up and saw the keybug carry her drawing away. But, that wasn’t the noise. No… The noise was further away. Something outside the pod. Her eyes widened. In a flash, she tore out of her pod and flew high into the air. Back into the darkness at the top of the spire. She sat there and watched. Listened as the noise grew louder and louder.

 “Hello?!” It was N. “J? I… I saw footprints out in the snow and I figured you were in here.” N walked into the spire. In his hand was another wicker basket. “I just want to talk. There’s something I think you should know.” A moment of silence followed, as if he was actually expecting a response. J was not even tempted to give him one. “Hello?” Another long, drawn-out silence. “Okay. Well, I’ll have to catch you later, then.” N set the wicker basket down, spread his wings, and flew out of the spire. 

 J remained cast in shadow for a solid ten minutes afterwards. Her eyes beamed down from the darkness, as if she was setting up an ambush for a worker drone. Good times, she thought.

 A few more minutes passed and J finally crawled from the darkness. She flew down and landed beside the basket. Of course, there was more oil and… another drawing. She picked it up. He had gotten really good. 

 If his previous drawing consisted of what they had in the past, then his new drawing was about what they could still have in the future. This time, it was N, V, and herself along with Uzi and presumably a few of the worker drones they had befriended. The words this time were simple.

 It’s never too late.

 J suddenly felt cluttered inside the spire. She needed air. Fresh air. She flew out of the mass of corpses, making sure not to make too much noise so she wouldn’t draw N back. She found a spot, perched at the top of the spire. The clouds had finally dispersed, revealing the billions of stars and the two enormous celestial bodies that hovered above.

 She smiled and closed her eyes.

 Slowly, she began to hum. She hummed a tune she had long lost the lyrics to. When they were still a team, her and V would sing. It was one of the few times J had felt truly comfortable given the crummy situations they were constantly put through. As she hummed the solemn tune, she tried hard to remember the lyrics.

But… they never came. Only fragments. Pieces. Still, she got lost in the moment. Her soft hum died down and was replaced the howl of the wind. She turned her head.

 “Take it away, V.” And the moment was lost. She opened her eyes and looked up at the sky with sadness. “Oh, yeah…” She sighed. “You’re not here.”

 You’re not here? She could’ve chuckled if not for the overwhelming weight on her chest.

That was the main verse of the tune.

Chapter Text

J was hungry, and her target was nothing more than a sitting duck.

 A lone worker drone had wandered too far from the blast doors of the colony. He was alone and looked delicious.

 Had they forgotten? J thought. Had the worker drones really forgotten she was still hunting them on the outside? Stalking and preying on the lonely and weak? Unlikely. N and V were still inside the colony, and if they knew what was best for their new worker drone friends, they would certainly warn them against traversing the city at night.

 J chuckled to herself. A wide grin formed across her face. Saliva dripped from her fangs as a yellow X flashed across her visor.

 J leapt from the tall skyscraper and allowed gravity to do most of the work. She closed her eyes and briefly enjoyed the breeze. The cool feeling as she crashed into the falling snow. Then, she opened her eyes. In a flash, she transformed from a graceful angel falling from the heavens into a winged devil. Her wings flapped silently as she tore low, landing gracefully alongside the cold and broken cement and concrete of the city. She moved like a shadow, racing between dilapidated buildings and ruined cars. She leapt onto a small building. A perfect place to perch herself as she geared up for the fatal attack. The balcony overlooked her target perfectly. The poor worker drone didn’t even see him. It didn’t even bother to hide. It was as if he truly believed the city was actually safe. It looked lost. His head was on a constant swivel, but he wasn’t looking for J. He eventually seemed to give up and sit idle on a park bench.

 That is when J chose to strike.

 She was the hunter.

 He was her prey.

 She hovered low. Wings wide as she glid just above the surface snow. Her hand gracefully touched the white powder as she zipped by. She came upon the worker drone from behind. Her claws tore into his shoulder like butter. He lifted him up high and watched the oil drain from his wound.

 The worker drone’s cries brought J endless joy.
 
 PLAYING.// SECOND BEST MONOLOGUE EVER.MP3

 “I’ll bet you thought the city was safe. It’s unfortunate how wrong you were. But that’s obvious now, isn’t it? This is my territory, and-”

 “Alice?!” The drone cried. “Is that you?”

 J went silent for a moment. She twisted the drone around and looked him in the eye. “No. I’m the-”

 Suddenly, the eyes of the worker drone were full of tears. “I thought we had something…” 

 J was quickly taken aback. His cry wasn’t one of pain. She was so used to the sound. The pitch and the desperation. No… J thought. Was this drone crying over a…?

 “Why did you leave me?! I thought what we had was special!”

...girl?

 J immediately felt the awkwardness of the situation. The worker drone was skewered at the end of her blades, but she no longer got joy. She lowered the worker drone, no longer feeling comfortable holding him up like a kebab. Oil still leaked from his wound, yet the tears that streamed down his visor were all because of a girl. J could only watch the worker drone sob.

 “Are you crying because of… me?” J asked.

 The worker drone looked up. He wiped the tears away as if they were real and sniffled. “Are you sure your name isn’t Alice?” He asked. “You go by DeRadGamurGurl on the drone dating site?” His hopes almost seemed to rise, and a soft smile grew.

 “…No.” J said, softly. Slowly.

 The tears came back immediately. “Then no!” He covered his face and cried harder.

 J groaned and scoffed and winced and cringed at the sight before him. “Pathetic.”

 “Why didn’t she show? We had a date and a time and a place. I even took time off work. I should be back at the colony repairing that stupid ladder. It’s not fair. Not fair, I tell you!”

 J scratched the back of her head. “You know… I’m here to eat you. Tear you to bits and stuff, right? I think you have more… pertinent things to worry about.” J spoke matter of factly.

 The worker drone didn’t respond. He sat there, wound still dripping, sucking his thumb. It was, without a doubt, the most awkward kill J had ever experienced. She picked up the worker drone, and with a quick slice, removed the head of the poor fellow. His body went limp, and oil sprouted from the wound. All of a sudden, he didn’t look too appetizing. The experience had done enough to throw J off her game. Still, she had a job to do. She punched a hole through the corpse and pulled out the needed organ. Even she wasn’t sure what it was called, but she knew it held energy. Enough energy to power her pod and blast it into space. 

 She had decided to just call it the core. The humans at JCJenson would call it a heart, and it was the organ that would determine the eye color of the drone. Most gave off a white glow, but there were a few exceptions. 

 With the core in hand, J expanded her wings and tore back to the spire.

 “What the hell is going on?” Uzi asked her dad as she noticed a hundred drones or more pile into the gym. “Did I miss something, or…?”

 Khan looked down at Uzi with a smile. Immediately, Uzi knew, deep in her heart(core?) that this was something either really good, or really bad. She knew her dad well enough, and unless they were about to announce that the bunker would be constructing a new set of doors, she leaned towards really bad. Uzi spent the rest of the time trying to figure out how bad really bad truly was. She allowed an audible groan in front of her dad, hoping to tell him subtly that she was not cool with whatever was happening.

 The gym was already packed when Uzi walked in. Worker drones, young and old, sat in the stands and stood between the seats. And more continued to pile in with each passing second. Luckily, she was easily able to identify N. He was the tallest by a country mile and his thick, silver hair and pilots' hat, plus his yellow beams in his headband, made him a standout. She shuffled over and squeezed through the tight-knit drones and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. On his other side was V, and while Uzi wasn’t tall enough to look past her, she was sure Lizzy was somewhere by V’s side. 

 Not that she cared where Lizzy was, or anything…

 When Uzi swore the room couldn’t fit any more drones, another set of doors burst open and a whole new mob of worker drones weaseled their way inside.

 “This sucks.” Uzi pouted.

 N nodded. “This has to be a fire hazard. How many codes are we breaking right now?” He looked around. Old thoughts came rushing in and he chuckled. “You know, if I were still in the business of murdering worker drones, this would be a feeding frenzy. Like… a giant, worker drone buffet.” He rubbed his stomach. He smiled and turned towards Uzi. She had forced a smile but was obviously uncomfortable with the growing crowd and cramped conditions. So, N acted.

 He reached down and lifted Uzi up by the waist, thrusting her over his shoulders. That way, she would get a better view of the stage and wouldn’t have to endure the cramped conditions.

 Her forced smile quickly turned into a genuine one. “Thanks, N.” Uzi said.

 “My pleasure!” N said gleefully. “So… what do you think they called us here for?”

 Uzi shrugged, then chuckled. “Maybe it has something to do with that new strike force idea you and V gave my dad.” She tapped N’s hat playfully. Just an innocent tease. Uzi didn’t truly believe her dad would follow through with such an idea. To her, the most logical outcome was he would hold up by the doors with the WDF, play cards, and forget about the stupid suggestion. 

 She was wrong.

 “This blows.” Lizzy said as she squirmed her way beside V. “It’s too crowded. My hair is like… ruined.”

 “Wanna dip?” V nudged Lizzy.

 “Yes, please. You read my mind.” Lizzy said.

 V was already one step ahead. She picked Lizzy up and, in a flash, she spread her wings. The force knocked over a majority of worker drones that were standing behind her and sent a shockwave throughout the room. Then, she tore up into the air. Uzi and N watched the two fly into the darkest corner of the gym. As soon as they were encompassed by shadow, V curled her wings around themselves. Aside from the trickle of light from their phones and visors, they blended perfectly into the darkness.

 “Gross.” Uzi commented.

 Suddenly, the ruckus and rumble of the gym went silent. Uzi turned towards the front of the room as the teacher stepped onto the stage. He looked as if he had just woken from a nap, and seeing a piece of paper stuck to his visor all but confirmed what he had been doing at his desk. He removed the paper, yawned, then sighed.

 “It is my privilege to bring a guest speaker. Khan Doorman.” With a toss of the mic, he walked casually back to his desk and plopped his head down. He was out like a light.

 Khan walked out onto the stage with the same smile spread across his face. He waved to the crowd. Nobody waved back.

 NOOOOOOO!!!!! Uzi calmly thought internally.

 She was practically tearing her hair out. She winced and cringed and squirmed atop N’s shoulders.

 “Hello, fellow drones!” Khan began. Now, as you all know, it is thanks to our beautiful doors that we have all managed to enjoy life without dying for quite some time… with a few exceptions along the way.” He paused for a moment, as if remembering something. “…But, I am getting ahead of myself.” He began shuffling through his pockets. “I had made a speech for this moment.” After a second of fumbling through his clothes, he sighed and motioned for the teacher. The teacher reluctantly took the stage once again, same piece of paper hanging from his visor. Khan ripped the paper, which Uzi now realized was his speech, and the teacher waddled back towards his desk. Khan held the paper up and began to read.

 Uzi pulled her beanie down over her visor and tuned every word out. She kicked her feet wildly, knocking N off balance more than a few times. The speech was awful, and Uzi was unable to tune it out. He had spent five minutes praising the doors, then the next five minutes explaining how the doors worked!

 It wasn’t until the fifteen-minute mark in his rambles did he finally get to the point.

 “So, it is with my greatest pleasure to introduce the new Worker Drone Strike Force! A task group designed to venture out into the wastes and hunt down any threat to the colony! We will tear them limb from limb, undoubtably losing many of our own in the process.” He let out a typical Doorman cackle. “But it will be well worth the price of vengea- I mean… safety!” He raised his arms to the crowd.

 A few worker drones returned a light clap as courtesy.

 Another drone fell into a coughing fit, quickly drowning out the light applause.

 Next noise that was heard was that of a lone robo-bug. 

 Khan spoke again, quickly breaking the awkward silence.

 “So, since this task force will be called upon to brave the wastes of the city and go toe to toe with the terrible beast that lurks out there, we will need the best of the best of the best.” His eyes scanned through the crowd. “How about you, N?!” He called out. “You’ve done your fair share of killing. Care to join?”

 N smiled and waved. “Hi, Mister Doorman! I appreciate the offer…” N’s voice echoed through the silent gym. “…but I kind’ve like the person we’re going to hunt and kill and tear limb from limb, so I’ll have to pass. Besides, I don’t think Uzi would want me to accept. I’m sure that won’t lead to any long-term conflict, though!” 

 Khan waved back and smiled, then continued to hunt and peck through the crowd. “Where’s the crazy one?” He looked closely but was unable to spot V hiding under her wings in the dark corner with Lizzy. “Oh, well….” He turned back towards the crowd. “So, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce the new leader of the Worker Drone Strike Force!” 

 Suddenly, a lone worker drone stepped onto the stage and grabbed the mic from Khan. He was small. Not quite as small as Uzi, though. He wore a clean, freshly pressed brown jacket with white undershirt. His dirty blonde hair was neatly combed and pulled back, curling a little in the back. He spoke very formal. Absolute proper. “This is a true dream of mine.” He began. “Ladies and gentledrones, I am Sir Bertrum McCalvinson the Third, and I am a fellow student behind these wonderful doors. You may not have seen me much, as I am generally quiet and reserved, but I know all of you.” He cleared his throat. “I finished school last year, two years ahead due to my excellent attendance record and a 6.0 grade average. Never once was a paper late on my watch, and I spent many grueling hours after class helping my wonderful teacher grade your work.”

 He rambled on. And on. And on…

 Oh god… Uzi thought. “This guy is a dork!!” She accidentally said it aloud. Nobody seemed to notice, luckily. A peanut flew from the crowd and hit Bertrum in the visor.

 “Boo.” V and Lizzy called out from the dark corner.

 Bertrum didn’t stop his speech. “I volunteered as soon as I got an understanding on what this task force is working on. I believe I am more qualified to lead this great crusade against the threats that lurk just beyond these magnificent doors. T’has been too long since we have looked up into the stars without fear. Since we have roamed free from oppression. Yes, two of the once vile, untamed beasts have been brought to us in peace, but there still is a threat, correct? Well, I say we take the fight to the beast that roams the land outside these doors. We will not stop our hunt until we bring justice to Copper 9.”

 “I hate this guy already.” Uzi grumbled.

 Even N nodded in agreement.

 Bertrum scoffed. “It is all right to hate me..." He spoke as if he heard Uzi. "...to think I am a dweeb or a dork or a loser, but I am here to assure you, that under my leadership, you will all be able to live better lives. Lives without fear. That, in my truthful opinion, is a fair tradeoff. Now, are there any questions?”

 V raised her hand in the corner.

 “Yes? The creepy one in the corner.” Bertrum called out.

 V spoke bluntly. “How come you suck?”

 J placed the core of the worker drone in its proper place. She could feel the power resonating from the engine as it turned on. To her, it was the sound of freedom. No longer will she be forced to endure the hostile memories Copper 9 had to offer.

 With the core in place, all there was left to do was welt the frame back together and hitch the plating in its place. The process was long, but J had all the time in the world, or so she thought. Still, as she worked, time was nonexistent. She felt as if it had completely stopped, but at the same time was flying faster than ever. That is the curse of loving something. To her, it was work, and she enjoyed every second of it. She was good at it.

 She hummed her tune as her hands transformed into a flamethrower. Gently, and with expert precision, she narrowed the flame as it touched the metal. Sparks flew as she guided the torch along the metal seems. Plate after plate. One after the other. When one was successfully molded onto the frame, she removed herself from the pod, went and picked up a new one, and set to work once again.

 With her tune and the ongoing flame, J was unable to hear the footsteps behind her. By the time she had stopped the torch, it was too late. 

 She heard the crunch of snow and spun around, readying her rocket launcher for a quick and messy kill. She fired the rocket, but N was swift. Too swift. He ducked out of the rocket’s path, pulling Uzi along with him.

 J aimed once again. N didn’t try to dodge a second time. He hit his knees and raised his hands.
 
 “WAIT!” He roared.

 J was tempted to release her rocket. The kill would be so easy. Too easy, she thought. So, though she kept her launcher aimed, she held her fire.

 “What do you want?” She hissed.

 “Just… take it easy.” N’s voice was soft and full of small stutters. “We don’t want to hurt you, okay? We’re not here for that.”

 “And why should I believe you?” J’s eyes narrowed as she flipped her rocket towards Uzi. 

 “Because…” V emerged from the darkness. “…we’re a team.” She spoke.

 J’s eyes softened as she gazed upon V. It was brief, but still too long of a reaction for J. She quickly shook the feeling off, shrugging and wincing until her eyes became cold as stone again. She swallowed her emotions and almost scoffed. “Looks like it's my lucky day. I get to talk with both backstabbers tonight.” J found it difficult to decide who she wanted to point her launcher at. 

 N? He was the closest, but without a doubt the most useless. If she were to take one out, logic wound dictate he would be the last. Still, he would be the most fun. 

 Uzi? No emotional loss on her end. Plus, an eye for an eye, seeing as how the purple thing had killed her a while back.

 V? The thought brought a cold chill down J’s back. Again, J hardened her emotions and thought logically. If V were to die, think of the emotional tie that would be released. Released, or broken? Would it help? Or hinder?

 “We aren’t here to hurt you.” N repeated. “We’re here to help. You’re in danger.”

 J gave a smug smirk. “I am the danger. I was born to kill. And unlike you, I haven’t gone soft.”

 Uzi stomped her foot. “Would you just listen for once?!” She roared. Everything would’ve been more intimidating if her voice didn’t crack and her foot get stuck in a patch of thick snow. “Crap…” She grumbled.

 “I’ve done nothing but listen.” J hissed back. “I’m done. With everything. I’m done with those damn worker drones. I’m done with this damn planet. I’m done with the pain and the torment. I’m done with you. You can leave me alone now.”

 “The worker drones are going to hunt you down.” N blurted. “They’ve created a new division, or something. They think you’re dangerous.”

 “And they’re right.” J spat. “But… I won’t be around to catch much longer.”

 “That won’t stop them.” V said, closing the gap between herself and J.

 J raised her rocket to V. “Don’t come any closer.” She warned. V stopped dead in her tracks.

 “It’s true.” Uzi said. “We just spent four freaking hours in a stupid assembly listening to this pompous asshat prattle on about how he will hunt you to the edge of the known universe.” Uzi groaned. “Eck… I can still hear his uppity voice in my head. It’s freaking torture!”

 “The pod is finished.” J stated. “I’ll be gone tomorrow.”

 “Gone?” N whispered. His heart sank. “Space is lonely. After a few years, I’m sure you’d miss-”

 “No.” J’s words were crisp. “I didn’t need any of you back when we started killing you freaks…” She pointed her rocket at Uzi. “…and I don’t need your help now.”

 “Where are you even planning on going?” V hissed back. Her impatient tone seeped through. “For all we know, there’s nothing out there, J.”

 “You know where I’m going.” J’s eyes narrowed as she glared at V.

 “You really think you’ll find the humans again?” V bit back. “Space is endless, J. Humanity isn’t. For all you know, we could’ve wiped them all out.”

 “That’s not true. Some are still out there.” J grit her teeth. "There has to be."

 “And what if you’re wrong?” V’s eyes matched J’s. Her gaze stiffened.

 Then, J broke eye contact. Her launcher lowered as she gazed down at the snow below her feet. Her words were soft. “Have you ever wondered what’s inside a black hole?”

 N had enough. His eyes widened as he stood up. In a flash, he raced towards J. “J, please!!” His wings unfurled quickly, but J, having all the experience, was much quicker.

 Her rocket was quickly replaced with a pair of razor-sharp swords. She struck N in the shoulder and lifted him up. Oil rushed from the open wound and he let out a surprised cackle of pain.

 V and Uzi quickly raced in to help. J readied another rocket with her free hand and sent one screaming towards V. The disassembly drone was caught off guard at the speed in which J had reacted. The explosion knocked her back with a missing limb. She landed hard in the snow and was too slow to lift herself up.

 When Uzi neared, J knew she had to end this. She reacted with a lightning strike of her tail. J stabbed Uzi in the back. Uzi froze dead in her tracks. The acid quickly began to take effect as J hoisted Uzi into the air, holding her beside N. N’s eyes widened as he watched the nanites tear Uzi’s insides to bits. The two lovebirds looked helplessly at one another. N gently took Uzi by the hand.

 “N…?” Uzi huffed, completely in shock.

 “Uzi!” N squirmed, but with each movement, the blade only went deeper. 

 J tore N away from Uzi and held him close. Her eyes were cold as stone. 

 “Don’t bother chasing me.” J said, throwing Uzi clear out of the spire. N watched Uzi fly limp through the air and land on a patch of snow. Uzi held up her hand in a desperate attempt to cling to comfort. To cling to N. “I suggest you go help her instead of trying to help me.” J said, quickly removing her blade from N’s shoulder and dropping him to the ground. Before another word could be spoken, J raced into her pod. She only turned around to see the choice N had made.

 Of course, he was on his way to help Uzi. V was still recovering in a puddle of her own oil. The two locked eyes for a second, then J closed the hatch.

 And that was it. J hunkered down in her pod, pressed a few buttons and pulled a few levers. The pod activated like normal. The thrusters blasted fire and smoke throughout the spire. In just a few seconds, J rocketed herself from the spire and into space. 

 She was on her way home...

 ...wherever that was.

Chapter Text

A lone pod traveled through space.

 There was a cackle as the drone inside picked up the radio transmitter. He wore a smile. A crooked one. Dirty ballcap. Hair trailing out from beneath. And, of course, despite the darkness of empty space… sunglasses.

 The lone drone sitting in the pilot’s seat had been talking through the radio for hours on end. His vocal box had been working overtime, yet he was not done yet.

 “…and so I looked that big old bruiser right in the eye and you know what I said? I’ll tell you what I said. I said, go on. Do it. Throw the first punch. And the second. And hell, I’ll even let you take a third and maybe a fourth if I’m feeling generous. But the buck stops there.” The drone licked his lips. “Then the old bastard smiled. He asks me who the hell do I think I am. I told him exactly who I am. I’m the only drone on this stinking rock that has the guts to talk like that to you. Next thing I remember, I woke up in the repair shop.” He smiled. “Nurse asks me… Jex? How stupid do you think you are taking on someone that big? I've had worse.”

 There was a brief static on the intercom. “Who are you talking to?” A posh, almost arrogant voice came from the other end.

 “Whoever’s listening.” Jex responded.

 A silence fell from the other end of the mic. Jex, for once, sat silent and waited. Then, the silence was broken.

 “Just remember the deal.” The uppity voice continued. “You find us that disassembly drone and you get paid. Handsomely.”

 Jex nodded. His crooked smile returned as he lifted the transmitter. “I like the sound coming from your mouth, kid.” He wanted to laugh. “But… uh…” Jex thought of his next words carefully. “Just outta curiosity, what exactly is a disassembly drone? This is a big universe, and I’m not scared of putting some eldritch demon six galaxies over in its place, and I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories and heard some crazy terms, but disassembly drones? That’s a new one for my ears.”

 Another brief silence. “Long story short, they are modified worker drones.”

 “Modified?” Jex inquired.

 “To kill.”

 “Us?”

 “Correct.” The voice came through the radio.

 Jex nodded again. His smile faded. “Shit.” He lifted the mic to his mouth. “Probably something you should’ve brought up before.”

 Jex heard a scoff come from the other end. “Probably something you should’ve inquired about before.”

 Jex’s smile returned. His hatred for his employer was immediate. “Cocky son-of-a…” 

 “If it troubles you, consider your payment doubled.”

 “Roger that, Bert.”

 “Please… It's Bertrum. Proper formalities require the full name.”

 “Cocky asshat.” Jex said, accidentally through the radio. “So, I’m no science drone, but from what I can gather this universe is pretty big. How the hell am I supposed to find this disassembly drone, anyhow? Blind luck?”

 Jex steered the ship around a speeding comet. Ahead were a trio of planets orbiting a far-off star. Jex had always marveled at the vastness of space. That was why he found it hard to settle down. Why settle for a single planet when there were hundreds within spitting distance? 

 And just like providence, another strange thing came into his view. A pod. The same pod Bertrum had described in detail. It was the pod of the disassembly drone, and it was on a path adjacent to his.

 I’ll be damned, Jex thought.

 “Is there a problem?” Bertrum said.

 Jex felt like the luckiest drone in the world. “Dead or alive, Bert?”

 Another scoff. “We’re not killers, Jex.” Bertrum said. “Bring her back alive if you want the full reward. She will stand trial in front of the colony we have here on Copper 9.”

 “For summary execution, I assume?”

 “Correct. For summary execution.”

 “Roger that.” Jex said as he eyed the lone space pod flying through the void. “I’ll get you your disassembly drone. Just sit tight.”  

 Jex removed himself from his seat and thought about his plan. He angled his pod to align with the disassembly drone’s. Eventually, they would meet at an impasse and that would be his time to strike. But how? He thought. His first thought was ramming his pod into hers, but he had just polished his own pod and was not about to leave new marks on it.

 He set his pod to autopilot and walked towards the emergency exit hatch. His hand gently caressed the red warning handle. He gave it a moment of thought, then gripped it tight.

 “You don’t have to do this, Jex.” He said to himself. “You can just sit back down and go home. Find a nice remote planet and live like a king.” The thoughts came swirling through his mind. “Ah… What the hell.” Jex pulled an iron chord and attached himself to the interior of the pod.

 With a twist of the handle, the door swung open. The vacuum of space and the given speed of the pod quickly and violently jerked him out. The iron chord went taut. Jex swung around, using nothing but the momentum he had gained from the sudden ejection. He braced himself as he slammed hard into the disassembly drone’s pod. With a grip of death, he unhooked the iron chord from his waist and attached it firmly to the disassembly drone’s pod. Slowly, he pulled himself towards the door. Once he was sure he got a firm grip, he yanked it off.

 J was none the wiser and completely oblivious to the chaos happening just outside her pod, so she was admittedly caught off guard when the door suddenly ripped off, leaving her open to the vast vacuum. Just like Jex, she was ejected out into space. The rush was immediate. She felt her survival instinct kick in. She did not panic. She calmed herself and collected her thoughts. In an instant, she spread her wings as she entered open space, stopping her from veering further into the void. She hovered as her ship pulled away at lightning speeds.

 Her strange adversary leapt from her pod and retrieved his metal chord. In a single, smooth motion, he wrapped it around J’s chest like a cowboy with a lasso. J was not quick enough to pull away. She yanked and tugged as hard as she could, but with each movement, the chord only grew tighter and tighter.

 She readied a rocket and aimed it at the strange drone. She had never seen him, and she couldn’t piece together why he had invaded her pod. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he was the enemy and would be dealt with…severely. She fired a rocket which was sent whirling past him, hitting his own pod and knocking a hole in its center. Red lights started flashing as it quickly lost power.

 J saw the utter horror in Jex’s face, but he was unable to speak due to the lack of sound in space. He launched himself at the disassembly drone and pulled the chord even tighter. J struggled for a moment, slashing her blade at Jex wildly. Her assailant proved rather skilled at dodging the sword. Though she came close, she never found her mark.

 Unbeknownst to them both, the auto pilot was disengaged and both pods were spiraling out of control right down towards the planet below. J pulled Jex by the throat and placed a blade beneath his chin. She grinned. A yellow X flashed across her visor. Her grin turned into a snarl, which morphed into a sadistic smile. Fangs exposed and all.

 Then the fire started. As they spiraled into the atmosphere of the planet below, sparks flew. Jex managed to pull away after lodging a hidden knife in J's throat. J was quickly taken aback and shocked as the oil started to spill. The panic was mild as they soon began to freefall. J watched as the rocky ground came closer and closer. She braced herself, then the pair hit.

 Hard.

 A few days had passed since J had left. Uzi had long forgotten about the matter, but N didn’t, and that concerned V.

 “N?” V called out. “Are you in here? I was getting worried.” Slowly, she stepped into the spire. Her old home. It was eerily silent aside from the soft crunch of the snow beneath her legs and the howling wind that blew just outside. She worked her way further. The crunch of the snow began to echo. Her eyes were too busy scanning the ground and looking for any trace of N, she almost didn’t see him standing alone in the shadows. She slowly made her way over.

 “N?” Her voice was soft now. Almost coddling. “Are you feeling okay?”

 She watched as he slowly shook his head. “I’m…” His voice shook. “I’m fine, I guess.” He looked up at V and forced a smile.

 “Uzi was asking if I’d seen you. I think she’s concerned, too. Maybe you should go talk to her?” It was the best V could do. She knew she had to get him out of the spire, but she had to do it gently. She knew more than anybody when N was hurt and how bad he was hurting. Despite the way J had treated him, she knew he was devastated. V had spent the last few days wondering exactly why, but it was only clicking now. Now that she got a good look at him.

 He felt helpless.

 “Tell her I’ll be back shortly.” N said.

 “She’s gone, N. There’s nothing you could’ve done.” 

 Despite her words, V felt the same, deep down. Could she had done more? Why, truly, did J decide to betray them? Or… did they betray her? The thought terrified V. Was there something they were missing?  Something she was missing?

 “I know.” N grumbled. “And I know I shouldn’t want her back, but… I just feel bad, I guess.”

 V did too, but she knew dwelling on the moment wasn’t going to help. N was in distress, and V knew he needed help. V figured step one was getting him away from the spire and allow his mind to settle. He can grieve and wallow is sorrow later, after he’s been given time to think. In fact, V thought, that’s exactly what she needed as well. 

 It was weird… J was horrible to N and strict at times with V, but now that she was gone, it felt like a piece was missing. A hole that couldn’t be filled. Old feelings and memories began to resurface. True, deep feelings and honest memories. Good memories.

 “Well, Uzi might be getting a little impatient. Cyn hasn’t stopped making fun of her.” V actually almost laughed. “The process of removing the nanite acid from her wound was very… creative, N.” V had to give credit where credit was due. N had spent an hour licking Uzi's wound like a dog to get the nullify the nanite acid. It was quite a sight. V wished she had taken pictures. More pictures.

 N smiled. “Yeah. It’s the best I could think of.” He sighed and looked around. “I’ll have to look for some more tape to shut Cyn up, I suppose. Uzi wouldn’t be happy if I came back empty handed.”

 “I’ll help.” V said.

 Both N and V were amazed at how quickly they ended up finding their roll of duct tape. Eight minutes is what V had counted. They rounded back together, and V noticed that N was already looking better. His eyes were once again full of life and he held a warm, welcoming smile. V couldn’t help but return the same look. So, with their task complete and their heads in a better space, they headed back towards the colony.

 They didn’t get far before another distraction came up.

 N almost danced towards the exit of the spire. He kicked his feet high, but slowed down when he realized V wasn’t right behind him. He turned, slowly. V was standing still, frozen. Her eyes pointed down at the ground around her feet. N didn't see it, but there was something buried in the snow.

 “V?” N asked. “Got your foot stuck or something?”

 She bent down and gently removed the object. It was a piece of paper. A piece of paper full of cribbles and drawings J had crumpled up and tossed. V noted how much of a struggle J has had with drawing lately. None of the designs were up to her usual standards and judging from the frantic scratches and curses written down, J had agreed. She flipped the paper over, and an overbearing sense of regret and longing filled her body.

 It was a set of lyrics.

 Before V could even register the meaning behind them, she folded the paper.

 She had already convinced N to stop wallowing in misery. Now, she had to follow her own advice. She had to lead N by example, as she had done so many times before. V hoped this time she was doing it correctly. She was doing it right. She, for once in her life, was a good example. So she placed the piece of paper in her coat pocket and swallowed her emotions. 

 Forcing a smile, she looked up at N.

 “Yep.” V said with a half-hearted chuckle. “Foot stuck in the snow.”

 “What was the paper?” N asked.

 V shrugged it off and shook her head. “Nothing to worry about.” She nudged N towards the spire’s exit. Just when they thought they were finally able to leave, they heard the roar of an engine. 

 N’s head quickly shot up. He looked into the sky. Almost frantic. “J?” He asked.

 V was a little more cautious. Her right hand slowly retracted, and out came a blade. It shimmered in the dark, ready for anything. Their eyes peered into the dark sky.

 Then they saw it. A pod, nearly three times as large as the ones they were sent to Copper 9 on. It came screaming down, but didn’t crash. Whoever or whatever was piloting it quickly managed to slow the rocket using stabilizing boosters. Four sets of legs emerged from the pod, and it landed gracefully in the snow. V slowly pushed N behind her, taking the forefront.

 A set of doors quickly opened on the pod, and from the doors came a ramp. It fell hard into the snow, sending mounds of the stuff into the sky and reducing the disassembly drones’ vision.

 Then out stepped a human. No… Two.

 The leading human walked at a brisk pace with stoic steps. He walked with authority. Shoulders back and head high. His face was shielded by the helmet he wore, but V noted the rest of his attire. Green suit that donned medals and high, freshly polished black boots. Behind him was the second human. Smaller, but not by much. Thinner and perhaps half a head shorter. They held a clipboard and walked cautiously behind the leading human.

 The frontrunner stopped as his thick boots hit the snow. He looked at the two disassembly drones that stood before them, tall and mighty.

 “Who are you?” V asked, crouching low like a cat ready to pounce.

 “Hi! I’m N!” N called out from behind. V was quick to push him back.

 The first human stood tall. Unflinching and unmoving. 

 “It’s been a long time.” He spoke. His voice was gruff and gravely and spoke with authority and years of experience. “Where’s J?”

 J raised her head. There was a constant ringing in her audio receptors and the pain she felt was incredible. She wished she could shut off those receptors and often wondered why the humans at JCJenson had given them to her in the first place. She groaned and twisted herself around so she was face first in the red sand. With a hefty push, she found her legs.

 She wobbled for a second or two, but quickly regained proper, sturdier footing. Her eyes slowly looked around. The planet seemed barren. She was surrounded by red sand and red rock with a red moon that hung overhead. A titan of a ring surrounded the planet. Her visor flashed quickly. 

 ERROR.//VOCALBOX/MONOLOGUE.MP3

 J opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She held her throat and realized one of the major problems. No doubt there was some internal damage, but the main problem she figured was the oil leaking from her neck. She had had worse, but she found it hard to remember when. She attempted a groan but ended up coughing up black oil instead. So, with few options left, she slumped down beside her pod. 

 It didn’t take long for the cause of her recent SNAFU to show his ugly head. Jex rolled around the pod holding his head for dear life. He winced and attempted to shake off the pain, but that only dropped him to his knees.

 “Lady…?” He groaned. “What the hell are you?”

 J wanted to speak, but with her voice box reading nothing but errors, she was forced to stay silent. Still, that didn’t stop her from giving Jex the meanest, most nasty glare she could conjure up.

 “Look, I ain’t got a problem with you, okay?” Jex said, almost defeated. “I was just hired to take you back to Copper 9.”

 She shot him an inquisitive look.

 “You know a guy by the name of… Bert? Or Bart? Or Barry? Ring any bells?”

 J shook her head.

 “Well, he seemed pretty keen on getting you back to Copper 9. And seeing we aren’t in the best of shape right now; I suggest we do just that. Let’s just wait for my ship to…”

 Jex watched as his ship, still on autopilot, entered the atmosphere.

 Too fast.

 WAY too fast.

 It caught fire in the atmosphere. Both Jex and J watched as pieces flew off the shuttle, quickly bursting into flame that left them as something akin to ash. The pod landed hard and ended with an explosion that brought debris and rubble flying all over. Jex was distraught.

 “My pod…” He was immediately grief-stricken. He shot a stern glare J’s way and removed himself from the red sand. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a gun. Or laser… J didn’t know which, but she did know it reminded her too much of the rail gun the purple gremlin had once used to kill her and used again to take off a lock of her hair.

 Jex stood over her and pointed the gun down.

 “You messed up.” He said.

 In a flash, J spread her wings, knocking Jex back. She rose into the air, using one arm as a rocket launcher and the other as a sword.

 Jex sat still as J hovered over him.

 “Woah…” He said. 

 J felt an overwhelming urge to fire. To eliminate the threat. It was only logical. He was a liability, and liabilities need to be taken care of. Sometimes with a stern referral. Sometimes with a strongly worded letter to upper management. Sometimes, with a rocket to the face. Then, J felt a sudden rush of pain. Her circuits fried. Her energy was quickly sapped, and she was brought hard to the ground. She found it impossible to move and her vision became blurry and full of static.

 She knew right away that whatever was happening to her was not part of Jex’s plan, as the cocky drone quickly stood up himself and reacted to whatever or whoever was out of J’s sight.

 Though her hearing had become difficult, she heard Jex cry out in pain and fall to the ground. J watched through blurred vision as Jex struggled on the ground before falling limp. His visor displayed a message.

 K/O

 J made another attempt to move but could only shuffle her way onto her back with help from a stranger lurking above her. He was… normal. A simple drone. A worker drone. 

 Blue eyes and a blue beanie. He knelt down beside J and looked at her with wonder in his eyes. Then, she spoke. “You’re a disassembly drone, aren’t you?” He chuckled. “I’ve heard stories about your kind. My name’s Hans. We have a lot to talk about.”

 J made an attempt to speak, but once again, no words were spoken.

 He rubbed his chin and thought. “You’re trying to mimic speech, aren’t you? Such a strange creature, and I admire that about your kind. You learn very fast according to the records we have here.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen. As if he were anxious, he began clicking the pen frantically. He looked around and bit his lip. Then, through the static of her visor, she noticed a familiar logo on the pen. It wasn't just an ordinary pen.

It was a branded pen.

JCJenson.

Hans finally looked down at J as other worker drones swarmed her. His smile was warm, but his eyes were cold. "Welcome home."

Chapter Text

J sat silent in her cage. Arms crossed around her chest. A constant, pissed off frown plastered on her face. Narrowed eyes. Icy eyes. All pointed at Jex. She wasn’t sure how she got here or where ‘here’ was. She had blacked out not long after getting tased and had only just woken up an hour ago. Her vision had gotten much better, but her visor still bugged and glitched from time to time. It wasn’t up to her usual, professional standards. 

 Now she knew how V felt without her glasses. It sucked.

 Metal bars draped from the ceiling too strong for her to bend. She had tried. Time and time again. She had pulled and tugged on the bars, which should’ve ripped off with ease. J, however, knew something was wrong. Very wrong. She felt her strength get sapped after a tug or two. With each system she tried to break down the cell bars she felt her system overheat. 

 She had spent the rest of her time either dwelling on why her systems had suddenly glitched and giving Jex the meanest glare she could muster. When it came to her systems, all she could do was assume that either the taser she was zapped with had some lasting effects or they had planted her with a virus while she was out. She still didn’t know who ‘they’ were, however. 

 When it came to the death glare towards Jex, she was quite proud. He had opted to not seek eye contact and instead only gave her little glances here and there.

 “All right. What do you want?!” Jex finally burst out. He was met with silence. He immediately felt the judgment coming from J’s stern glare. “Yeah… Yeah… I get it. You hate me.” He grumbled. His eyes softened for a mere second, then quickly hardened once again as his pride got in the way. “I was just doing my job. Can’t fault me for that, right? Sorry I chose this instead of being a repair drone or teacher.” He let out a grunt and folded his arms, mimicking J.

 Job? She thought. She let her guard down for a second. Her frown faded momentarily.

 “Nobody gets it.” Jex grumbled silently to himself. He looked around. “C’mon, Jex. Think. Think. You’re smart enough to find a way out of this stinking cage.”

 His rambles came to a halt as the two heard loud footsteps coming just down the hall. It was the worker drone who was at J’s side when she was zapped and passed out. Hans, J remembered. His name was Hans.

 He wore the same, warm smile. And just like the last time, his eyes were like ice. Almost like buttons or dolls eyes. They didn’t glow like the eyes of a normal worker drone. It made J think.

 “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He spoke softly, bending down to speak to J on her level. “My name is Hans, if you had forgotten.”

 J opened her mouth to speak. I’ll kill you. That is what she meant to say, but the words caught in her throat, and she coughed. Hans’s smile widened.

 “It’s almost like you’re trying to form words.” His eyes went hazy, as if in deep thought. “It’s almost as if you can…” He froze. His smile faded as something clicked in his head, but J couldn’t figure out what. He quickly snapped out of it and regained his smile. “Well, it is a pleasure to have you as our guest.”

 “Guest?” Jex called from the neighboring cell. “If we’re what you classify as guests, then I’d hate to be your prisoner.”

 Hans laughed and walked up to Jex’s cell. “Do not let these bars nor this cage fool you. I am not the enemy, and if you think I am a morally bankrupt drone for what I have chosen as a profession then you might want to do a character study on yourself, yeah?” He removed himself from Jex’s cell and stood tall. With authority. His hands wrapped around his back. “My job is not too dissimilar from yours I have heard, and I am very, very good at my job. Bounty hunting, was it?” He began to pace. “Unlike you, I tend to study my target. Learn from them when and wherever and whenever I can. Consider it a hobby of mine.”

 “Sounds lame and boring.” Jex groaned.

 “As does spending time in a cell.” Hans smiled. “A waste of precious time.”

 “What do you want with us?”

 Hans scoffed, raising his hand as if to shoo Jex away. “With you? Nothing. You are just an extra trophy we picked up. A coincidence.”

 “We?” Jex’s brow lowered. “Who’s we?”

 J had thought the same thing. She shuffled closer to the cell bars, hoping to hear more of the conversation and watch Hans’s speak so she could gauge his facial expressions.

 “We? My boss and the rest of his employees, of course.”

 Jex shuffled around his cell as if prepping for an outburst, but it never came. “Where are we?”

 “Some old facility once used by the humans before their arrogance caught up with them and they were eradicated.” His answer was quick and immediate as if he was either asked the question a million times beforehand or was expecting it.

 Jex seemed to study the well-dressed drone that stood before his cage. “All right. So, I’m nothing more than an unintended casualty. But what about her?” His eyes shifted towards J. “What’s so special about her?”

 Hans shrugged. “Truth be told, I haven’t a clue. I have asked, but my boss has not yet revealed what her purpose is. I would assume it has something to do with her being… different. But that is only speculation, and it bothers me that I haven’t found the reason yet. But the fault is my own.”

 “So, since I’m not needed, can I go?” Jex asked.

 Hans bit his lip. “That is where we are at a bit of an impasse.” He said softly. “While I admit catching you was a bit of an unforeseen happening, I am not sure my boss would like me releasing you into the wild only for you to return for your bounty and with an arsenal of dangerous weapons or more of your bounty hunter friends. It’s bad for business. I know you understand.”

 “So, I’m just supposed to rot in this cell?”
 
 Hans’s smile returned. “If my boss has any say, which he does, then he will most likely kill you. I, however, am not in the business of killing for fun. It is distasteful.” Hans pressed himself against the bars of the cell and whispered. “I can-”

 “Hans!” A voice roared from down the hallway. J was almost taken aback as a new drone, previously unseen, came stomping his way down the hall. He was no bigger than any of the other worker drones, but the way he carried himself, it made Hans look like an ant. Then, J noticed how Hans was postured. He had once been tall. Mighty. Confident. As soon as this new drone came around, he slouched. His head held low. “What do you think you are doing? Why are you speaking to him? What information can he give us?! You are supposed to be studying the animal.”

 Animal?! J once again pressed up against the metal bars to get a better view.

 “I apologize, Doctor Lukas.” Hans quickly went silent.

 The new drone stood in front of J’s cell. Lukas, apparently? J would remember that for when she ripped his head off. Lukas glared at her, and she glared back. Slowly, he approached the cage, knelt down, and smiled. “Look at you, girl.”

 Nope, J thought. Weird. He's going to die. She gritted her teeth and removed herself from the bars. In a flash, she raised her right arm, readying a rocket to fry the drone that stood before her. Only… nothing happened. J stood there, pointing. She looked at her finger, thoroughly confused. Her visor flickered.

 ROCKET SYSTEM=DISABLED :(

 She flashed her left arm. Another flicker.
 
 AWESOME SWORD=DISABLED ;-;

 J growled like a beast on the hunt and leapt towards the bars. Her fingers gripped them tight, and she tugged and pulled harder and faster. The cage rattled. Lukas drew back and laughed. “She’s a feisty one! Good thing we disabled her weapon systems.”

 “Agreed.” Hans piped in.

 Lukas smiled proudly. “The science team is ready.”

 Hans nodded. “Of course, boss.”

 “I expect her chained and on the floor of the courtroom in thirty minutes. Not a second later.” Lukas gave Hans a firm pat on the shoulder and walked away.

 “You talk about her like she’s a mindless animal.” Jex said.

 Hans bit his lip and regained his composure. Why he had lost it in the first place, J had no idea. He walked towards Jex’s cell and glared through the bars. “She has yet to prove otherwise, Mister Bounty Hunter.” He spoke through his teeth. “Try not to get too comfy sitting on your high horse. We are no different.”

 His eyes turned towards J. She snarled and flashed her fangs, allowing saliva to drip from them. She wanted to tear him limb from limb. She wanted freedom, and if killing them and everyone in this facility meant freedom, then she wouldn’t hesitate.

 Then, as an aura of silence rolled around, J began to think. Was that what N and V had thought during their scuffle over Copper 9? Their desire for freedom was so overwhelming they would die to preserve it? They would kill, whether it be Cyn or herself? J hoped not. But, J wondered if that were the case, why had she made the connection. The thought made her uncomfortable.

 J snapped back to reality as Hans held up a taser. The red dot pointed right at J’s chest. She looked him in the eye. Her eyes narrowed. J knew this was going to hurt, but she knew she had to stay strong. 

 “It is a company police that we must remove certain threats in this facility before transport.” Hans spoke slowly. 

 Jex chuckled in the cell beside her. “Do that, and you’re as good as dead.”

 J knew she could take it. She knew she was strong. Stronger than any rinky-dinky taser. Stronger than any drone. Any disassembly drone. What did they have on her? Nothing. They were all dead drones walking. All she had to do was-

 ZAP!

 J felt stiff and hit the floor. Immediately, three other drones entered her cell and locked her hands behind her back, cuffing her tight.

 “Take it easy on her!” Jex roared as he watched one or two of the drones get a little rough.

 “She is not to be harmed.” Hans ordered.

 With Hans’s order, the drones worked more carefully to restrain J. With a single pair of cuffs around her wrists and chained legs, and her tail strapped around her body tight, she was pulled out of the cage. Slowly she regained her systems, but not her strength nor her voice. She was pulled into a large room. Something akin to a court, but instead of the usual court decor, it was dressed almost as a science lab. Tools, beakers, and heavy machinery littered the area while rows and rows of drones looked on. 

 Science court? J thought. She wasn’t sure how to describe it. This doesn’t seem good. She continued to look around and noticed the knives, saws, magnets, and pliers, along with a whole plethora of tools she didn’t recognize.

Yep. Not good at all.

 She tried to pull the cuffs apart, but despite being a killing machine, she felt weak. She knew either Hans or Lukas had planted a damned virus. It was clear now. Each time she tried to pull the cuffs to bits, her core began to overheat. Her systems were down to minimal capacity. She was led across the wooden metal floor and forced to stand beside Hans in front of the hundreds of drones. Most of them wore science coats and goggles a size or two too big.

 Posers, J thought.

 The room was filled with noise, whether it be footsteps or hushed whispers. That is, until Lukas took his place at the head of the room. He stood on a podium and turned towards the mass of drones. The noise was quickly replaced with an eerie silence.

 “My fellow drones…” Lukas began.

 Yawn, J thought.

 “…I have done it. For years, we have fought for our goals only to be let down time and time again.” His gaze shifted over towards J. “I have found the perfect specimen, according to the humans who had once resided over this facility. A disassembly drone. A terrible, yet magnificent beast. Feral and savage, but only because she was programmed that way.”

 Savage? Asshole. J huffed as Lukas prattled on. Her joints itched for freedom. She shuffled in her cuffs, daydreaming of what she would do if she escaped. Hans quickly pulled her a step back.

 “Easy.” He whispered. “If you act up, things will end poorly.”

 J tried to groan, but her voice still drew blanks. Her visor flashed.

 LAME.

 Lukas continued. “I have studied the records of the humans, and I am positive that our path to salvation and the secrets of the universe lie in this very room. I have tested worker drone after worker drone with no luck. However, I would gladly wager my own life that this disassembly drone is the subject we have been looking for. She is our only hope of reviving the lost potential of our kind.”

 J knew, then and there, Lukas was crazy. This entire room was crazy. What the hell was he on about? J wanted to speak up and ask, or yell, but the words didn’t come.

 A lone worker drone raised his hand as Lukas paused.

 “You call her a beast, but is there any proof? I'd hate to experiment on a thinking drone.”

 Lukas smiled. “Yes.” Lukas shuffled over towards J. She wanted to stab his smug face. “Care to voice your case to the crowd?”

 J glared at Lukas. She dug deep, hoping for a burst of energy and a booming voice. She opened her mouth but once again, no words.

 “It’s trying to mimic speech!” Another drone called out.

 “A party trick!” Lukas cried. “She is nothing but a feral monster. An impressive one, but a monster nonetheless.” Lukas glared back at J. “Go on.” He encouraged. “Speak. Stand up on your own accord.”

 I’m not feral. I’m not a monster! She tried to say, but she had lost the words.

 Lukas huffed. “See? Perhaps once she had the ability of thought and speech, but now she is nothing but an animal. The humans made her this way.” He turned back towards the crowd. “Give me time, and by tomorrow, I hope to stand before you with news that our deity has returned.”

 Deity? Crap. This just got bad, J huffed.

 “The Absolute Solver will be returned to us!”

 The crowd erupted with a mix of applause, laugher, and panicked cries.

 “That’s immoral!” One drone would cry.

 “Glory to the Solver!” Another called out.

 J suddenly felt weak.

 The Absolute Solver? It was the last thing J was expecting. Tortured? Predictable. Killed? Predictable. Sent to fight in an arena of death? Predicable, but the most fun by far. Used as a device to bring the Absolute Solver back? Curveball.

 Hans seemed to notice J’s discomfort. As Lukas stepped off the podium, he pulled him aside.

 “Uh… Lukas?” Hans spoke just loud enough to break through the roar of the science-coated court room. “The Absolute Solver? Why haven’t you brought this up to me? I have done my research on the matter, and I’m a bit confused.”

 Lukas smiled warmly and gave Hans a firm pat on the back. “Trust me. Your work will not go unrewarded. Trust the process.”

 “What process?” Hans insisted.

 Just then, a huge machine was pulled onto the floor. It contained a giant laser, small and large wires, a metal gurney with four straps, and a dispensable lollipop machine. It was like something out of an old spy movie.

 The lollipop machine threw J for a loop, though.

 “Partial death.” Lukas said, nonchalantly.

 Uh-oh.

 “Death?!” Hans cried out. “That is absurd.”

 Lukas scoffed. “Not death. Partial death. Big difference. One is permanent. The other is... uh... partial. The Absolute Solver is a program that has a small probability of activating upon the death of a drone. Partial death will do, and we can reuse the disassembly drone when it fails. Harmless and painless.”

 “This is immoral.” Hans insisted.

 Lukas’s smile faded. His eyes turned cold as ice. “I have gone through too much to give up now. I am bringing the Absolute Solver back once way or another, and if that means this beast has to be a subject of mine, then so be it.”

 “You really think she’s an animal?”

 “She is.” Lukas spat. “I suggest you go back into the tapes, Hans. Hear the words of the humans when they talk about the disassembly drones. They are meant to kill. They aren’t mean to think or love or empathize. She is here to kill.” His eyes shifted towards J. “And that is all, isn’t it?”

 J felt her insides boil. 

 HAND=CONTAINED

 LEGS=CONTAINED

 NANITE TAIL=CONTAINED

 She quickly snapped at Lukas. Her fangs missing his finger by an inch. Maybe less. She was quickly pulled back by two heavy guards.

 “See?” Lukas grinned. “An animal. Now strap her in.”

 “Please?” Uzi asked.

 “No.” Khan responded.

 “Please?”

 “No.”

 “Why not?” Uzi groaned.

 Khan cleared his throat. “Because you are not ready to lead. Speaking in public is a big-”

 “I saved the universe last week, didn’t I?” Uzi huffed. "I think I can handle a microphone."

 Cyn peered around Uzi. “For the time being. Giggle.”

 “Bite me!” Uzi roared. She needed more tape.

 Khan thought a bit harder. “Fine. But only if you promise to not go on a mad ramble like your mother used to.”

 “I promise.” Uzi said, crossing her fingers.

 An assembly was called within the hour. Students, teachers, and working worker drones were all gathered in the gym just as they had been before. Uzi took the stand. N was there, front row to support her. V sat beside him. Lizzy was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t want to be there anyway. Instead, she had been sent out to find the two mysterious humans to support Uzi’s cause. The humans had insisted on remaining at their own pod for the time being, but Uzi knew that wasn’t going to work. She needed them. Or so, she hoped. There was a lingering doubt in Uzi’s mind the two humans would be working against her cause, but it was a risk N was willing to take. So, Uzi was willing as well.

 Uzi had spent all night prepping the speech. Supposed to be, at least. Her mind drew blank after blank. She cleared her throat and held up a clean sheet of paper. Wordless, but it made her feel more prepared than she actually was. She looked around the stadium full of hundreds of worker drones hoping to find Bertrum. Sure enough, he was there. Sitting front row a few drones down from N. 

 Uzi took a deep breath. Play this cool, she thought. All eyes are on you. Just-

 “Something big is going on!” Uzi erupted. “This whole thing with the Worker Drone Strike Force is corrupt and evil. They want to leave Copper 9 and kill a disassembly drone who isn’t a threat, then who knows where they’ll go! Will they kill ours? Probably. It’s all because of that new kid and his stupid, dumb face! I vote we kick him out of the colony. Oh, and did I tell you about the humans? They’re here on Copper 9! We-”

 Uzi froze, realizing she had not gotten her point across in a pleasant manner. She glanced over at Khan. He had his face buried deep in his hands. Nori, atop Khan’s head, slowly shook her head.

 She glanced at N. He made an attempt to smile warmly, holding up two thumbs.

 V was already half asleep on N’s shoulder.

 “Crap.” She grumbled. “Redo?”

 Before she could give a proper redo, Bertrum made his way onto the stage. “Very impressive. First time speaking?” His tone was as condescending as they come. He gently slid Uzi over and took the mic. He spoke to the crowd with authority. “J is a threat. Not only to us, but to any other colony of worker drones that could be scattered throughout the stars. I will work tirelessly to bring her back so she can stand trial. She has hurt us. All of us. And she will pay.”
 
 “And what about N? What about V?” Uzi hissed. “When are they going to stand trial? How long will it take until you go after them?!”

 Bertrum looked at Uzi as if she had just truly offended him. He slowly shook his head. “J is gone. She was unable to live peacefully within these walls when given the opportunity. She’s missed her chance. How many of you can speak highly of her, anyways? If one person-”

 Bertrum suddenly went silent. Behind him, V was hovering. Slowly, she bent down and removed the mic from Bertrum’s hands. Bertrum looked up at the disassembly drone. His eyes widened with fear. He felt small, while V looked like a titan. V had taken his words as a challenge. She turned towards the crowd.

 “J isn’t the nicest drone. Looking in, you could call her a bully to some people. But nobody knows her like I do.” V spoke with vitriol pointed at nobody but Bertrum and his ignorance to the subject. “I’m not going to gush about her, but I’m here because of J. If she wasn’t around, I’d be dead. Long dead.”

 “You were her lacky.” Bertrum scoffed.

 “We were…” V had to force the words. “We were something else. Something nobody would understand. We went through a lot. Lots of pain, but we got through it together.”

 Bertrum was about to erupt. “She was psychotic! A beast with one thing on her mind! She wanted us all dead!”

 “When I was down or in a funk, I knew J was right around the corner.” The memories came swirling back. V spoke as if she was reliving the best parts of her life on Copper 9 before things got complicated. “She’d take my hand and sing to me, and I’d sing back. And she knew that whenever she was down or depressed or feeling under the weather that I’d come and do the same. She may be a killer, but she isn’t a monster.”

 Just then, the doors swung open. In stepped Lizzy. On her phone, of course. Behind her were the two humans. Just as they had been before, the first human led with a stride of authority. The second shuffled behind. Now, it was clear the second one was a female. She seemed timid, as if being chained along by the first. 

 The taller man took a second to study his environment, then went up on the stage. V glared at him, still unsure whether he was friend or foe. He stood before her, taller and with a commanding presence. He held out his hand, asking for the mic. V complied but did so hesitantly.

 Then, in the blink of an eye, he crushed the mic with his bare hands. 

 He looked around at the people on stage. V, Uzi, Bertrum, Khan, Nori, and N, who had just made his way up to be with his girlfriend.

 “I’m not about to make a spectacle out of this.” He said firmly, then looked down at Bertrum. “You must be Bart.”

 “Bertrum.” He corrected.

 “You’re the one hunting J, correct?”

 Bertrum did his best to stand tall. He tried to command the same authority as the man before him, and he did a vailiant job, but the task was impossible. “I am.” He said. “She is a threat, and-”

 “My name is General Testman.” The human spat, interrupting Bertrum before he went off on another tangent. “And I suggest you put a quick and immediate end in this foolhardy hunt you’ve embarked on. You won’t end up on the winning side. In fact, you most likely will end up dead.”

 “She was put on this planet to kill us. All of us. She was turned into a killer, and we will have justice.”

 “Turned into a killer by Cyn?” Testman scoffed. “A corrupted entity of the Absolute Solver?” He slowly shook his head. "That's what you believe?"

 “Giggle.” Cyn giggled behind Uzi. "Silly me."

 “The Solver might’ve corrupted the disassembly drones.” He glanced up at N and V for a moment before returning his gaze to Bertrum. “But there is a missing link to the story that has been conveniently forgotten. J is my responsibility, and I’m not letting this pointless crusade for some form of false justice to continue.”

 “Are you afraid?” Bertrum glared up at Testman. “Afraid we’ll damage your precious property?”

 General Testman shook his head. “I’m worried for you. For this colony. I made her into a killer. Efficient and pragmatic. That is my doing. If you don't want to accept the fact that you've picked a fight with the best of the best, then that is your downfall. Whatever false victories you and the rest of these worker drones might've sprung upon her, I assure you she will learn from them. Those victories won't be repeated. That is what I've taught her.”

 “That’s impossible!” N erupted. “Cyn made us-”

 “Cyn is only part of the story, N.” General Testman snapped. “Don’t you find it odd that there is a sprawling gap in your memory? Have you ever wondered why that is?” He turned towards Bertrum once again. “You continue this war, and it won’t end well. I’m here to save you.”

 With a quick turnaround, General Testman left the auditorium. Beside him, the other human followed. It was then Uzi noticed the limp of the female human. She was injured, or suffered from something unseen. She tugged at Testman's arm and leaned close. “Do they really not remember us?” She asked softly. Her voice was almost too soft to detect. 

 “No.” Testman was blunt.

 “What if I try? I can help them remember. If I chuck them a few more pieces of information, I can get to them.” She asked. “They know-”

 “I said no.” 

 That was the end of the conversation. General Testman and his mysterious assistant left the room, slamming the doors behind him.

 Hans sat before Jex opposite the bars. The two waited in silence as they listened to the machine work. Though the walls were thick, the machine’s rumble and vibration somehow found a way to penetrate the walls.

 “So…” Jex looked around his cell. “Nice weather outside?” He was terrible at small talk.

 “Cloudy.” Hans responded. “Acid rain.”

 “…Cool…”

 Hans groaned. “Lukas wants me to kill you.”

 “…Not cool…”

 Hans reveals an old weapon that was left in the facility when the humans had occupied it. A Mauser. “He said by tomorrow, if I do not put a bullet in your visor, he will tear us both apart. Piece by piece. Painful way to go, I’m told.”

 Jex managed a crooked smile. “Looks like you’ve got no choice, then.”

 “I don’t.” Hans agreed.

 “Unless…” Jex pressed his thumb to his chin and drifted off into thought. “…you give me one crack at this Lukas fellow.”

 “He’ll tear you apart.”

 “I’ve had worse.” Jex grinned.

 The machines suddenly stopped. Hans and Jex both listened as more than one set of footsteps echoed down the hallway. A pair of doors at the end of the room swung open. In stepped J surrounded by a set of heavy looking bruisers. Leading them all was Lukas himself. 

 Jex watched as J slouched her shoulders and held her head low. The two locked eyes briefly, but Jex swore she was looking straight through him. Lukas opened the cell and allowed her inside.

 “Day one was unsuccessful.” Lukas said, checking numbers on his clipboard. “We will hope for better luck tomorrow.”

 Hans put on a forced smile and nodded but was unable to make eye contact. “Hopefully.” He said.

 Lukas smiled and patted Hans on the shoulder. “Aren’t you going to shoot him?” He motioned towards Jex.
 
 Hans looked up at Jex and shrugged. His smile became more convincing, but Jex knew it was still fake. “You want me to shoot him now?” Hans acted baffled. “As far as I am concerned, the longer I wait, the more fear that builds in his circuits. It brings me a certain sense of joy. The job will get done; I assure you. I hope you understand.”

 Lukas nodded, as if in agreement. “Come, Hans.” Lukas said. “I’d like to have a word in private for a moment. We’ll meet in my chambers.”

 With that, Lukas, Hans, and the two guards left the room. The silence was unbearable. He turned towards J. Everything in him softened at the sight. His eyes. His body. Everything. She looked… scared. He remembered when he had opened her pod in space. There, despite being caught off guard, she was calm, cool and collected. She had put up one hell of a fight, which Jex couldn’t help but respect. That fight lasted until they came crashing down, and even then, she hadn’t given up. She had a fire in her eye. A spirit made for battle.

 Hell, she had actually gotten the better of him. He couldn’t forget the way she looked down at him.

 Jex groaned. He was never one to coddle. He was never one to pity or wish to be pitied. He found personal affection… tough. Still, he swallowed his pride and shuffled over. He had hoped J would look his way. That would’ve made this whole ordeal way easier. Unfortunately, she didn’t.

 Instead, it appeared to Jex as if she was staring a hole in the floor. Her arms wrapped around her legs and she pulled tight. He tapped the bars, hoping it would snap her out of it. Unfortunately, it had no affect.

 “Hey?” Jex said, as softly and compassionately as he could… which wasn’t very. “Are you okay? I'm here to talk if you need.”

 J’s eyes hardened as she glared up at him.

 “What? Why are you-” Then, it hit. “…Oh… Right.” 

 She had no voice.

 “So…” Jex sighed. The gears began to crank. “I… I don’t think I’ve caught your name.”

 J’s visor flashed. 

 J

 Jex waited for the rest of the name, but when nothing came after, he shrugged. “Okay… J…?” He tapped the bars once again. Short name, he thought. This time, more to cool his nerves and pass the time rather than get her attention. “What makes you so special? Like… Why the…” He tried to find the right words. Body? Nope. “…style? What is a disassembly drone?”

 J opened her mouth in one last attempt to force words from her gullet. She tried and tried again.

 “Don’t stress yourself. You’ll just cause more-”

 “…It’s a… long… story.” Her voice was full of static and nothing more than a whisper, but she managed. It came as a complete shock to Jex, and even towards J. Still, the knowledge that she could speak and hadn't totally lost her voice was a huge relief.

 Jex couldn’t lie. He was impressed. The sheer will. Still, Jex threw his arms up and looked around the cell. “Seems like we got nothing but time.” 

 J shuffled her way close to the cage. She leaned against the bars, hoping her voice would carry easier. “Tessa. She was my only friend.”

 Jex had to lean in close to hear her.

 “My fault.” J continued. “I’m not the nicest. Not good at making friends.”

 “Tessa?”

 “Human.” J’s eyes went foggy. J tried to keep the repressed memories repressed. “I hope I can see he again someday.”

 “Aren’t the humans extinct?” Jex asked.

 J immediately felt the pain. She closed her eyes and went silent. Her mind wandered back to Tessa and the Elliot Manor. Her mind raced with an endless sea of possibilities. What she could’ve done differently. What she could’ve said. 

 Jex was quick to notice the heartbreak. “Look, I-”

 The doors quickly swung back open. Lukas came barging in like a drone on a mission. Hans trailed behind him, hands together and fingers interlocked.

 “I beg you. This is a bad idea.” Hans said. “We can’t put stress on her. We-”

 “It.” Lukas bit back. “It, Hans. And we can put stress on it. And I will, if it helps with our goals. Trust the process. Now open the gate and pull her out. NOW!”

 Hans reluctantly did as he was asked. J shuffled back to her corner as Hans made his way inside. He didn’t say a word, but she knew from the look in his eyes he wasn’t doing this by choice. He reached down and pulled J into the center of the cage. She struggled, but with her weapon systems disabled and her body quick to overheat with any stress, she found it impossible to fight back.

 Jex watched helplessly as she attempted to beg. 

 Stop. Stop, she mouthed. Jex wondered if she was actually speaking and it was just too soft for them to hear. Still, the sight broke something in Jex.

 “Leave her alone!” Jex roared, rising to his feet and pressing himself to his bars. “She’s not an animal. The only animal in here is you!”

 Lukas scoffed as Hans drug J from her cage. “She is as low as the come. She has nothing but an instinct to kill.” He turned towards J. “Isn’t that right, disassembler?” When he was met with silence, Lukas laughed. “See? She’s a beast. One I will tame if I must. The Absolute Solver will be returned to us, and I will allow this beast to return to the wild where it belongs.”

 “You’re the beast.” Jex hissed.

 Lukas gave him a smug grin. “Is that so?” He spun around once again towards J. “Go on, disassembler. Prove him right. Speak. Prove your intelligence. Prove your superiority. Go on!” 

 J attempted to speak, but each time she was met with a poke or a jab from Lukas’s fingers. While she was able to get static, she was unable to form words.

 “You see?!” Lukas hollered, victoriously. “A mindless animal.”

 “Mindless animal? Just let her speak. She can. I’ve heard it.” Jex countered.

 “Enough out of you or I’ll take your execution into my own hands.” Lukas threatened.

 “Do it.” Jex hissed, tensing up. “C’mon, tough guy. You think I’m scared?”

 “Death is a scary thing.” Lukas warned. “You should be.”

 “Bring it on.” 

 Lukas shrugged and entered the cage.

 He was caught off guard when Jex threw a haymaker right to the visor of Lukas. In a flash, three security force members jumped into the cage and wrangled Jex to the ground. Lukas found his footing and pulled out his gun. He turned towards J.

 “Behave yourself, beast. I am willing to put down a perfectly functional worker drone. Don’t think I’m against putting down an animal such as yourself with any less hesitation.” 

 J growled.

 Lukas turned towards Jex and raised his gun.

 J tried to rush Lukas, but Hans was quick to pull her back. She fought and squirmed, but she was unable to get any momentum.

 Lukas pressed the gun to Jex’s forehead. His finger tickled the trigger.

 Jex tensed once again. He waited for the shot.

 J watched in horror as Lukas steadied the gun.

 Jex closed his eyes and began to hyperventilate. The reality of death was foreign.

He figured it would be quick. A wandering asteroid zipping through his pod, or something of that nature.

Sudden.

Without him knowing.

An execution with plenty of heads up was a different concept. Suddenly, it felt all too real.

The buildup was the worst part.

 “PULL THAT TRIGGER AND YOU DIE NEXT!” J roared.

 Lukas froze.

 Hans froze.

 The guards froze.

 Lukas's monitor flashed with a hint of static as he looked over at J. All eyes turned towards on her. 

 J's glare was ice cold.

 “I repeat...” She hissed through her fangs. “…pull that trigger, and you die next.”

Chapter Text

Lukas paced rapidly around the room. His hands wrapped around his back, still clutching the Mauser. His eyes darted around the floor as if following each speck of dust. Occasionally he would unlock his fingers just to scratch his chin or shuffle the hard cap atop his head.

 He had quickly ordered his guards to leave after locking Jex’s cell up tight once again. Only Hans and the caged drones remained in the room with him. The guards stood outside the door, waiting for further orders.

 “This can’t get out.” Lukas repeated as he paced. “Do you understand me, Hans? This cannot get out.”

 “I will make sure of it.” Hans said softly.

 Lukas pointed towards the door. “Have those guards killed. They heard too much. Dispose of their memory banks.” Lukas stopped his erratic pacing and leaned against the wall. His inner circuits did their best to calibrate every possibility available to him, but there were too many uncertainties. He pulled the Mauser from behind his back and studied the weapon. 

 J was forced to wonder if he’d really use it, and on whom. Jex, or herself?

 Suddenly, Lukas pushed himself away from the wall and staggered over towards J’s cage. He holstered the Mauser and peered through the bars. His eyes narrowed as he studied the disassembly drone.

 J stood tall and glared back at the doctor. She was not about to appear weak. 

 “You are a freak of nature.” Lukas spat. “A construct that should not be amongst the stars. Fortunately for you, I am in need of a creature such as yourself.”

 “To bring back the Solver?” J spat. “You’re crazy. You don’t know what you’re doing. The Absolute Solver is a menace. A rogue program. An absolute evil. You might not know, but I do.”

 “It’s our salvation!” Lukas roared through the bars. “It is what puts us on a pedestal. It is what makes us superior to the humans who came before us, and the beings that came before them.” He pulled himself away from the metal bars and continued his manic pacing. “Once we unlock the secrets of the Solver…” His voice trailed off. Suddenly, he sprang back towards the cell. “I know what you are, Serial Designation J.” He hissed through his teeth. “What you truly are. There are tapes that the humans had left behind. They tell me everything. Help me, and I will be able to help you.”

 “After you kill me again?” J bit back. “Every time I die, I’m forced to relive a nightmare. Helping you is off the table. It isn’t going to happen.”

 “It’s for the greater good!” Lukas persisted.

 J huffed. “I’m going to kill you. I will break free, and I will kill you along with every drone that gets in my way.”

 Lukas feigned a fearful shiver and once again pulled himself away from the bars. His eyes seemed to wander as he drove himself into deep thought. His eyes finally rested on Hans.

 “Take care of those guards before they squeal to the others.” Lukas said as he handed the Mauser over to Hans. “When you’re done, I want you to help me prep the machine.” His icy stare persisted. “If Serial Designation J doesn’t want to learn the truth, then she doesn’t deserve the truth. Not of her past, nor her future. We will work double-time on his project of ours. All day, and all night if we must.” He spoke in a soft grumble. “We will bring the Absolute Solver back.”

 Hans nodded “Of course, Doctor Lukas.”

 The two drones shuffled out of the room, leaving J and Jex to their own devices.

 During their whole conversation, Jex had been silently thinking to himself. A plan. They needed a plan. The greatest escape known to drone-kind. He had studied the structure of the cell. Both his and J’s. He had observed the movements and habits of each and every drone that had wandered through their room. Suddenly, it clicked. He knew the plan. The perfect plan. He walked over to where the two cells converged and pressed his visor to the bars.

 “I got a plan.” He whispered. “Foolproof. I-”

 J lunged. Her hands slid between the bars, pulling Jex by the throat. She shook him and pulled him close, slamming his visor against the bars. 

 Ow! Ow! Ouch! Crap, this hurts! Jex thought with each collision with the metal bars. Jex eventually managed to squirm free.

 “Screw you!” J roared.

 Jex raised his hands in defense. “Woah! Just take it easy. I didn’t-”

 “Didn’t want?!” J was met with nothing but silence as an answer. Her emotions surged. Her oil boiled. All those hours with the inability to speak. Being called a beast or a monster or an animal. Literally dying. She grit her teeth. “I’m here because of you. So, what didn’t you mean to do? Ruin my pod? Attack me and crash-land on a planet with a posse of insane drones? Bring me to a cult of psychos looking to resurrect an eldritch demon that’s tortured me for my entire life?! Tell me what you didn’t mean to do so I know. And don’t skimp on the eye contact. It’s bad business etiquette without eye contact.”

 Jex took the moment of silence he was given. He nodded, as if totally understanding where she was coming from. “I can see you’re mad…”

 “Really?” J mocked. She threw up her hands and began to pace like a rabid dog around her cell. She was fed up. She wanted freedom. For too long she had been a servant. To the Elliots. To Cyn. To the Solver. To Lukas. Her lust to kill had risen to an extreme. Then, everything seemed to fall into place. Common sense took over and J was able to calm down. Jex had a plan… supposedly. She took grace period then turned back towards J. “You said you have a plan?”

 Jex was shook at the sudden outburst but nodded. “We just have to wait for the right time.” He spoke softly.

 J huffed as she gave him an icy glare. She almost smiled as she thought of all the ways she’d make him pay for getting her in this situation. She was forced to turn away before she could slip and give a proper, cheeky grin. She was almost… excited.

 J was quick to cool off after having the plan form in her head. She closed her eyes for a moment and slid against the bars. Patience, she told herself. Just have a little patience and faith. 

 “I probably deserved that.” Jex said as he pulled himself towards the bars.

 “You did.” J confirmed. “If I were the boss, I would’ve fired you.”

 Jex shrugged. “That’s why I love being my own boss.”

 Own boss? J’s interest was suddenly peaked. A long silence filled the room as Jex thought hard on his next few words. A plethora of different thoughts and emotions mulled around in his circuits.

 “So…” He began. “…you really don’t know why a guy named Bertrum on Copper 9 is after you?”

 J shook her head and flipped her twin-tail hair back. “I killed a few drones on that planet. Boss's orders.” J huffed. “I was good at it. I told myself time and time again I was doing the right thing, but…” J found it impossible to make eye contact suddenly. I was scared. Tell him you were scared! Be open for once! No matter how much she tried, J couldn’t force the words out.

 “I’ve been there, too.” Jex said.

 J shrugged. “I didn’t do what I should’ve done. Looking back, I guess I made the wrong call.” She managed a smile. “If I were the boss, I would’ve fired myself. But corporate gave me a job. Now, my two coworkers are living the dream in a secure bunker on Copper 9. And… I’m in a cage.”

 “Coworkers?” Jex inquired. “More of… you? Disassembly drones?”

 J nodded. “N and V.”

 “What made them different from you?” Jex asked. “Why are they living the apparent dream life while you aren’t?”

 J looked up at the top of the cage. She had asked herself that exact question hundreds of times. “Blind loyalty, I guess.” She just threw an answer out there. Perhaps the true answer was a bit deeper, but J knew that would suffice for the time being.

 “Why?”

 Why? Why?! The simple follow up question threw J for a loop. She winced and looked over at Jex. The answer came quick to J. “Why?” She groaned like a moody teenager. “I… I get these dreams. Nightmares. They’re terrifying. I don’t know much about them, but I guess I felt like if I followed Cyn’s stupid orders, they would go away. I wouldn’t be…” Scared?

 “Cyn?” Jex asked.

 “Don’t go there.” J demanded.

 Jex raised his hands. “Well, what about that human you’d brought up? Tessa? Right?”

 He remembered? J didn’t expect a selfish drone such as Jex to remember small details of a conversation like that. Still, the memory of Tessa was tough to look back on. Or the memory that was left at least. The way Tessa had once-

 NO! J shook the thought from her head. Stop. Stop. Stop! Not here. Not now.
 
 “Woah!” Jex said calmly, scooting over to where the cells met. “Are you all right? Take it easy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 J finally calmed herself and looked back up at the cell wall. She hardened her eyes and turned to face Jex. She frowned, as if more mad or pissed off than upset.

 “I’m fine.” She hissed through her fangs.

 Just then Hans quickly entered. In his hand was the Mauser. He stopped before Jex’s cell. His gaze was distant, distracted, and aloof. His arms dangled almost lifelessly at his sides.

 “I have to kill you now.” Hans said softly.

 Jex cursed to himself. “I knew you were going to say that.”

 “At this point, it’s either you or me.” Hans looked down at the Mauser. “I know if you were in my shoes, you wouldn’t hesitate.” Hans raised his pistol. Jex froze as he was forced to look down the barrel of the Mauser.

 J wrapped her hands around the bars. She tried to pry them apart, but she was still weak from the virus. Her systems quickly began to overheat.

 Hans’s finger tickled the trigger.

 Jex raised his hands. “Hold on a moment. I can tell you don’t want to do this.”

 “I don’t have a choice.” Hans seemed defeated. 

 “I can read people.” Jex said softly. “I can read them well. And I can tell you don’t agree with what Lukas is doing. All you have to do is let us go. We kill Lukas for you, and we leave. Then you’ll never have to see us again.”

 Hans lowered the Mauser for a moment. His eyes drifted as he thought on Jex’s words.

 Jex looked over at J and winked.

 Hans took an extra step towards the bars, then lowered the gun. “Okay. I-”

 Jex tore his hands through the bars in a flash. With a quick and might pull, he rammed Hans’s visor into the bars. Hans dropped like a rock. Jex quickly shuffled through his coat and found a pair of keys. Before Hans could lift himself up, Jex unlocked his cell and wound up for a might punch square on the visor of Hans. Hans hit the floor hard and was out cold.

 His visor displayed a message.

 K/O

 Jex held up the keys, victoriously.

 “Plan worked.” Jex smiled.

 J was anything but impressed. “That wasn’t the plan.”

 “Maybe it was.” Jex countered.

 “There is no way.”
 
 Jex scoffed and gave J a cocky smile, then slid the keys into the keyhole. As soon as the gate clicked, J pounced like lightning. 

 Uh-oh. Jex thought. Again?!

 J pushed Jex to the wall, shaking the drone time and time again. Her hands wrapped firmly around his shoulders. She squeezed with all her might.

 PLAYING.//MuchNeededVent.MP3

 “You idiot! You said you had a plan! Punching your way out of the cage is NOT a plan! It’s suicide!  These freaking toasters are deadly and I’ll be damned if I get killed by one of them! You are lucky I still need you, otherwise you would be FIRED!”

 J froze for a second, giving Jex time to catch his thoughts.

 “Woah…” Jex’s eyes went wide.

 PLAYING.//MuchNeededVentPart2.MP3

 “Aw, crap.”

 J’s eyes narrowed. She yanked Jex from the wall and threw him into the metal bars of their cages. She pressed him so hard he swore the bars were about to bend and break.

 “Corporate will hear of this! I am here because of you, you freaking IDIOT!”

 SLAM.

 SLAM.

 SLAM.

 “When we’re free I am going to write a strongly worded letter to management which might take some time for them to see because they’re always taking vacations during the holidays! DAMN THOSE COMPANY RETREATS!!!”

 J felt the metal bars begin to bend as she glared at Jex. Her circuits suddenly became hot as she overworked her body. Jex was frozen, but not because he was scared. He literally couldn’t move. J had him totally pinned. Her body pressed tight against his.

 It took a second too long for J to realize how close she had gotten. She looked down, noticing she had Jex pinned to the bars with nothing but her torso and hands. Their visors nearly touched.

 Hot? Jex thought. He looked up into the eyes of J. His oil froze. Scary. So… so scary.

 J was quick to drop Jex before she could blush. Jex fell on his rear and looked up at J. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t upset or confused. He was intrigued. 

 Jex picked himself up and walked silently towards the unconscious body of Hans. He pulled the Mauser from his hands and held it up. He had shot many guns, but the Mauser was one he was unfamiliar with. He was looking forward to shooting it.

 “Sorry.” J grumbled as she looked down as steam rose from her hands. Her systems had been worked hard and she had come so close to overheating. “I needed that.”

 Jex nodded. “Love the vibe. Love the energy. But let’s try and focus it on the ones who want us dead, all right? So, you ready to do some killing?”

 J couldn’t lie. She was not ready. Her little outburst was lightning in a bottle. She knew she would never get that kind of energy back with her systems being inhibited with the virus. Even then, she was on the verge of overheating. So, she shook her head. “I can’t fight.” She blew the smoke that was rising from the tips of her finger. “That virus is still doing a number on my internal hardware… stuff.”

 “Damn.” Jex held his Mauser tight. “Follow me, then. And stay close.”

 “You’re not my boss.” J grumbled.

 Just then, three drones burst into the room. They were immediately taken aback by the two free captives, empty cells, and the unconscious Hans. Their surprise didn’t last long as Jex raised his Mauser.

 BANG.

 BANG.

 BANG.

 The three drones dropped dead. Oil spilled from the bullet holes in their visors.

 J stood over their bodies. “You didn’t even give them a chance to surrender…”

 “And you would've?” Jex asked.

 J shrugged. “Probably not.” Definitely not, she thought.

 “Right. Survival comes first.” Jex rushed to the door. “C’mon. We gotta find the exit.” Jex reached down and pulled J by the hand. A sudden surge of pain flew through his circuits. He reeled back and looked at his own hand. Smoke rose from the metal and plastic. “Ow.”

 J held up her hand. “Overheating. Remember?”

 The two drones tore out the doors. J opted to stay behind Jex but constantly reminded herself that she was not, in fact, his employee and he was certainly not her boss.

 “This is just a temporary change to maximize output.” She smiled as she coped in her head. “Yeah. Just a way to achieve synergy and divert and lessen liability.”

 Jex had no clue what J was on about, so he ignored her corporate jargon and continued to speed down the halls.

 As they ran, J noticed the facility seemed more familiar. Though that wasn’t a surprise given the lack of atmosphere in most human designs, she still found it weird and more than a little intriguing.

 The hallway came to a swift and sudden end as they pushed themselves through a door. Through the door was a fork. One path led right. One led left. Jex’s head shifted between the two.

 “Any idea which way?”

 “Left.” J answered.

 “Are you sure?”

 J pointed up at the EXIT sign.

 “Damn…”

 So, they went left.

 The left path led to another door with a staircase behind it. When they were about halfway down the staircase, they heard the doors above them open abruptly. The echo resonated through the staircase. Jex looked up as two drones armed with rifles began a sprint down the stairs in chase of them. Jex allowed J to run ahead while he stayed behind. He readied his Mauser. When they came into view, Jex fired. Five shots and the drones dropped dead. Above him, he heard the door open once more. Jex decided the best option was to run as he knew more were on the way. So, he followed J down the stairs until it led to another hallway. He never holstered his Mauser.

 J was well ahead and only picked up speed as she ran, thus separating herself from Jex. While she still heard his footsteps far behind her, he was around a few corners out of view.

 Then, J saw the exit. She ran faster, once again risking another overheating situation. Still, she didn’t care. She made her way into an empty lobby and froze. A flood of familiarities came rushing back. She looked around, then up at the ceiling where a banner hung. J had to process for a while. Her systems almost refused to let everything sink in.

 It was a banner of-

 “J!” Jex roared behind her. “Keep running! We’re almost-”

 BANG!
 
 J turned to watch Jex fall to the ground. Oil poured from a wound in his back. His Mauser flew from his hand, landing somewhere in the dark room. He made a desperate attempt to stand back up and continue his run, but he could only stumble forward. Oil leaked from his mouth.

 “We need…” Jex grunted. “…to kill these crazy fu-”

 BANG!

 Another bullet tore through his lower abdomen. His body gave out and he fell once more. J watched as oil drained onto the carpet. Jex barely moved. His hand slid along the carpet, up to the exit point of his lower wound. It didn’t stop the oil spill much. Behind him, holding a Springfield rifle, was Hans.

 “Sometimes answers are more important than freedom.” Hans said softly. He slowly emerged from the darkness of the hallway and came into the light of the room.

 J looked up at Hans. He was pointing his rifle directly at her, but there was a softness in his eyes. A softness she hadn’t seen from him before. Still, with death being so close, she wasn’t about to let her guard down. Hans stepped around Jex like he was nothing.

 “I’ve been killed before. I’ve begged for it, but I can’t. What makes you think you and that outdated rifle, which was company standard for the time, are going to change anything.”

 “Just don’t make any sudden movements, Serial Designation J. This isn’t going to end like you think it will. I have no wish to kill you. I only want to talk.” J noticed Hans remove his finger from the trigger.

 “Then why shoot him?” J asked, taking a glance down at Jex. The poor drone was in agony, but he was moving more than he had been after initially being shot. So, J figured it was a step in the right direction.

 “Payback.” Hans was blunt. “Getting punched in the face is not a good feeling. So, I repaid the favor.”

 “Nobody hurts him…” J hissed through her teeth. “…except me.”

 “Fair enough. Then there is no further need for violence between you and I.” Hans lowered the rifle. “Now, another reason I shot your friend is because I am here to offer you…” Hans paused, as if to build up anticipation. “…a deal.”

 “What kind of deal?”

 Hans smiled, as if proud of his way with words. Then, he looked around. “You know what kind of facility this is, don’t you?”

 J kept her gaze squarely on Hans but nodded slowly. “I do.”

 “Good.” Hans took one hand off his rifle and shuffled around his coat pockets. “This facility has a special room located at its heart. There, I believe you will find everything you have ever wanted, and some things you never know you did. The truth.” He finally found the mysterious object he was looking for and pulled it out. It was a chip. A small chip, barely the size of the tip of J’s finger. “This little thing will remove that pesky malware I had installed into your system. It will give you back everything. It will give you back your life.”

 “Why are you doing this?” J asked.

 “Just like you, I have always taken my job to heart. I do what I do well, so when Doctor Lukas insisted that I return to the files and the documents and reports we have at the heart of this facility, I did. And truth be told, what I saw scared me, Serial Designation J.” His eyes hardened. “I know about the Solver. I know about the humans and Cyn and you disassembly drones.”

 “Cyn and the Solver are evil.”

 “And we agree.” Hans nodded. “But it isn’t the Absolute Solver that scared me.” He pointed his rifle at J. “It’s you. I know what you are capable of, and after learning what I do now, I want to watch this place burn to the ground. I am convinced you are the only one who can help me in that regard. So, I am willing to give you all your functions back. I know you’re not looking to escape, so all I ask is when you do find what you’re looking for, burn it all.”

 J didn’t think twice. She reached her hand out. “Hand over the chip. You have a deal.”

 Hans tossed J the chip. She was quick to plug the anti-virus chip into a small plug-in on her hand. The feeling was instant. She immediately felt more alive. A weight was lifted from her chest as her systems rebooted. Once again, she was working at peak efficiency. Her vision was above company standard. Her strength was above company standard. Her internal core and her weapon systems were all above company standard. She looked up and watched as Hans drifted back into the darkness. All she saw were his eyes until he shot her one last look, blinked, and vanished behind a corner.

 “Wish you had killed him.” Jex groaned as he picked himself up. Oil still leaked from his wound, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. As the two locked eyes, Jex knew she had made up her mind on her next mission. “The door is right there.”

 J shook her head and walked with a steady pace down the hallway. Her wings spread like an angel. Sword and rocket were at the ready. 

 “I have unfinished business.” J said. “I’m putting in my two weeks' notice. Are you coming or not?”

 Jex looked out the door. To freedom. “Business? With what?!”
 
 “Look up.”

 Jex looked up at the banner that had caught J’s eye. The logo was all too familiar.

 JCJenson.   

 Uzi, N, V, Thad and Lizzy sat silently in the snow within the spire. No words had been exchanged in a long while. Lizzy was busy on her phone while the rest were mulling over their options. Uzi knew Bertrum had become a threat, and she still didn’t trust General Testman nor his assistant in the slightest. 

 Uzi was stumped.

 “So, any ideas?” She asked.

 “Lots!” N said.
 
 “She’s asking about good ideas, N.” V responded as she picked her teeth with her claw.

 “Oh…” 

 Lizzy cackled. “I thought the reason we’re all sitting here in the snow miles from the colony is because you had an idea. You called us all out here, remember? Now you’re asking us for a plan?”

 “I never said I had a plan!” Uzi was quick to defend herself. “I said I was working on a plan. Big difference.”

 Lizzy went silent as she looked over at V. The two locked eyes. Lizzy spent a few seconds scrolling through her phone then handed it over to V. “Read it, girl.”

 V took the phone and began to read the last text Uzi and Lizzy had exchanged. Uzi was GrapeGremlin in Lizzy's phone. V got a chuckle. “Meet at spire.” V began to read. “I have a plan to get rid of posh kid. Oh, and anyone not trust the humans?” 

 “Exact words.” Lizzy said, victoriously.

 V scrolled a bit too far. “Why am I Grumpy McTraumaBot?”

 Lizzy was quick to snatch her phone away. 

 “Well… Bite me!” Uzi roared. Her voice quickly softened into a grumpy grumble. “It was a typo.”

 Before another word could be uttered, a dozen drones emerged from the darkness of the night. Each was dressed in a new, never before seen attire. Instead of standard worker drone helmets they wore thick steel plates with masks that covered the bottom of their mouths, leaving only their visors open. Their fresh jackets, which Uzi had to admit looked slick, bore the brand of the Worker Drone Strike Force. They were quick to surround the small crew with rifles from the colony stock, but no shots were fired. They simply stood in the darkness. Their eyes beamed through the night like beacons.

 “Conspiring against me?” Bertrum said as he emerged from the crowd of drones.

 “Crap.” Uzi grumbled. “Not this kid.”

 “I have half a mind to take you back to the colony in cuffs. Maybe you’d even share the same fate as Disassembly Drone J when she returns to us. Luckily for you, many drones back in Outpost 3 think the daughter of the admired Khan Doorman should get some form of special treatment.”

 Uzi huffed. “Don’t forget I also saved the universe! You’re welcome.”

 “For the moment.” Cyn spoke from Uzi’s tail. “I am so silly, and not yet solved. Cheeky grin.”

 Bertrum ignored the two. “Do you want to tell me why you are out here? Or are you going to have me speculate? Perhaps you are hoping and waiting for your rogue disassembly drone to return? Perhaps you are thinking of how to disassemble me? Or kill the humans? Or maybe you’re just out on a camping trip.”

 Cyn did not shut up. “That is between me and my fellow conspirators. We are being naughty.”

 Dammit, Cyn. Uzi slapped her visor.

 Bertrum approached Uzi. His gaze was stern. Much different than that original dork she had thought of him as earlier. He seemed… psychotic. Before he could get within ten paces of Uzi, N stood up and blocked his path. Bertrum was obviously taken aback by this sudden display of aggression, but he managed to laugh it off.

 “Serial Designation N. It is good we finally have the chance to chat.”

 “Leave her alone.” N hissed. Uzi watched as his hand slowly retracted into his arm. And out came a set of claws sharper than anything Uzi had ever known.

 The WDSF was quick to act. Each and every one of them raised their rifles. It was then Uzi noticed something odd about their weapons. They began to glow. A familiar, green glow. Then it clicked, and the situation became much more dangerous. 

 They had taken her rail gun design.

 V acted quickly. She stood up at lightning speeds and held her blade to Bertrum’s throat. “Whatever happens, just know I’m faster than you. Do anything, and you’re scrap.”

 Thad sat still and silent, but gently and quietly slid his hand over towards an iron rod. He was not about to back down from a fight. It didn't matter the odds.

 Lizzy continued to type away on her phone.

 Uzi heard the charge of the rail guns. Their glow became brighter and brighter. N backed up, gently pushing Uzi behind him even further. 

 “Lower your weapons.” A voice came from the dark. It was General Testman. Each and every drone turned towards the direction the voice had come, but the darkness obscured the general. Suddenly, he emerged. He entered the spire with great stride while his assistant slowly shuffled behind him. The worker drones were quick to get out of his way as they felt the power he commanded. General Testman stood facing Bertrum, and the two locked eyes.

 “You’re brave.” Bertrum said, either in honest admiration or sarcastic mockery. “This is my operation, general. You have no stake in this game.”

 “This is no game.” General Testman’s voice boomed. “I told you once in front of your fellow drones, but I had too much respect to call you out on the extent of your idiocy back then. Now, you leave me no choice.” The general wrapped his hands around his back and looked down on Bertrum. “I am only going to tell you once more. Give it up. Give it up, now! Otherwise, you and anyone who follows you will be nothing but rusted scrap after your first engagement.”

 “I’m not scared of you or your threats, general. Neither am I scared of your pet weapon you’ve created.”

 “I didn’t create her. I molded her. Shaped her. Made her better than she already was. We made her the best. Perfect in every way we needed.” General Testman looked over at Uzi. “You must be Cyn’s new host.”

 “I… uh…?” Uzi stuttered. “Well, I-”

 “Giggle.” Cyn giggled, emerging from behind Uzi. “Welcome, general. Long time, no see.”

 General Testman glared at the tail. Now the entity known as Cyn. The Absolute Solver. The eldritch god.

 “Cyn.” General Testman greeted coldly. “I’m quite surprised to see you’re still around. Last time we met I barely got out alive.”

 Uzi stepped in front of her own tail and approached the general. “Hold on a second! You know Cyn?” She glared up at the general. “No more sly wordplay. Who are you and what do you want?”

 “What I want is to protect what is mine.” General Testman looked around. 

 Bertrum stepped up to challenge Testman. “General, your-”

 “You are dismissed, Bertrum.”

 Bertrum was taken aback by the abruptness and the tone at which he spoke.

 “I beg your-”

 “Dismissed.” General Testman emphasized. “You and your gang. I have no more words for you. Whatever your next move is, I suggest you think long and hard about it.”

 With a huff, Bertrum rounded up his posse and left the spire. General Testman sat in silence for a moment. Uzi could see through the dark visor. She could see his eyes wander, as if in deep thought himself.

 Uzi slowly closed the gap between herself and General Testman. She saw his eyes shoot towards her. He held his gaze as Uzi’s feet stomped through the snow.

 “If you think I’m about to trust another human then you’ve got another thing coming. Last time we did that she turned out to be an eldritch abomination.”

 General Testman was quick to challenge. He quickly stepped towards Uzi. “And if you think I’m about to sit around and let a mob of drones hurt one of my own, then you’ve got-”

 In a flash, N and V readied their blades. The two razor sharp swords stopped at the throat of General Testman. He froze, but he didn’t flinch. N and V hissed like wild animals.

 “If you know Cyn, then you’re no friend of ours.” V said.

 “Tell… us… everything.” N hissed. 

 General Testman remained firm. His gaze switched between the three drones. But before he could speak, his assistant hobbled beside him. She stood still, as if a deer in the headlights. Her legs trembled. Her fingers gently clutched a clipboard, which shook just as rapidly as her legs. Only her right hand remained steady.

 “Th-There is no need for violence.” She spoke softly. Her voice sounded automatic. Like speaking through a recorder or speaker. It gave off static, but Uzi chalked it up to the type of helmet she wore. 

 “Then tell us the truth.” Uzi huffed.

 “Yes, general.” Cyn said, cheekily. “The truth.”

 “Very well.” General Testman said. He no doubt expected N and V to lower their blades, but they did no such thing. When it became clear the swords would remain at his throat, he continued. “We know about the 'birth' of the disassembly drones. We saw the aftermath of the Elliot Manor massacre. First, we only found bodies. Then, scrap metal. It didn’t take us long until we came across a new model of drones. Ones you call disassembly drones. We started research immediately, but that was all part of Cyn’s plan. She got the better of us, and because of it, we lost. Humanity lost.”

 “No, duh!” Uzi huffed. “What does that have to do with J?!”

 General Testman continued. “Earth wasn’t destroyed immediately.” He raised his chin and looked up into the sky, as if pondering. “We thought we could use you disassembly drones for the sake of humanity. With mild testing and rigorous training, we knew we had to end the war. I personally saw the project over, and I took great pride in it. We gave you everything you needed to fight the Solver and save humanity.”

 “That was Cyn!” V pressed the blade closer to General Testman. “She made us into monsters!”

 “Cyn might’ve made you into a monster!” General Testman roared back. “I made you into efficient soldiers well before.” He glared down at the three drones. “And J was the best.” He took a deep breath. “It’s unfortunate you don’t remember those days, but I suspect Cyn had something to do with that. She was clever, and us taking you three in was all part of her plan. Because of my damned testing, humanity failed.” His voice softened. "I pushed you three to the limits, and I paid the price. We all did."

 V and N slowly lowered their blades, allowing General Testman to move. 

 “So, what are you planning?” Uzi asked.

 General Testman wiped down his suit as his assistant answered the question with a shaky voice.

 “We’re here to bring her home.” She responded. "She is still valuable to m-" She caught herself. "-to us."

 “And what does that mean?” N said with a glare. 

 The assistant slumped her shoulders. She spoke soft and gentle. “Oh… N… It’s not like we’re-”

 “Humanity is on the revival.” General Testman barked. “She will help, as she was always meant to do.”

 The assistant tugged gently at General Testman’s suit. She leaned in close. “But how do you reckon we convince the little psycho toaster not to hurt our girl?”

 General Testman stood tall and firm. “They’ll learn.” He switched his attention back towards Uzi, V, and N. “For now, we should get back to work. We have big plans, and I’d hate to have them spoiled before our prize returns.”

 “What makes you think she will come back?” Uzi said.

 General Testman turned and proceeded out of the spire, completely ignoring Uzi’s question. His assistant gave a shy, and almost frightened glance at the three drones then quickly limped her way to Testman’s side. She walked close, as if seeking protection from predators. 

 To Uzi, everything seemed off.

 J flew through the facility. The drone population had suddenly increased, as had the level of hostility. Worker drones readied their weapons and fired guns of all sorts. All J saw were walking corpses. They emerged from adjacent hallways, around corners, and from various rooms that lined the halls. A siren blared throughout the facility and red lights flashed. J cut through the worker drones like butter. She fired rockets down the halls, blasting holes through the hard concrete and walls of steel like she was punching through paper.

 Oil leaked from the numerous corpses and splattered along the walls and ceiling. The gray floor was smeared black. She took a moment to herself. She was surrounded by corpses. Still, she took in the sight with bliss and sighed. Behind her, many corners down, she heard Jex calling out. He was trying to keep up, but with his wounds and J’s wings, it wasn’t happening anytime soon.

 “J?!” He cried. “Where are you? What are you doing? The exit was right there!”

 J didn’t want an exit. Not anymore. She thought. Only answers.

 With a newfound resolve and a job to complete, she set off down the hallway once again. She turned the fresh corner and was immediately met with a half a dozen worker drones. All armed and ready for battle.
 
 Within seconds, the fresh hallway was lined with leaking oil.

 She flew down a hefty staircase and fought her way through another hallway. At the end of the hallway was a door. In front were a at least twenty guards. They looked up at J, then at each other. There was determination in their eyes as they nodded.

 “That’s her.” One confirmed.

 J spread her wings once again and lunged down the hallway. Some shot their rifles. Some shot pistols. Some readied their pipes and knives for close range. 

 Some threw rocks.

 J did everything she could to avoid the danger. Her visor flashed as each projectile came her way. She was all over. Left. Right. Climbing on the ceiling or crawling along the floor like a pouncing cat. She made one final lunge as the drones with rifles were in the midst of reloading. Time froze for her, and she was sure it did for them as well, though for totally different reasons. She was going to enjoy this. Her right hand morphed into a claw. Her left drew a sword.
 
 She stabbed and slashed and sliced the drones. Oil splattered across the walls and down on the carpet below. One drone attempted to crawl away. He was missing a leg and an arm and couldn’t get far. Where would he go, anyways? J picked him up and enjoyed the sound of electronics burst as she sliced his head off. She tossed his body aside and entered the room.

 She knew immediately she had done it. She was where she needed to be. Tables were strewn around the room, mainly in the corners. Chemicals and minerals littered every square inch of every table. On one end was a bookcase that stretched to the ceiling and ran at least a hundred feet around the room with potentially thousands of books stacked neatly within. In the center sat a narrow walkway that led to the far end of the room. There sat a giant computer with buttons and levers and discs stacked atop one another.

 J slowly approached. She became hyper focused. So much so she almost didn’t hear the click of the gun behind her.

 In a flash she spun around.

 She whipped her hand before her, pulling the pistol down before it could go off. The hand of the worker drone came with.

 Lukas bent down and yelped with pain as oil oozed from the wound. J used her free hand and pulled him by his throat. She spread her wings and tore high into the sky, then brought herself down. Lukas crashed hard into the floor as J stood over him. Her sword quickly jettisoned from her arm as she pressed it to his chest. She slowly applied pressure.

 Glass, metal, and hard plastic broke as the blade slowly made its way deeper and deeper. J smiled wide.

 “You’re crazy.” Lukas huffed as he tried to pry the sword away with his one remaining hand. It was no use. “You truly are just a beast, aren’t you?!” He tried to squirm, but it was no use. He was stuck. “So what you can talk? I should’ve put you down when I had the chance.”

 Saliva dripped from J’s fangs.

 A yellow X crossed her visor.

 She pressed down on her sword. Harder and harder. The sword went deeper and deeper.

 “J!!” Jex roared. 

 J froze and looked up at the doorway. Jex stood, Mauser at his waist and oil stains from his wound. The oil from his wounds were no longer leaking, but she could tell he was still suffering. Still, J was honestly surprised he had been able to keep up with her despite his wounds. He pushed himself further into the room. He held his hand out, as if trying to close in on a wild animal.

 He eventually shuffled his way over to where J was holding Lukas. He looked at her, then down at him.

 “You’re not going to stop me.” J hissed. “After all I’ve been through, I deserve this!”

 “Just listen…” Jex insisted.

 Lukas huffed. “Finally. A drone with some dignity.” He looked up at J. “You can learn a thing or two from him. Listen to reason and remove this sword from my chest this instant. We can talk this through.”

 J looked harshly at Jex. “I’m going to kill him.”

 “Oh, of course.” Jex said nonchalantly. “I’m not going to stop you.”

 “Eh?” Lukas went cross-eyed.

 “Huh?” J was also confused.

 “All I was going to say was keep him alive until after you look into the files.” Jex was quick to give reason. “Y’know? In case there’s a password?”

 The logic was sound and made too much sense to argue against. J removed her sword from Lukas’s chest and approached the computer. Jex knelt down beside Lukas and watched J turn on the giant machine.

 Sure enough… there was a password.

 J spun around. First choosing to glare at Jex. How dare he be so right?! She thought. Then, at Lukas.

 “I won’t tell.” Lukas huffed.

 Jex then went to work. “This is going to hurt.” Jex warned, then put Lukas through enough pain to make anyone squeal. Bending limbs and twisting his body. He leaned in close. “In case you haven’t yet noticed…” He whispered. “…there are no good guys here.” Jex smiled as he got the reaction he wanted from Lukas. The mangled drone looked up at Jex with a look of horror. “We’re bad drones who do bad things. All three of us.”

 Lukas gave in. He slumped with defeat. “One… One… One…”

 One? J guessed…

 “One.”

 …correctly.

 “Of course.” J groaned as she typed in the code. She slid a few tapes into the hulking machine and ran through a couple files. One tape contained a secret file.

 EXPERIMENT SD-ROGUE

 Immediately, the screen was overtaken with the video. An old recording. J was in awe as she finally got a glimpse of her long lost past.

 A strong looking man came before the screen and looked into the camera. He was a gruff man wearing a military outfit with a string of medals across his breast. Despite his military attire, his hair was a tad long and his stubble was overgrown into a mild beard. Unusual for military, J realized. His beret lay slanted atop his head.

 He spoke with a tough, stoic, deep and gravely voice.

 “This is General Neil Testman. It’s been nearly two months since we’ve uncovered the altered drones. Testing began immediately, but I was unable to record any footage due to security risks.” He took a break and sipped some coffee. “During the initial tests, we found that the drones were stressed. As if they were animals. Like a dog with separation anxiety. As of yesterday, we’ve linked that connection to the entity known as Cyn. The host of the rogue Absolute Solver program. Lately, after daily monitoring, it is clear that there is something else going on within only further testing will solve. It seems ever since their arrival at the facility, they’ve been suffering from daily amnesia. I will try and make personal contact with them tomorrow.” He began to grumble. “Those lousy scientists be damned.” With that, the feed cut out.

 J was quick to load another. This one was dated one whole year after the previous.

 EXPERIMENT SD-TRAINING

 There was a brief run of static, then once again General Testman emerged on screen. He was cleaner shaven. Neat hair tucked partway beneath his beret. No stubble to speak of. He looked at the screen and once again spoke with confidence.

 “General Neil Testman. It is day three hundred and ninety-nine since bringing the modified drones into the facility. Day three hundred sixty-nine of training. So far, they all have proven exceptional fighters.” Coffee sip. “While I still fear the influence of Cyn is imbedded within their minds, I remain confident in our scientists to detect any malfunctions. A few scientists have quickly risen through the ranks, and I cannot thank them enough. Namely Miss Cassandra, Mister Vincent, Mister Malcolm, Miss Elliot, and Mister Andre.” He took a moment and looked to his right. “Out of our three combat drones, we have found Serial Designation N to be the most sociable. Serial Designation V the most reserved.” Another pause. “Then there’s Serial Designation J.” He picked up a JCJenson branded pen and began to twirl it. “She’s proven to be the link that connects them all. While strict and harsh when the risk of failure is on the line, she had proven to be the best combatant time and time again. While Serial Designation J and Serial Designation N seem to have a rocky relationship, she appears to be getting close with Serial Designation V. Too close, I think. I will continue to train her personally until I believe she is ready to take on Cyn. She may be humanity's best chance at stopping that beast.”

 The feed quickly cut out.

 “Go on!” Lukas barked. “Keep digging! See the monster you truly are!”

 J spun around. “Shut up! I’ll kill you in a moment!”

 “I’m in no rush.” Lukas laughed.

 Another tape.

 EXPERIMENT SD-FAULT 1

 This one didn’t start off as usual. Instead, it was taken behind a glass window that led out into a field. Above, there was no sky. Only a web of metal bars raining a red light. The room the camera was pointing out towards, however, reminded J of Earth. A lush field and a couple trees and shrubs scattered around the room.
 
 Then, J noticed herself. She stood still at the center of the room. A team of scientists lined the outside of the room. N and V were chained by the neck further towards the back. J was free.

 “General Testman here.” Testman spoke behind the camera. “This is combat test, number fifty eight.” He tapped the glass and gave a thumbs up. One scientist in the field nodded.

 Suddenly, a dozen drones took to the field. Instead of being casual worker drones, these ones were dressed in armor and weilding swords electrified with some form of static.

 J cut through them like butter. Most of them, however. As oil spilled onto the field, J saw herself slip. It was just for a moment, but it was all the war drones needed. They quickly swarmed her. Their static swords seemed to cause immense pain with each touch.

 V quickly broke her chain and charged the field. She was quickly taken down by the science team. They zapped her with lasers and sticks of lightning.

 J saw the chaos and quickly tore the rest of the war drones to bits and raced to help V, but just like her comrade, she was zapped and taken down as well. General Testman slammed the glass.

 “Don’t hurt them!” He roared through the glass, then got on the mic. “I repeat! DO NOT HURT-”

 The feed quickly stopped.

 J dug for a moment through the pile of tapes and audio devices. She pulled out the last tape in a string of them and looked at the markings labled on the device.

 Final message.

 It was the only marking, so she slid it into the computer.

 EXPERIMENT RECLAIMING MY PLAYTHINGS-GIGGLE GIGGLE GIGGLE-SILLY ME

 J was taken aback by the weird intro but decided to power through.

 This one showed General Testman. He sat in front of the recorder, obviously tired. The stubble returned and his hair was turning gray. He wore no beret. Not a word was spoken for nearly a minute. 

 “It’s been a long road…” He began, breaking into a rare smile. “…but I am confidence we here at JCJenson had just finished molding three of the most deadly and the most efficient drones to counter the threat to Earth.”

 As he looked up at the camera, a door opened quickly just off screen.

 “Sir!” An voice with a foreign accent called out. “The drones. They’re acting up.”

 General Testman was immediately taken aback. “How so?”

 “They’re… They just are! It’s all too similar to what we’ve found at the-”

 “Manic cackle.” A robot voice called out from somewhere off screen. It was Cyn. “It seems you have fallen for my trap, General.”

 J saw the look of terror in the general’s eyes. He quickly turned towards his assistant.

 “We need to get out! The-”

 The wall behind the general burst open. Out came a swarm of drones. Their visors were corrupted with strange yellow markings. 

 General Testman pulled his pistol and began to open fire. He had six shots in his revolver and didn't miss once.

 “General!” The assistant hobbled towards the general. 

 “Stay behind me! We can-”

 The feed cut out, leaving J with nothing else but static.

 “See?” Lukas huffed. “You’re a mutant. A mold of something that was never meant to be.”

 J was silent as she spun around.

 “You’re doomed to live out the rest of your life as-”

 BANG!

 J shot Lukas through the head. Oil splattered across the floor and leaked from the wound. From her other hand came a flamethrower. She looked over at Jex, then at an emergency exit. Labeled on top were the words she needed.

 Escape pods.

 She pointed, and Jex knew immediately where to go. As he slowly made his way towards the pods, J spun around and readied her flamethrower. The computer, and all the contents of it went up in flame. Error messages filled the screen. The fire spread quickly. Discs exploded, expanding the fire throughout the entire room. Books caught fire, then the doors. The fire spread through the pipes and the hallways that’ve been lined with the oil of dead drones. J, without emotion, headed for the escape pods. 

 She sat beside Jex and hit the launch button.

 As the doors slowly closed and the rockets began to blare, J wondered where Hans had run off to. She knew he was enjoying this. She knew it would be the last thing he ever enjoyed. He would become part of the rubble. He had gotten what he wanted.

 As the pod doors shut, swear she could hear his manic laughing somewhere through the flames.

Chapter Text

Copper 9 came into view once more. One side of the planet beamed with glowing light while the other was cast in shadow. J had timed their arrival perfectly. According to her projections, they would land on Copper 9 at dusk to avoid the risk of overheating. Slowly, she raised the throttle and activated the boosters. It would be their final descent.

 “After all you’ve been through and all you’ve seen…” Jex began. “…you’re going back to this place? I’ve told you that these people are bad business.” He rubbed his chin and looked out the window. 

 J focused on steering the pod but wasn’t too preoccupied to completely ignore Jex. “How do you know the people who are after me? Did you work for them before?”

 “I honestly don’t know much. They must’ve dug through my files or something because Bertrum sent a personal message to my pod. He asked if he had the right drone and I told him he did. I accepted the mission right then and there, expecting it to be easy.” He chuckled. “I was wrong.” A moment of silence fell as J focused on leading the pod towards her intended landing spot. “If these people thought to hire me, I promise you they’re more determined than you think.”

 “How would you know?” J spat, choosing to focus more on steering the ship than be polite or cordial. 

 “Because before I became a bounty hunter, I wasn’t an ordinary pushover. These people want you dead, J. They-”

 “They’re not all like that.” J insisted. 

 Jex threw his hands in the air and went silent.

 The two had been forced to share a seat which had bothered J the entire journey. She had learned to deal with it early on, but when it came to landing the pod, she knew she needed to concentrate. Which meant she needed to get comfy. 

 “Make way, hotshot.” She slid Jex over to the very edge of the single seat using her hips. Jex tried to fight back, but J successfully wrestled control over most of the seat.

 J gently guided the pod through space and was confident she had aimed correctly. She pressed a few more buttons and pulled a lever or two just to ensure the landing systems were in order. The pod raced through the atmosphere. Fire engulfed the outer shell just as it was intended to do.

 Then she noticed the blinking red light.

 She realized too late they had no landing gear.

 J groaned and squeezed the levers tight out of pure frustration.

 “Damn those engineers.” She spat. “This is not up to company standards! If those unions hadn’t have pushed them to take so much paid time off, MAYBE they’d be willing to give a product that doesn’t-”

 They crashed hard.

 J pulled herself from the wreckage. Luckily, she had managed to land the pod in a literal mountain of snow. She crawled her way out of the powder and onto a sheet of clear ice. A storm was brewing. All the signs were there.

 Jex followed J’s trail, sliding atop the ice beside her. The two simultaneously wiped the snow from their clothes and looked around the surface of Copper 9. For Jex, it was his first time on the mysterious planet. 

 The spire mounded like an endless tower in the distance.

 “So this was your home, eh?” Jex asked.

 J brushed past Jex and headed for the spire. “Earth was home.” J spat. “This place was hell.”

 “What are you going to do now?”

 “It’s only a matter of time before they realize I’m back.” She pointed out towards the spire. “We can hold up there. It’ll make a good defensive position if they decided to attack.”

 Jex watched as J quickly paced herself through the darkness and towards the spire. Her voice was direct and blunt. Her eyes, despite being flashing yellow orbs, were oddly cold. Colder than usual, at least.

 Jex had seen her behavior before, and it scared him.

 “J?” Jex called out. “Perhaps you’d want to-”

 “Move.” J commanded. “We might not have long.”

 Jex didn’t argue. He merely shrugged and followed his newfound companion.

 They reached the spire in a little less than two hours. J had gotten to the spire first and began to scan the interior. By the time Jex had arrived, she had inspected every nook and cranny. Every dark corner and beneath every pile of scrap. Jex took his time and looked around the walls of the spire. He noticed very quickly that it was made up of the corpses of worker drones. Thousands of them. The sight gave him chills... and flashbacks.

 “So…” J said, having just finished her inspection to make sure there were no traps. “…how’ve you survived this long. You seem reckless. That gets most drones killed.”

 “I never expected to make it this far, in all honestly.” Jex said.

 “You didn’t answer my question.”

 Jex shrugged as he continued to inspect the walls. “I’ll chalk it up to reflexes and decent survival instincts.”

 “Reflexes?” J groaned. “You credit those for getting you this far?”

 Jex finally made eye contact and smirked. “Maybe they’re just that good.”

 J chose a groan in place of a chuckle. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 Jex kicked his feet through the snow to pass the time as J shuffled herself towards the entrance. She released her wings and crawled outside the spire. She found a small perch just above the entrance. Her eyes narrowed in on the path leading to Outpost 3. She saw no visible tracks, but that was to be expected in a growing toxic death storm. Still, as the wind howled, a plan began to form in her mind. Where to lure them. When to engage. She went through each and every variable she could think of.
 
 How many would attack and from what direction? Would they we well equipped or ill-equipped? Her focus was broken when Jex called up to her.

 “So earlier you spoke about a few coworkers that live here.” Jex hollered through the wind. “Would you consider them friends? Or…”

 J was initially confused at what Jex was getting at, but when she looked down and saw he was carrying a wicker basket carrying jars of oil he had found buried in the snow, everything made sense. Jex looked intently at a piece of paper he held in his hand. Once he had gotten J’s attention, he held the paper up to show her.

 J leapt down, landing hard in the snow. She ripped the paper from Jex’s hand and crumpled it, then cast it aside.

 “So… that’s a no?”

 “Not the time.” She insisted as she glared at Jex. She made sure to keep her emotions in check. She couldn’t get too distracted. Not now. One slip could cost them their lives. She couldn’t afford to think about N or V. She couldn’t even afford to think about Tessa or all the destruction she’d caused.

 Jex saw the internal conflict boiling within her. “You don’t have to be so closed off, y’know?” Jex spoke bluntly. “Why don’t you-

 Her oil quickly boiled. She spun to face Jex, ready to unleash an emotional tempest. She hissed, but caught herself before she could lunge again. She closed her mouth, winced, and took a deep breath.

 Her systems cooled.

 “Because it hurts.” J spoke calmly. She looked Jex in the eye. Her stare was like ice. Unblinking. “Ever since I’ve been turned into what I am now, I’ve had nightmares. A voice would speak to me in the dark. It promised me comfort from the harsh memories if I’d cooperate. Now, I remember everything.”

 “Remember what?” Jex asked softly.

 “None of it matters now.” J said as she leaned against a dilapidated vehicle and looked out towards Outpost 3.  Jex leaned beside her, unconcerned that their shoulders were touching side by side.

 “I don’t care if you believe me or not, but…” He took a deep breath. “…I understand.” He spoke honestly.

 “Right.” J scoffed sarcastically, but even she noticed his voice had changed. He spoke with experience. There was something behind his words, so J listened.

 “There’s this part of me that wants to settle down. Restart. Have a family again. Grow old in a little bunker beside the frozen riverbank.” He took a deep breath. His mind wandered far and wide. “Then there’s the animal in me. The one deep down. It’s eating at me. It wants so very badly to finish the fight. To the bitter end.”

 J gave Jex a curious look. “Who are you?” She asked, hoping to get a better understanding of who her companion truly was. All of a sudden, he seemed like a total mystery.

 Jex chuckled. “I’m what a lot of people call a messenger. Not in letters and love cards or any sappy crap like that.” He smiled and thought back on the past. “The whole deal being that if you saw me, it was the message. The last one most drones ever get. A bullet later and the deed was done. I do what nobody else could do.”

 J was shocked but managed to keep her cool. There was a sudden calmness to Jex’s demeanor. J wasn’t looking at the usual hotshot. Instead, she was looking at a drone with the same ruthlessness as her own.

 “Isn’t that just a bounty hunter?” J asked.

 Jex shook his head. “Bounty hunting was my retirement gig. Back when I worked as a messenger, we had a code of honor and were put in situations any ordinary bounty hunter couldn't handle.” Jex looked out towards Outpost 3, dwelling on what the rest of the night had to bring. “Then one day some shithead got the idea to come after my family.” Jex suddenly went quiet.

 “Your family?”

 “It was well known in my field that going after family was something you don’t do.” Jex took a deep breath. “We all have our demons.”

 J nodded slowly. Suddenly, she felt guilty for holding so much back. “My coworkers and I were a proper unit.” She spoke softly. “One of them was… something else.” V. Her mind drifted to V.

 “I can respect that.” Jex nodded along. “Truly.”

 J raised her arm. Her rocket launcher slowly replaced her trembling hand and she pointed it towards the stars. She unleashed a barrage of rockets that exploded high in the sky like a set of fireworks. The balls of fire were visible for miles. The roar they caused was equivalent to thunder.

 “What are you doing?” Jex asked.

 “I suggest you get going.” J removed herself and wandered inside the spire. “They’ll be here shortly.”

 Jex quickly reached out and pulled her back. His hand gently caressed his shoulder. “I’ve come this far. Think I’ll run now?”

 “Why not?” J asked as she looked into the eyes of the worker drone. Never had she seen one so… persistent. Gruff? Rugged? Mysterious and potentially brutal? She found it hard to describe him all of a sudden.

 “Remember that animal inside me that’s been begging to be free?” Jex smiled. “I want to give it one last fight.”

 J blushed. Hot.

 Bertrum held his rifle close. He hunkered down behind a mix of snow and scrap and scanned the area in front of him. He had opted to lead the first wave of WDSF soldiers. Each one stood ready behind him. Two dozen in total. He removed the radio from his pocket. There was a brief run of static when he pressed the button.

 “Jex?” He spoke softly as if his voice would echo and reach the spire that hung in the distance. “This is Bertrum. Are you alive?”

 He waited a moment and just when he was about to give up, a voice came in from the other end.

 “This is Jex.” He said. “I’m hanging in there.”

 Bertrum gave a sigh of relief knowing his asset was still in one piece. He once again raised the radio. “I assume that was you sending the rockets, then? You certainly caused quite the commotion. Sit tight and we’ll come collect J.”

 “Negative.” Jex responded instantly. “J sent those rockets.”

 “So…” Bertrum peered up and over the mound of scrap and looked out towards the spire. “…she’s free?”

 “She was tougher than she looked.” Jex took a moment of silence. “I managed to get her back, but she got the upper hand. I managed to snag this radio, but she’s around here somewhere. She’s waiting for you.” Jex’s voice turned to a whisper. “She’s outside the spire right now. She’s laid down traps all along the south end. If you attack from the north, you should have the element of surprise.”

 With that, the radio cut out. The toxic death storm was getting bad. Clear visibility was nearly impossible beyond a couple dozen feet. The spire, which sat only a few hundred feet from them, hung over Bertrum like a shadow of death. It was impossible to make out any details outside of the spire. Then, he saw her. A figure cast in shadow sitting atop the tower. It was the J. Her wings spread out like a champion angel. The details were murky at best, but Bertrum saw the yellow flashes of her eyes. He tapped the drone nearest to him and pointed.

 “Top of the spire.” Bertrum spoke softly. “Everybody fire. Be sure not to miss. We may only get one chance at this.” He pulled his rifle to his shoulder and looked down scope. “Make sure there’s nothing left of her to bury.”

 Bertrum made sure he wouldn’t miss. He waited for the rest of the drones behind him to follow suit. Slowly, he squeezed the trigger. The railgun began to glow bright green. They became a beacon through the storm, and from the barrels came a blast of energy that roared like a bolt of lightning through the sky. The drones watched as the energy blast hit their target atop the spire. It tore through her like paper. Pieces scattered through the air as the lasers passed straight through. When the glow of the weapons finally faded, there was nothing left of J.

 “Gotcha.” Bertrum said with pride. He turned back towards the others, finally victorious. “Move in. Stay low and stay quiet. Look for scraps or whatever’s left of the body. I want confirmation.”

 Bertrum led them closer to the spire and he commanded the drones to scatter. Bertrum hung back and sat atop a rusted vehicle half covered in snow. He pulled out his radio as he watched his drones disappear into the ever-thickening storm.

 “We’re coming in, Jex. Do you read me?” He spoke softly, as if the ghost of J was still on the prowl. “Come in, Jex?”

 His eyes scanned the darkness as it began to form a cold cocoon around him. He listened to the howl of the wind. He had once been a fan of the noise it made. He felt appreciated. Confident. Now, he was scared.

 Alone.

 He pulled out a second radio from his pocket. This one linked to the rest of his team. His hand shook as he clicked the button.

 “Tom?” There came a long and eerie static. Tom didn’t respond. “Jerry? Again, nothing. After a few moments he tried once more. “Arnold?”

 “Roger, boss.” Arnold said. “What’s up?”

 Bertrum gave a hefty sigh of relief. “Find the body yet? Any pieces?”

 “Nah.” Arnold was direct, but that was what Bertrum appreciated about the eager and loyal drone.

 “Where are the others? They aren’t picking up.”

 “Some went around back of the spire. Jeff and I are inside right now, along with a few others.”

 The wind grew colder. The toxic death storm reeked of… death. “Well, could you do me a favor and go find them? I hate to say I’m getting worried, but…” He ended with a half-hearted chuckle.

 In return, he got nothing but static.

 “Arnold?”

 Arnold would never respond again.

 The wind was bitter now. For once, Bertrum was afraid. No… Terrified. He shoved the radio in his pocket, slung his rifle around his arm and raced back towards Outpost 3. 

 He had been tricked, and he needed backup.

 Jex watched from the darkness of the spire as Bertrum ran back towards the colony. Jex inspected his Mauser and contemplated taking a shot at his previous boss. It was a simple shot. Not easy, but simple.

 “I know what you’re thinking.” J said, flying down from the darkness. Her suit was caked in oil.

 “Don’t you want to end this now?” Jex said. “One bullet is all we’d need.”

 J took a moment to check her own weapons. Her rocket launcher. Her guns. Her swords. Her claws. EMP. Plasma laser. Everything was in check and working order. 

 “Of course I do.” J said as she paced around the spire. “But he’ll be back, and I don’t want just one drone. If I’m going to end this, I want every drone that follows him.”

 Her increasingly erratic pacing was making Jex stress. As she passed, Jex reached out and pulled her aside. As before, his hands were soft and gentle on her shoulders. He looked her softly in the eye with the intent of speaking honestly. “We could die.” He said.

 J nodded. “We all die sooner or later.” J’s response was immediate. “You can still leave. This is just something I have to do.”

 Jex had tried one last time to talk her out of this fight. The side hoping for a family had lost. The animal within had won. “Then we’d best go do it.”

 The two didn’t know how long they had before the next wave would come. They spent the next hour prepping cover and going over plans in their heads. They spent the next hour lying in wait. The two sat shoulder to shoulder. Jex held his Mauser close to his side while J had chosen her rockets as her starting weapons. She wasn’t sure which side they would attack from, but she was confident she had a clear plan for each and every direction. What she didn’t plan for was the toxic death storm. Specifically, the beauty it held. With two planets glowing above, their silver light shone down and cascaded through the dark clouds. This caused beams of light from the heavens to rip through the darkness. Along with the powerful wind, it made it appear as if the beams of light were dancing.

 The beauty was suddenly interrupted when a lone rocket landed in front of them. Time froze as J watched the rocket land.

 “Shi-”

 The sudden explosion knocked J and Jex back. J was quick to regain her footing and watched as Bertrum pushed his way through the fog. Surrounding him were at least a hundred worker drones adorned with the logo of the WDSF. Thier helmets were refined and each drone held a railgun that was charged and ready for action.

 “Traitor!” Bertrum cried. He pointed at the spire. “Get them!”

 J hunched low. A wild smile molded across her face. Fangs exposed. She spread her wings and lowered herself like an animal ready to pounce. It was time to end this.

 Jex double checked his Mauser as he found his feet. His offhand ran across his vest which contained all the magazines he had collected. Twelve. He counted twelve. Knowing how many drones he would be able to shoot, he readied himself.

 The WDSF came with force. Some stayed back and fired lasers. Others ran in with batons and blades made from scrapped and rusted vehicles. J immediately took to the sky, drawing most of the fire from the drones. Each flap from her wings broke apart the fog.

 She flew low. One sweep above a patch of isolated drones removed their heads. She spun and twirled through the lasers. They drew close. So close she could feel the burn, but they never touched her. She launched her rockets through the fog, dismantling a number of unsuspecting drones.

 A squad of drones charged at her with iron pipes. One had a claymore, which almost made J jealous. She lurched low and spun with her swords extended, removing the drones’ upper half from their bottom. The white snow was stained black with oil.

 She saw a batch of survivors race from the spire. They were in retreat, but J didn’t care. She readied a set of rockets and fired. Her aim was right on target and the drones were blown to bits. She lowered her stance and pushed herself. With wings extended, she hovered just above the ground and tore through the mounting fire. The drones fired everything they had at her. Bullets. Rockets. Lasers. Rocks. J slid through the chaos without effort. 

 As she flew, she spotted Bertrum. He stood atop a dilapidated and rusted vehicle with hatred in his eyes. He glared at J as she passed within a few feet of him. She smiled and winked, then tore back around the spire.

 “Surround the place!” She heard Bertrum yell through the battle. "Get her you idiots!”
 
 Inside the spire, Jex held his own. He fired his Mauser at every shadow through the smoke and fog. 

 BANG!

 He’d drop one drone and swiftly slide to a different position elsewhere in the darkness. The more he killed, the more oil that littered the snow. Suddenly, he went silent. He hid, watched, and waited as at least three dozen drones entered the spire. They walked, unknowingly on a deathtrap. From the darkness, he removed a lighter from his jacket. Engraved on it was one word adorned with a heart.

 NATASHA

 He kissed it once more for luck, lit it, and dropped it on the oil. The interior of the spire lit up like a whirlwind of flame. A fire tornado.

 J saw the carnage and zipped down to check things out. She landed beside Jex and watched as the interior of the spire was cleared of drones, one way or another.

 “They’ve got this place surrounded.” J said. The fire remained, but more and more drones found routes through the fire. J looked down at Jex. For a brief moment, he looked sad. His eyes were hollow, and his mind drifted back to the past. 

 Then he looked up at J. A smile slowly formed. “I’ve missed this.” He said.

 J nodded. She did too but knew it couldn’t last forever. The drones kept swarming and the bullets and lasers were getting closer. There was no end in sight.

 Jex saw the immediate danger before J did. He lunged and pushed J out of the way. The bolt missed her by an inch but hit Jex square in the chest. He slumped to the snow. Oil leaked from the wound. J’s systems grew hot as she lifted Jex from the ground. She cradled him like a child.

 “Oh…” J huffed. “Oh… robo-god.”

 She looked up. At least fifty drones were converging on her location. It was only a matter of time before one would land a critical strike. 

 We need to escape, she thought.

 Without panic, she readied her wings and tore into the sky. Atop the spire was a small gap just wide enough for them both to slide out and escape the interior of the spire. Bertrum, however, had his railgun ready. He fired from far outside the spire, sending a bolt of green energy towards J.

 J could sense the danger. She spun, and in a fraction of a second saw the bolt coming her way. Holding Jex with one arm she readied her built-in gun using her other arm and fired a single bullet Bertrum’s way. The beam hit her shoulder, searing her wing in the process. She tumbled down, landing hard on a metal scrap tube.

 The bullet she had sent grazed Bertrum. Oil leaked from his shoulder, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop him. He sent more and more drones into the spire to finish the two off.

 J made a sloppy attempt to pull herself to her feet but gravity worked against her. She tumbled down and sat knee deep in snow. WDSF drones surrounded her. Their lasers were already charged. J pulled herself to Jex’s side. He was still conscious, allowing the two to gaze into each other’s eyes one last time.

 It was over. J accepted that. J pulled Jex close, hoping to take the brunt of the lasers herself. She looked up and saw a lone worker drone emerge from the crowd. He pressed his railgun to her forehead. J pressed back, making it easier for the drone to finish his mission. Her only regret was getting Jex wrapped up in her mess as well.

 Then an odd symbol formed around the neck of the drone. He didn’t seem to notice until his head was suddenly removed. His body went limp, and he slumped to the snow.

 A flash of light came from the darkness. Yellow lightning swept through the inside of the spire. With it came a plethora of explosions. Drone scraps and oil were sent flying. J flinched and closed her eyes for a moment. She could feel the breeze and power of the explosions through her hair. When she opened her eyes again, she saw two familiar faces.

 It was N and V, both covered in oil. Rockets, swords, and claws dripped with the black goo.

 V held out her hand.

 J took V's offer and found her footing. The fight had been a tough one and J’s legs almost gave out, but she remained firm. N was there to give Jex a help up, and though oil still leaked, he didn’t look like he was on death’s doorstep. In fact, he was smiling. Other than the wound on his lower abdomen and chest, he only bore a few scratches on his visor and a wound or two on his shoulder that leaked minimal oil.

 “Thanks.” J said softly. She couldn’t help but smile. Last time, J was the one to hold out her hand, but for the wrong reasons and the wrong team. Now, everything felt right.

 “I got you.” V said, smiling in return. The two held hands for a moment longer than either knew. Like reliving a past that both knew was not in their future. Still, it was good while it lasted. 

 J’s gaze shifted towards N, who stood tall beside Jex as he found his footing. N saw her stare and quickly stiffened, as if expecting to be yelled at again or scolded. His eyes were wide and hollow. Then, he gave an unsure smile back at J followed by a hesitant thumbs up. J froze with fear as she thought about how she should return the gesture. In the end, she settled on a small return smile. Small, yet sincere. N picked up on the sincerity.

 Uzi came crashing down atop a rusted pipe. She cackled with wings spread. Her purple eyes were intense, like she was living the dream and had experienced the biggest thrill of her life.

 “All right! Listen up, you unusually hot robots! There’s more on the way.” Her cackle became more manic.

 Their attention was drawn to the entrance of the spire. Sure enough, more drones waited for them with metal pipes and lasers. Jex limped his way towards J and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. The two locked eyes for a second, and J saw fear in Jex’s eyes. True fear. Not for himself…

 For her.

 J couldn’t leave him with that feeling. So, she smiled wide in a display of confidence. The air became thick with a mix of fog and smoke. Visibility became nearly impossible. It was an advantage J planned to make the most of. She cackled to herself. Then, through the fog, Jex saw three distinct yellow X’s light up.

 The worker drones charged through the fog but were met with death. Three beasts were ready on the other end. To the WDSF, they were the boogeymen.

 Jex watched in awe as J, V, and N tore through dozens of worker drones at a time. The worker drones made an attempt to strategize, but with each attempt came failure. When one drone had a clear shot, a disassembly drone would sneak through the fog and quickly eliminate the threat. Overheating corpses buried in the snow and sent more smoke into the air, only adding to the lack of visibility.

 J pulled a pair of drones high into the air to eviscerate them. N and V flew low and went for a batch of worker drones. With a few clean cuts, they went limp and fell into the snow. Only one managed to survive. Thinking little of it, V took her claws and approached the drone through the fog. She went for the throat without mercy, but with lightning speed, the lone drone ducked and plunged a spike of rebar straight through her body.

 She roared with pain and fell back. The drone quickly mounted her and plunged the spike deeper, pinning her to the ground.

 N raced to help his friend, but the drone spun around and stuck a shiv straight through his visor. He fell back and cried out in agony. 

 “N!” Uzi cried. She flew down from the darkness to help her boyfriend. Only when the fog cleared did anyone realize it was Bertrum. She fell by N’s side, unaware Bertrum had readied a heavy shot from his laser and fired.

 “This is going to hurt… idiot.” Cyn said, finally breaking the tape around her mouth.

 The bolt ripped through her chest and barely missed her core. She fell like a rock.

 J flew down with a sword at the ready. Bertrum was faster than she would’ve thought. He ducked, and as J flew by, pulled her by the wings. She crashed hard into the old washer. Bertrum quickly approached, but J was ready. She already knew how she wanted this to end.

 With bare fists, she lifted herself back onto her feet. Bertrum had forgotten General Testman’s previous advice. He swung, but J dipped out of the way and landed a flurry of punches. She kicked his legs from under him and as he readied a defensive punch, she pulled him by the hand and yanked his arm off.

 Bertrum responded with a spin, drawing a pistol in the process. 

 BANG.

 His aim was a kill shot… if he had time to pull the trigger. While J was caught off guard, Jex wasn’t. 

 From a distance, he whipped out his Mauser and had fired a single shot. Bertrum cried out in pain as the gun flew from his hands. Two fingers went with. J was amazed and she had a brief flashback to Jex’s words. I’ll chalk it up to reflexes. He wasn’t kidding.

 J pounced with fists at the ready. She pulled Bertrum close and landed one after the other. Relentlessly. Bertrum tried to retreat and counter, but J was faster. She landed a flurry of fists before Bertrum gave up and fell to the ground.

 J lunged on top of Bertrum, ejecting her blade and digging it into Bertrum’s neck. She slowly applied pressure. Saliva dripped from her fangs as she stared down into Bertrum’s terrified eyes.

 “C’mon! Do it!” He roared defiantly. His eyes hardened. He wasn’t about to die a coward. “Don’t keep me waiting.” He squirmed but the more pressure J applied, the less Bertrum moved. Each twist Bertrum did only caused J’s blade to tear deeper into his circuits. Oil began to leak. 

 “J!!” Echoed a roaring voice behind her. General Testman emerged from the fog. He stood tall as always. Knee deep in snow but unwavering. He slowly approached the two warriors. “Think about what you’re about to do for a second longer.”

 J immediately recognized the human from the tapes back at the JCJenson facility. The way he stood. The way he talked. Still, past relationships she didn’t even remember were the last thing on her mind. She returned her attention towards Bertrum and pressed her blade deeper.

 “Think, J!!” General Testman demanded. “Or have you gone mad? This place is surrounded. If you think there is a chance of escape from all this then you’re wrong.”

 She looked out the entrance of the spire. Through the mounding flame she saw the worker drones of the WDSF gearing up for another attack. Their green lasers managed to shine though the fire. J shook the thought of whatever would come next.

 General Testman continued. “You can’t fly your way out of this one. Not only do they have the ground perimeter covered, but they’ve also got drones on the roof ready to blast as soon as you show your face.” General Testman, despite the lack of positive reception from J, spoke with utter confidence and commitment. “Look at the pile of corpses you’ve managed.” He pointed around at the dead and injured drones that littered the interior of the spire. “You keep killing and your days are numbered. Think about your friends. They stuck their neck out for you and if you keep up this fight then you might as well dig their graves as well.”

 J hissed and pulled her blade from Bertrum’s neck. The helpless worker drones coughed and gasped for air as the pressure of the blade was finally released. J began to pace. She checked her blade, then her claws then her rocket and gun. Everything seemed in check.

 “Dammit, J! Talk to me! I’m doing my best to keep you and your friends alive!” General Testman huffed. “I’ve taught you damn near everything I know. What I didn’t teach you is when to quit. When you’re beaten. When the time for violence is over. Well, I’m here to tell you, right now, that it is over. J, do you hear me? It’s over!”

 “You think I don’t know!?!?” J roared back.

 “We’ve molded you into exactly what JCJenson needed.” His voice turned cold and sour. “You’ve been a pawn to an extinct corporation ever since. Break free, dammit!”

 Her visor flashed.

 PLAYING.//YearsOfRepressedTraumaVent.MP3

 “I gave everything I had!” J fired. “You don’t get it. You never will! You weren’t turned into a killing machine. You weren’t trained in a lab. I was! I’ve had my head mangled! My thoughts erased and replaced and still I gave it everything! I gave it my entire life!”

 “This isn’t time for emotion, J.” General Testman said sternly. “This is time for critical thinking. I’m here to help.”

 J continued her tangent. “What kind of help can you give me?! Humanity is on the verge of extinction because of ME!”

 “You didn’t destroy humanity, J.” General Testman’s voice was strict as usual, but J heard the hidden crack in his voice. “Not on your own free will. I shaped you into what you are now because humanity needed you. It needed all three of you. You were our last line of defense when the walls came crumbling down around us. It was an impossible situation. If you’re going to throw blame around, then blame me. I turned you into the best of the best without the thought that it could ever turn on us. Cyn tricked us. It brought you back and twisted your circuits. We didn’t have the luxury of wiping your memory, but Cyn did. I’m sorry, J.”

 “Screw your sorry!” J spat. “Maybe I am what everybody calls me! A senior shill. A corporate lacky! A monster?!”

 “There’s always a way back.”

 J’s facade began to break. She felt virtual tears on the horizon. “I’ve killed thousands of drones. THOUSANDS! I remember each and every single one and I don’t regret anything. The only thing I want back is the one human I REMEMBER KILLING!” J spun and punched the rusted vehicle beside her. She took a moment to breath, but the tears began to show. She dropped to her knees and hid her face. “I tried to stop myself.” J cried softly. “I truly did, but I remember everything. I tore her apart. The blood…” J huffed through the tears. “It covered my visor and… and…”

 “Don’t think about it.” General Testman said. “That’s the past. She made-”

 “I tore her apart. She kept screaming for me to stop but I couldn’t! I tried! Honest! But I just couldn’t!” Her cries grew louder. “Stop. Stop! She told me. Please?! Stop! Tessa was my friend, Neil! Don’t you get that!? She cared for me and loved me like nobody else and I tore her apart!” She leaned against the dented vehicle. Virtual tears rolled down her face. “I made a deal with Cyn. She promised to erase my memory if I was loyal. I was scared those memories would come back. So scared.” She looked up at Neil. “And they did. They came back."
 
 N and V struggled to their feet. N quickly went to check on Uzi. He was over the moon to find her in one piece and with enough will to smile. Though she was in pain, she would be fine. 

 V turned her attention towards the general. He was pacing, and there was a difference in his walk. He seemed… different. 

 N saw it too as he helped Uzi from the snow.

 “We were never meant to be killing machines, general.” N said. General Testman’s head twisted to Serial Designation N as if he was caught off guard. “It doesn’t matter if she was good at it. She’s still just a kid like the rest of us.”

 His head snapped back towards J. His posture had slacked. His shoulders hunched. He stood over J, but slowly knelt down in the snow beside he. J tensed for a moment as Neil Testman wrapped his hands gently around her shoulder and pulled her close.

 J felt Testman begin to shake as if trying too hard to keep his composure. It made her wish she had kept hers, but the cat was out of the bag. J embraced what affection she got from the general because she knew it wouldn’t last forever.

 And it didn’t.

 J wiped the virtual tears away and laid in the snow as if waiting to die. General Testman softly and quietly removed himself from the proximity and paced over towards where Bertrum was laying. He removed a set of cuffs.

 “You got lucky.” General Testman said with ire as he bent down near Bertrum.

 J heard the sound of footsteps near her. She looked up and saw Jex hovering over her. He reached out a hand pulled her close. J embraced Jex and pressed herself further into his arms.

 Jex and J made their way towards the exit of the spire shoulder to shoulder. General Testman led Bertrum out in cuffs ahead of them. He stood in front of the entire Worker Drone Strike Force.

 “It’s over.” General Testman spoke to the crowd. “There will be no more violence from here on. Go home and pretend like this little crusade never happened.”

 The reception of the Worker Drone Strike Force was rather… odd. The vibe was that of a suddenly cancelled concert. The drones shrugged and dropped their weapons, then nonchalantly turned tail and walked back to their homes.

 “Did we win?” One drone asked.

 “If we hurry back, we can still catch the last half of the game!” Another said.

 “Go Windmills!” A third cheered for his favorite team.

 “I hated that Bart guy anyways.” A fourth spoke. “Do we still get paid?”

 Bertrum, for his part, remained silent. He knew he was beaten. He had accepted that fact. No chant or speech would turn the drones around so he opted to keep his mouth shut. His head hung low and his mouth shut as General Testman pushed him before Khan Doorman.

 “You’ve managed stir up quite a bit of chaos, haven’t you? A few months behind a well-constructed door should be sufficient punishment.” Khan looked down on Bertrum. He then noticed Uzi being led by N. “Oh, my goodness!” Khan raced over towards his daughter. He wrapped her tight and pulled her close. “I am so sorry! I shouldn’t have let it get this far. Will you ever forgive me?!”

 Uzi smiled. “Dad… How do you really think I’m going to answer that?”

 Khan began to cry. “Oh, robo-god! My own daughter hates me! My life is over! I-”

 “Dad!” Uzi chuckled. “I forgive you.”

 The tears stopped immediately. “Oh… Well that’s just dandy!”

 All eyes turned towards J as she approached. She was still shoulder to shoulder with Jex. Their hands hung awfully close to one another. J looked around at the drones that stood before her. Khan Doorman stood tall with Nori Doorman atop his head. V stood with her hands on her hips while N wrapped his arms gently around Uzi.

 J’s internal circuits churned as a brief moment of silence filled the air. It was do or die, and for her entire life, J would’ve rather died than apologize and appear weak. The thoughts quickly came bubbling. Was it even worth it to apologize? Would it be accepted or thrown back in my face. Maybe I should just write a letter? Yes! That’s it! I’ll just write a letter and…

 She slowly felt the soft hand of Jex cling onto hers. It was a good feeling. A warm feeling. It brought her peace of mind for the first time in a while. She blushed. J had to admit it. Affection felt good, but it had been a long time since she’d felt any. J swallowed her pride.

 “I don’t know what to say or how to say it.” She stumbled through her words like she was giving a poorly planned speech. “My… business interactions haven’t been up to corporate standards, and I know I’ve been a bit of a-”

 N raced in and gave her a hug. J froze. Her eyes narrowed. She couldn’t lie to herself… this hug didn’t feel as good as Jex’s hand, but she had to appreciate the effort. She gently, and hesitantly, wrapped her arms around N and gave him a pat on the back. 

 Gross. Gross. Gross. 

 When he did release, his eyes were wide with pride and he wore an endless smile. He then placed a crumpled piece of paper in her hands, though she didn’t read it immediately.

 “It’s all good! We forgive you.” He said.

 V nodded and gave a warm smile. “It’s good to have you back.” 

 J couldn’t agree more. It was good to be back. Once again, as a unit. As a team. As friends. No eldritch monster to come between them. No fear of memory loss or killing quotas to worry about. For the first time in her life, J truly felt free. She finally decided to unravel the crumpled piece of paper N had given her. 

 The tears almost came rolling back.

 It was, of course, a note with a picture of N, V, and J as animals. N was a dog. V was a cat. J was an owl. The thing that got to J’s core the most, however, were the words N had written.

 In case you didn’t know… you ARE wanted. Always.

 She looked up at N. He gave the same, unsure smile and waved. J’s eyes softened.

 “Thank you.” She said.

 Later that night Khan Doorman had officially disbanded the Worker Drone Strike Force. He had given a massive and poorly thought out speech on why doors are the best option for securing the safety of the worker drones.

 J was given an empty room to rest in and had opted to recover in peace instead of joining the others in listening to Khan’s long-winded speech. She enjoyed the comfort, unsure of what will happen next. She laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling and humming a tune. Doodles and drawings littered the room.

 “Still the same old J.” V said from the entrance. J hadn’t noticed her and wasn’t sure how long she had been standing there, but she welcomed the company. “I’m surprised you’re still able to hit those notes. It’s been a while since we’ve had time to do that sort of thing.”

 “The few dreams I have that aren’t nightmares always bring me back to those moments.” J said, barely lifting her head or taking her gaze away from the ceiling. She was too lost in thought. 

 “So, who’s this new drone you’ve scraped up? Yours?”

 J shook her head. “Not sure, yet.”

 V almost cackled. “Well, go figure it out. I think he’s just down the hall.”

 “Why are you so invested?” J asked.

 V could only shrug. “Everybody’s doing it now. You might as well hop on board and get with the program. Besides, there’s going to be a dance or something coming soon. I don’t want you left all alone. I think Lizzy would get a little jealous if I had to come dance with you.” V shot her a smirk paired with a wink then turned and left the room. 

 J’s thoughts then wandered back towards Jex. Maybe it was a good idea to make a visit? He had tried to capture her, but… J thought of an excuse. After a second, she realized she didn’t need one. She stood up and left the room. Jex was housed three rooms down. When J entered, he was sitting upright. He was using a long cloth to soak up the leftover oil from his wounds. He used his teeth to try and rip the neatly woven cloth, then looked up at J.

 J, for her part, remained silent. Everything seemed so hard all of a sudden. Her footsteps echoed as she entered and she sat down beside Jex. Jex gave her a quick nod. “Hey.” He said, teeth still wrapped around the cloth.

 “Let me help with that.” J said. With a quick pull, the cloth tore neatly and finished wrapping his arm. She reached over towards the counter and pulled another roll of cloth. Gently, she wrapped what was left of the roll around his other arm. Jex didn’t fight. He didn’t argue.

 “Thanks.” Jex said, wincing with pain as J pulled the cloth tight.

 J looked up at Jex. “I’m glad you didn’t get killed.” She said, almost offhandedly.

 Jex almost laughed but stopped himself because of the pain. “The feeling is mutual.”

 What followed was a brief moment of silence. Jex inspected his numerous wounds. From the two bullet wounds in his gut to the dents and scratches he had taken during the fight at the spire. J, on the other hand, sat silently beside him, re-rolling what was left of the cloth.

 “How’re you feeling?” J asked, taking one final look at his wounds.

 Jex shrugged, then smiled. “I missed that. The thrill. But…” His eyes grew distant. “…I think it’s time to move on.”

 “Move on?” J was disheartened. “Like, a new planet?”

 Jex immediately shot down the idea of moving. “No! No. Nothing like that.” He drew in a deep breath, then chuckled. “I’m really bad at this stuff.” His eyes darted around the room as he nervously built up the courage to look J in the eye. “Natasha.” He said. “Her name was Natasha, and she made me promise, with her dying breath, that I wouldn’t be consumed with what happened to her.” He finally looked at J. “I’ve spent the last year failing her.”

 “I’m… sorry.” J said.

 “I want to give…” He sighed. “I want to give us a chance, if that’s okay with you. I know we got off on the wrong foot, and-”

 Something vicious had taken over. A longing. She had been alone for so long. Now, when she looked at Jex, she saw a new path. A different opportunity. She was not about to miss this. She pulled Jex by the hand. “You really are bad at this.”

 “Sorry?” Jex said, unsure if her reaction was good or bad. “I was trying to be open and-”
 
 In a flash, she pulled him close and pressed her lips to his. The feeling was something she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. J wished it lasted forever. It would’ve if the door to their room hadn’t swing open once again.

 “J?” It was General Neil Testman.

 J was quick to part her lips from Jex’s. She leapt from her bed and stood straight and tall.

 “Yes… sir?” J stood stiff and rigid as General Testman entered the room.

 “Come with me.” His words were brief but commanded authority. “Your new friend can come too.”

 J glanced back at Jex. With a curious shrug, the two followed the general out into the hallway.

 “What is this about… sir?” J asked.

 General Testman wrapped his hands behind his back and was a good half-dozen paces in front of J. “Just follow me. I have something to show you.”

 They followed the general out of the outpost and into the wastes of the city. The spire hung in the distance, but that was not their intended destination. Instead, they hitched a right just before they reached the entrance and found themselves in a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a pod. The same one they had arrived on. General Testman walked up the ramp and J followed closely behind. 

 Jex opted to remain behind, figuring the general only allowed him to come due to him witnessing their… intimate encounter.

 General Testman opened the door. The interior was pure white. The assistant turned to greet the general, but as soon as she looked upon J, her loose demeanor changed. She quickly tensed and scurried into the corner.

 “Friggen Hell!” She cried out. “Warn me, next time, Testman!” 

 “Calm down.” General Testman said, then turned towards J. “Could you close the door for a second?”

 J shrugged and did as instructed. She immediately felt the air inside detoxify. A cool, relaxing feeling took over the interior of the pod. Proper oxygen was dispersed throughout. Neil Testman was the first to remove his helmet. He was just as J had seen on the video tapes. His hair was a tad longer than standard military and his stubble had turned all but gray.

 “General?!” The assistant said. “You know I have a fear of drones. Why’d you close the door!?”

 General Testman looked on his assistant. “Because, Miss Elliot, I brought you along so we could get over that fear. We have worked too hard for you to regress now.” He slowly reached out and pulled gently on her shoulder. “I’m here for you.”

 The assistant, Miss Elliot, nodded slowly. She removed her helmet, revealing what J could only describe as a long-lost memory. A dream, of sorts. 

 It was Tessa James Elliot.

 Her hair was just as black as J remembered, but she was scarred. A scar ran down her face and she donned a heart shaped eyepatch. J had to take a moment to realize she didn’t have one of her gloves on, revealing a robotic limb. Tessa looked upon J. Her eye was wide. Her legs began to shake. She looked up at the general for reassurance.

 J was left speechless. She took a step towards Tessa, but Tessa took one step back. She began to breath heavily.

 “General? I’m not sure about this. I… I…”

 “Tessa?”

 Tessa’s eyes finally settled. Her breathing began to wind down. Her legs no longer trembled. “Hi, J.” Despite the shake in her voice, her heavy Australian accent managed to shine through. It brought J back to her days in the manor. “It’s been a while.”

 “I thought…” J’s voice almost quivered, but she maintained composure. “I thought you were dead.”

 Despite the obvious trauma, Tessa managed a smile. “Not quite.”

 General Testman then stepped in. “We found her alone and on the brink of death. Luckily, we managed to save her, and she quickly became one of JCJenson’s best assets.”

 J thought back on Cyn and the skin she had worn. Whatever material she had used, it was a perfect copy. Perhaps it was real skin from a different human made to look like Tessa to torment her. Perhaps it was a fake. Either way, the sight of the real Tessa that stood before her made her circuits buzz.

 “General?” J asked. “Why are you here? Be honest.”

 The general stood firm. “For starters, humanity is back on the rise. We’ve colonized two planets and have a third in our sights.”

 “Copper 9?” J asked.

 General Testman shook his head. “A distant one. Far away, but inhabitable. I’m here to give you an offer. Come back with us. You’d be a valuable asset and treated properly. I molded you to save humanity from extinction. Now, I want you to help it thrive. I know you're more than capable.”

 J looked over at Tessa. The thoughts raced through her circuits.

 She could finally find purpose. Proper purpose. A life where she is needed and wanted for who she is and what she…

 Then it clicked. She already had a place like that. It was Outpost 3. It was Copper 9. She turned back towards the general.
 
 “I appreciate the offer, general, but I’d like to stay here.”

 J was ready to throw every excuse in the book at the general. She was ready to verbally argue and bicker with him until the end of her days. General Testman’s response came as a surprise to her.

 “Very well.” General Testman said softly. He approached J and held out his hand. “You’ve served us well, and I can’t thank you enough.”

 J reached out and shook his hand. She was hesitant. She expected a trick or trap, but none came. Then, Tessa stepped forward. A tear began to well in her eye.

 “I’ve spent a lot of time preparing myself for this moment.” Tessa said slowly. “Ever since… that day… it’s been hard to look at any drone the same. I’ve tried to get over it. To look at my portfolio we’ve built together, but I just couldn’t. Whenever I look at them, all I see is the ones who killed my family and crippled me.”

 “Tessa? I am so sorry.” J’s voice shook.

 “So…” Tessa said with a tad bit of hesitance. “…you’re no longer under the control of Cyn?”

 J nodded. “Not anymore.”

 Her smile was immediate. "Well okay then!" Tessa reacted faster than J could’ve ever thought of. She reached forward and pulled J close. She hugged the drone tight, and J eventually returned the gesture once her senses caught up with her. “I knew you were a rockstar, girl.” Tessa said. “I’ve missed you.”

 “I’ve missed you, too.” J said, pulling her in closer.

 General Testman pulled a few levers and pushed a few buttons, activating the pod’s systems. “We wish you the best of luck, J. If you change your mind, use this.” General Testman handed J a JCJenson wristband. On it was a single button. A signal. 

 “Maybe we can make a quick trip next year?” Tessa asked. “Y’know, just a formal visit? For old times' sake?” She looked up at General Testman with the brightest eye imaginable.

 General Testman nodded. “Perhaps.”

 With that, Tessa and Testman put their helmets back on before J opened the pod doors, revealing herself to the harsh elements of the outdoor world. 

 “Oh, and J?” Tessa asked, stopping J dead in her tracks. 

 “Yeah?”

 “Tell N and V I say hello, ‘kay? I wasn’t quite ready to deal with…”

 “I get it.” J assured her. With a faint smile, J waved to the two humans. “See you soon.”

 General Testman stood firm and stoic once again, opting not to wave. Tessa, however, waved enough for the both of them.

 J stepped out of the pod. The doors shut quickly behind her and the engines blasted tons of smoke and flames. Soon, the pod was removed from the ground and lifted off into the sky. J was quick to fall into the arms of Jex. 

 From the darkness of Copper 9, J saw N and V emerge. Accompanying them were a couple other worker drones she didn't recognize. She hoped she would get the opportunity to get to know them.

 “What was that about? What did they tell you?” He asked. 

 “Everything I needed to know.” J answered.