Chapter Text
Legend has it that sometimes, if you look into a pond, your reflection may reveal your doppelganger.
They say that they’ll be a complete opposite to you, down to even your colors. No one knows if it’s true, but some are wary and afraid that one day, they’ll see their evil reflection in a body of water.
Who knows what would happen should you come across the fabled pond that can show you the opposite world.Perhaps nothing would happen. Perhaps you’d simply be a little frightened before running away. Perhaps your reflection could smile back at you.
Or perhaps your reflection might come to this world.
The rush of wind felt refreshing upon his plating. His wings beat and carried him swiftly through the air. The double moons’ light casted beautifully upon his bladed feathers, reflecting off them elegantly.
Of course, not every drone has heard this legend.
Tilting down, the flying Disassembly Drone descended to the ground. He landed onto the hard snow, soon skipping away and looking around at his forested surroundings. A hum came from his voice box as he turned this way and that.
So it’d come as no surprise when a drone goes searching, and accidentally stumbles across a mysterious pond with the sheen of opals.
N stopped. His eye lights grew wide. There was a small pond just some distance away, a clearing all around it. Curious but optimistically intrigued, he trotted closer. Maybe he could bring Uzi here? It could be nice to have a late-night picnic!
Walking up to the pond, N leaned over and stared at his reflection. He took subtle note of the way the water glistened unnaturally. Like it was made of liquid opals. It was very pretty.
A drop of his oil fell into the sparkling water. It startled him, N not even noticing how the pond rippled unnaturally widely and his reflection shifted.
“Biscuits! Stupid tail! Always having a mind of its own…” N pouted, searching for his offending cut.
He licked his thumb and healed the tiny scratch. He then slapped his vial away from his face with a huff. Turning back to the water, he was shocked to find his reflection was now entirely different.
It was most certainly him, but…
Also not.
His hair was as black as smoke, his coat and hat a blue as deep as midnight, and his lights were as green as toxic waste. N lifted a hand towards the confusing reflection, barely noticing the small claws on the mirrored drone’s hand.
But the said mirrored hand grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him in. His world became topsy-turvy as N yelped, expecting water to drown out his voice box and flood his mouth. But it didn’t. Instead, N found that his reflection was coming back out on his side.
N was soon met with his dry, detailed, very real “reflection”. His voided eye lights could only stare; His mouth could only gape open; His joints could only stiffen; His frame could only keep him standing.
The two opposites only stared at each other. N was ventless. He was too shocked to move. He could barely process what was even happening.
But then his wrist was crushed in his doppelganger’s grasp. N looked down to it, then himself. The other N had a wide grin scrawled across his face plates. He had more, longer fangs than even N had.
And now that he could get a far better view of him, N noticed his doppelganger’s tail was thicker, made of segmented metal, and had a diamond-shaped vial with toxic green fluid inside it.
“Thanks for letting me out of there, idiot.” His doppelganger grinned.
N was then pulled behind his reflection. He fell right near the water, quickly scrambling to turn around. He watched his reflection walk off, looking around a little. He then huffed and deployed his wings.
The blades were serrated while the bright orb in the arches was a neon green. With one large flap of these wings, the opposite drone took off into the night sky.
N was left flabbergasted and frozen. It took a few minutes for him to finally snap out of his reverie. Hauling himself to his feet, N released his wings and took off after his doppelganger. He should find him before he gets lost or in trouble.
‘It seems this place isn’t as different to my world as I thought it’d be.’ The reflection of a certain robot thought to himself. ‘If so, then maybe my teammates won’t be much different either. Eugh.’ A grimace crossed his darkened features.
“H-HEEEYY! YOU! ME! WHOEVER YOU ARE! COME BACK!!” The original drone called loudly.
His reflection spun around and stopped, watching the yellow and black robot fly up to him. The green and blue drone looked rather unimpressed with his original counterpart.
“You shouldn’t go running off like that!” N said. “You could get lost or hurt!” He added, looking worried.
N’s reflection blinked at him. His tail lifted up to strike him, but he paused when N suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go to my bunker! I’m sure everyone would love to meet you! Er- Me!” N smiled jovially.
His reflection stared at their hands, then turned his green optics up to him. He put on his best smile as he lowered his tail.
“Alright. Let’s go to ‘your bunker’.” He agreed.
N cheered and took off. His doppelganger stared after him for a moment before sighing and following him. As the two flew, N’s reflection had a wicked smile form on his face plates.
“I’m sure you’ll love it at the bunker!” N spoke as the two flew. “The Worker Drones are really nice once you get to know them! They have parties, and games, and school, and-” He continued, counting off his fingers.
His reflection didn’t pay any attention. He instead looked around below to study the layout. It really was just like his own world. The only difference seems to be the inhabitants and their personalities.
“I’m sure my girlfriend would also love to meet you!” N said.
His doppelganger tuned him back in at that.
“‘Girlfriend’?” He mimed in question. “Don’t tell me you actually went and dated one of your teammates…” He muttered in subtle disgust, remembering his own worthless piles of trash.
“No, silly! I mean Uzi! A really, super-duper cool Worker Drone!” N laughed in reply, slowing down to fly beside his reflection.
“Oh. A Worker Drone, huh…” The said drone hummed.
‘I didn’t expect that.’ He mentally admitted. ‘But now he’s got me intrigued. I suppose I’ll hold off until I meet Uzi, then figure out what to do then.’ He mulled.
'Maybe she'll be like-' His thoughts continued just before pausing. 'No. Nevermind that.' The brighter drone's reflection stopped the urge to shake his head.
“Look! The bunker’s just over in the distance!” N pointed and startled his companion. “Let’s hurry up before the sun rises!” He said as he flew ahead.
His reflection sighed and beat his wings harder. The last stretch of their trip was made much shorter as the two landed in front of the bunker’s thick outer doors. With a knock on them, they opened up a bit to reveal Ron on the other side.
“Heya, N! And uh- Other N…” He greeted, his smile falling. “Where’d you come from?” He asked.
“A pond.” N’s reflection replied flatly.
Ron only stared quizzically at him.
“Can we come inside now? The sun will be up soon and we don’t want to burn up!” N requested.
“Oh, sure! My apologies!” Ron smiled again.
The bunker doors finally opened up for the duo. N and his reflection walked inside, the latter taking a good look around. His segmented tail waved in curiosity as he studied the bunker’s layout.
‘It’s an… Interesting place…’ He thought. ‘And the workers here have no guard whatsoever. They’re easy prey.’ His mouth watered at the thought.
The dark drone’s gaze turned back to his original. He hummed and skipped along through the halls, like some sorta cheery puppy. It disgusted his doppelganger, his lips forming a deep frown.
But he refrained from doing anything. For as much as he may want to tear that happy-go-lucky smile right off N’s face plates, his reflection knew it would be a bad idea. He still doesn’t know much about this world, or the drones that inhabit it.
‘So far, they aren’t too dissimilar.’ He thought again. ‘Perhaps less wary, but they’re also living with a Disassembly Drone. Maybe that’s why…’ His optics narrowed on N.
‘Even so, there can’t be two of the same being in one world.’ His grin came back, more evil than before. ‘And I’m sure as hell not going back to that shitshow of a world.’ The reflection decided.
J stepped out from the ship she was still repairing. She was exhausted, having worked on this thing tirelessly now. She was both amazed and highly proud of herself for not passing out yet.
Turning up, she saw N and… A-Another N…?
They were walking up to the bunker doors, knocking to be let inside. J could see Ron being just as confused as her at seeing the dark-colored idiot.
J stared for a few moments longer before shaking her head and turning around.
“I think the welding fumes are finally getting to me…” She muttered as she retired for the night to rest.
“UUUUzziiii!!! I’m baaack!” N called loudly as he entered the house.
“Hey, N!” Uzi called from her room. “How was your midnight flight?” She asked as her boyfriend entered the room.
“It was great! I even made a new friend!” The jovial disassembler replied.
“Oh yeah? Who is it?” Uzi asked as she finally looked up from her work.
“It’s me!!” N’s tail waved excitedly, gesturing to his dark reflection.
Uzi froze, staring at the other N. He did the same. Neither drone said a word as they took each other in. N waited patiently for his girlfriend to say something, oblivious to the sudden tenseness of the room.
“...Where did he come from…?” Uzi asked with a worried point.
“From a pond! A pretty one, too!” N told her. “I was thinking maybe we could have a little date there! Just you and me!” He said as he walked up to her.
Uzi stared at N’s apparent doppelganger for some time longer. It was hard for her to reply to what N had said. Who would even believe that?!
The sudden stalking of N’s green and dark blue doppelganger towards her snapped Uzi out of her stun. He bent over and leaned in close to Uzi’s face. She leaned back, a sweat drop on her visor at their close proximity.
“Can I help you?” Uzi asked.
“...” N’s twin didn’t say anything.
The said twin’s original stared at the two, his smile having fallen. Something in him twisted from how close his girlfriend was to this new drone.
‘They could kiss if my reflection leaned in just a little more…’ Something whispered in the back of N’s CPU.
And that mental whisper made N’s brows furrow and his vial twitch. He took action into his own hands and pushed his doppelganger away from his girlfriend. The two stared at each other in pure silence.
More sweat drops blinked onto Uzi’s visor. She still wasn’t sure what to make of this whole thing, but it isn’t bad so far.
‘Doesn’t mean it can’t get worse, though.’ She knew. ‘But still, never in any of my lifetime, would I have expected to see two N’s.’ The Worker Drone thought.
She gazed at N and- Uh- Not-N staring at each other. It was like two cats being wary of each other, but not angry enough to start picking fights. Uzi was half-expecting some warning meowls to start coming from N.
‘This honestly feels like something right out of an anime.’ Uzi further thought. ‘It’s going to be weird having two N’s ar-’
Her thoughts took a sudden pause as a realization hit her. Uzi’s eye lights snapped open into rings, her sweat drops gone entirely. A smug smirk grew on her face plates as she stared at the two male disassemblers.
‘Robo-Lord, I just want to thank you for this wonderful blessing you’ve given me. I promise to be a good girl from now on since you’ve gifted me with two boyfriends-’ She proceeded to pray.
Meanwhile, N and his reflection had finally moved away from each other. The former was still rather wary of the latter. He thought it’d be nice for his doppelganger to meet his girlfriend, but now he’s starting to regret the notion.
N couldn’t even tell what his twin was thinking. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. What if he’s plotting to steal his girlfriend? What if Uzi dumps him for his reflection because he’s cooler? What if Uzi and his doppelganger start holding hands and kissing and watching movies together and going to school together instead of him doing all the stuff with his girlfriend?!
‘NO! I can’t let that happen!’ N thought, his tail swishing. ‘I can’t let m- Uzi be swayed by my own reflection! She can’t be!’ He balled up a fist.
His reflection stared at him, telling just by N’s expression that he was thinking something stupid. He sighed and rolled his optics, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. His segmented tail waved idly as his optics trailed over to Uzi.
She looked to be rather dreamy at the moment, a stark change to when he was in her face before. Not that he particularly cares, but it’s certainly interesting how her mood can change so quickly.
The thought of N mentioning a picnic by the pond he came from entered his CPU. The toxic-colored robot had to make sure his grin looked more happy than devious. But with a resetting of his voice box, he caught the two’s attention.
“Hey! You said something about a picnic, right? Why don’t we do that tomorrow night? That way, we can get to know each other better!” He suggested with a wagging tail.
Uzi and N stared at him for a few seconds.
“Uh- Sure. I don’t see why not.” Uzi nodded.
“Y-Yeah! I’ll bring some games to play, too!” N offered, almost looking panicked.
“Then I guess we can all just fill up some random cooler or something with food and stuff, right?” N’s reflection spoke.
“Bring whatever you want. Just make sure there’s room for anything anyone else wants to bring.” Uzi said as she turned back around to her work. “And by ‘anyone else’, I mean me.” She clarified quickly.
“Of course!” N’s doppelganger smiled wider.
“I-Is there something you want me to bring, Uzi?! A specific game or snack?! I could even try and sneak some diesel!” N offered in growing panic, getting up in her face.
“Robo-Jesus, calm down, N!” Uzi exclaimed and pushed her boyfriend away. “We can figure it all out tomorrow! It isn’t like we don’t have time!” She told him.
“R-Right…” N nodded smally.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t we get some rest?” N’s dark twin suggested next.
“Fine by me.” Uzi agreed, pushing herself out from her desk. “You can sleep, uhhh…” She trailed off as she stared at N’s twin.
“You can sleep with me and N.” She waved.
“WHAT?!” N asked in shock, his tail going ramrod straight.
“Calm down! He’s you, isn’t he? Besides, the couch is super uncomfy…” Uzi muttered at the end, kicking off her boots.
“Oh, don’t worry! I can sleep from the ceiling!” N’s twin waved off. “Besides, I don’t want to intrude on you two or anything.” He said.
N swore there was a cunning look in the other Disassembly Drone’s optics at the last sentence. He wasn’t sure if he knew what he saw, though. His twin has been nice so far…
“If you say so, dude.” Uzi shrugged. “Just don’t be randomly falling onto the floor or bed.” She said, sending a pointed look N’s way.
He startled and turned his optics away in guilty sheepishness. Uzi rolled her optics and climbed into bed. Getting comfy, she felt her boyfriend join her in her bed. N curled right up to her as usual, his legs tucking under hers and his tail wrapping loosely around her ankles.
His arms wound around her a little tighter than he usually did, though. Uzi didn’t bother to question it, just buried her face into her pillow.
N’s reflection observed the two. Part of him felt jealous, having no one to ever cuddle with before. Not only that, but his world was simply just full of useless assholes. He doesn’t think a single drone there has ever been nice even once in their mechanical lives.
Well, maybe except for-
With a soft sigh, he turned off his optics and blanketed himself with his serrated wings. Getting jealous will get him nowhere. Besides, it isn’t like the N here will be around much longer.
After all, if you should ever meet your doppelganger, one of you has to die, right?