Chapter Text
They stumbled outside full of ambition and utopian ideals swarming in their head. Uzi made a run for the class, holding their strangely long bag in their hands before taking a seat when they arrived. It was the early hours of the morning, the classroom was completely isolated and silent with only the faint sounds of their ecstatic and delighted giggles as they unzipped their bag revealing the gun. They reveled at the kind of attention they’d finally get once they succeed; even making the gun is a cause for praise, not that they got any so far but soon, they’ll be the one leading the colony into the light of the world after they single handedly defeat every disassembly drone alone.
They sat at the back of the class as the amount of students who arrived increased in numbers, as they did, their visible excitement faded and their expression bore one of disdain and envy as they talked amongst each other on frivolous matters. Uzi couldn’t help but repeat a single question in their mind, it echoed and haunted them like a ghost for years: How could you be so delusional to believe the slaughter is not there just because it’s not infront of you? They’ve already learnt about the spire of corpses outside yet, we all apathetically sit here as if there won’t be a day the doors will open and every single one of them will be compromised.
It’s possible, they know how easily it would be to break those things.. The hours passed so sluggishly slow, every tick on the clock gave them a small sliver of hope and a small jolt of excitement as they waited for the last period. When it finally arrived, they walked up to the front of the class holding the hidden object like a large fish they had just caught. They put it on the side for a bit as they pulled up their PowerPoint presentation on the history of copper-9. Thad was sitting there wondering how they managed to apply history for mathematics but, he sat silently as they explained. Nearly no one paid attention until,
“Hey so, for my project I’ve got… wait- just give me a second…” they unzipped the bag and carried the railgun in their hands as the bag fell to the floor, a few whispers and gasps were exchanged all throughout the room like electric sparks that’ll eventually lead to a forest fire. “I got a sick as hell railgun! Um- it’s not too dangerous, right now atleast.” Braiden spoke up, “Um, what’s the point of bringing a railgun if it doesn’t even work?” They clutched it closer to their body, as if defending their child’s honor, “I said it wasn’t dangerous YET, probably.. who said it doesn’t work?! Maybe it does, I can test it out on you if you want!” After a flick of a switch, the green light being emitted from it intensified and the drone beside Braiden seemed to whisper a small “Dude, what the hell did you just do..” as they pointed the gun at him. The teacher quickly interrupted, “Uzi, repressed emotional baggage was only worth 2 points on the rubrics. If you kill your classmate, that’s minus one point for you.”
“OH COME ON! He started it!” They retorted at the older drone who sat in his chair calmly without much of a care for any of the antics happening. Before anyone could make another noise, the railgun turned red and started whirring uncontrollably. Uzi only watched in horror as it proceeded to blow up on them.
After the sharp feeling of pain hit them, they found themselves on the floor with a broken visor. “Goddammit..” The teacher sighed as he went up to them, “Just go to the nurses office now. Since you were off topic that’s, minus 10 points and for endangering your classmates and yourself that’s minus 5. I feel bad for you so, I’m giving you just one pity point.” He turned to the class, “Can anyone escort Uzi to the nurse’s office?” Thad raised his hand and helped the purple haired drone up before holding the gun for them.
Once they had left the room, they took a short annoyed glance at him, “Dangit… that was , cool though, right?” A small awkward sweat drop appeared on his visor as he answered “The gun was cool but, you fumbled the execution honestly.”
“Shit…” They mumbled as they felt their visor. Thad took a quick glance at their face, “That looks nasty, in a badass way though.” Uzi proudly nodded before adding, “I’d agree with you if it didn’t hurt like a bitch right now.” He simply agreed that it looked like it would hurt.
They continued to walk towards the office before Thad finally asked the question Uzi was waiting to answer the whole day, “So, wanna tell me what’s up with the railgun? You’re not planning to uh, shoot the school sometime right?” He spoke a bit sheepishly as he looked back at Uzi and the gun. “Oh! Uh, no I’m not planning to shoot the school up, don’t worry about it.” They said reassuringly, “It’s just for the disassembly drones. They’re not gonna see what’s coming for them. All I need is one more part before I can avenge all the dead we’ve lost.”
He looked a bit more worried as they explained, “On your own?” They nodded, “Yeah… not that I want to do this by my own to be fair. Everyone else in here is just a bunch of cowards!” Thad took a minute to think to himself, “Are you sure you’ll come back alive? That’s an entire suicide mission you’re planning on Zi.”
They’ve already thought of that, it’s unlikely they’ll come back alive. It’s not like they had much to lose though, asides from Thad, they barely talked to anyone and the majority of the colony agreed that they were a social leper. Even their father publicly shunned their existence. Their eyes met the poster that did exactly that, “The door is my real daughter” their throat tightened a bit and their body tensed as they took a breath.
“I know Thad.”
He didn’t reply to that; he knew how stubborn they can be at times. “Oh, we’re here already. I’ll leave you be now.” He handed them their gun, “Hey, just, text me if you come out alive alright? When are you planning to do this anyways?” They replied, “Tomorrow, early morning.” He took a moment to process that, “Oh, damn.” He was speechless and knew he couldn’t talk them out of it, he just said the only thing he could in a futile attempt to reassure them or his self, “Stay safe.”
When they parted ways, Uzi felt the bittersweet taste of that conversation on their tongue. Someone was hoping they’d return but, “Dammit..”