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The alarms of the bunker were still blaring in Vs noise receptors as she snacked on a delicious toaster. She had seen a bunch of stupid toaster barge into the room ahead of her and lock a very pathetic looking door, nothing like the ones outside. She was more than confident in blowing this one up. So, she didn’t see the harm in having a light snack while waiting on N and J... with whatever was taking them so long.
Honestly, she really was proud of N for making it past those damn blast doors protecting this huge jumble of toasters. She figured it was fine to mention him by name to give him a break... V couldn’t help but let out a sigh at that thought while she ate. It sucked she had to keep her distance from him for his own safety... that thing made sure of that. Every time she thinks she can just talk to him normally she remembers she might accidentally cause his memories to come back... which would mean a visit from Cyn. V hated even thinking about her... but anything for Cyn's ‘big brother’... even if it included torture and more memory reformatting. That's what V was doing this for... to spare him as much pain as she could. Even if he was reduced to talking to rocks... ignorance is bliss after all... what he doesn't know can’t hurt him. If he just keeps up this level of performance and does his job, Cyn will have no need to intervene.
V was just finishing the last few morsels of her snack when she heard the familiar sound of peg legs approaching. She looks up and sees their ‘precious’ squad leader, J.
“Took you long enough,” V snarks, “Gotta bunch of workers through here.” V gets up from her food and points a claw to the very weak door.
“Great to hear, this will look stellar on our report,” J commended. “C’mon, these toasters aren’t going to destroy themselves.” J then walked past V with her arms behind her back and moved toward the door guarding the workers. V couldn’t help but notice a certain someone was missing.
“Where’s N?” V asked.
“Oh, there was just a little complication that came up and needed to be settled, no big deal,” J said with a smile on her face as she continued to walk.
“That’s not an answer,” V demanded with a bit more of an aggressive tone in her voice.
“... Like I said, something came up... but if you must know the specifics, V, that moron was starting to say some rather interesting things that wouldn’t look good on our report to the higher-up... or us for that matter.” J then craned her head slightly to look back at V, “So, I did what any entrepreneur would do and took matters into my own hands. All you have to know is that he’s out of our hair now... and even I have to admit I felt, maybe an ounce of guilt when I put that virus on him.” J then cupped her hands together and brought them to her face in a mocking gesture, “The moron didn’t even see it coming.” She then started to laugh to herself, seemingly pleased with her work.
All while J was laughing, V could only stand there, eyes hollowed out, and feeling like she was about to puke up whoever's end trails she just ate. If what J was saying was true... she... failed... she failed to protect him, one of the few people in her life who gave a damn about her might be gone. She’s seen what Js viruses can do, in mere moments whatever toaster J sticks them on keels over and dies shortly after. Dying... dying might mean getting sent back to Cyn... and who knows what the hell she would do to him then. Memory formatting was one thing, but who's to say Cyn wouldn’t just give up on N entirely and replace him with some rando instead. Or maybe she would erase N entirely and leave him as an empty husk of himself for his ‘poor performance’. His stupid goofy laugh, his smile which she hated having to hide from, his positivity being the only shining thing on this rock... all could be gone. Gone, because of the one drone she thought she could trust... she knew J didn’t like N... but even V didn’t think J would go that far. And to have J just stand there laughing knowing full well what she's done... V honestly thinks she might snap.
“What...” V barley musters out.
“Yeah, he was going on about how Worker Drones have ‘feelings’ or whatever... was pretty sad really.” J stopped laughing to mention.
Fuck, FUCK, FUCK! V could only mentally scream to herself. If Cyn goes through his memories and finds that N was talking about Workers as more than food... V feels sick. All those happy memories of the two of them hanging out in the manor's library, him reading those silly dog fact books, both of them looking forward to seeing each other after a long day's work... could all be gone. At least when they were locked in his head, they were there... but... it’s done, over, all that work to protect him, and she has nothing to show for it. Other than her glitch of a squadmate celebrating over Ns suffering.
J notices the stressed out and trauma filled face V is making and speaks up, “Look, I know you have history with that bozo, but I really do think you’re going to be better off without that idiot slowing you do-” J was never able to finish her sentence as a bullet pierced clean through her visor. V had transformed her arm in less than a blink of an eye to her high-powered rifle and fired, but seemingly not satisfied; she shot again and again and again. V kept unloading into Js body with a mixed look of fear, anguish, hatred, and sorrow all at once. Hole after hole was made into Js body, oil splattering everywhere, and V didn’t stop until her arm was out of ammo. After that, all she could hear were the clicks signifying she was out of rounds. She would have to regenerate a new mag, but she could care less. After her work was done, Js body was oozing out oil, half of her face was gone, her left arm got shot off, and most of her chest was reduced to an oily paste. Her body fell to the floor with a deafening thud and began to leak out more oil onto the floor in a puddle surrounding her body. V didn’t care if J was actually dead or not; she was too high on adrenaline to care. After she stood there for a second to catch her breath and take in what she has done, a single thought comes to her mind, “N!!!” V cries at the top of her throat as she bolts back towards the vent she came out of. Not caring about the workers, but instead about the one friend she has left on this planet.
----------------------------------------------
“Alright, that should do it.” Uzi exclaimed as she yanked the virus chip off Ns chest with her wrench. She stared at the thing for a few seconds before putting it on the floor and crushing it underneath her boot, leaving nothing but micro-scraps underneath. “You feeling better?” Uzi asked with a thumbs up towards N, whose red error messages began to disappear.
“Yeah, think-k so.” N replied as the glitchiness of his voice was already beginning to die down. Soon, the red error messages were completely gone, and his internal message system said he was all good. He could then make out Uzi’s thumbs up and returned it with his own. “Thanks, buddy!” He exclaimed with a smile.
Uzi looked at him nonchalantly, “Don’t mention it, morality still calls this a draw or whatever.” She finished with a shrug.
“Well, regardless of what morality says, you did kinda just save my life, so thanks.” N replied sincerely as he got up off the ground.
Uzi adverted her eyes down to the ground but still responded, “You’re welcome I guess.” She had never really received gratitude before... and of course it was from a Murder Drone of all things. “Bit too early to celebrate though, we still have work to do. Such as stopping your two co-workers from killing my entire colony.” Uzi motioned towards the vent V and J left through.
N looked a little reluctant, but still nodded in agreement, “So, you want me to pick you up and fly you in there?”
Uzi looked over her shoulder, “Yeah, can I hop on your back?”
“Sure thing, hop on and I’ll-”
“N!!!”
N is interrupted by someone who sounds a lot like V shouting through the vent.
“Ummm, that's odd... really thought she didn’t remember my name,” N remarked.
“Wait, does that mean she’s-” Uzi was about to question before being interrupted by a Murder Drone falling from the vent the two of them were about to head up. “Holy robo-god!” Uzi cries from shock as she hastily grabs her railgun off her back and aims it at the newly arriving Murder Drone. Though, the site of it isn’t what she expected. It’s V, and instead of this monstrous, murderous drone N had described, what stood before her looked like a total wreck. Vs eyes were hollowed out, severe stress marks under them, she was breathing hard, and she looked like someone who was about to burst into tears. Though, her state turns into one of very slight confusion as she sees N perfectly fine in front of her, and some short, grape, worker drone standing next to him pointing a laser gun at her.
“Uhhh, hey V?” N greeted with an awkward wave, “Something up?”
V could only make gasps and exasperated noises at the sight of N, “I... she... how are you... alive?”
“Oh, Uzi here helped me,” N slapped a hand on the back of Uzi, causing Uzi to jump a little.
“What?” V interrogated with a raised eyebrow light.
“Yeah, I helped him get some stupid virus chip your ‘oh so gracious’ leader stuck on him... what’s it to you?” Uzi replied with snark.
And to V... it meant a lot actually. A random worker drone saved Ns life... she didn’t even know how to process that, let alone put it into words. This little pint sized morsel, who probably just met N today, went and did something she could have prevented, something she should have prevented. This little runt was somehow already more in her good graces than the likes of J... who she has known for her entire life. Today had been so weird, maybe this worker could be their new leader at this point; Cyn probably wouldn’t care... ok maybe that’s a little bit of wishful thinking.
“I...” V looked down at the floor realizing her cover might be blown.
“Um, hey Uzi,” N nudged Uzi’s shoulder, “This might sound crazy, but I think you can put your gun down.”
“Dude, seriously?” Uzi asked astonished at Ns naivety, “She looks all... worried? For a minute and all of a sudden you trust her, didn’t you tell me she fed some poor dudes' entrails to himself in front of his family? You really want to find out what she would do to me after I had a weapon pointed at her?”
“I... I don’t know, I’ve never seen her act like this. I’ve never seen her... concerned about my safety, I guess,” N answered with his arms in a defensive position.
If only N knew the half of it, but really, where have Vs actions led her anyway. She’s had to spend most of her time on this planet alone, scared Ns memories would come back. She’s hurt him probably emotionally beyond repair, because again... talking to rocks, and she left N to nearly die on his own all because she thought she could trust that glitch. She’s still hurt N, even if she's been trying to protect him from the truth, only for him to now be surprised that V is actually showing interest in his well-being. Like he thinks she would willingly let N die from a virus... that thought churns her stomach. So honestly, screw Cyn for a minute V thought, V has been fighting the urge to not do something for the past twenty years and she just can’t fight it anymore. And in-case something bad ever did happen to N or her, she at least wants N to know that she does care... and that she's sorry. So, while Uzi and N argue as to whether or not Uzi should lower her gun, V swiftly runs up to N and gives him the biggest hug she could muster. She wraps her arms under his and drapes them over his shoulders and puts her head in the crook of his neck.
“I’m sorry N... I’m so freakin sorry...” V realizes she's practically sobbing on Ns shoulder, but she doesn’t care, not at this moment, she’s gone without a hug for the past twenty years and she so desperately needs one.
Both N and Uzi look very shocked by this action from V. Uzi takes the hint and lowers her railgun while N just stands there with a huge blush on his face. He is hesitant at first but then wraps his arms around V in return. “It’s ok, V, it’s ok.” He sweetly replies, “I forgive you...” They both stand like this for what seems like an eternity, but in all reality, it was about three minutes. They then both mutually pull away, and V recollects herself. She looks over at Uzi, and while there is a plethora of things she wants to say, she can’t put them into words. So, she walks up to her and gives her a thankful look and a nod of the head. Uzi is weirded out by this but returns her nod with one of her own.
“Ok, let's blow this joint,” V crosses her arms as she walks towards the entrance of the bunker.
“What? You’re going to leave?... Just like that?” Uzi asked, bewildered.
“Yes, purple thing, we are. I could care less about the workers here; I just want to go back to the spire and sleep.” V replied while still walking.
“Well, I for one think that’s a great idea V... but... what about J?” N questioned, noticing that J wasn’t behind V.
V stops walking and turns around to face N, “She’s dead, N... made sure of that myself,” V replied without emotion. And while she didn’t know for sure if she killed J, she was fairly sure she put a bullet through where her core was, if she came back V would just finish the job.
“WHAT!?!” N yelled, “V, why would you do that?”
Of course, leave it to N to care about the drone who just tried to kill you. “Geez, I dunno, N, maybe because it was the fact she stuck a virus to you and tried to murder you?” V responded sarcastically. “Is that a good enough reason?”
N looks at V flabbergasted, but then Uzi interrupts, “Isn’t that like... a good thing, N? V is right that she tried to kill you, and she really didn’t sound like the best boss... kinda sounded like a real glitch.”
“Preach!” V responded with a grin as she placed a hand on her hip. She was starting to like this worker already.
“Yes-no, NO, it’s awful you two,” N corrected himself, “She... admittedly... wasn’t the best...” N rubbed the back of his head, “But she still didn’t deserve to die.”
“Well, if she didn’t deserve that then I don’t know what she deserved.” V remarked, “Are you really going to complain that now there’s not going to be someone shouting about ‘quota’ constantly in your face?”
N let out a deep sigh but reluctantly agreed, “No... let’s go home before the suns up I guess.” N looked a little defeated but started walking, “But, V? Can we talk a bit more once we get back... about everything? Including what just happened?”
Shit, V was afraid he’d say something like that... no taking that hug back now. She’ll just have to come up with some version of the truth that doesn’t get his memories wiped, she supposed. “Sure thing dude,” V gave N a small smile, which he returned. They both started walking away after that, but not before forgetting about the third drone in the hall.
“Wait,” Uzi spoke up, “Can I come with you two?”
“You want to go with the two killer robots that have been hunting your kind for years back to a literal tower of your kind's corpses?” V questioned, “You defective or something?”
Uzi glances back at the door her Dad shut on her, his ‘real’ daughter.
“Right, I think Uzi’s Dad kinda... left her to die at my hands?” N offered up.
“Yep, if my own Dad doesn’t want me around then I have no point in sticking here,” Uzi returned with a look of disdain.
A little strange but the work-‘Uzi’ earned it. “Knock yourself out,” V remarked with a wave of the hand as she turned back around and walked towards the entrance to the bunker.
N and Uzi then both looked at each other, “I think she’s warming up to you at least,” N put forward truthfully.
“Right, I really feel the love,” Uzi sarcastically quipped as she put her railgun back on her back. The two then followed V out of the bunker and towards the corpse spire through the snow fields of Copper-9.