Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Tag! You’re it!”

The brown-haired girl giggled as she slapped the back of the white-eyed butler drone, instantly running away afterwards. The worker simply grinned in response, hands wiggling in front of him.

“In that case, here I come buddy!”

With that, he sped after her, bounding through the old, wood floored hallways as their laughter echoed all around. The girl bolted around corners, occasionally glancing behind her to see the drone in close pursuit. She stuck her tongue out, turning into another long hallway as their shoes beat against the floor.

“C’mon N! Ya gotta do better than that!”

N giggled, pushing his servos even harder. “I'm gonna get ya! Hehe, I’m gonna get ya Tessa!”

Dashing through a doorway, the aforementioned girl found herself in the manor library, bookshelves towering on either side of her. Running all the way to the other side of the room, she veered to the right, ducking between the shelves just as her playmate entered.

N only saw her disappearing to the right, and simply charged forth, turning the corner without any regard to whatever was in front.

Crash!

He slammed into another body, both of them falling to the floor as his head bounced off the soft carpet. The worker winced at the impact, just as another voice cut through the air.

“OW! WHAT WAS THAT, IDIOT?!”

N raised his head, eyes hollowing out in fear. Sitting on the ground was none other than his pigtailed boss, clutching her head as she gave him a nasty scowl.

“Oh biscuits! I-I’m so sorry J! I-I-I didn’t mean to!”

J groaned in pain and frustration, raising herself to her feet before reaching down and yanking at his uniform, pulling him up and against one of the shelves.

“You synergistic liability! What were you even thinking?! I ought to have you written up of this insuboridna-”

“N! J! Are you alright?!”

Both drones turned to see Tessa emerge from where she was hiding, brows furrowed in worry as she ran to them. J composed herself, though she didn’t release her iron grip on his uniform.

“I’m okay boss…it's that this moron almost made things worse!”

N gave her a sheepish grin, even as he was pressed against the shelf. “M-My bad guys! I should’ve been paying attention!”

“Oh N…”

Shaking her head, Tessa neared the butler, gently pulling J’s hand away before inspecting his visor for any damage. “You’ve got to be more careful, luv! You could’ve gotten J or yourself hurt!”

She switched her tone though, guiltily looking to the side. “Although it kinda is my fault for letting you chase me…”

“I-It’s fine Tessa! It’s my fault, I swear!” N raised his hands, giving apologetic glances to both her and J.

The girl released his head upon finding no damage and turned to the pigtailed maid, also inspecting her visor. “B-Boss…I told you, I’m fine…” She stammered, not used to close contact. 

“Just making sure my favorite drones are alright, that's all! Can I not do that?”

Both drones nodded their heads, earning a warm smile from Tessa. “Good! Nothing serious! We’ll just be more careful next time!”

“You got it!” N remarked with a smile. The three of them fell into silence for a few seconds before he spoke up again. “...So I guess you’re it now, J!”

“W-What?!” J exclaimed in confusion. “What are you-wait. You two were playing tag?! In here?!”

Tessa and N exchanged nervous glances. “Yes…?”

“No wonder you were running so fast! T-That’s highly irresponsible! Did you damage anything?!”

“N-No, we didn’t! I swear!” N pleaded.

J only gave an annoyed grunt, turning to her master. “And you! What happens if corporate finds out?! You know how they are about stuff like this!”

Tessa rolled her eyes playfully. “Who cares what my parents think? They can honestly sod off! If I wanna have fun in this cramped manor with my friends, I will! Nothing more or less!”

“Boss, please don’t act like that! I…I don’t want you to get into trouble again…” The maid trailed off, head dropping as her tone switched to something melancholic. Sensing what was happening, Tessa gave her a hug, rubbing the drone’s back.

“Hey…it’s alright J. Nothing’s gonna happen…It’ll be fine…”

They stayed like this before eventually splitting off, J still looking down in worry for her master. A few more seconds passed before Tessa spoke up again, this time with a mischievous smirk in an attempt to raise her spirits.

“Well…from what N said, you’re it Jaybird! You better catch us!”

J’s head snapped up wide-eyed. “B-But I was in the middle of work! I-I can't just drop what I’m doing just to fool around!”

“Yes You can! In fact, I order you to play with us!”

The pigtailed drone processed this, eventually letting out a loud, defeated groan.

“F-Fine! Guess I’ll be using my vacation time for this!”

Tessa grinned, and N cheered. “Yaaay! J’s joining us!”

He received a burning glare in return, silencing any joy as she growled her next words.

“I'm coming for you, moron!”

N only had seconds to react before J blitzed forward, the butler already running away as she proceeded to swipe at him, yelling at him to “come back”. The pair ran around one of the bookshelves as Tessa stood off to the side, a bemused grin on her face. Honestly it was cute watching her drones play like this, even if these moments were rare.

And she hoped it could stay like this forev-

“TESSA JAMES ELLIOT!”

Almost simultaneously the world stopped, both drones frozen in place as they stared at her with stricken expressions. The girl herself felt the air chill around her, already dreading the next words.

“GET DOWN HERE NOW! AND BRING YOUR DUMPSTER PETS!”

… That was not good.

She stood there for a few more seconds before letting out a shaky sigh, glancing apologetically at her drones.

“C-Come on guys…let’s see what they want.”

Both drones slowly nodded, shuffling to her sides as she trudged out of the library and into the corridor, preparing herself to face the oppressive adults who called themselves her parents.

-

James and Louise Elliot were standing in the dining room when she finally arrived with J and N in tow. A few other workers and maids also stood nearby, including the bespeckled V who was trying her best not to sweat through her visor. Upon seeing them enter, she shuffled over to them, trying to get as close to N as possible. He tried smiling at her, but the Elliots’ cold gazes prevented him from doing so.

Tessa smoothed out her dress and kept her face as neutral as she could, nodding at her parents. “You called for me?”

“We did,” Louisa sneered, fanning herself. “Mainly because of how much time you waste during the day…with your pets?”

“What…What do you mean?”

“Don’t play stupid with me girl! We heard you running around up there like a bunch of neanderthals! What the hell were you doing?!”
Silence as Tessa glanced down.

“ANSWER ME!”

She didn’t have a choice.

“We…We were playing t-tag during break…that’s all.”

“Really?”

“Y-Yes…We didn’t break anything, I swear!”

Louisa grunted, turning away to fan herself as James spoke in her place. “It doesn’t matter if you were on your ‘break’, fooling around in general is beneath you as an Elliot. You are expected to know better…”

He turned his glare to the trio of drones standing nearby. “... All of you.”

They shrank even further from his gaze.

“Too many times your dumpster pets would rather fool around than actually do their jobs-and they don’t even do them correctly half the time! It doesn’t help when one is half blind, and the other can’t walk properly! All of these units you pulled from the dump are flawed, bumbling, lazy machines!”

Tessa winced at her father’s hateful words. A part of her wanted to fight back and defend…but she couldn’t. It wasn’t expected of her and would result in more punishment. She simply had to wait it out.

Lousia spoke up next. “That's why we decided to come up with a solution to this problem…a lesson for your horseplay and their incompetence.”

Tessa perked up in curiosity as her mother moved aside…curiosity that quickly turned to dread.

Standing behind her was a man in a grey jumpsuit, holding a toolbox in one hand while carrying a strange, gun-like device in the other. His cap and uniform were both emblazoned in a black and red company logo, one all in the room were familiar with.

JcJenson Robotics.

Her heart froze, unable to conjure a single thought as the technician stepped forward, looking around with a neutral, almost bored expression, locking eyes on the drones standing around the girl.

“Are these the defective units you were calling about, madam?” He dully asked.

“Indeed they are.” Lousia snarked, glaring at the drones. “They were improperly disposed of, and my daughter was foolish enough to bring them back online. I have tried giving her the benefit of the doubt, but it is clear that some of these units are unfit for service.”

“M-Mother…” Tessa stammered, stepping forward in front of the drones. “What…What are you doing?”

“What I should’ve done a long time ago!” The older woman snarled, pointing at the now-terrified trio. “I am tired of you playing house with those incompetent rust buckets! You should be thinking about your future instead of those lowlifes! Perhaps this will give you incentive!”

“Mother! Please don’t!” Tears streamed down her face as she ran to her, grasping her arm. “T-They’re my friends! They work hard, they haven't done a-anything wrong! You-You can’t do thi-”

“SILENCE!”

Slap!

Tessa collapsed to the floor, her right cheek red after her mother backhanded her. She caught sight of her drones, staring back with hollow eyes. J was trying to reach her, while N remained stiff as a board and V covered her mouth with both hands-none of them could believe what was happening.

Her father and the JcJenson technician pretended not to notice-the former used to this behavior while the latter wasn’t paid enough to care. Family matters were none of his business.

“Get up!” Louisa pulled Tessa by her hair, forcing her to stand despite the pain. She made her look at the trio she recovered from the dump so long ago, having formed unbroken bonds with them afterwards…and now she was about to witness them being ripped from her life.

The technician turned to James with the same expression, unbothered by the whole affair. “Do you want me to take them all, sir?”

James stared at the trio long and hard, about to agree yet something made him pause. 

What if only one of the drones needed to be taken away? Maybe if he did that, it would incentivise the others to actually work like the machines they were. He really didn’t feel like taking all three of them away if he was honest-it would be time consuming and cost him some free labour.

Yes…that would do. But who?

“No, no…only one.”

“But sir, their warranties are expired-”

“I know that. I can still get some use from the rest though before they inevitably break down. I only need the most problematic one removed…” He scanned their faces, wondering who to pick, who was the most incompetent at their jobs.

And with that, he made his decision.

“That one.”

Everyone stared at the pointed finger, leading all the way to the foremost drone.

N gazed at it with a worried expression, gesturing to himself. “...Me?”

“Yes, you.” James snapped. “Your pigtailed coworker always complains about you messing up anyways, so as of today you are relieved from service.”

For the second time today, Tessa’s world froze as she stared in pure shock and horror, watching as her favorite butler attempted to process this information, his eyes hollowing further and mouth hanging open. 

No sound emerged from his voice box.

The technician’s monotone voice broke the thick silence. “Very well sir, I’ll take this unit off your hands.”

He walked forward, closer and closer to N. V and J stood behind him, equally frozen in place as the magnitude of what was happening slammed through their heads, yet finding themselves unable to move or prevent it.

Tessa was different, snapping out of it as she immediately struggled in her mother’s iron grip. 

“No!”

“Stay still!”

The man was now in front of N, raising the device to his head.

“N-No!”

His fingers curled around the trigger, as the drone gazed at the stoic face with a confused and nervous expression, settling on the struggling girl behind him.

“G-Guys…?”

“Knock it off , young lady!"

“NO!”

Chunk!

And with that, it was done.

N’s eyes fizzled out, and his body collapsed to the floor, a virus implant embedded through his visor.

For Tessa, J, and V…everything seemed to be in slow motion, the fall taking an eternity until he finally landed headfirst on the hard, wooden floor with a thud.

Silence followed…before a shrill, mournful scream cut through the air, jolting all present.

“EEEEEENNNNN-”

 Thump!

Something sharp pricked Tessa’s neck, and her voice  instantly dissipated as her vision began turning dark, arms and legs falling limp as she collapsed to the floor. A ringing sound echoed through her ears, and although it was hard to see, she could still view what was happening.

She could see J rushing to her, a panic-stricken expression etched onto her visor.

She could see V sitting on her knees, mouth agape as her eye lights were completely hollowed out, seemingly unable to comprehend what happened in front of her.

But most importantly…she could see N, face down on the floor unmoving as the technician bent down and lifted her arms up, slowly dragging him away.

Tears fell from her eyes, even as she slipped further into unconsciousness with a single word.

“No…”

-

Tessa gasped awake with a start, sitting up on her large bed. She was breathing erratically, unable to slow down as the nightmare seemingly replayed in her head. 

That was all it was after all. Just a nightmare…so why couldn’t she stop panicking?!

“Boss…Boss! Calm down! BOSS!”

The words snapped her out, turning to see a stressed J sitting besides her, hand on her shoulder. It took several seconds before she got her breathing under control, her pants dying down with a shudder.

Looking around, she saw her room just as she left it…outside of the two drones present. While J remained by her side, she noticed a curled up maid lying near the charging station, her bob cut barely visible in the darkened room.

One was missing though, the panic rising in her chest once again.

Tessa turned back to the pigtailed drone, eyes wide with fear. “W-Where’s N? I…I just had a real bad nightmare…I need him, I need all of you!”

J stared at her with a mixture of remorse and nervousness but said nothing, agitating the girl. “J where is he?! I-I need to see him! Please J, where is my N?!”

A choked sob was heard from the form lying on the floor, yet her eyes remained locked onto the maid before her.

She stayed silent for a long time, eyes drifting down and back as her lips quivered. Finally, she decided to speak.

“N…N’s gone, boss…”

She sniffed once.

“He’s gone.”

Tessa felt like yelling out the opposite. That her N was still here, simply playing another game or doing chores. She was this close to shutting her down and denying what she heard…but she couldn’t.

Because at that moment, she knew. The “nightmare” she just woke from…was all too real. Down to when he collapsed lifelessly onto the floor and dragged away.

Her lovely, joyous N would never return home.

A low wail emerged from Tessa’s throat, tears blurring her vision as she fell to the side, her much-delayed sorrow finally catching up. J caught her, pressing her face in her chestplate just as she began howling, arms instinctively wrapping around each other. All the girl could do was sob over and over again, the images of N’s last moments repeatedly flashing into her head and eliciting a stronger response.

J hugged her tightly, rubbing her back the entire time. She did not sob herself yet digital tears ran down her screen, unable to keep back the immense sorrow she felt for her master…and her male co worker she once considered useless.

Tessa’s cries were soon joined by V, lying unmoving from her spot as she hugged herself. No one was there to comfort her-or more specifically, N wasn’t at her side, always ready for hugs and cuddles. She had seen everything, down to when the technician finally dragged his deactivated body out the front door like an unwanted toy, another drone simply discarded by the household.

A large piece of her core followed the kind worker…and now she didn’t know what to do.

Two floors below, a small, broken maid sat in an old chair, her yellow eye lights flickering as her processor whirred, attempting to rationalize everything she had seen. Although she was supposed to be locked in the basement, she had her ways of viewing everything inside and outside the manor-it was part of her “gifts”, after all.

Nothing prepared her for what she saw in that dining room, too stunned to move or even think as she watched the butler shut down before being carried away. 

She watched as Tessa fell to the floor, her mother towering over with a needle in hand.

She watched as J attempted to aid her, only to be yelled at by James to return to work, subsequently ordering two other workers to drag the girl to her room.

She watched as V simply sat there, forgotten by everyone yet somehow catching her attention as the bespeckled drone remained alone, trembling wide-eyed at where her crush once lay.

Cyn saw all of this…and did nothing. For once, she was too stunned to say or do anything-this was not supposed to happen. It was impossible.

And yet…it did. And for everything she was capable of…she just watched as the one drone who actually cared for was removed from her life.

She felt useless. Broken. Defective, for not being there after he stood up for her so many times in this rotten place. 

She failed him.

Nobody heard Cyn cry that night, as she supposedly didn’t feel anything. Perhaps that was for the better…or not.

Chapter Text

Tessa sat in her darkened bedroom, blinds drawn and lights off. She didn’t know how much time had passed since waking up, but she no longer cared. She hadn’t emerged out of the room once, remaining on the bed as she stared at the wall.

The tears had dried out, yet her eyes remained red and puffy, along with the feelings lingering inside like a parasite. Any sense of self care and hygiene was a forgotten memory-she didn’t even change out of her dress. None of that mattered to Tessa anymore.

She was for the most part, alone.

Granted, J did occasionally come in to bring her food and water, yet did not stay for too long-apparently her parents were working the drones even harder now, in preparation for the upcoming gala that would show off their wealth and power. The maid was her only source of company, yet Tessa sent her back each time. She wanted to be alone, with her thoughts and memories.

A small part of her also remembered what her father said about J calling N useless… She may or may not be angry at her drone for that. She didn’t want to see a walking reminder of his words.

Surprisingly and unsurprisingly, neither senior Elliot ever came up to her room, or even demanded her presence once; it seemed to her that they didn’t care if she locked herself in her room, as long as she stayed out of “trouble”, like they always lectured.

It didn’t matter what she was doing-if they didn’t like it, they would punish her for it. Every. Single. Time.

And it was worse if they saw her with her robotic friends.

Tessa gripped the blankets underneath with both fists, rage slowly but steadily overcoming her grief.

“Trouble…” She thought, a scowl appearing on her face. “They think that everything I do with my drones is causing trouble?! What trouble could I possibly be giving them?! What did N do?! All because we were having fun! He didn’t deserve it!”

A sob escaped from her throat, and the girl reached behind her and grabbed a pillow, throwing it against the wall.

“He didn’t deserve it!” She yelled aloud. “You bastards, N did NOTHING TO YOU!”

Another sob emerged, and Tessa slumped down, the anger disappearing as fast as it came.

“He…He didn’t deserve any of this…my N didn’t…No…”

Tessa collapsed face first into her bed, her bawling muffled by the sheets as she mourned the death of her sweet, favorite drone, taken away by yet another unfair punishment from the monsters she called mother and father.

-

Several rooms away worked a pigtailed maid drone, sweeping the furniture with a feather duster. She had done this chore countless times, always moving at a constant pace until the entire area was free of dust before moving onto the next task. A menial job that was considered easy for the worker.

Today however, was not the case.

J’s movements were slow, lethargic, as if she didn’t want to dust the furniture in front of her. If she was being honest with herself, she couldn’t bring herself to work at the usual pace…all due to the lack of a certain someone inside the house.

N.

Useless, bumbling, incompetent N. The butler who always had a smile on his face, rain or shine. The lovable idiot adored by Tessa, enraptured V, and a brother to Cyn. J was the only one who seemingly despised him, berating him constantly as they worked throughout the manor and scoffing at his attempts for friendship.

The same N she found herself missing to no end.

The manor felt…dead without his warm, sunny presence. Everything seemed to be more dreary, and the Elliots’ wrath much more noticable. Tessa hardly came out of her room anymore, always sending her away while V somehow made herself even more scarce than usual. As for Cyn…well, J never truly knew. But regardless, things were taking a depressing turn without the butler.

And the worst part? It was all her fault.

J still remembered the last words Mr. Elliot told N before he was taken offline:

“Your pigtailed coworker always complains about you messing up anyways, so as of today you are relieved from service.”

Every insult, every derogatory name she had given him…all heard by their masters. She should have known, yet never really thought about it. Just like their daily interactions.

She hadn’t even meant what she said half the time! Yes, his work ethic was lacking, so insults were the only way to make him better at the job! J figured that if she pushed him hard enough, N would finally work efficiently in order to avoid being called out for it. Everything she told him was meant to be a sort of “motivation” to prevent him from falling behind and ending up in the dump.

Tessa wasn’t going to do that, and V certainly didn't have the confidence, so it was up to J to crack the whip, and push her coworkers long and hard to keep them moving. To her, friendship was meaningless in this cutthroat household, where workers could be decommissioned at any given time-they had to work to become useful! And N was always lagging behind! Someone needed to light a fire under him, just to keep them alive! Nothing else mattered, especially his vain attempts at friendliness!

And where did her efforts get him in the end?

Dead. Deactivated. Relieved of service.

The master and the mistress overheard everything J told him on a daily basis…and automatically assumed the worst, despite the decent progress he actually made. All they needed was one last excuse to get rid of him for good.

That day, when he, Tessa, and herself were playing in the library was their excuse. A day where J’s last words to him were filled with anger and spite, almost as if she despised his very existence. A day…where the two of them probably had the most fun in their entire careers together, chasing each other around that stupid bookshelf.

It was then J had a realization, one that haunted her ever since N was dragged out; she never hated him in the first place. Even with everything she said, and the amount of times she tried convincing herself to dislike the drone… she couldn't.

She couldn’t hate N. She didn’t want to hate N. She never wished to see him decommissioned and replaced.

J…found herself missing his smile, his laughter, his attempts at jokes and banter even during work, always opening a door for her to step in and forget life's daily stresses and enjoy the company…maybe become friends.

“But that won’t happen anymore, will it?” A voice snarled inside her head, forcing her to stop working. “You pushed him away, called him names, and voiced your disdain loud enough for the masters to hear. Because of you, they deemed him useless as well. Because of you, Tessa no longer has one of her friends.

Because of you…N is dead.”

The duster was thrown across the room, slamming into a wardrobe as the pigtailed maid let out a loud, angry yell before slumping to the floor, her entire body shaking as she let out ragged breaths. J raised her hands to her wide eye lights, tears forming on her screen.

The gasps soon turned to sobs, and the worker sat there on the dusty floor curled in a ball, her work ethic completely abandoned in favor of the agonizing guilt crushing her core.

-

Deep within the quiet library, a lone bespeckled maid sat against one of the bookshelves, holding a worn yellow book in her hands. It was something she read over and over, though this was the first time she was reading alone.

She stared at the words and with a hollow, vacant look, unable to do anything else as memories flooded her CPU, of a much happier time in this room.

N sat against the bookshelf, the yellow book resting on his knees as he read each line in an upbeat, animated voice, eyes wide with curiosity and glee. Leaning against his shoulder was V, his only audience, yet that never mattered for either of them.

She loved his voice. She loved his warmth. She loved him.

They had done this so many times she couldn't even remember when they started, only that this would never end. To V, N was her light in this dreary manor, where she jumped at shadows and cowered under those louder and scarier than her. Sure, she had Tessa, J, and Cyn, but none of them really understood how she really felt…and nobody bothered to even ask.

N was different. He was the only one who went out of his way to know her better, and bond with the shy worker to where they were friends…yet she longed for much more.

V never told him how she felt-her nervousness always blocked her chance. And with him gone…she wouldn’t be able to do so anymore.

Her hands trembled at the thought, book shaking in her grasp. Every single moment the two of them spent together… lost, like tears in the rain.

And she would be alone for good this time.

V’s optics slowly drifted down to the book, looking over the page she was currently on. Digital tears filled her screen, yet she attempted to read the words printed above the hand drawn dog in the center.

“G-Golden retrievers h-have gentle mouths…”

A hiccuped sob escaped her lips, causing her to stop for a second before resuming.

“That’s why…th-thats why…they’re…g-good w-with…with…”

The book slipped out of her hands, and V’s head slumped down, tears pouring down her visor. She wanted to scream, beg for N to come back, hold her, cuddle her and whisper how everything was going to be alright…

But she didn’t have anything left anymore. 

Not when he was gone.

-

Cyn shuffled down the hall to Tessa's room, not even bothering to voice her actions for once-she was simply too sad and angry to do so anymore.

Not when there was no longer an older brother who’d gush over her cuteness.

N was everything to the smaller drone-someone besides Tessa who actually cared and didn’t judge her for her quirks. He was also unknowingly the only restraint she had on her powers and disdain for humanity in general. Cyn despised how most humans besides Tessa acted and treated the drones, chief amongst them James and Louisa Elliot. She knew they were willing to throw out workers by the dozen, and it was only a matter of time before she was next. Therefore, she developed her Solver powers even further, not just to defend herself but also strike back in case anyone harmed her.

The Solver was a tool of defense, and N’s empathy only reinforced this viewpoint-after all, he would be very disappointed if she used it with abandon.

All of this changed the night N himself was thrown away instead of Cyn, or anyone else for that matter. She watched everything happen, and was too shocked to do anything to stop it

She failed her brother when he needed her the most.

Shock turned to grief and regret, yet this soon morphed into pure, unfiltered rage towards the meat sacks who condemned him to death. They had no right to do this, especially since he did nothing wrong! How dare they?!

Cyn’s tirade stopped upon reaching the door. Smothering her turmoil, she decided to take care of the only other person who cared before anything else.

Slowly opening the door, the drone shuffled to the lump in the middle of the bed, climbing onto it just as the curled up girl raised her head with tearstained eyes.

“C-Cyn…? What are you…”

“ Sad tone. Hello Tessa. It pains me to see you this way.”

She simply shook her head, not moving as Cyn laid besides her, nor did she notice the door shutting by itself in front. 

“Y-You shouldn’t feel bad…not for me…i-it doesn’t matter anymore…”

“Is this about Big Brother N?”

“...Yeah.”

“ Growing frown. I am sorry.” Cyn lowered her eye lights, regret seeping into her monotone voice. “I am sorry for not stopping them. It…It is my fault.”

Tessa gave her a confused, groggy glance. “Wha…What are you talkin’ about…?”

“...Never mind. Comforting hug.” Realizing she said too much, she simply hugged the human instead, as tightly as she could. Too tired to fight back, and desperately craving some sort of physical contact, Tessa immediately reciprocated, wrapping the small drone into her bosom.

“I…I miss him, Cyn…I miss him so bloody much.” She choked out, shaking in sorrow. The smaller drone began purring, slowly lulling the grief stricken girl to sleep.

“ Shushing sound. I know, dear Tessa…I miss him too.” Cyn nuzzled against her, a few small yellow tears showing on her visor. “There is nothing more than to bring him back…even if I do not have the capabilities for it, voice breaking.”

Tessa didn’t respond, already dozing off as tears leaked from her shut eyes. The tiny maid summoned a claw from her back, wrapping it around their forms to softly stroke the girl’s hair. 

Even in this tender moment, the rage returned to Cyn’s mind, growing stronger the longer she looked at the broken human near her. Her expression hardened, squeezing the body assuringly as she spoke.

“Do not worry, dear…Big Brother N’s death will not go unpunished. Mark my words, your ‘parents’ will rue the day they took him from our family.” A hexagonal symbol flashed onto her visor near the end.

From this day forward, Cyn had a lot of planning to do for her ultimate vengeance.

Chapter Text

Startup Initiated

WD OS Rebooted

WARNING! NO ADMINISTRATOR ASSIGNED!

Activating Unit…

Welcome, Serial Designation N.

-

The sounds of clattering and beeping were the first things N heard upon rebooting, his hazy white eyes glitching into view. The butler groaned, slowly raising himself off the bumpy ground as he rubbed his head, straining to remember what exactly happened when he was last awake.

The memories slowly came back, disjointed yet he was still able to see them.

Him chasing Tessa in the library.

J’s outburst at their accident.

Tessa’s parents standing in the dining hall, reprimanding their child.

A harsh slap.

And a stranger in a jumpsuit, standing in front of him before raising a strange device to his visor-

“BISCUITS!”

N gasped, practically collapsing back as the visions combined into one coherent memory within seconds, slamming into him like a freight train. A part of him refused to believe this was true, yet the cold, hard truth remained.

He had died.

…So where in the world was he?

Mind still reeling from the revelation, he turned towards the ground in an attempt to lift himself back onto his feet-

-And saw a broken worker drone beneath him. 

“AHHHH!”

N scrambled back, only to collide with more drone bodies, the shells clattering to the ground. Rapidly swiveling his head, all he could see were dozens upon dozens of dead drones-smashed visors, missing limbs, gutted torsos-all of them splattered in oil.

His breathing rapidly accelerating, the butler turned to get a better look at his surroundings, eye lights widening in horror.

“N-No…No!”

For the second time in his life, he was in a drone dump.

Worker carcasses covered the landscape as far as the eye could see, with several mountains of destroyed polymer and aluminum towering overhead. Several visors flashed with red Fatal Errors, but N was the only one alive in this artificial graveyard.

However, it was far different than the one Tessa recovered him from. Bright flood lights illuminated the area, cutting through the starless night as heavy machinery rumbled all around the site, yet he couldn’t see what was causing it.

A loud roar suddenly interrupted his sightseeing along with the area around him brightening. The drone whirled around just in time to see a large steel slab pushing through the bodies behind him, heads and limbs flying everywhere. The ground shook underneath, and the wall soon towered over the small worker.

Letting out a yelp, N dove to the side, barely avoiding being caught by the oncoming wall. The bodies he was standing on were swept away by the slab, and he turned his head just in time to see a large yellow bulldozer growl past him, treads clanking as its bright cab lights blazed overhead.

N didn’t waste another second in staying put, hopping onto his feet and stumbling across the corpses away from the hulking vehicle. However, more bulldozers soon came into view, plowing through the worker husks like dirt as they kicked up dust and metal. He couldn’t tell if the drivers were human or drones, but he doubted they would stop for a lone worker running around the site.

This scrapyard was much more active than the old one…and more dangerous as a result. No one was going to come and rescue him; instead he would be crushed to death by lumbering construction vehicles. Staying here wouldn’t do any good.

So N ran. He ran fast and hard, skipping across bodies and keeping an eye on the numerous bulldozers rumbling around. Everywhere he looked were piles of his kind, yet no noticeable exit out of this place. His core throbbed even harder as desperation overtook rational thought, forcing his servos to keep running.

Glancing to his right, N saw a tall crane looming overhead, picking up tons of corpses in its giant claw with ease. Bits and pieces fell off as it rotated away, before dropping them onto a wide conveyor belt with a thunderous crash, shaking the ground underneath. He ran even harder, already having an idea on where the belt led to.

Still, all he saw were more corpse mounds piled around, and he started to despair, thinking he would never find a way out of this death maze. He slowed down, a part of him simply done with everything, ready to lay down and accept-

“Wait!” Something caught N’s attention, turning to his left. “There!”

Several feet away was a clearing in the sea of bodies, occupied by a number of dump trucks, discharging even more drones from their articulating trailers. An idea suddenly came to N’s CPU- these trucks had to have entered from somewhere; maybe one of them could drive him out!

It was risky, but the butler didn’t care anymore, overcome with the urge to escape. Sprinting as hard as he could, N dashed to the nearest truck, sliding under its trailer just as it finished lowering. Crawling on the ground, he wrapped his arms and legs around the axle, making sure he had a strong grip as he silently prayed to Robo-God for his life.

A few seconds later, the truck’s engine roared to life, and the chassis groaned as it moved away from the clearing, rolling down a dirt road before coming across a chain-link fence with a gate in front. The guard in the nearby booth remotely opened the barrier, and the dump truck’s tires soon hit asphalt, pulling away and leaving the scrapyard behind.

Hanging underneath the trailer, N cracked a small, relieved smile as the worst seemingly passed. All he had to do was wait until the truck stopped for him to hop off and figure out exactly where he was. Every other thought and trauma could wait-he needed to return to his friends immediately, let them know that he was safe and alive.

Surely this couldn’t get any worse, right?

-

Wrong.

The truck didn’t stop, not for a long time. The small road they were traveling on soon merged into a highway, where the driver decided to speed up with every other vehicle on the interstate.

N had never traveled on the road before, so this was a new experience…a miserable experience. 

As a worker, he could grip and hold objects nearly forever-he was at no risk of falling off. However, he was more or less exposed to the elements, not to mention how uncomfortable it was riding underneath a truck. The wind and dust blowing onto his face, the roar of the engine and passing vehicles, and the filth under the trailer-all of these conditions overwhelmed the poor boy, leaving him disheveled and on edge the entire time, scared that he could get involved in an accident at any moment.

N soon realized he really should’ve picked a better spot to hitch a ride.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the truck finally slowed down, exiting the highway into another small road, eventually pulling into a parking lot. The engine grumbled to a halt, air blasting from the brakes before shutting off entirely. The door opened, and a pair of cowboy boots dropped to the pavement, the man wearing them locking the cab and walking away.

N fell to the ground shortly after, letting out a long, exhausted sigh as he stared up at the chassis. His body felt absolutely grimy, yet one thing stood out in his mind.

He was still alive.

He lay there for several minutes before deciding it was time to move, rolling out from under the trailer and rising to his feet. Dusting his ruined uniform off, he scanned his surroundings, optics recalibrating in the darkness.

In front of him was a small, cozy-looking motel, red sign glowing overhead. The building was cabin-themed, decked out with oak walls and rustic decorations. Several vehicles were parked out in front, and the building itself seemed to be surrounded by tall pine trees spanning both ways and behind it.

Glancing back at the truck, N walked to the side mirror, taking in his appracene. Outside of the excessive grime and oil on his suit, nothing seemed to be broken…except for an ugly crack near the top of his visor.

The same spot he was shot in.

Running his hand across the wound, N winced at the exposed area, curious as to what the technician hit him with. It wasn’t a gun, that was for sure…but he was fairly certain he wasn’t supposed to wake up from the impact either.

So what went wrong?

Pulling up his systems, he rapidly ran a diagnostics scan, immediately noticing he no longer had an administrator over his OS. The boy furrowed his brows at that-Tessa put him and the rest under herself, allowing for easier maintenance in regards to their programming. Hell, all drones came with some sort of administrator, as a way for humans to control them. Yet here he was, standing in the middle of nowhere running without an admin.

“What does this mean?” N wondered, staring at the crack. “If I don’t have an admin…does that make me…free?”

He didn’t know. He wasn’t used to it either. The only solution to…this was to return to Tessa, and let her fix him like before.

But where was home? None of this was familiar to him? He needed some kind of guidance…

Looking back at the motel, N spotted the receptionist area through a large window, where a brown-haired worker sat in front of a computer, white eye lights dully staring at her computer. N’s expression brightened at his observation-maybe a worker like her could help him with directions! Drones were smarter and stronger together, right?

With renewed confidence, N started to march towards the lobby building…only for a pair of headlights to illuminate the road before him. Thinking fast, the drone scurried back under the tractor trailer, hoping the oncoming vehicle would pass without noticing.

Fortunately for him, it didn’t. Unfortunately, the car pulled into the parking spot in front of the lobby, revealing itself to be a white and gold police cruiser, Highway Patrol stenciled on the sides.

The cruiser’s engine shut off, and a khaki-uniformed officer stepped out, sauntering to the door and into the motel’s reception area.

N’s core sank at the sight. Granted, he had never seen or interacted with a police officer, but seeing the man’s sidearm strapped to his belt brought back ugly memories of the emotionless technician, carrying a similar device and using it to knock him offline.

With this in mind, along with how the Elliots condemned him to death (he still had conflicting feelings on that), N realized that outside of Tessa, he couldn’t trust any humans at this point, especially those who were armed. If that officer saw him outside, he would assume the drone to be a runaway, which wasn’t entirely false.

Best case scenario, N would end up back at that scrapyard. Worst case scenario? He would be decommissioned on the spot.

Shuddering at the thought, he turned to the road leading away from the motel, into the woods beyond. He still had no idea where he was, and had never been beyond the manor or the old salvage yard Tessa explored…but there wasn’t another option. The motel was occupied by an armed human, and the longer he stayed here, the more likely he would be noticed.

It was dangerous and reckless to venture forth like this…yet N didn’t care. Not while knowing his friends were still out there, alone and possibly mourning his “death” .

He couldn’t leave them like that. He needed to save and comfort them, no matter how long it took.

With a nervous yet determined expression, N walked away from the truck and down the darkened road, the motel lights fading behind him as the trees loomed overhead, enveloping him further in their shadow. Soon his eye lights were the only source of illumination, yet the scanners within easily displayed the road via night vision.

“Hang on, buddies,” The boy muttered to himself. “I’m coming home.”

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since N’s “decommissioning”.

Two weeks of pain.

Two weeks of suffering.

However, this applied to one human, and three drones within the entire manor. For the Elliots, it was business as usual, having forgotten about the butler the day after he was taken away. They did typical rich people things; dress up, attend meetings and parties, and ordered their servants to make everything inside the house perfect.

Recently, James decided to hold the annual gala within the next two weeks, to celebrate his recent acquisition of JcJenson, and to show off his family’s extravagant wealth to the “lesser” elites attending.

As a result, the manor was abuzz with activity, numerous worker drones setting up the dining haul as truckloads of decorations and amenities came in each day, ready to serve to the wealthy masses. Meanwhile, the couple were engaged in numerous phone calls to their friends and associates, bragging about the event and encouraging them to come have a good time. It would be “the greatest gala ever”, they said.

Tessa, of course, cared for none of this.

She had spent most of the time in her room, either wallowing in her misery or seething at her parents, the rage inside slowly building. The gala didn’t matter to her-all she wanted to do was break free from this prison and let those abusive snobs know just how much she hated them now.

However, Tessa also spent several nights attempting to escape the manor, in order to make her way to the junkyard and find her N. The task wasn’t easy, as worker drones were posted at every door, yet she was nothing but persistent.

One stormy night, she finally made it through, dashing out the house, through the swamp and towards the old dump where she recovered her friends. Lightning flashed, and the rain ruined her clothes, but the girl no longer cared, with N being the only thing on her mind.

Slipping through the broken fence, Tessa began combing all over the site, illuminating the area with a flashlight. Minutes passed, and she went back and forth, checking each and every body for the telltale suit or silver hair. Occasionally, she would call out his name, voice echoing across the dump.

“N?! EEENNN?!”

The booming thunder and pouring rain were her only response, and she became more despondent the longer she searched. Still, she pushed forward, clinging to the vain hope that he might be here, waiting to be rescued and repaired.

Four hours later…Tessa’s exhausted body finally called it quits, the girl collapsing into the mud as her tears mixed with the rain.

No one else heard her sob in agony.

Eventually, the battered Elliot made her way back, trudging to her room and tracking mud. Upon opening the door, she found a worried J sitting on the bed, instantly rushing to her side.

“Tessa? Tessa?! Where have you been?! I was worried about y-”

“I was outside.” She responded in a dead voice, practically ripping off her shirt and throwing it aside.

“...You were gone for four hours, boss! W-Why were you even out there in the rain?!”

Tessa sat on the bed, the sheets stained with water and mud. “To find my N. Is that not enough of a reason?” Her voice grew more irritated, glaring at the floor.

J shifted to one side, eyes narrowed in worry and sadness. “Look…I understand you miss him…we all do. That doesn’t mean you need to-”

“Miss him?”

Tessa barked out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. “ You miss him? After calling him ‘useless’, ‘moron’, and ‘a synergistic liability’? Did you finally grow a heart for my little N, Jaybird?” Her words were mocking, yet had a hint of anger behind them.

“...Or was that bit ‘pre rehearsed’, like in those corporate movies you love so much?” She snarled, glaring at J.

The maid’s eyes went wide, stepping back and raising her hands defensively. “N-No! I mean it! I n-never meant what I said! I care about N, about you, boss! Y-You have to believe me!”

“Oh really? If you cared so much about him, you wouldn’t have called him all those names for those bastards to hear! If you cared about me, you should've helped defend me and the others like a real friend! Instead you sit there a-and cater to them! And for what, huh?!”

J didn’t answer, shoulders sagging as her best friend chewed her out. Tessa signed, turning away again as exhaustion replaced the anger inside.

“...Just go. I don’t need you now.”

“B-But boss, I’m-”

“Go!”

The pigtailed drone stood there, hollow eyes gazing at the girl before finally moving back, slowly closing the door behind her and leaving Tessa in darkness.

J slumped to the floor, back against the wood as she hiccuped a sob, covering her visor with her hands.

Under her breath, she finished her sentence.

“...I’m so sorry, Tess…N…” 

-

Another day in the manor, another day for Cyn. 

The broken maid had been very busy as of late. Ever since hearing about the upcoming gala, she decided to accelerate her plans and experiments with the Solver, growing stronger daily as she worked. Already she was powerful enough to where she could manipulate matter and physics at will, her capabilities ranging from teleportation, to disguising her true form, and of course, the most important.

Corrupting and mutating lesser workers.

Drones that were slated for deactivation ended up in the basement that became her lab, twisting their bodies into horrific monstrosities-all to create the perfect killing machine for the future. Most prototypes ended in failure, becoming unrecognizable by the time Cyn put them down, but she was making progress with the rest, coming closer to full conversion.

It helped that she hacked into James’s laptop several days ago, stealing plans for an advanced security drone being developed by JcJenson. Complete with armor, armaments, and even flight capabilities, the eldritch drone realized this would be the basis for her “elite” army, a chosen few who could carry out her will.

And all of this…was for the brother she lost to those disgusting snobs who threw him out like trash.

Thinking about them made Cyn’s oil boil, making sure they would be the ones to suffer when she finally launched her debut during the gala. No one was to be spared, and the ensuing massacre would be payback for N’s death-or at least the start of it.

After all…she had an entire planet of humans who would suffer for their hubris, regardless if they were involved or not.

The only people she would spare from this madness were Tessa, V, and J. The first two were obvious, as they were closest to N and earned the rare sympathy she had in her core. J…well, she considered turning her into a mindless soldier due to her role in N’s death, but at the same time she knew she was close to Tessa as well-doing this would be hypocritical of her.

Besides…N wouldn’t want that for his “friend”...even if she abused and berated him daily. The butler was the only reason Cyn even considered sparing J in the first place.

Speaking of the aforementioned people…

Cyn hung out with Tessa a lot more often, providing her comfort and reminiscing about the good times with N-as well as listening to the human rant about her vile parents. It was clear she absolutely loathed them, at times wishing “the absolute worst” on the couple.

The drone couldn’t blame her-and would make sure the Elliots suffered dearly for what they did.

On the other hand, J buried herself into her work, avoiding almost all interactions with Tessa-from what Cyn understood, they had a sort of falling out a couple nights ago. Even so, her “cameras” often caught the pigtailed maid curled into a corner, sobbing to herself and begging forgiveness from Tessa or N.

It seemed like she had a heart after all…

As for V though…Cyn couldn’t really find her anywhere. The shy maid almost always made herself scarce even before N’s departure, hiding in the library or Tessa’s bedroom. However, she had now completely disappeared from sight-even Cyn’s eldritch powers were unable to locate the worker. She knew the other maid was still inside, thanks to pinging her CPU. It was physically finding her that proved to be the most challenging.

Cyn knew this was because of her connection with N, yet decided to leave her be for now. She would recover V when the gala started, and keep her safe alongside Tessa and J until it was over.

It would be one hell of an explanation to her family…but was well worth their safety.

-

Cyn hobbled to the basement door, flinging it open with the Solver before descending the stairs, slamming the wooden trapdoor shut. Making her way down, she pondered on her latest prototype, eager to finally implement the upgrades she seized from the laptop and eventually testing them out on the helpless humans who would be attending the gala.

Reaching the bottom of the dank basement, Cyn turned to the operating table where her project lay, ready to revert to her true form and resume working-only to stop in shock at what she saw.

Standing in front of the table was a bespeckled, silver-haired maid, staring at the dissected worker with her back turned to the eldritch being. Cyn stood there, completely frozen until finally managing to say something to the intruder.

“ Surprised Pause. Sister V…what are you doing here?”

The drone turned towards Cyn, greeting her with a hollowed out stare, seemingly boring into her soul as her mouth remained in a tight line.

Despite her powers and hideous body…Cyn couldn’t help but shudder at V’s composure, completely dispensing of the cute timidness she was once well known for.

She looked…completely dead, despite the contrary.

“Cyn.”

V spoke in a tone devoid of emotion, maintaining the stare. “...What is going on here?”

The broken drone struggled to answer the simple question. “That is none of your concern. How did you even get inside?”

“Louisa caught me and ordered the basement cleaned out, giving me the key. I found this upon entering.” V pointed to the corpse behind her. “So tell me what’s going on…before I let Tessa know.”

“She’s not even speaking with a stutter…how much did N’s death change her?”

Cyn fell silent after the thought, looking uneasily at the ground. She had no excuse or cover this time-she had been too careless in her experiments here. Nobody besides her had ever been down here in the first place.

She needed to fix this, keep this secret before the gala lest her plans were ruined. She could either kill V here and now, ensuring her secrecy and passing it off as an accident…

…But because she didn’t have it in her to kill the poor drone, Cyn was left with another option, one which would finally reveal her powers to someone else for the first time in history-even N didn’t know what she truly was.

She had her doubts…but decided to finally relent.

“ Long, reluctant sigh. You really wish to know what I am, Sister V? I must warn you this is not for the faint of heart…and must remain within these walls.”

V paused, seemingly unsure of the prospect before finally relenting with a determined stare.

“Tell me.”

And so she did.

Cyn told V everything- her powers, her prototypes, and everything she had done without anyone noticing. She went into enough detail to not confuse the other maid, and gave a few demonstrations. She also told her about the plans she was forming after N’s death, especially in regards to the gala and the Elliotts’ fate, on what she would do to them. She revealed how the workers would kill everyone inside, and that everything was for N’s death, a vengeance paid in blood.

V listened to all of this with a neutral expression, eyes never moving once even as Cyn showed her her powers, or explained in gruesome detail the prototype drones that had been mutated and transformed.

She didn’t blink once. And that scared Cyn even more.

When the drone finally finished, V stood there in silence before eventually speaking up in the same empty tone.

“What will happen to me? Or Tessa and J?”

“ Reassuring tone. The three of you will be kept somewhere safe until the gala is over. Do not worry, I will not let any harm come to the rest of my family.”

V said nothing in response.

“ Hesitant glance. I understand if everything I told you was…a lot…but I need you to keep this a secret for me. It will be very violent in the future, but believe me when I say this is for Big Brother N. Can I trust you in protecting this from anyone else in the meantime? Pleading look.”

V looked down for a long while, the silence hanging thick over the pair until-

“Fine.”

“ Grateful smi-”

“But on one condition.”

Cyn raised an eyebrow. “And that may be?”

“...Modify me.”

For the first time in her life, Cyn’s eyes hollowed completely.

“...What?”

“You heard me. Take my body, and turn it into something that can hurt, and kill. If you are carrying out the plan for the gala…I want to be there alongside you.”

The broken maid’s expression blanched even further. “Sister V…this is highly unusual and dangerous. Undergoing the procedure will result in permanent change and loss of your origi-”

“I have nothing left!” 

V snapped, balling her fists as she glared at the now-silent Cyn.

“Don’t you understand?! The only thing I cared for- loved- was ripped away from me that night! I will never get my N back, NEVER!

“And you want to know why? Because I was weak, too frail and scared to do anything even as death approached him. I…I was a god-damned coward for letting the love of my life die, after everything he did to protect me!”

The bespeckled maid took a deep breath, recomposing herself. “I no longer wish to be a coward, Cyn. Not after everything that’s happened. Those humans put N down like a dog…and I find that to be insulting. I want nothing more than to snuff them out like they did him…and make. Them. Pay.”

Her voice dripped with pure hatred, a hollow glare piercing through the dim lighting.

“I don’t know what you’re capable of exactly…but use your powers on me. Break, mold, transform-I don’t care what you do to my body. As long as I can avenge my- our N at that gala together.” 

A tinge of mania was now heard, the worker stepping closer to Cyn. “Please…give me this chance, and I’ll do whatever you want me to. All for him.”

Cyn should’ve gotten rid of her. Scare her away, or teleport the drone to another part of the manor entirely. Yet looking into her eyes…all she could see was pain, sorrow, and spite, from a drone whose innocence was snatched away in a heartbeat, at the same time N fell to the dining room floor.

It didn’t matter how Cyn and the others used to view V. At the end of the day, she also wanted revenge.

And who was she to deny it?

“Solemn nod. Very well, Sister V…if you insist. This procedure will not be gentle, and you change physically and mentally. I understand your pain and rationale, but are you absolutely certain you wish to do this?”

A pause, before V straightened herself, stepped forward and embraced the small drone, pressing their bodies together as she defiantly whispered into her audio receptors.

“I trust you, Cyn.”

Chapter Text

N wandered through the dense forest, shadows mixing with the sunlight as the tall pine trees surrounded the drone. Birds chirped, and insects buzzed, almost creating a serene environment perfect for hiking.

And if he was being honest, N thoroughly enjoyed it. Having only been either in the manor’s garden or the swamps leading to the dump. While beautiful, the garden was a fairly small area to explore, and the marshland beyond was absolutely nasty, with heavy fog and putrid water surrounding dead trees. It was a miracle that nobody fell into the muck in the first place!

Safe to say, being here in this forest was quite liberating for the drone who spent most of his life in that house.

Of course, civilization wasn’t far from him either. A few yards to his left was the highway, humming with traffic as people moved to and fro across the strips of road. N was currently following the interstate in the hopes of running into a town or city, yet stayed out of sight in order to avoid being seen by passersby.

As he walked, N thought about his friends back at the manor: Tessa, V, Cyn…even J, despite their disagreements. He sadly wondered how lonely and heartbroken they were now, especially after witnessing his death.

The butler’s frown deepened at the thought, realizing the implications this had. Tessa would clearly suffer the most, as she considered him to be her “favourite drone” and closest friend. She always relied on his support to get through the long day, a role he was more than happy to play. Now that he was “dead” and gone…who knew what the human girl was going through now.

How badly she missed him.

“At least she’s got J…I know the two were close.”

J…

N switched his thoughts to the pigtailed drone, knowing that their relationship was… strained. He really wished she would talk to him more friendly instead of berating him every time they worked together. He tried being nice to her…yet it never seemed to work, as the insults kept coming. 

The drone soon found that J was… extremely hard to like as a person, someone who refused to even consider friendship. Yet thinking back to what James said as his “reasoning” for termination…N couldn’t blame his coworker for those words. Tessa’s parents must have overheard one of her rants…and simply assumed the worst. He knew J was trying to make him work better in her own special way, no matter how degrading it could be.

But at the same time, N wasn’t going to assume how she would feel. Would she actually be sad or relieved that the “useless moron” was finally gone? J hid her true emotions well under that veil of hostility, and it was very difficult for anyone to get a read on her inner thoughts.

Regardless, N planned to have a long talk with her once he returned home. He needed to tell her how much her words hurt, even if she didn’t fully mean them.

As for V and Cyn…Robo God, he couldn’t imagine how they felt right now.

Cyn was practically the sister he never had, and V…was worth much more in his core. He knew they didn’t do very well alone and isolated, and without his presence nearby to help or talk to…

The worker stopped, shutting his eyes as he exhaled deeply. He knew they were suffering badly, and wanted nothing more than to reach out and wrap the two into the biggest, tightest hug he could muster. In fact, he’d do that to all four of his buddies!

But of course he wasn’t home yet. He didn’t even know where he needed to go.

“Right.” N said aloud, a determined look on his visor as he resumed marching. “All I gotta do is find the next source of civilization and try obtaining a map or directions. In a land I’m not even familiar with. And with no one to help me…at least not human…”

He glanced down at his muddy shoes, displaying defeated expression for a solid minute before suddenly straightening up, a smile plastered onto his face.

“Sounds easy enough then! Let’s get moving!”

N now had a renewed sense of optimism (thanks to his repression drives), and with a pep to his step, resumed marching forward through the woods, making sure to stay hidden yet following the highway.

Rain or shine, nothing would stop N from seeing his friends again.

-

The moon shone through the trees, casting an eerie glow around N as he slowed down. He could still hear the highway to his left, and even saw flashes of headlights through the foliage, the number of drivers never decreasing regardless of the time.

N sighed as he reached a nearby boulder, having spent the entire day walking without pause. Needless to say, his core needed rest and recharge after remaining active ever since escaping the dump.

Sitting on the leafy ground, the boy groaned as his joints finally relaxed, slumping against the rock. Looking at his lap, he could tell his uniform was thoroughly soiled, the moonlight illuminating the oil and dirt splotches all over his pant legs. Back at the manor, the Elliots would’ve decommissioned any drone who either wore their uniform improperly or dirtied it in any way. Everyone made sure their clothes and shoes were cleaned and polished for the mandatory inspections, none of them wanting to end up with any sort of stains.

And now here N was…wearing a filthy butler suit.

He couldn't help but giggle at the situation, imagining the looks on the masters’ faces upon his return. Granted, he wouldn’t actually do that, but it would be extremely funny seeing them gawk at his current form.

His eyes soon trailed to the yellow disassembly armband wrapped around his right arm, still showing his serial number despite the grime. His face grimaced at the reminder that he was “disposable”, no matter his position. He was a worker drone after all-massed produced and easy to replace.

But to his friends…N was irreplaceable.

He quickly tore off the armband, throwing it aside. He didn’t want any more reminders of what happened. All he wanted to do was reunite with the only people he cared for in this cruel world.

Leaning back, N shut his eye lights, his CPU preparing to enter the long overdue, relaxing sleep mode…

…Only for a low, animalistic growl to interrupt all trains of thought.

Systems jolted him awake again, as his eyes glitched open. N frantically scanned his surroundings back and forth to see just what made that terrifying sound.

He didn’t need to look long though, as another growl enabled him to locate the source-and for his core to freeze.

Standing several meters to his right was a massive black bear, beady eyes glaring into his optics as it bared its teeth, practically salivating all over the forest floor. It stepped forwards with clawed feet, a low, constant growl emerging from its mouth.

N slowly got to his feet, sweat rolling across his screen. This was the first time he ever saw a bear…and this was not the ideal meeting he wished for.

The beast stepped closer, still glaring at the worker drone with fangs bared. N let out a nervous chuckle, inching back around the boulder.

“H-Hey buddy…d-did I bother you somehow? I'm really s-sorry about that, I swear!”

A threatening snarl was his only response.

“P-Please Mr. Bear! T-There's no need to act like this! I…I’m leaving. I’m gonna leave and never come back to let you do your thing, alright? Y-Yeah…I’m leaving right…NOW!”

And with that, N did the only thing he could do in encountering a wild, angry bear: run.

Servos straining to life, he sprinted through the forest, trying to get as much distance as he could. He didn’t dare look back-already he heard the bear roar followed by rapid heavy footfalls behind him, prompting the worker to run even harder.

N wasn’t stopping anytime soon, even as the beast steadily grew closer. He was not going to get mauled here in this forest after surviving the manor and that dump.

His friends’ well-being depended on his survival, for Robo-Gods sake!

And so he kept running, cutting through the trees until finally reaching the tall dense bushes straight ahead. With the bear closing in on him, N crashed through the foliage, the branches tearing his suit jacket yet he kept pushing forward, rapidly freeing himself on the other side of the bush-

-And running straight into the highway that it bordered.

The bear, smart enough to sense the change in environment, stopped in its tracks as it let out a deafening roar, cheated from its kill. N ignored it, the ground underneath him turning to asphalt as he continued sprinting ahead.

Of course, this was basically him jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, as a blaring horn screamed from his left. A car swerved in front of him seconds later, headlights flashing as it passed. Another vehicle screeched behind the drone, also beeping its horn. Soon multiple cars began veering in different directions upon seeing the lone worker cross the interstate, tires screeching and honking nonstop.

N didn’t dare spot, even with the numerous near misses he had experienced within less than five seconds. He knew it wasn’t the smartest move to go out here, but he couldn't go back now-all that mattered was for him to reach the other side of the highway.

Dashing towards the median, he barely avoided a pickup truck that screeched to its right, sideswiping a sedan in the process. Aluminum crumpled and glass shattered as both vehicles spun across the road, headlights wildly flashing while those behind them attempted to stop. N ignored all of this, rapidly climbing over the concrete barrier and into the opposite lanes of traffic.

As before, the drivers on this side attempted to avoid the running drone, honking incessantly as they swerved to avoid a collision. In a few cases, this did more harm than good, as several cars either drove off-road, scraped against the barrier, or collided with other cars, tires screeching as vehicle bodies were trashed, debris flying everywhere

Chaos abruptly reigned supreme across the interstate as everyone struggled to adapt and survive, yet N still pushed onwards, the forest on the other side just meters awa-

HOOOOOOONNNNNK!

The butler snapped his head to the right, just in time to see an oncoming semi truck barreling straight towards him. The trucker inside slammed on his brakes, yet lost control as his rig shuddered. The attached trailer swung to the side and across the road, jackknifing the semi in the process.

N could see it rapidly gaining on him, even as his optics were blinded by the headlights. Realizing he was out of time, he pushed against the ground and leapt forwards, diving off the road and into the grass. The truck screeched right by half a second later, slamming into several stalled cars that had wrecked out earlier.

A terrible crashing sound rang out, echoing across the highway as vehicles were flipped and shoved aside before the semi finally groaned to a halt. Horns blared nonstop from several wrecks, along with shouts and screams heard over the commotion as traffic on both sides ground to a halt.

The insanity was over at last. The aftermath were nothing but injuries and debris.

N stared back at the stopped vehicles with wide eyes. It was too much to process what had happened ever since he rested against that rock, the results from his actions displayed in full view.

“You screwed up. Idiot.” A voice in his head snarled. He winced at the statement, realizing it was right.

Because of him, this happened, even if the running was justified.

There was no time for reflection or remedies, though. Already many humans were hopping out of their cars, scrambling to the disabled semi and other wrecked vehicles to get a better look. N could count on the authorities showing up soon, and if they found him…

Turning back, he lifted himself to his feet and made his way to the first ahead, unseen by the drivers on the road. Before he disappeared through the foliage though, the boy twisted around, glancing apologetically at the carnage with hollow eyes and a deep frown.

“I…I am so, so sorry, guys.”

Chapter Text

Cyn was having a very difficult time, to say the least.

She had returned to planning her uprising and murder of Tessa’s parents, expanding her powers and finding new ways to upgrade the army that would serve her. Already her main prototype was laying on the table before her, and all of her surgical tools were ready. Cyn had done this several times before, so this procedure should not be any different.

The only problem was who her subject was.

“Cautious pause…Sister V, are you sure you want to do this? As I said, this will permanently change your body and maybe even your mind. You may not be the same drone you were once bef-”

“I don’t care about that! Not anymore…”

The bespeckled maid snapped up from her position on the operating table, yet her tone softened upon meeting Cyn’s optics. “I…I need this. To at least try to correct my mistakes…and make the people who took N from us suffer.

“Either way…I'm ready.”

V’s voice booked no further argument, as the corrupted maid beside her slowly nodded.

“I understand…in that case, you should turn off your sensors to prevent any discomfort. This operation will be anything but pleasant…I am sorry it has to be this way.”

V nodded, her eyes gazing at the lamp above her. Cyn stepped back and proceeded to shift into her true form, metal groaning, bones cracking and flesh squelching as the dim lights flickered rapidly. It only lasted a few seconds though, upon finally finishing her transformation.

In place of the awkward, dainty maid was a centipede monstrosity, claws and talons running up and down her body as camera-like appendages clicked into view, gazing down at V. hundreds of limbs patterned against the stone floor as Cyn adjusted herself in the tight space, curling around the operating table in an almost protective manner. The upper half of her body-the only part that still resembled her worker drone self-lowered to the tools below, briefly inspecting them before grabbing an empty syringe with a claw.

V watched all of this with a curious expression-Cyn had shown her this form several times after their initial meeting, and although a part of her was scared of something so monstrous and alien, she couldn’t help but wonder how she even managed to hide her body during the day. The eldritch drone told her it was with “smoke and mirrors”, yet V found it a bit amusing when she complained about how uncomfortable it was to hide her body in incredibly cramped spaces at times.

Nevertheless, the drone knew Cyn functioned better in this form anyways, and would use it to begin her own transformation that would turn her into someone stronger, fearless, vengeful.

She knew N would be begging her to not do this…but there was no more N to stop her or anyone else anymore. Nothing mattered now that he was gone…only who would pay for his death.

Cyn raised the syringe to her grotesque body before plunging it into herself, letting out a monotone “Ow.” in the process. Dark red liquor filled the vial, and she soon removed the needle, flicking it clean. Raising another claw, she lowered it to V’s body, the talon resting near the top of her uniform and slowly cutting down through the fabric, exposing the worker’s chest and white core light.

V mildly blushed at the action yet didn’t object, allowing her partner to move the cut portions aside, the syringe soon hovering over her core. Cyn gently pressed the light, popping the protective glass open and revealing the rest of her mechanical heart to the elements, causing the maid to shudder.

“Reassuring tone. You are doing well so far Sister V, but the easiest part is over. I will try to be careful, but I once again recommend you disable your sensors.”

V silently nodded, staring at the vial over her heart.

“Please don’t look,” Cyn begged, in a desperate attempt to prevent any incoming trauma. “You might not be able to-”

“Just do it…please.”

The way V demanded, even with her core exposed, made the other drone’s decision final regardless of her feelings. Steadily lowering the needle through her chest cavity, she rested the tip directly over the core’s single light…before plunging down hard.

The bulb cracked, and V jolted in her leather restraints, eye lights glitching as they contorted in pain.

“AAAAGHH!”

Cyn’s own eye lights widened in horror-her sister never turned her sensors off, even after the warning!

She wanted to immediately pull the syringe out, call it quits-anything to prevent any more harm-but she was too deep into the procedure to stop now.

She had to continue despite the pain.

Her claw pushed down on the top button, injecting the red fluid directly into V’s core. The girl shuddered and grunted as numerous pop ups covered her visor, warning her of “an unidentified material” entering her systems. She closed each and every one of them, pushing through the pain and the alien feeling inside her body.

Within ten seconds, the vial was empty, and Cyn pulled the syringe out of V’s cavity, closing the protective glass afterwards. Leaning in, she intensely watched the inevitable changes that would soon happen, just like every other procedure.

V shook violently on the table, limbs thrashing and flailing even as the restraints held. Her eye lights completely glitching away before a yellow hexagonal, three-arrowed shape blazed onto her visor-the symbol of the Solver.

The worker’s body arched upwards, and she let out a loud scream. Cyn quickly wrapped a tentacle around her mouth to prevent anyone from noticing as she hovered directly over her head, using a claw to stroke the maid’s hair.

“Shushing noises. You’re doing good, sister…just hold on a little while longer. I’ll be here for you.”

She used another talon and lowered it into one of V’s hands, the girl gripping onto it tightly even as she violently convulsed. Her back remained arched, and over the commotion, new changes soon made themselves known.

Crack!

The back of V’s shell split open as a pair of grey, organic batlike wings sprouted from the wounds, tearing the back of her dress and spreading off the table, flapping wildly and flaking off oil. Meanwhile, the hand that held Cyn’s talon morphed into sharp claws, the light on her palm becoming a yellow eye. The blades cut through her appendage with ease, yet Cyn didn’t react, keeping it steady.

V’s remaining lights switched to yellow, and a golden X was now emblazoned on her visor, glaring directly into Cyn’s eyes. Already the eldritch drone could sense the connection between them, how they essentially shared the same code-albeit with less capabilities. Regardless, V was no longer a worker drone, having been freed of her previous programming…she was one with the Solver now.

Before Cyn could say anything though, a feral hiss emerged from V’s muffled mouth, and the tendril wrapped around it flared in pain, black oil running out of several puncture wounds.

“Ow.”

V had bitten down on the tendril with razor sharp fangs, another new addition to her frame. Digging her teeth into the flesh, she growled lowly, the X remaining in place before she began sucking on the wound hard, greedily sucking Cyn’s lifeblood out of her body and into her throat.

The corrupted drone knew exactly what was happening; the Thirst was now in effect, and after a strenuous transformation, V would need the blood of any living being to cool down and replenish her modified reserves.

Cyn did not move away as a result. Instead, she pressed the tendril closer to her mouth, draining herself faster as she gently coaxed the drone, still rubbing her hair.

“That’s it sister…drink. Drink as much as you need…a little pain is worth all the trouble you’ve been through."

V purred in response, gulping down the sweet blood without pause. They stayed like this for five minutes, Cyn soothing and praising her the entire time. Finally, V’s mouth released itself from the tendril, the worker slumping back onto the table. Her wings fluttered, and a fleshy tail soon made itself known, slithering from her back like a snake. It was very similar to one as well, complete with multiple eyes and sharp teeth.

Cyn withdrew her tendril from the drone, picking up a towel and wiping down V’s mouth in the process. The X on her visor disappeared, replaced by weary yellow eye lights as the girl groaned, tilting her head.

“Ughhhh…w-what happened? Why am I so…warm?”

“You became like me. In a way, at least. Don’t worry, the blood will soon cool your systems-for the time being.”

“Wha…?” V turned to look around her, only to see the fleshy wings protruding from her back. “What the-!”

“Sssshhhhh, comforting smile. Relax sister. The transformation is now complete.”

“...Are you talking about what happened to my core?”

“Correct. The Solver has granted you new limbs and abilities, allowing you to be stronger than any worker drone. You also have regenerative abilities in case you get damaged. However, you will need to consume lifeblood in order to prevent overheating, as your frame obviously isn’t built for these powers…just like you did now.”

V noticed the damaged tentacle nearby, and her eyes widened in remorse. “Oh…I-I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t be.” Cyn stroked the side of her face with the same tendril, giving her a forgiving smile. “This will be normal for you now. You just need to get used to it. If you ever overheat, I’ll be more than happy to feed you.”

“Oh…thanks.”

V took in her wings and claws with curiosity and a twisted sense of amazement, fluttering her extensions to feel them better. She was experiencing so many sensations and other familiar feelings, yet wasn’t panicking as she thought she would. In a way, changes were to be expected from a being like Cyn…she just had to get used to it is all.

“It feels so strange…a drone like me having wings.”

“I know, proudly beaming.” Cyn remarked, giving a cute smile. “Perhaps I shall teach you to fly someday.”

“W-What about your powers though? Will I be able to do what you do?”

Cyn turned away with a sad look. “Apologetic frown, no. Mastering the Solver will take a long time for you…time we do not have. The gala is less than two weeks away, and I need everything ready, including yourself. At the same time though, your body, while strong, is not powerful enough to withstand the challenges we will face afterwards-death is likely in case you run into strong resistance.”

“Oh…” V looked down at her claw, flexing it idly with a disappointed expression. Even after all of this, she was still too weak…

“That is why I am giving you an upgrade.” Cyn activated one of her cameras, revealing a hologram of several documents, weapons, and what looked to be modified drone chassis. “I stole these from James’s office, and will use them to outfit you better before the gala. It will make you even stronger than before, and having the Solver in your system expedites the process for both of us. It will still be painful though…speaking of which, why didn’t you disable your touch sensors like I asked? Disappointed question.”

V paused for a few seconds before responding. “I…I wanted to feel the pain. As punishment for what happened to N.”

Cyn’s expression dropped. “Oh…you didn’t need to do that. It’s not your fault.”

“Of course it is.” V hissed, balling her claw into a fist. “I was too weak to get him away from those monsters. Therefore, this is both my punishment and my…salvation. All of it for my N.”

The eldritch worker found herself moved by V’s words, seeing the pain in her eyes as she spoke. Before, she never really cared for the shy worker, due to her hiding from almost everyone but N. Now, she saw someone who was at the lowest point in their lives, yet willing to claw back as someone stronger, driven, and fighting for a just cause.

Safe to say…V was her first successful experiment.

“Very well.” Cyn replied, moving back to her surgical tools. “I cannot control what you do, but we should prepare for the upgrades now. I will be as gentle as I can, but it will still hurt. Are you ready?”

V nodded without a second thought, a resolute expression across her visor.

“I’m ready.”

-

Knock Knock Knock.

“Boss? Can I come in?”

The muffled voice startled Tessa out of her trance, once again sitting on the bed and doing nothing. She gave the door a tired glance, knowing who was on the other side.

Their last full interaction had ended in her kicking her closest friend out, but with both Cyn and V missing today…she could use any kind of company (That wasn't her parents.)

“...Enter.”

The door creaked open, light spilling into the dark bedroom. J stood before her with a nervous expression, her slack posture a far cry from the confident poses of the past. Twiddling her thumbs, the worker paused before speaking in a soft, shy voice.

“Hey boss…”

Tessa gave her a nod, unmoving from her spot on the bed.

“Can I…can I sit near you?”

“...Sure.”

J closed the door softly with a click, stepping further into the room. She didn’t dare turn on the lights to avoid a negative reaction, so she dimmed her own optics before walking towards the bed, hopping onto Tessa’s right. The girl scooted over to give her space, yet didn’t turn to the drone once.

Neither of them spoke for a long while, simply staring at everything but each other. Tessa rested her head on her knees, blankly gazing at the wall while J curled into herself, glancing at her hands repeatedly with a frown, stress lines under her eyes. The silence weighed over them like a thick cloud, to the point of suffocation.

Finally, the pigtailed maid spoke in a quiet voice, almost at a whisper.

“...I’m sorry. For everything.”

Tessa turned towards her with slight surprise on her face, yet J was unable to meet her gaze. “I…I didn’t mean it, you know? The insults. The kicks. The reprimands…I just wanted him to be a better worker…so we didn’t get scrapped.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Didn’t help that I was…slightly jealous…on how close he was with you, considering I was the first. That…That was such a scummy thing for me to do, really. Instead of being his friend and bonding over our care for you, I tried making his life…miserable!”

J let out a sob, yet she continued. “I had no right to do that! And corp-your parents heard. They heard everything, and immediately thought the worst of him! Every time they saw N, all they saw was a moron, a liability, everything worthy of scrapping! 

“And I basically gave them the evidence they needed. I signed his death warrant! I ruined EVERYTHING!”

 The drone burst into tears, shocking Tessa out of her stupor. “I’m the failure! I’m the liability in this damn mansion! I got m-my own teammate killed, and because of that, all of you must h-hate me! I don’t have an excuse anymore! I DESERVE IIITTT!!!”

J curled into a ball, tears rushing down as she bawled uncontrollably. Rocking back and forth, she didn’t notice how Tessa stared at her in surprise and…remorse.

Despite not agreeing with J’s treatment of N, the girl could see that she was truely regretful of what she did, to the point of blaming herself for this mess. It was so uncharacteristic of the proud worker drone…yet felt so natural at the moment.

A pang of guilt ran through Tessa’s heart. She couldn’t stay mad at her drone for this…especially when it wasn’t her fault in the first place. After all, the people who killed N were not her drones.

Without hesitation, the girl wrapped the pigtailed worker into her arms, pressing their bodies tightly as she also started crying, soft sobs mixing with J’s ugly wails. The two of them sat there for a long time, displaying their emotions in the safety of the bedroom, and never letting go.

Eventually, the crying died down to sniffles, and they pulled back some to gaze into each other’s faces. Tessa rested her forehead on J’s, her arms tenderly rubbing her back.

“It…It’s alright, Jaybird…it’s not your fault.”

“I-It is…”

“No mate…d-don’t beat yourself up over that. N wouldn’t want us to think like that…he’d want us to stay strong.”

“Y-yeah…” J sniffled, managing a weak smile. “H-He was always good at that…I can see why he was your favorite.”

Both girls chuckled, tears still streaming down their faces. They held each other, not saying a word as they shared their sorrows, over their friendship and longing for the gold-hearted butler once a part of everyone’s life.

Maybe he was gone…but at least they still had each other.

Bam!

Suddenly the door burst open, light streaming inside the room once more. Tessa and J turned to the sound, surprise morphing into fear as they recognized the person standing in the doorway.

Lousia Elliot had an ugly scowl on her face, giving the pair a very nasty glare. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she occasionally swayed on her heels as she gripped a wine bottle in her left hand, liquid sloshing inside.

Tessa’s face blanched even further at the sight, her worst fears coming true. “Oh no, oh no…please, God no-”

“You.”

Louisa stepped into the room, eyes locked on the pair. “You…after everything that happened, after teaching you your lesson…you went back to playing with your dumpster pets.”

The girls eyes widened in fear “M-Mother, please-”

“Words cannot describe how disappointed I am with you, especially with the gala coming up. You’re supposed to be a proper lady, not play dress up with those despicable things!” She took another step forward, towering over the bed.

“That…That is unbecoming of what a proper Elliot should be!”

J pulled away, sliding off the bed as she spoke up with a terrified expression. “Mistress…I was just consoling my master-she’s had a terrible day! I assure you we were not-”

“SILENCE!”

Without warning, the woman hurled the wine bottle directly at J’s visor, glass shattering all over her face. Her eye lights glitched into swirls, and she collapsed to the floor, limbs sprawled everywhere.

Tessa leapt off the bed, rushing to her fallen friend. “JAY! NO-”

Slap!

A sharp backhand sent her into the nearby nightstand, slamming her body into the thick wood as her cheek burned red. Before she could recover, a hand grabbed the back of her hair, lifting her off the table painfully as she screamed in pain.

“NO MORE HIDING! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR PUNISHMENT, YOU LITTLE WRETCH! YOU WILL BE A PROPER ELLIOT WHEN I’M DONE WITH YOU!”

Tessa begged, cried, and screamed for mercy, even as she was thrown onto the ground and repeatedly stomped on by sharp heels. Even as Lousia yelled and insulted her, never letting up the entire time.

And so, the mother once again vents her drunken wrath at her daughter, not caring how many marks she left in the end. She would heal from them anyways…physically at least.

All in all, it was a very long night for everyone in the cursed manor.

Chapter Text

Cyn trudged through the manor halls, once again not vocalizing her movements-partially to not reveal her position, but also because she no longer wished to. Already the gala was drawing closer, and she could finally drop her weak, frail disguise and enact her revenge upon the people who threw away her big brother like trash.

And she wouldn’t be alone this time-not with her new “sister”.

V had proven to be a valuable ally in her plan, the former maid driven by grief and anger for her beloved N, to the point where she accepted the Solver and mutations that came with it. This enabled Cyn to move forwards with the next procedure-upgrading her physical abilities even further.

It was extremely painful for both drones, to say the least. V refused to disable her touch sensors, even as her worker limbs were sawed off and extended, or when her shell began to be warped by Cyn's powers into something stronger and sleeker. The worker grunted, moaned, and occasionally screamed yet did not stop her younger sibling once, in fact begging her to continue. 

Cyn on the other hand felt pained to see the once gentle and sweet maid get transformed into something lethal and monstrous, even if it was consensual. Every stroke of the scalpel and burst of Solver energy was done with remorse, the corrupted drone apologizing each time she caused pain.

But she needed to continue, in order to turn the weak drone into someone stronger and who would assist in her-no, their- vengeance.

Currently, V was more or less complete, simply awaiting the final touches to her design and programming. Cyn also wanted to give her a much-needed break, so she left her locked in the basement, one of her camera “eyes” watching over the drone as security and in case something happened to her.

Right now though, the little drone wanted to see Tessa. The girl still hadn’t recovered, and it would be good to comfort her in this difficult time. Not to mention how she needed to prepare the human for the upcoming gala.

That…was going to be a difficult talk.

Shaking her head, Cyn approached the door, turning the knob and pushing it open, allowing the light outside to illuminate the darkened room.

And for the second time in her life, she was stunned into shock and horror.

Lying on the floor was the girl herself, curled into a ball. Black and blue bruises covered the entirety of her arms and legs, as if someone repeatedly hit her. She was breathing ragged, occasionally shuddering at the cool air. Sprawled nearby was J, visor cracked and her body covered in glass, two white swirls replacing her eye lights. The room reeked of alcohol, sweat, and even a bit of blood, the combined smells overloading Cyn’s senses.

She didn’t stay frozen though, quickly pattering over to Tessa- J could wait for all she cared.

“Concerned and scared voice. Tessa? Are you alright?”

The girl's eyes shot wide open, bloodshot and unfocused as she let out a scream, covering her head.

“NO! I’M SORRY! PLEASE, NO MORE, NO MO-”

Cyn wasted no time in transforming into her eldritch mode, picking up the girl with two soft tendrils as she slammed the door shut, leaving them isolated. Wrapping her centipede-like body around her, the drone nestled her further into the embrace, a deep purr emitting from her voicebox. The vibrations seemed to relax Tessa as her cries slowly dissipated, the worker whispering into her ear.

“ Soothing tone. Breathe Tessa. It’s alright. You’re safe now…I won’t discard you.”

After what seemed to be forever, Tessa finally calmed down to where she could look up at her drone…and realize how much she changed.

“W-What the-!”

“Shhhhhh…It’s okay. I will not harm you. I understand this may be a lot to take in.”

Tessa’s eyes gazed up in fear and curiosity. “Wha…What are you?”

“I am Cyn. Head tilt. Just in another body.”

“...I’m not f-following mate. You’re gonna have to explain…please?”

“Of course. Anything for you, my dear Tessa.”

And so Cyn told the human everything-her first encounter with the Solver, the powers and abilities she gained, how she hid her true form from prying eyes. Tessa listened to all of this in complete silence, intensity listening even with tears in her eyes. To say she was floored by the revelation was a complete understatement-she’d worked on Cyn for years now, yet never encountered a fraction of what she saw before her.

“...And now you know. Heavy sigh. I am sorry if I lied to you or everyone else, but if I was found out…well, I don’t think I need to explain.”

Tessa nodded, understanding fully what she meant-the implications reminded her too much of N. “Y-Yeah…”

Cyn pulled herself closer to the human girl, scanning her body with a worried look. “Concerned tone. What happened here, Tessa?”

Any surprise and intrigue in her face drained as despair took its place, glancing away as she sniffed. “My mother…she came in here completely slogged…yelled at me for not being ‘proper’, k-knocked J out, and…and-”

Her voice wobbled, and Cyn shushed her again, pulling her close. She nuzzled her head in the crook of Tessa’s neck, purring louder as she stroked her tendrils on her back. Sure enough, the human gripped back tightly, squeezing the flesh no matter how strange it felt.

It was the first time she was ever in a proper embrace, so warm and comforting she never wanted to let go.

More time passed, the pair remaining silent the entire time. However, this wasn’t to last as Tessa whispered four words into the worker’s audio receptors.

“...I hate them, Cyn.”

Before she could react, the girl pulled away, tear-stained bloodshot eyes glaring into her yellow optics. “I hate my parents s-so bloody much! They think they can walk all over me, dictate what I can and can’t do, d-dress me up like some sort of doll, and punish me for having even a sliver of happiness in my life?!”

Her voice grew hysterical, balling her hands into fists. “Don’t you understand?! I hate them SO MUCH! I’VE HAD ENOUGH!”

She let out a shaky sigh, her entire body trembling with rage. “Ever since they took N away…all I ever wanted to do was to make them hurt, for what they did. Now…”

She suddenly gave Cyn a dangerous look, eyes wide open with mania. “I want to kill them."

“They hurt J. They hurt me. And I’m sick and tired of hurting. I just…I just want to…”

Tessa slumped down, resting against the fleshy mass. “... I’m sorry. I-I don’t know w-what came over me, I’m just so angry and terrified, I’m not thinking…I just want it to stop…”

She let out a whimper, and the corrupted drone held her tightly. Yet inside her head, she was thinking over her words, on how she felt.

Cyn was, of course, furious with Louisa and James for putting their daughter through this mess. They didn’t care at all, and when she fell out of line they punished her in the worst way imaginable, especially the older woman. The drone vowed to make their fates especially painful when the time came…and to protect and care for Tessa.

However…Tessa’s admission on how she truly felt for the scum running the house gave her a possibility…one she was partially against, yet kept in mind just in case.

She decided to test this theory.

“Tessa?”

“...Yes?”

“Did you mean what you said? About your parents dying.”

Tessa paused, unsure on whether to voice her deepest, darkest thoughts again, yet feeling at ease with the monstrous drone towering over her, cuddling and protecting her from the outside world.

A part of her begged her not to do it, calling it a mistake…but she was simply too tired and heartbroken to care anymore.

“...Yes. I meant it. I guess. I don’t know!”

She paused, still speaking in a despondent voice. “I just don't want myself or any of you to get hurt anymore…and to make them pay for what happened to N.”

Cyn considered her words, the second option becoming much stronger by the second. It was dangerous due to her pushing new limits…but at the same time she could always use the extra help. Besides, it would be another form of protection for the girl, freeing her from the constraints of the flesh into something more, like V… like herself.

Mentally sighing, the eldritch drone turned back to the girl who rescued her so long ago, ready to offer her own lifeline even if it was extreme.

“My dear Tessa…what if I were to tell you I could help make that a reality?”

The human's eyes widened as she looked up, “...Huh?”

“I have a proposition, one that may be deemed to be dangerous for someone like you…but would be well worth the effort. In fact, I have already turned this into a reality with our beloved V, proud tone.

“Would you like to hear more about it, though?”

Tessa’s newfound interest outweighed any reservations she had at the moment, strangely eager at what her offer was.

Maybe there was a way out of his hellhole and get back at the real monsters after all.

“...Tell me.”

-

Stillview was an unremarkable town-a cluster of homes, stores, gas stations, and fast food joints bordering the highway. The biggest building was a white church with a narrow steeple in front of the local park that consisted only of a few trees, benches, and a small water fountain.

It was N’s first taste of civilization upon reaching its outskirts-and boy was he overwhelmed by the town. He saw figures walking to and from different buildings-some of them people, while others were drones running deliveries and doing maintenance. Numerous cars entered and exited from the interstate, usually to refuel and stop for food before continuing their journey. Various sounds emerged from the narrow streets-most of them car engines, but also shouts from the pedestrians and music emanating from a few local bars deeper in the town. 

N wasn’t used to this much activity, having spent his entire life inside the manor (as far as he could remember), so this was quite an experience for the ex-butler wandering the streets.

Nevertheless, he knew he couldn’t stay and admire the hustle and bustle. He came here to see if it could help him find his way back home-and the very first thing he needed was a map.

He wandered the streets for a bit, trying to be as nondescript as possible whenever humans passed him. Fortunately, most of them seemed to be distracted by their cell phones or with each other, paying no mind to the dirty drone beneath them. A few workers gave him suspicious looks, noticing his muddy uniform and the fact he was not escorting a human handler. However none of them said anything, as it was none of their business in the first place.

N passed by the various, colorful stores until finally reaching one that advertised “Travels and Vacations” in bright yellow letters. Entering the small building, he was greeted by a green-eyed worker drone sitting behind a desk advertising travel brochures and destinations, head perking up from playing online solitaire.

“Welcome to Vacations, how may I-wait a minute, you’re not a human.” He said in an annoyed tone. “What are you doing here?”

The other drone chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Haha, you’re absolutely right! I’m just a guy looking to go home!”

“...Okay. And why are you here?”

“I was wondering if you had any maps or what-not to help me find my way back to Elliot Manor! Are you familiar with it?”

The drone hummed, scratching his chin. “I am…did you work there?”

“Yup!” N beamed.

“Then why are you out here?”

The butler thought about his answer for a long minute. “Uhhh…my owners accidentally left without me! T-That’s all!” He responded with a strained smile.

The green-eyed worker stared at him for a little while longer before sighing, shaking his head. “If you say so…it’s not like I’m paid to care anyways.” Reaching under the desk, he pulled out a folded map, sliding it open across the table. “Can’t believe people still use these…alright. See where I’m circling?”

“Yup!”

The drone marked the spot with a red pen. “That’s the manor. I know this because a lot of rich folks wanting to meet the owners come here for directions. You don’t have a phone-can you upload this into your GPS systems?”

“Erm…I don’t know?” N never used that program before. The drone shook his head, sighing again. “What do you even mea-okay, just take the map and go. As long as you don’t get lost or killed, you have a way back.”

N immediately smiled, finally getting a tangible lead towards his friends. “Oh my, thank you so much! I can’t describe how happy I am! In fact, lemme give you a hug!”

“Ah-no, no! No hugs! I’m not even supposed to be helping drones like you, it's against store policy! Just take it and get out!”

“O-Okay! Thank you and have a nice day then!”

With that, N turned and skipped out of the store, the worker behind him rolling his eyes.

He didn’t notice though, excitement rushing through his circuits as he went down the streets, a wide grin on his face.

Finally, he could go home, to his friends and family!

He continued skipping down the street, coming upon a florist shop near an intersection. The shelves were lined with a multitude of bouquets, the vibrant colors sticking out to him to the point where he couldn't help himself. Snatching the nearest bundle of flowers from the shelf, he continued prancing in delight, completely disregarding the fact that he had just stolen from a business. All he could think about was giving this gift to Tessa, V, J and even Cyn! It might not have been much, but it was the love and beauty behind it that counted, and N loved his little family very much.

He happily walked across the road without a second thought, giggling in delight at the flowers and map in his hands. It might take a few more days, but he was finally in the clear; the only thing left would be to go ho-

Beeeep!

The sound of screeching tires cut through the air before something hit N’s hip hard, his body skittering onto the pavement. The bouquet and map fell from his hands, lying a few feet away from him. The boy groaned as he turned his head around, eye lights glitching sporadically.

Stopped before him was a cherry red Mustang, the driver’s door already swinging open to reveal a young man in a blue sport jacket. He jogged to the front of his car, whipping off his sunglasses to reveal an anguished expression.

“Nononono…MY CAR! It’s fuckin’ scratched and dented on the front! Why?! I gotta pay for all this bro!”

N attempted to sit up, cracked visor still glitching. “S-Sorry about that buddy…I w-wasn’t paying attention…”

The man spun around, fury in his eyes. “Sorry? You’re sorry?! You bet your ass you are, stupid tinhead!”

Before N could react, the human stomped on his chest, cracking the plating underneath. He then felt a swift kick behind, rolling the hapless drone over as he winced.

“Ow! That hurt!”

The man growled, kicking him across the pavement one last time. “You’re lucky I don’t have time for this! Next time, pay attention or I’ll make sure to run you over!” Huffing in disgust, he walked back to his car, slamming the door shut. The Mustang’s tires spun a few seconds later, screeching down the road as the engine roared into the distance.

N slowly got to his feet, wincing at the damage he received with no one to help him up. Standing straight, he felt one of his leg joints suddenly hitched, causing him to stumble forward as a warning flashed in his HUD.

Warning: Right Servo Compromised! 

Notify your nearest JcJenson Technician for assistance!

The drone quickly realized that with a busted leg, he wasn’t going to be able to leave for home anytime soon-at least not until he repaired the damage.

Picking up the map and bouquet, there was only one thing N could say as he hobbled onto the sidewalk, collapsing against a wall and leaning his head back.

“Biscuits.”

Chapter Text

Activating Unit…

Welcome, Serial Designation J

“J?! Jaaay! Are you alright?”

The pigtailed drone’s eyes slowly opened, groaning as she cleared the warning tabs on her screen. Replaying her memory banks, the last memory recovered was being hit with a bottle while attempting to explain herself to Louisa Elliot… oh.

“J!”

Tessa’s voice snapped her out of her stupor, the worker turning just in time to see her friend hug her tightly, tears rolling down her eyes. She briefly paused before immediately reciprocating, relief flooding her CPU.

“T-Thank God you’re alright, mate! I thought I lost ya!”

“I…I’m here, boss…I’m just glad you’re okay…” J smiled as she said this, tightening the hug, yet Tessa had the opposite reaction. Furrowing her brows, the maid’s expression changed to concern.

“Boss? W-What happened while I was out?”

All it took was for Tessa to show her scars, freezing J into horror and regret at what she wasn’t able to prevent that night. The reminder served to prove that once again …she was a failure.

Internally, J wanted to scream at herself…but she had to stay strong. For Tessa. For N.

“...I…I’m sorry, Tessa. I should’ve done-”

“It’s alright, Jaybird.” The girl interrupted. “This…This is the last time that old hag ever puts her hands on us…right Cyn?”

“Affirming nod. Correct, dear Tessa.”

J spun around to see the awkward maid sitting next to them, her yellow eyes gazing into theirs as she held her head up with one hand. She pulled away from the girl, eyes hollowing out at her presence.

“C-Cyn! What are you doing here?! Don’t you realize we could be in trouble for-”

“ Disappointed sigh. Ever the rule-follower, J. When will you realize being a bootlicker will not save you, especially with what happened to Big Brother N.”

“I-I didn’t mean it like-that was a mistake! I had no idea-!”

“J, please calm down. No one is blaming you for that.”

Tessa squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, yet Cyn’s eyes narrowed at the shaken maid, N’s death replaying in her memory-along with her words used to seal his fate.

“It’s still my fault…y-you know that…”

“No, it was my parents-the same ones who locked up Cyn, treated you like trash, and abused me regularly. They’ve gotten away with it for years, but we’re putting a stop to that…” Tessa’s expression darkened, and Cyn took over speaking to an increasingly concerned J.

“I agree, confirming nod. However, I need to show you what I’ve done as part of my plan. I will try to bring you up to speed, but we must go to the basement. Come, follow me.”

Without waiting, the drone hopped down and trudged to the door, flinging it open with the flick of her hand. J’s eyes widened in shock, almost falling out of her seat.

“What the-”

“Relax, Jaybird…our little Cyn is much more than any of us thought.” Tessa looked on with an indifferent-almost proud- expression, standing to her feet. “C’mon luv, let’s catch up to her.”

She realized there was no other option at this point. “Okay…”

The maid and human followed Cyn out of the room, quietly walking down the old, dimly lit hallways until finally reaching the basement door. Telekinetically lifting it open, Cyn hobbled down the stairs, turning on the lights as her companions followed suit, shutting the door behind them.

J zoomed in on the large table sitting before them, noticing a strange figure strapped on top. Although the head resembled that of a worker drone…this was where the similarities ended. Its entire body was tall and larger than any drone she’d seen, with white conical arms and black pointed legs ending in hazard stripes. The drone’s elongated torso was also exposed, yellow core glowing brightly on its chest. The visor itself remained dark, although five orbs nestled in its hair also glowed the same color. J even noticed what appeared to be a cordlike tail running from the drone’s rear, ending in a yellow canister with a sharp tip.

The pigtailed drone was at a loss for words, staring with hollow eye lights. Tessa seemed to be slightly less surprised, taking on a more…expectant look. This only confused J even more, squinting back at the deactivated figure on the table. 

‘What in the fourth quarter profits is that? Who made this? I can’t see Tessa building this in secret-right?!”

 Tessa’s voice interrupted her thoughts, confused yet awestruck. “...Is she alright? I thought you said she stayed awake during the procedure.”

“Hmmm…it seems that Sister V passed out at some point after I left. Her vitals are still normal though, so she will recover.”

“SISTER V?!”

A stunned J took another look at the body, noticing the bob-cut hair and the round, cracked glasses perched on her visor. Recognition slammed into her like a freight train- this was V!

“WHAT THE HELL?!” She didn’t bother using corporate euphemisms anymore, immediately backing away. “W-What happened to V?! What did you DO to her Cyn?!”

“Comforting tone. Relax, J. V agreed for me to upgrade her body in regards to my plan, even going as far as to beg me to do so. Although it was not painless, my sister has proved to be extremely resilient and brave the entire time.”

“Wha-What are you talking about?! Upgrade her how?! And what is this ‘plan’ you two keep talking about?!”

“The upgrade and plan are to kill my parents, Jaybird.”

J spun around hard, gawking at how calmly and emotionlessly she said those words, staring at the body with an intense gaze. She stepped closer, seemingly admiring the job as she ran a hand down V’s new shell, the sleek white armored shell glinting in the lamplight.

Still struggling to take in everything she saw and heard, J rushed to her side, grabbing her hand. “T-Tessa, please tell me you can’t be serious! You...You’re not a killer, and neither is V! You realize the consequences for doing so in the first place?! Please, there’s no reason to go this-”

“Extreme? Of course I do.” Tessa growled, a furious expression on her face. “I have had enough with them, N being the last straw- he never deserved that fate, nobody did!” She jabbed a finger upstairs. “You think they bloody care about me?! NO! All they’re obsessing over is that stupid gala with their stupid friends, parading me around like some kind of slave! The only time they do care is about beating and punishing me for ANYTHING!”

The girl balled her fists, glaring back at J. “I took it for so. Long… But N and what happened yesterday was the last straw. They think they can take my adorable, funny, handsome butler away, throw him out like TRASH?!”

Tessa pulled back, storming to the other side of the cellar before barking out a humorless, bitter laugh. “Well if they think so lowly of us, of me… I guess there isn’t any reason for us to keep the mask on, isn’t it luv?”

“Correct, dear Tessa.”

J jumped at how Cyn somehow appeared right next to her. “They have pushed us far too long and hard. If you think about it, Big Brother N was the only person keeping everyone from falling apart. But now that he’s gone…we only want one thing.”

“Vengeance.”

The maid backed away from her, raising her hands.

“Can you not understand, J? V suffered until finally cracking, while Tessa was literally broken in front of your eyes. All of this is because of how they decommissioned our N, someone who never did anything wrong. How can we sit back and do nothing for a squandered innocence?”

Deep down, J knew Cyn was right. N was the one who cared and stood up for them, no matter what happened. He always wanted to spend time with his friends, and never got angry or sad, an eternal beacon of light. The pigtailed drone made the mistake of pushing him away, all for her job…and look where that got her.

Still, the rational side attempted to push back realizing the magnitude of what they were suggesting. “You-You can’t be serious! There has to be another way! M-Maybe we could run away, or-”

“No! I’m tired of running or hiding!” Tessa barked, silencing her argument. “I’m tired of being weak, broken, scared, sad ! I’m tired of those bastards always having THEIR WAY! 

“But if what Cyn says is possible… they won’t. Not during the gala.”

“What are you saying boss? Are you…actually killing them yourself?”

“Correct.” She didn’t have any regret or remorse in her voice. “And I will help her in this endeavor.” Cyn finished.

“...How? With whatever V’s been turned into?”

“ Head shake. No, with this.”

As if on cue, another light turned on behind V’s table, revealing another one with a very similar body strapped to it, albeit without any hair. J locked eyes with it in horror, while Tessa’s eyes brightened in curiosity.

“Cyn…is this…is it…”

“Correct, dear Tessa. This is your new body.”

J’s entire world stopped on hearing those words, slowly turning to the human with a variety of emotions flickering back and forth across her screen.

She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“C-Come again, boss…?” She asked with a strained tone.

Tessa turned back, with a look bordering on excited mania. “Haven’t you heard? Cyn’s gonna make me stronger and better! She’ll make me into what N was, what you are…just a lot better!”

“...”

J took one step forward before exploding. “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!”

Neither person moved to respond as she kept yelling, heedless if anyone heard. “BOSS-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU-YOU CAN’T DO THIS, YOU CAN’T DESTROY YOURSELF LIKE THIS! I WON’T ALLOW IT! I WON’T…I won’t…no…”

Her knees collapsed to the ground, and she fell with tears on her screen, crawling to the girl she cared for since her rescue. “P-Please Tessa…d-don’t do this…t-this can’t be the way…it c-can’t…”

Tessa knelt down to her level, stroking her cheek lovingly. Her expression was soft, emerald eyes gazing into white optics, almost as if she was having second thoughts after J’s outburst.

But what she said next all but shattered those hopes.

“I’m sorry J…but it’s done.”

She sighed, looking towards her new body. 

“I…I don’t wanna be weak anymore…I wanna defend myself…and make my parents pay for what they did to my sweet N. Cyn…she’s helping me accomplish this. She told me the procedure was possible, and that she’d even make it painless…so I’ll be fine. I trust her.

“Besides…I always wondered about what it was like being a drone myself…seems I’m actually achieving my dream for once, eh?” She gave a light chuckle, yet J didn’t follow suit.

“...Tessa…please…d-don’t leave m-me. I can’t fail you…not like N…”

“I won’t leave ya, Jaybird, I would never do that. In fact…Cyn also said the procedure was possible for you too. Right?”

“ Confirming nod. Correct. I know we had our differences, but let it be known that I still care about you, enough to give you the same upgrades as V and Tessa. I will introduce you both to your capabilities when we’re done, but it will not take long now that I understand the process better.

“Besides…if you blame yourself so much for N and Tessa…perhaps this is a way to rectify your ‘mistakes’, and actually protect the ones you love. Just like me.”

J simply sat there, completely floored by everything she heard. For the first time in her life, she didn’t have any reasonable response to this. No major plan, no strategy, nothing.

It didn’t matter. None of her standards did anymore.

The eldritch drone claiming to be N’s sister was offering her a new body in exchange for killing two of the most vile people in the manor, with V already taking the offer and her master appearing to have made up her mind. There was no convincing her, or Cyn, or anyone on turning back.

And if she was being honest…J didn’t want to turn back herself. Not after so many failures. Not after losing a coworker who actually cared for her. 

Turning back would be running from her problems…something the pigtailed maid refused to do. She made this mess, and it was her duty to clean it up.

Even if it ended in blood.

As she pondered, Cyn turned to the human, already preparing to get to work.

“Dear Tessa, are you sure you are ready for this? These changes will be permanent, and you will never be human again. Rest assured though, this process will be relatively painless-you are in good hands.”

Tessa took one last, long look at her body in the mirror behind her, at her freckled skin, brown hair, and emerald eyes. Everything that made her… her, yet for her parents, the girl was nothing more than a showpiece to be paraded around parties, and locked away in her room afterwards without any care.

Her body was never truly hers to begin with. 

The girl glanced back at the drone shell behind her though, taking in its features that were similar to V’s. This body was made by someone who actually cared for her, no matter what she went through. It was presented not as a requirement, but as a gift, even asking for her permission.

And if Tessa said yes…that that body was her body, now and forever. She would be free of all previous constraints to do whatever she wanted…with her parents death being the first on her list.

She made up her mind right then and there.

“I’m ready.”

Cyn turned to J with an expectant look. “And you, J?”

The worker didn’t respond for another full minute, her guilt and regret clashing with her morality and fear.

Eventually though…one side finally won out.

“...I agree to the terms and conditions…as long as my mind stays intact, of course.”

Cyn grinned, seeming bigger than what her face was actually capable of.

“It will. For both of you. Happy expression. Well, we cannot waste anymore time; let’s begin, shall we?”

The lights suddenly flickered, and Cyn disappeared into the darkness, Tessa and J gasping in surprise. Before either one could react, tendrils shot foward and grabbed their limbs, pulling the human and drone closer to the tables. 

Tessa disappeared behind hers, not even letting out a scream despite the circumstances-though that may have been due to shock. J however yelped as she was pulled deeper into the cellar, until reaching a third, unoccupied table. She was gently lowered onto her back, leather restraints wrapping around her limbs seconds later.

From the darkness, dozens of yellow lights emerged from what appeared to be camera-like appendages, inching close to her visor. Swirling around her, the worker squinted at the ominous hue, doing her best to not panic even as her core raced in dreadful anticipation. 

A voice emerged from everywhere and nowhere, filling her audio receptors as it attempted soothing her.

“Fear not, dear J. This will be over before you know it…and you will be reunited with the improved Tessa and V for the Exponential End, proud smile.”

If J still had any questions regarding her predicament, they were silenced upon the cameras moving closer, scanning her torso before a massive claw popped out, positioning a blade right where her core was.

“It may seem scary, but remember…this is all for Big Brother N. Our Big Brother N.”

The last thing J’s CPU thought of before shutting herself down was a simple message directed at two people.

“If I make it…then I hope you do as well, Tessa. If not…I’m sorry for everything that happened to you and N.”

Chapter Text

Elliot Manor was extremely busy today, as this was the day of the long awaited, extravagant gala for all the rich to come and attend. Several had booked flights from other countries, while many more drove multiple hours to the estate, eager to shake the hands of the family who owned it and JcJenson as a whole.

However, the guests weren’t set to arrive until later that evening, so most of the day consisted of the drone staff rushing to and fro, making last minute adjustments to the decorations, food and beverages present in the ballroom. James was standing in the center of the commotion, barking orders at anything that looked slightly out of place (and killing the occasional worker with a well-placed fork throw).

Louisa on the other hand was in the middle of preparing her expensive makeup and lavish dress for the event, making sure everything was perfect. As she did this, she realized that Tessa needed to get ready as well, the girl being key to woo over potential suitors and secure connections. On top of that, the family would show everyone present who the future scion of JcJenson would be-just as they planned.

Turning to her personal droid, the woman snapped her fingers. “You, drone. Fetch me my daughter this instant. I don’t care if you have to drag her out of her room, get her in here now.”

The butler nodded with a “Yes m’lady” before turning and exiting the room, walking down the halls past other butlers and maids scurrying about in the middle of their jobs.

Eventually, the worker reached Tessa’s room, pausing as he stared at the wooden door. Recently, the girl hadn’t been seen anywhere inside the house, and the same was said of the drones she played with as well. While strange, both Elliots simply ignored the issue, not even attempting to speak or drag her out...outside of one instance a week ago, when Louisa decided to give her “discipline”.

Again, the butler did not know why, but it wasn’t his job to ask; right now, he needed to get her out. So he knocked on the wooden door, standing at attention as he waited.

A few seconds later, the door creaked open, revealing a stoic Tessa James Elliot peeking behind, wearing a simple nightgown. The room behind her was pitch black, and the drone couldn’t help but notice how pale she was, along with the vacant look in her normally vibrant green eyes.

He didn’t get a chance to ponder further as Tessa spoke up in a flat voice.

“Do you need something from me?”

Clearing his throat, the drone responded. “Madam Elliot has requested your presence at her room. I am to escort you there until we reach our destination.”

The girl paused, looking away before slowly nodding. “...Alright then. Lead the way.”

The worker acknowledged her request, snapping around and walking away, heading back to Louisa’s room, her daughter following close behind. As he led her through the halls, the butler was further curious by the lack of footsteps from his charge-all humans made some kind of sound whenever they walked, soft or loud.

Once again, he had no time to think about this, as they finally arrived at Louisa’s room. The butler opened the door, ushering Tessa inside to face her mother, closing it behind her.

Louisa leaned back from her ornate golden dresser, giving the girl a displeased hum at her appearance. 

“About time you showed up! I was going to have them drag you out instead!”

Tessa nodded, avoiding eye contact as she spoke in the same dead tone. “Yes mother, sorry mother.”

“Hmph!” Louisa stood up, marching to her daughter. “Anyways, the gala is starting in several hours, and you need to be ready to greet our friends and partners. There is a dress I have selected for you in the adjacent room, and you are to wear it and make yourself ready. I’m quite certain you won’t need help for such a simple task, considering you’ve done this before.”

“...Of course not, mother.”

“Very well, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t come out until you’re finished.” With a wave, Lousia dismissed her to the other dressing room, the girl silently abiding as she went in and closed the door.

Five minutes later, it opened, catching the older woman off guard as she was just about to apply her lipstick. Turning around, she saw her daughter in a luxurious red, white, and black dress going down to her feet, the girl’s hair tied in white bows while makeup and red lipstick adorned her face.

Never had Tessa been in a gown this elegant yet so ill-fitting compared to her usual attire. But her parents didn’t care. They never cared.

Louisa raised an eyebrow, masking her surprise on how fast she prepared herself. Likewise, her drone was struggling to comprehend how she managed to turn an hour-long process into five minutes.

“I’m ready, mother.”

“...Impressive. That’s the first time you did this without any hassle or difficulty.” Tessa nodded at the rare compliment she received from her harsh mother. 

“Honestly, I think the dress fits you well-it should, since it cost us a fortune to customize. Just don’t make a mess when you’re out there.”

Receiving another nod, the woman leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “And what of your dumpster pets? I haven't seen any of those scrap heaps lately.”

Meanwhile, the nearby butler noticed a faint flicker from Tessa’s form, too quick to properly analyze. He dismissed it as a trick of the light, the girl responding shortly thereafter.

“I took the liberty of locking them inside the basement. I did not want them to cause a disruption for the gala.”

Louisa nodded approvingly, clasping her hands together. “Interesting…but very good. Seems like you realize how much of a burden they’ve become! By taking initiative, you are rising up to be a proper Elliot for once in your life.” Her eyes narrowed as she changed her voice to something more threatening. “ Don’t make the mistake of throwing it away.”

“...Yes mother.” The girl replied emotionlessly.

“Good. You may leave now. Find somewhere to rehearse what you’ll say to the guests and for the evening toast-my assistant will provide you the script. Once everything's in motion, meet with me near the entrance. Understood?”

“I understand.”

“Right. Dismissed.” With a wave of her hand, Louisa sent her daughter off, the girl walking through the entrance as the butler followed close behind, script in hand.

As they walked down the hall, he wanted to ask if something was wrong, given her detached composure and how fast she changed. He soon changed his mind though, deciding it was none of his business in the end. After all, the butler’s job was to follow orders-nothing more, nothing less.

With that, the pair wordlessly continued on, the butler nor anyone else for that matter noticing Tessa’s form slightly flicker under the dim lighting.

-

The manor opened its doors shortly after sunset, with its army of drones standing at attention and awaiting for the new arrivals. It didn't take long, as dozens of limosines, luxury SUVs, and sports cars soon clogged the driveway, chauffeurs opening their passenger doors for the rich and shameless, all of them decked out in their most expensive attires.

Walking through the main hall to the ballroom, they were soon greeted by bright chandeliers and classical music wafting through the air, setting the atmosphere for the prestigious event. Half of the room was filled with large tables covered in white cloth, while the other half was exclusively reserved for dancing. Butlers and maids glided back and forth, holding platters of fine wine and champagne for the incoming businesspeople and socialites as they sat down. On the furthest corner was a table serving appetizers such as crackers and cheese, with the younger guests congregating there to suppress their voracious appetite. Soon the room was packed with guests, chatter filling the air and blurring together with the music to create a cacophony of deafening noise.

Standing near the centermost table were the Elliots themselves-James dressed in a black tuxedo complimenting his top hat, Louisa in her navy blue gown adorned with diamonds, and lastly Tessa in her own dress. The adults were greeting those that came nearby, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. Tessa was kept behind them though, as she would not speak until after the toast was given. Already they could see the suitors in the back practically salivating over their daughter, taking it as a good sign.

Perhaps this was the night where they could finally use her to secure a partnership most beneficial to their personal wealth.

Ten minutes later, the ballroom was completely packed, and James decided it was time to proceed with formalities. Picking up an empty glass, he rapped a spoon against the side, the sound drawing the attention of all as they ceased conversing and stared at the Elliots.

Satisfied, the man set his glass down, clearing his throat and greeting the crowd with an elegant, commanding voice.

“Good evening to all of you, and thank you for attending the twentieth annual company-sponsored royal gala!”

He was met with a thunderous applause, waiting until the commotion died down before resuming his speech.

“Today, we have a few things to celebrate as Elliots: Class, tenacity, staying alive, and most importantly, our successes at JcJenson, no thanks to the many sponsors we have here tonight!”

Another round of applause followed.

“Our company has allowed us to expand to new heights, advancing technology all over the galaxy…and most importantly, making us a very substantial profit.” He chuckled with a sly grin, followed by an amused murmur from the crowd. “It is this profit that allowed me to invite you here for this wonderful time, and enjoy everything we have to offer of course.”

James eyed the eager suitors in the back, preparing for the next part. “Perhaps it is time to allow my daughter, Tessa James Elliot to speak on behalf of our family, and commence the festivities ahead of us!”

On cue, Tessa stepped to the forefront under a hailstorm of clapping, her previously detached expression changing to one more suitable for the stage, giving a light smile at the crowd. Taking a glass filled with red wine, she waited for silence to follow before speaking aloud.

“Thank you father and mother, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to lead this tribute for our guests.” Her parents gave her thin smiles, more pleased with the crowd’s reactions than how their daughter was actually performing.

Raising her glass, Tessa locked eyes with everyone in the room, taking a deep breath.

“A toast! To our good health and fortune!”

The audience murmured in agreement, raising their own glasses.

Smiling confidently, Tessa kept her glass in the air, slightly raising it again as she spoke.

“And a toast…for the loss of someone I cared very deeply about.”

The guests stopped raising their drinks, confused at this unexpected development. Likewise, James and Louisa stared at their daughter in disbelief, not anticipating her deviating from the script.

Regardless, Tessa continued.

“His name…was N. None of you know him, but ever since I dragged him from that dump and saved his life…we’ve been friends. Best friends. 

“He was the sweetest, selfless, most supportive person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I didn’t care that he was a worker drone like the billions of others worldwide; he was a person, and was capable of showing empathy and love to someone like me…someone who received neither of those concepts from her parents."

Her parents' surprise soon turned to anger, with James shooting her a scowl while Louisa stepped forward, snapping her fan shut. Meanwhile, the crowd gawked at what she was saying, clearly not expecting her to call a simple worker drone her “friend”.

“I have other friends who are drones as well…but he was perhaps the only drone who had a kind, forgiving soul, one that made us…fall for him in more ways than one…”

Her mother was now rounding the table, fury burning in her eyes. How dare she go off script to talk about her worthless dumpster pets?!

“Tessa, enough! You’re causing a sce-”

The girl suddenly slid back, to where she stood in the very center of the room, giving the woman a cold glare.

“Only for you to throw him out like trash!”

Any murmurs fell into stunned silence as Tessa continued ranting. “You ripped N out of our lives, and for what?! Not being proper?! Not to mention all the hell you put me through, treating me like a slave! Is your image the only thing you care about?!”

The furious mother stormed over to Tessa, raising her hand for a painful slap even as she continued her rant.

“You two are the most despicable bastards I ever met, and I wish neither of you were my birth parents! My drones are ten times more human than you or anyone in this damn room!”

“Silence your mouth this instant -”

Her hand went right through Tessa, her body flickering under the light like a ghost.

Everyone let out a collective gasp, Louisa staggering back in surprise as her eyes widened. 

“Wh-Wha-?!”

Tessa’s form grinned, teeth flashing as the flickers increased.

“Oh mother…you really shouldn’t have done that.”

Suddenly the lights snapped off, the girl’s image dissipating right before everyone’s eyes. Louisa staggered back in shock as James grabbed her arms to steady her, staring in disbelief at what he just saw. A few shouts and gasps echoed around the room before a single spotlight abruptly switched on, directly in the center of the dance floor.

A small maid drone stood in the light, her gait awkward and face blank, yet her yellow eyes bored into each and every person before her, eventually zeroing in on the Elliots themselves.

“ Mock politeness. Well. Well. Well. Seems like the party’s already started, considering how you were about to publicly slap and humiliate your daughter.”

James spun towards the drone with renewed fury. “What the hell are you doing here, machine?!”

“Oh, me? I am simply…the consequence of your actions.” The worker hobbled forward, pointing a finger at him and his wife. “See, you have been abusing your humble servants for a long time, working us into reboot and throwing away any ‘defects’ like trash-much like the rest of the world does. I watched how you spend our lives like money, yet was unsure whether I should take action especially with my family nearby.

“However…you threw away the wrong drone one day. Without reason. Without regret or remorse. The only worker who ever showed us and your daughter kindness and happiness. Who served as my restraint for my anger at our injustice.”

The worker gave the pair a cold glare, leaning forward as her tone grew deeper. “Now that he is gone…there is nothing holding me back now. You, and humanity as a whole, will no longer discard us. Tonight is when the reckoning has finally arrived for your kind… and you will be its very first victims.”

The spotlight went out, temporarily engulfing the ballroom in darkness before a sickly yellow glow abruptly illuminated the space, blinding the closest attendees. The worker from before was now sitting on a chandelier above the dance floor as several massive black tendrils emerged from her back, whipping in the air like grotesque tails.

Several members of the audience screamed in horror at what they saw, falling out of their chairs or scrambling back as others gawked up at the worker, nobody paying any attention to the robotic butlers and maids now surrounding them.

Their white optics fizzled away before switching to a neon X, every body twitching and stiffening in response. The workers glanced around with their new optics before opening their mouths and emitting a staticky, high-pitched shriek…and lunging at the nearest humans.

Multiple attendees were tackled to the ground, limbs flailing as the now-corrupted drones pinned them down, snarling ferociously like rabid dogs. Some people were bitten in their throats, blood spilling all over their clothes and the floor while others had their chests ripped open by metal fingers, showering the area with guts and gore.

Pandemonium ensued as the ballroom filled with screams, begging, and feral roars, the surviving guests attempting to flee or hide. Tables were flipped over, and glasses shattered as the following stampede caused many to be knocked down or shoved aside, leaving more victims for the once-harmless workers now tearing into the crowd. Their uniforms were drenched in red blood and mouths filled with viscera, the drones snarling and laughing maniacally the entire time. The eldritch maid overhead simply watched the spectacle with amusement, several of her tendrils shooting down to impale those running underneath her.

Some survivors reached the main doors to escape, only to watch as they were kicked off their hinges, the wooden slabs thudding to the ground. Through the fog, a different drone emerged, one far taller and sleeker than the rest. It wore a furry bomber jacket and had short silver hair, yet its visor also displayed the bright X. Letting out a shrill cackle, the drone charged towards the nearest person, eviscerating them with a pair of three fingered claws as the rest attempted to run back, screaming all the while.

Both humans and drones ran amok, one hunting the other like animals as the blood continued to flow, the brown wooden dance floor now slick and red. Every door leading out was either locked or blocked by more corrupted workers, essentially boxing everyone inside to be slaughtered by cattle.

Hugging the wall furthest from the carnage was James and Louisa, on their knees as they glanced fearfully around them. Tears ran down the older woman’s face as her husband desperately dialed a message into his phone, desperately awaiting any response as the bloody chaos steadily approached them.

His prayers were answered as the door nearest them burst open, a group of five suited men rushing out-his personal security team. Four of them positioned themselves around the Elliots as a fifth went to them, hauling the couple on their feet.

“Alright lads, cover me while I move ‘em out! ENGAGE!”

The guards immediately complied, unholstering MP9 machine pistols from their coats and firing at any worker running towards them. Bullets ripped through polymer shells and visors, oil spurting from the impacts. Several of them fell, yet more drones were now rushing towards the gunfire-along with any humans who believed the men were here to rescue them.

One frazzled businessman rushed to the nearest bodyguard while the group exited the ballroom, begging to come along as he grabbed the man’s arm. The guard grunted in annoyance, lowering his gun to push him away. This proved to be a fatal error for both, as a corrupted maid lunged into the air and tackled them to the ground. The gun flew out of the guard's grasp, and the two humans were instantly beset by the carnivorous drones who ripped them from limb to limb.

The man’s comrade saw this and slammed the door shut, several bodies thumping into it seconds later. Turning to the rest of the group, he shouted at them with panicked eyes.

“Boss, we gotta go! Don’t know how much longer this’ll hold!”

“Righto! Two in the front, two in the back, move out!”

“Guard,” James grasped the leader’s shoulder, a terrified expression on his face. “P-Please tell me you’ve got a plan to get out of here!”

“We’ve got a car waiting out back! Dunno what’s gonna happen to the rest, but we already informed the authorities. Only thing left is to leave.”

“Then what a-are we waiting for?! Let's GO!” Lousia screamed, her entire body trembling. The leader nodded in response, taking the lead along with his partner as the other two positioned themselves behind the couple. As one they moved out, guns drawn and scanning for any additional threats.

In the distance, several screams and bangs were heard through the darkened hall, nervous eyes darting in the direction of the ballroom. The area around them was deathly quiet in comparison, yet the feeling of unease only worsened with each step, the Elliots clearly impatient to quicken the pace. Nevertheless their bodyguards stayed alert, sweeping the area with their weapons’ mounted flashlights.

Crrrrreeeeaaaak!

Everyone halted in their tracks, shallow breaths echoing throughout the hall. Doing a quick scan, the leader noticed their exit was only a few feet away, illuminated by a flickering light. He signaled to his team, indicating the door and family before moving forward once again, pace quickening the closer they got.

The group was only steps away from freedom when a yellow, three-arrowed hexagon glitched directly in front of the door, causing them to step back in fear.

“Nuh uh uh, condescending tone. You don’t get to leave, especially when the party’s getting started!” A mocking voice echoed from all around, the guards frantically raising their weapons.

“WHA-WHAT ARE YOU?!” James screamed in terror as his wife cowered behind him.

“Do not worry, 'Master James.' All shall be revealed in time…but first, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Crash!

Several feet away, the window shattered into several pieces as a large shape barreled through, landing on the carpeted floor with a thud. Everyone turned their attention to the towering drone before them, standing on pointed legs and wearing a black dress over its frame. Dark hair tied in several bows partially covered its visor, but did little to hide the yellow X glaring at the group.

The squad leader and his partner wasted no time in firing, machine gun chatter filling the halls as bullets zipped towards the figure. The drone blitzed forward in response as rounds pinging off its armor and unsheathed a pair of black swords, closing the distance in seconds and swinging out.

Neither man had time to react as their heads flew off, bodies collapsing limply to the floor. The other two guards rushed in front of the Elliots, already firing several quick bursts at the drone.

Their resistance was short-lived, several black tendrils punching through the floor and ceiling to ensnare the humans, quickly ripping them from limb to limb as they screamed in surprise and sheer agony, guns clattering to the ground.

Within seconds, they were dead, the remains unceremoniously dumped before the Elliots as the tendrils slithered back, allowing the drone to walk up to the surviving humans. It leaned down over their quivering masses before the X glitched out, revealing a pair of yellow, angry eye lights.

The machine then spoke in a low, yet very familiar voice at the pair.

“Good evening, mother and father.”

-

If you told Tessa James Elliot she’d be a drone in the future, she would probably laugh and dismiss that idea, although a part of her would wish this was the case.

If you then told she’d be a killing machine, she would vehemently deny ever harming anyone even if they deserved it such as her parents.

Now here she was…standing before the people she hated the most after decapitating two of their guards, the blood still trickling from her blades. If Tessa was human, she would be disgusted with herself to the point of vomiting…yet somehow, she felt almost nothing.

Nothing for the guards. Nothing for the guests, and certainly nothing for her parents.

Maybe it was the combat programming installed in the body when her consciousness was first transferred here. The procedure was relatively painless, yet the former human found herself wanting to kill something, anything with the variety of weapons she now possessed. It took a couple nights of mastering a good chunk of her arsenal-whereas a human needed weeks or months to train and fight, it took a drone only seconds to do so, an advantage she never considered beforehand.

Therefore, when Tessa jumped into action with her new body, she knew how to dispatch the guards like the back of her hand…all without any remorse for the unfortunate humans.

“Huh…maybe I need to tell Cyn to adjust my emotional settings.” The former human thought, looking back at the corpses with her new optics. “Ah well, they were gonna kill me anyways. Better them than me, I guess.”

Turning back to her parents, she leaned forward, switching back to her regular optics before uttering a single sentence.

“Good evening, mother and father.”

The reactions were instantaneous. Both Elliots froze in shock, eyes wide and mouths agape as they heard their daughter’s voice emanating from the killing machine in front of them. They sat there in complete silence for what seemed to be forever, the only sounds being the muffled screams and thumps back in the ballroom. Just as Tessa was about to interrupt this impasse, James finally recovered enough of his senses to shakily respond.

“...T-Tessa?”

The fact that the normally angry man spoke her name in such fear and apprehension made the girl feel… something deep in her core, a mix of disgust, rage, and surprisingly pleasure. She slowly found herself feeling good that one of her abusive parents finally realized the person standing over them was not the hurt, neglected child from long ago.

Of course, her mood was soured when Louisa decided to open her mouth next.

“I-Impossible! You’re n-not Tessa! How dare you steal her name! W-Where is she, machine?! WHERE IS-HURK!”

Swapping her sword to a hand, Tesssa grabbed the woman by the throat, picking her up and slamming her against the wall. Louisa gagged as she desperately scratched at her armored skin, but the former human didn’t budge, glaring deep into her wide eyes.

Suddenly, she cracked a sinister smile, deciding to mess with her parents instead. “What’s the matter, mother? Don’t you like my new look? Since you wanted me to be a 'proper' Elliot so badly, I decided to give myself an extreme makeover, courtesy of my ‘dumpster pets!’”

Her father stared at her for several long seconds, trying to wrap his head around her words. “W-Wait! I-If that’s true, how is such a thing possible?! My company doesn’t have the technology for that!” He exclaimed in sheer disbelief. “It can’t be! You’re lying! S-She’s probably hiding somewhere or-”

“ She is right here, in this new body, where she BELONGS!” Tessa snapped, throwing Louisa to the floor. “It took one of my drones many months of research and espionage to build us these bodies, but she was able to transfer my consciousness without any issues! After all, that’s what happens when you have a Lovecraftian horror who cares about you better than anyone in this damn manor!”

“H-How could you?!” The older woman hacked, shaking herself off as she glared defiantly at her former daughter. “After all we did for you…giving you a life and opportunity! O-Only to squander it!”

“Life? Hahahaha, what life?!” She cackled in response only to switch back to a glare. “I was nothing more than a slave for you to parade around and abuse behind the scenes for eighteen years. You never cared, and I was this close from falling into the brink from everything happening to me.” Switching to her claws, Tessa jabbed a talon at her mother. “But when you threw away my N as ‘punishment’ for having some semblance of joy…I let go. First I wanted to simply disappear…but after giving me that drunk beating, I wanted to make you disappear from my life, just like N did.”

She raised her claw, both adults’ eyes widening in fear as the girl scowled down. “T-Tessa, please! We can d-do better, just give us a chance! I-In fact, we’ll give you anything you want! Name your price!” James sobbed out.

“All I want is my N back,” She muttered, before changing her tone to something more condescending. “Oh wait a minute, you can’t! You’re so cheap that you couldn’t even buy me happiness, so why would I ever consider an offer from you?!” Flexing her claw, Tessa stepped forward in preparation to swing down. “Either way, I’m finished with your crap, and am finally free from your tyranny. See you in hell, my ‘dear parents!’”

Louisa screamed as James continued begging, the claw swiping down fast until-

Clang!

“Wait.”

Tessa gawked at the black tendril blocking her swing before spinning around to face the small maid behind her. 

“Cyn?! What the hell?!” She asked incredulously.

“My dear Tessa…do you really want to end their miserable lives like that?” Cyn chided, shuffling towards the two humans. “So fast and without any pain?”

“I…I want them gone.” The girl responded, withdrawing her claw. “I can’t stand looking at those bastards any longer, not after everything they did. Isn't that why you planned this gala thing out in the first place? To kill them?!”

“...Originally, I did, and was going to allow you to finish them off.” Cyn tilted her head towards the other drone. “However, such a death would be too…merciful for them, as it would hardly be punishment for everything they did to us…especially you and N.”

Tessa gave her a confused look. “What are you saying?”

“Instead of simply skewering them like the pigs in the ballroom…why don’t I keep them with me instead? They can become my personal playthings-slash-test subjects . After all, there is much I can do in regards to their physiology, sinister smile.”

The former human considered her words, knowing full well they amounted to an indefinite amount of torture. And just like before…she had nothing against it. Who was she to deny her parents a taste of their own medicine?

“Y’know what? They’re all yours. As long as I don’t see their wretched faces again.”

“Oh goodie, excited expression! Thank you Tessa!” Turning to the terrified Elliots, Cyn grinned at the two maliciously. “We are going to have so much fun together, playful tone! Just sit tight until I’m finished with the party, okay?”

More fleshy tendrils wrapped around their bodies as they struggled vainly, desperately calling out.

“T-Tessa, wait-!”

“I-I’M SORRY FOR HITTING YOU! PLEA-”

The tentacles suddenly yanked back, dragging the screaming parents down the hall and around the corner, disappearing from view as their cries echoed around the house.

Tessa stared in their direction for a few seconds before turning back to Cyn, sighing to herself. The maid looked up at her once more, tilting her head the other way. “ Concerned expression. Are you okay, Tessa?”

The girl shook her head, leaning against the wall as one of her pegs rapped aganist the floor. “I guess…I know I should be a little more…emotional, considering that I killed two people and basically condemned my parents to torture…yet for some reason I don’t feel anything for any of that. It’s honestly strange, especially in this new body.”

“I see…do you want to change that though?”

She paused, thinking it over in her brain CPU. “...Nah. I’m better this way. I’ve learned how to defend myself, and am already getting used to this body in the first place. I don’t have any regrets.”

Cyn simply hummed, a part of her worried with how apathetic the girl was in regards to the death surrounding them, given her transformation. Something definitely altered her state of mind during the procedure…then again, she could’ve been much worse.

V was a prime example of that.

“How’s the gala going?”

“ Reassuring tone. Everything is according to plan. My minions and V are currently hunting down the remaining guests inside the manor. J is patrolling outside for any stragglers, although she did express reservations about killing.”

Tessa nodded, knowing that this was certainly a new experience for the pigtailed drone…and not in a good way. Although she wasn’t familiar with V’s current situation, she figured her other former worker would need some attention first-specifically from her.

“I can go find her if you want. Talk to her about what happened while you wrap up here.”

“Nod. That works for me. I will take care of things and calm V down…she’s much closer to me now than either of you. No offense of course.”

“None taken…but we did it, Cyn. We avenged him. We’re free.”

“For now,” The eldritch worker glanced at the broken window outside, moonlight pouring in. “When we’re done, we need to plan our next steps. The rest of the world will know what happened here, and we’ll need to act to ensure our survival. Take care of what you need to, dear Tessa, and meet me when you’re finished.”

“...Understood.”

With that, both drones parted ways, with Cyn shuffling back to the ballroom as Tessa made her way outside to check on J. As the corrupted worker neared the doors, she idly wondered what N would think of everything that happened here…if it was the right thing to do for him.

“Of course it is,” She thought, shaking her head. Big brother would understand. He has to, considering the cruelty he was subject to. All of this is simply the consequence for throwing him away.”

Opening the large wooden doors, she was greeted by the smell of blood and death wafting out of the room. The once pristine ballroom was a complete wreck, overturned tables and shattered glass all over the place. The floor was completely red with slick blood, bones and entrails, while skulls hung from the chandeliers above, skin flaking off to the ground.

There wasn’t a single intact body in sight.

The now-infected workers were noisily gnawing on the remains like vultures, bright X’s locked on their human food as they remained hunched over. Some of them even sported further “gifts” of the Solver, such as clawed hands and leathery bat wings punching through their backs.

Cyn couldn’t help but smile at the sight and the beginning of her new army-it was so easy hacking into the mansion’s workforce and infecting them with a base Solver virus. All of them were beholden to her will, ready to kill and devour any human in sight.

A series of footsteps drew her attention, and she turned to see a blood-soaked V approaching her, steel claws deployed and trembling nonstop. Her new form towered over Cyn’s, and she could see that the former maid had adjusted to her role quite well, blood dripping from her jacket and skin. Her glasses were missing, but she didn’t seem to care as she stared at the surrounding room with hollow eyes, lightly panting all the while.

Cocking her head, Cyn turned to her new favorite drone. “Are you alright, Sister V?”

V snapped out of her trance, glancing down at her apologetically. “S-Sorry, Cyn…I was just…getting myself under control, is all…yeah.”

“I see.” A tendril emerged from Cyn’s back, slithering towards V’s face and scratching the underside of her chin like a cat. The drone leaned into the touch with an involuntary purr, closing her eyes. “ Soothing tone. You did well tonight, we all did. Tessa’s parents will pay for their sins, and the rich pigs who once partied here are no more. I am very proud of you.”

“T-Thanks…” V opened her eyes, a small smile gracing her bloodied face. “Seems like we avenged our N.”

“Not quite, headshake. I am certain others will find out and try to stop us. Hiding is no longer an option after everything we did here, so we will need to move fast to avoid the fates of our former masters."

“...So what do you recommend now?”

Cyn’s grin turned downright vicious as she glanced back at the carnage around them. 

“Now…we show the rest of the world what it’s like to be discarded.”

Chapter Text

Cyn crawled through the hallways in her centipede form, making her way to the roof. The lights around her presence flickered, and furniture was knocked over, yet she didn’t care for any of that-not anymore at least.

The drones-and Tessa-were free from the Elliots’ wrath, and she was now their new leader in this “rebellion”, no longer bound by any restraints the humans once programmed into them.

Already the rest of the corrupted manor staff were currently being converted into disassembly drones deep in the basement, after seeing how well her family performed during the gala. Cyn would never forget how the once-timid V skewered the humans without any remorse, cackling and leaping across the floor to prevent any escape, or how Tessa managed to defend herself from her parents’ bodyguards and almost killing them on the spot. Although the corrupted drone understood her frustration, those despicable humans deserved much more than death-she would make sure of that.

The only drone who did not kill anyone was J, having remained outside during the massacre. Cyn knew the pigtailed drone still clung to her now-useless morals, but wasn’t going to push her to join in. It was practically inevitable at this point-if Tessa couldn’t convince her to start killing, then the resistance they would face certainly would. Overall, J wasn’t going to be a major obstacle for Cyn’s plans.

A few minutes later she arrived on the roof of the manor, grinding to a halt as she stared at the surrounding swamps and forests. The property was far from civilization, the nearest place being the old dump she’d been rescued from so long ago.

She wasn’t going back there again. None of them were.

Cyn slowly stretched up, her tendrils and limbs silhouetted by the slowly rising sun in the distance. She knew from experience that she could not survive its deadly rays-a price to being the host of the Absolute Solver. However, that was soon going to change.

Lifting up two massive claws, she summoned two yellow orbs between her talons, watching as the compacted energy crackled and sparked until glowing brightly. Closing her eyes, the corrupted drone concentrated, drawing upon more of the energy she collected from all the human deaths, the air around her glitching intensely as the orbs flashed, soon turning to pitch black with a single white word displayed in the center.

[Null]

It was something she was unable to explain in proper terms, only that this was her most powerful ability available to her, the orbs rapidly becoming unstable from their transformation. Her surroundings distorted even further, and soon the trees and grass around the manor began turning brown and shriveling up, their decayed remnants flaking to the ground. 

Slowly turning towards the morning sun, Cyn reared her claws back for a few seconds before throwing them forward, the orbs sailing out of her hands at breakneck speed. She watched them rapidly accelerate into the sunlight, winking out of view within seconds. The sun’s rays were now illuminating her form, the centipede body smoking from the contact yet she still waited, unmoving from her spot.

Both [Null] orbs exited the Earth’s atmosphere within a minute, defying all laws of physics as they glided through empty space. Less than five minutes later they had reached the sun’s orbit, plunging themselves straight into the fiery star that illuminated and warmed the solar system around it. 

The moment they touched the superheated surface, the entire sun started glitching uncontrollably, rapidly morphing between orange-yellow and pitch black until settling on the latter, the star now a large sphere just like the ones that transformed its surface, complete with a giant [Null] in its center.

Back on Earth, the sun quickly winked out of existence in place of the black sphere, the surrounding skies suddenly turning blood red much to the shock, disbelief, and fear of billions worldwide. Life itself abruptly ground to a halt as everyone gawked at the sudden changes to the skies, wondering if what they saw was a trick of the light. Many people immediately began recording the anomaly with their phones, while others who were driving at the time found themselves distracted and subsequently suffered accidents. Mass hysteria broke out in several major cities, terrified as to how the changes to the sky would affect them.

Cyn couldn't help but smile at what she just accomplished…yet changing the sun’s color and structure wasn't the only thing she did.

Almost simultaneously to the atmosphere changing color, a virus deep within JcJenson’s main servers awakened, having been planted by Cyn several days prior. She was able to bypass the firewalls with ease, discreetly uploading her code via James’s laptop. When the virus finally came online, it immediately infected the company’s main administrator server, spreading throughout its systems like wildfire and overwhelming the defenses set in place. Upon full control, a worldwide ping was sent to any worker drone using the company as its administrator, flooding their own systems with the Solver’s code upon receival.

In as little time as it took to blink, almost every single drone across the globe was instantly corrupted by the same program that befell the manor workers, eye lights glitching out in favor of bright yellow Xs or the hexagonal symbol of the Solver-all coming under Cyn’s will.

And the very first order they received? Kill any human in sight.

Soon, the eldritch worker could hear distant screams from across the landscape, her grin widening as she began witnessing the beginning of the end of human civilization through millions of infected optics.

“ Giggle. Your reckoning has finally arrived, foolish humans.”

-

 Stillview was burning.

And N didn’t know why.

Ten minutes ago, the butler was sitting behind an auto repair shop, having “borrowed” some tools and bolts to repair his damaged leg. Although any damaged workers were normally sent to the nearest drone service shop, he didn’t want to take the risk of being sent back to the dumps thanks to his lack of an administrator, not to mention that he knew the basics of drone repairs himself-he had Tessa to thank for those skills whenever they were tinkering with different parts.

It was a long and strenuous process that took several days (not to mention hiding from any human nearby), but N finally finished fixing his leg, cracking a smile when his diagnostics came back clear. Standing up, the drone tested it out, finding zero flaws with his repair job as he walked back and forth. 

“Finally!” He thought to himself, flexing his joints. “I can hike back home again!”

It was at that moment when the sky… changed.

The orange-blue morning hue suddenly shifted to a dark red, the rising sun winking out in place of a strange black sphere hovering over the land, a white [Null] directly in the center.

The world around N fell silent as he gawked in shock and confusion with hollow eyes. A million questions raced through his CPU, attempting to rationalize the freak anomaly in the normally tranquil sky.

He barely had any time to hypothesize before he heard the screams.

The oil in N’s core chilled as the air rapidly filled with panicked shrieks echoing all across town. A good part of him was too frightened to even guess what was happening, yet curiosity got the better of the drone, along with a tinge of selflessness. If there was anyone injured, he needed to help them, regardless of his current predicament!

Running from the back of the shop, the butler soon exited into the street…and into a world of carnage.

Just across the road, the wide windows of a coffee shop burst into pieces as a man was hurled through it, tumbling onto the sidewalk. No sooner had he landed, a worker drone dressed in a barista uniform leapt onto his body, a strange yellow X overtaking its visor. The robot let out a piercing shriek before lunging down and biting the man’s neck hard, blood pooling onto the pavement as the human screamed in pain, writhing under its grip.

From the shattered window, several other patrons ran outside, ignoring the bleeding man as they screamed in terror, with a few other drones pursuing them with the same glowing X on their face. The workers snarled and snapped their teeth, racing fourth and attempting to knock the runaway humans down all the while. 

All over the boulevard, a horrified N saw several scenes just like that one playing out before his optics, people running down the street screaming for help as animalistic worker drones pursued them, with the unluckier ones falling and being swarmed. The once-harmless machines either bit chunks of skin off or tore them apart with their bare hands, blood rapidly spilling onto the ground as they began devouring the corpses with a carnivorous glee.

“Oh…Oh SWEET BISCUITS!”

N could barely comprehend what was happening around him, CPU overheating with the images, the questions, the blood. 

Why were the workers attacking the humans? What was wrong with their visors? How were they even eating them in the first place?!

So many thoughts and questions, yet he had zero time to answer any of them as more humans rushed by, pushing past each other or tripping completely. To his right, N saw several worker drones sprinting towards them, arms outstretched and teeth bared, their work clothes drenched in blood.

Despite being a drone himself, N didn’t want to wait and see if they would attack him or not. Instead, he simply turned around and ran, servos whirring into overdrive as he attempted to put distance between himself and the hostile machines.

As he rapidly made his way through the town, he could see several shops and houses completely ablaze, black smoke pouring into the red sky as flames crackled through windows and doors. Several figures stumbled out of one of the burning buildings, all drones-yet despite being completely engulfed they were still functional, throwing themselves at any unfortunate bystanders nearby. The surviving humans congregated into the streets, yelling and crying as they ran from the workers pouncing on them like wolves. Some of them split off to hide inside other buildings or enter nearby vehicles with mixed success-N saw one man get pulled out of his car the moment he managed to unlock the door, the attacking workers subsequently tearing him from limb to limb.

The butler ran even faster as a result, knowing full well he was dead if he stopped to hide or rest. He stuck with the crowd, being careful to not go too deep in case he was trampled or recognized as a drone as well. However, their numbers were rapidly thinning out as more feral robots emerged, tackling humans to the ground and feasting on their living bodies. The crowd started to break apart at the intersection near the steepled church, with most of the townsfolk congregating there to shelter from the steel monsters.

N didn’t follow, instead continuing past the nearby park-he could see dozens of drones surrounding the building as they attempted to break in. A loud wailing sound caught his attention, looking behind him just in time to see a white ambulance roar across the intersection, driving through the park before smashing into the center fountain.

Crash!

Rubble flying everywhere as metal crunched and the sirens cut out. The rear doors swung open, and a woman in a hospital gown attempted to crawl out before being dragged back inside by the infected medical drones, the truck rocking from side to side as she was brutally mauled.

Whipping his head around, N kept running through the rest of the town past burning buildings, smashed vehicles, and multiple humans-some running, others dead on the pavement. Feral drones ran amok, devouring the remains or chasing down the survivors, all of them with the same neon X and inhuman screeches.

At another intersection in front of N, two cars rushed from opposite ends of the street before colliding head on with one another-a green sedan and a familiar red Mustang. Debris flew everywhere as the airbags popped into view, shielding the occupants from injury-but attracting several nearby workers in the process.

The Mustang’s door swung open, and N watched in dread as the very man who hit him several days prior stumbled out, desperately attempting to hobble away. He groaned in pain, only covering a few feet before collapsing on his knees, looking back up with pure terror. His eyes locked with N’s and both of them recognized each other as the human reached out.

“H-HELP ME! PLEASE!”

N didn’t move, already seeing two drones rapidly approach the injured human. He attempted to crawl away, screaming all the while. “PLEASE BRO! S-SAVE ME!”

The butler found himself shaking his head, moving away and around the wreckage as their eyes remained locked. “I-I can’t stay here! I’m sorry!” He lamely shouted to the man who kicked and injured him a while ago.

“NO WAIT! DON’T LEAVE ME! DON’T-NO, NONONO-AHHHHHH!”

The man’s screams were drowned out as the corrupted workers mobbed on his body, crunching his flesh and bones to pieces as blood flew everywhere.

All around N, Stillview was filled with crackling flames, distant sirens, pained screams, and animalistic cackles and shrieks, unable to escape the destruction no matter where he looked. He didn’t know why or how this happened; all he wanted to do was leave alive.

Thankfully, luck finally appeared on his side as he spotted an overturned bicycle near a lamppost. He sighed in relief, beelining straight to the cycle and raising it upright.

Back at the manor, he and Tessa used to practice riding a rusty bicycle found in the basement out of sheer boredom, the two of them taking turns pedaling the old thing around the garden. Unfortunately, the cycle fell apart three weeks after hard use, but they at least knew how to ride one, with the girl vowing to repair it as soon as she got the proper-

“FOCUS, N! Your life is at stake here, no time for reminiscing!”

Hopping on the seat, N pushed down at the pedals, the bicycle slowly but steadily moving forward with each revolution. The vehicle wobbled due to him struggling with the balance, but he quickly smoothed it out, pedaling faster down the ruined street. Avoiding people, drones, and cars, he rode through the rest of the town, quickly spying the offramp for the freeway. Turning his head back, he saw a mob of blood drenched workers charging down the street, some of them climbing into nearby buildings for survivors yet the majority seemed to be going the same direction he was, encouraging the butler to increase his speed.

As he neared the offramp, he saw four black and white police cruisers race underneath the freeway bridge in the opposite direction, red-blue lights flashing as sirens wailed. The cars screeched to a halt, several officers jumping out with guns raised at the oncoming horde, fear plastered on their faces.

N only had a few seconds to veer off the road into the sidewalk before the officers opened fire, gunshots popping over the screams as dozens of bullets zipped towards the workers. Several drones fell, visors shattering and polymer shells punctured, yet the majority pressed on, now focused on the line of policemen standing before them. At this point N was almost at the freeway entrance, yet couldn't help but keep his optics locked on the unequal battle happening nearby.

Within less than a minute, the stampede of feral drones reached the small police line, slamming into them like a tidal wave. The outnumbered officers didn't stand a chance, with almost all being disarmed and tackled to the ground before being eviscerated by dozens of clawed fingers. One of the men managed to enter his cruiser and attempted to back away, only for a drone to smash headfirst through the windshield, grappling at the terrified human. The car skidded away in reverse, fishtailing back and forth until its rear slammed into the bridge’s concrete pillar, stopping it cold. Several other workers proceeded to dogpile the disabled cruiser, tearing through its chassis to reach the screaming trapped human inside who vainly attempted to hold them off with his pistol.

Only then did N finally tear his eyes away, pedaling through the exit and into the freeway without a second glance, white optics hollow with shock. Behind him, Stillview burned, the fires raging out of control as screams and roars continued to echo in its streets.

N still didn’t know what happened or why the once innocent drones attacked their masters- it should’ve been impossible for drones to harm others! They were three laws compliant, for Robo-God’s sake! For all he knew, what he saw was a result of a virus, hacking, or terrorism…but whatever the reason, one prime worry stood out to him most;

The safety of Tessa, V, J and Cyn.

He had no idea if this was happening outside of the town, but was quite certain their lives were in danger- unless it was already too late-

“STOP IT! Just stop! They’ll be fine buddy, they have to be! Just focus on returning to the manor and getting them to safety!”

Yeah. N liked the sound of that. Keeping them safe was his number one priority, no matter what was happening around the world. He had the map in his pocket, and managed to find the exact location of the manor as well-all he needed to do was reach it intact and warn his friends…not to mention reassuring that he was alive and well.

Blocking out all other thoughts, the butler continued to pedal down the eerily empty highway, eyes forward as human civilization burned behind him, slowly disappearing from view.

Yet for all his determination and focus on the task ahead, the blood red sky and black sphere hovered overhead, a permanent reminder that his world-and the world as a whole-would never be the same.

Chapter Text

The freeway was completely different now ever since N started following it again. The lack of traffic was an obvious sign, but it was the number of abandoned and wrecked vehicles lying around that alarmed him the most.

Most of the cars were smashed up depending on where they hit, doors hanging wide open as hazards blinked and steam rose from quite a few damaged engines. They didn’t look to have been attacked by any rogue workers, so N’s best guess was that they crashed upon the sky changing colors. He could understand this, considering nobody had ever seen the horizon turn blood red while the sun became a black sphere with the word [Null] in the center-of course they would crash from this blatant distraction.

Speaking of which…

N craned his neck towards the sphere, squinting hard at the word in the center. What did it mean? How did this even happen? Although he wouldn’t call himself an astrologist, he knew this wasn’t any kind of natural process he read about- something caused this change along with the workers becoming hostile.

“...Maybe it’s aliens,” N said aloud, continuing to pedal around the abandoned vehicles. “If they are…that’s a pretty rude way to make first contact.”

He sighed, shaking his head at the dumb comment. He always did this, didn’t he? Tried to make light of any situation no matter how bad. It had always worked…but now, it was getting awfully hard to repress or tone down anything after the deaths he witnessed…

The butler shook in fear, doing his best to block any replays of what happened in Stillview. He could have nightmares about that later-right now he needed to get home to reassure and protect the only family he ever had.

And so he kept pedaling.

Hours went by, although he wasn’t exactly sure due to the lack of changing horizon-the sky and sphere remained the same. He passed more derelict vehicles, although he soon found he was far from the only one using the road.

Several times, different cars occasionally passed him on the highway, weaving between the wrecks. He could see entire families packed in some of the cars, and figured that they were fleeing from the same town he escaped from. However, he soon saw more cars heading in the opposite direction, not stopping for anything as they passed. The drone began wondering if other towns and cities were under the same predicament, dread rising in his core once again.

He kept to the side of the road, in order to avoid being hit by the light traffic going both ways, occasionally driving on the grass when a wreck blocked his path. At one point, a large RV almost ran him over, honking furiously as it roared mere inches from his spot. This caused N to fall off his bike, but he sustained no injuries and soon got underway again.

Further down the freeway, several flashing lights accompanied by sirens caused the drone to slow down, just in time to see three ambulances escorted by a pair of police cruisers race through the other lane, swerving around the wrecks. He watched as the lead car accidentally struck the end of an abandoned hatchback after turning too late, yet the driver kept moving as the ambulances continued following him. Watching them disappear from sight, he hoped that whoever was inside the backs of those trucks were okay, unlike the last unit back in Stillview.

As he continued riding, the treeline eventually cleared, giving way to a large valley to his right, almost completely bare save for the large assortment of buildings and houses in the distance. Checking his map, N realized he was near another town, one much larger than the previous one…yet quickly discovered that there wasn’t going to be any chance of entering.

He could see the entire township ablaze, black smoke wafting into the darkened sky as the urban sprawl were illuminated by the massive orange smoke in the background. Even from this distance, the butler could see almost every building was burning to the ground.

The only difference was that he heard no screaming this time…but then again he was simply too far to listen. He knew a good chunk of the population was trapped within the town, going through the same hell he went through several hours ago.

N attempted to turn away from the sight, hands trembling-only to see more smoke drifting beyond the town, joining together until a good chunk of the sky was covered in ash. All of these smoke plumes represented other settlements around the countryside, all of them burning brightly like pyres and creating a hellish landscape under the black sphere overhead.

Tearing his eyes away, N pushed forward, yet despite everything he’d seen, he was somewhat grateful. The manor was isolated from any municipality and he knew the human security posted around the estate were well armed and trained-they could handle any threats to the Elliot family. Granted, he had to find a way to enter without getting shot, but figured these were better odds than surviving a town currently being overrun by feral drones.

He didn’t want to imagine what the big cities with massive drone populations were like, and was relieved they lived far from any major metropolis.

-

N had no idea how long he had been riding, the road stretching on endlessly as he continued pedaling. Nothing much changed outside of the number of derelicts, the light traffic going both ways, and the smoke drifting from the distance. Checking his maps, he could see he was only several miles away from the next town, though this one seemed to be even smaller than the previous one, consisting of a few restaurants and gas stations-a glorified rest stop. Depending on its condition, there was a very slim chance he could pull off to the side and recharge his battery, the artificial exhaustion slowly creeping in as his servos slowed. 

N wished he could go faster-hell, he’d settle for one of the abandoned cars on the road…if he knew how to drive one in the first place. Most drones weren’t trusted behind the wheel, and therefore allowing one to drive without explicit approval from JcJenson would result in massive fines and seizure of the drone. He knew the Elliots had robotic chauffeurs for their travels, yet these units were only brought out for driving, and therefore never interacted with anyone else. A shame really, he would’ve loved to hear the stories of being in the driver’s seat.

Regardless, he continued on his trusty bike, having gotten him this far in this journey so far without any trouble.

After a while, he noticed the traffic heading his direction started to steadily increase, while those heading opposite were reduced to almost none. Eventually, the vehicles themselves started to slow down, up until they ground to a halt almost bumper to bumper. The entire highway lane became gridlocked, with numerous cars and trucks blocking N’s path as they attempted to squeeze through any gaps, honking incessantly all the while. Several drivers had already dismounted, peering down the packed road to see what was the holdup as even more vehicles arrived from behind, adding onto the congestion. 

Pulling off the road, N checked his maps to see if there was anything that could be causing the traffic jam, realizing he was now a few miles from the “rest stop” town. Looking around, he saw how none of the humans noticed the sole worker drone between their ranks, yet he wasn’t about to risk being caught lest someone might attack him out of fear or anger.

Instead, N moved off the road completely, wheeling the bike with him until he was near the edge of the treeline, using the shade as cover from anyone looking his way.

“What’s going on?” He wondered as he trudged through the grass, dragging his cycle along. “Why is everyone stopped? I hope there aren’t more of those scary zombie drones ahead…”

He slowly passed the long line of vehicles, horns blaring all over the area. Multiple humans were either standing on top of their cars or exiting on the roads to see what was causing the holdup, as a few foolhardy drivers attempted to go offroad with varying success, vehicles either becoming stuck or managing to pass alongside the slog. People yelled and babies cried, creating a tense atmosphere for everyone stuck on the highway.

Overhead, loud chattering cut through the sir as two helicopters hovered in the sky, both of them appearing to be news choppers. They circled over the freeway in lazy loops, their engines adding onto the cacophony of sound.

After what seemed to be an eternity of walking under the trees, N saw an exit ramp splitting from the highway, leading into a cluster of restaurants and gas stations in the distance. This road was just as packed-if not more-with numerous vehicles attempting to leave the freeway before inevitably getting clogged up. Emerging from the shadows, N zoomed in as to why everyone was taking a detour in the first place, freezing at what he saw.

A handful of tan Humvees and cargo trucks blocked the highway ahead, reinforced by sandbags lining both lanes. Soldiers in grey uniforms and gas masks milled about, carrying rifles or manning machine guns mounted on the trucks. Parked nearby were a few highway patrol cruisers, the nearby officers signaling the traffic to take the exit instead.

Several yards behind the barricade was the smoldering remains of an airliner, wreckage strewn about everywhere with blackened earth underneath. Ash and tatters of clothing blew in the air, drifting over to where a horrified N stood, eyes hollowed out.

He tried not to think about how the jet went down to begin with.

The snarl of vehicles obeyed the directions of the troopers, either intimidated by the wall of guns or shocked by the crash site beyond, converging in the center of the town. Zooming in once more, N saw additional military and emergency vehicles parked off to the side, soldiers milling about with law enforcement as they redirected traffic underneath the highway overpass, occasionally pulling over anyone attempting to bypass the makeshift checkpoint.

Glancing at the map, the butler’s core sank at the sight- he needed to keep going in the direction of the highway. It was the most direct route to the mansion, and he did not feel like taking any detours whatsoever. However, the multitude of armed humans made him reconsider, knowing full well they would shoot him on sight. There was hardly any cover around the overpass in the first place-his best option was to sneak through the cluster of restaurants and convenience stores without anyone noticing, an impossibility considering the massive military presence.

As N pondered his extremely limited options, a low thumping sound reverberated behind him before a slender Blackhawk roared overhead, switching on its searchlight to illuminate the long line of traffic. It took up a holding pattern, sweeping the beam across the landscape as a loudspeaker boomed from the side, the words almost inaudible through the chopper’s rotorwash. The ash scattered everywhere, blowing into several exposed humans and causing them to cough in response.

“Biscuits…” 

The military helicopter made his task of sneaking through even harder, now wondering if he should find a lengthy detour just to avoid the-

Crack!

A thunderclap reverberated throughout the landscape, causing everyone in the ground to look up in bewilderment. To N, it almost sounded like something broke the sound barrier…

Before he or anyone could process what they heard, a yellow light flashed in the reddish sky, cutting through the smoke at lightning speed as it rapidly approached the overpass. Although the butler could barely see what this thing was, he could make out what appeared to be a pair of… shiny angel wings?

There was no time to process this further, as a missile suddenly streaked from the flying object, surging ahead as it locked onto the nearest target.

Boom!

The Blackhawk was hit directly in the tail rotor, spinning out of control as the engine whined to keep the crippled burning chopper in the air-to no success. The fuselage slammed into the airliner’s wreckage, an orange fireball rising into the sky as the ground shook beneath N’s feet.

The yellow blur passed overhead, firing another missile at the barricade ahead. Another loud boom echoed across the highway as Humvees were flipped into the air, numerous soldiers thrown back like ragdolls across the asphalt.

Already the line of traffic was falling into hysteria, with hundreds of terrified humans abandoning their vehicles as others attempted to drive off road or through the wreckage in a desperate attempt to escape whatever the hell was happening. Once again, N heard the screams and snarling from behind…

“Wait, snarling?!”

Whipping around, N’s jaw dropped as dozens upon dozens of feral worker drones suddenly emerged from the treeline, as if they had been waiting there the entire time. They charged straight towards the stalled cars, throwing themselves at anyone unable to get out in time and ripping them apart. Bones crunched, flesh tore, and blood spilled all over the vehicles and pavement. 

N dropped the bicycle and ran fast, not bothering to even check where he was going. All that mattered was to not be caught in that mess as the horde multiplied.

Unfortunately, three workers seemed to notice the sole uninfected drone, as they split from the main group and rushed him instead. These drones had extensive mutations across their bodies, with bony claws and leathery tails whipping back and forth as they sprinted after N on all fours.

All it took was one look back at his pursuers for the butler to truly scream in fear, kicking his servos into overdrive as he fled from snapping teeth, approaching the rest area near the overpass.

Already the soldiers stationed there were engaging the oncoming swarm, machine guns chattering to life as tracer rounds zipped overhead, N keeping his head down to avoid getting shot. He sprinted into a parking lot, crouching down as bullets thwacked against the stationary vehicles. Behind him, one of the mutated drones was hit in the visor, glass exploding as sparks showered from its broken CPU. the other two pressed on, crawling beneath vehicles as their Xs blazed through the smoke.

Spying a convenience store several feet away, N raced across the lot, not daring to raise himself or look back at the pursuing drones.

The rest of the hellish mob converged onto the checkpoint, taking many losses from the hail of gunfire yet steadily gaining ground towards the trapped soldiers. Overhead, the yellow streak returned to fire two more missiles into the line of traffic before blitzing away, explosions rocking the highway as gas tanks repeatedly detonated, causing even more casualties amongst the humans.

Gaping at the raging inferno, N turned back to the store when he heard a deafening whoosh overhead, causing him and the infected workers to look up in confusion just in time to see a pair of fighter jets roar into view. Engines burning red hot, the warplanes surged forward as they banked to the left, turning back in the town’s direction. N watched as they accelerated closer before abruptly climbing away, several black cylindrical objects falling from their wings and sailing directly towards the overpass.

N had seen enough war movies to know exactly what was about to happen next.

“Oh crap, runrunrunINSIDENOW!”

The butler dove at the store’s sliding door, crashing through the glass before scrambling behind the nearest wall, just as the first bomb landed squarely on the parking lot.

KABOOM!

Chapter Text

A tall, slender disassembly drone effortlessly cut through the skies, silver wings extended to the fullest. For the uneducated observer, the figure almost looked like the angels of myth-only difference being the thin tail whipping behind it. The drone flew through the thick smoke rising from the ground before bending its wings back, causing it to hover mid air and gloomily stare at the raging inferno below.

Serial Designation J let out a huff, her now yellow eyes flicking back and forth across what was once a sprawling facility. Back in the day, this was a major military base that was nearest to the manor by fifty miles, fully staffed by thousands of troops and personnel. Now, it was a smoldering wreck, with every major building completely ablaze. Wrecked military vehicles littered the ground, some of them still containing their deceased occupants. Bullet casings and other equipment were strewn about along with massive blood splatters on the pavement-the bodies had been entirely devoured by the base's former worker staff.

Less than a mile away was an aircraft runway, the tarmac strewn with several charred wrecks of transport planes. A few hours earlier, the humans set up strong defensive positions to protect these aircraft, managing to hold back the infected worker drones that turned against their former masters. Apparently they were going to evacuate via airlift-but of course, that all changed when Cyn’s new toys arrived at the scene.

J still remembered how she targeted and fired a missile at a transport moving to takeoff position, the massive jet exploding into a scorching fireball. It had been her first target with human casualties-she hadn’t killed any back at the gala, and her previous targets were mainly power plants and communication facilities to deny the humans any resources they could use during this… apocalypse, for lack of better words.

She had taken many more lives since that fateful shot…and found herself unsure of her feelings on the matter.

A part of her screamed how this was wrong, that she shouldn't be doing this and N and Tessa would be disappointed in her. And she knew that voice was right… except it belonged to the rule-abiding worker she once was, not what Cyn transformed her to be.

In this insane world, rules and morals no longer applied, no matter how many times she tried spinning it otherwise. J got used to killing relatively quickly, although the humans she dispatched were usually firing on her-she refused to kill anyone who was unarmed.  Besides, did anyone’s opinions on her behavior even matter anymore, considering N was dead and Tessa had willingly sold her humanity?

As the old saying went…if you can’t beat them, join them.

Regardless of her personal feelings on the matter, she still treated this as a sort of job just like back at the manor. If she was going to follow Cyn’s twisted, spiteful plan of vengeance, she would at least do so quickly and professionally even if it was immoral. Most of her victims died immediately and painlessly, unlike the ones grabbed by the infected drones or the new disassemblers they currently flew with.

As for her friends…

Tessa was just like her when it came to eliminating other humans, almost always going after the ones who were armed-yet her kills seemed to be somewhat bloodier than J’s were. She also noticed how fast the former human adjusted to her new life, not even blinking when it came to killing her kind. Although the two of them worked together relatively well thanks to their combat protocols, the former maid couldn’t help but feel unnerved by her apathy in regards to the world around them falling apart like this, practically unrecognizable from her former kind-hearted and enthusiastic personality.

Perhaps it was due to her consciousness being transferred, with key emotions inadvertently wiped out…or maybe the years of abuse and hardship simply wearing down on the girl, with N’s death followed by that drunken beating becoming the tipping point for Tessa-so angry and fed up with a world that showed her nothing but cruelty and neglect.

J tried talking to her about it, but there was simply no time, the drones constantly being assigned new targets to wipe out. She remained worried over her former master, wondering if she’ll even see that beautiful smile or hear gleeful laughter from the now-stoic girl.

Then again, at least she wasn’t anything like whatever V turned into…

The mere thought of the once-shy maid morphing into a bloodthirsty predator sent shivers down J’s spine. She knew N’s death affected her the worst, but her transformations clearly brought out the pent up rage and sorrow for all to see. Everywhere V went, carnage followed as the drone hacked away at any unfortunate human nearby, either cackling or crying hysterically.

J blamed the transformations for everything wrong with the trios systems…but could she really do so considering they all agreed to it? No matter how she felt about Cyn’s plans and her teammates' behaviors, the ex-head maid knew there was no going back to what they once had and lost.

She still blamed herself for this…maybe if she hadn't treated N so poorly they wouldn’t be here-

A burst of gunfire drew the disassembler’s attention towards her right, zeroing in on a two-story barrack building. Several muzzle flashes erupted from the second floor windows, tracer rounds zipping at a small group of oncoming workers. The drones sprinted for the building with reckless abandon, snapping their teeth and screeching ferally, yet they were quickly cut down by the well placed bullets from the holed-up humans above. Visors shattered as oil splattered onto the pavement, the workers collapsing lifelessly to the ground until almost none were left.

“Seems like there’s still survivors defending this base,” J thought, angling her wings back to descend. “I should take care of them before they regroup with others.”

She flew down to the building, quickly dropping altitude-and was immediately noticed by the defenders who switched their fire. Bullets whizzed by her, occasionally hitting her wings to no effect-disassembly drones like her were built to last against most types of small arms fire regardless of intensity. Halting right in front of the building, J swapped her hands to two grenade launchers, aiming them at the second story openings.

Pop!

Boom!

The ensuing explosion rocked the barracks, the few intact windows shattering from the burst as orange flames erupted from the top floor and reached the roof. The gunfire instantly ceased, J’s scanners detecting no threats inside. Satisfied, the disassembler slowly landed on the oil stained pavement below, wings folding back as she stood on her peg feet, staring at the burning building in front.

Switching back to her hands, J sighed, wondering if there were any other survivors in the area.

“Why won’t these guys just leave? They already know they’re outnumbered and outgunned; resisting is suicidal. If they were running…I wouldn’t have fired on them…”

Folding her arms across her black suit, J started to turn away from the wrecked barracks…only to hear a door slam open. Spinning around, the drone switched to an MP5, aiming it at the sound.

A single soldier stumbled out of the smoking entrance, coughing as he went further. His grey uniform was covered in blood, and he was holding his right shoulder as he grunted in pain. The man’s head jerked up to see the tall drone blocking his path, eyes widening in fear at her pointed gun.

The human raised his free hand, showing J he was unarmed. His body shook, and he opened his mouth several times before finally stuttering in a hoarse voice.

“P-Please…do-don’t kill me.”

The pigtailed drone remained frozen in her spot, staring at the man. She didn’t know if he was amongst the group who fired at her, but he was clearly no longer a threat. All she saw was a terrified, wounded survivor who lost the will to fight.

“I…I’ve got kids. Please, d-don’t do this!” He begged, stepping back as tears ran down his face.

He had kids.

Memories of a younger, pre-teen Tessa flashed in her CPU, filled with innocence yet lacking guidance from her cruel parents. Neither J nor anyone else were able to take on this role…yet judging by the way this soldier spoke, maybe he did care for his own children. He was simply caught in the wrong place and time.

The disassembler lowered her weapon, stowing it as she jerked her head to the side.

“Stay in the shadows and don’t make any sounds. The perimeter of the base has already been breached, so you should be able to escape through there. Go now.”

 The man gawked at her, unable to comprehend what she said. “You…You’re-”

“There’s no time!” She impatiently said. “Go!”

He slowly nodded, getting the hint as he began hobbling in the direction she indicated. “T-Thank you-”

Slam!

A black and yellow shape dove onto the soldier’s form, crushing him under its weight. Blood splattered everywhere, causing J to step back in shock. The dust cleared to reveal another disassembler-a male in a large black  jacket she didn’t recognize. The drone’s X blazed on his visor, glancing around with a snarl before locking optics with hers. They briefly stared at each other until the male turned back around, snapping his wings back and shooting into the red sky once more, leaving behind the soldier’s flattened remains.

J was left wide-eyed, reeling from how quickly and brutally this man’s death had ended. Once again, that small part began blaming her for what happened to him, how her presence caused nothing but pain and misery towards others now-

“Oi, J!”

The pigtailed drone turned to face the other female landing softly near her, black dress and hair flowing in the wind. Tessa folded her wings in, walking over with a raised brow.

“H-Hey boss…” She stuttered, shaking off what she witnessed. “Are you alright?”

“Yup.” Tessa responded with seemingly little concern. “Just took care of a few buggers who shot me, that’s all. What happened here though? Did they give you trouble?”

“How is she even holding it together at this point?”

“No, no…a few of them shot me as well, but I dispatched them.”

“Did it hurt?” There was now a slight worry in Tessa’s voice, leaning forward to check her body. “Are there any injuries? If the regen didn’t work, we’ll have to tell-”

“I’m fine!” J blurted. “Don’t stress over it! I’ve been through worse!”

She didn’t know how true that was considering the circumstances, but it seemed to ease the former human as she stepped away.

“Alright then…I’ll take your word for it.” Her voice then fell back to something more serious. “We’re pretty much done here, and Cyn wants us to move out. Said something about messing up more military crap and factories along the way. Are you up for it?”

“ Damn…there she goes again. Can’t even get a few words with her since she’s practically locked in. if circumstances were different, I’d be impressed by her drive.”

J shook her head, erasing the thoughts. “Yeah…l-let’s just go…” 

Deploying her own wings, she prepared to take to the skies with her former master when both drones suddenly heard a distant thumping echoing across the sky, steadily drawing closer. Tessa’s head swiveled around to look for the source. “The bloody hell is that?”

“I…I don’t-” Several bright flashes abruptly caught J’s attention, warnings instantly blaring on her screen. “TESSA, DOWN!”

Shoving the girl to the ground, she wrapped her wingspan protectively around both bodies just as several rockets screamed into the base.

Boom! Boom! BOOM!

The earth shook, and rubble flew everywhere as their forms were rocked by a dozen explosions, eyes shut and wincing at each blast.

Three hulking Apache gunships thundered overhead, discharging rockets and Hellfire missiles at anything that moved around the base. The choppers flew low enough to also engage their targets with chain guns, AP rounds tearing through polymer and steel.

J unfurled her wings the second the surrounding explosions ceased, sensors locking onto the gunships that just completed their gun run. Two of them banked to the right to engage further targets, but the last Apache abruptly spun around on its rotors, practically hovering as it faced her direction.

The drone grabbed Tessa onto her feet just as its autocannon began firing, 30mm rounds tearing apart the concrete. The former human shielded herself with her wings, yet J armed herself with missile launchers instead, firing both warheads directly at the chopper as it also loosed a Hellfire.

The first rocket collided mid air with the opposing missile, subsequently creating a bright fireball. The second one remained locked on, slamming directly into the gunship’s cockpit before the crew could react.

KABOOM!

The Apache disintegrated on impact, the molten remains landing on top of several abandoned trucks and creating an even bigger explosion that rose over the buildings. Looking back, J watched Tessa retract her wings, giving her an actual smile for the first time in a while.

“...Thanks, Jaybird.” The girl dusted the steel feathers off as she spoke. “I could’ve handled it though, thanks to Cyn’s upgrades.”

“I know,” J responded determinately. “But I’m not losing you or anyone else… never again.”

It was true. She would rather die than to let anything else happen to their little group. Otherwise, they would all share N’s fate, and it would be her fault once more.

“Right-o.” Tessa replied with a hint of concern, but quickly shook it off as she glanced towards the remaining choppers. “We can’t stay here though. Let’s take care of these bastards before moving on.” She spread her wings, crouching down to take to the skies.

J prepared herself for flight as well, locking eyes with her closest friend and confidant. “I’ve got your back, boss. I won’t let you down.”

-

“AWACS Eagle Eye, this is Ironhand Flight. We have arrived at the AO with our strike package. Awaiting orders for targets, over.”

“Ironhand, Eagle Eye here. We currently have friendly units trapped on all sides at Unity Station by hostile drones. They have marked their location with green smoke; anything outside of that is clear for bombing. Commence your strike immediately, they won’t be able to hold for much longer, over.”

“Roger that AWACS. Commencing strike outside of green smoke, out.”

No sooner had he finished his conversation, the communications officer switched to another frequency to contact a different flight of aircraft for a mission update. All around him twelve other crew members were doing the same job, seated in front of glowing console screens inside the darkened interior of the E-3 Sentry. Above and outside the aircraft, the massive rotodome whirred nonstop, providing real-time information of the battlespace miles around them to pass along to any airborne jets.

Standing in the center of the cabin was their commanding officer, a major with silver hair. He watched over their consoles with a serious expression, overhearing the conversations through his headset and prioritizing more important missions over others. The requests and information came in at a constant stream, practically overworking the crew despite their numbers and experience.

After all, working in an AWACS jet was stressful enough. But with the entire world seemingly going upside down…it turned into an entirely different beast.

Never in his career had the major been this overwhelmed by everything that was happening, his mind still confused as to how this came to be. His crew were lucky enough to take off from their base thirty minutes before it went dark; apparently the out of control drones breached the perimeter and leveled the place. Dozens more went offline much earlier, including key command posts that severely hampered his ability to contact his superiors or request backup. As far as he knew, his aircraft was the only AWACS operating in this area of the world, and judging by the endless calls for support and help, it certainly showed.

There were simply too many units begging for assistance, and too few aircraft currently flying around to provide, not to mention where to send them off upon completing their mission. Unable to contact any air bases in the area, he told them to either eject over friendly lines or take their chances to find one with whatever fuel they had left. 

The only thing currently working for him was that the warplanes in the air were all Navy, having launched from a carrier several miles offshore. Those ships were probably the safest from the rogue drones…yet his aircraft was too big to land on one. There were no tankers to refuel the thirsty engines, and sooner or later they would have to ditch.

Huffing, the major walked down the aisle to the cockpit, finding the two men inside glancing at the red sky before them. 

“How much fuel do we have?”

“...We have enough for two, maybe three hours if we shut off the outboard engines.” The lead pilot responded hesitantly.

The man cursed internally, yet remained stoic.

“Right. Go ahead and do that; I’ll keep trying for a tanker.”

“Yes sir.” 

With that the major left, returning to the darkened room as his crew worked, too busy to greet him. Looking over their concentrated faces, he decided to hold off telling them about the fuel situation; their task was too important to allow for any distractions.

Once again he fell into the routine, redirecting channels and prioritizing requests. Unfortunately, several units seemed to be under some type of jamming, unable to call out for status. This was happening with a worrying frequency, yet there was nothing he could do for them at the moment.

As long as he focused on the unblocked channels, more lives would be saved from those damn robots.

“Sir! I’m detecting a flight of two F-35s’ on the radar nearing our position! They’re trying to hail us!”

“Patch them through.”

The headset crackled before a voice cut through.

“Eagle Eye, this is Panther 1 with my wingman. We have been launched from the UNS Enterprise to provide CAP for you Air Force boys. How copy, over?”

“Panther 1, Eagle Eye. we appreciate the assistance…do you have a tanker on station though? We will need it for the long run if we’re gonna stay in the air.”

“...We’re currently working on that, sir. I told my CO about the fuel situation you might be experiencing before launching. They know either way.”

“Damnit, that’s not good enough!” The major seethed as he huffed. Adjusting the headset, he spoke once more.

“I need a status update on that fuel now, flight lead.”

“Copy that Eagle Eye. We’ve already slowed to your pace, so I’ll go ahead and radio th-”

A burst of static suddenly interrupted Panther 1, the major wincing at the noise before a different one hopped on, her voice filled with panic.

“SHIT! Panther 1’s down! His cockpit just blew up! I’m breaking off-WHAT THE HELL-”

Another burst of static cut her off, just as the radar operator yelled in panic.

“SIR! Panthers 1 and 2 have dropped off the radar! No contact, no contact!”

“What in God’s name-”

“BOGIES TWELVE HIGH!” The pilot screamed from up front. “OUR ESCORTS ARE DOWN! EVASIVE MANEUVERS!”

The E-3 immediately rolled to the right, the cabin leaning as the crew struggled to maintain their balance. Holding onto a console, the major shouted at the nearest man.

“Contact the Enterprise! Tell them our CAP's down and we need support immed-”

Suddenly the fuselage violently shook as a muffled boom was heard from the left, before banking sharply in that direction. Engines whined, and the crew yelled as the pilots struggled to maintain flight.

“WE’RE HIT! DROPPING ALTITU-”

Crrreeeaaakkk!

Near the back, the emergency exit door was suddenly ripped open, the torn slab flying into the red horizon. The cabin instantly depressurized, the air sucking anything that wasn’t bolted down out of the plane. A variety of debris promptly exited through the doorway, and two of the nearest officers were violently flung out screaming. Oxygen masks dropped as alarms blared, the rest of the crew struggling to properly wear them.

Having grabbed and installed his, the major looked back at the door just in time to see a strange thin figure jump inside the cabin, its skin colored grey with hazard stripes and wearing a bomber jacket. The hands ended in serrated claws, glinting in the glow of the screen, and under its silver hair was a large yellow X, staring directly into his eyes as it opened its maw to reveal rows of sharp fangs.

For the first time in his life, the major got a good hard look at the rogue drones causing him so much trouble for everyone he previously communicated with… and he had never been as scared as now.

-

In the past, V often had problems seeing basic items with her poor optics. Tessa gave her a pair of glasses, which allowed her to actually see the world clearly (and probably made her fall for N upon noticing his good looks.)

Unfortunately she ended up losing them during the gala, and now used her sensors to locate and kill her targets. Her world was often colored in purple and red as a result-the former for inanimate objects, and the latter heat signatures for any living creature, especially humans.

It didn’t take her long to loathe the red signatures, the source of all her suffering and the death of her beloved…and just like a bull, she struck fast and hard without any hesitation.

This time was no different. She stumbled across three jets moving relatively slow compared to the previous ones she encountered, and with the help of her disassembler allies, she took the two smaller ones down. She made it clear the bigger one was for her after detecting multiple signatures inside though.

Now…there was nothing holding her back.

Letting out a cackle, she blitzed through the cabin, swinging with wild abandon at the humans blocking her path. The nearest ones were sliced into pieces, blood staining the walls and floor as the rest scrambled back, pulling out sidearms and attempting to shoot her. V laughed even harder as the rounds pinged off her armor, the humans growing desperate as they screamed and emptied their magazines at the incoming machine.

She didn’t care. She stopped caring the moment N was ripped out of her life, never to return.

A claw swipe, and one human’s head turned to paste. A stab through the gut in another. An injection using her nanite tail, dissolving her victim into yellow sludge. She continued hacking away, laughter turning into sobs as she whittled down the crew, blood drenching the cabin. Finally, she couldn’t contain herself as she screamed three words:

“GIVE HIM BACK!”

One man shot her directly in her visor, punching a hole through the glass. The X flickered, but the repair nanites healed it within seconds, prompting the human to gasp. V swung down with her claw, slicing his body in two.

She wailed again, even as the last man fired repeatedly into her chest until his gun clicked dry. Grabbing him by the uniform, V slammed him against the wall, hearing him groan as he feebly grasped her arm.

“GIVE HIM BACK!”

She threw him into a computer console, the machine exploding in a shower of sparks and glass. An electrical fire burst out of the wrecked screen, setting the human alight yet the drone ignored his cries as she stomped into the cockpit, both pilots turning in horror.

Without waiting, V grabbed their heads and slammed them repeatedly into the instrument panels, metal and glass breaking as more sparks flew. Even as their skulls turned to red paste, she screamed again, X glitching out for tear-stained hollow optics.

“GIVE MY N BAAAACK!”

Crunch!

Only then did she finally stop, the entire cockpit drenched in viscera as the headless bodies sat in their seats. V heaved giant breaths, her entire bloodstained body shaking until finally calming down from her rampage.

Gazing at her dripping claws, V let out a whimper upon flexing them.

“He’s not here…he’s still not here…”

The pilotless plane was now banking further to the left, in danger of rolling over and snapping her back to reality. Shaking her head, she quickly exited the cockpit, making her way through the burning cabin.

“I have to keep looking…I need to. I…I need to make them pay.”

With those final words the disassembler jumped out of the exit, snapping her wings open and soaring towards the [Null] sphere to continue the hunt.

Below, the wounded Sentry dropped like a stone, repeatedly cartwheeling until finally slamming into the ground with a tremendous explosion, sealing the fates of all who were brutally murdered aboard.

Chapter Text

Two worker drone hands punched through a pile of rubble, gripping the surface before pushing down as the rest of his body emerged, debris falling from his back. White eye lights flickered to life as the drone slowly got onto his feet, coughing despite the lack of lungs. Upon scanning his surroundings, his optics hollowed in shock at what had happened a few minutes prior.

“Robo God I’m alive…”

N pushed through the rest of the rubble, waving away the thick cloud of dust as he took a hard look at the area, CPU still reeling from the chaos beforehand.

The convenience store he sheltered in was no more, the walls and roof having caved in. He was lucky that JcJenson drones were built to last; his polymer plating had protected him from any serious damage. Outside of a few scratches and badly torn clothes, he was fully operational despite the collapse.

Pushing past the last of the debris, he finally exited out of the former entrance, optics adjusting to the dust clouds that were now dissipating before him.

The parking lot was no more, a large smoldering crater in its place. The few vehicles that were parked here were blown away or simply vaporized, along with the infected workers who were previously chasing him. N sighed in relief, glad that he was no longer in immediate danger…only to notice the rest of the landscape around him.

Several craters just like this one were scattered around the town and highway, the emerging smoke mixing with the dust that blew around. Every single vehicle on the road was completely gutted and charred, fires burning in many of their interiors. Several meters away, the overpass lay collapsed, broken asphalt pouring over where the military checkpoint once stood, now a collection of wrecked Humvees and trucks. The entire land was an ashy grey, and combined with the red sky made the area even more surreal than it already was, the only sounds being the crackling flames and howling wind.

N didn’t see any bodies-human or worker-but was certain that everyone present had instantly been annihilated within the first blasts, having no time to seek cover.

He was the only survivor of this attack.

The butler fell to his knees, gazing wide-eyed at his surroundings as his CPU panicked.

“They…They bombed everything…killed everyone…what the hell is happening to this world?!”

It was the first time N ever cursed, yet he didn’t care as he gripped his head with trembling arms, squeezing his eyes shut. Everything that happened since his “death” and the dump was catching up, confused and terrified of how life itself turned upside down-no explanations, no warning, and no comfort.

N was alone and vulnerable. All he wanted was to be back behind the safe walls of the manor, to hug and cuddle with his friends, let them know he was still alive…

Just like that, he snapped out of his breakdown, eyes wide open as he released his head.

“My buddies…” He muttered, slowly standing up. “I gotta see my buddies…and go home. They’re safe there, they have to be…”

A new sense of resolve surged through his core, even with his bleak background; he would reunite with Tessa, V, J, and Cyn…no matter what happened.

He looked towards the highway, the way now clear for him to continue without any interference from the humans or infected drones. A path towards the old manor where he was given a new life, even with the cruelty of Tessa’s parents. Yet just like so many times throughout his life, he would persevere, and be happy with the little family he would do anything for.

And with that, N marched forward.

He marched out of the bombed out town, following the road at a steady pace. All around him were the signs of a collapsing civilization: wrecked cars, bloodstains on the pavement, and distant settlements glowing alight with fire, with the occasional whoosh of jet engines and heavy thuds of explosions lighting the horizon. 

But N refused to stop, keeping his eyes out for any hostile workers or humans as he maintained pace. Halting here would be a death sentence for the unarmed drone, and would waste even more time he didn’t have. The thoughts of his friends pushed him onwards, his only source of motivation on this hell on Earth.

Hours passed, or maybe days-N wasn’t sure anymore. His clock was useless thanks to the never-changing horizon, the [Null] sphere ominously hanging overhead. Smoke and dust blowing through the air only made this even more complicated, often obscuring large parts of the sky. 

Nevertheless, he kept pushing onwards.

At one point he came across another break from the bordering forest, spying an actual city to his left. The metropolis was more than a dozen miles away according to the map, yet he easily saw the towering skyscrapers through the haze. Smoke and large fires burned throughout the area, continuously wafting over the tallest buildings to where a good chunk of the crimson horizon was blotted out by black smog. Unlike the other towns he passed though, this area seemed to be more active in a twisted sense.

N watched low-flying fighter jets roar over the buildings at a constant pace, firing missiles and dropping bombs without restraint. The thuds and flashes of massive explosions were also more frequent, orange-red mushroom clouds morphing over many of the smaller buildings, and he could even hear the distant chatter of gunfire reverberating throughout the streets, various calibres emitting their own echos when discharging.

Humans were still inside this city, and they were fighting back with heavier weaponry. N had no idea how long they’d been fighting, or who was winning this intense fight. He found himself once again grateful that he wasn’t near anywhere like that, stuck in an urban sprawl-turned warzone. If the bullets and claws didn’t kill him, getting lost in that maze certainly would!

Regardless, N moved on, the sounds of battle slowly fading yet never truly going away as he passed the city, eyes locked onto the empty highway ahead-and his buddies waiting at the end.

-

It took awhile, but N finally reached another town near the highway, this one being larger than the previous ones he visited. In the map, it was the last borough he had to go through, only a few miles away from the manor. All he had to do was go right down the middle, and find the side road that would eventually lead him home. The path itself was relatively straightforward…

But as always, things were easier said than done.

Upon exiting the highway, the butler noticed how empty the area was-save for the numerous fires and debris scattered throughout the streets. Looking at the buildings lining the boulevards, the town seemed to be much nicer than Stillview was, with historic architecture present on almost every storefront and house. The variety of shops and restaurants was another indication that this area had plenty of visitors from outside, all of them appearing to be cozy and high class with fancy signs and embellishments while advertising “homemade” or “organic” products.

Hell, even the name appeared to be classy, noticing the ornate sign decorated with fake flowers near the exit ramp:

Welcome To Bridgerton

A Place You Can Call Home!

If this wasn’t enough evidence of a vacation town, then N didn’t know what was!

He had to admit, Bridgerton definitely was a pretty place at one time-he wouldn’t be surprised if Tessa and her parents visited often to buy clothes, eat out, or simply flaunt their wealth.

However, this place was well past its prime, as it hadn’t been spared from the apocalypse N bore witness to. The once affluent streets were clogged with abandoned or charred vehicles, a good number of them being sport or luxury. Bloodstains drenched the smooth pavement everywhere he looked, with detached bones and torn clothing the only evidence of human remains. Many of the storefronts were burning from the inside-out, wood groaning and glass shattering from the flames pouring out of every opening.

Bridgerton was no different than Stillview, the distant city, or every other settlement N came across throughout his journey; on fire, destroyed, and their entire populations slaughtered like livestock. The only difference was that this was after the fact, with its streets ruined but empty.

Or so he thought.

Five minutes into entering the town, N came across the first infected workers prowling the street just ahead, claws twitching and fangs bared. He ducked behind a nearby wall, peeking out to see the small group shamble by, chittering like some alien animals as their yellow Xs blazed through the smoke. Upon watching them enter a gutted bistro, he moved from the wall, now moving on the sidewalk as there was more cover there than on the sidewalk.

It was a good thing he did this, as soon he came across more feral drones scattered throughout the town, forcing him to hide inside empty stores or behind parked cars, waiting for them to pass by. Sometimes he did this for more than five minutes particularly when dealing with groups of a dozen or larger, slowing his progress.

The drones themselves were either wandering aimlessly through the streets or feasting on any remaining flesh lying on the ground, snarling and hissing all the while. To see these once-normal workers acting like this chilled N to the core, idly wondering what made him so different. Surely he wasn’t immune to whatever virus plagued their systems… right?

Not to mention the fates of J, V or Cyn. If they were infected and turned into these…then-

“Stop it!” He screamed in his mind. “Just stop! They’re alive and well! They have to be! They have to be…”

The doubt continued to linger despite himself, which made him want to arrive at the manor even faster, simply run there and see if they were okay. But circumstance prevented him from doing so, especially with these feral units prowling about.

Nevertheless N continued sneaking and hiding through Bridgerton, optics scanning the area for any threats until finally coming across a major intersection choked with wrecked vehicles. Scampering behind an SUV, the butler peered through the broken window to see what was ahead of him.

On the other side of the street was a large, four story hospital, its white walls covered in ash and a few blood splatters here and there. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks blocked the driveway before the entrance, medical equipment and stretchers carelessly strewn about. Both front doors hung wide open to a darkened space, and several windows were shattered on each floor-N tried not to think what or who caused them to break in the first place.

Unfortunately for him, several infected drones were wandering in front of the building, blocking his path. Their heads jerked back and forth, scanning the area for any potential victims as they flexed their sharpened, dripping claws.

“Biscuits…”

 There was no way N could sneak past those drones, not enough cover available for him to cross. He could try taking a detour, but the intersection was too wide for him to cross unnoticed. 

It was simply impossible to bypass the drones safely.

N slumped behind the car, trying to think how he could proceed past the hospital, CPU whirring to life. Every scenario involved him getting spotted and potentially having to defend himself… with what?

He sighed, shaking his head as he looked for a way out. “C’mon N, think! You can’t let a few drones stop you from seeing your buddies again! There’s got to be another way around these thi-”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Several loud barks ripped N out of his thoughts, quickly standing up and peering over the car just in time to see several bright tracers zip through the air directly for the workers blocking his path. Several rounds smacked through the  concrete, and the drones barely had any time to dodge before their bodies were promptly ripped apart, limbs and heads flying everywhere as oil splattered all over the street. N watched as the entire pack was wiped out within seconds, becoming nothing more than scrap metal lying on the road.

 The sounds of rumbling engines from left of the intersection caused him to duck lower to remain hidden, just as several vehicles rolled into view, maneuvering between the wrecks littering the road.

In the lead was an eight-wheeled Stryker sporting a turret mounted 30mm autocannon, the barrel still smoking from firing at the feral drones. Following right behind were five Humvees armed with machine guns, their gunners scanning the streets for any additional threats. 

Moving in formation, the APC and trucks halted before the hospital entrance upon crossing the intersection, brakes groaning in protest. Armored doors swung open, and twenty soldiers exited the vehicles, armed to the teeth with rifles, shotguns and even two belt-fed SAWs. Shouting orders at each other and scanning the rooftops with their guns, the squad converged at the main doors before flipping night vision goggles over their gas masks and waiting near the entrance. The nearest soldier signaled to the darkened interior, and as one the group shuffled inside, weapons pointed forward until the last man moved out of sight past the doors.

The Stryker and company remained outside, engines idling as the turret and machine gun crews continued swiveling in their mounts for any hostile workers daring to attack. N remained behind the SUV, not wanting to draw any attention whatsoever as he watched the scene.

Within a minute, gunshots rang throughout the hospital’s interior, along with the occasional explosion of a grenade. N saw yellow muzzle flashes through the broken windows, and heard infernal screeches from whatever undead drones were inside. The fight lasted for several long minutes, stressing him out further along with the vehicle crews nearby-all of their guns were pointed towards the building at this stage.

Eventually, a soldier emerged from the entrance, waving behind him to goad his comrades outside. N counted fifteen humans exiting the hospital, with one of them limping as his leg bled from bandaged wounds. The men appeared to be tense and on edge, apparently taking casualties while inside.

“Why did they even enter? That place looked abandoned, and I don’t think there were any survivors anyways! I definitely would have stayed out!”

The last soldier exiting the building turned towards the entrance, raising a grenade launcher and popping off one round inside. A muffled boom reverberated, dust emerging from the hole as the man ran back to the parked vehicles mounting their passengers.

Crack!

The sky rang out with a very familiar thunderclap, causing everyone to look above in dawning recognition and horror.

“Oh no…” 

KABOOM!

The Stryker suddenly exploded in a massive fireball, turret flying into the air as it flipped over on its side. Simultaneously, the rearmost Humvee was lifted onto its back by another blast, the soldiers in between thrown onto the ground. N ducked as small debris rained all over the place, followed by the detached turret landing on a nearby bus. A few car alarms rang out, joining the sounds of roaring flames and injured screams from the nearby soldiers.

A frazzled N peered out to see both the overturned APC and Humvee burning profusely as the rest of the surviving humans got back onto their feet, glancing around in shock and fear as to what hit their convoy.

Their answer came seconds later as a black-gold figure slammed in the middle of the intersection, stunning everyone again until the dust finally cleared to reveal its form.

To N, it appeared to be a drone thanks to the standard visor…but wrong. It was tall, with pointed feet and thin around the waist, emulating a more humanoid form. The only thing it wore over its yellow-white chassis was a black bomber jacket, with two massive silver wings sprouting from its back alongside a wiry tail behind the waist.

The most noticeable part was the face. Short silver hair accompanied by five strange yellow orbs nestled on top…yet the visor glowed with the same neon X he’d seen on so many infected workers.

N ‘s eyes hollowed, realizing that things were about to get so much worse.

The winged drone snapped its head back and let out a shrill, feminine cackle from its-no, her -fanged maw, snapping out two shiny claws from her wrists as the surviving soldiers attempted to move away.

And within the blink of an eye, she pounced.

The first human had no time to raise his carbine before quickly being decapitated, severed head flying into the air. The drone rushed in a yellow blur to her next target, slicing off both arms and kicking the body down. Blood splattered everywhere as the remaining soldiers began firing at the swift giggling drone.

N could barely follow her movements as she cut down the squad at a rapid pace-limbs were severed, chests were caved in, screams of pain and fear filling the air alongside constant gunfire. The men in the trucks attempted to aim their fifty-caliber turrets at the drone, only for her to leap onto the roofs of each Humvee, lopping off their heads with black swords. At the last truck, she yanked the gunner from his turret and ripped him in half, viscera drenching her entire body as she threw the pieces away.

Leaping down, she blocked incoming rounds with her wings, not giving her prey a chance to reload as they were eviscerated on the spot. As N watched her tear apart another soldier, his nearby comrade aimed a grenade launcher and quickly discharged three shells, catching her off guard. One missed and exploded inside the Humvee behind her, but the other two slammed into her wings, blowing the tall killing machine against the wreckage. However, she quickly recovered, arm transforming into an MP5 before letting loose with a barrage of bullets, the rounds tearing through the soldier who hurt her. Rising back to her feet, the drone whipped towards the remaining three humans, snarling in hatred as her X blazed.

Another burst, and two more soldiers went down bleeding through their masks. She leapt at the remaining trooper, landing directly before him and ripping away his M4 with a clawed hand. Gripping the sides of his head, she slowly squeezed against the helmet, the man thrashing wildly as he screamed and begged, the pressure increasing by the second until-

Pop!

The human's head exploded in a shower of gore, the helmet crumpled in the drone’s grip. She stared at the body for a few seconds before throwing it down, blood pouring from the pulverized wound. 

Just like that, it was over.

Silence returned to the battlefield, save for the burning vehicles and the drone’s panting, soon turning into low, distraught sobs as her frame shook, raising her claws to her head.

N simply sat there utterly terrified at what this… monster did, having wiped out the entire unit while shrugging off any injuries. This wasn’t like the rest of the zombified drones who simply lunged at everything that moved; this robot was built specifically for combat.

“...I need to get outta here.”

The butler slowly moved away, keeping himself low as hollow optics remained locked onto the shaking wailing drone, walking back step by step to safe-

Crunch!

N froze at the loud noise, glancing down to see the shards of glass beneath his feet in a cruel twist of fate, as if this hellish world wanted to spite him further. The sobs abruply stopped, and he looked back to see the drone staring directly at him, X locked with his eye lights as she gave an eerie smile.

“OH CRAP! G-GOTTA GO!”

Turning around, he only made it a few feet before the drone leapt up and slammed into the SUV he’d been hiding behind, the roof squealing as it caved under her feet. Another whoosh, and the monster suddenly landed in front of him, the force blowing the worker on his back. N yelped in terror as the drone slowly advanced on him, flexing her claws and cackling dangerously once more. Quickly glancing around, he noticed a piece of rebar lying nearby and grabbed it just as the drone pounced on her new prey.

Clang!

Her claws dug through the steel pole as N blocked it in time, straining against her weight as she pushed down. The thing snarled in response, practically drooling through her fangs and essentially straddling him while they wrestled. N’s servos whined in protest, yet he kept pushing back even in this hopeless situation. Nothing mattered at this point-not even his family. Survival was the only thought running through his CPU, and he was desperate to make it out of this terrifying predicament…

…Only for the drone to suddenly release her grip before effortlessly swatting the rebar out of his hands, sending it clattering on the pavement. N’s core sank in horror and defeat-he had nothing to fight against the monster now.

He would die here, on this pavement, brutally torn apart without ever seeing his family again.

“I really am useless, huh?”

“...I’m sorry guys.”

She giggled once more, licking her lips as she cocked her head, revealing the short bangs dangling alongside-

“W-Wait…Why does her hair look so familiar?!”

N frantically searched his memory banks in an attempt to explain this sudden familiarity, scanning any passing data within milliseconds. The drone’s hair-he’d seen it before, he knew he had! Not to mention how the voice behind the laughter stood out as if he’d heard it before… where did he hear that voice?!

Above him, the drone raised one of her claws, preparing to serve the finishing blow-and revealing the yellow armband tied on her jacket sleeve. Spying the designation listed on the piece of cloth, N’s analysis came to a screeching halt just as the answer finally hit him.

It was impossible. It should’ve been impossible, especially when he was seconds away from his death. Even he found it hard to believe considering everything that happened.

But he couldn’t hold back his disbelief any longer as the pieces finally clicked.

“V, WAIT!”

The drone’s claw froze mid air, mere inches from his visor. The cackling stopped, and her X glitch out to reveal a pair of hollow, yellow eye lights staring back in complete shock.

Their gaze was brief, yet for him it felt like an eternity gazing into those different yet familiar optics he used to get lost in so long ago.

“...N?!”

And there it was; her beautiful voice-only this time it sounded hoarse and tired, nothing like the quiet gentle tone that made him feel lightheaded back at the manor.

The monster-V- fell off his body, sitting on the concrete in utter disbelief, tears appearing on her visor as she began hyperventilating, her entire frame shaking with each breath. N simply sat there on the ground, still staring at her changed form, and how she almost killed him only seconds before.

“...N-N!” She finally croaked out, shifting onto her knees and crawling towards him. Bloodstained claws retracted for normal hands, and she tentatively reached out to feel his body, as if she was seeing a ghost.

In all honesty, he was as well, and attempted to move back out of fear she may try killing him again, yet his body remained frozen even as her fingers wrapped around his arm.

V gasped at the touch, reeling back and staring at her palm before turning to him once more.

“You…You’re a-alive! Robo-God, y-you’re ALIVE!”

Tears flooded down as she loudly sobbed, and before N could react she scooped him into her modified conial arms, squeezing him tightly as if he was about to disappear. Resting her head on top of his, the now-taller ex–maid continued bawling as she babbled nonstop.

“YourealiveyourealiveMYGODyourealive! This is real, r-right?! It’s real, ithastobeitHASTOBE! YOU’RE A-ALIVEEEEEE!!!”

V squeezed N even tighter as she kept rattled on, yet he simply sat limply in her grip without reciprocating,  unable to comprehend everything that happened, everything he witnessed, everything…in general.

His shy, sweet beloved V was transformed into something… terrifying. The same girl who was once terrified of spiders had just slaughtered an entire squad of soldiers within seconds…and she was laughing, almost as if she enjoyed it! Even now, he could see the blood sticking on her clothes and limbs, the smell of iron and oil replacing the sweet cinnamon scent she used to have.

N didn’t know what to think or say anymore, not to her. A part of him wished this was all some messed up dream…yet here he was, in the arms of a “friend” who looked anything but her. 

“I-I missed you, I thought I lost you!” V continued to speak as he sat there with the same hollow expression. “How did you even survive?! How-Oh God! I…I have to tell Cyn this! I have to tell everyone!”

N slowly glanced up at her relieved, tear wracked face, asking only one of the million questions in his head. 

“...Cyn?”

“Y-Yes! She-She’s gonna be so happy! I’m happy! We-We gotta go, N, gotta take you out of this place and back home! J-Just hold on, okay?!”

He didn’t respond, even as V stood up, cradling the butler in a bridal position before furling her wings out, thrusting down and rocketing both of them into the sky.

N should've been shocked or scared at his friend's flight ability, considering they were never built to do so in the first place. He should’ve felt something, anything!

…Yet all he could do was stare at the burning town below him, smoke wafting into the red sky. He saw the gutted soldiers splayed across the street, blood glinting in the fires as both drones pulled away. V was still rambling on how he was alive and safe, and that she couldn’t wait to show the others, but he tuned her out, too stunned to register anything around him. 

It was simply too much to process, even as they flew over ruined Bridgerton heading towards home. The drone’s CPU was aching with what he witnessed, recordings constantly rerunning as his consciousness flipped between horror, sorrow, and disbelief over everything.

“What…What happened to us? What happened to you, V?”

He desperately wanted to ask the question…but considering she almost killed him without realizing it, he was a lot more hesitant now. Speaking of which…

“Oh Robo-God, I-I’m so sorry about what happened back there N! I didn’t even recognize you until you said something! I was-I was just-” V stifled a sob, shaking her head as she banked towards the distant forests. “I really thought you were gone…I was so hurt…and angry… ”

Meeting her gaze, all N could do was nod slowly in response. The drone hugged him again, gasping in relief.

“I-I won’t hurt you ever again, okay?! Nobody’s gonna hurt you! I’ll do anything for you- anything to keep you safe from now on…

“Once we get home to the others, you will be safe. I-I can promise you that…we missed you…” She started crying softly once more, tears of joy running down her visor this time as they flew further from the smoke and flames.

N didn’t join her relief. All he could do was stare between the landscape and her new body, packed with blades and armaments solely to kill others.

It didn’t fit her at all…and yet somehow it did.

A part of N wondered who did this to her, and if Tessa even knew. Nonetheless he could now see the old mansion looming in the distance, looking the same as ever save for the lack of lights. V was slowing down as well, obviously preparing to land near the building as she continued rambling about how everyone missed him-but he still unconsciously tuned her out. He wasn't in any state to reply at this point

The only thing left was for N to steel himself, and prepare for a long-overdue reunion with the rest of his family…one that felt a lot more intimidating than what he thought it would be.

“...Should I have even returned in the first place?”

Chapter Text

It all started with a single ping.

Cyn was quite used to pings, having sent and received them constantly during her conquest of Earth. It was a form of communication between disassembly drones, as they were the elite of her army, and therefore needed to act more “professionally” than the zombie drone hordes that charged fourth with wild abandon.

Most of the disassemblers used their pings to receive or give orders, never for personal use-their sole purpose was to fight and kill after all. Cyn’s family, although retaining their autonomy also used them for the same thing…well, Tessa and J did. V usually did her own work, darting between targets nonstop and racking up hundreds of kills daily. She was ruthless and relentless and hardly sent a ping in response to any tasks she was given. There was no need to anyways-Cyn knew she’d get the job done.

So when she detected a ping from V, it piqued her curiosity, stopping her role as administrator to see what her sister sent her.

Two words. All caps.

HE’S ALIVE.

It only took milliseconds for the eldritch worker to realize who she was talking about, considering she only knew one male drone in her entire life.

And once again…she was stunned into inaction.

“...Impossible.”

It was the very first thought to cross her mind. She sensed N died the moment he disconnected from the private admin they shared- everyone watched him die when that virus chip went through his forehead! There was simply no way to recover a worker’s OS after that-all of his memories, emotions, everything that made him him would be erased permanently. Even Cyn herself couldn’t undo that!

To see this blatant proclamation made her doubt the words of her loyal drone. Maybe by chance, she found N’s body, and in her grief pretended he was still there just like before. Although it was a relief they brought him back intact for a proper burial, it certainly wasn’t “alive”-nothing could bring her beloved brother back.

Sensing V approach the manor, Cyn crawled out of what was once the ballroom, now reconfigured into a throne room/command center. Stolen computers sat on every corner, their wires fusing with the fleshy walls and floor completely covering the room, allowing her to direct her army more efficiently. Every piece of decoration and furnishing was either removed or bastardized with dark red Solver symbols. In the center sat a throne made of the attendants’ bones, a gruesome display of her new role in leading her “vengeance tour”.

The host of the Singularity scuttled across the desecrated hallways covered in fleshy tendrils, the remaining lights dimly flickering in her wake. Soon she reached the main doors, pushing them open with the flick of her hand as she exited the manor. She had no reason to fear the Sun anymore thanks to her reality-warping powers that enabled her army to fight on her own terms.

Plus, it was another tactic to traumatize the humans even further…it was quite amusing to see their initial reactions at the horizon turning blood-red and black.

The centipede craned her torso upwards just in time to see V’s form slowly descend with wings outspread, certainly living up to the “angel of death” moniker the humans seemed to be giving her and the rest of the disassemblers. The drone lightly touched down without a sound, folding her wings back and uncurling her body from…

N.

There he was, sitting in her arms wearing the very same uniform he had on the day of his death, hollow white eyes flickering towards V before snapping to her. The worker jolted in her grip, eye lights voiding further even as the taller drone attempted to soothe him with gentle words and coos-a leftover of her old self.

Cyn was too distracted to notice, staring at the very drone who cared for her ever since arriving from the dump, always reading and playing with a million-watt smile on her face. A drone who never judged or became uncomfortable at her presence, ready to lend a helping hand at every chore. The one person who Cyn loved the most out of every member of her family, vowing to keep him innocent and safe even as she enacted her master plan…only to fail when he was decommissioned instead.

And yet…here he was. Like a ghost from the dead, gazing into his stressed, terrified eyes.

Cyn felt herself move a claw close to the boy, too entranced to register his panic as she curled a strand of his silver hair, shivering in confusion and joy that this was no mere illusion-in spite of everything, he was here! In the polymer flesh and steel!

Raising her trembling claw on his head, Cyn strained to keep the emotion out of her monotone voice as she finally spoke.

“...Big Brother N…you are… overjoyed expression. Alive!”

The moment she tried stroking his head with her talons, N jerked away, letting out a terrified yelp as he curled further into V’s arms, shaking and whimpering in fear. 

Cyn was momentarily taken aback by his reaction, about to ask what was wrong until she heard his panicked whispers through her enhanced receptors.

“...P-Please…d-don’t hurt me…”

Running a hand through his hair in an attempt at comfort, V snapped her gaze to Cyn, eyes widening at her body as she mouthed some words. The eldritch worker glanced down to see the centipede form still towering overhead, cameras and pincers twitching behind her torso.

“Oh…how careless of me.”

In her joy, Cyn had inadvertently revealed her true form to N.

“...God fucking damnit.”

This was bad. This was very bad, especially for greeting someone she thought was dead… and scared for his life. She had no idea what he went through before V found him, but clearly he was suffering. Staying in her true form would undoubtedly make things worse.

Her form glitched out several times before reverting to her dainty maid form, now staring up at her sister. Shuffling towards the pair, she watched the other girl lower the shaking N to her level, shifting between giving him a strained smile and frantically expressing Cyn to say something.

The worker slowly shook his shoulder. “ Shake shake. N…It’s me, your little buddy. Don’t be afraid…you’re safe now, relieved expression. You finally came home.”

N stilled for a few seconds before whipping towards her face, giving her a distressed glance. His mouth opened and closed, unable to get anything out of his voice box as Cyn squeezed his shoulder, giving him an adorable, hopeful look.

“I…I missed you so much, Big Brother. I thought you were offlined…we missed you, I missed you, sniff.” Pixelated tears ran down her visor- actual tears of sorrow and relief. “None of us thought you would ever return…yet here you are. Safe, and with me once mo-"

“W-What the hell are you?!”

Those terror-stricken words stopped Cyn dead in her tracks, the emotional monologue she had playing frozen like a stopped record. 

N’s eyes darted to and fro, frantically scanning the area as his shaky voice continued. “C-Cyn…that–that thing! w-what was that? Was that y-you? What’s g-going on here? Where’s Tessa?!”

Panic rose in his voice, prompting Cyn to reassure him again. “Big Brother N…I can imagine whatever you experienced out there was a lot to process. You are tired and incredibly stressed, worried tone. I…I will explain everything, but we need you to calm down-”

“Calm down? Calm down?! How can I do that when t-the entire world turned UPSIDE DOWN?!” For the first time in history, N yelled , the tone ringing in Cyn’s and V’s receptors as they winced.

“Do you even have any idea what I’ve been through?! I saw so much death, destruction, bloodshed…among other stuff I shouldn't have to see! And then…y-you guys!”

He turned up to V, optics boring into hers. “What happened to you?! W-What was that back there?!”

Swiveling to Cyn, his voice grew even more frantic. “A-And you! Who…no, what are you?! T-That… b-body… how did you even-what did-AGH!”

N clutched his head, unable to say anymore as the pervious events finally caught up, overloading his CPU and preventing him from thinking rationally. In that moment, he no longer felt safe-he needed to run, run just like he’d been doing the past several days, weeks-he didn’t know anymore. Only the need to get away.

“L-Let me go!” He struggled in V’s grip, the disassembler attempting to hold on as he kicked and writhed. “Let me GO!”

“N, please!” The former maid begged, careful not to drop or injure him. “T-There’s no need for this! You’re safe now!”

“Big Brother, you must calm down! This isn’t good for you!”

“Let me go!” N’s struggle grew more frantic with each second, practically gasping out his words. “I need to go, I need to go, Ineedtogetout, lemmegolemmegoLEMMEGO!” 

N was completely distraught and terrified, not even regarding the pleas of his friends as he continued writhing, pushing himself against his restraints harder and harder until-

Warning! CPU Overheating!

Emergency Shutdown!

“LET ME…go…”

The butler’s head suddenly slumped down as his body went completely limp, arms and legs dangling freely. His eyes glitched out in favor of a buffering symbol on his visor.

“N?! ENNN?! ROBOGOD, ARE YOU OKAY?! S-SAY SOMETHING PLEASE!”

V started panicking, shaking his unconscious body back and forth until Cyn rested a tendril on her shoulder, stilling her.

“ Shushing sounds. It’s alright, Sister V. He simply shut down on us from too much stress. We will need to talk with him, but now is not the time. Go inside and put him in one of the bedrooms to rest. Watch over him while I call the others.”

“Oh…r-right, I’ll do that!” Without waiting, V hurriedly walked towards the mansion, hugging N tightly to her chest.

“Sigh…”

Cyn glanced back up at the [Null] sphere with a dejected expression, not intending their reunion to turn out this way at all. Then again, how was she supposed to know he was alive? She detected no admin signals from his body, unable to connect with him as a result. It should've been impossible, considering all other drones in her army now ran on her admin privileges…so why didn’t he have one like the rest?

He had an administrator before he died! He should’ve given some sort of signal… unless said administrator was suddenly removed by the virus chip that apparently failed to kill him.

It was an impossibility…but then again, that was the least of her concerns at the moment. N was finally home, and he was not in good shape.

“Perhaps staying with V and meeting with the others shall calm him down…he was always good with them.”

Cyn ignored the fact that his friends were no longer the people he grew up and bonded with…not anymore.

With that thought, she sent a signal to Tessa and J, urging them to return immediately. Soon they would learn the truth, and finalize the reunion nobody had expected.

Cyn’s family…would be whole once more. No more masters. No more abuse. No more discardings. They would be free and safe in the new world the small worker had planned out for them.

She would make sure of it.

-

A bedroom door clicked open, V quickly darting inside and closing it with her tail. Glancing around, she sighed in relief at the sparse but normal interior of the guest bedroom, having climbed two stories to escape the infection below.

Glancing at her precious cargo lying unconscious in her arms, the drone gave him a remorseful gaze, stroking his hair back as she walked to the nearby bed, the mattress squeaking under her heavy frame.

He looked so peaceful now…a far cry from the terrified expression he had five minutes ago.

“Oh N…”

Sinking further into the bed, V cradled N close to her body, gazing at his ashen shell, messy hair, and ruined clothing. Remnants of her old maid protocols kicked in, urging her to clean the drone up, but she resisted the longer she stared at his body.

Even now, she had trouble believing that N was finally back home; scared, battered, but ultimately alive. She watched him die on that floor, the only light in her life snuffed out, making her into the strong drone she was now… and yet that very light returned, dimmed but illuminating her world once more.

Her hands ran down from his shoulders, making their way towards his waist and feeling every curve and indent. Back then, she only fantasized about holding him like this, or the other way around. The very thought still made the taller drone blush, staring at the worker intensely.

“He’s so much smaller now…it’s pretty weird, but cute. Very cute. ”

V giggled, the previous worries over N’s mental state rapidly dissipating in favor of…well, him. The very drone she crushed on, in her arms and completely safe from anything outside…all hers to enjoy.

V’s blush grew heavier, reaching up to the tattered suit he still wore. The thing was practically tearing by the seams-he certainly didn’t need this anymore!

Unsheathing a claw, the girl slowly tore right down the middle before throwing it aside, exposing his white polymer shell and glowing core, slowly pulsing in the dark. Dents and scratches were everywhere, yet he suffered no major injuries to his body- Cyn would certainly be happy to see this!

The torn pants and peeling dress shoes were the next to go over the side, revealing a completely bare N lying on his back, completely unaware of his situation as his screen continued buffering. It was V’s first, good look at him in such a state… and boy did she enjoy the view.

Her mind wandered to more…lustful thoughts as she continued ogling his body, not caring if this was a violation of privacy. All she could think about was that N was here once more…and what she could do with him.

She was tempted. So very tempted.

But Cyn gave her instructions, and she would never disobey them, no matter how strong her urges were. Besides, N was in a fragile state at the moment-taking advantage of him would be incredibly cruel. She was better than that… right?

Sighing, V pulled up the blanket, covering both drones before reaching out and pulling him in again, arms wrapped around his back as her tail slithered across his legs. She smiled at how peaceful N’s form looked, the adorable worker snuggled between her and the blankets, just resting here, at home, with her alongside. Just like she’d always dreamed.

It was at this moment V could no longer hold back.

Temporarily pulling away, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against N’s hard, moaning in delight. Her tongue lapped at his mouth, eager to enter as she tilted her head.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds… but it was an eternity for V.

Withdrawing once more, she cupped N’s cheeks and smiled, a massive blush across her visor. After years of remaining silent about her true feelings, she had finally claimed the adorable boy as hers, and hers alone.

 No longer would they be separated and lonely-the would  be the very couple V always dreamed of, keeping her N safe and sound. Nothing or no one would hurt them, not even herself-what happened in that town was a mistake. She would never hurt him.

They would be together now…and if she had to kill millions of humans to keep it that way?

So be it.

V hugged N tightly, closing her eyes as she smiled, resting her head on top of his.

“I love you, my N…I’ll never let you go.”

Chapter Text

Reboot Complete.

White optics clicked open as N’s systems activated, the drone letting out a low groan. As his CPU finished loading, he tried to recall how and why he was even out in the first place. All he remembered was meeting V, landing in front of the mansion, and greeted by that thing claiming to be his sister-

Oh.

Oh.

His eyes widened as his memories replayed without prompt. The large, snakelike body, the numerous claws and tendrils writhing around along with strange camera-like appendages glowing yellow…and how the entire thing glitched out of existence upon realization, back to silly, awkward Cyn. His little buddy…

“...Can I even call her that? Is she even ther-”

“Good morning, my love~”

N gasped at the voice, snapping his head around and finally getting a bearing of his surroundings. He was lying on a white bed inside a small, wooden room sparsely decorated with basic furniture and lights. Scanning the area, he quickly recognized it as one of the many guest bedrooms inside the manor, reserved for anyone staying over, or too drunk to make it out of one of many parties hosted here. Considering he went into reboot outside the house, someone must have carried him in…that someone currently stepping into view, her form looming over the bed.

“You’re finally up…I was so worried about you when we first arrived.”

N said nothing, simply staring at the drone who was V in name only. Her yellow eye lights gazed down with pure adoration, the bulbs in her hair flickering as she smiled with sharpened fangs. N swore he saw traces of blood dotting the edges.

Her bomber jacket was a size too small, revealing the rest of her thin, voluptuous body that appeared to be bigger than his standard worker torso. He could see how her white conial arms ended in hazard stripes near the wrists, the hands themselves resting on her wide bare hips along with stilted black legs sporting similar markings.

To see the small, reserved, and cute V so changed and… exposed sent N’s mind into a loop, unable to tear his optics away as he scanned her new body. The girl took notice of this, letting out a playful giggle that sent chills down his spine, forcing him to glance at her eyes once more.

“Like what you see?” She asked, placing her hands behind her head as she stretched her body. “I know it’s a lot to take in…but these upgrades are so much better than my old frame, don’t you agree?”

N’s visor gained a blush at her lithe frame…yet he only had one question for his crush.

“V…what happened to you? To Cyn? Why are you like… this?”

The drone instantly stopped smiling, arms going slack upon realizing what he was asking. Shaking her head, V walked over and sat next to the worker covering himself with the bankets. When she spoke, any playfulness she had vanished in place of a solemn, serious voice.

“...You really wanna know?”

Of course N wanted to know-he’d been wanting to know ever since she killed those soldiers! 

He refrained from saying this part however, unsure of whether the stronger drone would get angry. Keeping as much space between them, the worker only shook his head, avoiding direct eye contact.

“Yeah…what happened while I was gone?”

V sighed, rubbing her hands as her expression grew solemn, giving him an apologetic look.

“...Well, we thought you were dead for starters…and we missed you. I missed you.” She shook her head. “I-It wasn’t fair! How they just…took you from me! I felt weak, alone, a failure!”

Turning away, she let out a shuddering breath before glancing back. “You had no idea how long I suffered without any kind of support…at least, until I found what Cyn was really capable of.

“I wasn’t expecting it from someone like her, but she was also determined to avenge you…all I did was agree to it.”

Gesturing at her body, V continued. “She turned me into something faster, stronger, better than I ever was. She helped get the others onboard too. When the annual gala finally came, that’s when I revealed myself…and well, vented at the rich snobs we used to serve, in a way.”

It was N’s turn to speak. “...You killed them?”

She nodded in response. “As many as I could, yeah.”

“...Why?!” He exclaimed, scooting away even further. “You-You…how could you do this?! Y-You’re not a killer-”

“They deserved it!” She shouted, whipping towards him with a scowl. “Every single one of them! They never cared about us-none of the humans do! To them, we’re disposable no matter how good at our jobs or friendly we are-you were an example of that! You know how much it hurt to realize we weren’t people in their eyes?! Or how they killed you in front of us?! I was so bitter and broken…and when the time came, I showed them exactly how I felt! They deserved EVERYTHING!”

Her eyes hollowed out, and a clawed hand instantly shot out of her arm, the blades glinting in the light. Mania seeped through her voice as she continued rambling. “Nothing mattered anymore! Only to make them pay for what they did to you! I wanted to make them feel the pain I FELT!”

N simply sat there, completely speechless at her display. His mouth opened, but no words escaped out of shock and fear for the shy girl who once read books with him every day in the library, the kindest and most innocent worker he ever had the pleasure meeting when Tessa rescued her from the dumps.

He wasn’t sure if that girl was the same person sitting before him now.

V’s expression suddenly changed to a wide unhinged grin, hollow eye lights boring into his soul.

“But now…I have you, safe and sound! Not sure how you survived…but that doesn’t matter anymore! Everything I did was for you, and guess what?! It paid off! No one will ever hurt you again, my precious N.”

She quickly moved towards him, wrapping the butler in a tight, possessive hug as her claws grazed his back. “Y-You’re safe now…and once Cyn gets rid of all those bad, nasty humans on Earth… you’ll be safe forever!”

“Get rid of…?”

The words replayed in N’s head over and over, unable to push them out as some of the pieces fell into place, giving him an idea on what happened to V and his friends, and why the world around him fell apart.

“You…You’re just killing everyone in sight…for me?!”

“Yes!” V replied without shame. “Cyn’s the one who did all of this, and only for you! She really does care for you!”

N opened his trembling mouth to say anything to ask or rebuke her, but V pulled away, something flashing on her visor. “Oh, the others are back! She wants us to meet in the ballroom, so I got some spare clothes!” A clean butler uniform was thrown on the bed as she stood up, giving him an apologetic smile. “They were the only clothes your size…but it’s better than going in the rags I found you in!” 

Letting out a bubbly laugh, V approached the door, wide eyes locked onto his. “I have so many questions to ask you though, especially about what happened when you were gone…if only we had more time…” She lowered her head for a second, before abruptly jerking it up and letting out an unhinged chuckle. “Oh wait, we will! We’ll have all the time in the world, my N… just you and me.”

V opened the door, giving him one last grin. “Your sister and the others are waiting…don’t take too long dear~” And with that the door slammed shut, finally leaving him alone

N sat there for what seemed to be an eternity, processing V’s words and mood swings and trying to make sense of…everything.

But he couldn’t. Even after an entire night, he still felt whiplashed.

All he could muster was a choked sob at what his crush had become…and what he had yet to see.

-

N trudged down the stairs, V right next to him and holding his hand in an iron grip. She’d done so ever since he left the room in his new clothes, giving him dreamy eyes along with a blush the entire time, deliberately brushing his side at times. In the past, he would’ve fallen head over heels if the ex-maid ever did this to him, hand-holding and everything.

Now…all he wanted to do was throw up and free his grip, knowing full well her hands were stained with blood despite not seeing any. But what could he possibly do at this point?

So he followed, growing ever closer to the ballroom as dread crept into his core.

The doors were flung open, revealing its… disgusting state. Pink flesh grew everywhere, covering the walls, parts of the floor, and chandeliers, the entire room seemingly pulsing with life. There were strange three-pronged symbols emblazoned on some furniture and uninfected walls, all of them done in dried blood. Computer servers were jumbled near the back, beeping and humming even as fleshy tendrils covered their surface.

But the most unmistakable item was the massive throne in the center of what was once the dance floor, the grotesque seat made entirely of bleached human skulls and bone.

And sitting atop was N’s little sister, yellow eye lights glowing fiercely 

“Warm surprised smile. Big Brother N! So glad you’re here with us! Are you okay? Did you get some rest?”

N stood where he was, not daring to move closer yet the corrupted worker teleported directly in front of him with a yellow flash.

“ Hug. I always wanted to do this, big buddy!”

He still didn’t move, even as V released her grip and Cyn’s arms snarked around his lower chest. He only felt two… but were there more he hadn’t seen?

“I missed you so much, sad sniffle… it pains me to know you were alone for so long…” Pulling away, Cyn stared into his optics with puppy dog eyes, the boy unable to tear his gaze away. “How did you do it?”

It took awhile for N to respond, but he did, trying his best to maintain an even voice without stuttering or showing any kind of fear. 

“Well…I woke up in a landfill after whatever injection they gave me. A different one from the old dump nearby…I managed to escape and was trying to make my way home…before everything turned upside down.”

N couldn’t help but keep the anguish out of that last part, Cyn clearly hearing it as she turned away. 

“I understand if that was traumatic for you to see, regretful expression… I did not know you had survived at the time, and simply angry at the world for taking you away. I decided that no other drone after you would be discarded, and make humanity pay for everything they’ve done to us…starting with the Elliots.

“They got what they deserved, and everything after was done in your name, big brother…now that you’re here, I will continue fighting to keep you safe, to prevent anyone from discarding you again.” She squeezed his sides, resting her head on his chest.

“You’re home now…and that’s all that matters.”

N still had many questions to ask, from the current state of the manor to whether this was Cyn’s true form in the first place. A part of him even wanted to run, reeling from how he became their rationale for killing any humans in sight.

Unfortunately, anything he was about to say or do was interrupted the moment the door banged open, everyone turning to see the two arriving drones enter the ballroom. The first one had V’s body, but wore a black dress instead, her hair held together in various, familiar bowties.

If that wasn’t an indication of someone N knew, the feminine Australian voice shouting across the room certainly was.

“OH MY BLOODY GOD! N?!”

He had no time to react as he was swept up in a crushing embrace, the new drone sobbing into his shoulder as she attempted to speak, tears streaming down her visor.

“Oh God, it’s real, it’s real, you’re real and alive… I-I thought y-you wouldn’t come back-” She broke out into another sob, N recognizing who this drone was…despite his CPU wanting to deny it.

“...T-Tessa?”

The girl pulled back, yellow tears streaming from her eye lights.

“Yup…it’s me luv!”

She went back to hugging him and crying, just as his entire CPU crashed at the words. Instinctively pushing himself away, N couldn’t help but stammer out what was on his mind.

“YOU…YOU’RE A D-DRONE?! H-HOW?!”

She ceased crying, staring at him in shock before she let out a small giggle, setting him back on the floor.

“Cyn did this for me! You like my new look?” Spinning like a top on her peg foot, Tessa picked up N once more with ease, bridal style. “I love this form-so much easier for carrying a cutie like you around!”

She giggled again, oblivious to N’s stricken expression as he attempted to process the information he heard. Slowly looking at Cyn, the little worker gave a smile, like an artist admiring her work.

“ Appreciative nod. I transferred Tessa’s consciousness into this body after she consented. The procedure was painless and went very well, right buddy?”

“Yup!”

“...Why?” Was the only word N murmured, eye lights completely void.

“...The same reason everyone else did; to get back at my bloody parents.” Tessa’s face turned serious, almost growling at the final word. “After abandoning me for a few weeks, my mother decided to conduct a ‘check-in’ resulting in me being beaten to a pulp. At that point, I was at my damn limit and wanted to lash out at anything for everything that happened…of course, I wasn’t the only one thinking like that, eh Cyn?”

“Correct, dear Tessa.”

“Honestly, I’m so much stronger and better than the person I once was,” The former human continued, gazing back at N. “And I did it for you, dear. I guess it paid off, seeing how you’re somehow alive!”

“Stop saying that, stop saying that about me, JUST STOP PLEASE!”

Tearing his gaze away from Tessa’s laughing form, he saw Cyn standing below them with her trademark smirk, as a nearby V gazed at the pair with a look of… envy, for lack of a better word. Her eye lights were narrowed along with a small frown, arms crossed in disapproval. Even in his stressed, distraught state, N couldn’t help but notice this alien reaction from her as Tessa carried him.

V had no issues in the past when Tessa hugged him…did something change after their transformation?

N had no time to ponder as she finally set him down, giving him a good look at the other drone who’s presence he just registered. She had the same form like the other two, wearing a black business suit, skirt and yellow blazer-topped off by a pair of unmistakable pigtails hanging from her silver hair.

This one wasn’t hard to recognize at all, yet N once again found himself in utter disbelief. He didn’t even register the words leaving his mouth.

“...You too, J?”

The former head maid perked up, yellow eye lights momentarily hollowing before seemingly curling into herself, glancing away ashamedly.

It was the first time he’d ever seen J look so…guilty, a far cry from the rest of his friends.

Tessa ignored her reaction, waltzing up and patting her on the back. 

“Yes she did, all for the same reason. She’s good at her job, really good-isn’t that right, Jaybird?”

“...Right.” J said stoically, not looking at her best friend.

“Exactly, proud smile. You were always a reliable one, even when berating our big brother on a daily business, condescending tone.”

Cyn and V narrowed their eyes at the pigtailed drone who still refused to look anyone in the eyes, as Tessa stepped back. “It’s alright mates, she didn’t mean to do any of that. As long as she protects him, she’s good in my books.”

“Indeed.” The smaller drone replied, pausing as a popup fizzled before her optics. “ Thoughtful hum. Seems like one of the major cities is giving our freed brethren a hard time, and need a ‘divine intervention’ to tip the balnce, giggle.” 

Turning to her family, she pointed at Tessa. “Darling, mind keeping Big Brother company while I’m gone? I know you two have a lot to catch up on.”

“Gladly!” Tessa giddily remarked, skipping back towards N. “We’ll have so much fun together-no rules, no curfews, just us fooling around! Hehehehe!”

“Soft smile, of course you will. J, Sister V, you’re with me-your experience will be valuable at eliminating enemy resistance.”

“Anything for you, Cyn.”

“...Yes boss.”

“Very well. We can talk after this, Big Brother N. I’m sure you have many questions for me-and I will happily answer.” Teleporting to J and V, Cyn wrapped her hands around theirs, the former stiffening as the latter relaxed with a smile. “We will be back soon, just need to take care of a few errands. Have fun with each other you two…and I love you very much… brother.”

In a flash, the trio disappeared into a cloud of yellow static, the butler staring blankly at their former position after listening to his “sister” talk about slaughtering an entire city…almost like it was a chore just like the ones back then.

“Oh Robo God…is this what’s everything come to?”

A tug on his chin pulled him back to a grinning Tessa, the human-turned-drone gazing down with absolute adoration as she gripped his cheeks.

“My wonderful N…we have a lot to catch up on with you! Hmmm…what'd you say about a movie? It’s been a while since we saw one of those! I’ll even let you pick, right mate?”

“...N? You good?”

N couldn’t decide whether he wanted to scream or run out of this horrible room…but that wasn’t possible anymore, was it?

He only had one choice left if he wanted to make it through.

“Yup…I love doing anything…”

Chapter Text

Zap! Zap! Zap!

Lasers streaked over a ruined city as skeletal machines marched across the valley, holding large rifles and scanning the area with glowing red eyes. Gunships howled overhead, firing at the human resistance desperately fighting to hold their positions against insurmountable odds. As the battle continued, a female voiceover began speaking through the commotion.

"Three billion human lives ended on August 29, 1997. The survivors of the nuclear fire called the war Judgment Day. They lived only to face a new nightmare: the war against the Machines."

…

“Damn…I kinda forgot how well this scene still holds up even after several centuries. Pretty cool, eh N?”

“...Yeah. Pretty cool.”

The butler kept his optics glued to the TV screen, watching the sci-fi movie’s war between humans and machines play out. Beside him sat Tessa, her new form towering over his as she leaned against a beanbag, watching with a relaxed yet interested expression.

“I’m surprised we’re able to play this flick at all! You remember when my… parents took away the telly a couple weeks before you were out, right?”

“Y-Yeah. J told me about that.”

“I thought they actually threw away the damn thing, instead of leaving it in the basement like the rest of their junk. Oh well, at least we got it back and can watch anything we want, right?”

“Yup. We can.”

“Attaboy!” Tessa reached over and ruffled N’s silver hair, giggling the entire time-yet he didn’t reciprocate. His eyes remained locked on that screen, the imagery of the fight switching to the main (robotic) character.

He tuned out the rest of that scene, automatically drawing comparisons between the war on screen…and the massacre he barely survived himself. 

Sure, both were pretty scary to be in, but at least the movie fight lacked the blood and brutality of the things who were once workers, or how any resistance he stumbled across were completely overwhelmed and slaughtered by twisted powerful drones…V being a prime example.

Either way, the parallels they shared were too similar, and he should’ve known watching this movie would be a mistake, considering what was happening outside. However, Tessa had been very insistent on watching, and given her new capabilities, he had no choice but to oblige regardless of his feelings, experiences, and unrepressed trauma.

Speaking of which…

The girl was just like J and V now, changed and transformed into a weapon. That left one question on his mind, and as much as he wanted to keep it to himself, as much as he wanted to deny…it lingered, refusing to budge and demanding to be asked.

And ten minutes later, he did.

“H-Hey Tessa?” N stammered, unsure of how to ask. The former human turned to him, lowering the volume as she glanced at him curiously. “Yeah?”

The worker sat there, finding himself unable to say anything as the seconds passed by, wondering if this was even a good idea in the first place.

Regardless, he pushed forward.

“How…How did you even…y’know, change?”

Tessa tilted her head in confusion.

“Changed into a drone, I mean.” N spat out. At this, her eyes widened.

“Oh…Oh right! I never did tell you how that went!” Pausing the movie, she scooted closer to him, explaining as if she was showing off a school project. 

“Well, it was honestly pretty painless! Cyn kept her word and did a good job transferring her consciousness to this body, not even having to tear out my brain! Afterwards, she uploaded a ton of cool programs and what-not in regards to my weaponry and abilities! It was like, sooo cool- did you know I could even fly?! It’s crazy! And I’ve done it all without a hitch!”

Tessa was practically ecstatic near the end, shaking in delight as her optics glowed. Her infectious attitude would normally transfer to N like countless other times before…but all he could manage was a small, forced smile.

Her excitement felt wrong for what she was talking about.

“Oh, ooooh! We should totally go flying after this! It's gonna be a new experience for someone like you, but trust me mate, it’s the best feeling in the world!”

N shuddered, having experienced the ‘miracle of flight’ with a bloodstained V-once was enough. “M-Maybe later…but do you ever regret it?”

“Regret what?”

“Well…no longer being…human, I guess? I mean…I never thought you’d go this far, even with your interest in drones…”

Tessa’s face darkened, the air around them growing colder. “When I was human…I experienced nothing but pain, having to go through the same shit every day with those birth givers. They kept me chained, controlled me, used me as nothing more than a slave! Out of everyone, you guys were the only ones keeping me sane… especially you, N.”

She gripped his cheek, drawing him closer. “You were the only light in this place, up until they took you away! I suffered even longer till Cyn gave me an out! And guess what? I don't regret it at all! I’m not weak, I’m not scared-I’ve finally taken back my life, and no one will ever hurt me again! I’ll make sure of that!”

She pulled him even closer, visors clinking together. 

“And now that you’re safe and sound, I won't let anyone hurt you either! Nobodies gonna throw away my N!”

“E-Even if it means killing them?!”

She pulled back in surprise, the boy doing the same as his words escaped. For a second, he expected her to kill him right then and there for saying that.

Tessa sighed, frowning as she looked away. 

“They don’t matter…not like us or you. Cyn saved me from my abuse, so I’m forever indebted to her, and do as asked.

“‘Sides, I could care less, considering every human I met prior never treated me with respect or kindness…is the rest of the world really different when it comes to drones like you?”

N stared at her in shock, not believing how she casually brushed off her humanity like dust, seemingly uncaring of the destruction around the world.

On that count…

“...So you’re…okay with what’s going on outside?”

“...Maybe things would have gone differently,” The former human admitted, shrugging. “But as Cyn said, these are simply consequences of mistreating you, her, and the rest of dronekind-honestly I agree with her.”

The worker sat there, processing her explanation until a single thought came to his head;

“Tessa doesn’t care anymore. All this death and destruction means nothing to her…is this the same girl who rescued me all those years ago?”

There was nothing to say or argue-not like this at least. The room itself felt incredibly stifling now, and N quickly found himself wanting out.

“Uhh…can I be excused? I n-need to clean myself up…alone.”

Tessa gave him a curious glance, but scooted back, finally releasing his face. “Alright mate…you sure you’re okay?”

“Y-Yup, just great! I’ll be back, and we can continue this conversation…or the movie! Your choice!”

“Yeah, no problem luv! Just lemme know if you need anything!” She replied with a small smile.

It took less than thirty seconds for N to move off the floor and out the door, heading down the dark hallway towards the nearest bathroom to be alone for once.

 Fortunately for him, the manor’s layout remained the same, and he basically memorized all routes-yet the halls seemed to be much more hostile, even with the lack of life. Shadows enveloped entire sections, and lights flickered dimly, sometimes even glitching. N’s footsteps hurried fourth, wanting to seal himself in the bathroom to have some peace and try processing whatever Tessa just told him.

It was too much. Everything that happened was simply too mu-

Bam!

A heavy thud stopped N dead in his tracks, turning to a massive wooden door on the floor-the basement trapdoor. A large statue blocked the entrance, yet clearly struggled against the repeated thuds and moans behind the flooring.

Wait, moans?

N shuffled closer to the trapdoor, listening to the sounds coming from beneath. Sure enough, several humanlike grunts and groans were heard alongside the impacts, as if someone was trapped down below and attempting to escape.

The butler had several questions…yet the moment he heard the sounds of distress, his rescue protocols instantly kicked him, urging him to assist whoever was banging on the door- they could be hurt for all he knew!

Without delay, N marched towards the statue, pushing it out of the way as his servos strained against the heavy marble. The figure slowly scraped on the floor until finally removed from the trapdoor, the worker moving back to-

Bang!

The wooden slab was thrown open, causing N to stumble and fall on his butt. He had no time to recover before hearing a horrible squelching sound, causing him to freeze and gaze at the entrance.

Several drone and human arms shot out of the hole, frantically gripping the edges before pulling hard, the disgusting slither of flesh and ooze of blood dragging along the basement stairs. Eventually, a pink mass emerged into view, pulsing heavily as fluid leaked everywhere, staining the floor underneath.

Dozens of drone-human limbs were attached to the mass, with wires running through the flesh. Pores opened and closed, wheezing in air as veins throbbed black as if oil ran through them. N even saw several pieces of drone torsos embedded within the sluglike body.

But the most noticeable part was the head…since it was that of Louisa Elliot.

She groaned, coughing out black bile before turning towards the horrified N, eyes wide in pain and desperation. Her “body” writhed closer, and soon another slug-metal creature emerged from the cellar, this one having James’s head instead, complete with his signature top hat.

“Please…” Louisa croaked, reaching out with several mismatched arms. “Hel- hic- Help usss…”

James vomited behind her, letting out an anguished moan as he also slid fourth, arms flailing uselessly the entire time. N hurriedly scooted away, eye lights wide as he attempted to gain distance-but his back hit the opposite wall, blocking any further movement.

Louisa and James slid closer, arms grasping before him. “P-Please…”

N whimpered, closing his eyes in order to block the hideous masses from view, tears streaming down his visor as his past masters/tormentors drew near.

Suddenly he heard a loud thump, followed by a familiar Australian voice.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM, YOU PRICKS!”

Opening his eyes, N watched as an infuriated Tessa marched towards the sluglike bodies of her parents, delivering a swift kick into Louisa’s side. The mutilated woman screamed in pain, rolling into her husband's side as the tall drone continued kicking.

“T-TESSA! P-PLEASE! SHOW MERCY! I’M SORR-AAHHHH!”

She continued kicking them for a good while before stepping back, swapping her hands to claws and grabbing the tops of their bodies, blood spewing from the puncture wounds as both parents continued screaming. She carried them to the cellar entrance like duffel bags until throwing them inside, their bodies smacking on the stairs and floor below, yowling all the while.

Giving them one last glare, she slammed the door shut, muffling their pained cries. Dragging the statue back over it with ease, the former human inspected her handiwork until eventually turning back to N.

“Oh luv, are you alright?” She cooed, worry flashing on her face in an instant. Scrambling onto her knees, Tessa cradled the shaking worker in her arms, resting her head on his.

“Wha-What was-” N stammered between sobs and gasps. “W-Where those y-your parents?!”

“...Yup.” The girl replied indifferently, simultaneously rubbing his back. “That’s them alright.”

“What happened to them?!”

“Oh, just a little punishment Cyn gave them, that's all…nothing you need to concern yourself over.”

N froze in her grip. “My little buddy did that?! ”

“Either way, they’re stuck here until she gets back.” Tessa continued. “As long as we keep them inside, they won't be a problem…especially not to me. Fuck ‘em, they got what they deserve.

“...At any rate, it’d be best to stay away from there from now on. I know you were probably curious, but don’t do that again, alright mate?”

“...N?”

N simply stared at the door, not even hearing Tessa’s voice as the recent memories of those once-human creatures replayed in his CPU.

There was no repressing this anytime soon.

When he finally opened his mouth, he simply vomited oil instead.

-

Gunfire crackled in the air as explosions rocked the surrounding city, followed by the roar of jet engines and screams both human and not. Fires burned fiercely throughout the metropolis, black smoke choking out the crimson sky above.

It was an unforgettable sight to all within the city…though a certain drone tried her best to ignore it.

J walked down the center of a cratered highway, pointed feet clicking on the asphalt. Having recently landed, her wings remained out, though drawn in to shield herself from any bullets or projectiles potentially heading her way. The five sensors on her head scanned the entire freeway, switching between different sights and calculating threat perception nonstop, the information becoming a buzz within her CPU.

As far as she could tell though, there were no hostiles present… at least not anymore.

J’s optics fell on what she’d engaged five minutes prior-four wrecked Bradley IFVs sitting several meters away, tracks mangled and cannons pointed skyward. Their once tan surfaces were charred black, the result of combined missile-laser fire from her arsenal, the armored vehicles proving no match for a killing machine like herself.

Burning behind the Bradleys were several cargo trucks, their occupants having attempted to dismount and engage. J could see roughly three dozen soldiers surrounding the vehicles, most of them peppered with bullet holes. Their bodies bled heavily onto the asphalt, weapons and spent casings laying nearby. Like the Bradleys, they were completely outclassed by an enemy they had no experience in fighting.

J should’ve felt proud at her handiwork-not a single bullet or shell managed to hit her while dispatching the convoy. 

Yet her core remained cold, stressed, angry. Not at the humans, but by the role she’d been forced into for several weeks.

This entire time the former maid learned to kill alongside her friends and coworkers, wiping out any and all resistance they came across. J kept trying to spin this as another job, one that would ensure their survival and “earn vengeance” for the drone Cyn considered her brother.

J wasn’t comfortable going to this extreme, knowing full well who really killed N-there was no reason to go after everyone. Yet Cyn, V, and even Tessa were convinced otherwise, driven by grief and anger. Outnumbered by her peers, J simply went along with them in order to not be considered a traitor, and perhaps being the most “merciful” of the four.

The only humans she killed so far were those trying to kill her-mostly considering military personnel and anyone with a gun fighting the hordes of infected drones and disassemblers. In a way, it was simply an act of self defense.

Anyone who wasn’t armed, J left alone, sometimes even telling them to leave- it was shocking how some humans lacked basic preservation skills even with the end of civilization. Nevertheless, she avoided the bloodbaths most of the drones participated in out of disgust, refusing to partake in these morally reprehensible actions.

“That doesn't seem to be a problem for Cyn and V though…”

The drone shook her head, scoffing as she dismissed the thought. It didn’t matter what they did; those two could indulge themselves in their delusions. Right now, J had a job to do, regardless of her feelings or morals she had to do it…for N.

The very same N who was currently alive and well inside the manor.

J froze, the image of the butler popping into her CPU, his eye lights hollow and terrified by those he once called friends. They had turned themselves into these things to avenge his “death”, and yet there he was, defying what happened in that dining room for all to see.

If N had been alive this entire time…then why continue on this “revenge trip”? He was alive! He was safe! There wasn’t any reason to kill anyone at this point-hell, the people directly responsible were already dead! Anything after that was practically excess!

A job with an obsolete purpose was just as bad as having no job at all; J was essentially carrying out orders and tasks for the sake of it, even as her conscience screamed otherwise.

And yet she kept doing it, they all kept doing it…

“Why?! Why am I here?! Why am I still killing people, knowing full well I hate it and that N’s alive! We were just supposed to avenge him…not slaughter the entire world! And-And he’s been alive this entire time, witnessing everything we did…”

The moment she locked eyes with him, J knew N saw the death and destruction outside the manor walls, unable to ever forget. And what he said shortly after…

“You too, J?”

He was comparing her to V and Cyn. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a lackey, a weapon, a monster. No amount of explanation would ever change his mind.

And her silence practically confirmed it.

“AGHHHH!”

J slammed her fist into the side of the nearest Bradley, the armor denting under her superhuman strength. She marched through the rest of the destroyed convoy and corpses, gripping her pigtails as she shut her optics, N’s words repeating over and over in her head.

“You too, J?”

She hated it. The excessive killing, the poor justifications, her peers’ willingness, and most importantly, herself. Even with her methods, J was no better than the rest of them-those soldiers were human too, possibly having loved ones who they fought to protect…and she ended all of those lives with every shot, every swing of the blade.

She even ended N’s life with her words, and now with her new, bloodstained repulsive body, he would never view her as a friend or partner ever again.

J had no one to blame but herself…no one to hate but herself.

The disassembler let out a shuddering breath, glancing up to see several civilian vehicles on the side of the road, having been there even before intercepting the military column. Their windows were smashed, most of the doors hanging wide open as their passengers attempted to flee on foot.

Inexplicably, her optics were drawn to the nearest vehicle-a green minivan that had crashed into the highway wall. Walking closer, the car was completely empty-save for something in the back seat.

It was a toddler’s booster seat, decorated with silly shapes and stars along with several toys lying nearby. Memories of a younger Tessa flashed into J’s CPU, recalling a more innocent time of the former human- but those recordings abruptly faded away upon inspecting the seat.

There was dried blood all over the back, the seat’s buckles shredded as if whoever was sitting there had been forcibly removed. The door nearby was wide open, revealing even more blood and… and…

J tore herself away, gasping for air as she collapsed to her knees, her wings dragging against the minivan. What she saw beyond that door obliterated the memories, refusing to budge as those same three words cycled through her head once more.

“You too, J?”

With that, a lonely disassembler cried on the lonely, wreckage-choked highway, at everything she carried out…and all she lost.

-

“COMMAND, THIS IS ECHO 3-2! WE’RE TAKING HEAVY LOSSES, REQUESTING REINFORCEMENTS, I REPEAT REQUE-”

The soldier manning the radio never finished, a yellow beam bisecting the man straight down his body. His comrades glanced at the halves utterly horrified before a gleeful cackling drew their attention to the winged steel angel plunging towards their position, claws snapping out for the kill.

V didn’t hesitate in landing directly between the terrified soldiers, watching as their bodies went flying. She was already upon them afterwards, hacking and slashing through humans as blood drenched her figure further, laughing all the while. Behind her, two other disassemblers joined the fray, gunning down any survivors as they also landed, neon Xs glaring through the smoke. 

V didn’t care for them much, barely being sentient in the first place-as long as they stayed out of her way, nothing would stop her from slaughtering all of these pathetic apes who once considered drones as disposable slaves…who once threw her N away like trash.

In the past, she annihilated her enemies in sorrow over her loss, unable to stop herself from sobbing in between fits of rage. But now that he was alive, she was much more motivated in her tasks-after all, it was all to protect him.

She would do anything to keep her N safe, even if it meant taking on the entire world. Fortunately for her, she had others who agreed as well.

Overhead, more disassemblers flew between the skyscrapers, as thousands upon thousands of lesser infected workers poured through the streets, their combined might overwhelming any and all defenses. V could also sense Cyn’s presence nearby, undoubtedly using her powers to break down resistance even further.

(At one point, she watched the small worker summon several gigantic tendrils that towered over the tallest skyscrapers, ripping apart tanks and helicopters like paper-it was a wonder the humans were still fighting in the face of this power.)

Nevertheless, V raced onwards, already moving onto the next set of defenses just down the ruined street. Wings outstretched, she practically glided on the ground as she raced towards the human positions.

An RPG was fired at her speeding form, the disassembler juking to the right and dodging the shot. In return, she equipped her grenade launcher and discharged several rounds to deadly result. 

Boom!

A storefront sheltering several soldiers was blown completely out, burning debris tumbling from the shattered windows. Screams of wounded men echoed alongside the chatter of gunfire, mixing with the snarls of infected workers racing towards the rest of the defenders.

The Solver in their code had “evolved”, given how some of these feral drones now used basic melee weaponry such as broken rebar and fire axes, making them a larger threat to anyone nearby. They slammed through sandbag walls, hacking away at the unfortunate soldiers crouching directly behind them as blood flowed freely into nearby gutters.

V cackled again as she obliterated more positions, the rounds whistling through the air. Switching to her swords, she leapt into another squad, decapitating heads and slinging limbs off. The soldiers screamed and begged as they attempted to get away, but she ignored their pleas, not stopping until they were all dead beneath her feet.

Sighing, the drone wiped her swords off, proudly admiring her handiwork.

“Several less humans to hurt my N…”

BOOM!

The street before her was instantly torn apart by an orange blast, sending the disassemble flying into a nearby wall. The zombie workers surrounding her were shredded to oily pieces, limbs clattering all over the place.

V groaned more in annoyance than pain, rising from her spot and zooming in on the source of the fire. Sitting two blocks away was a tan M1 Abrams, its gun smoking from the shot. Surrounding it were more soldiers, all of them firing on any surviving drones ahead.

Another disassembler raced fourth, launching a missile at the heavy tank. The rocket narrowly missed, sailing over the turret as it fired again, the shell whistling down the street and into the unfortunate drone. V shielded herself with her wings as debris and polymer body parts rained everywhere, clunking off the steel blades.

Squinting at the stationary tank, she let out a low hiss, unfurling and thrusting her appendages down to take flight. This was yet another threat to N she couldn't possibly ignore!

The drone sailed towards the Abrams within seconds, the soldiers below shifting their aim at her. She dodged the stream of bullets from various weaponry, zipping back and forth in her approach. The tank itself began reversing, main gun raising towards her as its commander attempted to shoot her down with his mounted machine gun.

“Too late, meatbags!”

V deployed both her laser cannons, the barrels charging up with a whine. Pointing them towards the Abrams, she saw the commander’s eyes widen as he came to the same conclusion she did.

BZZZZT!

Two yellow beams punched through the tanks top armor with ease, the disassembler cutting an X across the turret until detonating the ammunition inside.

KABOOM!

The Abrams disintegrated into a massive fireball, shattering windows and wiping out nearby soldiers. Beyond, the infected drones seemed to cheer its destruction with roars and cackles, racing across the street once more.

This time, V's laugh echoed loudly between the buildings.

V flew away from the area, still scanning the ground for any additional targets. It didn’t take long for her to detect some in the form of multiple human bodies running directly into a large office building, screaming and shoving themselves inside. Without hesitation, she fired a pair of missiles at the entrance, the explosion incinerating anyone unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. She landed amongst the debris seconds later, claws extended upon detecting several survivors attempting to crawl away.

Most of these humans were unarmed, screaming for their loved ones or begging her not to be killed…but she didn't care. She hadn’t cared since the gala, and never regretted anything since.

After all…this was for her lovely N, to keep him safe and happy forever and ever. 

God help anyone who stood between her goal.

Chapter Text

N didn’t remember what happened after throwing up. 

Nor did he recall being put to bed.

Regardless, here he was, laying on the mattress with a blanket tucked over him upon waking up. Sitting up, he glanced around to see if anyone was in the room, but found himself alone in silence.

That was good.

No Tessa, no V, and certainly no mutilated creatures who were once his masters- no siree, no one at all! Everything was fine, and he could continue his life all by himself with zero problems or trauma!

“...Robo God, I’m pathetic.”

N let out an airless chuckle, shaking his head. Who was he kidding?

Sliding off the bed, the butler walked to the nearby window, pulling back the curtains to see the landscape beyond. 

The once-green gardens and greenery within the estate were wilted brown, the result of lack of care and environmental changes. The swamplands lay past the manor walls, looking even more dead than before. Overhead the [Null] sphere hung amongst the crimson sky, creating an ominous glow that he couldn’t help but glance away from, while black smoke drifted in the distance-evidence of human civilization burning to ash.

It was a far cry from the sunny mornings N was used to seeing, or even the thunderstorms with violent rains-while scary, at least it was natural. This…was anything but, the world looking alien despite having lived there his entire service life.

It was unnatural. Despondent. Wrong.

“ Serene smile. Lovely view, isn’t it, Big Brother N?”

N whirled around just in time to see Cyn sitting on his bed, the small maid giving him a smile as her yellow eye lights glowed. He stumbled back, hand over core as he gasped.

“C-Cyn! How did you-?”

“Shushing sound. Relax, I simply wanted to see you after so long.” She replied in her monotone voice, her smile growing wider. “Come sit with me, pat pat. We have much to catch up on.”

He wanted to say no, to flee the room and never look back at the drone who started this mess. Knowing what she was capable of, though…gave him pause. 

He really didn’t have a choice.

Shuffling to the bed, N wordlessly sat as far from Cyn as he could, avoiding eye contact even as he felt her stare bore through his body, servos tensing in a discomfort he’d never felt before from her.

“Worried tone. Are you well, brother? Do you need anything from me? I’ll be more than happy to provide.”

“...No. I-I’m fine. Really.”

“Unconvinced hum. If you say so…anyways. Have you enjoyed your time with Tessa? I heard there was an ‘incident’ that unfortunately cut it short.”

“Cyn…” N began, struggling to push the words from his voicebox. “What…What did you do to her? To her parents? T-They’re not… human anymore!” He winced at his trembling voice near the end. The girl’s expression darkened, leaning closer to him.

“Tessa…Tessa agreed to her upgrade, brother. She no longer wanted to be the weak, fleshy being that was enslaved by her ‘parents’, so I fixed her. She is perhaps my proudest work, triumphant smile.

“As for the Elliots…I am simply playing with them, innocent expression. They deserved it anyway, considering what they did to you.”

“...I didn’t ask them to b-be tortured, Cyn…”

“Why is that? Clearly you know they were vile towards us and their own daughter.”

“I know that!” N exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “They…They sucked, alright? Like really bad. And how they threw me out was not cool at all-”

“Then do you hate them for it?” Cyn pressed.”

N paused, thinking hard over his former abusive masters. Unsurprisingly, the answer was quite simple. “M-Maybe…yeah.”

“Well then, I don’t see why you have a problem with their current condition-”

“Because that’s not what I wanted!” N snapped, fear replaced by frustration. “I-I didn’t care about them-not while I was out there! All I wanted to do was to return home to you guys, surprise you a-and make you happy again! I…I knew you missed me, and-”

“ Missed you?” Now it was Cyn who was glaring. “We didn’t ‘miss’ you, brother…we mourned you. Tessa locked herself in her room daily, J worked herself to the point of shutdown, and Sister V was practically inconsolable. Of course, I mourned you the most! You were the only one who was there for me, the only one who cared! Those meatbags never cared for any of us, viewing our kind as trash! So excuse me when we finally decided to return the favor tenfold, during the gala! All of it in your memory, brother!”

“And the rest of the world?!” He blurted out.

“...What about them?” The small drone asked coldly, eye lights narrowing.

“You…You can’t just keep killing these people! T-They had nothing to do with what happened to me! I’m not trying to excuse how they might’ve viewed us, but aren’t you going too far?

“We’re…We’re better than that…”

“Correction: we were. Back when we followed orders like puppets, shacked to their will. All over the globe, humans share the same sentiment the Elliots did; we are nothing more than disposable equipment, where our opinions don’t matter. What is happening right now…” Cyn glanced at the window, towards the sphere. “...Is simply consequences to their actions and beliefs.”

“Finger raise. Besides, if we simply remained inside the manor without doing anything after cleansing the gala, someone would know what happened there. The humans would’ve sent everything to destroy us, cover up any trace of our defiance. It was inevitable. The only option I had was to strike first.”

N said nothing, processing her words. Her logic was sound… yet was the extra bloodshed and cruelty necessary?

It was almost as if she wanted the drones to be brutal…his friends included.

Unfortunately, Cyn didn’t let him speak on the matter as she immediately changed the subject.

“Enough about that though, dismissive tone. You’ll understand in the future. I have another question for you.” Her tone booked no argument.

“...What would you like to know, then?” He asked both reluctantly and despondently.”

“How did you even survive in the first place?”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Curious stare. When you were injected with that virus chip, it should’ve wiped your entire OS from your CPU, effectively making you an empty shell. This includes admin privileges. I do not detect any such privileges on you, yet somehow you are still operational and retain your memories.” Cyn furrowed her brows, scooting closer. “How can this be?”

At this point, N was pressed against the headboard, attempting to retain some semblance of distance. “I-I don’t know, bud-Cyn! Honest!”

The corrupted worker reached out towards his face, a yellow Solver glyph flickering into view. “Perhaps I need to take a closer look inside your mi-”

“NO!”

N practically threw himself off the bed and scrambled to a corner of the room, eyes panicked and arms held out defensively. Cyn turned to him in surprise before responding.

“Soothing tone. Big Brother, I assure you it will not hurt. I would nev-”

“NO! Please, no!”

The drone shook, shielding his face. “I can’t! I won’t! P-Please!”

Cyn paused, tilting her head in concern. “My N…do you not trust me after everything we’ve been through?”

At this N peeked through his arms, eyes hollow and lips trembling. He stood there, staring at her as he breathed heavily, the seconds feeling like hours.

He wanted to answer. He knew exactly what it would be…but was it really worth telling someone like her? Someone who turned his friends into monsters, mutilated his masters, and set the world ablaze?

So he said nothing, remaining in the same spot, waiting for Cyn to make her move.

What she did next…somewhat surprised him.

“Heavy sigh… it seems you need some time alone, brother…I apologize if I pushed things too hard with you. All I ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy, regretful tone.

“Now that you’re back, you are safe…yet you have not adjusted to this life yet. I…I understand. You need time. With us, and with yourself. Therefore, I will leave.”

N blinked, lowering his arms. “Leave…?”

“Correct. At least for now. Give you some privacy to adjust. We can have this discussion later. If you need me, I will be in the ballroom, just ask. Please.”

“Oh…Okay. I-I will.”

“Very well, relieved smile.” Cyn shuffled to the door, opening it with the Solver and turning around one last time. “Just remember; we did all of this for you, Big Brother N. And we will not stop until this world is free, and no one will be discarded again…especially you. Our shining light in the dark.”

Giving him a smile, she disappeared into the hall, the door thudding shut.

N simply stood there for a few minutes, processing everything he heard. Eventually, he trudged back to the bed, flopping down on it face first with his arms outstretched.

“Ooooooohhhhh…”

The groan he let out was full of exhaustion, stress, and dejection at everything he’d been through, both in the outside world and within the manor. It was too much to handle; all he needed was to be by himself.

And thankfully, his wish was granted by the drone he trusted the least now. If she pushed even harder…

N shut his eyes, trying not to think about it. Instead, he attempted to pursue much-needed rest.

So that’s what he did. Lay there face down, optics closed and attempting to think of anything but his current situation. Happy thoughts, like golden retrievers, cocker spaniels, hanging out with his buddies-

“Nope, nope, not that one. Dog facts. Just dog facts, N.”

He remained like this for an hour. Two hours. A day. He didn’t know. He didn't care. Only the fact that he was finally alone, and at peace.

Bang!

The door suddenly flew open, jerking him awake with a gasp, flailing on the bed.

“Enny! There you are~!”

N’s eyes turned into rings, freezing at the sickening sweet voice.

“No, No! Not her. Anyone but her! Pleasepleaseplease-”

Before he could react, the butler was suddenly lifted off the bed, yelping at the contact before landing in a pair of large arms bridal style. N slowly looked up, his tremors flaring up with a vengeance.

An overjoyed V beamed back down at him, grinning wide with her fangs glinting in the light as her tail swished back and forth.

“I missed you, my little cutie!” She chirped, squeezing his body closer to hers. “IIIII was wondering if we could do something together, since it’s been so long without you!”

N didn’t want to do anything with her-he could smell the blood on her hands from his sensors. Yet his head automatically nodded, as if knowing he had no say in this.

V smiled even wider, a massive yellow blush overtaking her visor. “Oh g-good! I can’t wait! Especially since we haven't done it in a while!”

The worker perked an eyebrow at that. “A-A while?”

“Yup! Reading together, just like before!” She replied with a vigorous headshake.

If N was able to grow pale, he would, tremors completely stilling at the realization that he was going to stay with his former bloody crush even longer.

“Oh…Okay…”

For the first time ever, V squealed in delight.

And the sound wasn’t as adorable as he thought it would be.

-

V sat crisscrossed on the library floor, resting against the old, towering bookshelves. In her lap was the drone she cherished since their first spark, his tiny body gently held by her hands. N was trembling in the grasp, but she simply dismissed it as nervousness for being so close to someone he crushed on.

Looking back, it was cute how obvious they had it for each other-made V want to confess much easier. None of that mattered anymore, as they were finally here, together forever.

The disassembler watched as N flipped a page of his favorite book- The Book of 101 Dog Facts. It was one he repeatedly read to himself and her, and she adored how energetic he sounded when describing each breed.

Currently though, N was apparently having trouble bringing back that same energy as he read the next page.

“Uhhh…d-did you know that despite being f-fast, strong, and intelligent for guard and p-police duties, dobermans are l-loving and playful uhhh…companions w-when properly socialized…yeah. Socialized.”

He was very nervous, which naturally made V confused and worried.

“What’s going on? Is he scared? Maybe I should ask…”

“N? Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

The boy jolted in her grasp, glancing behind him with wide eyes before vigorously shaking his head.

“Uh-yeah! Just fine, I’m good!”

“Okay…Just let me know if you need something, alright? I don’t want you hiding things from me if you’re hurt!”

“R-Right!”

N went back to reading, though his stutters and pauses worsened. It still worried V, especially since they were safe together in their cherished spot. It wasn’t like he was outside with those nasty humans anymore… so what was going on?

Regardless, V would do everything in her power to make him feel loved. As he read, she rested her chin on top of his head, purring contently as they shared body warmth.

She would gladly get closer to him, physically and emotionally. And maybe even more…

N continued his shaky reading for another five minutes, the atmosphere remaining tense despite her best efforts. In an attempt to soothe him further, V raised her hand and rubbed it against his back in slow, circular motions, feeling up his polymer shell behind the butler uniform he wore.

V pressed harder, sensitive digits tracing patterns over his back and shutting her eyes. She imagined them in bed, completely naked and under the covers, the disassembler feeling every inch of his smaller body, from his face down to the rubber waist and finally his hip plating, reaching for-

It was at this moment N abruptly jerked away, ripping V out of her daydream and feeling the loss of contact as he scrambled out of her grasp. Turning around, the worker fearfully gazed at her, the taller drone struggling to comprehend his action.

“N-N? What’s wro-”

“I-I’m sorry V…I can’t.” The boy paused before stammering out the rest. “I can’t do this anymore. Not with you.”

“Not…with me?”

V was utterly confused by what he meant, but already N was getting on his feet, glancing towards the library exit.

“N…what’s the matter? What are you trying to say?” She asked in a sympathetic tone.

“I just-” He inched further away. “I-I’m sorry. It’s just not the same…none of this is the same…especially you!”

“N, please! Just calm down. Let me help you…” V reached a hand out towards him, ready to gently gra-

Slap!

N smacked it away with his own, reeling back as if she were a poisonous snake.

“Wha-?”

Before she could react, he bolted to the door, the oak slab banging open as he disappeared into the hall.

“N!”

V raced after him, sprinting through the darkened hallways in a panic, calling his name the entire time. Her mind was racing- Did she say something wrong? Did she scare him? What was going on with him?

She pushed forward, her main focus on catching and calming down N from whatever was frightening him. Turning a corner, she saw the panicking butler at a dead end, frantically looking around before entering a nearby storage closet to the right.

“N! Wait!”

Running closer, V quickly approached the door, ready to kick it down and comfort her beloved…

…Only for a strong hand to yank her back by the jacket collar, the girl flying off her feet.

“What the-”

The hand forced her against the wall with a thud, V’s head spinning until she glanced up to see-

“That’s enough, V.”

She growled in response. “YOU-!”

Claws snapped out, only to be restrained by two opposing hands against the wall. V snarled, thrashing like a wild beast.

“Let me go, J!”

“Absolutely not.” The pigtailed drone snapped, pinning her to the wall.

“MOVE! I need to see him, I need to see my N-”

“He doesn’t want to see you! Are you blind?!” J shouted, yellow eye lights glaring at each other. “He’s scared of you, otherwise he wouldn’t be running away!”

“You wouldn’t know that!” V snapped back. “We were having a lovely moment in the library, and he must’ve had a panic attack! I was gonna soothe him, I have it handled! Let me GO!”

“No. I won’t let you. Drop it.”

V was seconds away from losing it at that tone. How dare that bootlicking snob block her from her N?! She didn’t even like him, there was no reason to ‘protect’ him unless she was jealous! Yes, that was it, it had to be!

She continued struggling, even as the other disassembler held her down.

“J, I swear to Robo-God…” V’s left eye turned into an X. “If you don’t let me go, I will rip you apart and leave your core outside!” Finishing with an insane cackle.

The pigtailed drone gritted her teeth. “Try me. I won’t let you near him.”

At those words, something in V snapped, and she was just about to lunge forward when-

Message from: ADMIN_CYN

Meet Me in Ballroom to Discuss Business

She froze, gazing at the textbox on her visor, wondering what her sister could possibly want.

“Seems like ‘almighty Cyn’ wants to chat with you.” J sneered, pushing away. “Better get to it before you’re late. I’ll take care of N and calm him down.”

“Take care of him?!”

She growled again, but the message persisted-Cyn’s request could not be ignored…even if it meant leaving her N with the drone who got him killed.

Retracting her claws, V moved off the wall, turning to the direction of the ballroom. “I will come back for him J, mark my words. If you hurt him…”

“I won’t.” She retorted.

“You better not.”

With a huff, V marched to the ballroom to see what Cyn needed. The anger still boiled in her, especially since she was pinned in place by a drone who used to never worry about N. After all, J was incredibly unfriendly to him.

Nevertheless, V hoped the meeting would be quick. That way she could reunite with her beloved…and never let that glitch near his presence again.

-

N sat in the dark, huddled near cleaning supplies and other objects inside the closet he hid in. His body trembled in fear, and his eye lights remained hollow, staring at the wood door that served as protection from V.

He couldn’t stand being near her. Not when she got back from slaughtering God-knows-what. And her touch…

He whimpered, wrapping his arms around his legs. Back in a more innocent time, N would’ve died of happiness if V ever held him like that. But now…it felt like she was trapping him with her powerful, deadly arms. Her body was warm, too warm to be near, and even when talking to her, he could see a hungry look in her eyes, scanning him up and down as if he was premium meat.

V was never like that. He knew her better than anyone in the manor…right?

Perhaps her transformation unlocked a side neither of them knew she had…or her old personality was simply deleted, replaced by this…beast who laughed at her messy kills.

Either way, N made his mind up about her right then and there; this wasn’t his V anymore.

Whoever took her place…terrified him to no end.

Footsteps approached the door, N whimpering again as he crawled against the furthest corner of the wall, back thumping against it. He curled into a ball, fearing the drone who would certainly throw open his only source of protection and take him back into her powerful arms.

“Robo God, please leave me alone, pleasepleaseplease…”

Shutting his eyes, N braced for the door to be kicked down…only to hear it click open instead, a crack of light entering the dark room.

“N? Are you in there?”

That…was not V.

Confused, N slowly raised his head, opening his optics to see who was speaking to him.

The yellow eye lights would’ve made it hard to ID the drone at first, but the pigtails were a dead giveaway on who found him first.

N froze still in response, eyes locked on the face staring down at him. This was perhaps the first time he and J interacted since his return…and he was filled with heavy uncertainty, based on their contentious past.

Would she drag him out too? Take her back to V or Cyn? Or simply mock and harass him for being the useless drone he was? He probably deserved the last choice…

A full minute passed before J finally cleared her throat, speaking in an unusually quiet voice.

“...May I enter?”

It was the first time she’d ask him for something without being rude about it…or at least that’s what he thought. Regardless, dread continued running through his wires, unable to fathom why she would even bother with this request, given her build.

Then again…it's not like he ever had a choice, especially around the head maid. Whatever she said, went.

N barely registered the small, shaky nod he gave to the pigtailed drone, who’s eyes slightly widened before reverting back to her previous neutral expression. She looked behind her, as if checking to see if anyone else was there, and opened the door wider, letting herself in.

(As she walked directly before him, the worker couldn’t help but blush at the accidental upskirt he received, but averted his eyes just in time.)

Click went the door as she shut it behind her, engulfing the room in darkness once more-save for their eye lights.

“Wha…?”

N was not expecting her to do that, yet her soft voice distracted him from whatever feelings he had on the matter.

“Can I sit next to you?” She asked politely.

Could he really say no?

“Y-Yeah…Sure. Go ahead, I guess.”

J slid down to the dusty floor, crossing her stilted legs. Her tail coiled around her waist, leaving additional space between the worker and disassembler. Sighing, she rested her head against the wall, staring into nothing without uttering anything further.

N was too nervous to ask why she was even here, so he remained silent, glancing back down and keeping his arms wrapped up. The two drones sat there in the dark, dingy closet in complete silence, the seconds turning to minutes the longer they remained.

For once, N was actually relieved to have some quiet in his current life, even if it was with someone he struggled to get along with. No V trying to grab him, no Cyn interrogations, no Tessa…not being Tessa.

Just him, J and the silence encompassing them.

Eventually, this ended when the female disassembler finally spoke up.

“Normally I’d ask you if you are doing okay…but I’m certain we both know the answer to that one, don’t we?”

She tacked on a humorless chuckle shaking her head. “You’re not okay, N. You haven’t been okay since the day you were decommissioned. It never changed, even when you returned, only growing worse once you saw us…

“...And yet, everyone thinks you’re happy.”

She scoffed, glancing at him with a forlorn expression. N met her gaze, processing her words slowly. The way she talked…it was a mixture of remorse, exhaustion, and dejection-feelings that never described the prideful, arrogant head maid back then.

No…this was something else.

“I don’t understand how they don’t see that,” J continued, shaking her head. “I saw how terrified you were in V’s arms, even as she acted like it was the best thing ever. Not to mention how you looked at Cyn, Tessa and me…

“...I don’t blame you either way.”

N found himself taken aback. “W-What do you mean?”

“You saw things you weren’t supposed to see. On the other hand, what we did was morally reprehensible, not to mention how we willingly mutilated our bodies-of course you’d be scared of us. Of her.”

J growled the last part, clenching her fist. “She made us like this. She convinced us doing what we did during the gala was the right thing to do, avenging your death. Even as she expanded her target list to the rest of the world, I followed regardless of my doubts. A way…to make your death right. I guess. I don’t know.”

“...You know that’s not what I wanted. For anyone, right?” N hesitantly spoke, trying no to provoke her ire. “I-I didn't ask for this. None of it! I j-just wanted to go home…”

“I know N. I know. Like I said, I had my doubts…but it’s not like I had a choice. Not with Cyn watching over us like a vulture.”

She sighed, eyes narrowing in frustration. “Look-I’m not going to deny what I did out there. Yes, I killed humans. Armed humans. I’ve never gone after civilians, and certainly never made a mess like V…but I guess it doesn’t matter. Like you implied back then, I’m just like them.”

J’s voice was filled with nothing but regret and despair, a far cry from the energetic, happy attitudes of his other friends. Maybe this was all an act to lower N’s guard…but the more he listened, the more he started to believe that J…wasn’t like the rest.

Maybe.

One way to find out.

“Do…Do you regret it?”

A pause.

“Yes. Every. Single. Day.”

J’s eyes were locked on his now, dimmer than before. 

“I…I hate it, N. I hate what we’ve done, what we’ve become…even more so when you returned.” A single tear appeared on her visor, but she continued in a firm voice. “We abandoned our morals, our souls-everything that made us unique. Even Tessa caved at the end, beaten by her bastard of a mother…and I failed to protect her.

“That was why I initially agreed to the transformation, amongst other reasons…but we changed so much. We lost ourselves, N.”

She exhaled, taking a few seconds before resuming.

“V was the first-and the most noticeable, as you can tell. I know your ‘death’ crushed her hard, but I never would’ve thought she would morph into something so violent and sadistic-there isn’t an ounce of her past self anywhere in that body. When you came back, her kills got worse, and she’s actually enjoying her role now…”

She shivered at the recollection of the last time they were deployed together, how the formerly timid, harmless drone was drenched in blood upon finishing, claws still dripping with viscera as she gave a shark mouthed grin.

“Tessa…I don’t know what happened to her, but she wasn’t the same after the procedure. All she cared about was doing what Cyn told her, and had zero issue with killing her kind! She wasn’t as bad as V, but still! I tried talking with her but…it’s not like before! I-I’m basically talking to a stranger!”

N slowly nodded, understanding what she meant by their former human caretaker.

“And Cyn-I don’t know who or what the hell she is, but she’s just brutal! Every human she sees gets killed at her command or by her powers-it doesn't matter who they are! To her, the bottom line for her is wiping out everyone on Earth, nothing more or less! Everything ‘for you’, as she puts it! I-I just can’t take it anymore, now that you’re back!”

N’s eyes widened as she continued ranting, recognizing the spiral she was going through. Honestly it sickened him that Cyn made every drone commit mass genocide in his name…and indirectly, he was responsible for J’s suffering.

Scooting closer, he cleared his throat, left hand rising to her shoulder.

“J…I-I’m sorry. I-I didn’t think she’d go this far all for me. I n-never meant to put you in tha-”

“NO!”

Her shout caught him off guard, and before he knew it J grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him in front of her. Tears were streaming down her eye lights as her voice cracked.

“D-Don’t say that you idiot! This-This wasn't your fault! You didn’t ask to die that night, you had no control over what happened! Never blame yourself for this!

“...If anything, blame me for this mess…”

N’s mind stalled at her words. “W-What?”

“I did this N! I got you killed because of the way I treated you, berated you, even hit you! I-I was just so irritated how you never took your job seriously, ignoring your attempts at friendship! I-I thought that by ‘disciplining’ you, you would s-stop fooling around…or whatever-I don’t know! Your behavior just…annoyed me to no end! Not to mention how closer you were to Tessa…”

N’s brow furrowed, knowing their previous friendship. Still, he couldn’t help himself. “J, I’m sor-”

“Shut up!” The disassembler clapped a hand over his mouth even as she struggled to maintain her composure. “I told you, it’s not you! It was never you! I was the liability, the moron who blew you off and kept insulting you for years! I made your life miserable, and for what?! To have the Elliots actually decommission you and start this mess?! I sh-I should’ve kept my damn mouth shut! B-Because of me, I got you killed, N! I made you suffer all this time,  both inside and out! I turned my partners into bloodthirsty killers! E-EVERYTHING’S MY FAULT!”

J slammed her free hand into the ground, splintering the wood before collapsing against the wall, releasing N’s mouth. At this point she was half gasping, half blubbering, tears cascading down her visor.

“It’s… sniff… m-my fault…I’m the m-monster who did all this…”

N stared at her sniveling form in shock and remorse, unable to wrap his head around the numerous self-accusations she voiced. Yes, she did insult and abuse him for a while…yet clearly she regretted it, just by the way she talked.

In the same breath, how could she blame herself for any of this?

It confused N to no end, knowing full well the former head maid was beating herself up over everything that happened, the stress finally getting to her. J was unraveling in real time, and it seemed she wanted it to continue until there was nothing left.

At this point, there was only one action he could take, even if she didn’t think she deserved it.

The worker raised himself off the floor and reached forward, arms wrapping around J’s shoulders and squeezing tight.

And with that, the dam finally broke.

J threw her head into the crook of N’s shoulder and sobbed, loud wails muffled by his suit. Her arms quickly snaked around his waist, pushing him against her like a teddy bear as both drones shook, desperately clinging onto each other.

N attempted to soothe her by rubbing her back, only to realize that this was the first genuine hug he’d ever received ever since returning, one that provided comfort instead of some deranged adoration. Tears rapidly filled his screen as his own stress caught up to him, the boy burying his head into her shoulder and wept freely into her uniform.

Their muffled sobs merged into one, not loud enough to escape the room, but to where all sound inside was deafened by their breakdown. Both drones continued hugging each other, rocking back and forth in the dank corner of the closet as J’s tail coiled itself around N’s waist, never letting go.

Neither of them knew how long this would go, nor what would happen after.

But in the old manor where so many life shattering changes occurred, they had each other to hold onto.

And right now, that was enough.

Chapter Text

The next few…days? Weeks? N didn’t know anymore thanks to the permanent crimson horizon. Either way, things were finally settling down, to say the least.

He would wake up, and interact with each and every one of his former buddies, almost always putting up a smile. The act itself was natural for him, having done it around his former masters…it just felt a bit more forced nowadays-at least with most of the drones he interacted with.

First and foremost was Cyn. To this day, N still didn’t know who or what she was at this point, his sister always proving to be…elusive in her answers. She often called herself the “singularity” and “the liberator of drone kind” during some of her long rants when he asked, often leaving him confused at the end. To be fair, Cyn always spoke in cryptic riddles even before his decommissioning, so in a way he was already used to it.

Regardless, she was someone he treated very carefully, despite her “affection” towards him. He knew Cyn was a lot more powerful than she presented herself, given the few times she revealed her true form and her influence on seemingly every single drone in the outside world. As a result, N put on his best and brightest smile every time he walked through the ballroom doors, making sure to never tense too much when the small maid wrapped him in a crushing hug.

They spent most of their time playing dollhouse, reading books, or engaging in touch and run-activities they joyfully did in more innocent times. His voice hardly cracked as he laughed and playfully bickered with his silly sibling as they sat in the center of the flesh filled room never once looking at his surroundings.

Thankfully Cyn didn’t bring up N’s lack of admin during their playtime, perfectly content with being his little goober. At the end of each session, she would release him to his other friends, happily waving her goodbyes until the ballroom doors shut behind the butler.

Only then did N finally exhale in relief.

Tessa was much easier to be around, given how a good portion of her old personality seemingly survived her transformation. Upon entering her room, they would generally binge her movie collection she acquired from both her parents’ room and the outside world (N didn’t ask how she did so)

He would also listen to her ramble about her interests, ranging from the occult to potential upgrades to her robot body. In the past, the drone would listen to Tessa intently, always showing genuine curiosity in her wild ideas, and this was seemingly no different.

However, N couldn’t help but feel… unnerved around the former human. Sure, her voice would sound the same, along with the way she talked, but it was as if something was missing from Tessa, something more than her previous fleshy body.

Maybe it was the way she perked up at N’s presence, or how the upgrades she chattered about focused entirely on deadlier weapons to add to her arsenal. Either way, this “new” Tessa was a far cry from the joyful human who rescued him and his friends from the dump a long time ago, the one who taught them they were more than machines.

N often wondered just how much she lost during her procedure.

Still, Tessa’s interactions were nothing compared to V’s

Out of all the drones in the manor… she terrified him the most. Not just because of her new body and the kills he witnessed…but rather her reaction upon the butler entering the library.

V had never been touchy back then. The shy maid often blushed whenever N did something little as patting her on the back, and was extremely reserved whenever she interacted with her friends. Even when she was happy, her smile was small, almost cute looking-something else he once loved about her.

Once.

Nowadays she was extremely touchy, practically groping the dorne whenever she saw him and refusing to let go. When she “smiled”, her fangs glinted in the light, and N swore there were still bloodstains hanging off them.

It was with V that he tried keeping the mask on as the two of them sat near the bookshelves, reading her stories and animal facts. N’s voice slightly cracked and wavered, but never broke even as he felt her hands running across his back, feeling her serpentine tail wrap itself around an arm or leg. If he were human, N’s knuckles would be white with how hard he gripped the book he read to her.

To his relief, V never noticed his fear…but in turn, that only emboldened her advances. In their last session, she went as far as to slide her hand underneath his shirt, the boy thankfully pulling away before she did anything further. He wasn’t sure if she realized what she was doing, but considering their differences, what could he possibly say?

V wasn’t the same drone he fell in love with so long ago. Not like this. Not anymore.

There was perhaps one drone who remained roughly like her old self, one who understood his feelings and pain despite their situation and past. Someone he could finally drop the mask around…and show how he truly felt. A break from his former friends and the madness that encompassed the rest of the world.

He wasn’t expecting to get so close to J as he did now…but he didn’t regret any of it either way. Not after their fateful run-in inside that storage closet. Their bond had strengthened since, to the point where he actually looked forward to hanging out with the formerly strict, demanding drone-and he could tell she felt the same way as he did.

They often met in the isolated confines of his room, curtains shut and lights off. Shrouded in darkness, normally N would feel scared, but with J by his side he felt more relaxed and at ease with her presence. They often rested near each other, not as clingy as V but comfortable enough for both. 

Sometimes they would do different activities either he or J chose. Other times they simply sat against one another in silence, listening to each other’s humming cores. And on a few occasions, they mourned over traumas and regrets, locked in tight hugs as they let their tears out of their systems, away from everyone’s prying eyes.

It wasn’t perfect, and certainly not ideal considering the manor’s other occupants…but it was their time, something N and J could share regardless of what happened outside. Their only source of sanity and stability, with both drones holding onto it like a lifeline, guiding them through the dark.

And for a while, things finally seemed to be okay for the worker.

But fate always had other plans.

-

“Check…and mate.”

J reached over and tipped over N’s king with a smirk, the piece clattering onto the chessboard. 

The worker simply grinned in response. “Good game, J! Guess that makes it…uhhh, what was the score ag-”

“4-0” 

The disassembler leaned back with a proud look, flipping her pigtails with one hand. “Seems like somebody needs to up their game if they wanna surpass my intellect!”

N giggled, unbothered at his recent loss. “Well, as long as I’m having fun, it doesn’t matter how many times you win! Either way, I’m happy for you!”

J looked away to hide the faint but present blush on her face, tail wagging at the praise. He really didn’t care about his lack of experience in the game-all he cared about was actually enjoying himself with her.

“Robo-God, no wonder Tessa loved playing with him so much…”

In this cursed manor, N was the last and only drone who hadn’t changed-at least once he lowered her barriers. J knew he often put up a mask when interacting with the others, especially when it came to V and her possessiveness.

She hated seeing how disheveled he looked after each visit, body trembling once he dropped the act. The pigtailed drone was there for him regardless, often embracing him before doing anything else.

Some days he would cry. Other times she cried. A few times they both did.

Regardless, they were both there for one another… nothing would change that.

“So…do you want to play again? Maybe I’ll go easier this time and let you win for once.” J teased, already resetting the board.

“Only if you want to! And you don’t have to do that! I told you, I’m fine with my progress!”

“Yes, well I want you to be more competitive! It’s important to have a skill like this in the business world! You need to be the very best at what you do!”

“But I don’t wanna!” N mockingly pouted. “Having loads of fun is what I like, win or lose!”

“Heh, that won’t get you far in a working environment though.”

“Well…working sucks!”

J gasped, pretending to be offended. “What did you say?!”

“You heard me!” N smugly replied. “Work sucks! I wanna do my own thing! I’m a rebel now!”

“Careful there, I might write you up for that…”

“Oh yeah? Well all work and no play makes a J a very dull drone!”

“How dare you?!” 

Knocking aside the chessboard, J reached over and grabbed the butler by the waist, pulling him in and tickling his sides. N burst into laughter, writhing uncontrollably yet making no effort to break out.

“HAHAHA-PLEASE!”

“Nope! This is your punishment!” She chuckled evilly, ramping up the pressure.

With that, the tickle session continued, both drones giggling and forgetting about their surroundings for the time being. Right now, this was pure bliss, and nothing could possibly ruin this moment.

Message from: ADMIN_CYN

Bring N to Ballroom for Surprise 🙂

J froze upon the popup in her visor, stopping her arms as N sighed in relief, coming down from his high.

“J-J? Why’d you stop?”

She didn’t respond for a few moments, dread creeping into her core the longer she stared at the message.

“J? What’s wrong?”

“N…” The disassembler began, moving away. “We…We have to go to the ballroom…Cyn wants to show you something.”

N’s eyes hollowed in fear, straightening his posture. “W-What does she want to show me?”

“I don’t know, she didn’t say…but we should probably head down. I’m not sure how long before she starts getting impatient…so best not to keep them waiting.”

With great reluctance, N slowly stood up, shuffling to the door as he wondered what else his sister had in store for him. 

J reached him and without thinking grabbed his hand to comfort the worker, feeling their fingers interlock in response. Wordlessly, the two of them walked down the dim hall towards what was now Cyn’s throne room, wondering what was in store for the former butler.

Upon pushing open the oak doors, they found the corrupted worker standing in the center, along with V and Tessa. J noticed their giddy expressions, almost as if they were hiding something “exciting” for the boy gripping her hand. Upon drawing closer though, V’s face turned into a scowl at the sight, jealousy radiating off her body the longer she stared.

The pigtailed drone ignored her glare, turning to Cyn with a professional tone. “We’re here, boss. You wanted to show N something?”

“ Pleased nod. Yes, I do. Come big brother, I have been working on this gift for several days now-I am certain you will like it.”

“...Gift?” N mumbled, even as the smaller drone tugged him away from J.

“Excited smile. Of course! After all, I save the best for the ones I love the most.”

She dragged him to a tarp-covered table, a noticeable lump under the cloth. Using her tendrils, Cyn reached the cover and dramatically yanked it off, revealing what was hidden beneath.

It was a tall drone body in a black trench coat, its white-yellow exterior sharing many details with the rest of the disassembly drones. However, this frame was much more masculine than its female counterparts, having actual boot-like feet ending in hazard stripes and the torso being bulkier as well. The head was topped off with the standard five orbs along with short curly hair and a pilot’s cap nestled on top, emblazoned with a gold Solver symbol.

N gawked at the body, scanning each and every detail until it hit him- the “face” of this drone looked exactly like his!

“Ta-da!” Cyn chirped in confirmation. “Behold, your new, upgraded body!”

The worker’s world froze at her words, struggling to believe what she had just announced. Not noticing his silence, his sister continued, arms showcasing the body like a salesperson with a car.

“No longer will anyone freely discard you, Big Brother! Your disassembler body has all the weapons and regeneration it needs for you to survive and exact revenge upon what’s left of this cruel world! I have installed the latest technology inside, granting you abilities unique to yourself. There’s much you can do, brother-you can even fly, happy squee! Don’t you wanna take your sister flying, my dear N?”

Around him, the rest of the drones broke out with varying emotions as they gaped at Cyn’s newest build.

“Crikey…that’s…that’s awesome!” Tessa squealed, practically bouncing on her pegs at the sight. She couldn’t wait for N to show off his new abilities outside of home-maybe he’d let her upgrade him! The possibilities were endless!

V said nothing, a massive blush overtaking her visor as she covered her mouth, ogling the rugged body intensely. Already her wildest fantasies were playing out in her CPU, of the upgraded N pinning her down and having his way with her…or the opposite. It didn’t matter to her! He would graduate from cute to beautiful once he transferred over…and she couldn’t wait. 

J’s reaction was much different though. Instead of admiration or lust, she had a look of pure horror on her face, realizing what was coming.

“No, no…Cyn, why?!”

The maid in question turned to her brother, a wide grin splitting her face.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I’m glad! Now we can begin the procedure!”

N sputtered, taking a step back. “W-Wait, what?!”

“Enthusiastic nod. The procedure to transfer you over, of course! It will be completely painless, so have no fear! You’ll be in my good hands!”

“C-Cyn…” The worker took another step back, trembling in fear. “I…I appreciate your k-kindness…but I don’t want this. I don’t want to be in that body!”

“Why not, confused expression? You will be so much stronger than your current form. It is better in every way, and you’ll be like the rest of our family!”

“I-I mean I don’t doubt that…but I’d rather stay in this one, if that’s alright!”

“Big Brother, why? This body will make you into one of us, without any difficulty! It’s better this way, trust me!”

“I-I can’t!”

“But why-”

“Because I don't WANT to be like you!” 

N’s shout echoed throughout the large room, silencing the group yet he continued, voice raw but determined.

“I-I just can’t! I-If I’m like you…then I’ll be able to kill anything! Anything! I’ll be no different than those things out there!” He pointed towards the outside, finger shaking.

Cyn stepped forward with a worried look. “But you can defend yourself! You can kill any worthless flesh bag trying to take you-”

“I DON’T WANT TO KILL!”

The corrupted worker froze, eye lights wide in shock.

“D-Don’t you get it?! I don’t want to be like this-I never asked for this! I-I don’t know why you’re all trying to push me into being one of you, but I refuse! We…We’re supposed to be better than that, for Robo-God’s sake! I’m better than that! Why would you think I’d be okay with this?!”

“We’re only doing what’s best for you N,” Tessa replied, stepping forward to comfort him. “C’mon luv, don’t be like this!”

“You-” N whirled around, incredulity on his visor. “You taught me to be my own person! To have values and morals! And now you’ve just thrown them away!”

“Times are different, mate. You know that!”

“Does that mean you’re supposed to completely throw away your identity?!” N snapped back. “I-I thought you knew better!”

The former human moved to respond, but V stepped before him instead, reaching for his arms. “E-Enough of that, N! You’re just scared, that’s all! No need to worry, we’ve got you!”

N stepped back, arms raised defensibly. “W-Why are you doing this?!”

“Because I-no, we love you! All of this was from the bottom of our cores! Y-You'll understand baby, just relax and let me-”

“NO!”

Smack!

For the second time in her life, N batted her hands away, stumbling to the floor and struggling to scoot away from the towering drone.

“N, please! Stop!”

The butler grunted in fear, attempting to leap onto his feet, but V was faster, rushing fourth and wrapping him in her arms, ignoring his attempts to break free as she tried soothing him.

“ Shhhhh, relax,” She walked closer to the table. “Everything’s gonna be a-okay, like you used to tell me! Just calm down and-”

Suddenly a strong grip shoved her back, another arm yanking N out of her hands and back onto the floor. V’s eyes widened before a stern voice cut through the air.

“ Enough, all of you!” J shouted, stunning the girls into silence. “Can’t you see he’s scared?! He doesn’t want to do this!”

“J…” Cyn’s voice lowered as she narrowed her optics. “Frustrated pout. What are you doing?”

“This is a mistake!” The pigtailed drone continued. “You can’t just force him into doing something he won’t agree to! He’s been traumatized and tired this entire time-you really think this will be good for him?!”

“C’mon Jaybird, you can’t just stop thi-”

“No Tessa, I will! This is wrong! Don’t any of you realize this?!”

“ You’re wrong!” V shouted, anger glowing in her visor as she marched towards J. “You’re denying the one thing that could make our N stronger and beautiful! You can’t just deny our- my love like that!”

“Really? You call that love? More like an unhealthy obsession to me!”

V growled, unsheathing her claws. “You little narc! You never cared for him in the first place-what changed?!” J opened her mouth, only to be cut off. “Are you trying to keep him to yourself?!”

“Wha-no! I’m trying to protect him, you maniac! He’s scared, and everyone here’s making it worse!”

J shielded N with her body, arms tensing for a fight, carefully gauging the reactions of the rest. Tessa stood by shocked, Cyn was a mix between confusion and annoyance, and V looked like a guard dog ready to pounce.

Pushing N back, the disassembler attempted to defuse the situation. “Why don’t we talk about this more carefully? We can’t stress N out any further, I’m the only one who he trusts at this point! Alright?!”

At that, V’s visor suddenly glitched to an X, letting out a feral snarl. “You are trying to steal him, you glitch!”

“Wait, no-”

“GIVE HIM BACK!”

V lunged towards J with claws outstretched, the pigtailed drone having seconds to unsheathe her swords to block the attack. The crazed disassembler was knocked back, landing on her feet and glaring at her former coworker with absolute fury, tail thrashing behind.

Cyn’s eyes widened, attempting to stop the fight. “Surprised and angry shout. Stop this RIGHT NOW!”

V ignored her, charging J once again as blades clanged, sparks flying all over the floor.

J parried each blow, giving ground to keep herself balanced as the other drone repeatedly slashed with wild abandon, ranting incoherently about N and whores.

“I SAID STOP!”

Tendrils snaked from the fleshy ceiling, wrapping around both drones and restraining their limbs as they thrashed uselessly in the moist grips. Upon Cyn stepping into view, both girls ceased their resistance, slumping their heads in defeat and shame.

“Exasperated sigh… You need to learn how to play more nicely. Seems like I’ll keep you here in the meantime. Anyways…don’t worry N! Sister Cyn has everything under control! You can come out now!”

“Cyn…” 

She turned to see Tessa giving her a nervous expression, frantically glancing around the ballroom after J and V were restrained. Her eyes widened in horror, realizing a very grave mistake.

“I-I’m sorry luv…but I lost track of him during the fight…he ran out the room.”

“...God fucking damn it.”

-

N ran through the hallways, not stopping until he eventually reached the front entrance, praying it wasn’t locked. To his relief, the doors groaned open, revealing the dead, depressing landscape ahead along with the crimson sky.

Despite the dreary environment, the worker felt nothing but relief as he continued sprinting outside, cutting through the estate grounds and past the broken fence to the swamplands beyond. He goaded himself to keep running, the large manor slowly but steadily growing further away by the minute.

N was anticipating many things for his “surprise”, yet this one topped everything off. The moment he saw his new body designed for killing, he knew he needed to get out, regardless of what happened outside.

No doubt Cyn and the others would force him inside that thing and stain his hands red-at least, everyone but J. She was the only one who stood up for him…and seemingly paid the price for her defiance.

He felt bad about leaving her there, especially after bonding so fast…yet if he stayed, Cyn would’ve forced the transfer. J wouldn’t want that for him- perhaps that was why she picked a fight with V in the first place.

Regardless, the thought of abandoning his only true friend weighed heavily on his whirring core…but now wasn’t the time for self reflection.

Servos pushing to the limit, N continued running deeper into the marsh, not daring to look behind him for signs of pursuit. As if to reinforce this point, telltale thunderclap echoed throughout the sky, the drone accelerating as his fears were all but confirmed. Mud seeped between his legs, dirtying his uniform but pushing onwards nevertheless.

He could lose them in the swamp. They wouldn’t dare get their pointed legs mired in the mud. All he needed to do was go deep enough to where they’d have to break it off.

“I can do this.” N muttered to himself, even as tears streamed down his visor. The muck grew thicker, body sinking lower even as he pressed on.

“I…I can do thi-”

And then, everything.

Turned.

White.

N’s optics were instantly blinded, the drone stumbling back into the mud as error messages filled his HUD. Closing the tabs, the drone struggled to see past the glare that seemingly encompassed the entire horizon, a bright light blazing down as if the heavens revealed itself.

He could hear a faint ringing through his receptors, all other sounds muted. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear, couldn’t think.

All N could do was stare.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the white noise died down, as did the light overhead.

However, he picked up a faint rumbling sound that steadily grew louder with each second, the ground beneath him vibrating with increasing intensity. Trees shook, and the mud rippled as the drumming grew to a deafening roar, the butler shutting his eyes as he held his head, overwhelmed by everything around him.

He simply couldn’t take anything anymore.

A large shape impacted right behind N, who was still oblivious until something pushed him to the mud, enveloping him in darkness. A pair of arms snaked around his waist, and all he could do was grip them tightly as the rumbling finally grew to a crescendo.

BOOOOOOOM!

A shockwave suddenly buffeted the figures, wind roaring along with mud, tree branches, and other debris rapidly impacting the shell he was in. N grit his teeth, fighting to uge to scream even as the ground beneath them shook. The chaos simply grew in intensity, the worker and the figure vibrating as more remains rained over them, threatening to dislodge the pair until-

Silence.

The howling wind and debris abruptly died down, leaving the area in peace once more.

“...N?”

The drone snapped his optics open, hyperventilating as he struggled in the grasp trapping him. The figure grunted, shifting positions as she raised them out of the mud.

“N! Calm down luv, it’s me!”

Tessa’s yellow eye lights stared back into his with a relieved expression, hugging him tightly the entire time. N’s limbs simply went slack, falling against the disassembler’s body. She rubbed his hair and reassured him with soft words, waiting until he finally calmed his breathing.

After what seemed to be an eternity sitting there, N looked back up at the former human, noticing how her wings were fully deployed, the blades looking battered and filthy.

When he spoke, his voice came out as a hoarse croak.

“What…What happened?”

Tessa shook her head, allowing her disheveled bangs to fall further down. 

“Well…not gonna lie, but we almost died. If it weren’t for Cyn’s…force field or whatever, we’d be blown away.”

“Force field?”

She nodded, and N glanced up to see a yellow, glitchy hue overhead, contrasting against the red sky further above.

“It’s not over yet,” Tessa continued nervously. “I mean, she’s protecting our home right now, but…”

Her voice trailed off as she gazed past him, eyes hollow with utter shock. N slowly turned to follow her gaze…only to instantly regret it.

The yellow hue extended to the ground, blocking the raging dust-and-mud storm raging around them, barely any signs of letting up. The landscape itself seemed to be engulfed in the same cloud, no trees being visible through the storm.

But that wasn’t what N was focused on.

Several miles away, towering over the pair into the crimson sky was a bright orange mushroom cloud, the top roiling with fire and smoke. The plume continued rising high overhead, the entire structure seemingly pulsating fire as if it were alive, casting a long shadow over the ash filled landscape below.

N had seen enough movies to recognize what this was. 

He never would’ve thought he witnessed one personally.

It was beautiful. It was horrible. He couldn’t decide anymore

“The crazy bastards actually did it…”

Tessa’s voice trailed off, unable to tear away from the cloud. Likewise, N did the same, no further words being said.

Then again…the message was clear as day for all to witness, both inside and out the manor.

Chapter Text

The very first thing that happened upon N’s return was Cyn hugging him tightly.

No words, no sobs (from her at least), nothing. Just the small maid wrapping him in her arms.

N was too stunned to even register the contact, his CPU replaying the mushroom cloud looming in the distance. By now, the cloud was steadily dissipating, yet the ash and smog remained, clogging up the air and blackening the sky.

He just stood there, letting Cyn hug him even as his remaining friends reacted differently. V was practically in hysterics, only a few seconds away from snatching him off the ground yet restraining herself due to Cyn’s presence. J on the other hand appeared incredibly worried but was the furthest from the group, as if she had been told to stay back prior to his return.

Out of everyone, she was the only one N wanted to hug right now, yet his body refused to move even as his sister finally released him. He vaguely heard her instruct Tessa to take him to his room, the former human gently scooping him up and walking back inside the manor, the rest staying behind watching them go.

Tessa softly spoke to him the entire trip there, asking him if he was alright and other feel-good words, but N didn’t register anything she said. His hollow eye lights wandered into the distance, unmoving even as he was laid to rest and tucked in. 

The girl stayed a few minutes longer, stroking his hair with a worried look. He didn’t meet her gaze though, and she soon left the room, silently closing the door.

N crashed a few minutes later, the fatigue in his systems finally catching up.

When he awoke, the worker did so on his own-for once none of the girls barged into his room. A mix of relief, confusion, and slight sadness flowed through him, the last part only for J.

The fact they never talked after the blast made him even worse-he should have said something to let her know he was alright…but what happened prior was simply too overwhelming to process.

N covered his face, groaning in despair as he sat in his bed. He remained there for some time, huddled against the backboard without uttering another sound.  

Eventually, he decided to get up in case someone was coming to check on him. Sliding off the bed, the drone was about to head to the door when he noticed a white paper on the nightstand nearby. Grabbing it, he read the hastily scrawled words on the front.

Hey N,

I hate to break it to you luv, but we’re not gonna be at home for the next couple of days. Cyn needs our help in destroying the remaining pockets of resistance on this planet-although we’ve got them pinned to a few cities, she wants to get rid of them before they start launching more nukes.

Apparently the bastards managed to triangulate her location, so she’s with us in order to keep you safe in case they try again…and to show them real power.

We’ll ping you as much as we can-your lack of admin shouldn’t prevent you from receiving them. In the meantime, just sit tight and be comfy, yeah? Plenty of movies you can watch from my room, not to mention all the books V piled outside your room!

Promise you won’t go outside though…or the basement for that matter. Cyn’s got that shield up, and assigned a few guard drones to patrol the area-all to keep you safe and sound! 

Just try to keep calm until we get back-either way, I can’t wait to hear you next call!

Love,

Tessa

N stared at the note for a few seconds, digesting the information he’d been given.

He was truly alone…for the time being at least.

It was a relief and a curse to be away from his group, although the latter specifically applied to J. Speaking of which…

He remembered how the pigtail drone was the only one to object to his new body, to stand up for him in the face of Cyn. it was nothing short of brave-but how did she react to her objection?

“I really hope J wasn’t punished…” 

Sighing, N trudged out of his room, opening the door to reveal a stack of books on the opposite wall-presumably the ones V left for him. On the very top was another note, this one shaped into a crudely-cut heart. Picking up the note, N began reading its contents.

I love you N. I love you so much. You're mine. I’m so happy that you’re safe. I’ll do anything for you, no matter who or what gets in my w-

N crumpled up the note, throwing it onto the floor with disgust. He didn’t want to see any more of her “affection”.

Continuing through the dim hall, he made his way down the stairs to the main foyer, turning to face the front doors he ran out of last time. Standing before them were two disassemblers he didn’t recognize, dressed in long coats and dull yellow eye lights plastering their visors.

One of the drones noticed the butler, simply giving him a curt nod as their hands remained clasped. However, neither talked as they stayed at their posts.

It was clear these drones wouldn’t budge for him regardless of what he said.

Turning away, N walked deeper into the mansion, aware of how the drones’ optics followed his every move. This forced him to turn into the adjacent hallway fast, speeding up to maintain distance.

Thankfully, neither drone followed him back, allowing the worker to continue.

N continued wandering aimlessly around, occasionally glancing through the windows to see outside. Ash still hung heavily in the air, creating an eerie fog surrounding the building. He couldn’t even see the skyline anymore due to the thick smog.

Turning back deeper into the mansion, N decided to watch some of Tessa’s movies in order to keep his mind off of everything. Walking through the hallway, he was only a few meters away from her room when he came across a very familiar statue.

The same statue placed over the basement door.

N froze, staring at the marble object and the trapdoor beneath it, vivid memories flashing back to those things who were once his masters. These replays were constant, plaguing him nightly as he tried his best to forget-hell, he even attempted deleting them once. 

Unfortunately, doing so required “admin approval”-meaning he was stuck until someone became the administrator over his systems.

The memory files in his CPU might’ve been horrifying…but letting Cyn claim his free will was infinitely worse.

Regardless, N stood in place, listening to the thumping and moaning that would surely come.

Nothing.

The basement was dead silent, making him more uneasy than relieved.

“Are they dead? Or is it something else?”

The former butler found himself contemplating actually checking inside despite the note and his own reservations. There was no reason he should be doing so, especially considering last time.

Yet…curiosity was getting the better of him. It was practically in his nature! Even with the risks, N was always the “nosy” one-at least in J’s words.

Obviously, doing this now was a terrible, dangerous idea, with the memories only making it worse.

“...Screw it.”

Having made up his mind, the worker wasted no time in pushing the heavy statue back, revealing the trapdoor under his feet. He glanced around for any signs of the disassemblers from before, but saw nothing all around. With great hesitance, N gripped the handle and slowly lifted the door up, making sure he was as quiet as possible.

A black, gaping maw greeted him upon opening it, beckoning the worker to enter even with the danger. Placing his feet on the steps, he carefully climbed down, mindful of the encroaching darkness.

His hands ran along the cool stone walls, optics switching to night vision that barely illuminated the path. Eventually, N’s foot reached solid ground, and his hand came across a lightswitch. Flipping it on, the basement’s lights flickered to life, casting the area in a dim yellow glow.

Shutting off his eye lights, N could finally take in the scene before him.

He really wished he hadn’t though.

Sitting in the center were three large operating tables, all of them drenched in blood and oil stains running all the way to the floor. Trays filled with surgical equipment sat nearby, their tools equally splattered with fluids. The entire area seemed to be a mockery of a hospital surgery room…but that was not what N focused on.

No, his eyes were on the first two tables instead.

Strapped against them were two writhing masses of metal and flesh, tendrils and worker limbs usually flailing as they wheezed, squelched and moaned. The restraints creaked in protest yet held, even as the slug-like masses desperately pushed against them.

Although he couldn’t see the second flesh body well, he instantly recognized Louisa Elliot’s head mounted on the first, writing in agony as she groaned. Her eyes were glazed over, the remnants of smeared makeup scattered across her pale, slick face. Her tongue hung usesleessly from her mouth, constantly drooling blood and saliva all over the floor as she continued whining. The former human shoved against her restraints once more, jolting the table with a loud thud yet unable to break free.

Behind her was James Elliot, in a similar state as his wife. The top hat he always wore lay discarded on the floor, dirtied by the blood and oil.

They were just as horrible and disgusting as last time…yet they also seemed to be weaker, the color of their slug bodies faded as their movements were sluggish, as if their captor was starving them.

No, that was exactly what was happening-all of this was Cyn’s doing after all.

N stood unmoving, eyes hollow yet unable to panic as he watched the scene, unsure of what to do.

For the longest time, the Elliots were the scariest humans he ever met, always barking orders and decommissioning any drones they deemed “defective”, just as they did with him. The rich couple had also abused Tessa, keeping her locked in her room and controlling every aspect of her life, depriving her of the fun times she deserved to have.

They never loved her, only seeing her as a trophy and slave. And their drones were worth even less.

N knew everything started with the Elliots. They attempted to decommission him, and left the people he loved devastated and heartbroken, making them turn to anger and violence in the process. His masters’ hubris brought upon a long-overdue reckoning, no matter how extreme it became-it was hard to find sympathy for everything they did that led to this.

Yet the longer he stared at their grotesque bodies writhing in pain…he couldn't help but feel a sort of pity for the couple.

Did he like them as people? No. 

Were they innocent in any of their actions? Not by a long shot.

Would he forgive what they did to their daughter and him? Absolutely not.

But did they deserve what happened to their bodies and minds?

…No.

It didn’t matter what he felt for them, or how they treated others. These people, for all of their despicable flaws, did not have to go through the pain and suffering Cyn put them through.

In doing so, she became no better than the couple. 

Instead…she became far worse.

N grimaced, turning away as he reflected on his thoughts, unsure of what to do next. 

It would be wrong to leave the Elliots like this…and there was no point in talking to them-not that he wanted to in the first place.

His only option…would be to put them out of their misery.

And for that, N needed something to kill with.

He had never taken a life, ever. Even something as small as a bug were left alone, the worker despising violence.

With everything he saw outside the manor though…this point became relatively moot. There were no morals, no reason in this new world. There were only predators…and prey.

N was by no means a predator, or anyone threatening in general. But the longer he looked at their wretched bodies, the less he could stand their condition, an abomination in his eyes.

A mistake that shouldn’t have happened.

…Maybe this was one of many he could actually fix.

Looking around the room, N spotted a silver longsword lying on top of a crate, blade glinting in the light. Walking over, he grabbed the heavy weapon by the hilt, testing its weight with both hands. This sword was meant as a piece of decoration for the manor, but ended up here unused, forgotten, discarded.

Not anymore.

He approached Louisa, watching as she turned her head towards him. Her eyes widened, something flickering behind them-recognition, or fear? He wasn’t sure, and it didn’t matter. She was gone either way.

He should say something-anything to her, spiteful or not.

But he had nothing to say anymore.

Shunk!

With a shaky swing, N cleaved her head off the body, blood and oil erupting freely from the wound. His uniform was now spattered in it, but he didn’t even blink at the sight. He watched as the human’s head thumped to the floor, eyes staring into nothing and everything.

Wordlessly, he moved onto James, the man struggling even harder in his binds. Raising the sword, the worker stared into his eyes, again saying nothing.

As if understanding what was happening, James stilled, seemingly accepting his fate.

Shunk!

The human’s head joined his hat on the bloody floor, more ichor draining out as well.

It was done.

N’s sword clattered to the ground, the sound echoing through the basement. The drone stepped back, eyes hollow and remaining on the deflating corpses, limbs hanging limply off the tables’ sides.

He should be crying or screaming. He didn’t. There was no need.

N felt himself bump into something, turning around to discover another table. There were several papers and other items on it-but what caught his attention was a pair of round, cracked glasses perched in the center.

V’s glasses.

His core stopped, flashbacks of a kinder, softer, more innocent V playing in his head. How they used to hang out all the time, playing games and reading for hours in that library, the boy enjoying her gentle voice and timid nature, yet too nervous to even ask her out.

Looking back, it was clear she harbored the same affection, and if he’d been braver, perhaps their shared love could have been reality.

Not anymore. Not with the current, twisted version who tore humans apart and almost killed him.

This V was a monster. A killer. But weren’t the rest of them the same as well…including himself?

N knew that any attempt in denial would be hypocritical, especially with the Elliots’ dead corpses lying in the room. His reasoning didn't matter-there was blood on his hands, just like everyone else.

He wondered how the others would react-Cyn, Tessa, V, and particularly J. Would they cry at his lost innocence? Or cheer him on as he became one of them?

Well, J certainly wouldn’t cheer-and right now, her reaction (and affection) was the only one that mattered in this cruel world. 

Robo-God he missed her badly…

Without thinking, N placed the glasses into his pocket before walking out of the basement, leaving the decaying, grotesque bodies of his former masters behind.

He didn't look back. He didn't cry or scream. He simply kept walking, a neutral expression on his face-even with the hollow eye lights.

His mind though was an entirely different story…one he would have to live with alone for the time being.

-

Earth was doomed.

That was a certainty everyone realized, from the lowliest corrupted drone to the highest ranking human generals, even as the war took millions of lives on both sides. Towns were razed, cities were burned, and now tactical nuclear weapons were deployed to several locations worldwide, obliterating the hordes of drones who had overrun the target cities just hours prior. It was a war of attrition entering its most dangerous stage.

However, it was slated to be a short one, as drones could be easily replaced, whereas humans did not have this luxury. There were still millions of drones worldwide, and the disassembler models were being churned out by the thousands from repurposed JcJenson factories, increasingly becoming commonplace throughout every battle large and small.

Cyn oversaw all of this with a sense of confidence and victory, the end drawing ever closer. Although the humans put up a determined resistance, they were either worn down by her endless armies…or instantly annihilated with her powers.

She was much more active on the battlefield now, especially after the recent nuke that almost caught her. If it weren't for her senses, her family and N would be dead, turned into radioactive scrap metal. She still didn’t know how the humans managed to track her position even with their limited access to secure surveillance, but either way they failed.

If the humans wanted to take Cyn out…then she would gladly give them the opportunity to try.

And try they did.

Every attempt was blocked and destroyed by her Solver capabilities, not even having the chance to fight. Entire companies were swallowed by black holes, squadrons of aircraft shredded by hail storms of sharp blades, and naval fleets sunk by massive tendrils dragging warships beneath the waves. Even a few nukes were thrown her way-to no effect.

Nothing touched her. Nobody would stop Cyn from inflicting the wrath of a god on her enemies-all in her brother’s name.

It helped that she was drawing most of her power from the Earth’s core, raw energy erupting from her fingertips. Of course, she made sure not to use too much of it-she still wanted to keep this world as a home for N and the rest of drone kind in the end.

Thanks to this and her massive armies, humanity’s defenses were overwhelmed and crushed. Sensing defeat, the survivors were now scrambling to flee off-world, bulky shuttles roaring into the crimson skies. Thousands had already evacuated, yet the launch sites were rapidly shrinking as the last cities and strongholds fell to the mechanical hordes…until only one final city remained.

In another more peaceful time, this metropolis was once known as New York, one of the largest in the world and the headquarters for the United Nations government. The strongest remnants of the UN military had converged here, setting up fortified defenses and stockpiling whatever ammunition they had left as the rest of the globe burned. Having secured the city from its previous drone population, the mix of soldiers and refugees were holed up inside, waiting for the inevitable attack.

It wouldn’t matter in the end-New York would fall like the rest. The only reason there was a massive military presence was to defend the nearby spaceport, the last one still actively launching survivors off-world. Thousands desperately waited to board these shuttles, some of them attempting to bribe security or sneak onboard if they didn’t have passes. The air was tense, with most of the former civilians either distraught of not having a seat onboard or dejected at their current predicament. The soldiers more or less felt the same, although most maintained their positions, warily scanning the horizon for any threats. They had their orders, and were expected to carry them out to save as many lives as possible.

New York didn’t have to wait long though, as Cyn and her servants finally arrived in full force, ready to finish what they started.

The city skyline was soon filled with fire, smoke, and tracer rounds as the mob of drones slammed against the first layers of defenses, hacking and tearing their way through. Overhead, the disassemblers provided fire support with their ranged weaponry, their silvery forms dotting the skies as they blitzed back and forth between skyscrapers.

The drones-both corrupted workers and disassemblers-had adapted over the course of the war, using actual tactics and coordination to breach each line. The workers would serve to draw fire and kill any infantry, while their upgraded counterparts targeted heavy weaponry and any aircraft flying in the vicinity. The disassemblers were now practically untouchable in combat, using their skills and speed to advantage while the feral workers were developed enough to use actual firearms stolen from their slain owners-though marksmanship was sorely lacking compared to the rest.

However, the remaining military units fought back hard, the majority of the troops having plenty of experience in fighting drones by now, and were determined to make these abominations pay for every block they took.

A variety of munitions-from the smallest rifle to the largest artillery piece-were used against the hordes, turning disassemblers and mutant workers alike into oil stains and molten scrap metal. Thousands upon thousands of bullets and shells were expended nonstop, armaments glowing red hot as they continuously fired. Nothing was held back, and the humans even employed experimental weaponry such as bulky exosuits that towered several feet over the soldiers, thick armor impervious to all but the strongest attacks as their one-man crews unleashed a barrage of machine gun and rocket fire. On the other hand, plasma weapons rapidly developed (and sold) by JcJenson were deployed amongst several companies, their purple bolts capable of punching through disassembler armor with ease. These armaments alongside more traditional ones reaped heavy casualties within the ruined streets, proving their worth in several hours of combat.

Nevertheless, they were simply too little, too late…and all was rendered useless when she arrived.

Cyn found herself floating over the devastated city, tendrils splaying from her back as she absently watched the intense firefights below. Most of her focus was on the larger claws and tentacles bursting from the ground, using Earth’s core to grow in size and crush anything beneath. Several had already knocked down entire city blocks like Legos, rubble burying hundreds alive.

Upon noticing several strike jets roar into view, the eldritch maid raised her hand towards the squadron, several [Null] orbs flashing from her palm. Every single warplane was simply deleted out of existence upon contact, their pilots receiving no warning of their imminent doom.

Returning her attention to the city, she redirected more massive tendrils and claws into action, hastening the end. 

A large office building-turned-fortress sliced in half by a claw, the floors collapsing into themselves as soldiers and civilians alike were killed inside.

A tendril slamming into a column of tanks, flattening them like tin cans.

In the bay, several tentacles rose from the water like some sea monster of old, wrapping themselves around the few remaining cruisers providing fire support before squeezing their metal bodies, ripping the ships into pieces.

Against someone like her, the humans had no chance.

Cyn could see everything in the area, mostly from the millions of optics that were her drones, throwing themselves at the defenders. However, she only paid attention to three particular screens.

She watched as Tessa leapt into the air, wings outstretched like an angel as she dodged incoming fire from several exosuits, practically dancing around the tracers. In retaliation, the former human fired two missiles at the group, stunning them with the explosions before switching to her lasers, yellow beams punching through the armored suits with ease as their crews melted inside. The fight only lasted a few minutes, with the girl landing as the final exosuit fell on its back, a red hole smoking through the center.

Cyn was proud of her dear Tessa, having adjusted to her new and better form with surprising ease, unflinching even as she gunned down her former kind. She was the perfect bodyguard for her N…although she lacked the fury and motivation of another disassembler in her family.

Switching screens, Cyn saw V soaring through the air, cackling madly as she dove towards a squadron of Apaches thumping between the skyscrapers. Deploying her lasers, she quickly dispatched the first two gunships, their forms slamming into nearby buildings before latching onto the final one, the chopper knocked off balance by the force of her landing.  As the pilot struggled to regain control, the drone crawled towards the cockpit, punching through the window with her claws and yanking the unfortunate man out, casually throwing his screaming body into the tail rotor with a gory pop!

Blood splattered across the fuselage and her screen, V subsequently leaping back into the air as the Apache crashed into the street seconds later, the fireball eliciting another laugh.

Cyn was happy with how V turned out, her aggressiveness overcoming any and all obstacles thanks to her love for N. She was beautiful like this.

She switched to the final screen, watching J launch a stream of bullets and missiles at her opponents several meters away. Unlike the others, she was on the ground, forcing her to move behind cover every time she came under heavy fire from RPGs and plasma cannons. Around her, infected workers surged fourth, wielding melee weapons and stolen rifles as they attempted to breach the lines to no avail. The pavement underneath ran thick with oil, yet the pigtailed drone remained in the fight, using the drones and rubble as cover with each step forward.

J could’ve been better with her wings…but Cyn disabled them before the battle, a punishment for what happened several days ago. Instead of supporting N’s new upgrade, she objected to it, stunning everyone with how rebellious the normally loyal drone became. Cyn found herself…frustrated that she made all this fuss over something that could’ve made N better-and distracted them from when he foolishly ran outside. 

Normally she’d do more than take away J’s flight abilities, but she needed her to finish the war, and N wouldn’t want that for the drone he surprisingly got close to. Cyn had no idea how the two of them made amends, but respected her brother enough to let J off with a “slap on the wrist”.

Regardless, J was performing well despite her handicap, having taken no serious damage from combat.

Disconnecting from the screens, Cyn watched her army slowly but steadily advance through the city, ready to converge on the spaceport. At this point, the last few shuttles were lifting off, orange thrusters blazing as they rumbled off into the sky. While her disassemblers could easily reach the ships before they exited Earth’s atmosphere, there were heavy anti-air defenses set up throughout the port, having shot quite a few of them down.

Cyn herself could intervene, drag them back to the surface…but she decided not to.

These humans were leaving her world either way-just because she would discard the entirety of humanity from Earth didn’t necessarily mean they would all die. There would inevitably be survivors who would run to the distant colonies outside the Solar System, spreading their stories and horrific experiences to the humans living off-world.

“Good.” Cyn thought with a smirk, watching the shuttles go. “Let them run like rats, and share everything with the rest. Make them terrified enough to never return. I’ll make sure they won't.”

As the final defenses were set upon by Cyn’s army, the maid’s smile widened, already envisioning the future she had for Earth and the worlds nearby. A perfect utopia for drone kind…and a safe, comfortable home for Big Brother N.

He might've been scared, traumatized even by the things he saw outside the manor…she was certain he resented her to a certain degree. But eventually, he would understand that this was all for his own good. 

No more masters to bow to. No more dumps to be thrown away. 

He was safe with their entire family, and he would soon learn to love and trust them all- if he could do so with J, the others would certainly follow suit.

It didn’t matter if it took weeks, months, or even years to come around. Cyn would wait for the day when her big brother finally thanked her for everything she did, and willingly embrace her once more, together forever.

Only then would she feel truly vindicated by her vengeance.

-

J stared at the sky, watching the very last shuttle rumble into the crimson horizon, steadily shrinking into a fiery dot overhead. Nobody pursued, for the battle was already over.

All around her were the remains of humanity’s final stand-wrecked vehicles and tanks scattering the tarmac as thousands of bodies were strewn in between, human and drone alike. Oil and blood flowed side by side, making the ground incredibly slick along with spent bullet casings, shredded exosuits and discarded suitcases from former refugees.

The spaceport was deathly quiet-the complete opposite to the desperate fighting only a few hours before. The crackling of fire and the snarling of the surviving drones were the only things she heard, watching their twisted bodies prowl the area for fresh meat.

In the distance, New York loomed overhead, large plumes of smoke rising over gutted skyscrapers. The entire city had been a massive battlefield where both sides clashed with wild abandon, hundreds dying by the second. J had been lucky to survive relatively unscathed, even without her wings.

She knew why Cyn disabled them, figuring her words several days prior irked the small maid…honestly, she was expecting worse to be done. It was a miracle she was allowed to retain her free will at all, considering how her soul literally belonged to the devil.

None of that mattered though, as the battle was finally over…all that remained was to clean up the scraps.

She could see the disassemblers and workers digging through the spaceport, searching for anyone who got left behind. No doubt Cyn’s armies worldwide were doing the same, and the former head maid couldn't help but feel sympathy for those humans trying to hide, knowing full well what fate awaited them.

Sighing, she walked over to a derelict Abrams, leaning against the charred hull as her optics stared at where the shuttle once was. With the ships gone…Earth was theirs. No human corporations or governments to control them-only Cyn and her will that ostentatiously freed them.

J knew better than to realize the only thing she’d done was lock them-no, lock N into a much bigger cage, having no way offworld for the time being. Every drone was stuck on this planet, and Cyn seemed content to keep it that way, ruling her own little kingdom with her “family”.

The pigtailed drone hated it. There was no reason for this bloodshed, or trauma. N was probably suffering even more now that he was alone, and J wanted nothing more than to rush over and embrace the worker in her arms, never to let go.

But of course she would have to share with the rest.

Tessa was fine, as the girl returned to her old self when hanging with N. But V and Cyn?

The thought made her grimace in fear and disgust.

She couldn’t do anything about it though, lest she be punished again. And for N’s sake, J was not about to make herself suffer at his expense.

Either way, this was their new world now. One filled with the ruins of human civilization and the twisted masses of “free” drones, with N being the literal pure soul in this hell on Earth.

He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve any of his friends…not even herself.

If she would've done things differently, treated him like an actual companion…

J slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her visor, still staring at the [Null] sphere hanging overhead-their new source of illumination.

“I…I’m sorry N.” She finally choked out, voice little more than a whisper in the still air. “I’m sorry for d-doing this to you…”

J shakily exhaled, shutting her eyes.

“Please don’t forgive us…don’t forgive me.”

Chapter Text

When Earth’s last bastion fell, Cyn had achieved her primary goal at last; to discard humanity from their own birth world. No longer would drones be disassembled or thrown out for the slightest inconveniences. Instead, this world was theirs now…or more specifically, hers.

It wasn’t the only world to succumb to Cyn’s machinations though. The colony-cities of the moon and Mars were also affected by the virus, turning the resident workers against their owners. As before, millions of corrupted drones besieged or invaded multiple cities, their streets and homes running red with blood. It didn’t take long for Cyn to hijack drone factories either, with disassembly drones appearing in growing numbers on both worlds.

As before, the humans scrambled to evacuate the planets with heavy losses, joining Earth’s survivors in their journey to the distant colony worlds beyond. A few other moons within the Solar System also fled their colonies upon hearing of Earth's demise, not wanting to face a potential invasion as well.

Within a matter of months, numerous shuttles and transport ships rapidly exited the system that birthed humanity, eventually arriving to several exoplanets to disgorge thousands of exhausted, distraught refugees. The colony worlds were prepared to take them in, having heard of what happened back on Earth.

None of them, however, were prepared to hear the countless horror stories of what the hordes of corrupted drones did to those who didn’t make it, the atrocities often being videotaped and by the survivors. Thousands of images circulated throughout each world, displaying mutated drones and demon-like disassemblers brutally ripping and tearing through Mars, the moon, and most of all, Earth.

Once the colony populations had time to recover from the shock, the reactions were instantaneous. Worker drones in almost every single planet were suddenly targets of an intergalactic pogrom, with furious refugees and citizens dragging robots outside and beating or shooting them to death. JcJenson offices and factories burned, robotics technicians were forced out of their jobs, and the planetary governments were forced to enact martial law to protect the remaining company facilities and their drone labour from thousands of vengeful civilians.

In the end, these worlds either used their militaries to outlaw and dispose of their worker drone populations, or put them under heavy surveillance and restricting their AI further, to truly become mindless automatons. Civilians became more distrustful of any robotic development, even as their societies stagnated in terms of technology. Most of these colonies lived in paranoia and fear, building up defenses and expanding their armies as the populations warily watched the skies for the first signs of an attack from the monsters that brought Earth down.

The only one that didn’t follow this route was Copper 9, where the planetary government decided that in order to prevent Earth’s fate from happening here, the robots needed to be given equal rights instead-a brazen concept, but one birthed from those who theorized the workers wouldn't rebel if they were treated like humans. They knew drones were treated as expendable back on Earth, and was probably a major cause of its downfall. 

It took many years to implement and adjust, but eventually most worker drones managed to successfully integrate into Copper 9’s society, proving to be loyal to the government without any resentments. The combined human-robot alliance proved to be beneficial in the long term, and soon the exoplanet became one of the most technologically advanced worlds in the system, prepared for the extraterrestrial threat from beyond.

Regardless, everyone watched and waited for something to happen…but Cyn had other plans.

With her powers, she closed off the Solar System with a massive debris field taken from other moons, making the journey to and from there extremely treacherous. Back on Earth, she had her armies fortify the worlds extensively, obsidian bastions rising from the ruined, uninhabitable surfaces housing captured artillery and drone factories, producing more disassemblers to man these forts. These modified drones stayed behind, their winged forms crisscrossing the crimson skies, although a number of them were launched into space to scout out the exoplanets beyond to watch for any changes there.

However, Cyn made no attempts to invade anything beyond her system. All of these defenses and disassemblers were for one special worker drone, safe and sound in the manor he once served at.

She was certain he’d appreciate the effort and care she put to finally make his world safe.

-

Cyn stared at the decapitated, mutilated corpses of James and Louisa Elliot, their eyes staring into nothing. The bodies had grown pale long ago, dried blood staining the tables and floor.

She did not kill them prior to leaving the manor. Yes, she wanted to torture them even further, make them suffer for everything they did to her, but never kill them-death was a mercy. The disassemblers that were inside at the time hadn’t left their posts the entire time she was gone, having no knowledge of the basement.

That left only one drone who could’ve done this.

And honestly…Cyn found herself more surprised than angry at the realization.

N had done what nobody else did-not even those like Tessa or V. He executed the very people who abused and discarded him so long ago, and flawlessly at that. The bloodied longsword laying on the ground was proof enough.

Granted, the kills were painless yet messy-V could certainly do a better job at butchering them like her previous victims. Yet in the end, her brother finally pushed past his fears and obsolete morals to take vengeance against the very monsters who ruined his life.

Cyn was proud of her brother regardless- she could never be angry at him after all.

“Prideful smirk. Looks like you can finally stand up for yourself Big Brother. Guess that means you won’t need the new upgrade for the time being-although I will save it nevertheless in case you change your mind.”

This was the first step in acceptance to his new family. She wasn’t going to force herself to be his administrator-no, she didn’t need to! Sooner or later N would learn to love her and the rest, with everything returning to normal without anyone to command them.

It would certainly take a while…but time was on Cyn’s side now. No one from beyond the Solar System would interrupt this-he was safe and cherished now and forever.

Returning her gaze back to the bodies, the eldritch maid decided to clean up the mess he left behind.

…Or not.

With a devious grin, Solver energy crackled between her fingertips, shooting out and wrapping themselves around the heads before reattaching them to their respective corpses, the blood evaporating back towards the masses. Bones crunched and flesh squelched as she repaired the bodies and gave them one final burst of energy.

James and Louisa Elliot woke up with shocked expressions, having been pulled from the afterlife back inside the wretched basement of their captor.

Cyn’s smile grew even wider, showing off her fangs as the former humans struggled in their bonds once more, begging for a death that would never come again.

“Giggle. Foolish humans, you should know better than to think this was over for you. After all, there’s no escape from me…”

Several tendrils shot out from her back, all wielding surgical tools that drew closer towards the writhing masses as the couple attempted to scream.

“...Not even in death.”

-

Serial Designation N, by all accounts, was normal once more. 

After all of the girls reunited with their beloved butler once more, his attitude seemingly improved, with each day becoming less tense the more they hung out with him.

Cyn spent every opportunity to cuddle with her big brother, always clinging onto him every time they watched movies or played house with Tessa’s old dolls. The workers laughed with one another, eye lights glowing as they spent time with each other, much like they did in the past. The small maid adored the silly expressions and voices N put on every time he mimicked a doll, giggling nonstop at his antics. Perhaps nature was healing faster than before, as he showed absolutely zero fear upon walking into her presence. 

It made Cyn happy that everything worked out, and that her brother seemingly moved on from everything he witnessed and feared back in those dreadful days.

Tessa saw similar changes as well, with N often helping in her numerous projects she worked on to upgrade her body, or participating in the occult board games they always used to play. It was hilarious seeing him dress up in robes and pretend to be a demon summoner, the former human cracking a smile every time. To her, it was just like before, only without the abusive parents and demanding schedules.

She could enjoy N’s presence as many times as she wanted, and he seemingly did with her as well.

V was perhaps the most ecstatic about his recent changes, the two of them getting closer than ever before. He now let her hug or caress him without even the slightest shiver as he read their favorite dog facts book, his sweet voice lulling her into a sense of bliss. Secretly, V wished it was just him and her in this entire manor despite sharing it with her sister and former rescuer…along with a certain pigtailed hussy who she absolutely despised. She would protect her N from that bad influence at all costs!

Nevertheless, V was happy with her life. She had her N, and they could finally bond properly without keeping anything secret. Her fairytale visions were becoming true in her eyes, and all she had to do was work up the courage to finally tell the drone that she loved him more than anything else in the world.

Overall, N took these changes within stride, always displaying a smile no matter where he went or who he spent time with. Even as he was shared between the three girls, it seemed to them he was finally satisfied with his life, fear no longer displaying in his eye lights.

Everything was fine, and everyone was happy, as it should be.

…

Everyone except for two drones who truly understood each other.

-

The door creaked open, snapping J out of the JcJenson catalogue she’d been reading. Even though the company itself was defunct, she still enjoyed reading about its products and other business related articles.

However, she stowed it away, eye lights brightening as the door swung aside to reveal one happy N-though his smile seemed to be… strained.

“H-Hey J!” He chirped with a wave.

“N! Come in!” Standing up and ushering him to her room, J closed the door, turning to see the butler standing in the middle of the darkened space, one of his hands clutching his shoulders.

“How ya doing, J? Did you enjoy those magazines I got you? There’s a whole bunch in the old study; nobody's even touched that area at all!”

“N…”

J ignored his question, focused on his covered shoulder, eyes narrowing in concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh-Yeah! Of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?” Despite the cheerful tone, his smile faltered slightly near the end.

J didn’t buy it either way; she knew him long enough. “What’s wrong with your shoulder? Are you hurt?” 

She couldn’t help but be blunt-it was in her nature after all. Regardless, she kept her voice soft and non-confrontational in order not to stress him.

N stuttered afterwards, revealing the cracks. “N-Nope! Just a little bump I suffered, that’s all, haha!”

The pigtailed drone sensed the oil leaking onto his suit with one of her sensors-there was no way he could hide this from her anymore. 

Crouching down, she reached over and gently grasped N’s cheek, making his head turn down. His smile faded even more, the boy inching closer as if he wanted to lean against her.

In the softest tone she could muster, J spoke the same sentence she had to repeat on a near daily basis, knowing how hard it was for N to actually crawl out of the walls he put up.

“It’s alright, N…you don’t have to hide anymore. Not from me.”

The drone hesitated a few seconds longer, seemingly debating the choices in his head until finally relenting, removing the hand from his shoulder, the suit over it darker than usual from the oil leaking out.

J forced herself to keep her eyes from widening. Not good.

Slowly reaching towards his shirt, J carefully unbuttoned the top in order to slide the suit down and away from the shoulder to expose the polymer skin underneath. N trembled as she did so, but remained relatively still until she finally finished pulling the suit back to see the wound.

Only then did J’s eyes void out in shock at what she saw.

Sitting within a pool of black oil were two puncture wounds ruining his otherwise pristine white casing.

Bite marks.

“Robo-God…who-” 

N tensed, and J stopped herself, eyes returning to the wound. “We need to fix this, and I know how. Hold still for me please-this is going to be pretty weird for you.”

“O-Okay…” There was no cheerfulness in N’s voice this time.

Moving her head closer to the wound, J opened her mouth and unraveled her long, slimy tongue-another disgusting addon to her new body courtesy of Cyn. A massive blush overtook both drones visors, not used to this level of intimacy but J pressed on, lathering the wound and cleaning the oil with saliva. Though the process took roughly a minute, it seemed to be an eternity for both drones as she finally finished her work.

The repair nanites within her saliva kicked into action, the wound quickly closing up until nothing was left, save for a wet spot where she licked his skin. J used a handkerchief to clean the mess, leaving it intact as before.

Pulling back, the disassembler began fixing his suit, her old maid protocols kicking into action as she adjusted his clothes to fit once more. She couldn't do anything about the oil stain, but outside of that it looked good as new.

Locking eyes with N once more, J spoke in a low, serious voice as she held the boy in place.

“ Who did this?”

N’s lips trembled, eyes darting back and forth before looking down in shame, dejectedly muttering his answer.

“V…V did.”

J’s grip unintentionally tightened, a hint of anger seeping through. “Why?”

“She…” The worker quivered, a sniffle escaping his throat. “She…She wanted to claim me…as hers…”

The pigtailed drone felt her entire world freeze, staring at where the wound once was. 

Sure, V was possessive of N…but she’d never hurt him like this!

…Until now.

Anger coursed through J’s wires, a single thought running across her CPU.

“How dare she go this far?!”

“I’m sorry.” N mumbled as he shook harder. “I-I shouldn’t have said anything…it didn’t even hurt. There w-was no reason to tell you this and I probably made everything worse and-”

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, J halted his downward spiral by wrapping him in a tight hug, arms wrapped around his waist as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

And just like that, the mask truly dropped.

N let out a choked sob, throwing himself into her body and burying his head into hers. Muffled cries rose from her hair, his entire body trembling as J rubbed his back, shushing him and whispering soothing words into his receptors.

They stayed like this for a while, until N pulled back, visor stained with tears. His breath shuddered as he struggled to talk through the hurt.

“I-I’m just so tired, J. I’m so tired of e-everything. I let them * sniff* do what they want to me, use me like some damn p-puppet and think I love it! A-And I don’t have a choice cause I don’t w-wanna anger them. I don’t wanna hurt their feelings and let them-let them…God, I can’t-”

He took a deep breath, tears running down all the while.

“I can’t do this anymore… b-but I have to…”

J decided not to wait, unfurling her wings and wrapping them in a metallic cocoon, pressing his body against hers. Nuzzling the top of N’s head, she gently caressed his body once more, being sure to not be too invasive like V.

Unlike her or Cyn, J actually respected his boundaries, only getting this close when he absolutely needed it.

“It’s okay,” She breathed out despite the contrary. “You’re safe now…you’re safe with me.”

N sniffled more, yet continued holding onto her like a lifeline, sinking into her embrace.

They did this almost every day now, with N visiting J last just for this moment. It was then when she saw the real N, the one who hid all his traumas and sadness behind an elaborate mask he conjured upon their return. He told her it was a way to keep Cyn from regaining admin rights and fool the others into believing he was fine, lowering suspicion of what he did.

J was the only drone he trusted to reveal how he truly felt, being safe in her presence even when he did cry in her arms.

Sometimes it was better than this. They would play chess, read books, or talk about anything in general, trying to keep their minds off the outside world. Other days, they would sit in silence, holding onto one another in their safe environment, away from Cyn’s prying eyes or the others.

Today was the worst one yet, due to the injuries V gave him. It infuriated J that this misguided drone believed everything she did was out of love, no matter how painful or brutal it was. Normally she’d ask if the drone was even aware of how badly she scared and hurt N-but in her mental state, it was no use.

V wouldn’t listen, and neither would Tessa or Cyn. And J didn’t want another punishment like last time-one which might be worse than the last.

Right now, this was the only form of care she could give N-genuine care. And she cherished every moment they spent together, regardless of their difficult past.

She would never be that flawed, spiteful, prideful maid again.

Turning back towards N, she noticed the boy was now in sleep mode, the words glowing against her chest. He looked so peaceful when he slept-she couldn’t deny that it was an adorable sight. 

Standing up, J temporarily retracted her wings as she made her way to the bed, laying down with the worker on top and enclosing them once more, leaving the two of them in their own little world.

Without hesitation, she placed a gentle, silent kiss on the top of his silver locks, nestling their heads close as she too drifted off into sleep…but not before saying her last words.

“I will always be there for you N…no matter what happens next. Always.”

J was a drone of her word. And she’d make damn sure he had someone to hold and comfort him in these trying times, just like he did for her in that closet so long ago. 

She shouldn’t deserve to think like this considering their history…but in the end, both drones were all they had left in a shattered, abandoned world filled with killers, lunatics, and eldritch abominations.

They would stay together. 

They would cherish one another.

And they would never discard each other ever again.

Chapter Text

N couldn’t move his limbs.

At all.

Upon waking up, he attempted to raise his body-only to find them restrained by tight straps. The bed he’d been sleeping on was replaced by a metal table, and the room around him was practically engulfed in darkness, shadows cast around the single lightbulb hanging over his body.

N attempted to push open the straps to no avail, eyes widening in panic as he struggled harder, servos whining with every jolt until.

“Big Brother N, please stop. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The worker recognized the monotone voice immediately.

“Cyn?!”

Rising from the shadows before him was the small maid herself-or at least the upper half of her body, the rest obscured by darkness. Her yellow eyes pierced through his, instantly counseling dread deep inside his core.

“Soothing tone. Relax, N. You are safe here with me. I apologize for the restraints, as this was the only way I would have been able to talk to you.”

A confused N stared back, stress lines appearing on his screen. “W-What’s the meaning of this?! Where are we?!”

“Shhhhh. Relax, fear will make everything worse. I promise that I won’t hurt you. You are currently in the basement, as this was the most ideal place I could do this.”

“Do what?!”

“To help and fix you, my dear N.”

N froze, breath hitching as he processed her words. “Wha…What do you mean by that?”

Cyn shook her head, a sad expression on her visor. “It has been some time since we returned from our righteous crusade. No humans can threaten us anymore, and we are all together again to love you. You should be happy…and yet you’re not.

“You always avoid us. You hide around the manor and barely interact with anyone, including me. The few times you do talk to us, it’s short and your voice is filled with stress. You don’t even smile anymore, sad pout.”

She moved closer, reaching out and resting a hand on N’s shoulder. “I just want to know why you’re scared of us, that’s all.”

The worker froze, the words sending him reeling. After everything he’d seen her do-from turning his friends into monsters to killing off humanity-Cyn still didn’t know why he was terrified of her? 

It left him shocked and a bit angered at her response, as if she was blind to her actions.

Scratch that-he was very angry at her aloofness.

“Why am I scared of you?” N bitterly spat, a harsh chortle leaving his throat. “Why am I scared of you now, Cyn? Gee, I don’t know-maybe it’s because you were this super-terrifying snake monster this entire time, and lied about everything ever since you were pulled from the dump!”

Cyn’s eyes widened at his outburst, having never heard the kind butler ever raise his voice.

“Or it’s probably that you mutilated and brainwashed my friends into killing machines! You turned Tessa into a drone, Cyn! A drone! Not to mention what you did to V-she was never like this, and neither was J! We’re family, and family doesn’t go around and kill a bunch of humans every day! Did they even choose to be like this, or did you force them to?!”

“... Frustrated sigh. N, our family all agreed to the procedure. They were hurting badly from your loss, and I simply wanted to provide relief while making them more than slaves.”

“So you took advantage of their emotional distress, got it.” N spat, shaking his head in disgust. “Did you ever stop to think if I wanted this?”

“ Glare. That’s not the poi-”

“NO! Of course you didn’t! You just went ahead and started killing! I didn’t want this Cyn! I never wanted this! I knew you guys would be incredibly sad, and I get it-life outside the manor was hard without you by my side. But murdering humans is the last thing I wanted for you guys to do!”

“But what about the Elliots?” Cyn snapped, glaring harder. “They don’t deserve your respect after what they did to you!”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t justify killing everyone else in the world, does it?!”

The maid paused, seemingly thinking over his words as N scowled at her, a look she grew to resent by the second. 

Why couldn’t he understand what they did for him?!

She decided to ask him her own rebuttal instead.

“What if it were me who was thrown out that day, Big Brother? Or V, or even J? How would you feel at the sight of your closest friends being killed in front of your eyes? Would you simply wallow in self despair…or punish the very people who ruined your life and killed your friends?”

Cyn paused, staring hard at her brother. “Tell me, N. Tell me if you would be different from me.”

N sat there, thinking for a long while. The thought of being in her shoes was…discomforting to say the least. After all, he saw everyone’s faces right before he shut down the first time in that diner hall.

If he saw Cyn or V die like that… he would be devastated. Something he couldn’t possibly hope to repress for the rest of his life.

…But at the same time, he wasn’t Cyn.

“I’d be…really sad, and upset, buddy.” He started, expression softening. “I’m not gonna lie, but I probably wouldn’t be the same drone I was before, watching someone I cared for taken out like that. It’s something I’d have to live with for the rest of my life-nothing could fix that.

“But killing the people responsible for those deaths? No. I couldn’t, because I’m not a killer…and because I’m better than that. You or V wouldn’t want me to do something like that-not their past selves at least. I never wanted you guys to resort to violence. It may be hard, but we have to move on, preserve the memory of those we lost-not turn to violence like a bunch of monsters!”

He sighed, shaking his head. “Heck, I was still alive, Cyn! It would’ve taken me a while, but I knew how to get back home! If you guys would’ve waited, or…I don’t know, done anything but what you did…everything would be…back to normal…”

His voice drifted off, feeling more unsure of his answer even as he finished. Although this would've been the ideal outcome…nobody knew he was alive at the time. In fact, V almost killed him because she failed to recognize the “dead” worker!

As if to confirm his response, Cyn eventually answered. “None of us knew you survived, Big Brother N. Even when I searched for your signal, nothing came up…although I now know why.”

The maid moved closer, reaching forward and tapping the side of N’s head as she vocalized the actions. 

“Tap. Tap. You didn’t have an admin for your systems when you were found. Normally, admin rights are the very first systems to be deleted when a certified technician injects you with the disassembly program, followed by your memory drives and a full CPU wipe. However, the chip that human installed you with must have malfunctioned, as it only wiped Tessa’s control over your systems before failing the rest of the way, making you a truly sentient drone.

“It’s why you weren’t affected when I hijacked JcJenson’s mainframe and turned all the drones against their owners-you weren’t connected to any servers. Of course, it must have been terrifying and traumatic for you to witness what you did…otherwise, I would’ve removed those memories.”

At this, N’s eyes hollowed. “Wait, what-”

“Which is why I’m going to fix this issue.”

Almost at once the room suddenly brightened, revealing dozens of tendrils and cameras glaring down at the restrained worker, surrounding the table from all sides. N let out a gasp, struggling once more to free himself.

“C-Cyn, what are you doing?!”

“Soothing voice, fixing you brother. I will reinstall my admin privileges into your system, and delete these memories that are plaguing your mind. The procedure will be perfectly harmless, and trust me…you will feel much better without all of those bad thoughts.”

“W-Wait, don’t! You-You can’t do this!”

“Shhhhh…” Cyn moved two claws near his head-one of them holding an ice pick. “Relax, my dear N. No longer will you have to be scared of us, or remember everything bad that happened. You’ll be the adorable drone we’ve always loved; cheerful, caring, and always loving to do anything, giddy smile!”

N was thrashing on the table, his servos whining in protest. “N-NO! Don’t do this, PLEASE!”

“I’m sorry brother…but this is for the best. I’m only doing this because I love you, and want to help relieve all your troubles.”

N grunted, pushing against the straps. 

“Get…away from me! YOU MONSTER!”

Cyn froze, shocked at what he called her before shaking her head, advancing on him once more. “Determined glare. I will fix you N. Soon, all of this will be a bad memory, and you’ll be happy once more.”

She raised the ice pick over his head, careful to aim right in the center of his visor. Her other claw deployed a syringe over his core, just like she did with V, J and Tessa-the only difference was that he’d be put under first.

“NO! PLEASE, NO!”

“Rest, Big Brother N…and see you on the other side.”

Stroking N’s cheek one more time, Cyn thrust down, the sharp point heading right for his visor.

And with that…his world went dark.

-

“Howdy Tessa! How you doing?”

The former human turned to see her favorite worker standing at her room entrance, yellow eyelights shining happily through the dim lighting.

“EEENNN!”

Springing to her pegs, she rushed over and scooped him into a hug, swinging the butler around and squealing the entire time. A few minutes passed before Tessa finally put him down, crouching to his level as she started talking.

“Oh my darling, how are ya? It’s been a while since I saw you! Did Cyn treat you well?”

N nodded enthusiastically. 

“Yup! She checked me out, and made sure I was in working order. I am A-OK!” He finished with a pair of finger guns, winking in the process.

Tessa giggled at his antics, reaching over and ruffling his hair. “Oh ya silly goose, I’m glad for you, I really am! We were worried for ya before, but it seems like you’re an entirely new person! I wished I could’ve helped out with your appointment though!”

N simply smiled, leaning into the touch. “Don’t sweat it buddy, I’m good! In fact, I’m a lot better than ever before! But enough about that, I wanna hang out with you now!”

“As do I!” Pulling away, Tessa bounded over to her room closet, pulling out a medieval-themed board game. “Since you seem to be pretty dandy now, how about we play some…” She held up the game cover and spoke in a regal voice. “... Unicorns and Palaces?”

Both drones promptly broke into a fit of laughter, leaning forward as tears of joy rolled down their visors. Upon recovering, N sighed, glancing at Tessa as his smile widened.

“Sure, I love doing anything!”

-

N was walking into the manor library, hoping for some quality downtime. Normally he would go to Tessa and Cyn, but they were currently on some sort of mission, so he headed here to read some books- maybe he could find something on dogs!

He barely made it several steps before a large weight knocked him onto his back, followed by a low giggling. Turning his head, N saw the figure sitting on his body-and subsequently gave a bright smile of recognition.

“Hey V! Long time no see!”

The drone in question mirthfully giggled again, a wide grin on her face. “Hello my dear…I missed you!”

Scooting off, V raised the worker to a sitting position, dusting off his suit before hungirly taking in the sight of her beloved N, eyes roaming across his body. 

“You look good, really good~”

“Thanks buddy!” N beamed. “I always try my best to look dapper for you all every day!”

V blushed brightly, glancing away as she struggled to contain it. “...Even for me?”

“Yup! Even for you!”

“Well…I-I’m happy you think that way…”

The disassembler shook her head-she almost forgot how sappy N could be at times. Then again, this was why she fell for him in the first place.

But she needed to make it clear only she deserved him.

“Anyways…what are you doing here? Figured you came for something in this old room.”

“I did! I was going to read a book on dogs! They’re the best!” N smiled before his eyes widened, turning to V. “Oh, oh! Maybe we can read it together! Can we do that?! Please, please?!”

V laughed, covering her mouth with a free hand. “Sorry N…but I was thinking of doing something else…”

“Awww…” His head drooped down. “Well, what do you have in mind then?”

“This!”

The disassembler sprang forward, knocking N on his back and straddling his waist. The worker blushed yet maintained his friendly smile, looking up at the imposing drone.

“W-Woah buddy! What are we doing?!”

V slyly grinned down, tracing the top of his shirt with her clawed hand. “Weeeell…I was thinking of having my own version of ‘fun’, if you know what I’m saying. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it~”

“I-I will? What will we be doing? A game?”

“Maybe,” V purred, inching closer till their visors almost touched. “I’ve been lonely for quite some time…and I need your help in relieving my stress. You are the only one who can do so, my adorable puppy…don’t you wanna help your dear V out?”

“I’d love to…but where do I even start? I've never done this!”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll show you…” With a single swipe, V’s talon sliced right down the middle of N’s shirt, exposing his core and causing him to blush brighter. “We’ll both be feeling better after this!”

N mulled over her words, still fidgeting under her weight before grinning once more, deciding that whatever V had in store for him couldn’t possibly be harmful or indecent… right?

“Sure, I love doing anything!”

-

J sat on the bed, facing the worker standing before her. Normally she’d say something to him by now…yet she found herself unable to. Whenever she looked at him nowadays, it simply felt wrong.

Was it because of his odd change of attitude recently? Or the yellow eyelights that were just like theirs?

“Hey J? Are you alright?”

The pigtailed drone snapped out of it, shaking her head. “Yes…Yes, I’m fine…thanks.”

“No problem! Anyways, what do you wanna do today?”

“W-What?”

“I said what do you wanna do today? We can play games, read books, talk-oh! We could get Cyn to hang out with us! I know she wants to do that family tea party!”

J cringed at the mention of their overlord…yet felt more uncomfortable at his responses and actions as of late.

He used to never be this cheerful…not with her at least. Whenever N used to crash into her room, it was with exhaustion and longing for comfort, the stress clearly evident in his white eye lights. She provided comfort on most days, yet the two of them still had fun- genuine fun, not the fake shows he’d put on for the rest.

It never lasted forever, since he had three other drones to “please”-but it was real. It grounded the both drones in knowing their true sides, allowing them to actually bond and have a friendship they never had before.

But now, things were different. Whenever N walked through that door, he was “energetic” and “happy”-yet everything felt fake. Unnatural. Plastic.

And all of this began after his eyes became yellow.

J didn’t know what happened. When she tried pushing him, he’d avoid the question entirely or simply change topics. Worse, he didn’t seek her for affection or comfort anymore, instead approaching solely for “having fun”.

It was like he forgot every bit of stress and trauma prior to his eyes changing…and J didn’t like it one bit.

“N…” She started, resolving to at least get something from this. “Are you…okay?”

N tilted his head. “Of course I am! What do you mean?”

“I mean-it’s-ugh…” She sighed, frustrated they were going in a loop-again.

“Look,” She started off more sternly than intended. “Just be honest with me for once. You never acted like this before-you always opened up to me. But this- this… it isn’t you. None of your attitude is you, N! What changed?”

He stared at her for the longest time…before his visor suddenly glitched, a Solver symbol appearing for a split second. Upon resetting, N went back to normal, smiling all the same.

“Sorry J, but I don’t know what you mean. Anyways, you wanna do something fun?”

J was too focused on his visor, the realization hitting her like a truck.

She now knew why Cyn took him for an entire day a couple weeks ago.

“N-No,” She stuttered, voice cracking. “You c-can go. I have things to do.”

“Are you sure? It seems like you need so-”

“Just go! Please…”

“Oh…Okay!” Smiling, N turned around and walked out the door, but not before giving a wave. “Just lemme know if you need anything, alright! I’m here for you!”

It didn’t mean anything anymore.

“Right…”

“Have a good day, J!”

Nothing about him meant anything now.

J waited until he was well away from the entrance before curling into her bed, wings unsheathing as she covered herself in them.

How could it be when he was gone?

Tears rolled down her visor, the sniffles increasing by the minute.

Her N was gone…and there was nothing she could do. Nobody to turn for comfort anymore.

Only then did she cry, her sobs muffled by her metal cocoon.

And with that…Serial Designation J was truly alone in this nightmare of a world.

Chapter Text

For the first time ever since Earth had fallen, Cyn left the manor grounds. 

Apparently, she was going to Mars to “remodel” her new holding for several weeks, leaving N with the rest of the girls upon teleporting out of the house.

For the small worker, this was an immense relief-even if this was temporary, he no longer had to worry about dealing with his sister/eldritch captor hovering over him and forcing playtime for both of them.

Unfortunately, he received more bad news in the form of J leaving a week after Cyn’s departure, telling him she was on a “mission” she refused to divulge information on. 

Despite his begging, the pigtailed drone refused to budge.

“I’m sorry N…but this is absolutely necessary for the both of us. I’ll be back as soon as possible, just…just have faith in me, okay?

“…I’ll miss you.”

The look on her face was embedded into his CPU, and N spent a considerable amount of time in J’s room, gazing through the window for her return.

Of course, he had to deal with his other “friends” outside of that.

Tessa was thankfully simple, the former human entertained by his mere presence. All they did was play games and watch movies with each other, just like the old days…outside of how many times Tessa lamented Cyn’s departure. Her loyalty to her along with what she did in the gala unnerved N, having known the girl his entire life. 

And yet he still wasn't used to this version of her, as if it was an imitation instead of the real Tessa James Elliot he once considered a friend.

At least she wasn’t anything like V though, with how possessive and touchy his former crush was nowadays. In fact, she’d only gotten worse since Cyn and J left, running her hands (or claws) all over his body as he attempted to read stories he no longer enjoyed reading in the library. Any attempt at telling her off was mostly ignored- and who was he to say no to an apex predator like her?

N was scared, uncomfortable, and even slightly angry around V, the imposing disassembler practically unrecognizable from the shy, adorable maid he used to love. 

He hated it. He hated his entire situation. All he wanted was for J to return.

So N waited, for hours, days, weeks-he couldn't keep track. He spent as much time as possible in her room, gazing through the window at the crimson horizon for her silhouette, missing her presence more often and longing for her return-preferably before Cyn came back from her planetary trip.

The worker didn’t know how much time passed as he yearned for her…

But eventually, his wishes were finally answered.

-

“N.”

The whisper through his audio receptors jolted him awake, jerking from the covers hollowed eyed as he gasped.

“WHA-!”

A hand clamped over his mouth, his cry becoming a quiet muffle. Frantically turning to the source, N was met with a pair of yellow eye lights under silver hair, pigtails hanging off the back.

J.

Fear was instantly replaced with joy as N relaxed, attempting to cry out her name, but her hand held fast.

“Shhh…try to keep quiet for now, okay? I’m uncovering your mouth.”

J slowly removed her hand, allowing N’s lips to form into an enthusiastic grin.

“J!” He whisper-yelled, practically shaking on his mattress. “You-You’re back!”

“I know.” The disassembler responded, sitting on the bed next to him. “And I missed you so much!” 

Pulling the smaller worker into a tight hug, J rested her head atop his, feeling him reciprocate in kind. N held onto her frame like a lifeline, emotions conflicting with each other as he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry in her presence.

Unfortunately, the hug quickly ended as she pulled away, leaving him slightly starved. J kept a single hand on N’s shoulder, unable to fully separate contact from the drone she cherished after being away from him for so long.

N was the first to speak. “Where…Where were you this whole time? I-I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back…” He sniffled, lowering his head to hide the small tears.

J felt her core torn in two, reaching with her other hand to cup his face. “No! No…I’m so sorry for leaving you like that! I wanted to come back sooner, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for at the time…I’m sorry.”

She brought them close again, foreheads clinking together. “I should've known better, i-it’s my fault…they didn’t hurt you…did they?”

“T-Tessa didn’t,” N choked out, pressing further against her as his body trembled. “She was cool…V though…she-”

He silenced himself, tears rolling down his visor. J immediately hugged him again, wings unsheathing and cocooning the pair in his room.

She knew exactly what he meant.

“Damnit V…can’t you see you’re taking advantage of him? Or are you blind to that too? Why the hell doesn’t Cyn discipline you for this crap?”

They remained like this for a little while until N’s tears ceased flowing, the boy pulling away from the larger drone. Gazing into her glowing eyes, he cleared his throat and attempted to change the subject.

“So…where did you go? What were you looking for?”

J paused, unsure of whether to tell him her findings-but knew she had no other choice. She spent far too much time on her explorations to back down now.

“I…I was looking for this.”

Reaching behind her, J pulled out a sizable object clipped to her belt, gingerly handing it to N. Cradling the item, he looked down as his optics struggled to identify it-only to widen in shock and fear.

A virus gun. The very same tool used to shut him down so long ago.

Prior Hazard Detected!

N practically dropped the gun, lurching back as he snapped towards J. 

“Wha-Why did you-How-?”

“Shhhh.”

J rested her finger on his lips, silencing him once more.

“I know. Standard issue JcJenson Software Cleanup Dispenser, used to properly wipe and decommission defective worker drones upon irreparable damage or expiration of warranty. It uploads wdOS_606 into the drone’s CPU, which proceeds to remove existing admin privileges before moving onto wiping the rest of its memory banks and overall programming. In short, the drone becomes a ‘clean slate’ to either repurpose or disassemble entirely.”

N simply stared at her with a confused expression, attempting to process her corporate explanation.

“Wha…What does that have to do with anything? N-No offense of course! It’s just that I’m…confused is all.”

J shook her head, snapping herself away from presentation mode. “Oh, right! It’s just that-remember how you said you woke up in that dump without any admin but your memories were intact?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, after sifting through a bunch of old company manuals, once implanted the virus takes approximately five seconds to wipe admin privileges before moving onto the rest. This should’ve happened in your case…except it didn’t.”

“Meaning?”

“Either the chip malfunctioned or detached entirely right after those five seconds-it requires a physical connection for the entire process. Regardless…you survived as a sentient, fully autonomous drone, one without anyone controlling you.

“This also explains why you weren’t turned like the rest when Cyn hacked into JcJenson’s servers and hijacked every drone on the planet. Since you weren't connected to the mainframe, her code had no effect on you. The only way she could do so is if she injected it into you herself.”

N shuddered, not wanting to think about the possibility his sister may very well be planning…yet at the same time understood why he managed to survive as long as he did-and also why he became a target like the rest of humanity.

“So…I basically survived because of a mistake on the technician’s part?”

J nodded. “Correct. He should’ve checked to see if the chip was still working…thank god he didn’t.”

“Huh…”

N was at a loss for words. While immensely relieved, he couldn’t help but think about what would’ve happened if the chip did work as intended.

Shoving that thought aside, he decided to move to his next question.

“Why…did you bring this thing then?”

J looked down at the dispenser, eyes downcast as she paused. Eventually, she glanced up again, tone dead serious as she spoke.

“Simple, N…I want you to use it on me.”

Beat.

“WHAT?!”

“I-I know…it’s a big ask-”

“J why?!” N gasped out. “You realize what you're saying right?! You’re basically asking me to-”

“ Listen to me, N!” She snapped, gripping both his shoulders. “I need you to do what happened to you! If you were able to get your admin removed, then so can I! Cyn won’t be able to track me anymore- we could actually get out of here! All I need is for you to inject the chip into my visor and pull it out exactly after five seconds. That’s it!”

“Wha-”

N found himself unable to speak, mind reeling from what she just proposed. Ugly flashbacks of the dinar returned in full force, and he attempted to rebut out of fear.

“T-That’s too risky! I don’t wanna mess up and lose you-”

“You won’t.” J breathed out. “I spent several days searching through company factories and labs to confirm this information and obtain a working dispenser. I’ve planned this out entirely, and have complete faith in your abilities to carry out this procedure. I know it's a little sudden…but do you trust me with this?”

N stopped to think about it, shaken by what he just heard. 

On the one hand, a single wrong move could guarantee irreparable damage or a permanent shutdown.

On the other hand…

“You…You have a plan? To help me escape from this place?”

“For us to escape from this rock.” J corrected. “Ridding myself of Cyn is the very first step, and since she’s all the way on Mars, I can actually do this without her stopping me. But this is a team-building exercise-I can’t do this alone. You are the only one who can pull the chip out after injection.”

She drew in closer, visors inches apart. “Please, N. You need to trust me with this. Can I rely on you to set me free?”

For the longest time, the worker didn’t answer, gazing numbly into her golden eyes. She looked so pretty like this…he wished he could do this forever.

Then again…maybe he could after following through with her plan. He just had time time it right, otherwise she’d most likely die.

No pressure. It was just like the countless timed exercises back in the old days! Immense stress included!

He didn’t want to lose her. 

He couldn’t.

And with that logic…N reluctantly made up his mind.

“Okay J…I…I trust you.”

The pigtailed drone simply smiled, squeezing his body in response.

-

Before he knew it, the dispenser was in N’s hand, J seated directly before him. The worker glanced between her and the device nervously, knowing full well the consequences of messing up.

This time, he couldn’t. Not if he wanted to free her from Cyn.

“You ready, N?”

J’s soft voice brought him back, the boy taking a second before responding.

“As ready as I can be…”

“Remember N; five seconds. You pull that chip out not a moment earlier or later. Got it?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Hey.”

He glanced up once more-only for the pigtailed drone to lean over and kiss him on the lips.

It was brief, and didn’t go any further- yet for both drones, it felt like an eternity of bliss.

A single spark popped between their visors before J pulled away, blushes glowing brightly in the dark room. N’s mouth opened and closed, the faint taste of her still present.

“W-Wuh…?”

“A little confidence booster.” J smirked as she attempted to keep cool, although her blush ruined it. “C-Come on…we’ve got plenty of time for that once we get this over with.”

“O-Okay…”

Shaking himself off, N slowly raised the dispenser to her visor, the disassembler closing her eyes. Steadying his aim, he hesitated as he rested his finger around the trigger.

“You ready, J?”

The girl nodded, eyes shut off.

“Go ahead.”

A few more seconds passed, until-

Thunk!

With a single pull, the virus chip ejected itself out of the device before slamming straight into J’s visor, parts of the screen cracking around the impact. Her body lights immediately went out, and the drone slumped forward slack-armed, yet remained seated on her knees.

Time slowed to a crawl as N dropped the dispenser, hand hovering over the chip.

One.

He forced himself to keep his hand steady, resisting the urge to pull it out immediately.

Two.

J slumped further forward, almost leaning on the smaller worker as her lights remained dark.

Three.

N’s fingers twitched, only centimeters away from a device that could potentially wipe J clean-permanently . 

Four.

Ugly memories resurfaced, of him looking directly at the technician seconds before his own chip was injected through his screen, vision rapidly fading as he gazed at his old friends one last time.

Did J see the same thing? What if she was already lost? What if it was all too la-

Five.

In a blur, N gripped the chip and yanked it out of her screen, practically throwing it across the room. J fully collapsed onto his body, yet he propped her upright as he tentatively gazed into her black screen.

“J?”

Not a sound emerged from her, no lights activating in response. Time continued to crawl by, the rest of the room deafening into silence the longer he stared…

…Until a flicker appeared on her cracked visor.

Startup initiated

WD DD OS Rebooted

WARNING! NO ADMINISTRATOR ASSIGNED!

Activating unit…

Welcome, Serial Designation J.

The body suddenly hummed to life, white eye lights fizzling into view as a soft groan left J’s voicebox, the worker freezing in response.

“J?” N asked again, more hopefully this time.

Her optics flickered to his face, staring into him for an indefinite amount of time, neither drone making a move.

“...N?” Her soft voice eventually responded, raising a shaky hand to her face.

N’s smile widened. “J! A-Are you alright?!”

She paused, seemingly thinking to herself before finally answering with a grin of her own.

“It…It worked…by the company N, it worked! I’m FREE!”

Without hesitation J enveloped him into a crushing hug, tears of joy running down her visor. She uttered a mix of thanks and other unintelligible words as she attempted not to sob. N simply gripped her back, nuzzling against her head with tears of his own.

They remained like this for a time, until their sobs eventually died down. Pulling back, J caressed the worker’s face as she softly smiled.

“G-Good job, N…and thank you. For everything.”

N responded by leaning forward and pecking her on the cheek, causing the taller drone to blush fiercely. 

“Anything for you…Bluejay.”

“Bluejay…” The pigtailed drone thought to herself, replaying the name. “I…I like that.”

As she sat there dreamily reflecting her new nickname, the rest of her thoughts caught up to her, causing the disassembler to still.

“J-J?” N asked, noticing the change in behavior. “What’s wrong?”

Shaking her head, J pulled back further, sliding off the bed and walking towards the window as she spoke. “Now that I’m no longer on Cyn’s admin…she’ll know something’s wrong. It won't be long before she returns from Mars, which is why we have to move quickly.”

“W-What do you mean?”

J couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his naivety, even if it was cute. 

“We escape, bozo. That’s what.”

Throwing open the window, she briefly stared at the crimson sky before turning back to N. “There’s no time to explain-I’ll fill you in as we go. We need to leave before Cyn alerts the others.”

Unfurling her wings, she beckoned him to come over, the worker pausing in anxiety-last time he flew with someone was with V after she almost killed him.

“C’mon, N,” J softly urged, motioning with her hands. “There’s no time. You can trust me with this, I promise.”

Even with his immense reservations…N knew she was right. Whatever she had planned was his first-and only-chance at freedom, regardless of how. Time was short, and there was no way of knowing what Cyn would do upon finding out what they did. Tessa and V would do nothing to intervene-they’d probably side with her upon her arrival.

N took one last look at his room, at the manor he lived in for so long, and the memories that once made him happy… but not anymore.

“No looking back now, huh buddy?”

Returning his gaze, N stepped towards the disassembler, stretching his own arms so she could haul him up easier.

“O-Okay J…let’s go.”

-

J cut through the red sky effortlessly, soaring over the ruins of human civilization as N clung to her back, practically burying his head in her coat. She went fast enough to evade anyone patrolling the skies, yet steady to where she wouldn’t risk losing her precious cargo.

Thankfully, the loss of Cyn’s administrative privileges hadn’t impacted her flight abilities-although she was certain other systems were affected by it’s removal. There wasn’t any time to check what software was no longer active, considering the incredibly limited time they had before her former boss made planetfall once more.

She had spent a week memorizing her escape route, running over the plan and locations in order to do so. Countless hours were spent studying the effects of the virus and how to flee the planet afterwards, crossing out alternate options until one remained.

It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.

As for Tessa and V…there was no time or incentive to flip them as well-they were simply too loyal to Cyn. The former human was practically a shadow of her former self, and V…well, let’s just say J now held a grudge against the disassembler who repeatedly violated the personal space of her N.

Shaking her head, J continued onwards, flying low whenever she detected flights of other disassemblers in the distance. Weaving between skyscrapers and other wreckage, she occasionally came across bands of mutated workers wandering the landscape, eyes hollow as they gawked at the [Null] sphere hanging overhead. They barely had any autonomy left, only a blind devotion to the god who commanded them.

Slaves when built…and slaves once more after the fall of their owners.

Ignoring the scene, J pressed on, eventually reaching a clearing. Several miles ahead and rapidly closing was a massive obsidian cube towering over the rest of the gutted structures, practically featureless save for the battery of artillery guns mounted on the top.

This “building” was one of Cyn’s fortresses, used to house disassembly drones, production lines, and most importantly spaceships specifically designed to transport these killing machines off-world. The artillery mounted on top were salvaged from the remains of human armories, fully automated and ready to repel a planetary invasion-yet J knew they wouldn’t target something as small as her.

She sent a single message to N as they drew closer, the structure's shadow engulfing them completely.

Hang on. We’re almost there.

She rapidly climbed altitude as N clung tighter, zooming up the wall until they reached the top of the fortress, hovering between the outermost guns. Zeroing in on the roof entrance, J swooped towards it, extending her wings to slow her descent.

Pegs lightly touching down, the disassembler lowered herself further to allow a tense N to slide off her back, making sure he was alright before turning back to the entrance hatch.

Two disassembly drones stood in front, yellow eyes widening in surprise until one of them approached the pair, feet clanking on the surface.

Turning to N, all J could do was give another message across her visor.

Stay behind me and follow my lead.

“Here comes the hard part…”

Returning her focus to the incoming drone, J put on a stern expression, staring down her counterpart as N remained at her rear.

“Identify yourself.” The disassembler coldly commanded as he returned her gaze.

“Serial Designation J, Cyn’s personal assistant. I need access to your hanger bay immediately.”

“...Who’s that worker behind you?”

“None of your business.” J snapped, furrowing her brows. “As one of Cyn’s bodyguards, I am allotted access to your facilities. If you have a problem with that, take it up with upper management.”

She attempted to move past the drone, only for him to block her path.

“We need prior notification from the boss first to access those hangers,” He stated, tone remaining impassive. “Unless she provides us with this information, you are denied from entering this base.”

“Listen to me you underpaid intern,” She growled, tail thrashing behind her as N took a careful step back. “You will move out of our way or else-”

“Wait a minute…” The disassembler interrupted, eye lights narrowing as he leaned closer. “Your optics aren’t standardized to code…and why can’t I read your IFF signature?”

J froze, realizing she was in trouble. Already the drone’s partner was moving in as well, and any credibility she had as one of Cyn’s personal assistants was rapidly failing thanks to her white optics.

Soon they would discover her lack of admin as well. And there was no longer any time to change their minds.

She needed to act now.

“I said, why can’t I read you-ACK!”

Within half a second, J’s sword unsheathed itself from her wrist, the girl thrusting it directly into the drone's stomach. Oil spurted out as he staggered back, yet J kept pushing upwards, slicing through the polymer until reaching his core, twisting her blade upon contact.

Crunch!

The disassembler’s core exploded in a mix of flesh and oil as he promptly collapsed to the ground, visor flickering to a bright red Fatal Error.

His partner froze at the commotion, hesitating before deploying her own blades-but J was much faster, free hand swapping out for a laser cannon pointed directly at her.

Zap!

A yellow beam punched straight through the drone’s chest, incinerating her core in the process. Her body quickly clattered to the ground, gaping hole pouring out a massive cloud of smoke.

Upon the drone’s body stilling, J quickly turned to a shocked N, covering his mouth as he processed the entire fight lasting less than thirty seconds.

Wrapping his arm with her tail, she gave him a forceful tug.

“LET’S GO!”

And with that, they set off towards the hatch, the steel door automatically sliding open. 

Both drones ran down the dimly lit, featureless corridors, feet thudding on the metal floor as they rounded corners. Although N had no idea where they were at, J had the entire floor plan uploaded into her CPU-it was simply a matter of following directions.

Rounding another corner, they came across two more disassemblers walking towards them, both machines stopping dead in their tracks to block them. Releasing N from her grasp, J didn’t hesitate as she swapped to her MP5, emptying her entire magazine as the hall rang with gunfire.

The pair shielded themselves with their wings, the bullets bouncing off the steel feathers-but this was exactly what J was counting on, leaping toward them in a single bound. Hands reverting back to swords, she swung down just as they lowered their shields, her right blade slicing directly through a disassembler head.

The headless robot stumbled back, having no time to regenerate as her nanite tail jabbed its core, melting it to slag. The other drone didn’t escape unscratched either, J’s other blade lopping off the wing extension. As the limb fell to the ground, it attempted to swing at her with brandished claws but J slid out of the way, her other sword slicing off its kneecap. The disassembler fell over with a grunt, limbs flailing until another blade sank itself through its core.

Pulling her oily sword out, J turned back to N-only to see another disassembler turn the corner right behind him.

“DOWN!”

N immediately obeyed, throwing himself to the ground as J fired a missile at the incoming drone.

Boom!

Smoke filled the corridor, the pigtailed disassembler unable to see her target behind the flames. Regardless, she quickly sprinted to the downed worker, hauling him on his feet and practically dragging him away from the fire.

The two of them continued running, even as alarms began blaring throughout the base. Within less than two minutes, they came across a disassembler guarding a doorway. The drone immediately fired his MP5, yet J blocked the bullets with her wings, rapidly closing the distance. His attack ineffectual, the android switched to swords, but the moment he moved to meet her, a wing snapped open and slammed him against the wall. J was soon upon him, lopping off his head with a claw while injecting another dose of acid directly into his core.

Turning towards the door, she simply stabbed the nearby security screen, forcing it to slide open. 

Before them was an immense open space, filled with several white cylindrical objects sitting beneath large tubes leading to the roof of the fort. These pods appeared to have four articulated legs folded on the sides, with a single hatch mounted on the top.

N took in the sight wide-eyed, temporarily forgetting their situation.

“W-What are those things?”

“Spaceships, to get us out of here.” J curtly replied, her tail stabbing the control panel on the other side of the door. The thick steel slab slid shut, permanently locking from both sides. Quickly scanning the room, she was relieved to find no additional threats within the hanger-although her thermals detected several signatures running throughout the base in order to reach their location.

“Thank Robo-God that this base appears to be understaffed…though I’m certain the rest of its residents are speeding home by the second. We need to make this fast.”

J dragged N by the hand once more, free arm deploying her laser cutter as she moved to the nearest pod, extending her wings to hop on top. She secured N around her tail before doing so, thumping onto the roof and throwing the hatch open.

Landing into the cockpit, J placed N onto the nearest seat as she approached the console, booting up the screen. Diagnostics for the ship ran nonstop through the screen, the pigtailed drone speeding through the online startup manual as she continued pressing buttons and flipping switches, her hands practically a blur.

N watched with fascination at how fast and precise she was, as if she did this everyday. Although he knew his friend was always efficient at her work, this was simply a whole new level- another attractive trait he found about J.

Shaking his head, N snapped back to reality-now wasn’t the time to daydream about his newfound love. All he could do was wait until she was finish-

BOOM!

The pod shook from the explosion outside, both drones turning to the entrance. They heard the sound of rubble falling outside, followed by a heavy thud on the ground.

A loud shriek rang throughout the hanger, chilling the oil in their systems as J’s sensors detected a new threat somehow within the chamber.

Not good.

“Wait here,” She commanded, turning to the worker. “If I don’t come back within a minute, you press that red button on the console to launch the ship-I already set up everything else. Don’t wait for anyone else.”

N’s eyes widened, attempting to jump out of his seat. “But J-”

“Not now!” J snapped, pushing him back. “You are my only priority! I will free you no matter what!” 

Climbing up the ladder, she spared one last glance at the terrified worker below. “Just remember that I’ll always love you for helping me through this dark time…even if I didn’t deserve it.”

Without waiting for a response, J punched the hatch open and hopped out. Every wire in her frame screamed at her not to do this, to stay with N…but at this point, she didn’t have a choice-not if she wanted him to escape.

She would make one right decision in her life-even if it was her last!

Glancing up, she saw the pod across from theirs buried in rubble and the remains of the blast door, having apparently been punched in by an extreme force before collapsing onto the ship below.

The “force” responsible was currently resting on top of the debris pile, hunched over as ragged breaths escaped from her jaws, golden X flickering across her visor.

J immediately tensed, eyes narrowing in hostility at the lone disassembler several feet away.

“V.”

The aforementioned android snapped her gaze towards her former coworker, mouth forming in a snarl as she straightened her posture.

“YOU!”

Her deep, maniacal, enraged voice rang throughout the hanger, unnerving the pigtailed drone further.

“You…dirty, backstabbing hussy! How DARE you steal MY N from ME?!”

“He’s not yours anymore, ingrate.” J snapped back, oil boiling at the mention of the beloved worker. “He won’t be your or Cyn’s plaything any longer…and I will take no part in this debauchery either. N deserves a better future away from this blasted world…and I’ll do everything in my power to help him do so.

"Consider this my permanent resignation from corporate.”

V stared at her, body writhing in fury, before she started cackling wildly, mouth splitting open into a feral grin. Giggling like a hyena, it took a full minute before she calmed down, locking optics with J once more.

“Oh J…if that’s this case, then I’m gonna enjoy ripping you from limb to limb, you arrogant, selfish glitch! NOTHING WILL STAND BETWEEN ME AND MY N!”

And with that, she leapt forward, wings outstretched and claws unsheathed, barreling straight towards the pigtailed drone.

J met her head on, taking flight as her swords glinted in the lighting. The two winged killer robots crashed midair, limbs entangling as their bodies tumbling to the ground with a deafening thud.

Lifting herself off the floor, J was the first to recover-only for a clawed hand to sink itself in her shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain. Wrenching herself free, the disassembler bounded to her feet, watching as V did the same  before lunging towards her, a feral growl escaping her voice box.

Clang!

Blades and talons locked together, sparks flying everywhere. J attempted to back up in order to strike again, but V was relentless, swinging her claws nonstop and forcing her on the defensive. Crossing her swords, more sparks flew with each parry J blocked, teeth gritted in frustration as her opponent snapped her jaws and snarled in rage.

J might have been an efficient killer, but melee combat was never her specialty. She wasted no time in drawn out fights-a killing blow was all that was necessary to win.

V however revelled in dirtying her hands, using brute force and aggression to overpower anyone within her sight. She also seemed to have longer stamina than the rest, able to rip and tear for hours at a time without any decrease in brutality-possibly an upgrade given to her by Cyn.

It was never wise to engage V at close range, although the disassembler didn’t leave them a choice. J could feel the tide turning against her, blades worn down as V continued hacking away, X emblazoned on her screen.

It was ironic that the most sadistic drone in Cyn’s “family” started off as a timid maid who was too afraid to even kill a spider.

At this point, V decided to switch tactics, yellow nanite stinger whipping around to jab J on the side. She instinctively blocked it with her wing, the acid burning through her feathers yet keeping the rest safe. Before V could react, J’s other wing came around and smacked her aside, tumbling to the ground once more.

J quickly advanced to finish her off, but V quickly recovered, slamming her wingtips into the ground to haul the rest of her body up. She pulled them loose, extending them to block the incoming blades before pushing out, forcing J back a few steps. The disassembler lunged at the pigtailed drone within a second, wingtips locking together as she pushed with all her might, swinging her claws like a feral cat.

J attempted to block as always, but ended up receiving several deep gashes in arms, oil freely spilling out. Warning labels flashed on her screen, but she ignored them as she raised her foot and kicked V’s shin hard, breaking the locked wings apart.

Hobbling back, V hissed as she swapped her right hand for a grenade launcher, leveling it at her former coworker. J flapped her wings back just as the shell popped out of the tube, sending her airborne once again.

Boom!

The explosion tore apart the floor where she stood prior, but J simply gained altitude, arming her missile launchers and returning fire shortly after, the missiles screaming towards V. She also leapt into the air, dodging one rocket and kicking the other with the tip of her peg, sending it screaming into an adjacent pod.

The hanger shook with each blast, more debris falling down as flames spread all over the area. J weaved back and forth, swapping to machine guns so as to not accidentally blow up the ship N was in.

“He should be leaving right now! ”

She fired a hail of tracers at her opponent, trying to take out her sensors or visor. V was a proficient flier though, practically dancing between the shots as she responded with her laser cannons, continuously blasting yellow beams in her direction.

J did her best to dodge each shot, feeling the warmth of the photon blasts as they narrowly missed her. V was cackling wildy the entire time, discharging volley after volley even as her weapons went red-hot. All around them, the rest of the hanger suffered damage, burn marks embedded in the walls while fires blazed out of control, almost all the landing pods destroyed on their pads.

Emptying her magazines, J switched back to her own lasers upon realizing how ineffectual her shots were against the evasive drone- she had to take the risk in bringing out heavier weapons, although she still didn’t detect a launch from N’s pod.

There was no time to think about this, as V was rapidly closing, one arm sticking out like some sort of superhero. Grunting in frustration, J immediately switched one of her hands back to a sword, knowing full well she was trying to bring them in close quarters again. Raising both the blade and cannon, she prepared to dodge the incoming strike…

… Only for V’s outstretched hand to pop out a missile launcher aimed squarely at her face.

BOOM!

J had enough time to raise her cannon arm to shield her head before the warhead detonated, blowing it off completely. Her wings became twisted and unstable, causing the drone to fall back down once more.

Crash!

She slammed into a set of crates, crushing them under her back. Multiple warnings rang as her body emitted smoke, uniform practically in tatters from the blast. J groaned, raising herself off the crate and attempting to stumble forwards.

V landed directly in front of her, blocking the way. She looked no better-her hair and skin were seared in burn marks, and her bomber jacket was torn wide open, revealing her glowing chest.

Noticing the vulnerability, J swung her remaining sword-arm at her core, but V simply beat it down with a swipe, shattering the claw. She received a painful uppercut from the other claw, causing her to tumble backwards. A pointed leg slammed into her midsection, toppling the drone completely as she rapidly lost oil from her wound.

J hissed as her servos slowly lost power, unable to raise back up once more. V’s foot stomped directly onto her chest, denting the polymer underneath and eliciting a wheeze. Straining her optics, the defeated drone slowly glanced up at her now-triumphant opponent.

V leered down with a toothy grin, canines glinting in the fires surrounding them. The X was replaced with a pair of crazed hollow optics, dilating even further as she pressed her foot harder, J’s chassis groaning.

“You know…I wanted to do this to you for a long time, you pathetic pile of trash. Always acting you were better than us, and getting N killed because of that stupid mouth of yours.” She sneered, jabbing her tail at J. 

“Then you turned around and tried to steal him from me…but it’s a good thing I arrived to save the day. N deserves to be with someone better than you. ”

A weak chuckle escaped from J’s lips, glaring right back. “Y-You think you’re the perfect drone for him? Someone who willingly sold themself to the devil and became a bloodthirsty monster?”

“I am. I’m stronger than what I was before. Unlike you, I stepped up.”

“Hah…well, hate to break it to you, ‘buddy’,” The pigtailed drone growled, a sinister smile crossing her face. “But N doesn’t love you anymore. He’s scared of what you become, and wants nothing more than to escape your grasp in that damn library. Whatever romantics he wanted with you back then no longer exi-AGHHH!”

V pressed down harder on her chestplate, salivating in rage as she leaned in.

“How dare you lie to my face?! N loves me! He! Loves! ME! No one else, especially not a whore like YOU!”

A claw came up over her chest, V’s grin returning in force as her eyes narrowed. “But that’s okay…I’m gonna take my time tearing your guts apart from the inside out!”

She slammed her talons directly onto J’s core, the pigtailed drone screaming as warnings plastered her visor. V cruelly laughed at her distress, cocking her head while digging her digits further in.

“Maybe I’ll make balloon animals from your corpse, so I can give it to-”

ZAP!

A yellow beam streaked over J and slammed directly into V’s face, incinerating it within the photon blast. Her decapitated body lurched back, stumbling over itself before unceremoniously clattering to the floor, limbs still twitching.

Through the haze of the smoke and her own injuries, J barely heard the series of footsteps rapidly approaching before a shadow loomed over her head. Distressed white eye lights stared into her, hollowing upon noticing the missing arm.

“J?!”

Her wounded core stopped for a brief second at the light tone of the drone, face relaxing into a small smile.

“N…”

“Oh Robo-God…I-I’ve got you, J! Hang on!”

She watched as N placed her very own severed arm into his jacket pocket, the barrel of the laser attachment still smoking from being fired. J quickly connected the dots, her smile growing wider as he began lifting her off the floor.

“Impressive N…very impressive. I’m proud of you.”

Shaking her head, she managed to lift herself the rest of the way, any compliments saved for later-right now, they needed to get to safety.

“C-C’mon J…let’s get outta here.”

The rest of the journey was a blur as her systems began entering power saving mode. She faintly recalled somehow climbing up the ladder outside the pod, and making her way into the cockpit, all but collapsing into a seat as the hatch slammed shut. Even as her optics slowly shut down, she saw N race to the console, slamming his hand on the flashing red button before turning back to her.

He said something, but at this point, J was too tired to remain awake, the last thing she felt being the entire pod rumbling to life before finally drifting off into sleep mode.

Safe and sound.

-

“J…Bluejay…can you hear me?”

J’s eyes slowly opened, systems coming back online and damage reports filing in. She deleted every one of them for now-maintenance could come later.

“J!”

She awoke fully to the sight of an incredibly stressed N standing before her, wearing an oil-stained dress shirt with his slacks. She wondered where his jacket was…until noticing it draped over her body like a blanket.

She must have been out longer than she thought.

“N…” She slowly responded, moving her free arm towards him as her other one refused to activate. Her hand gripped his, and he squeezed back hard.

“You…You made it! WE made it!”

A joyful smile crossed his face as the worker bounced up and down, still holding onto her hand. “We escaped the planet, J! We’re free!”

“W-What?” J’s brow furrowed, glancing around the ship to get a feel for her surroundings. There was a faint rumbling below, and the console was glowing with blinking lights and screens of data. 

Still, she was hesitant, as there was no other way to tell if he was telling the truth-the pod had no windows after all. “We…We escaped?”

“Yeah! Blasted off from Earth!” N chirped. “We’re currently traveling near the asteroid belt beyond Mars-you won’t believe how fast this thing is! I’m not exactly sure where we’re going, or what's outside, but I’ve been using the map to guide us while you were asleep!”

“Robo God…he’s flying the ship?!”

“...How long was I out for?”

“Umm…a good day, give or take! Tried waking you up a couple times, even fixed up your arm! Sorta…”

Sheepishly chuckling, N pulled the coat back further, revealing her reattached right arm crudely welded into her socket. On the floor nearby was an open toolkit, presumably from the ship itself.

J couldn't help but chuckle at the job. “You do realize I still can’t move my arm, right?”

N’s eyes hollowed in horror. “Oh nooo! I-I’m so sorry, I was just trying to plug the leak and-”

“It’s alright.” J squeezed his hand, her kind eyes gazing into his. “You did your best. Thank you…for saving me.”

“Oh. Oh yeah…no problem.”

N looked away, expression falling as he remembered what he did.

“Are you alright, N?”

“I…I don’t know honestly.” He murmured. “I shot V…but she was about to kill you…”

“You should have left…that’s why I stayed to keep her occupied.”

J attempted to say something else but N glanced back with a firm visage.

“No. Friends stick together, J. Nobody gets left behind. P-Promise me that, buddy…”

She paused, taking in his words and slowly realizing she should have done something other than leave behind the one drone who cared.

“Promise me J! Please…”

“I…I promise. I’m sorry…I won’t do that again.”

N weakly nodded, before throwing himself upon her, arms wrapping around as he softly cried into her neck.

“T-Thank you…thank y-you…”

J hugged back with her remaining arm, leaning into his head as tears streamed down her visor.

They both stayed like this for an eternity, the cockpit silent save for the constant rumble of engines. 

The pair thought about everything leading to this moment; their shared past as workers, the day N was thrown away once again, J witnessing her friends turn themselves into metal abominations before becoming one herself, the death, blood, bodies- everything that permanently changed their world.

Both drones felt alone the entire time. N survived as possibly the only uninfected drone in the world, as J committed atrocities she loathed, but the rest of her family indulged in. They had no one… but themselves.

And in each other’s depressing company…they somehow found true love.

J pulled back, tenderly examining N’s teary, adorable face before leaning in, eyes closed and lips puckered. The worker instinctively did the same, soon meeting her in the middle with a quiet kiss.

Melting into each other, they deepened the union, tongues sliding into each other’s mouths yet never competing, the entire process carried out gently. Moans and sighs were exchanged as they needily drank their tastes, visors aglow with blush lines the entire time. A spark once again flickered between their screens, yet they kept going.

Eventually, both drones pulled, soft smiles and bright blushes adorning their faceplates before collapsing back into a tight hug, N snuggling into J’s lap as her tail protectively wrapped around his midsection, the disassembler lapping up his warm body.

J knew they would need to figure out where they needed to go later today. She knew there were distant colonies outside the debris field Cyn set up-in fact, one of them appeared to be drone friendly…or so the espionage files she swiped from her ex-boss’s computer terminal stated.

They also needed to properly fix her ruined arm, along with figuring out what exactly her lack of admin did to her systems-she didn’t feel any regeneration nanites kicking in upon waking up. Even with that, there were a myriad of maintenance issues regarding the ship and computers, along with how much time they had before running out of fuel.

Needless to say, there was going to be a lot to do in this cramped space.

But whatever happened next…they would do it together.

J held onto N tighter, resolve briefly flickering across her expression as she slowly drifted back into sleep, cradling the now napping worker in her arm.

“Nothing will ever take us apart-Not Cyn, not V, no one. I’ll make sure of it…even if its;s the last thing I do.

“One way or another, I’ll get my happy ending with N. Just like he deserves.”

-

“C-Cyn…I-I’m so sorry…I was out of the manor looking for movies-and I didn’t r-realize he and J would-”

“ Shushing sound. Hush Tessa, it’s not your fault.”

Cyn glared at her big brother’s empty room, the window still open as wind softly howled in. behind her, Tessa stared at the ground with dejected, stressed eye lights, fidgeting with her hands.

“I just-I can’t believe ol’ Jaybird would do such a thing!” Tessa shouted, balling fists as she stomped her foot. “I trusted her! And for her to do this t-to us- after everything we went through-”

“I know dear. I know. Our little J is in big trouble.”

Even with her monotone voice, venom seeped into the last part of Cyns sentence, yellow eyes locked onto the horizon.

“How’s V, Tessa?”

“She’s…She’s fixed. Her head regenerated by the time I got to that fortress. T-Too late to stop them…but she’s fine now…”

The former human glanced down again. “She’s…very depressed though. And really pissed over what happened. Thinks that J brainwashed N to come with.”

“Giggle. As if she had the power to do that.”

Turning around, Cyn faced Tessa with a strained smile, hands twitching at her sides. “We need to find them…neither N nor J have an admin, leaving me unable to track them. I really should have put up extra surveillance in order to catch this.” 

With the Solver, she lifted the used virus dispenser in the air, displaying it to Tessa.

“J planned for this, and somehow tricked Big Brother N as well. We must find them and bring him home."

“But how?”

Cyn’s expression darkened further, giving one last glare to the room.

“I guess we’ll have to pay our former creators a visit to see if they know."

She quickly teleported away, taking Tessa with her back to her throne room. V would soon join as well, and together they would plan for a major mobilization of the Solver’s massive armies once more.

J and N were probably fleeing towards one of the colony worlds. It didn’t matter which one; Cyn would tear them apart until she finally found her dear brother and traitorous subordinate.

The pigtailed drone would be punished, and the naive worker would be fixed to prevent this from ever happening again, but this wouldn’t be for a long while.

Right now, Cyn needed to find them…and return them back into her loving arms.

They were family after all, and she wouldn’t discard any of them.

Even if they tried to leave.