Work Text:
The soft crunch of densely-packed snow approached from behind her. V couldn't see it, but knew exactly what this was all about. They left her tangled up facing one of the walls of the spire after she had protested being able to see her captors "frolicking about". Uzi's presence in particular infuriated her. That thing was food, not her other captor, and her useless squadmate allowed this, made this happen to begin with.
"V?", she could hear him now, "I've got something". She knew exactly what it was - the same thing it had always been these past days in captivity.
He finally popped into her field of view. Sitting down, he presented her a severed arm, "you hungry? It's still got oil in it".
"Go away".
"Come on, V. You have to drink up sometime".
She huffed, "no thanks. I prefer fresh".
"I know, but… at least a little? Please?".
"You know what I want, N".
He, N, frowned. His mood evidently sank, as did his tail physically. He sighed, an action he physically didn't need to do, but socially so, "have you thought about it?".
She scowled, "I don't care how much they act like us, I am not teaming up with food and I am not going to listen to the useless Disassembler who has".
He visibly recoiled at this, "I- Uh-", he stuttered.
"Untie me already and I might make your death quick", she hissed.
"V, please, I just really want you to really think about it. I promise, it makes sense, just-".
V cut in, "and you think you can just force me to? Seriously, what the hell? You think you can just boss me around now? You weren't even the leader on this mission!"
Another set of footsteps approached. "N, dude", it was the Worker, Uzi, behind her.
N put his hands up cautiously, "I-I got it all under control. You don't have to-".
She entered V's field of view now and grabbed one of N's arms. "Dude, you're really not helping matters here", she scolded.
"What are you talking about?" he suddenly switched gears trying to sound confident in himself, "I'm not trying to do anything I shouldn't!".
Uzi lifted a digital brow, "you sure about that?".
"Oh, absolutely!", he gave a weary thumbs up.
She looked over to V suddenly and held that eye contact for an uncomfortably long time. Some emotion V couldn't read on Uzi settled in and then disappeared when she looked back at N again. "N", she said sternly with no trace of identifiable emotion, "I think we need to talk".
N dropped the arm in shock and tried to distance himself from Uzi which failed as she still held onto his arm. "Please, I swear I didn't know I did anything wrong!", he pleaded.
Her eyes hallowed, apparently shocked by the reaction, "woah, chill. We just need to discuss some things. That's all. We just gotta talk without bothering V here".
"I'd appreciate it", V spat.
Again, Uzi gave her that strange look and then led N away, apparently, out of the spire. V listened to their footsteps fade and then eventually disappear.
The silence settled in, a sweet relief from whatever it was she just witnessed. She didn't want to think about it, but the display she saw - and has seen - from the Worker was curious. This thought popped once she realized what she was doing. Thinking was exactly what they wanted her to do, she wasn't about to let them win.
J said she'd planted a virus on N, maybe it hadn't worked? Perhaps he and the Worker were infected with this (apparently) faulty virus? But why the Worker too? This was the only answer she could turn to for how the two had somehow become close. Her squadmate was the failure of the team, yet even he should know better than to let a good meal walk around like that. And just like that, she’d done it again. She quieted her thoughts with how she’d kill them both. That was safer, saner.
After a length of time, she heard them return. The snow crunched especially loud under their feet.
"You lied to me, ya’know", it was N.
A grunt, Uzi this time, "what else was I supposed to do? Sorry dude. Let’s just drop it".
A groan was heard from N as the door to the pod was opened and closed, likely Uzi. She knew the plan the two had, they weren't good at keeping that secret. Uzi was probably back in the pod trying to fix things to fly the thing off the planet. She could scoff at the thought. The Worker was probably just building something worse than her railgun to kill her and probably N while she was at it. That would be smart, such a weapon might even be fun to take away from the Worker.
She shook her head to clear that process. Thinking was the enemy at the moment, better kill that thought before it infected her like it had her only surviving squadmate.
There was crunching behind her somewhere as N walked somewhere. She was thankful it was not to her. He evidently settled somewhere within the spire and was not heard from again.
At some point later, V was broken out of hibernation by the feeling of being grabbed. Her body leaned back from gravity and she could see the Worker had grabbed her and started dragging her off.
"What do you think you're doing?", V asked.
Uzi looked behind her, digital brows pressing together with another emotion V couldn't read, "don't cause a scene, not that N's here anyway".
A retort died in V's processor as she resigned herself to whatever it was the Worker wanted to do with her. Probably kill her, she thought, she'd do that if she were in Uzi's place. Fury settled in. Whatever the Worker wanted to do with her, she would be ready for it.
Now at the entrance of the spire, Uzi stopped dragging her and entered her vision. "Look", she started, "this is probably going to sound stupid, but I'm going against N's wishes regarding you". V noted the railgun was on her back, clearly her suspicion was correct.
Uzi then crouched down and started to fiddle with V's injector. V squirmed, "what the fuck? Just shoot me with that railgun instead!".
Uzi's head lifted to meet V's face, confusion evident on her face before melting into a quick confused blush, "You thought I was- I mean, I guess it did look that way. Look, I'm just trying to untangle your tail".
"...Untangle? Are you serious? Workers really are corrupted if you think letting me free is a smart idea".
The Worker looked away, a frown could be seen. She then returned to meet her gaze with some resolve, "I know what it's like to be a caged bird, and I can't stand watching this. You're right, I should be killing you here… but I guess I'm just feeling too sentimental for my own good".
V… was not expecting that. She was actually going to set her free? What viruses has this Worker caught to think this?
V laughed, "you're stupid, you know that, right?".
"I know the cost. Releasing myself from my cage cost the lives of everyone you guys slaughtered back in the bunker. This time, I'll be the only one at risk. Whatever you chose to do, if you attack me, I will kill you", Uzi began to untangle V's tail again.
V perked up a bit at that, "I was starting to think that maybe stupid attracts stupid, but I guess you're more perceptive than I thought".
Uzi glanced up in confusion, "what?".
"You and the team's failure", V explained, "only a Worker could ever want to team-up with a guy like that. Seriously, what do you see in him?".
Uzi literally bit her tongue as a quip was quickly withheld, "trust me, I'm trying to figure that out myself".
“Really now?”, V inquired, “there’s a few good reasons I don’t let him hunt with me. He has to stop and look at things not important to the mission, and he really doesn’t have much interest in making art out of you guys. Though, I suppose that last one helps your case out quite a bit”.
Uzi groaned, “yes, he has a one-track mind, but I really don’t mind that… most of the time. Look he’s not that bad”.
“Ugh, he must've infected you with robo-toxoplasmosis or something”, V grimaced.
Uzi stopped as shock set in. How did V know she was dealing with something like that? Ever since she’d left the bunker, she’d been experiencing some sort of error. A rogue software corruption of some sort. She’d been hiding her episodes pretty well from N, and she was rarely ever around V. How could V have picked up on it?
V smirked as she quickly continued, “or perhaps you just prefer them dangerous? Yeah, that sounds about right for a weird Worker like you”.
Oh . V was just on a completely different topic. Looking back, that should’ve been obvious. She blushed as V’s implication sank in. “You’re sick”, she spat.
That annoying smirk only got bigger, “oh, it’s obvious now that I think about it. Disassembler and Worker failures who can’t be tolerated by their own kinds? Yeah, that works out”.
Uzi gave her a stern look, her mouth creasing the metal of her faceplate to an absurd degree in her disdain, “do you want me to untangle you or not?”, she shouted.
V tried not to think about it too hard, but pissing the Worker off really wasn’t helping her here. Uzi had already made a little progress and stated her intentions, making her stop here wasn’t a good outcome. V grimaced, “fine, just go on”.
Uzi huffed as she returned to her work. She was already wary of this whole thing, but V’s - admittedly expected - abrasive banter was really putting a damper over everything. Was doing the right thing really the right thing here? She was tempted to stop and just give in to shooting V, but that wasn’t right either. V had pissed her off and threatened her life on numerous occasions, but not giving her a fair chance to change also wasn’t right.
The tangle finally worked itself out and Uzi quickly put some distance between them. She brought out her railgun, turning it on in the process, "remember what I said, try anything and I'll fight you".
V quickly stood up to stretch the limbs that had so desperately wanted to be used. She sighed, content for the moment. "Well, that's much better", V stated.
"Yeah? I'd imagine it's better than being tied up", Uzi said back.
V grimaced, "much. So do you have any idea where… oh there he is", V said as she spotted a shape in the sky.
N landed with a burst of energy. He faced Uzi in distress, "Uzi, you can’t kill V!", N loudly exclaimed.
"Take a look at her, does anything seem off?", Uzi asked.
N did and noted her standing, which was usually barely important, but in this case was definitely a huge note, “but how did…? What happened?”.
“I freed her”, Uzi stated.
N’s eyes widened, “...why?”.
"Because you wouldn’t", V said behind him.
N turned around, "V, I…".
V silenced him by continuing, "you really think keeping me bound up would make me change my mind on the company and join on this weird plan you two have? Dude, seriously?".
N opened his mouth a few times, words unable to be formed for this duration. "Uh", he finally managed to get out, "did it work?".
She snickered, "no! Well, it has given me a few thoughts…".
N brightened up at this, "wow, really?".
V put a hand on her hip, "not because of you specifically. That Worker being stupid over there does make me wonder some things".
N frowned at this as Uzi bristled at the statement, "hey, don't forget I can give you a personal demonstration of my railgun!".
"Don't count on that happening", V retorted.
"Well I might just-! Wait, what?", Uzi stopped in confusion.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not joining you guys or anything. I have questions about all this, but I'll find those answers on my own", V unfurled her wings.
N turned to face V finally, concern apparent, "wait, you're not leaving, are you?".
V laughed, "J always was right about you. If I'll miss anything about this, it's how naïve you are".
"V, don't", N pleaded, "this is your home too. You don't have to go".
"I want this, N", she stretched her wings to empathize this, "J's dead. We're not hunting anymore. N, the team is over".
Uzi cut in, "'we'? You're not going to hunt anymore?".
"Well, I could start it again here. You're not doing anything particularly useful with that oil inside you right now, aren't you?", V teased as Uzi fumed.
"Just go", Uzi said as she rested the railgun in her arms, "I’m taking a chance on you like I did N. If you disappoint me, I'll solve it like how I solved J".
V fake winced, "ouch. No, I think I'll be fine". She gave Uzi the bird and then leapt into the air. Her wings kicked into action, making them begin to flap, not that they needed to. "See you later", she said and departed.
N rushed towards her, "V!". His wings came out but he soon stopped in his tracks as she quickly disappeared into the night. He stood there looking off into the distance where she disappeared off to. His wings and tail fell slack and soon hit the ground, as did his knees a moment later.
Uzi approached him in concern. "N?", she called out.
His head quickly spun around to face her, the predatory look of the X-shape on his visor. He did nothing else, yet the act was so startling that Uzi recoiled at it instinctively. He then lunged at her, pinning her beneath him. "N!", she cried out in alarm, "I'm sorry! I know she means a lot to you, but I had to! It wasn't right".
At the confession, and Uzi's shocked state, he seemed to regain control of himself. His normal eyes came back and quickly widened at the scene. He backed off of her in a panic. "Uzi, I'm so sorry", he nervously said, "I-I felt… just so…". He stopped to ground himself, taking a good look around him and then refocusing on Uzi. He sighed and his shoulders became slack, "I don't like that you did that, but at the same time, I screwed up again, didn’t I?".
Uzi looked back at him. After his previous state, she wasn’t sure what to say to him.
At this, N grew concerned, "y-you're not mad at me, right?".
"Not much", Uzi stated.
"Oh…”, N said dejectedly, “but I messed up, right?".
Uzi was taken aback a bit, “well yeah, you messed up, but you’re not mad at me , are you?”.
“I, uh…”, an uncertain look overcame him as his visor and mouth shifted through several expressions. At last he finally refocused on her, “I… I need to be honest on this, but…”.
Uzi nodded, picking up on this, “it get it. I can forgive you on it, if you can forgive me. But dude, you still pulled a My Dad on her”.
“D-Don’t you compare me to your dad…”, N shook, “I didn’t leave her to die or anything like that! We kept her safe !”.
Uzi looked away, the realization of what she needed to say hitting her, “You told me about you and your squadmates, but we never discussed me and the bunker”. She brought her arms close together, holding them.
Her change in demeanor startled N. He wasn’t used to Uzi looking so defeated. The only time that came close was, perhaps coincidentally - he wasn’t sure - when her father left her for dead.
“H-How bad was he?”, he sputtered out.
Uzi pressed her lips together then made an audible sigh. "Everyone down there was convinced that I was a failure. It was all him and his talk, whatever he said was taken as fact - because he was the guy who built the doors”, she began.
N’s digital brows appeared in sympathy, “so… you too, huh?”.
“Yeah…”.
“Sorry, I should’ve figured”, N began, “I mean, I saw him leave you like that. I didn’t think he was… like that to you”.
Uzi grunted, “all because I wasn’t into making doors. He forced me to try to get into his hobby and job, but clearly that didn’t work”.
N looked at her in thought until he had to look away as a horrible realization overcame him. “Oh… no …”, his hands flew to his face.
“N?”, she said in concern. Uzi made a few steps towards him. but stopped once she realized she wasn’t sure what exactly to do. As much as things have been tense between them, she didn’t exactly want to see him like this either.
“Uzi?”, he asked, his hands parting a bit for his fake eyes to be shown a bit, “I really messed up. V’s gotta hate me”.
Uzi instinctively reached out for him, but stopped once she realized what she was doing. “Yeah, you… you messed up, and we’re just going to have to see if V can forgive you”, she said.
“Uzi?”, he asked again, “you hate me, don’t you?”.
“I already said-”.
“I messed up bad ”, N whined, “I’m so stupid! I shouldn’t have done that to V!”.
“What else were you supposed to do other than kill her?”, Uzi countered, “you think she would’ve listened to you during our fight in the bunker?”. Her eyes then widened involuntarily at her own reply. It was more an attempt to cover for N’s actions, yet she found herself actually thinking some sense of it.
N looked at her, some small hopeful emotion trying to make itself apparent, “...would she?”.
She sighed, “I don’t know. You knew her way longer than me, dude”.
N thought about it and couldn’t come to any satisfying conclusion. Come to think of it, he really didn’t know much about V. As much as he tried to spend time with her, she'd shove him away. Did they really even have a friendship to begin with? N frowned, "I... I don't think she would've".
"Well, I kinda think we made progress with her", Uzi did it again trying to cover for him, "she's thinking now. We'll just have to see where that takes her".
"...Wish it would take her back here", N moaned, "this was her home too, and I made her kick herself out".
Uzi approached to lay a hand on his shoulder, "Sorry. I know you had a thing for her. Which, um, by the way", she coughed, "I didn't tell her about that".
"Thanks...", N said, "it just- It wasn't just that. She was only other person still around that I came to this planet with. Now she's gone because I messed up". He could feel Uzi rubbing his shoulders, his stooped stance making this easier for the shorter drone to do. His hands still pressed to his face, he let the feeling of Uzi's hand on his shoulders ground him as he worked through his guilt. After a long moment, he finally dropped a hand and the other went to Uzi's shoulder. "T-Thanks, again...", he said.
Uzi was startled at the touch. She looked away in the hope that he wouldn't see the diagonal lines on her visor, "you're... welcome? I think that's what I'm supposed to say...".
N titled his head at this, "what do you mean?".
She refocused on him, "uh, well, I'm just... not sure how to be a friend and all that".
"...Really? You?", N asked incredulously.
"I told you earlier", she said, "whole bunker never cared for me. Well, except for Thad, but he was too little too late".
N frowned, "oh, right. I'm not good at this either. Sorry again for all this. It won't happen again. And, I guess I should apologize to V if I ever see her again".
"Yeah, you should", Uzi replied.
"Right...". A pause. "Wait, we're friends now?".
They walked back into the spire. As Uzi made her way over to the pod, she noted that N followed her. This was peculiar to her, as it was getting late for him and he'd usually go settle down in his preferred rest spot, which wasn't anywhere near the pod. "Hey", she stopped him, "what's up?".
"What?".
"Shouldn't you be going to sleep?".
"Oh", he said with a little shock, "well, we don't know what V will decide to do, so I think it's best if I keep a watch over you".
Uzi laughed, "really? Don't think I can take care of myself?". She playfully tapped the side of her railgun.
N frowned, "I trust you, but at the same time I've traded in any bond I had with V for a friendship with you. You're the only person I have left and if anything happens to you, I don't what I'll-".
Uzi cut him off, "it'll be alright. If it makes you feel better, you can do that, just don't get in the way". He gave her a salute, something she had no doubt he'd done countless times since his activation. She gave him a half-sure thumbs up, making up the difference with an awkward smile that was more a grin than anything. Her contributions to this little moment were so awkward it made N burst out into laughter. She put an assertive hand on her hip at this, "what's so funny?", she said as her screen betrayed her in showing her embarrassment via blush.
"Sorry! Sorry!", he pleaded through laughter, "we need to work on this".
"Says the guy who just gave me a company salute", she teased.
"Oh, yeah...", he quieted down, "sorry, I'll find something else to do for this little friendship thing".
Uzi gave him another thumbs up, "isn't it this?".
N's face - even though it literally already is - lit up, "oh! Yeah, that's it! You're doing my thing!".
Uzi pressed her hands to her face hoping so much that whatever process was in charge of her facial expressions could stop with the blush already. She doubted that there was any other day that came close to how much it happened today. "Ok", she collected herself and dropped her hands from her face, "let's just chill out, alright?".
He wasted no time and gave her a thumbs up. Her hands returned to her face once again, but this time an amused smile broke out on her faceplate. She entered the pod and he followed in.
V took shelter from the quickly approaching sun of Copper-9 in the highest point she could find - a tall building. A great lookout point for her. She wasn't sure if she wanted this to be her shelter for the long-term, but for today it would be. It wasn't as cool as the spire, but it had a charm of its own, she thought. It would look better with a few personal additions, something she knew she could do, but she had reservations about her usual method. Worker Drones, her prey, she had some new thoughts on. Her interactions with Uzi were peculiar. They'd been told Workers were corrupted, but Uzi seemed to just be like them - Disassemblers. It was a strange thought, not one she wanted to accept, but something she was beginning to believe. In the past days, she'd seen the Worker interact with her and N on the same level as them. She'd always thought Workers only mimicked sentience, but Uzi was clearly actually sentient.
It wasn't like she'd suddenly give a care about Workers more all of a sudden though. She was still a winged goddess of death and destruction who needed to be fed. She couldn't escape that fact. Her newfound curiosity over Workers was at odds with her purpose and function. If she wanted to survive, she would have to live like how she and N had the past week. And well, speaking of N, she found herself surprised that the guy could go cold turkey from eating fresh to scavenging old kills. Guess the Worker had that much of an effect on him. Probably also why he was so deadset on her switching too. Still didn't excuse him leaving her bound up though. Oh well, he and the Worker were each other's concerns now. As for V, she'd decided to look into the company and their mission herself. Something wasn't adding up, and she'd decided she'd uncover the truth herself. She wasn't exactly ready to believe Uzi, and would rather have personal confirmation on things.
As the sun crept up, she hid deep within the walls. It was a far cry from the place she'd called home for so long, but one she felt could eventually be homely. One final thing to do before she could rest, however. She looked at the dismembered arm in her hand and pried it open to lap up any hidden oil.
The sun's rays hit the world, and a new day formally began.