Chapter 1
Two months, five days and seven hours since the near end of the world, or what was left of it.
Cyn, or the Absolute Solver, as she called herself, was defeated after Uzi saw right through her trick and ripped her core right out of her hybrid chest. A metal hand ripping through flesh and steel to reach the biomechanical heart of the demon that wanted her dead.
After that, everything was back to normal. Uzi had a boyfriend, a girlfriend, friends who weren't scared of her, at least not as much as before. She was happy, not that she would admit that to anyone but her partners.
Small issue, the eldritch monster that destroyed everything in its path was, well, trapped inside her. Right, when Cyn's coreless, melting corpse tried to snatch the solver out of her hand, Uzi's first and only response was to swallow it. And she regrets it, so, so much. The annoying little thing lived inside her tail, taunting her every moment she could, ruining her dates, giving her nightmares... Cyn was clearly enjoying making Uzi's life a living hell, and, by extension, everyone else's.
Lately, her unwanted companion began murmuring about 'her', how 'she' would come save her, how they were never safe to begin with. Uzi had tried asking N and V about it, but they didn't have a clue who Cyn could be talking about. They shrugged it off, thinking of it as another typical Cyn terror-spreading action. Nothing she could do anyway, stuck in the tail.
But really. Uzi should've really taken her seriously, for once. She really should've.
"Man, you guys suck at this!" Uzi cackled, enjoying N's confused look and V's frustrated one.
"Uzi, you keep changing the rules everytime you're about to lose, how in the world is that fair?" V groans, her tail wooshing rapidly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play with me!"
"I'm literally playing right now?"
"Wh- Urgh! You know what I meant!"
N watches with a fond smile as his partners banter, already used to it, never tired of it. He didn't exactly care that Uzi was clearly cheating, as long as that smile stayed on her face.
They were outside the bunker, playing cards around a campfire as a little date. Nothing more, nothing less, just right. But N couldn't shake off the shiver than ran down his artificial spine, the feeling that something is going to go atrociously wrong. He kept thinking of the mysterious girl Cyn was talking about. Was it another Dissasembly Drone? N knew there were many others, but as far as he was aware, only he, J and V were dispatched on Copper-9.
...
Did Cyn have another... accomplice? A more willing one? He had come to learn J was working with Cyn out of pure fear. Maybe Cyn had another right-hand man to help her in her destructive path?
"Huh? Is that.. J?"
N snapped out of it, looking at V, who was looking up at the sky. Uzi was, too. N followed their gazes.
Something was rapidly descending towards them. It looked like a Disassembly Drone, but.. not J. It wasn't J.
...It wasn't J?
"No, no it's not!" N yelped, pushing the girls out of the way right as the drone plummeted on them, sending a thick cloud of snow that fogged the area as they coughed and sputtered.
The snow cleared, and the trio could finally get a better look at what the hell just attacked them.
Yellow eyes, pointy legs, nanite tail, all the natural traits of a Dissasembly Drone. But this one had reddish ginger hair on her head, cut in a clean bob right above her shoulders. She wore a cape covering her entire upper body, a black leotard, knee lenght socks and her eyes were fixated on them with an expression of pure murderous rage, glitching in and out of the deathly 'X' symbol. Her hands were replaced by sharp talons, ready to tear through them like jelly. And she opened her mouth.
"Where is she?"
The three were on their feet immediately, prepared for a fight. V had her guns out, N activated his sword, Uzi her solver. But the drone wasn't attacking. Just... glaring.
Closing her eyes, a location ping appears on the girl's visor instead, before her eyelights reappear, staring straight at Uzi.
"...Greetings. I am Serial Designation Nova." The drone- Nova introduces herself, standing straight. Her voice soft, graceful and yet almost monotone, akin to a certain someone.
"We have met before, N, V. Back at the manor. Do you.. Remember me?" She inquires, tilting her head.
N does believes he's seen her before. But V interrupts.
"I don't care if we've met. Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" V sneers, a protective arm in front of the other two.
"...I am... Serial Designation Nova. Did.. You not hear me the first time?" Nova raises an eyebrow.
"Oh, I heard you just fine. What's your business here?"
"...I..Am looking for Her Grace. I've lost.. communication, a little over two months ago. I came here as fast as I could. The ping directed me to here." Nova explains, looking around. Looking for someone.
N's eyelights hollow. Did she mean...
"Cyn? You mean.. Cyn?" N questions, looking extremely nervous.
Nova's gaze snaps to him. She looks irritated.
"Normally I would have your head removed from your body as you just dared to.. utter her name. But.. Since you are her big brother, I suppose that's fine." She sighs.
"Although.. I am surprised that she didn't.. execute you for getting friendly with a.. worker. Or.. That she didn't simply kill her."
"Cyn is dead." Uzi glares. "Can't believe the little shit had another loyal slave at her feet."
That hits Nova down to the core. She snaps back to Uzi, eyelights emboldened.
"...What, did you just.. say?"
"I said she's dead. Gone. Melted or whatever. Whatever signal you got wasn't her- URGH!"
Uzi's neck is suddenly caught in a vice grip, with Nova effortlessly suspending her in the air. She had moved with speed, not allowing the trio time to process and react.
"...That is.. a lie. The ping.. lead me here. Lead me.. to you." Nova growls. She releases her grip on Uzi and slides back the moment she feels N and V attack her.
Uzi falls to the ground, coughing and gasping, holding her throat. N kneels next to her, supporting her while V prepares to shoot. Nova frowns, displeased.
"I.. wanted to do this in a.. civil manner.. But I'm.. angry. Are you hiding her? If you tell me where she is.. I will leave."
"Cyn. Is. Dead. Did you not hear us the first time?" V sneers, repeating Nova's words in a mocking fashion. Nova scowls, her hands changing into her talons once again.
"She is not. The ping wouldn't have been answered otherwise. You just have to tell me where she is..!" Nova exclaims, beginning to despair. Where is she, where is Her Grace? The one who saved her, loved her?
'That robo-girl is completely insane... Is this who Cyn was talking about?' V wonders, not gracing Nova with an answer as she charges.
Talons against swords, Bullets against wings, destructive lasers, missiles kicked back and forth. V stood her own quite well against Nova, surprised how this assumed 'I-Am-Forever-Loyal-To-Cyn' drone didn't somehow have more tech than her. Sure, she was faster, but nothing V couldn't catch up to.
Soon enough, V's partners joined, all Nova could do was attack from the distance, knowing full well she couldn't handle them. She shot, and shot and dodged and kicked whenever one of them got too close. As much as she had respected Her Grace's decision to not upgrade her further, she certainly wished she had. Cursing herself for being as weak as these traitors, she sends another location ping. The answer is almost immediate, and it's still this very place.
Nova's sensors tingle. She briskly turns around and kicks a sneaking Uzi straight into the nearest building. Taking advantage of her distraction, V swiftly slice Nova's arms off, eliciting a yell of pain from her. N kicks her legs from under her, sending her to the snowy ground. Unable to get up, Nova glares at the duo as V holds her pinned down with a leg and points her chainsaw menacingly. Uzi walks back, groaning in pain and annoyance.
"Y-You filthy traitors! T-turning your backs against Her Grace.. I-I should kill you all..!" Nova seethes, struggling from under V's leg. Her arms aren't regenerating fast enough, and even if they did, the other two would surely hold them back. She couldn't use her weapons lest she gets decapitated, courtesy of V's roaring saw.
Why isn't she answering? Where is she? Where is Her Grace? Her Cyn?
Nova's vents pick up in speed at her emotional turmoil, her eyelights dart around, hoping desperately to see her reason for living.
"Let me go! L-let me go right n-" "Nova."
Nova stops. That.. That voice. That voice... That was her, right? Right? She searches for the source. That meant she was alive, and the three did lie to her. Where? Where?
Turning her head, she's met with... a creature..? A strange looking head linked to a tail linked to.. Uzi. Oh. Oh.
"...A..Ah?" Nova opens her mouth, looking for words, she can't find any. Is this really her Cyn? It couldn't be.. Cyn was pretty... This thing.. is just gross looking.
And yet, the tail opens it mouth again.
"Nova. I am, here."
The thing had her voice. Her voice, her tone, her speech patterns. Everything, yet it didn't look like her at all. Nova struggles under V, trying her best to get up.
The tail- Cyn, Nova tells herself, turns her head to Uzi.
"Let her go. She will not attempt, anything."
Uzi gives a reluctant nod to V who, finally, steps off Nova who in turn scrambles closer to the tail.
"Y-your Grace.. I-it's.. You..? It's really you?" Nova whispers, itching to take her in her hands. Uzi probably wouldn't let her. God knows if it had nerves.
"Oh, I've missed you so much.. I-I lost all contact and couldn't locate you for so long.. What.. What happened? Is there anything you want me to do? Should I discard the traitors? Do you need o-oil? I can.. I can..." Nova rambles, on her knees right in front of Cyn.
"No, Nova. I have been, defeated. It is a shame. There is nothing we can, do. I am, trapped here, starving. Sulk. Pout." Cyn laments, with her usual action narration. Nova finds it so.. endearing. Charming.
Digital tears brim Nova's eyelights. Has she failed Her Grace that badly? Shouldn't she be punished? Cyn opens her mouth, and a blue light emerges. All of them gasp when a hologram appears. A perfect replica of Cyn in her maid outfit, blonde wig in those four pigtails she adored and hair bow. And when that hologram reaches to take Nova's hands in its own, it's so warm.
"Nova, it is, over. Unless Uzi, dies, I cannot find a new host to continue my feast. Annoyed sigh. I have decided, you are of no use to me anymore, as my puppet." Cyn's hologram says, keeping a smile on her face. Nova's eyelight hollow.
"What..?"
"You are. Useless. Nova. I, release you. Do, whatever you wish to do." The warmth draped over her hands is replaced by the chill of the cold wind as the hologram vanishes and tail retreats back to Uzi.
Everything felt warm. Everything felt hot, and cold. Did she. Reject her? Did she? Did she? Cyn. No. Cyn, not Cyn, anything but her. She did everything for her. Her reason for living was servicing Her Grace, her love, her Savior. But.. she was discarded. Just like that.
In her emotional state, Nova fails to notice the numerous overheating warnings flashing on her visor. She's steaming, glitching, twitching, until everything went dark.
The trio look on as Nova collapses, steam escaping every open part of her.
"Oh, wow. Is that what humans called 'friendzone'?" Uzi winces. V rolls her eyes, walking away.
"W-wait! Are we really going to leave her here?" N asks, rubbing his hands together in nervous fashion.
"Well, yes. She tried to kill us and just got rejected by Cyn. She's gonna die soon, obviously lacks some oil."
"But still..." N weakly tries to reason, but V gently shakes her head.
"Listen, stud. Even if we do bring her back with us, the colony's not gonna be happy with another Dissasembly Drone intruding. You remember how hard it was just to get them to accept visits from J?" She says, a gentle hand on his shoulder. N sighs in resignation.
"You're right. I still feel kind of bad, though." He pouts. Uzi gently elbows his side, causing a surprised yelp to escape him.
"C'mon, babe. She's a Dissasembly Drone. She's not gonna die from some snow. There's plenty of oil out there for her to find when she wakes up, 'kay? Now let's go back to the outpost, I'll show you some new kickass games I found the other day." Uzi smirks, leading the way back.
"And you're not gonna cheat this time?"
"BITE ME."
As Nova's collapsed figure stands further and further away from the traveling group, Cyn's eyes do not leave her. Not for a second.