Chapter Text
Another day, another boring day to be exact. Even with those cool powers, there was just so much someone could do before every action became the same, repetitive one. Plus, it was really exhausting. Definitely wouldn’t make class any more fun, though no one cared if she fell asleep.
Levitating the pillow she owned, a flick to the left before she summoned it back to her. She stared at the pillow. Nothing changed, she set the pillow down onto her bed.
“This is so boring- god-“
“Might as well get some food…”
Her pillow flashed purple. Uzi paused, looking back at her pillow. It had been replaced with a can of oil.
“Neat, I can do that!”
Grabbing the can, opening up the top of the lid, she drank. Refreshing, very refreshing! Though, it wasn’t enough. Maybe she’d find more food downstairs.
The fridge was not a disappointment, this time. With food actually stocked up, it was certainly enough for her! Some oil, some bolts, and a lot of wires!
“It’s all mine…”
Carrying everything over to her table, she dumped it. Grabbing a handful of bolts, she ate them. Next came the wires, and the oil to wash it all down. Well, that was a very nice breakfast, but she had to go to school. A joy, boring, dull and emotionally bloody task.
Well, she didn’t want another lecture from her father. She could dose off at school anyway. Levitating her backpack and items over, letting them fall inside the backpack, she zipped it up.
“What a truly, truly amazing day…” Not much else to do, she walked out.
Class started the same as always. She’d show up early, so that she could get a decent seat and hopefully catch a few more hours of sleep, if the teacher didn’t notice her. Or if Lizzy and co thought that they wouldn’t have to bully her. That was pretty naïve, she thought as the rest of the class trickled in.
“So, who do you think did it?”
“Me? I don’t really know…”
“Come on, you’ve got to have a guess!”
“Doesn’t seem like a drone would do that, though.”
“You really shouldn’t make guesses like that.”
“Really, then?! You tell me who did it.”
“Probably someone had a grudge on that poor guy.”
“Poor guy?” Uzi thought, tuning into the conversation. Why on earth would their class be bothered about that?
“Yeah, condolences to his family…”
“Oh no…” This was getting bad. Maybe it wasn’t what she was thinking, maybe she could ask Thad. He could at least tell her without laughing at her for being so ‘uninformed’.
“Thad.” Uzi said, walking over to his desk. Thad looked up.
“Uzi.” Thad quickly replied.
“What, no quirky reply?”
“What’s this discussion about, that those students are having?”
“Oh, that… well, allegedly there was a murder.”
“A murder?!”
“Shhhh! Don’t say it out loud!” Thad replied, getting up. Uzi blinked once in surprise.
“Ok, ok. Surely it isn’t a murder, right?”
Thad looked around.
“Well, here’s the problem. There was a lot, I mean a lot of oil on the floor. Either it was some elaborate fake, or someone just bled out. Although, there’s no body. No blood trail leading anywhere. Kinda like the guy just vanished.”
“Vanished…” Uzi muttered. She paused.
“Vanished?! Oh, no…”
“No drone could carry an entire body, or at least drag it away so quickly… plus, that oil…”
“It must’ve been a Disassembly Drone. Just how on earth did they sneak in?! Gah- It wasn’t N, right?”
“Oh, why the hell are you defending him?!”
“Bite me! It’s not my fault he’s the opposite of a murderer!”
“Yeah, yeah. You’d honestly be the easiest to fool, since you’ve never interacted with anyone before.”
“I’m going to go, Thad.” Thad gave a nod.
“Trying to find the crime scene? It should be in Sector A, unless they taped it off already.”
“Yeah, thanks!” Uzi gave a weak smile, already sprinting off. Out of the classroom, back towards her home.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck! I’ve got to know for myself!”
Running back to Khan’s room was quite easy, especially since that he was usually out at work normally. Good thing that he was also too lazy to lock his doors. Though, it’s fair that no sane induvial would try to sneak out of the safety of those doors. Uzi, however wasn’t a normal induvial.
Grabbing the keycard, she ran out of Khan’s room, out of the house. Sneaking through the guards themselves was easy enough, throwing a few crates could easily let her sneak through. The drones on the third door were all asleep, all hunched over cans of oil. Uzi stared at the four drones, giving herself a small laugh. The second was empty. There was a table and chairs there, as if it was meant to host a group, but they just never arrived.
“Truly, impregnable. Top of the line security.” She scoffed, tapping the keycard to open the second door. It opened. Another five drones stared at Uzi, their eyes starring right at her. She gave a small wave.
“Uh, I have a school project. I’m going to go… now.” She moved slowly, slowing stepping past the drones. Perhaps, if she moved too quickly, they’d call out for Khan.
“Project?” One of the drones asked, his hand already laid to rest.
“Yeah. I’m going to move out to collect stuff to build and repair! For doors!” Uzi replied, stiffing up slightly.
“Why are my palms so sweaty?”
“Well, that’s fine. I suppose. Just don’t stay out for too long. How long should it take?”
“One hour, I think.” Uzi gave a wonky smile. “Good chat, I need to go.” She pressed the keycard onto the keycard screen. The door screeched a little, before opening up. Walking outside, she another wave to the guards before the doors slammed shut.
Outside, Uzi stared at the metal doors. She took in a breath, wiping away her sweat. She turned to face the direction of the Corpse Spire. One step forward, foot crunching onto the snow, running her thoughts. This would be fine, yes. This would go well.
She slammed all the thoughts back, shattering the anxiety and thoughts. It would be fine. N would care, he would at least try to justify himself if he killed. He could feel guilty, right? Yes, he could.
Plus, she also brought her railgun, just in case. Just some extra firepower. Uzi continued moving, holding her railgun tighter around herself. Moving past more corpses. Drones without limbs, ones with shattered visors. Others that lied there, resting on destroyed buildings. Resting.
“N! N! Where are you?” Uzi screamed aloud, cupping her hands like a megaphone. Nothing. Uzi kept going.
“N! I need to talk to you! Please!”
“Please, N! Where are you?!”
“Uzi?” N yelled back, hovering above Uzi. She looked up
“Oh, N! I want to talk.” Uzi replied, swallowing down her anxiety. She could do this.
“N, do you know how to enter the bunker?” N raised an eyebrow.
“What? Why do you want to know?” Uzi gave a small smile, clasping her hands behind her back, straightening her spine.
“Um, to show the bunker you?” N winced at that. Uzi’s mind screamed.
“Yeah, what was that move… N isn’t believing me.”
“Uzi. Just tell me why.” N sighed, exasperated, hand on his forehead. “I won’t be mad. Tell me.”
“…”
“Tell me.” N demanded, eyes narrowing even more. Uzi stepped back a little.
“You won’t get mad?”
“Just tell me!” N snapped. “I just want to know, ok?!” Uzi jumped back, eyes widened. N gasped, covering his own mouth.
“That just slipped out, I’m sorry!”
“Fine, I’ll tell you. I need your help.” Uzi said. “There was a murder in the bunker, and I wanted to know If you could help.”
“Yeah, I can help. How do you want me to?”
“You’re going into the bunker with me. Hopefully you have a good way to hide your tail.” N turned to see his tail.
“I can tuck it into my coat. It’s a bit tight, though.” N straightened his tail, trying to tuck it into his coat.
“Come on, come on!” N groaned, his tail refusing to budge before he turned to Uzi.
“Uzi, can you get my tail into my coat?” Uzi gave a groan, walking over to him.
“Yeah, sure.” Uzi’s hand gripped onto N’s glass vial, the other pulling his coat back. N gave a small smile.
“You’re doing great, Uzi!” Uzi gave a small grunt, pushing his tail up.
“There, N. Done.” Uzi said, stepping back. The tail was shown pretty tight on his coat, but it could at least be shrugged off as a decent excuse. “Let’s go.” Uzi said, walking towards the bunker.
“Plus, N. Cover your head! That’s a giveaway.”
“Will do!” N said, pulling his cap over his head.
The bunker door was imposing. N fidgeted a little.
“You’re sure that they won’t notice?”
“Of course they won’t! Either they’ll be too passed out, or too distracted to care!” Uzi replied, searching for the scanner on the outside of Door 1. She pressed the keycard onto the scanner, opening up the door. The guards stared at her in surprise.
“So, who’s the lad next to you?” One of the drones asked, narrowing his eyes. That kid was hella tall, and fidgeting a lot. How on earth had he also managed to live out there for that long? Plus, how had Uzi managed to somehow not scare him away?
“Oh, I’m N! I’m Uzi’s friend!” N said, waving at the drones. Uzi kept her face calm, avoided wiping her sweat.
“Uzi’s friend? I thought she didn’t have any…” One of the guards muttered, looking contemplative. Uzi would’ve screamed at that statement.
“Listen. I’m sure you don’t know Uzi as much as I do. So you wouldn’t understand, right?” N said, keeping his smile up. “I’m sure Uzi has other friends you don’t know!”
“Hm… I suppose so…” Another drone agreed. “I don’t even know her outside of what Khan says.”
“Ron!”
“What?! The kid has a point!” Ron snapped back. “Alright. In.”
“Thank you!” N laughed, walking inside. Uzi followed, giving the drones a scowl as she passed. One of them gasped, hand on his chest. Uzi ignored him.
“Damn softie…” She muttered to N.
For N, the crime scene was a massacre. Oil pooled everywhere on the ground, ink on a canvas. It was a mess. A huge one, yet where was the body? The limbs? After all, the corpse had to fit the crime, yet there was none! Well, the oil splatter meant something had torn lots of holes right through it.
“Uzi, this was quite a violent attack. I think it happened through some big stabbing.” N stated, scratching his head. “If I had to be honest, the weaponry wouldn’t be on drones, I’ve never seen workers carry that.”
“Oh fuck…” Uzi winced, covering her face. Of course it had to be another Disassembler! So how were they supposed to find it? Well, N would help, she was sure.
“N. You could help, right?”
“Well, yeah! We’ll find this rouge drone and kill it, ok? No one else will be harmed, Uzi. I have it on my word.” Uzi calmed down slightly at that, though she still clutched her railgun tighter around her.
“Good. Let’s go.”