Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prelude: The Beginning

On an exoplanet far from Earth, it is named Copper 9. This terrestrial planet was colonized by JCJeson IN SPAAAAACEE!!!!, and it was one of the many places for mining, manufacturing, and robot research. There was once humanity living on the exoplanet, alongside the worker drones, who humans mistreated most of the time. However, that all changes when, one day, the planet's core suddenly collapses, which results in the extinction of every lifeform that has ever walked on the planet. While that is currently happening, worker drones live on and create society. We will follow one of the worker drones, unique from many other drones, such as encased in a capsule. 

[Setting, Unknown Factory]

Inside one of the abandoned factory rooms lies a capsule containing a worker drone. In one corner of the capsule is a timer about to reach zero. It makes a beep sound when it reaches zero, and the capsule opens. This is the beginning of her crazy adventure to discover who she is and how she became a savior of drones.

The drone wakes up to see herself in a dark room. It was empty, and no life could be found around herself. "Where am I?" this now-awaken drone asks. She got up from her capsule and looked around, wondering where she was. She was located in an empty room, and it was a big mess around her. She is curious about what has happened here. "Huh, what has happened here? Wait, how did I end up in that capsule I woke up from." She can't remember what happened to her nor remember her past. "Why can't I remember anything? How did I end up in this situation?" the drone asked. She then found many damaged drawings, one being unique from the others. It looks like a drawing of a drone with the name "Ghot" on it.  

Curiously, she looks at herself in the mirror and sees the similarity between herself and the one on the paper. "Huh, at least I remember my name. One step at a time," Ghot announced. "Now, since I am here, I can explore around." She put away the blueprints into her pockets and continued. As she explored around the factory, she saw some skeletons that were once human. "Drag, what happened here to have these things turn into Icy skeletons?" Ghot stated. She looks around the factory and sees many machines no longer in service because no one maintains them. After exploring many rooms, she found one more unique than many others. "Core Room," Ghot read. Ghot decided to check it out. Once inside the vast room, she sees something at the center of the room. It's a green core inside a tube. 

"Hmmm, judging at how there are many danger signs and safety protocols in this room, something tells me that this core is why this factory is still somehow active," Ghot studied. As she walks closer, she can clearly see the green orb core. Little did she know, she wasn't alone in the room. Up above the ceiling, something long is slowly approaching the core. "Well, long as this thing is here, everything should be fine," Ghot said, unaware of what was going to happen next. As she walked back to where she came from, she heard something. She turns back and sees a tail about to grab the tube. "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ghot yelled. As she walks back to the center, she starts to see more of the creature about to take the core. "Awww, is this core important to you? I'm sorry, but it now belongs to me." The unknown creature stated. As it goes down, Ghot starts to see more of the creature. It was a huge snake-like drone.

"Who the drag are you?!" Ghot yelled. "Oooo, I like when girls try to act like the big boss. Unfortunately, I'm not into them," the snake drone replied. "Name Mecha Naga, but it won't matter anyway soon," Mecha Naga stated. "I don't care about your name; I care about why it looks like you are about to steal the core of this very factory! Who knows what would happen if the core got removed?" Ghot exclaimed. "Much as I heard everything you said…. I don't care. Plus, I won't be here if anything happens to the factory. But I still don't care for you," Mecha Naga reminded Ghot. "Sigh. Left me no choice." Ghost said as she pulled out a gun she grabbed from the other room before. 

"I will make you either back off or terminate you on the spot!" Ghot exclaimed. "Ooo, I would like to see you TRY," Mecha Naga said as he zoomed past Ghot. Surprise, Ghot prepares to shoot at Mecha Naga. Right when he is right next to her, Ghot shoots. But to her surprise, the bullet did minor damage to Mecha Naga. "Did you expect me to go down like that? Please, I can tank an actual tank if it tries to run over me." Mecha Naga laughs at the attempt. With anger, Ghot kept shooting at Mecha Naga, but it still did nothing to Mecha Naga. Already tired of it, Mecha Naga slithers right up to Ghot and slaps her hard with his tail. Ghost was flying back to the door, injured from that.

 "All that bullet did nothing to me but one tail hit, and you are already down! How pathetic you are! You are the best test dummy for when we end all worker drones." Mecha Naga laughs, which caught Ghot's attention to what he said. "Much as I like to torture you, I still have my part in my master's plan. What will happen next? You wish you were dead now," Mecha Naga laughs as he zooms to the core, breaks the tube, and steals the core. "Goodbye for now," Mecha Naga said as he left up to the ceiling he came from. Just as he left, Ghot heard an alarm go off. "WARNING: CORE HAS BEEN MISSING, FACTORY HAS BECOME UNSTABLE. EMERGENCY EVAUACTE NOW!" The system states. "Well, so much for exploring. I got to get out of here now!" Ghot rush through the factory. Many boxes were in the way, and Ghot had to jump over or move to the side. "ONE MINUTE REMAIN!" "DRAG, THIS PLACE IS LIKE A MAZE, I WILL NOT MAKE IT OUT IN TIME!" Ghot worried.

As she ran past many more rooms, she saw a safe room. "Wait, this safe is designed to withstand explosions! This has to be my only option. Hopefully, I will live!" Ghot said. She ran to the safe but needed the code. "Wait, what's the code? What the code!" Ghot looked around and saw a piece of paper with the code written on it. "10921," Ghot read. As fast as she enters the code, the safe opens, and she rushes into the safe right away. She closes the safe and prepares for the explosion; she can feel the explosion happening outside the safe, which causes her to fall and hit herself in the head, knocking her out.

. 

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few moments, she wakes up again. "God, I just woke up, and I had to deal with all of this drag," Ghot states as she starts to recover. Suddenly, she realizes she can only see one side of her vision now. In horror, she realized one of her eyes got damaged, the one that her hair was already covered. “Well, look like I better take care of my other eye if I still want to see….” Ghot stated. She looks at the safe's door, walks towards it, and opens it. What she saw behind was horrific at seeing the remains of the factory. "Well, drag me, I would have been metal scraps if I ended up outside…." Ghot exams as she looks around. She also noticed the world beyond the place she was inside, a winter wasteland. "Drag… it is freezing outside, I can tell. Well, better not stay here anymore because drag knows what that thing was and if he's going to be back to check on me," Ghot states before walking toward the endless winter wasteland.

As she wanders around the wasteland and enters an empty city, she sees many abandoned places, just like the factory. She also sees many of not only frozen skeletons but also many of the dead worker drones that look like they were brutally killed or eaten by something. "Could Mecha Naga have eaten me if he had the chance? I do not want to find that answer; better keep that unanswered." Ghot thinking. It also got her to think about something important that she had almost forgotten about who she was. She knows she is a worker drone like many others, but it does not explain her purpose. While searching around, she noticed a massive hill of dead worker drones. 

"Someone must want an A+ on their art project," Ghot joked. 'It's better to stay away from here because something tells me that whatever made this is likely still nearby." Ghot decided to run in the opposite direction and continued. Looking around the abandoned city, she has to wonder what it was like to have lived here before something terrible happened that caused the whole place to be dead. Moments later, she spots a big bunker door up ahead.

"Well, hopefully, someone is behind that door because why else would it be out here?" Ghot said as she looked at the colossal bunker. She proceeds to walk up to the bunker door and knock on the bunker door. She waited awhile, thinking no one was there, until the small window opened. "Hello? You do not happen to be a murder drone, do you?" The one who opened the window asked. "Murder drones? What are those?" Ghot ask. "Well, think of them as drones that look similar to us, but they murder us for our oil, and judging at your size and appearance, it looks like you're not one of them. What are you doing out there all alone?" The drone asked. "Well, I woke up in a factory, or at least what's left, and I don't remember who I am. I only remember that I am one of those worker drones, and I am currently looking for a place to stay." Ghot responded. "Hmm, I think you will fit well with others, and considering my daughter might need some friends, I believe you can stay with our colony," The drone said. "Give me a moment to open the door." After waiting for a while, Ghot saw the bunker door open. As she walked inside, she almost forgot to say something. "OH, drag, I hadn't even said my name! My name is Ghost, and what may your name be?" The drone who opens the door responds, "My name is Khan Doorman."

End of Prelude

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character 

Bold = time skip to a certain point

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

Few months later

Ghot: (monologuing thought) It's been a few months since I entered the colony. Ever since I first entered here, I have met many other worker drones and seen how their lives have been. To be honest, it…. Something, at least. It all started when I met Khan Doorman at the massive bunker door. 

Ghot thinks about the time she first met Khan Doorman.

Ghot: (monologuing thought) He showed me around the place and even showed me his daughter, Uzi. She was a pretty rebellious drone worker, and we initially had our argument. Still, we started to understand one another over time, and she became like a sister to me. I also went to the same school with her, even in the same classroom. Some of my classmates were not nice to Uzi but were cool with me, which I don't understand why. Anyway, I remember that we were supposed to be doing a project, which I thought was about buying watermelon or something, but Uzi told me it would be a good idea to work together on-

Uzi: This sick-as-hell raingun!

Ghot's thoughts were interrupted by Uzi's showcase of her railgun, which Uzi and Ghot built together in the classroom.

Uzi pulls out her railgun and points it at the students as they gasp.

Riley: That's so not the vibe!

Uzi: Easy, morons. It doesn't work. YET. It doesn't work yet. Who said it doesn't work?! Maybe it does! Ghot, tell them that the railgun doesn't work yet!

Uzi flicks her railgun on as she cackles and points it back at the students again.

Ghot: Uzi, we still need to test out the railgun, let alone see if it even stabilized without that ONE component I kept telling you it's missing!

Teacher: (Sighs) Uzi, the homework was a word problem about buying watermelons.

Uzi: Oh, and this magnetically amplified photon converger doesn't count?

Ghot: (tries to whisper to Uzi) I told you we should have tried to build the railgun secretly!

Teacher: No. Plus, repressed emotional baggage was only worth two points on the rubric. 

Ghot, alongside the teacher, notices electricity crackling off Uzi's railgun.

Teacher: And is it supposed to be that color?

Uzi (Gasps in shock): Huh?

Ghot: (Panic) Oh Drag…

The view cuts to outside the classroom, where an explosion happens inside, and coughing is heard from inside.

A few moments later, at the nurse's office

Uzi is seen sitting with an ice pack up to her face alongside her railgun. She then heard Lizzy outside the door, alongside Doll.

Lizzy: Ew. (Scoffs.) It didn't kill her. 

Before the two run off, Ghot shows up.

Ghot: Hey, buzz off, Lizardy. Just because we are cool doesn't mean you still have to be mean to Uzi like that.

Lizzy: (scoffs) Whatever. Come on, Doll, let's go.

As Lizzy and Doll are about to leave, Ghot says something to Doll. Lizzy and Doll part ways from Ghot, and as Ghot enters the nurse's office to meet Uzi, Thad joins in.

Thad: (Laughs) Classic toxic masculinity, Chad! That's never gonna end up problematic. Oh, hey, Ghot. Oh, wow- Uzi? I-I heard you, uh-

Uzi: I'm an angsty teen, Thad. Bite me.

 (Uzi throws her ice pack into the trash can.)

Uzi:  Also, how do you know my name? People willingly talk to you alongside Ghot.

Ghot: I honestly do not know why people are willing to talk to me and not to you, even though we share similar interests, like watching anime and being with you most of the time.

Thad: (Chuckles) Well, I'd say everyone knows Khan's daughter, but, uh... then you might blow the other half of your face off.

Uzi: Crippling daddy issues. Hilarious. What are you in for? Testosterone too hard?

Thad: That can happen?! Awesome. Hey, those bandages look pretty badass.

Ghot stares at Thad as if she is not already wearing an eyepatch to her damaged eye.

Uzi: Oh. (Blushing) E-Ew, gross. I hate that you said that.

Ghot: (Thinking) Heh. She still has issues with the complement.

Thad: So, what's the, uh…

Uzi picks up her railgun and points at Thad. 

Uzi: Sick-as-hell railgun?

Ghot: Whoa, whoa, whoa, Uzi! Be careful with that! We got lucky that it only blew up a small room; I don't want to imagine what happen if it blew up the whole colony!

Uzi: I am not going to use it again, Ghot! Besides, I'm planning on sneaking to the Murder Drone lair tonight to get the last spare part that Ghot said I need to save the world with it and earn my dad's respect. Uh, but mostly the world part. Isn't that right, Ghot?

Ghot: Yeah, though I am still concerned about the idea of entering that lair at all

Ghost still has yet to learn a lot about the murder drones the worker drones had been hiding from their whole lives. She only knows so far that the company sent these drones to kill off all the worker drones. Ghost still wonders why the company is, in her quote, "killing drones with drones."

Thad: Oh- but doesn't your dad make awesome doors so we don't have to, uh... do that scary-sounding emotionally repressed stuff you just said?

Uzi points the railgun at Thad but closer than before.

Uzi: No more feedback on my repression today!

Ghot: Uzi…. What did I say...

Thad: Ow! I'm sorry. I-I-I didn't think-

Uzi: Whatever, Bite me! Ghot, let's go.

As they both leave the office, Ghot looks back at Thad.

Ghot: Please excuse Uzi. She can be in a place at times, but I still understand what she wants to do, and I hope it will help with her connection with her father.

Thad: No problem.

Uzi then came back.

Uzi. I'm not mad at you, by the way-- just generally hormonal!

Uzi grabs Ghot by her jacket and drags her to go with her plans.

A few moments later at night

In Uzi's room, Uzi is lying on the bed. Meanwhile, Ghot is seen sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. 

Uzi's alarm then set off, causing Uzi to slap her face to silence it and also causing Ghot to wake up.

Ghot: Showtime.

Uzi: Showtime!

The scene then shows Uzi and Ghot preparing to go out. Uzi is with her railgun, and Ghot is with her pistol gun. Both set their hats on and give each other a thumbs-up. Uzi then grabs her dad's keycard and rushes to the bunker's entrance. 

A few moments later, Ghot and Uzi made it to the bunker's entrance as they walked towards the door. 

Ghot: Hopefully, this will go as we planned.

Uzi opens the first door with the keycard only for Khan to stand there.

Uzi: (Shocked) Oh, robo-Jesus!

Ghot: (Panic) Busted…

Khan: And where might you two be off to?

Uzi: Mm, sneaking out to make out with my boyfriend that we definitely have and sharing?

Ghot looked at Uzi in disbelief.

Ghot: (whisper) Really, that's the excuse you come up with! You know I already have an issue with expressing love, especially with this drone I am in love with!

Khan didn't buy the lie.

Khan: (Laughs) Seriously, though.

Ghot: I'll cut to the chase. We need to measure the exterior hydraulic mechanisms of Door 1 because that's the project we are working on for school. A big bunker door. Just like what you built. We want to join the WDF and hide behind doors like cowards while playing cards. (In thought) Uzi, you owe me big time for making me make this whole ordeal on the spot.

Khan: (Chuckles) Well, we don't just play cards.

The door behind Khan suddenly opens, revealing that some WDF are playing cards.

Makarov: Khan, can you grab a fresh pack? We literally only play cards so much that the numbers have faded. Oh! Hey, Uzi. Hey, Ghot.

Khan then shut the door behind him.

Khan: Well... (Chuckles) When you build doors so good... (Hugging the door) Good door. Gooooood door. There's no need to fight.

Ghot: (Thinking) And how was this the same person I met first in this place…

Khan: Uzi, this is great news! Here- the wrench I used to tighten bolts on my first door prototypes- and to put your mother out of her misery when the Murder Drones got to her with their nanite acid. I want you to have it.

Uzi: Neat. Therapy's fun.

Ghot: (Whisper to Uzi) He should need one…

Khan then opens the door and grabs both Uzi and Ghot.

Khan: Guys! My daughter and her friend are into doors!

The rest of the WDF cheers on before the door opens.

Khan: They're gonna be outside for a bit to examine the exterior of Door 1. Your door-specific destiny awaits!

Ghot and Uzi walk toward outside.

Uzi: Uh, wow. Ok. Just gonna leave then... 'cause this worked so weirdly well. Uh, go, doors! (Laughs awkwardly)

Ghot: (unamused) Go doors…

The door then closes behind them.

Khan: (Sighs and takes off his mustache) They grow up so fast.

The scene shows both Uzi and Ghot outside. Both look around the environment that was once life was around.

Uzi: Alright, so as we have planned, we are going to find the power source for my sick-as-hell railgun, and we should be set and able to kill those murder drones.

Ghot: Hopefully, it will show the colony that we are not afraid to fight against the murder drones, and there is a way to kill them off!

As the two walk toward the spire, Ghot suddenly feels something interrupting her programming.

Ghot: Grah! 

Uzi: (Concern) GHOT! Are you ok?! What is going on with you?

Ghot: (Glitching) I-I-I d-d-don't k-k-know.

(Ghot's POV)

Ghot: (thoughts) Huh, what is on my screen?

(3rd POV)

Uzi: (panic) Ghot, are you still there?! Answer me!

Ghot then silent Uzi by holding her mouth and dragging her into a hidden place.

Uzi: Ghot, what has gotten into you? Why are you suddenly acting we-

Ghot: (Covering Uzi's Mouth again) Shhh! Something is coming.

Then, Ghot and Uzi heard a noise and saw something in the distance. A very tall, skinny creature with antlers appeared and walked past the two without noticing them.

Ghot: Uzi….. do you know what we just saw?

Uzi: N-No. I've never seen something looking like that before, and it's not a murder drone looking at that shape.

Ghot: Hmmm. There's a change of plan. Uzi, you go into the murder drone lair and get the power source for your railgun. I will follow whatever that thing was. I must ensure I understand what we are looking at for research reasons.

Uzi: (Worried) But Ghot… We should be together on this.

Ghot: I understand, Uzi, but you are getting that vital piece. Besides, we need to find out what that thing is, and I have to look at it to be prepared if we find another similar one. I think that it might even have a different "ability" than the murder drone we were taught about. Besides, I think it be "sick as hell" if you managed to defeat the murder drone on your own because I feel like the colony is going credit to me instead of you. 

Uzi thought for a minute but decided to go with what Ghot had planned.

Uzi: Ok Ghot…. Be safe out there; I don't want to lose you. You are like an older sister to me.

Ghot: (patting Uzi's head) Do not worry, I will be fine. I hope you are safe alone as well.

Uzi: Stay safe, Ghot.

Both Ghot and Uzi part ways to their different destination. 

Few moments later

Ghot has been following the footprint left behind by the unknown creatures.

Ghot: Strange. According to my findings, these are things a deer would leave, but unless these deer are immune to the extreme cold outside, I very much doubt there are still any deer around.

After a long walk, she finally spots the creature, which is a few km away from the city. She carefully watches as it enters the cave. After a reasonable amount of time waiting, she walks stealthily into the caves, passing by many corpses of worker drones.

Ghot: (disgusted) Ew, whatever is loved to feast on us also. I need to be careful.

Ghot continued sneaking inside the cave. She paced a bit and saw the creature. Upon reaching the end, it lay down on the side and slept.

Ghot: Good, this is my chance to check it out quietly.

Ghot approaches the creature and notices something. Its head appears like a deer, and its claws are very sharp. What interests Ghot the most is that she sees a green core in the creature's chest area. 

Ghot: (thoughts) Hmmmm, this is a new drone type. It may be something the JCJenson company must have built on. Looking around, it seems it could not be friendly. I have the information now; now I have to leave.

As Ghot is about to leave, she notices something in the corner. Upon inspecting it closer, she realizes it is an arm that belongs to one of the murder drones. She also spotted a female murder drone tied up by a rope. She appears to be a female murder drone wearing a short poncho-like outfit.

Ghot: (thoughts) Wait a minute, that won't make sense if there consumed part of murder drones here. Are you telling me that thing also hunts them as well? If the same company made this drone and murder drones, why is it also targeting its allies? It almost seems like it is a rouge drone or something. Still, better get out of here before that thing wakes up.

Unknown to Ghot, she didn't realize the murder drones, currently wrapped by ropes, were still alive. She wakes up to see Ghot looking around, albeit with a damaged sensor on one of the lights on the murder drone's headband, confusing her viewing Ghot as a murder drone.

???: (waking up) Hmmm. Hm? (Looks at Ghot, then looks at the sleeping drone) Oh no… E-excuse me! You there.

Ghot takes notice of the awaking murder drone and is shocked to realize she is close to her. She is about to say when the murder drone starts panicking and whispers to Ghot.

???: (Panicking) SSSHHHHH! You do NOT want to wake that monster up! You had no idea how scary that thing is! I know because I had to fight for my life alongside my two teammates, which sadly…. They got killed by that thing.

Ghot is shocked by the reveal of what the mystery drone did to the murder drone to the point of making one scared for her life. She did notice how she was not trying to attack her, even if she wasn't tied up. She sees one of the lights on the headband is off, which reduces to believe she lost sense and is unable to tell the difference between a worker and a murder drone. With that knowledge, although just a guess, ask the murder drone.

Ghot: (whisper) I want to ask a few things. Is that thing made by the same company that made you guys? Second, is there anything I should know about this monstrous?

???: (Whisper) The first question is uncertain. Not even my leader knew about it; he is the closest to the company's uppers. As for the second, it is powerful, that claws can slash one of us very badly, and that bite is no joke!

Ghot: (Whisper) Thanks! That's all I need. Are you sure you don't need saving? (Thoughts) If I can keep pretending to be a murder drone from her point of view, maybe I can learn more about them.

???: (Whisper) Just go, I not the best out there anyway.

Ghot: (Whisper) No, I will not leave anyone behind, no matter how useless they feel. Trust me, I know how that felt before. (She was thinking about how her fight against Mecha Naga had gone.)

???: (Whisper) You do? If you believe so, then save me without waking that thing up.

Ghot: (Whisper) Got it, let me find a way to cut you free.

Ghot sneakily passed the drone to find something to cut with. After searching the area for a while, she found a sharp knife. She grabbed it and headed back to free the murder drone.

Carefully, she cut the ropes and freed the murder drone.

???: (Whisper) Thank you! I appreciate the help from other fellow murder drones. Let's get out of here before it wakes up and turns us into trophies.

Ghot: (Whisper) Agree. Let's go.

Ghot and the murder drone sneak past the drone to ensure they don't step on any random stick. 

???: (Whisper) Question: how long was that monster asleep?

Ghot: (Whisper) It was asleep around 2 minutes before you woke up.

???: (Whisper) Good. I noticed its sleep pattern, and it should not wake up for the next hour, so we should be good.

Ghot: (Whisper) Good to know, now we can-

Before Ghot even finishes her sentence, both drones sense that the monster drone is starting to wake up.

Ghot: (Whisper) Wait, we didn't make any noise like those movie cliches.

The giant drones open their eyes and look around. It spots the two drones about to leave the cave. Realizing the situation, it stands at least 6 meters tall. It growls at the two angrily and then roars at the two.

^(What the monster look like)

??? and Ghot: RUN!

Both drones rush to the cave entrance, and the monster drone gives chase. The monster drone roars at the two as they reach the entrance.

???We need to get as far away as possible!

Ghot: I am aware of that. The question is how far we should need to get from it! (thoughts) If this thing ever found the colony, we are screwed, so we have to find a way to put it down SOMEHOW. 

??: The last time I remember….. I don't know. My team and I saw it days ago, and the furthers were at least two cities away…

Ghot: Shoot, you think we can still fight it somehow.

???: Are you crazy?! I ALREADY MENTION HOW ME AND MY TEAM CAN'T BEAT IT! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSE TO BEAT IT IF-

Before she finishes, Ghot and the murder drone are separated by the monster drone via slap. Both drones are launched toward a tree on each side. The monster drone decides to go for the murder drone first since it likes the flavor of murder drones.

???: S-stay away from me! (She tries to shoot the monster drone, but it does not damage it).

Ghot turns to see the murder drone in trouble.

Ghot: NO! (thoughts) "I know we just met, but consider how nice she has been. Even though she can't tell I'm a worker drone right now, I still think she can switch sides with us and maybe even find another method of feeding her."

The Monster drone grabs the murder drone and is about to eat her head off. Before it could even bite her head off, a tremendous force hit it and dropped the murder drone in progress. The murder drone and the monster turn to see what causes the monster to flinch. What they witness is Ghot glowing blue while having her hand out. Another essential feature noted is that her eyes glow more blue than before, with a darker blue coloring in the center.

Ghot: (realize what she did) Huh, did I shoot blue energy at that thing? This is starting to feel like those cartoons I watch sometimes. (thoughts) Wait a minute. I summon that blue shot toward that thing when I thought of stopping it. What if?

As Ghot started to think, the monster started charging toward Ghot. Ghot spots the monster about to slash at her with its claw.

Ghot: Anime, don't fail me now!

Ghot spawns two shields on her arms and blocks the monster's claw. She then pushes the shield towards the monster and toward many trees. Ghot waited and prepared, but she looked up and saw the boulder flying towards her. Realizing, she jumps out of the way before the boulder crushes her. She looked to the side and saw the monster about to slam her down her arms. With a quick reaction, she blocked with her shield, resulting in a shockwave, which caused the murder drone to fling away for a while.

Ghot: Hmmm, gotta try something else. (Thinks for a moment before getting an idea). I got it! 

Ghot summons a giant boxing glove and punches the monster in the side of the face, causing it to roar in pain. It regains its balance and starts swiping and slashing at Ghot, who took some of the hit. Taking the opportunity, the monster launches toward Ghot and tries to bite Ghot, but Ghot blocks with her arms, trying to prevent it from closing its mouth on her. Ghot, using her newfound strength, opens up the mouth and breaks the monster's lower jaw. Using her summoned giant boxing gloves, she slams the monster toward the boulder, breaking it in the progress. 

Ghot: (Thinking) If I had this power earlier, would I have defeated that mecha naga guy earlier….

Arriving back, the murder drone is still surprised by the action she is witnessing. She had no idea how this "murder drone" was making the monster a joke. She wants to learn how to get stronger to kill worker drones efficiently and be prepared if another monster like the one in front of them ever comes by.

Before Ghot walks away, Ghot and the murder drone felt shaking on the ground. Ghot turns around and sees the glowing where the monster was thrown toward. What they witnessed shocked them to no end. As the monster rose, they noticed a leaking liquid leaving the damaged monster, but it was not oil as they had expected, but actual blood. Not only that, the appearance of the monster also changed. Part of the torso that got damaged shows organs, the claws are more natural than metal, and the teeth and eyes are more realistic, but the most noticeable feature is that some parts of the body are now glowing in green aura, mainly around the arms.

The creatures roar loudly, forcing Ghot and the murder drone to cover their sense of hearing. The green core of the creature starts to glow and aims it toward Ghot. Realizing what was about to happen, she prepared for the worst by surrounding herself with the shield. As she had prepared, the creature shot a massive laser toward her. She braced for impact and was pushed through many obstacles behind her, like rocks and trees. After the laser died off, Ghot looked around her and noticed how much damage that laser did to the environment.

Ghot: Alright… this is serious now. It means that either you or I will be killed. Drag me! It is very close to the colony. If that thing is this much of a threat, it might kill everyone I know and love. Uzi… Thad… Doll… That one annoying popular school girl. (Sigh) Well, it's time to see if all that pirating of that anime wasn't useless!

After that sentence, Ghot's aura starts to glow brighter blue. Ghot and the monster rush toward each other at a breakneck speed that the murder drone can't keep up with. Ghot dodges one of the slashes from the monster, which continues cutting toward many trees behind Ghot. Ghot summons a shield and pushes at the monster, which resists the force. The monster responds by slamming at the ground, causing rocks to fly up, which Ghot has to avoid. The monster grabs Ghot and keeps slamming her to the ground. Then, it drags her across the ground, damaging Ghot. Still holding Ghot, it slams her into the tree and tries to bite her again. With a quick thought, Ghot grabs her gun, powering with her powers, and shoots at the head, a bullet shot through the head. The monster roars in pain, throws Ghot away, and starts to charge its laser again at Ghot, this time at close range. Ghot decides to do something crazy, and when the laser is about to hit her, she grabs it with her power and encloses the laser into an orb. Using the stored laser, she threw it back at the monster and dealt colossal damage to the monster. The monster is stunned by the damage it took. Taking the opening by the monster, Ghot grabs the green core and rips it off from the monster, now holding the power core in her hand. She noted that it is the component that Uzi needs for her railgun. Despite losing the power core, the monster still won't give up and tries to slash at her. At the last moment, she ducked under the claws and ran behind the monster. She then grabs the tail of the beast and swings it around. With enough speed, she threw the beast up in the sky.

Ghot: Now, it's time for the BIG, EPIC, GUN.

Using her power, she empowered the gun, and using part of the source from the power core via transfer with her power, she held her gun toward the monster. Right in her sight, she triggers the gun and, with her power, shoots a giant laser at the monster. The monster tries to block the laser, but it overpowers the creature and shoots through the torso, damaging everything inside. Because the power core was missing and the laser was very hot, it caused the monster to overheat. After a while, a glow appears, showing it is about to explode. After covering in glows of light, it explodes into a massive explosive, which can be felt from miles from it. 

After the most significant fight she has encountered, she lays down on the snowy floor, depowering back to a normal worker drone. As she lay down, the skull of the creature landed near her. Curiosity got to her, and she checked on the monster's skull. She found a serial name on the monster's top head as the murder drone walked toward her to see what it was about.

Cryptid Drone: W.

Ghot: So that's the name, huh?

??: Cryptid Drone? Wait. We are called Disassembly Drones, but that thing was called a Cryptid Drone. I am sure A had not said anything about the model, nor did the company.

Ghot: Who's A?

???: Oh, right, I hadn't introduced myself; my name is…..

D: Is Disassembly Drones D, or just D for short. For your question, A was my leader, and my other squadmate was called E. A was a bit harsh toward me, and E never cared about me. To be honest…. I am too much of a coward to kill, and I always have my eyes closed so I don't see the killing (as she is playing with her fingers). I feel pathetic, especially with my squadmate killed by that same monster you somehow manage to kill. I'm sorry if I wasn't much help back there; I was hiding the whole time. If we can start to work together, my question is, what is your name?

Ghot: (Thoughts) I must be careful with my words here.

Ghot: My name is Disassembly Drones G. A close friend sometimes calls me Ghot.

D: So…. who are your squadmate? Are they still alive?

Ghot: Well, they are also dead, like you. Unfortunately, I don't interact with them much, so I don't remember their names.

D:  Sorry to hear that, but look at us. We are pathetic Disassembly Drones, but as one would say, we pathetic sticks together.

Ghot: Yeeaahh. I might have to take this back to learn more about it.

As Ghot is about to check out the skull to check out, she suddenly feels pain in her head, leading to her fainting.

D: G?G. GGG!

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghot: (Mind) Huh, what am I seeing here?

What she is viewing is interesting to her.

???: Good morning, Wild.

Ghot: (Mind) Wild? Is this some memory I am viewing from another drone's point of view? Oh my goodness, it is like one of those scene!

The unknown drone, known as Wild, looks up toward a young adult human woman who looks like she works as an engineer. Her appearance is all darkened with glowing white eyes, likely as not remembering what she looks like.

???: How did you sleep, my beautiful drone?

Wild: That's good. I've always had the fantastic dream of hiking through nature and learning about it. How had my sister been?

??: Oh, Wonderland has been alright. She is still trying to become my assistant. I hope the company accepts my idea of having personal worker drones. 

Wild: No worry. They will likely learn about the benefits of that. If they can't see it, it's their loss. 

???: (chuckle) Right. Anyway, I plan to for us to check if the excavation is going well today. Can you handle that?

Wild: Psst, as if that be hard. I know what I am going to do—just mine and mine.

??: (nervously laugh) Yeah. Remember Wild. I am always here for you, no matter what happens to you or me.

Wild: Thanks… $%#@&#^&

Ghot: (Mind) Hmmm, this must be the life of a worker drone when humans were still around. Also, wait, why is that human's name censored?! Am I missing something, or-

Before Ghot even finished her thoughts, she was kicked out of the memory.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghot wakes up, scaring the murder drone.

D: (panicking) G! Are you ok?! I thought you were dying!

Ghot: I'M NOT DYING! I just happened to fall into a coma and have a memory of something. Still, the question is who and why.

Ghot realizes she is talking to a murder drone, so she has to be careful of what to say.

D: Phew, I thought I was about to lose another friend. Anyway, is there anything interesting you find in your memory?

Ghot: (lies) Only thing I saw was how we murder drone kill worker drones.

D: hmmmm, strange, but I'm not going to question it anymore.

Ghot: Anyway. (tries to stand up but falls due to the damage she has taken) Ow. I forgot I had taken too much damage. Um, D, could you help me? I can later examine the skull to find any other information about this cryptid drone.

D: Sure, I would love to help to make me feel not pathetic. 

D then grabs Ghot and flies up to the sky.

D: So. Where would you want to take you to?

Ghot: How about this? I will tell you the direction, and you go, alright?

D: Deal!

Ghot tells D which direction to go in. After a while, Ghot tells D to land at a spot close to the colony but not too close.

D: Here you go! You say you can go back to your base at this point.

Ghot: Yes, I appreciate the help, though. Is there any way we can communicate?

D: Well, because I had broken communication from that fight with that Cryptid drone, we all settled to have walkie-talkies, so here is one (she passes one to Ghot). Anyway, stay safe! Call me if you need anything, or I call you if I need anything. The sun is about to be up, so you better hurry! (She flies up far into the distance).

Ghot: She may be a Disassembly Drones, but she is nice when not killing, though she did mention she is a coward. I could still learn more about these Disassembly Drones, but I could also try to find a way to stop her from killing worker drones. Anyway.

Ghot travels a few hundred meters until she reaches the colony. But she notices that the door is wide open and sees dead worker drones. Worried, she rushes into the colony despite still being damaged and sees more damaged parts around the area. When she reaches the open area, she notices many worker drones still alive, giving her renewed hope. Thad notices her and walks up to her.

Thad: GHOT! I thought you were killed, but you are here! What happens to you? Are you alright?

Ghot: What happened here? Did we get attacked by Disassembly Drones?

Thad: Disassembly Drones? First, did you mean murder drone? Second, two did enter this room, and one is dead over there. (points at the dead body of J).

Ghot: (Notice the dead body). Well, drag me, I overlooked that. What and how did that drone get killed?

Thad: Well, funny story: as I tried to stand up against two of the murder drones, Uzi and a male murder drone arrived, and the fight went on. Uzi used that railgun on that drone down there, and boom, explosion. After what she said to her dad about him leaving her to die, she banished herself. Both she and the two murder drones left, albeit the female one was tied up (blushes a little thinking about her).

Ghot: (speechless) . . . . 

Thad: Is something wrong, Ghot?

Ghot: Oh no, everything is fine. It's astonishing what Uzi managed to do without me, such as friending a murder drone and killing another murder drone, which I am proud of. I am speechless because of HOW KHAN LEAVE UZI TO DIE TO THE MURDER DRONE YOU SAID!

End of Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

It starts with a view of the snow outside. After a moment, shoes pass by, and it shows to be Ghot running through the snowy area. Ghot was searching for Uzi after finding out that not only had the disassembly drone attacked the colony, but was saved by Uzi and a rebellious disassembly drone as Thad mentioned, but had to make sure she was alright. Before she left to search, she stopped by Uzi's house to confront Kahn. After some lecture about "Why you should always be there for your daughter" by Ghot, she went out and grabbed items for going outside.

Ghot: (worried) OK, so Thad said they left not too long ago, about a few hours ago. Since he mentioned that Uzi "banished" herself and went with the murder drones, it is more likely she would be around the spiral. Drag, I hope she is alright, especially one of the murder drones who was friendly to her. I swear, if I find her dead, I am going to rip the murder drones apart until their scream can't be heard from space!

After a few more minutes of running, she finally reached the spiral as the sun rose from the night sky.

Ghot: Drag, this brings back a bad memory of the first time I came outside and saw this. Hopefully, Uzi is fine.

As she finally reaches the spiral, she can see Uzi sitting on top of a ruined car. Uzi then notices Ghot.

Ghot: Uzi! (rush right up to her).

Uzi: (surprised) GHOT! I thought you were dead!

Ghot: Same! I thought something terrible would have happened when I saw the bunker door open, well, until after what I heard from the colony about how you and another murder drone kicked two murder drones. You even managed to kill one with your railgun. You must have found the part for it after all. By the way, I have an extra one for you, so here you go (toss the extra power core to Uzi as Uzi grabs it).

Uzi: Alright! Got another for my sick-as-hell railgun. (Realize she left it behind) Oh, right, I left it behind. You don't have it with you.

Ghot: (realize) Oops? I must have felt so much from hearing about how your father abandoned you that I forgot to bring the railgun. (Chuckle) Sorry.

Uzi: It's OK, you can get it later. I'm still mad at my dad for abandoning me and not being there for me, but I'm glad to hear at least I'm not the only one who had to knock some senses into him.

Ghot: Oh yeah, speaking of railgun, I got to ask. What happened to you while I was on the other side? How did you even manage to befriend one of the murder drones?

Uzi: Well, it's a long story from when we split off.

Uzi then explained how she went to the spiral and found her railgun's power source. She mentions how she encountered the murder drone, which stabbed the hand she was blocking with; she mentions how she used her railgun on the murder drone and managed to destroy his head.

Ghot: Pause, pause. So let me clarify: you block their tail with your hand?! You do realize those can burn through metal. And also, if you did get stabbed in the hand, why do I still see your hand looking perfectly fine (she was looking at Uzi's hand)

Uzi: Bite me! I prefer not to talk about that.

Ghot: OK? Also, if you had destroyed his head, how would he still be here?

Uzi: I'm getting there! Just listen to how it went.

Ghot: Sorry, continue.

Uzi continued explaining how the male murder drone thought she was one of them after he regenerated his head back.

Ghot: (thoughts) "Huh, so just like D, this male murder drone also has that same defect".

Uzi went on to explain that he introduced himself as N, how she tries to get him to switch sides, and the part about getting the male murder drones to help her fight the other two murder drones. She kills one of them, and she banishes herself from the colony.

Ghot: Wow. I told you it is "sick as hell" if you managed to kill a murder drone on your own, though it would have been two if the other didn't regenerate. But for real, though, are you seriously alright?! Are there any injuries or anything I should know of?

Uzi: I'm fine! I want to sit here for a while.

Ghot: Alright. Since you explained your story, how about I explain mine? You won't believe how it went.

Uzi: Right, you hadn't told me how it went for you when you followed that thing.

Ghot: Alright, so hear me out.

Ghot explains to Uzi about her encounter with the Cryptid Drones. She also mentions meeting a "new" friend, another murder drone named D. Still; she mentions she likely has the same issue as N, where she thought that Ghot was a murder drone, and also how she just has power out of nowhere and fight the cryptid drone in an anime-like fight. She also explained how she ended the fight and found out the model of the drone. She went on to mention that she has a walkie-talkie to talk to D whenever she wants.

Uzi: (Thinking before saying something) So, you magically got power out of nowhere like those anime we pirated before? Do you know how?

Ghot: I still believe that if I fight something very dangerous, it will just activate. I am still figuring it out. DRAG, I can't activate it right now.

Uzi: We can try some theories later, but you did say you got the skull part, right?

Ghot: Yes and no. I don't have it with me right now, but I could ask D to bring it here so I can study it more and find some data inside.

Uzi: We can try that later.

Ghot: We can wait a while since you (finger gesture) "can't return" to your home yet.

Uzi: Yeah. Let's wait.

The following night

Uzi: Alright, N should be up by now. I assume you already had call D?

Ghot: I had, and she is currently on the way to pick up the skull and bring it here. Are you sure N would not mind?

Uzi: Considering who his other teammate was, he won't mind.

Ghot: I see. Hopefully, he is alright with some new friends to talk to.

Walking inside the spiral, they see N dropping to the ground to meet the two.

N: Hello! I'm serial designation N! Nice to meet another friend of Uzi. What may your name be?

Ghot: Hello. My name is Ghot, and I am a very close friend of Uzi, to the point that some may think we are sisters. Aside from that, I am curious about how Uzi makes friends with you.

N: I'm pretty sure Uzi would have explained it to you, did she?

Ghot: She did, and she pulled this off on her own. While she explained you and others, I still want to know more about you. (thoughts) "Hopefully, my instinct is alright with this. If I ever find them betraying us, I will use that power to kill them all."

N: I would love to explain about us.

Ghot: Alright, speaking of which, where is the other murder drone?

N: She's inside the landing pod. Uzi suggested chaining her to a chair.

Uzi: It was to make sure she did not escape.

Ghot: Alright, let's go inside. By the way, N, I invited another friend of mine, and she is on the way here, alongside something we found.

N: More friends! I have no problem with that.

The three went inside the landing pod. There, they met the other murder drone, V. She is currently chained and sitting, blowing bubbles.

V: Oh? Did you guys bring me food to eat?

Ghot: If I ever see one piece of me in your mouth, I will make sure that piece is the last you will ever taste.

V: Ooohh, I feel so threatened, like you can threaten me.

N: (pull Ghot away from V slowly) Calm down, you two. I don't want us all to fight.

V hisses back, then return to blowing bubbles.

Ghot: Right, right. So N, would you like to explain about yourself and the other teammate while we wait for my friend?

N: Sure, I will start with myself.

N tells Ghot about himself and how he is the kind of drone who wishes to be accepted by his teammate.

Ghot: So, you are the kind of drone in the group. Noted, continue.

N: Right, V over there. (V is unamused when N mentions her).

N explains that V tends to kill a lot of drones and feels joy whenever she kills them. N whispers to Ghot about her crush on V and wants her not to tell her about it.

Ghot: So, V is the sociopathic and sadistic of this group. (Sarcasm) That is totally not concerning for Uzi or me at all. Who was the other one?

N: Oh, the last was J. She's an extraordinary leader.

Ghot: How so?

N explains to Ghot how J is a lethal workaholic and how she despises N. He also said that she was arrogant and prideful and that pride was what got J killed in the first place.

Ghot: OH, I see. So she has the ego of a BEEP.

The three drones reacted to Ghot's swearing.

N: WHOA, careful with what you say.

Uzi: (Trying not to laugh) I'm sorry. It's just that I have never heard you swear that often.

V: I wasn't paying attention at all until I heard that. Only wants me to consume you more.

Ghot: Regardless, it seems that ever since this J is gone, it has only been you two. Have any other murder drones ever come around here?

N: There were times they had, but at this point, we hadn't seen any other team for months.

Ghot: Well, you will likely meet another one soon.

N: OOO. Who will they be? Please tell me!

Ghot: Her name is- (before Ghot said it, they heard a shout outside). That must be her; let's go. OH, before I forget, can you guys call me G around her, same with calling Uzi U? I am still trying to figure out if she can be trusted like N here, especially if her sense gets fixed somehow later (She exited the landing pod).

Uzi and N look at each other and soon follow after Ghot. As the three exit the landing pod and go to the spiral exit, they meet D, holding the skull of the deceased cryptid drone.

D: Hello again, G. I brought the skull to your base as you requested.

Ghot: Thanks, D! By the way, I want you to meet my "new" teammates, N and U.

Uzi: Uh-huh. My name is U. Please don't call me short.

However, N is surprised because he never thought he would meet an old friend, and people confuse the two for twins because of their similar personalities.

N: D? Is that you?

D: N? I thought we would never see each other again.

Ghot: You two know each other?

D: I recall being in a factory with many others like us. In just one day, we were assigned to different teams, where we last saw each other. I honestly thought the worst scenario could happen, such as this cryptid drone killing him (holding the skull).

N: (Notice the skull) Whoa, what is that?

Ghot: This is the cryptid drone I managed to kill. Turns out, it not only feeds on worker drones, but it also kills and eats murder drones like you, V, or D.

N: (shocked) Wait, did you say something that can eat us?

Ghot: First, I saw D's teammate's fate. Second, I brought this computer to see if I could find some recordings and find any more information on these cryptid models.

D: I see. However, N, I want to ask if I can stay with you guys since I am alone now.

N: Well, considering I hadn't seen you forever, and I feel bad seeing you lonely out there, I don't mind, right guys?

Ghot: You can stay; we probably need much help anyway.

Uzi: I'm whatever.

As N and D talk about their work over the years, Uzi watches Ghot check any file for recording or information and sees if they can learn where they are coming from until Ghot finds something.

Ghot: Data information about Cryptid Drone W. I was looking for that! (Everyone comes close to check). Alright, so according to the information, the critical thing I found is that it was created during the time that the design for worker drones was first made back in the 3040s; it was created to help find missing people in the woods and also any missing worker drones as well and assistant back to the campsites. The model is based on the cryptid monster named the Wendigo, a cannibalistic monster. However, this version uses the one with the head of a deer, unlike the pale human it is based on.

N: So why based on something that sounds scary?

Ghot: I'm getting there. This monster is chosen to fight against armed intruders or protect people or drones from furious bears or wolves. It is powered by a power source similar to that used in nuclear places, and the reason is to extend its powers so the Cryptid Drone doesn't randomly shut down. Interesting.

Uzi: Wait, won't there be more of other cryptid models, just like how murder drones have different names?

Ghot: I can check on that quickly. (She quickly looks up all the names she can find.) I have found these, but other than W, the rest of the information is classified other than the codenames. The names I got so far are B, F, M, N, T, Z, and two unknown letters. I might keep these in mind for future studies.

N: Oh! Have you managed to find a recording, though? Let's see what it saw before it got destroyed.

Ghot: I got the recording, and since we read everything else for now, it's time to check on the recording. But I should mention something interesting: the date when it was recorded was.... a few months ago. (Thoughts) "That's almost when I woke up from that pod!"

There is only one recording saved, in which Ghot plays.

The recording is shown from CDW's point of view. It is looking around in a laboratory, surrounded by wires connecting to each part, such as the arms, legs, and head. One would notice the amount of oils spilled around and even some dead worker drones.

Uzi: (shocked) What in the.

D: (Panic) I can't handle this; I am looking away from this....

Ghot: This got to be where it was made, but why so many dead worker drones....

Continue on the recording. CDW looks around, trying to move, but it cannot because of the wires. It then hears footsteps getting closer and louder.

Ghot: Hmm... seems something is coming. Maybe we will know who the mastermind behind this is.

As the footsteps get closer and louder, the wires turn the drone around into the darker area and spot something in the dark: huge red eyes. It then grabs toward CDW's throat and holds it there.

???: Hello, my newly made cryptid drone. You are now my third cryptid series drone to be successfully created without any error, unlike these other failures over there (points to the dead worker drones). To be fair, I did use the secret power from the green core thingy to build the way you are. The first one I had to use was creating a sentinel AI to help with my plan. The other was my favorite drone, which will always be loyal to me. Now, I have an order for you. Once I put you and the other cryptid drones, once they are complete, to Copper 9, I was hoping you could find all the worker drones and kill them all! They all don't deserve to run freely! While you all do that, I will be here working on a massive project to help us eliminate all these out-of-control drones not only on Copper 9 but in every single place on this solar system. Hopefully, you will satisfy me. I will release you to the landing pod once I get everyone else ready.

As the unknown figure turns, one can see enormous wings of hundreds of sharp blade-like feathers. The video then cuts off. All the drones watching look at each other in shock.

Ghot: So... I have two theories now. The information we read earlier was a cover-up for the actual purpose, or whatever that thing had a different plan after whatever it saw in us. Regardless of what it is, we must ensure these cryptid drones are dealt with.

D: This is already scary to think about it. IF what CDW has done to my teammates, I'm afraid to know what the other can do!

Uzi: Wishing to kill all drones seems to be a human thing, but that thing on the video is not a human at all. This might complicate my murdering plan.

Ghot: OK, OK. Guys, listen. We still need to plan and know where they could be. I can connect this to see if it can locate the GPS of other cryptid drones. I will go somewhere to try that. (whisper to Uzi) I am also going to get your railgun back.

Uzi: (chuckle) Sounds like a plan. I can improve the railgun to deal more damage. They won't know what hit them!

Ghot: Alright. I'll be right back; I'll catch you soon, N and D.

N: (Waving goodbye) It was nice meeting you!

D: (Playing with fingers nervously) Hopefully, you stay safe!

Ghot walks toward the colony. She seems to have a new mission: to save the planet from an upcoming danger-not only murderous murder drones but also mysterious cryptid drones. What story will be there for Ghot and her friends? As she walks back to her colony, little does she know someone is watching her from behind the building.

 What story will be there for Ghot and her friends? As she walks back to her colony, little does she know someone is watching her from behind the building

End of Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

As she entered the colony again, she went to where Uzi had left her railgun. After returning to the room, she searched until she found the railgun beside J's still decreased body. 

Ghot: It is still creepy how that body had not been removed from here yet. I guess maybe some are still creeped out by deposing the corpse of a murder drone.

As Ghot grabbed the railgun and walked back home, she didn't notice how J's body moved a little. After walking in the colony for a while, she returned to Uzi's home. When she entered again, she didn't see Khan around.

Ghot: (unamused) he must have gone off to his friend after my outburst. I hope he learns from this that he should be a better father to Uzi.

Ghot then places the railgun beside Uzi's bed, and she crawls into her sleeping bag. 

Ghot: I can bring the railgun back to Uzi tomorrow. (Yawns) I'm going to sleep for the time being.

Ghot goes to rest mode and goes to sleep. The next day, she rises from her sleep mode and grabs stuff for school. She sees Khan about to go but doesn't bother saying goodbye since she still holds a grudge against him for abandoning Uzi. She exits the house and runs toward school.

Ghot: (running to school) Alright, so my plan for today is to continue with school, and when night arrives, I will bring the railgun back to Uzi. After that, I will continue researching these cryptid drones and hopefully understand what I had with that one memory and why I received those memories from who.

As Ghot entered the school, she heard many students talking about the event that had happened a few nights ago. Some even talked about how one of the murder drones was killed by Uzi.

Ghot: (thoughts) Maybe they would realize that Uzi is right. Good for her. I'm still proud of that.

Unaware of where she is walking up to, she bumps into someone.

Ghot: OH! Sorry about that, I was thinking about how-

Ghot realizes she bumped into the one person she wished she didn't want to speak to, Lizzy.

Lizzy: Watch where you are going, lose—Oh, Ghot! I hadn't seen you; I thought those murder drones would have killed you after what Uzi said.

Ghot: (glared) Lizardy, I better hope you're not up to something to go against my friend, Uzi.

Lizzy: Relax, I hadn't made any plan, let alone aware that she's grounded.

Ghot: (starts to get angry) She ground- NO, I'm sure she said she banished herself.

Lizzy: (Teasing) It seems like the same thing.

Ghot: DRAG ME. Why am I even bothering to speak with you? Just don't get your ego over your head. I know someday that it will (finger gesture) "bite you," and you'll realize we're all the same, not just some popular girl in school.

As Ghot is about to walk away while still staring at Lizzy, Ghot turns her head around and almost bumps into Doll, who arrived not too long ago. As Ghot spotted Doll, she started covering her face and appeared to have a blush on her screen.

Ghot: OH! H-Heyyyyy…. Doll. H-How have you been?

Doll: [Good.]

Ghot: Well…. GOODTOHEARALRIGHTIGOTTOGOTOCLASSNOWSEEYA!

Ghot rushes as Doll and Lizzy watch Ghot go to her class.

Lizzy: (Thoughts) Hmmm, I have noticed that while Ghot generally talks to everyone, even me, she seems nervous around Doll. Something is up between those two. I might have to figure that out later. 

Lizzy then turns to Doll.

Lizzy: Alright, let's continue with class. I was told we have a parent-teacher conference later, so we might have to stay longer.

Doll: [Alright].

The class went on for a while. As Ghot continued learning many subjects, she continued thinking about her past life and why she saw a memory of another worker drone. She also had to realize there may be other Cryptid Drones on the planet, which may have more keys to discovering the true origin of the Cryptid Drone models. Lunch had arrived, and Ghot was about to have her lunch when Thad walked up.

Ghot: Oh hey, Thad. How have things been for you since that incident? Are you alright from that Stab?

Thad: It's cool, I got it fixed. 

Ghot: It's good to hear you're all right. So, what's brought you here? You usually eat with your other cool friends.

Thad: I want to ask two things: First, did you happen to take Uzi's railgun? I was planning on bringing it to her since she forgot it. Two, if you did, was the murder drone's corpse still there? 

Ghot: For the first question,  I have taken the railgun, and I plan to bring it to Uzi after school finishes. As for the second question, the body was still there when I picked it up.

Thad: (starts to get concerned) Alright, the first question is answered, but from what you said about the second… it is supposed to still be there until later for clean up, but um, the body isn't there.

Ghot: (Concern) Are you sure it's not like they clean it up earlier than usual?

Thad: Nope, it is supposed to be later.

Ghot starts to think about something and realizes she might have to deal with it, but she might need help, most likely Uzi and N.

Ghot: Ok, I will bring the railgun and meet with Uzi and the other murder drone, which is the friendliest of the two from what I know and have seen so far. She might have to know about this, and the murder drone might know about it.

Thad: I'm going as well, mainly to see Uzi again.

Ghot: (Teasing) Oh? Did someone miss my "sister" too much?

Thad: Not what I meant!

Ghot: I know, you two are cool together as friends. Alright, we can meet at the bunker door after school to meet up with Uzi. Is that alright?

Thad: Alright, see you then. (He left to go back with his group).

Ghot: (Thoughts) Hm, so if the body moves independently without anyone to clean up, and based on how Uzi describes her encounter with N, she might have regenerated fully and is somewhere in the colony. That is not good! 

Ghot continued with her school day until the end of the day. Once the time reached, she bolted back to Uzi's home and went to grab the railgun. She looked at the pistol on the table and decided to hold it. After some time, she reached the entrance to the bunker, where she met up with Thad.

Ghot: Alright, good to see you here on time.

Thad: So, do you know where Uzi is? Is that correct?

Ghot: Yes, I know where she's at, follow me.

Ghot and Thad went on throughout the snowstorm to arrive at the spiral.

Thad: So Uzi has been hanging with the murder drones all this time after the incident?

Ghot: Believe me, I would never have imagined this ever happened back in the past, but we are in the present, and look where we are now. Surprise how life can change.

Thad: Yeah.

As they both arrived near the spiral, they could hear Uzi speaking.

Uzi: I'm good. Better than good. I am GOD!

After Uzi finishes speaking, she spots both Ghot and Thad standing there, formally holding the railgun she dearly forgot behind.

Uzi (nervously): Hi, hi, Thad. Hey Ghot. Thank you. (she grabs the railgun that Ghot handed to her).

Ghot: I hope you are not falling into a God-complex mood.

Uzi: Not.

Thad: Of course, 'Zi! (To N) N&M's. You saved my life. I don't think the colony is even serious about all this banishment stuff, more just confused. Especially with the fact that- 

Uzi: I'm too rogue to re-enter society now? I can never return…

Ghot: I… won't put it like that?

Thad: ...Recent disappearances, and your murder friend's corpse. When I went to find your gun, which Ghot had already taken a while earlier, it kind of looked like it... crawled away...?

Ghot: And she might have likely regenerated.

Uzi and N heard what Thad and Ghot mentioned and were shocked to hear.

Uzi: We can return a little…

N: This is something else, as while we can regenerate, we still have a limit of how much we can regenerate.

Ghot: Right, let's go-

Before they left, D appeared from the sky and landed between the group, scaring them for a second. Uzi was about to yell at D for scaring them but noticed how D panicked.

D: G-GUYS, I THINK I SAW SOMETHING HUGE NEARBY, AND IT SEEMS SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING!

As she panicked, Ghot got a message in her vision: a warning that a nearby anomaly is nearby, just like Cryptid Drone W.

Ghot: Oh…. no. It's another one of those cryptid drones, and it seems there is one nearby. Okay, change of plan; because of what D described, I am going to have Uzi, N, and Thad go back to the colony and deal with whatever happened to that murder drone's corpse. If you can't defeat it, stall it somehow. D and I will check on these cryptid drones.

N: Why can't I help you?

Ghot: Because, I believe you still can able to help Uzi with whatever is inside the colony that likely could be dangerous. Keep Uzi safe, please.

N: Pinky promise! Let's go!

N grabs both Uzi and Thad and flies to the colony. Meanwhile, D turns out and looks at Ghot in fear.

D: Why do you need my h-help? I am a coward in doing the killing; I didn't even help you on the first cryptid drone.

Ghot: Trust me, I am just as scared as you are, but we need to push through if we want to finish off whatever these Cryptid Drones are. Do not worry; my friends and I will be there for you, so you are not alone. We are not like the other people or drones who treated you before; we treat you as best friends looking out for each other.

After D heard what Ghot had to say, she felt something she had not felt for a long time… comfortable. She felt relaxed.

D: I may still be a coward, but I will try to assist you.

Ghot: THAT is the spirit! Come on, let's find this cryptid drone. Where did you last spot it?

D: I will take you there. Hold on tight.

D grabs Ghot and flies to the location of the cryptid drone she spotted earlier. As time passes, they look around to see if the cryptid drone is nearby, but nothing has come up so far. After some time, they arrived where D had last seen the cryptid drone.

D: (flies down and slowly drops Ghot to the ground) I saw one here.

Ghot: Hmmm, I notice how this area seems more... damaged compared to other areas…

D: How would you tell?

Ghot: those claw marks on some buildings should tell us about that statement.

D: I am still scared of what it is capable of. If the first one shows any indication, imagine if it can total a city if it is that huge…

Ghot: Just be careful; as far as I know, it could be a new model. Unlike how we look similar but have different abilities, it could be a new model.

D: True, so hopefully, it is still similar-

Before D finished her sentences, they both felt shaking on the ground. They looked around until they spotted something on top of a building. On top was a giant claw hand. The head of the new cryptid drone rose from the building. From there, both Ghot and D saw the head peaking out. The noticeable feature of the head is the shape that appears to be that of an ace of spades. They see an orange eye glowing. It then jumped from behind the building and landed at the front of the two, causing a small shockwave on the ground due to its enormous 60-meter height size. The most noticeable part is the dress-like body at the bottom, equipped with a massive rocket booster. 

Ghot: Oh my-

D: (scream) I DIDN'T EXPECT ALSO TO MOVE THAT FAST!

Ghot: It is time for my power to be active (spread her arms). Power up, active!

Times go by, but nothing has happened.

D: Um…. where is your power?

Ghot: I swear, I thought I could be active anytime…

Before they continue discussing, they dodge the swipe from the giant drone. Its eyes are on Ghot, and it continues to try to swipe or crush Ghot with its huge hands.

Ghot: (running) Come on, turn it on now; I need it now. 

As Ghot does not notice, the giant drone is about to grab Ghot, but Ghot gets pushed by D, rushing in to save Ghot from the drone. The drone grabs D and lifts its arm close to its face. As D looks at the giant drone, she can see it opening its mouth, revealing many decommissioned drones inside, all crushed, likely eaten by the big drone. D screams and tries to keep shooting at it, but it does not deal any damage.

D: (thoughts) Well, this is it…. At least I managed to save Ghot from being devoured by this.

Before the huge drone ate D, an energy blast hit in the arms, and it let go of D. D fell from the height, not having time to fly, and before she hit the ground, she was grabbed by Ghot, whose power was finally activated. 

Ghot: Sorry for the holdup. I finally understand my power, but I'll explain later. Let's deal with that thing now.

D: (Starts to feel a little courage) Right.

Ghot drops D to the ground, and both drones arm their weapons, ready to fight the monstrous drone. The drone lets out a howling roar and starts to try to crush the two friends, only to dodge out of the way. D tries to keep shooting with her arm gun, but it still does not do any damage to the body of the cryptid drone. Ghot thinks of an idea.

Ghot: Hey D, did you have anything besides those machine gun hands?

D: I have a rocket launcher, but I need better aim. I also have smokescreen and regular bombs, though I have never used them.

Ghot: I have an idea. I will help you with this when the time comes, so be ready.

D: Got it. (Looks behind Ghot) Look out!

Ghot dodged in time from the swipe from the cryptid drone. It then switches its hands into a giant chainsaw and tries to cut both drones. While Ghot managed to dodge, D didn't react in time and got part of her arms cut off. Ghot look at D in shocks.

D: AH! (Looks at Ghot) Don't worry. I can regenerate from this; keep fighting (Goes inside the building to heal for a while).

Ghot nods and continues fighting the massive drone. As she notices that the drone is armored, she would have to attack its weak points, mostly the joints and likely even the inside. Attacking the joints might be risky since it is like hitting a small target from a dangerous monster, so most likely, trying to find an opening might work. Still, she needs perfect timing to attack the inside. As she thinks of the plan, the monstrous drone starts to open its components around the dress-like body and shoot hovering spinning sawblades at Ghot. She knows getting hit by the sawblades would be a deathbed for her, so she must dodge them. She did notice that when it strikes the building behind her, it still slices them clean like butter, which give her an idea. Starting to use her power, she imagined a big claw, inspired by the CDW, primarily for how durable the claws were. 

After gaining and turning her power into claws, she rushes up to the upcoming sawblades and manages to grab them without damaging herself. After holding it, she spun around and tossed it at the monstrous drone, and it managed to damage the body for the first time. Notice its damaged body; it then prepares to strike back by changing its chainsaw into a rocket launcher and starts to shoot at Ghot. Having no time to dodge, she has to use her shield power to block the attack, which sends the shield through many buildings. After getting up, with some damage around her body, she gets ready to continue the fight. It then shoots more sawblades at Ghot, and like before, she uses her claw power to grab and throw at the monstrous drone. Still, it prepares and parries it back at Ghot using its durable chainsaw this time. In retaliation, she parries it back at the monstrous drone. It parries back, and Ghot parries back, and it goes on until Ghot manages to parry the sawblade fast enough to the face, stunning it in the meantime. Getting this chance, she used her pistol and powered it up to shoot strong energy-like bullets at the monstrous drone, damaging it. The monstrous drone emerged from the stun and jumped high in the sky. It was about to land on top of Ghot, but she had to react fast by using her claw power again and catching the monstrous drone in time before getting crushed. With a strong force, she throws the monstrous drone into the nearby building, causing the building to fall on top of the monstrous drone. D appears back.

D: I am back to fight again alongside my friend. How is it going so far?

Ghot: Going well so far. It is a step up from the first Cryptid Drone, though. I wonder if it has that dark soul second phase-

Before Ghot finishes, both drones see green glowing coming out from the collapsed building and, in a second, burst outward, causing Ghot and D to take cover. They both notice how the huge drone is now glowing with a green aura around it and like the first Cryptid Drone, its appearance also changes. Not only are organs now present around the torso, but blood also leaks from some of the damaged parts. They also can see the teeth as more organic than technical. 

It roars now and starts enmity purple gas in the surrounding area. As the gas reached the two drones, they both immediately felt the effect of their body slowly melting.

Ghot: (Panic) D! WE NEED TO GET HIGH UP IN THE SKY! YOU WILL HAVE TO HOLD ON TO ME FOR THE REST OF THIS FIGHT!

D: RIGHT!

D grabs Ghot and flies up to the sky. They see the huge drones about to attack them with multiple sawblades and rockets.

Ghot: I have an idea, and this is where your bombs and rocket will help me execute my plan. We need to get your rocket at that heart while I grab one of the sawblades.

D: Alright! Let's try this.

Using her claw power again, Ghot parried the sawblade and rockets back at CDF while it either parried back or sliced those with its chainsaw hands. While it is distracted, Ghot mentions something to D.

Ghot: D, hand me your two bombs, throw me to the drone, and then get ready to pick me back up.

D: Y-you sure you want to do that?

Ghot: Have fate in me, D. I trust you can help me.

D: (Determined) Right. Here we go! (Throws Ghot at cryptid drone).

Ghot landed on the massive drone and kept attacking it with the boxing glove power she had formed. After stunning it, Ghot uses her power on the bombs and throws both below the huge drones. It then explodes upon landing on the ground and causes it to raise the cryptid drone right up in the sky. 

As the cryptid drone can't move around sideway up in the sky, Ghot keeps attacking it, even using some sawblade she managed to catch earlier and throwing it at the sender, damaging the frame. Using her power, she jumped high and landed hard on the cryptid drone, causing it to fall to the ground. She then uses the smoke bomb midair, covering herself in smoke. Considering the snowy area, the cryptid drone gets back up and is confused about where Ghot and D went. It hears something up in the sky and notices something very bright shows up. It was the rockets from D that were heading toward the heart. It blocks the missile with its chainsaw hand. Still, it fails to notice that it is a decoy for what is about to hit it: a giant powered sawblade created by Ghot, which heads straight toward the distracted cryptid drone. It notices at the last second and tries to block it with its chainsaw hand, but the sawblade breaks through the chainsaw and right to the core. It, alongside the core, was sliced in half in the middle. During the few seconds, nothing happened, but the drone's left part dropped, indicating that the cryptid drone was breaking apart. Explosions happen around the body, and at the final moment of its life, it explodes in massive explosions, spreading the dangerous gas away from the area. D landed on the ground and dropped Ghot down.

D: (Excited) T-that was AMAZING G! I didn't think that plan would work, but you are pretty smart of distracting it with my missile.

Ghot: I told you it would work.

As Ghot and D discuss their victory, the hand of the cryptid drone lands next to the duo, surprising them both. 

Ghot: (Jumps) Yikes. It almost landed on us! That was close.

D: A-Agree. Although this got me thinking, could you also find more information, like the skull of the other one?

Ghot: (Thinking for a moment) Possibility.

Both of the duo walk up to the hand of the drone and find its name.

Crypitd Drone: F.

Ghot: This was the other coded-name cryptid drone I saw earlier. So far, it has taken down at least two of these cryptid drones. I hope there are no clones of them out there.

D: There is likely only one of each model because if that were true, we would be dead if we needed your power to defeat them.

Ghot: Hmmm, you have a point there. So now let's- 

Before Ghot even finishes what she is saying, she feels a pain in her head again, just like before, which leads to her fainting again. 

D: G!? Not again! Stay with me!

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghot opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar place that she couldn't remember seeing before. She was confused until she remembered this had happened before.

Ghot: (Mind) Oh, it must be another one of this memory. I'm curious if I will see that girl from another memory here.

As Ghot looked around, she noted that she must be another drone since her clothes differed. She also saw she was atop a building overlooking the city before her. She was surprised to see how the city looked compared to how it was in Copper–9 right now in her time. She wished she could see this, but she looked like she likely would not. She heard a familiar voice from the first memory.

???: There you are, Foster!

From the drone’s point of view, Ghot see the same girl from the first memory. She still has the same appearance, which is all darkened with white eyes.

Foster: Hello! Come to view the city?

???: I was mainly looking for you, but I also like to see the city from up here. 

Foster: You know, it's always nice to have a break and realize that time flies when you work so hard.

???: Yeah, time can fly by fast.

Both the drone, from Ghot's perspective, and the human girl looked at the city for a while until they heard a footstep coming nearby. Both the human girl and Foster looked behind them and saw a human male. Like the human girl, he was darkened with white glowing eyes. He seemed to be a professional scientist.

Ghot: (Mind) I wonder how he related to these two.

Scientist: Oh, there you are, Miss $^#@

Ghot: (Mind) ok, her name is still censored. Why is that?!

???: OH! Mr. Aristotle. How have you been?

Mr. Aristotle: I have been pretty well, especially today. How was your day with your drones?

???: Pretty well. I was looking for Foster because I wanted to ask her if she, alongside my favorite drones, wanted to visit my place this week.

Mr. Aristotle: I hope you all have fun. I also want to show you the new drone I finally got. Meet Nyoka.

Both see the new drone coming behind Mr. Aristotle. He appears to be a drone with purple eyes, wears a white coat, and is wearing goggles.

???: Aw, he's cool! 

Nyoka: Oooo, I like it when girls see me as a cool person. It's nice meeting you both, considering you are Mr. Aristotle's favorite.

???: I assume he will assist you with your science project?

Mr. Aristotle: Correct! He will help me with my upcoming project. I propose that what I create should make the place better and safer. It would be incredible!

??: I am excited to hear about that. I hope your dream comes true.

Mr. Aristotle: It's good to hear your hope for me. I'm going now. It was nice talking with you. 

Nyoka: (Looks back at the human girl for a second) Long as he is happy, I don't care how it happens. You both have a lovely day. 

Both Mr. Aristotle and Nyoka left to go down inside the building.

Ghot: (Mind) Hmm…. fascinating. Maybe if I found the other drone, I might find more clues.

Foster: You admire Mr. Aristotle, don't you?

???: I mean, he is the reason we got this incredible technology with science. It's pretty cool.

Foster: Agree.

???: Alright, time to get back down.

Ghot saw the duo going downstairs to continue their work. As Ghot tries to piece together, she gets kicked out of the memory.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ghot wakes up again, scaring D.

D: Alright, you must stop doing that in front of me. I swear I am going to die from shock at this point.

Ghot: Sorry, D. I have another memory, but I still have some theory of why I see this memory.

D: Anything important I should know? (Looking down at Ghot).

Ghot: There still needs to be more. But for now, we have dealt with Cryptid Drone F. 

D: That's two, right?

Ghot: Right. There are still others; I don't know where they may be.

D: Yeah…

Ghot: (Realizes) Wait, I just remembered, we fought and dealt with the Crypitd Drone, but what about N and the rest?!

D: (Concern) Oh…. right. We better check on them.

D grabs Ghot and flies toward the colony. They can see Thad waiting outside. Ghot waits, jumps off D, and runs toward Thad.

Ghot: THAD, IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT?!

Thad: Whoa, whoa, calm down Ghot. I understand why you are feeling concerned, but rest assured, Uzi and N had dealt with the corpse of the other murder drone. Turns out…. It was like a program that activated whenever a murder drone died. Because the part for regenerating the murder drone was destroyed, it has to consume the worker drone to continue growing. 

Ghot: (Feeling more concerned) How is Uzi doing? 

Thad: She….. how do I say it? Not in a good mood right now.

D: Where is N? What happened to him?

Thad: Oh, he's ok. He passed by me and wants to let you two know he went back to the spiral if you want to see him. He also doesn't seem well, like Uzi.

D: Alright, G. I will leave you to help the other. I will help N as much as I can. I may still be a coward, but I always try my best to help friends in need. I wish you luck.

Ghot and Thad see D fly off to meet with N. Thad turns to Ghot.

Thad: I recommend you check on Uzi. While I am one of her few friends, I am pretty sure she needs you to support her.

Ghot: Thanks, Thad. As always, I'm glad to see you as a good friend.

Thad: Hey, no problem! (Finger gun at Ghot).

As Ghot and Thad walk inside the colony, they can see how other worker drones are cleaning it up. After walking for a while, they are about to go to a separate path until Thad remembers something.

Thad: Oh yeah, Ghot. (Ghot turns to Thad) Before I forget, you are super invited to my shindig next weekend. You are a cool kid, after all.

Ghot: OH! Thanks for letting me know. I will keep that in mind. I will see you around.

Thad: (Peace sign) Later.

Both Ghot and Thad walk on separate paths. Ghot now has to go meet Uzi and see what put her in a bad mood. Hopefully, she will support Uzi as she always has.

To be continued…..

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character 

Bold = time skip to a certain point

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

“” = thoughts

After she meets with Thad, knowing what happened to Uzi, Ghot runs to the house to ensure she is back there. When she arrives and enters Uzi's home, the first thing she sees is Khan Doorman, who is looking concerned.

Ghot: Khan, is everything alright with Uzi? Thad told me that she was feeling guilty.

Khan: (Sigh) Everything has gone wild recently. The only thing I am aware of is that Uzi thought she lost me as if she believed I died or something (Sip on mug).

Ghot: (Concern) Wh-what, what do you mean she thought you died…

Khan: When I found her in the cryosleep chamber, she looked down. I was initially confused, but then she ran toward me and hugged me hard. Just for an idea, she had never hugged me for years, so something must have happened with her and that murderous drones, so I wanted to ground her from ever seeing them, but there is probably more to what I know so far.

Ghot: Huh, I'm surprised you're starting to be less neglectful than usual. That still doesn't excuse the actions you took in the past, though.

Khan: I know, I know. I am starting to read this manual about family support. I hope I will be a better father for her.

Ghot: It is hard to gain trust, especially from a neglectful parent. However, if you want to help Uzi with this, that is the right step. Remember, it will take time, so don't expect quick results.

Khan: I am aware…

Ghot: (silence for a second) Sooo… is Uzi in her room?

Khan: Yeah, she is. Before entering, she said no one was allowed to interact with her. Well, with you, you two are close together. Besides me, she feels comfortable around you like the big sister she always wanted.

Ghot: Remember that you are still here to watch her, even if you neglect it. I mean, can you imagine a world where I don't exist and both her mom and dad are dead? I have seen how she acted sometimes, so can you imagine without anyone to help her in her dire situations, she probably would have gone insane…

Khan: (Thinking about for a moment) Yeah… I need to start becoming a father for Uzi. I may have doors, but I should also watch Uzi.

Ghot: Anyway, continue being a good dad for her (goes on to Uzi's room door).

Khan: See you around (went back to drinking from his mug).

Ghot went on to Uzi’s room. Once she reaches the door, she knocks on the door. Ghot waited for a while but was left with no response. Sighing, Ghot decided to knock again.

Ghot: (Concern) Uzi, are you in there? May I come in?

Ghot wait for a while again, until…

Uzi: (Inside the room) Come in…

Ghot enters the room. First, she notices Uzi lying down on the bed. Uzi and Ghot are looking up. She notices that Uzi's theories have new pages, many with strange symbols.

Ghot: So…. are you comfortable talking about what happened with you while I was facing the cryptid drones?

Uzi: (still feeling guilty) Sure….

Uzi then explained to Ghot about her moment in finding J's body. When they went to the area where J may be, they spotted a strange pattern on the wall, which she was told also shows up in her eye. They found something called the Absolute Solver, a backup program that would activate when Disassembly Drones had no material nearby to start regenerating. She explains how the strange creature took Thad and tried to trick the duo with a hologram Thad, but luckily, they were not dumb and saved Thad from the creature, and that is how Thad escaped. The creature shows up, which has J's head, trying to repair her. It then cast a hologram of Uzi's mother before later "killing" Uzi's father.

Ghot: (Thought) So that explains how Uzi went to hug her father. She thought he died for real… poor Uzi…

Uzi: However, there is something that even I don't want to believe. 

Ghot: (Concern) What may that be?

Uzi: It somehow knows about the cryptid drones and how you managed to kill one of them as if that thing had been watching us!

—------Flashback—------------

Past Eldritch J: Also, it seems one of your friends, who is currently not present, has destroyed one of my master's creations.

Past Uzi: (Still shocked from seeing her dad killed) W-what?

Past Eldritch J: It seems she is starting to become like you and others. How boring.

Past Uzi: What are you talking about?! She's already a worker drone, like me!

Past Eldritch J: Perhaps. Scanning. Scanning. She may be a worker drone, but-

Then a rocket hit Eldritch J, interrupting her.

—------Present—------------

Uzi:… after that, N protects me from… whatever that was. My railgun malfunctioned and exploded the creature. Turns out, it never killed my dad…. Just a hologram. At this point, I am not even sure what is real or not…

Ghot: (Walks to Uzi's bed and sits next to her) Well, that is concerning to hear, especially hearing that thing that knows about me. Don't worry, Uzi. We will pull this hell together. I'm here for you because I know you always want to have someone with you, at least always. As I said before, remember there may be one day when you must do stuff alone. I want to prepare you for that in case that ever happens. 

Uzi: Thanks Ghot….

Ghot: Also, did anything happen between you and N? Thad told me that N went back to the spiral really quickly and felt guilty, like you. Do… you want to speak about it?

Uzi: Well… after that creature was destroyed, I still was feeling scared from the ambush and thought N would have been one of them, so I…. shooed him away from me, and now I feel guilty that I might have pushed my one friend who I made with, beside you of course.

Ghot: (Sigh) I know how that feels; it feels like someone's secret betrayed you, but…. Maybe they had a secret because it would break the trust or sometimes not even know their secret…. Uzi, trust me, I know you didn't mean to push N away, and I bet the same thing with N not wanting to lose you as the only friend he managed to interact with, well, besides D, but still.

Uzi starts to think about what Ghot is talking about. They may have another chance at friendship.

Uzi: Alright…. I understand. Maybe you can visit N and talk to him? If you happen to do so, say to him that…. I'm sorry.

Ghot: No worries. As I said, I am always here for you, my little sister. I might visit them now. It would be best if you waited here and relaxed. You may feel confident enough to go back out there.

Uzi: (Hugs Ghot) Thanks… I appreciate you being there for me.

Ghot: No problem… Now, relax. I will deal with your stuff from now on. (Walk to the door) Peace.

Ghot exits the room. She then sees Khan still drinking his mug. 

Ghot: Khan, your daughter is getting a bit better, but I suggest giving her some room in the meantime. I'm going out to check on something quickly.

Khan: Ghot… thank you.

Ghot nods and exits the house. She goes to the bunker door and goes out into the night of winter. Unknown to her, she was being followed by someone.

After some time of walking, she managed to reach the spiral, where she saw D inside carrying the hand of the deceased Crypitd drone the two had fought. After D dropped the hand to the ground next to CDW's skull, she spotted Ghot.

D: G! There you are! You have no idea how N is feeling right now…

Ghot: You have told me what happened. I have already spoken to her and told her to take a break from this for a while. How is N, though?

D: He feels guilty about what Uzi had to see. I am not going to lie; hearing about what happened to our dead body turning into a giant centipede already scares me, and I am already terrified of centipedes!

Uzi: You don't mind if I can speak to him for a while, won't you?

D: Um…. he doesn't want to speak to anyone right now. Trust me… I tried to speak to him and V as well, but he has been ignoring us. I think it's best if you don't talk to him because I feel like that would make him even more guilty.

Ghot: (Thinking momentarily) I can speak to him once he is relaxed enough. Besides that, I see you brought the hand here, so I can see what information and recording it had. 

D: Right, let's see if it had any other information.

Ghot searched for information on the cryptid drone they had recently defeated. Both were unaware of a hidden figure watching them from far away. After a while of searching, Ghot managed to find the information they needed.

Ghot: AH HA! I found it, and there is data about Cryptid Drone F. From what the information provided indicates, it was also made around the 3040s and was the second model of the cryptid drone ever created. It was designed as a watch tower near the shores, acting like a lighthouse. What makes it unique from an average lighthouse is that besides using its eye as a light source for the boat to know when it is near land, it is also equipped with seeking sawblade designs to defend against attacking boats, such as pirates or invaders from another nation. It has a particular gas that, when it interacts with metal, causes the bonds at a molecule scale to lose their bonds on each other, causing the metal to appear to be melting. The designed cryptid is based on a flatwood monster, a cryptid first sighted in Flatwoods in West Virginia. 

D: That would explain the very tall height.

Ghot: I did notice one thing about the information. It did not include the Drone having rockets underneath it. Let me make sure. (She searched for more information but did not find any.) There is nothing related to rockets here. It did not even have information about transforming into a bit more "fleshy" appearance, just like Crypitd Drone W. Something is up on this, and I'm going to find out.

D: Won't it be suspicious if the fact that those two pieces of information are not there at all?

Ghot: The only explanation is that whoever was in charge of making these drones likely did not include them on purpose to hide them from the public. The question is still why, though.

D: Maybe if we got more of the other cryptid drones, it might have more information.

Ghot: (Thinking) Perhaps, but we would have to find and defeat them. Like the other drones, this provided eight code names, but two are still locked off. Either one of those two is the best answer to finding out more. 

D: Oh, and also, maybe those memories you kept getting from defeating each of the Cryptid drones as well?

Ghot: Oh, right! I almost forgot. Something connects the cryptid drone and that memory. I am curious why I am getting those, though; that is something I can't figure out.

D: True….

Ghot: Besides that, we still have this. (Show D a video file) I got the recording, so we may see more of what this saw at one point.

D: Play it now; hopefully, it's not as scary as the last one.

Ghot plays the recording. It is shown from CDF's point of view. While they can tell it is still in some sort of factory, they are in a dark room with platforms around it. 

Ghot: (Thoughts) It must be where they completed building Cryptid Drone F. I wonder if we can see the other Drone from before.

Like previous recordings, the duo could hear heavy footsteps in the dark area. Just like before, the unknown Drone's only feature the duo could see was the glowing red eyes. 

???: Ah, look at you, looking marvelous as ever. With your huge size, no one should be able to beat you. I also modified you to have more weapons than usual, like those chainsaw hands. With all that said and done, you are now officially my fourth Cryptid Drone to work successfully, though I must admit that the first two I made are my greatest ones. Besides that, I have a mission for you: to kill off all the worker drones on Copper 9 for your first one. Once you and the other upcoming cryptid drones are done with the mission, you will all report back here so I can set you all up to destroy all worker drones across the solar system. My main project is still yet to be completed, but once it is, it will lead us to a bright future for me. Please don't disappoint me.

As it finishes talking, it spreads its massive wings and starts to fly up into the ceiling, breaking through. The video is then cut off, showing the duo in interest but also shocked.

D: H-he still looks crazy about how he talks about this big project.

Ghot: I suspect it is one of the two missing code names to which these drones are unable to access data. I will keep this in mind, but whatever he is, we have to deal with it to ensure his plan fails.

D: But didn't he say only worker drones? Why should I be worried?

Ghot: I mean, considering how you almost died to the previous Cryptid Drone, these drones most likely can't tell the difference between us and the worker drones, so we still need to be cautious.

D: (Scared) AH! You're right, I forgot about that!

Ghot: (Pats D's back) Do not worry. As I said, we are there together to deal with this threat. Friends forever? (Put her hand out, forming a fistbump)

D: (Wait a few minutes to think about what Ghot said) Friends forever (fistbump Ghot back).

D: So…. what now?

Ghot: Considering that I wasn't able to detect or notice any changes to the surroundings, I think it's best we take a break from this. Besides, I have somewhere to get ready.

D: N did say the worker drones invited us to prom, which I wonder why, considering who we are, but maybe it might make it easy for me to try to kill up close. (She Whispers to herself.) Still, I wouldn't say I like looking at the killing.

Ghot: (Scared for a moment) Right…. But maybe we can look around inside before you start killing, like making them trust us? (Thoughts) This is so wrong to think about it.

D: Yeah, that plan might work. So, I assume you have to go on looking in other places?

Ghot: I might, but I still would be careful around. Keep your eye on N and especially V. I still do not trust her.

D: You got it, best friend!

Ghot: I will be going now, take care.

D: See you!

As Ghot goes back to the colony while D returns to the landing pod, neither notices the person who has been watching them the whole time. Revealing in the shadow, it was…

Doll: [Cryptid Drones….. Interesting…. What have you been hiding, Ghot.]

After watching the duo leave, Doll sneakily follows Ghot back to the colony. Not only has she learned that there is another model of Drone wandering the planet, but it seems Ghot is getting friendly with the murder drones, and likely Uzi. While she would disapprove of it, the fact that the plan could still work in her favor of revenge on V. All she has to do is convince Ghot to bring V to the prom so she can kill her for good. 

Doll: [Ghot… you might have helped my revenge for good.]

To be continued…..

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene starts with the inside of the school, which suddenly has all the lights shut down. A single light flickering shows a missing poster of four worker drones. A few moments later, a female worker drone ran past, running down the hall. She didn't get far as her glasses shattered, forcing her to take off her glasses, resulting in an error on her screen: Optical calibration. Looking up, she saw a shadow figure via the light flickering, and she tried to put on her glasses to see better, but she saw no one there. She, however, noticed the red glow on the camera and was forcefully turned toward the wall. The female worker drone looked toward the hall and saw the figure. It was Doll.

Doll is shown with the same red energy, crackling through her fingertips. She uses her red energy to grab the worker drone's arms, and with one swipe, she yanks the arms from the worker drone's body, resulting in a scream. As she approaches the defenseless worker drone, she reveals a cleaver knife and manages to clone it into three knives. She tosses the cleaver knife towards the drones.

Doll returns to her room sometime later, squishing one of the robotic bugs. She opens her book bag and places the books on a bookshelf near her. She is shown crossing off names from a list of prom queen candidates, except for one: Ghot’s.

Doll:(In Russian) [I'm back, Mom, Dad.]

The scene changes to Uzi, who just woke up from her sleep mode, with the text, guilt: active, below it. Uzi wakes up on the floor with more piles of papers and books. It shows above her with many documents, including one card of N's apology card. Uzi also remembers the night sometime before, when she discussed with Ghot and Ghot's plan for the meantime.

—-------------Flashback—-----------------------

Ghot: Alright, Uzi. So listen here: I will have to go outside and find more information on that symbol and cryptid drones and try out my power. Those two must be connected somehow, as you describe how that mutant J thingy mentioned me and the cryptid drone but also had that same symbol you had on your eye sometimes. I will likely be back by the time the prom starts, so Uzi, listen to me once again. It's not your fault or N that led to this situation. I know you are strong, and you and N will likely see each other soon. …. Trust me.

Uzi: (Feeling guilty still) Alright…. Thanks for always being there for me as always.

—-------------Return to Present—------------------------------

Uzi groans, and the scene transitions from her "guilt" into a montage, starting from her room to the classroom, then to the Gym, where Uzi gets hit by a dodgeball, and finally to her opening her locker. As she grabs stuff from her locker, a female worker drone named Rebecca kicks the book Uzi stands on, almost causing Uzi to drop her book. 

Rebecca: (Passing by) Yeah, meeting Brad in an hour.

Angrily, Uzi throws her book at Rebecca, and unfortunately for her, it hits another worker drone, Braidon, whose head is on fire.

Rebecca: Can you imagine going to prom alone?

Trevor: Ha! (models finger puppets) I'd be like, "I don't deserve happiness."

Uzi sighs and goes to pick up her book. She notices the board from earlier, with an additional missing poster. Looking around, she spotted some weird substance a janitor worker drone was cleaning up, and the camera suspiciously turned toward the wall behind it. Realizing something is up, Uzi starts cackling and grabs the missing posters. Back to her room, she was about to add the posters to her billboard of murder-related documents, but shocked, she saw her whole ceiling was cleared off. She likely knows one person who could have done that.

Khan was shuffling through the papers and gently placing them on a shelf with a sign saying "NORI'S KOOKY INSANE STUFF," sighing. Khan exited the room and whistled. Khan continued walking until he noticed Uzi crouched down in the corner. Uzi then turned toward Khan very angrily.

Uzi: (Angrily) MY crazed ramblings! Stay out of my FREAKING ROOM!

Khan tries to reach for Uzi's shoulder, but Uzi isn't in the mood, swiping Khan off.

Khan: Personal space for a very alarming coping mechanisms isn't covered under a... non-optional (reads from guide booklet) family support... structure!

Uzi: (swipes the booklet away) I'm sorry for being vulnerable for FIVE SECONDS, okay? You were never there for me, only Ghot, and she is not even "oil" related to either of us! If you wanna help now, stay distant.

This statement lets down Khan.

Khan: I know. Ghot told me to be a better father, so I'm just trying to be one, though, as Ghot said, it might take a while…

Uzi: (exhales) I'm going to talk to N as Ghot is visiting somewhere in the meantime. (nearly trips over a frozen human skeleton with a dress) WwwhaAAt is this?

Khan: Prom dresses! Child small for you! You're grounded from seeing those bad-influencing murder drones.

Uzi: Eeeaah?

Khan: But I talked to your teacher to find you CLASSMATES to go with tonight! Ghot will have to find one herself, though.

Uzi: Huh?

Khan opens the door, revealing Lizzy and Doll.

Lizzy: 'Sup, freak. Prepare to be popular.

Khan: (with a bowtie) I'm CHAPERONING!

Uzi process to scream.

The scene now shows a scrapyard of destroyed vehicles. Usually, not many drones would be around as there are only scraps and the danger of murder drones outside. However, this is not the case for Ghot, who is seen practicing with her power, destroying some of the wrecked cars.

Ghot: (Thoughts) Hmm… so my theory was correct. (Flashback to both times Ghot fought the two cryptid drones) Before fighting both of the cryptid drones, I could not use the power. I assume it was because I was in danger. But no…. It is because I believe in myself to save others. It was how I activated my power when D got in trouble in both cases. It also explains why I could not use it before on that stupid snake drone. Once I see him again, I will show him who he is messing with!

Ghot continues practicing her power, such as using her claws to slash some cars or her shield power to see how much she can push around. She finishes her practice by shooting a blue, glowing orb toward the damaged car and sees it blasted into pieces. 

Ghot: That's all I can learn of my power for now. I will practice more in the meantime because prom will start soon. I hope Uzi is ready to talk to N. Oh drag; I realize I need a special someone for the prom…. (Blushes) I hope she accepts my feelings for her… (Run back to the colony).

The following scene changes to inside the landing pod, showing three human skeletons, each still sporting formal attire.

N: Hmm, I do want to be dapper. (hesitates) But NO! That's why you had me find these? (gestures towards skeletons) We can't interact with the workers anymore, V. I am not sure how D would still react when she sees these other worker drones, even if she thinks all are disassembly drones like us. 

N is having a flashback to the previous moment when she reached for Uzi, but she shrank away from him.

N: We're too dangerous…

V: Uh, exactly. We show up fabulous. The sad purple one lets us in 'cause she has no friends. We kill everyone and pop her little head off alongside that witch sister of hers!

N: I'm not freeing you for PROM MURDER, V. J went holo, spooky snake crab, and WE maybe grew up in a haunted mansion! And let's not forget the fact that there are likely these monstrous drones out there that can kill us, like what happened to D's old teammates! Aren't you worried we have no idea what we even are?

V: (Pushes N away, turning towards the dashboard) ... Promise me you, that purple thing, and her sister will stop prying into that stuff. (Gazes at a shattered mirror. N is considering) If you free me now, I promise we'll only kill what we need to survive—just you, me, and D, N.

Both murder drones glance at a key lying on a nearby edge. Not noticing, D was outside listening to the whole thing.

D: (Thoughts) Hmmm?

The scene changes to Doll's room, and the light turns on as Uzi, Doll, and Lizzy enter.

Lizzy: Ugh, Doll, do you ever clean? (Kicks one of the robotic bugs)

Doll: (in Russian) [I put a sheet up. They're sleeping.]

Uzi refrains from stepping on one of the bugs and glances up at the ceiling, where tiny red dots appear floating around.

Uzi: Hey, so, thanks for having me, but now that my dad thinks I'm here, I'm actually gonna meet up with my sister— (starts walking towards the door, but it abruptly shuts).

Lizzy: You're hilarious. She's hilarious. You should get ready! You're gonna look so cute - in a brave way!

Uzi rolls her eyes at Lizzy's remark. As she turns around, she jumps back as Doll appears right behind her, confused about how Doll got there so fast. Uzi does notice missing posters in the trash bin next to Doll.

Doll: (in Russian) [Bathroom is down the hall to the left.]

Feeling uncomfortable, Uzi walked back slowly, giving a thumbs up.

The scene returns to the landing pod, With N and V still looking at the key.

N: Uhh, V, if you're hiding something, we can figure it out together, alongside D. Even if we each only have pieces. Please, what do you know- (his head gets sliced by V's tail)

V: What's best for you? Even if you hate me for it... (Turns around and flies out of the pod).

D: (Was watching the whole thing.) Wait…. Is V going with the plan we all are supposed to follow? I will try my best, but first, I must check on N!

The scene changes to Uzi getting ready for Prom in Doll's Bathroom. The Absolute Solver symbol appears on Uzi's face, but she covers it quickly.

Uzi: Easy, Robo Satan. Not this mirror. (Slowly removes her hand from her face. The symbol appears again, and its force shatters the glass.)

Uzi: (panicking) Shhhh!

Lizzy: (in the other room, muffled) Dude, no one will notice she's missing. Just do your thing, and I'll let in V. Why not do the same for Ghot as you do on Uzi? 

Uzi can hear Lizzy talking about Ghot and is worried, but Doll doesn't respond.

Lizzy: Whatever. We'll see you there!

Uzi: (backs away from the wall) Whaat the f-

The sound of liquid dripping causes her to turn around, beholding the sight of oil leaking out of the shower. Uzi walks toward the Bathroom and opens the curtain, and what she sees shocks her.

Back on the landing pod, N's body starts to move and regenerate his head. The first thing he saw was D looking at him.

N: D, did I miss anything while I was headless?

D: Well…. V ran off to this prom, I heard, and she also took the dress. Is it time to go back to hunting by attacking them all in one place? I hope G will join us there soon.

N: (Look behind him, seeing one of the dresses is missing) Oh, no, no, NO! D, WE BETTER GO NOW! (He grabs D by the hand and reaches for the ladder but still decides whether he should take the outfit provided by V.) No! No time!

D: (shy) We still have time to dress quickly….

N: (Finally made a decision) Dapper N.

Uzi panted as she discovered the destroyed remains of numerous Worker Drones and shattered mirrors in Doll's Bathroom. She hears footsteps outside the door and frantically searches for a hiding place. Doll the Bathroom, only to spot that Uzi escaped by climbing over a stack of mirrors on the bathtub.

Doll: (in Russian) [As they say in Russian... 'Whoops, I should've predicted that someone could escape out of a ventilation shaft using a discarded mirror as stairs.']

Uzi is seen running outside of the colony, likely going for N. She didn't make it too far, as two figures landed in front of her. As the dust of snow clears off, it shows N and D in their prom clothes.

Uzi: N?! D?!

N: Uz- (realize D is next to him) I mean, U?

Uzi: Why are-

N: You look-

Uzi: How did-

N: I, uh-

Uzi: I... think something bad-

D: (Thoughts) Huh, I still remember how badly I interacted with someone I'm timid to speak to.

N: I could help. But you probably don't want me…

D: (feeling sorry for) N….

Uzi: N-no! I could use the... help... of you... being there? (Blushing) ...with me? Alongside Ghot when she gets back, and D?

N: (Hugs Uzi from behind) Dapper buddies!

Uzi elbows N in the side, smiling, while D smiles to see the two back together without distancing from each other. Before all three go back inside the colony, they heard a shout. They turn to see Ghot running back.

Uzi: (Remember that D is next to them) G! You are finally here! How has your practice with it been? Discover anything else information about the symbol and cryptid drones?

Ghot: I got a bit better at using it. I still need to work on other tweaks, but it's going well. I found no more information on the symbol or other cryptid drones. (Notice both of the murder drones in prom clothes.) You two look lovely, which may confuse you two in a relationship.

Both N and D blushed madly while Uzi felt jealous of Ghot's comment.

Ghot: (look at Uzi) Chill, I'm just joking, but it seems you're already; I hadn't even dressed up yet! U, please tell me if there is a dress prepared for me.

Uzi: It should still be in the "hidden" room. But… you better hurry, because I feel like V might be in trouble if what I encounter is true, (whisper to Ghot) alongside maybe other worker drones who might get into this mess.

Ghot: (understanding) I will meet you all at the prom. Just be safe! (Run back inside the colony to get ready).

Uzi: Okay, so N, D, listen to what I have discovered…

The scene changes to the prom night. Many of the worker drone students were there, dancing. One of the worker drones, Thad, does a one-armed push-up/handstand and gestures toward a random worker drone on the other side of the room, but they aren't having it and walk away while drinking. Khan waits nervously, glances around the party, and then at the clock. The stage lights flip on, and Lizzy comes onto the platform.

Lizzy: Okay, listen up, nerds. We're doing this a little early, but since the entire prom court mysteriously disappeared, your queen by forfeit is… this!

Behind Lizzy is V, who landed on the stage, causing a stir in the crowd. V is now dressed in a red dress.

Male Worker Drone: Oh, we're gonna die!

Khan is shocked to see a murder drone on the prom night while V laughs maniacally.

Lizzy: Easy, judgy-bots. V is my friend. She's done with the murder or whatever. We've been hanging!

To prove her point, a large TV screen showcases many montages of V and Lizzy hanging out.

V: Yess. Best friends. So easily manipulated... (Cackling stops and realized) ... Prom queen? (Looks to Lizzy)

Lizzy: (Smiles shyly)

V: (Glances at the crown) Eugh.

Meanwhile, Doll looked over her list of candidates, which now had one space. She looked at the still question mark next to Ghot's name. Doll thought about how she was initially going to kill Ghot but decided not to since she was the first to interact with her and was not here, regardless. She clutched it in her fists and cackled. Lizzy looked at V with pity.

Lizzy:  So, forgive and forget, or I'll get my dad to DOCK YOUR FREAKIN' GRADES! And you can't sit with us, REBECCA! Neither is that one orange cone drone over there! (Points at the orange cone hat drone).

Rebecca: Fine! I forgive her. Settle.

Orange Cone Drone: (Confused) What did I do to you?

Male Worker Drone: She's kinda cute, though.

After some convincing, the worker drones all applause.

Lizzy: Clap harder, losers! (It results in the drone's cheering).

Female Worker Drone: (approaches V with a crown) Your dress is really cute. (Places the crown on V's head).

Crowd: Speech! Speech! Speech!

V: I, uh...

Khan was about to push into the door but was held back as a red Absolute Solver symbol appeared before him.

Khan: Not... the doors!

V: (Pause for a moment to think) I'll kill everyone... after? It's not vain; it's extra sinister.

V decides to play along while Doll continues to laugh as the symbol appears on her face. She spreads her fingers, preparing to launch an attack. Lizzy looks back and forth between the two in reluctant anticipation. V approaches the mic slowly, giving it a few taps before speaking. Doll is about to execute her plan when Uzi, N, and D land in the room, interrupting everyone.

Uzi: Unhand them, you fieeeennd? ... I'm confused.

D: (Confused) What is the plan now?

Doll ignores the party crashers and fixes her aim on V again.

Lizzy: On second thought, you're way hotter than Doll. RUN, idiot!

Doll then closes her hand, causing a rebar to pierce through V's arm. Doll then uses her power to launch Lizzy out of a window while crushing the other drone on stage, causing mass panic in the crowd. Doll slowly walks toward V as she kills one worker drone on her way.

Doll: (In Russian) [Hello, V.]

A static flashback of V murdering worker drones is shown, with Doll being the witness who sees it all.

Doll: (In Russian) [Anyway, you get it.] 

Doll causes another rebar to pierce through V's torso. Freeing one of her arms from the rebar, she switches her hand to a gun and shoots at Doll. With one swipe, she creates a forcefield that blocks all the bullets. She summons a cleaver knife and tosses it at V, removing her arm. Almost immediately, she removes the ceiling fan from its post, about to use it like a sawblade.

D: Whoa, whoa! What is that drone doing to us? I thought we were supposed to be friends, allies, or something along that line!?

Uzi: Holy crap, what is she doing?

N: This isn't what I expected at all! (pause for a second) I guess we should, uh-

Uzi Groans when she figures she has to help. Doll tosses the ceiling fan in V's direction, but before it gets to hit V, it is blocked by N as he jumps in, and D jumps in. Uzi follows quickly behind him with a knife to throw straight at Doll's face, but it bounces right off thanks to Doll's quick reaction to block with her power. Doll releases the lock from the door, and all the surviving Worker Drones storm out except Khan, who is hesitant. 

Doll: (In Russian) [Uzi, you would really side with the Murder Drones? I'm not the only one who's lost family to them.]

Uzi: Bite me! Whoever started this wants us to fight! I'm not dealing with anything well, but I'm done dealing with everything alone. (Looks at N before looking back) We move forward together, or not at all

D: Yeah, as a good friend once said to me, "We are there together to deal with this threat."

Doll: (in Russian) [Cute... but I don't need help.]

Doll summons another pole straight through N's leg and D's arms. Two saw-like objects were flying straight towards them, but N pushed Uzi out of the way, giving a thumbs up before N, V, and D all got knocked back into the damaged wall. Little did anyone notice the red light on D's headband turned back to yellow. Khan tries to reenter the room once he sees Uzi in danger, but Doll notices him and shuts the door behind her. 

Khan: No… my daughter, locked behind by this… DOORS!

???: So… I assume something happened on the prom night?

Khan: Yeah, this crazy Doll is causing mayhem- (turns around and realizes who he was speaking to) Oh! You are here now, though a bit late.

Coughing some oil, Uzi sees Doll approaching her. Taking out another blade, Doll throws the blade toward Uzi, but she is shocked to see that the blade goes straight through her hand. Uzi pulls it out and arms herself. Doll's point of view shows a red flashing screen that starts beeping as Uzi approaches. Doll tries to crush Uzi like she had to other drones, but it doesn't affect Uzi. She attempts to throw another blade, but Uzi swipes it away as Doll slowly walks away from Uzi.

While the two drones were in a standoff, V's arm was pulling itself along the ground. 

N: (Picks it up) Is this...?

V: (Grabs it out of his hand using her mouth) Mine!

Lizzy: Ew. You look like garbage.

V: (muffled) You frickin' traitor.

Lizzy: (Swipes V's arm out of her mouth) As if you weren't using me to try and kill everyone, Ms. Petty. Where does this freaking go?

N: Thank you, Lizzy!

Both Lizzy and V: Shut up, loser.

All the drones on the stage heard D waking up. As D turned her head toward the trio, she noticed something for once: she could see a worker drone. As D starts to remember all her memories before she loses one of her senses, she begins to see flashbacks of the time she has been hanging out with Ghot, with D now seeing Ghot as a worker drone and not blocked out.

D: G…. was a worker drone?

While Lizzy is confused, both N and V realize that D got her light back to yellow, and now she can see clearly, including Uzi and Ghot as worker drones. 

N: (Realize, and he and V look at each other) Oh no….

V: This… can’t end well…

Lizzy: What are you two talking about?

V: This… can’t end well….

Uzi and Doll continue their fight, as Doll throws a knife at Uzi, who kicks the knife into the stereo. Doll then throws the knife at Uzi again, but Uzi jumps back and arms herself with the microphone stand, which she kicks towards Doll. Doll stops the stand in mid-air. Uzi picks up the knife and starts advancing, but the stand is thrown back at her, causing her to fall to the ground. The knife slides away and is gained by Doll once again, who multiplies it and charges them toward Uzi, another attack that N blocks. N offers her a hand.

Uzi: (Groans) Quit saving me!

N then grabs Uzi's hand and twirls her around to avoid an attack from another unidentified object. Uzi catches the knife in her hand as it's thrown at her again. N pulls her in, and she tosses it back to Doll. N shoots a missile in the same direction but is blocked by Doll's power, unaware that a knife barely misses her face and instead slides through a single strand of hair. An explosion causes her to fall back.

Uzi: (Clutching onto N's waist, blushing) Seriously, don't... do that again.

N: Uzi...

Unaware of both, Doll throws a table at Uzi and N, trapping them between the stage and the table. Doll slowly walks toward them.

Doll, using her power, can duplicate many knives and all surrounding Uzi and N. 

Doll: (In Russian) [As I said Uzi…. I don't need help. Goodbye].

Before Doll even threw the knives at the duo, everyone in the prom heard a huge banging noise coming from the door Doll had locked with her power earlier. After a few more noises, the door is destroyed, shocking Doll, as she doesn't expect anyone to break the door, let alone break it through her power. Coming out of the busted door was a drone that Uzi and N were excited to see again, though D felt indifferent about it; Ghot had arrived.

After making an entrance, Ghot arrived at the prom night. The first thing Ghot saw was a massive mess on the prom night, such as tables being flipped and dead worker drones. The first thing Ghot did was look at V.

Ghot: See, I knew we could not trust V with this.

V: HEY! I didn't do this mess this time!

Uzi: V didn't do anything here… it was… (points at Doll) her.

Ghot turns to see who Uzi is pointing at and, in a shocked reaction, realizes that Uzi is pointing at Doll.

Ghot: (blushing madly) D- DOLL?! W-WHAT, HOW?

Uzi: She also has that same symbol I have, so she must be using it.

Doll: (In Russian) [How unexpected. You finally showed up. I would have thought you never showed up to witness this…]

Ghot: D-doll… why are you doing this? (She still has doubts that Doll would do this.)

Doll: (In Russian) [You won't understand. I am doing this because I want revenge on that murder drone for what she done to my parents….].

Ghot thinks momentarily until she notices a note and picks it up to see the list of missing students. She sees her name on it and knows it is in Doll’s handwriting, realizing the situation.

Ghot: Doll…. Even if what you said is true, let me ask you something. From what I see, it seems you have been killing people just to have V in that spot. You hadn't thought about how other families of these people you kill would feel? And won't that mean they could also want revenge on YOU, making you become the very thing you swore to kill?

Doll got thinking for a second of Ghot's mention about her killing the drones just to kill one murder drone at the very spot. While she understands what Ghot has said, it is too late to turn back since V is right there.

Doll: (In Russian) [Sigh, even though you may be right, I still have unfinished business with that murder drone. She will pay for killing my parents.]

Doll uses her power to summon many cleaver knives, shocking Ghot into realizing that Doll also has “similar” superpowers like her. Doll was about to send the knives toward V until a forcefield blocked off all the knives. Confused, Doll and everyone in the room, except D, look around until they see Ghot, covered in a blue aura.

Doll: (In Russian) [Oh… I see now, so that's what you've been hiding from us.]

Ghot: (Confused) What do you mean "hiding from us"? Are you saying as if you are implying that you knew I could do this?

Doll: (In Russian) [Does not matter, I won't let you stop me from killing her].

Doll throws a knife at Ghot, but she again blocks with her shield power. Not realizing the distraction, Doll grabs the table and throws it towards Ghot, which Ghot sees at the last minute and gets pushed to the wall. Ghot forces the tablet out of her and runs toward Doll. Unimpressed, Doll then grabs the ceiling fan and throws it toward Ghot, but this time, Ghot prepares by throwing an energy-like orb toward the fan and causing it to destroy it. Doll teleported to the side to avoid getting hit by the orb, then used her power to grab Ghot and toss her around the room, trying to damage her.

Ghot: (Thoughts) Alright, I never knew facing someone with that power was more difficult than I thought. However, I do notice how she tends to fight from range instead of up close and personal, so the most likely way I can stop her is by getting close and trying to knock her out or trapping her. Even though she may have killed people… I know she is still nice to talk to, but I think she needs serious help. I have to approach her differently.

Ghot then used her shield power to break out of Doll's power. She then summons boots with rockets underneath them, inspired by the previous cryptid drone she recently defeated. Ghot was able to get close to Doll, not realizing that Ghot could get to her very quickly. Before even being able to counter back, Ghot summons her boxing glove and punches Doll back. Doll gets up from the hit and feels a pain she never had before.

Doll: (In Russian) [I see. You are more of a threat if you are siding with the murder drone. Well, I have no other choice.]

Doll then uses her power on every object in the room and throws them one by one to Ghot. Ghot summons her claw power and slashes through each object, from tables to chairs. Ghot looks and sees Doll gone. Ghot tries to look around and spot Doll. Unfortunately for her, Doll teleports behind her and uses her power to attempt to crush Ghot. 

Uzi: GHOT! NO!

Doll believed she had this in the bag, but she soon realized her power wasn't crushing Ghot like she thought it would. Instead, Doll noticed a blue glow around Ghot's hands and feet, which she used to prevent herself from getting crushed.

After a few minutes, Ghot yells and breaks Doll's power.

Doll:  (In Russian, shocked) [WHAT?! No drone has been able to break out of that!]

Ghot turns toward Doll and rushes to her, punching Doll with her boxing gloves. Unaware, Doll used her power to clone the rebars and launch them toward Ghot, and while Ghot noticed the rebars and dodged some, one hit her in the leg, causing her to flinch from the damage she got. Using this opportunity, Doll used her power to grab the knife and kept throwing knives at Ghot, hoping that one would hit one of her components to kill her off. Despite a rebar on her leg, Ghot continues to use her shield power to block the knives. 

Uzi: (Noticing something) Is it me or is… Ghot, it looks like she is not going serious here.

N: Now that you mention it, from what I remember and from what D told me, Ghot had managed to kill two dangerous drones that could kill many more worker drones than us, so why is she struggling a bit here?

Lizzy: (Realize) I may know why.

Uzi: Oh yeah, as if you know.

Lizzy: No, for real, this time, I might have a theory.

Uzi: (Sigh) May not be accurate, but what is it?

Lizzy whispers to Uzi about her theory, and after explaining what she theorized, Uzi is shocked that Lizzy's theory might be true.

Ghot pulls the rebar out of her legs and tosses it aside. She then puts her hands up, and the energy orb glows from her hand. She shoots at Doll, where she uses her power to attempt to stop the orb but notices it is not slowing down and has to dodge out of the way from the orb. Ghot decides she has had enough and now rushes toward Doll. Not surprisingly, Doll teleports, but Ghot wants this to happen, as while she rushes toward Doll earlier, she secretly places a smoke bomb she kept from time to time in the case, thanks to D for giving the bomb the previous days. As Doll teleports behind, the smoke bomb explodes, covering the room. Doll, trying to remove the smoke, uses her power to grab another ceiling fan to spin it fast enough to remove it, but Doll sees that Ghot is gone. Confused, she looks around, not realizing that Ghot was above her, holding onto the ceiling. At a perfect time, Ghot drops down and uses a new power she came up with: chains. The chains then wrap around Doll, trapping her from moving in any direction. Ghot goes down and walks toward Doll.

Doll: (In Russian, angrily) [Ghot, why are you protecting the monster that killed my parent from me? I thought you would have used that power you had to kill them, not protect them.]

Ghot: I understand your thoughts, but I am stopping you only because I don't want to see you go down a path you will regret. Also, I believe there may be something else more dangerous than the murder drone, and I think they could change, but I'm still working on that.

Doll: (In Russian) [I don't believe they can change, but what do you mean by the first part, Ghot?]

Ghot: Doll. There are two reasons why I am not trying to kill you…. You are still one of the few drones I could interact with, and we had many good times together; you are just in the wrong place with what you are thinking. Trust me, I would be mad too if I lost my parents to monstrous drones; however, to kill other innocent drones that had nothing to do with you is still wrong… and the other reason is…. Is…. (blushing madly) IS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU MORE THAN A FRIEND; I LOVE YOU LIKE YOU ARE A GIRLFRIEND, AND IT BE SUCK TO SEE YOU BE FURTHER FROM THE DOLL I KNOW AND IT BE AWAKARD IF I KILL YOU OUT OF THE BLUE!

After the outburst from Ghot, the room remains silent. Lizzy looks at Uzi in smug as her theory is correct: Ghot is in love with Doll. Even Doll had nothing to respond to Ghot's outburst, as she had never been approached and confest their feeling to her.

Doll: (In Russian, shocked) [W-what?]

Ghot: (blushing) Sorry if that came out of nowhere, especially with the current situation. As I said, I don't want to see this Doll, I want to see the Doll I know…..

Doll is unable to respond. She feels mixed emotions as she never intended to find a relationship, let alone one with a friend she has always known around. She decides to answer Ghot truthfully, hoping Ghot will understand.

Doll: (In Russian) [Ghot… the truth is that-]

Before Doll responds, Doll is shot in between her head from behind, stunning Ghot and causing her power to disappear instantly. The drone that shot Doll was V.

Uzi: ... V! We needed her for answers!

V: What? She's fine- (look at Doll's body) uh eaahh. A little tuckered out.

As soon as she finished what she said, Ghot slapped her hard, regaining her power, but V noticed that part of her hand was a bit more bluish.

Ghot: OH, YOU ARE SO DEAD! GET OVER HERE.

Before Ghot can move, N appears behind and bearhug Ghot, trying to calm down Ghot. After managing to calm Ghot, Ghot starts to turn down her power. V notes herself to remember about this.

N: Ghot, calm down. I don't want friends to fight each other….

Ghot: (looks down) Sorry….

N: Anyway, (points at V) V did that on purpose! She's hiding mystery stuff and being over dramatic about it!

V: N! You SUCK! (Punches N on the side)

Uzi: YOU!

V and N point at each other, while Ghot points at herself, confused.

Uzi: (Picks up Doll's wristband from Doll's arm) Lucky for you, we're not done yet.

Uzi shows a key dangles from the wristband. Ghot knew that the key was for Doll's room. 

Ghot: Oh N! How- Is D alright?

N: Oh… shes there…

Ghot turned to see D looking down, who hadn't said anything.

Ghot: D? Are you alright?

Finally, after some silence, D responds.

D: Ghot…. Can you come with me, **alone**?

Ghot: (Realizes she is busted) Oh…. a-alright… (turns to Uzi) Uzi, you're going to have to solve that mystery on your own for now. I have some other business to attend to…

Uzi: (Understanding Ghot) Alright. Be safe.

The two groups, Ghot and D and Uzi, N, and V, went on different paths. Unknown to everyone, Doll got back up and looked around before teleporting out of the prom.

Sometime later, Uzi, N, and V enter a dark room, only with their eyes visible to the scene as the lights turn on by N flipping on the switch, revealing it to be Doll's room again. 

Uzi: Uh, oh.

V: Hehe. Nice.

The trio witnessed many remains of worker drones scattering across Doll's room, from the floor to the wall and all the way up to the ceiling. Uzi heard some metal noise, only to realize that V was chewing on one of the worker drones' arms.

Uzi: (Removes the arm from V) Ugh. Self-respect. Why would a worker drone… (look at one of the spills)? Was she eating them? How would Ghot react to this if she did come with us… (deposits the arm in a nearby pot, one that's already full of other arms)

While Uzi looks at the many arms in the pots, especially at the oil she picked up on her finger, N discovers a large sheet in the corner of the room that appears to be hiding something. Walking up to the sheet, he removed the sheet to find some discovery: Doll's deceased parents.

N: I... think we found her folks.

V: (Walk from behind) Didn't even taste that good.

N: V, you kind of suck.

V: (Giggles) Yeah. I'm not doing okay. (Chomps on a robotic bug)

N turns to see Uzi, quickly removes her oil-covered fingers from her mouth and hides them. She crawls over the counter and goes to inspect the corpses of Doll's parents. Checking on an ID badge, one reads YEVA - 048, along with a picture of a female worker drone. Uzi was looking at Doll's deceased mother. While the trio inspects the deceased drones, Doll appears behind them and, with a sickly smile, removes the bullet from her head and points it at the trio.

Doll: (In Russian) [Just in time for dinner..]

The trio all gasp as they see her, and the screen fades black for a moment, along with the sound of a shot firing. The Absolute Solver symbol appears within view and zooms out to find that Uzi had blocked the bullet with similar abilities to Doll, only being purple coloring.

Doll: (In Russian) [ I... I'm sorry for you.]

Uzi discards the bullet, which went straight to the wall behind them.

Doll: (In Russian) [If I find what I'm looking for, I'll help you too.]

Uzi: What?

Doll: (In Russian) [I am sorry.] (starts to back up slowly)

Uzi: Wait! Oh, don't you dare!

V jumps up and shoots Doll, causing an explosion. Nothing remains, but they notice Doll teleport to the other side of the room.

Doll: (In Russian) [Also, Uzi, if you saw Ghot… tell her that… I might reconsider and will help her as well.] 

After that, Doll finally teleports out of the room.

 Uzi: Ugh, I HATE IT HERE!

The scene changes to outside on a harsh winter night. The wind is blowing. A male worker drone digs through the snow and reveals a pair of glasses.

Worker: Oh, that's where I left my excuse to be outside right now. (puts them on)

A pod crashes down with a great blast. Other large objects come after it. A final explosion occurs, dropping a single teddy bear. The worker uncovers his head just in time to see another pod land. Exiting the pod was a human in a spacesuit. Jumping out of the pod, she was quick to slice the worker's neck with her sword. What is known is that her name tag is listed as "Tessa."

Tessa: (Puts the sword away) Righty-o. Work to do. Eh, J?

Serial Designation J flies in from behind, handing her a key.

Tessa: Maintenance work.

A car beep is heard from the landing pod. Tessa and J are walking away, unaware that something is watching them from a distance. 

To be Continued.....

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

(A/N: While all character here are indeed drone, there may be indication of "bloody" mess and while I not sure how it works for people who read stuff, just a little heads up for this chapter)

The scene shows the colony outside. Two drones, Ghot and D, are coming out of the colony. However, unlike how they act, D seems a bit more… on the edge, while Ghot looks worried. None of the two spoke to each other for a while until Ghot decided to break the silence. 

Ghot: D? Are you alright?

D:......

Ghot: (Worried) Alright…

They continue to walk further into the dark winter area until D stops both in their tracks. Confused, Ghot looked at D, only to see D turn around and finally say something.

D: Ghot… please be honest. Did you take me as stupid?

Ghot: (Shocked) W-what! No, I never said-

D: (Shush Ghot) Stop. Save your excuse and understand that while I may be shy and less independent of the group, that doesn't mean one can take advantage of that! There is a reason why I trust N and his friend more than my teammate…. 

Ghot: D-

D: I legit thought I found another disassemble drone that was friendly to me, but it turns out I was friending a drone that I was tasked to disassemble, and even then, I don't feel comfortable killing it. What would my old teammates have said, when they were alive, about this whole situation… 

Ghot: Okay, I'll cut to the chase. At first… I pretended to learn more about your kind and see if I could find any weaknesses, but ever since we've been hanging out more, I realized you just happened to be like us; we have emotions and personalities, unlike what I was told about you guys. I changed my plan to see if I could help you with that oil issue. 

D: What made you decide to change your plan somehow after?

Ghot: While I learned that you are like to kill us for oil, what changed my mind about helping instead? I see how you reacted when you were about to be killed by the Wendigo drone thing. The way you show fear is unlike any drone from the colony describing you, and knowing my personality, I really can't see you die there. 

D stares at Ghot but sees how Ghot is saying something that hurts her. Still, with understandable reasoning, D decides to speak.

D: Ghot… from the lies I have been fed, thinking you were pretending to be my friend at first, but from what you said before, and considering how we have been helping each other, well, you helping me more, I may forgive you for this once, but I am not going to forget about this. Besides, had you told me earlier you were a cool worker drone with crazy power when you faced that cryptid drone, I likely would have spared you because, let's face it, if the combination of me and my teammate couldn't beat that Wendigo drone. Still, you can; what chances do I even have to "kill" you?

Ghot: Sorry, I'm just afraid of how you would have reacted if you knew I was a worker drone, and I'm afraid of our friendship ruin because of either my colony or your company reacting to the bond we made. It was even worse when we became best friends to each other.

D: (Sigh) You're right, just no more lies. I don't like that.

Ghot and D stand at night for a while, not saying anything. Ghot breaks the silence by asking a question.

Ghot: Speaking of teammates, I wonder how it was with you and your teammates before that drone monster killed the rest. Is that alright with you? Is there anything you can remember?

D: Since I forgive you, I can explain what happened that night. 

(Flashback)

D (Narrator): I remember waking up from the spaceship from the start. We were dropped into the planet; I don't know anything past that. Anyway, there were my two teammates, named F and E.

(A/N: The one on the left is F while the one on the right is E, keep this in mind for the rest of this chapter)

D (Narrator): F was the psychopath of our group. She wears what appears to be punk aesthetic. She loves to torture the worker drone, and while I have learned that V is similar to F, at least for V, she makes the worker drone a quick death. F, however, loves to hear the scream of the worker drone and wants to make the pain so long they wish to die, but she technically never finishes them off; instead, she leaves them to die. I still remember one worker drone she did by literally ripping their wires out and letting them hang on a building. That still scars me, even though I am not supposed to consider it.

The scene shows the exact moment when F is hanging one of the worker drones, still alive, on the building. F can be heard laughing because she is enjoying watching the worker drone suffer.

F: Can you believe this, D? Does that worker drone think he can escape and hide from ME? I can smell wherever they are. (Laugh)

D: (Scars for life) Uhh, yeah... I do believe that. (starts to back away from F).

F: So, what if I shoot it in the eye? Maybe more screams can be heard, or wait, I can try to-

D (Narrator): I left at that point because I didn't want to witness that part anymore. Anyway, the other teammate was E. E, our leader. He dressed like a commander, and there was a reason he had been picked as a leader. He is very strict and wants to ensure we get the number of drones killed. For good reason, he praises F more than me, even tho she technically takes too long to kill some. He... not precisely good with me.

The scene shows D getting kicked to the wall and pinned by the blade from E. E looks angry and tells D off.

E: D, from the report I heard, you are not increasing the number of kills. You barely kill one of those rejects. If it were not for the company, I would have ripped you apart, and you wish to be dead! UNDERSTAND!

D: (Scared) R-right, sir!

D (Narrator): You can guess why I prefer N's team. At least N has always been friendly to me. V is eh to me, and J has no opinion about me.

Ghot (Narrator): Drag me. Those two sound like very horrible people, especially to you. I do want to know what happens when that Wendigo drone attacks you.

D (Narrator): I'm getting there now. One night, when we all three were finishing a colony-and yes, I had to kill or else F's threats would be true-we were walking back to our place, where we slept from the sunlight.

F: Can you believe how much of a chicken they were all when I started to pull their wires out? (Laugh) It made my day.

E: At least we can report another huge worker drone colony destroyed. F, you did an excellent job.

F: Thank you!

E: As for you, D.... (D is scared) At least you killed some, so I give you a pass but don't disappoint me again.

D: R-right, sir! (still scared)

F: So, any other place with many of the worker drones?

E: I'm glad you asked because I happened to find one nearby. Follow me. (Open his wings and fly up).

F: (Laugh) Can't wait for more suffering. (Open her wings and fly off).

D: (Thought) Oh, I wish I had better friends... (Open her wings and follow the two).

After some time passed, E decided to speak up about the plan.

E: Alright, you two, listen up. So this is the place. Now, there will be a colossal bunker door, and I need you two to fry it open while I go inside and open the door for you two to enter. Then, I will use my hacking skills to disable all vents so all the worker drones have nowhere to go, so we can all kill everyone. Understand?

D and F: Understand.

After a while, they all finally landed near where the colony would be. As they walk toward it sneakily, E notices something.

E: Wait... Something isn't right.

F: Hmm, I saw your concern, Mr. E. What is it?

E: Those doors look like they are already fry open. It was as if someone else was already here. Goddamn it, if it is the other squad taking part of our area, I will give them something else to worry about.

F: Hopefully, they don't mind me teaching them a lesson then.

D: (Thought) Oh boy...

They arrived and saw something that no one expected. They can see at the entrance that the door was indeed open by force, with claw marks around it. What is more, to see as many of the worker drones lying dead; some were ripped apart brutely. There are a lot of oil spills everywhere, even up to the ceiling.

D (Narrator): It was a huge mess! We never saw this massive amount of oil! And you can guess who did it.

F: I swear, whoever did this will pay!

E: Calm down. We will visit them. Let's find them and discuss their punishment for invading the other squad's area.

Before they enter the colony, they hear a roar from the entrance and a claw from the shadow, followed by a single glowing green eye. What comes out of the colony is the massive cryptid drone, Cryptid Drone W. It spots the trio and roars at them.

D: (Scared) W-what is that!?

E: (Concern while scanning) Nothing the company had ever mentioned was present, which could mean it could be another company's. We must deal with it as it is rogue, like the worker drone.

D: Wait, should we not -

F: Now you are speaking! I can't wait to show how strong I am!

Equipping her chainsaw hand, F charged toward Cryptid Drone W. While the monstrous drone just stood there, F slashed the drone, hoping to see wires and oil spilling out. When she looks up, she realizes she did no damage to the drone; the drone shows no scratches on it. She kept attacking, but she did no damage to the Cryptid Drone. Seeing her getting worn out, the drone then grabs one of F's arms and legs and, to everyone's shock, rips it out, with oil spilling out.

CDW then throws F away while F is in pain. E did not appreciate one of his teammates getting harmed. 

E: You… gonna pay for that! D, help me and F defeat this! We might get a raise for defeating a unique rogue drone.

D: (scared) R-right!

D was equipped with a drill on where her hands were, and E was equipped with a minigun in his hand. They both charge toward the cryptid drone. E shoots at the monstrous drone while D tries to attack with her drill. CDW blocks the bullets with its claw while swiping D away. E keeps shooting at CDW, but it then charges toward E, and before it slams E, E dodges in time. It keeps trying to slash at E, but he dodges the attack. D gets back up, attacks CDW from behind, and tries to drill the inside, but CDW notices and shakes D off, grabs her tai,l and slams her down. Little did it notice that F dives down, still with a missing arm and leg, and strikes CDW in the face, causing it to flinch from the slash. 

F: No one… DARES TO DAMAGE MY PERFECT BODY! 

F continues to attack CDW while the other two drones keep using their weapon to attack. They were able to cause some damage, but CDW had enough and started to have the green glow aura surrounding it. It then roars, causing all three drones to get pushed back. F was about to strike back, but in a split second, they realized in fear of how fast CDW had become. It grabs F again and then bites into her head, in which the two drones can hear their teammate screaming in pain. What they saw was the monstrous drone spitting a potent acid-like substance onto F, melting her down. After finishing, it drops F's dead body, and all that is left is one of her arms. 

D: (scared) No way…. It can nullify our regeneration…

E: (Glare) That confirms it. Whoever made that thing is also targeting us as well. They know about our regeneration and thus create something that can kill us. That does it; we have to kill it now. D, get in there!

D: (Scared more) B-but wait, didn't you see what it did-

E: (Yell) LISTEN TO ME AND DON'T QUESTION ME!

D: (Scared) Y-yes, sir!

D rushes to CDW and tries to attack it with her machine gun hands she switches to, but CDW spots her and backhands her so hard that she hits the wall of the building. E walked toward CDW.

E: Hey! Beast, you will not continue on your rampage! (Equip Rocket Launcher) Your move.

CDW stares at E. D sees E charge toward CDW while noticing something glowing from the green core at its torso, glowing. Before going unconscious, she heard a sound that sounded like a huge laser blasting. This would be the last time D would see her two teammates physically.

D: After that, I felt unconscious, and that's when I woke up to see you in the cave. 

Ghot: Wow, that's a lot to take. I'm sorry to hear that you had teammates who treated you like an item. No offense.

D: None taken. I thought you were many who would have taken advantage of me, and while that was true for the first time, I can see you see me as a friend, which, honestly, is one of the best things to happen to me: having a caring friend who would support me just as much as I would support back.

Ghot: As I said before, Friends forever?

D: Friends forever.

They stare for a second until Ghot realizes something.

Ghot: Wait a minute, you said earlier that the Wendigo drone did glow green, right?

D: From what I recalled before knocked out, yes.

Ghot: Did it ever have those organic body parts, like real human-like eyes or bone?

D: No, it never grows any of those; it just itself, but it is glowing green.

Ghot thought about D's mention that despite using a power-up, the fight between D and her teammate didn't show any organic elements, but when Ghot fought it, it did.

Ghot: Something tells me there could be a reason it only did that when I fought it. I need to find more information, but the only problem is where.

D: Hmmm, you might be on to something.

???: (In Russian) [I might have the answer.]

Both Ghot and D flinched at hearing someone nearby, and when both looked toward it, they saw it was no other than Doll. They first noticed that she now wore an eyepatch on her right eye. 

Ghot: (Blushing) D-dol!? I thought you died from V.

Doll: (In Russian) [Trust me. It takes more than a bullet to outsmart me. Regardless, I might have some answer to the threat we both are encountering.]

Ghot: (blushing) Right. Still, you said you had the answer.

Doll: (In Russian) [Yes, I have the information I have had for a while, but it is based on what you have been looking for. There are likely more in there that might have led to those "Cryptid drones” you've been on about.]

Both Ghot and D are shocked to realize Doll heard information about the Cryptid Drone and are unsure how to respond. Doll continues the discussion.

Doll: (in Russian) [Here is one piece of information I have that might give you more clues about where to find more information.]

Doll gives Ghot a photo, which has a group picture of many worker drones, though two seem similar to Uzi and Doll, and a human girl, in which Ghot realizes who she is. She look behind the photo to see information involved in some camp.

Ghot: (Thoughts) Wait…. I keep seeing that human in strange memory.

Doll: (in Russian) [Also, the other way I figured out how I knew about cryptid drones was because even with my power, I may have almost died to a giant snake drone who just laughed at me.]

Ghot: Wait… giant snake drone, WAIT, DOLL, YOU MET HIM! (Concern) Please don't tell me he injures you too much…

Doll: (in Russian) [While he luckily didn't try to injure me, because of his other teammates, well… it because we had a deal and I might need your help. (Whisper and blushing) Especially since you confessed your feelings, I still haven't decided on the relationship yet.]

Ghot: Doll, you have to tell me what he was capable of and who his other teammates were! That has to give some hints of who he truly is!

Doll: (in Russian) [Alright, here's how it goes.]

(Flashback) —--------------------------------------------------------

Some time ago, after Doll teleports from Uzi and the murder drones, Doll finds herself outside the colony. She touched the spot on her face where her eye got shot. She looks around until she sees a skeleton with an eyepatch. She walks to the skeleton, grabs the eyepatch, and uses it to cover her damaged eye. As she was about to walk away, she spotted something in the distance and hid. What she saw was another murder drone, though this one had a familiar twin ponytail, which Doll recalled that Uzi had killed a murder drone like her before. The second individual gives Doll's interests as it is neither a worker nor a murder drone. It appears to be a spacesuit with a cap hat and bowtie at the top of the head. Knowing they are together, Doll knows she can't interact with the two, so she just spies on them for the time being.

J: I still can't believe this. Not only had N betrayed us, but I let that purple gremlin get the best out of me! When I see her again, I will make sure she experiences the same pain I did!

Tessa: Calm down, J. You will get your revenge. However, we are here for a different matter. We are here to access the Cabin Fever Lab. We would need a key to access the bottom of the lab.

J: And how do you suppose we find the key? This planet is massive, mind you, no offense.

Tessa: I have my way.

J: Right… So, what is the plan after we get the key?

Tessa: Patience. We will get there.

J: So anyway, I am making plans of how I will-

???: Well, well, well. What do we have here?

Both J and Tessa stop when they hear someone speaking to them. Aiming with their weapons, both swords, they look around until they see a giant snake-like drone on top of a building. It slithers down and reveals itself to be Mecha Naga. 

Mecha Naga: If it isn't my friend…. (look at Tessa's nametag) Tessa. How have you been? It's been a while.

Tessa: Well, if it isn't my old friend, Mecha Naga.

J: (confused) Wait, Tessa, you know this thing? I have never seen him around in the company.

Tessa: Yeah.. He happens to be in a… different department.

Mecha Naga: (with a stupid smile) Yep.

J: (Confused since she was not told about Mecha Naga) Well… Nice to. Meet you?

Mecha Naga: Nice to meet you.

Tessa: So, what brought you here?

Mecha Naga: I slither by until I see you two. I am curious about what you two are doing.

Tessa: We are here to retrieve an item inside a hidden lab.

Mecha Naga: Interesting. It may be for the project we were working on.

J: (Confused) Wait, how was I not informed of that?

Tessa: (Glare at mecha naga, then turn back to J) You would not want to see it. It's a company's secret, after all.

J: I see. (Thoughts) I might have to find out what this secret project is, but at the same thing, it seems Tessa did say that it's a company secret, so…

Mecha Naga: Regardless, do you know what you are looking for?

Tessa: Indeed I do. (Shows a paper) The key to the lab looks like those roaches, but we call them Keybug. (Look at Mecha Naga's confusion) Not all keys have to be key-shaped, you know. 

Mecha Naga: Right… so I assume you know where it would be?

Tessa: I tracked it somewhere in one of the abandoned campsites called Camp 98.7.

Mecha Naga: Oh! I do recognize that my pal, T, is there! He could help you with that. 

J is confused. Since when did T know of Mecha Naga as well? Why was she not in the loop on this?

Tessa: I would appreciate that, but I think it's better if we go search for it. Also, I doubt the key bug will show itself in front of T.

Mecha Naga: You may have a fair point, but who I care? As long as you have your plan, it all works out. 

Doll had heard enough and was about to use her teleport power to get out, but then-

Mecha Naga: Another plan I have is to ask her why she is spying on us.

Both Tessa and J are confused by what he said.

J: Who's her?

Mecha Naga: (Immediately charges toward where Doll is hiding) HER!

 Doll realizes she has been spotted and teleports out before Mecha Naga uses his tail and stabs at where Doll is. With no choice, Doll uses her power to try to hold Mecha Naga, but on her screen, she gets an error for trying to hold on to Mecha Naga, the same error she gets when she tries to grab Uzi back at prom. Going for a second plan, she uses her power to grab a car and slam it at Mecha Naga, managing to push him away for a while. She senses someone else behind her and dodges the blade from J in time. Doll grabbed J with her power and threw her away into where Mecha Naga was and managed to hit both, tho Mecha Naga didn't feel much pain. Doll turns to see Tessa.

Doll: (In Russian) [Whoever you may be, I will find out your plan and stop you and all the murder drones.]

Tessa: If only it were that easy.

Doll didn't notice a green glow blasted from behind her, and when she turned, she was shocked at what she was witnessing. Mecha Naga now has a green glow aura around him, and he spots something he didn't have before: wings. Unlike the wings of the dissembling drones, the wings on Mecha Naga look organic-like instead of metal.

With no chance of responding, Mecha Naga was already in front of Doll, slamming her with his tail and grabbing her with the end of his tail.

Mecha Naga: Give me one reason why I should not make you my lunch. It's not like I cared for any reason; regardless, all drones are lunch to me.

Tessa: Mecha Naga! STOP! (Mecha Naga looks confused and looks toward Tessa.) I thought of a better plan, so hear me out.

Mecha Naga (Sigh) It better be a good reason.

Tessa: Consider how no one else knows that we are here on this planet. We can use her to find the key to the lab. Think about it: if even one drone knows we are here, they likely alert all the others around the planet. It would be a win for us.

Mecha Naga: Can I still eat her if she betrays us?

Tessa: Yes. Okay, so now, you. (Look at Doll.) I give you one chance. We are looking for the key bug that can give you access to the lab. If you don't follow our end of the deal, not only will he eat you, but we will also find out who your significant others are so he can eat, like your friends, family, and maybe even lovers. (Doll is shocked to realize the reality she is in.) So, do you have a deal?

Doll thinks hard about the deal. On the one hand, she would have to work with these crazy lunatics, but on the other hand, if she ever betrays them, they would target her colony and her. When she remembers something earlier, Ghot's confession and her power, she likely will ask her for help later when the time comes. So, she makes her decision.

Doll: (In Russian) [Accepted…]

Tessa: Good to hear. Mecha Naga, let her go. (Mecha Naga let go of Doll, to his distaste). Remember, you have until 3 days to get the key bug. And don't even think of running away; we will know. Good luck.

Doll is scared of what Tessa is implying, so she teleports right away. J walks back toward the duo.

J: Are you sure she is going to pull it off?

Tessa: Trust me, she will. We have our ways of finding out she betrayed us. So what are you going do now, Mecha Naga?

Mecha Naga: I will continue slithering around this planet, eating more of those drones. Or, in this case, I will be flying off now. I will see you two another time! Later, loser.

Mecha Naga then flies up in the sky, leaving the human and drone behind.

J: He something, isn't he?

Tessa: Trust me, you will like the guy. He's cool. Regardless, let's wait out in our spaceship for three days until that drone returns.

J: You're the boss. Let's head back to the ship. (Flies off)

Tessa: (Waits for a moment, then thinks) Thought process. Be glad I made a strict request to him not to eat you or your other teammate. He would have for sure if he had the chance. (Tessa then walks back to the ship).

(Flashback end)  —--------------------------------------------------------

Doll: (in Russian) [So that's what happened. I will ask for your help on this, but I also need Uzi's. There is something between us and something in the campsite that Tessa had not told us about.]

Ghot: Hmm…. I am concerned that Mecha Naga is also working with that human. I need to be ready for him if he is about to defeat you that fast.

D: So, what is the plan then?

Ghot: We will go to the campsite with Uzi and hopefully bring N and V (Doll flinched at V's name) because from what you said, Doll, T is there, and if there is something, I feel it might be another cryptid drone. I have only been theorizing since I remember that T was one of the cryptid drones on the list. We should find it for more information about the lab and who I may be at the campsite or lab.

Doll: (In Russian) [Remember, we had 3 days to do so. I wish us luck.]

Before Doll walks away, Doll turns to Ghot.

Doll: (in Russian) [Also, I will consider your confession after this ordeal—no promise, though.] (Doll teleports away}.

D: Well, that was something, so want to tell Uzi about this?

Ghot: I feel Uzi will help with this, especially since her theory may be correct. Let's go!

D: Right, friend!

Both Ghot and D goes on to return to the colony. An unknown figure is watching the whole thing somewhere in the distance.

???: I hope you will able to save them all… Ghot.

The unknown figure returned to the open portal, which later closed.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene starts with a sign with "Camp 98.7" written on it. A light passes by, showing a bus driving by. However, this isn't an ordinary bus, as it is shown to be sentient and rearing up like a horse. 

Ronathon: Whoa, easy! 

The bus made some honking sounds before stopping.

Ronathon: Good girl.

The teacher, alongside many of the students, starts to exit the bus.

Sam: Do you ever wonder why- 

Sam then gets shoved to the ground by Emily, who another student pushed.

Emily: (looks back) Hey! 

Emily picks her book up and leaves as more students exit the bus, such as Rebecca and Darren walking off, hugging one another, and Braidon walking on top of Sam while on the phone. Sam gets back up, following the others. 

Thad: No kidding! (He and Lizzy share a laugh as they exit the bus.)

The last two to exit the bus were Ghot and Uzi. Uzi looked around the place while Ghot looked at Uzi.

Ghot: Uzi. Remember, we are together on this.

Uzi nods at Ghot and the two walk toward where their classmate went. While walking, Uzi looks at the two collars she wears on her right hand as she remembers the day prior.

(Flashback)

Khan: After the core collapsed... I... didn't notice the collars. (Khan is looking at an old photo of him, Nori, and a group of friends.) Only your mom being a catch!

There has been no response from Uzi, who is staring into a room filled with old papers and storage stuff, while Ghot has no word on what Khan just said.

Khan: (Sighs) She was always all, "Build doors against the coming sky demons!" "The singularity awakens." "Look at this cool S I can draw!" (Sighs) Turns out, I'm not who either of you needed. (He closes the door.) Just... Be safe, okay?

He hands Uzi the collars. He then turns to Ghot.

Khan: While I may not know much about the human girl that you showed me (holding the picture of the human girl with many drones, including Nori and Yeva), I had heard from Nori that there was one human who treated them like an actual human instead of an object, and I assume this must be her Nori was talking about. There may be some hints to that dream you may have after what you told me. There may be a deeper connection between the human girl and whatever the strange creature drones you two have been telling me about. Please, Ghot, make sure Uzi is safe as well.

Ghot: I can't keep that promise 100%, but I will do my best. You are the one who let me live here and have a life, you know.

Khan: (chuckle) Still, ensure Uzi is safe.

Ghot smiles back and nods.

(Flashback end)

Uzi puts one collar in her pocket and the other around her neck. Both Uzi and Ghot heard Braidon speaking.

Braidon: Uh, teacher, what is this field trip?

Teacher: Yeah, Uzi's idea. Ask her.

Braidon: (Scoffs) Who?

Ghot: (Glare) Are you serious?

Uzi: I've sat next to you for years.

(Uzi's speaking startles everyone.)

Uzi: Bite me! I asked to go alone. He's mad at your test scores.

Teacher: No year-end bonus, no learning.

Ghot: Yeah, I tried to ask if we could go alone, but considering how you would rather focus on dumb *beep* instead of the lessons, maybe you would not have had to come here!

Braidon: So, we're just unsupervised? 

At that moment, something landed next to the students.

Braidon: What the-!?

What landed in front of them was the three murder drones, N, V, and D, all dressed in camp counselor outfits. 

(A/N: D in camp counselor outfit)

N turns to them menacingly, looking like he is ready to kill them and ingest their warm, sweet oil, until suddenly…

N: Welcome, campers! Let's sound off! (He gets ready to do roll call but begins to count instead.) One, two... 

N stops. No one knows how to respond until a student gets shot at by V and falls over dead.

D: (Whisper to V) V, this isn't what we are supposed to do!

V: Whatever.

Students: (In sync, and not wanting to get shot at as well) THREE/FOUR/FIVE/SIX/SEVEN/EIGHT/NINE/TEN/ELEVEN!

N: That's everyone! (Whispers to V) Minus one... (To the students) We have so many distracting activities planned, so no sneaking off to investigate stuff! (He slyly gestures to Uzi, who blushes.) To the bunks!

D: Yeah, camper, let's do some activities here. Trust me, it will be fun!

N darts to lead the way... Except no one's following him. He looks over at Uzi and then back to the students.

Thad: Sounds good, N

Lizzy loots items from the dead worker drone, including a gold watch.

Lizzy: Anything for my bestie! (throws the gold watch to V, which she catches)

D: (Whisper to V) I think you made her warming up to you.

V: (Whisper to D) I know.

No other students were convinced to join the murder drone until Uzi spoke out.

Uzi: (still blushing) Y-Yeah, they're like my friends, too, so... It's cool.

Everyone flees in a panic at Uzi's mere presence. This only causes Ghot to get irritated.

Ghot: (Thoughts while feeling irritated) I hate how they treat her as if she is a monster. Wait until they see the monstrous drones I had to face.

Emily: (Taking N's hand) You can be our friend, little guy!

Darren: (Poking V's eye) Poor thing's defective. (V grabs Darren's hand menacingly, then looks back at Uzi.)

V: Hmph. Nah, just full of love. (Her tail turns into the outline of a heart, and then gestures to N. ) This one's a pilot. (Gestures toward D) And that one is a scary cat.

D: HEY!

Rebecca: Oh! (Giggles) Wow, a pilot.

Braidon: I never hear of a murder drone being a scary cat.

N looks back at Uzi, who gestures that she will go her own way and that N should get everyone else to the campsite. She gives a thumbs up, N nods. Uzi then look at Ghot and they both nod that they will go on different path of finding what they were here for. They both give each other a fist bump before both part ways toward the woods alone.

Uzi was walking through the woods when she stumbled upon an abandoned building. She use her power to unlock the lock and enter the building. She picks up a hat using her power and then tosses it to the side as she examines her surroundings, where many objects are scattered. She spotted a calendar and inspected it, which had an image of a dog, and the bottom showed some notes related to the dog, especially about all dogs being immortal. Uzi sighs in relief about the information, only to hear a sudden noise. She looked around, only to see a human hand peaking from the corner, spooking Uzi in the process. Almost dropping her flashlight, she picked it up quickly and turned it back on, only to see the hand gone. A scream can be heard, and Uzi goes out to check what it is, only to see the students, alongside the murder drone, rowing their canoes on the lake, screaming and laughing in joy.

Rebecca: (To N) So, my friend wants to know if you'd kill her family. And if you're single.

Unaware of N and Rebecca, Darren and Thad carried a canoe with V and Lizzy on it, which came straight toward them.

Darren: Make way for the canoe train!

V: Sabotage, minions! Plan X! 

The boys kick N's canoe and head off while laughing, only to slip and drop it. Lizzy falls out, and V simply flies in the air. Emily also falls out of N's canoe.

Rebecca: I CAN'T SWIM! (She almost falls out, but N catches her.) Oh! Hehe... Thank you.

(N salutes)

N: Close one.

V rolls her eyes for a moment until a snowball hits her. She looked to see who threw the snowball at her, only to see D hide her hand behind her back in a quick second.

D: It wasn't me; I thought I was a scary cat, as you mentioned. (Giggles).

V: Oh, I'm going to get you.

D realizes her mistakes and starts to fly away as V chases her off. Back at the abandoned building, Uzi watches, the absolute solver active, and shatters the window. As Uzi tries to reach inside her backpack, the Absolute Solver glitches out and displays a caution symbol with "HIGH TEMP" displayed on her right eye. The camera cuts to a view inside Uzi's backpack, which contains a severed worker drone hand. She has a flashback of when Ghot, Uzi, and Doll were talking about how Uzi would have to eat the drone soon because the absolute solver also causes drones to overheat, just like the murder drone. As much as Uzi hates the idea, Doll offers to give some of the parts she still has. Return to the present time, Uzi was still deciding when she heard someone.

V: Tick tock... 

V giggles as she makes her presence known while Uzi quickly kicks the backpack out of view.

Uzi: H-Hey, s-stupid... idiot... Uh, weren't you just-

V: You said this camp would help us catch that red-eyed Doll freak. How about more "explore-y", less "watch from window creepy".

D: (appears from where V entered) Says the one who waited almost all night for one drone to sneak out. I saw you did that before.

V: Shush, not the point now!

Uzi: (Swipes her hand away) Working on it. Just... (Sarcastically) so glad you guys fit right in. Super cool. (V raises her tail behind Uzi.)

V: Better to stay distant, though. Don'tcha think? (She looks over at Uzi's backpack.) Since I'll have to kill you next? (She scratches a line across Uzi's eye with her knife finger and prepares to leave.) N's made friends with rocks, by the way. He'll move on just fine. (Left the building)

D: Don't listen to her, Uzi. N isn't that kind of friend. I know that because he always sticks up to me, and he really is a nice friend to have. I must continue with the plan, so good luck, Uzi.

Uzi: Thanks, D. I knew you and N wouldn't leave us.

D nods before leaving, and Uzi's eye repairs itself. She sighed as she went over to get her backpack, only to see that it had crushed a bug.

Uzi: Sorry, buddy. Gotcha good. 

Uzi uses her Absolute Solver powers to repair the bug and return it to good health. The little insect wanders away and turns back to Uzi, who salutes it as it heads under the floorboards. Uzi uses her powers to lift the wood, revealing a rotting, deceased Worker Drone. She lifts a few papers: Two drawings and a JCJenson Program Admission Notice, both covered in oil. She flips over the last one to reveal a part of a Murder Drone's claw pierced through the side that was otherwise supposed to be intentionally left blank. She pulls the claw piece out as another bug climbs onto her hand. She squishes it, but it narrowly dodges and climbs her other hand.

Insect: >:( 

Uzi glared at the insect until she was surprised that the insect scanned her face and somehow unlocked something.

Insect:  WELCOME BACK [002]. HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?

The options displayed are: Submit a time card, PTO request, register torture chamber complaint, end my suffering (PROMO OFFER DISCONTINUED), call elevator, and one that shocks Uzi the most: Project Cryptid.

Uzi: Project Cryptid?

Insect: Access Denied; you need to be a higher rank or cryptid drone to view this project.

Uzi: (Thought) Bite me. We could try to trick it by scanning the head of one of the defeated cryptid drones. I have to let Ghot know about that. (Out of thoughts) Well, call elevator?

Insect: PLEASE PLACE ME ON PROXIMITY READER (CABIN FEVER LABS).

Uzi: Where's that? What are you?

(The insect thinks Uzi said, "Wear his hat?" and "What argue?")

Insect: INVALID RESPONSE.

While Uzi glared at the insect for the autocorrection, Doll was behind Uzi and then teleported away.

Ghot was walking alone in the woods in search of what she was also looking for: what remains of her past or what the cryptid drones indeed were. After walking for a few more minutes, she discovered a cabin far from the campsite. She enters the cabin and sees that the inside is a mess, with a bed mattress everywhere and spoiled food. Ghot ignored the food and went on to search around. She found nothing interesting until she spotted something behind a picture frame. She looks at the picture frame of some human with their drones. She put the picture frame aside and saw it was a password keypad. 

Ghot: Well, this could lead to something, but I don't know the code. Let me try some combinations.

Ghot tried many passwords on the keypad, but none of her ideas worked. She slumped down to the floor.

Ghot: That's all my idea; there could be millions of ways to guess. 

While Ghot wasn't focusing, she didn't notice a certain drone teleport into the cabin with her. It was none other than Doll.

Doll: (in Russian) [Having trouble?]

Ghot: (startles) Oh hey, Doll! I forgot you can teleport. 

Doll: (in Russian) [Still not used to that huh? Regardless, I figured I could help.]

Doll uses her power to manipulate the mechanism inside and able to unlock the safe.

Ghot: I know I could smash the safe with my power, but I am afraid I might damage the contents inside.

Doll: (in Russian) [Of course, think smarter, not harder.] 

Ghot: Regardless. (walks to the safe and check the content inside) Hmmm. It is a flash drive. (Inspect around) and I saw some printed text on it that said, "My first successful project." I might have to hold on to this for the time being. It probably has some important information about the cryptid drone since I doubt it would be related to me. I mean, look at me; I was just a regular worker drone who happened to have this power, and it is not the same as yours. 

Doll: (in Russian) [I still want to figure out your power after all. It is not the power for sure, like how Uzi, me, and likely mine and Uzi's mother might all have the same power. There may be something more we don't know right now.]

Ghot: You are right. I still have to make sure I got the piece together. So far, the only thing I know for sure about the cryptid drones is that they might not even have been made by the company at all. It might be another source behind it because, think about it, why would the company make drones that hunt their own drones that are designed to kill us?

Doll: (in Russian) [I know you told me you have defeated two of them so far with help. But I'm worried about this T. You don't think it might be another cryptid drone.]

Ghot: Based on how your story went, it is most likely a cryptid drone. And since Mecha Naga said it is resident in this forest, we must ensure everyone is safe. Oh…

Doll: (In Russian) [Ghot?]

Ghot: I realized the original plan was supposed to be us and the murder drone alone for this trip, but since the classmate had horrible grades and were forced to come with us, it is more likely that the cryptid drone would have heard them and likely making a plan to kill them all! I have to go back now! (Run out of the building)

Doll thought about something before realizing something.

Doll: (In Russian) [Wait, Ghot. I forgot to ask you something. Had Uzi eaten the oil I provided? The thing is, from the last time I hadn't had oil, I may have gone a bit crazy and almost revealed my power to the colony until I had to kill a drone to calm myself.]

Ghot: (Stops in track) Well… now that you mention it, she barely ate any because she was just afraid she would be called out as a freak even more if the colony discovered she had to eat oil to cool herself.

Doll is in shock at the information and decides to tell Ghot about one important piece of information.

Doll: (In Russian) [Ghot, I would recommend you to get back to Uzi; she would need that oil now, and likely someone as strong as you to hold her until then… Trust me, it's going be ugly from here.]

Ghot understands what Doll is implying.

Ghot: Noted. I will get back to Uzi as quickly as I can. Can you find any more information about anything related to our cases, like your and Uzi's power, my past, the cryptid drone, or the key to the lab?

Doll: (In Russian) [Uzi got the key cover already, but I will do my best to find the other information. I wish you luck.]

Ghot: Thanks, I wish you too. (Runoff while unintendedly shouts) Love you!

Doll jumps when she hears Ghot unintentionally yell out "Love you" to her. Doll blushes a bit before deciding to get the information around. Doll then teleports away. Unknown to the duo, someone else is watching from behind the scenes. One of the trees starts unfolding itself, revealing a huge wing.

Back with the campers. N fires multiple arrows at a target's center until it catches fire.

N: Ah, sorry! Did I... cheat? 

He looks back at the others. There is no answer, but another camper gets shot at and falls over.

D: Is accuracy the only thing that counts?

V jumps down.

V: Tch. You didn't even kill everyone here. Check this out. 

V gets ready to fire an arrow at the campers, who nervously clap.

D: H-hey V, that is very dangerous to point that thing at a drone! That arrow is very sharp.

V: I know; what do you think I'm doing?

D: NOT WHAT I MEANT!

Meanwhile, Uzi is making her way back to the campsite. She spots N and tries to get his attention.

Uzi: Psst. Hey.

N looks behind him, and he sees Uzi with her new bug friend.

Insect: HELLO :) DON'T TELL V I'M HERE

N: (Yelling, thus indirectly letting V know she's here) Uzi, get on out here!

D: (realizes and whispers) N, you are giving Uzi away!

Insect: :0

N: This troop's a team! (Realizing he has gotten V's attention) WAIT, NO, INCLUSIVE REFLEXES!

D: (panicking) You are making it worse! Just stop!

V looks back and spots Uzi.

Insect: D:!! (It flees)

Uzi: Uh, hehe, hey, everyone.

Everyone screams at her presence. Braidon accidentally shoots an arrow in her direction. However, she uses her powers to stop it... Only for her temperature to rise again and morph the arrow into a fleshy, bloody mess. V saw what happened and gasped in realization.

Uzi: (Nervously freaked out) Um, ignore all this! Uh... I was just... Going... 

As Uzi tries to make out the word, the other students become more afraid of Uzi, while V throws the bow away and activates her blades on her hands. D looks at V and realizes what will happen next. Uzi then sees oil shoot out from the student's corpse like a fountain.

D: (Scared) What in the…

Uzi: Yeah, I LIVE IN THE WOODS NOW! (She retreats into the woods.)

Braidon: ...Who was that?

Uzi retreats into a nearby cabin and barricades the door. She uses her powers to force all the doors and windows shut so no one will find her. She reaches into her backpack and tries to grab the worker drone arm to eat, only for a nearby clock's ticking to drive her crazy, to the point where she has to use her powers to destroy the clock and the lights, except for one. Uzi attempts to destroy it, but everything around her turns red as a fleshy abomination manifests and covers her entire vision…

Meanwhile, back at the camp, N and D are trying to prevent V from attempting to harm Uzi.

N: V, we can't hurt Uzi!

D: There must be a reason why Uzi has been acting like this and trying to hide from you! She is our friend!

V: We do our jobs, and that thing leaves us alone!

N: I don't know what you're talking about because you won't tell me! 

He freed himself from V's grasp using his claw, which shocked V, and the students were also shocked.

N:  What're you so afraid of!?

V: I'm not afraid...!

D: Consider how you reacted; I have doubts about that….

N: I am! D is! Uzi is! She's a kid, like us, V! What is WRONG with you!?

No response. N sighs and tosses his clipboard at D.

N: D, look after the campers and V. (He flies off in pursuit of Uzi.)

D: I will…

Lizzy: Hot. (V is unamused) Not hot? You're too good for him.

V turns to D.

V: D, I don't want you to follow me. Understand?

D: V, I can't, we are all together-

V: I SAID UNDERSTAND!

D: (scared and give up) Understand…

V: (Looks at other campers) Do whatever you want. 

V stomps off. Rebecca gestures to Darren that they should sneak off, but D interrupts them.

D: I'm sorry, you two, but do I hear you were about to sneak off? (holding her drill hand at the two.)

Rebecca: Um…. (looks at Darren, then looks back) No?

D: You better not. Okay, so everyone else here? (The rest look at each other and nod.) Alright, so for the time being, we can set up a campfire and tell a scary story or something. 

The rest decide not to try to argue with a drone that could kill them at any point. Before they all left for the campfire, they heard someone running toward them, and at first, they thought Uzi was coming back, but realized it was Ghot.

Rebecca: Oh, it's you again, the cool one.

Ghot glared at Rebecca for being nice to Ghot but not Uzi. Ghot decides to look at D.

Ghot: D, this is important. I have to ask you, have you seen Uzi around? It urgent!

D: I did, and she ran that way. (points where Uzi had run off to) But you might have to hurry because she might have used her power, and it caused V to want to kill Uzi out of the blue… N and I tried to talk some sense into her, but she ignored everything, and now I think she may be hunting Uzi. N is also looking for Uzi, and I am only here because of your classmates. I feel like if they separate, something out there could kill them, so I am trying my best to protect them all in one place. Please, go save Uzi, whether from herself or V or whatever, out of the woods.

Ghot: Thanks, D. I will save Uzi. Wish me luck! 

Ghot ran out to where Uzi had run off to. Thad walks up to D.

Thad: I still feel strange seeing you murder drone saying good luck to a worker drone.

D: Trust me, I wish I wasn't a killing machine.

Rebecca: Well, you are the nicest one alongside that male drone. (Giggles)

D: Let's get on to the activity. And do not separate.

The rest of the students follow D. Meanwhile, Ghot is running through the woods to find Uzi before V gets to her. As she continues to run, some lightning strikes in the surrounding area.

Ghot: If lighting strikes when something terrible is about to happen, something terrible IS about to happen. I hope Uzi is doing fine…

After running for a while, she stopped and saw another abandoned cabin. Having a feeling Uzi might be there, Ghot goes to investigate. Ghot attempted to open the door, but the furniture blocked the way. With no choice, she uses her power to break through and enter. She spots a flashlight rolling by in front of her. Ghot went to pick it up, and only then did the door behind her close off, causing Ghot to turn to the door. Unknown to her, Uzi hid in the shadows, laughing like a demon after being transformed into a bat-like monster by the Absolute Solver. She spreads her newly created bat-like wings as she prepares to kill Ghot.

Meanwhile, N flies down and finds another cabin. He enters and looks over to see what appears to be some control desk with a monitor hanging overhead that's displaying static. He goes over to investigate. He tries to turn another monitor on, only for it to fry up. He goes over to the static-playing monitor, where he notices a VHS tape underneath: ZOMBIE DRONES.  As soon as he touches it, he begins to have brief flashbacks. One involves a small worker drone in a maid outfit, one with a severed arm, and another involves a huge, glitching black hole in the sky with a small label that says "[null]." He backs away in horror. He backed away enough to see something else on one of the shelves. He moved some items off the side to inspect, only to see an old CD titled "Project: Beta Solver." He figured this might be important to learn, so he took it alongside the VHS tape.

Meanwhile, with the campers, Braidon tells a spooky story.

Braidon: But her warranty wasn't expired... IT NEVER EXISTEEEEED!

Sam: It's scary, 'cause it's like….. Real.

The rest were either uninterested, scared, or did not notice Braidon's story.

Rebecca: Yeah, totally scary. (Making out with Darren).

Emily: You know, it's strange you two are here because usually, in horror movies or stories (Read the book), the couples would have immoral make-out sessions away from the group, only to be attacked by the monster.

D: Yeah, that's why I figured those two would do something like that, and besides, I just thought I should know about you guys since…. You have been awfully nice to me. Only very few had been nice to me…

Emily: Aw, even though you are a murder drone, consider how you have been nice to us. It would be lovely if we returned the favor. I hope you are not tricking us.

D: I only killed because I was forced. I don't like the scream of killing a drone…

Lizzy: I might help you how to become popular, not as much as me, but still up there.

D: You sure? I thought Ghot told me how much of a lizard you've been.

Lizzy: Only because I like to tease Uzi a lot. But I promise it will happen.

Darren: Yeah, just like how you made friends with that Doll girl, only for her to get killed. I assume you will do the same with D.

Lizzy: Darren! I am not implying that way!

D: You know, Emily, we have something in common we may not realize because of how much interaction we had.

Emily: Do you think so? To be fair, I rarely talk to people who are strangers to me, so it has to be something nice you have that makes me talk to you often.

D: We can be good friends.

As the campers interacted with one another, they heard an explosion. They all jumped and looked where the blast had happened. 

Emily: What was that!?

Lizzy: An explosion, duh.

Sam: In the middle of the forest?

D had a bad feeling about it. She was about to investigate when something landed in front of the campers. The rest of the students were screaming because they thought a monster had appeared. As the dust cloud cleared out, it turned out to be Ghot, but she used her power to minimize the damage. Everyone has now seen Ghot with her power.

Sam: Whoa… check that out.

Braidon: Is that… (Look closer) Ghot?

Emily: Why is she glowing blue? I'm scared.

Rebecca: Well, this got interesting.

Darren: You said it.

D realizes Ghot is using her power to fight something substantial. She already knows what to do.

D: Campers, get behind me, and no matter what, DO NOT SPLIT AWAY FROM ME!

Lizzy: Okay, mom. (D deadpan stares at Lizzy).

The rest decided to hide behind D. Rightfully so, because what knocked Ghot that far finally showed up. It was Uzi, but something about her is different. She now sports bat-like wings and a tail that looks like a reptile's head. Everyone sees Uzi now.

Braidon: Ohhh... You...?

The campers shrug in unison. Uzi spots them and is about to use her power on the student, but Ghot grabs her via her chain power and brings Uzi toward Ghot.

Ghot: Uzi, you got to knock out of that form! You are letting it control you!

The only response Ghot got was Uzi punching Ghot in the face and knocking her away a few feet. Uzi then used her power to grab Ghot and slam her to the ground. Ghot then used her claw power to dig out and grab Uzi. She used her boxing glove power and kept slapping Uzi.

Ghot: Uzi! I can't use my full power on you because you are still someone special down there; you are just under the control of that power! Snap out of it!

Uzi grabs Ghot and headbutts Ghot. 

Ghot: (Thoughts) Normally, I can go full power on a monstrous drone, except this monstrous drone is my sister! I am not risking trying to strike her; she could be beyond damaged! And it doesn't help I have to make sure Uzi doesn't kill anyone here! I got to snap her out of it somehow.

Ghot continues trying to snap Uzi out. D then looks at the campers and believes that to get them away from danger, she has to tell them now.

D: Camper, the next activity is to go somewhere safe and far from this! Just for your safety!

Emily: I've read that's a good idea!

D: Just don't split up; the book said never to split up.

The students decided to run from the danger. Lizzy slowed down to record and take a picture of the situation before returning with the other campers alongside D. Ghot, who continued to try to calm Uzi down. It is then that Ghot rushes toward Uzi and hugs her.

Ghot: Listen Uzi… Everything will be alright…

It almost worked, as Uzi started to calm down until Ghot felt something coming toward her. Both she and Uzi dodged a swipe from V. V was clearly angry, but there was no reason for Ghot to know.

V: Ghot, stay away from her.

Ghot: V, what are you doing now?

V: (Looks toward Uzi) New body, same horrors. Huh, Cyn?

Ghot: (Shocked and confused) Cyn? V, who is this Cyn you talking about? Is this why you look angry at Uzi?

V: I thought I wouldn't see Cyn again, but here we are. 

Ghot: (Thought) Would that explain why Uzi has that power? Does V know something about Cyn and Uzi's power being similar? I might have to ask, but first, I must stop V.

Uzi: I... don't know... who that is... Can I... talk to N...?

V: Tch. I'll make sure you can't.

Ghot: V, wait!

Just as V goes in for the kill, Uzi is already next to V, and her tail grabs V and flings her to the side, ripping off the arm. Ghot notices that Uzi's visor is now yellow instead of purple. Uzi laughed, but her laugh differed from what Ghot remembered she heard. Uzi then stomped V's arm to grab the blade and throw it at V, whom she deflected. Uzi grabs V up in the air while grabbing the blade with her power and throws it toward V's head. V was about to shoot her missile at Uzi, but the blade stabbed her head, causing her to miss the shot. The missile landed next to Ghot.

Ghot: V, we need to calm Uzi down, not make her more aggressive! (Pull up her power to block the missile explosion from hurting her).

The missile explodes, causing Ghot to launch a bit further. Uzi pins V to the ground. V tries to counterattack with her syringe tail, but Uzi slices off V's syringe tail and prepares to stab her until N appears and grabs Uzi. 

N: Whoops. Easy there, buddy.

Uzi stabs the syringe into his hand, which didn't phrase N.

N; Haha, ow. Up we go!

He tosses Uzi into the air, removes V's tail from his hand, and puts his hand in his mouth.

N: (Muffled) What did I say about antagonizing her?

Ghot: What I tried to tell her.

V: (Pouts) You both always take her side!

Ghot: (Turn to N) N, make sure she alright and realize we will always be there for her, no matter what.

N: I promise! (Flies up)

Ghot looks at herself and sees how much she has been damaged. V notices Ghot's damaged body and starts to ask.

V: Ghot, why would you try to protect Uzi?

Ghot: V, it's because she is someone special I look up to. She was there for me when I first entered the colony. Besides, I was the only drone who was sane enough to at least listen to her rants and many random stuff. It is wrong for me just to hit her.

V: Didn't you slap her, though?

Ghot: I thought it would have snapped out, but not everything you see in movies works in real life. I regret that decision. But for real, who is Cyn? I heard you called Uzi Cyn. Is there something you are hiding from us?

V: (Sigh) I—it was a drone like you and another worker drone. What sets her apart from others at the time is that she is able to use power similar to Uzi and even Doll. I thought we would never see her before, but it seems she is likely still active somewhere out there.

Ghot: V, you know we can at least try to work together to solve this mystery of Uzi's power and maybe find out who I was before because I don't remember anything at all in the past.

V: I know you are not related to Cyn because she never displays power like you have been using. It could be a different source.

Ghot: You might be on to something because I never felt guilty about consuming oil like you or Doll did. Maybe there is some hint based on a paper I had about myself.

V: Hmm, have you ever tried to return to that place?

Ghot: You know, I had not. Maybe because, at that time, I was not aware I had this power, so it was risky to go out there and check the place. I might check after this trip.

V: Maybe there is even some hint of Cyn's involved, but that's my guess.

Ghot: Alright, that's the plan after the trip. All we have to do is wait for N and Uzi and-

Before Ghot finished her sentence, she was struck by lightning. V was unexpectedly to see a random light that struck Ghot. As V looked up, she realized why that lighting strike was no coincidence. V sees a large figure dropping a distance from V and Ghot. At first, the dust caused by the landing hides the figure, and it looks like the shape of a murder drone. But as the dust cleared off, it revealed that it was no murder drone. It had a bulk body shape, with armor, and had wings that did not resemble a murder drone's but a bird-like shape. The helmet appears with a bird beak in the middle. As it turns out, this was the other Cryptid Drone, Cryptid Drone T.

The feather from it's wing starts to float and form together to make a sword. CDT then grabs the sword and holds it up in the sky to summon lightning into it. It then prepares to slam the sword onto Ghot, but Ghot is saved by V, who has to rush fast to save Ghot from the cryptid drone. 

V: Ghot, what was that?!

Ghot: I believe that was the other friend I was told about, Cryptid Drone T. 

V: Cryptid Drone? What are those? Why hadn't you guys informed me about that?

Ghot: Because you were crazy at the time. Now you had some sense, you would know them now.

V got struck by lightning, causing her to drop Ghot, which Ghot rolled across the ground for a while.

Ghot: (Gets up) Ow, as if the damage from Uzi wasn't bad enough, now I have to deal with this thing. I know it will go after everyone here if I get defeated, so it's now or never! (Active her dream power) Since N will likely have to calm Uzi by now, I can go all out on this!

Ghot starts to power up, and first, she tries to shoot the orb at CDT, but to her surprise, CDT parries the orb with its sword. It then tries to land on Ghot to crush her, but Ghot dodges in time. She didn't expect lightning to shoot at her, and in no time, she was shocked by the lightning. Ghot tries to get up, but CDT grabs her and it rams Ghot through many trees. Ghot sustained more damage on her body, even with her power shielding as much damage as possible. Ghot sees CDT swing its sword at her and block the sword using her claw power. She pushes the sword out of the way and jumps. Switching to her boxing glove power, she punches CDT in the face and sends it past some tree, damaging it in the process. Ghot landed on the ground, but she realized she needed to beat CDT before resting, and her power would be unused. She then saw CDT coming toward her and about to slash her with the sword, but the cryptid drone got hit by a big rock, causing it to stun for a while. Ghot notices that the rock has a red symbol, and she knows one person who had caused the throw. She sees Doll. 

Ghot: Doll! You saved me..

Doll: (in Russian) [Can't let someone special to me die now. You might need some assistance with this.]

Ghot: I believe that while this cryptid drone is powerful when someone tries to fight by themself, it might have trouble facing multiple drones at once, so I might have to say this, and please don't get mad, but I might need to ask help from both you and…V

Doll: (in Russian) [And why her? Don't you remember what she did to my parent?]

Ghot: Doll! I know that, but it's either we or the cryptid drone living! Only had that grudge to the side for the time being! And you! (Points at V, who just joined) You will have to help us defeat this thing. I'm already low on power, and I'm afraid it might go after everyone here, including you and N. We have to work together on this!

V: Ugh. fine. Only because of how dangerous this is.

Ghot: I need to have it to the point it has trouble multitasking at once. 

The trio sees CDT coming back, letting out a roar. The trio rushes toward CDT, with Doll using her power to grab some trees and launch at CDT. It slices through the tree, not noticing V shooting a missile at it, causing the missile to hit and explode at CDT. Causing it to flinch, Ghot, using her rocket boot power, jumped toward CDT and, with her boxing glove power, punched CDT hard in the chest, damaging it. It roars back and uses its wings to launch many feathers at the trio. While V manages to dodge many of them, and Doll uses her power to grab and launch back at CDT, Ghot gets hit by the feather, damaging her. CDT flies toward Ghot and tries to hit her with the sword, but Ghot manages to dodge the sword despite her injuries. At the last swing, it almost hits Ghot, but Ghot grabs onto it and holds on tight while CDT tries to swing Ghot out of the sword. This opened the door for Doll to grab another boulder with her power and throw it at CDT from behind. V flew fast and kicked at CDT's face, causing CDT to feel more damage from both sides. Using this opening, Ghot uses her gun, and by empowering it, she shoots at CDT, causing it to slam down into the ground.

Right as Ghot landed back, lightning struck out of where CDT. CDT roars angrily, and the trio can see it now has a green glowing aura around it, and some parts have turned from mechanical to more organ-like. This is different from the previous two cryptid drones because Ghot spotted something in its eye. One of the eyes has the same symbol that Doll and Uzi have. But it's green. 

As if that wasn't enough, for the first time that shocked Ghot, it spoke.

CDT: Angry ranting. I will not allow you to destroy MY creations I made! You will all perish!

The trio heard that the voice sounded more male-like and robotic. With not enough time for the trio to think, CDT flies up and spins around fast enough to summon a tornado. The trio holds on tight as the fight just gets harder. 

CDT: Laughing. Let's see how well you deal with me while the tornado is active. Tick Tock, you are on a time limit until it gets big enough to destroy you and your friends here!

Ghot: Doll, V. I have an idea. We might have to use the tornado to our advantage, but we must destroy its wings first.

Doll: (In Russian) [Without its wing, it would struggle to fly inside the tornado.]

V: You know, this is getting a bit more fun.

The trio then split up to get the plan ready. Ghot stares at CDT and thinks of a fitting idea. She uses her power to summon a sword. CDT then launches all the feathers at Ghot, but with a sword, she manages to parry them back to CDT, damaging them back to the owner. It charged toward Ghot and was about to hit Ghot, but Ghot managed to block it with her sword. The two clash their sword, trying to overpower one another, but this is part of the plan as Doll appears and uses her power to throw a tree at one of CDT's wings and manage to break it apart, causing CDT to lose some focus, making Ghot manage to push CDT's sword out of the cryptid's hand and goes up and hit the face with her boxing glove power. Ghot jumps back and stands next to V, who is about to shoot her missile. Still, this time, Ghot uses her power to empower the missile, making it go faster, and by the time it hits another of CDT's wings, it blows up, causing CDT to lose another wing, making it unable to fly anymore. 

Ghot: Nowhere to fly now.

CDT's sword flies back to its hand. It lifts its sword in the air to summon lightning and swipes to launch some lightning at Ghot. She manages to catch it with her sword, and by throwing her sword at CDT, it goes by fast and strikes through the chest. It roars in pain. It then grabs toward the ground and picks up a huge chunk of the ground.

CDT: As if I let you destroy this prized weapon! You will all be consumed by me! (Throw the chunk at Ghot)

As the chunk was about to hit Ghot, Doll teleported and held onto the chunk. With enough reaction, Ghot used her glove power to break the chuck apart, which Doll used to push everything toward CDT. It was about to slash them with the sword, but Doll used her power to hold on to the sword as much as she could, and because of this, the chunk managed to damage CDT more. Using her rocket boots, she rushed toward CDT, kicked right to the chest, and headed toward the tornado. Before kicking it toward the tornado, she uses the missile she borrowed from V, empowers it, and forces it inside CDT through the area that got shot by the sword Ghot threw earlier. She jumped off in time to see CDT kicked toward the tornado, devoured by the twister. After a few seconds, the trio sees the glow from the tornado, and the tornado blows up alongside CDT, as they can see part of it flying around, part scattered around the forest. At last, another Cryptid Drone was defeated. After a long fight, Ghot fell to the floor on one knee, exhausted.  

Ghot: We did it… we defeated another cryptid drone. (I'm Getting tired.) I feel like I should rest now, especially after what happened not long ago.

Doll: (Walks to Ghot) (In Russian) [You can rest now; I know it has been a long day for you. Just be sure you are alright.]

Ghot: I'm all right. Thanks for the concern. The only thing is that we need to take part from this cryptid drone so I can learn its purpose and maybe even find any memory of it.

Doll: (in Russian) [Of course. I will take any part.]

Ghot: Thank you… (Fall asleep)

Doll: (Looks at Ghot sleeping, then smiles) (In Russian) [Cute.]

V: There is something more than Cyn than I thought there was. I know whatever that thing was speaking wasn't Cyn. 

Doll: (In Russian) [I still hadn't forgotten you about your killing of my parent. I will go to find more information to help us with this whole situation. Just take care of Ghot while I am off. If I see a scratch on her, I'll end you myself.]

V: Whatever.

Doll teleports out. As V stares at Ghot sleeping, she has a thought.

V: (Thought): Ghot, who truly are you? You are not related to Cyn, but who are you?

As V looked at Ghot, she heard footsteps and turned to see N carrying Uzi, who was asleep, while D appeared from the sky with weapons ready.

D: D here. I'm ready to- (Realize the cryptid drone is already dead). Oh… you dealt with it already?

V: Yeah, it was… fun but dangerous. N, how did you and Uzi-

N: It went well. I managed to stop her craziness, and now she is calm. 

V: (Glare) Cyn hasn't got full control yet, but I still feel concerned that Cyn might be out or even here.

N: We all are scared, but the difference is we will make it out all together.

D: Yeah… (grabs Ghot and carries her) I think you should relax and realize we are together; you are not alone in whatever Cyn, who may they be, has planned. Now, come on, you two. We have a camper waiting for us to go back home.

N: Trips are over, so it's time to head back.

Both N and D start to head back toward where all the other campers are waiting. V looks back at the field where they fought the cryptid drone and chuckles softly while sharing a small smile, thinking how things have changed from killing worker drones to working alongside them to defeat a huge threat.

The scene changes to the bus getting ready to leave the camp.

Ronathon: Hiya, hiya!

The bus drives off. Inside, the teacher is going over the list of students.

Teacher: (Turns back to V) So, missing a few campers here…

V doesn't respond. She knows what happened to the few missing students. She looks over at Lizzy, next to her. She looks back at Uzi and N. They are both sound asleep, with Uzi resting her head on N's shoulder. Uzi's little insect friend hides in her hat. She then sees D and Emily sharing a book and reading the same subject about a planet-eating planet. V then sees Ghot asleep next to Thad. Lastly, she sees Sam, Braidon, Rebecca, and Darren just doing their usual thing. 

V: (Sighs) Yo, I get hungry, idiot.

Teacher: No name calling. Just a question. (V sits back in her seat.)

A pool of orange sunlight casts over the bus seat, and Uzi's hand starts smoking under the sunlight. N notices this and reaches to move her hand out of the way. Uzi holds his hand. N quickly, silently let's go without waking Uzi up. He looks over at the Zombie Drones VHS tape he brought with him, alongside the CD about Beta Solver. The thought of what could be on the tape and CD worries him. Lizzy turns to V to show something.

Lizzy: By the way, you should have seen how Uzi and Ghot were fighting. I never thought those two were hiding those powers the entire time.

V: Ugh, and I thought I had the chance to fight Uzi, let alone Ghot if she wasn't so exhausted from earlier.

Rebecca: (Appearing from behind) I really want to speak to Ghot about where she got that power. It is neat of us to have it as well.

Thad: Well, not now. She's resting. Maybe ask her once she's in a good mood because, from what I heard, she's feeling exhausted.

Sam: Have you seen that colossal drone summoning that tornado? That was scary! Lizzy, can you show us that fight again?

Lizzy: Sure, here's how it went.

As Lizzy was showing the recording, no drone noticing on the recording; one of the moons glitched slightly.

To be continued….

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene starts with Ghot waking up again. She sees she is not in a familiar location. She looks at herself and sees she is in another drone's body. 

Ghot: (mind) Hmmm, I am in another of these memories. What would I learn from this?

As Ghot looks around, she spots the same human girl from the two previous memories. 

???: Hello again, Tobias.

Tobias: Great to hear from you, lad. What is the occasion?

Ghot: (Mind) So I am in a drone named Tobias now. Why do I keep seeing these from these drones’ point of view?

???: Mr. Aristotle has invited me to view something he has been working on for so long. He said it would change how we view life forever!

Tobias: Interesting. He didn't tell you about what it was?

???: Nope, he wants to keep it a secret. All I know is that it involves the object he got from. It is similar to the one I am using for my project. I am excited to see what it is!

Tobias: Are we drones allowed to come with you as well?

???: Unfortunately, he said that any drone coming by might be a risk, but it may be technology-related and could affect drones if he is concerned.

Tobias: No worry, mate. I will be here working on my weathering satellite. It would help predict weathering patterns very quickly.

???: That is great to hear!

As the two discussed, they heard someone walking in, one of the voices that Ghot recognized from the other memory.

Wild: What's up, everyone? I heard you got excited about something.

Now, Ghot was able to see what this Wild drone was like. He appears as a worker drone with dark reddish-brown hair and bright neon-orange eyes. What is noticeable about his clothing is that he dresses up as a hiker, which makes sense from what Ghot remembers he wanted to do. What she heard next was another voice, but a female voice. Walking next to Wild was a female worker drone with the same hair and eye color as Wild, but she wore a construction helmet and an outfit.

Female Worker Drone: Wild, you better not run off like that again. You know I don't like to run a lot.

Wild: Sorry, Alice, I like to see this human's happy mood.

Alice: Ah, alright. 

???: Hello Alice! I heard you made two new friends, huh? It's great to hear from you since you can make friends without me being around.

Alice: (Blushing from embarrassment) Thanks…

Tobias: What about that project you have also been working on? Is she ready yet?

???: Ah, her? She isn't ready yet. I am also still trying to understand what this object does. So far, it only seemed to respond when I was nearby, but no one else had refused to show any activity, not even a response to Mr. Aristotle.

What Ghot saw the human girl talking about was a blue orb-like object on the giant tube. What Ghot noticed is that it seems similar to the green orb-like object that Mecha Naga once stole, maybe those two might have some connection?

Tobias: (fond of this topic.) There has to be a pattern as to why it only responded to you but not to the others.

As they discussed, they heard another drone walking in. Ghot can see that this drone is a white-haired, green-eyed female wearing a news report outfit. 

???: Oh, hey Foster! Seem you in time to join us.

Foster: hello! I see everyone is here. Is something big going to happen soon?

???: Yes! Mr. Aristotle will announce something huge soon, inviting everyone to see it! 

Foster: I hope it will go well.

???: I hope so as well. He knows what he's making. I better get ready. I can't be late! See you all after the announcement. We can watch a movie afterward.

Wild: I would like that.

Foster: good luck.

Tobias: I can't wait to hear what the project is about.

Alice: I still want to know what her project is about.

The mystery girl left the room to get ready. Ghot found the topic of this project interesting. The next thing she heard was another footstep. It was a male worker drone wearing a nuclear protection outfit, a yellow helmet with headlight, and yellow eyes.

Male worker drone: hey, you guys, had you seen %^#*?

Tobias: yes, she just left to see the announcement.

Bob: I don't want to alarm you guys, but don't you think it's strange how Mr. Aristotle has invited everyone, even one in the lower department, but he has not even let a single drone in when we have always been in every announcement?

This got everyone to think hard, as this was the first time Mr. Aristotle had done this in a huge group instead of just each rank that could see such an announcement.

Alice: I think… you might be right; this seems different than usual… I better meet up with my friends about this! (She left the room.)

Tobias: so what do you suggest we do?

Bob: We will sneak into the announcement, and if we see something off (loaded in Glock), we will deal with it.

Foster: I hope your guts are right because we will all be decommissioned if you are wrong.

Bob: Oh, do not worry. I know there's something wrong when I see it. Let's go, team. 

Bob, Foster, and Wild left the room. As Tobias was about to leave, he turned around, and in the corner of the bed was a small female worker drone. 

Tobias: I hope we all be safe, Cynthia.

As Tobias runs off, Ghot can see the memory starts to fade out before Ghot wakes up. Looking around, she's back at the bunker, specifically the hospital area. She remembers how Cryptid Drone T almost tore her apart. She groans and realizes she needs to be stronger to protect her friends.

Ghot: Ow. I need to practice more on my power. However, I am also getting close to seeing what happens in these drones' memories. I still have yet to figure out my past, though.

As Ghot continued to talk to herself, she didn't hear the door open to reveal that she had some visitors.

Ghot: That flash drive I got might have some answer.

Lizzy: What do you hope to find?

Ghot turns to see Lizzy alongside some students: Thad, Rebecca, Sam, Brandon, Emily, and Darren. 

Ghot: (glare) Lizardy, what are you doing here?

Lizzy: Usually, I would have made some jokes, but I'm here… for another reason to ask.

Ghot: (still glaring) What may that be?

Lizzy: Is it true you've been hiding that power from us the whole time?

Ghot: (shocked before calming herself back) Okay. One: Why would I show it to you if you already showed the person you guys are, except you, Thad, you cool, when you acted toward Uzi? And two: I just learned of my powers not too long ago. In fact, why is it that you guys are not afraid of me when I tend to hang with Uzi around. I thought you would have been scared of me as well, even though I'm not even from here.

Lizzy: (sigh) Okay, there was a reason why we all tried to stay away from Uzi but not from you, because, at the time, you just happened to be just a regular worker drone who had nothing special, like us. In contrast, Uzi just happens to be the daughter of the drone, who is not only the leader of the WDF but the reason he built the massive door that protected us from the murder drone for so long. Also, (walking close to Ghot to whisper), I am technically the only "alive" person who previously knew about Doll's power.

This surprised Ghot because she knew of Doll's power and Lizzy's reason. Ghot still understands but won't forgive Lizzy for being a bully to Uzi. Ghot turns to the others.

Ghot: And what are you guys' excuses?

Emily: Blackmail.

Rebecca: Peer pressure.

Sam: I thought it was cool hanging with the popular girl.

Braidon: (waited for a second) Mostly the fact she switched my body and set me head on fire?

Ghot sighed as she heard the reasons.

Ghot: You guys need help. Unfortunately, I'm not a therapist, and even if I were, I would be horrible at it, but I will say this. Please never bully others just because you are jealous. Lizzy, if you meant to say sorry, show it with action, not through the word. I want to see you MEAN IT. Same with the rest of you, and again, not you Thad, you are cool. Understand!

Lizzy: (nods) I will try, but I still might feel jealous.

Ghot: That's what I want to hear. So, did anything happen while I was asleep?

Emily: Yeah, D was here earlier. Because you were asleep, she wanted me to tell you that she is with Uzi and the other murder drone outside, about to take some flight test or something.

Ghot: (thinks for a moment) Alright, thanks Emily. I better get going now.

Rebecca: Are you sure you can walk, especially after your fight with… that monstrous bird drone thingy?

Ghot: Yeah, I should be fine. Oh… right. You guys are not aware of the other kind of drones. 

Sam: Yeah, I saw how deadly they seem compared to the murder drone. 

Thad: You won't believe how we reacted when we saw it fight you. I thought it was some upgraded murder drone, but I will admit that your fight with it was terrific.

Ghot: (laughs a little) I think about it. It looks cool from your point of view, but for me, it was life or death.

Darren: Would you ever explain to us what it is about?

Ghot: (thinks for a moment) Maybe when we feel safe, I might explain what I know so far. I better get going now. Thad, make sure they all show they are genuinely sorry.

Thad: You can trust me.

Ghot nodded at Thad and went on her way to her other friends. The rest of the students looked at each other momentarily before one spoke out.

Emily: So, Lizzy, how would you show Ghot you are sorry?

Lizzy: Easy. I still have contact with V. I could ask her what she needs. As for what we can do, Thad, can you still get that blueprint of Uzi's railgun and the anatomy of a worker drone?

Thad: I know she still has the blueprint in her room, but I might have to ask her dad for it. As for the blueprint for the worker drone, I know a guy who has one.

Emily: (look at Lizzy) What are you suggesting?

Lizzy: It's time that we are going to rebel against whoever is trying to kill us and assist Ghot, Uzi, and the murder drone who allied with us.

Rebecca: I hope we are ready by then. Isn't that right, bab?

Darren: (worried) Yes, of course…

Time passed as Ghot ran out of the colony and straight to the spiral. She spotted D on the ground as she reached her destiny, looking up.

Ghot: D! Did I miss anything?

D: (Turns to see Ghot) Ghot! You are in time; Uzi is about to take flight lessons from me, N, and V.  

Ghot: On time! So, where is Uzi and everyone?

As she asked, Ghot and D heard a scream from the top of the spiral and saw Uzi falling down, obviously not even flying.

Ghot: (Worried) Wait, D, did Uzi even learn to fly correctly earlier?

D: This is apparently the first test.

Ghot: (Shocked) No way you guys thought that was a good idea! She just got her wings, so she won't even know how to fly yet!

Uzi: (From the distance) Still falling! STILL FALLING!

Ghot: Oh for- hold on. (tries to grow wings and jump high, only to fall back down face first). Oh, right, I never attempted flying with wings, either.

D: (giggles) No worry, N realized his mistake and got Uzi down safely.

Ghot: (Thumbs up) Good to hear.

Ghot looks up from the ground to see N landed on the ground while still carrying Uzi.

N: Hehe, whoops! Heh, uh …. L-let's try a different approach.

Ghot: Maybe next time, N (N turns to see Ghot) should try to do the tutorial before heading to the dark soul level of difficulty.

N: Yeah, my bad on that.

—----Practice Flight Test 1—---

The first test process was when V spread her wings, spun quickly up to the sky, and remained in flight. V gestures to Uzi to copy what V did to start flying. N turns to Uzi, telling her she got this, while D and Ghot support Uzi in doing her best. Uzi copied what V did by spreading her wings out and taking flight, only to hit her head on the street light. Realizing the situation, N flies up to try to pull Uzi out, while Ghot panics and tells N not to pull her off like that, and D worries about the situation. V sees the whole chaos down and just unamused.

—----Practice Flight Test 2—---

The second test shown on N's hand was aircraft marshaling wands because the group had made a light lineup like those seen at the airport. Both V and D are wearing alert lamps on top of their head. The lights that line up start to light up as the scene shows Ghot explaining to Uzi how to land by showing a paper airplane and how the aircraft landed on the ground smoothly. Uzi got the idea and leaped off the frozen truck, gliding toward N. She almost felt like she was gliding in the wrong direction, so she kept forcing herself to glide the other way. As Uzi is about to reach N, N switches his marshaling wand to hand and attempts to grab Uzi, only for Uzi to crash land onto N. Uzi goes up, fistbump up the air for striking a landing, only to realize she knocked N out, panicking her. V giggles a bit, seeing the interaction, while D sees V giggle and smile, saying V is getting along well with the group.

—----Practice Flight Test 3—---

The next scene shows Uzi tied a rope to her waist and a thumbs up to show she is ready. Both V and Ghot are ready. V has a rocket booster on her back, while Ghot, with her rocket boots, speeds around Uzi so fast that it forms a tornado. Uzi was flying above the tornado to stabilize her flight in a harsh environment and ensure she had control of it. V and Ghot landed back next to N and D as they watched Uzi try to fly inside the tornado. What no one was expecting was something to fall on V's face. Confusing, they all looked what it was, and to every surprise, it was Uzi's wig and beanie. They look up to see Uzi trying to cover her now bald head. Everyone reacted differently to this ordeal; V was laughing hard, N was speechless, Ghot was shocked that the hair was not attached to drones, and D had no words to describe it. N flies up to Uzi and places his wig onto Uzi while wearing Uzi's wig. V flies up to take a selfie of everyone, with Uzi and N's wigs switching places, while Ghot is flying with her rocket boots doing a cool pose, and D is simply waving.

—----End of Practice Flight Test —----------------

The scene now shows inside the spiral as it pans to the group sitting on top of the leg of the spaceship. Uzi is sipping, and N is checking on the notes from the flight test so far. N is satisfied with the result and believes Uzi is ready for her first flying test.

N: Alright! I think we're good to do your first flying test!

V lightly punches Uzi by the side, resulting in Uzi glaring back at V but realizing V is just being playful. 

N: Are you ready?

Uzi falls back and swings around the leg of the spaceship to land a distance away and slide by. Uzi's tail grows first; then her wings grow back.

Uzi: Born ready!

Ghot: That's what I like to hear!

—---- Flight Test —----------------

The scene shows many obstacle courses set up for Uzi's flight test. N flies by while holding Uzi under him. 

N: I'm going to let go now, okay? Just keep going. You're doing great!

Uzi: Roger that! (>:3)

N lets go of Uzi as Uzi starts to fly through the obstacle course. The first obstacle course was a bunch of giant rings, which Uzi managed to fly through, even doing a loop on the last one. The next obstacle course was flying past the power pole, which she dodged. The next obstacle course after was a huge plane engine that was spinning very fast. Uzi pauses for a moment to calculate the speed of the rotation and when to fly by fast. With the calculation done, Uzi managed to fly through the engine without getting hit by the blade. As Uzi flies by, the group all cheers for Uzi, as V has a flag that says, "Go emo girl go!" while D has a pom-pom to cheer Uzi while Ghot is recording for memory reasons. 

N: Yeah! You got this! Go! Go! Go!

Uzi's last obstacle course involved flying inside a tight space between a trailer and a bus. She managed to fly inside the small space. Before she exited the bus, the absolute solver started to glitch in one of Uzi's eyes, causing Uzi to realize the situation.

Uzi: (Confusion) Huh?

From Uzi's point of view, the view of inside the empty bus now shows many dead worker drones around; some are beheaded, others are split in hit, and some are only heads. At the end, spot a shadow figure with a huge absolute solver symbol on their face while smiling. The head then glitches to look like Uzi's. What is unexpected from Uzi is that the coloring of the absolute solver changes from yellow to green, then back to yellow in a split second. Uzi screamed at what she saw, resulting in her having a system error while her wings retracted back into Uzi. As a result, Uzi crashed into the ground. The group saw what happened to Uzi, and all had similar feelings about what they witnessed.

V: Didn't really stick the landing…

D: At least she managed to complete the other part…

Ghot: (Look at Uzi from the distance) Uzi? UZI! Are you okay?

N: (Concern) She's not getting up. Uzi? Uzi!

Both Ghot and N rush toward Uzi to make sure she is alright, while V is aware of what might happen. 

N: (Nearing to Uzi) Hey! You did an amazing job!

Ghot: Yeah! The fact you managed to go past that obstacle course earlier was impressive by itself!

N: Landing is hard, so don't worry about it. Are you good?

Both didn't expect Uzi to start to giggle, but it sounded more sinister.

N: (Offputted) Uzi?

Ghot: (Offputted) I don't like the sound of this… (Start using her power in case)

Uzi gets up with an intense crackling, staring at both N and Ghot. When Uzi looks back at the duo, her eye is now replaced with the absolute solver.

Solver: Surprise, cameo!

V realizes the situation and decides what she is going to do now.

V: N! GHOT! GET AWAY FROM HER!

D: Oh no, don't tell me she will be a mind-controlled puppet again?!

V: I'm afraid so…

The solver starts to giggle more while crawling toward Ghot and N.

N: (backing up) Uzi, I'm right here. And I'm not leaving you. It's going to be okay. Can you hear me?

Ghot: (backing up) Listen to me, Uzi. I know you're still there. Do not let that thing take over you again. You know how it went last time…

Uzi cannot hear either, as the solver has complete control over Uzi. She rushes toward the two, surprising them. Uzi tries to tail swipe the both, but both manage to dodge. Uzi rushes to N first and tries to punch him, but N dodges it. Uzi kicks N back hard while using her solver power to grab a nearby chain to wrap around N. Uzi then turns to Ghot and uses her solver power to grab Ghot and launch her far into the building after learning from last time how strong she was and use her power to collapse the building on Ghot. Uzi then walks toward where N lays, steps on him, and is about to bite N's face with her tail. N was momentarily scared, then used his wing to break free of the chain, causing Uzi to fly up into the sky. Both V and D managed to get to where N was, ensuring he was alright. They all look up to see Uzi flying and giggling at them; then, she bit part of her finger to stabilize the temperature. From N's screen, it glitches to show "[Threat Detected]  initiate: neutralization protocol" before switching back to his eyes. 

D: What are we going to do? (Look at V) If what you said about the solver is true, it might be hard to knock Uzi out and bring the… Uzi mode, back.

V: (Bluntly) We need to blast her.

N and D: (Shocked) WHAT?!

N: We can't do that! 

D: I am confident that Ghot will not let you do that!

V: N AND D! SHUT UP AND LISTEN! (Glare at both) If you want a chance to salvage N's goodie-two-shoes plan, then you need to blast her! If she's anything like us, like you said, she'll just shut off and reboot. 

N: But-

V: Do you want me to help you make this work or not?! Come on…

N and D had no words to say since they were unsure if the plan would either have Uzi reboot or kill Uzi permanently. N had made a decision.

N: Okay… as long as she'll be okay. 

They heard a running sound and saw Ghot returning. While she had used her shield power to prevent her from any further damage, they could see she had been damaged in some part.

Ghot: Okay, I am not falling for that again, so this time, I am going to reason with her, even if it costs my life.

D: Um… Ghot, we have a plan, but you might not like it…

Ghot: (Concern) And why so?

N: We are going to reboot her.

Ghot: Okay? Rebooting her means getting the solver out of her mind for the time being, what the iss-

V: N going blast her head.

Ghot: (Silence for a moment, until) WHAT! That gambling at this point, it's either she did get rebooted, or she died, and I don't want to risk that; I am going to try the same thing I did back in the camp. (About to go to Uzi, until V grabs her). Hey, let me go-

V: GHOT, LISTEN! The only reason you were able to get a hold of her and ALMOST get her sense back was that the solver hadn't fully taken control of her! Now that the solver is fully in control, Uzi will be unable to hear you at all! We have to reboot her.

Ghot: (Thinks hard until sighing) Fine… but if this ends up killing her, V, I will make sure that death is something you wished for.

V: Finally, D, Ghot, and I will get her down here, and N will deal the final blow. Got it?

All of the other nod while still feeling concerned about the plan. 

V: Good. Now, with that said…. Let's dance, Doorman.

N, V, and D all have the X on their screen, and Ghot starts to glow blue aura. The three murder drone use their wings to block Uzi's kick from the sky. Using their wings, they push Uzi back up into the sky. N had equipped his gun while V and D equipped their bladed hands and started to fly toward her. Ghot creates rocket boots with her power and begins to fly. Uzi created a symbol behind her, and using it as a platform, she used her power to grab some rocks, turning them into sharp shards and sending them toward N, which he ran to dodge. N had his gun locked on Uzi with a worried expression. Ghot is flying toward Uzi, destroying some of the shards with her sword. She manages to get up close to Uzi and, using the chains she grabbed earlier, uses her power to try to chain Uzi up because while the solver is in control, it was still Uzi and Ghot didn’t want to hurt her. It didn't take long for Uzi to break free.

Solver: Giggle. Trying to trap me like I did with N earlier?

Uzi's tail then clamped right on Ghot's left arm, and before Ghot could react, it managed to bite through the arm, making Ghot lose her left arm. She tried to hold the pain before Uzi punched Ghot down to the ground. V is flying toward Uzi and slicing through many of the shards, and as she gets close to Uzi, she switches her hand to hold a giant hammer. She spun the hammer fast and was about to slam it toward Uzi, who just dealt with Ghot, but noticing V and with the solver power, she switched her normal hand into a blade finger similar to the murder drones and grabbed the hammer. She crushes parts of the hammer.

Solver: Thwarted.

V: (Shocked) Huh?

Solver: (Fly close to V) Invades your personal space.

Uzi then grabs V's head and slams her into the platform Uzi created earlier.

Solver: Fatality.

N: OH MY GOD, V!

D: GHOT! NO!

Oil spills from V's left eye, and V starts giggling to herself. The giggles begin to distort and lend themselves to maniacal laughing. This causes Uzi to be confused and let go of V. Flying above Uzi, everyone sees that V is starting to lose it with a manically look on her face.

V: (Distorted) You. Are. DONE!

V kicks Uzi down to the ground and activates her gun to start shooting at Uzi. 

Solver: Oh no.

Uzi landed on the ground so hard, and dust clouds spread as V fired many bullets at Uzi while D tried to shoot a capture net where Uzi could be, but Uzi moved out of the way. N's gun started to glow at the end.

N: Just one shot. Come on!

N carefully aims to find out where Uzi could be. N can see Uzi flying by very fast in the dust cloud. At the last moment, he saw Uzi darting toward N, and he ducked right when Uzi swiped at where his head was. N gets up to realize that many symbols surround him, which are made in the shape of a dome. Using this advantage, Uzi pushed herself from each platform at a breakneck speed, grabbing N and slamming him into each platform hard. IN pain, N got pushed toward the platform, damaged from all the slamming. As Uzi was about to reach N, she felt something grabbing her, and it was a big blue hologram-material hand coming for Ghot, who was now in terrible condition. Uzi tries to break free, but Ghot ain't letting her have any chances.

Ghot: N, as much as I hate to say it, do it now!

N, also not wanting to do this, aims his gun at Uzi's head and, in one click, blasts Uzi's head into obliterate and also flashes the screen. After the screen returns to normal, Ghot spots her served arm and picks it up before trying to retract it back in place. Both Ghot and N, feeling guilty for doing this, look at Uzi's headless corpse, only for Uzi to regenerate her head back to place. On Uzi's screen, it is showing rebooting. N and Ghot hope it works and their wish was granted, as Uzi's screen now shows "System restored."  Uzi starts to wake up.

Uzi: (Groans) What… what… happened? (Both N and Ghot hug Uzi tight) Oof! N? Ghot?

N: Oh, thank god.

Ghot: You had no idea how much hope I had making sure you were back alive.

Uzi (Mumbles) What the hell…? (Notice her mutated hand) Hm? (realize what she had done) Wha..? Tell me I didn't...

Both N and Ghot were pulled from Uzi by V, who wants Uzi dead at this point.

N: V! NO!

Ghot: V, SHE REBOOTED, SHE BACK AND NOT THE OTHER THING THAT WAS CONTROLLING HER!

V: GO TO HELL!!!

Uzi reacts fast enough to evade V shooting at her. Uzi grows her wings and takes flight. V was about to shoot Uzi again, but N, Ghot, and D all jumped to stop V from shooting anymore.

N: Stop! STOP!!

Ghot: V, you better stop before I decide you are an enemy.

D: Please listen to them…

They all heard Uzi crying, clearly afraid of what just occurred.

Uzi: (crying) I'm so…. I'm so sorry… (starts to fly away)

N: No, it's okay!

Ghot: Uzi! It is not your fault!

N: Uzi, come back! (Feeling sad to see Uzi feeling so defenseless, then turns to V, clearly mad at her) Why did you DO THAT?!

Ghot: V, you better have a good reason why you are still trying to kill Uzi even though YOUR PLAN IS ONLY FOR HER TO REBOOT!

V: (Distorted) N, Ghot, we did things N's way, and it DiDn'T wOrk. So now we doing things MY WAY.

D: (Scared because of what is about to happen) I don't like where this is going…

N: You can't kill her! She didn't mean to go crazy!

V: (distorted) OH! So she can beat us senseless, and we're just supposed to be okay with that. I see!

Ghot: (Starts to get angry) That is not what N meant; he meant as in-

V: (distorted) SHUSH! (Laugh) This was a bad idea from the start. But you two didn't want to listen to me because you are insistent on FIXING HER!

N: Because she's our friend!

V: She's yOuR friend. (Ghot starts not to like what V is implying) You're all I got N…  I'm not risking that for some stupid worker… I'm taking her out, whether you like it or not.

N: WAIT! NO! YOU CAN'T!

Before V starts to fly away, she is punched by Ghot, using her boxing glove power. Ghot is unhappy.

Ghot: You can injure me all you want, insult me, anything; I won't dare mind. But the moment you call her stupid AND wish to kill her for real is beyond crossing my line! (Activate her power to summon a sword) … after what you plan to do now, I no longer see you as a friend. 

D: (Panic) No wait, V and Ghot, stop this!-

D didn’t finish stopping them as V growled at Ghot and charged toward Ghot. V tries to swipe Ghot with her claws, but Ghot blocks with her sword. Using her other arm, she uses a claw to swipe at V, damaging her. V jumps back, switches to her gun, and shoots at Ghot. Ghot uses her shield power and rushes toward V, which she dodges by flying upward.  She switches to a missile cannon and shoots at Ghot, which, while using her shield to block the explosion, still pushes Ghot back, allowing V to kick Ghot's back hard to the ground, creating a dust cloud. Unknown to V, Ghot throws chains that were empowered at V, which manages to capture her, and Ghot slams the chain down to the ground, injuring V further. Both N and D see that Ghot and V are fighting and fear that they will likely kill each other if they continue. Ghot is aware of V's regeneration, so she pulls out her gun to empower it.

Ghot: I already know about your stupid regeneration, but here's the kicker. What use of regeneration if there is NOTHING LEFT TO REGEN FROM?!

V: (distorted) Try me. I bet I will reach you before you even get the chance to shoot!

D realizes how much damage that empowered gun can do and tells the info to N to stop the fight. As V charges toward Ghot and Ghot is about to use the weapon on V, N grabs V to avoid the blast while D grabs Ghot's hand to redirect the blast up to the sky. The blast reached the sky and ended up in a massive explosion. Both V and Ghot look at the drone that stops them.

Ghot/V: (distorted) D/N! What are you doing? I had that!

D: STOP! I DON'T WANT TO SEE FRIENDS FIGHT LIKE THIS! WHATEVER THAT THING WAS IN UZI IS NOT ONLY RUINING UZI BUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP WE ALL HAD!

Everyone was in shock to see D yelling, as she never had the nerve to yell at all. Ghot decided to say something out of her mind.

Ghot: (started to cry) At this point, it has been stressing me a lot. Not only do I still have no memory of my life before, but that mechanical snake monster is still out there, and now I had to deal with whatever was trying to control Uzi. GRAHHH! I can't take it anymore! I'm not in the mood to find Uzi, so N and D, please ensure she is alright. And V…. Fuck you… (V glared at Ghot for that comment)

D: Wait, Ghot, wait-

Before D had a chance, Ghot used her rocket boots power to dash away from everyone. D had nothing to say, seeing her friend running away because she couldn't handle her stress. N looked, and  V broke out of N and started to fly.

V: (distorted) After I deal with Uzi, I'm going after Ghot.

N watches as V flies toward where Uzi flies off.

N: Crap… crap. Crap, crap, crap! Crap!! Crap!!! (Pick up his hat). D, we can find Ghot later; we gotta find Uzi before V does!

D: Right. I have faith in Ghot handling herself, but I'm still very worried about V with either of the two. 

Both N and D take flight to find Uzi quickly. The scene changes to V flying in search of Uzi. She stops flying to hear anything until she hears glass shattering, followed by Uzi whimpering. Scanning the area, she spots some recently made footprints and lands at the spot. Retracting her wings, her eyes glitch with the text "[optic readers damaged]."  Now, with murderous intent, she walks toward where she can hear Uzi continue to whimper.

Uzi: (crying) What's wrong with me? I hate this. Why it won't stop. (Desperately) Stop… stop, stop, stop. Stop! Stop it! Please….

V spots where Uzi is hiding because of Uzi's tail in the opening. 

Uzi: Please… I don't want to do this….

With her blade out, V slashes the concrete that Uzi was hiding behind into pieces, followed by Uzi's screams in terror. V is about to slash Uzi's neck but stops in shock because she sees her younger past self in a maid outfit in Uzi's place. 

Uzi: (as maid V) I'm sorry… please… I'm sorry….

V's screen shows "[optic restored]."  The vision of V's younger self is now replaced with Uzi. With no word, V retracted her blade and got close to Uzi. Uzi was so confused by this that V grabbed Uzi's mutated hand. After inspecting the hand, Uzi pulls her hand away from V. V takes out her claws, causing Uzi to flinch until she realizes V isn't attacking her. She looks as V retracts her claw back into her normal hand, and she gestures to Uzi to do the same as she did. Uzi focused on turning her mutated hand back into her normal hand, and after some time, she managed to have her normal hand back, with some blood splatted into her face. After wiping the blood off her face, she sighed in relief that she didn't have some creepy hand anymore, not noticing that V was reaching toward her, only for V to head pat Uzi. Flinching, Uzi thought V was about to do something but realized V also had not made any move suggesting any aggression.

V: (quietly) I'm…. Sorry too.

After hearing what V had to say, Uzi continued to cry, though softly, even lying on V's lap. V then heard N and D outside.

N: (from a distance) Uzi! Uzi!

D: (from a distance) I hope you are fine! Uzi!

Uzi and V walk outside to see the other two murder drones flying above, searching for Uzi.

Uzi: Hey…

Both N and D turn to see that not only Uzi is alright, but V is there, and since she hasn't done anything terrible with Uzi, they pick up that V has decided not to kill Uzi. Uzi waves back that she's alright. N laughs in relief, while D is just glad about what she sees; the two are made up but still feel concerned about Ghot's well-being. N dashed toward the two, crashing into both, hugging both Uzi and V. Uzi and V responded by hugging N back. D understands that everyone there is alright; now, she will check on Uzi to ensure Ghot is alright. D starts to fly toward where Ghot had run off, while N sees D fly away and understands she is looking for Ghot now.

Meanwhile, on top of a building further away from where the fight happened is Ghot sitting on the top, crying to herself while still holding onto her decapitated arm. 

Ghot: Why… everything has to be stressful for me. I already don't remember what my past was, and I still have no answer for that, but the fact that the solver thing is taking over Uzi only worries me further. What if, one day, that solver entirely takes over Uzi? Then it most likely means I have to kill her off, which is the last thing I want to do…. 

As Ghot talked to herself, she didn't notice someone walking toward her. The unknown person grabbed Ghot's shoulder, causing Ghot to turn around quickly and almost punch the person, only to stop to see it was none other than Doll. Doll could tell that Ghot was not her usual self, as she had never seen Ghot very stressed.

Doll: (in Russian) [Ghot…. Is there a problem you would like to vent to me about?]

Ghot: Nope, there's no problem at all… (Doll isn't falling for it) (sigh) There was a fight between V and me, mostly about what we do with Uzi. I want to save Uzi from this solver, but V wants to kill Uzi…. Maybe you were right about killing V; I should have let you do so…

Doll: (silent for a moment) (in Russian) [Ghot… there was a reason why I decided the plan of killing V later instead of earlier but later abandoned that plan altogether. (Sit next to Ghot) It is because ever since I saw my parents murdered by her, I thought they were unkillable monsters, considering my mother has the same power as me and Uzi. To cope with this trauma, I tried to hide my pain from others to see by being a silly girl that you remember me when we first met. Whenever you see me at school, that's how I act, especially with Lizzy. But what you all may not know, well for you and Uzi knowing now, is that behind this silly face is a lonely girl who wants to end the murder drone that killed my family but at the cost suffers the same fate of trying to consume oil so I won't burn out, like what happens to Uzi…]

Ghot: (listens carefully but realizes something) Wait, this got me curious if you don't mind? (Doll nods) Did you also suffer the same issue as Uzi getting controlled by the solver?

Doll: (in Russian) [From what I remember from my mother, before her passing, she had installed a patch that removed the controlling part from the user, but in the plus, she was able to still use the power. I inherited that power from her, so I never had an issue with the solver attempting to control me. Unfortunately, there is still an overheating problem, and I had to continue consuming oil to keep my temperature up to check.]

Ghot: Wait, that must be it! Did your mother ever mention the last time she saw that patch?

Doll: (in Russian) [From what I can recall when my mother and some human tried to patch Uzi's mother, which seems it didn't entirely work as Uzi still has the solver controlling her, my mother mentioned it got lost into a huge hole that goes deep in the core of this planet.]

Ghot: So, if I have to stop the solver from controlling Uzi, we need that patch to prevent Uzi from getting control. I will keep that in mind! But, there is still V, which, um… I really hate her now….

Doll: (In Russian) [While I still do not forgive V for murdering my parent, I now know the context after listening to what V had to say about this "Cyn" back in the camp. I have a theory that these murder drones are likely under the influence of the solver in some way as well. It's not the same as those cryptid drones, but you know what I'm saying? As they say in Russian, again, "Best to blame on the puppetmaster rather than the puppets."]

Ghot: (thinks for a moment) I don't know… V is only making it hard for us to try to fix all of these. And considering how she won't LISTEN (punch the floor) to us and wants to do her way, I doubt that she going with whatever plan we have now-

Before Ghot could finish, they heard someone landing next to them, and they saw it was D.

D: (smiles) Ghot, you are okay! Oh, hey, Doll.

Ghot: D, is… everyone okay?

D:  I arrive to tell you that everyone is alright! V didn't kill Uzi because it seems V finally realized that killing her wasn't the right choice.

Ghot: (Sigh) If Uzi can forgive her now, I can. But I still have not forgotten this ordeal. (Her screen shows a notepad with writing about the ordeal.) She still needs to improve if she wants to continue with us. 

D: Yeah, but I hope she will stop trying to kill Uzi. I am here to pick you up, and hopefully, both you and V make up for all the trouble. As you said, you can forgive but not forget. Let's go.

Doll: (in Russian) [Wait!] (Ghot turns to Doll) [Before you go, I have this to give you.] (Doll gives Ghot a document about a strange orb object) [I found it in the ruin of one of the JJC's buildings. I hope this might provide more information you are looking for.]

Ghot: Hmmm, this does look familiar, but I will keep this in mind. Thank you!

Doll: (in Russian) [Also, I have another. (points at a distance) What's that?]

Ghot: (look at the direction) Huh? Where-?

Before Ghot finished her question, she felt something touch her face. She realizes that Doll kissed her.

Ghot was blushing so much that she blue-screened and fell down. Both Doll and D saw what happened and giggled.

D: That is one way to knock her down. (Giggles)

Doll: (Turns to D) (in Russian) [Keep her safe. I will need to be ready soon.]

Doll teleports away. D nods at Doll's request and picks up Ghot. She opens her wings and flies toward the trio.

The scene changes to the top of the spiral, where all five drones lie together, watching the sky. 

Uzi: I'm surprised, Ghot. I thought after hearing what happened, you would not have forgiven V for what she tried to do, killing me.

Ghot: Oh, trust me, Uzi. I'm still not forgetting that ordeal, more so because since YOU forgive her, I might as well since it was your choice whether or not you forgive her.

Uzi: Hehe, yeah. True true. She is starting to see us as friends, secretly, of course.

Ghot: Yeah… that is debatable at the moment.

N then interrupts the two.

N: Well, I guess I was no help then, huh?

Uzi: No! I mean- Yes, you did help! I kinda know how to fly now, which is super cool. (Look the other way) As for the messed up stuff in my head. Uh…

Ghot: I mean, it's not like we tried blowing up that head, but it seems to still reside inside you…

V: At this point, why not just try to kindly ask for your inner demons to leave you alone? (mutters) Judging by N's logic, that should totally work.

Uzi: Oh, so we're back to being a diva now. Y'know, at least N is TRYING to help me! Even D is helping as well!

V: He's messing with things he doesn't understand. We are messing with things we DON'T understand. (the other four are looking at each other in concern) What about that can't you get into your head?! We can't fix you! We barely know how to deal with ourselves! How the hell are we suppose to help you! (Laughing) You think this is rough? Try having this be your entire life.

D: (Whispering to herself) I mean… I was already treated as a joke by others, but add what you said, and yeah, it's worse.

V: I barely remember anything about what life was like before. It scrambles your mind. It'll make you feel crazy, but being crazy is the only way for you to feel normal because everyone will see you as crazy no matter what you do! …. At this point, you're just screwed. So what would it even matter? Why even care…? When you can just…destroy. (Had a crazy face for a second, then screen glitch out, then V is shown in tears in the eye).

Both N and D dash toward V and hug her. Unexpectedly, V goes to say something.

V: N… D… 

D: What you said was really deep…

N: And you seem like you need it.

Ghot and Uzi watch the whole thing, with Uzi having a loading icon on one of her eyes. Realizing a single word, Uzi had an idea so crazy that it might just work.

Uzi: Wait… "Barely"?

V: (While trying to push N and D away from her) What?

Uzi: You said "barely"... As in, you remember a life before all this mass murder crap.

Ghot: Uzi? What are you proposing?

V: Yeah, what of it?

Uzi: That means we haven't hit a dead end yet! We have a lead!

All but Uzi: Huh?

Uzi: You two, and maybe D…. might be the key to figuring out the root to all of this robot-vampirism BS, and if we're lucky, perhaps even those cryptid monster drones as well! All we need to do is get in your head and see what's jacking up your processor. Then, maybe we can finally start getting some answers!

V: Yeah… I don't think that's going to-

N: Love the idea! One problem though: Our memories are mush, remember?

D: I agree with N here; we barely remember much from the past.

Uzi: (Giggles and pop up behind N and V) That won't be a problem for me.

Ghot: Wait, you're not telling me that you can casually enter someone's head?!

V: If you even THINK of popping my head open, yours will be rolling on the floor next.

Uzi: (Sarcastically) Oh no! Another empty threat. Admit it. You found a nanospark of warmth in your heart to care about me.~

V starts to be fed up by Uzi's sarcasm.

D: (Notice V) Um, Uzi, I don't think you should-

V: UGGGGH, SHUT UP!! (Picks up Uzi and throws her off the spiral while Uzi screams)

N and Ghot: UZI!

V: Crap, sorry.

D: Okay, V. You really need to control your emotions. Who knows what will happen if one day we happen to be in a life-or-death situation and you have to make a difficult choice, but it will be harder because of your emotions?

V: That…. Oddly specific.

Luckily for everyone, they can see Uzi fly back up. Uzi mocks V for thinking she would fall, and N gets up excited.

N: You're… flying!! We did it! WE DID IT!!

N flies toward Uzi and pulls her into a hug. V looks at the two and smiles.

Ghot: Hey… once again, V, it seems we both have friends to protect from whatever threat we are about to face, so please, let's try to work together on this…

V: (Thinks for a moment) Sure. Hopefully, this nightmare will be over soon…

D watches the two interact and smiles at the fact that they are somewhat friendlier.

Uzi: God will now know fear! I'm airborne suckers!!

Uzi starts to fly around while the other four drones watch. While they all enjoy the moment, no one notices a tiny drone shaped like a moth, far away watching them. The scene shows the recording on a huge screen in a dark room. A voice can be heard.

????: This is amusing for me to watch. They think they have the upper hand. No matter, my creation will be reawakened once again, and once it is connected successfully, it will be the end for all of the drones there. Why do you think I sent the disassembly drones there in the first place? (Sinister chuckle) To ensure all the drones, even the disassembly models, are all in one place. 

The unknown person laughs as the camera pans to the side, revealing the green orb Mecha Naga stole earlier, with a reading saying [Awakening percentage: 67%].

To be continued….

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene starts with a VHS tape playing, showing JCJenson with icons for cleaning, cooperating, and ensuring robot safety. It is then followed by the FBI warning message. After the message, it turned out that it was a VHS about zombie drones. It is as follows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvJnFg9hK4Y&ab_channel=DudeMan

(Links to the video, if it is unavailable, it is basically the zombie drone tape footage)

The tape glitches out once more as the camera zooms out from a television set in a dump of dead worker drones. A bird flies around, looking for something to snack on. Underground, a camera view of one particular worker drone, Cyn. A green text appears on her screen before turning yellow, and then Cyn wakes up. Looking around, she is in shock to see other dead workers drones around her. The screen then suddenly fades into darkness.

Changing to a different time, at the Elliott Manor, N sits on the floor in a library, reading a book called "101 Dog Breeds." There are other worker drones, but all are frozen in place. 

N: Commonly kept, this breed is known for its friendly, intelligent temperament and soft golden coat! (Chuckles) Golden Retrievers are also— (He comes across a drawing placed in the book.) Us as lizards. J drew herself. (He tosses the drawing off to the side, continues reading, and clears his throat) ...are also known for having gentle mouths. Aww...! That's why they're good with kids!

V: Hello, N. (N turns to see V walking toward him) You have been reading more about dogs. You like them, don't you? 

N: Hehe, yeah, I love dogs. They are a playful companion to have.

V: Yeah, if only they allowed us. Look what happened to poor D after bringing a crow as a pet. (points to D's unconscious body at the front of the basement door.) She already had a lousy life compared to us, but now she is stuck there.

N: I wish I could help her, but I can't do much since I might run a risk of disabling her for good.

V: We can find a way to help the others around us, but for now, stick to what we've been assigned. I don't want to lose you as well, N…

N: (nods) You can trust me for that. (standing up) I better see Cyn before she causes any trouble.

V: Stay safe, N….

V watches as N walks away. V looks at D for the last time before continuing to another room.

An insect crawls over a teacup and begins to drink the oil inside. Something reemerges from the tea; it is another insect, only it is shown dead. Before it realizes what occurs-

Cyn: Stab.

Cyn stabs the insect and picks up the tea just as N enters.

Cyn: You seem upset, big brother N. 

N sees many camera eyes staring at him in the darkness until the room lights back on, only showing Cyn.

Cyn: Perhaps you'd like to attend the gala with me? Light sip. (She tries to sip her teacup but misses it, and the oil spills onto the floor.)

N: Ah... Not sure we're invited, little buddy. Why not just hang with me?

Cyn: (Climbs up on the bar counter) Climbing. Criss-cross applesauce. Am I not wanted, N?

N: (Sighs) Dude... You know it's Tessa's folks. How they been treating us if we ever disobey them. I just don't want anything bad happen to you. (Turns to Cyn and sighs) Don't give me those eyes.

Cyn: Giggle. I am so naughty. The flesh demands invitation.

N: Ah, we'll ask Tessa, OK? If not... Movie night! (strikes a pose)

Cyn: Sheepish nod.

N and Cyn enter the room where the gala is taking place.

Cyn: (Walking behind N) Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle. Shuffle.

James: Western Villa style?! Were you programmed by beasts?! (He tosses a fork into a Worker Drone's eye, killing it as it causes a spurt of oil to come out of its visor.)

After witnessing the situation, N and Cyn spot Tessa and J off to the side at a small round table; Tessa is pacing.

Tessa: There's humans coming! I've only ever yakked to robots, J! Quick! Pretend to be a ripping royal stud!

J starts pretending to act all royal and proper lady-like.

Tessa: On ya, girl.

They have a toast. Tessa starts rubbing her arm like it hurts.

Tessa: I'm right, J. (She sees that N has arrived.) N! (squeals and waves enthusiastically)

She runs up, grabs him by his cheeks, and swings him around.

N: Hi, Tessa.

Tessa: Oh, who'd you bring with— (She sees Cyn and narrows her eyes.) you...

Cyn: Seems J forgot to let me out of my basement time-out again.

J: (Annoyed) Yet, here you are.

Cyn: Annoyed expression.

N: You guys are... locking her up?

Tessa: Oh... N—

Everyone heard Louisa, Tessa's mother, walking toward them. They also notice a male butler worker drone alongside her, holding a tray of drinks.

Louisa: (Walks over) Tessa James Elliott! We will not entertain your dumpster pets!

Tessa: Y-Y-Y-Yes, mother. Sorry, mother.

Louisa: (Sees Cyn) Oh! Christ Almighty! I said, "This one, out of my sight!" Still can't follow simple orders.

Tessa: NO, NO! Please, I—

Louisa: Swamp. Dumping your broken drones, clogging our library tomorrow too. Don't test me. I only kept this one (pointing to the male worker drones beside her) because he followed my order well. Unlike the other one who thought it was a good idea to bring PETS here.

The male worker drone in question was none other than E, at least as a worker drone. He nods in agreement with Louisa as Louisa walks away. Tessa tries to argue back but isn't willing to anger her mother further.

Cyn: They are not broken. We can no longer be thrown out.

Louisa: Did that little Anti-Christ—

N: (N stands in front of Cyn.) I-I-I told her to say that! And brought her here. I-I...hate orders...? (He looks nervous.) And your fan's dumb...? (He gives a peace sign and an awkward, sheepish grin.)

E: (Shook head) You never succeed in showcasing why you would be like me.

The next scene shows N being tied to a tree and pecked by crows as punishment for insulting Louisa.

N: NO! AAAH! STOP!

What sounds like torture is, in reality, N being playfully pecked and tickled in the head by the crows.

N: (Laughing) Stop!

A crow hands N a stick, crowing expectantly.

N: Go get it, goobers!

He throws the stick, but a flying crow snatches it. All the crows on the ground turn to face N with sinister, glowing green eyes. He glances over at another drone who suffered his fate at the talons of the crows. He gives a sheepish smile and thumbs up, and the crows begin to attack him.

N: (Being viciously pecked) Ronald, we were buddies!

Before they could continue assaulting N, a gunshot was heard and nearly missed both N and the crows. N turns to see V welding a gun.

V: Stay away from him! (Keep shooting to scare the crows away).

N: V… How did you-

V: I saw from behind the door. N, this is why I said to be careful. Tessa's parent isn't the nicest person, and they would punish any of us for even a tiny mistake. (starts to untie the ropes around N, then hug N). I almost thought I would lose you, but you are lucky they had only to tie you here, where I can save you. If they just threw a glass cup at you, you would have no way to be saved…

N: I-I-I'm sorry, V. I promise I won't make that mistake happen again. Now, let's go back inside.

V nods, and both N and V return to the manor. Meanwhile, inside the manor, Tessa is in her room with Cyn and J. Their legs are all chained up. Tessa is pulling at her chains, trying to loosen them, but to no avail.

Tessa: J, industrial machinery, chuck us a hand!

J is sitting, swaying on a rocking horse.

J: Sorry, boss. Corporate's spoken.

Tessa: I wonder what E has that no other drone my mother likes in! Cyn! If that little butler dies for your sake, I swear!

Cyn: (Playing with toys) Mm. I have backups.

Out of options, Tessa gets down to try and reattempts to break the chains herself when Cyn suddenly appears next to her in an Eldritch form.

Eldritch Cyn: You will not have to discard your pets, and I will not discard you. It's best to stay away from the gala, though. (Eldritch Cyn strokes Tessa's face with one of its tentacles) You seem squeamish. 

Cyn leaves through the window. A shocked Tessa and J turn to look at each other, and an insect with its main body replaced with a doll crawls out of sight.

As the scene changes to N and V walking back to the manor, the camera zooms out to show it is all being viewed from a computer screen. Uzi was watching the whole thing and found some stuff interesting.

Uzi: So that's what they were before they became murder drones. And I thought J was bad, but E seems worse at being a strict drone to others. This is why I still have to "murder all humans" plan because of how they have been treating us. I want to hack myself into there, but nooooo…, Ghot had to say it because if I interfere with the memory, it might change at an unexpected rate, like as if you try to alter the past, but it would end up likely not going to give me more stuff to find. I have to let it play out…. I wonder how Ghot is with her viewing?

Unexpectedly, she heard her door open, and when she checked, it was her dad, Khan.

Uzi: DAD! GET OUT OF MY ROOM! (walk toward Khan) Important “hacking” going on!

Khan: Okay, okay. You've just never had friends over before other than Ghot—

Uzi: Not a sleepover!

Keybug: IT'S LIFE OR DEATH, DAD! >:( (Uzi closes the door with her Absolute Solver.)

Khan sighs and walks toward the living room. He sees Ghot preparing to watch something on the TV.

Khan: I assume you are about to watch something that made you question more things.

Ghot: Yeah, I am curious about the name "Beta Solver." It may be the solver prototype that others, like Uzi or Doll, had. I hope it has some more answers.

Khan: Well, I'll be around here if you need me. (walks away)

Ghot: Alright. It's time to figure out what you are all about. (Insert the DVD into the DVD player)

The scene shows a message about this being classified, and any redistribution would result in death.

Ghot: Wow, we're already off to a great start, and already there's a death threat for not sharing this information… not like they're alive now…

It then shows a slideshow of what the Beta solver would be about.

Narrator: The Beta Solver. One of the many upcoming projects that could change the future.

The following slide shows two orb-like objects, one being blue and the other being green.

Narrator: After the green orb fell from deep space, a brilliant scientist named Mr. Aristotle proposed using the orb to help with technology. The orb in question is green in color. The blue one landed in a different area a few days later, but we have no idea how it works as it has not responded to anyone. The green responded to many of us, so we will be using the green for the time being. What's fascinating about the orb is that after much testing, we discover that it has the property to change the appearance of anything, whether it changes a rock into a dog or a car growing a rhino horn; it has infinite potential! 

Ghot: Hmmmm, interesting, an orb that can change anything into creatures or their appearance.

The slideshow then changed to explain some coding, and what got Ghot interested was seeing the absolute Solver's symbol.

Ghot: Okay, we are getting somewhere with that symbol.

Narrator: One of Mr. Aristotle's ideas was to insert code into the orb to create a new entity to help shape the world into a better place. While some were skeptical about it, as rouge AI could be deadly, many had faith in Mr. Aristotle as he was the one to help build what we now have as worker drones alongside the sentry drones. As it has been a while, no drone has shown signs of rouge behavior from their program, so no one had to worry about it. His plan for the future of this unique drone is to create a brand new set of drones, but as of right now, the latest type of model is classified. For now, he will introduce the new "drone," Beta Solver, the first of its kind. 

Ghot: Alright then…. I'm going to assume it might discuss what it can do.

Narrator: While still not finalized, Mr. Aristotle has stated that this drone could create life, such as adding trees to the deforested area or creating new animals that could give us more food to eat or to balance the ecosystem that had many invasive species. There is endless potential for this coming drone or even creating new drones by modifying existing worker drones.

Ghot: I feel this might have to do with how the murder drones had become…

Narrator: Mr. Aristotle developed a cure in an emergency: a flash drive shaped like the Christian cross. The purpose is to stop the code entirely. 

Ghot: Just like what Doll said…the patch.

Narrator: Many are excited to see the result of Mr. Aristotle's new project. May we all be saved.

The presentation ended abruptly, signaling to Ghot that the video had ended. Ghot was interested to see the short presentation on the Beta Solver. The ability to create or modify a creature was already insane, but the fact that there was an object that could do that impressed her. She had been thinking about it but realized one critical piece of information.

Ghot: Wait, since the Beta Solver uses a green orb to work…. Won't that mean that the green orb I saw last time was the same…. Oh no… and the fact that crazy Mecha Naga stole it means it is one hundred percent in the hands of a bad guy! This is terrible news as it could be implied they can create more creatures to try something bad. (She pauses before realizing something) But wait, they kept talking about this green orb, but the blue orb they never explained more. Hold on. (Takes out the document about the orb) Ah, yes, here it is. Let me see if I can… (look throughout many pages, most about the green orb) green orb, green orb, green orb, green or- Wait, this one is different.

What Ghot takes out is the information about the blue orb. She begins to read it.

Ghot: (reading) This strange blue orb has crashed into the ground a few miles away from where the green orb landed 5 days ago. After taking it into the lab, many scientists could not figure out how to activate the orb, unlike the green orb. It was placed in a tube for many years until one person could have the blue orb somehow. Not until one of our female engineers got the blue orb to respond. Her name was….. Grace.

Ghot looks at the photo of the girl and realizes something. Grace is the same girl she had been seeing in her memory!

Ghot: Finally, I figured out that her name is Grace. I now want to know why that blue orb reacts to her. (continues reading) When one said the orb responded, we meant that the blue orb glows brighter when Grace was nearby. It never glowed to anyone else; it might need more tests with Grace and the blue orb. (She sees there are no more pages about the blue orb) Well… at least we got more information. Now, it is time to check this flash drive.

While Ghot was watching the DVD, the scene changed back to N and V returning to the manor, specifically the library. Both N and V looked around before looking at D's unconscious body standing before them, with D's visor flashing "ERROR: 606." Behind D was a huge drawing of the Solver with squid-like arms coming out.

N: (scared) I don't remember that painting being there before. (Look toward V) Have you looked through there before?

V: As if I am good with drawing… but I didn't paint that. Someone else must have been here earlier.

N: Now I think about it, none of us have been to the basement before. Not even Tessa or her folks had entered; only Cyn had been there. But… now I am curious what is in there…

V: N… I don't think it's a good idea. 

N: I'm just going to take a sneak peek… (moves D out of the way slowly) And.. (moves the rug out, only to show it is locked). Of course.

N and V: (Look at each other) J has the key.

V: Welp, we never found what was in there. Come on, N, let's go back with the others. (Walk away).

N: Nothing terrible would happen now. (follows V)

Little did the duo notice that D flinched a bit, and her screen started to turn green, meaning something had taken over D. Back in Tessa's room, J was trying to break the chains with her mouth.

Tessa: (Overdramatic) It wants paid time off. To attend UUUUNION NEGOTIATIOOOONS!

J: (Finally at her limit after breaking off the chain) THIS IS AN UNRELATED LAYOFF! (Spits to the broken chain)

J then looks over at Tessa, whom she gives a thumbs-up. Sometime later, Tessa and J sneak around the second floor.

Tessa: How do you reckon we murder us a robo-child, J?

Tessa bumps into a suit of armor, almost knocking it down. J grabs a revolver while Tessa grabs a sword.

Tessa and J: How 'bout this?

Both Tessa and J look at each other and decide to swap their weapons. They heard a whisper from a distance. They spot N and V.

N: (Whispering) Psst! Tessa!

Tessa and J look at each other and sneakily walk toward N and V.

Tessa: N! How did you escape from the outside?

N: Had help. (look at V, to which she responds with a blush and pout and looks away) What had we missed?

Tessa: Cyn's gonna massacre the gala!

N: Who? Our Cyn? Nah, she's cool. 

Tessa and J look at each other in disbelief, while V feels concerned about the situation. 

Tessa: Listen, N, trust me on this, but Cyn has turned into something horrible, and she will kill everyone! There might even be a chance she is going after every human after this!

J: N and V, you have to go to the basement. I heard Cyn once "jokingly" that she wanted to return a favor to an old friend. I thought she was being silly at first, but seeing how she just acted now, I have a feeling she might have more plans! So (pass the key to N), go there and find out what it is. Cyn is likely too busy to notice you guys going to the basement. Just leave Cyn to me and Tessa.

N: (Thinking for a moment) I hope she's just playing around because I don't want to think she always planned this way.

Tessa: Yeah… I know that feeling from some people I have talked to.

Before they continued, they all felt something coming toward them, so they huddled together.

V: Guys… Do you feel someone or something is watching us?

J: You are not the only one who feels that.

Tessa: (Holds her gun) I think Cyn is not the only one who we should be worry about…

They all slowly looked up to see D, but something was off about her. Before any question the appearance, D dropped down toward them, which they all had to dodge out of the way. When they all look at D, her appearance differs from the shy drone they remember. Now equipped with dragon-like wings, horns coming out of her head, scaly arms instead of drone arms, and, most importantly, the screen on her face is now green. 

D then slashed her claws toward Tessa, whom she managed to jump back from the attack because J blocked with her sword.

J: N, V, Do the basement thing. There has got to be more information.

N: Sweet! 

N was about to run when D appeared next to N and tried to swipe him with her claw, making him drop the key. D lunges at the key, but Tessa picks it up and throws it back to N. N got the key and run toward the basement. D grabs and throws J's sword backward at N, but V reflects the sword with the knife she hid in her sock. J picks up her sword, and both V and J rush towards D, and the two engage in combat. Meanwhile, Lord Frumptlebucket is watching from below.

Lord Frumptlebucket: Crikey, what aboundin' humphterfruffle!

Katie: Why are you talking like that? (goes back to watching on her phone)

Tessa, V, and J continue fighting. D. D tries to slash at V, but J manages to reflect the attack and tries to fight back, but D flies up to the ceiling. D starts to crawl until Tessa shoots one of D's hands, and she loses grip on the ceiling and falls.  D gets back up and is ready to fight again.

V: There has got to be something we can do to stop her. I still feel like D is there, as if… she's being controlled by something.

J: Well, for now, we need to either trap her somehow or knock her out. 

V: Then, let's try all options.

Tessa: And let's not forget about Cyn after this. (keep shooting at D, who is blocking the bullet with her wings)

As the three continue fighting D, the scene changes back to real-time, with Ghot about to look up the flash drive on her computer.

Ghot: I am curious if this is related to Grace. Well, there is one way to find out. 

Ghot started searching on the flash drive and found the video file titled "My first project so far." She plays the video. Wearing headphones, she listens to the video of the content. At first, she is fascinated by what she sees, but as the video continues, Ghot starts to get a bit worried, and then, nearing the end, she is shocked to see what it is. The video ends, and right then, Ghot closes the laptop very fast.

Ghot: No, impossible… It can't be…. (starts to sweat) There's no way that can be true! I can't let others find out about this! I need to hide this! (She starts running and hides the flash drive inside her witch hat.) Okay, okay, breathe in, Ghot. As long as no one knows… it should be fine, but what would they think if they knew about it… No, I did not mention it. I need to find the place to hide it.

As Ghot talked to herself and left the room, she didn't realize a red gitch particle appeared behind her, hinting that someone was about to teleport into the room.

Back into where N is at, N is making his way back through the library. He hurried to the basement trapdoor and unlocked it when...

Eldritch Cyn: (Pops up) Jump scare. Grab. 

Cyn snatches N and drags him toward the basement. N panics until Cyn malfunctions. N was confused until Cyn's eyes turned purple. Uzi has hacked her way into Eldritch Cyn's body.

Uzi: Oh, we're in! Sorry, Ghot, but I saw my friend making an error, so I had to step in. (N is confused). Listen. I'm a friend from the future, but trust me, I think there's something in the basement, so come with me. (He grabs N to the basement while he screams.)

N: Don't eat me!

Uzi: Ugh, I just said we are friends!

N: Sorry sorry! 

Uzi: Yeah yeah. Let's see what that little yellow creep was up— Oh!

Both Uzi and N see a collection of dismembered Worker Drone corpses.

Uzi: So... That's a pretty... metal origin story.

N: (Terrified) Not dealing with this great, to be immediately honest...! (Takes a moment's repression.) Okay, it's gone.

Uzi: There got to be something else here…

Meanwhile, the fight between J, V, and Tessa against D was still ongoing. Despite the clearly power-up drone, the trio was actually starting to power over D. Right as D was about to breathe something out, in her mind, she heard a robotic male voice.

????: Enough of these low-lives. Someone is invading my secret. Go over there now!

Without hesitation, D starts to fly past the trio and head toward the library.

J: (Confused) Did she give up already?

V: (Realize) N! N is still there!

Tessa: Shit, and we have Cyn at the gala. How about this? I and Cyn will stop while you stop D. We have no time!

V: (Nod) Right. (run toward the library)

Tessa: Good luck. Hope you save your "prince charming" (Giggles)

V: TESSA! (Blushing hard, then run fast toward the library).

J: (Look at Tessa.) Did you know?

Tessa: Yep. Okay, serious time, let's stop a murder!

J: Right!

Both Tessa and J run toward the gala. Meanwhile, Uzi and N are looking around the basement for clues.

N: So…. who you may be? At least you said friend from the future.

Uzi: All you need to know is that I have the same power as that Cyn drone. I am here to try to stop whatever is messing with your memory and solve whatever is here.

N: So, these are memories, and future me is dead at a sleepover?

Uzi: Not a sleepover. You passed out, 'cause some internal program is trying to delete these memories.

N: 'Cause... 'Cause of you? 'Cause you're doing that? Ow! (Uzi pokes at N gently with her claw)

Uzi: I'm helping, you cute, weird, weird butler. We find out what happened to you here, restore the memory files, and save you from being digitally lobotomized. (Continues to look around)

N: 'Kay. You kind of seem like an evil ghost witch, though. 

Uzi: I AM a ghost witch! And I'm tall. Though admittedly, my friend, Ghot, would fit that description better, especially with her hat, except for the evil part.

N: Right… (looks around until he spots a drawing), hey friend, look at this! (Uzi turns around and looks). It seems to be Cyn's drawing of herself and, um…. Whatever that thing I am looking at.

Both N and Uzi saw a drawing Cyn drew herself and a large orb object with the top saying, "My best friend forever!"

N: Seem she had an imaginary friend. She can be silly sometimes, you know.

Uzi: Wait…. That object seems familiar, and I know because my friend has seen it before. This is another clue! You are a genius for finding that!

N: Oh, um… thanks!

Uzi: Alright, let's get out of here.

A rumbling occurs. Uzi is brought back into the real world. She turns to see Khan at the door again.

Khan: Hey, buddy, you invite Doll to this—

He suddenly gets grabbed and thrown out as the red Solver throws the door toward Uzi, whom she dodges in time as she spots Doll teleporting her way into Uzi's room.

Back in N's memories...

N: Ghost buddy? You okay...?

N approaches the Eldritch and tries to prod it when the Solver returns its control.

Eldritch Cyn: Better than ever, "buddy." (She grabs N and tosses him into a chair.) Let's reset these memories one more time.

N looks in fear at the tools that the Solver has. Meanwhile, the gala is about to commence in the hall.

James: (Taps his wine glass) Welcome, all! The Elliotts are known for many things. Class, tenacity, currently being alive—

Cyn: (Teleports atop a large globe at the back of the hall.) Well-timed. Giggle. (She reveals herself.)

Lighting flashes behind her, showing her shadow figure with many claws. Then, the scene flashes back to Cyn without any horror about her. The hall turns silent when Tessa and J barge in through the doors.

Tessa: EVERYONE, STAND BACK! This is a citizen's murder! 

Tessa aims her revolver at Cyn while James and Louisa gasp at Tessa, showing up not even appropriately dressed and holding a gun.

Louisa: (Appalled) That dress!

James: You hold that gun less cool this instant, missy!

Cyn uses her Absolute Solver to shove Louisa and James to the side. E, seeing his master get thrown away, aims his gun at Cyn, only for Cyn to shut him down with her power.

Cyn: Tessa, remember, you didn't have to—

Tessa fires a bullet at her, but Cyn avoids it with her Absolute Solver, and instead, the bullet breaks a window.

Cyn: ...You didn't have—

Tessa throws the revolver at her, to no avail. She throws glass cups and a whole tray, not getting any different results. Cyn flashes an unamused expression, then turns off the lights in the room and takes control of all the Worker Drones, including J.

Eldritch Cyn: You didn't have to see this.

Eldritch Cyn crushes the globe she was previously holding. 

In Cyn's head, she heard a voice.

????: Would you mind if I "modified" some of these worker drones to do my bidding?

Eldritch Cyn: (Thoughts) Just not J.

????: Perfect.

One of Eldritch Cyn's claws turned green and shot at some worker drones. What the people saw was terrifying if this had happened to a human, as all those worker drones started to spill out oils, melting the body of the worker drone, leaving only the head. The screen on the worker drone was now replaced with a red eye. It then merged all the affected worker drones into a massive blob of oils, using the worker drone's head as eyes. 

Eldritch Cyn: (in ???? voice) I would like to introduce you all to… Cryptid Drone B. Wonder how humans taste for drones.

Back down in the basement, N hears the screams of the guests as they are being massacred. Eldritch Cyn is trying to pick up some tools to wipe N's memories.

Eldritch Cyn: Son of a- Come on... Solver of the Absolute Fabric, get a grip. (She gives up.) Tantrum. (She throws the table to the side. She then heard something landed on top of the basement door) ...Brain blast. (She turns to the basement trapdoor.) Oh, D. I Could use some help here.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Uzi and Doll fight over the green keybug.

Doll: (in Russian) [You don't even know what that thing does.]

Uzi: You wanting it tells me you shouldn't have it!

Doll: (in Russian) [You are so petty.]

Uzi: This is the only clue to what's wrong with me!

Ghot ran into Uzi's room because she heard all the noise and saw what was happening.

Ghot: What is going on? Doll, Uzi! What are you two fighting about?!

Uzi: I still need this to figure out what's wrong with me and with these cryptid drones.

Doll: (in Russian) [I need it now because we are running out of time!]

Ghot: (thinks hard for a moment, then sigh) As much as I understand, Uzi, give the bug to Doll. Keep in mind I already know the context of why Doll needs it in the first place, or else something horrible will happen. Remember, we are all on this, especially since we all seem connected to a big picture somehow!

Electric sparks trigger Uzi to look at N, seeing that N, D, and V have [ERROR: 606] on their visor. Uzi realizes that they are in danger.

Ghot (spots the errors on the murder drones) Uzi. Is the Solver trying to do the wipe-out memory thing!? If so, you better fix that and save our friends before they forget who they are!

Uzi: (Thinks hard on the decision, then decides, throwing the keybug, it hits Doll's face) Just leave us alone. (Close the door on Doll's face)

Doll looks down at the keybug in her hands.

Doll: (To Khan) (in Russian) [You raised a good daughter, Mr. Doorman.]

Khan: Heh, to spite me maybe.

Doll: (in Russian) [Jeez, alright.] 

Ghot: Sorry about this. Uzi just wants to know where the issue lies, so she searches the murder drone's memory. From what I see, it seems they only remember some parts, but with Uzi's hacks, she was able to access the camera view of all the workers before they became murder drones. 

Doll: (In Russian) [I know, but I also want to figure it out. Just tell Uzi where I will be, and I will meet you there.]

Ghot: Stay safe, Doll. 

Doll nods before teleporting away. Ghot, look at Uzi's room before entering.

In N's memories, D tries to grab the tools with her claw but fails because they are too big to grasp, while the Eldritch bangs its head against the wall.

Eldritch Cyn: Grab it. Just grab it. GRAB IT. Intimidating glare.

N: Whoa, Cyn! For an eldritch... uh, monster thingy—

Eldritch Cyn: The Solver of the Absolute Fabric, the void, the second exponential end.

N: Right… (Look at D.) … if you're there, (D looks at N) I know you are not a monster. You still have others that care about you. (D look at N confused) You have people like me, V, Tessa, even J! (D is shocked) We are all best friends in the end! Now, imagine your hand being normal instead of a huge reptile claw.

D pauses and looks at N to see what she heard. She imagines her hand instead of a scary reptile claw; she imagines hard enough that it changes back into the regular worker drone's hand. With a new normal hand, she manages to pick up the tools.

N: I got you.

D: N..? Why am I here? How did I become this scaly…. Monster… Am I now a monster like Tessa' people being saying about me?

N: Gentle mouths, dude—

Eldritch Cyn: (Grabs D and holds her up to the ceiling) Cute, false, gross...true. Let's just delete your OS's, then. (She prepares to clean N's memory while N looks in horror.) Goodbye, "buddy". Execute.

D: N!

Eldritch Cyn starts to swing a hammer with a sharp end into N's face... But she was stopped by V, whom she was holding on the claw.

V: I am not letting you… hurt my N!

N: I'm sorry, but what did you-

Eldritch Cyn: Ugh. Swipe. (Swipe V out of the way)

N and D: V!

Eldritch Cyn: Take two. Goodbye, "buddy". Execute.

Eldritch Cyn swings her hammer toward N, but it never hits N, and this time, all the worker drones notice that Elditch Cyn is lagging.

Eldritch Cyn: (Under severe lag) Wha-What-at i-is hap-pen-pen-pening?

Eldritch Cyn shut down. Afterward, it turns out that Uzi regains control.

Uzi: U-ugh, so-r-ry. My freaking dad's stream— WHOA! (She accidentally hits N with the blunt part of the hammer.) Whoops!

Uzi releases D, and she falls to the floor. N helps her up. V also gets back up, noticing that her glass has been damaged from all the fighting.

N: (Looks over at Uzi) Uzi?

Uzi: Don't freakin' dox me!

N: Thanks.

Uzi: What is with D, though? She seems very different from both of you.

N: Yeah… she was never like this at all. This is the first time we have all seen this.

Uzi: Interesting… Hey D! (D looks at her) Did anything happen to you when you transformed?

D: All I remember is that… I heard some voice commending me to do its bidding…

Uzi: Alright! Might need to note that.

V: You little narc! Get out of my head!

N, D, and V wake up in Uzi's room, back in the real world. Uzi chuckles devilishly as she turns around in her chair to face them. She drops the smile when V threatens her with a chainsaw. V heard a louder chainsaw and saw Ghot with a bigger chainsaw power she was using, basically telling her to do it and find out.

Uzi: Oh! Before we find Doll, Ghot, you must hear what D has witnessed!

This interested Ghot. Outside, Doll teleports back to the winter wastelands, where she meets J and Tessa.

Doll: (In Russian) [Here's your key.] (She throws the key to Tessa.) [Take me with you. That's the deal—]

Tessa shoots her but misses, probably due to Doll's Absolute Solver.

Tessa: ...Just checking. Let's go. I will call him off to not do what I said would happen. 

Tessa grabs her phone and is about to call Mecha Naga until she faces off with Uzi, Ghot, N, V, and D.

Everyone: HUH—

To be continued

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

While Ghot, Uzi, and the disassembly drones were doing their business, the scene changed to Lizzy and the other students in Lizzy's room. The students included Lizzy herself, Thad, Emily, Sam, Brandon, and Rebecca. As Lizzy had requested, she got the blueprints of Uzi's Railgun and one for the worker drone.

Emily: So, Lizzy. Why are we here?

Lizzy: It's because after realizing what we've been through, and as I mentioned earlier, I plan to help Uzi and her friend by assisting them in fighting against whatever is out there trying to kill us!

Sam: And why didn't you want to mention that to Uzi?

Lizzy: (Sigh) Because if I did, I won't hear the end of Uzi's endless speech of how she was right and how we were wrong.

Sam: I guess that makes sense…

Rebecca: Do you want to tell us why you need the blueprint of the worker drone? I could see why you need it for Uzi's railgun, but why the other?

Lizzy: Let's say we're using another way to help them prepare for a big fight.

Brandon: Even if we can, how can we assure you that your plan will work? We haven't been able to repair our kind whenever they get disassembled.

Lizzy: I will figure out that part later; I need to get these parts to prepare it.

Lizzy: Just for now, we do the easy part: We get the parts for the railgun first, then deal with the other later. I want a "big" impression on that one!

Emily: I- I see, so, how do you want us to continue on this?

Lizzy: First of all, Thad, didn't you say one time that you brought the railgun back to Uzi, right?

Thad: Yes, I did.

Lizzy: You can get it back for now, so we can build another one. I heard from some drones that it was blown up?

Thad: Right away. (walks out of the room to try to collect the remains of the railgun)

Lizzy: (turns back to other students) Right. So listen here. While Thad is getting as many parts back as he can, we will check how Uzi built the railgun and get some ideas for creating another one. I also know where to get pieces for the other massive project.

Rebecca: Oh? Where is it? Is it at the-?

Scene change to all the students at the junkyard.

Rebecca: Junkyard…. Oh, you are serious…

Brandon: So… why here exactly?

Lizzy: Many of these junk items happen to be here when they are unnecessary. That's what I know humans did before being wiped off this planet.

Sam: Alright, so want us to split up or something?

Emily: (Grabs Sam and shakes him) DID YOU NOT LEARN ABOUT THE STORY FROM CAMP WHERE SPLITTING UP IS A BAD THING!

Rebecca: Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down! (Grab Emily and pull her away.) 

Lizzy: Yeah. Clam down, it's not like the murder drones are out anymore, because, from what Uzi's dad said, he had called the other colony. They all said that for some reason, there has been no activity of ANY murder drones, not even when one throws their kind out, only for them to find out that they were still alive. Maybe Ghot is right about something out there more dangerous than the murder drone….

Emily: Then why can't we go back?

Lizzy: Relax, it only takes a short amount of time. We need the following parts.

Lizzy pulled out a list that was almost the height of a worker drone. Everyone deadpanned at the thought that Lizzy needed all the parts she requested.

Lizzy: It's best if we hurry. If you are worried, we'll go together.

Emily: (Hesitates for a moment) Alright…

As all the students walk through the junkyard, none notice that a light from a pile on the hill flickers. In the piles shines a red glow. A montage shown of the students collecting pieces Lizzy needed. One scene shows Sam grabbing a piece of gear from the pile, Emily trying to pull out a rope from a huge pile, Brandon grabbing a lighter, playing around with it until it sets his head on fire… again, and Rebecca finding a motherboard, still intact. 

While the students collect the parts, the scene changes to Thad walking toward the area where he last remembers Uzi's railgun being blown up. After reaching the location, he finds the remains of the railgun, which have been destroyed.

Thad: Well… It's been a while since Uzi had her cool railgun. Or did she say it was "sick as hell"? Oh well. Let's see what we have here.

Thad inspected the railgun's components and saw what it was made of and how it functioned, at least based on how it looked before it was destroyed. He decided to take a photo of it and send it to Lizzy to let her know she had found the railgun. He decided to collect the remaining pieces and put them into his bag because he knew he couldn't carry all the pieces at once. As he was exiting the Cryosleep chamber, he spotted someone he didn't expect to see: Khan. 

Thad: Oh! (Look around for a second.) Hey, Khan. I didn't expect to see you here.

Khan: I didn't expect to see you here either. But for real, what are you doing right now?

Thad: (Tries to lie)…. Looking around…

Khan: (Not falling for it) No, for real. I saw you walk here with an empty bag, and now I see you have your bag full. It's best to tell me the truth now.

Thad: (Sigh) Alright, Lizzy and I plan to help Uzi by building her back her railgun, and also for a big project.

Khan: (Thinks for a moment) I see, but I wish you had told me about this. For one, I want to make Uzi proud of me because I planned to rebuild her railgun and maybe adjust some modifications. Two, you know how dangerous it can be if you plan to go outside to collect parts, and you might already know the last time it happened.

Thad: I'm aware, but I got the pieces here to see if we would repair the parts. As for Lizzy and friends, Lizzy told me beforehand that they would go to this junkyard (Khan is shocked after hearing that), which is some blocks away from here, to get some parts.

Khan: (Shock and worry) Wait. Thad. Say that again.

Thad: Some blocks away?

Khan: No, the other.

Thad: Going to the junkyard that is some blocks away?

After confirming what Thad said, Khan panicked and was worried a lot. Thad notices and asks Khan.

Thad: Khan? Are you alright?

Khan: (Grabs Thad by the shoulder) Listen! You better call Lizzy and get her and her friends back here now!

Thad: Why? Because of the murder drone?

Khan: That may be a reason, but it's not just the murder drone. (Khan got closer to Thad.) It's what resides in the junkyard! 

Thad: (begins to realize the situation) And…. what may reside there…

Khan: My wife and I once entered there to hide from when the murder drone first arrived on this planet, and let me tell you, the things that live in the junkyard were, if not worse than the murder drone in many ways.

Thad: And…. what may those things be?

Khan: They are called…. The sentries series.

Thad: (In confusion) Um…. what may they be?

Khan: Think of them as…. Giant wild robot animals that may have gone rogue….

Thad is shocked and realizes what it would mean for Lizzy and her friend, who were going to the same junkyard.

Thad: I'd better get going! I've got to call Lizzy to get them all out of there! Are you coming as well?

Khan: Well…. (undecided) I want to stay here to ensure nothing happens to the colony, but at the same time… (thinks about what Ghot had said) I have to stand up and be ready for anything. So Thad, listen, I have a plan. You will call them now, and if they are already in trouble, I will have something ready for all of you to try to fight as much as possible.

Thad: I got it. Good luck! I bet Uzi and especially Ghot would be proud to hear you stop being a coward —in their words, not mine. I have to go now. 

As Thad runs and prepares to call Lizzy about the situation, Khan thinks about how he will prove he is not a coward and save the students. He decides to get some supplies ready. 

The scene changes back to the students at the junkyard sometime earlier before Thad returns the text about the situation. One after the other, each of the worker drones brought the piles to a single spot to make sure they had all the needed parts. Lizzy was reviewing her list to make sure she had all the parts, and after some time, she confirmed she had all the parts required for her bigger project. 

Lizzy: Alright, loser. We were able to get these many parts for my big projects.

Sam: I know I'm not the only one to ask, but what may this project be?

Lizzy: It will be a project that will help us later. Regardless, while we have all the parts, we need one more for the railgun. Thad just texted me to let me know that he managed to find the railgun, and the only thing that is missing is the core itself. Unfortunately for us, it got blown up, so we can't repair it regardless.

Emily: (Worried) So… what are you suggesting?

Lizzy: Glad you asked! From what Thad told me, Uzi got the core from the murder drone's lair. However, as we can't carry these from here to the murder drone's lair immediately, we must return them to the colony for now. Any questions?

Emily: Do we have ways to carry all these at once? Even with all of us working simultaneously, taking these parts back to back would be challenging.

Lizzy: Luckily, I asked my father to call the bus driver to arrive at a particular time, so we must wait.

As she mentioned, the rest all groan because it would mean they had to wait. But they would have to wait because they heard something from a distance.

Sam: Oh? Is that the bus driver?

Brandon: No, I hear more of a crawling than a bus driving by…

Rebecca: So wait…. Would it imply that we are not alone?

At first, Lizzy didn't worry, as she believed it could be something small that just happened to knock some objects into each other. However, she got a notification from her phone, checked it, and read it from Thad again. Curiously, she read the text left by Thad. As she read, her eyes started to grow in worry, as she may have forgotten something: Check if there was nothing truly living in the junkyard.

Lizzy: Guys…. I hate to break this to you, and don't panic… (The rest look at Lizzy in panic) But… we are not alone.

Emily: Wait, what are we supposed to do?!

Lizzy: Grab any object, prepare for a fight, or run to your survival… (She picks up a long rebar.)

The rest of the students each reach for their weapon, some with a saw blade, some with a shovel, and some with an old mace. As they all gather in a group, they see what Thad warned Lizzy about: the sentries series. There are many types, one being a train crossing sign with spider legs, another a humanoid-like drone with a megaphone for a head, a cockroach-like drone with a stop light for a back, and a crab-like drone with giant bucket-like claws.

After seeing the sentry drones coming out, the group realized running would be best. They decided that they could come back for them since these drones were not interested in the parts they had gathered.

Lizzy: To the exit! Quickly!

Everyone didn't hesitate to follow Lizzy toward the exit. They found the exit, but the megaphone drone blocked it, and it started to rush toward them. The students stop in their tracks and run the other way. Each time they tried to run, another sentry's drone was in their path, and while they were able to take some down, they knew they would be overrun if they stayed in one place too long, so they kept running. They continued until a massive stack of junk blocked them. They realized the situation, and they all started to climb up. They look down to see more sentry drones arriving and begin to climb up the hills as well. Emily grabs a loose part of the pile as the students climb, almost slips down, and her glass falls.

Emily: AH! I can't see without my glasses! HELP ME!

The other students spotted Emily in trouble, and Sam and Brandon went to help Emily. Lizzy notices that one of the sentries' drones, the train crossing sign spider drone, is close to the students and is about to attack them.

Rebecca: Lizzy, let's leave them! It is every drone for itself!

Lizzy considers her decision carefully: Either escape or help the others. At first, she thinks about just escaping, but she remembers what Ghot says about earning her respect and showing it through action. She sighs and decides what she must do.

Lizzy: No… 

Rebecca: Wait, excuse me? 

Lizzy: I can't just leave them, especially after what I talked to Ghot about. I know what I must do.

Rebecca: You are not seriously going to do what I think you're about to do! It's suicidal!

Lizzy: I know, but Ghot would see how much I change.

Before Rebecca can respond, Lizzy jumps toward the sentry drone. She stabs one of the lights on the side with the rebar in her hand, causing it to roar in pain and fall toward the ground while Lizzy is on top of it. The sentry drone hits the ground hard, while Lizzy suffers minimal damage because she falls toward the ground. She looks toward the students and tells them to keep running.

Lizzy: Guys, go! I will take care of this! 

Emily: But what about the plan?

Lizzy: I have it backed up on my drive back to my room in case anything happens to me. Just escape now…

Sam: But…

Rebecca: She made her decision… let's hurry.

Emily: NO…. 

The students see that Lizzy is about to face many of the sentries' drones, and they can count that around 150 of them surround Lizzy. Lizzy sighed but smiled as she realized she might not come out of this, but she at least managed to do something Ghot had been doing: protect others. One of the crab-like sentry drones comes close to Lizzy as Lizzy prepares to defend herself from the attack, and the crab drone strikes at Lizzy. Lizzy closed her eyes to prepare for her death, but after some time passed, she realized she was still alive.

Lizzy: (Open eyes to see the situation) What in the…

Lizzy saw an unknown figure blocking the crab with just…. their hands?! 

The figure appears with a white hood and is wearing a spacesuit-like outfit with a single gray crystal-like shape at the center of the head. Before Lizzy could even move, the unknown figure pushed the crab hard enough that it crashed through a sentry drone and was destroyed. All the other drones were shocked at what had just occurred; someone was strong enough to stop one of the sentries' drones. It didn't scare the other sentries' drones, and all rushed toward the unknown figure. The figure then grabs their shotgun from their back and, to many other surprises, glows in orange, which causes the shotgun to be upgraded. The figure then aims at one of the sentries' drones, and after pressing the trigger, it shoots large bullets and instantly destroys 10 of the sentries' drones.

The figure then switches to a chainsaw and empowers it with an orange glow. The chainsaw is upgraded with a laser-like appearance. The figure rushes toward the sentries' drone and slashes through many of the drones. The figure dodged all the attacks from sentry drones around them. The figure then pulls out grenades and throws them at many of the sentries' drones, causing some to blow up. It then sees one of the megaphone drones rush toward them, and they manage to stop it by grabbing its neck. It then rips the megaphone off the head, and using an orange glow on it, she manages to use it as a soundwave to blast through more of the hostile drones. 

The rest of the student drones were speechless to see this unknown figure show up out of nowhere, destroying these sentries' drones like they were regular enemies seen in video games. They notice that the sentries' drone starts to run away. While the students would think the drones were finally afraid, the figure believes they are running away from another danger. They then felt a rumble, and all were scared down to their oil as they saw a giant 20-meter-tall drone creature shaped like a flower with sawblades for petals. What is different from the other sentries is that it also has lens-like worker drones and appears in terrible conditions.

The flower drone then roars at the figure, raises its robot-like roots, and swings toward it. Still, the figure dodges out of the way, throws a sticky bomb on one of the roots, and, with timing, blows up, damaging the root. The drone roars in pain as it sinks back to the ground. Many would think it is retreating, but it aimed to attack from the bottom by shooting roots toward the figure. The figure isn't afraid of it and keeps dodging all the attacks. It then presses something on the helmet, and the gem at the center starts to glow. It then looks around, and when it spots something, it takes out a sniper rifle. With orange glowing around it, it shoots toward the ground and hits the flower drone as it rises back out. It was angry and started to grab massive objects around the junkyard with its roots and throw them at the figure. The figure then blocks one with their hand, with an orange glow around it, and pushes the heavy object back toward the flower drone, damaging it. The figure then makes a last stand by pulling out its revolver, and with the orange glow power, it shoots at the core of the flower drone. It was a success as everyone saw the core was damaged and unrepairable at that point, causing the flower drone to collapse and explode.

Rebecca: That…. Got to be epic. I wish I were recording all of that.

Brandon: You don't have to say that again.

Lizzy decided to walk toward the unknown figure. She stopped when she saw it turn toward her.

Lizzy: Hey, hey! I don't think I could hurt you after that stunt you did, but I want to say thank you for rescuing us… I didn't expect anyone here to-.

The figure shushed Lizzy by making a shhh sign, letting her know they didn't need to hear more but understand what they did because it was right. It then made a gesture asking Lizzy what she and her friend were doing at the junkyard.

Lizzy: Well-

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the sound of a pipe being thrown toward the figure, but the figure sidestepped. They all saw that Thad had arrived alongside Khan with a gun.

Thad: Don't worry, Lizzy, we are here to help as much as possible!

Lizzy: Ugh. You were a bit late on it, but I appreciate the support.

Khan: (Notice the figure) Oh, who may you be? You are not one of these sentry drones. Consider how Lizzy is still here, alongside her friends. I assume you are not here to destroy us.

The figure nods, stating it is not here to harm them.

Khan: But seriously, Lizzy. I expected someone like Uzi or even Ghot to try to pull some adventure out here, but I would never expect from you! Why did you even come here, bringing your friends? You should know how dangerous this part of the area is.

Lizzy: (Sigh) I was trying to prove to Uzi and Ghot that I want to be like them because… I was jealous of Uzi for being your daughter, and also because, please don't say this to Uzi or Ghot, she's smarter than the rest of us… I thought that going through here and being able to help Uzi in some way would have fixed the bad relationship as friends…. But.. (look at her other friends, who just got back down) I think I may have messed up more. And it was more likely I would have them killed if I hadn't stepped in to stop one of those drones from destroying them.

Khan is surprised to hear from Lizzy what she said. Thad was as well, as he thought Lizzy was bullying Uzi just because she could. Lizzy had her head down, feeling disappointed until she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw the figure looking at her. It then made a gesture that what Lizzy did was something a hero would have done to save others. Those are the kind of people it respects because they are willing to protect others. Lizzy realized it was the same as Ghot, as when she fought that bird drone, she was damaged to the point where she could have died, but she was protecting everyone from it, especially Lizzy, whom she knew had a bad connection with her. 

Lizzy: T-thanks…. I needed that.

Khan: You still need to explain why you were doing it here.

Lizzy: Right. The plan I had was to build a project for Ghot and Uzi as a way to assist them once their huge final battle happened or something. I got all the parts; it just might need some…. Intelligent to build it…

Lizzy then saw the figure have her hand out and point at the blueprints in her pocket. With no hesitation, Lizzy pulled the blueprints out and gave them to the figure. The figure was studying the blueprints, and after a few seconds, it pulled out a wrench and gave a thumbs-up, suggesting that it would help them with the project. Lizzy was excited that someone was going to help them!

Lizzy: Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about! The parts should still be near the entrances! The bus driver will be here soon to help bring you back to the colony! Let's all get them ready, team!

Everyone cheers as they are ready to start the project. As they walk toward the entrance, Khan looks at the figure.

Khan: I still don't know who you are, but something tells me you are arriving to help. It tells me you had some incident that you were not able to help before, so you tried to prevent that mistake from happening again… Trust me, I know that.

The figure didn't respond and walked toward the entrance. Khan decided not to speak of it anymore.

The scene shows everyone grabbing parts and placing them into the bus, and the bus driver takes them all back to the colony. They then move all the parts to the big room where Uzi and N had their battle against V and J. Montage shows the students, Khan, and the figure building the project. Some chain reactions happen, such as Bradon's hat getting set on fire. Again, many students try to move a big steel sphere, and the figure uses her orange glow power to upgrade some parts. Khan was shown on the other side, alongside Lizzy and Thad, building Uzi's railgun. Khan even had thought of trying to reduce the cooldown by only shooting out a certain amount of energy so it would not be overkill on something weak. After some days pass by (by the time around when Ghot and her allies meet Tessa, J, and Doll outside), they look at their project.

Rebecca: Can't you believe we built this with their help? (Point at the figure)

Sam: I think the other colony would be jealous.

Thad: You said it. Imagine if we had that when the murder drones were to arrive. It would one-shot one of them into scrap metal! Total radical!

Lizzy: Thank you so much! (Look at the figure) I very much appreciate the help!

The figure nods. It then checks the watch on its arm and decides it is time to go. It looks at Lizzy and makes a gesture that they have to go.

Lizzy: I hope you can stay around longer, but you can visit us anytime! I bet you might even be friends with Ghot, Uzi, and "total not her boyfriend" N, and my bestie, V.

The figure flinched a second after hearing the specific names that Lizzy mentioned. It decided to deal with it later. It then walked back, turned, pointed its arm, and shot out a portal. Everyone was wowed as they saw the figure make a portal. It then waved goodbye to everyone and exited the colony as the portal closed behind them.

Brandon: It would be cool to have a teleporting portal wherever we want!

Thad: So….. Lizzy, I'm curious. You never had a name for this project. What do you think we would call it?

Lizzy: After going through it, I got a perfect name. (Everyone walked toward the front of the project.) I decided to name her…

Lizzy: Guardian Drone: Wrecka!

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google translate and mess up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene begins with a beautiful beach where seagulls squawk in the background. This beach is revealed to be a background on a computer monitor in an office setting. The lights suddenly flicker and go out as a Worker Drone, Amda, hides under the desk. She peeks out to see the paralyzed body of a fellow drone stuck in a boot loop. She crawls slowly towards her colleague to try and reach them as a claw emerges from the shadows. She doesn't notice this, however, as she finally reaches her fallen friend. Finally noticing, Amda looks to her side to see a blue light flash, and she drags the drone by the foot. She stops to resume her hiding position until she works up the courage to finish pulling the drone. But before she can reach it, two creatures grab the drone and tear it apart, oil spilling everywhere. She quickly resumes hiding when a blue light shines before her. What was revealed was a raptor-like drone called Sentinel. A Sentinel has found her location. As she tries to escape, the Sentinel flashes a beam of light into her eyes, boot-looping her. The Sentinel crawls down and, presumably, feasts on her while a security camera captures all of this moment.

Continuing from the last time with Ghot and her friends, they encountered Doll alongside J and Tessa.

N: (Confuse) T-Tessa...?

Tessa: (Hugs N) N! You remember– (She begins coughing.) Tall, handsome... Air's toxic... (Notices Uzi) Who is this little– (Uzi bites her finger.) Ah!

Uzi: Uzi! Why are you here, human?! (Notices J) Real tired of killing this one.

J: (Strokes her hair back) Effective drones were cloned more.

Ghot: Ah, so first, that was you whom Uzi killed. For being an effective drone, you didn't last longer than N or even D, for that matter.

J: (Angrily growl) Why you-

N: (Chuckling) It is you.

V: Classic J.

D: (Waving at J shyly) Hello J… Wait, if you were cloned, had you seen my other teammates, E and F?

J: (thinks of previous time) Unfortunately, I hadn't seen them around. The cloning machine said they are still active. So why ask?

D: (side eye) Um….

Tessa: Discussion for later; Cyn disappeared on Earth–

J: Boss ran away.

Tessa: (Annoyed) We mutually disengaged. Her last known act was siccing you a lot on the human exoplanets.

N: Why?

J: (Land back to the ground) That's what we're trying to figure out, bozo.

Suddenly, Doll uses her Absolute Solver to snatch the bug on top of Tessa's head into her hands and takes off.

Doll: (In Russian) [Sorry, Ghot, but I must go on ahead.]

Ghot: (Confused) Wait, why did-

Tessa: That's... kind of a big piece.

J deploys her wings as Ghot realizes something.

Ghot: (Active her power) I… do not like the sound of what J is about to pull off…

The scene changes to a chase as Doll teleports away from J while J shoots a missile toward Doll. Doll manages to dodge the missiles that were fired at her, while Ghot appears and throws some back at J, who has to dodge some. Tessa landed a few distances away from Doll and shot at Doll, but with absolute power, she managed to deflect the bullets and manage to reach a big hole, and jump down into it. Uzi, N, V, and D arrived. They all saw Ghot and J aim their weapon at each other.

Ghot: I will not tolerate you trying to shoot my girlfriend!

J: That toaster your girlfriend? Don't make me laugh-

Tessa/D: J/Ghot, stop this at once.

Both Ghot and J wait for a moment before putting their weapon back down.

Ghot: (walk toward the group) I will not forget this. (J growls back at Ghot).

Tessa: J, relay hand, Cyn's orders.

J: (Brings up a screen.) Step one: Clear drop zone of life and construct spire. Step two– 

Tessa: Enter labs with this symbol. (Tears down some large paper to reveal a poster behind it. Taped near the bottom, it reads: "CABIN FEVER")

Tessa: Not too much to go off, but if Cyn wants these labs, we burn them down. That keybug's our way in. (She walks towards the edge of the scaffolding.) J, mind my ship  (Tosses J the keys. J glances at N and V with uncertainty.)

J: ...Of course, boss.

Before J starts to fly off, she sees D walk up to her.

J: What do you want?

D: Before you go, I have another thing to ask: are you aware of what the cryptid drones are?

J: (Confused) Cryptid what now?

D: It's the reason why I ask if you've seen my teammate. It turns out that if you are going your way, then these "rouge" drones are not the only ones we should be worried about. One of those drones was the reason why I lost my two teammates. They are just as powerful as a squad of disassembly drones. I was hoping you would have known about it, considering how much you follow the company's orders, as you said.

J: (Confused a bit but get some idea) I… see… I will try to look up information about them. I will keep that in mind. I have this order to go through first. Keep an eye on V and N, would you?

D: Of course. You are still a lovely friend compared to my old teammate.

J nods and flies away. While no one can see through the mask, Tessa gives a glare-stare at D for telling J about the information on the Cryptid Drone. She decided that there was nothing she could do and walked the other way until she encountered Uzi and Ghot.

Uzi: Why involve Doll? What's happening to (looks down) ... her?

Ghot: I've never seen her rush to somewhere so fast. So there better be a reason.

Tessa: She reckons the humans did something to her folks down here. Gave them a sickness she inherited.

Ghot thought about what Tessa had said. She connected the dots, noticing that only Uzi and Doll had similar power to the absolute Solver. However, this does not explain her power, as hers was too different from the other two. She decided not to mention her different power to Tessa.

Uzi: (Covers her collar) ...And?

Tessa: I think she's right... (To N and V) Coming or what?

She jumps off, leaving the concerned trio wondering whether it's a good idea to follow her.

D: Is anyone concerned that a human just jumped into whatever how long this hole is?....

The group lands down the dark, damp cavern below, and N manages to grab Tessa on the way down. All the murder drones use their wings to slow down the fall, while Uzi uses her wing to glide down, and Ghot uses her rocket boots' power to slow down. They begin to look around.

N: Is the secret elevator... labeled? (No answer. V and Ghot roll their eyes. While Uzi's tail was nibbling on N's head.)

Ghot: As if people would be stupid enough to label something "secret."

Everyone walks toward the inside of the lab. As no one would notice at the top, a black goo drops down one by one and slowly follows the group from behind. As Tessa walks, she accidentally kicks a severed Drone arm. It rolls as she sees the piles of murder drone's corpses. Everyone looks around at their besmirched setting. N looks like he's ready to vomit, while D is already vomiting. They see that the whole room is filled with corpses.

Tessa: Riiiight... Might be some security, specifically against... (points at them) you guys.

Uzi looks to her left. Some writing on the wall reads "DON'T LOOK" and "THE LIGHT." Scared, she slowly reaches out for N's hand.

Ghot: Hmmm, so wait, we have murder drones that are designed to kill us worker drones, but whatever is down here, these are designed to destroy not only us but murder drones as well…. I am afraid to find out the capabilities of this thing.

Tessa: Humans-made security this human can control. Hehehehe! 

Tessa grabs a paper, but unfortunately, it says, "ACCESS DENIED." Tessa put the paper back

Tessa: ...Maybe.

V: Anything to screw Cyn's plan.

N: And for Mom backstory. (To Uzi) Right, dude?

Uzi: ...Yeah.

D: And most importantly, knowing if there are any secret files about Ghot.

Ghot: (Look at D) Hm? Do you believe it is here?

D: Just saying…. I mean, if there was some information very close to you, there perhaps some here as well?

Ghot: (Shurg) Good point…

They continue walking until they come across a directory. It states that the secret elevator is north of their direction. N giggles excitedly over being right and turns to his friends for validation. V's eye twitches; Ghot is unimpressed, while Uzi gives a supportive nod.

Ghot: (Unimpressed) You got to be kidding me….

Tessa: Huh. Righty-oh. Sources say that way–

Before she can finish, she gets dragged off by her foot due to a trap.

Tessa: (Rapidly) Except I'm going this way, so save me if you can. THANKS!

No one had anything to say, and they looked at each other in silence. The gang tries to find where Tessa got dragged off. While doing so, they stop at the sound of a child's laughter.

Ghot: (Confused) What is a baby pill drone doing there? Why is it alone?

Uzi: ...Shoot the baby immediately?

Ghot: (Shock) Wait, what-

N: THAT'S NOT SOON ENOUGH!

The baby robot's head suddenly grows legs, and it runs off before N can hit it. D then ran to N and hugged him hard.

D: N! THAT WAS A BABY! Sure, it suddenly grows an arm out of nowhere, BUT STILL, IT's AN ADORABLE BABY! DON'T HURT IT!

Suddenly, a long arm lands in front of them. The arm switches to a detonator-like device. They turn around to see a Worker Drone and the baby robot behind them with the arm being attached to one of the Worker's antlers.

Alice: (Chuckling) Hey, surface slickers.

Ghot: (Notice something about Alice) Wait…. Why I have a feeling I seen you before-

An explosion occurs, and everything goes black. The sound of an axe chopping is heard as Uzi wakes up. She looks around her. She sees many TVs, with each showing a camera recording different spots in the area. When Uzi gets up, she feels a shock on her head and sees a magnet attached to her head. She looks to her right to see Alice chopping off the head of a now-deceased Amda. She tries to get up but to no avail.

Alice: Sentinels picked at this one. (Rips off the wire from Amda and attaches to her antlers) I try and not damage good parts. Of course, some parts are more valuable than others, ain't they?

Alice pulls back a curtain to reveal V strapped to a table.

V: More valuable.

Alice is preparing to chop V's head off.

Uzi: Whoa, hey, cut that thing up, and you're gonna get a big creepy worm. An improvement. (V rolls her eyes at that response)

Alice: Nah, heat keeps 'em sluggish.

Alice hops on top of an oven and opens the door, revealing the contents inside: Murder Drone hearts.

Alice: Ain't our first rodeo. (She closes the door.)

Uzi: (Grossed out) ... okay, that's enough of this. (Tries to use her Absolute Solver, but it doesn't work.)

Alice: (Chuckles) Dealt with witches' fore, too. (She brings Uzi's collar up close to hers.) Though, ain't seen 02 since she left us to die...!

Uzi: (Shock for a moment until she realizes something) Wait, where did you put my other friends and human?!

Alice: Oh. I had the other two disassembly drones and the human in the same room across from here. As for the other worker drone, she's beside you. And well, remember when I said some parts are more valuable than others?

Uzi: Yeah? (turns to see Ghot but is shocked to realize what Alice has just done.) Wh-what had you done to her!

Alice: Oh yeah. When I saw THAT in her, I knew it had to be very valuable! More valuable than ANYTHING from both workers and disassembly drones. (Starts to chuckles)

Uzi is shocked to see that Alice has opened the torso of Ghot, and where the core usually is for the worker drone is something no one has seen before: a blue orb core.

In another room, Tessa is bound to a hospital bed. Next to her was D, but she was unable to know what was going on as she had magnets on her head. 

Tessa: Little buddy, you're gonna get red and sad if you try that with me.

Beau is working on N, who enjoys this.

D: (absent-minded) Please, Tessa, I think N is having a great time. You should…. Calm down (fall back to bed while Tessa sighed)

N: (Giggling like a small child) It tickles! The bad version, though!

Beau pauses for a bit to adjust the light and remains calm, but when Beau checks back on N, he realizes that N is still smiling.

N: ...Doing great, dude.

Tessa: N, whose side– (She quiets down.)

N: Tried sawing there?

Beau lowers his saw to a specific spot. N shakes his head "no". Beau moves his saw a little to the right of N. N, being the good teacher that he is, winks, indicating "yes" just as he's about to get to work.

Alice: (Over the radio) Beau, we've got Nori's kid here!  And also something very valuable! (What sounds like a crunching bite followed by Uzi's laughter can be heard in the background.) Need more sedatives. It's bitey.

Beau grabs a couple more magnets and leaves. N waves goodbye, and Beau peeks his head in to wave back.

Tessa: Ugh, finally, the code. Lordy... (She takes the magnet off her head with a knife.) Walk and talk?

D: (Still absent-minded) Yeah, I would like smart and bark…

Tessa walks up to D to remove the magnet from her head. D instantly regained her consciousness.

D: Huh?! What- What just happened?

Tessa: Best for another time, now let's keep moving. (While removing the magnet from N's head.)

Back with Uzi. She gets the three magnets stuck to her head as she spits a severed piece of Alice's finger in Beau's face.

Uzi: How'd you know my mom? Was she cool? She didn't suck, did she?

Alice doesn't answer any of these, focusing on replacing her missing finger piece with a spare before she can get back to work.

Alice: (To Beau) Back to the others!

Beau hurriedly exits the room. On a monitor behind Alice, Uzi sees Tessa, D, and N escaping their room. She smiled, knowing that they were all right. A bright light suddenly shines on her face.

Alice: You're a lot like her, I'll say. 'Cept her yellow eyes. (Prepares to sever Uzi's finger with a hand pruner.)

Uzi: (Batting her away) Easy, creep. You've got the wrong–

A blade at the end of Alice's tail is suddenly sunk into her hand to shut Uzi up.

Alice: Nori, right? Sure thought imploding all them folks was pretty slick.

Alice gets ready to sever her finger again. Uzi tries to use her Absolute Solver to stop her, to no avail, as Alice uses more force to cut Uzi's finger.

Uzi: (Voice glitching) Wait, stop. Seriously, what are you talking about?

V winces as soon as Uzi's finger is cut off. What no one noticed was that the blue orb in Ghot's chest started to glow. Beau enters the room where Tessa, D, and N are, only to discover they are missing. He goes out to warn Alice. Nearby, N and D watch Beau from behind a desk while Tessa is typing away on a computer.

N: They've gotta be in there, right?

D: It would be reasonable to consider that baby is going to try to warn Alice about us escaping.

Tessa: No worries, we'll save V.

She gestures for N and D to sit down, but he kicks his chair away while D is confused.

N: (Sternly) And Uzi.

D: As well as Ghot?

Tessa turns back to the computer. With a few keystrokes, the room is filled with a yellow glow from the monitor.

Tessa: Wanna take a gander at Earth, N and D?

D: Why is it you want to show us Earth at this… time? (Looks at the screen)

N: No, Tessa, we don't have time–

Before he can finish, something on the monitor catches the two murder drones' attention.

Meanwhile, in Alice's room, Beau is looking through the security monitors for any sign of Tessa, D, or N.

Alice: (Shoves Beau aside) They can't leave the office, idjit! (She turns back to Uzi.) We can't get back in our rooms, neither.

She presses a couple of buttons, and two doors close, one of which leads into the room they're in now. She presses a third button. This opens a door to allow Sentinels to lose.

Uzi: (Terrified) Wait...! Please...!

Alice: While them Sentinel are on the hunt, I will be removing that core from your worker fellow there. (Pulls out many tools to try out.)

One Sentinel devours the security camera in front of it. Uzi continues to attempt to use the Solver, while Alice tries to remove the blue core from Ghot, with no success so far.

To N and D's horror, photos on the monitor show a live feed of Earth, which has been blown up.

Tessa: We know it mutates in damaged AI. It took Cyn as a host, then it took everything. The humans here saw what was happening at home. Thought they could understand it. (She pulls up a few images, then a security feed of a possessed Nori before the feed gets cut out.) All they did was spread it.

N: Then Uzi... You can fix her, right? That's why you're here?

Tessa: (Gets up and takes N's hand) I'm here to find which drones were infected. When we get to the labs and find that list, I'll need you to choose the universe over one little drone, N. Before she's not herself anymore…

D: And what about Ghot? She doesn't have the same power as whatever has been infected in the worker drone, right?

Tessa: (walks to D) I am uncertain about it, but if she ever goes rogue, you will have to deal with her yourself.

D: I…. don't want to kill her… she has been one of my few friends I have… 

Tessa: Maybe she has an alternative to the Absolute Solver. They do mutate, after all, so it's not like all are the same. Please think about it as well.

As Tessa and D were talking, N contemplated this. Suddenly, a Sentinel appears in front of him and attacks him after flashing a blue light at N, causing him to boot-loop. D and Tessa notice and back away as the Sentinel takes N away.

Tessa: N! D, listen to me; these are what is called Sentinel. Whatever you do, don't look at them. They will flash you into boot looping. I can't protect both of you if you're both boot looping, so stay here; I'll deal with this. (She exits the cubicle office).

As D saw Tessa exit to save N, she looked back at the computer. She turns it back on and sees the destruction of Earth again. As she studied closer, she noticed something off. She sees something on Earth's moon, and she notices what looks like a glowing from one side of the moon. She then zooms the image closer to the moon and sees what she doesn't like to see. She sees some cracks cut through part of the moon as if they were designed to open in some way.

Beau continues to watch this, still scared, while Alice tries to remove the blue core from Ghot, but with no success, as shown by the many tools that are either bent or cracked. Uzi struggles more to free herself. Just as the Sentinel is about to go in for the kill, Tessa intervenes.

Tessa: Hey, fella. Me, human, order you to be a nice dingo, please?

Tessa extends her hand out for the Sentinel, causing it to bite her soon after.

Tessa: (Frees herself) Bad, dingo! Bad, dingo!

The Sentinel goes crazy, its vision showing a new objective: Be a good dingo until it smacks against a wall and collapses to the ground. A couple more Sentinels appear to corner Tessa.

As Tessa is dealing with her situation, Alice isn't managing with her's well. No matter what she uses, she can't remove the blue core.

Alice: Come on, you stupid piece of junk! I need that!

Alice just noticed that some of the tools started to levitate in the air. She looks around her; Beau and various equipment are floating as well. Uzi turns around, but her eyes are now yellow.

Uzi/Absolute Solver: Oh, don't mind me.

V turns to her right, looking worried.

Uzi uses her Absolute Solver to destroy the door buttons, thus opening the doors and giving the Sentinels more free roaming in the area. The Sentinels abandoned their attack on Tessa and made their way to Alice's room. Alice slowly attempts to close the door before the Sentinels show up.

Alice: BEAU! HELP ME WITH–

Alice turned to see one of the Sentinel had arrived. The Sentinel then flashes a blue light at Alice, paralyzing her in the process. Alice's frozen body falls to the ground. The Sentinel opened the door forcefully, but as it was about to enter the room and smash Alice's head, a magnet covered in a blue glow was thrown toward the Sentinel, causing it to be pushed out of the room. It turns out that Ghot had finally awakened and realized that something deadly was about to enter; she removed the magnet with her power and threw it at the Sentinel. With a quick reaction, she rushed to grab Alice and put her behind where V was. When V saw what happened, she questioned why Ghot was saving Alice since she was insane, but what she saw on Ghot's face concerned her. Her usually blue eyes are replaced with blue stars.

Ghot then saw that more Sentinels had entered the room. Ghot turns to V and cuts the restraining belt from V. Ghot points at Uzi, then Beau and Alice, and says-

Ghot: (in a different voice) Protect them.

V had no words to respond to what Ghot had said. Ghot turns to the Sentinel and activates her power, and rushes toward the Sentinel. V can see some flashes going on while hearing the screams of the Sentinels. V sees Beau looking scared and confused.

V: Trust me… I don't know what happened to Ghot all of a sudden, but it's now my chance to save Uzi.

V gets up from the bed and goes to Uzi, able to take her until another blue flash happens. V ducked down and realized that some Sentinel must have sneaked past Ghot to get to the easy meal. V sees Beau still hiding in the corner with the frozen Alice. With no choice, she brought out her gun and prepared to shoot the remaining Sentinel. Just as V tries to fight back, the Sentinels have already all been killed, transformed into a flesh amalgamation. V looks over at Uzi, who's now unconscious. V sees that Beau is so scared that he shuts down. V sighed as she untied all the restraints of Uzi. As she finished untying all, she saw Ghot returning but noticed that the blue star on her eyes had returned to a standard, round shape, just like every other drone's. Ghot falls to the floor face-first. After some silent moments, Ghot gets back up.

Ghot: (Yawn) What happened? All I remember is that we were in a hallway, and some worker drone with antlers used some EMP on us. (Looks around) What in the drag on happening here?!

V: (Confused) Ghot? Didn't you do something badass, wake up and destroy those Sentinel?

Ghot: (confused as well) Sentinel what now?

V: But what with the blue star eye you had earlier?

Ghot: (Confused) Okay, wait, wait, what do you mean I have blue star eyes?

V: (Sigh) We will deal with this later; I got to bring Uzi and take her out of here. It's no longer safe, and she's hurt.

Ghot: (realize) Wait, what did I hear? V starting to protect Uzi now? What a character development.

V: (Deadpan) Don't push it.

Ghot: Sorry, sorry. Had to. But still (Look at Uzi) Yeah… Uzi is not in the best condition right now, and we're not even at our destination yet. Imagine what other danger lies down there.

V: That's why I'm ending this and taking her out of here. While I will be doing that, what is your plan with those two over here (points at Alice, still frozen, and Beau)? I notice you saved Alice, even though she is the reason we are all here in the first place.

Ghot: As I said, I don't remember anything after that EMP went off, but there was something familiar about her I saw in one of my memories. She may have some more clues about me. Just find the others; I will catch up with you soon.

V: (Thinks for a moment) Whatever, don't take too long. (Give Uzi a piggy ride and walk out of the room.)

Ghot: Alright. (Walks toward the two) I am curious about her…. (Slap Alice's head multiple times) I saw this in a game once to try to wake up a yellow-suit hero.  I alway wanted to try that. (laugh).

After many slaps on the head, Alice finally woke up.

Alice: Huh? Wh-what happen?

Ghot: (Shrug) I don't know, you ask me. Who are you?

Alice: Wait, you that drone with the special blue core in her chest!

Ghot: (confused) Blue core, what?

Alice: Just who are you? (Beau wakes up as the two discuss).

Ghot: DRAG ME! I ask you first, who are you? I'm Ghot, by the way. 

Alice: Ghot, I wonder why does that name seem… familiar…. (She sees Beau trying to say something) Huh? Did you see her do crazy blue power? Ghot, what do you have?

Ghot: Well… I seem to have this power (show her hand with a blue aura power around it), and it's the reason why I was able to fight these things called Cryptid Drones.

Alice: Cryptid drone…. (thinking deeper) Cryptid…. Drone…. I know I heard that somewhere before…. But where…. All I know is that I've been here ever since the incident where the core of the planet exploded; I hadn't seen many other drones outside of the cabin lab here… and Beau here had been my only partner in crime. 

Ghot: You do look similar to one of the drones from my memories I have been seeing often. DRAG! I recall a male worker drone that resembled you. (Alice is curious) I believe his name was Wild. 

Alice: (Thinking harder) Wild… wild… (remember who he was) WAIT A MINUTE. THATS MY BROTHER'S NAME! HOW DO YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO HIM! (Hold a knife at Ghot) All I remember is that one day, he and a worker drone friend, alongside the witches before they become witches, went to confront what one of them thought was a crazy, mad scientist.  After that green explosion happened from the meeting room, all I saw was my brother… my brother… (starts to crying) TURNS INTO THOSE THING CALL CRYPTID DRONE. HE TURN INTO A WENDIGO-LIKE DRONE, AND HE NEVER RECOGNIZE ME! It…. why I still have this antler hat… because I want to remember him… SO YOU BETTER HAVE A REASON OF HOW YOU KNOW!

Ghot: WAIT, did you say he was turned into a Wendigo monster?

Alice: (angrily) YES, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK?!

Ghot: (Deep realization in thoughts) You don't think it means the very same Wendigo drone I was fighting was…. Him?! It's best not to tell her that.

Alice: I give you five seconds to explain. NOW!

Ghot: The other thing I do know is that he had a sister, which I assume is you, named Wonderland…

After Ghot mentions that name, Alice is frozen in shock as she drops the knife to the ground. Ghot and Beau were confused about why Alice had just stopped all of a sudden.

Alice: I-impossible. No one should have known our little secret, where I was nicknamed Wonderland because of a story a human friend would read to us from time to time…. Wait… Grace had made one drone to be similar to her in some ways… it was her project alongside that evil scientist!

Ghot: And what way may that be….?

The scene is shown outside of Alice's room. A few seconds later, Ghot yelled.

Ghot: I'M A WHAT?!

Alice: Shhh…. I'm afraid of what others would think of you if they found out who you truly are. 

Ghot: I see…. I feel bad about thinking about who I truly am now. It would make sense why I don't remember anything before because my creator was never alive when I finally awakened… In the flash drive I watched, there was a small recording that turned out to be something that could be from the absolute Solver, who was killing everyone in a big meeting room… including Grace. I am sorry to hear that your only human friend was deceased…

Alice: Well… there was nothing I can't do in the past. But I promise that I will try to keep you alive as one of Grace's last personal drones she ever made. I think it best if you meet up with your friend, and I'm sorry that I lashed out at you and your friend… 

Ghot: (Hug Alice) No worries, we all had our moment when we weren't ourselves. Have you even been interacting with the other drones here beside him? (Points at Beau).

Alice: Honestly… no, I see them as just scraps. I think just not having someone I knew for so long made me change. 

Ghot: Since you are here, do you know if there was anything else deeper in this lab?

Alice: As much as I can remember, not at all. There may still be a camera operating there, but I don't expect much.

Ghot: We would need as much help as possible, so I would appreciate it. I have to go meet up with my friends. Take care. 

Alice: Stay safe…

Alice and Beau see Ghot exit the room. Alice turns to Beau.

Alice: If only Grace had still been around to see her drone working independently. I bet she would have been very excited. 

Beau nod. The scene changes to another room, where Tessa is trying to wake up N.

Tessa: (Pokes N's face) Wakey, wakey.

N wakes up from the boot-looping.

D: Did poking the head work?

Tessa: (Shrug) I wasn't sure! (Look at N) Don't say I never did anything for–

V lands in the room, Uzi being carried on her back.

N: V! Is Uzi–

V: Hurt. Me and Ghot agree that we're leaving.

Tessa: I can take a squizz at–

V: (Threateningly with blade at Tessa) You said you could control the Sentinels! (D reacts shock from V)

Tessa: I... (looks down at her bitten arm) At least they can't boot-loop me, but we'll just have to–

V: (Turns to leave) Do whatever you want. N? D?

No response was received from either disassembly drone.

Tessa: It's okay, N and D. I haven't been honest with V yet.

V: ...What did she tell you two?

Uzi: (Groaning while regaining consciousness) Ow... My freaking head.... (Sees N) N?

N waves. Uzi runs and hugs him, and he silently returns the embrace. The two drones and Tessa watch the two hugging each other while V turns to stare at Tessa, her cold stare reflecting off Tessa's helmet. They heard a door opening and saw Ghot enter the room.

Ghot: Goodness V, it took me many rooms to find you guys. 

V: Was that other drone dealt with?

Ghot: (Nervously look aside) Yeah, you could say that.

V glared at Ghot, but she believed since Ghot could deal with anything, she let it slide. D runs up to Ghot.

D: GHOT! ARE YOU OKAY, DID ANYTHING BAD HAPPEN TO YOU, DID THE SENTINEL THINGY GOT YOU. PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE OKAY!

Ghot: Whoa, whoa, D. I'm all in one piece.

D: (Sigh) I was scared if anything happened to you. Glad to hear.

Ghot: Regardless, Uzi, it is more likely, from what I've heard, that you are starting to lose control of your power. In the meantime, why don't you use it until we figure out how to let it not control you, alright?

Uzi looks at Ghot and gives a thumbs up. Outside of the room, the Sentinel that bit Tessa awakens, its icy blue eyes changing to blood red. Its radar indicates bloody footprints nearby. It follows the trail until it comes across a message: HOLD STILL. While confused, the Sentinel did not notice Ghot, Uzi, N, V, D, and Tessa were all watching from above. Uzi silently looks at N while V aims her weapon at the Sentinel.

Uzi: (Silently) U GOOD?

N shrugs.

Uzi: (Silently) TALK LATER?

N: (Silently) IT SUCKS PRETTY HARD

Uzi: (Silently) >:3

D: (Silently) O-O

Ghot: (Silently whisper) Wait, we can do that?

Suddenly, another Sentinel calls out to come with them, and the Sentinel leaves. They get back to the ground when, in the distance, they see Doll stuck in a boot loop and holding the bug in her hand.

Insect: PLEASE PLACE ME ON PROXIMITY READER (CABIN FEVER LABS).

Ghot: (Shocked) No! Doll!

Uzi: That's... convenient.

V: It's a trap!

Uzi: Yeah, no... Nevermind.

She begins to use her Absolute Solver.

Ghot, D, N, And V: DON'T!

They stop her; a confused V looks at N and D behind Uzi's back. This weirds out Uzi.

Ghot: Uzi, as I said, don't use that power. Who knows how little time it can take for you to get controlled again?

Uzi: Sorry, sorry…

Tessa: (From afar) Oi! (She's holding the insect) Bloody convenient, eh?

Insect: (Getting spun around) 🤢 OMG STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP

The trio make their way towards her. V, D, and Ghot prepare in case anything goes wrong. Uzi and N hold hands along the way. While behind, Ghot and D are behind the duel and comment on it with a whisper.

Ghot: Look at her. First, she doesn't want to be around anyone but me and Thad, and now, look at her holding hands.

D: And look at N holding your sister's hand. I knew he would eventually be in a relationship. Take that, J!

Ghot: You made a bet with her?

D: A Long time ago, yes. She's going to flip once she finds out. She still hadn't found anyone special yet. (chuckles)

 After catching up with Tessa, V notices this romantic sight between N and Uzi.

V: Ew.

Tessa: Don't date my robot, please.

Uzi: (To Tessa) He's his own person! (To V) You, ew! You're mean!

Ghot: Uzi, being Uzi, can never hate her for that.

Suddenly, the insect is lifted up. It flies back into Doll's hand, revealing it was, indeed, a trap, as Doll used a buffering GIF to imitate the boot loop.

Ghot: (Glare) Cleaver girl…

V: (deadpans at Ghot) Really…

Doll places the bug on the proximity reader and then uses her powers to open all the doors in the area. As Doll is about to teleport to the deeper part of the lab, she looks at Ghot with a worried expression that should let her know that something dangerous is coming.

Doll: (in Russian) [I'm sorry, Ghot. Protect the others. I need more time.]

 She falls down the shaft as the elevator arrives. They all turn around to see Sentinel joining into the room. All the drones turned around to avoid the blue flashes, except for Ghot, who didn't understand about the Sentinel and got bootlooped.

Uzi and D: GHOT!

Tessa: Uh-oh, hope I don't human everywhere!

Tessa spreads the blood from her arm onto the ground in front of her to ward off the Sentinels, which aren't programmed to target humans. The red-eyed Sentinel examines the scene; most of the Sentinels turn their noses from the blood and walk away, uninterested. Tessa smugly leans on her sword, and the red-eyed Sentinel slithers down. It licks the blood off its teeth, then roars a hearty roar and slowly advances—it's acquired a new taste for humans. Tessa is shocked out of her bliss and hurriedly readies her sword while V crawls to the ceiling. Ready to aid in her friends' escape, Uzi uses her Absolute Solver to break a hole into the back of the elevator.

N: Uzi, no!

The Absolute Solver symbol suddenly glows yellow, causing her fingers to crack, bend, and contort in all the ways no finger should. It produces a black hole that blows a wide, oozing opening into the elevator.

Tessa: Whoops, all mitosis!

Tessa sprays more blood in the way of the advancing red-eyed Sentinel. The Sentinel regurgitates a severed Murder Drone arm and, clasping it firmly in its mouth, fires a bullet at Tessa, only for V to get in the way and catch the bullet with her bare claws. She tosses the bullet back at the gun arm, disarming it. It turns out she's wearing her old, broken glasses, which sharpened her vision enough to perform such a feat.

V: Did I get it?

D: You certainly did if you aim to disarm it. (Realize) No pun, though.

Uzi's Absolute Solver is out of control, distorting the hole in front of her. She panics, panting heavily as she tries to restrain her glitched arm. Left with no other choice, N slices the mangled hand off with his sword. For a split second, as she falls back, her head snaps towards N, eyes gleaming yellow and mouth twisted into a grin, showing him a single message: MISS ME? N catches her in his arms. Uzi coughs up oil as her eyes switch between purple and yellow, her voice overlapping with the Absolute Solver's.

Uzi/Absolute Solver: (Severely glitching) What the hell is going on?

Tessa: Bugger, that's bad. Come on, team!

Tessa pulled Uzi and N while D was pulling Ghot into the elevator, only for it to get stuck.

N: V, come on!

V is not listening. She's still fighting the red-eyed Sentinel. Still clutching the severed arm, the Sentinel extends its blade and deftly swings at V. With her vision in peak condition, however, V's sword fight ends in seconds as she knocks the Sentinel to the ground.

Just as she readies her arm cannon at the Sentinel, they spot another pulling out the power supply to the elevator, causing it to rise slightly. With both sides of the elevator wide open, the team inside are sitting ducks. The Sentinel flashes its lights; V whips her head back to avoid the light, causing her glasses to fly off her face. Another Sentinel crushes the glasses beneath its foot. V was surrounded before they heard a voice coming from Ghot.

Ghot: (In different voice) Warning, Dangerous anomaly nearby! Objective: Defend friends. 

As Ghot finished the warning message, she woke out of her boot loop, and her eyes were stars. Everyone notices the eyes.

N: WAIT, GHOT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY-

Before N could finish, all the Sentinel looked in one direction, and everyone knew why. From the corner, they see a goop of oils entering the room. They see a drone head popping out of the oil, looking at the group. It had a single red eye. Tessa was frozen in fear as she "recognized" who it was.

Tessa: (Scared) No. Not the thing again! I thought you were stuck back at Bad Manor!

Ghot: (In different voice) Current Anomaly Spotted. Code name: Cryptid Drone B.

D: Oh, as if we already had to deal with the raptors, now we got a cryptid drone here!

All the Sentinel start to rush toward the blob drone. They all tried to flash at the eye, and while it did boot loop in some cases, the other head was not affected because they were not facing the same direction, which then reset each head. It then stretches its oil mass toward some of the Sentinel and starts to eat them. 

Ghot: (In different voice) Objective: defeat the anomaly.

Ghot exits the elevator and starts to use her power to fight the blob drone. V realizes that since Ghot is crucial to defeating the cryptid drone, and if they tried to run further down, it would continue to follow the group, it has to be killed here now. V turns to the others.

V: Hey, um–

N: NO, NO, NO! V, WE NEED YOU!

V: ...Nah. (To Uzi) Uzi?

Uzi looks at V, her expression grim.

V: ...I trust you. And D.

D looks at V, scared.

V: I promise that Ghot and I will be fine. Protect Uzi.

D: (worried) I- Be safe…

V slashes the elevator cables with her laser cannon.

N: V, PLEASE! (N covers his head with his hands)

V doesn't get in. With a resigned smile, she gives one final salute as the cables snap, sending the elevator down. V turns to see Ghot isn't beating the blob drone so far.

V: (Run toward Ghot) So, what's the plan now?

Ghot: (In different voice) Anaslying had observed that this drone couldn't be harmed by standard convention because of its mass being 90% oil and 10% drone head. 

V: Okay, you kinda freaking me out with that voice as well, but what should we do?

Ghot: (in different voice) My idea is to destroy all the heads, as it is the one that is controlling the whole mass. Unfortunately, any attack toward the head will be blocked with their oil. We would need to find a way to freeze them and stun them at the same time to destroy all of the heads. Do mind that the oil is very acidic, so I would not recommend touching it.

V: So…. how should we freeze them?

Ghot: (In different voice while pointing) We can use those liquid nitrogen canisters. Then we blow it up to freeze the oil. The next thing to consider is that since each head is part of a hivemind, as seen earlier when the Sentinel tried to boot-loop some of the heads instead of all, as long as even one head survives and is conscious, the head would either reset or regenerate back. So we need to have all heads looking in one place and boot loop them. I suggest removing the head and having it face toward the Sentinel as the blob itself tries to retrieve it.

V: Oh, you're not suggesting we use one of the Sentinels for this.

Ghot: (in different voice) Unfortunately. But to make it easy for you, I deal with the Sentinel to see if it can help.

V: I wish you luck because that thing I fought was surprisingly smart.

Ghot: (in different voice) Affirmed. 

The duo then rushed toward the blob drone. It then raises one of its oil tentacles to try to smash V, but she dodges it. 

V: Say, why can't we remove all the heads at once?

Ghot: (in different voice) Because it seems to have some intelligence and will always hide one head if all the other heads are removed at once. Mind it still needs to be seen, so we need to get at least half and move to the other side. 

V: (Nod) Got it.

While V is looking for ways to grab the head without being near the oil, Ghot walks up to the last surviving Sentinel, the red-eye one.

Ghot: (in different voice) Hello, fellow. I know we just met, but (hold hand up) Listen closely to me. I know you are designed to kill us, but at the moment, we need to team up to defeat the blob, so please help us.

As Ghot reaches her hand toward the head of the Sentinel, it seems to calm down for a second until it tries to bite Ghot. Unfortunately for the Sentinel, Ghot knew it would happen and immediately dodged the bite, then wrapped her arm around the neck and slammed it down to the ground.

Ghot: (in different voice)  Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Ah, ah, ah. No biting. You will listen to me and help us defeat the blob.

After that comment, the Sentinel growls, and Ghot smiles.

Ghot: (in different voice) Glad we agree.

Ghot sees V finally grab a thick wire rope with a hook and grab some of the head off. V spotted Ghot and managed to tame the raptor.

V: (Shocked) Wh- what, how did you do that?

Ghot: (in different voice) Had dealt with raptors before; you got to show them whose boss so they would listen.

V: (Confused) Had dealt with- you know what, never mind, I got some of the head off now. I want that assistant now!

Ghot: (in different voice) Affirmed.

Ghot jumps on top of the Sentinel and tells it to rush toward the blob. It follows the commands and rushes. Ghot grabs some of the rope and, using the power, uses it to grab some more of the head while both she and the Sentinel dodge the attack from the blob.  With some of the heads grabbed, she threw them to the side that V had managed to catch and throw toward. With some head remaining, it then brings all the remaining head into itself, reforming into a giant monster with the appearance of a single eye. 

It then hid the head inside the oil blob, aimed its hands at V, and shot out the oil at her. She reacted fast to dodge in time, and the mass of oil was missed. The very oil crawls back toward the blob. With her power, Ghot uses her gun and shoots a beam of orb at the area where the head is hidden. She keeps shooting until some of the heads are exposed. V uses her chances to use her cabin wire to grab some of the head and throw it at the corner. With only one head remaining, it shrinks in size and splits into multiple pieces, trying to confuse the drones. Ghot isn't letting this slide as she shoots each duplicated one, exploding into pieces. With no choice, it runs toward the remaining heads to try to reform back. With good timing, Ghot commands the Sentinel to flash at the eyes, and after flashing, all the heads are in boot looping. With their one chance, V rushes to grab the liquid nitrogen canister, throws it at the blob drone, and shoots at the canister, causing it to explode in a spray of liquid nitrogen. This causes both the oil and the drone head to freeze up rapidly. With this chance, Ghot, V, and the Sentinel start to smash each of the drone heads, making sure no parts remain intact. After breaking all the parts, the part begins to defrost, and as the duo prepares to fight, they see that the oil isn't reacting to anything and starts to spread out, indicating that the cryptid drone has been destroyed, with only a few human-like screaming being heard. Sighing, V turns to see Ghot but sees Ghot fall to the ground. V walks up to Ghot to try to wake her up, and after some attempt, she sees Ghot waking up, but with no stars in her eyes.

Ghot: (Groaning) W-what happen? All I remember was seeing a raptor drone, and all of a sudden, I got shut down.

V: Ghot, I want you to be honest; what was that?

Ghot: What was what? I just woke up.

V: (Glare) Hmmm, there is probably something more to your power that is similar to the Absolute Solver, but at the same time, not belonging to the Solver itself.

Ghot: Well… (Look at the Sentinel, who is now lying down) Whoa, wasn't that thing trying to kill us?

V: You tame it, though, no?

Ghot: How so?

V: Okay, something is up for sure when you got stars for eyes.

Ghot: (Sigh) I'm still not sure, but it is time to explain what I might truly be. Just don't freak out from this.

To be continued.

Chapter Text

Cryptid Drone Chapter 12: The Truth of the Incident

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google Translate and messing up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

Ghot: (Sigh) I'm still not sure, but it is time to explain what I might truly be. Just don't freak out from this.

V: (stare but curious) Go on?

Ghot: So, after much research, I have found and confirmed that it turns out... I'm not a worker drone, even though I look exactly like one.

V:  Wait, but you look exactly like one. What makes you apart from other worker drones?

Alice: (Appear from behind) Because I was there and know everything.

V: Wha- (Turns to Ghot) I thought you said you dealt with her.

Ghot: (Shrug) In some way, I did. She is not crazy; I somehow knock some senses back to her.

V: (unamused) Regardless... (Turns toward Alice) What do you know more about Ghot here not being a worker drone?

Alice: (Walk toward them) Here, I found this file not too long ago. (Pass a blueprint about the building process of Ghot). It even has a description.

While V and Ghot examine the file, Ghot notices that it is the exact blueprint she saw back in the facility where she first awoke. The difference is that this time, the pages were not ripped apart, and it shows all the details, including the page that now mentions the blue orb that powers up Ghot. This shocked Ghot the most.

Ghot: Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying that there is a blue core inside of me?! Could this explain how I got this power in the first place? (Use her hand to summon a blue glow around)

V: Interesting. So.... I wondered what Ghot's actual purpose was.

Alice: From what I remember from my creator, she mentioned that the purpose of Ghot's is that she is supposed to not only be as smart as her but also carry out the task of helping others in need with that special power of hers. Please note that, unlike other models, such as Worker or Dissemblely, since there is only one blue core, she is the unique model that utilizes the blue core.

V: Interesting. I still wonder how the other would react...

Ghot: It is better if we tell the truth until after the whole absolute solver thing is solved. (Realize) No, that isn't a pun there.

Alice: I also know of the incident that occurred many years ago. That was the reason why these "cryptid" drones are now what they are now. All I remember is that my good friend, Bob, used to have a flash drive containing all the recordings, but he hid it somewhere. I don't know where, so I can show more of it.

Ghot thinks for a moment, then makes her decision. She is going to share what she saw in the flash drive.

Ghot: (Sighs, then take out the flash drive from under her hat) Well. It's time to reveal what happened, as I witnessed it at Uzi's home.

Alice: That's the flash drive I was talking about! Here is a working computer for you to show. (point toward the working computer)

V is curious about what Ghot saw. Ghot walks toward one of the computers and inserts the flash drive into it. After waiting, V saw that Ghot had started to play a video titled "My first project so far."

-------------------------------------------------

The video starts with a poorly made presentation of a title card that says "My first project so far." written by Grace at the bottom. A voice can be heard.

????: Welcome to my presentation. This is your average engineer from JCJenson IN SPAAAAACEE!!!!.... Grace!

Grace: This will be about a project I've been working on.What the result may be surprising for you all!

The slide changes to the picture of Ghot, similar to the blueprint. 

Grace: I would like to introduce you to my first project, Ghot. What makes her unique is that she is supposed to utilize the blue core that we found. As you may know, earlier, a green core thing landed on Copper-9, and when we first touched it, we realized it could change the properties of matter, like turning metal into flesh; totally not creepy. 

The video in the corner shows people holding the green core and using its power to turn a metal door into a door made of flesh. People were shocked to see how this works and went to discuss the plan for it.

Grace: This can be a benefit to us because, with this simple yet powerful ability, we technically have unlimited supplies, or at least it is an idea. While we did plan to use it on my drone, another core landed days later, which was the blue one. What is interesting about this is that we still have no idea what it's capable of. We had tried many people to use the power, such as the green core, but no one was able to activate it... at least until I entered the equation. See, it didn't react to anyone; not even the respected Mr. Aristotle was able to use it. When I touched it, it started to glow brightly. People around the place began to surround me and were curious about what its power was. Here is the recording of the first thing I did.

The video shows Grace holding onto the blue core and thinking of something until one of her arms glows blue and imagines a grappling hook; she then manages to grab a piece of a chocolate bar from the table on the other side. People around were so shocked that they all rushed and started to record the data of what had occurred.

Grace: From this day forward, the blue core will stay next to me in my room, as no one else was able to use it. Here is where my project comes into play. I dislike seeing places filled with bad people, and it seems no one is doing anything to stop them. So, my proposed solution for this is that the project is designed to detect criminal activity in many places and, with the blue core, will able to stop without any issue. Not only would I create the most impressive drone, but it would also help others in need. I always want to help people who can't defend themselves, like superheroes who are only there to save others and not to be greedy or seek fame. I don't mind if I'm not famous; I'm the type of person who saves people because it's the right thing to do. I want Ghot to be the symbol of hope for many who need it, but also for the criminal and immoral. This is where I get to the best part: I want them to know her as the first public Cryptid Drone serial G. 

-------------------------------------------------

The video pauses because V presses the pause button. She slowly turns her head toward Ghot.

V: So wait, from what I heard, you're not a worker drone... you're a CRYPTID DRONE?!

Ghot: Y-yeah... It was a surprise even for me; I mean, look at me! I look exactly like a worker drone.

Alice: Yeah, I heard Grace made you look like a worker drone to trick the immoral people into thinking it was some defenseless worker drone. 

Ghot: Huh, you might be right on that.

V: Ok, so does Uzi even know about this? You did say you were watching this back at Uzi's home so that she would have seen it as well.

Ghot: No, she didn't see it, not even her father. It was when Uzi was watching your memories. 

V: I still can't believe she got to my head. That is a big no-no for me.

Ghot: Regardless, this isn't the shocking part; it is coming later, so let's continue.

Ghot press the unpause button to continue on the video.

-------------------------------------------------

Grace: So, here's how we-

The video is interrupted by a video feed cutting in, and now it shows an empty room. The three drones can hear a voice coming in.

-------------------------------------------------

Ghot: Yeah... here comes the part where I was scared to tell you guys.

V: Hm? Why so?

Ghot: ... Watch; it might answer some questions you had...

V is confused but decides to keep watching. What question did Ghot meant.

-------------------------------------------------

????: Ok, I think I have it recorded. Testing. 

The camera switches to a drone. While V won't know who the drone is, Ghot and Alice do.

Bob: Alright. Bob here. I started recording on the day that Mr. Aristotle was holding a huge meeting, having all the staff in one room, including Grace. 

Bob switched the camera view to the front. He showed some of the other worker drones waiting around, including those of Wild, Foster, a blue-haired worker drone, which Ghot assumed to be Tobias, Nori, Yeva, and Alice. 

-------------------------------------------------

Alice: Of course, the witches were there.

Ghot: Wait, who?

Alice: Nori and Yeva.

Ghot: Oh.

V: Hmmm, why is this Yeva person seem familiar.... (thinking about it)

-------------------------------------------------

Bob: I got the crew with me to see what Mr. Aristotle is up to. Think about it - usually, with big projects, it's always been with other engineers, but he is requesting that everyone in this building come there. Is it strange?

Wild: I believe so. How big and important it has to be to convince every staff to be there.

Nori: I don't trust him at all. 

Foster: I mean, we can't jump to conclusion yet. 

Bob: The point is this is very suspicious. We need to determine what it is, and if it's something harmful, we must stop it. Let's go, team!

As the team exited the room, Bob turned the camera toward one of the worker drones, who was still asleep, Cynthia.

-------------------------------------------------

As the video continues, V realizes that Cynthia is Cyn. She admits that this implies the whole solver thing happened longer than she thought it did back at the manor. Could something happen that cause Cyn to be who she is now? She continues watching.

-------------------------------------------------

The next scene shows them walking past some people, some of whom are saying kind things while others are saying rude things. The video continues until they reach the entrance to the meeting location. Before one even can take a peek, they hear someone shouting at them. The camera turns to see a familiar face that Ghot had seen, Nyoka.

Nyoka: Hey, what are you guys doing here?

Bob: I've heard about a big announcement, and we're curious about what it is.

Nyoka: While I don't care, I do care that Mr. Aristotle had explicitly stated that no worker drones are to be present there. I'm sorry, but it's the rule. Now out of my sight.

Nori: Bite me!

-------------------------------------------------

Both Ghot and V look at each other, and both silently agree that they know where Uzi got that catchphrase from. They continue watching.

-------------------------------------------------

Nyoka: I will call security if you don't leave this area.

Wild was about to say something, but Bob put his arm up to stop Wild from advancing. He decided to try another plan.

Bob: Alright, we will go away.

Nyoka: Not I care, but alright. I will be off now. (walks away).

Foster: So... what now?

Bob: This got me a better idea. Since everyone will be there, we can try to access Mr. Aristotle's office and see if there is anything he has planned.

Nori: Not a bad idea. I like it.

Alice: Then let's go then.

All the worker drones walked away from the meeting for now and went forward toward Mr. Aristotle's office. After taking some stairs and a hallway, they finally reached the office. They can see that the office is locked for obvious reasons. Because no one was around, this was an opportunity to access the office. Alice walks up to the door and uses paper clips to pick up the lock; after several attempts, she manages to unlock it. They enter the room, and they can see many files organized. Many check each file, and it contains information about upcoming projects, including those related to the Green Core. They even find information about cryptid drones and how they benefit the world once they are created, such as for Cryptid Drone W protecting the forest, Cryptid Drone T for protecting the sky, and for the one watching, including ones they had never encountered, such as Cryptid Drone Y, Cryptid Drone K, Cryptid Drone C, and many more.

What is interesting is that, while all have an alphabet in their name, three letters were missing: A, G, and Z. While G is represented by Ghot, the other two are missing. So far, the worker drones had not found anything suspicious about Mr. Aristotle. 

Bob: I know there got to be something else hidden here. Keep searching.

They decided to keep on looking further. After a long time, Yeva managed to find something and called out to everyone to come to her. She managed to find a very hidden switch behind a book on a shelf. They know they have discovered something since, compared to the other spot, the area around it seems to have less dust. Pressing on the button, they heard something in the room open, only to turn around and see a hidden trapdoor under the desk. 

Nori: Good job, friend!

Yeva nods, and everyone continues toward the trapdoor. What they found horrified everyone. Under Mr. Aristotle's office, it was like a torture room but for worker drones. Each corner of the room is filled with dead or disabled worker drones no longer in service. They had no words to describe what they were watching. Foster noticed more paper on one of the desks and went to check. What she witnessed was that she now knew that Mr. Aristotle was likely not the nice person everyone thought he was. According to the handwriting of Mr. Aristotle, it is described that the Cryptid Drone was built for a different purpose. Instead of being the protector of humanity, it was the enslaver of humanity. An example of one file that Foster checked was Cryptid Drone W, where instead of being the protector of the forest, it was designed to kill and capture all human and worker drones. The reasoning for each party is what makes Foster sick more, as for any worker drone it catches, it ends up killing them. However, for humans, what it would do is capture them and bring them to Mr. Aristotle so he can convert them into mindless worker drones that he has complete control over with the assistance of the Green Core.

Tobias found a notebook, opened it, and read its contents. The purpose of all of these cryptid drones was to make sure they capture every single human with no issue and kill off all robots. The reasoning is that Mr. Aristotle wanted all humanity to live forever but hated the idea of AI robots standing alongside them. He always wanted to make this dream a reality. Still, he believed that no one would agree with him because, one, it was that horrific to kill people to turn into a drone, two, the technology was nowhere near advanced enough even to pull that off, and most importantly, because he would be told that being immortal is more of a curse than a blessing because we all age for a reason, and as sad it would be, it all just life of bringing new generation and taking old generation because their time was up. Mr. Aristotle doesn't care because he had said that "he wished that all of us are as robots so that we don't age and even if we were to get fatal damage, it easy to repair." Everyone would dismiss the idea as immoral, and if he had continued, he would have likely been arrested, so he abandoned his dream until the day that the Green Core arrived at Copper 9. After learning what it was capable of, his dream arose from the grave and gave him the idea. However, to pull this off, he had to find a way to pretend that his experiment was to kill everyone in the company, including himself, so no one would suspect that he pulled this plan. 

-------------------------------------------------

V: So... I assume this is where you were shocked?

Ghot: Yeah, in my memory, he was always seen as a fantastic person... turns out he was a wolf in sheep's clothing the whole time.

Alice: Yeah. Trust me, I had never thought no one could be that evil, but I was wrong.

They continue watching the video.

-------------------------------------------------

This is where he got the plan, Operation A. It describes how he is going to create a special Cryptid Drone model named Cryptid Drone A. Unlike other cryptid drones, which share a similar core with worker drones, Cryptid Drone A utilizes the green core as its power source. He will use a specialized AI for the green core, which he has dubbed Beta Solver.

-------------------------------------------------

V: Wait, that motherf%*& is the one who created that Solver! Oh, if I ever saw him, I'd make practice balloon animal shapes with his guts.

Ghot and Alice back away from V after that comment. Even Sparky backed away from V.

Ghot: Right... we'll deal with him another time; we still have to deal with the Solver, both wherever it is and on Uzi.

V: Right, right. 

-------------------------------------------------

It is known that if the beta solver did capture any worker drone, it could infect them with a bit of some of the Solver's power, with its personality different from the beta solver's. This will cause the worker drone to become a Solver host. The worker drone will then possess the power of the beta solver. Still, it is theorized that if it were to fall into decommissioning, the Solver would reactivate it under the Solver's complete control, becoming Cryptid Drone Z. However, if the zombie drone were to deviate from its goal, Mr. Aristotle created a Crucifix Patch that could permanently remove Solver's influence from a host; however, the user still retained the power unless the drone was already decommissioned before it was deactivated. 

The last note explains that when he holds the big meeting, which is today, he will first play it off as being excited about the Solver's introduction; then, when the time is right, he will commend the Solver for attacking everyone in the room and eliminate them. Then, it will kill Mr. Aristotle last. He already had plans in place after his death, as he had another assistant to help him, which he would remove later once their usefulness was no longer needed.

Wild: Ok, this guy needs to face punishment now!

Bob: I knew there was something off about him!

Nori: So, we got to confront him now!

Everyone agreed, collected all the pages, and left the room. They are hoping to get there on time. However, Bob stopped to examine the patch and read that, in case he was still alive, he could pretend to be saving everyone by using the patch to prevent the AI and that it might be someone trying to sabotage his project. With that in mind, Bob grabs the patch and follows the other.

They all made it back to the meeting backstage and saw that

Mr. Aristotle is about to present the most significant project he has ever made, one he had planned for another reason.

Mr. Aristotle: And now! It's time for the moment you were all waiting for: introducing the Beta Solver! I am calling it Beta Solver as it could use some improvement, but I want to show what it is capable of! With the Green Core, it will be able to create materials for use or create new creations as one can imagine. 

The curtain drops to reveal the Green Core but with the absolute solver symbol inside. 

Mr. Aristotle: Now, to showcase it, Beta Solver, make this metal sphere into an apple. (holding a metal sphere)

After hearing the command, the Solver turned and shot a beam at the metal sphere, successfully transforming it into an apple—the crowd cheered at the test's success.

Mr. Aristotle: See, with this, we can finally turn boring old trash into food for many people, for example. I also had it specifically programmed to follow only commands from people it is programmed to listen to, such as myself. I do plan to give it commendable listening to other important people, such as the CEO of this company or the president. You have to realize that with this power, people with corrupt minds can take advantage and, say, turn humans into horrific monsters. This is the way to ensure it will never be used for evil. Any question?

While many in the audience raise their hands to ask questions, as this is very impressive, one voice shouts out, and everyone turns to realize it is Nori who has spoken.

Nori: Bite me! I know what your plan is, Mr. Aristotle. The pot calls the kettle black; we know what your actual plan is!

From the audience, Grace realizes it is one of her worker drone's friends and gets up, rushing toward Nori because she is afraid that the company will take her as a corrupted drone and decommission her. She reaches up to the stage.

Grace: Hey, everyone, sorry about her; she tends to act like this. I will take her now. (Grabs Nori and whispers to her) Nori, what are you doing? Are you trying to mess up a big deal?

Nori: (Whisper to Grace) No, I'm not! There is something about him that you should know! He is not the nice person you think of! He is planning to kill everyone here!

Grace: Nori, don't make a joke about Mr. Aristotle. This is a big deal!

Nori: Luckily, we figured you wouldn't believe us, which, to be fair, we're not blaming you for. (Look toward the projection booth). ALICE, NOW!

Alice, being the one at the projection booth, plays a video that shows all the information about Mr. Aristotle's plan to take over the world. The crowds, including Grace, were in shock that this was all of Mr. Aristotle's plan. While some were skeptical, others noticed his handwriting on the notes and could confirm that it was indeed his writing. Therefore, it was his plan. Grace had no words after thinking of Mr. Aristotle as the best scientist in the world... only to be a mastermind of future genocide. Soon, security starts to surround Mr. Aristotle.

Security: Freeze! You have the right to remain silent, and you are under arrest!

Grace: (Starts to cry) Mr. Aristotle.... you lied to me! I thought I was following an idol, but no... you have to face judgment...

Mr. Aristotle stays silent until.

Mr. Aristotle: (Laugh) Hehe, it seems that I got exposed to what my plan is. However, that is IF it ever leaves this said building. 

After some silence, Mr. Aristotle speaks some words.

Mr. Aristotle: Actitive Cryptid A.

The symbol on the green core started to glitch and began to speak.

Beta Solver: Eliminated all lifeforms!

From the green core, they extended giant, green, glowing tentacles and began to attack some of the audience. The audience tries to run, but the core reacts very fast and blocks out all the exits, leaving everyone trapped inside. Some of the security try to shoot at the core, but the bullet bounces off the core, dealing no damage. The Beta Solver then stabs some of the security. Grace was in shock. She was unable to move, but fortunately, Nori, Bob, Yeva, and Wild assisted her in moving out of the way. 

Wild: This is unbelievable! Mr. Aristotle has to be crazier than people thinking they can handle a cassowary!

Grace: I can't believe this, I can't believe this!

Wild: Don't worry, Grace, we will help everyone out of here-

Before Wild could finish, he felt something stabbed through his core. He looked down and saw that the tentacle had stabbed him.

Grace: (Shocked) WILD!

Alice, from the projection booth, was banging on the glass window, crying that her brother was stabbed. Meanwhile, Mr. Aristotle laughs at the scene.

Mr. Aristotle: You know, I also have another test to try out. Beta Solver, turn that drone into one of the Cryptid Drones.

Beta Solver: Affirmed.

The Beta Solver unleashes its power on Wild, and what everyone witnessed was horrific, to the extreme. Wild's drone body was shifting, and Wild screamed in pain. His body grew bigger, with bigger claws and sharper teeth. After the transformation had ended, what they saw was one of the Cryptid Drones, specifically the Cryptid Drone W. It then let out a roar and started to attack the audience, killing each one. 

-------------------------------------------------

Both Ghot and V were scared of what they watched. They realize that all this time, Cryptid Drones were once worker drones that the beta solver transformed. 

V: Geez. I didn't think the transformation that happened to me and my teammate was that bad already, but seeing it all happen scared me, too.

Ghot: Yeah... that's probably why I didn't want to show to others... (Realize something, turn to Alice) Alice... are you ok?

V and Ghot see that Alice is looking down, crying. She decided to say something.

Alice: (Crying) That brings me a bad memory of seeing my brother turning into that monster. This is probably why I was so crazy about trying to kill Uzi or any of those "witches" because that solver symbol brought my PSTD...

Not realizing it, Ghot hugs Alice in an attempt to comfort her.

Ghot: You know... I was once told that no matter what, they will always be in your heart. So, while he may be gone, remember that he will always be by your side, even if you can't see him.

Alice: Thanks... I need a friend now.

Ghot: Do you want to continue watching with us?

Alice: I-I can handle it, but thanks...

V: Hmmm, so far, there's how Cryptid Drone W came to be, but what of the other two...

Ghot: Maybe we find out soon.

They all continue watching the video.

-------------------------------------------------

Grace is paralyzed by the sight of one of the drones she cared for turning into a monster. She started to cry.

Grace: NO! Why!

The other worker drone manages to drag Grace into a safe spot. 

Tobias: Ok, do we have any plans now?

Bob: Yes, we do; I have a patch that's supposed to stop the AI. The only problem is trying to get close to it, so I need some distraction. Mind that some of us might be killed, but it is the only way to stop it.

Foster: We are aware, but we will sacrifice to stop that thing. Grace, if this might end up with some of us dead, then know that our time together was one of our greatest moments ever. Thank you for being the only human being who has been lovely to us at all times.

Grace: (Still crying) Wait, no, I don't want to see you gone!

However, it felt short-lived as the other worker drone began to follow Bob's plan. Nori and Yeva are dealing with Cryptid Drone W, distracting it from the audience as much as they can, while the rest run toward Beta Solver. The Beta Solver notices the group and starts attacking them. Bob manages to dodge each one, Foster manages to evade all, and Tobias is almost hit by one. It was all going well until Mr. Aristotle shot one of Tobias's legs, causing him to fall to the floor. With the distraction, the Beta Solver stabbed Tobias through the torso, and using its power, it started to transform Tobias into another Cryptid Drone. As Tobias screams, his body changes into that of a bird, and he grows enormous metal wings, now wielding a sword. Tobias had been transforming into Cryptid Drone T, though it was smaller, at 5 meters tall, compared to the 15 meters tall when Ghot and V faced it. It then summoned lightning and started attacking. Foster decided to take action to deal with Mr. Aristotle and inform Bob of the plan. Bob understood but looked sad and said goodbye to Foster. Foster then mocks the Beta Solver.

Foster: Hey Beta Solver. I bet you can never catch me, you stupid AI!

Feeling the insult, Beta Solver starts to attack Foster. It kept missing as Foster ran toward Mr. Aristotle. Mr. Aristotle keeps shooting at Foster, but she manages to dodge all of it. She turns to see the Beta Solver is about to stab her, and she rushes toward Mr. Aristotle and hugs him around the torso. Realizing what was about to happen, Mr. Aristotle tried to tell Beta Solver to stop, but it was too late. The Beta Solver is not only Foster but also Mr. Aristotle as well. After coughing some blood, Mr. Aristotle can't handle it anymore and drops to the ground, dead. He didn't plan to die if he got exposed, as he was supposed to escape after everyone in the room was dead. As the Beta Solver transforms Foster, it doesn't realize that Bob is right behind it, and Bob jumps up and stabs the green core with the patch. As the patch successfully connected to the green core, it uploaded the deactivation code into the Solver, causing the Solver to attempt to remove the patch. However, the attempt failed. Since the patch was successful, the beta solver was shut down, which resulted in a green explosion that knocked back Bob, Nori, Yeva, Grace, and all the Cryptid Drones. Because it was controlling the other Cryptid Drones, all the Cryptid Drones were shut down as well. Bob turns to see what has happened to Foster and sees that she has been transformed into Cryptid Drone F, though nowhere near the height of a lighthouse, standing at only 4 meters tall. Bob sighed as he realized he had lost three friends in this ordeal. He turned to see that Nori and Yeva were all right.

Bob: Look like we may have stopped Mr. Aristotle's plan, but we failed to save everyone.... but Grace is still intact...

Nori: I feel bad for her. I mean, think about it: one moment, she was excited, then next, it was revealed that her idol was a villain, many of the drone friends she had were killed, and everyone in this room was dead. We should comfort her.

Yeva nods, and Bob agrees. They all walk toward Grace, and they see her very sad. All three walk to hug Grace.

Grace: (Sad) I can't believe all of this happened.... What even is my life now...

Bob: Hey, Grace, at least you have the five of us. Alice is still safe up there, while Cynthia is alright back in your room, sleeping.

Grace: That... good to hear. (Stand up) What should I even say to the press now? Everyone here is dead, and I'm the only alive one left.

Nori: Don't worry, we'll get through this together. We can clear your name that you had no involvement with Mr. Aristotle.

Grace: Yeah, you're right. Let's go back to my room and-

Before Grace can finish her sentence, they all hear a gunshot, and Grace, feeling paralyzed, looks down at her chest and sees a gunshot through her heart. After not being able to say a word, Grace landed on her knees and fell to the ground, barely alive. Bob, Nori, and Yeva were all shocked by what happened and turned to see who shot her. Turns out, it was Nyoka who shot her. What they notice about Nyoka is that he now has a tail like that of a snake and has white wings. 

Nyoka: While I won't care about this, Mr. Aristotle had requested me that if he ever died while the second plan plays out, he wanted me to kill everyone else, including Grace. I don't care how you feel, but I must be going now.

Before the trio can do anything, Nyoke flies down, grabs the body of Mr. Aristotle, and flies out of the window. Unable to do anything, they all turn back toward Grace. Tears were formed from each of the worker drones.

Nori: No.... Grace....

Bob: This can't happen to you!

Grace: Well... I don't think I can live any longer.... but... thank you all for being great friends to me. Take care of Cynthia for me... please....

After finishing the sentence, they see that the eyes of Grace start to fade, giving a hint that Grace has passed away. The rest of the worker drones had no words for what to do next, considering that many people here are dead and Grace is long gone. The recording ended there.

-------------------------------------------------

Ghot: So... what happened next, Alice, since you were there?

Alice: (Sigh) After that incident, the other people from the other department from a different planet investigate the ordeal and see that symbol on Nori, Yeva, and Bob. While I was near the explosion, I wasn't as affected, so I didn't have the symbol, but they still took me in because of risk factors, alongside some other worker drones that were within 50 meters of the explosion. Only those three got the symbol infected because they were very near and were exposed to the blast. As for those disabled Cryptid Drones, they were transported to a secure place where no one could attempt to steal them. However, there was one worker drone that was not sent with us and was donated to a family back on Earth. It was Cynthia, the one you saw sleeping at the beginning of the video.

V: That very family was the one I was in as well, alongside N and J. But wait, there's a plot hole in this: if she wasn't affected by the explosion, as she was far away, why did she still have the symbol?

Ghot: (Thinks for a moment, but has a theory) What if, because remember, Mr. Aristotle did make the AI, and since she was alone, what if someone injected the AI into her while she was asleep, and it only active once specific requirement was met?

V: The time when Cyn was decommissioned and thrown into the pile of decommissioned worker drones, the Solver woke up and took over her. Wow, this is way more deep than I thought it was.

Alice: Won't that imply that Cynthia is technically dead, but the Solver is controlling her body like a living virus controlling a dead person?

Ghot: (back away) That's one creepy way to put it... But you might have a point. If what I said is true, who put it?

V: Probably that Nyoka drone, since he was willing to kill a person and take his body away from everyone else. He might have some play into it.

Ghot: Now you mention it, the tail of Nyoka's does seem familiar to me....

V: I still have one question about you. What is with your different voice?

Ghot: I am still confused about that; it's as if you're saying there's someone else in my body.

As the world comes to answer her, one of her eyes changes to a star shape.

Ghot (in a male voice):  Correct. You are not alone.

Ghot, V, Alice, and even Sparky all jump at the voice.

Ghot: WHAT THE DRAG ME, WHO ARE YOU?! THIS IS FREAKING ME OUT.

Ghot (in a male voice): Sorry for scaring you, but let me introduce myself. While my name is many, you can all call me Solution for simplicity.

Solution: I am the blue core in Ghot.

No words were coming out from anyone. This was a huge reveal as it turns out that the blue core in Ghot was alive. However, this does raise some concerns.

V: How do we know you do not like the Solver?

Solution: I am not like the Solver. While we may have similar powers, I'm not an AI; I am a reality-warping entity being encased in the blue core. My purpose is to bring power to beings that have pure hearts and are willing to protect others, even with killing as a last resort. Ghot, notice how you can imagine anything and use it. I grant permission for you to use them. If you have the object and imagine it to be more powerful, it will become more powerful. For example, if you had Uzi's railgun and you shot at Cryptid Drone W, you could have made the railgun so powerful it could have anciently destroyed a continent. At the same time, you still control how powerful it can shoot, and without the railgun, you still can imagine it, but it won't be as powerful.

V: That... overpower if you think about it.

Solution: I am not even the most powerful of my kind; note that.

Everyone was silent from that one comment. If he said one of his kind, that would imply there is more than one blue core out there. 

Ghot: So, wait, if you're saying one of your kind, won't that mean the green core is... alive?

Solution: Though we may share similar functions, we are different. That core focus is on creating a monster. As it doesn't have requirements and is not alive like I am, anyone can use it, even robots.

Ghot: Interesting..... but I have a question. Why me? I still have no idea who I was and how I got here. All I know is that Grace made me, and sadly, I know that I was made to be a Cryptid Drone, so it is likely that Mr. Aristotle had some role in it. 

Solution: Here is the fun part: even though you may have been created as Cryptid Drone, you are far different from the rest. One: You were made without any involvement from Mr. Aristotle. Two: I have the answer to why you were selected, but if I tell you now, don't yell.

Ghot: Alright...? Why me?

Solution: Because you have the heart of a person who wants to bring hope to everyone, and you prioritize the most on a strong sense of justice and not doing it for fame and money. Those who want to bring hope are the ones I respect the most. And that is why I have chosen you, Grace.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Ghot: Wait, what did you call me?

Solution: Oops, all mistakes. I decided to reveal that later, but words were out of this core. Yeah, you're not even a drone; you have a human soul inside the drone.

After some silence...

All: WWHHHHAAATTTT!

Alice: How is that possible? We saw her body dead! How is she in the drone body?!

Solution: I will reveal it via my memory. 

Ghot opened her palm, and a hologram emerged. It is about to show what happens to Grace's body.

-------------------------------------------------

The camera shows some days later after the incident of the massacre. It then zooms to Grace's dead body. The other drones were curious at first, but they saw some blue glow out of the corner. They see it was a blue, glowing tentacle grabbing onto Grace's dead body. It then drags Grace throughout the building until finally arriving back at Grace's room. With Grace in its arm, it then pulls it toward the blue core and sees that the body has been absorbed into the blue core. The blue core then turns into a blue mist-like substance and travels toward Ghot's drone body. It enters it, and after a while, the blue glow disappears from the camera. 

-------------------------------------------------

Ghot: And after a while, that was the day when I woke up....

Solution: 60 years later. 

Ghot: Right... still, crazy to think all of this time, what I was trying to find who I was is right there in the memories I saw the whole time... I thought I was a drone the entire time.

Ghot turns to see Alice but notices that she hasn't said a word. Ghot was about to ask until Alice rushed toward Ghot and hugged her tight.

Alice: Grace... it is you! I thought we lost you for good. At least I have someone I know here! (Crying a lot)

Ghot smiles and hugs back.

Ghot: Good to see you again, Wonderland.

Alice: Teasing me with that name still, I see.

V: This is very interesting, though; I never thought I would see a drone that a human soul controls.

Ghot: Yeah... that's wild to think now you said it.

V: Didn't Uzi say she wanted to destroy all humans, so how would she react when she finds out that you are technically a human?

Ghot: (Realized) Um... we get there soon...

As they talked, they suddenly felt as though they were starting to float up. While this confused Ghot, Alice knew what was up.

Alice: Oh no.... the Solver is waking up the core of the planet!

Ghot: I'm sorry, CORE AT THE WHAT?!

Alice: This isn't good! It will start to create a quote-on-quote singularity, and it is theorized that if it succeeds, it will consume the universe.

Ghot: What kind of madness this is! What can we do?

Alice: Supposedly, there is still a patch somewhere on this planet, but if that doesn't work, then you could use your power to fight the singularity.

 Ghot: Right, though fighting a universe-threat being already seems too early for me on this adventure.

Solution: I will be there for you, don't worry.

Ghot: Thanks. Alright, we'll try to stop it soon. Alice, see what you can help on, V. We better get out now.

V: Copy! I had already texted Lizzy and asked about the situation outside, as well as about J. It seems that she wanted to kill her, but knowing her, she would not stand a chance and asked her to distract her. Lizzy did say that J seemed a bit different, mostly her eyes being green..... oh, that's not good.

Ghot: We better get going now! I hope Uzi, N, and D are still alright out there, (whisper) especially Doll. Well, how we get there fast.

Solution: I will command the raptor to assist that. Sparky, it's time.

Sparky finally reacts and jumps up, and stands next to Ghot. It sits down, implying that Ghot and V get on Sparky. Ghot and V understand and get up on the raptor. Before they start to leave, they see Beau enter the room, and he bows down and gives Ghot his cowboy hat. Ghot thanked Beau and placed it on Sparky's head.

Ghot: It's time to take down the Solver once and for all!

Sparky roars and starts to rush out of the room with Ghot and V on it. Alice turns to Beau.

Alice: Let's make this right and try to find a way to assist them in some way.

Beau agrees, and both Alice and Beau rush out of the room to find a way to help. 

To be Continued....

We are nearly reaching the finale soon. We finally found the true origin of Ghot; it turns out that she had been a human soul in a drone body the whole time, thanks to the blue core, which was named Solution. We also find out the true villain of the series, Mr. Aristotle. However, while Ghot and V's following path is toward the finale (aka, episode 8 section), we still need to check on the other path: Uzi, N, D, and Doll's. What happened to them while Ghot, V, and Alice were learning more about Ghot's history and especially the true origin of the Solver? The next part will focus on Episode 7, so Ghot would not appear in some way. J will also have a part in it. I hope you are all excited to see what will happen from here on out. See you all next time!

Chapter Text

Cryptid Drone Chapter 13: Mass Destruction Redesignation

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google Translate and messing up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The episode opens with shots of a cathedral, two Sentinels chained to some rocks, and a sign hanging from two of the spires displaying "LAB SPACE FOR RENT, LEASED. RSCH012 - CABIN FEVER". Inside the Cathedral, JCJenson scientists are running around, working on various tasks.

Dr. Ridley: Science holding strong, sir! (dramatically) Math.

At the back of the Cathedral, Nori is shown to be suspended in the air by chains. Nori's ID card floats by. Nori looks up at with a broad, sinister grin, her eyes yellow, implying that the Absolute Solver is possessing her.

Dr. Ridley: Dr Chambers!

Mitchell: (gasps) O-Oh, no- I-I-I'm not... 

An intern, Mitchell, has accidentally worn the uniform of a scientist called Dr. Chambers, causing the other scientists to call upon him. He looks at his name tag on his uniform, and it indeed says Dr. Chambers. Mitchell looks over by the hanging rack to see his actual uniform and his name tag, which still reads "MITCHELL (INTERN)" and hangs on a coat rack. He turns back to Dr. Ridley.

Mitchell: (whispers, pointing at his name tag) Is this guy important?

Claw-like tentacles break the chains that were tied to Nori. One of the tentacles throws a spear at Mitchell, which hits his clipboard. Another scientist activates a machine that resembles a summoning circle, causing Nori to fall to the floor and collapse. Nori's tentacles try to grab Mitchell, but glitch out and disappear back into Nori.

Dr. Ridley: Chambers! (Dr. Ridley throws Mitchell Yeva's and Bob's ID cards.) Get 48 and 25!

Mitchell: Right, so... (chuckles nervously) This a doctor-specific thing...?

Dr. Ridley pulls out a crucifix and walks towards Nori to use it on her.

Mitchell: 'Cause I'm on it!

Mitchell runs out of the cathedral doors, fumbling with the ID card. He looks back at the Cathedral to see Nori, at an awkward angle, staring sinisterly at him, before the doors slam shut. The two Sentinels screech at Mitchell as he runs past into a different section of Cabin Fever Labs. Mitchell ends up in a hallway with lockers containing the test subjects of Cabin Fever Labs on one side. Some ID numbers include 029 - Amda, 006 - Riid, 048 - Yeva, 024 - Triss, 019 - Aatt, and 002 - Nori. Mitchell opens up Yeva's locker to find her chained up, playing Tetris in Russian. Mitchell double-checks Yeva's ID card and shrugs while Yeva rolls her eyes and bangs her head against the locker wall. Mitchell released Yeva from her chain and continued to find Bob's locker until he found the one labeled 025-Bob. He opened the locker and saw Bob, who was also chained up. He also double-checks Bob's ID card and starts to unchain Bob. 

Mitchell: Alright, you two, I don't know what is happening, but some purple-haired drone has started to act like a demon.

After mentioning Nori, both Bob and Yeva realize the situation.

Bob: Take us to her now.

Mitchell: That's what I was doing...

Mitchell, Bob, and Yeva run back to the Cathedral, with Yeva's hand being pulled by Mitchell. Annoyed with him pulling her, Yeva then pulls her hand away while lightly slapping Mitchell's hand. Mitchell looks at where the two sentinels were chained, but they appear to have escaped. Mitchell then bursts through the cathedral door, breathless. Dr. Ridley is at the back of the Cathedral, crouched next to a powered-off Nori, the crucifix jammed into her broken visor.

Dr. Ridley: Chambers! Get over here!

Mitchell: Y-Yep, um...So, I (He steps backwards, preventing Bob and Yeva from opening the door to get inside by leaning against it.) ... couldn't find 48 or 25?

Bob and Yeva, who are stuck outside, give a confused look. Bob looks at Yeva and shrugs. Yeva looks around in fear.

Dr. Ridley: Whatever!

Mitchell: Uh...Here I...come...

Mitchell walks forward when he approaches the same crucifix he saw earlier in a small pool of blood. He is about to grab it when he sees Dr. Ridley crouching in the pew, clutching her shoulder, as her hand seems cut off and lying on the floor in front of her. There is a pause, then suddenly a tentacle grabs Dr. Ridley as she screams. The tentacle drags Dr. Ridley through the Cathedral and into a hole beneath the summoning circle, as everything glitches out. It turns out that everything is a holographic façade, all caused by the Absolute Solver. The lights in the Cathedral go out as stalactites start falling through the ceiling. Mitchell steps forward to dodge the rocks, grabbing the crucifix just in time as he rolls away, dodging one stalactite that drops, but that now puts him in the path of the hole. Nori emerges from the hole, now having the claw-like tentacles from before, and strolls towards Mitchell.

Nori: (Fully Solver possessed) Thanks for the new host...intern

Nori takes the crucifix from Mitchell with her Solver and throws it towards his masked face.

Nori: MacGuffin.

A splatter is heard as everything turns to static. The view zooms out to reveal that it was all recorded footage on a monitor. A heart brings up the crucifix up to the screen, inspecting it while listening to peppy music. It takes a sip of oil from a carton. The heart marks out an area of a map of the Cathedral, before taking off its headphones. The heart jumps off the desk, puts on a mining helmet, and grabs a pickaxe and a box before heading off into the hole the Absolute Solver created. Next to the hole is a worker drone, which turns out to be Bob, but he is severely damaged and busted. He was missing an arm, and one part of his visor was destroyed. He already came with his pickaxe, and when he saw the heart next to him, he asked.

Bob: No luck so far?

Heart: No.. it isn't the one we were looking for. It is still somewhere down there.

Bob: (Sigh) It seems the Solver is making this hard for us to find it in the first place, but we must not give up yet. We still need to ensure that we prepare it before the Absolute Solver arrives. I'm afraid to know what will happen if it succeeds.

Heart: We will do this together. Remember that promise.

Bob: Yeah, yeah, let's get going.

Both Bob and the heart go down the hole to continue finding the patch. The view then focuses on one of the TV monitors, which shows a view of the elevator entrance. After the elevator dings, it crashes, sending Tessa, Uzi, D, and N flying. Rocks crush the elevator.

N looks on with horror before he runs over to the elevator and uses a gun to blast his way through to the elevator. When that doesn't work, he uses his claws to try to claw the rocks away, launching as many as he can with his claws.

N: Uzi! Help! Use your Solver!

Tessa: N, watch it!

D: N! We are in some cave! What you are doing is not a good idea!

N has accidentally thrown a large boulder at Uzi, who has split it apart with her Solver, but yellow sparks emerge as well. Tessa and D were stepping away from Uzi. Uzi is covering her bleeding right eye.

Uzi: I... don't think I sh-should. I'm sorry, N.

N: (concerned) -Oh, no, no. It's okay. Uzi, I - I am so sorry-

Tessa: (Draws out her sword) Enough, N. We'll save V after we finish here. (Uzi looks worried. Tessa puts away her sword.) (Sweetly) Uzi, let's have you sit this one out, eh? Box over there. Robots like boxes, right?

D: Isn't that.... That was a reference to something...

Uzi: (confused) What? No, I-

Tessa: N, D.

N: (sounding hesitant) Uzi, there, um... might be some stuff down here that you don't want to see.

D: And... considering you already hurt...

Uzi senses the betrayal in N and D's words and starts backing away a bit.

Uzi: Ohhhh, what the hell is going on?

N: Nothing! We don't know everything yet, but... (points at Uzi and looks at Tessa at the same time) We're not gonna hurt you. Okay?

Uzi: --Hurt me?

D: (Worried) Oh... that was a poor choice of wording there, N...

Uzi's hand creates a small black hole. She tries to redirect it, but instead it ends up causing a cave-in. N tries to walk forward, but Uzi steps away, separating her from the rest of the group as the mine shaft collapses.

The scene shifts to the outside, where Thad and Lizzy walk towards the Corpse Spire. Lizzy is texting on her phone.

Thad: -Aaand you won't tell me why we're wandering around 'cause...?

Lizzy: (Hand placed on Thad's face) I'm a good friend, and secrets are blackmail. (Turns around) And it's not about football.

Thad: Okay. Does your secret friend want to know about football, or...? (Lizzy looks annoyed as Thad asks the question.)

A deep, ominous rumbling is heard, and many car alarms are triggered. Thad, Lizzy, and all of the various objects around them start floating up.

Both: Whoa, whoa!

The gravity returns to normal, and Thad and Lizzy both fall back down. Thad gave a hand gesture that he was alright. They heard from a distance that a landing pod suddenly flew over them and landed on the side of the Corpse Spire. J jumps out from the landing pod and flies out into the spire.

Thad: So, is that related to the thing you're looking fo--

Lizzy: No. (laughs) Yeah, yeah. No, it is.

Meanwhile, J enters the Corpse Spire to start blowing up the landing pod that is located inside.

J: Alright, as ordered, I'm going to have to blow up each of the landing pods that my team and many other squads had landed. But why do we have to blow up the pod? I do wonder why they didn't blow them up earlier, rather than now. Did she try to hide something from me?

As she thought about it, she looked around the place and remembered all the memories she shared with her teammate, many good, many bad, and sometimes just her scrolling through N. She's going to miss this place. As she prepares to place bombs around, she notices something in the corner of the Spiral. She walked up to it and saw it was something she had never seen before. It was part of a massive drone, the skull of Cryptid Drone W, the hand of Cryptid Drone F, and the beak of Cryptid Drone T. She thought about what these were, but concluded as she remembered what D had told her about. 

J: Wait, D did mention to me if I know about Cryptid Drones... perhaps these are? (Inspect closer) Let me see if we have a database about these drones...

J tried to scan the parts to determine the type of drones they were, but found that while they all contained files with information about them inside each part, she was unable to locate any details about them in the company's files. It is as if they don't exist in the company at all. 

J: That's already suspicious. You would think if these drones are dangerous, the company would have information about them... Let me read this information in case.

As J read the information about the Cryptid Drone, she was impressed by how they were designed. She then found a file that contained a recording. She wants to see what it was all about, so she plays the video. What she is watching is Cryptid Drone W's point of view. Just as with Ghot's viewing earlier, it shows the drone in a laboratory setting, surrounded by many dead worker drones. While this won't have fazed J, she did question who killed them. Then, the exact figure with huge red eyes appears and discusses killing all the worker drones in Coppe 9. From hearing that, she is glad that something else is assisting them in terminating, although she had wished that the company had notified her about them. She decided to watch a recording and see how it was able to break into the bunker and kill each worker drone. J want to know what made D so worried about the Cryptid Drone if they were doing like they were doing. However, near the end, she saw the reasoning; as the Cryptid Drone exited the bunker, it spotted D's team, and on the screen, it mentioned terminate the dissambley drone, and it brutally killed both E and F, but left the unconscious D and was dragging her to its cave for fresh oil later. 

J: (Scared) Is-is this why D warned me about them? But why would something that the company made attack us? That has to be a defective one! It has to!

J didn't want to believe it, but she checked a previous recording of the other two Cryptid Drones, and just like CDW, both had also shown a recording of the Cryptid Drone attacking disassembly drones. That may have explained why some of the areas occupied by other disassembled drones were silent when she reported her quota. 

J: So that must be why I never saw the other disassembly drones or heard from them. These devices are designed to target all drones that aren't of their kind. (Searching for something) There has to be a moment when they turned on us! (Spotted a file) These recordings started around one year after we arrived! (Click on the file)

The recording shows the point of view from Cryptid Drone W, and what is different is that it is at the center of the city, waiting for something. Then, a sound was coming from the sky, and it was Cryptid Drone F landing down, then Cryptid Drone T soared down to the ground, then from the sewer, a black gloop of oil pops out, being Cryptid Drone B, and finally, the last member slithered its way from the alleyway, Mecha Naga. J remember she met Mecha Naga and realized he may have some involvement.

J: (Glare) You....

Mecha Naga: (In the recording) Hello, fellow Cryptids. I am here to make an announcement. Starting from now, we are tasked with eliminating all the drones that are still operational here after our prototype, the Cryptid Drone, took its time. Regardless, we are also allowed to attack disassembled drones because, as the higher-ups have stated, they are all unreliable, even if they did the best job. They all planned for the disassembled drone to die as well, except for three, due to the boss's order. The rest are fair game, which I don't care for. Just remember, eliminate every drone you see, got it!

The rest of the Cryptid Drone made their way to show acknowledgment of the plan. The recording ended there. After hearing that, J realizes something; she remembers what N talked about earlier.

---------------------(Flashback)---------------------------

Flashback N: Uh, you know, not that I can't wait to keep murdering all these, uh... maybe not-so-actually-different from us Worker Drones, but just outta curiosity, do we actually, uh... (Hisses through teeth) know what the company plans to do with us afterwards?

Flashback J: Excuse me?

Flashback N: Okay, so, a Worker earlier might have suggested that they could fix up our landing pod to, uh, escape the planet and stuff. Which- Whoa, hey, that's against the rules! But it is kind of making me question why our pods were only-one way in the first place. 'Cause, y-you know, I get the feeling the company doesn't actually love robots, and, like, we might be robots? I've made a terrible mistake. It's cool how immediately I could tell.

J walks over to N, not realizing that J is preparing to place something on N.

Flashback J: Hmm. No way, buddy. Questioning the company? You just finally gave me the excuse I needed. (J implants a virus into N.) Worker Drones are corrupted, N. That's why the company sent us. I hate to see you corrupted as well.

Flashback N: (Stuttering, glitched speech) Thanks, J. Always looking out for me. You're awesome.

Flashback J: (Scoffs)

---------------------(Flashback end)---------------------------

J: (Land on her knee) That idiot was on to something the whole time, and I was here thinking he was wrong.... (Made a decision) I've got to help them now!

As J was about to leave, she heard a voice behind her.

???: OH! So you decided to abandon your order. That was the first time I heard.

J turned to see it was Mecha Naga. She didn't realize he was hiding on the ceiling. J prepares her weapons in case, but Mecha Naga notices.

Mecha Naga: Ah ah ah. I won't shoot if I were you. That would go against the "company policy," which was to never go against the company. (Circling J) I thought you were the most loyal, especially given what my boss said about you, but they would have to be aware of your betrayal. 

J: I only follow the company because I thought they were proud of what we were able to do, but knowing that you plan to get rid of us anyway, meaning I have no reason to follow their order anymore! Now, I recommend you stay out of this (prepare weapons to attack).

Mecha Naga: (Glare) I was told not to kill you, nothing about leaving you still alive, but in terrible condition. 

Mecha Naga's eyes turn red and start to shoot lasers from his mouth, and he aims at J, whom she dodges in time. She charged her EMP, causing part of Mecha Naga's body to shut down. Glaring, Mecha Naga starts to grow his wings, since he is not affected by EMP, and begins to chase J. J stands her ground and is ready to escape.

Meanwhile, back at the cave, N wakes up after being knocked out. His visor reads, "SYS STATUS: KNOCKED TF OUT...\" N gasps and tries to pull out his left arm, which is stuck in the rock.

N: (shouting) UZI! UZI!

N looks at his left hand. A piece of metal has pierced it and is stuck. He sighs as he notices the other are all separate, so he has to remove them on his own. 

N: (pulls out a saw) I deserve this. I deserve this. I deserve this.

N suddenly hears V giggling. She's waving at him ominously, while behind her, a huge centipede-like body flicks.

N: ... AA--

On the other part of the cave, Uzi finds a bulletin board and takes a look at it. There is a post by Nori, who is possessed, with Team 06 (led by Dr. Ridley) tasked with using the fail-safe USB. Another post shows an image of the Cathedral. Uzi continues sneakily, finding a skeleton holding up a lamp. Uzi grabs the lamp with her tail before backing away, taking one last look before running off. 

Back with N, he is still trying to saw off his arm as "V" continues to walk closer to him.

"V": I missed you, N.

N: (panicking as he rapidly tries to saw his left arm off.) -T-Thank you, mine shaft trauma ghost. I can hear you fine from there.

"V": You know, you're one of the main reasons (voice glitching out) I wanted your team and D to retain your personalities. (N stops sawing after hearing what "V" just said.) You always surprised me.

An eldritch claw crushes the lamp above them, while a tentacle grabs N's leg, breaking off his arm in the process.

N: Huh?

What emerges from the shadow isn't the V that N saw, but it is Cyn that emerges. She also had a centipede body.

Solver: Loved doing anything.

The Solver hugs N, triggering a flashback. N's face turns into an "X".

---------------------(Flashback)---------------------------

Ominous rumbling is heard as it rains. N has a bit of human flesh between his teeth. He is holding a person. N looks around as the person's head falls off. He drops the body. It's revealed to be Earth, with many Disassembly Drones flying around, attacking humans. A massive black hole looms in the red sky. J fires a machine gun at some humans, before she and V swoop in and start eating some humans. V gobbles up an arm. A helicopter opens fire on them, but J uses her wings to block all the bullets. A giant eldritch tentacle emerges from a building, before stabbing the helicopter. More Disassembly Drones fly around, pulling the human corpses apart. D, with some dragon aesthetic, swoop a person from the skyscraper and drop them to the ground, leaving gravity to do the work.

N turns to see a soldier running away and shooting at something, but it turns out that what was chasing them was a 6-meter-long dog-like drone, and it jumps up and manages to land on the soldier, and it starts to eat the soldier alive. The dog drone spotted another soldier and began to rush toward it. Another part of the building was blown up, and a massive, flower-like drone emerged, with many people in its mouth, and started to chew on them while ripping apart some of the people with its tentacle-like arms. He then sees one of the sewer potholes erupt into the sky, and a mass of oil emerges with some worker drone heads. As N remembers, before being sent down via the elevator, it was a Cryptid Drone. As he now realizes, the other two must have been Cryptid Drones as well. He heard more noise and saw a group of tanks, targeting some of the Disassembly Drones and Cryptid Drones, which he counted as five in total, including three that had appeared earlier, one that resembled a Yeti-like creature, currently consuming a human, and a giant snake drone. The tank was firing at all the drones, and N had to duck to avoid the damage. However, before the last remaining shell hit the target, a red Solver symbol appeared, stopping all. N turned to see who the owner was and got an answer. In the air, while shadowed, he spotted a big drone resembling a mix between a human and a moth. Similar to Disassembly Drones' wings, the drone also had enormous wings. What shocks N the most is that the drone is using a solver like Uzi, and Doll would use their own.

The big drone said one line.

???: Return to sender.

All the shells were launched back at the tank, exploding all in the process. While the event was going on, the giant snake came by and asked a question.

Snake Drone: So, what's the deal after we dealt with the humans here?

Moth Drone: After all these humans are dealt with, we will blow up this planet, so if there are truly any survivors left, they won't survive the sustenance that the planet once had. While my greatest weapon isn't here, I still have some part of its power I can use. Just make sure to collect as many of the intact brains as possible. Just glad that Cryptid Drone Z was able to pull this off. We will retrieve my greatest weapon after this.

Snake Drone: Alrighty, boss!

The Moth Drone then turns around and, typing on his wristband, he teleports out. The flashback ends there.

---------------------(Flashback end)---------------------------

Back in reality, an error window appears on N's visor. It reads: "ACCESS DENIED. CONTACT ADMIN DARKXWOLF17". N gasps.

Solver: Thanks for clearing the way on this planet, too. Let's eat.

Cyn disappears into a hologram, and the tentacle drags N along. N shrieks.

Deep rumbling is heard as small rocks fall from the ceiling of the cavern in which the Cathedral is. Lightning zaps from the Cathedral. Uzi steps out of the mine shaft tunnel. Uzi puts her bracelet back on before flying towards the Cathedral. She enters and flies to the chandelier. Uzi looks at the giant hole before Nightcore suddenly starts playing behind her. Uzi flies to the desk and lands on the chair. She turns off the music with her tail before pushing the teddy bear on the seat out of the way. Uzi looks at the monitor before rewinding it to the beginning and playing it. As she watches, she becomes increasingly horrified and disturbed by what she sees on the screen.

N is being dragged along the tunnels by the Solver. He tries to use his laser to stop it, to no avail. The tentacle pulls him into a small hole with many hands in it. N tries to grab onto the ground with his claws, but he still gets pulled in, screaming as he tries to escape. Suddenly, a pickaxe serves the tentacle. It's the Heart.

Heart: Hup! (The Heart throws the Crucifix Patch at N.) Why is Cyn after her own murder-pet? 

Another worker drone ran by, and it was Bob.

Bob: Please, don't run off like that. I had to climb through this mess... (Notice N) Huh, is that the murder drone you were talking about?

Heart: Yeah, he's one of them. (Look at N) You stupid or something?

N: Oh, yeah.

Heart: Cool by me, then. Drive.

Bob: (Heard noise from the distance) Whatever that thing is, we'd better get going! Follow us!

The Solver is fast approaching them, wailing and screeching. N shoots a missile to block off the Solver, but it breaks through the rocks and rubble easily.

Heart: Hey, you look familiar. Watch the road. You got wings?

N: Um, I guess-

Bob: This way!

Heart: Focus! Think you can get this cross to the surface? I'm lookin' for a hunk named Khan.

N: Uzi's dad? What-

Using her Solver powers, the heart grabs Bob and suddenly slams N into the wall of a side tunnel. The Solver eldritch rushes by past them. Once it's gone, the heart turns to face N.

Heart: How do you know my daughter?

Meanwhile, back at the surface, Thad and Lizzy are looking at the spire from behind a pile of snow, trying to devise a way to attack J, not knowing that J is already fighting someone else.

Thad: So, how do we-

Lizzy: Punch.

Thad: Can't her hands be guns?

Lizzy: Kick, also.

Thad: (chuckles evilly) Yeah.

The spire explodes, sending the two drones flying. J flies out of the spire, returning to the landing pod, and then flies away quickly. Confused, the two hide behind the car in case, and it's a good call for them because what emerges from the fire is Mecha Naga, clearly angry, before setting his wings and starting to chase after J. 

Thad and Lizzy walk towards the spire. The landing pod in the middle is now on fire. Thad covers his mouth in shock, while Lizzy takes a photo. Khan appears behind them, looking for parts to rebuild Uzi's railgun. He gives Thad the blueprints and takes Lizzy's phone away.

Khan: Part 2A, check the perimeter.

Thad: M-Mr. Doorman, sir?

Khan: Bad crowd, those Murder Drones. Destroying ways off the planet... (dramatically) MY WIFE... (normal) ...my daughter having interest beyond cannibalism (grabbing an energy core), "Nightcore", and now Cryptid Drones?

Ominous rumbling is heard as the planet's gravity is disrupted again, and the trio begins to float. Only Thad and Lizzy start wailing, with Khan being unfazed.

Khan: It's the end times! (chuckles) If my wife's closet is right, this planet is gonna try to eat us soon.

Thad is about to comment, but Lizzy appears unconvinced, making the "don't answer" gesture.

Back in the cave, Tessa is looking through the lockers where the drones were kept chained up. She finds two dead drones before finding an empty locker belonging to Nori. Tessa accesses a computer, which requires a biometric check. Tessa takes off a glove and puts her finger to the scanner. Tessa sets the computer to self-destruct and then walks away. A timer starts beeping, before the locker area explodes, and Tessa turns around to look at the fire. Suddenly, a knife appears, but Tessa catches it, and Doll teleports there to confront Tessa.

Doll: (In Russian) [Where's the patch, human?]

Tessa: Hmm. Not sure what you me-

Doll teleports behind Tessa, but Tessa blocks Doll's cleaver.

Doll: (in Russian) [The USB Patch. To exorcise the Solver's possession. Where is it?]

Tessa: So, that's what they were doing down here, huh? Crucifix-lookin' thing?

Doll: (in Russian) [Wouldn't you know?]

Tessa: Had my suspicions. But they kept cutting my feed. (Tessa slices off Doll's eyepatch with her sword.) Patch to save yourself, huh?

The extent of Doll's use of the Absolute Solver has caused her left eye to be shattered entirely; blood is falling out of the hole where Doll's eye should be.

Doll: (In Russian) [I will not let it use me to consume the planet!]

Tessa: Hmm. Not sure it needs you, buddy.

Tessa throws her knife at Doll, distracting her. Doll takes a second and looks back, but Tessa is now gone. The fire behind Doll suddenly disappears as it gets absorbed by the Absolute Solver. A distant, muffled screech and footsteps can be heard approaching Doll. Doll prepares to defend herself with her Solver. The screeching stops, before rapid tapping begins, followed by more screeching. Doll sees something on her visor, but unfortunately for her, she can't interact with it. In desperation, Doll throws a rock at the creature, but the rock easily gets sliced in half. The creature suddenly appears.

Doll closed her eyes, believing she was done for, and just as the creature was about to attack, she heard a loud kick. Peeking from the corner of her eye, she saw that it was D who had managed to stop the creature from attacking her. D was following Tessa earlier and only now jumped to save Doll, knowing how Ghot would react if anything happened to Doll.

D: DOLL! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE! I WILL HOLD HER OFF AS MUCH AS I CAN!

With no hesitation, as she had no chance against whatever the creature was, she started to run away. She can hear the fight between D and the creature, but from what she hears, D isn't winning. Doll hopes that D will be okay. She teleported out of the area, hoping to find other allies before whatever she saw follows them all. 

The scene changes back to the past the moment that the Solver possesses Nori.

Solver: Thanks for the new host, intern.

Nori takes the crucifix from Mitchell with her Solver and throws it towards his masked face.

Solver: MacGuffin.

The USB suddenly stops inches from Mitchell's face. Yeva and Bob have stopped the USB, and Yeva throws it into Nori's face.

Solver: (voice glitching) O-O-Ow. What in the science-

Nori pulls out the Crucifix Patch and throws it into the hole behind her before collapsing. Mitchell decides it's a great idea to get out of there, as he quickly salutes Bob and Yeva and runs off—Bob and Yeva approach to help Nori up. However, Nori's right hand is still possessed by the Solver and is creating a Null singularity. Yeva quickly creates a knife and slices off Nori's hand, which falls into the hole. Yeva helps Nori get up while Bob checks Nori around to make sure she is alright. Suddenly, a bright yellow light emerges from the hole, as the trio tries to escape. Realizing they had no time, both Yeva and Bob activated their Solver to shield all of them together from the explosion. We zoom out to reveal the planet imploding from the core collapse, as seen back in the presentation by Uzi and Ghot. The entire scene was a flashback explained by Nori.

Nori: Then, the planet kinda half-imploded anyway. The humans all- (mimicking throat slicing, before gagging.) Woke up on the surface, brain scrambled enough to have a kid, and the rest is dumb, stupid history.

Nori is showing various items to N, including a photo of past Nori and Khan, as well as a drawing Nori made 47 days after the core collapse—depicting the appearance of a female disembodied drone. N claps.

Bob: Although we had not encountered any of the Cryptid Drone since that incident...

N: (Stop clapping) The incident?

Nori: Stop that. (She throws the paper at N.) Now, the Solver's found its way back to finish the job. Who's its host?

N: Um... like, Uzi? And a red-eyed, uh-

Nori: Yeva's kid. I know, dummy. Which one was just trying to eat us?

N understands who Nori is talking about. He decided to bring up one more thing.

N: Also, not sure if it's the same power, but maybe a particular drone with a purple witch hat named Ghot-

Nori: (Shock) Wait, hold that thought. Did you say... Ghot?

Bob: (Turn to Nori) You don't think it's the same Ghot we're thinking of?

Nori: I mean, who else had that name?

N: Yeah? What about her, you know of?

Nori: She's one of my creator's projects that she never finished, but if you said she is active now, that means she likely has that extraordinary orb power powering her. 

N: I'm sorry, an orb?!

Bob: Well... It's a long story, but we'd better find Uzi or Yeva's kid, quick, before the Solver finds them!

Back with Uzi, Uzi is staring at a static screen, her entire visor covered by the Absolute Solver. The screen goes dark and gets shattered. Uzi gasps as all of the candles in the Cathedral go dark. Uzi tries to take off her bracelet after realizing what it was associated with. The lightning from the hole reveals that another drone is approaching Uzi. Doll has managed to escape, though still covering her eye with her hand. Catching Uzi's attention as she turns around, her eyes widen with horror.

Uzi: D-Doll?! (Run to her.) What happen?! Who did this to you!

Doll: (in Russian) [It-It was Te-.] 

Doll falls, knees on the floor, while Uzi manages to catch her. Uzi can tell that Doll is exhausted from all the running.

Tessa: Yikes.

Uzi and Doll, frozen in fear, turn around. Tessa is leaning by the door.

Tessa: Someone's been busy.

Back in the mine shaft with Nori, Bob, and N.

Nori: Just hurry, stupid.

Nori releases N from the wall.

N: O-Of course! Uzi's gonna freak out when I tell h-

Nori pins N to the ceiling with her pickaxe.

Nori: Tell her I'm alive, you die.

Bob: That seems harsh, even for you... (Nori glares back.) I mean, (Look at N) imagine what she would have felt if she found out that her mother was alive the whole time but was here, at least for a good reason...

N: Sorry, ma'am. I won't keep secrets from Uzi anymore, even if you say it might hurt her.

Nori drops N to the ground.

Nori: Nuance alert, ma'am. I caused every horror in her life. Destroyed the planet, got you things sicced here-

N: Gave her ungodly eldritch genetics! (Nori slams the Crucifix on N's face with her Solver.) Blagh!

Nori: No time! (pushes N into the ground with the crucifix and presses it on his face.) Promise.

N speaks in muffled, indistinct speech because the crucifix is on his face. 

Bob: Best if you remove that from his face so he can respond adequately. (Nori lifts the crucifix back up.)

N: I promise. To wait until you're ready to tell her yourself? (N smiles as he points to Nori.)

Nori: (She rolls her eyes before looking back to N.) Ugh. Bite me.

Bob: Hmmm, N, did Uzi say that catchphrase?

N: Bite me? Yes, she says that.

Bob: HA! I told you that line is also transferred to her, besides that Solver!

Nori: (angrily) BITE ME!

Back in the Cathedral, Uzi and Doll are about to confront Tessa.

Uzi: T-Tessa, I--I-I didn't- (Tessa draws out her sword.) Sh-She just- Wait! (One wing and an eldritch claw appear out of her back. Uzi's eyes again start turning yellow.) Something else did this to Doll! You-You have to believe...

Doll: (In Russian) [I should not have trusted you and had a way to deal with you!]

Doll didn't realize that Tessa rushed past her and stabbed her, causing her to drop down to hold on to her pain. Uzi prepares to use her solver powers on Tessa, but realizes she can't interact with Tessa.

Tessa: No worries. Makes my job easier. (Tessa drags her sword across Uzi's wing.) Thought there'd be more of you Solver freaks anyway.

Tessa puts her sword on Uzi's chest and prepares to drive it through. Before she can, N brings his sword right up to Tessa's neck.

N: (serious tone) You knew about the patch, yes or no? One chance.

Tessa: (slyly) Cute. (She puts one finger on N's blade and pushes it away. Tessa turns around to face him.) You know why I keep you around, N-

N suddenly decapitates Tessa. Her body starts stumbling backwards, before her head falls off. Blood drips from N's sword and her head as a trail of blood is shown from the rolling helmet. N is panting as the "X" on his visor returns to its normal state, revealing his eyes.

Doll: (in Russian, while shocked) [I did not expect you, of all people, to kill her off, considering how much she "cared" about you...]

N: I know, I wish there were another way... speaking of which, have you seen D?

Doll: (In Russian) [I.... She saved me from a monster that was about to kill me, but I'm not sure if she is alright right now...]

As the two chat, Uzi pulls out the sword in her chest and tosses it aside. She grabs onto the Crucifix as N notices and stands beside her to help her up.

N: Hey, buddy. Yeah, that should help. (N lets Uzi take the crucifix from his hand.) All I know is, I need you... to figure things out... together.

As N is helping out Uzi, Doll looks toward Uzi and notices a yellow glow under Uzi's face. Realizing the situation, Doll suddenly yelled at N, but it was too late.

Doll: (In Russian) [N, WATCH OUT!]

Uzi suddenly crushes N's hand, causing him to wince in pain. Uzi giggles and suddenly destroys the Crucifix Patch with her Solver, now turned yellow. N and Doll are shocked.

Solver: That's very sweet, big brother (Uzi, now fully possessed by the Absolute Solver, throws N into a pillar while pushing Doll to the ground.) Too bad you've served your purpose. Don't worry. Your backups will forgive me. (Uzi grows a claw from her back and prepares to kill N and Doll.)

Suddenly, a pickaxe flies by, deflecting one of Uzi's claws. Nori and Bob have arrived just in time. Nori jumps from the top of the pillar and onto N's shoulder, while her pickaxe flies around rapidly, slicing off Uzi's hands and eldritch claws. Meanwhile, a blue Solver grabs Doll and pulls her away from Uzi, revealing it was Bob's Solver. 

Bob: Are you alright, Yeva's kid? 

Doll: (in Russian) [How do you know my mother's name?]

Bob: You wouldn't believe the history we all had.

Solver: (confused) Nori? Bob? You're dead.

Nori: You're frickin' grounded.

Bob: It would take more than a planet's core explosion to take us out.

Solver: Angry. 

While the Solver was angry, it started to laugh.

Solver: Giggles. However, math showcases a one versus four fight. Why not split it into a 2-verse 4, a nice balance of one verse two fight?

Confused, everyone wondered what the Solver meant by that until they heard the ceiling breaking apart. What landed next to Uzi, to N and Doll's surprise and shock, was D. However, something was different about D. Instead of the typical Dissambely drone's appearance, she had been modified with dragon scales and now has a dragon horn, wing, and tail. Remember that this had happened with D back in the manor, so N knows that D is likely being controlled by the Solver in some way.

N: Nori, we deal with Uzi. Bob and Doll, go deal with D. However, please don't kill her; try to knock her out somehow.

Doll: (In Russian) [You can count on us!]

Uzi regenerates a claw and tries to swipe at N and Nori. Nori blocked the attack with her Solver while N flies up, and Nori throws her pickaxe at Uzi's face. D roars and zooms toward Doll and Bob, and with a quick reaction time, both use their Solver to push D via objects around them. D flies up and breathes out fire toward the two. Luckily, both use the Solver to block out the fire, but they back up because of the force of the fire pushing them. After the fire stopped, they both saw D gone. Turning around, they saw D rush toward Bob and land on him. D starts biting Bob, but Doll saves Bob by slamming a stone from the floor into D, knocking her outside.

Doll: (In Russian) [Are you alright?]

Bob: Do not worry about me. I had worse.

Both run toward the outside to face dragon D. Back on the other fight, N prepares to shoot Uzi with his laser cannon, but refrains. Uzi, grinning, takes this opportunity and teleports over, throwing N and Nori towards a wall. Uzi pins Nori against the wall, and N draws out his sword. But once again, he holds back, and Uzi torments N by grabbing the blade herself, forcing it into her neck. Nori, however, has had enough and forces them both apart. Nori slaps Uzi before hitting her away with the Absolute Solver. N smiles, but is immediately reprimanded by Nori, who slaps him twice and gives him angry eyes in return. However, Uzi regenerates her hand and begins creating numerous Null holes, throwing them at N and Nori. N dodges all of them, even one that cuts through the wall.

Zooming past Uzi, the other fight continues as Doll and Bob try to knock D out of her dragon form. As they believed they had the upper hand, D raised her hand, confusing the two. Then, they were shocked when one of her eyes transformed into the Solver symbol, but it was green, and she used her own Solver to attack the ceiling above the cave, causing some stalactites to begin falling. While dodging, both Bob and Doll look at each other and nod, and using their Solver to grab one of the falling stalactites, both throw to each side of D. D responded by extending her arm to catch each of the stalactites, but overlooks another stalactite, held by Doll, dropped on top of her, causing to fall to the ground. Doll could see her eye start to flick back to yellow for a second, until it changed back to fully green. She knows that she is almost back to her senses; she needs more hits. D then grabbed the stalactite and threw hard toward the two, and they both had to use the Solver to halt it in place, but it was a trick as D dive kicks through the stalactite, breaking through the two Solvers, landing on both Bob and Doll. She was about to breathe fire on the two, but Bob grabbed a rock and shoved it into D's mouth, causing an explosion in her mouth, stunning her. Taking the opportunity, they both escape, but what they didn't expect was that Bob's leg suddenly got cut because D used her claws to slash at Bob. 

Back with the other fight, N dodges the holes and manages to grab Uzi's hand, before Nori cuts her hand off, deleting all of the Null holes. Nori jumps on Uzi's face to distract her, while N flies around, opening fire at Uzi. N flies into Uzi, knocking her off the roof of the Cathedral. Nori, going for the kill, throws the pickaxe at Uzi, but Uzi winks at N. Knowing what will happen if he doesn't do something, N drops Nori and swoops in to push Uzi out of the way. For a split second, Uzi fights back against her Solver possession, but it fails. N ends up in pieces on the floor.

On the other side, Doll is fighting against dragon D, realizing that if they don't deal with getting D back, she will overpower them. Remembering the time she watched the fight between Ghot, N, and V against the Solver that controlled Uzi, she recalled how destroying the head would reboot the system, so she had an idea. Throwing another rock at D with her Solver, D grabbed the rock and threw it back at where Doll was. The keyword was, as D realized, that Doll distracted her. She looked around, trying to find her prey, until Doll choked her. Doll nods, which confuses D, until she turns to see Bob using his Solver to grab a stalactite and throw it at her head. Realizing what was about to happen, she tries to break free, but Doll uses her Solver to surround D with more rocks to hold her in place. With no option left, D tries to use her fire-breathing on the stalactite, but as rocks take too long to melt from fire, it pierces through her head right as Doll teleports out of the way. D's body fell to the ground, and her head regrew, showing on her visor that she was rebooting, as all the dragon scales around her started to disappear. Doll and Bob walk toward her, wondering if the plan works. After waiting, they see D's visor turn back to yellow instead of green, meaning she is out of the Solver's control. D stood up, confused about what had happened.

D: Wh-what happened? (See Doll) Doll?! You're alright! Glad to see you are safe! (See Bob) Who are you? I've never seen you before...

Bob: My name is Bob, and it seems you were under the influence of the Solver, but, strangely, yours is green, not the yellow that I remember some of us had.

Doll: (In Russian) [Yeah, I want to ask, since I've never seen a murder drone use a Solver like us worker drones that were infected by one...]

D: Yeah... after you ran, Doll, that monster attacked me for a bit until she placed something onto my head, causing my vision to turn green, and I blacked out from there. I don't recall anything else from that time. Please inform me of what I missed.

Doll: (In Russian) [Currently, N and a heart are fighting the Solver that is controlling Uzi. Since you are back to normal, we should help them now.]

Bob: They can handle it on their own, but more assistance isn't bad for us.

D: Let's help them!

As the trio runs back to help the other, Nori looks down from the top of the Cathedral, but is suddenly picked up by Uzi with a squeak. She throws Nori up and hits her with the pickaxe as if it were a baseball bat. Nori lands on a window, and Uzi lands on top. Uzi grabs Nori while laughing and throws the pickaxe at N down below, knocking it to the side of N's head. Uzi slowly puts Nori into her mouth, ready to eat Nori. With no option, N's severed arms get to work writing a message with oil.

N: (slightly panicking) Nori! I should mention, Uzi and I, uh...

Uzi, still with Nori semi-placed in her mouth, looks down towards N. He has written "HANG OUT? We just kinda are hanging out a lot idk" and a few hearts. N gives a thumbs up with one of his arms. Uzi takes Nori out of her mouth, confused.

Solver: What?

Nori: Uzi Doorman. (Nori, now angry, turns to face Uzi.) Those things were one of the things that killed your frickin' mother!

Nori slaps Uzi so hard that she sends Uzi crashing into the floor below.

Solver: (voice glitching into Uzi's voice.) Ow! I'm not-

Uzi regains complete control over her body. Her eyes revert from yellow to purple.

Uzi: Hey, lady! You don't frickin' own me!

N: Ha-ha-aaaAAH!

Uzi kicks Nori into the hole.

N: Uzi!

Uzi: WHAT?! We did not discuss being gross and- (shrieking)

N: That was your MOM!

Uzi: WHAT?!

N: Wait, no!

Both continue shrieking before finally embracing each other, with Uzi's visor showing tears streaming freely. The door of the Cathedral opens, revealing Doll, D, and Bob all entering. They see N and Uzi hugging each other, and each had a different reaction. While D was cooing over the fact that the two were hugging each other, Doll remained unamused but smiled, and Bob wondered where Nori had gone. Doll decided to break the silence.

Doll: (In Russian) [It seems you are back to normal, Uzi.]

Uzi: Doll! I thought something bad had happened to you, especially considering you were stabbed...

 Doll: (in Russian) [I can deal with that later. Good thing you are not under the influence of the Solver anymore.... for now.]

D: Yeah... I got puppeteered by the Solver, but mine was green.

Uzi: Hmmm, something is not right. Consider that I know the truth about the whole Solver thing, and while the Solver controlling us would be yellow, you mention yours is green. There isn't another Solver out there.

N: I really hope not!

Bob: Hey... where's Nori, by the way?

Uzi and N were unsure how to answer that, as while Nori is alive, she was thrown into the pit, and doesn't know how to break it to him. While they were all discussing among themselves, the camera zoomed out to Tessa's helmet, which was rolling towards the hole. Right before it falls in, someone's foot steps on it and picks it up. A headless Tessa puts on her helmet, screwing it back into place, before unzipping her spacesuit. Then, a tentacle places the helmet down, while wet squelching is heard. Slowly walking toward the group, her footsteps could be heard across the Cathedral, causing Doll to notice her first, and turning her curiosity into fear. The rest notice Doll's fear and turn to see who Doll saw, and upon seeing who it was, everyone freezes up with concern and shock. 

What was under the spacesuit was not Tessa, but a worker drone. This isn't just any worker drone; it was Cyn. But, from the memory that Uzi saw in the murder drones, Cyn seems different. For starters, she has some human skin on her right side, with some obvious stitches holding each piece of skin in place. On her left side was what terrified the group; instead of the usual worker drone body, it was a human skeleton with some wires attached to each one. She still wears her maid outfit, albeit more damaged than usual. The last noticeable feature is that on the worker drone's side, her eye is shaped like an "X", but on her human skeleton side, it is shaped like a skull.

Cyn: (laughs) Oh, yes. Get snuck up-on.

Yellow X and skull appear in Cyn's hollow eye sockets. Cyn jumps and starts running like a spider, then teleports towards the group.

Cyn: (voice glitching) Neck bite. (Cyn bites N's neck. Uzi and Doll activate their Solver, try to stop her, but get stabbed.) Stab. (Cyn stabbed Bob and D as well.)

Cyn drags the group towards the hole.

Cyn: It's been fun. And, also, that's sarcasm. Honestly, I'm starving. (Cyn jumps into the hole while sarcastically saluting them off.)

A massive yellow light emerges from the hole, with Absolute Solver symbols covering the walls. Many tentacles emerge, flailing wildly. The column of yellow light erupts upward out of the Cathedral, through the entrance to Cabin Fever Labs, and up into the sky, punching a hole in the clouds. The moons of Copper 9 shine clearly through. J's landing pod arrives and lands. J flies out, landing on one leg.

J: That should have lost him. There's no way he can fly that fast...

As J thought she lost Mecha Naga, she was stabbed in the back by a flash drive. Turns out, Mecha Naga was able to catch up with J and was able to sneak behind her and stab her with a flash drive. The flash drive was corrupting J, causing her eyes to turn green.

Mecha Naga: Earlier, I was going to kill you, but my boss called and said it would be better if we just controlled you into following our orders, so there's that. (Look up at the sky to see the clouds being pushed apart.) So, the time has come. This planet is about to witness the day it ends, as if I cared. Welp, J, do your work, and we'll take you from this planet's end. (Flies up to the sky.)

J: (in corrupt voice) With pleasure. Just say...

An approaching engine can be heard. J looks up and suddenly gets hit by a bus, which sends her and the keys flying.

J: (in corrupt voice) Agh! (The keys fall out into the hole leading underground. J is annoyed for losing the keys, and switches to a machine gun.) Who are you idiots?

Lizzy and Thad stand in the fog, not replying. Khan is resting on the roof of the bus. Thad is twirling the pipe he used back, and Lizzy powers up the new railgun. A prior hazard alert appears on J's visor, reminding her of her previous encounter with Uzi's railgun. J becomes unnerved as her confidence drops even more.

Two tentacles emerge from the hole, forming a mocking heart to mock Uzi and N for their love for each other. More tentacles appear and grab all five drones by their ankles before dragging them in. Uzi grabs onto N and impales her hand on a bone to stop being pulled in, while D grabs both Doll and Bob and holds on for dear life with her claws. N wakes up and looks at Uzi with fear evident in his gaze.

Uzi: Hey. Thanks for, like... (The keys fall past them. Uzi looks up to see them and then looks back to N.) ... everything.

N: Uzi, don't you dare!

D: Wait, you're not implying that-

Doll: (In Russian) [Uzi, don't you think about-]

Uzi throws N, D, Doll, and Bob up, and jumps in the air as N looks in fear. She cuts off N's right leg with the bone, then places the keys on his chest so he can escape. Uzi's visor displays the words "DIE MAD" before she pushes the other four drones out of the Cathedral with her Solver. N goes flying and bounces off one of the stair steps while the other three land on the ground, as Uzi gets pulled into the hole. Uzi bites off one of the tentacles so she can get into a better pose. Yellow lightning crackles around her, and everything goes dark.

Soft knocking sounds are heard as small pebbles hit Uzi's face. Uzi wakes up and realizes she is in space, floating above Copper 9. There is a giant glowing yellow hole leading to the core of Copper 9.

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google Translate and messing up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

**At the end of the previous chapter**

It opens with a field of stars and zooms in to a distant view of Copper 9 and its moons, before switching to a view of the surface and the corpse spire. 

Inside a car, two skeletons can be seen. A bright flash of light appears in the background, followed by a shockwave that breaks the windshield. This turns on the car's radio, and melancholy music starts playing. The radio displays the word NULL.

The camera cuts to a view of many places that were affected by the shockwave. Scenes include a view of a skeleton and drone hand with a traffic light blinking in the background; inside Doll's home, the bugs are starting to float up; Nori's drawings are seen floating up in her closet; and at the warehouse, notably Rebecca and Braidon, are floating.

Rebecca: What is happening?! Why are we floating!

Braidon: (Checking from his phone) Apparently, according to Lizzy, Khan told her that this planet is about to be controlled by this "Solver" thing, and it's going to eat us all....

Rebecca: (Shocked) What! What are we supposed to do?!

Braidon: It's time to get our friends and activate the guardian drone we built.

Rebecca: (Nods) Right, let's help Uzi and Ghot in a way!

Both Rebecca and Braidon, despite floating, do their best to get others ready for the guardian drone. The camera cuts to a view of the Teacher grading an essay by Uzi. The essay, titled "Dumb Stupid Essay," consists entirely of the phrase "I AM GOD" repeated over and over. Papers, desks, chairs, and other items are all floating around. Suddenly, everything falls back to the floor, and air rushes by the windows, before the outside fades away to stars. The Teacher walks to the door, and the view pans down to reveal a massive, gaping hole on Copper 9 that goes all the way down to the core. It zooms into the core of the Absolute Sovereign's core. Giant yellow glowing tentacles reach out from the core, grabbing onto the various pieces of floating crust. One of the tentacles slaps the Teacher's face. The Teacher makes a "why" gesture before the tentacle starts pulling the classroom into the core.

Outside of all the calamity, a foot passed by the view, in which it was Sparky running by, with Ghot and V on top of it. They are speechless at what they are seeing around. Cyn has slightly damaged the planet.

V: No... it already started....

Ghot: So... that the power of the Solver can do... (Look at her hand) I wonder if my power is enough to equal that... 

V: While the planet has taken some damage, we can still try to stop this. If I recall correctly from my time on Earth, the only way to prevent this from growing in power is to destroy the core of the host who created it in the first place.

Ghot: (Laught nervously) Well.. With all of us together, we can stop the threat... I hope everyone else is alright..

 V: Knowing N and Uzi, I bet they are alright. What I worry about is if the Solver gets its hands on Uzi's core. It is more likely to increase the power exponentially. 

Ghot is shocked to hear what V said. Knowing that the Solver itself is already powerful enough to destroy part of the planet, adding another core with a Solver in it would further increase its power. She worried about one thing.

Ghot: Consider that there are two drones known to use Solver. It could also go after Doll as well.

V: True, but it only goes after Uzi for one specific reason. When Uzi tried to use her, there was a chance that the Solver would take control of Uzi. However, Doll has been using her Solver a lot without encountering that issue. It only wants Uzi's because her code is exposed, whereas Doll's is secured, making it likely to have an easier time taking Uzi's. 

Ghot: Well, we'd better protect Uzi from getting controlled. 

V: Yeah... I hope we end this nightmare once and for all.

Ghot: Who knows, if we destroy the Solver, it might cancel all of the influences as well.

V: I can't really bet on that yet-

Before V could finish what she had in mind, Sparky stopped running and sniffing at something in the air.

V: Huh? Hello? Why did you stop running?

Ghot: Hmmm... I may not be an expert, nor do I know if this applies to Robot Raptor, but I have a feeling that it is detecting something.

Then, Ghot's pupil changes into the blue star, indicating that Solution has emerged to explain.

Solution: You are correct. Because there is an anomaly nearby.

Ghot: Wait, what anomaly would be up here in the sky-

Before Ghot could finish her thought, something landed next to the team, knocking them back. When Ghot gets up, she realizes what it was. As the dust cleared, it was none other than Mecha Naga. 

Mecha Naga: (Unamused and sacatice) Ah... It's you again. Thought you had died back at the explosion.

Ghot: Well, you were wrong. I am alive!

Mecha Naga: Well, since I had nothing to do right now before Z finishes her plan, I might as well play with you. And by play, I mean sending you to heaven's grave!

Ghot: (Growl) Oh.. you think I was the same Ghot the last time we fought?

Mecha Naga: I mean, you're still you, so what's the difference-

As Mecha Naga talked, he didn't have time to react as he saw Ghot already in front of him and smashed his face with her power-up boxing glove, sending him flying away. After Ghot landed, she turned and pulled V up from the ground. 

Ghot: (Put hands on shoulder) V, listen to me, you and Sparky have to find the rest! We could work together to face the Cryptid Drone, but finding the other is more important right now.

V: But-

Ghot: Promise me... do it... for N and Uzi. They need you right now...

V stares at Ghot for a moment until she makes her decision.

V: You'd better hurry up and not die on us. I don't want to explain to Uzi that you die facing a giant snake.

Ghot: Don't worry, this time he's not going to win.

V: I trust you on that. (Gets on Sparky) Let's go!

Sparky then starts running toward where Uzi and N likely are. Ghot turns around and sees Mecha Naga rise with his giant wings.

Mecha Naga: I see... You got stronger now. Now that is something I care about. But will it be enough to stop me? Nah. I know I would win, especially with something secret I've managed to get for myself.

Ghot: (Activate her power) Let's see about that.

Using her rocket boots, she launches toward Mecha Naga, managing to push him back toward some asteroids behind, breaking through each one. Countering, Mecha Naga spread his wings to slow down his movement and swing his tail around fast enough to slap Ghot out of the way. Ghot didn't have time to react and ended up getting hit throughout the asteroid fields. She landed on one of the asteroids and, with quick thinking, summoned her orb power to launch toward Mecha Naga. He managed to dodge some of the orbs by performing a barrel roll around the orb.

Realizing he was catching up, she set up her forcefield, and as Mecha Naga rammed through her, it was strong enough to smash the asteroid under Ghot. Mecha Naga then tries to bite through the force field, attempting to break it. Ghot quickly thinks of a plan and then uses her power to pry open Mecha Naga's mouth, just as she had done when she fought Doll. She managed to push Mecha Naga's mouth open and jump out before Mecha Naga could bite back. 

Ghot knows that Mecha Naga is a powerful drone, likely more powerful than the other Cryptid Drones she had fought. What is different this time is that she is alone and has to face him by herself. She wants to prove that she isn't a weakling, as she was in their last encounter. She then pulls out her gun, which was impowered. She aims at Mecha Naga and fires powerful bullets at it. It managed to damage parts of him. Even though she made the shot, she noticed something about Mecha Naga's body; he is healing. So she deduced that she would have to inflict significant damage on him as quickly as possible or remove his core. She put her gun away for the time being and brought out her boxing glove power, going to punch Mecha Naga. However, he resisted the knockback and returned with a tail slap toward Ghot, who only had time to put up her shield before being knocked away. 

Ghot: What is even your goal at all?! Why are you so into trying to kill all of us! What had we done to you?! (Keep throwing orbs at Mecha Naga while he dodges)

Mecha Naga: You want to know why? (laugh manic) YOU want to know?! The reason is that I want to make my master proud of the achievements I can make. Ever since I was created, I had never managed to make anyone proud, no matter how hard I worked! Until the day I met him, Mr. Aristole. 

Ghot remembers that Mecha Naga was a worker drone before he became a snake drone. 

Mecha Naga: And that's why I never question him, because if I did, I know it would be saying like "I don't want to do this." (Slap an orb with his tail away) I want to show him that I am useful! As long as I show usefulness, I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU ALL! If you were a human and considered me useful, I wouldn't be doing this, but this is my reality now. I am a machine that helps him wipe out all drones and create a body for humans to live in forever!

Ghot stopped the moment she heard what came out of Mecha Naga's mouth. From what he is implying, he is willing to kill all the drones and maybe even previously kill some humans, all to please his "master." She felt something she had never felt before throughout her life, both as a drone and as a human, as she had discovered who she was. She felt rage within her. Why is she feeling the rage, one would ask. Because she had never met anyone, human or drone, who was willing to kill off many that would have no benefit for them, and they had a choice not to follow the orders at all. Mecha Naga is willing to kill for no reason, not even questioning if what he is doing is morally right. Powering up, she rushes toward Mecha Naga, catching him off guard, grabs his tongue, and spins him around the asteroid, damaging him in the process. She keeps hitting him for a total of 8 asteroids before launching him toward a big one. With her rocket boots, she propels herself very fast toward the thrown Mecha Naga and uses her power boxing gloves to punch him toward the big asteroid, hard enough to cause an explosion with the two inside. 

As Ghot breathes in hard from her rage, she starts to hear Solution.

Solution: Ghot, as much as I understand your rage, having heard what Mecha Naga said, you need to control it. Your power depends on being calm. If you continue on that path, you might awaken a deep and dark power that I wish to avoid, unlike what happened last time. So please, Ghot, control your emotions.

Ghot: Sorry... It's just that seeing people are down, right, evil, worse, knowing it is immoral, but not caring. It was the very reason I created this drone (starts to cry), to help others in need and protect the innocent from people like him.

Solution: Hmmm, I had encountered many who were like Mecha Naga, but what they all had in common was that, in the end, they would eventually reach their goal, but they would either be alone or never reach their goal because one thing stood in their way: Hope.

Ghot: (Thinking) You might be right... I will try to control myself.

As Ghot spoke, she didn't notice that one of the asteroids was grabbed by a familiar symbol and thrown toward her.

Solution: Continue the fight. Behind you!

Ghot turns around and, in time, shoots her orb power at the asteroid, blowing it up. Confused, she turned to see Mecha Naga still in the same spot, but something was different about him. Unlike before, who was entirely a drone, because of the explosion, half of his face was damaged, showing a skull behind it. What is noticeable is that all the purple coloring on him was now glowing red, and striking of all, his left eye has the absolute symbol.

 Mecha Naga: Ooohh, you've done it now! I never thought I had to use this outside of playing around with Z. (Laugh extremely) I think instead of killing you, I would enjoy better PIECING YOU OFF ONE BY ONE!

Ghot: (Sigh) Welp, it's either me or you now. I prefer to stay right now, as I need to stop you and also help Uzi stop the Solver. So.. (power claws on) It's show time!

The camera zooms in on each of the two's eyes, preparing for the fight that would decide who would assist their teammates. Ghot and Mecha Naga rush toward each other as Mecha Naga uses his Solver to grab and multiply many asteroids around them and throw them toward Ghot. Meanwhile, Ghot grabs her gun and powers up to shoot at the asteroids, destroying all. While distracted, Mecha Naga circles behind Ghot and hits her with his wings, which leaves a slash behind her. She turns and sees Mecha Naga breathe out a laser beam toward her, and in time, she holds onto the beam before throwing it away from her. Using the rocket boots' power, she boosts toward Mecha Naga, but Mecha Naga counters with a tail slap, sending her away from him. At the same time, he prepares for another laser attack and shoots toward Ghot, before she activates her force field in response to shield herself from the laser. 

Mecha Naga then circles the force field and tries to squeeze Ghot inside, but Ghot has a crazy idea. Before Mecha Naga succeeds, he feels pain around his body and has to release, and spikes grow from the force field. Ghot was able to summon more orbs around her and shot them toward Mecha Naga, damaging him in the process and also stunning him. With an opening, Ghot releases many attacks toward Mecha Naga, such as punching his head with her boxing glove, kicking with her rocket boots, and ending with uppercutting him up into space. Mecha Naga regains consciousness and tries to slap Ghot with his tail, but Ghot is prepared this time. Using her claw power, she grabs the end of the tail and spins him around toward more asteroids, further damaging him, before throwing him at the massive asteroid.

Mecha Naga: (Growls) Time to get this serious now.

Mecha Naga starts to use his solver power to grab more of the asteroid, and before launching, uses the scale ability to grow each one bigger than before, launching them all toward Ghot. Thinking of a quick plan to get to Mecha Naga, she got an idea in the form of using drill powers on her hand and boosting toward the giant asteroid, blasting through each one. Waiting, Mecha Naga expected Ghot to go around the asteroid and was preparing to shoot a laser at her. However, he didn't expect Ghot to drill through the asteroid. Before he had time to react, Ghot's drill hit his face dead on, forcing him back. Mecha Naga tries to ease the pain, but he remains determined to destroy Ghot, so he uses his Solver to grab Ghot and attempts to pull her apart. Realizing what Mecha Naga is trying to do, she summons her chain power and places each of the solver symbols between them on each end that tries to pull her apart, stopping them. Ghot then summoned an orb of power and shot toward Mecha Naga. While he dodged it, he lost focus, causing Ghot to set free.

Now being free, Ghot uses her chain power to wrap around Mecha Naga and tries to pull him apart. Realizing he is losing, Mecha Naga started to feel rage, and using his solver power to max, he managed to turn one of the smaller fragments of an asteroid into a spike and throw it toward Ghot. Not noticing the spike, her hand got stabbed, causing Ghot to flinch, causing Mecha Naga to be set free. Mecha Naga utilizes his solver ability to grab a single asteroid fragment, manipulate it into hot lava rock, and then multiply it into thousands of them. He throws many of them at once toward Ghot. Having a funny idea, Ghot thinks of a mitten power, and for each one nearby and in reach, she manages to grab some while dodging others. After a while, she managed to gather many of the lava rocks and, using her power, wrapped them around into a ball. She then uses the power of her rocket boots to spin very fast and kick toward Mecha Naga. Not reacting in time, he got hit, and a massive explosion happened. He is stunned again, giving Ghot more time to attack him with many of her powers, and finishing with a spinkick to the head. Mecha Naga spins around for a bit before regaining its composure. He is starting to have enough of this.

Mecha Naga: (Enraged) Ok, that's it! I've done playing with this game!

Ghot noticed that Mecha Naga was starting to overheat slightly, and she concluded that he was overheating due to prolonged use of the Solver, likely because he had limited experience actually using it. 

Ghot: (Thoughts) Good, I think a few more and he'll be down.

Ghot then sees Mecha Naga using his Solver, but this time he uses his solver ability to teleport. She looks around, but is unable to spot him.

Ghot: Where did you go... (prepare her power)

Solution: Alert, he teleported to the edge of the solar system and is currently rushing toward your location on your right in 10 seconds. Be prepare!

Ghot: (shocked) Wait, he did WHAT!?

No time to ask, Ghot turned to the right and saw Mecha Naga, spinning toward her location while on fire. Preparing, Ghot uses her claw power and manages to hold on to Mecha Naga right as he slams right into her. She keeps pushing back the force until she manages to slow down Mecha Naga. Giving him no time to react, Ghot used her boxing glove power to punch Mecha Naga far. Having had enough, Mecha Naga uses his solver ability to grab more smaller asteroids and send them all at once, like rain, toward Ghot. She dodges each one and charges toward Mecha Naga. She uses her chain power to wrap some of the asteroids and launch toward Mecha Naga. He managed to dodge some, but this is what Ghot planned. As soon as he turned to face her, she was ready with her bomb power. Mecha Naga then tries to bite on Ghot, but using her power, manages to pry open his mouth and throw a power-up bomb inside Mecha Naga's mouth. To make sure the bomb stays inside, she uses her chain power to grab more of the asteroid and jump out and shove all into Mecha Naga's mouth. After a panic of trying to remove some, his insides exploded. Mecha Naga is getting too tired even to use his solver ability anymore, causing the symbol on his eye to fade out back to normal eye and his red coloring back to purple coloring. Ghot then uses one more attack that would end Mecha Naga. She uses her drill power to drill into Mecha Naga's chest and manages to pull out his core.

Mecha Naga: No! I still need to show what I'm capable of!

Ghot: Well, consider yourself retired.

Ghot uses her power to crush Mecha Naga's core. With his core lost, Mecha Naga realizes that it was all over for him. Without the core, he can't move anymore, and since the core had the Solver, he can't use the power again. Ghot watches as Mecha Naga slowly drifts into deep space away from Copper-9. Mecha Naga decided to try to use his intercom to call his boss.

Mecha Naga: (In intercom) Hello! Hello! This is Mecha Naga speaking. I need assistance here! There is a worker drone with power that manages to rival my Solver. Please pick me up.

 He was expecting his boss to come to him, considering all the work he had done. But what he heard next crushed all of his hope.

????: (In intercom) I see. So that would mean you failed your task after all. How disappointing.

Mecha Naga: (Shocked) Wh-what?! I completed all the tasks you requested. I even brought you the green core you asked for, which I had gotten back!

????: (In intercom) Yeah... that's the problem, for you. You had finished your task, meaning whatever happens next to you is not my problem.

Mecha Naga: But... but...

????: (In intercom) Consider yourself... dismissed. 

Mecha Naga heard the intercom cut off after that. After all that he did, he still ended up being useless in the end. He turns to see Ghot again, staring back at him, before turning and boosting back to Copper-9. Realizing he had no one else left and no way back home, even if he were able to, he floated off into deep space, forever. Eventually, he stopped thinking and powered down, letting fate decide on what would happen to him.

Ghot is traveling back to Copper-9 to assist her friends. She then heard Solution speaking to her.

Solution: So, do you feel anything now that you defeated him after a long time since he beat you back at the abandoned factory?

Ghot: (Thinking) Honestly, I'm not even sure. While yes, it did feel good to finally get back at him for nearly killing me back there. But at the same time, it just... I hate that he had a choice to ignore his master's order and realize the situation and should have decided that what the order was is too immoral even for him, but I guess all of that "wanting attention" blinds him. I wish it were possible to save him, but after hearing his goal, I believe he is a lost cause. Yes, I know there are stories where heroes try everything they can to redeem a villain, but keep in mind that some villains are motivated by many reasons. While some villains may come from a troubled childhood or be forced into it, others are inspired to be evil because it's enjoyable, or because, as I hate to admit, they are aware that what they are doing is immoral, yet they still enjoy it. (Sigh) It was the reason I even made Ghot in the first place, to protect people from any evil out there. 

Ghot look at her drone hand, and instead, imagine her human self in place, thinking how she was a human and can't believe she became the very thing she built to protect others. She realizes the irony behind this; she had technically made her own suit of armor, her soul, with the assistance of the blue core, which controlled the drone she had dreamt of one day helping others. So far, she had been able to help others in need when she was awakened from her slumber. While yes, all those she had helped were drones, and no humans are around, she still considers drones as living beings just as equally as humans or even animals, since each drone had their own personality.

Solution: Grace, with your understanding of hope, you should utilize all that you have learned and be prepared, because I sense a significant battle ahead, and you will need all your friends and allies to be there for you. Are you ready?

Ghot: You know I am! I'm going to reveal what makes all of this who we are! 

Ghot increases the power of her rocket boots to boost back toward the planet, which currently has a giant yellow hole at its core. Ghot and her friends will be about to face their biggest challenge so far in this adventure.

Chapter Text

Indicate

() = action of character

Bold = time skip to a certain point.

[ ] = translated (yeah, I am not using Google Translate and messing up the translation)

___ = Voice Censor

"" = thoughts

The scene begins with Uzi, who is watching the core from a distance. Uzi starts flipping and spinning out of control, before a large boulder being moved by someone's Absolute Solver hits her, and she grabs onto it. In the distance, Nori is jumping around the rocks, headed towards Uzi. Uzi says something, but being in the vacuum of space, nothing comes out.

Nori grabs a rock, spins it, and scratches "WHOOPS" on it, while pointing at the core of Copper 9 and shrugs. Uzi displays "HOW STOP?" on her visor. Nori scratches an image of the crucifix patch and "PATCH?" on the rock. Uzi makes a gesture indicating that it got destroyed, before displaying on her visor "SOLVER CONTROL ME AGAIN?". Nori throws her choker at Uzi. From Uzi's view, Nori has scratched "IF YOU A LIL B" with the rest of the message censored and a parental advisory pointing to the message. Uzi puts the choker on before waving at Nori. Nori scratches a smile and waves in response. She then scratches an Absolute Solver glyph and "NEEDS HOST - DESTROY CYN'S HEART <\3." Nori puts on her headphones and MP3 player, and throws her pickaxe to Uzi. A landing pod suddenly hits Uzi, sending Nori and the pickaxe flying back to Copper 9, burning up.

Uzi starts slipping from the top of the landing pod, but catches hold of the ladder. The door opens, and a Disassembly Drone tail grabs onto Uzi's hand, pulling her into the landing pod. When Uzi looks up, she notices that the one who saved her was N, alongside D, Doll, and Bob. 

N: (giggling) Spaceship piloooot!

Uzi throws a wrench at N, causing him to spin around in his chair. Alarms sound, and the screens all display an error temporarily.

D: (Panic) Don't hit the pilot while the spaceship is still traveling!

Uzi: What? No! N! My mom was back there! (Angerily stomps her way toward N)

N: (shrieks as he regains control of the landing pod) Sorry! I didn't kno- (Uzi hugs N and the alarms stop) Oh.

Uzi: (muffled) You were supposed to get away.

N: Yeah, I'm kind of, like, actually mad at what you did. (Look at the other three drones behind him) Mostly me. But we can- (the alarms go off again) TALK LATER!

The landing pod starts dodging rocks before blasting off from a bigger rock. N and Uzi are both sweating. They fix their hair. They look at each other for a moment.

Doll: (In Russian) [Watch.]

Uzi: (sniffs before putting her forehead on N's and chuckling evilly) Then DIE MAD, BI-

Bob: (Sensing something) Wait, something off-

Everything suddenly goes dark, and batteries start floating. A glowing tentacle reaches into the landing pod, grabbing onto the ship. A message interface appears, displaying a message from Cyn that reads "STOP :)". All the drones complain inaudibly, now that they are in the vacuum of space. Cyn pulls the ship in half, and the ship's explosion sends all five of them falling towards Copper 9's atmosphere while they start to burn up. Uzi and N grab each other's hands while D is spinning uncontrollably, while Doll and Bob use their Solver to try to grab nearby rocks to stabilize their fall.

Uzi: Well, that's a serious issue. Um, before that... (Uzi nods her head at the core) ...whole...thing. We're like dating...right?

N: Oh. Y-Yeah. Like, that was the plan, yeah-

Uzi: Just 'cause, I can't alway...I can't always read-

N: Like, y-yeah?

Uzi: (blushes) Yay... (nervously giggles)

Uzi and N hug. The rest of the drones saw the situation.

D: Finally! Knew they got together! (Look toward Doll, at least an attempt) You should do the same with Ghot as well.

Doll: (Blushing madly) (In Russian) [I-I-I, can we focus on this first!]

D: Right, right.

Bob: (Sigh) I still remember my first attempt; it didn't go well.

N tries to kiss Uzi. Causing Uzi to push N away.

Doll: (In Russian) [(Thoughts) Figured she was not ready for that step yet, though.]

Uzi: (in disgust) Gross! Get away! (evilly) Time to murder a planet! (Uzi starts to cartwheel so fast that smoke and sparks trail behind her while falling, cackling)

The team falls towards the core at a rapid speed. Meanwhile, Cyn's tentacles are pulling the lower half of the landing pod towards a tumbling, floating island. The camera cuts to J sitting angrily on a metal tank holding a paper. On it are the words "I O U 1 SPACESHIP" and a sad face. The tentacle sets down the landing pod rather hard, resulting in a large explosion.

J: (In a corrupt voice while sarcastically saluting) Yes. Thank you, boss! Good as ne- (Cyn pats the landing pod with the tentacle) Yep. There is cool. Thanks. (The upper half of the landing pod crashes nearby)

J glances at Lizzy, Thad, Khan, and the school bus, which are stuck to the ice because of gravity and spinning in space so fast. Khan nods at the school bus, which responds by rotating one of its wheels in return. Thad tries to grab his wrench, but it falls off the side. He then tries to catch the railgun, but it is out of his reach.

J: (In a corrupt voice while sighs) All right, "sentient mass." Time to go in the scary planet...hole...thing. (She tries to fly to them, but gets pulled down by gravity. J grunts) Ow. (Part of her leg is stuck in the ice) Gravity. Okayyyy. (J pulls her leg out and starts trudging through the ice towards the trio) I'm FINE, and calm, and (J switches to a missile launcher and her left eye becomes a crosshair) Go away! (J fires a missile. Thad and Khan look in fear, while Lizzy rolls her eyes.)

Suddenly, a red-eyed sentinel named Sparky, still wearing Beau's hat, appears and hits the missile with its tail. Riding on its back is V.

V: Hup! Hyah! 

V jumps up and kicks the missile, only for it to miss and land behind J, where it explodes. V and J glare at each other. The chunks of planet slow down, and everyone can finally get up. Lizzy and Thad look on, but Thad gets knocked down by the Sentinel. Sparky runs towards J, with V riding on top. J fires two bullets at V, but the Sentinel deflects both with a Disassembly Drone sword. Sparky switches to a laser, but J dodges it. J looks back, but realizes that V is no longer riding the Sentinel.

V: (from behind J) Can't betray us that easy, NARC!

J: (In a corrupt voice) It's senior inform- (V kicks J in the head) AGH! (J is sent flying into a nearby floating rock.)

V: (angry) Being controlled by THE SOLVER?! (V tries to kick J again, but J flies away just in time. They start clashing, sparks flying in the surrounding space.)

Lizzy is texting on her phone while lying on her stomach and kicking her legs. It's shown that she has been texting V. 

V (texting): I lived btch

V (texting): U find J?

(Lizzy sends an image of her doing the peace sign with J in the background)

Lizzy (texting): o7 want me to kill her 4 u? She has green eyes.

V (texting): Just distract.

Lizzy got a message from Rebecca and checked.

Lizzy (texting): Sup.

Rebecca (texting): Trouble over there?

Lizzy (texting): Yep. Time to send her here.

Rebecca (texting): On it!

Lizzy switches her message back to V. Lizzy almost sends a message to V back saying "btw your ship got carbombed lol", but she then realizes that there is a red glow coming from behind her. Lizzy looks up at Sparky before turning to Thad and Khan, who are both visibly worried. The Sentinel suddenly grabs Lizzy with its jaws and starts slamming Lizzy into the ground repeatedly, resulting in Thad and Khan beginning to scream. Thad picks up the railgun like a bat and prepares to hit the Sentinel with it. Behind them, V kicks J into the ground, causing a massive explosion that sends everyone else flying into space. Lizzy, some feet away from the Sentinel, makes a "go away" gesture to Sparky. In response, Sparky coughs up a bottle of flammable gas, pokes a hole in it, and starts to approach Lizzy. Lizzy, Thad, and Khan all panic, try to scream, and start trying to get away.

V: Ugh! We were supposed to get away, J! (V while flying pushes J up the tower) You said we do our jobs on this planet...

J: (in a corrupt voice) Oh, grow up, V! You know we never kept that promise.

V: (Shocked) Wait, J would have never said tha- (J knocks V back)

J: (in a corrupt voice) We tricked you. (fires a missile at V) You know there's no escape, even in death! (slices V's left leg off) It's better on the winning team, as a team. (V grabs her hand)

V: Oh, how about you BITE ME?! (expulses J's hand off.)

The camera zooms in on Uzi and N falling together as Uzi uses her Solver to summon a black hole.

Uzi: Hey, Cyn! Suck! On! THIIIIS!!!

Uzi and N start spinning around, and Uzi throws the black hole at the core, causing an explosion to occur throughout the planet, which produces a howling sound. After flinching, V and J became confused about what had happened, then took a stand to continue the fight. Uzi winks at N, then they continue to fall. And they land on a catwalk and strike a pose. D landed, with Doll and Bob carried by her.

Doll: (In Russian) [I admit, that's epic, but we have things to do first.]

As Doll finished her sentence, they felt a shockwave from the core, and the tentacles stopped moving. Cyn rose, holding the black hole.

Cyn: Dropped this, silly (Crush the black hole).

Cyn climbs onto the line of broken platforms and begins to walk towards the five drones slowly.

Cyn: (normal) Hello, Uzi and Doll..... and whoever you are (point at Bob) (higher pitched) Hi, N and D! (normal) I see. You will not talk to me because I have hurt...your feelings. 

Uzi notices that N is shaking in fear. Doll notices that D is extremely worried.

Cyn: (distorted) Easier to assimilate (Voice gets deeper) than explain, anyway. Callback ping.

Cyn tries to control Uzi, but she resists with some effort.

Uzi: Bite me.

Uzi looks at N and notices that he seems nervous, the same with D, who is likely having PTSD. Doll and Bob have their Solver ready to fight.

Bob: You will not take her, you monster!

Cyn: Normally, a 5-to-1 seems unfair. But. I brought something to assist me. Summon Solver Worm.

The five drones felt something coming from the core. What they saw surprised and shocked them, as what arrived was a yellow energy-like Worm. On the eye is the Solver Symbol, and the size is uncertain, as only the upper half of the body is visible.

The Worm then attacks D, Doll, and Bob, pushes them away from Uzi and N, and chases after the three.

Uzi: DOLL, D!

Doll: (In Russian) [Handle your situation, we will deal with this vile creature!)

Uzi looks back at Cyn, who leaps for her while swatting N away with her tentacle.

Cyn: Okee.

Quick as a flash, Cyn cuts off Uzi's hand and forces her hand through Uzi's chest, ripping out her heart and causing the "FATAL ERROR" sign to appear on Uzi's visor. Uzi's heart consciousness activates briefly before N jumps in to stop Cyn.

N: Agh!

Cyn dodges, and N lands and looks at Uzi for a split second as she regains her consciousness and pulls her heart back into her chest. When Cyn teleports next to N, he slashes, while Cyn blocks his attack. Cyn then grabs N and pulls him to her. As N tries to slash Cyn again, she grabs his left arm and tears it off. Then Cyn pins N to the ground and pulls N's right arm off.

Cyn: Okay. You first, eager beaver. (Giggles and taps on his chest before digging into it with her hands) Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in. Let me in.

The scene cuts to Uzi's POV, watching N screaming as Cyn attempts to get to his heart, ripping his head off in the process. Uzi then uses her Solver to cut the bridge from its holsters. N and Uzi both fall while Cyn hovers above the original position of the bridge. Cyn dives down to N's body. Uzi uses her Solver twice more to manipulate the direction of the catwalks. Uzi then holds her chest, and then the scene cuts to Uzi dragging N's slowly regenerating corpse into a building. After a moment, Cyn swoops and crawls into the building after them. The camera then cuts to V and J fighting.

V: Offer rescinded!

J: (In corrupt voice) And here I thought you stepped it up after Earth. (J kicks V into the side of a wall on the same building N, Uzi, and Cyn are in.) I never needed either of you.

The scene ends as J fires a rocket towards V, off-camera. The scene depicts a foggy area as the giant worm monster emerges from the mist. In its mouth were Doll and Bob, using their Solver, so as not to get crushed by its massive jaws.

Doll: (In Russian) [How do you suppose we can escape from this?]

Bob: Don't you worry! I got a plan. Be ready when I say what to do.

As Bob finished his sentence, the Worm threw both Bob and Doll up into the air, preparing to consume them. As Bob and Doll fall toward the Worm, Bob shouts.

Bob: Use your Solver and grab that building there at the same time!

Both Bob and Doll use their Solver to grab the nearby building and manage to grab hold, and they throw it to the side of the Worm, knocking it down for a while. They landed somewhere away from the Worm.

Doll: (In Russian) [How does one counter that creature. Our Solver is unable to affect it, just like how I am unable to affect Uzi, nor... Cyn...]

Bob: We will figure it out. Our best bet is to use these objects and hope they will be enough to take it down.

Doll: (In Russian) [Even if that works, that would take a long time.]

Bob: Better than it being invincible.

They felt the ground rumbling and teleported out of the way to dodge the Worm coming out. It roars at the two and shoots lasers at them, which both have to dodge. They fight against the Worm, such as using their Solver to keep hitting the Worm with objects, but it only slows it down. They can see that the Worm is about to consume them, until the Worm is hit by something hard enough that it is pushed miles away. What Doll and Bob saw was a 9-meter-tall drone with wrecking ball for hands, which managed to punch the Worm away.

Bob: What in the-

Doll: (In Russian) [Who are you?]

They got their answer when they heard a communication from the drone.

Rebecca: (From communitcater) Hello again, Doll! I totally didn't forget that time at prom!

Doll: (In Russian) [Rebecca?]

Emily: (From communicator) Let's say, this was all Lizzy's plan to help. Introducing, Wrecka! She is super strong, especially since we got some help to build her.

Sam: (From communicator) By the way, we almost died.

Bob: Well, this will help us for sure. (They felt the Worm about to come back). Hey Doll. How about I teach you some tricks about the Solver that I bet even you didn't know, and some of them were passed down from your mother.

Doll: (In Russian) [(Thinking) I would appreciate that...]

D landed next to them.

D: Sorry! I had to find where you were after I got launched to another place.

Bob: You are on time. Team, let's kill this Worm!