Chapter Text
Waking up that morning was an ache, just like it was every day. Sitting up from bed took... work. Hard work, why was it so difficult these days?
Khan didn't even have his helmet on yet it was so early in the morning. He woke up alone in the house, it being two... maybe two? Weeks since his daughter up and left. It wasn't the first time she tried to run away but- but it was... the longest she's ever been gone. Aside from when she self-banished of course, and got herself mixed up with those murder drones.
And cyn. Hearing the full story of that from Nori was surreal, truthfully? He felt ashamed of his behavior knowing why those murder drones were even here. He still didn't like Niko, or Vivian, especially not Jasper but at least he didn't have to see her anymore wherever she ended up.
He dragged himself into the kitchen, the coffee pot that was originally here for human use modified to run warm oil in the morning. At least unlike the disassembly drones they could drink it optionally, besides uzi made frequent use of it too.
... he felt bad watching her have to though, that tail stuck to her body and those creepy wings she had just reminding him how bad he likely failed her.
If he just shot that gun would he be in this position right now? Even after getting Nori back it felt like she was avoiding him after everything Uzi told her. He found himself staring blankly at the oil pot brewing his morning cup, listening to the machine work as he yawned and cracked his metallic spine. He took the cup, groaning as he went to go sit on the couch and go over the papers for the meeting later on that morning. He was still in his pajamas but clothes could wait. On here he made sure to include N and V with their disassembly drone abilities, they'd be the most effective at covering ground but...
He clutched the paper he held that mapped out chosen routes for each team, his own team had Thad on it. When was that kid getting back? He hadn't heard from him in a while.
He dropped the paper back on the table, sipping from his mug and leaning back on the couch. He had too many thoughts, too many to focus on one... though the biggest thing on his mind was Niko. He was a sweet drone but khan had watched him nearly murder Uzi before, was it so hard to believe he'd try again? Or even V, no matter how close they got to Uzi he never brushed off the paranoia of seeing his daughter with the very type of drone that "killed" Nori. In his thought, he flinched hearing the front door to their house slide open. Nori walked in, holding a stack of papers and walking past khan into the... door... desk... area. It wasn't used for doors so much anymore though, the entire workspace covered in weapon parts and scraps. Uzi's railgun blueprints were there, unfinished projects and such that her and khan finally started to work on together before she left. Nori didn't even say a word to khan, dropping the papers down and starting to rummage through the extra parts he had lying around.
"What happened to hello?" Khan said, watching his wife take parts.
"Morning, sorry hun. Busy, don't you know? Oh- when are you gonna hold the meeting?" She asked, khan standing up and taking his mug back to the kitchen. He set it in the sink, walking over to the ledge separating the kitchen from the workspace.
"Around eleven today, why?"
"Today??"
Nori paused, considering her options for a moment. Khan raised his eyebrow staring at her, Nori turning to him.
"UhhHHHH-- can you push it back to um... tonight?" She said, khan sputtering at the question.
"What?! Why are you-- don't you want to find our daughter? She can't just survive out there forev--"
"You know as well as I do she absolutely could, khan."
"Just because she could doesn't mean she should. Why do you want to push it back?" He said, watching Nori check over the papers and marking things off as she grabbed parts and pieces.
"Lizzy, Niko and Vivian are helping me rebuild Doll. We're using the body I was going to use for myself, and she won't be done until tonight or tomorrow--" she was cut off promptly by khan scoffing.
"Rebuilding Yeva's kid? Sure, and where are you going to get a core for that?"
"Vivian and Niko already got one, Lizzy said they're coming back right now and I'm about to go unbury her... parents to try and siphon their code out for her."
Khan watched the way Nori sank with that last sentence, his tense shoulders loosening as he sighed.
"... do you want help? I can get you through that door," he said, giving a smile. Nori smiled back, nodding.
"Alright, I'll go get dressed. You take whatever you need, it's not like I really use any of this stuff without Uzi anyways," he said, making his way back towards the bedroom. Nori watched him walk away, huffing when the bedroom door closed. He turned her attention back to the desk, tripping over her own foot with her leg almost giving out again. She caught herself before she fell, grabbing her knee and popping it back into place. She'd have to deal with this scrap body for a while longer, Uzi was more important and- and Lizzy seemed desperate to get Doll back with how she stayed up all damn night and day to help Nori. At first it was slow but now? She was able to leave Lizzy to all the nitty gritty wire connecting and such that would take Nori several more hours to do alone. Honestly? She was proud to see her catch on so fast. In that way she really was like her mom.
... she hadn't talked to Eliza in a while, had she?
Nori gathered the papers back up as she marked off the last item, The bedroom door opening and khan walking back out in his usual working clothes. He adjusted his goggles on his helmet, Nori smiling and going to the door. Khan stopped before he followed her, his head turning back towards Uzi's locked bedroom door. It was an empty room, he already went in there to look for her the second V she was missing. Of course there was nothing, her room was messy as it always was and seemingly untouched. He locked the door after that, not stepping foot in there since and... not letting anyone else go in. Honestly, he wanted that room frozen in time until she got back. Exactly how she left it since she'd always be so mad if he went in there to clean it up.
"Hey, Nori?" He spoke up, speeding up to catch up to his wife walking ahead and out of their house.
"Yeah?"
Khan paused for a moment as they continued to walk, his eyes looking away from Nori. For years when he looked at Uzi all he saw was Nori, now? It was the other way around. He hated it.
"Uh, nothing, nevermind."
"Ah, no. Do not do that with me, Mr. Doorman. If you are gonna say something then say it or I'll smack you harder than your mother ever did!" Nori sassed, khan couldn't help but smile. Of course.
"Okay, okay. I just- I have a feeling...uh, Niko..."
"Has something to do with this?" She cut him right off, looking at khan.
"I thought so too, but... we can't blame them just because we want to, alright?" She said, khan sighing.
"I know, I know! It just feels convenient, doesn't it? Right after he starts getting that Pink screen and acting weird Our daughter goes missing. It can't be just a coincidence! How do you expect me to not point fingers at the MURDER drone? I- I mean I already... lost you to them once." he said, crossing his arms. Nori was silent for a moment as he said that. It couldn't have been coincidence but she couldn't point her finger right at murder yet, could she? Knowing Niko she couldn't, she didn't want to knowing how broken that accusation would leave Niko if they were wrong.
"We can't assume anything without evidence, khan, and we don't have any. Just help me with this and once everyone goes out we can talk about it more, okay?" She said, khan nodding as they reached the locked door into Doll's house. After the prom event the poor next person who walked into her house was met with a grizzly sight until khan and several other members of the WDF went in to clean up. Both of her parents were picked up and placed into coffins, both coffins left on their bed and the house locked to never be entered again.
Until now.
Nori watched khan take out his keycard from his coat pocket, swiping it over the card slot and forcing the door to unlock. It slid open, both of them walking in and khan turning the light on. It took ages to clean up the massacre in this room, unfortunately khan was so used to handling bodies through the years that it hardly left a dent on his psyche now. Even seeing Doll's dead father, Ivan, was a dulled shock to his system. A part of him felt bad for... not feeling bad. Nori made a bee-line for the back bedroom, khan stopping at the dining table to lift up a family photo that sat on it. He remembered setting it here after finding it shattered on the floor and smeared in oil, the new frame looked nice even if dusty by now. He blew the dust off, setting the photo back down before following Nori into the bedroom.
Sure enough, their coffins were still there.