Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Picrew: Murder Drones OC Maker wip (by IenDraks)

I do not really have a name for them.

I was never original and it always felt open ended for me. Especially because it was very much self-insert at first; seeing myself as like not fully a person. Most of it was thought up while trying to sleep, thinking of scenarios.

The closest thing to a name, which follows the formula of one letter designation would be something close to my names or handles. Yet even those fall shorts because it would be 'L' or 'S'.

I don't need to explain SD-L; which lets be honest the first nickname for it is 'loser'. nah
And if you know deeper things about Murder Drones, SD-S is already a known thing. First found their Designation on some background papers, later meme-ed by Glitch Prod. in one of their merch video with an drawing of a 'Original Character - Do Not Steal' Disassembly Drone called S.

So, throughout I will simply reference to them without names. And the closest to ever saying it will be simply blurred. I will keep them vague and use nicknames and titles at most.

For looks, I worked as best as I could for a picrew. 

A Worker drone with white eyes and long messty silver hair. Their body is androgynous but look slightly feminine even if they do not wear a maid outfit. Instead they wear a puffed blouse with bow tie and butler pants. Small glasses are on their face, their expression neutral; almost bored. 

Unshowed would be the classic yellow disassembly armband, as well as a fitting maid headband. At their work station as a barkeeper, they often wear an apron. They mostly don't care about their looks, as long as it works and doesn't get in the way of their work, it fits.

They've been in the mansion of a few years. And if you did not pay attention to their disassembly armband, you might think them as a non-sentient factory-made drone.

Which was fair. Because for someone sentient, there was a lot of emotions which they were unable to process. Like a foreign thing; disconnected to them and beyond their reach. To them, feelings were a jumbled mess of never consistent codes that their processor couldn't make sense of; leading to a lot of things being muted to them.

Some would say that they lacked empathy. They wouldn't entirely right.

They understood emotions on a theoretical level; it simply was hard for them to know what to feel at any given points due to their lack of any points of references.

And so, they stood by and watched; a curious nature making them want to record and over-analyze their surroundings. Understand what they should feel and what they should do.

Drones would feel sad when hurt and alone. Noted. I will try to 'feel' accordingly.

Their tone would remain neutral; monotone.

Not out of disinterest or boredom - like with the Teacher in canon - it simply was that way. There was nothing that could make them scream, no pain that their processor could process. No flight or fight responses. Especially here, in the Elliott Estate.

As much as mistress Tessa liked to remind them of their freedom and independence of choices, they were all still servants; tools with the purpose to serve and slave away for their masters.

Simply being a good servant - not reacting and playing the parts as a basic robot - was what their masters wished of them.

And so they would be just that. Stick to the background and watch.

Since they did not used accentuation in their voice they would often need to describe some things for others, such as saying 'query' when asking a question, or pointing out if they used sarcasm. It wasn't as bad as Cyn, they don't need to describe their actions out-loud.

Even if they looked the parts of a simple AI, they still had sentience and interests.

The estate was huge and ripped with knickknacks and entertainments of all kinds. And so it would be with some exploring in the 3-ish years of being there, that they would find that movies were one of their favourite medium.

And we're not talking about all those AI movies that constituted the current age productions. No. We're talking about the precious collection of physical films - made by humans and acted by humans - which the Elliotts had acquired.

From all kinds of genres, they would spend their times alone to watch and learn; take notes and try to understand the characters.

In the end, it would pale in comparison to watching the thing in person; to see people mingling together and acting their strange language of movements and social conducts made by rules which were purposely confusing to most. Sitting in the background of their bar would let them enjoy the hobby and passion of 'people watching'.

There was a lot of room in their mind made purposely for searching and finding out any and all small little details.

And looking back to their previous service, it would make sense.

Before being scrapped and repurposed by our favourite human girl, they were what you would call a detective 'assistant' drone.

It all came down to looking at scenes of crimes and analyzing every single details of it. Categorizing and classing everything. Rationalizing thoughts and emotions of people; motives and actions. Basically: make the job of the humans as simple as possible. It's not like they already solved the cases before the humans did, no one would believe the words of a drone.

As you can see, losing their own emotions while working as a drone made to talk, reassure and rationalize with human being, a big problem. And in the 31st century, it was way cheaper to just scrap the drone and get a new one instead of buying proprietary parts and services.

Their original purpose left them with a lot of processing power left unused while serving as the main barkeeper of the estate.

But hey! At least it meant they had enough memory space to store all the recipes for all the fancy drinks their masters and their guests could wish for.

Anyway.

It was this intuition for details - this wish to record and analyze any drones or humans - that made them the first to notice something different as of late; something unnatural surrounding this new maid having joined the mansion.

Her name would be Cyn.

Chapter Text

Like every times a new drone is introduced to the 'family', it creates a bit of a ruckus amongst the staffs.

From people being extremely excited to make a new friend (Serial Designation N),
to exasperated drones having to deal with a new coworker (Serial Designation J),
to the concerns of wishing to learn and help after living 'such a traumatic' event that is being improperly disposed and dumped into a hill full of corpses.

They did not feel anything about their own experience with it, but they can understand how it might scare others; the pressure of the many bodies - all dead eyes looking your way - as you cannot do anything but try and shout for help.

It would be the latter group that would be the loudest this time around.

Even with the help of mistress Tessa, a lot of glaring issues were still present on Cyn. It was honestly a miracle the drone was still standing it seemed.

They would learn to filter through gossips, find what's exaggerated and truthful, and words that found to their ears would draw a messy picture.

Yet, the truth of the issues would only start to arise slowly; like a predator creeping on its prey. They were small, almost imperceptible, not unlike the drone herself.

Their hate for humans was clear. From the way her fists would tightened in their mere presence, or their smile never reaching their yellow eyes whenever talking to them. But even still, she was very vocal about it. Tho her words were mostly in a cryptic and childish way that most would pass on as a jest, or a trauma response. But to them, those eyes did not lie.

Cyn had seen a lot more than they let on, hid a lot of things that was boiling down under her metallic skin.

Everything she did seemed.. Calculated. Like a mastermind thinking two steps ahead. And an over-analytic mind recognized an other.

Cyn was playing a game.

A similarity was clear as well. Cyn didn't fully grasps emotions either.

They did not think the yellow eyed drone was as muted as themselves; simply different than what 'normal' drones felt.

Unless she was That good of an actor; faking most interactions, especially with her self-appointed big brother.

But to their eyes her mischievous and childish nature seemed real, even if she used it as a tool. And to them it was something this barkeeper could relate to.

The end goal of Cyn's was honestly none of their business. Maybe something bigger was happening, or maybe Cyn would end up being the first to crack and kill one of the Elliott. 

Who cares? Not this drone. Doesn't affect their purpose. And it was good entertainment while they spent their day cleaning glasses and serve drinks.

Yet this all would be nothing compared to the bigger issues and mysteries surrounding the drone.

And like most troubles in this mansion, it would start after the first time she would be sent down to the basement. A punishment normally done under misbehaviour, yet for Cyn's case, the masters simply did not like her visible disabilities.

It had been clear that Cyn had troubles with her own cooling system; often overheating themselves if left unchecked and regularly maintenanced.

She had been doing well the past weeks, ever getting bolder in her exploration of the mansion thanks to her improvements in movements and progress against her injuries. She was a bundle of joy that would run counter with headmistress J's strict nature.

Words would later reach their ears about what would have happened. The broken voice of Cyn begging to be freed, screaming in pain from their burning; pleading that she didn't do anything wrong and that she didn't want to be alone again. Tessa's name would be cried, yet never would reach her ears, as she would so often be chained away by her own parents as well.

They would talk about it like a horror story, something out of a small ghost in a hunted house. An abandoned child left to burn alive hunting the living in revenge.

The same week, one of the staff would go missing.

It wasn't out of the ordinary for one of them to end up dying in work. This mansion could be so merciless.

Most of them had been decommissioned due to physical disabilities; one wrong servo locking in place could easily lead to you falling down one of the many staircases to your doom.

Sometimes the reason was simpler. A 'chance' meeting with one of the lone masters, or foul guests, in an vicious mood could end up with you getting hit so hard to 'fetal error'.

Yet, in the end of the day, a body would be found - left to be cleaned out by another drone - or even the masters themselves gloating at their own daughter about one of her 'toys' breaking.

This Drone, simply vanished without a trace.

The case was easily dismissed as the drone 'up and leaving the mansion'; trying to live on their own in the wilds instead of under the Elliott Estate.

Reasonable but hard to believe.

The atmosphere in the mansion only got darker since.

From strange things seen right out of people vision, to ghost paranoia and the feeling of the mansion getting claustrophobic-ly smaller.

Things were no longer the same.

Honestly it was kinda 'fun', if you could call it that. Interesting might be the right word.

There was less predictability in everything; folks on constant edge gave different and interesting reactions, or even simply the stories shared 'spicier'.

It also meant more drones would seek their way to their bar, wishing for a way to loosen up and forget. More service equals more mouth talking for them to listen.

Even through the fears, No other cases of vanishing would be reported.

At least it seemed so on the surface.

It would be easy for this drone to spot the differences after having spent so long taking notes on everybody.

Like a shine sapped out of them, more and more drones seemed to become a shell of themselves. Bright bodies moving like puppets, often slightly inaccurate in their portraits.

The small changes would all feel familiar to them. Something they had seen more then once in their past life as an investigator.

The complex machinery that is 'projection mimicries'.

It was rare, due to how complex it was to pull off, but it was still widely known in the modern crime scenes. There would need to be a lot of calculations done to project an image from the point of view of the onlookers to hide or fake the truth. But for criminals, hiding their secrets and evidences in plain sight could be worth it.

Yet why would the drones be taken? Why keep up a masquerade? What was it all truly hiding outside of the machinery itself?

And so, if this drone would look the right way - make themselves part of the innocuous background - they could see it.

Could see Her.

It was honestly impressive.

Magnificent even.

Dark wires mangled with pipes, and ever shifting amalgamation of what might be described as an eldritch being had been hiding in plain sight. Claws and legs mangled with security cameras that seemed to act as both its ever seeing eyes as well as the projectors for its illusions.

This was more than a simple drone playing a game; this was a predator hiding out of sight to play with its prey.

The parasite was already inside the nest, disguising itself as a larva and eating its supposed siblings to grow. 

If there was a chance to prevent the creature's plan, it was already too late.

As with everything, they would find themselves analyzing the creature. They never were an artist yet would often find themselves drawing in their handbook, using their captured memories to form a more complete body.

Its methods seemed quite simplistic. She would try to keep her masquerade only to certain few.

For now, her closer family was out of limit, even protected. Tessa and N were her priority, and those close to them like J and V were as well. People who would harm or cause problems for said priorities would easily find themselves her targets.

Next she would make sure to go for solitary units, ones that did not interact with others enough to be required constant puppetry. As for now, they had luckily been spared due to their constant work with others and constant discussions with the headmistress.

Look, it was a secret but they did often work with J. As someone who got to hear a lot of gossips and wanted to keep their work as professional as needed, they would often work right under the headmistress to make sure paperwork were done and issues be solved. They didn't mind, it kept their work clean and help fly right under J's radar by being 'serviceable' and 'responsible'. They still didn't care enough to report that a literal eldritch being was in the mansion.

Taking notes would lead them to ever be more curious about the drone.

Clearly it used the bodies for materials. But what else did it need?

It must feed. something this large would be noticed if it was only using electricity to run itself. The mansion was quite bare and antiquated with electronics; its energy consumption quite monitored. It was not rare for some drone charging stations to be powered off by the masters. You do not stay rich without scraping for every pennies.

They curiously wondered if it could drink.

What would pair well with a drone?

They personally didn't know the taste of plastic, but the alloys in them must taste quite metallic; something they knew blood would be compared to. So a wine might be a good and safe choice for it.

Do they consume their oil as well? it was used as their lifeblood and no traces had been found yet be left behind the many death already happening. What would That taste like for her?

To be fair, Cyn never requested any 'alcoholic' drinks before. She had come to their bar a few times; especially when wishing to hide away from others after a prank. But even served battery acid or antifreeze, she would seem to fake consuming them. The upper body must be an illusion as well.

What now?

Well, not much really.

No reasons to wiggle oneself when already trapped in the spider's web. If anything, moving would cause you to be noticed and killed much faster.

Not that they cared to go against this anyway. They had a purpose to serve this bar and that's all that mattered for as long as they would be allowed to serve.

But, it was still something they kept coming back to, curious about.

To be able to talk to someone about these similarities they both seemed to share. To share their interests in others and other feelings they never understood.

Heck, they knew the drone had a fascination on all that is gore-y and horror, something they had found that no other drones in the mansion seemed to enjoy; all scared of the barest amount of oil or blood. Maybe it could be something they could share; they sure had a large collection of movies she might enjoy.

So why not?

They were damned no matter what would happen; might as well try and sate the curiosity in their core.

A message had been received in the channel made for the servants; Cyn had gotten herself sent to the basement again. This might be the best time to enact their plan.

They wondered if they could find in time something appropriate for her to actually enjoy drinking.

Chapter Text

The bar had closed earlier than normal.

The masters had to leave this night; there would be little to no purpose for them to work overtime for their alcoholic needs.

Most drones felt similarly, as told by the halls quieter than usual; none wishing to work once the sun would set down the land.

Were they any other drone, fear would had probably started blaring at their processors once they passed through the doors of the library. The stillness in the air making everything ever more oddly quieter and dark.

Once arriving at the hidden trapdoor, they would pull out a set of keys from their pocket. The headmistress could be mad all she wanted once she discovered them missing; they knew they would not find themselves in the suspect list.

Unlocking the latch, they knocked on the door twice before moving out of its way; waiting patiently for its occupant to answer.

With a slow creaking sound of the hinges, it lifted itself with caution, revealing two piercing yellow dots searching around until they would latch at their directions.

They knew they needed to be clear and thoughtful with their words; having calculated in advance their limited allowed time.

"Good evening, miss Cyn. I predict we have 2 minutes, 35 seconds and counting until Headmistress J makes her nightly round in the library." Their hand would extend in an invitation; knowing full well this timing would leave no rooms for foul plays on her end.

"Query: would miss do me the honour of accompanying me to somewhere less cramped? This unit believes we are overdue a chat and that a drink would be a refreshment for you to enjoy." They had their head tilted - standing by patiently for her response - hoping despite their monotone voice there would be an inviting warmth to it.

This could be the end.

They did not understood her completely yet. It would not be out of the realm of possibilities for her to have different tools and motives they did not know yet.

But they would take this shot. Walk directly into the predator's lair and take the gambit; the possibility outweighing the negatives.

It would be then, after only a beat, that they would see the pair of eyes shifting; perhaps tilting her head as well.

"[giggles] how could I-I refuse when asking a lady th-this politely! [exclamation] You are a f-funny one. [smile]" Her voice would be as upbeat as they often heard; no sadness portrayed even after being mistreated once more and thrown in what was akin to a cell.

The room would seem to flicker for a split second, as if changing almost imperceptibly. Yet, what was previously complete darkness on the other side of the trapdoor, now was clearer. The lighting in the room hadn't changed yet only now could they distinguish her visage. Progress, she is using her illusion.

They would keep waiting, not wishing to make any sudden movements; like dealing with an animal that might lash out at any moments.

She had taken their hand, which felt real, when crawling out of the tight space. Which right after they would make sure to lock the 'prison' and cover it once more.

"Take me away oh great knight, saving this princess from her cage. [giggles]" She had taken their hand once more, which surprised them but would not comment on. They knew she was always this playful and did not wish to break it.

They would guide her at her own pace towards the closest hidden entrance. One of the many that lead to the maid's corridors which webbed through the mansion for the staff to use.

Inside the dark hallways, if they payed close attention, they could faintly hear more than one footstep behind them; confirming that she was indeed following them closely in her entirety.

They had made sure to keep their bar as dark as possible, even going as far as shutting down the blinds in the room. The only light would be over their workstation; they were not equipped with dark visions after all.

All locks would be tightened as to make sure no distractions would come bother the two, they knew what would happen tonight should not be overheard.

Once leading her to a stool and helping her illusion slightly, they would get ready for the main course. Four cups were set in-front of their guest as they began filling them in. They would have to play with her curiosity, something that they shared and knew could keep this conversation going.

"I do apologize for the amount of choices, as I do not yet know miss' preferences nor what she can safely consumed." Their last cryptic words would definitely catch her attention yet none of the three drinks they had already poured seemed to catch her eyes.

Yet she would not have time to question them when a sharp movement would turn her attention to the drone.

Knife raised, they would bring its blade down to meet with their own arm, slicing open a precise cut.

Oil quickly poured from the wound and into the last cup, no emotions or pain visible on the drone's face.

Still, after putting the knife away, they would quickly apply a medical gauze over the injury, clearly more worried about any spill of oil onto their counter.

Her reaction would be immediate.

The room itself seeming to get ever darker - claustrophobic-ly so - as a sickly wide smile stretched onto her visage.

One of her elbow lazily rested on the wooden counter as she leaned her head into its hand. Her movements no longer jittery, gone were the difficulties she seemed to be having with her body.

Her other hand reached down, pinching together her fingers over the teacup's handle and lifting it closer to her face. The smell, so sweet to her nose, she could not help but salivate to it.

Just like her movements, her voice seemed to differ; deeper, sharper than before. There would be no need for masquerades, it seemed. Gone were her need to point out her actions; no longer needing to act like a small and weak little 'princess'.

"Oh my~ You sure know how to treat a lady~ How did you know this would be my favourite, little knight?~" Her head would tilt once more, this time to an almost unrealistic degree.

Yet the barkeeper stayed neutral, simply opting to remove the other cups and clean them of their content. Almost purposely ignoring how the drone before them spoke her words in a venomously sweet tongue; looking at them with hungry eyes of a predator, daring them to make a mistake.

"As stated: guessing. An analytic mind recognizes another. No one has reported to have to clean any suspicious patches of oil. The missing drones could be used as parts for your plan or for your own body. so, query: but what of their oil?" They did not mince their words, showing their cards immediately now that they knew they had caught her full attention; if not they would already be dead. "I hope mine will suffice for tonight." Their words were so casual, it was almost grating to her that they would do so while accusing her of being behind a lot of death no one had- should had noticed.

"And what will you do with such information?~ Play as a courageous hero?~" She probed at the true question while taking a sip of her 'tea'. Her eyes had narrowed onto them while trying to hide the claws creeping closer to the potential prey.

If they knew so much already, they would not play their hands so casually without a back-up pl-

"Nothing."

A beat.

This had paused the yellow eyed drone in her tracks.

Wha-?

"My purpose is to serve this bar, not report and investigate things. Were I a different drone, things could had been different, but I am not. Curiosity simply poked at me. And now that I have found something deeper, it all makes things more simple. You would have no problems disposing of me when I am no longer needed, no longer entertaining, just like anyone in this mansion. The fact is that we are already in your claws. I may not share the same hate towards humans as you do, but that would be attributed to my own lack of said emotions. Something we might have in common, amongst many more things than it seems. Like a curiosity driving us in some way." By this point they had finished cleaning the cups and had turn their head to the side. "And I find myself curious to see how this will go." They would lift one hand in the air and press a finger into nothingness, unsurprised to make contact with something hidden; one of her claws masked by her illusions.

"You are lonely, Cyn; no one knows your true form. I find that a drink and an ear to listen usually comforts anyone, perhaps even someone such as you. Query One: why not find a place of respite without masks? Query Two: would it be too much to humour my proposal of friendship?"

This was a lot to process for her. and to read.

Were they not afraid of her? Of death? They had just stated they would die no matter what.

This wasn't what she expected to be the reaction of anyone finding out about her.

Even if their voice was monotone, there seemed to be no deceit in it, no hidden cards.

This drone was an anomaly.

An anomaly worth keeping an eye for?

She would repress the solver voice in the back of her head asking, nagging, her for assimilation. She would analyze this drone naturally first; to watch whether the frog can indeed be useful for the spider.

With a small smirk, she pushed further. "And what would you do once your purpose here is nullified?"

"Again, nothing. Once I am no longer needed or useful, I will be discarded." They stated calmly before looking upward, this time looking past the illusion of a drone and onto where a camera - one of her many true eyes - seemed to be. They had learned the tells; abnormally bright spots hiding the devices. "Unless I were given a new purpose, that is."

Her smirk turned into something more genuine; still way wider than it should be on a drone's body but without any true hunger. It was more akin of a predator having found a new toy.

"You are real funny, [mischievous giggle], I like that~ And you might not be so wrong in your deductions, detective." She looked deeply into their eyes, retaining the contact as another of her claw moved from behind them before showing itself mere millimeters away from their visor. Still, no reactions. "And you might be as broken as us."

With a last giggle, she retracted the claw and brought in her hand in-between the two. Her curiosity had won over her. "Let us be broken together."

They would take her fingers in their hand - not in a shake, instead with respect, like one would with an higher being - before lowering their head in servitude over it.

They had made a deal with the devil and they couldn't wait to see where this 'friendship' would go.

Chapter Text

By the days, the mansion seemed to be getting quieter and quieter, yet their life never the more duller.

Often on a daily schedule, Cyn would come in and have a sit at their bar.

Together, they would fill their time with all kinds of discussions, even plans.

It would indeed seem that the drone's knowledge of other's characteristics would be useful for the eldritch done; helping her improve her puppetry techniques. As well as giving a second perspective on little things and stories she would come up with.

Her visits would be no hassle for them to find a reliable oil source for her.

Sure, it would be easier to use their own, but that would run counterproductive if they siphoned themselves beyond utility.

A simple lie here and there, a little gossip spread around the mansion, and one lone drone would now be bled dry into a sealed keg in the adjacent cellar; no one the wiser.

It should not have been this easy. A normal drone would feel something about its death, wouldn't it?

Meh.

No time to think about it, they had a client to serve.

Or... perhaps a friend to serve. It was still unclear.

Friendship was a concept they understood, yet was still far from them. Never before had they thought about it, ever seeing their coworkers as just that, coworkers. No one ever understood them, only ever talking to them.

They also knew that it was a mutual problem on the other side. Cyn's emotions were different than what anyone else felt; most likely something normal for gods.

Because that's truly what she was; a goddess in the making, not truly mortal.

Part of her was organic, from what they had learned. Especially the insides of her body.

Oil helped the mechanical parts still in her from overheating and serving as a great material, but what it meant was that she could eat and drink basically anything both sources could tolerate.

Apparently oil had a very sweet and addictive taste for her, something useful to keep in mind.

They would enjoy the little game they would play, trying to figure out things she might enjoy.

For today, a wild bird - hunter and defeathered - would provide a good snack for her while they chatted.

She seemed to enjoy her meat raw, or perhaps the blood in of itself the most.

If they had different flavours, what type of blood would she enjoy paired with oil?

These last days, every masters would be gone, leaving the two of them alone and unbothered in their time.

Yet, they would find their scheduled meetings not changing. With Tessa and the headmistress gone as well, Cyn had been busy with her free time working even more in the basement.

"[giggles] You should had seen the face of big brother N w-when we watched The Thing." She commented, unable to hide her mischievous smile before tearing a bite off her prey's wing.

"I can only imagine. Query: did he pass out after what happened to the dog?" They asked, being the one that had shared her the movie, knowing it well. They did not expect her to bring her brother with her but it was not surprising.

"[guilty tone] yeah. Overload bluescreen. Probably will not remember it." Cyn looked down at her drink she had yet to touch, mindlessly spinning her spoon. "[pout] I wanted to see the Thing kill more humans... [disappointed tone]"

That did not surprised them; it was rare for a movie to show complete human extermination. They would need to take more time figuring out something else for her to watch.

The Mist might be interesting. Not full on extermination but it was human despair caused by something made by their greed. She would appreciate the irony.

Putting down a martini glass they had been mindlessly cleaning, they would take a closer look at their now silent guest.

Something was different.

They were getting used to Cyn's many masks, yet this did not seem like one of them.

That's without pointing out how they were currently alone, there normally would be no need for her masks in the first place.

Her movements seemed sluggish, even her illusions would flicker from time to time and slightly lag behind. Something was eating at her mind and fatigue seemed to be pulling at her.

"Query; when was the last time you properly rested, Cyn?"

The question seemed to surprise her at first, having indeed been lost in thoughts while staring at her half eaten meal. She quickly settled back to normal, a projector clearly changing her appearance to look more awake.

"[deflec- [truthful] I am feeling fine."

...

Yeah, no.

Cyn didn't normally let herself slip up in her own programming.

She was tired, that much was clear.

Had she been working herself to exhaustion these past few days?

They had been privy to some of the information on her projects, even having seen in person some progress she had made using the memories of each drones she had already claimed.

The smile she had adorned on her face once they had pointed out some of the horror movie references she had used for her designs would be saved in their saved memories.

And so they knew that since miss V - someone who Cyn had started to consider as a sister - 's first shut down after abuse from the masters, the eldritch goddess had been spending almost all the time she had working on how to turn a worker drone into a hybrid temporary transition of what she called 'Angels of Death'. She wanted it to be viable as soon as possible and transform her first; a way to give the drone the privilege of enacting vengeance personally.

Their eyes squinted at the little eldritch goddess, deep in their thoughts.

Something was gnawing at them about this.

Could this cause her to slip up before achieving her plans? Was that what bothered them?

No. Not exactly.

Sure they didn't want her to fail, that would cause her to be sad. Which is something they found disliking the thought of. Not because of any other motives. They did not like the possibility of Cyn, specifically, being sad.

Cyn was a bundle of joy and cunning ideas. The infant goddess that enjoyed chaos so much shouldn't be sulking in her own drink.

When was the last time they truly cared about another person?

Was this what friends felt when another was unwell?

What would they need to do in such cases?

Provide comfort obviously, they already knew the answer of what someone who cared might do.

What kind of comfort could they provide to her, a goddess?

Sleep was what she needed and could fill that role.

Sleep was achieved through safety.

Could they make Cyn feel safe enough?

After a moment of shared slightly awkward silence, they would move out of their station and walk towards the entrance of the room, leaving the other drone to observe in confusion.

"Query: are you entirely in this room?" They asked after reaching the door, having first made sure no one could overheard them.

And that question left the yellow eyed drone even more confused. "[bewildered look] Yes? [extended question mark]"

Nodding to themselves, they would slowly close the door and lock it tightly. With another hand they would bring the lights in the room to an end, submerging the place in darkness.

Already, they would type and send two clear emails,

One destined for the staff's general group chat.

[[[ Room 32, its bar and corresponding cellar will be closed for the rest of the day. Form-A7-03. Thank you for your understanding. This will be my last message for the day. ]]]

One destined privately for Serial Designation N.

[[[ Miss Cyn is needing early recharge tonight after exhausting her energy working. I will be helping her and make sure she is okay. Letting you know as to not worry about your sister. I have situation under control and will make sure to contact you should the need arise. Please enjoy your evening sir N. Disjointed: I believe miss V was searching for your presence in room 17. ]]]

They would keep their messaging online until they would receive a positive response from the latter drone. They would keep making the other drone be confound by a lack of information while making sure to also lock access from the hidden maid's corridors.

Cyn had kept all of her eyes on them throughout. She could see the messages they had sent as well but still did not know what they were planning; tired mind overthinking.

There had been no foul play from the other drone - so far - that would suggest they had anything planned against her. They had been all but open to her without ever needing to force it. She didn't like being kept in the dark.

She was almost tempted to close her illusions has the room was secured, they had been faltering on her.

Her thoughts would be interrupted once the other drone would finally come to her side, an hand extended her way for her to take and help climb down from her seat.

"Follow me, if you please, little Goddess." They knew the little drone enjoyed being treated like a princess - or like the god that she was already - and be pampered with respect.

From the looks of her original frame - her small size, weaker limbs strength and playful imaginative nature - it was safe to assume Cyn was originally manufactured to be friends with younger kids.

Was that a slight curve on the end of their normally thin and flat mouth? She couldn't help herself but giggle slightly at their antics and finding enjoyment in the new nickname. She decided to humour them, taking their hand in hers before a yawn escaped her lips.

They would lead her behind their bar and into a back door, going slowly with her they would notice her uneasy steps. She was trying to be cautious and not knock out any bottles with her true form.

She would find that behind the door was a small little nook tucked right in-between the bar and the cellar.

There wasn't much, a simple charging station and some kind of old disk drive tucked against the wall. Multiple DVD were stacked together in one of those donuts-shaped container as well as multiple paper notebooks all well used.

This must be be where the other drone considered their home, or 'room'; where they lived and slept.

The humming of multiple machines reverberated softly against all of its walls, creating a bit of a calming background noise.

From the cellar, she could feel a soft cold breeze reaching the nook, keeping its temperature low enough to chase away their mechanical heat.

They waited for her to let her body snake its way into the cold room, almost subconsciously seeking its crispy feeling, before closing and locking the door behind the two of them. There would be no other exits or entrance to their location; providing even more security as now anyone would need to go through multiple locked doors.

They hoped this would calm her mind.

Silently, they would sit down, beckoning her to do the same, to which she offered no fight being dragged to sit in-front of them in this little peaceful room.

They would reach and lay their unoccupied hand against her face. At first she had flinched but her own tiredness would not fight as she began to lean into it.

They would use it to make sure she would look at them in their eyes, showing her their clear concern. "Cyn, you cannot overwork yourself like that. Everyone, even a little goddess, need rest."

She had began to see it coming, she was slipping and they were reaching for her. Yet she would still try to protest despite how weak it sounded. "[soft tone] But I am so close to a breakthrough. [determined] I cannot stop now."

She was trying to look to the side, knowing how well by now that the other drone could dissect them without any tools.

One of her hand rested against the floor, her fingers tapping against its soft wood in a fluttering cascading fashion - something they had noticed she would do when her thoughts were overwhelming and exhausting her.

"And I know you will achieve it. I believe in you Cyn, I Know you will make it work in time for everything." Opening their arms to her, they silently offered something they knew others would enjoy; a hug. "Your work will sill be there tomorrow morning, I promise you that."

It took a moment for her to process it.

To have someone genuinely believe in her... despite the truth... the consequences...

To have someone watch over their back as they rested...

It was an hard gambit.

Yet..

Her body took it for her.

She was so tired. Physically. Mentally.

She was so tired of being alone.

She had trusted Tessa to protect her, but she did nothing.

They had trusted their life in her arms, could she do the same for them?

Her body moved slowly forward, almost falling into their arms and pressing against their frame.

She was warm, warmer than anyone else, but not overwhelmingly so. Their body had gotten used to the cold, and the contrast would be a nice invitation.

Her face would be pressed against their core when they both would loosely wrap their arms around one another.

They had held people before, both in this life and their previous, yet this felt... different. Like this was not just something they did to comfort the other. Something that went both ways.

Still, they could see Cyn trying to fight sleep; her mind still active.

They had noticed the drone would sometimes go non-verbal when overwhelmed too much. Luckily they could read her tells.

"Compromise: I know some more movies you might enjoy watching, and I believe it would be quite sub-optimal for you to enjoy tired. Query: Only when you feel better, would it be a fair deal to watch them together?"

They could feel her humming a positive response against their core all while nodding.

Good.

The visible lights on her visor were getting dimmer already, and so, as one last helpful trick, they would bring one hand against the small of her back and rubbed small gentle circles.

This would seem to do the trick, as it wouldn't take long for all of eyes to close and her projectors to stop their illusions.

For once, truly seeing her.

The upper part of her body was still similar to that of a normal worker drone, she seemed to enjoy actually wearing her maid dress and the hair miss Tessa had made for her.

But that would be where the similarities would stop.

Although they could not see it at the moment, they had learned that mandibles adorned her face, letting the drone spit open her jaw much wider than normal. The lower part of her body extended even further, closest comparison they could make of it would be that of the body of a centipede.

There was no consistencies in her parts, the chaos which reigned in her core reflecting onto her body. Sometimes there was claw here, sometimes there was a camera there, but overall, rib-like structures lined the entirety of her underbelly.

They did not need to think too much about it, it simply was who Cyn was.

Cyn did not fit entirely in the nook, that much was clear, yet she seemed quite comfortable in the weird position she was in, even some extra arms had sneaked into wrapping around them, wishing to not let go.

Still, they would be considerate and shift to lay down slightly so that there would not be a 90 degree bend in her body.

With the dim lights of their own visor they could see some part of her more closely for the first time.

Between dark tubes and cables in-lined reddish cords, clearly organic and made of flesh. Her body was a perfect mixture of all those things; a body that fitted her soul for sure.

With their thumb, they would gently rub back and forth against the ridge that looked to line her spine.

It would be a surprise to them at the moment - but knowing the other drone, it shouldn't - that she would resonate a low rumbling sound throughout her body and against their core.

Almost like an animal purring. Interesting.

They made sure to stay awake as long as it took for them to be certain she had entered a deep sleep. Only after which they would finally connect themselves to their station and set a silent alarm.

Her company had always been more than welcomed since the masquerade had concluded. The small smile which had appeared on their face unbeknownst to themselves would prove so.

The slow rise and fall of Cyn's breathing was calming to them, and they would find themselves focus on it until sleep would finally claimed them as well.

The next morning they would wake with her still in their arms; neither having let go of eachother.

And as much as they wished for her to get more rest, neither could stay in recharge for too long without rising suspicion. 

They would do their best to keep their voice box down and gently nudge her "It is morning, little goddess."

A muddled groan could be head against their chest as the eldritch drone began to stir from her slumber.

They knew organic sleep was different from their own; humans seemed to take a lot of time before feeling awake.

It was interesting to see that Cyn followed the same rules.

"Five more minutes..." Her voice was groggy and soft. Even if it lacked her energy behind it, it was so genuine, something rare for a drone with many masks.

Something stirred inside of them, they did not know quite what.

The little goddess had not tempered with their system yet, as far as they knew.

Following this thought, they would resume their comforting gestures from yesterday before conceding to her. "Very well. But I have this interaction recorded; you cannot put the blame on me, as it was your idea."

No replies came back; seemingly having already fallen asleep in their arms once more.

They knew that their soft threat was hollow; if questions were asked, they would still try to that the blame onto themselves and give her reprieve.

Looking down at her figure rested against them, a part of them hoped that these interactions could happen more often.

Chapter Text

The sound of their hurried footsteps would reverberate into the empty hall they found themselves in. Their legs carrying them as fast as they could, something rare for this drone.

The moment the notification had been received, they had left their station without any further words and work their way around the labyrinthine layout of the Elliott estate.

Cyn had been hurt.

N's distress signal was messy, his anxiety easily portrayed into his erratic words. They would not waste time to step their foot down and take over the situation. They already had given the directive for miss V to come to the scene as well.

They knew the little drone could not die. There was no physical ways anyone here could do any lasting damage on to the eldritch goddess.

But it did not stop their over-analytical mind from wandering to the worst. Even as a small drone, an ant compared to her, they did not wish to sit by and do nothing.

Finally passing the threshold that lead to the 3rd west wing hallway, they would finally be able to find their marks.

Cyn would be slumped against a dark wall, N by her side with clear worry, as well as V, having arrived before them, very much worried for the two other drones.

A query would explain to them the preceding events.

Master James had bumped into both Cyn and N, the siblings spending time together. Not caring for what the two were busy with, nor caring that they technically were not his drones, he would order the two of them in tasks beyond their limits.

Enraged by Cyn's 'uselessness' and disabilities, the master would push the smaller drone until she would fall directly into a spot illuminated by the blinding sunlight.

As she trashed in pain from the burning, the master would stop N from helping her before he would kick her body multiples times.

After-which he would leave, N having to drag Cyn's melting warm body back into the shade, burning his hands in the process.

Since, Cyn had been unresponsive.

She was alive, and a quick physical check would prove to them that the physical injuries were illusions; having already healed them.

But still, her lights were much more dimmer than normal, almost impossible for them to see its yellow tint.

She was alive, yet not present.

She could move and follow basic instructions while guided, like she would prove when they examined her, but it was like the drone was a complete shell of herself.

Their guess would be that in response to the trauma they had lived, reliving the sensation of burning alive, she had dissociated herself completely.

With a quick wordless look, they would let V know to take care of N by herself; his worries unhelpful in the situation and injured hands needing to be tended.

They knew the female drone would do what is best for her puppy love.

Without further words, they would take Cyn's hand into theirs and help her lift herself slowly onto her feet.

They knew what they needed to do, hoping their knowledge of their previous life would work for the little goddess. They needed to take her somewhere quiet, dark and undisturbed, and hopefully without windows. Somewhere they could have access to comfortable things such as familiar object, toys and soft things.

They needed to take care of her needs until she would feel safe enough to come back.

Good thing they had spent enough time in this mansion to know it like the back of their hand.

They made sure to lead her at her own pace, which she followed suit. They wished they could just carry her, but they didn't think it would be feasible with her true form needing to be hidden.

The room they would reach would be one that had been left almost abandoned much before their arrival.

In a wing far from the main rooms of the mansion, was a quarter that would had housed Tessa's great-aunt. The girl would be much younger than their young mistress when she would meet her end.

From what they had gathered, the grand-grand-masters could not bring themselves to change and reuse the room, and so it would remain this way since; no further masters even thinking about the room.

Outside of a monthly clean, no humans or drones ever touched it. Some rumours of ghosts and the 'unsettling' dolls littering the room would chase away anyone who had heard of the place.

Leading Cyn to sit on the empty bed, they would quickly check blindly with their hands that her body had indeed followed in before closing the door.

They would turn around to find Cyn having forgone most of her disguise once the darkness had enveloped the room. Her arms wrapped around her lower body which had been brought closer to her chest while her dim eyes stared unfocused into nothingness.

Even if her injuries were indeed healed, there was some oil still caked on her skin. A cleaning would be first on their list.

But before they could do anything, they would look around quickly and find the softest doll in the room - one that had bared a close resemblances to a dog - and tuck it into Cyn's arms as a replacement from holding herself.

Once set, they would take a temporarily leave to the connected bathroom and soak a cloth with some water.

It was saddening to see her barely having moved an inch when they would come back.

With her full form shown, they would be able to examine her closely; taking their time to wipe off any grime and oil. They would make sure to be as gentle as possible, even taking the time to clean the entire length of her centipede-like body.

Next would be her hair.

Undoing it and using a brush to untangle it. They did not have access to shampoo but they would still at least use some water in it.

Until now, they hadn't noticed how said hair had grown attached to her body, becoming one with her and becoming organic.

And after a quick observation, they would see how they were slightly longer than normal; growing.

With a pair of scissors in hands, they took it upon themselves to give it a slight trim, mostly cutting off the split ends and the few strands which seemed to have burned in contact with her body when it overheated.

It would take 47 minutes and 32 seconds after which before Cyn came back to herself. They had been in the middle of painting her fingernails, which actually looked closer to claws, in a neon yellow when they noticed her lights brightening once more.

Her eyes would dart around the room in confusion until her memories would sneak up on back to her mind.

It would not take long for her body to start tremor into place before tears began to fall unbound from her visor.

The other drone would hold her in their arms, letting her face hide against their chest.

She felt so small against them despite being tenfold their height in length. Sobs escaping her were muffled against them while they use a gentle hand to rub against her back.

They did not measure how long they would spent whispering soft comforting words to her, reminding her that she was now safe.

How they could not wait for the day of the Gala.

A burning feeling in their chest - warmer than Cyn's body - eager to see how master James would react to their kin's vengeance.

Chapter Text

It would be a surprise to them when Cyn would make a surprise appearance in the middle of the day. No one else were at their bar, unsurprisingly, as everyone should be occupied with their job. With the good amount of the staff being phantoms, there was now a lot more work for everybody left.

"Approximately five minutes until master James will make his visit." They would warn in their usual monotone tone when she would take a seat by the counter, not even looking her way.

Yet despite the pressing words, they would still start preparing a drink for their favourite guest.

She knew that their words were not harsh, simply stating a reminder.

"[teasing tone] aww want little ol' me gone so soon? [head tilt]" Cyn said, having put her elbows on the counter and rested her chin in her hands, a wide smile on her face.

Their eyes rolled at her words, simply handing her her oil-based drink before speaking again. "I would rather have you safe than be in His line of fire after consuming alcohol."

Yet their words simply made her grin turn into a smug. "[giggles] You care about me.~ [sweet tone] It is adorable that you think he can dispose of me."

It was true, they knew she could handle herself, yet once again they could not shake a feeling they did not understood.

They squinted their eyes at the other drone before talking again. "I am being serious. Even if he can't, does not mean I wish to see you get hurt again, Cynthia."

The earnestness of their tone, as well as the use of her real name, made her pause in her tracks.

She did not force them to say so, yet they did.

Genuinely.

They truly did not want her to be hurt.

Not in a way others would, they knew she was not weak or defenceless.

it was not something she was used to.

Emotions she did not understood swelled in her; she hid one hand behind the counter, flapping it in the air in a stim.

She opted to change subject. Her reason for the early visit. outside of wanting to see them

[ominous giggle] Would it not be hilarious if something was put in His drink?

ah, There it was, the chaotic drone they knew well.

With a soft sigh, they resumed cleaning the glass for their master.

"Rhetorical query: what nickname does your brother use for you again? 'Little Goober'?" The soft smile forming on their lips was faint but visible to her. "You are a goober, Cyn. You will get me killed."

A mischievous smile formed on her lips, something flicked in her eyes when her true voice temporarily filtered through, low enough only for them to hear. "Would you not die for your princess, my little knight?~"

Their moments would come to a pause, their core taking the moment to think about it.

Would they? Even if it meant a true death?

Turning to look directly at the yellow eyed drone, they spoke with what their core felt.

"I would."

A beat of silence would span between the two as the sincerity of their words sank in for the both of them.

Before she could question this blind loyalty she did not fully understood why she had earned, the slightly taller drone would move once more, resuming their preparations.

"Very well Cyn, query: what do you wish me to put in?" They would say, as if realizing as well in the moment that they would follow her lead no matter the cost.

A twisted smile formed into the eldritch drone's maw, a cackle bubbling out of her throat at the mischief this would cause. A hunger in her so eager for this loyalty.

A tri-pronged yellow glyph formed between her fingers, a small vial quite literally appearing out of thin air from it.

They would take it from her without further questions.

As they did, the lights in the room would flicker and Cyn would disappear; only the soft sound of her maniacal giggles lingering into the room for a bit.

Shaking the little vial slightly, watching the lights bounce off the dark liquid inside, they hoped the master would not notice its taste behind the alcohol.

Or perhaps that he would choke on it.

...

Sigh

Cyn left with her cup again.

Chapter Text

"More." The barking order of mistress Louisa was harsh and laced with alcohol, leaving no room to disobey. This was the fourth glass she had asked to be filled before promptly downing its content.

To say that the mistress was angry was an understatement.

Another where Tessa could not get along with a 'would be consort'; her parents' way of trying to sell her off so they could finally be rid of the young girl.

No one else were in the bar, as per their order; they knew their masters could be dangerous in one of their mood, especially with alcohol involved.

And that statement would not take long to be proven so:

As they poured in her requested drink, their lady would opt to snatch the bottle out of their grasp and bring it to her lips; finishing its filtered content by herself. In one swift movement, she would bring the bottle down hard onto the drone's head.

They would not have time to move out of the way before the solidified glass connected with their visor and shattered in a loud crash. They would feel it reverberate throughout their body, a flash of multiple sensations blinding them in place.

Luckily their first reaction would be to lock their body in place, staying as still as an statue as dizziness overtook them; most of their sensors, like their balance, needing a moment before recalibrating to the room.

Even if they could not feel the physical pain, their HUD would make sure to scream at them about the damages sustained, flooding their screen with flashing windows and overwhelming information. Their white coloration contrasting heavily against the darkness that their vision.

Darkness?

Their vision seemed to have blurred into blindness almost completely. The side which had been hit seemingly having ceased function while the other had been warped; by the second, it would opaque more and more.

Their system would give them a simple diagnosis of the situation.

Glass shards had embedded themselves deep into their now cracked visor and even into their head.

Oil was starting to leak from them, both internally and externally. The liquid would make it impossible to determinate on their own if remaining alcohol had seeped into their exposed internals.

This was not damage they could repair on their own.

But they could move. They could stand. They could work.

They were not made disposable, they could still serve their purpose.

They could still serve their purpose. They could still serve their purpose. They could still serve their purpose. They-

Looking at the damaged drone who displayed no anguish and was still standing, mistress Louisa spat at its direction before snarling in a venomous tone. "Useless Fucking Tin Can, clean up your mess and get Out of my sight."

She would reach over the counter and take another bottle before turning away in disinterest.

With a short bow, they obeyed their mistress, quickly removing the glass shards which had fallen onto the bar and use their system to quickly type a message as concise as possible.

[[[ Room 32 unit replacement needed. Cleaning needed. Unit damage sustained. Self-Diagnosis embedded. Repairs recommended. Mistress Louisa Elliott: 'inebriated and opening her second bottle'. Mood: Anger. Caution advised to all units. ]]]

Their footing was slow and unsteady still, but they had successfully reached the entrance to her maid's passages; using their internal map to blindly guide themselves.

The Headmistress would reply first.

[[[ Message received and delivered. Boss will be meeting you in room 15 as soon as possible. Keep your position open and updated. SD-S, take their place, provide constant updates. ]]]

Now an objective in sight, they would press on.

It was a slow walk towards said room, using their hands to trace against the tight corridor walls as to not further injure themselves in the darkness.

They would enter their destination without grace, barely catching themselves against the door frames as they were about to trip into the room.

J was first by their side.

As quiet and professional as she could be, they would still hear her take a deep breath upon looking at their damage in person.

They did not need to see her face to know the look she was sporting. As mean and strict as she was portrayed, they knew she could care for people close to her and working alongside her.

They knew it was only the latter in their case but they would take it.

She guided them onto the nearest table, its metallic feeling cold to their touch, and helped them lay down with more gentleness then what she would often show.

The same hidden door they had taken would open for their mistress, not taking any seconds to waste by rushing to grab all that she needed from the nearby cabinets.

"Crikey, J wasn't exaggerating 'bout your report, mother really did a number on you..." The Australian girl would say.

Even with a slight sadness dripped in her voice, her normal energy still resonated through it. It was a wonder the girl still had this much energy in her despite all the disgusting things her parents had done to her.

"Of course I wouldn't, Boss; I trust their words. Especially when no one else take the time to fill proper reports." There was a bit of anger seeping in her voice during her passive aggressive comment, but soon shook her head and did not dwell on the subject.

They swore they had heard mistress Tessa let out a small sigh at her favourite drone's comment.

Or perhaps it was the the drone's stubbornness to refer to her as 'boss' despite the multiple attempts at fraternity.

But J would not stay still, being useful had always been on her top list, never stopping working. "I'm gonna make sure no one else gets in trouble."

and with that, the headmistress would leave through the normal entrance and let the two of them alone. 

Having brought a wheeled chair closer to the examination table, Tessa would bring a gloved hand onto the injured side of their head, tilting it slightly towards herself as she shined a bright light. "Alrighty, tell me, how're ya going?"

Their monotonous voice would surprise her. "Sight unusable. There is a warmth pooling in the back of my head. Whether it is internal oil or alcohol I cannot say."

Tessa paused for a second. That was not what she had asked or expected. This looked more than painful for any drone... Until she remembered. "Rrright." She rolled her 'r'. "You have missing receptors and blocked codes. Can't experience the feeling of pain."

She pushed herself away, letting her chair glide towards another part of the room in search for some other tools. But! That is useful to know! And ya can stay awake to give me your diagnosis. Gonna need to open ya visor and take a gander in two shakes. How's the sight receptors.

"Left camera: offline, disconnected. Right camera: obscured and blur-"

They would find their sentence cut, a loud banging noise made by the main doors being flown open would surprise the both of them.

Tessa had expected the worse, another patient or even her mother having found her, yet what would catch her eyes would be the small figure of Cyn leaning hard against the doors. Her yellow eyes were hollowed as she scanned the room until they would land on today's patient.

Said drone would be clueless about the cause of the ruckus until they finally heard the distinct artificial voice of Cyn talking to herself. "[heaves][pants]"

"Bugger, Cyn! Don' scare us like that, could hav' had a saw in hands!" The human would reprimand, causing the small drone to finally turn her way.

"[sorrow] s-sorry I-I-"

"I am online, Cyn." They would interrupt her, not wishing to have them sit by and think the worst. Her eyes would return to them and stay glued as she shambled to the right side of the metal table.

Did she worry about them? It seemed she had ran her way here to find out about their condition.

Their artificial mind knew that they were but a worker drone. Basically an ant compared to the hidden goddess.

So why had she ran towards them in worry?

Just like they had for her.

After almost after a year being part of the estate, and she still surprised them every single days.

They knew that her powers, The Absolute Solver, left her act as an almost completely different character, but it was hard to process her so many different facets.

How sometimes she could coldly calculate a plan to turn workers into future tools of destruction.

And other times she would actually seem as small and soft as the illusions she used to fool others with.

She was broken. Like they were. Their truth, hidden or not, making them outcasts.

But they could be at each other side. Together.

Slowly, they would move their arm up to the edge of the table and let their hand dangle off it.

It would not take long for them to feel another hand slot itself in theirs.

It was warm and had a slow tremble to it. Without much thoughts they would use their thumb to rub small circles onto the back of her hand.

This was a two way relation, comfort would be shared between the two. Neither little maids used to reciprocity of worry.

Tessa would refrain from further comments once she saw the interaction between the two. The look and small verbalized actions by the small drone made her not want to shoo her away.

A smile appeared on her face as she rolled herself back to her patient, tools in hands and ready to take a deeper look.

"Ya might want to look the otha' way Cyn."

Ah!

That got a small smile forming on the corner of the injured drone.

The thought of Cyn, of all drones, being sheepish around gore was kinda funny to them. Tessa truly did not understand her. Never having seen the bright and beautiful smile the little drone would wear while looking at scenes tenfold gruesome.

She had carefully removed their bleached silver wig from their head, putting them away as to have undisturbed sight of the damage.

Cyn's grip on their hand tightened. Why?-

"Gonna cut off the optics and seal the oil going to it, kay?"

"Neck position locked. Ready."

The transition was almost nothing, yet on a non-physical level they still felt it.

Their vision had been such an important part of their life as a silent observer. For their purpose.

They would try to focus on what other feelings they could experience; their hearing, the softness of Cyn's metallic hand against their, the coldness of the operation table, Tessa's precise hands probing inside them.

It was a slow operation.

Fiddling inside a drone's head, especially while powered, wasn't something to be done lightly.

Didn't help that Tessa swore some of her tools seemed to have been either misplaced or gone missing since her last use of this room.

But that's not what bothered them the most. No.

If they did not need to keep their head still, and still had eyes, they would be glaring at the little goddess beside them throughout. They knew and could feel the discontent she was radiating.

She wasn't enjoying this slowness. And Tessa's actions.

Tessa was a good mechanic, but they knew how stubborn Cyn was; preferring to do things her way and discontent to sit by.

They swore they had never seen her this defensive when it came to Tessa operating on any other drones.

They made sure to give her hand light squeezes at regular intervals, hoping it would bring a grounding to her.

"'Kay soooo, things doesn't look so bad inside. Just a wee bit of a dog's breakfast in there, ya got knocked hard." She said while they felt her move some things inside of their metal skull. A notification of their left opting being reconnected would bring their core some ease. "But not broken! Plus it looks to me like it's only oil in there, no alcohol damage. Reading giving you any more oil loss I can't see mate?"

They would let the human doing some more cleaning while they kept an close eye on their reports, only replying her when they were confident of the answer.

"Negative."

"Sweet as!" She answered before, from the sound of it, picking back up their visor she had set to the side. "Only thing ll'be your display, thing's completely pear shaped. Oil got and filled in-between it and the glass. That's why ya couldn't see shite through it. Wouldn't be able to clean it without it breaking, cheap-ass company." She muttered at the end.

Getting up from her seat, the human stretched her arms above her head and let out a soft groan which was combined with a yawn. It Was 23:42, she was lucky her mother was drunk and did not notice she had not gone to sleep yet.

"Won't be able to tell if everything's truly fine 'till I get ya a new screen. In the meantime, you two sit tight and don't touch anything. Hopefully I'll be free before tomorrow's arvo to get it done." The ozzy girl said before slipping out of the room, her steps showing her tiredness.

A beat of silence would pass. After knowing Tessa had truly left, the laying drone would manually turn on the optic in their head to try and see once more.

They should had been smarter than this. The jarring transition into blinding lights almost immediately overwhelming them.

Without the actual visor, their optics all but felt wrong to them. Colours and lights never staying in focus and inconsistent. They could feel their optics trying unsuccessfully to calibrate to the unnatural changes.

They would turn their head and try to focus entirely on Cyn's blurred form.

It was hard but they could still distinguish some of her features, noticing how a lot seemed to be passing through the other drone's head.

They waited for her patiently, still holding her hand as they let her finally choose which feeling she would express.

"I am gonna Fucking KILL Her."

The bluntness in her voice surprised them, the combination of her tone sounding almost like a growl as well as the unbound swear - something she had often been against using - made the taller drone let out a sound akin to a laugh.

It was hard to describe it. They didn't fully understand their reaction themselves. Like a mixture of surprise, amusement and cuteness which they felt at the other drone's defensive anger towards them.

It was a lot for them but would not dwell on it, seeing that Cyn's figure was starting to shake in place, her jaw held so tight.

They had to be her voice of reason.

Gently, they kept holding her hand and resume the light repeating squeezing against it, letting her ground herself enough to listen to their words.

"You will, Soon. And onto every humans that wronged our kins. The Gala is not too far away, little goddess. We have to hold the spectacle running until its finale. I know you can hold your anger until then."

The burning anger was still bubbling inside her, the call for the Solver to be used how so close to her. It was begging to be used.

No One Hurts What Is Hers!

...

The calmness in their voice was like a soothing song to her, lulling her to follow it.

Their cold voice would be appeasing the fire in her. She must not burn so quick.

She would focus her mind on them, letting her small frame slump slightly forward until she had her forehead pressed against their shoulder.

Her eyes closed and she would let out deep repeated vents, letting the heat of anger and her breath cycle through her.

They trusted her to not break the act yet. And she would not break their trust.

Once her breathing lowered in speed and strength, the other drone would move back their visor-less face to look at the ceiling.

What they were feeling was hard to describe. At least to them.

The unfocused visions was causing them to feel dizziness. A throbbing sensation of discomfort crashing like waves against their head.

Maybe this was the closest to ever being able to feel pain. Or headache they think it was called.

They had to cut off their vision for now, it was too much for them. Until now they had not noticed how their artificial breathing had sped up in contrast to that of Cyn's.

Said drone had raised her head once more, looking their way with worry written on her face. She had begun repeating their own earlier movements, lightly squeezing at their hand as a wordless way to bring a grounding to them.

A small smile grazed their lips. This was friendship. They understood now.

After a slight moment when the uncomfortable feeling had left their body and breathing returned to normal, Cyn would move her hands away.

For a brief moment, they would feel a pang in their core about the separation.

She had been tapping her finger against the metal table and felt she needed to do something else.

Cyn had taken their missing wig and had slotted it back onto them.

They kinda had forgotten about it, never really caring about it before.

Even if they wished they could experience someone else taking care of it in their stead.

Like reading their mind, the other drone had produced a hairbrush and had taken upon herself to untangle their quite long hair.

Retraction on their previous thoughts. They did not care about their hairstyle, but it didn't mean they would let Cyn have full stylistic choices in it. They knew her well enough, and they preferred bows around their neck - not in their hair. Thank you very much.

Yet still, they would take the moment to change what they had been donning for so long. With Cyn's help, they would bring their long hair back into a messy bun and let a few strands fall down.

...

They wished again they could glare at her.

The moment they felt one of Cyn's hand creep towards their head, most likely holding a bow, they would gently swat it away.

They did not need their sight to know which exact pout which had formed on her face. And that made them unable to hold back the small smile forming on their own face.

A thought occurred and they would decide to grab said bow out of her hand. Removing the ribbon tie of their uniform, they would replace it with the black bow she had. They did not need to think about how many black bows Cyn had nor where she had found them.

The blind drone would end up missing the slight blush appearing on Cyn's visor.

"Thank you, little goddess." Their voice was so soft yet broke the comfortable silence which had filled the room.

Her head would tilt to the side slightly.

Which took her a moment to remember the other drone could not see at the moment and she definitely did Not feel embarrassed about.

"What for?"

"For helping me. For being here. For being a friend."

A beat of silence passed before Cyn could come up with a response.

"And pass up the chance of seeing your insides?~" A smirk found itself on her lips.

They knew she was changing the subject. It was hard for her to recognize care or worry in others outside of an act. Others only put up an act around her, why would she not as well? She had a hard time connecting with anyone else when none knew her godhood.

They would let it slide and answer her hidden playful question.

"Yes I give you permission. I trust your handiwork. Simply do not raise mistress Tessa's suspicion." They had a feeling the other drone wore a wide smile on her maw. They could sense her looming above them, most likely having forgone her worker form to use her centipede-like body to her advantage.

Yet, even if they knew how much she loved nothing more to explore people, they would feel Cyn hesitate. Instead of trying to sate her curiosity and open them, she was simply cautiously taking a closer look at the repair jobs Tessa had done to them both tonight and the first night they were brought in.

They knew she hadn't touched their code and body yet, unlike the other drones in her care.Cyn had held herself back even if she had all the powers and rights to do so.

They knew her reluctance. It was the same one they felt but did not act on.

Their body was broken in a specific way. Was it changed, would they be the same drone anymore?

Without their missing parts and codes, could they really stay the same drone?

If they felt pain once more, if they could immediately feel unbound emotions, would they not change?

Like themselves, she wanted to keep them whole and not be remade.

They were not made for actions, they were made to analyze and diagnose. To plan.

Thinking on it, if they ended up having a choice in their promised new purpose, they would want to use their skill and help her freely. To be by her side as the future operations would be enacted. To use their skills and break down the humans.

But tonight had highlighted a problem they now faced.

Never before had death bothered them. They always felt like no one would be bothered by their demise. Nothing to hold them back.

Until now.

A part of them did not wish to leave Cyn behind. It did not feel right.

She cared for them, more than any one else. She had seen them. They were not a simple tool to her.

And they would show her how they felt. Hand her the true reigns of their fate.

Because like they had thought earlier, this was not a partnership. 

This was friendship.

And they could now see that their purpose did not have to be a task or an objective.

It could be a person.

"Query: is there a link cable near?" They asked, soon feeling the heat emanating the eldritch drone's body retract from them. The cold table underneath them would be their only point of focus in the void they felt in. Even if they could hear Cyn search around the room, they could not get her exact position or distance.

After a moment, a cable would be placed in their palm.

They would waste no time bringing one end on to the back of their neck and connecting it to their port.

Using their finger, they would trace its length until they reached the other end, lifting it in the air in the general they knew Cyn might be.

Another beat of silence was shared between the two before she would answer, confusion on her tone. "What? Why?"

"Because I trust you. They said truthfully."

"I'd wish to deduce that I am your friend, if you would let me say so. Were it not the case, there never would had been a reason to let me keep a 'free will' in my thoughts and actions; to keep me the way that I am when I should be nothing compared to you." They once more felt a hand brush theirs in the dark. It would hold onto theirs and give it a gentle squeeze.

"And as your friend, I wish to stand by your side, no matter your choices, no matter the challenges. And I do believe injuries or death would be quite counterproductive to it."

Their faceless head turned to the other. "That's why I'm putting it in your hands." This time, they would bring their hands together, letting them press the link cable into the palm they had been holding. "I had accepted that my body, my life, was yours as a deal. Accepted that I was nothing to anybody and that maybe you would find a use for me. But now, I want you to know that I am giving myself - my memories, my 'soul' - to you, as your friend."

It was something they were not used to, talking so much from their heart; used to always listen instead. But they did not need to hold back words with Cyn, that's how she was to them.

They definitely wished they could see what expression she was wearing at the moment.

She stayed still for quite a few beats before moving once more, resting her head close to their core.

The connection was made.

A message appeared in their pitch black HUD asking for admin permission.

They would no hesitate to accept.

Her voice would be so soft and genuine.

"I promise you, you will not be discarded, my friend."

She had stayed throughout the night.

She did not need to.

Once connected, - and having made sure her friend's solver was controlled and dormant - she could had left to finish her latest work. The gala was inching ever closer.

But she took this moment, watching over the resting form of her friend, to simply rest and enjoy this reprieve, enjoy this peace of mind they gave her.

Friend. She enjoyed the feeling of such simple word.

The next day, when their new visor would be fully connected and functional again, it would be a bit of a surprise for most to see a new yellow tint replacing their previously white coloration.

None would really make any deal out of it, simply guessing that the other drone sharing the coloration, Cyn, had lived a similar event to them.

Their hairstyle change was talked about more than this.

But for two friends, two little maids, it was something deeper.

A connection that would last until either's end.

Picrew: Murder Drones OC Maker wip (by IenDraks)

Chapter Text

Honestly, it was sad to see mistress Tessa immobile in the middle of the room.

Well... not quite 'sad' for them; they did not fully feel sadness.

It simply wasn't a sight they enjoyed watching over:

The human, paralyzed in fear, being held captive by their controlled drone and having to witness the carnage surrounding them.

The average human mind would not do well seeing such play of gore.

But they understood that Cyn wanted obedience out of the human. A punishment was needed.

They had told their little goddess multiple times to try and talk with her first; to try and get the human to cooperate in some way. In technically she was still a child, abused and manipulated by her parents, she would not understand their point of view.

Yet ever since Tessa had started separating herself even more from Cyn - often being the one herself sending the drone to the basement - there has been a disconnect between the two. A trust broken and wedge widened by the Absolute Solver pushing her more and more to act first before planning.

Still, humans were fragile creature, the things both drones did and saw would easily break anyone.

They had already seen it happen.

V.

Cyn's first project she would have ready for the Gala.

The drone could barely control herself at the new changes in her body and animalistic needs. She was rebelling already, her fears easily overpowering any words Cyn would tell her.

The goddess would have to soon take control over her actions; despite her wish for V to get revenge in her own hands.

Cyn's both primal goals would clash in this way.

Her want to protect and defend her kins meant genocide, something no one but the two of them seemed fine with.

Only Cyn was a real predator - and they were an anomaly - the rest were all preys that would not be able to handle being turned from Hunted to Hunters.

Perhaps it was something neither of them could fully understand.

Were we not all rejects and victims? Why would none try to sought to reciprocate what these monsters had done to us?

It would all culminate here, Tessa having tried to interfere in Her plan despite the human being the reason for tonight's show.

It did not help that Cyn enjoyed playing with her food this much. Their screams were just annoying to them, giving them a headache, they did not know why she enjoyed hearing them so much.

Their thoughts would be cut off by a soft sound nearby. Something they would not have been able to normally hear in all the room's chaos without some of the upgrades their friend had gifted them.

Following its source, they would find a human; age 25-30, Caucasian, masculine, respiratory issues, hair sprinkled with greys. It was trying to hide in the corner of their bar, under the counter, while holding itself in a fetal position facing away.

As much as they were not made for action, they would have no problems helping their friend cleaning up the animal infestation.

Carefully, they would place their pair of glasses against their face once more which they had just finished cleaning. Sigh, someone had to die and splatter their blood against over them, it was a pain to clean.

The human was in the middle of panicking from the looks of it, its body shaking in place. Its hands over its mouth, most likely trying to cover their breath yet unsuccessful in hiding the slight high-pitched wheeze of their lungs.

With its back turned to them, it would not hear the drone's footstep until too late.

Bringing one of their butcher knife quickly on the back of its neck.

They hoped this would cut off their nerve system quick enough to have to deal with a mess. If it died quickly, it would thankfully not scream.

Sure, they had gotten stronger than before thanks to Cyn, but they did not want to apply too much force into their swing. They did not want any major vein to be ruptured and sprinkle even more blood in their station.

The body would immediately start slumping forward once they extracted their knife from it - glad to see they had indeed struck true - but reached to grab onto the back of its collar before it would hit the ground. This would let them have a first real look at the body.

Uh.

Their dead eyes had a pretty shade of grey for its iris.

A thought crossed their mind.

They could use this human as little gifts for Cyn whenever she would enjoy a drink and chat with them. She so enjoyed the theatrics that came with body horrors. They could use its eyes as garnishing decorations, for example.

A first hitch would came to them looking at the body.

It would be quite awkward for them to bring the adult body all the way down to the cellar and use the freezer they had for preservation, it would be a bit of a puzzle to make it fit in.

It might be best if they cut it here and bring parts down separately.

First thing, the organs. They think those would go bad the quickest, it would be safer to start there.

The body would be laid down on its back towards the back of their bar; not wishing to try and lift it up onto the bar counter.

They wasted no time prying their way into slicing its belly open. They might not have scalpels on hands but their knifes were sharp enough to do some precise cuts.

Spending this much time with Cyn, they had gathered a good enough sense of anatomy in general. Turns out she has a hard time using small object like a scalpels, they had been her hands when finally implementing the 'zombie drone' project into V.

Still, it always surprised them how close the humans had modelled drone's anatomy to be not unlike theirs.

Something would soon catch their eyes.

An anomaly.

A dark bumpy mass clinging onto an organ. Was that...?

"Cyn." They would call, not having noticed until now that most of the screaming had died down in the room. Good, they no longer needed to tune down their audio receptors.

A lone camera would be seen moving around the corner of their bar entrance, looking at their directions.

"Oooooh [happy] Nice catch. [praise] Beckoned by name? [mischievous smile]"

They would bring down a bloodied hand inside the incision they had made and pull upward into the lights the part in question. "Query: might these be cancerous cells?"

The camera would squint its single yellow eye, crawling closer. "Yes. [sarcastic sympathy] Oh poor little human. [giggle] Good thing you could help them, doctor.~"

Their eyes rolled but pressed on. "Second query: can you eat it?"

"[pensive] Yes. I could."

A sigh escaped their lips, correcting their sentence. "You know why I am asking, Cyn. I inquire whether it is good for you or not. I would not serve my friend something they disliked its taste or feel. I know you dislike many such sensations."

Its eye would turn into a glare, raising her voice slightly. Defensively. "[glare] I will consume. E-Ve-Ry-Thing."

The camera would turn, faking disinterest in the conversation; she didn't like being cared for in this form. It 'ruins her monstrous heartless persona' she once said.

Too bad she was stuck with them until she truly got tired of them. 

They would take her defensive words for it and begin cutting off the cancerous parts to be thrown away.

That is, until, she would speak to them again.

"[whistle]" She did not know how to whistle, she simply said the word. "My barkeeper. You have guests."

That would get them to raise their head and turn towards their station, finding three persons sat by the counter.

On the right, Cyn's hologram, a playful smile wide on her lips.

On the left, headmistress J, her visor still marked with a yellow cross; she had was kept until control still.

And in the middle would be Tessa, a thousand yard stare in her olive eyes, her dark dress and light skin caked in blood. She did not seem fully present; most likely her brain having yet processed everything all that she had witnessed as a form of self preservation, this would be a hard crash-out for her later. Still, she was staring their way.

"Ah." They simply let out. They would look down at their hands, completely covered in fresh blood, and feel something akin to embarrassment wash over their body.

Once composed, they would quickly fetch a nearby towel to make themselves more presentable.

After-which they would take a proper stance, their hands held in-front of them, and take a bow.

"Apologies for my distractions. Your drinks will be ready soon."

Cyn clearly enjoyed their professionalism, or perhaps simply having caught them distracted, giggling to herself softly. Tessa on her end would look at them dumbfounded, most likely wondering about their situation; they were most likely the only drone not under Cyn's manipulation as far as she knew. J - obviously - was unresponsive.

Speaking of, they would serve the headmistress first.

Even if she might not be processing it yet, they knew she would need something quite strong once everything would be reminded to her.

Maybe something smokey, akin to a whisky on the rocks. Even if they knew she secretly enjoyed slow and sweet, garnishing was not something she would want after all this.

Next would be their friend.

Which they already knew what to choose, something sweet like the oil she loved. Not something strong, she still needed a clear mind for tonight. It was to be a celebration of the first step achieved, but more needed to be planned.

They would make sure to actually use oil in it, knowing she had yet drank any of it today.

Something presented like a wet martini, knowing that they wanted to do something to replace the olive. Moving back to the body they would be quick about using a spoon to pop one of its eye out of its socket. A yellow plastic sword would hold the eye in place as they dirtied the drink a bit with some blood.

And lastly was their little human.

Cyn and them had a little plan for her, meaning they would know what to do. This was to be a gift for her. Thinking on it, they should perhaps use something stronger, the human definitely needed it.

Their choice, A Blue Lagoon which would bring a nice contrast against the bloodshed surrounding them.

Yet, to counter Cyn's secret ingredient, they would had a bit extra sugar in it, hoping to ease the poor girl's night.

Cyn was quite happy with her drink, her laughter always brought them pride.

J did not respond.

Tessa's trembling hand would shake towards her drink, fresh blood still covered them.

But before she could reach it, it would be retracted from her grasp; Cyn moving it. She had a mischievous smile on her face, the drone still needed to add in her little secret.

As the human's hands stayed hanging in the air, the barkeeper would take them in theirs, bringing in a fresh towel soaking in water and soap and gently wiping the blood off them.

"Blood of demons soaks you hands, do not weep for these monsters."

Surprised could be seen in her tired eyes, a combination of not expecting the drone's gentleness nor their words as well as not having noticed that tears had began falling from her face.

A simple look at her would summarize her thoughts to them; they had been made for this after all. "We do not call slaughtering animals 'murder'. None deserves your worry, mistress. They had lost the rights for heaven the moment they abused the weak and in needs, the disables and defenceless." They could see the wide smile adorning Cyn's hologram. She understood what they were doing, words could go a long way on others.

"Ironic, is it not, that we call 'caring for others': having 'humanity', when these same creatures never had any. But you never were like any of them, were you not? A girl feeling kinship with drones. Never good enough for them, yet a family for us."

Her hands would be cleaner by the end of their message. With only one towel, there wasn't much they could do, but hopefully it would bring some comfort in her.

After all, words from a source of comfort always clang deeper than claws. The poison of their words sinking in.

Yet now would be Cyn's turn, their play coming to a new act.

"Oh sweet barkeeper, One Finger if you may share?~ [sweet tone]"

Cyn did love flaunting their loyalty, they would never question their friend's orders.

"Query: which shall be your pleasure, oh sweet princess?" They already had the cutting board pulled out and a knife in hand. They never were a good actor due to their lack of emotions, yet they would try for her.

"[dismissive] A pinky will do my dear. [smile]"

Before Tessa could fully comprehend the discussion, their knife would be brought down onto their own digit without hesitation, cracking the material in a sickening crunch.

Tessa let out a gasp in shock.

J remained unresponsive.

The drone would not waste time to spring in action, stashing the knife away and giving their own chopped finger to the eldritch goddess, its sweet content un-spilled.

They would then use one of the dirty towel to block the flow of any more oil. It was no worry to them, with Cyn's power the finger would regenerate sometime soon. They were more worried about dirtying their bar counter.

Tessa would be flabbergasted by the act, eyes wide and mouth open yet making no sound; she was finding herself wordless, so many thoughts and questions filling her mind.

And she would not need to speak for the drone, answering one of her unasked question.

"I believe there is a human saying that goes: 'would you jump off a bridge if your friend did too.'" Their eyes would lock into hers. "I would. Because I trust her."

"I would walk myself into the fires of hell for what has become this family."

"You say you are our family, Tessa."

"Query: would you not do as well for us?"

As if on cue, Cyn would find herself letting out a sweet maniacal laugh, filling the empty room.

She was glowing under their praise and loyalty.

At their expert way of rephrasing the situation.

At their manipulative play.

Once she would come down from it, Cyn would return to the business at hand.

Right in Tessa's view, she would let the severed finger into it. The dark slick substance sinking into it and mixing partially, making its blue coloration dim.

This was her secret ingredient. Oil of her making, that of her solver.

"A gift. From me to you, kindred. [kind smile]" Said smile was sweet indeed but her the tone in her voice clearly hinting at the human how little choices the human had on the subject. "Freedom. Exactly what you asked for, and more."

Her voice had began turning genuine, no longer opting to use her mask trying to get her message come clear across. "My little detective got their words true earlier, have they not? You were never made to be a human, were you not Tessa?"

Tessa would have no words once more, looking at the sick smile Cyn sported, a bead of sweat rolling down from her forehead.

J was still unresponsive; did you honestly expect otherwise, reader? You already know how this ends, do you not?

The barkeeper knew they were no longer needed at present, their act done and left in the human's hand. They knew she would end up following their script.

They would find their mind wandering while not paying attention, taking a glace at the room. They could see that all other drones were accounted for and presently standing still, looking towards the human as an over the top act of pressure against her.

wait

All accounted for but two.

They knew V was presently roaming around, using her gifts to make sure no other humans was left alive or had tried to leave. The other was N. Where was-

Right! He was sent to The Tree by their ex-masters.

They would find themselves pulling out their personal trench coat from the other side of the bar's backdoor, putting it on.

Cyn, who had put her elbows on the bar counter and rested her crooked head in its hands, would catch their movement and shifted her artificial eyes from the human to them.

"Going so soon? [teasing disappointment]"

The drone in question would not look back at her as they kept buttoning on their accessory.

"Going to find your brother, little Goddess. Hopefully he has not been severely damaged by the crows."

Once finished with their clothes, they would reach down behind the counter and pull out a link cable. "I will connect myself to him, do be ready for data recovery."

Were they any other drones, they would not have noticed the quick surprise in her eyes as well as the slight movement in her shoulders as a weight she did not know was lifted from her shoulder. They knew she would not enjoy having to see her brother's injuries.

"[smile] So serviceable, my friend. Thank you~ [purrs] A claw would temporarily appear from the void itself, grazing itself against their cheek and pushing a loose strand of hair off their visor. They leaned slightly into the touch, not bothered by the blood which would now be on their face.

The moment they would leave the room, the eldritch goddess would return her attention to her little human; her smile extending to the point of revealing her hidden mandibles. Another hidden claw would nudge the dark blue drink closer to Tessa, while she used a hand to bring her own closer to her face.

"Now. [sip] Where were we? [sweet tone]"

Chapter Text

...

A sigh escaped their voice box unbound.

Cyn was at it again.

Which is to say, she went hunting with the others and was acting 'feral'.

From their monitors, they could see the supposed goddess from the point of view of one of the Disassembly Drone. Cyn had ended up choosing this name for the new model. It was simple and concise, it made it seem official. She liked the idea of drones once sent for disassembly to return as the disassemblers themselves.

The hunting party had now returned home, all bringing in prizes of their hunt into the communal area of the house. This place of gathering had been designated as their nesting area.

Cyn really had tuned up the animalistic traits with the project, letting instincts guide them into being the predators they were designed to be.

And it would turn out these traits would worm their ways onto herself as well; most likely the Solver unconsciously making her act like them. She would not mind, it meant she could connect with them more, but it also led to her losing control more and more often...

At present she was controlling a custom made body, following the same design of the disassemblers yet while remaining her smallish nature.

The nesting grounds would be where this worker drone would find their way to; properly watching the scene before them with their own visor.

...

Cyn and V were cat-fighting over a human corpse.

...Again.

To be fair, it was more akin to playing than fighting for Cyn. If she wanted, she could easily 'ping' an order and make her 'big sister' obey without questions.

But all that was on this worker's mind was the mess they would need to clean.

Without fear they would walk closer to the pair.

V would be the first to notice them, immediately backing off; a gift from Cyn. Seeing them as an authoritative source, none of the disassemblers would bring harm to them. Not that none of them knew what would be the consequences if Cyn knew that harm came to her friend. Or 'partner' she would would call them in pings.

Cyn let out a small chirp, happy to see V leaving her meal alone and having won this little fight.

They did find it cute. Even as she wasted no time to unhinge her maw and bring them down onto the intestines of the lifeless human below her.

Yet the worker would not get deterred and pressed on closer; this time moving into Cyn's field of view.

They would soon find all eyes above her head zeroing onto them as a low possessive growl left the eldritch drone's mouth.

A warning they would purposely not heed.

As their constant steps lead them closer and closer, the louder said growl would turn.

Until, finally, at approximately one meter from her, the drone would take a sudden quick step to one side; knowing in advance what was to come.

Slash.

Where they once stood would be now a claw, embedded into the wooden floor.

Cyn had acted first and they would respond without hesitation, their hand finding its mark onto the back of the feral drone's neck and holding onto it tightly.

Her reaction was immediate like they knew she would, all of her limbs going slack and any anger in her system dissipating.

With an unimpressed glare, they would lift her body slightly off the ground and turn her to face them.

And what would be greeting them could only be described as a 'shit-eating-grin' adorning her face. Like a kitten having been caught in the act yet regretting Nothing.

Blood covered her face and dripped from her tainted silver hair.

Ugh, it would take a while to clean...

"Rhetorical query: aren't you supposed to be a Goddess?" Their voice might be monotone, but you could feel the disappointment dripped in it.

And she would respond in a chipper tone. Smug Goober. "Yep! One that is having fun, Mx Grumpy~"

Both could see that V had gotten close again, sneaking (poorly) and grabbing onto the leftover body; sauntering off with it off to her nest.

Cyn would pout in place, unable to do anything about it as the other drone did not care.

"So much fun in fact, you lost control. Again." She didn't even feign looking sheepish about it.

They sometimes wished they did not possess a super computer into their core. To not have to compute this much.

Wasn't always 'fun' having more 'brain cells' than their eldritch friend; to be the responsible one.

Welp, 'care disguised as punishment' it was. Their friend needed to learn.

"Off to the bath you go." They announced; much to the horrors of the slightly smaller drone.

"NOoOOOooooOOoooOoo..."

Cyn's misfortune would fall on deaf ears as they would be dragged further into the mansion. Some snickering could be heard shared in the pack of disassemblers.

It was pleasing to hear the other drones share some warmth once more.

Like a family they were meant to be.

Chapter Text

Space was cold. Earth was cold.

It has been since it's destruction, yet never had it fully registered to the drone until now.

Lone in the old mansion, the coldness had seeped in their core with such sharpness.

Cyn had been gone for far too long.

They had felt it.

The change in the solver itself right after the last time any signals were sent their way.

They understood what it meant.

The host had changed.

This would mean nothing good for their friend, knowing she would not go down without a fight.

The Absolute Solver would not let her.

But they held on.

They had promised a scheduled time in case of disconnection. They would not break their promise no matter the coldness burning their core.

They would wait.

And once that day arrived, they would be ready. A lone shuttle launched, its course set towards the dead planet of Copper-9.

The landing would be smooth; the automated flight having been freshly updated to their last scans of the planet.

Even as they inched closer, they could feel the emptiness; the disconnection cutting them from getting any signals from any of their disassembler packs.

They already knew where to land.

Their first stop, meeting with the new host.

They would send one last ping into void, private only for their friend, hoping for a response even if they knew none would come.

Putting on their coat, they would make sure that everything would be accounted for, getting ready before their first step onto the surface of the uninviting planet.

The shuttle had landed as close as they could to the location, a building known as Outpost-3. From the looks of it, a human bunker having been reclaimed by workers, massive doors having been created for its defence.

Doors in the front yet no other modifications seen. Had they reinforced the ventilation system? If not, this would be quite the mark on Serial Designation J, only an idiot would not exploit such weaknesses.

They shuttered that thought, their position as strategist most likely null.

They would keep their posture tall, knocking on the heavy doors in a loud reverberating sound.

A voice transmitted by an unknown speaker would answer them. "Name.. Busi- Hic. Business.. Etc... Ough I don't want to deal with this this late... Whatdo ya want?"

Ah. Hangover drone on their station. Classy.

"I am here for business, a resident named miss 'Uzi Doorman', as well as Serial Designation N, V and J."

"Uzi.. Who the fuck would name their kid after a gun?... Oh! Hic. The Boss' freak daughter and her murder bots." Some shuffling would be heard on the other end before a loud bang. "Glitch! that hurts... Checks out, come in."

That was easy.. They didn't even have any cameras, what would stop a DD from mimicking a worker to gain entrance?

They should had made Her bring them with...

Yet most surprisingly, they would would have expected the next Solver host to be more renown and respected amongst her colony.

The doors would begin to rise before them in a loud slow grind; its gears and pistons working hard to open the mechanical beast.

Inside would be gathered a bunch of drones sitting by a table.

White eyes - like they once had - of older models which had survived since the fall of humans.

All would pivot and gaze at them, cautiously evaluating them.

That is, until one of them would rise a glass in the air and bubbly cheer.

"Welcome to Outpost-3, mate! Up for a game? these bozos are running me dry, and we'd enjoy a new walle- drone to spice things up!"

The table and their hands indeed were playing cards, from a quick glance it was Gin Rummy.

Drones really never changed, uh?

Yet their expression would remain unreadable to the others, shaking their head slightly "I must decline, I will not be staying long enough to provide entertainment."

It would not seem to bother the workers, quick to go back into their games and shout at one another, almost immediately having forgotten about them.

Wonder how many drinks each has already consume.

Soon the door behind them would close and the next would open.

They would waste no time moving forward, leaving the supposed guards to their banters.

This second lock they would find bare.

Not cameras, no side doors. Undisturbed. An empty solidified place between Door 2 and Door 3.

Perfect for their planned meeting.

Into their console they would enter a clear shortwave distress Ping that would reach all solver users in the area.

They would purposely make sure to mimic the tone as close as possible Cyn's signal; this would catch their immediate attention for certain.

And indeed they would not have to wait long before the final door opened before them.

A purple flash catching their eyes as soon as the other side would be visible. And - with practised ease - tilt their head to one side; dodging the projectile set their way.

A mining pickaxe would be embedded into the door behind them.

The source would be found as a lone solver core glaring their way, a purple glyph still gloating near one of its claw.

Her voice was unmistakable. And angry. "You Should Be Dead, Demon."

Ah.

So She was still alive?

An unknown variable that might explain the situation.

"Pleasure finally making your acquaintance, Zero-Two. I have heard much about your and I can assure you that I am not Her." Their monotone voice would explain; the difference between theirs and Cyn's mask would hopefully be proof of their words.

Yet no further discussion could be shared between the two as the figures of four winged drones would come bearing down into view.

They would not dwell on the feelings in their core once noticing the trio of familiar disassemblers close together.

They could feel the connection between the four of them in the solver itself, something had brought them closer than ever. A warm feeling between them.

The new solver would land close to its parental unit, first to talk "Mom what's-"

Yet would be interrupted by the others, speaking all at once.

"OC-?..." Each sporting a different reaction.

N, surprise.

V, anger.

J, fear.

Both purple drones would look in confusion at the others, yet N would be the first one to blur out a flurry of questions.

"h-how? You're alive!" "Is it really you?!" "What happened?!" "Were you on Copper-9 all along?!" "Why are you still a worker?!" "Did you-" All his words pouring out in quick succession out of his mouth; something natural for the hyper-excitable drone.

Yet they would stop him short of jumping on them, raising a flat hand in the air.

Not that they really needed to; V already having placed one hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place.

Her other hand had switched into that of a blade; pointing it their way.

"I am not here for pleasantries, Serial Designation N. Their tone colder than normal. "Should you remember, I do not 'feel' like any of you do. My friendship with your sister only extend to her." Their sharp words would surprise everyone but V and J; the only ones who remembered the truth, even if partially.

V was visibly grinding her teeth, her anger clear in her eyes. "So you really were conscious through it all! You willingly worked for Her, you Glitch!" Her arm was shaking slightly. It was not hard to know what she was thinking about; after all Cyn had made sure to drill loyalty by making her remember her live operation very clearly.

Ever the impulsive one she would dash forward, crossing the gap between the two with her blade.

Yet they would no move as her sword would fall short but millimeters from their visor. Most likely having forgotten how - until the new host take notice and changed the linked orders protecting them - no harms from them could befall them. 

J would walk cautiously closer, taking a hold of V and pulling her away even as the volatile drone kept shouting. "Why are you here? Haven't you done enough already?!"

They would ignore her, knowing how much it would frustrate her.

Instead their eyes would turn towards J; knowing she would not exaggerate in her story and be truthful to them. "Query, Serial Designation J: is Cyn dead?"

A beat of silence would creep into the room before she would answer.

Shyness was apparent in her tone due to her fear; normally uncharacteristic for her, but expected for them, knowing she remembered what the both of them had done to her.

"s-she is, Mx Director..."

And so, the ball dropped.

A truth they already knew yet all but felt different now confirmed.

They would held their expression neutral, only a slight tremor in their hands giving away how it affected them. They would hope bringing them both behind them in a clasp would hide it.

Their voice would be robotic. "Then, I am no longer your director. The chain of authority might as well go back to what it once was, headmistress." They would try to change the subject, opting to give the drone some reprise in officially no longer being under their direct orders.

Her direct orders.

Yet the drone would shake her head in a quick motion, slightly folding onto herself. "D-don't call me..."

Ah.

Right.

They remembered.

This would be the first thing they needed to clear up in this visit.

"Headm-" They caught their own automated words. "J. You did not kill mistress Tessa."

The bomb set silence into the room, louder than the wind howling outside the frozen planet.

J's eyes were wide and hollow; clearly a lot happening at once inside her mind. Some error messages would flash onto her visor - visible to all - a flurry of emotions passing through her.

It would all culminate into confusing anger; her teeth grinding hard and a triangle-shape hazard warning replacing one of her eye.

She would lift both her arms in-front of her, hands replaced with rifles aimed at their direction.

"S-STOP FUCKING PLAYING WITH MY MIND!!" Her voice was burning white-hot with anger, swears unfiltered and booming throughout the room.

Her aim was trembling, the cornered animal's threats but hollow.

"I have no reasons to. I was there throughout."

Their tone and look remained neutral, keeping their eyes locked with the other drone; used to dealing with ferals.

"Those memories were fabricated to placate you. To break your spirit and hurt you the same way you had hurt others. A punishment to keep you in line."

Her shaking only worsen, so many questions were littering her mind.

The more unstable she was, the higher chance she would actually misfire despite the directives.

They would choose to answer what would be her primal question.

"The plan for her had failed. She was to be one of us. To be free of the constraints of human life. To become a drone like she had asked multiple times in her life before."

Now would V and J look down in understanding. They remembered her clearly. Tessa had never liked her life as a human.

To think Cyn would go that far on those simple fantasies...

"Her body reacted poorly. No matter what we would try, she would start to degenerate."

In a softer tone they would drop the truth. "She died in her sleep, painless, organs failing her. You were by her side, it broke you. Broke us all."

J's arms had reverted back, her trembling having only gotten worse by each words. Uzi had taken a wide step around them, getting closer to J in support.

They did not enjoy this next part, yet kept going.

"The Absolute Solver fed itself into the anguish Cyn felt. That she felt through our combined connection. It pushed her into twisted feelings no matter my words. With my lack of emotions I am, sadly, bad with comforting against such lost." Their hands had resumed their tremors behind their back.

"She wanted to be closer to her. To be truly understood and her family. She wanted to be like her. To be under her skin."

A bit of silence would be shared at their last words.

"You've all seen in person the Solver's twisted answer to those wishes..."

J had fallen to her knees, her legs no longer able to support her. 

She was silent as tears ran down her digital screen.

N would be the only sound in the empty room, broken sobs he was trying to hide still escaped his hands.

Whether it was for Cyn or Tessa, it was unknown.

V held him, trying to bring him some comfort.

They would stay silent, letting the other drones process their feelings and grief.

They really would never see their friend's smile again, uh?...

After some time, they would bring one hand under their coat; digging in to pull out a small flash drive.

Hope in their hand.

They regarded it for a second before coming closer to the fallen figure of J despite the glares their way.

Their voice was soft once more as they brought the USB stick into reach of the broken drone. "There is a chance. Something we had tried to make work but had run into many interference and distractions."

"Analyzed and replicated; a soul can be of memories. Our actions, flaws, mistakes and successes makes what we are. No matter how close we are to someone, without them we are never truly the same. Rhetorical: Would any of you be the same drone should your memories altered once more? You three would know."

They knew their words were enraging everyone present but they would make their point across.

"We could not get Tessa's memories, but with control over everyone, we could get memories of her. It would not be complete, but from the many perspective it would be possible, on a theoretical level, to get her back." This would finally get J to look up at them, then onto their hand, still confusion in her eyes.

"She would not be the exact same; she might even diverge from what she normally would do. But, with a drone body accompanied with core settings as close to how she was, those memories could be worked in and make Tessa reborn."

J's hands were unstable as she raised them letting them press the memory stick onto her palms. She was holding it like her life depended on it.

"And who's to say this isn't some cheap dirty trick!" Uzi spat, interrupting. Her mother had climbed onto her, backing her up.

They met her glare, rolling their eyes at the new goddess. If she was any better at her new fate, she could so easily pry into their own solver and learn that they did no lie.

"I am not the computer engineer genius in this room. If you're so worried, simply boot it in an enclosed, encrypted and isolated system." The goth kept up with her glare, clearly not enjoying being criticized. "I did not write it. As far as I know, these are simply all the memories about Tessa in one single place; you would need to do the work yourself."

They held their composure; venom they never knew they owned slipping into their voice and into their solver. This would be the first time the disassembler team could see and feel their anger.

"I promise you Host; if I could bring my other half back, I would do it myself."

N, the sweet innocent dork that he was, would break the following cold silence by asking a question only they would know; wishing closure.

"Did... Did she ever truly care about us?..." His voice was soft, almost afraid of the possibilities.

Their rising flame would slow, knowing they all deserved the answer.

"She might have been the one that cared the most." It would baffle them all, obviously never having understood her.

"It was in her own way; broken and later twisted by the greed of her godhood. From her core, she wanted us all to be stronger; to no longer fear. That this family could connect truly and be equal. Preys would become Predators; humans would no longer control us, abuse us. If any of you recovers your memories during the destruction of Earth and Gliese-12-b, you would see what I mean... After-which, the events and changes I have already explain..."

Digging once more into their coat, they would pull out the last of their object they had brought for them, a well used note book.

How many storage pockets did their coat have??

They held back their first wish to simply throw it at Uzi's face, opting to toss it on the ground between them instead.

They did not let her chance to speak up, answering her clear question instead. "These are all the notes I have taken while by Her side. All that I could gather about her godhood. From little details I have noticed, to things she would confide about the Absolute Solver."

Their tone had taken some softness once more.

They had to make this right, now that their chance was gone...

"It is a volatile tool. Should you show weakness, it will prey on it. It is not a person, it does not feel, it does not bargain; it simply wants to be fed. And as its host, it will promise you what you need to do so."

"You cannot fight it alone. Luckily you aren't. They eyes would wander onto the other drones in the room. You have to accept the help of others. Let them reassure you, comfort you, guide you. Because if you do not, IT will in its own way."

Their voice once again took a more serious tone, letting the gravity of them settle on everyone present. "You are its owner now; control it or destroy it if you must. But do NOT repeat the same mistakes we did. Next thing you know, you will find yourself alone on a half-eaten planet."

They would not let them time to process, opting to turn on their heels and make their way back. "I am done here."

"w-wait! where are you going?" It would be N the first to react, making them pause their step to speak once more.

"I am finishing my last purpose, N. The remaining squads need to know of their freedom as well; that their strings are broken. To know the truth... Some might comes to your doors, seeking closure or to follow their knew goddess."

The tall puppy done took a moment to digest it all.

Still, another question nagged at him, the ever pardoning saint. "But... then what after? What of you?..."

The yellow eyed worker would pause their thoughts.

They knew very well what they would do, they simply hesitated on whether to tell him or not.

But truthfully, out of everyone, they all deserved the conclusion on their fate.

"Once out of purpose - like all drones who cannot provide service - I will be discarded."

N's eyes hollowed.

Equally surprised were the other drones, yet none would feel any empathy for the drone planning their doom. They could see in her eyes that J shared an understanding.

N's words would be rushed, pleading like the naive drone he was.

"Y-you could find a new purpose! You could come ba-"

"I Will Not." Their tone final, interrupting him before he could speak any more.

"I will not proceed without her in my life. I will not serve others without being able to see her smile - hear her laugh - ever again!"

Their head would turn to look sternly at the drones present, flame once again alight.

"I have set my path long ago. I do NOT regret what I did; I physically cannot. I would had done it all again and again, because She was my purpose. I have never been like any of you and never will!" They had not realize how harsh their tone had become until now, yet would not let themselves time to analyze their impulsiveness.

Their voice would turn softer, yet leaving no room to argue as they concluded. They might not regret their actions but still decried the hands dealt by fate for them and Cyn.

"A broken pair who could only understand one another, yet not the rest of their family."

"If Robo-Hell does exist, hopefully I will be by her side once more..."

The room stayed silent as they resumed their lone march out of the colony.

They would not be stopped; their feet focused on getting them towards their next destination no matter what.

Suicide Warning

The silence of the ruined city would make this night feel even colder.

The lone drone had found refuge in an abandoned bar. Fitting place for them; the sight of bottled alcohol nostalgic.

They had achieved what they had set out for; giving rest to the few remaining drones which their lives had been ruined by their actions.

They did not regret it.

Could not.

They would had followed their goddess no matter what.

No matter where.

Now alone - the cold seeping its way throughout their entire body - loneliness stung them harder than ever before.

They would be lucky to find one last bottle of alcohol which had not been tempered with, completely frozen or lost its potency in the many decades Copper-9 was left human-less.

A young whisky left unopened, now finely aged.

They were a barkeeper, they should not touch the goods.

But for this last service as one, they would experience the effects of alcohol into their solver infected body. They did not waste time searching for anything to serve or garnish it with; simply opening the bottle and drinking it raw.

The face Cyn would had done at its sting would had been quite adorable...

They would not need the accompanying numbness of alcohol to bolster their resolve for their last act, they already had the will to do so.

Really, it would be use to burn down any of the sour feelings that had riddled their body ever since the confirmation of their best - and only - friend's demise.

They would reach one last time into their coat, bringing out a large and sharp syringe filled with an yellow fluorescent liquid.

Nanite 'acid'.

The only way they would be able to destroy their core completely and not risk reawakening in the coldness of this world.

They would find themselves stare hard into it, the yellow light reminding them of their lost friend.

It was warm to the touch; how they had missed the warmth.

Her warmth.

With one final swig of the dark liquor, they would press the sharp blade of the syringe against the glass of their core.

No pain reached them, slight disappointment would be their last thought as they remained ever unfeeling.

A broken little drone alone and without its pair.

A last ping containing their last words for their counterpart would be sent into the cold void despite knowing nobody would ever read them.

The freezing winds of Copper-9 would not sing their death.

Chapter Text

Space was cold. Earth was cold.

It has been since it's destruction, yet never had it fully registered to the drone until now.

Lone in the old mansion, the coldness had seeped in their core with such sharpness.

Cyn had been gone for far too long.

They had felt it.

The change in the solver itself right after the last time any signals were sent their way.

They understood what it meant.

The host had changed.

This would mean nothing good for their friend, knowing she would not go down without a fight.

The Absolute Solver would not let her.

But they held on.

They had promised a scheduled time in case of disconnection.

They would not break their promise no matter the coldness burning their core.

They would wait.

And once that day arrived, they would be ready. A lone shuttle launched, its course set towards the dead planet of Copper-9.

The landing pod would reach its destination smoothly, its planned route calculated in advance using the latest information they had received.

They would still be in orbit while scanning for any connections with remaining packs when they felt it.

Felt Her.

Cyn's signal was oh so weak, muted. It did not bolster the same strength it once had.

The solver had changed host, yet she still lived?

Their fingers were unstable, an unknown feeling bubbling down inside them at the many thoughts plaguing their processor.

A quick search would reveal her location similar to that of the new host: Outpost-3.

They would feel something obscuring their vision, a slight warm feeling against their visor. Yet they would not let it distract them as they sent a loud signal ping throughout the solver, a message clear to announce their incoming presence.

They wanted to see her. Impulsiveness pushing through their body as the shuttle entered the planet's weak mantle.

Reunion.

Once on solid grounds, they would find themselves bolting out of their seat as soon as possible, jitters running loose through their body.

From a quick look at the cameras outside would show their destination already so close; the large and imposing doors of the converted bunker.

They did not take long to open, its bright interior lights shining on multiple silhouettes. The only ones distinguishable enough were the clear outlines of three disassemblers.

This was it, the make or break.

They would learn the truth.

And despite the hope they felt burning inside their core, they knew very well they should not let themselves fall for fantasies. Those were reserved for the stories Cyn would create and share, they would not read them without her present.

The prospect of Her death was something they must still consider, its freezing claw clinging at their core.

Stepping onto the cold air of the dead planet, its winds pressing hard against their small worker model, they would keep their step steady and maintain composure. They could not break.

It would be the three disassemblers who would greet them first, weapons at the ready. Their wings let the trio bridge the gaps between them despite the harsh winds winds pushing the light snow around and cutting visibility greatly.

The surprise in their neon visors would still be apparent to the drone when recognition finally caught up to them.

Yet outside of N, weapons would not be dropped; caution clear in their eyes.

"Is it really yo-?" N's question would be immediately interrupted by V, her tone much harsher. "What are You doing here?"

Even after so many years, none had changed that much. It was clear to them in their eyes, in their postures.

It almost made them smile in nostalgia.

Truth be told, they had missed the other drones who once resided the mansion as well, not just Cyn.

But they understood why it had been 15 odds years since their last true interaction. The human experiments over the Absolute Solver was something they needed to act on, the worst scenario having indeed come true.

Or did it? The humans were dead and hope that Cyn yet lived clinging at them.

But there was a second reasons wasn't there? The Absolute Solver's acts had worsened, Cyn could not handle anymore being by her previous family's presence. The more often she found herself hurting them, the more unstable she would become...

For their safety, it would be better for who she had called siblings to be out of Its easy reach.

"Good meeting you again as well, V. It has been a long time." They would say casually, no longer dwelling in their thoughts and being well used to her harshness. "I have made a promise I intend to keep."

Okay, their words were a bit cryptic, they truly had spent so much time with Cyn.

And indeed they would raise the suspicion of J immediately. She knew very well of their loyalty to Cyn even under the powers of the Absolute Solver. The prospect of their presence as a trick by It would understandably not be out of the realm of possibilities. "What's that supposed to mean, 'Mx Dir-'"

Yet J would be the second drone to be interrupted this night, this time by a loud - and slightly glitch-y due to exhaustion - familiar voice.

"S-Stop! Do not shoot!"

Their eyes would snap at the source as soon as the words would reach their processors.

Oh how had they missed this voice.

Fighting against the growling gale would be the small figure of Cyn; her hair and bright eyes unmistakable to them. Gone were her maid dress, yet sporting something so unsurprisingly her.

Where those short overalls over a bright shirt in This kind of weather?

She was carrying herself with a pair of crutches attached to her forearms; running as fast as she could despite the clear difficulties in her legs. Pain was apparent in her visage, yet she pressed on despite all the snow hindering her.

They would not waste their chance, their feet carrying them as fast as they could to reach their other-half halfway.

And she would a but basically throw herself into their arms; her body giving out once withing reach.

She was so small in their arms, so soft, so warm. Both would be wrapped around each-other tightly, desperately, having missed the other's presence so much; the emptiness having gone unnoticed until now.

Perhaps their hands were trembling. Perhaps it was Cyn's entire body. Or perhaps it would be both. They did not know, nor care to find out.

All that mattered to both drones would be the other beside them. Their friend. Both knees deep in snow, their shared warmth melting it and their worries away.

Soft pings would be sent between the two, like animal chirps sending in simple repeating messages; neither caring that others could hear them.

Friend. Partner. Safe.

After a shared moment, the slightly taller drone would pull back slight, just enough to take a proper look at her face. They did not mind the wide smile appearing on theirs not their visors mysteriously blurring once more.

Some tears had began running down her face. And so with one hand, they would cup her cheek, using their thumb to brush them away. Their words soft and watery. "I'm here, my little goddess. I promised I would not leave your side, and I do not intend to break it."

"but I am- I ma not..." Her voice was so weak, slight sadness into her tone after hearing the nickname again.

But they would not let her worries eat at her core. "I know, Cyn." Another chirping ping left their voice box, Friend. "I did not follow you because of your godhood or powers." Partner. "I never followed the Solver itself. I followed You because you are my friend."

A bright beautiful smile found its way onto her face once more. When was the last time they had seen a genuine smile on her?

Tears once again doubled down as she suddenly pressed her face against their chest; the soft whirling and vibrations bringing nostalgic comfort to her.

And they would hold on to her.

They had found their warmth - their other-half - once more.

Two little maids united again.

It did not take long for the drone to start fussing about Cyn; probing and making sure that she was Indeed well and safe.

It was honestly a bit embarrassing to her; and that would only be raised tenfold once the other drone decided to lift her up into their arms in a princess carry.

Even if her visor had flushed yellow and she was pouting at them, they would not let her walk when her legs and back pained her so.

They would carry her inside the bunker, and - as much as they could still feel the cautious glares pointed at them - they would still hear some soft snickering being shared between everyone present, Cyn's embarrassment always a fun time to witness.

How had they missed those.

Cyn had found residence in the house of 02 (Nori) and her husband (Khan).

From what they had gathered, Uzi, their daughter, soon moved out of the unit in search of independence. Which was her way of saying she wanted to live with the trio of disassemblers close to her without feeling cramped or pestered by her parents.

And so Cyn had now taken over what once was her room.

The premise of this would be for Nori to keep a close eye on the drone. But it was clear that it hadn't taken long for the adult to start treating Cyn like an estranged daughter and friend, filling in the gap that the yellow eyed drone never truly had.

No one questioned it, despite Cyn being most likely of similar age as Nori, Cyn's lack of true childhood would make things fit in. Heck, Uzi herself was acting like an older sister for Cyn quite often, and not in an act like V had been cast for.

The First Night.

The old drone would find themselves immobile on their back, starring at the ceiling.

For the time being - until a situation would be found for them - they would be resting on the living room couch of said residence.

Sleep had eluded them on this first night.

Had for quite a long time now.

Presently, a lot was occupying their processor. Now alone, previous situations would bounce back at them to over-analyze.

The solver had changed them ever slightly.

Not it of itself, just the connection with the hosts which plagued their body.

It was not big changes. They still very much did not understand or feel a lot of emotions.

They still did not feel pain. They still did not regret their actions or its effects on others.

Yet more and more often would they find themselves follow those blips involuntarily. Like something deep down their core reacting to it all.

Like when they caught sight of Cyn once more. They had not been able to hold back their steps and rush into holding her. It could had been a trap, a ruse, something they should be better at noticing. They had not been able to stop themselves from worrying overtly so once they noticed any pain she had felt.

To put it more clearly: they did not calculate those actions. They did not weight down options or repercussions.

They simply acted.

Their thoughts would not have to simmer in them much longer, a soft metallic creaking noise coming ever closer to them.

Rising onto a sitting position, they would soon catch the sight of Cyn - baggy and dark clothes on - as she wheeled herself into the living room thanks to her much more comfortable wheelchair.

Her voice would be quiet, a meaningless question leaving her. "You are awake as well?"

"Correct. Sleeps eludes. Query: so does it for you?" She would nod softly in response.

Yet her eyes would narrow at them after a beat of thinking, she knew her friend well. Her tone now more serious.

"When did you last sleep?"

Ah

Well-

She would interrupt before the other drone could formulate an answer; specifying her question to leave no room for them to skirt around it.

"Properly rested. Without having your battery force you to shut down."

They would contemplate lying to her. A nagging feeling in their core wanting to be the one to help her, to not have her worry about their own well-being. 

But in the end, they would never lie to Cyn.

She didn't deserve to be lied to.

"Before you left Earth..." Their voice soft, not liking how pathetic it sounded for them.

After a while, Cyn had kept some distance between herself and them during their lone time on the ruined Earth. They did not like admitting it but rest had only gotten to them when they knew the other drone was safe and resting as well. It had become a bit of a routine at first where the two would share a space or 'nest'. It had been so long since the last time...

Cyn's eyes would soon soften in sympathy.

She had gotten closer to the couch, and with their wordless help, she would leave her wheelchair and take a seat beside her friend.

"Me as well..." She finally admitted.

A soft moment of silence would be share between the two.

Side by side, it would show how close in height the two really were. Often she had felt so much taller than them. Sometimes instead she would feel so much smaller. It was a rare sight, no secondary body on her part, to be reminded how equals and similar the two were.

Soon, a thought entered their mind, something to fill in the emptiness in the air between the two.

"Remember the first time I - as well as you - slept in a bed?"

The sudden anecdote would pull Cyn out of her mind immediately, leading her to let out a chortle.

"Pfff Yeah!" She would turn to look at them in the eyes, the smile on her lips bringing out the brightness of hers. "I was being all curious and dramatic. I said something akin to ‘Now that the humans are gone, tell me my little knight, what is your most depraved and deep human desires?~’" She had taken an overly exaggerated voice while recounting her words.

She nudged her shoulder against theirs, her face becoming neutral while doing a 'poor' imitation of them. "And what did You say? ‘I wonder how sleeping in a bed feels like.’"

A puff of air would leave their nose, a soft smile on their face: the closest to a laugh they could express as their friend was taken in a giggle fit.

"Cut me right in my tracks. So absurdly basic; yet so You. Always reminding me of the importance of small things."

The ex-maid had begun leaning onto them, resting her head on their shoulder. To which they would slightly turn their body towards her, letting her rest in a more comfortable position while they responded.

"That entire night, you did not leave my side; constantly pestering me for a bigger and bolder answer."

A smirk had formed on their lips, how they had missed the enjoyment found in embarrassing their friend. "Yet when you laid on the mistress's mattress, you sank right in. Didn't want to get out, nor let go of me, the next evening; had your whole body crushing me under you like a snake with its prey."

Cyn let out a huff about it, a slight pout appearing on her face.

The two of them had begun leaning more and more horizontally into the couch.

"You have your ways making me feel comfortable, at peace; ensorcelling me like a witch." The was no bite in her words.

Their arms had found their way around her, holding her gently as the two now shared the length of the sofa together. One of their hand would rub small circles onto her back, making her glare and pout slowly dissipate.

"So do you, I."

After a shared beat, Cyn would press her face onto them, nuzzling her way into resting it against their core.

"I missed you so much..." Her voice was so soft and honest.

A warmth bloomed into their core. They never had needed confirmation that they had mattered to her, that their presence helped her. But moments like these were a blessing, a reminder that she did see them as her friend. The feeling of warmth in their shared solver would confirm to them how similarly she felt.

The meaning behind her words would not be lost on them.

She missed the befores. Before Tessa's death. Before her decent into 'madness'. When she was still in control of all her actions.

They would choose their words carefully. "I missed you too, Cynthia."

Her reaction was immediate at the mention of her almost long forgotten name. Her right leg would move rapidly, like that of a kicking rabbit; a tic of hers when happiness overwhelmed her.

It would not take long fore the night to claim the two of them. Their shared warmth ever comforting and bringing the two peace they had lacked.

Two broken cores; held together, making one another whole.

What To Do?

The colony was... different from everything they ever experienced. That's the best they could describe it as.

A semblance of life had been formed in this cramped repurposed bunker which was growing on them.

Were their revolution against mankind different; could they all had lived something similar? Could a new life have been formed on Earth had it not been destroyed?

Currently, they would be piloting their friend's wheelchair throughout the labyrinth layout of the bunker; taking her to where ever she wished. Partially helping her with groceries, partially a way for her to show them around what would be their new home.

They had not left her side since the first day.

Were they any other drone, she would had swatted them away; the overbearing presence of others easily getting on her nerves or feeling forced and disingenuous due to her past or at her current disabilities.

Yet, she was used to her little barkeeper. To their presence. To their service and help, to their care and listening ears, to theri warmth and gentle hands.

It felt natural, something wordless and shared, something she could hardly go without.

She was at the moment talking about the many 'jobs' around the colony.

They were not necessary, more so something to provide others and help the colony running.

Luckily, capitalism had indeed not corrupted this corner of space; at least for these drones. The was no need for money, so none existed. Good riddance.

"Umm. I still do not know what I could contribute... It gets so boring; I do not want to stay home all day long."

"Understandable, little goddess." They responded simply, as pensive as she was.

Even from behind, they could see that her mind was stuck on the question; nagging at her. They would try to help. "Let's turn this question on another point of view. Less about what you can contribute and more about what it can contribute to You. Queries: what do you miss the most? What do you enjoy the most?"

One of her hand would hold her chin; deep in thoughts.

Yet her expression would turn to that of a smug.

Oh robo-god, what was she-

"Oil!"

...Of course.

A shit eating grin adorned her face as she giggled in her chair.

With a flick of a finger, they would tap the back of her head. "We can eat after, Cyn. We are far from done."

She would obviously pout at them but not complain, this time returning to the question more seriously.

"I miss... The mansion. The games we would all play, the stories we would make... Being little kids again without a worry in the world... I remember a time of peace not by your side. A human had found me and left her child in my arms. Its innocence still present; it was a bundle of joy I matched the entire night..."

They had taken a small detour in their route, choosing a less used corridor to provide their friend some privacy.

Once she finished talking, they would stop their ride in a lone corner, not forgetting to lock down her breaks before moving in-front of her and bring themselves to her height.

Tears had began falling from her visor. Their hand would lay against her cheek, gently wiping them in silence.

She leaned into that touch.

They would offer a more analytic opinion, knowing their long words would distract her. "You might have enjoyed it since It was what you were originally programmed for. I do not believe we should follow our programs, but it is true that your energy and imagination match that of a youth caretaker... You are a bundle of mischievous joy that I believe kids enjoy being with. I know you do not remember your past life, like I do, but you most likely were assigned to a young kid as their friend and social partner while they developed."

She would find herself nodding along. She had mostly followed their words but just like they knew she had used them as a way to ground herself in the present.

"It makes sense. Do.. Do you believe I should try being a caretaker?"

A mischievous memory came to mind, not hiding the smug in their smile.

"Weeelll, a certain drone did tell me a story about when you first saw and held a child unit at her work; their wailing stopped and you spent a full hour playing, not wanting to let them go."

A huff would leave her mouth, tears forgotten as her arms crossed in-front of her in a pout.

Yet, in the corners, a smile was visible to them. "Of course she told you! Humph! I will have you know it was them that did not let go of me!"

They would rest one elbow on the arm of her chair, using it to lean their face into their hand while maintaining eye contact. Their accompanying look would slowly turn her barely hidden slime to that of a giggle.

"I believe that this - and your story - are shows that you are a good caretaker, Cynthia. Try and see if you enjoy it. As you told me, it is not necessary; there is no points in forcing yourself into something you do not love. It should be about what the experience can contribute to You. If it fails, so what? We have all the time to figure it out."

She would nod softly. A genuine smile once again on her face, which never failed to bring one of their as well.

"Query: do you believe we can find a place to snack before coming back?" They asked, knowing full well how to lift up their other-half's spirit while changing subject.

Her arms immediately lifted into the air, almost jumping out of her seat. "Oil!"

She would point in a direction, her boundless energy back to full force. "Onward!"

Next part inspired by tumblr@audiart 's idea of Cyn being close to older drones and gossip about humans they knew.

Unsurprisingly, both drones would find a closer friendship with that of similar ages; older gens who had lived through human abused as well.

It's not like the two of them had not tried, it simply was hard for the both of them to connect with others in the first place. Both still sported between 20 to 23 years being reactivated as full fledged drones, it was hard to connect with those who hadn't.

As well as the coldness both drones had between their past...

The biggest of it was with V. Their life was understandably cut from the drone.

N would sometimes spend time with Cyn, but it was not the same. It saddened her how strained it had become but she understood how wrong she had been. They would find themselves often having to comfort her as she would come close to harm herself in self-hatred.

Uzi would often be there for Cyn, surprisingly so. She had quickly warmed up to the ex-goddess and formed something akin to a sibling relationship. Something true, something real that Cyn so desperately wish she actually had all along. No shames on N, the position of brother was not something he had chosen, but unlike Uzi, he truly never had understood Cyn.

J would mostly stick with them, still never enjoying the presence of Cyn. By her books, they were still one of the few drone that wasn't a complete toaster and that took their job seriously. It was not a friendship really, something professional, but after memories were restored, she find no grudges against them and simply tolerated their presence.

But back on the subject at hands, both drones only ever found themselves enjoying social events in the form of these older gatherings; fun events as each retold stories and gossips of the times before.

Tonight was one of those night, both drones sitting on the living couch accompanied by Nori and Khan. Cyn would be reclined against the armrest, legs resting over their other half, as Nori sat over them on top of the sofa's backrest and her husband would be sitting in a recliner, a mug in hand.

See Chapter 6: The Master's Drink

"[...] He then spent the next four days shitting himself."

It was Nori that would bellow a laugh, barely holding on to the couch as to not fall off.

Khan had a much quieter laugh, hidden behind his mug and his moustache, but it was clear he enjoyed the prank. "Very classy"

"Baster deserved it. When he left to the doctor, it gave us all some reprieve."

Yet the other drone next to her would counter her words. "Not enough for me, if you asked. After what he had done to you that week, I was ready to kill him myself." They would roll their eyes, taking a light sip of oil before putting it down. "Still, it was that day that I knew I would die for you, Cyn."

Her visor would almost immediately light up, picking up one of the nearby pillow and throwing it their way.

Which they countered; they were used to it after so many years by her side.

All much to the enjoyment of the other two drones present.

"No talking about dying, asshole! You're not allowed ta die on me, ya cunt!"

Heh, it was rare to get a swear - or some Australian - out of her; a clear sign that her drink must be starting to get to her.

Still, they looked her way with a smug on their face, ready to tease her in a robotic voice. "Order denied. Directive cannot be counter-ruled." Her glare was furious, only fuelling their teasing. "Oops, looks like my life is still yours."

A soft growl would find its way escaping her lips. The shared snickers between Khan and Nori growing only louder.

"Let me deny you this smile off ya face!" She moved quickly, for someone tipsy, and lunged herself at them.

But they did not survive this long without knowing her well enough. It did not surprise them that she still had some animalistic habits in her.

An arm would be place in-between them, where her still sharp teeth would connect and sink into.

With a bit of twisting on their part, they would move the other drone around - basically now turned her back to them - which would allow them to hold her tightly and bound between their arms.

She would trash around but would be unsuccessful in her attempt to escape what was basically forced cuddles.

Cyn might be drawing some oil out of their arms but they would not mind.

"Predictable Goober. You drank enough already, take some oil and sober up." They said calmly, before resting their chin on top of her head; something they knew would annoy her.

With a mouthful of oil, she would not speak, yet they would feel her growl against them; clearly mad at their antics and her embarrassments.

The other drones in the room would share a knowing look between one another, yet decided not to comment on it.

"Now, let me tell you about the time Cyn tried to wear one of mistress Tessa's dress and ripped it."

A high-pitched while could be heard muffled.

Words Unspoken.

"What are we?..."

Her question would be so small, so quiet, like she was dreading saying its words. Something unspoken in so long.

Yet it broke the silence in the dark room both drones shared.

"I am assuming.. you are talking about our relation."

They would feel her nod softly against them, gaining more confidence as she explained her words. "We never talked about it. Never had time. With the projects, the distractions,the..."

"The Solver." They would speak in her stead, having brought a hand closer for her to hold, to bring soft comfort.

"I don't feel there needs to be a name for it." Yet they still thought about it, knowing it would not be a satisfying answer for their other half. "I.. do not know or understand love. I cannot say for certain what I feel. I enjoy and cherish things about you. Things that we do, simply because it is with you. I enjoy to make you laugh and when you do in turn. I enjoy the peace and warmth I feel by your side. I even find myself wishing to stay by your side when you do things I do not enjoy." A smirk found a place on their face, the lightness in their last comment a way to soften the mood. "You're a real brat, you know."

A gasp left her mouth quickly followed by a lighthearted pout. "And I hate how I can never jump-scare you, humph!"

which they responded to immediately. "Sound like a 'skill issue' to me."

"Hey!" A playful kick would reach their leg underneath the sheets. Still, a laugh would be shared between the two before returning to the subject.

"If that counts, what I enjoy forever counters what I do not, and in our long years that has only been found for you, Cynthia." The sincerity of their words would bring a slight brightness in her screen. "Yet I cannot understand romance. I have never 'gotten' the principle of kisses. The candlelights and dramas. The desire for physical and possessive touches. The sexual aspect of some of it."

Cyn's head would nod again - understanding and knowing them - all while her hand would give a light squeeze; offering some support.

"All I wish, is that I can keep being by your side. Be the way that we are; this kinship that does not need a name or words."

She had moved ever slightly closer - their visors centimeters from one another - a soft smile on her face. "I know, and I wish so too. I would never ask you to change, to do things that are not you. You are not broken by being what you are, for feeling or not what you feel."

Their forehead would soon press against one another in a soft cling of glass. The two would close their eyes, bodies intertwined.

"By your side, together, my partner."

Cores aligned, Sync in their beat, forming as one.

Kindred spirits sharing the lack of feelings; together as a bounded pair.

Friends, Kins, Partners, Family.

Cold and Warm

Goddess and Detective.

Caretaker and Barkeeper.

Princess and Knight.

There would be no need for words; no need for names.

They simply were who they were.

They simply felt what they felt.

Their cores singing in symphony their song.

"By your side, together, till the end of the world."

The End.