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Chapter Text

Life seemed to finally be going somewhat normal for Uzi, until it wasn’t

In the bathroom, hunched over the toilet, she starts coughing up bits of crystalized oil. Her coughs turn into gagging, and her gagging turns into choking. Before a larger chunk spews out into her palm. She looks at the chunk of oil in her hand, it resembles a broken heart.

Uzi, has Hanahaki Disease, something she’s only seen in anime and read in manga.

Chapter Text

Cold winds howl through the night, paving their way through the landscape. The trees shudder and rattle as if fighting against the harsh gusts, while darkness wraps itself around everything like an unwelcome blanket. The air is thick with an eerie silence as if nature itself is holding its breath, waiting for the storm to pass. The moons cast an ominous glow upon the now desolate world, creating shadows that dance and twist with malevolent delight. In this haunting scene, it seems as if time stands still, and all that exists is the endless, bitter cold.

A sudden sound breaks through the howling winds, the sounds of an explosion, and a barely alive car alarm. The air fills with the acrid scent of burning metal and shattered glass. As the sounds fade away, a figure emerges from the darkness, covered in the remnants of a car.

Uzi stands before the demolished car as she sighs, footsteps fast approaching her. “You good Uzi?” a voice asks. She turns around to see her friend, N. She turns back to the car and groans, “Yeah, just destroyed another one.”

N chuckles and pats her on the back, "Well, better the car than you, right?" Uzi rolls her eyes playfully at N's comment, knowing all too well it's just another day in the life of their chaotic adventures. She and N have been best friends for what felt like months. Enemies to friends, he was built to kill her, and she built a weapon to kill him.

Now they both stand in front of the blazing inferno that was once an abandoned car. Uzi glares at the smoking remains of the car, then down at her hand where the Absolute Solver still rests. The weapon is a force of nature, and she was built to control it.

It’s only been a week since the incident at Camp 98.7, where she brutally murdered half of her classmates in cold blood. Haunted by her actions, Uzi is overwhelmed with guilt and confusion, struggling to understand her new-found power. As the fire rages on, memories of Camp 98.7 flash through her mind. The screams, the chaos, and the suffocating darkness consumed everything in its path. With each passing day, she wrestles with the notion of controlling this deadly force or being forever controlled by it, an unending battle within her soul.

As the fire crackles and dances around them, Uzi feels the weight of her emotions channeled through the Slover. N's reassuring touch on her shoulder helps to calm her racing thoughts. Gradually, the flames settle down and N looks at her concerned.

"Uzi, are you okay?" he asks gently, searching her eyes for a sign of comfort. Uzi nods, taking a deep breath and forcing a blank face. " Yeah just, wishing I can better control this." She uses the Solver to pick up a discarded metal pipe before tossing it into the car fire.

As the metal pipe hits the flames, they momentarily flicker in response, casting eerie shadows on their faces. Uzi clenches her fist, frustrated with her inability to manipulate the burning wreckage. Sensing her unease, he places a hand on her shoulder, offering his support. "Don't worry," he reassures her, "We'll figure it out together. After all, that's what friends are for." Uzi manages a small smile at his words, feeling grateful for his unwavering presence in her life.

“I mean, you’ve made great progress in the short span of knowing how to use it. It's just a matter of time before you can control it.” He smiles at her as she glances back at the now dying fire, swearing she saw a glimmer of Doll in the flames before it winked out. “ Just take your time, it'll come naturally.”

She grunts as she moves slightly away from him. “I don’t think any of this is natural, at least for Worker Drones. You Dissasembly Drones seem to have it programmed into you.”

He chuckles softly, "Maybe not, but you've already proven that you can adapt and learn. I believe you'll master this skill in time. After all, it's what makes our world so extraordinary – the potential for change and growth." As they both stare into the distance, she can't help but feel a sense of determination rising within her, knowing deep down that she was capable of more than what her programming dictated.

The sun starts to peek over the horizon, a sign for them to head back into the safety of the Spire. Uzi turns back to N, a question on her mind. “N? Do you think I change into that thing again?”

N pauses for a moment, his eyes searching for the right words. "I don't know, Uzi," he admits. "But I'm sure we'll figure out how that happened, do you remember anything before your transformation?"

Uzi frowns, trying to recall the details. "I remember feeling overwhelmed, like a surge of energy was coursing through me," she says, shivering at the memory. "But after that, it's all a blur."

N places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll find answers, Uzi. Together. For now, let's get back to the Spire and regroup with V." She nods as he begins to lead them, the Sun attempting to catch them. N suddenly taps her shoulder and shouts a ‘Tag!’ as he runs towards the Spire.

Uzi, caught by surprise at first, shakes her head the chases after him. Their laughter echoes through the empty streets as they race towards the towering Spire. Their friendly competition quickly dissolves the tension of the situation, and at that moment, a renewed bond strengthens their resolve. At the entrance of the spire, just as Uzi is about to tag N, a projectile is shot at her.

With quick reflexes, Uzi was able to stop the projectile in midair, a mini rocket. She glares at where it came from with its owner in plain sight, “V!”

V laughs as she hops down from her perch. Narrowing her eyes, Uzi lets the mini rocket drop to the ground, harmless now. "What was that for?"

V smirks and shrugs nonchalantly. "Just testing your reflexes and making sure you two aren't getting too comfortable," she says with a sly grin. Uzi rolls her eyes, annoyed by V's antics. "You could've picked a safer way, you know," she retorts.

V laughs, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Where's the fun in that?" she counters, stepping away to give them some space. Uzi sighs, as N walks up to her. "What if Uzi wasn't fast enough to react?"

V waves off the concern, her expression not changing. "I have faith in her abilities," she says confidently. Uzi crosses her arms, still not amused, but N nods, seeming to accept V's answer for now.

Uzi sighs as she walks past V, planning on retiring to her makeshift room for the night, but V grabs onto her shoulder and pulls her back. “So, how did your ‘Training’ go?” she asks with a mischievous smile.

Uzi rolls her eyes and tries to suppress a grin. "Well, considering I managed to set my target on fire instead of just hitting it, I'd say it went... interestingly." She shrugs off V's grip and continues, "But hey, at least I didn't blow up the entire place this time, so I'd say that's progress."

In the background, she can see N giving her a thumbs up before V blocks her vision again. “No, new monsters this time, or were you the monster?”

Uzi’s eyes widen while V gives her a murderous glare. Uzi hesitates, feeling a sudden lump in her throat. "I... I wasn't the monster," she stammers, struggling to maintain her composure. But V's unrelenting glare only makes it harder for her to find words, causing her core to race and sweat to dampen her brow.

Uzi is suddenly removed from V's leer by N, "Knocked it off V, what have I said about antagonizing her?"

V reluctantly backs off, sneering as she does so. Uzi breathes a sigh of relief, her core rate starting to slow down. N shoots a disapproving look at V before offering Uzi some support. "Don't let her get to you," N says gently. "I know what happened back at the camp was, scary. And we don't quite know what caused you to turn like that." N gently smiles at Uzi, "But I know in due time we'll find out what happens and how to prevent or control it in the future!”

Uzi feels her core skip a beat as N casually walks away, leaving her standing there, bewildered and breathless. She watches his retreating figure, wondering if he even knows the impact of his every move on her fragile heart. Her fingers tremble with the desire to reach out and pull him back, but she hesitates, afraid of what might happen if she dares to cross that boundary.

Shaking her head she makes a hurried retreat to her room, hand on her chest as her eyes widen. As she closes the door behind her, she leans against it, gasping for air as if she had just run a marathon. Uzi tries to make sense of her swirling emotions, torn between wanting to embrace the undeniable connection and the fear that acknowledging it might bring everything crashing down.

She has a crush on N, her best friend.

Uzi's mind races with the newfound realization of her feelings for N. Her heart pounds in her chest like a drum, and she doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her insides feel like they're doing somersaults, as if she's on a rollercoaster of emotions that she never expected to be on. And now, Uzi is left to consider the possible consequences of admitting her feelings to N, not sure if it will strengthen their bond or ultimately ruin the friendship they've built so carefully over the last few months.

Torn between excitement and fear, Uzi wonders if confessing her love is worth the risk. The thought of rejection looms over her like a dark cloud, yet the possibility of blossoming romance brings warmth to her cheeks.

Slapping herself across the face, she restores herself and with a deep breath, she clambers onto her bed.

Lying down with her hands pressed against her heart, she tries to rationalize her feelings and weigh the potential outcomes. She thinks about the strength of their connection and the chemistry they've shared but also recalls N's previous infatuation with V. Uzi spends hours wrestling with her thoughts, trying to reach a decision that could change everything between them, unsure where fate will take her heart next.

As she slowly falls into sleep, her mind drifts to a dream where she finds herself standing in front of two doors, unable to choose between the two possible paths. Apprehensive yet hopeful, Uzi knows that she must face the reality of the situation and embrace whichever outcome awaits her.

Chapter Text

Trudging through the snow and ice, Uzi makes her way back toward her colony. She needs to see a Doctor, a Drone specialized in repairs, to run a diagnostic test on the day she went to the camp, so she can get a better understanding of what happened to her. The idea to get a diagnostic report wasn’t hers, surprisingly it was V’s.

Right before V and N went out for a supply run, she walked up to Uzi. “So I know I don’t usually do this, and don’t take this the wrong way but I think you should go get a diagnostic report. You know, for when you almost killed me?”

Uzi deadpanned, a light glare sent V’s way before she sighed. “Fine, I’ll go see what a report has to offer. Might give more insight on how the Absouolte Solver functions.” V was suddenly in her face, claws out as she grinned at Uzi. “I just want my favorite oil can to be nice and fresh, I don’t want to drink an expired product. I’m sure you understand!”

Uzi pushed V back as she glared at her, “Right, I’ll head back to the colony and see what I can find, and you keep to yourself and stay out of trouble.” With a roll of her eyes, Uzi turned and left for the colony, determined to unravel the secrets behind the Absolute Solver while V snickered to herself, pleased with her victory.

Uzi sighed as she could vaguely see the outline of the compound her colony resided in, big metal doors guarding the entrance. Her father had given her a spare master key since she was making more frequent trips between the Spire and the Colony. Approaching the doors, she tapped the keypad and the doors slowly opened for her. She was greeted with emptiness as she glanced around, but no one was in sight.

The silence was unnerving, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Uzi cautiously stepped inside the compound, her boots echoing in the deserted space. As the metal doors closed behind her with a loud thunk, she wondered where everyone had disappeared to. Usually bustling with activity, the emptiness felt unnatural, she shrugged as she made her way passed the last two doors and to the junction.

The junction leads two ways, the left was towards the residential units, and through there, you can reach the school, repair wards, and medical ward. The right leads to mostly storage and the WDF’s Command Center. She took a step forward, heading left she tried to move quickly not wanting to be spotted by any of her classmates or anyone for that matter.

Her core was pounding as she hurried through the residential area, trying to stay out of sight. Utilizing shadows and corners to her benefit, she intended to sneak her way to the repair wards without being detected.

Occasionally, she would hold still, easing herself closer to the destination. As she finally neared the repair ward's entrance, her heart racing, she darted into a small alcove to observe her surroundings. Peering around the corner, she spied the guards leisurely patrolling the area - this was her chance. In one swift movement, she silently slipped through the door and felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"Ms. Doorman?"

Startled by the sudden voice, she quickly spun around to find a familiar face. It was Dr. Evans, the head of the repair ward, looking equally surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone both curious and concerned.

Uzi calmed herself before approaching the front desk, where she found Dr. Evans patiently waiting for her. “I’m here for a diagnostic report. I had an… accident…while I was out, and I’m just making sure everything is fine!” Uzi smiled nervously while the doctor was typing on the receptionist’s computer. “Well, I was on lunch, but I guess I can see you for a quick report, what date exactly?” she asked.

“May 28th, at around 10 P.M.” The doctor nodded and then smiled, “Alright, this should take no more than a few minutes. Follow me back to room 3, please.”Uzi followed Dr. Evans down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest. As they entered room 3, she sat down on the examination table, trying to maintain her composure.

Dr. Evans walked over to the computer and began to boot up a program whilst grabbing a cable. “Put this into the port on the back of your neck.”Uzi hesitated for a moment but decided to trust the doctor. With trembling hands, she carefully plugged the cable into the port on the back of her neck.

“Now, I’ll need to put you into Repair mode so I can access your system. Are you alright with this?” Uzi nodded and then forced herself to relax. Dr. Evans typed something into her computer and everything fell dark for Uzi. Once enveloped in darkness, Uzi's consciousness seemed to hover in a void. Meanwhile, Dr. Evans carefully navigated through her system, searching for any signs of malfunction or damage.

Once she was finished, she turned to her program and typed in the date and time Uzi told her. Soon a whole bunch of words and code appeared, and a few minutes later it stopped with a ‘Beep’ and the printer on the other side of the room hummed to life as Uzi’s report was printed.

Dr. Evans initiated the sequence to bring Uzi back online. As the room illuminated once again, Uzi blinked her eyes and looked up at Dr. Evans. "Do you want me to go over your repor-" "NO!"

The sudden shout startled both drones as Uzi laughed nervously, "I can look at it later, thanks." Dr. Evans raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. She handed over the printed report to Uzi, who took it hesitantly.

She hopped off the table and made her way toward the door. "Thanks, Doc, uh, do you want me to pay for it or?"
Dr. Evans waved her off dismissively. "No need, consider it a professional courtesy," she said with a slight smile. Uzi nodded gratefully and exited the room, the door closing softly behind her. Clutching the report tightly, she walked out of the office and back into the residential district. Sighing deeply she walked her way back toward the main entrance, tugging on the report in her pocket, curiosity eating at her.

As she neared the entrance she grabbed it out of her pocket and began reading it. But with her nose deep into the report, she didn’t notice the group of people she was about to walk into.

Suddenly, her shoulder collided with someone in the group, and the report slipped from her hand. The pages scattered, flying through the air like chaotic confetti.

Snickering was heard as she glared at the group. "Ew, it's the weirdo. I thought they fed you to the Murder Drones?"

Glaring, she bent down to pick up her report. "They're Dissasembly Drones, not Murder Drones." As she is about to pick up the last page a foot stops her.

Looking up, she saw the smirking face of the group's leader, Jessica. "Well, whatever they are, looks like they didn't want you either." The group laughed cruelly as she clenched her fists, determined not to let their taunts get the better of her. With a quick movement, she snatched the last page from under the foot.

"Bite me!" She hissed out as she stood up, Jessica giggled, "Aww Cute, is that what the Murder Drones did to you?"

Uzi ground her teeth, the Absolute Solver flashing on her visor for a quick second as the group continued to laugh at her before one of them suddenly screamed. "Jessica! You have an oil leak!"

Jessica's eyes widened in shock, turning to see a trail of black liquid spreading on the floor behind her. Panic spread across the group as they scrambled away, leaving Uzi surprised as the group rushed to the nearest bathroom. Out from where the group was standing, stood Lizzy, "Sup Freak."

In Lizzy's hand was a can of Oil, Uzi's eyes widen in shock before regaining her composure. A sly grin formed on Uzi's lips. "Thanks, Lizzy," she said quietly.

"Yeah don't mention it, Jessica has been getting on my nerves ever since she joined the Cheer Squad." Lizzy rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "So, what're you doing here? I thought after that whole fiasco you'd be ignoring this place."

Uzi thinks back to the day at the camp, killing her classmates and almost killing Lizzy until V intervened. Uzi stared at the floor, her diagnostic report clutched in her hands. "I needed answers, and V suggested I got a diagnostic ran on that day."

Lizzy nodded slightly, "Yeah, rumors are spreading around that you 'Killed' everyone. But Thad, V, and I are persuading everyone that V got hungry and killed off a few people."

Uzi looked shocked as she stared at her, "Even V?"

Lizzy scoffed, "Don't take it personally, she just wants to make sure no psycho goes out trying to kill you before she does. There are even rumors that you and I are suddenly friends."

Uzi hesitated, then took a deep breath. "Well, I guess that's better than being a hunted murderer," she said with a faint smile. "I appreciate the help... Both from you and V."

Lizzy shrugged. "Just don't get too comfortable," she warned, but there was a hint of camaraderie in her tone. "As soon as this blows over, it's back to normal, " she turned to walk towards the entrance herself before turning around with a slight glare, "And DON'T follow me! I don't want judgy bots thinking we're friends, that'd be kinda cringe."

Uzi smirked, “Oh no, Lizzy friends with a weirdo like me, whatever shall I do?" Lizzy rolled her eyes, trying to maintain her tough exterior, but a small smile betrayed her. "Just remember, Uzi, that this is temporary," she reminded her, before disappearing into the entrance. Uzi chuckled to herself before following her after a short while.

At the 3rd door, Uzi was met with the harsh outside once again, a pair of footprints making a trail toward the Spire already. She smiled slightly knowing it was Lizzy going to meet V.
As Uzi followed the footprints, the cold wind whipped around her, making her shiver despite her excitement. She knew that Lizzy would never admit it, but their dynamic was changing – perhaps they were becoming true friends after all. Upon reaching the Spire, Uzi saw Lizzy and V conversing deeply.

They both turned towards her, V dawning a sinister smile as Lizzy greeted her with another 'Sup Freak." Walking towards the duo was N as he smiled and waved at her. "So, whatcha find out?'

Uzi approached them, "Nothing quite yet, I haven't analyzed it. I hope this gives me more insight into how the Solver acts and reacts. This should hopefully tell me what triggers it suddenly, rather than when I'm using it to move stuff."

N smiles at her, "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're pretty great at figuring out plans, this should be a cakewalk for a worker drone!"

Uzi blushes slightly, nervous laughter escaping her, "Y-yeah totally. I'm going to look at this, in my room, away from your distracting presence." The last part was said under her breath as N looks at her confused. "What was that?"

Uzi hesitated for a moment before replying, "Oh, nothing! I was just, um, talking to myself." She quickly turned on her heel and hurried back to her room, her core pounding in her chest.

N turns and looks at Lizzy and V confused, the duo shrugs as they continue their conversation leaving N to wonder what had just happened. As Uzi disappeared into her room, N couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The evening continued with laughter and light chatter, but N's thoughts kept drifting back to Uzi's strange behavior, hoping that everything was truly alright.

In her room, Uzi has calmed herself and now she's studying the diagnostic report, highlighting everything that corresponds with the Absolute Solver. She ultimately learns that high spikes in emotion, Anger, Fear, and Jealously to name a few, can cause the Solver to act up in high quantities, these large spikes also cause large spikes in temperature, and the high temperature that she had at the Camp that causes the solver to act up and change her.

Uzi groans at this realization, controlling your emotions as an angsty teen? Yeah like that'll ever happen. She logs this information before checking her internal clock, reading 7:30 A.M. She decided to head to bed.

As Uzi drifts off to sleep, she wonders if there might be a way to find balance and control her emotions without losing who she is in the process. Dream-filled with determination, she resolves to face this challenge head-on and grow stronger for it. Little does she know, this journey will lead her to discover more about herself and the true depths of her abilities with the Absolute Solver.

But what’s next to come could turn this all upside down as her insides begin to cramp.