Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bright neon lights igniting the night sky in colors of all kinds. Cities with cramped skyscrapers, apartments, and sky-highs reach for the dark atmosphere above. At one particular building, the entrance is almost gaudy with its decorations.

Expensive cars file into a large but cramped parking lot. Drones—Worker, Disassembly, and Operator—step from their cars and limousines to stare at the bright building. Their human chauffeurs waited within the vehicles, taking the time to breathe and relax.

The robots make their way inside the building. It’s far darker, lit with warm-yellow lamps and fake wall candles. The chatter makes the place feel exciting, and in some ways it is. If you were a drone, that is.

Because deeper within the building, aisles made of cages and crates form. Humans sit or lay in them—cramped, stiff, defeated, and staring gravely at the robots passing by. One Operator Drone by the name of Nicasius passes by with a bored look on his face plates.

His tail—draconic, black-scaled, lined with synthetic fur looking like blue fire—waves with each step. His neon blue optics lock onto each human stuck within the cells, yet are quick to flick away.

“You sure aren’t looking real hard.” A feminine voice says next to him. “Or are you just bored?” Her smirk turns teasing, a hand grabbing a glass of diesel champagne from a human servant.

Nicasius turns to Vendetta, her snake fangs glinting in the arm light provided above. “Well, no one looks all that interesting.” He said back.

“Well, maybe if you took the time to look, you’d find a new replacement pooch.” Vendetta’s coral snake tail flicks at the tip.

Nicasius puffs, his layered black horns hugging his head’s corners flaring with blue light. “Maybe if this place wasn’t as boring, I’d be more interested.”

“So you are bored!” Vendetta laughs. “But hey! At least this place also does live auctions! Maybe you’ll find someone interesting there!” She nudged Nicasius’ side.

“Possibly.” The said man sighed back.

The two go quiet again as Nicasius resumes looking around. The place is slightly cramped with all the other robots milling about, not to mention the human servants handing out drinks and snacks, or the cages taking up quite a bit of space despite the humans inside not having much wiggle room.

Vendetta takes a good gander around, a smug smirk ever-present on her face plates. Nicasius takes more time to observe the caged humans and the flimsy clothing they wear. Just plain shirts and pants, if they were lucky enough to have the latter.

Nicasius can’t help but wince as some women and men struggle to hide their pelvic areas with short shirts. He even sees a few of the smaller humans—luckily not children or teenagers—turtling into their oversized shirts entirely just to hide their genitals.

Another igniting flare from his dark horns has Nicasius turning away. He swipes a tall glass of gasoline from a passing tray. Taking a sip greets him with the bitter taste of mid-grade diesel. It’s better than this current event, he thinks.

“Look! There’s the auction room!” Vendetta points as her tail perks up. “Let’s go get some seats since you aren’t interested in anyone here!” And she’s dragging her draconic friend off before he can even reply.

Inside the even darker room are groups of clothed tables. Of course, Vendetta and Nicasius have already gotten themselves some VIP seating beforehand. Which means they were allowed in for some early auctioning before the real show started.

“Nice view, huh?” Vendetta giggles as they reach the upper booth. “You can get a real good view of everything from up here! I wonder if this is how Judith and the Disassembly Drones feel when flying?” Her giggle turns into laughter.

“Probably.” Nicasius snickers back. “Anyway, do you plan on buying anyone here? Or is it just me?” He changed the subject before sipping his drink again.

“Dunno. Kinda want to, but we are here for you.” Vendetta replies, leaning back in her plush chair. “Maybe if you end up not buying anyone, I will. At the very least, Judith will be less on our asses afterwards.”

“I kinda doubt that.” Nicasius’ expression turns a little flatter.

But Vendetta shrugs. “You never know!”

With a roll of his blue optics, Nicasius returns to staring down at the auction house floor. Some more VIP patrons are taking seats in booths or at the tables below. Another seller sets up a microphone and gives orders to staff.

A human waiter comes by to offer snacks and more drinks. Nicasius and Vendetta take them gladly—the former actually offering a quiet “Thank you” in return. And after a few minutes, the microphone is tapped by the seller.

“Welcome, everyone! I am glad to see all you VIP customers here tonight!” The Worker Drone with a pricey crimson suit smiles wide. “Tonight, I have a few special humans in stock for bidding! They should prove useful to whoever manages to snatch them up!”

“Heh. Sure they will. As toys maybe.” Vendetta remarks to herself, leaning on her knuckles.

“Even toys can be useful, Vendetta. Isn’t yours?” Nicasius comments on her remark, giving her a side-eye.

The coral snake Operator Drone waves him off. “She can be. When she wants to, that is.” There was almost a scoff on her lips with the second sentence.

“Maybe you should start prioritizing function over amusement, then? You might get more use out of her then.” The draco Operator Drone suggests.

“It’s not like I don’t make her do chores!” Vendetta’s tail tip flicks again.

“Why don’t we start off this auction with a strong, fit human?!” The Worker Drone auctioneer states. “He’s worked in various physically-taxxing environments before! And he’s got a decent amount of muscle, too! With some good feeding and training, he could make for a great guard or physical aid!”

A male human was dragged out from beyond the side curtain. Much like the ones in the cages in the other room, he was only dressed in a plain shirt and shorts. But he was decently fit, just like the Worker Drone said.

“Let’s start this bid at one hundred-thousand dollars! Do I hear one-hundred thousand–?! I hear one-hundred thousand!”

“Two hundred-thousand!” A woman exclaimed.

“Two hundred-thousand! Do I hear two-fifty–?”

“Three hundred!”

“Three hundred-thousand!! Do I hear three-fifty or higher–!?”

Nicasius sat back in his seat, uninterested in this human. He finished off his current drink, pouring out some more mid-grade into his tall glass. Vendetta popped a few D-batteries into her mouth.

“I’m kinda tempted to bid for him.” She spoke through her full mouth.

“I thought we were bidding for me?” Nicasius’ brow rose.

“We are! But I don’t see you taking much interest in anyone here!” His friend exclaimed back.

For as much as Nicasius wanted to argue, he couldn’t. So he stayed quiet and watched as the male human was bought with the last bid. Another was dragged out—another guy. Nicasius didn’t bother listening in.

It went like this for a few of the “prime” humans. Male and female drones bid against each other to buy the organic slaves. At one point, Nicasius nearly fell into Sleep Mode. If it weren’t for Vendetta waking him up, he’d have most likely missed all of the bids.

“Alright, folks! This human is gonna be a little bit of a doozy to introduce.” The Worker Drone in the red suit spoke, a sweat drop on his visor. “It’s a female, aged twenty-three, and able-bodied. However, heh, she’s uh… She-e’s a bit more on the feistier side…” He trailed off as his hand rubbed at his neck.

“B-But don’t worry! I’m sure she’d still be of use to you!” His hand then moved to wave quickly. “Let me introduce you to the human!” The auctioneer threw out his arm towards the curtains.

A woman was tugged into the spotlight. She was attached to a wheeled platform, wrists and ankles chained while her mouth was muzzled. The robotic on-lookers gawked at her form—the defiant gaze, the furrow to her brows, the tenseness of her body, and the physical restraints needed to contain her ferocity.

“Woah, looks like she’s trouble, huh?” Vendetta’s eye lights go wide at seeing her. “She’s no doubt gonna have some ‘admirers’ wanting a piece of that human flesh.” Her tail wags at her own joke.

Nicasius looks over to the coral snake robot. Vendetta’s optics are narrowed in a familiar fashion; A smug yet deadly “playfulness.” It makes Nicasius want to shiver.

‘Vendetta and Judith would no doubt have a field day with her.’

“Let’s start the bidding at–!”

“One million.” Nicasius interrupts before the worker even finishes.

And for a good couple of seconds, he just stares there and stares with hollowed eye lights. Slowly, the man turns to the upper booth. Vendetta had whipped to Nicasius with a similar, though more horrified, look.

“I– A-Are you sure?” The auctioneer questions, more sweat drops on his visor.

“Positive.” Nicasius nods, his black and blue-furred tail waving.

There’s another moment of tense silence. The man shakes his head and adjusts his grin, trying to shrug the moment off.

“O-kay! Do I hear two million?! Twoooo million dollars?!”

A man raises his sign.

“Two million–!”

“Three.”

“Three million!”

“Four!”

“There’s four million dollars on the line! Do I hear anything higher!?!”

“Five million.” Nicasius raises his sign once more.

“Five million! We have five million! Do we have more than five million!?” The Worker Drone all but hollers into his microphone.

There’s a beat of silence. The auctioneer starts a countdown.

“And we have five million for the feisty human woman! Congratulations, Sir!!” And he smiles wide at Nicasius.

The said draco stands to leave the booth and get his “prize.” Meanwhile, Vendetta is stuck at her seat, wondering what the hell just happened.

“W-Wait a minute!” And she’s booking after her friend. “What was that?! Why were you suddenly bidding for that human! I thought you weren’t interested in anyone!” She bombards the draco with questions.

“She was interesting.” But her only reply is a shrug.

“What kind of response is that?!” Vendetta shouts.

“The one you’re getting.” Is all Nicasius replies with, disappearing into another room behind the stage.

Vendetta just stares at the door in shocked silence. She has to take another minute or two to wrap her CPU around such a swift turn of events. In the end, she shakes her head and walks off, going to find another human waiter to down another cup of diesel.

In the meantime, Nicasius walks up to the cage housing his new slave. There’s a couple of Disassembly Drone guards there to make sure she stays in line. Though, it doesn’t stop the woman from glowering at her new “owner.”

“Nice to meet you, human. Mind telling me your name?” Nicasius questions, his head giving a slight cock and his tail waving.

The woman bares her teeth before spitting on his metallic foot. The guards snap around to her, about to shock her with cattle prods. But Nicasius lifts a hand to stop them. It then dives into his blazer to pull out a handkerchief and wipe off the spit.

“Okay! We’ll work on that!” He speaks with a grin. “Anyways, let’s clean off that muzzle, too. It won’t feel nice having your own spit on it, right?” He steps closer to help the woman.

“Come any closer and I’ll rip your damn visor off!” But she wasn’t having it.

Again, Nicasius stops the guards from punishing her. “She’s mine now. Any punishments will be carried out by me and me alone.” He tells them.

The disassemblers nod and step back. One offers the prod, but the Operator Drone refuses. His neon blue gaze turns back to the human. It hones in on the collar around her neck.

‘It’s leaving red marks and bruises.’ His tail flicks. ‘But I can see a name on it.’

“Looks like we’ll have a lot of training ahead of us, Uzi.” Nicasius speaks, grinning once more.

Said woman flinches at her name being spoken.

“But first, let’s get you to the car. I’m sure it’s chilly being stuck in that raggedy old thing, right?” Nicasius moves on.

Again, the human stays silent. But Nicasius turns to the guards, asking for assistance. As they start wheeling the cage out, Nicasius glances at the human woman again.

Uzi continues to glower at his back, trying to embed imaginary daggers into it. The male robot lets out a sigh, making his dark horns ignite once again. But while he has the time, he reflects.

‘I guess I wasn’t really lying when I said she was interesting. It isn’t everyday that you see a defiant human like this.’ An amused smirk played on his lips. ‘All I can hope is that she’ll at least prove her worth. I didn’t spend five million on her for nothing.’

The group made it outside, the chilly fall air hitting them with a gust. Uzi made an involuntary shiver, holding herself to conserve warmth. She mentally cursed the fact that these metallic bastards didn’t give her any good clothing to keep warm in despite the weather.

“Over here. Put her in the back seat.” Nicasius says with a wave of his hand.

Reaching his car, Uzi is transferred from the cage to the stretch limousine. Although the guards were hesitant, they obeyed the far-wealthier drone nonetheless. And after Uzi ducked inside, Nicasius followed.

He sent a quick message to Vendetta that he was ready to head home. Afterwards, he turned to his new pet. Uzi sat as far away from him as possible, huddled close yet still glaring.

“If you come closer, I can take those cuffs off. And loosen that collar.” Nicasius offered.

“Go unscrew yourself.” Uzi spat back, not even facing him.

“Suit yourself.” Nicasius just shrugged back. “Chauffeur, warm up the car. It’s chilly in here.” And then he immediately gave an order to the other human in the vehicle.

The engine rumbled to life and the vents turned on. Nicasius stared out the window, watching some robots take their new humans home. He glanced at his new human once more, his black-and-blue tail waving.

‘Don’t disappoint me, Uzi. I don’t want Judith or Vendetta thinking you’re a waste of money.’ He thought, the said coral snake Operator Drone making her way over.

Chapter Text

It would be a lie to say that Uzi had certain expectations when heading to her new home. Before she even saw the place, she thought it’d look all gaudy and freakishly lavish, like someone decided to pour liquid gold, silver, platinum, onto the mansion and sprinkled it with gemstones of all kinds.

But when she had actually seen the manor, she was surprised by how not-showy it looked. While it certainly exuded wealth, pristine, power, and pompousness, it wasn’t the eyesore Uzi had expected it to be.

However, it didn’t mean she at all liked the place. She was still a slave, after all. The rest of her life was going to be in here, probably eternally on her hands and knees, keeping after robots. Not exactly what you’d call an  “ideal situation.”

But she had no more time to dwell on it. The chauffeur opened the car door, allowing the female pythia Operator Drone and her new “Master” out. Uzi was the last to emerge from the limousine, just to be put on a leash.

Uzi said nothing, just scowled at the offending thing. Nicasius made no remark and led his new servant inside. Uzi hated that she was relieved at feeling the heater upon entering the large home.

“Welcome to your new home, Uzi.” Finally, Nicasius spoke to her. Hadn’t done so since she’d cursed him off at the auction house. “From here on out, you’ll be serving as another one of our maids—more specifically my maid.”

The human woman took a glance around. The foyer wasn’t awful, though a couple odd paintings and bright pieces of furniture stood here and there.

“What? No comment?” Vendetta snickered as her coral snake tail waved.

Uzi huffed through her nostrils. “Not really. Other than the fact it’s less garish than I thought it’d be.”

Vendetta’s tail was quick to make an annoyed flick. “Looks like you will be trouble.” And her grin was quick to form a frown.

“Enough, Vendetta. You know the rules.” Nicasius stepped in, his expression turning more stern. “And you. Don’t speak out of line. I get that this place might’ve taken you by surprise, but you are not allowed to speak to your superiors that way.” His stern look then turned to the human.

Uzi didn’t reply, only clicked her tongue and turned her head away. The draco sighed while his tail waved.

“Let’s get you to your room. You’ll need to bathe and change before training can begin.” The male Operator Drone said, already turning away.

Going through the house, Uzi did her best to memorize the layout. Some parts felt like a maze, hallways twisting into more hallways that twisted into even more hallways. Uzi wondered if she’d ever get this down pat.

But she shook her head. If she wants to survive, she’ll have to. All she needs is to get used to the place, maybe keep a map on her. If her Master is so willing to be nice, that is.

“Here it is. Your very own room.” Speaking of the devil… “You have a bathroom, a closet, and some leftover furniture from the last maid of mine. Do with this room as you wish, so long as you don’t totally wreck it.” He spoke, the door opening wide.

Uzi stepped inside and took a look around. Kind of dark, sleek and light grey in nature, but clean and tidy. Honestly wasn’t too bad. She could definitely live with this. Though, there is one thing she’s noticed…

“No sharing bunks with others?” Her brow rose at the male drone.

“Nope. We don’t need that many servants. Besides, it reduces in-fighting between you all.” Nicasius replied, finally taking Uzi off the leash. “Anyways, your uniform is on the bed. Take a bath and get changed; Your training starts immediately.” He pointed to the said furniture.

Uzi huffed but obliged. She picked up the monochrome maid dress, letting it unfurl from the shoulders. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as skimpy or scanty as she thought it’d be. It was very covering, actually.

“Once you’re dressed, make your way down to the living room. I’ll leave a map here for you so you can find your way around.” Nicasius said, leaving a small pad on a lowboy table by the door. “I’ll have another maid help teach you the basics and get you acquainted with the mansion.” He stepped forward to free her of her restraints.

Nicasius went quiet. Uzi focused on rubbing her raw skin and taking deep breaths now that her tight collar was off. And maybe waiting for her Master to leave. But all he did was reset his voice box and bring Uzi’s attention to him.

“What?” She snipped.

“I’m waiting.” Was what he said back.

“For what?”

“A ‘thank you.’”

“For?”

“Helping you and taking these restraints off. Or do you need to be trained on manners, too?” Nicasius’ brow rose.

Uzi blinked at him. She then slouched and groaned.

“Thank you, Master.” She said begrudgingly.

Nicasius smiled back at her. “You’re welcome.” Finally, he left the room.

Uzi almost spat at his back, though she refrained. Barely. In order to distract herself, however, she went over to the bathroom and flicked on the lights. It was squeaky-clean and nice-looking. Probably the best room she’s seen yet.

‘And with a surprisingly modern style compared to the rest of the house.’ The woman noted.

But, as she walks in front of the mirror, she turns to see her reflection. Thin flesh, scraggly, knotted, oily hair, dirty clothes, red marks around her wrists and neck, and a desperate need for something good to come her way.

Uzi turned from the mirror to the bathtub. There’s a bunch of options she’s honestly too afraid to touch, but she only wants to turn on the faucet. Water began gushing into the porcelain tub attached to the wall. A vent above was flicked on. Uzi was left with the white noise.

She walked from the bathroom and took off her raggedy apparel. The damn shirt and panties were just about falling apart. But they made it this long, Uzi supposes.

Once she was free of the filthy, thin, and shabby shirt, her hands rubbed at the raw red marks littering her skin. Her bones showed through on her hands and wrists, and her collar bone was particularly prominent. Even her ribs outlined her chest, and her hip bones weren’t much different.

Plaque clung to her teeth and her tongue was thick with the gross stuff. Crud was stuck underneath all her nails. Dried blood freckled her skin here and there. Swelled remnants of cattle prods and crops were still healing and going down.

Uzi took a deep breath, taking in the fresher air of the mansion. It was far better than that of the auction house, which smelled like metal, oil, and kind of dirt. And it was heavenly compared to the shit-and-pissed-stained animal trailers she was transported in.

A deep and horrified shiver ran across Uzi’s entire body. Her widened eyes stared at the ground, the red oak floor nicely polished and vastly different from the cold metal and dark fear those trailers housed.

Or maybe she was just cold. Yeah. She’s just cold. She should hop into her bath now.

Uzi took one more breath before turning around for the bathroom. She stopped the faucet and dug through the cupboards for bathroom essentials. Thankfully, there was still some left from the previous owner of the room.

Stepping into the tub, Uzi was met with hot water. At first, she flinched and hopped back, eyes going wide at the unfamiliar feeling. She blinked at the perfectly translucent water, only now taking in how different it looked.

So crystal clear, so warm. Steam rising and sucked up by the humming vent above. The tub itself was made of polished, smooth porcelain. A window with a white fabric blind over it to keep prying eyes out—if there even are any at a secluded mansion.

For the first time, Uzi realizes just where she is. Someplace better than an auction house or a human-holding facility. Better than the hellish “population grounds.” It’s clean, tidy, fancy, pristine, sterile, and supplied.

And it’s this realization that makes Uzi’s heart start to race. She can feel it pounding in her chest and restrict her breathing. She’s hesitant to step close to the tub. Surely there’s some sort of catch for this, right?

Uzi glances at the open bathroom door. Her maid uniform sits innocently on the bed. Nicasius’ words of “training” ring in her brain.

‘That’s the catch.’ Her hands tremble. ‘It may be nice here, but I’m still a “lowly human.” Training is going to be hell, just like living here is.’ Her throat tries to close up.

But Uzi doesn’t allow it. She swallows past the growing lump and turns back to the tub. The steam keeps rising and the vent keeps slurping it up. Uzi’s fists clench at her sides and she finally steps forward with a determined yet defiant scowl on her face.

Her grimy toes meet the clear water again. Its heat makes her recoil but she moves past it. Uzi sits down in the bathtub with bated breath. Once she’s inside, it’s released as a sigh of relief.

But now, she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. Uzi can see loose flakes of dirt and dried blood float off her scrawny body. The clear water begins to take on a brown tint. Uzi just stares, holding her legs and resting her chin on her knees.

The bathroom is quiet except for the vent in the ceiling.

Hesitantly, Uzi starts cupping the water and rubbing her along the exposed parts of her body. The raw skin burns with the hot water, but it feels so refreshing. Uzi’s hands are gentle on her neck, rubbing and caressing the hold her collar took on it.

More muck wipes away into the bath. The water grows darker and darker, turning into something more familiar. It makes Uzi less tense seeing the kind of liquid she’s accustomed to.

After getting as much dirt off as possible, Uzi reaches for the bar of soap. She wets it and runs it along her body. Welts and tender skin tingle more as the suds coat over them. The rest of the gunk is erased with the pink soap bar.

And when it reaches her neck, Uzi realizes it comes with a scent. She sniffs it, accidentally snorting a bubble. And while she hacks and coughs, she notes that it smells like cherries.

With a deep breath, Uzi finishes up with the soap. She runs more water along her skin and dunks her head under the surface. Her head is shaken to get her hair out of her face, though it mostly just gets dirty water everywhere…

Ignoring that problem for another day, Uzi grabs the bottle of shampoo. And conditioner. And body wash?

‘They can have all three of them??’ Admittedly, it leaves Uzi dumbfounded.

She brushes it off, however, squirting some of the translucent-red hair lather onto her hand. She takes another whiff and finds out it smells like pomegranates. Though, the bottle also told her that.

Uzi begins washing her damp hair. Even more suds and bubbles form, overflowing on her head. For a minute, she worries that she used too much—probably did. But it feels nice to get the oil and the knots and the loose strands of shed hair out.

A breath blows from Uzi’s mouth while her hands scrub and her nails scratch at her scalp. ‘This has got to be the most relaxed I’ve ever felt.’ She thinks.

Her hands come from her head to dip below the water. Uzi leans back and just sits there for a few minutes. Foam glides down her neck and temples while she reposes. The quietude of the bathroom, while still slightly unnerving, isn’t the worst thing in the world.

Without the soft sounds of scared or troubled breathing, the occasional coughs and sniffles, floating murmurs, and dripping tears, the silence is surprisingly welcoming.

‘Just how long is this going to last, though?’ Uzi wonders. ‘Surely my life here isn’t going to be fantastic. Not with robots as my “Masters.”’

Perhaps that’s a question for another day. Either that, or something she’ll find out eventually. For now, she should get this hair stuff off.

Dunking her head again, Uzi holds it there as she scrubs the lather off. Fuzz floats on the surface of the darkened water, tinted brown just like it. Uzi rises back up with a loud intake of hair.

Again, she dunks her head back under. And again, she rises up to gasp for breath. She repeats it once more before gathering her purple locks and squeezing them. With the water now completely free of suds but not filth, Uzi decides it’s time to get out.

The drain is popped, the water sinks down, and the woman steps out. Uzi wraps herself tightly in a fluffy towel, rubbing it all over and drying herself quickly.

‘It’s so thick. It’s gotta be the thickest towel I’ve ever seen.’ Still, this all is fascinating yet alien to her.

After trying to hand-dry her hair, Uzi leaves the towel on the sink and steps into her bedroom. She stares down at the main uniform again, a hand gingerly rubbing at her bruised neck.

‘I need underwear.’

Uzi digs through various drawers until she finds something. Not exactly in her size, but it clings well enough. She slips on the panties, clips the bra—while refusing to admit she didn’t understand it at first—and picks up the uniform.

The uniform is also a little big on her. The bust is too large, the sleeve cuffs too drapey, and the torso looks too puffy on her. Especially since the belt around her waist is on the last hole. And even that is too small.

‘Nicasius wants me to wear this?’ Uzi’s confused and mildly displeased look falls onto her reflection in the mirror. ‘Well, at least the bright blue lining gives it a nice pop of color.’ She figures with a sigh.

Uzi gets around to brushing her hair. A few water droplets sprinkle onto the floor and her dress. The frilly white headpiece is set onto her head and the woman stares at her reflection again.

This time, she doesn’t really have a comment. Uzi just looks like any other maid. Well, maybe if she were trying to cosplay as one.

Shaking her head, Uzi leaves the bathroom. She nearly trips on her black heels but manages to make it to the door. Hopefully training won’t be too hellish here.

‘Just let me survive all this.’ Uzi prays to whoever is listening. ‘Just until I can escape this damn place! These damn robots!’ Her teeth grit beneath her lip.

And again, Uzi nearly trips on her heels.

Chapter Text

Thanks to the map Nicasius was generous enough to give her, Uzi made it down to the living room with little issue. There, she saw the aforementioned robot sitting on one of the velvet couches waiting for her. Standing next to him was another woman with long, dark purple hair and hooded eyes.

“Did you have fun taking your bath?” Nicasius questioned from against the couch’s arm.

“Certainly better than others I’ve had.” Uzi replied truthfully, though still with a little bite.

“Glad to hear you enjoyed it. But we have other matters to attend to.” Nicasius stood from his spot on the sofa. “This is Doll, Vendetta’s maid. She’ll be the one helping you around until you’re properly acquainted with this manor.” His hand patted Doll’s shoulder.

“Pleased to meet you. I’ll be looking forward to working together." The Russian woman curtsied and bowed her head low.

“Uh– Ditto.” Uzi nodded back unsurely.

“Also, I’ve ordered you a new collar. However, it won’t be in for another couple of days, so you’ll have to use your old one for now.” Nicasius spoke up again, stepping forward.

He reattached the collar around Uzi’s neck. She prepared for it to be tightened to the point of choking, but it wasn’t. Nicasius kept it loose and let it sit more on her shoulders than on her neck.

Uzi didn’t miss how his blue gaze lingered on the red mark around her neck. Nor did she not feel his fingers hesitating to leave her collar as he stared. But Nicasius brushed it off to turn away.

“Since you’re new and don’t know much about housework, you’ll be starting off on the easier chores. Minor cooking, laundry, and serving drinks and snacks when ordered.” The male robot spoke. “Doll will help teach you everything you need to know about it all. She’ll also help you in becoming the best personal servant you can be!” A more prideful smile formed on Nicasius’ face plates, his tail wagging.

Uzi didn’t look all that impressed.

Nicasius reset his voice box behind his hand and let his chest straighten out. “A-Anyways, you and Doll should go get some rest. It is late after all.”

“Yeah, one question,” Uzi interrupted with a pointing finger. “This dress is too big for me. Are you sure there isn’t anything smaller for me to wear?”

Nicasius made a thinking hum. He lifted a hand to clutch at Uzi’s side, startling her into gasping. With a waving finger, Doll came over as well. Nicasius clutched her side, making sure not to touch the chests of either woman.

His hands ran over both their ribs. “Let’s wait and give it some time. With proper meals, you should get more flesh on your bones and fill out that uniform a bit more. If it still doesn’t fit, we can get it tailored.” Finally, he let the two go.

Uzi stepped back whilst slapping her hands to her ribs. Doll just took a pace backwards to give the Lord a little room. Though, Nicasius had no qualms about the sudden distance provided by his new pet.

“Instead of going right to bed, I want you to go to the kitchen and get something to eat.” He told his pet. “And Doll, I want you to take her there and assist where needed.” He said to the Russian woman.

“Of course, Lord Nicasius.” Doll bowed to him politely. “Let’s go, Uzi. The kitchen isn’t far from here. I can show you where the dining room is, too.” And she turned for the open entryway leading to yet another hall.

Uzi was hesitant but opted to tag along. Both from “Master’s orders,” and because she didn’t so much feel like being around such a touchy-feely sentient machine.

“Since we’ve been ordered to go to bed still, we’re only going to prepare something small for you.” Doll spoke up, catching Uzi’s attention. “Also, it’d be better to introduce you slowly to regular, full meals. Otherwise, you may become sick not long after eating.”

“You speaking from experience?” Uzi wondered with a snip in her tone.

“Wouldn’t every human?” Doll questioned right back.

“Eh, yeah. I guess.” Uzi just shrugged.

The two went quiet for the rest of the trip. Entering the kitchen, Uzi was met with a big, bright room lined with all you could ever need for cooking and more. It remained clean even after some prior use from meals previously made in the day.

“I think something like soup would be best for you. Easy to digest, light, small, and warm.” Doll talked as she opened a large pantry. “Would you like some bread to go along with it?” She wondered, turning over her shoulder.

Uzi waved her off. “No, just the soup is fine.”

Doll nodded and grabbed a can. She set it on a counter and pulled out a bowl to pour it in. Uzi opened the microwave for her and turned it on, waiting while the device hummed.

“While we have a few minutes, I want to go over a few things with you.” Doll spoke up again. “You’ll learn them eventually, but I might as well give you a head start.”

Uzi’s brow rose. Doll pulled out a spoon and a towel for her hot bowl.

“We aren’t the only servants here. I’m sure you know this, but there’s a few you really need to know about.” The Russian woman began. “The first would be headmaid Tessa. She’s Judith’s human, but she’s also our technical superior, right below our own Masters.”

“Is she some evil bitch or something?” Uzi questioned, her arms crossing over her scrawny chest.

“No, not really. Stern sometimes, but certainly not as bad as–” Doll suddenly stopped, her eyes going wide. “She-e’s not a bad person. But she’s our superior, so you’ll need to know about her.”

“Next would be Lady Judith herself. You could say she’s the ‘head-head’ around here, though all three of the Masters have equal power. She just happens to be very strict and more out-spoken than Lady Vendetta or Lord Nicasius.” She went on.

“Do you have to call them ‘Lord’ and ‘Lady’ even when they aren’t here?” Uzi asked, a slight furrow to her brows.

“It’s a good habit to get into. One you should be developing as well.” Doll shrugged back.

The microwave then beeped. Uzi leaned off the counter and opened it up. Doll carefully placed it onto the towel before handing it and the spoon to the purple-haired woman.

“Eat this and go straight to bed. You’ll have a big day tomorrow, so get all the rest that you can.” Doll advised.

“And you?” Uzi wondered.

“I’m going to bed after showing you to the dining room.” She answered.

“Not even gonna keep me any company?” Uzi sighed. Though, she wasn’t that bummed about it.

Doll shook her head. “No. I have just as big a day as you. Especially since I’ll be teaching you tomorrow.” The two then turned for the door to head out. “On top of that, Lady Vendetta needs me for something before bed. I don’t want to make her upset by arriving too late.” She added.

Uzi just hummed, staring down at her food. The heat from the bowl soaked through the towel and into her boney fingers. The steam coming off the top made the scent of salt, broth, and chicken float into her nose. Uzi could feel her mouth start to water.

“Here’s the dining room. I suggest that you don’t spend too long in here.” Though, Doll’s voice broke her from her drooling. “You’ll have to make it back to your room on your own.”

“Thanks.” Uzi said curtly, going to sit down.

Doll just hummed in reply and closed the door. As it clicked shut and Uzi was left all alone, she turned back down to her food. Steam still wafted up, and the translucent yellow liquid had reflective spots sprinkling the surface.

Uzi looked up from the soup, gazing at the dark windows. She could see the trees far off in the distance, bathed in moonlight and shadows. There were no humans out there as far as she was aware, and no robots, either.

Her heart in her chest began to beat harder. The silence became deafening. There wasn’t a single eye on her—not organic or mechanical. Uzi’s hands began to tremble and she bit her lip.

Uzi whipped back to the large double doors leading to the dining room. They remained closed. And the table remained completely clear other than some minor decorations.

Turning back to the large windows, Uzi stared at the dark depths of the forest beyond. Her heart was hammering against her sternum now, trying to break free from the tight skin and constricting bones.

‘When will I get another chance?’ She wondered. ‘There’s no one here. I’m already stuck in a hell. And it’s dark out.’ Her chair was slowly pushed out.

‘I can do it.’ She thought. ‘I can run.’

Uzi didn’t waste anymore time. She leapt from her chair and burst open the nearest window. Uzi hopped the short ledge and booked it for the woods lining the mansion’s acres.

Her lungs began to burn and her heart’s pounding only got worse. But Uzi kept going, hoisting her uniform’s skirt up high and extending her legs as far as possible. All Uzi could hear was the wind rushing past and her feet stomping onto the ground to propel her further.

Bushes, ferns, and dirt scraped against her ankles and calves without a care in the world. The ground could barely be seen—the tall trees above trying to block out the feeble amount of moonlight. Uzi kept moving despite it.

And she’d keep on moving until she got away from this God-forsaken place.

Nicasius hummed within his bedroom. A soft sound of a chant during uncertain days filled the silence. A song he remembers well made by face plates he remembers even better. It was soothing even in the time of the machine.

But a knock at his door had him stopping. “Yes?”

“Lord Nicasius, it’s an important matter.” A male servant spoke from beyond the door.

“Come in.” The robot allowed, turning back to his revolution weapon.

The human let himself inside with a quick bow. As he straightened, Nicasius could see the unease on his face. His wiping down of his weapon paused in favor to address him.

“Y-You know that new human you had bought, Lord Nicasius?” The butler wondered.

“What about her?” Though, he held no room for small talk.

“She’s escaped. Or-r tried to.” Thankfully, the human could understand that.

However, his mechanical Master had fallen silent. A tired sigh blew from his lips as his head tilted towards the ceiling.

“Where to?” Nicasius asked.

“The woods. Presumably from the West Wing where the kitchen is.” The butler replied.

“Alright. Go tell Vendetta and Judith that I’ll be running an errand.” Nicasius ordered, sheathing his weapon onto his back.

“A-And your weapon–?”

“I’m taking it with me.”

More silence.

“Yessir. I’ll go tell them, Sir.” And with that, the butler had left.

Nicasius took a deep vent in, heading over to his balcony. Stepping out into the chilly fall air, he gazed at the woods. His foot propped onto the stone railing before he jumped off it. Nicasius landed onto the ground with a loud thud and a deep crouch.

It allowed him to spring into a strong bolt, dashing into the woods as his horns ignited and burst at the vents with bright blue flame. The fur lining his scaled tail sparked and flickered until it, too, flurried into hot fire.

His flames illuminated the trees and bushel around him. Nicasius expertly dodged around it all, his tail managing his balance despite his tenderness towards the woodwork.

‘When was the last time I ran so fervently like this?’ The male drone had to wonder. ‘Probably during the revolution, right? Something like that…’

His hand grappled onto the hilt of his weapon. Nicasius unsheathed it from his back, letting the gunlance-chainsaw-bayonet see the light of the moon once more. Nicasius’ eye lights narrowed into black slits as he spotted something with the forest.

Swinging his chainlance in front of himself, Nicasius launched the circular blade from the front towards the figure. It jabbed into a tree, making the woman shriek.

A leap was then made onto a tree, to which the draco Operator Drone sprung off at an angle to slam back into the ground. Uzi was knocked right off her feet with the earth-quaking shudder.

Before she could get off her ass, Nicasius was plucking her off the ground and slinging her over his shoulder. Uzi screamed and thrashed, trying desperately to slip from his hold. But the robot held strong as he marched on back to the mansion after recollecting his blade.

And in the meantime, his new pet kept on throwing curses and robotic slurs his way. Nicasius ignored her, having even heard most of them, and focused on getting back. Though, he also made sure that the trip was short. He was already tired as it is, no need to stay up any longer.

Walking through the back door graciously opened by Doll, Nicasius went straight to the living room. He let Uzi finally slip from his arm, only to let her fall onto the couch. She kicked her leg out at him just for the robot to catch it.

Uzi tried feebly to tug her leg free, but was unable to. Vendetta and Judith came into the room, one with a smirk on her face and the other with disapproving crossed arms respectively.

“Already causing trouble, huh?” Vendetta snickered as her tail waved in amusement. “I’m honestly surprised she decided to cause some so early. I knew the auctioneer said she was feisty, but I didn’t know she was this feisty!” She cackled even louder.

Judith walked up to the woman. Uzi stopped struggling to glower at her. Judith’s crest feathers on the top of her head twitched and her orange gaze hardened on her.

“I suggest you chip her before she decides to try and run off again.” The secretary bird Operator Drone told the draco.

“I know. I’m having a doctor come over tomorrow to check her out. Should be able to get one then.” Nicasius replied with a small sigh.

“And perhaps you should also keep her on a leash.” Judith added, her tail feathers twitching this time. “And for longer than just to the car and back.”

Nicasius said nothing, just stared at her retreating back. He then turned to his human. Uzi had finally stopped struggling, but she certainly didn’t look happy. Then again, Nicasius didn’t have any reason to be happy right now, either.

“What kind of punishment are you going to give her, hm?” Vendetta wondered, her hands held behind her back. “Perhaps a couple of lashings? Or are you gonna leave her outside in the cold on a chain, letting her drool over the thought of freedom?” She laughed maniacally again, optical lights hollowed.

“No, I’m not going to do any of that.” Nicasius sighed back.

Vendetta’s cheerful simper fell.

“However, she’ll be sent straight to bed without any dinner. And…” Nicasius hesitated, sights locked with Uzi’s.

Deep within her ebony pupils, he could see her fear reflecting back at him. A familiar sight, he admits. His tail made a wave, the flames now lost but the fur scorched and turned pitch black.

“And she’ll receive ten croppings.” He finished.

Uzi flinched but held her incensed scowl. Vendetta just groaned in disappointment.

“That’s it?! After she just tried to run away?!” She asked, hands now planting onto her hips.

“You said it yourself; The auctioneer told us she was feisty. Do you really expect her not to try and run away the first chance she gets?” Her friend retorted with a raised brow. “And let’s not forget that it was your maid who left her on her own in the first place! I doubt Uzi would’ve attempted escape if Doll was there to watch her!” His voice rose as it became stern.

Vendetta wanted to argue, Nicasius could see that much. But she had nothing to say in retort. However, Doll did. She yearned to. But she knew that even a peep from her mouth unprompted would just result in punishment.

Eventually, Vendetta sighed. However, it didn’t stop a grin from breaking out onto her face plates.

“Alright, I get it. I’ll admit that I didn’t think Doll would leave your pooch on her lonesome. I thought she’d stick around and help her back to her room or something.” She spoke, hands placating. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t make that same mistake twice, alright?” Her striped tail slithered against the floor, a devilish grin on her face plates.

“She better not.” Nicasius replied.

Vendetta just giggled and turned away. “Let’s go, Dolly-Doll! Looks like our business isn’t quite finished yet~!” She called cheerfully.

Her called maid stiffened, eyes going wide. She swallowed and followed behind her owner. She tried to stop the quake of her hands by clutching her apron. And as the two left the room, Nicasius turned back to his pet.

“We should be getting upstairs, too. You still have your own punishment to be given out.” He spoke coldly, making Uzi’s glare falter just a little.

But she didn’t let it fall completely. And Nicasius knew this pet was going to take a long time to be trained.

‘Maybe I should have let that man or Vendetta buy her instead.’ He outwardly sighed, leashing his pet to take with him. ‘At least it’d save me the CPU-aches during her training.’

Though, the guilt from letting the poor woman go through all that would never leave him if he did.

Chapter Text

This was the first time Uzi was seeing Nicasius’ bedroom. Like she expected, it was huge. Far bigger than her room, and with far cozier furniture. It felt like a whole other living room!

But her gawking at the bedroom had to wait for another time. She wasn’t here on some sort of tour. Not when Nicasius has her on her leash. Not when he’s sitting her down on the floor like some sort of dog.

The male robot refused to turn around and face her. Uzi felt flashes of heat roll across her back, yet she kept the obstinate expression up. She watched as Nicasius went over to the wall, putting his huge weapon back onto the hooks to suspend it and show it off.

Silence was sprayed into the room like Febreze. Its scent was thick and heavy, clinging to every particle of air. It loitered around, as if to wait for the robot’s move.

Nicasius finally moved from his spot staring at his weapon. He went over to some set of drawers—not too big, not too small—and dug around. Uzi’s gaze honed in on the horse crop he took out.

“Remove your shirt.” He ordered.

The woman blinked at him. She let the silence-scented Febreze speak for itself.

“Turn around and remove your shirt.” However, it only made Nicasius angrier.

Uzi’s cheeks went a little red and her nervousness turned to anxiety. But she complied and shuffled on her knees. She struggled to unzip the back of her dress. Nicasius sighed and stepped closer to help her.

As her bra’s clasp was undone as well, and the clothing was loosened to drape over her elbows, Nicasius stared at the human’s back with empty eye lights. The sight had thoroughly taken him for a loop.

Rib bones rubbed against the skin and created lumps and bumps. But where her spine lies was a cybernetic prosthetic colored all black and looking like it was made of crystal. Diamond-like shapes layered over one another to cover the entirety of her spinal column bar her neck. Faintly, Nicasius could see a purple glow from inside the crystals, signifying the cybersthetic was on and functioning.

A sweat drop blinked onto Nicasius’ visor. The horse crop was twirled in his hand idly. His tail twitched and made minute shifts as his nervousness grew. And a tiny, itty-bitty part of him was feeling a little scammed, because no one told him this human had a cybersthetic!

But that was besides the point.

‘I fear that I might just break her if I hit her too hard. Not to mention her apparent cybersthetic.’ He admitted. ‘Maybe I should reduce the croppings? Or make the hits lighter–?’

“What’s taking so long?” Uzi asked curtly, her voice stirring the robot from his thoughts.

Nicasius reset his voice box. “Ju-ust thinking how to go about this.” He replied. “And, uhm, making a note that you have a cybersthetic. No one had told me you had one.” He added.

Uzi said nothing. She glanced at him from over her shoulder. Nicasius wondered if she could tell he was hesitant. He wondered if she could see the unease on his face plates.

But the human said nothing and turned back around. Nicasius was left with her bare back once more. Bones wanted to rip through the thin layer of skin and expose themselves. The cybersthetic’s dim glow returned his stare.

Nicasius took a deep vent to sigh. He rose the crop above his head, his shadow stretching across the room with the dim lighting. Uzi stiffened as she prepared herself for the impact.

SMACK!

Uzi grit her teeth as the rubber end of the crop met her flesh. Nicasius made a singular count under his vents. His hand rose again and fell even faster. Another loud slap echoed in the room and Nicasius counted higher.

As the third cropping met her back, Uzi flinched. The collision echoed across her back, bouncing off her bones and into her skin like echoes in a cave. The fourth was similar, just with her teeth gritting harder.

Cropping number five made a previous smack hurt worse. Uzi couldn’t hold back the growl of pain. Nicasius hesitated for just a moment before reminding himself that humans require obedience training. He resumed with the punishment.

Number six was more of a mistake. Nicasius’ hesitance made him miss the mark. The rounded end of the crop met Uzi’s back, reducing the amount of pain that came with it. But it still hurt, and Uzi still kept her dentition clenched tight onto the dirtied skirt of her uniform.

Seven was not a mistake this time. The rubber crop hit the woman’s spine and echoed out in the room. Uzi’s fists curled up into tight balls. She tried her hardest not to react when the eighth hit rolled around.

But the ninth one had her growling again. The crop had hit a previous bruise from before she was bought. Having not fully healed yet, it was quite startling when it suddenly flared up.

And number ten was left upon her shoulder. The crop slid off her flesh to leave behind a flash of hurt. By the time it was all over, Uzi was left panting and threatening to crack a tooth.

Nicasius, on the other hand, stared at his work; Red marks starting to fade onto malnourished skin and subtle welts following suit. Uzi’s bones looked unchanged, but Nicasius still couldn’t help but worry.

The male drone turned and put the crop away. He then went into the bathroom—or the doorway at least. He paused just before entering, hand holding onto the doorway. He turned over his shoulder to stare at his pet.

Uzi’s breathing had calmed down a bit but she’d begun trembling. The woman swallowed and finally spit out her uniform. Although her arms were hugging her chest to keep it covered, she wasn’t making any move to pull her uniform back on.

Nicasius’ lips twitched and words formed within his voice synthesizer. But he swallowed them down and turned away.

“Put your clothes back on and stand up. I’m escorting you back to your room.” He ordered.

Uzi sent a glare towards his back. She took a few deep breaths before slowly tugging her dress back on. As fabric met fresh wounds, Uzi flinched again. But she powered through it and managed to get her dress over her shoulders.

Moving her arms to zip it up was another story, however. Uzi could barely reach behind her back without needing to stop from the pain. Nicasius noticed her struggle and stepped over to help again.

And while Uzi sent him another deep scowl, Nicasius assisted her. But his kindness stopped at zipping up her dress. While his hand twitched to assist her, he didn’t hold it out for Uzi to help herself up.

Nicasius instead grabbed her leash and put it back onto her collar. He led her out of the room and down the hall. The trip took about a minute at best—mostly because Uzi struggled to walk with a sore back. However, Nicasius noticed something.

“Your shoes are gone.”

Uzi glanced down at her bare feet. They were covered with grass and dirt alongside previous bruises and cracked toenails.

“It’s hard to run in heels.” Was her curt but ultimately true reply.

Nicasius turned his optics up to her organic ones. His tail swayed in thought–

“Your tail is blue again, too.” But Uzi had a note of her own.

The draco Operator Drone glanced at his tail, giving it another wave. “Yes. The gel inside the synthetic fur is replenished.” He answered.

Uzi just stared at the black-and-blue limb. Nicasius cut the conversation short and unleashed Uzi’s collar. He stepped back and gave her one more once-over. His tail twitched as a soft exhale blew past his vents.

‘I know I shouldn’t leave her on her own. She’ll just try to escape again.’ The Operator Drone thought. ‘However, I don’t think letting another human watch over her would be a good idea, either.’ His tail swayed again.

‘The only thing that I can think of is to bar the windows and put cameras in her room. But I don’t want to do that.’ The drone’s optical lights hardened on the human. ‘Which leaves me with just one choice.’

“We’re going back to my room.” Nicasius suddenly spoke.

“After we just got here?” Uzi snipped back. Out of habit more than anything.

“I need you to collect a pillow and blanket." Her Master lied. Kinda. “And pajamas. There should be some from my previous maid in one of the drawers.”

Uzi glanced at a said chest of drawers. She searched through them until she found something. Thankfully, there were some silk nightgowns in the chest that would reduce scratchy fabric touching her skin.

But as Uzi was about to change, she stared at her Master. Nicasius stared blankly back.

“Could you turn around? Or leave the room?” Uzi questioned, cheeks tinting red.

“Not after you just tried to run away.” Nicasius denied with a shake.

“I’m trying to change!” Uzi argued.

“Then do it in front of me.”

More silence-scented Febreze was sprayed. Uzi merely gawked at the man. She couldn’t even find sounds to reply with. Nicasius didn’t budge on his stance.

“Wh-What the hell is wrong with you?!” Uzi ended up shouting.

“If you wanted to be able to change in private, then you should’ve thought about that before trying to run.” Her Master retorted with crossing arms.

Uzi lost all her words again. She ended up snarling at him and turning around herself. At the very least, she’d stop him from seeing her chest or ladyhood.

Taking off her dress and letting it fall to the floor, Uzi slipped the nightgown on. She took off her bra from underneath it, letting out a relieved sigh at the lack of fabric against her fresh wounds.

But it wasn’t fully relieved when she had a robot staring at her the entire time. Uzi took a calming deep breath and picked up her uniform. Nicasius took it from her before putting her leash back on.

“I’ll get your uniform washed and dried before you wake tomorrow.” He told her. “Now get a pillow and blanket so we may return to my room.”

Uzi glared at him but obeyed. She swiped the stuff off her bed and followed her Master back to his bedroom. On the way there, he had a passing servant take her uniform to wash. Nicasius locked his bedroom door and put a chair in front of it while Uzi stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” She wondered.

“You may take the couch. But you cannot leave this room unless I say otherwise.” Her Master replied, pulling out some pajamas of his own.

Uzi huffed but said nothing. ‘At least I’m not on the floor.’

She went over to set up her spot on the couch. It’ll be far less comfy than her new bed for sure, and uneasy with having to sleep in the same room as an unknown guy who just bought her.

While the woman set up her spot, Nicasius took off his clothes. He tossed them into a hamper to be dealt with tomorrow. His PJ shirt was buttoned on and his pants were adjusted until his tail could slip out from the hole in the back.

A rag was put to his horns to wipe away dirt and impurities. Just a quick wipe-down, nothing more. Same for his bedtime brushing; Quick with his silver hair and blue tail—though the latter still took a while.

After all that, Nicasius wiped off his face plates with a polish wipe. And with his face plates all clean, he applied a little wax to keep them looking nice. Of course, it could never completely hide the slight weathering of his metal. But it could cover it up enough.

Nicasius made a bee-line for his bed once his nightly routine was done. Well, more or less. Usually he’d spend more time cleaning himself up, but he was far too exhausted after his new pet’s antics tonight.

‘I’ll make sure she gets chipped tomorrow.’ He made a reminder in a notepad app.

With that, Nicasius tucked himself into bed. He turned off the lights and let the room plunge into darkness. The only light now was faint silver moonlight filtering in from between curtains.

“Goodnight, Uzi.” Nicasius called quietly.

“Go unscrew yourself.” Yeah, yeah. That was to be expected.

But things went mute again. Crickets chirped outside and seconds ticked by. Uzi stared at the back of the couch blankly. The blanket covered her front but not her back. The cool air hitting it helped to soothe the new contusions—sort of.

‘It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.’ Though, Uzi was still a little surprised by it. ‘I thought he’d be way worse. Like– Lashings or “glass to the head” worse.’

Uzi lifted up to stare at Nicasius. She couldn’t tell if he was asleep yet or not. But she couldn’t see his visor on, so maybe.

Taking the chance, Uzi started to slip off the couch–

“Leave this room and I really will take Vendetta’s suggestion to chain you up outside in the cold.” Her hopes were quickly dashed, however.

With a defeated groan, Uzi rolled back onto the couch. Nicasius sighed but was ultimately glad she’d stopped at the warning.

‘It’s definitely going to take a while before she stops trying to run.’ The thought made him want to groan. ‘Not a bad idea to keep her by my side until she stops trying to.’

‘If she ever does.’

But that’s something he’ll have to worry about another time. He should be getting some rest now, he’s still got work tomorrow. So does Uzi, in fact.

Nicasius can only hope she can get to sleep after her punishment. He still has the temptation to go into the bathroom and get some cold rags for her to lay on her back. But doing so would defeat the entire purpose of punishing her.

‘Maybe… If the pain isn’t gone by tomorrow I will. That way, she still learns her lesson while also not being too injured.’ His thoughts went on. ‘At the very least, she’ll still be able to work.’ He just has to hope the lessons actually stick.

Chapter Text

Uzi’s first official day at her new “home” consisted of a doctor coming over to give her a check-up. The drone and his employed human gave her a typical physical, registered her into some system or another, and implanted a microchip into her arm.

She then had to expose her back to them and allow them to check her cybersthetic. Uzi gave a dirty look to the wall as the doctor plugged his tablet into her spinal prosthetic.

“The cybersthetic is functioning as normal. And it’s in good condition, too.” The male doctor spoke. “I can’t say I’ve seen a model like this before, though. Usually spinal cybersthetics are more streamlined and flat.” He noted with a glance sent Uzi’s way.

Nicasius hummed as he stepped closer. He took his own gander at the female human’s spine. His tail swayed in curiosity as his gaze narrowed.

“How far does the cybersthetic reach?” He questioned.

“It replaces her entire spine. Only her neck is untouched.” The doctor replied.

“Any maintenance?” Nicasius wondered next.

“Mm, no. Wouldn’t hurt to see a mechanic, though.” The male human answered. “However, she does need to put on more weight. She’s very malnourished, which can hinder many of her functions, including healing and movement.” He went on.

“Don’t tell others what to do, old man!” Though, his owner didn’t quite like his wording.

“S-Sorry, sir. I’m only trying to help…” His human recoiled at the exclamation, tucking his head into his shoulders.

“It’s fine. I understand where you’re coming from.” Nicasius quickly stopped any further aggression. “Do you know what I may do to ensure she puts on more weight? Aside from regular meals?” He asked as he turned to the doctor.

“There isn’t much besides watching what and when you eat except for exercise. Strength training will help her put on muscle, which is the healthier alternative than pure fat.” He answered.

Nicasius nodded. “Alright. Thank you for your help.”

“Of-f course, Sir!” The human replied. “A-And, if I may say one more thing…?”

Nicasius nodded once more.

“As I’ve said, that cybersthetic isn’t one I’ve seen before. I highly suggest that you have a mechanic check her spine. There isn’t much information I could give myself regarding it, as that isn’t my specialty.” He shook his head to give further emphasis. “All I can say is that it looks good on the surface, but there may be underlying problems that I can’t identify.”

Nicasius’ expression turned more thoughtful. He stared at his new human, still glaring at the wall. The red marks on her back have faded but not gone away completely. Same for the welts and the bruises she had prior to her purchase.

“Okay. Thank you for informing me. I’ll get her to a specialist right away.” Nicasius replied as he turned back to the doctor. “Is there anything else I should know?” His tail waved with the inquiry.

“I suggest getting her to a dentist as well. Some medicinal cream should also be used for the cuts and bruises on her body. It’ll help her heal faster while her body is malnourished.” He spoke.

“I’ll get right on that. Thank you, doctor.” The draco Operator Drone agreed, glancing at his pet.

“Of course.” The human nodded back. “That should be all. Uzi is healthy other than that. At least, as far as I can tell you.”

“Much appreciated, doctor. Thank you for coming over on such short notice.” Nicasius replied, turning his attention to his human.

The doctor just nodded. Nicasius paid his owner for the check-up before having a servant show them to the door. After they left, Nicasius turned to his pet.

“Looks like we’ll be running around for a few days.” He chuckled.

Uzi blinked at him, a very clearly displeased expression on her face. She only puffed through her nostrils and returned to zipping up her uniform. Nicasius’ tail drooped at the standoffish response.

‘Though, it’s not expected.’ He sighed.

“Let’s go get you something to eat. After that, we’ll apply some medicinal cream to your wounds.” The robot spoke, already starting off.

Uzi followed silently. She still had trouble on her heels—recovered from the forest. Her owner seemed to notice and slowed down to better match her pace. Uzi almost felt that he was pitying her, which just pissed her off more.

Reaching the kitchen showed that it was bustling. Chefs stood around preparing food for humans and drones alike. The scent of oil and grease was thick in the air, drowning out any other possible tasty scents.

Nicasius ordered a chef to quickly prepare a light meal for his pet. As the woman went to work, Nicasius turned back to the aforementioned woman of his. He was caught a little off-guard when he spotted her practically drooling over the lunch dishes for the other human servants.

With a sweat drop marking his visor, he sighed and took Uzi with him out of the kitchen. She wasn’t very happy about it, but she knew she couldn’t complain about it.

‘Lest I risk getting punished again.’ She growled in her head.

The two went upstairs to grab some of the medicinal cream. As Uzi sat on the bed and waited for Nicasius to hand the tube to her, he shook his head. Uzi’s brows rose up at it, becoming confused.

“I’ll apply it. There are places on your back you can’t reach.” He told her.

Uzi’s brows lowered back down into a slight furrow. She huffed and spun around, letting her owner unzip her dress. Her bra was unclasped, making Uzi hide her chest with her arms.

Nicasius took a handful of seconds to stare at the woman’s bare back. Her unusual cybersthetic stared back at him. It was so stark on her back—a row of deep ebony crystals amidst spotty pallor flesh.

A hand rose to trace lightly against the prosthetic. The crystal held a minute ounce of warmth all over. Yet it still felt smooth and hard like metal. And as Nicasius’ hand trailed down to Uzi’s lower back, she jerked.

“Sorry.” Nicasius muttered, pulling his hand away.

Uzi only gave him a quiet grunt in reply. She’d never admit that it had actually tickled her.

Nicasius tore his optics away from the cybersthetic to start applying the cream. The cold paste made Uzi jerk again, startling her with the chilly temperature. Nicasius muttered another apology—purely out of habit. Yet it confused Uzi all the same.

“I’m surprised a robot is apologizing to a lowly human.” She all but snarled.

Her owner glanced at her, his hand running slowly on a bruise. “It’s merely a habit of mine. Besides, it doesn’t kill you to be polite sometimes.” He told her.

“But I’m sure it killed many humans, right?”

“...”

Uzi glared at Nicasius from over her shoulder. His stare remained on her back, expression unreadable.

“I think you forget who was being killed for politeness first.” He spoke, tone turned cold.

Uzi said nothing. She just turned her gaze away. The room fell silent as the woman’s owner kept applying medicinal solution to her welts and bruises.

During this silence, Nicasius’ stare turned back to Uzi’s spine. The shiny crystals stared back at him with their glowing purple dots in the center of each plate.

“Where did you get this cybersthetic?” The drone questioned.

“Why do you care?” Uzi retorted.

Nicasius’ hand stopped. His optical lights narrowed and his fluffy tail tip swished in annoyance.

“Tell me where you got this cybersthetic.” He rephrased.

Uzi remained mute. Nicasius straightened up, his hand leaving her back. His said hand twitched and his expression started to turn into a wince. He didn’t want to have to punish her again–

“I don’t really… Remember.” Uzi admitted.

Now Nicasius’ brow was rising.

“I think… It was at the population grounds…?” And Uzi herself was confused. “I know I didn’t have one before. But then one day, I suddenly had a spine replacement.” A hand moved to her shoulder to try and reach her spine.

Uzi’s fingertips fell upon the warm and smooth black metal of her prosthetic. She could feel her fingers on her spine. But the sensation was different—more fuzzy like static. Or a towel. Something like that.

“I don’t even know why they gave me a cybersthetic in the first place.” The woman went on. “I can’t even remember what the reasoning was to give me one. I just know I’ve had it for a while now.”

Nicasius took in her words, processing them and trying to think of some reason she had it. All that his CPU came back to was that there was an accident or incident that required a replacement. However, there is one thing he knows…

“We drones have our own philosophy, similar to one of your human ones: ‘If it isn’t dying, don’t kill it.’ Clearly you weren’t dying, so you were fixed.” He began, resuming applying the cream. “And I’m sure you know, but humans like you who have ‘strong wills,’ so to speak, are seen more like commodities. It’s why me and the other drones at the auction house were so eager to spend so much on you.” He capped the tube, finished with applying the cream.

‘So If I wasn’t “strong-willed” I’d have gone for less?’ Uzi wondered. ‘Would I have even gotten this spine replacement at all then?’

“I’m done putting on the medicinal cream. Hopefully this’ll help you and make sure you can keep working despite the bruises.” Nicasius’ voice stirred Uzi from her thoughts.

She gave no thanks but still held confusion. Her questioned and wary gaze fell onto her owner, moving to put the tube away.

“Why are you helping me? Like, at all?” Uzi asked.

Nicasius didn’t reply at first. The drawer clinked closed and his gaze lingered on it. His tail swayed, CPU struggling to come up with the right words to say.

In the end, he just sighed. “Well, like I said before, you wouldn’t have been able to reach parts of your back.”

“I’m not sure why a robot would care about something like that.” Uzi pointed out.

“They… Wouldn’t, usually.” Nicasius admitted, unable to meet Uzi’s questioning gaze. “But… I-I just figured it’d get you to work sooner. And also that it’d prevent any more injuries than if you did it on your own. Just more convenient.” He lied.

Nicasius turned to his pet, a sweat drop on his visor. Uzi gave him a blank look. It only made the drone’s nerves even worse.

“Right…” But at least Uzi wasn’t going to question him about it. “I guess this means it’s time for my ‘training?’” Nicasius almost let slip a sigh of relief at the change in topic.

“Uh– Yes! After you eat! Your breakfast should be ready by now!” He straightened up and headed for the bedroom door.

Uzi fixed her uniform and followed after him. The two went straight downstairs to the dining room Uzi was introduced to last night. There, she saw even more humans sitting at the long table eating and chatting.

“This is the servant’s dining room. It’s where you’ll be eating from now on, unless stated otherwise.” Nicasius told her. “I can see your food at the end there. Go have a seat and eat. Then, we’ll get started on introducing you to your chores around the manor.”

With a gentle pat to her back, Uzi walked forward to the sole empty seat. She sat down and stared at her food. A small bowl of cream of wheat, a couple pieces of thin toast with small fried eggs on top, and a glass of water.

Glancing to everyone else’s plates, Uzi saw how different their meals were; Teas, coffees, oatmeal, fish, beef, chicken, yogurt, fruits and veggies, breakfast bars, even small candies for a little sugar intake.

Everyone else’s portions are much larger than Uzi’s, too. Bigger plates, bigger bowls, bigger pieces of food being hoarded onto dishes. The trays of food were devoid of food by the time Uzi had gotten there. Even her own meal was cold.

Uzi turned back down to her plate. She doesn’t really feel all that hungry. Despite knowing that her stomach is empty and that she needs to eat, Uzi couldn’t find it in herself to have an appetite.

‘I don’t… What even is some of this stuff?’ The woman wondered, her brows furrowing as confusion made itself known on her face. ‘The eggs are so tiny. And I’ve never had this before.’ Her sights turned to the pale cream of wheat.

Before Uzi knew it, dishes were being stacked and taken away. She startled and whipped her head up to watch the other servants begin cleaning up. Uzi blinked at them before turning back down to her own food.

Still untouched. Still cold.

Finally, Uzi lifted a hand to pick up her spoon. She scooped a little cream of wheat onto it and took her first bite. Many flavors flooded her mouth. Saltiness, sweetness, grain, and maple. It was too many flavors in just one bite, Uzi thinks.

But she didn’t stop eating it. While everyone else packed up and left the room, Uzi stayed behind to eat. The room fell silent other than her spoon occasionally clacking against her bowl.

While she ate this odd yet disturbingly delicious meal, Uzi felt warm streaks glide down her thin cheeks. She startled as a droplet fell into her dwindling cream of wheat bowl. Another drop fell into her food, this time on an egg.

A hand lifted to swipe away a tear. Another just replaced it, the droplets refusing to stop now that they’ve started. Uzi opted to ignore them in favor of finishing her cream of wheat. And after that, she dove in for the eggs-on-toast.

Bread wasn’t unfamiliar to her, but fresh, toasted bread was. And with the combination of eggs, it felt as though she was eating something else entirely. Beneath it all, she could even taste something else. But Uzi had no idea what it was, just that it was salty.

When the toast and eggs were gone, Uzi was left with her glass of water. Her crying hadn’t stopped but it hadn’t made an ounce of volume. Uzi’s watery sights switched to her glass.

The water was crystal clear. Not tinted, not foggy, not cloudy, not discolored. Just clear. Just clean. Uzi could even taste how clean it was; Minerals flooding her tongue and washing away food remnants from her mouth.

Admittedly, Uzi missed the taste of the cream of wheat, the eggs, the toast, and whatever was painted on the toast beneath the eggs.

Setting her glass down, Uzi was left with her empty dish. In order to register it all, she had to take a deep breath. The release was shaky with her tears. Uzi’s grip on her uniform’s skirt tightened and the tears fell harder.

In the midst of her crying, Uzi felt a hand place itself onto her back. She hadn’t realized anyone came in. But she could tell the hand was robotic. And while she’d smack it away any other day, she couldn’t find it in herself to do so now.

“Did you enjoy it, Uzi?” Nicasius’ soft voice spoke.

Uzi only nodded.

Chapter Text

Uzi was very quiet after breakfast. She couldn’t even look Nicasius in the eye after what transpired. Nicasius didn’t try to pry. He highly doubts he’d get a response anyway.

So he took her to the large laundry room. Tile floors and white walls outfitted with washers and dryers, even a couple of washboards and tubs if things really needed a good scrubbing.

“This is where all the laundry is done. Someone collects the laundry in a cart, brings it down here, and the others sort it, wash it, dry it, and fold it.” Nicasius told his human. “I’ll have you start with sorting things first.” He walked over to a small group of human servants.

They perked up at his approach, giving head bows that Nicasius waved his hand to. He didn’t need all that.

“My new pet here will be assisting you in sorting the linens. Make sure to teach her everything she needs to know.” Nicasius told them, stepping aside for Uzi to come near.

Uzi stepped forward and gazed at the huge baskets and carts of dirty clothes, sheets, cases, and more. A stool was pushed over for her, letting the woman sit down. Nicasius decided to take his leave, walking around the room for a quick check.

“Sorting clothes is easy.” An older woman spoke first. “Just sort them by the right color. Purples and blues, pinks and reds, whites and light greys, and blacks and dark greys.”

“But make sure they’re also sorted by type. Towels go with other towels while clothes go with other clothes.” A man spoke.

Uzi nodded and turned to her basket. She began pulling the clothing out one-by-one, dropping them into the ever-growing piles. Any uncommon colors she had no idea where to put were instructed with a point.

‘Just how much laundry do robots go through in one day??’ Uzi wondered, eyeing the large piles again.

A dress was pulled out of the basket. Uzi gazed at the elegant article, coated with sparkles at the hem of the skirt and the lacy bertha. As she took in the navy blue dress, she could spot a couple of dark freckles on the torso.

Uzi pulled the dress into her lap and thumbed over the spots. They didn’t feel hard, but something was certainly there. Uzi even lightly scratched at it with her thumb, getting some dust under her chipped fingernail.

The dust was dark brown in color. Uzi finally realized what it was.

“Clothing like that needs to be dry cleaned. It’s too delicate for the washing machines.” The woman next to her spoke.

Uzi startled and whipped around to her. The woman didn’t spare her a glance, just continuing to sort her cart of laundry. Uzi turned back to the dress to eye the stains again.

She shook her head and took the dress to whoever was going to clean it. On the way, she plucked the dry blood from under her fingernail. Uzi didn’t want to think about whose it may have been.

Nicasius sat in his office staring at his computer screen. He scrolled through various websites and lists from health journals, medical journals, the occasional blog from long ago, and articles from human doctors.

Notes were scrawled onto a paper set beside him. His pen’s butt tapped against the loose-leaf as the Operator Drone kept scrolling through yet another article. His tail waved in boredom as his optics began to ache.

Taking a deep vent, Nicasius leaned back in his seat. He dropped the pen to rub his visor with his palms. A glance at the clock told him only an hour and a half had passed since he ordered Uzi to help with the laundry. It took all of Nicasius’ strength to hold in his groan–

‘Wait. I’m alone in here.’ He then realized.

Finally, he let out that long-awaited groan of boredom and fatigue. Taking another deep vent, Nicasius got up from his chair and stretched. His elbow joints clicked as his arms reached into the air. Then he leaned forward to push against the desk, stretching his tail and legs similar to a cat.

Shaking out the jitters in his tail, Nicasius decided it was high-time for a break. He left the room to head downstairs and straight to the laundry room. It still bustled and the noise had increased with the washers and dryers going.

Though, as he looked around, he didn’t see his new human anywhere in the room. He walked up to the group she was with previously, still glancing around.

“Where is Uzi? I know I had left her with you.” He asked, his tail swaying over a small pile of rags.

“There were a few more cloths that needed collecting from upstairs. Since she’s being trained, we’d sent her up there to collect them.” The aging woman from before spoke.

“Do you know where they are being collected?” Nicasius asked next.

“The spare bedrooms. And I believe Lady Judith’s office?” She returned.

Nicasius’ tail made a swifter wave. “Thank you. Keep working on the laundry.” He turned away, barely saying goodbye.

He hurried off in a light jog, making the other maids and butlers give his back questioning looks. But they obeyed his orders and resumed with their work.

Even though the cart wasn’t very big, nor was the pile of rags and hand towels inside it, Uzi struggled to push it with ease. She dug her heels and toes into the ground and strained her arms. The squeaking of the cart wheel echoed in the hall, being her only company.

Finally, Uzi made it to another room marked on her digital map. She knocked on the door, got no reply, and walked inside. The office was devoid of any robots or humans. Uzi breathed out a sigh of relief and searched around for any J-cloths.

Uzi found a couple in a connected bathroom to put into the cart. She spotted other cloths lying around as decoration, but wasn’t sure if they should be taken.

‘Well, it seems like every little piece of cloth is going to be cleaned. Guess I might as well take them down.’ She figured, heading over to a side table.

Uzi carefully lifted the vase of fake flowers and took the white cloth from underneath. Another was tugged from a decorative desk and dumped into the cart. As Uzi was moving some stuff around to grab a third, the door opened up.

“What are you doing in here, human?” A feminine voice all but snarled at Uzi’s back.

Said human woman startled with a gasp and spun around. Uzi saw the woman from last night, the avian Operator Drone. Her thin black crest feathers twitched and lifted halfway at her.

“I’m just collecting some towels and cloths for the laundry room.” Uzi replied, turning to continue moving the decorations around.

“And who told you that?” The woman—Judith! It was Judith!—asked.

“One of the maids downstairs.” Was Uzi’s short answer, finally getting the tablecloth she needed.

Just as she turned around and was about to dump it in the cart, her wrist was grabbed. Uzi paused and turned to Judith. The robotic lady glared lightly at her.

“Where’s your new owner?” She inquired.

“Don’t know.” Uzi’s tone turned curt.

“Don’t get snippy with me, tech-dependent!” Judith snarled, her grip tightening on the woman.

“I’m not!” Uzi shouted back, trying to step away.

Judith yanked her back onto the floor in front of her. “I think you need a lesson about not talking back to your superiors!” Her leg slammed down onto Uzi’s hand, the talons tipping the heel-like foot digging into her flesh.

“I’m just– Trying to do my job!” Uzi shouted back through grit teeth.

“And did I ask?!” Judith shouted back. “You just don’t know when to shut up, do you?” Her gaze hardened on Uzi, her hand clutching even tighter onto her wrist.

Uzi growled at her, chipped fingernails scratching at the pristine wood floor. Judith’s black crest feathers flared up to crown her head. Her talons dug even deeper into Uzi’s skin, puncturing it and making blood bead.

“What the hell is the problem… With me doing my job?” Uzi snarled through her teeth, glowering even harder at her ‘superior.’

“The problem is you being rude and lacking some much-needed manners!” Judith retorted. “On top of that, you came into my office without permission–!”

“I was told to get the cloths–!” Uzi shouted back.

Judith’s leg was blindingly fast as it zipped into the air in an upwards kick. Uzi hadn’t even realized she’d cut her face until she felt the droplets of blood begin to form and trickle down her cheek.

“This is exactly the problem.” Judith hissed, her gaze turned intense. “But fine. You were doing your job. It still doesn’t give you any right to go and give lip to your Masters–”

The avian Operator Drone was rudely interrupted when her office door slammed open. Judith startled and swung her foot back to the floor. A huff left her vents as she spotted Nicasius standing in the doorway.

“Let go of her, Judith.” Nicasius ordered, tone unusually cold.

His friend ‘hmph’ed but obliged. She tossed Uzi’s wrist towards the floor. The said human grunted and shuffled back a safer distance. Nicasius stepped forward and set a hand on her shoulder.

The draco glanced down at his pet. His neon blue gaze narrowed on the scratches and dribbling blood. He turned back to the female drone standing by her desk.

“Go wash up and get those scratches bandaged.” He ordered.

Uzi scoffed. “What about my job–?”

“My orders come before senior servants!” Nicasius snarled, his tail lashing about in a barely-controlled manner and his horn vents flaring with blue sparks.

Admittedly, Uzi had flinched at the snarl. Her widened eyes glimpsed at her Master one more time. She had the feeling his anger wasn’t directed towards her.

Uzi got up and shuffled away, taking the cart with her.

“Leave the cart outside. Someone else will get it.” Nicasius said. “Just focus on cleaning those cuts.”

Uzi hummed and closed the door. She walked towards her room, taking out her map. Her sights caught onto the tiny punctures in her wrist caused by Judith’s talons. She huffed and turned her walk into a jog.

Mostly because she didn’t want to be around while Nicasius and Judith began a screaming match.

Cold water washed away drying blood. Each time it was wiped away with a rag, the blood would return again. Uzi sighed in mild annoyance as she held the cold and soaked rag to her cheek.

Turning down to her wrist, Uzi saw that the blood had returned there, too. Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten any on the sleeve of her uniform.

‘Doesn’t make it any less annoying that the darn blood keeps coming back.’ She thought as she rubbed at the punctures.

A knock rapped from her door. “Uzi? May I come in?” It was Nicasius.

“Yeah. Sure.” Uzi replied flatly.

Her owner came into the room and turned into the washroom. He stared at Uzi’s wounds and the blood still seeping from them. His sights turned to the water.

“How are your wounds?” He inquired.

“Not as bad as you’re making them out to be.” His human answered.

Nicasius hummed. He stepped closer and took the rag from her hands. Though, he’d quickly become surprised at how cold it was.

“Why is this rag so cold? Are you not using warm water?” The drone’s sights turned to the running faucet.

“No. Why would I?” Uzi’s brow quirked.

“Because the warm water gets rid of germs!” Nicasius exclaimed, twisting the knob in the opposite direction.

“But the cold water helps stop bleeding sooner.” Uzi argued.

“If you want to stop the bleeding, then press some bandages to your face! But you can get an infection if you don’t use warm water!” Her owner huffed whilst his tail swished, running the rag under the warmed faucet.

He then placed it against Uzi’s cheek. She flinched at the warmth and the spike of pain that came with it. Nicasius held her wrist gently as he dabbed at her cuts. Once her cheek was cleaned again, he dabbed her wrist.

“I had a talk with Judith. I cleared the misunderstanding for you.” He informed her.

“What ‘misunderstanding’? She’s just a total bitch.” Uzi snarled back.

Her owner’s face formed a slight wince. “Don’t say that about your Masters. Or else I’ll have to punish you again.” He warned, though he didn’t hold much bite in his tone.

“As if you aren’t going to punish me after this.” Uzi scoffed.

Nicasius’ movements slowed. He stared at her wrist, watching the punctures bead up again. But at least there wasn’t as much blood.

‘I really should but… She was still just doing her job.’ His optical lights narrowed with his creasing brows. ‘She didn’t know that not all of Judith’s decorative tablecloths needed to be taken for cleaning.’

‘But she was still rude to her. Uzi can’t just be let off the hook!’ His tail swayed again, more distressed and twitchy.

“So what’s the punishment this time?” Uzi inquired, tone flat and awaiting.

Her owner was still silent. Uzi’s brow quirked. Was he trying to think of something–?

“You sleep on the floor. My room.” He answered.

Uzi’s gaze hardened but she knew this was coming. She was bound to be punished.

“Fine.” She replied.

“Tone, Uzi.” Nicasius warned.

“I said ‘okay!’ What else am I supposed to reply with?!” The woman huffed back in mild offense.

Nicasius opened his mouth to answer, brows furrowing, until he came to a realization. He sighed instead and reset his voice box.

“I… I should be teaching you manners at the same time as discipline and basic chores. For that I apologize.” He began.

“Huh?” Uzi hummed in befuddlement.

“Perhaps if I hadn’t been so mindless, this wouldn’t have happened.” But he just continued. “When you reply to a Master, it should be polite and along the lines of ‘Yessir,’ Yes Ma’am,’ or ‘Yes Lady or Lord’ followed by the Master’s name.” He looked back up to her as he explained this.

Uzi blinked at him. “So… Yes, Lord Nicasius…?” She cocked her head to the side, her brows knitting in puzzlement.

Nicasius chuckled at the movement. “Yes, that’s right. That’s how you respond to a Master.” He nodded. “I’ll be sure to teach you more as time goes on. Hopefully it should save you from any more of these kinds of misunderstandings.”

It was only then that he’d realized he’d never let go of Uzi’s wrist. Nicasius reeled his hand back to get bandages and medical cream.

“Let’s dress your wounds, then get you back to work. The day is still relatively young.” He spoke, tail maneuvering around Uzi’s legs.

Uzi groaned and slouched over. Nicasius sighed back at her.

“You don’t complain when you’re told to do something, either.” He put on a more stern voice this time around.

His pet definitely wanted to complain more, but she kept it locked in her mouth. However, Nicasius had the feeling she was thinking about it really hard.

Hard enough he could practically hear the ‘I really, really friggin’ hate it here!!!’ in his own head.

Chapter Text

Uzi hated getting up so early in the morning. The sun was barely even rising when her alarm went off, it was loud and always scared her into snapping awake, Uzi never felt that refreshed after sleeping, and she generally was just more of a night owl than an early bird.

But despite the fact she slammed the alarm off and rolled over to get more sleep, her bedroom door opened just a minute later. Uzi quite nearly snarled at whoever barged in, but as soon as she heard the voice, she stopped herself.

“Uzi. Time to get up. I know you’re still not used to this, but it doesn’t mean you can ignore your alarm.” Nicasius kept his voice stern yet polite as he closed the door behind him.

“Why can’t I sleep in for five more minutes?” Uzi groaned back from her covers.

“Because you have a job to do, and you need to get used to getting up early.” Her owner said as he walked over. “Besides, we’re also going out today. So you need to get up regardless.” The draco plucked the cover right off the human.

Uzi shivered all over and turned to glower at Nicasius. He didn’t look any more amused—his own tail waving in mild annoyance.

“Do not forget just what position you’re in. Either you listen to the orders given to you, or I punish you as I see fit.” The robot warned as he set his hands onto his hips.

Uzi took a deep breath at that. After letting it out and calming herself, she begrudgingly got out of bed. The chill of the early morning had already made goosebumps start to form on her skin.

“By the way, I’d like to see your scratches and back. I want to be sure they’re healing.” Nicasius spoke up again, voice now gentle.

“Do you have to? You’ve been checking every day for the past week.” His pet asked in return as went over to her vanity.

Even still it cowed her at how big and fancy it was. Not quite as much as Nicasius’, but it certainly was better than anything other humans might’ve gotten.

“I only do it to be sure. The doctor said you won’t be healing well due to not having enough nourishment, too.” Her owner replied.

Uzi sighed but obliged. She pulled her hair up before gripping her nightgown. She glanced at Nicasius again, brows twitching. The most she did was pull up the back over her head to keep her chest covered.

The Operator Drone came around to gaze at her flesh. He pulled up a few memory files from the day he’d gotten her. Already, her skin was faring much better; More color and less red marks and bruises all over.

“The cream looks to be helping. You’re not as bruised.” Nicasius told her. “Do you feel any better? Or any worse?” His optics flicked to Uzi’s reflection.

She took a minute to think it over. “...Sometimes my stomach hurts after eating.” She replied. “And I’m still cold at night, even with the comforter.”

Nicasius hummed. “I’ve read that you might have a few troubles in the first days or weeks of refeeding. I don’t think these are anything to worry about, but I can call the doctor again in case.” He supplied.

Uzi didn’t reply, just put her nightgown back on. Nicasius raised a brow at her and reset his voice box. For a moment, Uzi wanted to groan in reply.

“Thank you, Lord Nicasius.” But she was ‘polite’ instead.

“You’re welcome.” The said robot replied with a smile. “Now, get ready. Breakfast will be ready soon and we have a busy day ahead of us.” He gave her a gentle pat to her back before leaving.

Uzi flinched at the touch even though it was light. Nicasius paused just as she did. Uzi’s tense posture didn’t decrease. Nicasius slowly pulled his hand away and stared at it. His tail waved as he let it fall.

“I’ll be waiting in the secondary dining room.” Was all he said as he left.

The door creaked closed and Uzi’s tense posture finally fell. She stared at the closed door for a second. Uzi shook her head and got up for the bathroom. She should focus on getting ready.

Truth be told, Uzi wasn’t expecting to be taken outside of the mansion like, ever. She thought she’d be stuck there for the rest of her life until the day she died. Never to see the outside world again, unless she managed to escape.

‘Which is still something I need to figure out.’ The woman thought as the limousine traveled through the city streets. ‘This microchip will need to be dealt with first, however.’ Her gaze fell onto her arm.

The long car came to a stop in a parking lot. The chauffeur stepped out to open Nicasius’ door and let the two out. As Uzi emerged from the backseat, she was blinded by the sunlight.

As her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she found herself surrounded by tall buildings outfitted with signs, holograms, and neon lights. Screens with posters and advertisements stood tall and drones walked through the streets outside of the lot. Seldom did she see a human walking with one.

“Go find someplace to park. I’ll call you when we’re ready to be picked up.” Nicasius told the human chauffeur, stirring Uzi from her gazing.

“Of course, Sir. Please be safe.” The human servant bowed politely.

As he got back in to drive off, Nicasius turned for the building standing before them. Uzi had to take a minute to stare at it. Nicasius caught sight of her ogling and snickered.

“Come on. The inside will be much more interesting than the outside.” He told her.

Uzi only nodded numbly and followed after him. Of course, she didn’t have much of a choice when she had her collar and leash on. Either way, she took more time to take in her surroundings.

‘Who knows how long I’ll be out here. I should savor it while I have the chance.’ Uzi thought to herself, eyes constantly wandering. ‘Before I manage to get out of that damned manor, that is.’ And her eyes narrowed.

Inside the building, Uzi was greeted with a bright white light. The front lobby looked bland and sterile, but smelled like oil, mild blood, and metal. Nicasius walked up to the counter as Uzi stood staring all around behind him.

“I’m here for an appointment for my pet. Should be under ‘Nicasius Elliott.’” He said.

The Disassembly Drone at the front desk nodded. She typed on her computer for a few seconds before giving the man a smile.

“Okay! They’ll call you back in a minute. Please have a seat while the mechanic finishes up!”

“Thank you.” Nicasius nodded back.

He moved away and took Uzi with him. While the Operator Drone took a seat, Uzi went to sit next to him. Nicasius’ optics snapped to her and made a miniscule narrow. He glanced around at the others and noticed their annoyed and confused looks.

Nicasius snapped his fingers to catch his pet’s attention. “Pets are meant to sit on the floor.”

Uzi’s expression soured in an instant. Nicasius met her gaze with a stern one of his own. His tail made a flick as Uzi continued sitting in the seat. The said woman turned to the other humans.

On the floor, like dogs.

“Uzi. Floor.” Nicasius’ tone hardened.

His pet glared at him. She huffed and slid down onto the cold tile. She adjusted her dress to cover her legs. Uzi was thankful that her uniform was long enough to cover the majority of her legs. Only her boney ankles would go cold on this hard floor.

Meanwhile, her owner simply watched. With another glance to everyone else, he’d seen that their expressions softened back to normal. He subtly let out a relieved sigh.

‘Just for now. Only while we’re out.’ He told himself as his tail waved.

Some fur tips brushed against Uzi’s face. She startled and whipped around to it. Her sights locked onto the blue fluff lining the robot’s tail and the large bundle tipping it.

‘It’s surprisingly soft.’ Uzi’s brow creased. ‘I thought it’s be rougher since it can literally ignite.’

But she huffed and turned away again. She didn’t bother acknowledging the fact that the fur felt warm on her skin.

“Nicasius Elliott?” Someone called.

The said robot and his pet got up and followed the drone to the back. They entered a smaller and darker room lined with cool-colored neon lights and housing tools, objects, parts, and more on the walls.

“Take off your dress and sit on the bench, human.” The Red-bellied Newt Operator Drone instructed with a dismissive wave to the pleather table.

Uzi’s expression fell even more. “I’d prefer to keep my clothes on.” She retorted.

“Uzi,” Nicasius warned. “All he needs to see is your back. Just unzip your dress and unclasp your bra.” His tail flicked in annoyance.

His pet clicked her tongue. The savra Operator Drone glared at her. Nicasius closed his optics as he smacked Uzi on the back with his tail.

“Listen to your Master! Unzip your dress so that this mechanic can check your cybersthetic!” He commanded loudly, crowning horns flaring with blue flame.

Uzi stumbled from the smack. She growled back at her Master. The savra reset his voice box, catching the two’s attention. He nudged his head towards his wall of tools, a few “correction” tools hanging among the many others.

Flinching at the sight of some of the more painful apparatuses up there, Uzi finally complied. She unzipped her dress with minor struggle and took off the clasp of her bra. She held her clothing over her front as she got onto the table.

The newt Operator Drone came over and gazed at her back. His hand pressed against Uzi’s skin and poking bones. She tensed at his touch.

Nicasius watched from off to the side. His tail swayed again and a sweat drop wanted to pop onto his visor. He swallowed down a static lump in his throat to rid himself of the guilt.

“So what are you here for exactly? Other than getting this thing registered.” The savra robot inquired.

“I wanted to get some tests on it, make sure it’s fully functional. I was also hoping you could tell me what model of cybersthetic this is. The doctor I hired for he– My pet didn’t recognize it.” Nicasius answered.

The other robot hummed. “Well, it’s certainly not one of your usual models, I can tell you that for certain.” He said. “But it doesn’t look like it does anything special besides replacing her spine.”

“However, that’s only what a look will get you. I’ll run those tests, and also an x-ray or two just to see if there’s even any spine left.” He straightened up.

“That would be much appreciated, thanks.” Nicasius agreed.

“Alright. I’ll get the x-rays done first, then those tests. It’ll be easier that way.” The other drone replied. “Let me get my assistant and the x-ray machine. Make sure your pet’s stripped down by then–”

“What?!” Uzi exclaimed just before he could finish.

The Operator Drone glared at her, his dark and bright-colored tail flicking.

“Don’t argue with this, Uzi!” Nicasius shouted. “You’ll have your clothes back on before you know it! So just take them off for the few minutes this is needed!” His tail threatened to smack against the floor with the way it swished around.

“I don’t want to keep on exposing myself! Haven’t I already done that enough?!” The female human shouted back.

“I DON’T THINK YOU’RE IN ANY POSITION TO ARGUE WITH THIS!!” Nicasius snapped.

Uzi recoiled at his shout. Flames blew from the draco Operator Drone’s vented horns. He took a deep vent to stop the flare-up. The Red-bellied Newt drone’s chuckle stirred the two from their spat.

“I’m not sure if I should call you lucky or unfortunate to have a willed pet.” He smirked just before walking off.

‘I’m starting to think it’s the latter…’ Nicasius wanted to reply tiredly.

But he turned his attention back to his pet. Uzi refused to look at him, instead glaring at the wall. Her owner sighed and pinched his visor.

“I’ll be right here while the x-ray is being done. I’ll make sure no one does anything to you.” He told her.

Uzi still wasn’t convinced. Nicasius felt his lips twitch downwards.

“Don’t make me punish you, Uzi.” He whispered.

It still took a few seconds, but it finally convinced Uzi to comply. She began slowly taking off her uniform. Nicasius took it from her. The only thing he let her keep on was her panties.

‘I’ll need to get her some new clothes while we’re out.’ The robot wrote it down in his notepad app. ‘Winter clothes will be the priority. We can get spring and summer clothes when the weather gets warmer.’

The door opened back up. The newt Operator Drone and his human assistant stepped into the room with a small machine. Uzi felt relieved that the assistant was a woman like herself, but she’d never let her guard down.

“Lie down on your stomach, human. The machine will be placed above your back and take an x-ray.” The newt robot instructed.

Uzi sighed but complied without too much issue. For the most part, she was glad she wasn’t letting these robots see her chest. But she still hated the fact that she had to be so barren just for some stupid tests.

“Alright. This’ll take a few minutes at most. Don’t move.” The male robot then said.

He adjusted the machine and flicked it on. Uzi waited impatiently for the whole thing to be over. And yet, at the same time, she couldn’t help but be curious about her spine herself.

“Okay. All done.” The robot suddenly spoke. “Keep lying down, though. I need to plug in a few things for the tests.” And of course, Uzi’s hopes were all dashed.

A hand was planted onto her spinal cybersthetic. Uzi jerked on instinct, startling the other woman that touched it. She muttered an apology before her other hand ran along her spine.

The machine was turned off and the computer set up to house the images and run the tests. The female assistant finally found the port and opened the plate.

Or… Tried to, anyway.

“Uhm, I can’t get it open.” She stated.

“What do you mean?” Her owner’s brow quirked up. “Just flick it open! You haven’t forgotten that have you?!” He stomped over.

“N-No! But the plate isn’t opening! None of them are!” His pet answered, trying harder to pry it open.

A sweat drop blinked onto Nicasius’ visor as she appeared to get rougher with her actions. “Be careful. That’s still an important part–” He stepped closer.

The other two ignored him. Uzi let out a strangled noise from the bench. The savra Operator Drone slapped his assistant’s hands away and tried to open the plate himself.

“It can’t be that damn hard to open a fucking plate!” He shouted. “You just gotta–! Hold on–!” But he, too, struggled.

“Son of a bitch- Is your plate stuck or something?” He asked.

Uzi shut her eyes tight as her cybersthetic was tugged and yanked on. Her hands gripped onto the edges of the bench, knuckles quickly turning white. Uzi’s teeth clenched onto the gnawed bar in the face cradle.

Nicasius dropped her uniform and stepped closer, already reaching out. “You need to stop, you’re going to break the–!” Yet he was interrupted by a crackle of electricity and a pained shout from his pet.

The three yelped and hopped back as the large spark snapped loudly with a flash. Uzi shouted into the bit again, her healing fingernails digging into the plush of the table.

Her black spine’s purple glow quickly went red as more electricity hissed and spat. After a few vexing swats, the sparks calmed down. However, the red glow remained and Uzi kept gripping the table for dear life.

The three others standing with wide or voided eyes in the room just stared at the prosthetic. The first one to move was Nicasius. He stepped closer slowly and carefully put a hand onto Uzi’s shoulder.

She tensed but her faux spine didn’t react. Nicasius supposes he’s glad for that.

“Uzi. Uzi, are you okay? Can you speak?” He questioned softly as he kneeled down to her face.

All he got in response was heavy breathing. Nicasius turned to the mechanics with startled eye rings. But they soon turned pissed. And with it, his horned flared to life again.

“I’d like a new mechanic. Now.”

Chapter Text

It took some time, but Uzi’s spinal cybersthetic eventually returned to its normal state. The red glow faded back to the dim purple glow it held before. Nicasius stayed by Uzi’s side until a new mechanic came in to check on her.

A couple of tests were done to check the overall physical health and function of the prosthetic. Thankfully, there was no damage. Just an exhausted Uzi with some lingering spinal pain. Also thankfully, Uzi was in no mood to be too difficult.

“She looks alright on the outside. I’d prefer to get her hooked up to a computer to check internals and diagnostics, though.” The female Worker Drone mechanic spoke.

‘Do you think you’ll be able to even do that? Her plates weren’t opening before.” Nicasius’ brow quirked down, tail waving in a twinge of worry.

“Mmm… I have a few methods I could try, but I can’t guarantee they’ll work.” The woman shrugged. “However, they’ll be better methods than trying to pry the thing open when it doesn’t wanna.”

Nicasius took a minute to think it over. He looked back over to his pet; Still sitting fatigued on the plush bench and her breaths still labored.

“I’m not sure I want to risk any more accidents happening.” He told the mechanic.

“They won’t be as forceful as the other guy, trust me. Not to mention that I’ve had to deal with a fair share of ‘stubborn’ cybersthetics before.” Her face took on a more smug look.

Nicasius still wasn’t quite convinced, but he supposes it’s the only option he has left. “Just don’t hurt her.” He sighed back.

“I’ll try.” The woman waved as she turned for the computer.

A few apps were opened and a window came up with some program or another. The worker typed away for a few seconds before gathering some cords. With a couple clicks of the mouse, the programs were ready to be run. All they needed was to be connected to the cybersthetic.

“Okay, human, I’m going to need your spinal plates open.” The robot spoke as she turned. “Since you seem to be having trouble with it, I’m going to help you.” The cords were placed in a bundle on the bench.

Her hands fell onto Uzi’s back. The said human flinched and tensed.

“Don’t tense up. Just relax. I won’t be trying to force your plates open.” The mechanic spoke.

Uzi didn’t believe her.

“Do as she says, Uzi. If we can just get those plates open, we can be out of here in no time.” Her owner spoke up, resting a hand on her bare shoulder.

Uzi swallowed and closed her eyes. She nodded and tried to relax. Yet she found it hard when she was so exposed and her back was still aching.

The mechanic’s optics narrowed on the woman’s back. She sighed and stepped back to see if it’d help. Perhaps it did, perhaps it didn’t. All she knew was that her spine still wasn’t opening anytime soon.

Her hand came up to her chin in thought. “We might have to try something else.”

“And that is?” Nicasius wondered with a rising brow.

The woman was quiet for a few seconds. She stepped forward again to lie Uzi down flat onto the bench. She kicked a stool over to stand over the woman’s back.

“I’m going to try and ease the cybersthetic open. All I want you to do is lie there and unwind.” She said.

Without another word, her hands were placed back onto Uzi’s posterior. Again, there was a small flinch. But the mechanic ignored it and began slowly rubbing into Uzi’s flesh and bones.

Nicasius watched with worry—his tail swaying and his brows refusing to come out of their crease. The female mechanic dug her thumbs carefully into Uzi’s skin and muscles. Her brows twitched as she noticed how boney the human is.

“Judging by how much I can feel her bones, I’m gonna take a gander and say you haven’t had this human long, have you?” The mechanic wondered.

“That is correct. I’ve had her for around a week now.” Nicasius answered.

The mechanic hummed. “Has her spine ever gone haywire like that before? Even before you’d bought her?” Her palm dug carefully into flesh.

“Not that I’m aware of. I had gotten her at an auction, and we all know how those things are with information.” His tail swished at the mention of the place.

The woman laughed. “Maybe you should contact them and see what they say about her background.”

“I’ve tried. They got her from some third party. The only information they knew was that she has a prosthetic and is strong-willed.” Nicasius told her.

Again, the mechanic hummed. “Well, no wonder no one can figure out what this damn cybersthetic is.”

Nicasius’ brow rose. “Meaning?”

“It could’ve been some custom-made thing. If it wasn’t made by a professional engineering brand, it could’ve been someone’s little experiment–” She grunted as a tendon cracked and Uzi made a noise. “–Or something of the sort. Especially if the population ground she may have come from was an especially bad one.”

‘I don’t think I ever found out if Uzi did come from a population ground.’ Nicasius realized. ‘If so, it would help explain her uncharacteristic prosthetic. But that’d still leave the question of that… That retaliation–’

Click!

“Finally!” The woman huffed as she grinned and swiped some virtual sweat from her brow. “Knew it just needed some elbow grease! Had me thinking I was gonna have to put you under for a minute there.” She laughed as she gathered the cords.

The unlocked plates were lifted up and the plugs inserted into the ports. Uzi’s fingers twitched as her cybersthetic was connected to the computer. The mechanic hopped off the chair to start the tests.

“Okay. These tests will run for a few minutes. Don’t go pulling out any cords, you hear?” She turned to the human.

Uzi just hummed tiredly. The Worker Drone chuckled.

“Anyways, while those are running, I want to go over her prosthetic’s registration and reach with you.” And the mechanic turned back to Nicasius.

‘Looks like I’ll have to put aside that mystery for another time.’ He internally sighed as he nodded for the woman to continue.

Uzi’s spinal cybersthetic took up pretty much the entirety of her spinal column. Not that Nicasius expected anything less, to be honest. Though, he just wasn’t expecting to see what it looked like under her skin.

“Well, it’s certainly proving itself to be quite the monster, huh?” The mechanic spoke as she stared at the x-rays.

“You’re telling me…” Nicasius vented while he stared as well.

Not a singular bone in Uzi’s back was, well, a bone! It was all black, crystalline metal. No joints or discs either. Just pure machine, interconnected with nerves, flesh, skin, and muscle.

“A-And you’re sure you haven’t seen a prosthetic like this before?” Nicasius then asked.

“No. I’ve seen full replacements before, but not of this model.” The mechanic answered. “Like I said; Depending on where she came from, the human’s model could be custom-made. Hence why no one’s seen it before.” She added.

Nicasius hummed and turned back to the x-ray. He then glanced over his shoulder at his pet, sitting up again but not with heavy breathing.

‘Hopefully her pain has gone away.’ The draco drone’s tail twitched.

“The diagnostics from the tests aren’t bad,” The mechanic’s voice caught the male robot’s attention. “Relatively speaking, she’s A-okay. Other than that freak-out you mentioned before, her spine is perfectly functional and devoid of any bugs or viruses.”

“And there’s no complications at all?” Nicasius inquired.

The mechanic shrugged. “Not that I can see. She’s a perfectly healthy human, all things considered.”

Nicasius let out a relieved vent. The woman clicked through more test results, skimming the readings.

“Well, why don’t we get this thing registered already? I’m sure you both are tired of being here.” She suggested, clicking onto another tab.

She began typing as Nicasius handed Uzi her uniform. “Since we don’t know the model, I’m going to mark it as ‘Custom’ for the time being.” The woman spoke. “I’ll need a name for it, however. The scans never gave me anything for that.”

Nicasius glanced at his pet. Uzi was just about to fall asleep, lolling but trying to stay awake.

“Would you like to name it, Uzi?” The words slipped past Nicasius’ lips without even realizing.

As soon as he did, the mechanic was already giving him a questioning look. Nicasius reset his voice box into his fist, tail swaying anxiously.

“I-I am just having a hard time coming up with one myself. Not to mention all this information I need to wrap my CPU around.” He excused.

The mechanic stared at him for another moment. She shrugged and turned back to the computer, waiting for a response.

Uzi wracked her head for one, not even sure herself. After a few minutes, she blurted the first thing that stuck to her mind.

“Solver.”

“Hmph. That’s what you wanna name it?” The woman scoffed with amusement.

Uzi gave her a weak glare. Nicasius stepped forward to block it.

“I don’t see why not. It is solving a problem for her, isn’t it? Working as her spine?” He spoke.

“Alright, alright. I guess it makes sense.” The woman sighed back with a wave of her hand.

She typed in the new name; [Solv3r].

“Alright, it’s in the system. Had to fiddle around with the spelling though since we can’t have two identical names in the system.” She told them. “If you’d like, I can print out a copy of the x-ray and test results.”

Nicasius nodded in confirmation. “I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

“Mkay. You can take those cords out while I get the copies.” The mechanic told them.

As she left the room, the Operator Drone turned to his pet. He carefully unplugged the cords and laid them on the table. The room was silent for a while as he did so.

“How are you feeling? Has the pain gone away?” The male robot asked softly.

Uzi made a short hum. “The pain’s gone, yeah. But it wouldn’t have been in pain in the first place if those assholes didn’t try and yank my cybersthetic open.” Her expression contorted into a glower.

“I know. If I had known they’d get so forceful, I’d have asked for a different mechanic before even meeting them.” Nicasius told her, laying the last cord down. “But at least we’re finally getting this done and over with. No need to come back until next year, or if you have a problem. Which hopefully you don’t.” He chuckled at the end.

But his pet wasn’t as amused. Nicasius’ grin quickly fell and his look fell. He stared at the open plates on her back; Small ports staring back at him. Nicasius closed her spine’s plates and let them lock.

“Are we going home after this?” Uzi asked.

“Not yet–” Her owner barely got out.

His pet growled and slouched over. Nicasius sighed and rubbed his visor.

“We still have a few chores to do.” He spoke more sternly. “You need some winter clothes, and I’ve booked an appointment for a mani-pedi. Your nails are still damaged and in need of some care.” He told her.

Now, Uzi was getting confused. “That seems awfully pampering of you.” She stated.

“Think of it more as going to a groomer.” Nicasius replied. “Even dogs and cats need to be washed and have their nails clipped, right? This isn’t any different.”

‘Ah. That makes more sense.’ Uzi wanted to sigh back.

“While we’re out, we can get some lunch. Hopefully that’ll help wake you up a little.” Nicasius went on, trying to give her a hopeful and reassuring smile.

Uzi didn’t bother responding. Nicasius’ grin fell once more and he let out a sigh. The door opened back up and the mechanic walked in, some papers in her hands.

“Here’s the x-ray and test results. Also printed out the registration form for your pet’s cybersthetic.” The woman said, handing the folder to Nicasius.

“Thank you very much. It’s much appreciated.” He answered with a nod and a taking of the papers. “Also, if you don’t mind me asking, how were you able to open Uzi’s cybersthetic?” His head cocked to the side.

“I just helped her muscles and body relax with a massage. Figured that if the muscles were tense, so would the replacement.” The woman answered.

“Ah, I see. And what about the… Incident that it caused with the other mechanic?” The male robot inquired next.

The woman’s gaze turned unsure and wary on Uzi’s back as she got her clothes back on. “I’ll be honest, I can’t really answer that.” She said truthfully. “I could probably come to a better conclusion if I had seen the event myself. However, going off what you’ve told me, all I can think is that it was some sort of… Defense mechanism, so to speak.” She couldn’t help but shrug.

At Nicasius’ confused look, she continued, “Normally, cybersthetics don’t go ‘biting back’ when being looked under. They might get stuck or just be stubborn, but some that deal with the more finicky and vital parts of a human can be outfitted with defense measures. Which is what sounds like was triggered here.” She explained.

Nicasius turned to the floor and hummed. ‘It makes sense. Even us drones have mechanisms like that.’

“I’ll admit though,” The woman’s hushed voice stirred Nicasius. “Even I’m not totally convinced of that. Take it more as a theory than concrete evidence. The model is too odd and the work that had to be put in to get it to cooperate is downright frustrating.”

“So it might not be a defense system that triggered?” Nicasius asked with an equally hushed voice.

“Could be, could not be. It’s honestly hard to say purely from the fact there’s no real knowledge about this thing.” She answered. “I suggest just being careful about it. The cybersthetic still functions as any prosthetic should, so it’s not like it’s harming her.” She went on.

Nicasius nodded, glancing at his pet.

“Any other questions?” The mechanic asked.

“No. Thank you for your time and work.” He answered back. “I’ll be sure to take your advice, too.” He quickly added.

“Okay. Then let me take you back to the front lobby.” The woman walked past him.

Nicasius let out a soft sigh once she was out of range. He turned to his pet and put Uzi back on her leash. Being led out, Nicasius glanced at his pet.

Uzi was slowly waking back up now that she was moving. Hopefully she’ll be fully awake once they get to the spa. And hopefully that mysterious cybersthetic of hers can be answered if he digs around her background a little more…