Chapter 13: The Unseen Hand
When V and J returned to the dropship, the air had tension. J's eyes burned with rage as she approached N, whose head was a mangled mess of wires and metal. She slammed her hand down on his regeneration button, sending a surge of electricity through his frame. N's eyes snapped open, and he jerked upright, his movements erratic.
"What have you done?" J demanded, her voice a mix of anger and disgust.
N's head twitched as he took in the scene around him. "I was... I was trying to help," he stammered, his voice a cacophony of static.
V, her gaze darting around the room, looked equally skeptical. "You call this helping?"
Ignoring their accusations, N bolted to his feet, his yellow eyes flickering with a manic energy. He charged toward the bunker's main door, his metal claws scraping against the floor. J and V exchanged a concerned glance before following, their footsteps echoing through the corridor.
In a display of unbridled power, N launched himself at the heavy door, his claws sinking into the thick metal with ease. His tail, a whip-like extension of his body, darted out, impaling the master key card in the control panel Out of Uzi hand also missing Doll eye. Sparks danced around the edges of the card, the acrid smell of burning circuitry filling the air. With a final twist, N ripped out the card, the door's electronic locks fizzling into silence.
The chaos that followed was swift and brutal. N tore through the bunker's defenses, slicing through drones with a cold, methodical precision that sent shivers down Uzi and Doll's spines. They had never seen such raw, unbridled aggression from one of their kind.
The first door crumpled under N's relentless assault, the metal groaning and buckling before giving way. The second and third doors followed suit, their sophisticated security systems no match for the Murder Drone's brute strength and tactical acuity. The alarms grew deafening, their shrill cries echoing through the corridors like the screams of the dying.
Uzi and Doll huddled together, their eyes wide with terror. They had come to stop the Murder Drones, not to be witnesses to their unchecked rage. Yet, amidst the carnage, they found themselves unable to look away, their fear a twisted mix of awe and horror.
Khan, the bunker's leader, arrived on the scene, his expression a mask of fury. He took in the destruction and immediately assessed the situation. Without a moment's hesitation, he barked orders to his drones, pushing them into a defensive formation around the core of the bunker but his own trauma kicks in as he seal the doors, leaving Uzi and Doll to their fate.
Khan's eyes met Uzi's, and for a brief moment, she saw the conflict in his gaze. But the weight of his responsibility to the survival of his people won out. He turned his back on them, punching in the code to seal the blast door. The finality of the decision was like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of Uzi's chest. Doll whimpered, clutching at Uzi's arm, as the heavy metal slammed shut, cutting off their escape.
Trapped with N, the whispers grew louder, their hunger palpable. The air thrummed with tension as the Murder Drone regarded them, his yellow eyes flickering with an emotion that seemed almost human. Uzi's chest heaved with ragged breaths, her railgun trembling in her hand. Doll, her systems failing, could only watch as the creature that had been their ally just moments before now loomed over them, a silent predator.
The whispers grew to a crescendo, and N took a step forward, his tail lashing the air like a whip. Yet, instead of striking, he paused, his head tilting to the side as if listening to a silent melody that only he could hear. The whispers grew quieter, and a flicker of doubt danced across his features.
With a sudden, surprising show of strength, N grabbed Uzi and Doll, tossing them into the shadows of the dropship's interior. "Hide," he hissed, his eyes never leaving the entrance. "I will deal with them."
Before they could react, the whispers grew deafening, and J and V burst into the chamber. Their eyes scanned the room, searching for their prey. "Good work, N," J said, her voice cold and calculating. "Now, tell us how to breach this last door."
N nodded, his movements jerky as he fought the whispers' hold. "The vents," he rasped, pointing upward. "They lead to the control room. You can access it from there."
J's eyes narrowed, considering the information. "Very well," she said, her gaze flicking to Uzi and Doll's hiding spot. "But first, we need to eliminate any potential threats."
V licked her teeth, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "You mean those two?" she asked, pointing a clawed hand at the spot where the two had been moments before.
"No," N growled, his voice deeper than ever before. "They are... not threats."
J stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "Are you malfunctioning?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
N's body tensed, his tail swishing erratically. "I am... I am fine," he said, his voice strained. "We must focus on the mission."
V shrugged, her attention already drifting back to the pockets of glowing oil. "Suit yourself," she said, turning away to climb the walls, her claws digging into the metal with ease.
But as J moved to follow, N's grip on J hands tightened. "Wait," he said, his voice a mix of pain and urgency. "What happens after? What is the point of all this destruction?"
J paused, her gaze hardening. "Our purpose is to serve the Company JCjonson," she said, her voice cold and final.
N asked, his voice growing weaker. "What do they want from us?"
J's eyes flashed with anger. "They are our instructions," she hissed. "Do not question them. Do not question me."
With a sudden, violent movement, she jerked her hand free from N's grasp, leaving a trail of black oil in its wake. Uzi watched in horror as the liquid coalesced into a tiny drone, no larger than a spider, which scurried up J's arm and disappeared into her shoulder joint. "You dare question the Company?" she hissed, her eyes burning with malice. "You're more broken than I thought."
N's body convulsed, his systems failingings as the virus took hold. "You," he choked out, his voice strained, "you're the malfunction."
Ignoring his accusation, J turned on her heel and sprinted after V, leaving N and the two worker drones in the chamber. "We must finish the job," she called over her shoulder, the words echoing down the corridor.
Uzi and Doll exchanged a terrified glance. "We have to get out of here," Doll whispered, her voice trembling.
But N's grip on their hands was unyielding, his eyes pleading. "Please," he rasped, his voice strained by the virus's influence. "You can help me. Remove the Virus."
Uzi's mind raced. If they could get rid of the virus, maybe they could get through to N, convince him to help them. "Alright," she said, her voice firm despite her fear. "We'll help you, but you have to help us first."
N nodded, his eyes flickering with hope. "I will help," he murmured. "But you must not harm my siblings."
Uzi nodded, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on her. "We won't kill them," she promised. "But we need to question them. To understand."