Changed

Chapter 2

N watched Uzi pace around the pod. She was fuming. Heat waves radiated from her. He gulped, hoping she wouldn't overheat. "Are you sure they took your  blueprints?" 

Uzi shot a look at him. "I have proof that they found them! I can go grab that weapon right now!" Uzi crossed her arms stubbornly as she glanced at the exit of the pod, a worried expression on her screen. 

N could tell she was lying. "The drone took it back, did they?" He frowned.

Uzi nodded, looking at the ground. "Yeah... I went to check if it was still there already but when I got there, it wasn't there anymore, and I saw footprints." 

N glanced at V. The drone was still unconscious. Her broken wing took up most of the room in the pod. He turned back to Uzi. "I've never seen those drones before, but I know you're the only bunker on this planet. Maybe you could get inside the bunker? I think that's where the drones came from. You think you could try?" 

Uzi groaned. "Only if I avoided my classmates," she mumbled in a quieter voice. "If they even know who I am again."  

N remembered how Uzi's classmates treated her like she was dangerous, but treated him and V like normal worker drones. N sat up. "I think they won't even remember you." 

Uzi shot a glare at N, before turning away. "True, but it's way too dangerous for you." N could hear the hum of her frustration pulling out the solver. 

N quickly sat up. "I've been inside the bunker with you more times than I can count. I'll be fine."

The hum of the solver softened as Uzi looked at N, her eyes huge with embarrassment. N realized that she was blushing. She sighed. "Fine." 

The embarrassment faded away, Uzi's expression now serious. "But we should be more careful, the drones inside the bunker have... 'changed.' a bit."   

N looked at her with a confused expression. What did she mean by that? N didn't have time to answer, realizing Uzi was already outside the pod. He rushed over to the entrance of the spire, where Uzi stood. She put her hand out, moonlight glistened onto the shiny metal of her fingers. "It's safe."

Uzi and N started walking; the shimmering light tinting them silver. N looked up at the sparkling stars, then at Uzi. "So, Uzi, what did you mean that the worker drones 'changed?"

 Powdery white snow crunched under the force of Uzi's boots. "Apparently, they're more hostile. Especially after camp. Since no one remembers who I am, except for Thad, Doll, and Dad, they blame you guys. I'm just glad they don't go after me. At least for now."

N frowned. "So that's why you told me I shouldn't come?" He looked up at the large, well-made door. He remembered the sharp pain in his claws when he pried them open before, the day when he and Uzi met. "Well, we're already here, so no going back now!" He grinned pridefully.

Uzi knocked on the huge metal door. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The door shifted open with a creak and blue eyes peered out from a crack in the door. "Uzi? Shouldn't you be grounded-?" The eyes turned to stare at N, who waved innocently. Fear shone in the worker drone's gaze. "Murder Drone!" He screamed, trying to alert the others.  

"Sorry not sorry." Uzi unfolded her wings and grabbed the drone's head with them, the muffled screams of the drone silenced as she crushed it with a grip. She pried the doors open, scrambling inside and folding her wings back again. "We should hide the body before anyone finds it. If they did, they'd sound the alarm." 

N hesitated, scrambling inside then grabbing the corpse and placing it inside of a box. "Did that hurt when you pried the doors open? It hurt for me last time." He said, trying to change the mood after what he just saw unfold.

Uzi was focused on something else, not hearing N as she gazed upwards into a vent, blown away by V when they first infiltrated the bunker. "You should hide in there while I find more clues on what's going on. It'll be much safer."

N nodded and unfolded his wings, bursting up into the vents to watch Uzi. I wonder how changed the drones are now. He watched from the vents, slinking to follow every move and step Uzi took. BANG! N peered through the vent, shifting a bit so he didn't put pressure on the covering. Uzi was staring at a wall, rubbing her head, a large poster with an image colored in black and purple plastered on a metal gray wall. N watched Uzi quickly grab the poster and shove it into her pocket. That's odd... He quickly began to continue following her.

He saw Uzi walked up to a tall male drone and started talking. N couldn't make up what they were saying, but the drone was pointing to a corridor. Uzi nodded and started walking towards the hall. N followed blindly, until metal hit his head and a sharp pain fell over him. He hissed through gritted teeth. It's blocked.  

He lifted his hand to rub his head, a hissing noise erupted as nanite acid drenched his hand and dripped down, making holes in the ventilation. Biscuits! My eye! He popped his hand in his mouth, using his sleeve to wipe off any excess. Great. Now I have to see through one less eye.  

N focused on trying to look for Uzi through the holes in the vents, but she was nowhere to be seen. N began to crawl backwards, retracing his steps, in case he saw a fork in the system before. Before he could make it far, the vent trembled. N looked down, holes from the excess nanite acid that spilled were growing.  

CRASH! 

N unfolded his wings that he used to shield himself from the fall. But now he was in the open. Drones stared at him from afar. An awkward silence fell over them before drones began running away. Red light filled the room as a loud alarm sounded. THE ALARM!  

N quickly stood up and cleaned grit and snow off his clean white body. Pain shot through him as he turned around, a weapon was latched onto his back, a drone pointing a gun-looking weapon pulled the trigger. Electricity flowed through the wire that connected to the gun and N screamed in pain. He fell to the floor, his visor glitching to multiple expressions at the same time. Just then, the drones crowded him as darkness swallowed him up.