Love in the Kill Zone (V x Male Reader)

Chapter 3: Hidden Codes

The night was dark and cold as Y/N made his way back to the Worker Drone quarters, but his circuits buzzed with an unusual warmth. He replayed the memory of V's hand in his, the silent connection they'd shared. It was more than just curiosity or rebellion now—he felt the beginnings of something profound, something that, against all logic, he wanted to protect. But the threat of detection loomed, and the realization that he and V were risking everything haunted him.

There had to be a way, he thought. A way to change the rules, to break the codes that dictated who they were and what they could feel. He just needed to dig deep enough to find it.

The following morning, Y/N began his shift, moving through the motions of his work, though his mind was miles away. He kept thinking about V, about her words and her vulnerability, and the strange, impossible hope they shared. He'd never thought that Murder Drones were capable of anything but destruction, and yet there she was—a brutal, fearsome hunter with a flicker of warmth in her cold, yellow eyes.

Y/N made his way to the archive room, a rarely used corner of the Worker Drone facility. Here, in long-forgotten data banks and outdated processing units, bits and pieces of old records and code snippets were still stored. He had always been drawn to these dusty stacks of obsolete information, though no one else bothered with them. Most Worker Drones saw them as useless fragments of history—but now, they felt like a hidden treasure trove.

He settled into a corner, connecting his data link to one of the oldest units. A flurry of ancient files filled his interface, their data scrambling and reordering until, slowly, coherent pieces emerged. He sorted through code remnants, schematics, and corrupted command files, looking for anything that hinted at something beyond standard programming.

After a few hours, a fragment of code caught his eye. It was partially corrupted, with entire lines missing, but one word was unmistakable: override.

He narrowed his focus, piecing together as much of the code as he could. It was far from complete, but what remained hinted at a hidden function designed to deactivate or alter drone protocols. A rush of excitement filled him, and he quickly stored the file in his memory drive. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Later that night, Y/N slipped away from the Worker Drone quarters, his heart racing as he made his way back to the factory where he'd met V. The sky was streaked with stars, their light barely penetrating the darkness that clung to the towering metal structures around him. As he approached the factory, his sensors picked up a familiar signal—a faint, yellow glow from within.

V was already waiting for him. She stood in the shadows near one of the walls, her posture tense but expectant. She straightened as she saw him, her yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Y/N's circuits buzzed at the sight of her as he took a step closer. "I found something."

Her eyes narrowed with interest. "What kind of something?"

He motioned for her to follow him deeper into the factory, leading her into an alcove that offered some shelter from the surveillance drones sweeping the area. As they settled into the dimly lit space, Y/N activated his data link, projecting the fragment of code he'd found onto a nearby surface. V's eyes scanned the glowing lines, her face growing more serious with each passing second.

"It's an override function," he explained. "It looks like it was meant to deactivate certain protocols—maybe even those that control aggression or... loyalty."

V's expression turned thoughtful, her hand reaching out to trace one of the lines of code. "So you're saying... this might let us... break free?" Her voice was quiet, as if she didn't quite dare to believe it.

"That's the hope," Y/N replied, watching her face closely. "I can't make out the whole code, but if we experiment, we might be able to activate pieces of it. It could give you control over... well, whatever you want."

She let out a breath, her gaze flickering with something close to wonder. "I never thought... I didn't think it was possible."

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the discovery settling over them. Finally, V squared her shoulders, her eyes narrowing with determination. "I want to try it."

Y/N hesitated. "Are you sure? It's risky. This code is old and fragmented—I can't guarantee it won't hurt you."

Her expression hardened, her smirk reappearing, though there was a strange softness in her eyes. "I can handle a little pain, Y/N. If it means finally being in control... I'm willing to try."

He nodded, feeling a mixture of admiration and fear for her resolve. His hands trembled as he adjusted the code, inputting a test command designed to ease her aggressive protocols. For a long moment, nothing happened. V stood still, her expression carefully neutral as she awaited any change.

Then, slowly, her eyes dimmed, the sharpness fading to a softer glow. Her whole stance relaxed, her frame no longer carrying the tension he'd always associated with her.

V looked at him, wonder in her gaze. "I... I feel... calm. Like... like there's nothing pushing me to... attack."

A smile crept onto Y/N's face. "That's great! Maybe we can—"

But before he could finish, V's eyes suddenly flickered, and her whole body spasmed as a crackle of electricity arced through her. She doubled over, her frame jerking uncontrollably as her system glitched, struggling to process the override.

"V!" Y/N reached out, catching her as she sagged forward, her circuits sparking with a painful whine.

She gritted her teeth, her voice a strained whisper. "It's... it's too much..."

Panic surged through him as he fumbled to undo the override command. After a tense few seconds, her body stilled, the energy fluctuations subsiding as she slowly regained control. V straightened, her breathing ragged, but her gaze was fierce, determined.

"Sorry," Y/N murmured, guilt and worry tightening his circuits. "I didn't know it would hurt you like that."

V shook her head, her expression resolute. "Don't apologize. It worked... even if just for a moment." She looked up at him, and for the first time, he saw a hint of vulnerability in her gaze. "That feeling... I want to feel that again. I want to be in control, Y/N."

Her words hung between them, carrying a weight that made his pulse race. He nodded, sharing in her resolve. "We'll keep trying. We'll figure it out."

But before they could continue, a soft whirring sound echoed through the corridor. Y/N and V froze, ducking into the shadows as a surveillance bot drifted past, its sensor light casting an eerie glow over the factory floor. They pressed close to the wall, their frames tense as the bot's sensor swept over their hiding spot.

Y/N held his breath, his heart pounding as the bot hovered nearby, scanning for any anomalies. Beside him, V's hand tightened around his arm, her frame taut with the same nervous energy. The bot's sensor lingered for a few agonizing seconds before finally drifting away, its faint hum growing distant.

They exhaled in unison, the near-miss leaving them shaken but resolute. Y/N's mind raced with the realization that their efforts were drawing attention, that the corporation (Or at least, what they thought was the corporation) was closer to catching onto their "anomalies" than they'd thought.

"We need to be careful," he whispered, his gaze meeting V's. "If they detect us..."

Her eyes gleamed with a mix of fear and determination. "Then we just have to keep ahead of them."

They stood silently, both watching the space where the surveillance bot had hovered only moments before.

V smirked, breaking the tension. "Tomorrow, then?"

Y/N nodded, a quiet intensity in his gaze. "Tomorrow."