Squad X (a Nuzi Story)

CHAPTER 13: IN another AU

(Dark AU)

The throne room was eerily still, save for the soft crackling hum of Solver energy, pulsing through the veins of Copper 9 like the heartbeat of a dying star. Nora stood before her mother, the Solver Queen, her silhouette sharp against the darkened throne. The flickering light cast long shadows across her face, but there was no mistaking the gleam in her eyes: cold, calculating, and filled with a twisted sense of entitlement.

She wasn't like her other self—not the Nora you knew, not the one who felt out of place, who sought connection in a world filled with broken relationships. No, this Nora was the opposite—a queen in her own mind, born to rule, born to be adored, to be worshipped. Her gaze held an arrogance that could melt steel, and her voice was a melodic mockery of humility. Every step she took was deliberate, the click of her heels echoing like a promise of domination.

Her mother, Uzi, observed her from her throne, a faint, approving smirk crossing her lips. Nora knew she was being studied, but she didn't care. In this world, it was her that commanded attention. She was the heir—the Solver Princess, the only one worthy of the throne. Not Vera, not Colt, not Micheal, and certainly not her so-called 'friends.' They were all beneath her, each one just another piece in her carefully orchestrated game. Her mother saw it. N saw it. They both knew.

"I've been thinking," Nora said, breaking the silence. Her voice dripped with self-assurance, the kind that made you feel like you were lucky to even breathe the same air. "The next mission... it should be mine. I'll lead it—no one else can handle it the way I can."

Uzi arched an eyebrow, the tiniest hint of amusement in her eyes. "You're confident. Good. You'll need that." She leaned forward slightly, as if intrigued, but only for a moment before her attention drifted elsewhere, her fingers idly playing with the shard of Cyn's head resting beside her on the throne.

Nora's lips curled into a smile, one that sent a shiver through the air. "Don't worry, Mother. I'll bring back the fragments you need. I'll do it better than anyone else. And when I do, they'll all see who truly deserves to rule. Who's the only one who matters."

She took a step closer, tilting her head as she looked down at Uzi, her gaze full of cold fire. "Vera? She'll never be able to do what I can. She's too... weak. All she's good at is playing the victim, crying for attention. She'll be forgotten while I'm on top, where I belong." She paused, a flicker of mockery flashing in her eyes. "I've always been your favorite, haven't I?"

Uzi's lips curled slightly, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You've always had a certain... spark."

Nora took that as the highest form of praise, her smile growing wider. "Exactly. I was made for this. I was born to lead. To dominate." She turned to face the expanse of Copper 9 beyond the throne room, her posture straight and proud. "When I bring back those fragments, there will be no question. I'll be the ruler, the Solver Queen. And no one—not even you, Mother—will dare challenge me."

Nora's voice was low, filled with conviction as she stared into the vast emptiness of the universe beyond. She wasn't just planning to follow in her mother's footsteps—she was going to surpass her.

Every one of her movements was deliberate, calculated for maximum effect. She wasn't the lost child seeking approval; she was the predator, the ruler in waiting. And the universe? It would bow to her will.

"Give me the mission, Mother," she repeated, her voice smooth and confident, "I'll return victorious. I'll bring them all to their knees. And when they do, you'll see. You'll see how much more I'm worth than any of them. The world doesn't deserve me, but it'll bow before me regardless."

Uzi's eyes glimmered with something far darker than approval. "You'll get your chance, Nora. I have no doubt you'll do what's necessary."

Nora's lips parted in a smile, the darkness in her eyes deepening. "Of course I will. I was born for this."

The thrill of her words hung in the air as Nora turned away, confident in the knowledge that the throne, the power, the fragments—everything—would soon be hers. In this world, there was no room for weakness, no room for compassion. There was only dominance. And in this world, she was the only one who mattered.