Murder Drones Stories/Oneshots

Fangs and All (N × Uzi)

Written 12/19/23-1/13/24
N's POV
Hurt/comfort

-

Uzi. Uzi Doorman. I spell her name put in my head, counting the letters as I walk down the hall to her room. Three letters in her first name, and seven in her last.

Three plus seven is ten, there are two of the letter "o" in her last name, and my name is only one letter. That's how I remember the code to unlock her room as I punch in the numbers: 1021. I remember it as ten-two-one, but other drops might think of it as one-thousand-twenty-one, or even ten-twenty-one. Or one-zero-two-one! Maybe even one-hundred-two-one!!

Uzi's door slides open and the odd train of thought about numbers dissipates. She's not in her room yet. She's probably Stull at school right now. I'll have to ask her how she thinks of the passcode when she gets here!

I sit down on her bed. School seems so interesting! I wish I had the chance to go. I wonder what all Uzi does there and who her friends are. Someone as cool as her probably has tons of friends! I'm glad that I'm her friend. Luckiest boyfriend ever!

I glance at her bedside table, seeing the drawing I gave her of us. I smile, feeling content, and flop onto my back with my eyes closed.

My life has changed a lot. Although some things aren't the greatest now, I think I'm better. Maybe I've killed a few hundred people and am kind of a pushover at times, but I'm free now.

No more human owners, J isn't bossing me around, and the Worker Drons accepted V and I into their bunkers! As badly as I wanted to go to school with Uzi, I couldn’t; V would want to go too, just to murder everyone.

But aside from looking out for V, I'm pretty free. I like taking time to figure myself put and just have fun being my free self!

One of the nest things thus far is that my heart is a while lot more decisive. Usually when humans refer to their heart that way, they mean their feelings; though I think it's silly, seeing as I have a power core and sentience in place of a human heart.

I've done a lot of thinking though. I think, back in the Manor, the V I knew then was someone I fell for. She's changed a lot now. Even though most of her new personality is just her faking it as a trauma response, she's just not the one for me. It felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders when I realized that.

And I think she's moved on too! I've seen her look at a Worker Drone named Lizzy, and I'm happy for them both! I'm very happy that she's moving past everything that's happened and she's trying again.

And I am too! It makes my chest feel all big and full, thinking about it. I think Uzi and I work wonderfully together! I love her.

The door slides open. Uzi trudges in, looking exhausted.

"Hey, Zi!" I call out cheerfully, hoping the nickname will make her laugh. She smiles half-heartedly. Something is off.

"You good, Uzi?" I ask in a much softer and quieter tone.

She shrugs, sets down her bag, and joins me on the bed. "Long day. Sometimes I feel like-" she stops herself and shakes her head. "Just tired." She offers me another smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

I hold out my arms and she crawls into my lap, curling up so her back is against my chest. She's not all that heavy, but what weight there is pressing against me is pure comfort. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle my face in the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Uzi," I whisper and press a small kiss to her neck. She relaxes in my arms with a content sigh.

"I love you too, N," she whispers.

I lean back a bit so my face isn't too close anymore. I run my fingers through the ends of her soft, purple hair.

"You wanna talk about what's wrong?" I question. It's not good for her to bottle up her feelings, which she has a habit of doing. Still, I'd never force her to tall about anything she doesn't want to.

"Yeah," she admits. I can hear the pain in her voice.

"So, what's wrong?"

"I just- sometimes I feel like people would just forget I exist completely of I stopped talking."

"I don't think I could ever forget you, but what makes you think that?"

She hugs her knees to her chest and I rub circles on her shoulders. I'm not really sure how to be comforting, but I really am trying.

"Most people already make fun of me, but," her voice catches, and she continues softly, "some have started to completely ignore me unless I talk to them. I feel like static. I don't want to live like background noise, N. What do I do?" I can feel the sorrow washing off of her in waves.

I gently turn her to face me. There are tears in her eyes. It makes my body hurt to see her like this, like all my wires are being rewired to the wrong places.

"Oh, Uzi." I wipe away a tear that falls with my thumb. "You could never ever be background noise to me. You're my favorite song, if anything."

She laughs and wipes at her eyes. "Idiot." She's smiling.

I hold her face in my hands and she lets her hands drop. "I mean it though," I reinstate.

She looks away, blushing. "I know you do, dummy." She looks back at me, then away quickly. "Just so you know, you're my favorite song too. Or whatever."

I kiss her forehead and hold her close for the span of several heartbeats.

My arms loosen a little and I pull back. "Maybe you could try talking to them more? Get to know them?" I suggest hopefully.

Her face scrunched up in disgust. She looked cute and shmooshy.

"Ew. Socializing. Plus, they don't like me very much. They think I'm weird," Uzi huffs.

I blink in confusion. "You are weird."

"Hey!"

I throw my hands up in defense. "You are weird, but- I like that about you. It's what makes you... you."

"You're so freaking cheesy," Uzi deadpans.

I pout, crossing my arms in mock offense.

"But," Uzi continues and wrinkles her face up again, "that's what makes you... you."

She gags at the cheesy line and we both fall over giggling.

We stare at the ceiling together for a few core-beats. Uzi has a lot of drawings tacked up there. Some of them are a little scary. They could never change how I feel about her, though.

Sometimes I worry that I scare her, with the way she's seem me fight and kill.

"Hey, Uzi?" I start.

"Hmm?" She turns her head to face me.

"Do you think it'd be better if I were still a Worker Drone?"

She blinks. "What?"

I rub my pointer finger against my thumb. "I just thought maybe you'd like me better if I weren't so dangerous?"

"N, I am a Worker Drone and I am dangerous. Being a Worker Drone again wouldn't change who you are, and you aren't dangerous to me." Uzi grabbed my hand with both of hers, sitting up. "N, I love you for you. Sharp fangs and all."

"Thanks, Zi." I sit up and kiss her hand.

She blushes and pulls her beanie over her eyes. "Shut up. You're so gross," Uzi huffed.

I smile playfully. "Hmm... okay! If you say so!" I chirp.

She hurriedly pulls her beanie up. "No, no! Not really, dummy!" Uzi hugs my waist. I can feel her chest rise and fall against mine as she breathes.

"I know," I whisper, holding her. "I know."

"Thank you for being my friend, N."

"Thank you for showing me the truth and loving me."

Uzi giggles, pushing me back. "You sound all heroic!"

I laugh too. "No, Uzi," I hug her. "You're my hero."