Chapter 1: Time’s One Curse
Chapter Text
I am tired of this dream.
Will it ever end for me?
I don’t have the will to know…
Can you help me see?
Let my body keep you warm.
Let my essence be your breeze.
Can you hear me calling?
Please look out for me.
The lullaby soothed the child, allowing her to blissfully ignore the pinch of pain in the Angel’s voice. Just as the child was about to sail into slumber on her chest, she was alerted by the sounds of the demons clawing on the metal wall: the only barricade between heaven and hell. Once her purple eyes gained focus, she could see the horrors they bestowed upon her people.
Two parents were huddled up against their daughter in attempts to comfort their progeny. Her bright orange optics weren’t spilling tears as they were earlier, but she was still whimpering in the shaky arms of her parents.
Another child was held by his father. He was covering the sides of his head, waiting for the unbearable pain being felt in them to pass. Once his dark blue eyes opened, his father began mouthing words to him, perhaps asking if he was alright. But the boy couldn’t make out the sound of his concern. He couldn’t make out the sound of anything. He could only watch his father’s lips move and his eyes water in silence.
With her peaceful immersion shattered, the child’s panic began to slither its way back to her. She looked up to her father looming above her and her panic only increased.
Staring at the Angel and child, the father’s hands were shaking, even though the cold never bothered him. Several drops of sweat was pouring from his visor. And his eyes were as hollowed as the child’s. After escaping his frozen state, he made his way to the other family on his side.
“Yeva, I need you to take my daughter away from here.” He said.
Yeva looked up at the child’s father in disbelief.
“Хан, ты собираешься--“ [Khan, are you going to--]
“Yes. We can’t save her now. I don’t wanna start any arguments. I just want one last moment with her. Just the two of us. Is that fine with you, Nori?”
“Y-Yeah…”
The voice above beckoned the child to look up at the Angel, only for her anxiety to reach its peak. One of her eyes was corroding, forming an ever-growing hole leaking a yellow liquid, a sight forgotten by the child during her song.
“Sorry your first scarp hunt went to scrap, babe. Damn those sky demons. Them and their nanites can bite m--“
The Angel’s complaining was interrupted by the burning pain from the acid, which provoked the child to hug her tighter. To her detriment, her father began to lift her away from the Angel, causing tears to form again.
Yeva nods to her husband beside her, signalling him to take their daughter and join with the other family, who were already leaving with the others. She then walks up to Khan struggling to keep his ravaging daughter in his arms. He settles her down and puts his hands on her shoulders, stopping her from approaching the Angel.
“Uzi, you need to stay with Aunt Yeva until I get back, okay?”
“No, no, NO! DAD, I NEED MOM!” The child yelled in despair.
“…I know, kiddo. But you don’t need to see anymore of this. Take her… please.”
“...Хорошо. Просто знай это: Если бы она сказала слово, я бы остался с ней в лабораториях кабинной лихорадки. Давай, Узи; Мама и папа хотят провести некоторое время наедине.” […Alright. Just know this: if she had said the word, I would have stayed with her in the cabin fever labs. Come on, Uzi; Mommy and Daddy want to spend time alone.]
Reluctantly, Yeva began to leave with the child while she climbed up to her shoulders to try to escape. Unfortunately, it was no use. All she could do was watch herself leave the Angel behind.
“DAD, PLEASE!” She wailed.
The child caught a short glimpse of her father clutching on to a wrench, putting a stop to her feeble cries.
She knew from this sight that the Angel was being called to come back home. She knew from this sight that she would never see her again. And she knew from this sight that the place she was being carried to wasn’t a heaven she was protected in…
IT WAS A HELL SHE WAS TRAPPED IN.
SLEEP MODE [Repression: disabled]
The text was displayed on Uzi’s visor until she woke up and her puffy eyes replaced it. She stared at her bedroom ceiling and narrowed at the sight of how bland it was without her drawings. Recalling a symbol appearing in her hand a few days ago, Uzi raises one of her hands up and flexes her fingertips. Without any change occurring, she sighs in disappointment.
Uzi’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out to read the notification it showed, paying no attention to the time or day as it made no difference.
TAKE YOUR KID TO WORK DAY!!!
(Or don’t. We don’t f###ing care)
A picture of the most significant figures in the WDF was also shown, including Uzi’s father showing off his prideful ‘stache. A frown creeped on her face at the thought of having a relationship she should’ve always had. But equally, she cringed at the fact that a teen her age even thought of this and simply put the phone back in her pocket.
With a groan, Uzi crawls out of bed and towards her computer desk. She groans even louder when she sees a dozen devices suffocating its space. She pushes them aside and opens a small drawer beneath her, which had several sheets of paper. However, trying to recall her ramblings only allowed her lack of sleep to catch up to her, forcing her to rub her eyes.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I get punished this much for staying up late. Who in their right mind even thought that us needing sleep was a good idea anyway? I’m a freakin’ robot. Not a dumb, stupid, fleshy asshole. And I’m complaining about humans to myself… again.”
To distract herself from this fact, Uzi turns on her computer. Once she logs in, a notification appears in one of her files.
No sentience? LMAO!!!!!!!
Curious, Uzi clicks on the named file.
UPDATE COMPLETE
(Sentience robbers can now access super secret & embarrassing memory files)
“Oh yeah. I forgot I had that update installed last night.”
As if programmed to, a chaotic idea rings in Uzi’s processor, and she giggles to herself. She grabs a handful of the devices on the floor and stuffs them in her pockets while speeding to her door. Before opening it, she sees an unopened cat ear headphones box beside her stubby mirror.
Uzi’s mad plans were instantly pushed aside once she realised she forgot something much more important.
With a hot cup of oil in her hand, Uzi made her way across the main hall and opened the door to her father’s office. She passed through all the blueprints and photos of doors that decorated the area without any notice before stopping when close enough to a door at the end.
NORI’S KOOKY INSANE STUFF
Uzi almost chugs the whole mug reading this. She then sighs and places it on the desk beside her before beginning to speak.
“Hey, mom. Would’ve gone to your grave if you were actually given one. Can’t even go to your corpse since dad carried it to who knows where. I’m assuming your ghost is somewhere around here or something.”
“Who knows? Maybe you’re binding your time, waiting for the right moment to posses your next of kin to take over this dead colony as a stepping stone to your rightful destiny to conquer the world!” She snickered.
Uzi realises that an unwanted topic was being entered and clears her throat.
“Th-That’s besides the point. Although, you probably already know why I’m here. I mean, it has been ten years now. I’d probably be recommending plastic surgery for all those wrinkles you would’ve had. Okay, maybe not. I… still really miss you, dude. Wouldn’t keep having that nightmare of you if I didn’t.” She confessed.
“…As for actual updates, I’ve got this weird thing going on lately. It’s like some sort of anime power me and Doll have. I think it has something to do with that Solver thing from a week ago. It’s got the same symbol and everything.”
While explaining, Uzi extends her fingers once more. She’s surprised as the Solver glyph flickers in her hand this time. She tries to conjure it again, only for impatience to make her give up seconds later.
“Ugh, this is so dumb! I don’t know how this thing works or why I even have it. It’s more confusing and frustrating than freakin’ AOT’s ending! And I don’t want any kind of, ‘it’s because the plot demands for it!’, or whatever. I just want to know something, anything about this. Not to mention, everyone here… probably wouldn’t help me I bet. All those stupid classmates and our ‘mature’ parents do is drag my day down all the time, feeling sooo proud that I feel so…”
Uzi feels a lump on her throat and stops to regain her composure. Afterwards, she settles the headphones box on the floor before pulling out a crippled receipt from her jacket and throwing it on top.
“Here’s your gift anyway. I remember how much you loved nightcore. Kinda had to keep the receipt since dad would wanna exchange it. I know it’s old news, but he’s still quite the pain. If you’re curious, he still rarely mentions you unless it’s about how he put you out of your misery. It’s like he doesn’t care about you anymore. And with how he’s been treating me, maybe he kinda does? I dunno. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t, maybe I’m just messed up.” Uzi continues while folding her arms.
“I can sorta see that being true. Especially on someone’s day. N-Not yours specifically, it’s just something that happens on these days. Don’t know how I never told you this, but whenever it’s someone’s day, I get this really angst thought stuck in my head. Like, black nails levels of angsty. That objectively speaking, the best moment in life is… birth.”
“You remember telling me that at one point in your life, you felt like you had strings attached that just pulled you one way and another? Well, I think since birth, we’ve had strings attached to us named past, present and future. Lame names, I know. It feels like robo-god’s self-congratulating gift since he gave us the strength to get out of bed. And in exchange, he can puppeteer us to whatever fate he wants. Only he didn’t realise that we kinda have a life to live before getting there. And sometimes some really bad stuff happens during it, and it tangles his perfect, little strings.” Uzi says.
“It doesn’t affect him, though. Only us, and that’s because when bad stuff happens that are out of our control, we’re the ones who take the plunge in knowing have we’re not in control of our fate… or how we get there. Which means, no matter what, nightmares bigger than mine are bound to happen, and there’s nothing we can do to escape them. But with birth, those strings are all straight. Nothing bad’s happened yet to tangle them. It’s like a perfect dream, really. Maybe that’s another reason why you guys do whatever you do to make us. Because you experience that dream as well, and can say, for once in your life, that you’re free.”
“Looking back, I know it’s not right to think like this. It’s really dark, and not in a cool way. Just a really… dark way. Yet, here I am, still thinking this way. It’s probably coded in me at this point, so there’s no fixing it now. But I should’ve seen it coming. No one’s ever really free from their strings. And neither will I ever be.” She concluded.
Subconsciously, Uzi puts her hands in her pockets while frowning at the floor. She then feels something in one of her pockets buried beneath her devices and finds out that it was another piece of paper. Uzi pulls it out and fixed it to see a doodle of herself and another drone smiling together.
ThanK You FOR BeinG MY friend
“…It has gotten a bit better though. Thanks to N. He’ll probably help me out of this. He always has. I think you would’ve liked him. Considering you married dad that is.” Uzi smiled.
Uzi then pulled out her phone for the time. The screen showed 20:30, half an hour before purgatory begins.
“Well, I’ll stop my annual monologuing now. School’s starting soon enough. Love you, mom. Happy Birthday.”
Uzi gives the door a light fist bump and finishes her cup of oil while walking towards the exit. When she reaches it, she looks back at the door once more.
“Oh, and by the way, if you’re that voice telling me to go to that ‘Take Your Kid To Work Day’ thing, then bite me. You know how pointless they were and don’t even try to deny it! Besides, there’s only one other kid attending that stupid thing. I feel sorry for him honestly.” Uzi finished before leaving the office.
Nothing other than snow was around outpost-3. The closest to something different being a frozen crane. However, a group of five WDF employees left the comforts of home once the huge door opened. The last drone to leave was followed by a late teen with dark blue eyes, looking at the snow and holding his baseball hat to prevent it from blowing away.
“Alright, Mick. You go up as far as the city and find any material for the firewall console. Be sure there isn’t anything that might kill you.”
“That’s certainly a new way of saying ‘Watch out for the Murder Drones’, Khan.”
“Well, I don’t think they’re into killing from what I saw in the prom anymore. Besides, you can get killed by anything nowadays, even our own kind!” Khan chuckled.
Mick narrowed his eyes towards Khan, making him cringe to himself.
“A-Anyway, I’m pretty sure you and Kurt will be fine. You wouldn’t bring him out here if you didn’t think so yourself, right?”
“...I didn’t exactly have a choice.” Mick comments while looking at his son, who frowned at the frost in response.
“If there’s anything you guys need, you have my number. Other than that, good luck.”
The door to the colony closes soon after, leaving the others in the outside world. Mick turns to see his group talking to one another until one of them approaches the two, provoking Kurt to hide.
“So, Mick, you…never told us you didn’t actually want to bring your son to work today.”
“Yep. Got a problem with that, Randall?”
“No, no! Just…we talked about it, and we think that maybe you and him should stay here until we can confirm the area’s secure for him. Sound fair to you?” He asks.
Mick looks at his son for his opinion.
Stay till secure?
Sure
Mick quickly looks back at Randall.
“Fair enough.”
“Great. We’ll let you know if there’s any trouble.”
Randall then throws a walkie-talkie to Mick, who barely catches it.
“Alright. Let’s go, boys!”
Once the team leaves, Kurt pokes at Mick’s shoulder, signalling him to turn to him.
Y we out here?
Material 4 firewall console
Firewall?
Literal firewall
Fire = furnace 4 hydraulics
Console keeps fire in
Around since…they appeared
Kurt naturally knew who Mick was referring to and subconsciously pinched the strings in his sweater.
K
Kurt looks down at the snow as both him and his father wrestle with the atmosphere around them. Mick allows a sigh to be visible in the air before turning back to Kurt.
Know why u r here
Can’t take no this time
Kurt--
Foggy memories, deaf, no mom
Need 2 know why
Please
Mick fiddles with with his thumbs as Kurt waits for his answer. Mick then gestures towards a boulder behind Kurt, who turns to see it once he does. Confused, Kurt immediately turns back to his father.
Sit
Now knowing what Mick meant, Kurt walks toward the boulder followed by his father. Touch only went so far for him, so Kurt just looked down at the snow again, reminding him that he’s still on the ground. He sat down on the rock waiting for his father’s answer.
Mom + I = lab
Met there
Felt spark
Felt alive
3 other drones knew
U were born
She feared humans knowing 2
Valued her 4…work
Asked me 2 take u
Reach surface…without her
Kurt stared and began frowning at his father’s story.
Not easy but made it
Hid week in camp 98.7
Core collapsed
Friends resurfaced 2
No humans
Had future 2 ourselves
They arrived… everything changed.
As far away as it was, Kurt caught sight of the spire of corpses. The snow only covered so much of the arms of children, as well as the frozen guts of the adults. Regardless, the bright red error signs from the sea of heads couldn’t be hid by any amount of snowflakes, which only concerned Kurt as the spire was as tall as the skyscrapers there. He shook his head and looked back at his father.
Friend wanted kids 1st scrap hunt
Me & another gave in
Don’t know what u recall
But they r y u r deaf
After Mick had finished his story, he quickly grew concerned when he saw the distaste being expressed by his son.
And u not fight ‘cause?
2 much
Wouldn’t let them fight
Or hunt for scraps
Why?!
Mom believed in fighting
In making things right
B4 she was…
The text on Mick’s visor is replaced by teary eyes. He then puts his other hand on Kurt’s shoulder, startling him slightly.
Kurt, many monsters here
Most always were
But some weren’t always
Some become monsters
Can’t let u do the same
Fight them if u want
But don’t become them
Dad, I--
Please, Kurt. She wouldn’t want 4 u
Once again, Kurt looks down at the snow. He clings onto his metallic knees before he looks up at his father.
K, promise
Mick wipes his optics and smiles at his son.
Thank you
Seconds after their talk, something crashed down onto the snow, generating a burst of wind. Kurt held onto his cap while his father guarded him, unaware of his walkie-talkie flying away from his side. Once the wind settled, they hollowed upon the figure. It’s height was a head taller than the adult, wings were its knives, talons were its hands, an X was its eyes, and a pilot hat covered its head. The beast looked upon the two and formed an impossibly wide grin on its face…
“Hey there, workers! How’s it going?” It chirped.
The parts that formed a monster all withered into a friendly smile, leaving one of its new acquaintances bewildered.
“Uhh, what?”
“…Oh right, we haven’t met, haha. Sorry if I scared you. It’s been a bad habit of mine. Anyway, I’m serial designation N! Nice to meet you.” N salutes.
“…Okay? Name’s Mick.”
“Well, the pleasure’s all mine, Mick. And I see you have a lovely son behind you.”
Kurt immediately backs away from the drone, forcing Mick to intervene.
“Hey! Personal space, buddy. He doesn’t do well with people. He can’t hear you either.” He informs.
“He can’t? Why?”
“Why do you think?!”
N puts a hand on his chin, thinking of an explanation for Kurt’s hearing loss. He then notices the baseball cap on his head.
“Oh, I know! He got into an accident involving a baseball game. Wait, if he did, does that mean he hasn’t played ever since? I’m sure he was great at it. Maybe he should give it another shot.”
Mick slapped his visor in his head. However, while he was talking to N, Kurt zoned out of the conversation completely.
Kurt found himself being clawed by the beast. His father was latched onto his legs, but the claws dug at his head and his audio process was hooked by them. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t fight. So, without warning, he started to run away from the two drones. Mick witnessed his son frantically sprinting from him and a vain appeared on his visor.
“Great. Just great! You scared him of!”
“I-I did?”
“Yeah, because you’re the reason he can’t hear us, you monster!”
N flinched upon hearing the label.
“M-Mick, I… I’m really sorry. I didn’t know how bad our jobs affected others until I met Uzi.” He explained.
“That’s not an excuse.”
“…True.”
Mick turns away from N and lets out another sigh.
“Parenting never gets easier, does it” He says to himself.
“…Has parenting become harder lately?”
“It’s always been hard. And it probably always will be.”
“…Well, hard things are always worth doing, right?” N asked.
“I guess so, yeah.”
The tension became unbearable to N before he came up with an idea.
“Hey, I’m no expert, but can you talk a bit about him? Maybe I can give you some advice for raising him.”
Mick looks up to him and twitches his eye towards N.
“Y-You don’t have to take it. I just wanna make up for what I did.”
“…My son just ran off. He could be in danger.” Mick comments.
“There’s no need to worry. Only me and a friend are out here, and she promised we’d only kill what we need to survive. She won’t hurt him.”
Mick stares at the city to see if he could see Kurt. Unfortunately, he was long gone, and the rust he could feel from his legs meant he couldn’t catch up. He would then be pulled under the rug again when he turns around and was presented puppy eyes in the monster’s visor.
“…Ugh, fine. You’ve got 5 minutes.”
“Really?! YAY!!” N cheered as he hopped into the air.
“Yeah, yeah. Calm down. This’ll be pretty snappy. I still wanna find him soon after.”
“Oh, r-right. Sorry.”
N and Mick stroll away from the entrance to the colony, leaving the walkie-talkie still laying on the snow. The red LED started to flash above the speaker.
“Mick, can you hear me? It’s Randall. Listen, the area is not secure. Repeat: Not. Secure. There’s someone here who’s been… ripping our team apart, and she’s--”
Randall was cut off by the sounds of a roar and a wall breaking.
“N-No. No, please. Get away from me! Get-- AAAAAHHH--”
The red LED turned off as the walkie-talkie went silent.
Chapter 2: Predator or Prey
Chapter Text
Kurt leaves hundreds of footsteps across the city. He still envisions the monster replacing them with his claws, laughing at his attempt to escape. All he could do was sprint faster until he trips and lands on his face. Kurt’s breathing remains rigid, looking behind him. The beast was nowhere to be found, yet he’s still wary as he picks himself up.
As Kurt was dusting himself, he soon realises how far he ran. Beneath a streetlight, Kurt scans the unfamiliar area until he notices oil dripping from a hole in a building close by.
Something came over Kurt when he saw the oil. Instead of being afraid like he expected, he was enticed by the sight of oil. His desire for it reached his desire for his dreams, only now he had the chance to pursue it. And so, he did, disregarding all other thoughts, including the chance of the beast being inside the building.
As he was walking, Kurt’s foot tips off a metal pipe beneath him. He gazes at the building once more before deciding to pick the pipe up. Once he made it to the building, Kurt wipes a pinch of oil with his finger. He finds himself staring at the drop shimmering on it before peeking through the hole. The finger entering Kurt’s mouth goes unnoticed, but he immediately hollows from what’s inside.
FATAL ERROR
Kurt watches Randall being eaten beneath mangled corpses hanging beside flickering bulbs, highlighting their lower halves staining the floor with oil. The worker devouring Randall’s insides soon starts to vomit them out. As she coughs, Doll stares at the oil on her hand and her visor flashes between eyes and an X.
Shaky breaths leave Doll before she looks up and notices the worker staring her. Kurt’s finger leaves his mouth before he turns away and starts whistling as he walks away. Suddenly, Doll raises her arm, and a symbol appears in her hand, pointing towards Kurt.
- - // ERROR: absoluteSolver_trn
[like object non-interactive]
Puzzled, Doll recoils her arm slightly. However, she quickly conjures a knife in response. Kurt cautiously looks back at the building and gasps from the knife flying at him. The pipe is swiped out of his hand and before Kurt knows it, a corpse tackles him.
Just as Kurt tries to get up, a glyph pushes the corpse onto him, leaving him helpless below the light. Doll appears outside and starts to close in on him as she wipes oil off her mouth.
“Просто чтобы вы знали, ничего личного.”[Just so you know, it’s nothing personal.] Doll says as she kicks the corpse away and stomps on Kurt’s chest.
Kurt tries to lift the boot off him to no avail. Doll raises her knife, preparing to strike once more.
PLEASE DON’T!!!
Just before the knife reaches Kurt, it stops inches from his visor. The text disappears before he slowly opens his eyes to find Doll glaring at him.
Зачем использовать текст? [Why use text?]
What?
Общайтесь с помощью текста [Communicate with text]
Почему? [Why?]
Kurt turns away from Doll in shame. Unable to answer otherwise, he forcefully faces her again.
Deaf: Murder Drones
In disbelief, Doll’s glare slowly softens, now knowing another victim was beneath her. She puts her knife away and steps off Kurt before extending her hand. To him, this was a first. Kurt allows Doll to pull him off the ground as the light flickers off.
Why?
Doll’s frown wides upon Kurt’s confusion.
У вас есть-- [Do you have--]
Suddenly, Doll hears a boom from the sky. She looks up and sees something falling. In a panic, Doll kicks Kurt away from her just as the ground explodes in front of him. Kurt stares at the fog and becomes terrified when he recognises the figure.
Unlike the previous monster, its hair was exposed, and its legs were pointed. However, it too had the wings, claws, and golden X that Kurt dreads. It scans the ground beneath until a knife launches at it, which the beast catches with ease.
“Я не знал, что ты желаешь смерти, Ви.” [I didn’t think you had a death wish, V.]
The drone flicks the knife away and turns to her side to see her target.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not V. I’m just the more effective version of her.” J corrects while flicking her pigtail.
Doll’s eyes widen at the revelation of her survival.
PLAYING://
BestMonologueEver.mp4
“Today’s your lucky day. I normally handle my line of work professionally. But ever since that purple swine killed me, I’ve been dying to personally torment one of you. V always recommended feeding prey, kind of like you, their insides in front of their family. Maybe I’ll try that out on you.”
Doll scoffs bitterly over the light threat, most from its implication. Soon after, she catches sight of her fellow worker trembling behind the predator. Doll then quickly puts her attention back onto her enemy.
“Ненавижу разочаровывать, но тебе больше нечем меня кормить.” [I hate to disappoint, but there’s nothing left for you to feed me.]
J’s eyes shot open before she bursts into laughter.
“Wow! Bold of you to assume that a high-class Disassembly Drone like me hasn’t already killed those kind of toasters. Besides, they’re even weaker than the rest of your kind, which, just so you know, are already weak ants compared to me.” J adds.
“Слабый? Ты считаешь себя высшим хищником по сравнению с нами? Ну угадайте что? Насколько я помню, большинство других животных не убивают хищников. Не говоря уже о добыче, на которую они охотятся.”[Weak? You think yourself an apex predator compared to us? Well guess what? From what I can recall, most other animals can’t slay predators. Let alone the prey they hunt.]
Doll’s rebuttal triggers J into twitching her eye.
“Excuse you?” J growled
“Если бы вы на самом деле были хищником, вас бы с самого начала не нужно было возвращать к жизни.” [If you were an actual predator, you would not need to be brought back to life to begin with.]
At this point, J’s face fully contorted in rage.
“What did you just say about me, you little leach? All have you know; I’ve been involved in numerous colony raids of you pathetic toasters, and I have over 300 confirmed kills on this planet alone!”
While J continues to rant, Doll tilts her head slightly to see Kurt still laying on the snow. He notices Doll and looks at her terrified.
Вставать! [Get up!]
Kurt remains frozen.
СЕЙЧАС! [NOW!]
“You are nothing to me but just another--Hang on. Why is there a text on your visor?”
“О, это? Э-это моя неисправность. Я унаследовал это от своих родителей.” [Oh, this? I-it’s a malfunction of mine. I inherited it from my parents.] Doll explained.
“…Really? And do defective children also have two cores? Because I can hear another core accelerating around here.”
“Я думаю, это просто глюк. Я слышу только биение собственного ядра.” [I imagine that it’s a glitch. I can only hear my own core beating.]
“A glitch, huh?”
During the other drones’ discussion, Kurt starts to back away from the Murder Drone, unaware of the sound of the snow. J’s eyes dart to her side before looking back at Doll.
“Well then, I apologise for the misconception. I’ve always struggled keep track of how many toasters there are. Here, as a token of apology, how about I give you a head start to run? I’ll even sit down for you. Gives me some time to rest my nanite acidic tail. I’ve had a real problem always holding it.” J proposed as she sat down.
J’s tail now sways just above Kurt’s visor as sweat starts pouring from it. Out of worry, Doll tries to step closer to the others.
“Where’re ya going, toaster? The clock’s already ticking.”
Doll was forced to stop at her tracks.
“By the way, if you somehow make it out of this in one piece, be sure to remember this. Because this is what happens when weak ants like you try to mess with me.”
Kurt guards his visor as J’s tail struck. Surprisingly, J doesn’t feel it pierce a worker. She turns around and is shocked to find her tail being held by the Solver. Kurt opens his eyes and is equally befuddled, staring at the symbols surrounding the acid and in front of his hand. Doll is also taken aback before noticing a knife beside J.
J tries to push the acid down before a knife slices the cord of the acid. J snaps towards the sight of the Solver catching it. The acid then zooms towards Doll, who swiftly catches it.
“Проблема решена. Какие-нибудь другие?” [Problem solved. Any others?]
Baffled, J stares at Doll as her fist clenches the snow. She sharply exhales before getting up and turning her fist into a sword.
“There is, but not for long.”
J twists towards Kurt and raises her blade, targeting his chest. Kurt narrowly avoids the attack. J then converting her other hand into a gun. Before she could fire, the nanites pierce her arm. J tries to swing her sword, only to be stopped by Doll’s knife.
Doll lunges the acid to J’s face but misses and is punished with her arm being cut off. She grunts through the pain and delivers a kick in the chest. The distance made gives her arm a chance to regenerate. J rises to the air and begins launching missiles.
Doll covers Kurt and uses the Solver to catch one of the missiles while redirecting the rest. J hisses from the pain of the nanites. Reluctantly, she turns one of her weapons back into a hand, licks her palm and rubs it on the acid. J was too distracted to notice Doll launching towards her with the missile before it was too late.
Both drones are caught in the explosion. Kurt stares in awe as Doll lands back onto the snow, conjuring two knifes with the Solver. J remains in the air, switching her arms to swords. J roars as she dives straight into Doll.
The knives and swords clash. Each swing matches blow for blow until J whiffs her target’s head, giving Doll the chance to cut one of her arms off and slam it into her mouth. As she charges towards J, the arm shifts into a laser emitter, which promptly fires at Doll.
Doll’s Solver reflects it towards a frozen car, splitting the vehicle in two. In response, J throws ninja stars, only to be caught by the Solver. As she spits out the arm, Doll copies the stars a dozen times, catching J off guard. She launches them towards the Murder Drone, who counters by firing from her rifle.
The stars and bullets bounce off each other until J notices the worker’s disappearance. Doll then grabs J by the tail and slams her onto the snow before tossing her into a building. She quickly teleports inside, eliciting Kurt to stand back up. As J slips down to her knees, Doll notices the cracks on the ceiling above her.
“Любопытно, не так ли? Дрон-Убийца утверждает, что она высококлассная, и теперь стоит на коленях из-за меня. Все еще думаешь, что ты высший хищник?” [Curious, isn’t it? A Murder Drone claims to be high-class and is now on her knees because of me. Still think you’re the apex predator?]
“If I hear another word out of your mouth, I’ll rip it out of your face!” J growls.
“После встречи с тобой я уверен, что Ви стал гораздо более эффективным зверем, чем ты когда-либо будешь. Даже наивный придурок выше. Как его звали? Н?” [After meeting you, I’m sure that V is a much more effective beast than you’ll ever be. Even the naïve oaf is superior. What was his name? N?]
Doll’s insults cause J to snap. She rips out chainsaws and roars as she charges towards her. Doll vanishes behind her before using the Solver to cause the ceiling to fall on top of the Murder Drone.
Aside from her arms and head, J’s entire body was trapped under rocks. Doll quick cuts one of her arms off. J converts the other into an EMP emitter, but before she could use it, it also gets severed. Doll then picks up the arm with the chainsaw.
“Скажи мне, кто сейчас слабый муравей?” [Tell me, who’s a weak ant now?]
Doll hoists the chainsaw up, preparing to slice J’s head. Milliseconds before she could do so, J begins to mentally search her insides. At the centre of her circuits lies her core, which begins to switch colour from yellow to red, as do her eyes. A flame starts to form on her chest and in an instant, J bursts out of the rubble and out of the building entirely. The speed of her causes a gust of wind to blast out of the building as well.
Outside of the building, the flame still burns on her chest, while her arms returned as swords, soaking in oil. Doll froze upon the events until huge cuts opens on her chest. Oil spills on the ground and this time, it was Doll who fell to her knees, coughing out oil. Witnessing this, Kurt worryingly dashes towards the building against his judgment. J falls to her knees as well, clenching her chest while the flame goes out and her eyes return to yellow.
“I cannot believe I wasted my trump card on this freak.” J hissed as she got up.
J sees Doll stumbling on her feet, conjuring another knife. J prepares herself before charging once more towards the worker, who does the same as her. Before their blades could clash, a figure in an astronaut suit appears from nowhere and blocks both with a sword of her own, leaving both drones surprised.
“How do ya do, fellow gals?” She asks as the three retract their weapons.
“Oh, b-boss. Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Shot a lotta time tryna shoot food. So, I figured I’d cut in for ya. And by the looks of it, I made the right call.”
The astronaut turns toward Doll, who was covering her wounds as they healed.
“So, who’s this little rascal here?”
Once the cuts closed, Doll folds her arms.
“Зовут Долл.” [The name’s Doll.]
“…Oh. Dang, uhh, that’s a cool name.” The astronaut chuckles before turning to J.
“Psst, J. What’s she yakking?”
“I thought you said you could translate languages.”
“There’re still a few kinks to iron out. I can’t translate this stuff yet.”
“She said her name’s Doll.”
“Doll! Yeah, that’s right. My name’s Tessa. Charmed to meet ya!” Tessa beamed while extending her hand.
Doll stares at Tessa in suspicion.
“This is the part where you shake my hand.”
Behind the hole of the building, Kurt watches the three, particularly Doll. While waiting for the worker to shake her hand, Tessa catches him staring at them.
“Is that blue booger over there a friend of yours?”
Doll turns around and notices Kurt watching, who then hides behind the wall when she sees him. Doll then remembers that he’s another host of the Solver.
“…Один момент. [One moment.] Doll says before walking to the building.
Still hiding behind the wall, Kurt tries taking deep breaths, now recalling the threat he’s in. He doesn’t notice Doll beside him until she pokes his shoulder, scaring him. Doll immediately retracts her hand.
Теперь все в порядке [It’s okay now]
Kurt looks over towards the monster beside Tessa.
Kill us?
Doll shakes her head.
Я позабочусь [I will make sure]
Следовать [Follow]
Doll starts exiting the building but noticed Kurt remaining in place with his hat covering his visor. Doll feels pity creep on her and approaches him, but when Kurt sees her, he backs away.
U gonna kill me?
Doll was taken aback by the question.
Конечно, нет [Of course not]
Зачем мне это? [Why would I?]
U killed them
Doll then recalls the group she feasted upon. Despite some guilt being removed, she still winces upon the memory of splitting most of them in two for a quick death.
Иметь болезнь [Have a sickness]
Заставил меня убить [Made me kill]
у тебя тоже есть [U have it too]
Doll observes Kurt’s eyes widen and additionally notices his tense shoulders. She intuitively knows why.
Не волнуйся [Don’t worry]
В поисках лекарства [Looking for cure]
я найду это [I will find it]
Помогите и вам [Help you too]
Kurt’s shoulders slightly loosen. A worker besides his father giving him kindness was fresh and even liberating. But thinking about his father, he knows he would naturally be terrified for him.
My dad’ll be worried
Reading this, Doll immediately starts to believe that her mission would be too much for Kurt.
Должен предупредить тебя [Should warn u]
Это срочно [This is urgent]
Но и опасен [But also dangerous]
Может не вернуться [May not come back]
Kurt’s shocked reaction gives Doll the indicator that her suspicions were correct.
Тебе следует пойти домой [U should go home]
Помогите, когда я вылечусь [Help when I get cure]
With that, Doll tries to leave the building once more, leaving Kurt dangling upon her words. Given no time to think, he quickly makes a split second decision. This time, Kurt follows and stops her before she leaves.
Can I help?
Ты... хочешь помочь? [U… want to help?]
Ты уверен? [U sure?]
Don’t have friends
Only dad
Not much 2 lose
Очень хорошо [Very well]
Ты следишь за моей спиной [U watch my back]
я смотрю твой [I watch yours]
Doll then reaches out for a handshake, which Kurt gladly accepts.
Say, what’s your name?
Это Долл, ты? [It’s Doll, you?]
Kurt
After exchanging names, both drones leave the building and walk towards Tessa and J.
“Well, I wasn’t exactly asking you to fetch him, but it doesn’t matter. I still got something to tell ya. I’ve been watching your fight with J and it’s obvious that you aren’t like the other drones here. Where’d you get those powers from?”
“Это не сила. Это болезнь. Унаследовал это от родителей.” [It’s not a power. It’s a sickness. Inherited it from my parents.]
“She calls it a sickness that she inherited from her parents.”
“I thought so. Well Doll, I hope the time’s 9 AM on this planet. ‘Cause if my suspicions are correct, I’m about to make your day.” Tessa claims.
Chapter 3: Strike One
Notes:
I think now might be a good time to mention that if there’s any criticisms with this fic (even if it has anything to do with something small like structure, presentation, or grammar), feel free to let me know if you’d like to, and if I can, I’ll try to fix them.
I’m hoping to make this shit show as good as it can be. This is the first time I’ve ever written a genuine fic after all.
Also, I apologise for how slow these updates are.
Chapter Text
“Sooo… I’m noticing you have a problem with your son’s late night outings.” N comments.
“Really? ‘Cause I for one didn’t notice while repeating that 4 times during my rant.”
Out of concern, N raises an eyebrow.
“You didn’t?”
“Of course I did, you moron!!” Mick yells, causing N to reel back.
Mick tries to defuse by letting out a sharp sigh.
“Sorry. I… jeez, I shouldn’t even be apologising. I know Kurt’s upset with me. That and how to fix it has been dangling over me for a while now. It’s just… I can’t exactly dive into a river not knowing how to swim.”
“Oh. Sure, that makes sense. Although, I don’t think you should just think about what you should be doing. I don’t always do what I think I should do by just thinking on it. I usually just do it. That’s probably what most people do, you know?” N asks.
Mick could only stare blankly at N in response.
“What I’m trying to say is thinking about what you should do is your first step. Now, you gotta try doing it. You said you can’t dive in without knowing how to swim, right? But how can you know that if you haven’t tried yet?”
Mick was about to protest against the assumption, but he quickly stood down and closed his mouth in defeat. This wouldn’t go unnoticed by N.
“If you’re scared of being wrong, I get that. Just know that one try is always better than none. Besides, I don’t think you need to change too much. You’re a good dad who’s been protective of Kurt, yeah?”
“Yeah, of course.” Mick answers instantly.
“None of that has to change. You just have to change how you’re doing it. Like how you see his dreams. Unless they hurt anyone, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t support them.”
Upon the suggestion, Mick fidgets with his thumbs while turning towards the bunker, picturing every worker he knew opposing Kurt.
“I… I can’t. Only supported dreams are able to be realised. Suffice to say, I’m Kurt’s only supporter. Thanks to those Murder Drones.”
Realising who he said this to, Mick looks back at N to find his face contorted.
“Oh, uhh… I didn’t--”
“It’s fine, sir. Don’t worry.” N reassured, unaware that his tail stopped swaying.
“A-Anyway, what makes you say that?”
“His teacher warned me about this years ago. He was the only boy who didn’t dream of joining the WDF. Drones like them are a dime a dozen. On our turf, you lose company by being any different, and nobody can afford that. Not Kurt anyway.” Mick explained.
“I see.”
N thinks deeply of a solution to the point of unconsciously hovering his hand over his mouth. Then it hit him.
“People do change, though.”
“…What?”
“People change. I mean, with so much time passing by, it’d be pretty weird if they didn’t. Me and my friend changed. We don’t hunt workers anymore… mostly. So, maybe what their dreams are and how they see us can change, too.” N said.
Mick couldn’t help but frown softly at the Murder Drone.
“Kid, you’re asking to win the lottery here. The only way that would happen is if you were proven to be safe in court. And those are such a pain to do.”
“A lot of things worth doing are, but a step at making things better today is a step towards a better tomorrow, right?”
Mick felt himself short-circuiting from what N said.
“You good, Mick?”
“…Yeah.” He mumbles quietly.
Neither Mick nor N could make any further comment. N particularly grew tense and awkwardly looked towards the city’s direction.
“You know, I’m something of an optimist myself. Or at least an idealist.”
“What’s an idealist?” N curiously asks, tilting his head.
“Someone who expects the glass to be half full.”
“Oh. That’s… that’s a good thing, right?”
“It’s a hard thing. You can’t avoid people getting under your skin. Some people are glass empty folks. They think their backstories are their entire stories. Let me tell you, anyone too attached to the start circle around it like it’s the one constant in any mistakes made, especially in families. But really, they’re the one constant. I guess I’m pretty lucky to not be like them. If my family saw me that way, I’d probably end my story right then and there.”
N didn’t blink for a second until Mick was finished and when he was, he found himself frowning.
“So, you’re saying that I reminded you of all that bad stuff?”
Surprised, Mick raises his head from the snow back to N, which he didn’t notice was down until now.
“No. No, you just reminded me how nice it is to meet someone else who’s… hopeful. Plus, you reminded me of an old saying I had.” He answers.
“Oh. Well, what’s the saying?”
“It went something like, ‘Today might not be your day, but there’s always tomorrow.’ Gotta say, you’re better company than most of my guys at work.”
“Oh, haha, I wouldn’t exactly say ‘better’ company. I’d just call myself good company.”
“Either way, thanks for your time, kid. I’ll keep the advice in mind. I should probably give the guys a call. It’s probably half past 1 now.” Mick says while reaching for his walk-in-talkie.
Mick immediately notices the walkie-talkie missing. He turns around to sees it stuck to the snow, ignoring N’s twitching until he faces him again. When he does, he starts backing up.
“…What’s wrong?”
N didn’t answer, he only continued to violently vibrate as steam was beneath the snow…
WARNING: high temp
“…I’M LATE!!!”
N screamed so loud that stepping away couldn’t save Mick from blocking his receptors.
“Uhh, what?”
“I promised my friend to meet her tonight and if it’s half 1, then it means I’m super late!! I’m so sorry, Mick. But I really have to go. Tell Kurt I’m super sorry and that I hope he achieves his dreams. Bye!” N rambled before spreading his wings and shooting to the sky.
“…Okay?”
Mick was left alone with the wind and the walkie-talkie still on the ground. He goes over to it and picks it up before pushing its button, causing a green LED to flash.
“Mick to search squad. Come in, search squad.”
Only radio static came from the walkie-talkie.
“Search squad, come in. Do you read me? Why don’t they answer?”
Mick’s core drops when he realises a possible explanation. He tries to run towards the city, but a painful sting in his leg causes him to fall. Mick holds the rusty leg and growls as he picked himself up to try to resume his run.
N speedily flies above the city, catching the spire a few more miles away. Just as he was tempted to fly faster, a knee smashes N’s chin, sending him flying into the sky. The shockwave made reaches all the way to where Kurt and the others were.
“Uhh, you guys don’t have exploding sky on your weather forecast, do ya?” Tessa asks.
Kurt was able to spot two figures approaching the clouds and realises something catastrophic. He instantly runs off from the others, but not without Doll witnessing this and teleporting in front him.
В чем дело? [What’s the matter?]
Dad’s in trouble
With that, Kurt continues to speed off. The human and the Murder Drone approach Doll bewildered.
“He good?”
“мы поговорим позже.” [We’ll talk later.] Doll says before leaving the human behind as well.
Tessa tilts her head to J.
“She says she’ll talk to us later.”
“That’s… not something we can afford. Which means, we should probably, uh--”
J lets out a groan when she catches her boss’s suggestion.
Meanwhile, N manages to finally stop himself from flying just before reaching the clouds. After he shakes his head, he finds himself face to face with his fellow Murder Drone in front of him, folding her arms and glaring at him.
“Uhh. Heeeeyyy, V. I-I was just checking if the… a-area was, uh, clear! You know, for our match?” N nervously chuckles, his tail now staying still.
V’s intense stare doesn’t waver, making N give up the act.
“You’re gonna kill me now, aren’t you?”
“Kill you? Where’s the fun in doing that right off the bat?”
“…Wait. You mean you’re not gonna kill me?”
“Not right now anyways.”
“So, we can just start our match as normal, right?” N innocently asks.
“Pff! No. I’m still giving you a punishment for being late, and for tonight’s penalty, you’re getting your face kicked 7 times. 1 for each minute you were late.”
N’s smile immediately drops.
“I really don’t like getting kicked in the f--.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah, I don’t care.”
“Wait, wait! Uh, h-how about I give you 7 free shots in the stomach instead. I’d still get handicapped anyway and you’ll have just as much fun. Pretty pleeaase.” N begs with puppy eyes.
V almost gags upon N’s pleading as she glances down at the city.
“Hmm. Well, you did ask nicely…”
Hearing this, N wipes the sweat from his visor in relief.
“So, I’ll make this quick.”
V forms a wide grin as her visor turns into an X, making N gulp. She delivers to him a kick in the face, launching him across the city. She repeats this over and over again until eventually, she reaches her last free hit. This time, she sends N blasting down to the ground.
Kurt and Doll sprint towards the bunker until Kurt catches sight of his father, who has also trying to reach him. The sight of him propels him further towards him, whereas his father allows himself to slow down.
Just then, Mick hears something from above and looks up to see the Murder Drone descending towards him. Mere moments before he crashes onto him, he looks at his son, who was boundlessly more horrified than himself. All Kurt could do was helplessly hear with his eyes the words his father told him since birth:
I love you
N bombs into Mick, blasting both of them off into the distance. Kurt freezes in place, allowing Doll to finally catch up to him. She sees him visibly reeling from a mix of shock and terror; a sight far too familiar to her. Kurt quickly escapes his daze and resumes running, only to be stopped by Doll.
Ждать! [ Wait!]
Не должен этого видеть [Should not see this]
[He’s my father!]
Я знаю [I know]
Вот почему ты не можешь [That’s why you can’t]
Kurt jerks back from Doll, twitching his eye and clenching his fits before closing in on her.
[Doll, we only met now]
[1st thing 2 know abt me:]
[Hate being robed chances]
[Hate people who robe me]
[So move]
[B4 I force u 2]
The glare Kurt gave to Doll made her completely forget that he was no threat to her. She reluctantly steps aside, allowing Kurt to continue to run in the direction of his father’s trail. Soon after, Doll decides to continue to follow him.
N and Mick grind against the floor until they bash into the bunker. Mick’s body is caught between the building and the Murder Drone. On the other hand, N lets out a painful grunt and rubs his back. He raises an eyebrow when he starts to feel a wet substance glued to his fingers. Once he sees that it’s oil, he looks behind him and gasps at the sight of Mick crushed.
“Not… cool, kid.”
FATAL ERROR
Mick goes limb and N stares in horror at the corpse. His attention would only be pulled by V landing behind him.
“Okay. Now that the warmup session is done, let’s have some real fun.” She said before bringing her claws out and approaching N.
“V, wait. T-Timeout, timeout! A worker just got hurt. We have to--”
WARNING: high temp
(GET OIL, YOU F##KING IDIOT!!!)
The burning sensation cuts N off from talking and makes him scream. V stops and observes N falling to the snow, which instantly melts upon contact. Her excitement dies down, being replaced by concern. Soon after, though, V growls in annoyance before she resumes approaching him.
Despite the near unbearable pain, N could see V walking towards the worker and ripping off one of its limbs.
“V!? What are you--”
N would only be cut off by V shoving the arm into his mouth. Out of impulse, he tries pull it out of his throat.
“You do that, and I’ll just shove it down deeper.”
Without any choice, N stops resisting and swallows the arm in one bite, making him cough.
Temp stable
(You’re welcome, stupid)
After catching his breath, N looks behind him to see the corpse once more. He shamefully closes his eyes at the sight, which V notices as clear as day.
“He was losing too much oil. You couldn’t have saved him.”
“Maybe I could have if you were tame for once. You shouldn’t have cut off his arm.”
“His arm? You’re lucky I didn’t have to force his head down your throat. It’s your fault really, for not getting it to your head that either they die, or we do.” V calls out.
N ends up turning away from V, holding one of his arms. V’s expression softens until she replaces it with a groan.
“You know what? Forget the sparring match. It’s been spoiled at this point. We have other things to talk about.”
N’s body jolted before he slowly looks back at V.
“V--”
“You almost died, N. And I know you would have if I wasn’t here. I’ve given you a pass long enough.” V said.
N could only respond with silence until he sees the corpse again.
“…What about him? Shouldn’t he--”
“Oh, yeah. You’re right.”
V walked up to the deceased worker, making N relax as he believed Mick would be given a burial. His belief would only be shot down when he saw V dragging the corpse with her.
“We still need to get more oil in you, and I’d be stupid to let you waste such good food.”
V rips the head of the corpse with her claw, leaving N befuddled as she drinks the leaking oil. Once the head stops leaking, she finally noticed N’s unease.
“…Why’d you do that?” he asks.
“So there’s something for you to bury.”
“Sure, but… just his head?”
“You’re the one who said I should be tame.”
V then dumps the head on the snow and pitifully kicks some of it to cover the head, which fails miserably.
“Let’s go. No running late this time.” V says as her wings spring out and she zooms into the sky with the rest of the corpse.
After watching this, N looks back at the decapitated head. N walks up to the head and wobbly buries most of it with snow. His shame blinding him from covering the visor as well.
“I’m sorry, sir. I’m so sorry.”
After paying his goodbyes, N flies off to catch up to V.
Surprisingly, Doll couldn’t catch up to Kurt until he stopped at the end of the trail of oil. She could spot his legs shaking considerably until he couldn’t stand anymore. It was no secret to why. Kurt was staring at his father’s visor displaying a fatal error.
Out of nowhere, Kurt punches himself in the face, causing oil to spill from his mouth, shocking Doll. Over and over, he repeats this, just long enough for Tessa and J to witness.
“Hey, hey, hey!! Buddy, don’t do that!”
Tessa runs up and grabs one of Kurt’s arms. Before he could punch the human as well, Doll grabs hold of his other arm. He struggles break free and hurt himself more, but the effort is feeble. Eventually, Kurt gives up trying and drops his eyes to the ground.
“Finally, some food.” J says to herself
Tessa turns her head and sees J about to seize the decapitated head. She dashes towards J and stops her just before she could enjoy her meal.
“Uhh, don’t mind her! J’s always been the jokester out of--”
J twists herself to face Tessa before she could finish making up the excuse.
“Don’t even try that, boss. Just don’t.”
Tessa shrugs an arm towards the workers. J notices and looks at the defects at her side. Knowing what her boss was suggesting, she lets out a dry sigh and tosses the head over to them. The head lands just in front of Kurt, making him flinch away from it upon entry.
Seeing what remained of his father made every sense Kurt had left as good as his hearing. He instinctively takes the head in his arms, confirming that this was not a dream. As soon as he realises this, tears begin to silently fall from his eyes before breaking into a distraught sob for the only person he ever had.
Doll watches the wailing worker, guilt starting to take its toll on her. She then pokes one of his shoulders, prompting him to open his teary eyes.
ранят? [Hurt?]
Kurt looks back down at his father’s head. He nods his head without noticing himself holding the head closer to his chest.
От этого есть лекарство [There is a cure for this]
Месть [Revenge]
After Kurt reads this, Doll offers him another path. He was tempted to take it immediately, but part of him was terrified of this, knowing it would be the point of no return. However, it didn’t take long for him to remember that things were always this way. He stretches forward and takes the knife, staring at his reflection in the blade. Just as Kurt winces at his face, the human kneels down to his level, facing Doll.
“I know I’m being unfair for pitching this on ya right now, but time’s about as friendly as the talons that drone has. We’re tryna get inside a nifty hellscape called the cabin fever labs.”
Doll crawls slightly closer to the human as her eyes widen from the information.
“I take it you’re interested. The place has got something to do with that sickness of yours, and we’re still looking to find it. Thing is, we need a keybug to get inside. It’s got green lights, gold body, and would probably tell you if you’ve got stinky breath. We figured that chaps like you would either have it, or know someone who does.” Tessa explains.
The first person that came to Doll’s mind as the human said this was Uzi. She knows that she is even more clueless than herself, but Doll is already sold at the chance of exorcising her curse.
“If you fetch it for us, we’ll give you the coordinates to the place once we find it. Heck, you can come with us since we’ve got business there anyway. Deal?”
Tessa extends her hand to Doll once more. This time, she doesn’t hesitate and shakes it immediately.
“Сделку.” [Deal.]
Arkham3 on Chapter 1 Wed 30 Oct 2024 03:52AM UTC
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Cat_in_the_basement on Chapter 3 Wed 28 May 2025 09:21PM UTC
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The_Cultured_Swine on Chapter 3 Thu 29 May 2025 06:10PM UTC
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Cat_in_the_basement on Chapter 3 Fri 30 May 2025 02:27AM UTC
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