AN: …(inhales deeply) Well, I'm in the middle of a busy week and lagging behind on my current stories. My story-writing will have to be on hold for now.
Anyway, I'm surprised at how much attention my Murder Drones one-shot story 'Better Rest Easy' blew up on this website. Not too much, but it's nearly 5,000 views by now. Some of you kind of want me to make more and I was like 'I should hold my hands up until the season finishes'.
But then…screw it. I can't take this anymore. It's something I DESPERATELY want to do.
Murder Drones really became popular, to my surprise. And I'm proud of GLITCH Productions for what they accomplish alongside their goal in the teens/young adult animation content. It got me excited since the show isn't afraid to pull punches and leave us hanging with more (with Meta Runner being a HEAVY case of cliffhangers).
Though, I only have one complaint that comes in the form of Thad and Lizzy not having enough screen time. So, this story will attempt to extend their roles with new scenes and look into their perspectives. It's not going to be a continuity to 'Better Rest Easy' but takes elements from it. This will follow along with the canon events as more episodes will be revealed for this year but attempts to fill in the gap for the two characters.
I'm just hoping that I don't make the two of them too OOC. Thad might face a bit more trauma than is usually seen. And I'm aiming to make sure I don't accidentally and fully flanderize Lizzy into a girl who just likes girls. But anyway, I hope that you like this story! I don't know if I'll maintain a stable schedule of when to update but hold on tight!
I do not own 'Murder Drones' or any of the characters here. And just to note that Doll's dialogues are in italic to note that she's speaking in Russian.
Enough talk, let's get this show on the road!
Chapter 1 - stop being sneaky
"Let's go, N. Everyone can bite me."
A hand ruffling the hair poking through his hat was enough to get him to wake up. Thad blinked a couple of times, having trouble hearing what his father was saying before he walked out of the room. As his sound sensors returned to normal, Thad became aware that he was still sleeping on the couch. Lifting his head up, he was greeted by the now-off television.
What was he doing here again?
Oh wait, thought Thad grimly. Yeah…
He couldn't remember how long it was ever since he picked up the noticeable…disappearances of others. When Uzi banished herself from the colony, everybody thought that would be the end. They thought the murdering was already over. Uzi got control over the Murder Drones, she might go onto her final phase of 'Destroying All Humans'...if the company didn't send any more pods at them.
He couldn't deny what the Murder Drones did, but he found himself…strangely alright with this 'N' guy. Those two saved his life before he got torn apart. Maybe by then, Uzi would tame the Murder Drones.
Speaking of her, Thad successfully kept in touch with her through their calls. He was grateful that she was alright (with incidents of this 'V' trying to attack her). She had some questions on the status of the colony which he answered shortly.
He kind of likes her as a person.
However, he couldn't get over the lows. Khan Doorman had been silent ever since Uzi's banishment and nobody relied on the WDF anymore. It could be easier to ignore them…if it weren't for the 'ordinary' number of disappearances and likely deaths in the colony. He swore that once the Murder Drones were subdued, then no more killing.
Natch, it didn't come easily.
A wave of frustration overtook him as he let out a long groan. It made him want to stay on the couch for the rest of the day. He spent all night looking up clues for what happened to Taylor; he didn't really like the guy, but it was mysterious that the much-more-macho jock suddenly disappeared from class in a week.
He noticed a pattern; a few students gone one by one. It couldn't be the trick card of them not wanting to show up in class. Their parents were dead worried about them. On the other hand, none of the students were worried given those victims were unlikable or insufferable.
It only worsened Thad's growing fear to no end. Because once the likely 'unlikeable' people are eliminated, then…everyone else is next in line.
It could be him. Or his friends.
The thought of getting butchered and never being seen again made him want to curl up in a ball right now.
It made him wonder why they were put in this situation.
"I'm really starting to become like Uzi," he muttered. "Is this how she feels every day?"
The door opened and a pair of footsteps filled in the silence. He rolled his eyes, thinking it was probably his parents. They would often forget to collect their lunch. But he was surprised to see two pairs of pink and red eyes looking over him.
"Sup, pretty boy!" said Lizzy, looking and sounding sassy as she was on a daily basis. "Trying to avoid facing your grades this time?"
It took Thad a while to remember who was visiting him. He didn't notice that
Blinking a couple of times, he smiled, happy to see those two friendly (even if Lizzy wasn't friendly) faces again.
"Lizzo!" said Thad, finding his enthusiastic charm kicking back in. "Doll!"
"Hello again, Thad," said Doll politely in Russian.
"I've never seen you this tired before," said Lizzy, waving an arm across Thad's too-relaxed and slumped body. "Have you been taking the magnets Sam has stolen?"
Thad chuckled, sitting up straight. "Nah. Just stayed up all night on some…research. It's nothing too important. School stuff."
Lizzy rubbed her chin with half-lidded eyes. She scanned the table in front of Thad. It was covered in newspapers with the top one concerning…Taylor's death. Alongside a missing poster with the obnoxious jock's face sticking his tongue at the camera.
Well, this was different.
Lizzy quite knows Thad by heart. Even when they broke up, she still knows him. She knows him to be quite strong, acrobatic and keeping a high head. He can be a coward at times, but he is stubborn enough to run into danger or challenges. Often chill, not worrying about anything like the king of the castle.
Thad at this moment appeared weary, judging by how the hair sticking through his hat hole sticking upwards in the wrong places.
So seeing him appearing a little frazzled with a pile of newspapers was concerning.
"...you know that this could be just…mishaps," said Lizzy with an exasperated sigh. "You know that we eventually kill each other for everyone to be more tolerable. Stop skipping fun nights over this."
"W-What are you implying?" said Thad, his eyes widening in worry. "I-I'm just…doing project research!"
"Research on this?" said Lizzy, pointing at the newspapers. "Ugh, forget it. There isn't any other Murder Drone out there and we'll eventually all die someday!"
Thad found himself slowly feeling tired again, no longer trying to hide it. He tried to resist rolling his eyes. Lizzy could be so passive and self-aware. This made her brave enough to accept even the never-ending decease of existence or thinking, but she might have grown a rather foul look on their situation.
He tried turning to Doll to say something, but the red-eyed drone just nodded in agreement. Right, Thad thought. He forgot that Doll basically went along with anyone.
"So, you're alright with dying without anyone remembering you?" snarked Thad.
"Oh please, we're both popular!" said Lizzy arrogantly. "We'll be remembered by the entire universe!"
"You mean remembered by this planet's population who won't save ANYTHING when we all die?"
Lizzy was about to open her mouth but paused to consider. Thad really knew how to counter back.
"Touché," she muttered, rubbing her cheek. "Look, we have no idea who's kidnapping those missing and you don't even know them. P.S. Taylor had a tiny wiener all along."
Doll nodded sincerely, both her eyes closed.
Thad chuckled, but it was more out of force than genuine. "Well, I'm not sad at all for Taylor. But…don't you feel tired of all of this…murdering lately? I don't like the thought of all of us…"
He trailed off, staring at nothing. But he couldn't see anything as well. Just the thought of losing his life and never getting to live on happily with the things they have.
Lizzy noticed this, but her reaction wasn't coldness. It was the same look when she discovered that Khan left his daughter to die. She and Doll were there as well. At that moment, she did want to side with Uzi and discourage her from going alone.
She glanced at Doll who was looking down as well. Doll's was more unreadable than Thad's, but Lizzy sensed that she might have those…nagging flashbacks again.
Seeing Thad so…drained was foreign. He was usually the guy to look out for others. A small part of Lizzy felt sorry for how he was thinking so far.
"Put it this way, worry bot," said Lizzy, climbing over the couch to sit next to Thad. "Uzi is on her way to kill all humans with those freaks. She got things under control!"
Thad grunted. "I wish I can believe that. I mean, what if she gets hurt as well? I know that I only talked to her rarely, but-"
"I'm sure she'll be fine!" said Lizzy with a smirk. "I mean she did all those weird stunts in class! Freakshow suits best for this kind of wild thing."
"Uzi proved to be a good fighter," pointed out Doll. "She would break a leg off one of the Murder Drones."
Thad gave Lizzy a weirded-out look. Sure, both of them weren't officially friends with Uzi, but he thought that he was one of the only, if not the only, who felt sorry for Uzi. Lizzy was a can of worms he couldn't open. She can be nice or mean whenever she wants to.
When it came to Uzi, she could be rather crass. However, Thad could see that she just wanted the best for everyone despite her one-sided plans.
What did Lizzy see in Uzi?
Oh, wait…
"You're just saying that because you like Uzi," summarized Thad.
Lizzy's smirk dropped, embarrassed. "Don't think of it THAT way."
In the background, Doll's eyes glowed a brighter shade of red.
"You admire Uzi a lot," teased Thad, finding himself grinning.
"No, I don't!" insisted Lizzy, crossing her arms. "It's not piping hot yet. Romance requires steps to be this good and Uzi needs to be good to be suitable for a relationship."
"Guess that you have been looking for such an unfortunate soul after we both ended," remarked Thad cheekily. "Good thing Doll is around to take my place."
"Oh, but I don't have flowers for you yet," joined Doll, placing an arm over her head dramatically. "I can feel my chances fading away to get into Lizzy's heart!"
"So metal cold," slurred Thad in a dopey accent.
"I get it, idiots," growled Lizzy, flicking a finger at Thad's face. "Now shut your mouths or I'll tell everyone that the two of you were making out in the janitor's closet with your clothes off."
"Your secret is safe with me," said Thad jokingly, putting a hand over his chest.
"Likewise," said Doll with a sweet smile.
Lizzy huffed in annoyance. It took her a while to refocus back on what she was trying to say. As the most popular girl in the school, she must make sure to stick by her motto and brush off anything that could leave her too exposed. Once she got her mindset back onto reassuring Thad and NOT thinking about which girl to date, Lizzy continued.
"Overall, you don't need to worry about Uzi," she said with a gentle voice that could sound like a kind angel. "She'll be fine! If she dies: you lose some, you gain some more." Her eyes widened at the implication. "Oooh, but that will suck since we are all…I-I mean, as long as she knows what to do, then we'll be fine! I promise you that no one else will die."
Thad raised a holographic eyebrow. "And how will she solve the murders here?"
"She'll know. That's for sure. And when she does, she'll come to help. We can do our little part but don't worry too much. And Uzi will have to not over worry when doing her best to help. Not like she can stay away like a hero."
Thad muttered something inaudible to the condescending way Lizzy held when she said that line about being a 'hero'...or just relying on Uzi to get the job done. However, she wasn't wrong. He was stressing out. Uzi DID manage to turn over N and they were watching over one of the Murder Drones! Not to mention Uzi blasted one of them for good.
So maybe by then, they wouldn't have a hard time figuring out their current situation.
Maybe because of what she did get Thad to be more serious about the disappearances lately.
He took in a deep breath, taking in the positive of Lizzy's words. And then, he decided.
A bit stupid, but it would be worth it. With the WDF not operating well and the other students not too strong, they would need a huge helping hand.
"Girls, I'm guessing that you two want me to hang out," said Thad, standing up. "But…I'm going to meet Uzi."
However, Lizzy thought otherwise. "Thad, sit down. Don't worry! You're probably still overreacting."
"Look, Lizzy," said Thad firmly. "Sorry that I haven't been as social as you are. But I WANT to find Uzi and give her back her gun. Maybe I'll send the message when she's in a good listening mood."
Lizzy groaned, standing up. "Oh, so you're just gonna walk out there alone in the cold like a hero as well? You'll be burnt to death before you can even overheat!"
"Just let me find her. She trusts me. It's my own thing to figure out."
Lizzy could only glare at Thad. Narrowed pink eyes stared into his fierce green eyes. However, she found herself understanding why he wanted to do so. Who knows how long Uzi's malfunctioning gun was sitting out there? And she made a point that Uzi would know about the recent disappearances once she caught wind of it.
And that would come from a direct source.
She hung her head. "Ugh, fine. Whatever you say, pretty boy."
Thad smirked. It felt good at times to shut Lizzy up for a bit. "Thank you."
Lizzy shrugged, smiling faintly. "You know, this is one of the reasons why I fell in love with you those years ago. My dashing knight in armor."
"And my nagging, spoiled princess," said Thad with a flirty wink, grabbing Lizzy's hand.
In response, she giggled as she blushed. Her neon pink eyes nearly turned a reddish color.
"Be careful out there," warned Doll, putting her hands together as if praying. "These people out there are dangerous."
Thad was starting to regain his confidence. Knowing Uzi, she could work well with the two Murder Drones. He might learn a thing or two.
"It'll be alright, girls," he said reassuringly. "I'll be fine."
Thad wished that he could stick by what he said to Lizzy and Doll as the next thing he knew, he was entering a crime scene.
Well, not like he could confirm it was one, but it was dark when he arrived at the large warehouse room. Where Uzi and N were last seen by anyone. The lights would be regularly turned on, but it seemed that somebody decided to turn them off.
He blinked a couple of times, trying to get used to the dark room. But he wasn't built to have night vision.
Eeriness seemed to travel through those shadows.
Thad scoffed to himself, wishing that he didn't have that edgy thought. He couldn't remember the last time he stayed underneath a dark shelter. Growing up, he was welcomed by the light where he could see clearly. Where he could feel safe from anything.
But when night comes over and the sun is gone to not burn the monsters…that would be when it becomes so cold. The Worker Drones were made to withstand the snowy environment, but Thad could still feel the cold breeze. The clothes he was wearing didn't help at all.
It added to his growing paranoia of coming here since…danger could be lurking in this pitch-blackness.
And he knew too well that previous members of his family died wondering in the dark.
The only few things that provided any safety were the hallway he was still standing in and the glow of Uzi's railgun left lying in the dark.
He tried taking a couple more steps in, only to hesitate.
His eyes widened, sensing a sound from somewhere.
Out of sight, it was just the snow adding weight to the dangling debris of the hole made in the roof. But in Thad's mind, he thought it could be…her.
A memory replayed in his mind. When one of those Murder Drones came in and he was so stupid to be this slow when she came in from above. Right in the chest and slamming him to the ground. He could have died from the two fatal strikes on his chest. And he swore he nearly felt the heat radiating from her when she opened her mouth…
He shook his head once he felt himself hyperventilating. A good whack on the top for extra measure. With a hand over his beating chest, he tried to breathe properly.
"Don't be stupid," he muttered to himself. "It's just…some snake, that's all!"
Thad kicked the ground, frustrated for suddenly becoming scared. Why should he? Why cower out now? This wasn't like his programming at all! Forcing to suck up the last breath and keep his mind focused on getting the gun, he began walking through the pitch darkness.
Just him and the glowing hand-rail gun. Its green glow matched his eyes.
The more he stared at it, the more it felt like a beacon.
A light that would guide him through the dark.
He smiled. He felt his original confidence and optimism returning. This was the Thad he should be! He can do this! Not like any dark, scary stuff could frighten him away. Uzi showed that to him, right?
A splash underneath his foot.
He froze, but his other foot reflexively took a step forward.
Another splash.
His feet felt warm.
He swore that he wasn't peeing.
Thad looked up, trying to spot the hole in the roof. It was already really dark out there, so it was impossible to see the breezing snowflakes. It couldn't really come from the icy roof; it barely melted and it wouldn't become this warm immediately.
Thad was confused.
He bent down to grab the gun. He forgot how big it was, bringing back memories of Uzi brandishing it around in the nurse's office. But he could handle it due to working out. But as he lifted it up, he noted that it was dripping in the same warm liquid he stepped on.
He still couldn't see, squinting his eyes.
But then, a couple of black droplets rolled down the green holographic glow of the gun.
Thad's heart skipped a beat.
He slowly looked down, lowering the glow of the gun. He tried telling himself that it was from the melting snow above.
But when he shone the gun's glow onto the floor below him like a flashlight, it wasn't the familiar gray concrete floor. Instead, it was pitch black and…thick.
And the puddle was huge.
Thad's eyes widened. He could feel himself hyperventilating again. He flashed the gun's light around, trying to find out how large the puddle was. How spread out it was to count as the amount of oil from a Worker Drone's body. But he couldn't see well. He didn't even think of bringing a flashlight with him!
And then, he found out that the puddle was connected to a long trail of oil…dragged off somewhere.
It hit him. The WDF wasn't fast enough to clean the wreckage. They even left the corpse of one of the Murder Drones behind!
But it wasn't here.
No sight of the leftover legs.
Sweat drops began to form over his visor as he found himself breathing again.
He suddenly didn't feel safe anymore.
Without looking back, he ran out of the dark room, heading towards the warm light from the hallway. He heard noises here and there with one being the maniacal laughter from the Murder Drones. The room was already echoing, coming close to him. He squeezed his eyes shut as he jumped and crashed onto the floor.
When he finally opened his eyes, he didn't hear the echo of the laughter.
Instead, it was the echoes of his own screams.
He was safe in the hallway, the ceiling lights still on.
Uzi's railgun rested near him.
He grabbed it in a hug like it was a teddy bear.
Thad suddenly felt ashamed.
There was…no monster in there. He just acted out of fear. Why was he acting like this? He tried shaking his head, wanting to wake up from this weird state he was in. But he couldn't stop breathing rapidly. It was beginning to become too much for him.
And then, he remembered the large puddle of oil.
And the missing corpse.
Immediately, he knew what to do.
Lizzy and Doll waited behind as more parents came in to talk with their teacher at this parent-teacher conference. Lizzy's parents already had theirs done, but they had to go out to collect a few more school supplies…whatever they find interesting.
But Lizzy wished that she could go somewhere else instead of needing to hear the teacher's flat voice as he spoke with different families. At least Doll was right by her side. She didn't have to come, but she insisted on accompanying Lizzy. Besides, Lizzy would eventually drag her along.
As they sat at the tables, they engaged in some small chat. Some small gossip Lizzy would forget anyway.
Doll muttered something about finding Rebecca smooching out with Darrell in one of the lockers, thinking they would look hot like this. Well…that one wasn't too surprising.
Lizzy came up with one, hearing a rumor of Angela acting like some kind of Indian shop owner. Good lord, Angela would definitely not win prom queen of the year.
The two shared their side of stories about Chad attempting to stuff 500 hot dogs in his mouth…and he died from eating too much. Typical stuntmen.
The two laughed together, finding it amusing how many students they could pick. Lizzy had to resist leaning her head against Doll's in affection. They weren't at that stage yet. Aside from pet name-calling, Lizzy paid more attention to Doll's appearance.
From her wavy hair that would flow around when it doesn't look straight, her keen eyesight which explained her top grades and the deep baritone in her voice, matching the language she identified herself with.
These were some of the things Lizzy admired about Doll. Even though romance could take more steps, Lizzy wants to be a little closer. Sure, Doll was quiet, but there was something powerful about her. Doll was a mystery to all the students, even more than Uzi. But still, Lizzy felt like asking her something in regard to…
She frowned, remembering back to when she found Doll frightened. No, her mind wasn't on romance. It was more of a worry she had.
But it felt strange speaking more about it.
"Mr. Doorman," called the teacher. "Your daughter has been, uh…absent."
Lizzy's attention was drawn to the parent now at the desk. The familiar blue helmet, coat and red goggles caught her eyes. Uzi's father himself; he looked too relaxed.
TOO relaxed.
"Yes, on that 'kill all humans' kick," said Khan coolly. "Like when I was younger! Grounded herself and all that."
That actually makes a lot of sense. Given how Uzi could be overdramatic, assumed Lizzy.
"Speaking on her behavior-" started the teacher.
"Of course!" chirped Khan, pride in his self-proclaimed dreams. "Precocious, popular, supernatural understanding of doors. Takes after her old man."
Lizzy glanced at Doll before looking back to see the unamused look on the teacher's.
Doll stared at Lizzy, traumatized.
They didn't even need to hear the teacher's explanation since they knew themselves. Uzi often makes a scene and it didn't start with her waving around a gun in school. From whatever pissed herself to the smallest things that a normal kid could go over. Even when she was called out for not sitting properly at school and it ended with a student needing his visor fixed!
Lizzy fondly remembered that one time when Uzi hijacked Braden's body out of spite. Leading to Braden's physical head catching on fire and staying that way for the rest of the semester. It scared the others, even Doll, but it made Lizzy laugh.
Braden was kind of a smartass lately, even getting on her nerves whenever he showed off his 'perfect' grades.
Lizzy caught Rebecca chuckling to herself, probably remembering Uzi's naughty acts in the past. It got her thinking back to that one time when her group excluded Uzi from a class task.
Lizzy hummed to herself. Was it harsh?
Yes.
But so was Uzi.
Rebecca could probably flip off Uzi as usual. And every time Lizzy tried giving her own advice (even she has to admit it can be cliche), Uzi would retaliate again. So Lizzy had no point in including Uzi if she kept up that attitude.
Her smile faded, wondering if what she did convinced Uzi to walk out. And the last straw was when her father left her for dead. Lizzy nearly felt bad for everyone in school being indifferent, but they couldn't really help it since it should be how a school should be, right?
And wasn't she proud of being this popular?
Or maybe Lizzy just grew too bleak about the world.
"Yeah, she has trouble fitting in," concluded the teacher. "We think there might be something damaged with her programming. How is she at home?"
Khan was about to speak, but he was taken aback. This time, he looked more like the pathetic old man called out by his daughter for his passiveness. Lizzy could tell due to him moving more stiffly and his finger faltering to be pointed up.
"Uh...sorry?" he sputtered in disbelief. "I mean, she's a little herself, but damaged? Damaged?! I...maybe haven't spent much time…"
Doll raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't Uzi receive special assistance by now?"
Even Lizzy was taken aback. "Whoa. That's too touchy…well, she needs family therapy, that's for sure."
"Just saying," said Doll dryly. "She got bolts in her head."
Lizzy couldn't disagree. "I suppose…"
Thad was SO unprepared.
If Uzi didn't have the Murder Drones under control, he would be killed.
It took a while for him to reassure Ron to let him go outside. Once he sent the message that he just needed to tell Uzi something, he was allowed outside. However, Thad was nearly having second thoughts about going outside since it was a while since his family ever dared to.
The first thing was the snow.
He never figured out why it was snowing here. Had to do with the weather of this place or something. It blanketed his side and to the horizon. He wasn't usually a fan, but he admired its soft-looking, purely white powder covering up everything. This was after the Worker Drones were liberated from the humans; painting over their remains for their own living.
He didn't find the ruined buildings nearby too distracting.
The second thing was the night sky.
No one in the colony did check outside to inspect the weather. It was the same cycle of staying indoors and relying on time to know when to go to sleep. To be honest, being outside made him feel sick of staying inside for too long. And it wasn't as dark as he could expect. He could see the bright moonlight from the planets in the dark sky.
He smiled. At least that was his guiding light. It made him feel safe.
Almost.
The third thing was the corpses.
Multiple dead Worker Drones surrounded him as he advanced through the snowy terrain. A few fresh new ones he spotted due to the red exclamation sign over their visors. It was like walking in a graveyard. He…never came across something like this. All he remembered was being picked up by his parents as they rushed to the closest shelter.
So coming out here made him feel…alone.
But he knew he wouldn't be alone.
He didn't realize he was breathing heavily again. This was really new for him. Lizzy would feel the same way if SHE came here on her own. Thad nearly felt the urge to run, but he still needs to find Uzi. Hopefully, he could make it before the two of them became the next prey…
That fear died down when he came across the spire of corpses. The fog nearly blinded him, but he could make out the outlines of two figures seemingly arguing over something.
Uzi and N.
They must have already caught his sent message.
He tried to see if this 'N' Murder Drone was hurting Uzi. To his surprise, he seemed to be trying to not invade Uzi's personal space, sometimes patting her on the head. It reminded Thad a lot of how many girls act shy around him. To think that this guy who murdered so many people…was acting nervous whenever Uzi barked back at him.
So, N did change for good.
Thad found himself smiling, relieved that Uzi was OK.
At least the other Murder Drone wasn't out…or hopefully dead.
As he walked closer and closer to them, it didn't sound like the two were arguing at all. Instead, it looked more like Uzi getting ready for her next class presentation.
"Ugh, I'm sweaty!" exclaimed Uzi. "Who programmed that?!"
N was concerned. "You good, Uzi?"
"I'm good!" claimed Uzi. "Better than good! I am GOD!"
And That just silently stood next to her, waiting for her to drop her arms down. He cleared his throat, catching Uzi's attention.
The purple-eyed drone laughed sheepishly, waddling to him.
"Hi, hi, Thad…heh heh," she said, taking the railgun from him. "Thank you!"
Thad couldn't help but raise an inquisitive eyebrow. It didn't last long when he saw Uzi giving N a thumbs-up.
It just made him feel happy that the two of them were getting along well.
With that, Thad felt his charm coming right back in.
"Of course, Zi!" he said before giving N his traditional wink. "N&M's! You saved my life. I don't think the colony is even serious about all this banishment stuff."
He scratched the back of his head. Well…this was going to be hard to explain.
"More just confused…especially with the fact-"
Uzi interrupted, seething. "The fact that I'm too rogue to re-enter society now?! I can never return…"
Whoa there, edgelord, Thad thought.
He cleared his throat again, nervously. "…recent disappearances…and your murder friend's corpse!"
Uzi turned to him, confused. She was expecting something awful the others would say, but…not this!
"When I went to grab your gun," explained Thad quietly. "It kind of looked like it…crawled…away?"
Behind him, N darted his eyes around, alarmed. Thad tried seeing if there was anything suspicious of this Murder Drone. But the way N looked around incite that maybe he didn't know as well.
Uzi was shocked by this. Thad feared that she would shrug it off. However, she didn't. She was growing nervous. She muttered something along the lines of 'was it me?' Lizzy was right; Uzi would consider returning once she knew.
"We can return…a little?" asked Uzi with a nervous grin.
Thad nodded. "That's more like it."
"Hey, N!" called Uzi. "Think you can fly us there?"
"Oh sure!" said N. "I love to do anything."
Thad scratched his chin. "Wait, did you say flying?"
"You're afraid of heights?" asked N.
The Murder Drone in front of him (goodness, he's really tall) was staring at him with curious eyes. He looked pretty innocent instead of the X usually over his visor whenever in the murdering zone. Uzi really got through to him. Thad actually found N cool like this when he wasn't acting so freaky.
"Thad?" asked Uzi again.
That got Thad's mind thinking. "Hmm, well, I always want to try gliding, so…why not?"
Uzi literally beamed. A faint blush appeared underneath her eyes. "Why…erm…guess that you're in for a trip!"
"Always will be," said Thad with a smile.
Yeah, that feels more like it.
Before he knew it, N picked him up, wrapping his body with one arm. Uzi in the other arm. The latter blushed again before crossing her arms. Thad tried stifling a laugh escaping his lips. Uzi could be a little weird, but she could be pretty cute whenever she acted like…
"Up we go!" announced N.
Uzi nearly wasn't prepared for N lifting off. The first time went somewhat well, but she had trouble balancing herself on N's shoulders when they took off. She nearly thought that she might slip out of N's grip as the ground seemed to move further away from her. However, she felt safe near N. She trusts him.
She suddenly realized that Thad was with them. Oh, good lord. Was he going to freak out? Should they warn him before…?
But she could hear wild cackling from Thad. He was LAUGHING. While clinging onto N's arm, he was tapping it with his hands like a cat playing bongos. He was kicking his legs, but it was more akin to being on a ride than trying to free himself. In fact, Thad was whooping away, even closing his eyes to feel the breeze flowing through them as N flew through the sky.
So, he wasn't freaking out? He didn't find this scary?
Uzi tried calling Thad's name, but the roar of the wind was too loud. She called a little louder and this got Thad's attention.
"You don't find this…a bit weird?" said Uzi nervously.
"Are you kidding?!" said Thad with a childlike grin. "This really rocks! I have to wonder about why we don't have wings ourselves!"
He looked down, seeing how high they really were. He glanced to see Uzi gulping. Maybe she wasn't used to being this high above the ground. It was a good thing that they weren't above the buildings, but it nearly looked like the figures below were just toys. Until the shock came in if they fell forwards.
"I can get used to seeing the view from up here," said Thad. "You're lucky, Uzi, that you get to be out here doing…well, this."
Uzi was surprised by what he said. Yet again, this guy seemed to keep surprising people wherever he goes. A faint blush went over her visor, but her mind drifted away when she looked back down. She was nervous again. Curling her arms around N's, she could only give a small nod and a weak chuckle.
Unknown to both Worker Drones, N felt a little touched by Thad's comments. Usually, those he picked up would scream. But here, the green-eyed drone was laughing in glee. He found himself smiling, heartfelt by Thad's enjoyment.
He wondered if he could make more friends with the Worker Drones through this. Thad even seemed much better than the usual treatment J and V glossed over him.
Thad stopped laughing when Uzi decided to ask him some more questions.
"So…Thad, how are…your friends?" she asked.
"The same, the same," said Thad, shrugging. "Lizzy has high expectations of you."
Uzi sighed, exasperated. "Really?"
"She thinks you are the right type to go out there and destroy our parent company. She thinks it's the perfect 'freak show'." Thad blew a raspberry. "Well, but it's for an honorable reason, right?"
Uzi blushed, surprised that even the most popular girl in her school would have 'faith' in her. She and Lizzy might have butt heads before and the latter often fail miserably to be like her, but they had their moments as somewhat friends. Lizzy could be troublesome at times, but that couldn't really mean…
"Yeah," chuckled Uzi sheepishly. "A weirdo wouldn't go out trying to save the world."
Thad raised an eyebrow. "Not too weird when going out there like a hero, right?"
Uzi blushed intensely. "Don't…make this too weird."
"Promise."
The flight eventually ended, much to Thad's annoyed groan. But he didn't expect to have a rough landing near the colony. N immediately dropped him once he landed on the hard concrete beneath the snow.
Uzi handled it well, making her way to the closed door in front of them.
Thad, not so much, ended up falling back into the snow.
"You're good, Thad?" asked N, grabbing Thad's hand.
"Yeah, yeah," chuckled Thad, now missing the feeling of being in the air as he was pulled upwards. "We should do this more often now."
Uzi knocked on the door and it opened a little bit. Thad suddenly felt nervous, knowing that he had some explaining to do about bringing two 'banished' rebels into the colony. He let out a low sigh as he was greeted by Ron.
"Welcome back, Thad!" said the guard worker before narrowing his eyes when he saw Uzi. "Uh, wait, isn't she grounded or something?"
The purple-eyed drone groaned in annoyance. "Ugh, banished! Has my dad been saying I'm grounded?!"
Ron didn't seem to have a problem until he eyed N. "Genocide robot?"
Both teenagers turned to N.
The Murder Drone himself poked his fingers with a sorrowful, apologetic look. He suddenly looked more like a child than a killing machine.
Coming close to the door, he pulled out a small card scribbled in messy crayons. Ron appeared skeptical as he took it. But upon opening the card, it seemed that it changed his mind.
The older Worker Drone grinned, unnerved but surprised by N's childish apology.
"Oh, alright…just don't do it again," said Ron, his voice nearly cracking. "Get in here, ya goobs!"
Thad tried to suppress another chuckle at the sight of N placing his hands over his cheeks like a fanboy. A faint blush visualized underneath his eyes when Ron hung the drawing on the door. As the trio was allowed to come in, Thad took the time to look at the card now glued to be seen by all.
It looked more like an unstable girl crudely scratching her paper without learning how to even lift a spoon. Hell, he couldn't even read the words 'I'm sorry' properly! It made Thad question a lot about N since this card looked creepy or cringy. Whichever would be appropriate.
He shot a glance at Uzi who only shrugged with a blank look.
She herself had some questions about N.
As soon as they went through the security hallway, Uzi advised Thad and N to keep their heads low. Uzi and N couldn't stay long in the colony, and Thad might be in trouble if they were caught. It would nearly look like one of Uzi's antics at school, but Thad felt fine by this. Maybe it was due to sneaking around with a murderer being a masculine hobby.
It was easier said than done when guiding Uzi and N to the room they should inspect. But along the way, they came across the sight of a crime scene. Not one of them get a chance to see the results due to the investigators blocking the dead body from outsiders, but there were at least two Worker Drones complaining about where Khan was.
He didn't get time to think, but when N asked if Uzi was alright, he sensed something was up. But he didn't need to ask. Thad knew it had to be how she felt towards her father leaving her for dead. He really wanted to reach out to Uzi, but knowing her behavior, she would shrug off any comfort.
Thad could only hope to talk with Uzi more once this whole thing blows over.
If she didn't want to mess up her bangs, Lizzy would be banging her head into the table by now.
She was growing bored already. Not just sitting there mindlessly and letting Doll play around with a coin. They had a feeling that they would have to go soon…once her parents arrive on time. As she rested her elbow on the table with her chin sitting on her palm, she watched as Khan pathetically rambled away.
Why did Uzi's father take this really hard when it should be obvious? Obviously, Uzi was a little screwed up. Not damaged, but screwed up. All thanks to him and his failed operations in being even good at anything. Lizzy didn't feel the urge to glare, but she kept an unamused look as he spat out empty accusations to validate his reasons.
It even started making her feel a little sorry for how Uzi handled things in class. Had Lizzy really taken this into account, she might as well shape her up to not think too much about her father.
"I mean, you don't think it's my parenting, do you?" he asked.
"Obviously, dumbass," growled Lizzy in her head.
If she said it out loud, then Khan would be barking at her.
"I left her for dead ONCE!" snarled Khan, poking a finger into the desk. "It sounds like she's bored in YOUR class and the other kids suck!"
The teacher barely paid attention to his outburst. He just stared at him with little disinterest. Lizzy had to wonder how he could brave through so many things unless he was yelled at quite often during his time as a teacher.
Had he twitched his lips when Khan lifted his wrench upwards, then he would have shown some sense of true fear for once in a lifetime.
"Call her "damaged" again and I will install a door on your face!"
Lizzy rolled her eyes. Uzi's father was as dramatic as his daughter. She wished that the teacher just shut him up and move on to the next parent. A part of her hoped for death as the only way out of this rather than waiting for her parents to hurry up.
She turned to Doll, feeling envious. "Where are your folks?"
Doll didn't respond immediately. She turned back to the coin spinning on her table. Her eyes were unreadable. Her mind probably looking up for a witty answer.
"Dead," she muttered, emotionlessly. "I watched them die."
Lizzy blinked, dumbfounded. That wasn't the response she was hoping for.
"...that was the joke, idiot?" she scoffed.
She was about to explain to clear up what she meant when the two girls heard a knock. There was someone right outside the door, staring at them through the door.
A Worker Drone with blonde hair.
Tied in a ponytail poking out from her helmet.
With the bow resembling cat ears.
She looked like Lizzy.
She suddenly disappeared in the darkness to reveal yellow spotlights before flickering back in with a friendly wave.
Lizzy could feel her heartbeat increasing.
"That girl is…"
Wait, she already likes girls. She shouldn't be THIS scared.
"Gorgeous!" she backed up immediately. "Am I right? I'm gonna let her in."
If anyone could be her official girlfriend, then it should be this one waiting at the door. Who would not want a pretty face similar to hers? Lizzy could nearly feel her heart singing as she came closer. But of course, romance still requires a few more steps, so she would need to talk with this lady some more…
KAWHUMP!
What Lizzy didn't expect was for a familiar red triangular symbol to pop over and the door to bulge upwards. She nearly fell backward, but fortunately, the worst didn't happen.
Even the girl outside even flinched, holding her hands up as if her powers went out of control.
Lizzy took a while to understand what happened. She swore she remembered the red triangular symbol from somewhere before…
"Geez…sorry, industrial-strength ghost or whatever," she grumbled, marching back to her seat. "Settle…"
With the exception of Khan and the teacher, everybody else appeared worried about what just occurred. Some of the students were having flashbacks to when Uzi's railgun backfired in class.
However, Lizzy wasn't worried.
If she knew what that was about, then it could mean one thing.
But then again, she didn't know too much about…
She glanced back at Doll, looking away. The red-eyed drone was trying to cover her right eye.
"She sure is a mystery, huh," thought Lizzy, raising an eyebrow.
AN: Yeah, Lizzy, you need to explain THAT to us.
You may notice something a bit different with Thad's and Lizzy's relationship. There are a couple of theories that they're siblings, but I'm going to go with that they are exes. How that plays out somewhat ties into the more emotional side of the story. I thought that it would be fine to come close to the stereotype of the popular girl falling in love with a jock. Except that here, the breakup wasn't really bad.
Much like 'Better Rest Easy', Lizzy is much nicer than in the show. Sure, she might act like an alpha bitch, but I fell in love with her design and her personality which makes her entertaining and funny. So, she and Uzi had some history as friendly rivals. I'll say that from 'Better Rest Easy', I'll make it canon in this AU that Lizzy once tried making a rocket crossbow, inspired by Uzi, and it failed utterly.
Thad is much snarkier and scared than in the show, even getting into jabs with his friends. At the same time, he is still caring and wanting to look out for people. Despite possibly being unable to partake in what Uzi and N are gonna do, he is trying to play an active role. You'll see how this will impact him. I think his characterization here takes inspiration from AO3 author Creative Skull's Murder Drones stories; trust me, they're really good.
For other references, the fact that Angela made a racist impression of an Indian shop owner actually occurred in 'Diversity Day' of The Office (US). The rumor that Chad died (?) from eating too many hot dogs is a reference to SMG4: Luigi's Lesson.
Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite. Prepare for more updates to come! Make sure to leave a review with your thoughts. Constructive criticism is needed for improvements, but if any flames, then you'll end up being the fool. For now, NO REQUESTS, but I can consider any suggestions.
Until next time, keep on rocking!