Archive of Our Own

  Uzi had friends before her Mom died.

  It's hard to remember in some ways. She never really remembers what she did with them, or what the fun was like, or even what they spent their days doing. But she remembers the colors. She remembers looking at red and pink visors and being happy when they were happy. She remembers being awful at saying her 'L's' and calling them 'Daww' and 'Zeee' and being so so happy that she shared a name with someone because she was also Zi and that was cool and fun. She remembers falling over when she was learning to walk with both of them because Doll kept falling over and Lizzy found it hilarious and Uzi felt kinda icky laughing at her friend and kept wanting to actually show her how to walk even though she wasn't very good at it either.

  She remembers loving them. Truly. In the same way she loved her Mom and her Dad, she loved Doll and Lizzy. She loved Uncle Mitchell, she loved Auntie Yeva, and she didn't even mind Mr. Rose all that much even if he was gloomy and seemed bored even though Lizzy seemed to be able to get him to do things really easily.

  Then the Murder Drones came.

  Mom died. Yeva died. Mitchell died. Plenty of other drones Uzi didn’t even know.

  Doll went away. Lizzy got scared and stopped laughing. Uzi wasted so much time crying as her Dad moved away from her and Uzi went from being so cared for to feeling more alone than ever. She tried to fix it too. She had a lot of anger in her gears, and figured she could just aim it back out at the Murder Drones that had hurt her. But nobody else agreed. Everyone wanted to hide. To lock themselves away. To throw up their hands and just accept that this was just the way things were.

  Uzi argued.

  She argued. And fought. And yelled. And screamed. And insulted. Uzi pointed out flaws, she taunted others about it. At some point along the way, she started pointing her anger at others because what else was she supposed to do? Ask nicely? They took it as an invitation. Adults just ignored her. That's just Uzi, she's just weird, she's just kooky. Father laughed in that way that spoke of amusement but no actual belief. No faith. He continued his neurotic spiral into serving Mom's last wish as faithfully as he could, while forgetting that he had a Daughter that was still alive to care about.

  The longer things dragged on, the more things fractured. Now... Lizzy and Doll feel further away than anything. Uzi's alone.

  Now Uzi's just a target for Lizzy to make fun of to amuse her new friends, and Doll just tries her best to ignore her while ghosting Lizzy like a puppy, watching Uzi's social torment with barely even a smile to go along with it.

  Doll fits in. She's quiet and ghostly and creepy but still arrogant enough to spout insults and glare at people with enough derision to coast by. Lizzy fits in. She's mocking and pretty and popular and intelligent enough to spread rumors and lies that stab people where it hurts most while making it look effortless.

  Uzi? She's loud and moody and aggressive and argumentative, and nobody likes anyone who rocks the boat. Even if they never asked to be on the boat in the first place.

  "Why don't you ever fight back against them?"

  Uzi glances up from the scattered remains of her project as she sits at her desk. It's recess time, technically after lunch. But Uzi never sees any value in joining the class in the recreation room. She hates sports, which is what most of the guys do, and she's just straight up not welcome in the girl areas. Sure she could force her hand, but it wouldn't be worth the hassle. So instead, Uzi sits in her classroom, munching on batteries and gold chips as she tinkers and enjoys her quiet.

  But of course Thad checks on her. Kind and gentle Thad. Thad, who is just as popular as Lizzy but doesn't get a kick out of hurting others socially. If anything, he just wants everyone to be involved. Though he's not bright enough to understand the social hierarchies of girls. Not that Uzi blames him. She barely gets it either.

  "Why are you asking me?" Uzi questions lowly, screwing some plated steel together with a screwdriver. "I didn't think anyone cared to notice whatever was happening to me."

  "You're Khan Doorman's daughter." Thad snorts, and Uzi tries not to react negatively to that common fact. "That should be enough for us to know you. But it's not like we don't pay attention when you make something explode in class."

  "Hmm." Uzi replies non-chalantly, refusing to look up at Thad. Really she's just insulted, but Thad is too nice to get angry with or yell at.

  "So..." Thad sits at the desk next to her own, rotating a chair so he can lean on the backrest casually as he watches her. "Lizzy. Doll. You never aim your size-defying rage at them. Why?"

  "First of all, rude." Uzi responds, caught between annoyed and amused that Thad was willing to banter like this. "And second of all... I guess you could call it loyalty."

  "Loyalty? To them? You? That's an insane thing to think." Thad admits, confused, only for Uzi to shake her head.

  "Consider it an act of spite. It's not like they're loyal at all."

  "You make it sound like they should be loyal to you." Thad doesn't voice it like a question. He's a smart drone. Naive, but smart. He can put things together well enough. "Doll calls you cousin. She means that?"

  "I don't think she does." Uzi dismisses. "But she does it. You do know I have a year over you, right?”
  

  "Um... yeah. Plenty of age variance here." Thad says, seemingly weirded out by the change of topic. "Why?"

  "Surprise fact, Thad, our families were pretty private." Uzi says, getting to watch Thad's eyelights go hollow with surprise. "My Mom and Doll’s Mom were pretty close. Lizzy was just social enough to get us to talk…” Uzi shakes her head, sighing as she tries to focus harder on her task, not wanting the haze of memories to get her feeling too down. “Lizzy and Doll probably don't want anyone to know this, but before things went bad... we were good together. Really good. Maybe if we were lucky, you could have gotten involved in that too. Seen us before we got spiteful."

  "I don't think you're spiteful, if it helps." Thad chimes in, making Uzi pause in her tool usage as she glances at him, eyelights narrowed in suspicion. "I just think you guys don't agree on something. As someone that talks to Lizzy on the regular, she's like this round the clock. Not just with you."

  "So she's mean to everyone. Nice. That's the friend I used to know."

  "You aren't the only one that changed when the Murder Drones came, Zi." Thad says, always trying to be fair like usual. Uzi grits her teeth, tempted to break something on her desk. But considering how rare materials are, she settles for stomping on the floor instead before leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

  "So then why was I the only one to change for the better?"

  "I don't see better either. I just see different."
 
  Uzi bristles at his point, only to deflate as she considers his actual meaning. He doesn’t seem smug, or like a know-it-all. If anything he just looks concerned. “You really mean that?”
 
  “I do.” Thad nods, shrugging as he props his chin up on his fist. “We’re all we got, Zi. Like it or not, we’re stuck in here. And until the Murder Bots keel over, or break in here, that’s the case. Do you really wanna be settled into your job after you graduate and still be hung up on them years down the line?”
 
  She doesn’t. She could admit that even years ago. Really, Uzi doesn’t know what she wants. Going backwards feels impossible, but she hates this outcast role she’s embraced. Really she just wants people to understand her particular brand of weird. Really she wants to win something and get out of this stupid Bunker. But none of that is realistic. So she just shakes her head as sighs. “Ugh. Why did you have to be so good with words, Thad?”
 
  “Have a dad for a therapist. It does wonders for your mental health.” Thad answers with a chuckle. “And, it really helps mediate teenage drama.”

  
  “Oh yeah? So what took you so long to get around to me?”
 
  “Do you want the honest answer or the answer that makes you feel better?” Thad challenges so smoothly that Uzi barks out a bit of laughter before she shrugs.
 
  “I like truth.”
 
  “You scare the hell out of me, Zi.” Thad says it sincerely enough that Uzi is taken aback. But she decides to take that as a compliment, winking one eyelight as she crosses her arms.
 
  “I do my best.” Uzi retorts smugly, leaving both of them to laugh and enjoy a real conversation for once. Though it fades away as quickly as it occurs, leaving Uzi to silently stare at the remnants of yet another prototype for what she hasn’t really named but she plans to turn into a Railgun. But rather than considering battery sources, ammunition type, or railway length, Thad’s words bounce around in her head. She thinks of Lizzy’s vitriolic glare, and Doll’s apathy in the face of her pain.
 
  “So what should I do?” Uzi finally asks the real question. “You’re right, I don’t… hate them. But I’m angry. More then angry. Super angry, if there’s a term for that.”
 
  “Infuriated?” Thad offers, Uzi humming in thought before she shakes her head. “Too nerdy? How about pissed off?”
 
  “That’s more my speed.” Uzi admits, tilting her had. “Who would have thought that Mister Jock could jailbreak his teen programming?”
 
  “I have a brain when it counts.” Thad says proudly before his expression shifts into something more serious. “And… to answer your question. If you think you’re the last loyal one in the friendgroup? Prove it. Showcase loyalty. Stop… reacting. Start pushing. You know the places to stab, right? Do it. But do it smart. Don’t just dump drama or dignity. But give reminders. Harsh ones if you have to.”
 
  Uzi initially scoffs at the idea. What would reminders do? Doll and Lizzy had clearly drawn a line in the sand long ago. Uzi was just an eyesore. Maybe even an unwanted reminder. On her worst days, Uzi considers if they’re right and she should just disappear down a ventilation shaft somewhere and never show her visor again. But… something needs to change. If Uzi has to force that change, then whatever. She’ll do it. What’s one more kick in the ass she has to give this Bunker to get it moving in the right direction?
 
  “Alright.” Uzi agrees, seconds later the bell rings, shocking them both out of the calm of their conversation.
 
  “Glad I could bring some chill to you, Zi.” Thad says with a smirk, then reaching over to firmly punch Uzi in the shoulder, only to hold the fist out for a bit longer. Uzi returns the fist with her own, smirking with a slight blush.
 
  “Thanks Thad. Go have fun. I gotta clean up.” Uzi insists, beginning to sweep all of her parts into her backpack, not caring to watch as Thad vacates the room. Minutes later, more students file in, Thad back at his own seat and Uzi sitting in her own, headset over her ears as she listens to music and tries her hardest to ignore everyone. Not that she has to try. None of them pay any attention to her.
 
  Showcasing loyalty, huh? An interesting idea. One that has Uzi mentally considering plans as the class continues as normal, Uzi all too painfully aware as to the two past friends sitting behind her.
 
 
 

 
 
  Uzi eventually decides on two parts of her past to dig up.
 
  A red hairpin, given to her by Yeva once upon a time. And a golden friendship bracelet created with spun wire by Lizzy’s own hand. Both were buried into a drawer in her room that she never opens because inside is just… memories. Drawings from her Mom, pictures of her family, mementos from back then. None of it does much aside from hurt nowadays. But that pain has faded enough to do nothing else aside from sting when she sees what she used to have.
 
  The bracelet slips onto her wrist easily enough. It’s not as loose as she remembers, but she’s bigger. The hairpin is much the same, except now she actually has enough hair to hold back out of her eyes to make it worth it.
 
  She thinks she looks silly in her mirror. The red clashes with her entire outfit, leaving her feeling like she’s trying too hard. The gold is much the same. But maybe that’s the point. She wants their attention. She wants them to notice. And Uzi is accustomed to drawing attention anyway. So what’s a little more?
 
  Going to class today is nerve-wracking for that reason. But she tries to play it as cool as usual, distracting herself by sketching in her notebook. It’s not like her plans stop just because of her attempts to figure out how to offer an olive branch to her ex-friends.
 
  School carries on much the same way. Uzi is a bit more distracted then normal, and barely responds to the teacher's prodding to answer questions or problems for schooling. Rather than complaining, she just gives the answer with just a glance. Uzi isn’t dumb, but she doesn’t feel the need to prove it.
 
  “Alright. This next packet of work will involve a team exercise. Group up.” Uzi’s snapped out of her musing on what kind of metal would be best suited to be the outer layer of her Railgun when Mr. Rose’s words suddenly prompt a class-wide shuffle of students. Everyone gathers up with their friends, and Uzi doesn’t even bother moving. She knows how this goes. Nobody wants to be with the sad purple thing.
 
  “Ugh… Lizzy, you have a group of five. The packet demands three. Split up.”
 
  Lizzy groans loudly at the very idea, and her friends follow suit. Once upon a time, Uzi would just ignore everything, settle in with her own packet and prepare to do three times the work for half of the reward. But Thad’s words bounce around in her head. Instead of moping whilst pretending she doesn’t care, Uzi raises her hand. Probably the first time she’s raised her hand in awhile. Mr. Rose calls on it immediately, operating on autopilot before Uzi says the words that silence the class.
 
  “Uncle Rose? I’ll work with Lizzy and Doll.”
 
  Uzi distinctly hears the sound of Lizzy choking on something, probably her spit whilst Doll whispers ‘что’ in clear confusion. Mr. Rose stares, apathetic before slowly, his eyelights shift into a new expression aside from boredom. Remembrance. He looks at Uzi like he was finally taking note of her. Then morphs back just as quickly, designating the groups on the chalkboard as he shrugs. “Yes, thank you Uzi. Everyone, spread out.”
 
  Uzi picks up her desk, shifting it towards the back of the room and across from Doll and Lizzy. The former of which looks confused, whilst the latter seems actively horrified. Uzi is caught between being amused and being annoyed. Really she only resists the urge to laugh or brag about catching her off guard when Rebecca and her duo of friends scowl at her and immediately start muttering insults as they drag their desks away to a different location. It leaves the trio alone amidst the muttering of the classroom as packets are handed out. Uzi takes it first, because Lizzy isn’t about to, and Doll does horribly with reading English.
 
  Looking over the packet, it seems to be some kind of math presentation for generator repairs. So Engineering. Clearly this will take at least the rest of the week, and it’s intended to sound the capabilities of the students for their future jobs. Uzi could totally do this by herself. But that would defeat the purpose of this entire move, wouldn’t it?
 
  “Who’s house are we going to for this tonight?” Uzi puts the question out there first, wanting them to think about it. Of course, before either of them can answer, she glances to Doll and waves the packet in front of them. “Do you still need me to translate this into Russian for you?”
 
  “What game are you playing?” Lizzy speaks up first, insulted as she harshly whispers. “This isn’t like you.”
 
  “I’m trying to pass my class.” Uzi answers. “I want out of this classroom, and out of here. Working with others lets me spend less time doing schoolwork and more time working on personal projects. So I repeat, who’s house are we going to for this?”
 
  ”Не моё. Оно грязное.” Doll answers, giving Uzi the inch she had asked for, much to her relief. Uzi can also understand wanting to avoid a gross house. Her own room is an eyesore too. ”И да… пожалуйста, переведите для меня, кузен.”
 
  Uzi tries not to react outwardly to being called ‘Cousin’. She hardly says it as warmly as she used to. But Doll never says anything warm nowadays. So instead she just nods, accepting that she’s gonna be translating tonight, bringing out a notebook and beginning to scribble down the parts of the project that can be compressed into segments for each of them to do. Power management and power sources can be one thing, considering it’s all the same concept of the generator making something. As for building the generator itself, that’s so complex that it has to be it’s own segment of the presentation.
 
  “Okay, no. We’re not going to pretend that this is normal. What-”
 
  ”Sis.” Uzi huffs angrily and as lowly as possible, watching Lizzy’s eyelights go hollow as she’s cut off by the one word she never expected to hear. “Do you wanna do this here? In front of everyone? Where anyone could see? Because if you’re betting on one of us not being willing to throw dignity away, I promise you, I’m winning that contest everytime. I was thinking about doing this later, privately, with antifreeze and magnets to make it go easier. So please pick one and stop being a brat long enough to go along with things. Alright?”
 
  Lizzy doesn’t respond immediately. Uzi can see her mental gears turning as a loading symbol shows up in the upper corner of her visor, followed by her hollow eyelights shifting into a bright glare. But in moments, Lizzy realizes that Uzi is right. This conversation happening in the open would be too much drama and pain that anyone could see or tape. So she crosses her arms, leans back, and scoffs. “Fine. But I’m not doing any work.”
 
  “Then you won’t get a name in the presentation credits.” Uzi dismisses, getting a squawk from her ex-friend before she turns to Doll. “What about you? Which part do you want?”
 
  ”Любая часть, имеющая отношение к нефти?” Doll asks with a strange interest that makes Uzi tilt her head in confusion.
 
  “No oil to be had. Our generators are nuclear. Do you want Power Sources and Management?” Uzi recommends, only for Doll to nod politely. “Good. I’ll organize it all, and dole out whatever you ask for. Last chance, Lizzy. Anything you want?”
 
  Lizzy pouts, annoyed. It’s such a blast from the past that Uzi can’t help but smile as she rests her chin on her palm, waiting for her oldest ex-friend to say something. “Really Doll? You’re cool with this?”
 
  Doll points at Uzi’s hair with a casual air. ”Она носит мамину заколку.” Uzi resists the urge to brush the hairpin she’s wearing with an absent hand. She nods politely instead, glad that Doll can at least understand the significance to Uzi digging up something so old.
 
  Of course, no amount of slack from Doll will please Lizzy, leaving her to groan and slam her head into the desk.
 
  “Fine… I’ll take safety regulations and placement.” Lizzy mutters into the cold steel of her desk, Uzi happily scribbling along as she makes note of which parts of the packet are relevant to Lizzy’s wants and desires.
 
  They don’t speak much for the rest of the group session. Uzi isn’t about to make either of them read through the packet yet. Doll because she can’t, and Lizzy because she won’t until she gets answers. So Uzi is really the only one doing work right now.
 
  For some reason, against all odds, Teacher actually stops next to their table and seems to take note of the fact that only Uzi’s pencil is moving.
 
  “Hmm. A suspicious lack of work happening at this table.” Teacher actually glares at his daughter, and Lizzy seems so damn irritated, that Uzi can’t help but speak up for her.
 
  “We’re planning on it, Mr. Teacher. I’m just organizing the notes we’ll need for the session tonight. And Doll can’t do much until I translate the packet into Russian.” Uzi says, making Teacher turn his apathetic gaze onto her instead, eyelights wavering against the LED surface of his visor as he seems to look her up and down.

  “Hmm.” Mr. Rose hums as he turns to Doll. “You haven’t installed the language program? I thought your use of Russian was a choice?”
 
  “Ugh, no Dad. I’ve been helping her with all her work. She barely cares to do it in the first place, let alone translate. And I only have the translation program, not the russian one. Just like her.”
 
  “I can speak both.” Uzi says, everyone in the group turning to her, whilst Uzi keeps her eyelights on the packet she’s scribbling into. “No crutch program. I just know both from scratch. I’ll translate and transcribe. Will it get me extra credit?”
 
  “Yes…. yes, sure.” Mr. Rose answers, keeping the conversation going before he turns to Doll. “And you… Doll, if you want just the translation software, I’ll print out russian copies of all the work from now on. Next time, ask.”
 
  He moves on quickly after that, lethargic as always. But for just an instant there, Uzi saw a glimpse of the old Uncle Rose. A drone that actually cared about helping his students. Doll seemed stunned, staring after the drone while Lizzy looks conflicted, staring at Uzi.
 
  “Why did you learn both? Even getting the extra language software is a massive pain. Where did you find actual learning tools?”
 
  “Online. Same place I get all my anime.” Uzi says dismissively.
 
  ”Это опасно. Вредоносное ПО может навредить.” Doll says, single eyelight narrowed. Uzi just shrugs.
 
  “Worst case scenario, I get a bad virus and stay in bed for a week. S’not like anyone would care.” Uzi glances up at the clock, noticing how little time is left in the class. “Unlike everyone here, I’m willing to risk something to get something.”
 
  “Don’t start with us, Doorman.” Lizzy huffs, arms crossed as she leans back in her seat. “I don’t want to hear more about your dumb plans-”
 
  “Then you won’t.” Uzi cuts off, also not in the mood for this conversation. “We have enough stuff to talk about. So I ask again, which house are we meeting at? Yours or mine? Doll opted out.”
 
  “Ugh… Mine, I guess. I’d rather deal with my Dad than yours.” Lizzy admits, getting an understanding shrug from Uzi. That’s her Dad, Uzi won’t ever speak a bad word about him outside of her own head. But she gets that he can be a bit overbearing when he’s not being actively neglectful.
 
  ”Трусливый человек.” Doll says, disgust coating her tone. Uzi feels something bristle inside of herself as she glares at Doll, eyelights bright as an anger mark forms over her visor.
 
  “Watch it, Doll. He’s the reason any of us are breathing. I hate those doors, but they exist for a reason.”
 
  Doll doesn’t argue, just rolls her eyes and lays her head onto the desk, clearly tired. She’s been more lethargic lately, and Uzi has no clue what’s up with it. But maybe she’s just moody. Uzi knows exactly how hard some days can be. At least she feels like she has something to work towards. Robo-God knows Doll might not feel that way.
 
  The bell rings quickly after that, prompting everyone to shuffle and get ready to leave for the next class. Uzi sweeps the packet into her bag and glances at the clock again before turning to Lizzy. “I’ll be at your house a quarter after six. Be there… or don’t. I’ll just get started early without you.”
 
  “Sure, Doorman.” Lizzy huffs, irritated as she throws her bag over her shoulder and stomps away. Doll follows after, though she pats Uzi on the shoulder first. Probably one of the first times Uzi’s been touched by anyone aside from her Dad in years. It’s nice. Warm, even. But of course, before she can do anything with any of that, she has to do her other classes. So onwards Uzi moves, killing time in between the things that actually matter.
 
  Next is gym. Hopefully she doesn’t get hit in the visor with another freakin ball.
 
 
  

 
 
  The buzz of an alarm is what shocks Uzi out of the fugue she’s entered into, shocking her visor into a some kind of clear vision as she pulls herself away from alphabetical correction and back into reality.
 
  Groaning, Uzi leans back in her chair before she glances up at her visor, seeing that her battery charge wasn’t as high as she’d like. Oh well. Antifreeze and battery acid will help take the edge off. Her worry now is getting over to Lizzy’s unit before the timer ticks past when she’d say she’d be there. So in a rush, Uzi dumps half of her work into her backpack, sweeping it off her desk before she zips the thing up. She’d never undressed since she got back home, and if she’s honest, she rarely does unless she gets splashed with something. Sure, she can sweat. But she can’t smell, so what does it matter?
 
  Trudging out of her room, her unit is silent as she locks the door behind her and gets a move-on, heavy backpack weighing her down. It only gets heavier when she decides to hit the kitchen and grab the items she promised she would bring. Magnets for one, antifreeze for another, then a pack of canned battery acid for herself. Just the right supplies for a late-night trauma session.
 
  She makes it to Lizzy’s unit with time to spare. It’s not like everyone’s housing unit isn’t spaced out across a few floors and hallways right on top of one another. Uzi’s walked these halls her whole life. She knows where drones live even when trying to avoid the information. She knows where Doll lives. Where Lizzy lives. Where Thad lives. Hell, even Rebecca.
 
  Cold steel welcomes her with not a sound, prompting her to knock politely. Of course… nothing opens. So Uzi groans and conks her head against the door before she glances to the keypad to the right of the thing, and the associated keycard scanner. Shuffling in her pocket, she finds the door master key that she’s stolen from her Dad’s room earlier. He never keeps tabs on the damn thing, and probably has two dozen copies locked away in case he ever loses any. This isn’t the first time she’s taken it to get access somewhere quickly when cutting through the security just wasn’t worth it. And knowing this stupid Bunker, it won’t be the last either.
 
  The door slides open with the ‘chunk’ sound of shifting hydraulics, letting Uzi step into Lizzy’s home. It’s quiet. Modular. The tables, kitchen, and hallway all look exactly like her own. But there’s tiny hints of personality. Pictures on the walls, a bookcase where Uzi has a workbench instead. She’s sure the bedrooms are much the same. The thing that stands out the most is Mr. Rose laid out on the couch, in sleep mode, the words ‘Do Not Disturb’ blinking across his visor as he cradles a flask to his chest. Uzi doesn’t question, knowing that his method of coping was a familiar one. Hell, he wasn’t even unique in this hellhole of a Bunker. Dad drinks too on his bad days.
 
  Moving past him, Uzi moves down the hall, hoping to find Lizzy’s room without much searching. Luckily, Lizzy’s decorations are obvious. The furry pink carpet is a dead giveaway, and Uzi figures being respectful and taking her boots off is at least something. So she leaves them next to the door before opening it. It’s unlocked, which is really strange, but hey. Maybe Lizzy isn’t worried about her Dad barging in and fucking with all her stuff. Uzi couldn’t relate.
 
  If Uzi’s room is dedicated to goth-punk decorations, dark colors, and her rampant engineering, then Lizzy’s room is it’s exact opposite. Plush, frilly furniture, fashion accessories and clothes everywhere, and a full-body mirror along with a small desk with a laptop rather than a full gaming PC setup. It’s… cute. Uzi appreciates that she can kinda see Lizzy’s influence in every corner of the room. It’s so bright that Uzi has to adjust the contrast on her vision to deal with it. But hey, she knows her room creeps people out. Fairness exists in all forms.
 
  Not knowing what else to do, Uzi just sets all her stuff down on the floor, drags over a beanbag chair, and gets back to work. A second packet sits in her backpack, unneeded until Doll shows up. Uzi gets started on her section of the project, writing down names as she checks the first packet again and again for references and points of interest. It’s not fun by any means, but it’s something to do aside from sitting here bored. At least she can play music while she waits.
 
  It takes another twenty minutes before she hears motion in the unit. Two sets of footsteps, and chatter. One pitched high, and the other pitched low. Uzi sighs in relief, happy to do emotional conversations rather than more freakin work. She’s tired of staring at generator specs.
 
  The door opens in a rush, Lizzy’s laughter standing out as she leads the way, only for that laughter to pause when her eyelights land on Uzi. Uzi, dramatic and wanting to look cool, puts up a peace sign as a greeting before speaking.
 
  “Как дела, Sis.” She greets, russian foreign in her mouth, but coming out well enough. “Took your sweet time showing up.”
 
  “I’m sorry, how did you get into my room?” Lizzy states, huffing as Doll pushes her way past, giving Uzi a polite wave and greeting. Uzi accepts it, happy that someone is trying to be casual.
 
  “My Dad built every door in this bunker. Do you think a locked one will ever stop me?” Uzi snarks, amused at Lizzy’s annoyance. “I wasn’t about to wait outside for you.”
 
  “And my Dad didn’t stop you?” Lizzy growls, slamming her door shut with an angry frazzle to her visor before her eyelights focus again.
 
  “Yes. Your Dad. Who was passed out on the couch when I arrived.” Uzi deadpans before she turns to Doll. “Here. I managed to reprint the packet with russian text. I also highlighted the parts you need to care about.”
 
  ”Спасибо, кузен.” Uzi blushes, hearing that title fall from Doll’s lips so earnestly. She missed it, and she might start saying it in return if this can be spun out into something positive.
 
  “So we’re actually doing this?” Lizzy questions, dumping her bag on the floor before she moves to sit at her desk chair, rotating it on it’s wheels as she faces the group. “We’re going to… ugh, talk?”
 
  “Sure.” Uzi answers, reaching over to slide the items she’d brought into the center of the room. Doll doesn’t hesitate, reaching down to grab the antifreeze and chugging it right from the bottle. Stares at her in concern, waiting for her to take her lips away from the bottle with a gasp before she continues. “I assume you wanna start at why I bothered digging this stuff out of my room?”
 
  ”Да.” Doll agrees, Uzi sighing as she leans back into her beanbag chair, watching as Doll relaxes into her little perch on Lizzy’s bed.
 
  “Thad talked me into it.” Uzi begins with a shrug. “He just brought it up to me yesterday. Asked me why I don’t just smash both of your faceplates in and call it a day.”
 
  Doll smirks, whilst Lizzy rolls her eyes. “Duh, because you can’t?”
 
  “Lizzy, I know where you sleep, and you know what I did to Braiden. I could make you smash your own faceplate in.” Uzi threatens, Lizzy’s eyelights going hollow whilst Doll chuckles lowly. “I don’t do that, because… well, I don’t want to.”
 
  Uzi bites her inner cheek, looking away as her core cycles a tad faster, nervousness making her clench at her skirt before she shrugs and hunches over. “What did I do wrong?”
 
  Silence. Uzi doesn’t want to look up. She doesn’t want to see any expression of derision. Instead she glares at the floor, wanting to avoid any horror. “No, seriously. What did I do wrong? You two are thick as thieves and I spend every day getting treated like trash. We used to be something. You both were my family. Then one day you tossed me aside like none of it mattered.” Uzi fidgets, fingers tracing beneath her golden bracelet as she swallows synthetic spit and tries to say more words before she sputters out. “Thad kicked some sense into me. Made me think past all the bitterness and anger and now I’m just…” Uzi loses track, not knowing the words to put out as she sighs, finally deciding to face the looks of her ex-friends.
 
  She’s surprised… Lizzy looks conflicted, lips narrowed and eyelights dim as she clutches her arms around her legs. Doll’s hunched as well, arms wrapped around herself as she tenses, boot tapping against the floor.
 
  Rage wells up within Uzi, sitting up from her beanbag chair as she glares at them both. “Well? Don’t act ashamed now! You’ll bully me in the halls, but now it’s too much? Answer me! Why! What did I do wrong!”
 
  ”Потому что ты глупая маленькая девчонка, которая хочет, чтобы тебя убили!” Doll suddenly explodes, and Uzi’s taken aback by that final word. ‘Убит’. Spoken with rage and terror. Like Uzi was going to end up just like her mom. Mangled and half-melted, ‘Fatal Error’ blinking across a shattered visor.
 
  “What do you take me for?” Uzi bites back, confused. “I’m not gonna go out there with a half-cocked plan and die-”
 
  “Oh that is rich Doorman!” Lizzy interrupts with a sardonic cackle that sounds exactly like anything else she’d say out in the halls. Words spoken to hurt, and she’s a master at it. “As if marching out there with a loaded railgun and spunk will get you anywhere but dead and added to the spire.”
 
  Uzi growls, hating how dismissive they’re being. She wants to open her mouth and bite back, but Lizzy surprises her when she stands out of her chair, and marches right over to lean over Uzi, hands on hips. It’s so physically aggressive that Uzi is taken aback while Lizzy just rolls right on with her words.
 
  “You know why we bullied you, Doorman? Why we called your inventions stupid, and laughed at you when you went on with your plans, and threw food at you during your stupid presentations? Because every time you rant about it, we’re all reminded about exactly how stuck we are in here! Everytime you do it, Doll and I think about never seeing you again and assuming that we lost you! Just like Yeva! Just like Mom! And just like Nori!”
 
  “Shut up!” Uzi yells, leaping from her bag as she tackles Lizzy like an angry Murder Bot. Lizzy hits the floor, gasping before her eyelights narrow, her hands lashing out to push Uzi away, only for a fist to fly out. Rage flies through her whole body, electrical like an overcharged battery as she tries her absolute hardest to shut Lizzy up. To make her take that back, desperately hoping she has a better reason. A good reason.
 
  Hands grip her from the back, yanking her up by her jacket before a taller drone gets in front of her, hugging her by the shoulders as she’s constantly shoved. Lizzy crawls away, hand massaging her face and visor while Doll looks her in the face.
 
  ”Прекрати! Прекрати! Прекрати это сейчас же!” Doll yells, language barrier blurring for Uzi before she yells back.
 
 “Почему я должен?” Uzi screams right back, yanking Doll’s hands away as she stumbles back. “She deserves a punch in the face! Honestly, so do you! What the fuck, guys? All of this misery for the last seven years because you freaks thought I had to be punished into compliance? Fuck you! Fuck both of you!”
 
  Uzi isn’t about to fight. Instead she yells, turns, and puts her foot through Lizzy’s dresser. The wood caves in beneath her steel chassis, and Lizzy yells in annoyance at the damaged property. But Uzi couldn’t give less of a fuck. Instead she curls her fingers into her hair, her beanie slipping free as she paces in a circle, trying to come to terms with this fact.
 
  “You stupid… stupid…” She mutters, trying to come up with words to explain herself. To process this. Instead she turns to them, accusing as she points at them with barbed words. “I was gonna kill myself, you know that?”
 
  Doll’s eyes go hollow, and Lizzy’s expression shatters from anger into shock as she stares.
 
  “It’d be easy! Stand under Door Number 3 and press one button! Then I’m gone! Then I never woulda had to deal with you, this class, my stupid Dad, or any drone in this stupid, dark, shitty Bunker!” Uzi yells, so loud that she’s sure Mr. Rose can hear, but fuck him. He can hear too. Hear exactly how he failed, and didn’t even notice. “I think about it everywhere I go! Sometimes I just lay in bed and think none of it is even worth it! That I’m never gonna leave this Bunker and nobody even cares about me, so maybe I should just go be with my Mom!”
 
  ”Нет!” Doll howls, as if she’s pained. As if Uzi’s admission had torn something from within her. Uzi barely gets a chance to process that before she’s being tackled. But she gets no pain. Instead she just feels warmth as Doll’s arms close around her, hugging her tightly. Fingers digging into her hoodie like she’s scared Uzi is gonna vanish through the floor. A sob shakes it’s way through Doll, and Uzi realizes that she’s crying too when her visor goes blurry, coolant leaking down her face. Uzi’s no better. She can barely see either. ”Конечно нет! Хватит! Хватит потерь, моё сердце не выдержит!”
 
  Uzi barely believes it. A dark part of herself, buried deep into her programming, feels like Doll would laugh and make a joke if she died. Maybe make a dull remark to Lizzy about how much quieter it would be if Uzi stopped coming to class before promptly forgetting all about her existence. But Doll claims the opposite. Says that her heart would break if she lost anyone else. Uzi repeats that again and again, and tries her best to not assume it’s a lie as she hugs Doll back, hands shaking as she waits for the shoe to drop.
 
  Lizzy doesn’t look any better, curled up on the floor, hair frazzled as coolant pours down her face. She looks like she’s trying to find words, and for once comes up speechless. Like she was trying to win at something and ended up totally blindsided. Uzi has nothing to say. She can barely even look at Lizzy. Instead, she buries her face into Doll’s shoulder and just tries to breath.
 
  Minutes later, everyone is sitting on the bed. The tears have stopped, now Uzi just stares between her knees at the floor and tries to just… think about it. That all this divide, all this pain, all this howling loneliness… was being forced upon her to get her to stop. To just give up and accept things as they were. It’s… really cruel, actually. How what her friends thought was kindness was actually just disguised pain.
 
  “You could have just told me.” Uzi says, knowing that it’s not true.
 
  “We did.” Lizzy sniffles, trying to clear her face. “At first… before it got bad.”
 
  “I don’t think that ‘hey, you’re being stupid right now’ really counts as nice, Lizzy.” Uzi mutters, leaning over into Doll’s side, who hadn’t let her go since her admission.
 
  “Okay, well, things weren’t easy for me either.” Lizzy defends. “I lost my Mom too. Doll lost everything. We didn’t know what we were doing and…” Lizzy cuts off, a warbling sigh her new answer as she sags against the mattress. “Look… at a certain point, we didn’t think you cared anymore either.”
 
  “I’d rather have friends than nothing, Liz. Anything.” Uzi swallows roughly, wiping her visor off with a sleeve as she shrugs. “Half of the reason I hate this bunker so much is because of the damn drones in it. I want to leave. Do things. Try to find something to make me happy again, instead of just eternally pissed and scared. And I’m not gonna find it in here.”
 
  Uzi then pats Doll on the leg, getting her attention before gesturing back to the middle of the room. “Pass me that antifreeze. I’m sick of feeling bad.”
 
  Doll hesitates, but eventually leans down to grab the bottle of blue liquid, handing it over to Uzi who chugs it right from the glass without a care. It’s sweet, smells good, and it’s chilly to her overheating systems. She also knows it’ll make her feel woozy and make her gyroscopic sensors freak out in a few minutes if she drinks too much. So down the hatch it goes. She takes maybe three mouthfuls before pulling the bottle back, offering it back to her friends before she continues. “So… I’ve cried enough for one day. Now… well, I guess we both know the deal. So I guess the only question is, what now?”
 
  “Well… do you still plan to try to fight back against the Murder Drones?” Lizzy asks, voice low.
 
  “Sure. Got nothin else to do.” Uzi answers casually. “Besides… it’s only a matter of time until they break in here anyway. Someone will open the doors at the wrong time. They’ll find a vent. Some generator will fail and we’ll need parts we don’t have and gotta go outside to get.” Uzi fiddles with the bracelet on her hand as she shrugs. “I wanna have something to defend myself. Next time a Murder Bot tries to kill me, my Dad, or anyone else, I wanna have something to stop them. And I swear on my Mom I’ll have it.”
 
  Lizzy has nothing to say to that. Maybe she gets it. Maybe she doesn’t and just doesn’t want to argue now that the jig is up. Or maybe she just doesn’t have it in her to bully Uzi again now that they’ve all cried everywhere for robo-god knows how long.
 
  ”Я помогу тебе.” Uzi can’t help but snort at Doll’s words, disbelieving even if she’d spoken with sincerity.
 
  “Really?” Uzi asks, sarcastic in the face of Doll’s narrowed single eyelight. “After all these years, you finally wanna help? I don’t buy it. What’s changed your tune?”
 
  ”Мне и здесь не очень-то комфортно.” Doll answers back with a grim expression and a shrug. Uzi doesn’t have to imagine why. Uzi already feels like shit coming home with only one missing parent. Losing two? She’d hate her house too. ”Если нам все равно суждено умереть, давайте сделаем это вместе.”
 
  Uzi laughs at the plan, reaching over to snatch back the antifreeze from Lizzy, who barely argues, just to get some more sips in. Though Lizzy takes the moment to complain half-heartedly.
 
  “Great… so we’ll die together then. Good plan. I presume we have some kind of idea going further then just stepping outside and waiting to become a oil-flavored juice pack for a Murder Bot?”
 
  “I… have no freakin clue.” Uzi admits. “I have half a dozen weapon blueprints, but only enough parts to build one. If I could get access to more parts, I could put together some simpler stuff. But until we normalize access to the outside, I’m gonna keep hitting walls.” Uzi gestures to the door of Lizzy’s room half-heartedly. “I have a photon converger mostly built. But it’s core is as good as scrap with how it handles the power surge. So…”
 
  “Well, what were you planning to do?” Lizzy questions, Uzi surprised that Lizzy cares enough to answer, only for the pink-eyed drone to roll her eyelights in annoyance. “Come on, Doorman. Bad thoughts aside, you were always going to go out swinging. So what was your plan to get more power for your… fancy railgun?”
 
  Uzi swigs from the bottle again, reaching into her pocket to pull out the black floppy disk she’d stored away. Lizzy and Doll’s eyelights went hollow, and Uzi shrugs as she swallows down more antifreeze. “Mastercard. I steal it all the time from Dad. I was just gonna… go outside. See if I could find a functioning Worker Drone core. That’s… pretty much my last bet.”
 
  ”А если бы ты умер?” Doll huffs, annoyed.
 
  Uzi just shrugs, laying back as she hands the bottle back to her wayward cousin. “Doll, we’ve been over that. At this point, I don’t really care if I die.”
 
  “Well… that’s gonna change.” Lizzy says, determined as she leans over Uzi while she lays down. “If you’re gonna do something that stupid, you’re taking us with you.”
 
  “Do you nerds even know what a Worker Drone core looks like when it’s not plugged into your cycler?” Uzi snarks, feeling kinda woozy.
 
  “No. But I can find a damn picture, and then help you look.” Lizzy says with certainty. “The more drones out there helping you look, the faster we find what you need. The faster you have a core, the faster we can get back inside.”
 
  “And if a Murder Bot finds us anyway?” Uzi questions, eyelights dimming. “I’d hate to have you two die as well.”
 
  “Well… we won’t. We’ll run. And you’d better beat me in that race, Doorman, short legs be damned.” It’s not a real answer. Really, Lizzy just doesn’t want to think about what happens if they get found, Uzi can tell. And really, she agrees. So she doesn’t argue. She just laughs.
 
  “Fuck you, Rose. I’ll outrun your butt any day of the week. I always beat you in gym.”
 
  “And yet, I still throw a dodgeball better than you.” Lizzy says, getting even Doll to laugh when Uzi covers her face in embarrassment.
 
  Uzi stares at the ceiling, pondering the idea of going to sleep here. Having a sleepover for once in her life. It sounds nice. Though, that’s probably the antifreeze talking. Still… the question is worth a shot. “Hey Liz… can I sleep here tonight?”
 
  “Umm… we have school tomorrow?”
 
  “And? Skip a day. We’ve all drank enough, and we have a project to work on anyway.” Uzi says, gesturing lazily towards her backpack, prompting Doll to glare darkly at it.
 
  ”Мне следует сжечь этот пакет.” She snarls, outright pissed in a way Uzi chuckles at.
 
  “If you burn that packet after all the effort I went through to transcribe it, I will literally kick your shiny steel ass, cousin.” Uzi says, getting a groan out of Doll before the taller drone decides to collapse and lay down atop of Uzi, getting an ‘oof’ out of her before Uzi just rolls her eyelights and hugs her cousin back.
 
  Lizzy looks uncertain at first, but eventually sighs and moves to get up. Uzi watches as Lizzy quickly moves to the bedroom door, only to flick a switch and the lights go out. Then Uzi watches, now only lit by the dim lights of her visor, as Lizzy strips out of her school clothes. Distantly she wonders if she should feel embarrassed. Sure, they change together enough in the gym locker rooms. But this feels… different. Personal. Still, be it the antifreeze or emotional exhaustion, Uzi doesn’t care when Lizzy crawls into bed in just underwear, collapsing next to Uzi.
 
  “Why the underwear?” Uzi whispers, feeling like she needs to be quiet now that the lights are gone.
 
  “I like how it matches my eyelights. What about you, why the beanie?”
 
  “Mom stitched it for me.” Uzi answers with a shrug, though her efforts are hampered by Doll’s weight on her. “Clothes are aesthetic anyway. As long as you don’t go asking me to stare at your port, do whatever.”
 
  Lizzy giggles. “Ew. Like hell, Doorman. We aren’t on a port-sharing basis.”
 
  “I’d rather fuck Doll then you, Lizzy.”
 
  ”Я бы лучше умер.” Doll sleepily mutters, Uzi slapping her on the shoulder.
 
  “Shut up, jerk. I’m an amazing lay.”
 
  “You’re drunk, Doorman.” Lizzy says with a groan. “Now please stop making me listen to this and go into sleep-mode. I can literally see the low battery icon you’re flashing with.”
 
  “Mhmm.” Uzi says, her eyelights going dim as her vision blurs, her senses shutting off one by one as her internals start putting her into sleep mode to prep for battery recharge. “Hey Sis? Cousin? When I wake up tomorrow… you two won’t hate me again, will you?”
 
  “Nope… no, we won’t. Right Doll?” Lizzy brushes past Uzi’s hair to poke at Doll’s visor.
 
  ”Mmm… Мы ещё поговорим. Как я уже сказал, семья.” Doll sleepily answers, brushing Lizzy’s hand away as she buries her face into Uzi’s hoodie.
 
  “Sure… family.” Uzi agrees, feeling sluggish and exhausted as her vision winks out. Her auditory sensors are the last thing to go. But she picks up one last thing before they do.
 
  “And… I’m sorry, Uzi. For everything.”
 
  Uzi never thought Lizzy Rose would ever apologize for a single thing in her life. Late as it is… she’s pretty glad to be wrong about something.