Days Later...
J paced in front of her squad, arms crossed, her tone sharp and commanding. Her twin pigtails swayed with each step, and the syringe at the end of her tail swayed gently. Her visor flickered briefly before settling into its default cold glow.
"Listen up," she snapped, glaring at the trio in front of her. "I’ve spotted a bunker out near the ridge. Thermal scans show it's active. But here’s the kicker—door’s malfunctioning. Wide open like an invitation."
She turned to face them directly. "This is the perfect chance to do what we’re made for. No excuses. No mercy."
V leaned against a chunk of broken wall, arms folded, visor glinting. "So… we going loud or loud-loud?"
J shot her a smirk. "Whatever gets the job done fastest."
N perked up slightly, eyes wide with eagerness. "Ooo, maybe there’ll be one of those cool lockdown—uh…" He trailed off, catching J’s glare. "…you know, before the...the thing."
You stand at the edge of the group, twitching every few seconds, your tail swaying behind you in an awkward rhythm. One eye flickered. "Can we just go already? I'm tired of chewing on Icicles!"
J huffed, her arms tightening over her chest, giving you a look like you’d just insulted her work ethic. “Ugh. You're always twitching and complaining, Y/N. Maybe if you didn’t glitch like a broken vending machine, we’d already be there.”
V chuckled darkly from her corner. “C’mon, J, let the twitchy one have some fun. Maybe if they short out mid-mission, it’ll spice things up.”
You twitch again—right on cue—and shoot her a lopsided grin. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
J rolled her eyes and flicked her tail sharply. “Enough. V, N, Y/N, let's go.”
At once, the quiet air is shattered by the sudden clang and whirrr of metal. Your wings snap open with a hiss, nearly throwing you off balance as you struggle to adjust to the weight. Even now, you haven’t quite gotten used to them.
You all lift off into the sky, as the bunker comes into view—a squat, concrete shape tucked against a jagged ridge. From above, you can already spot movement. Figures scrambling inside. The prey knows you're coming.
Your visor flickers. Bright yellow X.
You feel the surge. That thrill. No thoughts, no doubts.
Only the hunt.
J flies close. “No survivors. Burn them out.”
You grin, your claws clicking into place.
Time to do what you were made for.
You and V immediately make a dive for it like an eagle after its prey. The wind whips past your frame as you plummet toward the bunker, claws bared, wings angled to slice through the sky. V is beside you, her laugh sharp and cruel as she dives headfirst into the chaos below. You join her laughter, a glitchy, warped, maniacal, laughter.
Your visor locks onto movement—panicked shapes rushing toward makeshift cover, scrambling to seal the broken bunker doors. Too late. You and V were already inside. You look back at the door, your head twitching.
Your head tilts, glitching to the side as a faint pulse hums through your circuits. A brief moment of thought claws its way through the haze—You could seal the doors. Lock everyone else out.
You shoot a look at V. Her visor flashes, and she’s already eating a group of worker drones, their oil splattering out on the walls. Her claws gleam in the pulsing red lights.
You turn to the door. The panel nearby is still intact. From a nearby fallen drone, you search through its pockets and find a key card. Perfect. Your claws click against the panel as you swipe the card, and with a low beep, the doors slam open.
J’s silhouette emerges through the smoke, backlit by the bunker’s flickering lights. Her tail sways with purposeful rhythm, that syringe of nanite acid gleaming like a threat made real.
"Thanks Y/N!" N says, walking in.
J glances down at the fallen drone you looted, then up at the locked door—now open. She raises an eyebrow behind her visor.
“Efficient,” she says, matter-of-fact.
Your visor flickers. That… that was a compliment. From J.
Your twitch doubles. A faint static buzz rattles in your head, your grin twitching wider. J said something nice to me… Must be a trap.
But she strides past you without another word, claws snapping into place. “V, you stay with Y/N. Make sure he/she doesn't screw anything up. N, with me. Anything moves—cut it down.”
N gave an eager salute. "You got it J!"
J and N take off into one of the sectors.
You and V smirk at each other.
V grins, her visor glinting like a predator’s gaze, fresh oil still dripping from her claws. I hope you’re hungry, Y/N, because I am not losing this time.”
She twirls one of her claws lazily, like a knife between fingers, before slamming it into a nearby drone trying to crawl away. “That’s five already.”
You twitch, your grin twitching with you. “Please. I’ve got seven in just the last five seconds.”
“Cute,” V sneers, kicking a half-melted worker drone aside. “Let’s make it interesting. No wings. No claws. Just tails for the next minute.”
You pause.
Then grin wider. “You're on.”
With a synchronized flick, your tails snap outward. One twitchy lunge—and you're off, the hunt taking on a new kind of thrill. Limbs flailing, drones screaming, the bunker shaking from your shared chaos.
You and V both burst out laughing, maniacal and wild. No one can stop you two now.
ns18.191.66.109da2
