By the time most of the bunker was cleared, V had already forgotten she was supposed to stick with you. But who cares? Other than J.
This was fun.
You, N and V meet each other outside, waiting for J. The X flickered away into normal eyes. N's claws retracted.
You shoot a smug look at V. "So. How many did you kill?"
"I got one hundred fifty of them!" said N.
V shoots N a look. "No one was talking to you."
N grins. "Okay!"
V looks back at you with a smirk. "I got two hundred. What about you Twitchy?"
Your head jerks to the side. You hated that name. And you know she knew that. Your visor flickers, catching a faint static pulse as your grin tightens.
"Two hundred four," you say, voice low and smug.
V’s smirk falters for half a second.
Then she laughs—short and sharp. “Oh wow. You can count.”
“I even used my tail for the last twenty. No claws, remember?” You twitch as your head tilts again, half on purpose, half not. “Maybe next time I’ll give you a head start.”
V steps closer, that grin widening as she pokes your chest with one clawed finger. “Keep dreaming, glitch-bot. I’d love to see you try that again without short-circuiting halfway through.”
You lean in, visor inches from hers. “Least I don’t scream when my tail gets tugged.”
V gasps, exaggerated and dramatic. “One time—!”
“Three times,” N helpfully chimes in, hands clasped behind his back. “I counted.”
You and V both whip your heads toward him.
N blinks. “...I’ll stop talking now.”
V rubs her temples. “Please do.”
The tension hangs for a moment—then finally, J flies out of the bunker and lands in front of the three of you.
J's gaze lands on you and V. "V...I told you to keep Y/N within your sight."
You raise a finger. "Actually you told her to make sure I didn't screw anything up."
"Which in other words, would mean, that she should have kept an eye on you!" J snapped.
V groaned dramatically. "So in other words, you're making me play babysitter for this defect?" She hits you with her arm on the last word.
Your eye twitches. You hit her back. Maybe a little harder than you intended. V hisses, raising a hand to hit you back.
J rolls her eyes. "V..."
V quickly straightened up, clasping her hands behind her back.
J sighed sharply. "I can't believe I have this stupid team."
"Thanks J!" N said happily.
J's eye visibly twitches behind her visor.
"That wasn't a compliment, N."
N’s face beams anyway. “Still counts!”
You can’t help it—your glitching hiccups into a snort of laughter, quickly masked behind your hand as you look away. V glares at you like you invented the concept of noise.
There is a long moment of silence. Your tail swishes as you nom on a limb like it's a piece of licorice, the oil dripping from your mouth.
"You weren't hungry were you?" V mutters to you in a teasing tone.
J groans. "Alright. You three finish eating up, so we can head back."
"Can't we just bring it with us?" V asks, chewing on a piece of plating like it’s taffy.
J shoots V a look, her visor narrowing. "No, V. We’re not dragging leftover drones across the tundra like some kind of scavengers. We’ve got a mission. Keep your priorities straight."
V shrugs, unbothered, and takes another bite, not in the least concerned about J’s displeasure. "Fine. But don’t blame me when you find a nice fresh one and it’s all gone by the time we get back." She glances at you, that smug, knowing look crossing her face. "I’d be more than happy to share the next one with you, Y/N."
You roll your eyes, trying to ignore the snark bubbling up from the usual place. “If you could catch one before I do, sure.”
You feel the familiar twitch run through your frame again, a small involuntary spasm that causes you to jolt slightly. You notice J’s attention flicker back toward you, a sharp edge to her voice. "Y/N... I swear, if you keep glitching like that, you’ll get us all caught."
You flash her a look. “I’m doing fine, J. Don’t worry about it.”
The words hang there for a second, tense but not quite as heated as they could be. J narrows her eyes, her arms folded tight across her chest. “Just don’t make me regret trusting you on this one.”
A strange chill runs through you at her words, but you suppress it. You were made for this. Your twitching doesn’t define you. “Whatever. Let’s just finish up and go.”
J looks to N, her annoyance still heavy in the air. "N, stay sharp. We're leaving soon."
"Yep, I got it, J!" N beams, all too eager to be helpful.
You can’t help but snort under your breath. “We’re definitely not going back empty-handed, right?”
You glance at her, quirking your head. “I don’t see why not.”
“Well, as long as someone doesn’t start glitching halfway there,” V teases.
J’s voice cuts through the quiet. “We leave in five minutes. Try not to screw this up, Y/N. V, take Y/N with you. Make sure he/she doesn't wander off this time."
V smirks. "You got it boss."
You glance at V, then back to the others, your grin widening despite yourself.
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