Dead end

The first thing we see is a beautiful beach as seagulls squawk in the background. This beach is revealed to be a background on a computer monitor in an office setting.

The lights suddenly go out as a Worker Drone, Drone 029, hides under the desk. She peeks out to see the paralyzed body of a fellow drone stuck in a boot loop. She crawls slowly towards her colleague as a claw emerges from the shadows. She doesn't notice this, however, as she finally reaches her fallen friend.

A blue light flashes and she drags the drone by the foot. She stops to resume her hiding position, until she works up the courage to finish dragging the drone. But before she can reach it, two creatures, Sentinels, grab the drone and tear it apart, oil spilling out everywhere.

She quickly resumes hiding when a blue light shines before her. A Sentinel has found her location. As she tries to escape, the Sentinel flashes a beam of light into her eyes, boot looping her. The Sentinel crawls down and feasts on her..

All of this has been captured on a security camera.

When we last left our heroes, they had just encountered J, Doll, and Tessa.

N: T-Tessa...?

Tessa: (Hugs him) N! You remember– (She begins coughing.) Tall, handsome... Air's toxic... (Notices Uzi and Y/N) Who is this little– (Uzi bites her finger.) Ah!

Uzi: Uzi! Why are you here, human?!

Y/N: (Notices J) Real tired of killing this one.

J: (Strokes her hair back) Effective drones were cloned more.

N: (Chuckling) It is you.

V: Classic J.

Tessa: Cyn disappeared on Earth–

J: Boss ran away.

Tessa: (Annoyed) We mutually disengaged. Her last known act was siccing you lot on the human exoplanets.

N: Why?

J: That's what we're trying to figure out, bozo.

Suddenly, Doll activates her AbsoluteSolver to snatch the bug on top of Tessa's head into her hands and takes off.

Tessa: That's... kind of a big piece.

J and Tessa chase Doll, firing at her, until she drops herself down a large shaft. Uzi, N, and V catch up.

Tessa: J, relay hand, Cyn's orders.

J brings up a screen.

J: Step one: Clear drop zone of life and construct spire. Step two–

Tessa: Enter labs with this symbol.

She tears down some large paper to reveal a poster behind it. Taped near the bottom:

CABIN FEVER

Tessa: Not too much to go off, but if Cyn wants these labs, we burn them down. That keybug's our way in. (She walks towards the edge of the scaffolding.) J, mind my ship.

Tessa tosses J the keys. J glances at N and V with uncertainty.

J: ...Of course, boss. (She flies off.)

Tessa continues to walk, only for Uzi to stand before her, blocking her path.

Uzi: Why involve Doll? What's happening to... her?

Tessa: She reckons the humans did something to her folks down here. Gave them a sickness she inherited.

Uzi and Y/N: ...And?

Tessa: I think she's right... (To N and V) Coming or what?

She jumps off, leaving the concerned trio wondering whether it's a good idea to follow her.

The group land down the dark, damp cavern below the surface and begin to look around.

N: Is the secret elevator... labeled? (No answer. V rolls her eyes.)

As Tessa walks, she accidentally kicks a severed Drone arm. It rolls as she sees the piles of corpses. Everyone looks around at their besmirched setting. N looks like he's ready to vomit.

Tessa: Riiiight... Might be some security, specifically against... you guys.

Uzi and Y/N look to their left. There's some writing on the wall...

DON'T LOOK
THE LIGHT

Scared, You slowly reaches out for N's hand as Uzi hold your hand...

Tessa: Human-made security this human can control. Hehehehe!

Unfortunately...

ACCESS DENIED

Tessa: ...Maybe.

V: Anything to screw Cyn's plan.

N: And for Mom backstory. (To the sisters) Right, dude?

Y/N and Uzi: ...Yeah.

They continue walking until they come across a directory. It states that the secret elevator is north of their direction. N giggles excitedly over being right and turns to his friends for validation. V's eye just twitches, while Y/N gives a supportive nods with Uzi.

Tessa: Huh. Righty-ho. Sources say that way–

Before she can finish, she gets dragged off by her foot.

Tessa: (Rapidly) Except I'm going this way, so save me if you can, THANKS!

The gang try to find where Tessa got dragged off to. While doing so, they stop at the sound of a child's laughter.

Uzi and Y/N: ...Shoot the baby immediately?

N: That's not soon enough!

The baby robot head suddenly grows legs and runs off before N could hit it. Suddenly, a long arm lands in front of them. The arm switches to a detonator-like device. They turn around...

Alice: (Chuckling) Hey, surface slickers.

An EMP explosion occurs and everything goes black...

The sound of an axe chopping is heard as Y/N woke up. You look around you as we see a magnet attached to your head. You looks to your right to see Alice chopping off the head of a Drone. You tried to get up, but to no avail.

Alice: Sentinels picked at this one. I try and not damage good parts. Of course, some parts are more valuable than others, ain't they?

She pulls back a curtain to reveal...

V: More valuable.

Uzi: Y/N!

Y/N: UZI!

Alice gets ready to chop V head off.

Uzi: Whoa, hey, cut that thing up and you're gonna get a big creepy worm. An improvement.

Alice: Nah, heat keeps 'em sluggish.

She hops on top of an oven and opens the door, revealing the contents inside: AbsoluteSolver creatures in a non-hostile form.

Alice: Ain't our first rodeo.

She closes the door.

Y/N: (Grossed out) ...Okay, that's enough of this. Don't worry Uzi I'll get us out of here

You tried to activate your AbsoluteSolver... It doesn't work.

Alice: (Chuckles) Dealt with witches 'fore, too. (She brings Uzi's face up close to hers.) Though, ain't seen 02 since she left us to die...!

In another room, Tessa is bound to a table.

Tessa: Little buddy, you're gonna get red and sad if you try that with me.

Beau is working on N, who seems to enjoy this, for some reason.

N: (Giggling like a child) It tickles! The bad version, though!

Beau pauses for a bit.

N: ...Doing great, dude.

Tessa: N, whose side– (She quiets down.)

N: Tried sawing there?

Beau lowers his saw to a specific spot. N shakes his head "no". Beau moves his saw a little bit to N's right. N winks, indicating "yes". Just as he's about to get to work...

Alice: (Over the radio) Beau, we've got Nori's kids here! (What sounds like a crunching bite followed by Y/N's and Uzi's laughter can be heard in the background.) Need more sedatives. It's bitey.

Beau grabs a couple more magnets and leaves. N waves goodbye, and Beau peeks his head in to wave back.

Tessa: Ugh, finally, the code. Lordy... (She takes the magnet off her head.) Walk and talk?

Back with Y/N. You get the two magnets stuck to your head as you spit a severed piece of Alice's finger in Beau's face.

Y/N: How'd you know our mom?

Uzi: Was she cool? She didn't suck, did she?

Y/N: UZI! That's our mom

Alice doesn't answer any of these, focusing on replacing her missing finger piece with a spare. Before she can get back to work...

Alice: (To Beau) Back to the others!

Beau hurriedly exits the room. On a monitor behind Alice, the sisters see Tessa and N escaping their room. A bright light is suddenly shown in y/n face.

Uzi: HEY! Leave with my sister alone.

Alice: You're both a lot like of her, I'll say but the older you the most (meaning you). 'Cept her yellow eyes.

She prepares to sever Y/N's finger with a hand pruner.

Y/N: (Batting her away) Easy, creep.

Uzi: You've got the wrong–

A blade is suddenly sunk into y/n hand.

Alice: Nori, right? Sure though imploding all them folks was pretty slick.

Alice gets ready to sever her finger again. Y/N tries to use your AbsoluteSolver to stop her, to no avail.

Y/N: (Voice glitching) Wait, stop. Seriously, what are you talking about?

Uzi: STOP IT YOURE HURTING MY SISTER

SNAP!

You screamed and Uzi winces

V winces.

Beau enters V and N's room, only to discover their missing. He goes out to warn Alice. Nearby, N watches Beau from behind a desk while Tessa is typing away on a computer.

N: They've gotta be in there, right?

Tessa: No worries, we'll save V.

She gestures for N to sit down, but he kicks his chair away.

N: (Sternly) And Y/N with Uzi.

Tessa turns back to the computer. With a few keystrokes, the room is filled with a yellow glow from the monitor.

Tessa: Wanna take a gander at Earth, N?

N: No, Tessa, we don't have time–

Before he can finish, something on the monitor catches his attention...

Meanwhile, in V and Uzi and Y/N's room as you were screaming from the pain, Beau is looking through the security monitors for any sign of Tessa and N.

N: Y/N!

In the room with the 3 girls

Alice: (Shoves Beau aside) They can't leave the office, idjit! (She turns back to Uzi and an unconscious Y/N.) Can't get back in our rooms, neither.

She presses a couple buttons and two doors close, one of which leading into the room they're in now. She presses a third button. This opens a door to allow Sentinels loose.

Uzi: (Terrified) Wait... What is that...?

Y/N: uhhh, what happened! (You woke up) WHAT THE F*** IS THAT

Alice sits down with "popcorn" (actually batteries) and watches the Sentinels roam the office complexes. One Sentinel devours the security camera in front of it. Uzi with You continues to free themselves as Alice finds entertainment in the Sentinels' rampage.

To N's horror and worries about you , photos on the monitor show Earth getting blown up.

Tessa: We know it mutates in damaged AI. It took Cyn as a host, then it took everything. The humans here saw what was happening at home. Thought they could understand it. (She pulls up a security feed of a possessed Nori before the feed gets cut out.) All they did was spread it.

N: As long as Uzi is ok but Y/N... You can fix her, right? That's why you're here?

Tessa: (Gets up and takes N's hand) I'm here to find which drones were infected. When we get to the labs and find that list, I'll need you to choose the universe over one little drone, N. Before she's not herself anymore...

N contemplates this... Suddenly, a Sentinel appears in front of him and attacks him. Alice continues watching this while the sisters struggle more to free themselves. Just as the Sentinel is about to go in for the kill...

Tessa: Hey, fella. Me, human, order you to be a nice dingo, please?

Tessa extends her hand out for the Sentinel. It seems to have a change of heart... And it bites her.

Tessa: (Frees herself) Bad, dingo! Bad, dingo!

The Sentinel goes crazy until it smacks against a wall and collapses to the ground. A couple more Sentinels appear to corner Tessa as Alice continues to watch... until the batteries levitate in the air. She looks behind her. Beau and various equipment are floating as well.

Y/N/AbsoluteSolver: Oh, don't mind me.

You unleashes your AbsoluteSolver to destroy the door buttons, thus opening the doors and giving the Sentinels more free roaming in the area. The Sentinels make their way to Alice's room.

Alice slowly closes the door before the Sentinels show up.

Alice: BEAU! HELP ME WITH–

(It's too late. The Sentinels are here. Alice is flashed and paralyzed as the Sentinels enter the room, crushing Alice under their feet, thus getting rid of her for good. Beau frees V, and gets mauled by a Sentinel. V goes over to Uzi's table and gets cornered before she could save uzi as you were free. Just as V tries to fight back, the Sentinels have already all been killed. V and you look over at Uzi, who's now unconscious.

Y/N: (Gasp) Uzi!

Meanwhile...

Tessa: (Pokes N's face) Wakey, wakey.

N wakes up.

Tessa: Don't say I never did anything for–

V lands in the room as you hold Uzi, Uzi being carried on V back.

N: V! Is Uzi– Y/N!

Y/N: N, Uzi is-

V: Hurt. We're leaving.

Tessa: I can take a squizz at–

V: (Threateningly) You said you could control the Sentinels!

Tessa: I... At least they can't boot loop me, but we'll just have to–

V: (Turns to leave) Do whatever you want. N?

No response.

Tessa: It's okay, N. I haven't been honest with V yet.

V: ...What did she tell you?

At that moment, Uzi regains consciousness.

Uzi: (Groaning) Ow... My freaking head.... (Sees N and you) N? Sis?

Y/N: Uzi (you hug your sister)

N waves. Uzi pulls and hugs N, and he silently returns the embrace with the Doorman sisters. V stares at Tessa, her cold stare reflecting off Tessa's helmet.

The Sentinel that bit Tessa awakens, its icy blue eyes changing to blood red. Its radar indicates bloody footprints nearby. It follows the trail until it comes across a message:)

HOLD
STILL

Uzi, N, V, Y/N and Tessa watch from above. You silently look at N.

Y/N: (Silently) U GOOD?

N doesn't respond.

Uzi: (Silently) TALK LATER?

N: (Silently) IT SUCKS PRETTY HARD

Y/N and Uzi: (Silently) >:3

Suddenly, the Sentinel leaves. They get back to the ground when, in the distance, they see... Doll, stuck in a boot loop and holding the bug in her hand.

Insect: PLEASE PLACE ME ON PROXIMITY READER (CABIN FEVER LABS).

Uzi: That's...

Y/N: convenient.

V: It's a trap!

Y/N: Yeah, no... Nevermind.

You begins to unleash your AbsoluteSolver.

N, Uzi And V: DON'T!

They stop you.

Tessa: (From afar) Oi! (She's holding the insect.) Bloody convenient, eh?

The four of you make their way towards her. You and N hold hands along the way. They briefly disconnect, but reconnect after a few seconds. After catching up with Tessa, V and Uzi notices this romantic sight.

V: Ew.

Tessa: please don't date my robot.

Uzi: Hehehe (but glares at Tessa and V), (To Tessa) He's his own person! (To V) You, ew! You're mean! And that's my sister she's happy with him and I SHIP IT YOU FOOLS

Y/N: UZI!  (you blushed madly as N blushed too while you guys hold each others hands)

Suddenly, the insect is lifted up. It flies back into Doll's hand, revealing it was, indeed, a trap. Doll uses her powers to call an elevator and open all the doors in the area. She falls down the shaft as the elevator arrives.

The Sentinels have arrived.

Tessa: Uh-oh, hope I don't human everywhere!

Tessa spreads the blood from her arm onto the ground in front of her to ward off the Sentinels, which aren't programmed to target humans. The red-eyed Sentinel examines the scene; most of the Sentinels turn their noses from the blood and walk away, uninterested. Tessa smugly leans on her sword, confident she's secured the team's safety...

...But then, after flashing at Tessa to no success, the red-eyed Sentinel slithers down. It licks the blood off its teeth, then roars a hearty roar and slowly advances—it's acquired a new taste for humans. Tessa is shocked out of her bliss and hurriedly readies her sword, while V crawls to the ceiling. Ready to aid in her friends' escape, You begins to unleash your AbsoluteSolver to break a hole into the back of the elevator.

N: Y/N, no!

Uzi: SIS, DONT DO IT!

Your AbsoluteSolver suddenly glows yellow, causing your fingers to crack, bend, and contort in all the ways no finger should. It produces a black hole that blows a wide, oozing opening into the elevator.

Tessa: Whoops, all mitosis!

Tessa sprays more blood in the way of the advancing red-eyed Sentinel. The Sentinel regurgitates a severed Murder Drone arm and, clasping it firmly in its mouth, fires a bullet at Tessa...only for V to get in the way and catch the bullet with her bare claws. She tosses the bullet back at the gun arm, disarming it. It turns out she's wearing her old, broken glasses, which sharpened her vision enough to perform such a feat

V: Did I get it?

Your AbsoluteSolver is out of control, distorting the hole in front of you. You panicked, panting heavily as you tries restraining your glitched arm. Left with no other choice, N hacks the mangled hand off with his sword. For a split second as you fall back and Uzi was behind you, your head snaps towards N, eyes gleaming yellow and mouth twisted into a grin, showing him a single message:

MISS ME?

N catches you in his arms. You cough up oil as her eyes switch between purple and yellow, your voice overlapping with the AbsoluteSolver's.

Y/N/AbsoluteSolver: (Severely glitching) What the hell is going on?

Tessa: Bugger, that's bad. Come on, team!

Tessa pulls Uzi, You and N into the elevator, only for it to get stuck.

N: V, come on!

V isn't listening. She's still fighting the red-eyed Sentinel. Still clutching the severed arm, the Sentinel extends its blade and deftly swings at V. With her vision in peak condition, however, V's robo-dinosaur sword fight ends in seconds as she knocks the Sentinel to the ground.

Just as she readies her arm cannon at the Sentinel, another pulls out the power supply to the elevator, causing it to rise slightly. With both sides of the elevator wide open, the team inside are sitting ducks. The Sentinel flashes its lights; V whips her head back to avoid the light, causing her glasses to fly off her face. Another Sentinel crushes the glasses beneath its foot. V is surrounded.

V: Hey, um–

N: NO, NO, NO! V, WE NEED YOU!

V: ...Nah. (To Y/N) Y/N?

You look at V, her expression grim.

V: ...I trust you.

Y/N: WHAT!

V slashes the elevator cables with her laser cannon.

N: V, PLEASE!

V doesn't get in. With a resigned smile, she gives one final salute as the Sentinels surround her and the cables snap, sending the elevator down...

Credits roll.

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