A Heart in the Machine (Serial Designation V x Reader)

The world around you is chaos, the weight of failure crushing your chest.

You stand frozen as James's voice cuts through the air, sharp and cold.

"Is this the best you can do?" he sneers, his arms crossed as his piercing gaze bores into you.

Beside him, Louisa's expression is no softer. Her arms are folded, her mouth a thin, disapproving line. "I told you this would happen," she hisses. "Trust the technician to ruin everything."

Your throat feels like sandpaper, but no words come. Behind you, V, N, and J stand silently, their heads bowed low, as if waiting for judgment. The weight of James's disapproval presses down on your chest, making it hard to breathe.

"This gala is everything," Louisa continues, her voice venomous. "And you—all of you—have failed us."

Before you can even try to respond, the scene dissolves around you.

The pristine house fades away, replaced by the familiar wasteland of the dump. But this time, the air feels heavier, the surroundings even more oppressive.

Your stomach churns at the sight in front of you. V lies sprawled in the dirt, her torso torn open, oil pooling beneath her. Her optic flickers weakly before going dark. A few feet away, N's head sits detached from his mangled body, his face frozen in a lifeless stare. J's once-formidable frame is now a crumpled mess, wires sparking faintly from her severed limbs.

"No..." you whisper, falling to your knees. The world around you seems to tilt as grief and panic surge through your chest. "No, no, no..."

The silence stretches, broken only by the faint hum of machinery in the distance. You reach out toward V, your hand trembling, but before you can touch her—

"You care for them, don't you?"

The voice freezes you in place.

From the shadows steps Cyn. Her movement is slow, deliberate, her head tilting at an unsettling angle as her loose neck joint clicks faintly. Her smile is soft, almost gentle, but her gaze sends a chill down your spine.

"What a tragedy," she murmurs, crouching down in front of you. "All this pain... all this loss... And why?"

You can barely speak, the words caught in your throat.

"They mattered to you," Cyn continues, her voice growing softer, almost sing-song. "V... N... Even J. You care for them. So much."

"Yes..." you choke out, the tears brimming in your eyes spilling over.

She smiles wider, tilting her head just a bit more. "Then why let this happen? Why stand by and watch them break?"

You shake your head desperately. "I... I didn't—"

"Oh, but you will," she interrupts, her tone still light, almost sweet. "Unless... you do something about it."

Behind her, robotic tentacles unfurl like vines, glinting with a slick, oily sheen. They sway and writhe before lunging forward with terrifying speed, circling you.

"I'll do what you're too weak to," Cyn whispers, her voice dripping with malice. "You'll see... You'll thank me for it."

A tentacle coils around your neck, the cold, metallic surface biting into your skin. Your breath catches, your hands clawing at the appendage as panic sets in.

Cyn leans closer, her face mere inches from yours now. Her voice drops to a chilling whisper, echoing unnaturally in the void around you.

"Will you protect the ones who matter most?"