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

You walk alongside N and V through the dimly lit hall, the echo of your steps the only thing filling the silence between you. V stretches her arms behind her head, looking particularly unbothered, while N walks with his usual chipper bounce, his hands swinging by his sides. You, on the other hand, can't shake the unease curling in your circuits.

Uzi is waiting outside her door when you arrive, arms crossed, her impatient glare already locked onto the three of you. "Finally," she groans, stepping aside. "Get in."

N marches inside without hesitation, and V follows after, pausing only to glance at you before disappearing into Uzi's bedroom. Just as you're about to step in, Uzi suddenly plants a hand against your chest, stopping you in your tracks.

"Come with me. We need to grab some stuff."

You blink at her, confused, but before you can ask what she means, V pokes her head back out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, why does Techie have to go with you?" she asks, narrowing her glowing yellow eyes.

You wave her off, offering a reassuring nod. "It's fine. I'll be back in a second."

V lets out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes before pulling her head back inside. Uzi waits for the door to fully slide shut before she motions for you to follow.

She leads you down the hall and into a small closet, barely lit by a single flickering bulb. Boxes are stacked haphazardly along the walls, their labels either scratched out or barely legible under layers of dust. Uzi kneels, shoving one aside and yanking open another. She rummages through it for a moment before pulling out a bundle of tangled wiring.

You watch in silence as she untangles a few strands, her movements methodical, precise. Then, without looking up, she whispers, "I think I've figured it out."

You frown. "Figured what out?"

She grips the wiring tighter before finally looking up at you, her expression unreadable. "The secret to everything that's been happening? It's in them. In their memories."

You blink. "You mean N and V's memories?"

She nods, her voice lowering even more. "Yeah. I think something, or someone, has been messing with them. And I'm gonna make them relive it all to find out what."

You stare at her. "You're gonna what?"

She huffs. "I mean, if they want to, of course. But I'll be persuasive!" she adds quickly, waving a hand. "But that's where you come in. I need someone to help me monitor what's going on while we're in there. Think of it like being an admin in a Bitcord server, but real life."

You tilt your head. "What's Bitcord?"

Uzi groans, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "Ugh. Of course you wouldn't know. Forget it, normie. Look, just trust me on this. You in or what?"

You hesitate, but ultimately, there's no other leads. If Uzi's right, if there's something buried in N and V's memories that could explain what's going on, then it's worth looking into. And, maybe, just maybe, she could help you with your own lost memories once this is over.

"Fine," you say, crossing your arms. "I'm in."

Uzi's grin is quick and sharp. "Knew you'd see it my way."

With the bundle of wiring slung over her shoulder, she leads you back to her room. The door hisses open, revealing N and V rummaging through her things. N, completely innocent, simply tilts his head at a broken snow globe he found on her desk. V, however, is holding up one of Uzi's sweaters like it's the most disgusting thing she's ever touched.

"Wow. You have worse taste than I thought," V mutters, flicking lint off her claws.

"Drop it," Uzi snaps.