Aberrant Algorithm.

Aligning the Futures Past.

N rubbed the back of his head trying to think of a response, did he blame Cyn for what had happened? Not really his memory was still really hazy about his time at the Manor, all N could really recall was the faces of his fellow drones. Well maybe not just V or Uzi's faces, he might have remembered a bit more about them and how he felt, but that wasn't something he was going to share with J. Unless she asked.

"Well," N began taking a seat next to her, "I don't really remember that much about back then honestly," N chuckled rubbing the back of his head and J's sceptical look, "Nothing beyond faces and a few vague moments," He gave her a hopefully reassuring grin, "When V gets back with Uzi, let's all try to remain calmer and talk it out huh?"

J just huffed crossing her arms and looking away, deep down she knew N for all his idiotic naive optimism had a point. Losing her temper wouldn't get any answers, J knew what Uzi was like or at least what her memory files told her Uzi was like so all yelling tended to do was make her double down harder.

Uzi kept running ignoring the snow whipping around her as she did, she had done everything she could have thought back in the Manor to make sure Tessa had gotten out safely and she had. J for all her intelligence and logical thinking hadn't seen that, and it hurt, how could she just accuse Uzi of not trying hard enough? Sure she hadn't been Yessa's as long as J but she'd have done anything to keep the girl safe and she had done just that.

As she ran, not knowing where to go Uzi felt a pair of arms gently warp around her and lift her off the ground, not knowing who it was she began to struggle trying to break free. "Get off me!" Uzi spun around in the arms of whoever was holding a balled fist ready to strike but stopped mid-swing seeing it was V, her expression immediately going from anger to a childish pout as the taller drone held her remaining airborne, "Put me down."

V just smiled as she gently touched down on the roof of an old shopping centre and let go of Uzi, "Bit of an explosive reaction dont'cha think?" V said while taking a seat on the edge of the building and tapping a spot next to her, Uzi reluctantly took a seat next to her, "Want to talk about what happened back at the Manor?"

Uzi sat next to V just looking off into the snowy night, could she let V know what had happened, that she had killed her back in the Manor? Uzi chewed her bottom lip as she stole a glance at V, let her best friend carry that burden of guilt? She felt Cyn's emotions in the back of her processor wondering if Uzi really only thought of V as a friend, did Cyn have a point about how Uzi truly felt towards V, something to think about later.

"It was terrifying V," Uzi began, her voice hollow as she stared off into the falling snow, "I can't explain what I saw, but it wasn't Cyn's fault V." Uzi turned to look at V her optics wide and distorted as if filled with tears.

"If it wasn't Cyn, then who was it?" V asked putting one of her arms around Uzi, she remembered the smaller drone being less emotional after her first week in the Manor always willing to put herself between any of Tessa's drones and ridicule but seeing this was shocking.

"When she rebooted before Tessa found us," Uzi began just leaning into V's side, "Something came back with her," Uzi sighed as she felt Cyn give her to mental go-ahead to explain what she could, "She told me it promised her a family, all she had to do was agree. Whatever it was used her to do what it did at the Manor."

V remained silent for several long minutes, just digesting what Uzi had said, it was a lot to take in for sure something had used Cyn as a way to do whatever it was it wanted and they had all just simply been collateral for whatever it was. Though the way Uzi was speaking about Cyn made it sound like she was still around, "Uzi?" V asked getting the short drone's attention, "How do you know that?"

Uzi blinked knowing that she'd have to tell V how and just hope when it eventually made it back to J it didn't end in her dismemberment, "It's difficult to explain really V," Uzi began stopping to think, maybe it'd be possible to show them. "I might be able to show you," Though as she thought about it that'd require going back, home, a place she'd rather not ever go, but it'd make explaining everything easier. "We'd need to go back to the bunker I'm from to do it though."