Serial Designation N would say he's a good drone.
He follows orders.
Is friendly.
And is always ready to help others.
But now, staring at the mangled, melted and offline V while flying through the now dark sky, he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.
Why hadn't V called for help? She should have known he would arrive as soon as possible.
Better yet, why hadn't she retreated?
Sure, N knows V can be prideful, but he never pictured it getting bad enough to impact her decision making.
Also, how could've this happened?
V was the most ruthless and perhaps even the most skilled amongst them.
There was no chance she would go down, this horrifically…
But that drone.
He is no normal drone is he?
N could vividly remember the teal glow that turned orange surrounding the drone's limbs.
It wasn't electricity, or any kind of energy signature he had ever seen before.
Never mind the fact that he was using it outside his body.
It seemed to protect the drone, and strengthen too if the hole through V's stomach was anything to go by.
'Dangerous.'
The thought came subconsciously, and he couldn't help but stop his slow flight because of it.
He remained there, amongst the clouds, staring at the stars far away, pondering.
*
Well, I'd say that was an eventful evening.
Got a tiny bit of information.
Saved a drone(which will probably end up dead in a few days anyways).
And I now have a scar. Which is, you know, sick.
I've never been able to have scars, since you know, immortality.
Although it is pitiful, I'll admit.
It just looks like I burned my hand touching something very hot.
Which, well, is true I guess.
Standing up, two drinks in hand, I stepped towards the door.
Just as I reached it, hurried knocking could be heard.
As expected, I was greeted by the purple optics, purple beanie and purple jacket of Uzi, her mouth having a small smirk as she tore out the drink from my hand.
I smiled just a little, letting her pass straight to the tv, her optics already focused on the console that wasn't hers.
She raised a brow, inspecting it.
"Where'd you get this?"
I shrugged, not that she could see it.
"Went to the printer and just picked out the best option."
I answered lamely, turning my attention to the blueprints I'm working on.
She didn't reply to that, focusing on the console.
"Damn."
It was heard after a few minutes.
"You downloaded literally everything into it?"
I paused for a second to remember.
"Only the games."
I replied after a second.
"No shit."
A smirk graced my face, her words, when in private, are amusing as ever.
"You can play till whenever, just try to keep it down, working on a project."
I said in my usual bored tone, not even checking if the drone heard me or not.
She knew well enough to not disturb my work, I hope.
The file opened, and the slightly more than half completed blueprint revealed itself to me.
It was starting to look like an actual sword, one that truly is something special.
Even when still just a blueprint, it glowed with the undeniable power of void energy.
Because frankly, it's made up of nothing but condensed void energy.
Well, it used to be.
Now it was just an insanely durable physical sword that would be imbued with void energy.
The impact on it's strength would be devastating.
But there is no choice, its either this, or nothing at all.
Not for the first time, I started cursing the lack of the void in this universe.
First my own weakness, now my weapons, and next would be my warframes.
Was this universe against me or something?
Probably.
Actually that's very likely now that I think about it.
I'd need to check if God or Gods exist in this universe.
It would explain quite a bit.
Barely restraining myself from shifting to search for signs of divinity, I continued to work on the blueprint.
Each line is as delicate as glass, the tiniest dot capable of ruining the entire weapon.
I could have chosen something simpler, something much easier to make.
Something I could use without difficulty in this form of mine.
But that would be short term, and then what? I would have a warframe with no weapon.
The idea itself was laughable.
In the past, I wouldn't need to make the weapon separate, they would be a part of the abilities the warframe provides, a manifestation of pure void energy.
Now, everything was separated.
With the lack of raw power unavailable, it would turn to the only source, me.
And that would drain and kill me in mere minutes.
Not a good idea to say the least.
So I'm making it weaker, slower, and duller, out of necessity.
Besides, it seems like nothing in this universe could threaten me anyways, what would be the point of cutting at nearly the atomic level?
An involuntary snort escaped me, one that caused Uzi to turn to me, having paused her game.
"Something funny?"
She asked, her ovals squished to resemble narrowed eyes.
"No, nothing."
I replied smoothly, the thought funny for no apparent reason.
Turning my attention to the blueprint, I noticed something vital.
The small smile grew into a grin, as I realized I was at the point I could copy the already made side and flip it to the other.
Ah, this day truly is great.
***
I hate this day. Hate it, hate it, hate it!
Why couldn't anything be simple?!
Why the fuck did the weapon shatter into literal atoms upon touch?!
Sure, the foundry collected it back into itself.
But it didn't make sense!
What could have possibly gone wrong?
A few minutes of angered thought revealed the answer to me.
It needs void energy, and not directly from me.
Since I weakened it, it seems natural to assume it can't handle the power.
Which means I'll have to use a filter, aka the warframe.
Which means the warframe will be weaker too…
"DAMNIT IT ALL!"
A fist slammed straight through a wall, into the living room.
Extracting my slightly scratched arm, I walked to and fell on my bed.
Placing both of my hands over my face, leaving only my optics and above visible, I let out a defeated groan.
The problem wasn't that they would be weaker.
It meant I would need to redesign the warframes and weapons internally.
And since I barely comprehend the bullshit that is orikin technology, it would need to switch out materials.
Which means that the warframes and weapons could at any point just shatter like glass.
But why had the vectis and soma primes handled it?
Well, they are primed, so that's one.
Second, they aren't half made of void energy.
Hm, what if I just remove the internal energy channels?
Then it would be just a simple cool looking sword.
I needed to externalize the energy, internal energy input is just a liability at this point.
Dragging my four fingered hands down my face, I thought of possible ideas.
I could just widen the guards, then add a hole through it and the handle to my palm.
The condensed energy would flow through and around the blade.
Which would work, but would be far too demanding on my reserves.
Far too much waste without anything sealing it inside.
And if I did that, the blade itself would just be a glowing stick.
Like a lightsaber kind of, from star wars I believe.
Unbelievable cool shit, not quite applicable to my things though.
Tapping my chin, I thought of anything else.
I could just cut in a few thin lines into the blade, run void energy through them, and seal them.
But that would undeniably damage the sword after every use.
Groaning again, I got up to grab a drink.
Instead of going to the fridge/foundry, I went into the living room, where Uzi still played some sort of game.
Grabbing a drink and another one after seeing a raised hand from the purple head, I walked towards her.
Handing her the grape flavored ambrosia, I sat down beside her.
Before I could say anything, she spoke first.
"We not gonna talk about the shout of absolute rage and the new hole in the wall?"
Coughing a little on my drink, I answered her smoothly.
"No idea what you're talking about."
Then, before she could continue in that, I changed the topic.
"How do you channel energy into a thing without it being internal or external?"
The game was paused in an instant, my eyes barely seeing the fingers that flew across the controller.
She didn't turn to me, her optics not being visible to signify she wasn't seeing anything.
She tapped the couch beside her for a few long moments.
"What kind of thing?"
She asked, her voice intrigued yet serious.
I paused for a second, contemplating if this was worth it.
But since she had seen the vectis and soma, was there any point in hiding my intentions?
"A sword."
Her tapping stopped, and the purple ovals returned on her visor.
Her head snapped towards me so fast I'm sure she broke something.
"You making another weapon?!"
She exclaimed loudly, which nearly caused me to drop my drink.
"I am, be quiet."
The gobsmacked expression slowly faded, as she dived back into thought.
"The sword is made out of the energy."
She answered after a minute of thinking, although she was audibly uncertain.
"Too expensive, the energy wouldn't just stay in shape, it would flow, kind of like thick oxygen."
"Just make a shell around it?"
She replied, a purple digital brow raised.
"That would defeat the purpose of the blade."
She hummed for a moment.
"Wouldn't the heat still fry anything it touched?"
I paused for a moment to take in a large sip.
"The energy doesn't really produce heat, even if it is powerful."
She stared at me like I grew a second head(technically I do have two heads.)
"You mean that teal energy on your guns right?"
I nodded.
"I saw it produced literal steam."
She argued.
"That was the weapon itself, it can't entirely withstand the energy. That's why there's a hatch to release the trapped heat while I reload it."
She whistled.
"Damn."
"Wait, did you just say reload? I didn't even see a magazine on it!"
"Energy formed bullets."
She stared at me again, like im some sort of special stupid.
"And yet a sword is out of the question?"
I nodded.
"It's ridiculously expensive to reload a single large round, while having to fuel the weapon. And the automatic rifle, while weaker, is even worse."
Taking a sip, I continued.
"A sword would need a lot more just for the size, which would need constant fueling to maintain its shape."
She hummed again, squinting.
"And why can't it be internal or external?"
I sighed. I'm starting to doubt her giving me any ideas.
"It can't be internal because the sword literally explodes into atoms."
I ignored the stare.
"It can't be external because it weakens the surface of the blade or has the same weakness as a sword made of pure energy."
She huffed after a minute of silence, slight amusement audible.
"The energy problem can't be solved without diluting it, you need stronger material."
What the fuck could be stronger than orikin alloys?
Well there's anti matter, but im never ever playing with that stuff.
Thing can probably wipe out this entire planet.
Besides, it's not even an alloy, nor a substance.
It's just… energy…
No. Nope. Never.
I dismissed the thought, locked it in a digital prison even.
"I can't think of a single thing stronger than what I'm using."
I finally answered her.
Another brow was raised.
"What's it made of?"
I shrugged.
"honestly no idea, it's been lost to time, and you can't really examine it."
She huffed.
"Sounds like some sci-fi bullshit."
She muttered under her breath.
Which nearly made me choke.
"What about what we're made of?"
I stared at her now, because the idea was in fact, stupid as hell.
"The hell do you think I'm gonna do with the sword?"
I asked.
"Fight the murder drones?"
She asked, but it sounded more like a statement.
"Precisely, how in the world am I gonna block a slash with a material the murder drones are made to cut?"
I asked once again.
"Okay I see your point."
Taking another sip, I continued thinking.
"Can't you just, not use the energy?"
Pausing my sipping, I thought it over.
I could, but it would just be a simple, boring, cool looking sword.
Nothing special.
Which was precisely what wouldn't work.
The sword needs energy for the ability.
"No, it would lack power."
I partially lied.
Another few minutes passed.
Uzi opened her mouth, and just by the look on her visor I knew I wont like the sentence.
"So like, where does this energy come from?"
I sighed, I knew this shit would happen.
"Me."
"You?"
"Me."
I repeated.
Before she could jump to conclusions or start asking questions, I thought of a lie on the spot.
"I don't really run on electricity, while it fuels my ability to connect to things and storage, I run on a different type of energy."
Pausing for a moment to let her process the information, I continued.
"An energy I produce and have a limited supply of."
She connected her arms, placing them in her lap.
"So… you're a different type of drone?.
"Yes and no."
"I see…"
A slight frown formed in her face.
One that quickly shifted into a smirk.
Although lacking her usual energy, she quickly snapped her fingers at me.
"I got it!"
She exclaimed, burrowing the unease she felt under a small amount of excitement.
"You can just discharge a set amount of energy into the blade."
She paused for barely a second, snapping her fingers multiple times.
"You would still need to build channels, but they would be similar to your guns! You'd still need a vent to let out the heat before the weapon melts, but you could place it on the handle or cross guard!"
I blinked several times at her, thinking about it.
Slowly standing up, I placed my drink onto the small table.
"Youre an absolute genius!"
I exclaimed, grabbing her on the shoulders and shaking her.
Quickly sitting back down, I opened the blueprint.
The change wouldn't even be difficult to implement, I would just need to be very, very careful to make sure everything is right.
Over a span of an hour of low muttering and a few questions directed at Uzi, the blueprint had been changed.
The sword originally being a solid one piece was now split into parts, three vents being implemented.
I'd hoped one would be enough, sadly, the ability uses far more energy than even a fully powered vectis.
So I decided to do one each on the blades sides, just above the handle.
And another one in the palm.
While it was smaller than the other two, it would just mean that it would come out faster due to pressure.
Now grinning wickedly and waiting for the atoms to rearrange themselves into the glorious sword, I almost pleaded for Uzi to stay.
"Thirty minutes, only thirty!"
I exclaimed, my usual aloofness replaced by a child-like eagerness.
Uzi groaned, one of those "kill me" groans that she semi-regularly does.
"Fine, fine, stop acting weird."
After a pause and a small smirk forming on her face, she continued.
"Although you owe me."
I nodded rapidly, not even thinking of the possible favors she might ask.
Thirty minutes later, I walked out my bedroom, giant sword in hand.
Uzi's jaw almost fell off its hinges, purple ovals hollow.
Which quickly were replaced by stars.
She bolted off the couch, almost tumbling over the table, reaching me in a mere moment.
"How–agh its so cool!"
Snickering lowly, I raised the sword to my eye level, inspecting it.
One arm on the handle, one underneath the blade, holding it horizontally.
It was different, but this was still it.
The Exalted Blade. Excalibur's own personal weapon, one that used to be manifested from pure void energy, was now entirely physical.
Oh how I wished to infuse it and see it glow like it always has, alas, Uzi was present.
And I don't quite want to drive my only friend into insanity now do I?
Which is also the reason I would still modify my warframes to filter through my energy.
The negative was that I'd lose power.
But there were also positives.
For one, I would have a much greater supply of it.
As well as being able to use it in front of worker drones.
A smirk graced my lips, and I carefully placed the blade into Uzi's awaiting hands.
Which caused her to nearly fall over.
Letting out a chuckle, I walked to the kitchen to grab a few batteries.
Uzi would definitely have input and listening to her rambles without a drink or snack sometimes gets too much.
***
"So how powerful is the energy if no known alloys can withstand it?"
She asked, her words just slightly muffled by her chewing on a battery.
Tilting my head side to side for a few seconds, I couldn't quite answer her fully.
"A few alloys can withstand it, for a bit at least. It's the technology that can't."
I finally said.
Which of course, causes Uzi to raise a brow.
"Technology?"
"It's got an imprint of code and a lot of other things that I can't be bothered to name.
Basically, if I shift the energy in a certain way, it does something it has been programmed to."
Uzi coughed violently, barely gulping down the battery.
"So… wait, you can just tell it to swing upwards and it will?!"
"Yeah, if I would make a segment for it."
She hummed for a while, ovals narrowed at the ceiling.
"Doesn't that mean you will fry it anyway? You can only lengthen its lifespan."
I nodded, a bit saddened by the inescapable fact.
It's so weird now, that the somewhat predictable void energy was just… absolutely random.
No more patterns, nothing.
You could make two exact copies of a thing, and they might just act completely differently.
And I've never even heard of a problem surrounding heat in the past.
This is completely new, everything is.
A sudden question from Uzi broke me out of my thoughts.
"Does the energy even apply to the rule of E=mc²?"
I stared at her, searching the internet for a minute to find what she meant.
"Nope, my energy doesn't apply to it, as it constantly rotates in random patterns."
"Bruh."
I barely restrained the laugh.
"Indeed."
She crossed her arms, giving a smirk I knew well enough at this point.
"Alright, explain then."
Exhaling heavily, I thought of how to explain void energy to someone that can't even comprehend the concept of it.
Well, no one could understand it.
It is a primordial thing after all, existing before everything.
Some even say it was the cause of creation itself.
"You can't destroy it, but you can alter it and create it."
I started slowly, trying to use words that come from this universe.
"You can make constructs out of it, true constructs, shift the composition of minerals and atoms into anything, as long as you have enough of it."
I pointed at the desk.
"If the table was made even partially out of the energy, you could shift it from metal to glass, to wood or gold."
"You could say it is capable of everything, which is technically true."
"So you can make us rich?"
This time I did laugh outloud, Uzi joining in shortly.
"It's also capable of charging any sort of battery, except sentient drones like us."
I added after a moment of thought.
"Wait wait wait, you can alter it to a different energy entirely?"
Nodding and throwing another battery into my mouth, I waited for the next question.
"And how much do you lose while charging something?"
"Like, how much disappears into thin air?"
At a nod, I answered.
"Nothing, I have to be careful not to explode the batteries even."
"That just sounds absurd…"
She snapped her fingers.
"Like anti matter conversion into energy some scientist suggested a while back!"
"Oh yeah, I can make that too."
Her jaw fell to the floor, thankfully not literally.
"Although I'd need a special suit to not annihilate myself with it."
Taking note of the silence, I turned towards her, only to see her unresponsive.
Standing up, I saw her visor, which clearly displayed the "PASSED TF OUT"
Chuckling softly, I just sat back down.
She would wake in time, and this gives me time to relax a little.
Turning my attention to the blade on my lap, I brushed my metallic fingers across the edge.
I wasn't surprised that it cut into me like paper, the edge is said to be the sharpest object in my universe after all.
Although I'm sure, there are plenty of arguments about that.
Letting out a wistful sigh, I walked into my room to stow away the giant blade under my bed.
And yes, the blade is absurdly massive in my child drones body's hands.
Considering I'm around 120 to 130 centimeters tall, while the blade is longer than two meters, nearly three actually.
So yes, it's over double my height in length.
I could already imagine the murder drones staring at me, as I wielded the blade with emphasized ease.
Brushing away the thoughts, I picked up a small battery and threw it right into Uzi's half open mouth.
She jumped in a second, hands on her neck, expression disgusted.
"The fuck did you throw in my mouth?!"
She yelled, and she was definitely not faking the anger.
"A battery."
"Bruh."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
She mimicked one of my heavy sighs, her shoulders slumping.
"So… I should probably head home."
I nodded, expression shifted back into the usual apathetic one.
*
V hissed, really hissed in pain for what felt like the first time in ages.
She inwardly thanked N for the save, a tinge of happiness entering her at the thought.
One that she crushed brutally and without hesitation, replacing it with 'do your job.'
Turning her attention to her torso, she noticed how it was still healing, as if struggling.
Her ovals narrowed into horizontal slits as the teal energy gave an almost unnoticeable pulse of energy.
It was still on her, she realized.
Which is definitely really, really bad.
It could be anything, a tracker, a bomb, a virus, anything.
Scowling, she spat a glob of saliva on her palm, then gritted her teeth in the preparation of the pain.
The needle on her tail slowly plunged into the place where the strange energy originated from, the nanite acid starting to dissolve the entire area.
In mere seconds, it ate everything away and she slammed her saliva covered palm against the injury.
Exhaling heavily and letting out a pitiful groan, she slid off the makeshift operating table.
Her injured torso reformed soon enough.
Glancing backwards, her optics hollowed in shock.
V stared at the teal energy sitting in the air, just where it was before she dissolved a part of herself in an attempt to destroy it.
Which clearly didn't work.
It just remained there, levitating, a swirling mass of teal colored energy.
Just as V took a step back, it condensed into a small bright orb, its presence almost physical, before it vanished into thin air, as if it never existed.
Only V remained, optics hollow and a deep fear resurfacing.
All she could see was a black colored orb tinged with a sickened yellow, surrounded by a deep and harrowing gold color.
***
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