Murder Drones Oneshots (mostly Nuzi)

I'd know you anywhere (Khnori)

Based after episode 7, Nori is still a gross blob of flesh and landed next to Khan after being kicked down the hole/portal thing.

Nori could feel her digital eye flicker, her legs twitched as she tried to stand, she'd landed on a rough surface- the flesh parts of her were bleeding and the metal parts were crooked.

"Yo! Mr Doorman- what's this?" An unknown voice yelled from above.

Mr Doorman? Khan?! He was here?

"Let me see it, Thad" the familiar voice ran through Nori's audio sensors. It was him. It was her husband.

Khan looked at the broken core, its purple eye was flickering up at him, the colour seemed almost familiar to him. "I'll keep a hold of it, go make sure Lizzy hasn't been eaten by the pigtail drone yet" Khan ordered, sounding a mixture of stern and confused.

Thad obeyed, running off after Lizzy while Khan picked up the creature, it felt strangely familiar- but he'd never seen a drone core before- why would this one be familiar to him?

Khan sighed and analysed the core further, Nori kept her voice off, still shocked by the sight of her beloved husband. He held her so gently despite her state and had the same cute face he always made when he was overthinking, plus he was a bit oil stained...extra attractive.

"I bet Uzi would know what you are- she's smart like her mother" Khan claimed, laughing at the memory of Nori attempting to explain advanced technology concepts to him, he was decently smart- but Nori was another level.

Nori's eye darted to the side in annoyance, embarrassed by Khan's humour, though she also felt herself heat up at the unintended compliment. Khan was a bit stupid...okay quite stupid...but goddamn he was attractive- at least to Nori.

Khan sighed after his laugh, and Nori could see him tear up slightly, he pulled off his moustache with his free hand and wiped his visor. Nori snickered in her head, she was the one who first used his moustache to wipe his tear, cute how he was still doing it after all these years.

"Your eye keeps moving...are you understanding me?" Khan asked, holding Nori up so their eyes aligned.

Knowing she had to respond, but also not wanting to reveal herself just yet, Nori put a typed digital message just above her head.

Yes. I hear you Mr Doorman.

Khan gasped at the message, it was typed like it didn't have a tone, yet the way it written reminded him of how Nori wrote when she was upset.

Mmmm

"So...what are you? My guess is a drone core but they normally don't look as personalised" Khan said blankly, trying not to give away his suspicions, it seemed to work as the blob typed back.

I'm a little different from a regular drone core.

"Figured, can I ask you for some advice?"

Who the heck asks a random drone core for advice?

Nori couldn't help but wonder what Khan was planning, he was the type of person to not ask for advice, she only got him to read a baby manual when Uzi was on the way by threatening him with no cuddles for a month.

You can ask.

Nori agreed to listen to Khan, partly because he was her husband and she loved him, partly because she was just curious what could be on his mind now the planet was falling apart.

"I..I lost my wife a few years ago now, and since then I haven't really been the best father- or a good father much at all" Khan revealed, sitting down with the core on his lap, he held it in place but was gentle- not wanting to damage what he suspected was his wife.

The core stared up at him, Nori inside wondering what Khan was talking about, Uzi seemed fine- a little bit nuts but she got that from her- how bad had Khan screwed up?

Khan started again, eyes reappearing on his visor "I always liked doors...and my wife knew that- so when she thought the world was ending...she asked me to make doors to protect Uzi, and every other drone we could get inside on time".

Nori nodded in her mind, she knew all of this, she had begged Khan a thousand times to hurry up- to finish the doors for protect everyone...

"I didn't see which murder drone did it...but one of them stabbed my wife with acid, and I had to finish the job, then I finally finished the doors- just a few days later"

At this point Khan was almost sobbing, Nori felt an overwhelming urge to hug him, kiss him- do something to make the love of her life feel better-

But she couldn't...even if she revealed herself...she was a blob of flesh...Khan wouldn't love her like this.

Not after all I've done..

Khan held Nori close to his chest, he could see in her eye it was her, he'd know her in any form. He loved his Nori more than anything on the planet.

Sighing again, Khan finished his speech "I became obsessed with the doors, because I believed they were my last piece of Nori, I became so lost in them that I practically forgot that Uzi...she was the last piece of Nori, I traded her happiness for my obsession with fixing her mothers death...I was a terrible father and now- she's probably dead...how can I live on knowing that my wife's death was my fault and my daughters short one was miserable because of me?"

The speech had an abrupt end as Khan bit his tongue to hold back tears, Nori wanted to pounce into his arms, but she was already on his lap and was technically in his embrace.

You can live knowing you tried.

Khan smiled weakly at the core on his lap, and without another word tipped his head down just enough to plant a kiss on the top of it.

Inside the core Nori wasn't sure if she should be fuming at Khan kissing something that wasn't her, or dying of cuteness at Khan's attempt of affection.

The father simply laughed at Nori's shifting expressions. He knew what was on her mind. He always knew.

"Alright, I need to go help the teens, you coming Nori?" Khan asked, standing up with the core in hand.

Nori was shocked still, he knew? How did he not die from shock?

Khan smiled brighter, though tears continued streaming down the visor, the old couple both knew they knew- yet neither knew what the next step was.

A moment would pass before the sight of Khan's tears became unbearable, Nori crawled up a nearby rock with her nearly repaired legs, and slowly reached for Khan's moustache.

Nori wiped away her husband's tears, but knew deep down that if she had a visor, she too would need a moustache to clean it.

"How did you know it was me?" Nori's voice was shaky as she returned the moustache to its place on Khan's upper lip.

Khan picked up his fleshy wife, trying to hold back years of pent up tears and affection as he did, she was finally home...

"I'd know you anywhere"