The Secret of the Solver (Canon ending)

Chapter 25

(872 words)

"Then, the planet kinda half-imploded anyway. The humans all..." She made a slicing motion with one of her tentacles and started gagging, "Woke up on the surface, brain scrambled enough to have a kid, and the rest is dumb, stupid history." Z was standing next to N who was being held up by Nori's pick-axe. She just finished telling the story and N clapped at her dramatization of events.

"I still can't believe you're Uzi's MOM... or at least her heart." Z started and N continued to clap.

She took the pick-axe back and N fell to the ground. "Stop that. Now, the Solver's found its way back to finish the job. Who's its host?"

"Um... like, Uzi? And a red-eyed, uh-"

"Doll." Z chipped in.

"Yeva's kid. I know, dummy. Which one was just trying to eat us?"

N and Z don't respond, instead, they just think. It was V... But it was also Cyn... But was Cyn even alive?

***

Uzi had just finished watching the tape on the monitor. She stood there, standing as still as a statue, her eyes replaced with the Solver symbol, as the screen displayed static. *CRACK!* The screen breaks as Uzi stumbles back and the lights go out. Doll has made her way out of the shaft. What the Solver did to her was so rough, she collapsed on the ground. Her eyes were replaced with two words:

'ДАЙ отпор (FIGHT BACK)'

E ran into the room and saw her, "Uzi!"

"E?!" She turned around.

"Doll? But she was just in there..." E stared at the drone. 'I am going to throw up, ew, ew, ew, ewwwww!' E thought to himself, trying not to gag at the mess of oil on the floor.

"I-I didn't do it! It wasn't me!" Uzi defended herself.

"I know, I believe you."

"Yikes." Uzi and E turned to face Tessa in the doorway. "Someone's been busy. E, this is where you snuck off to..."

***

Nori tossed the crucifix at his head, it bounced off and landed in Z's hands. "Just hurry, stupid."

"O-Of course!" N smiles as the two run off, "Uzi's gonna freak out when I tell h-"

Nori stops him. "Tell her I'm alive, you die, both of you."

"Sorry, ma'am. I won't keep secrets from Uzi anymore... Even if you say it might hurt her." N looked to Z who nodded in agreement.

"Nuance alert, ma'am. I caused every horror in her life. Destroyed the planet, got you things sicced here-"

"Gave her ungodly eldritch genetics!" N was rewarded with a crucifix to the face and Z rolled her eyes.

"Really? This is how you act when you meet the girlfriend's mom?" Z whispered under her breath.

"No time. Promise."

N tries to speak but it is muffled. Nori moved the crucifix away from his face. "I promise... To wait until you're ready to tell her yourself?" He smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"Ugh. Bite me."

'Wow, she really is Uzi's mom.' Z thought.

***

Tessa advanced towards Uzi and E with her sword out. Uzi panting heavily. "T-Tessa, I-I-I didn't- Sh-She just- Wait! Something else did this to Doll! You -- You have to believe..."

"She didn't do it, Tessa!" E tried to get her to stop.

"No worries. Makes my job easier." Tessa dragged her blade across the floor. "Thought there'd be more of you silver freaks anyway." She aimed the tip of the blade at Uzi's chest and prepared to pound it in...

"TESSA! STOP!" E called out. He tried to run at Tessa but she shoved him out of the way.

"You knew about the patch. Yes, or no? One. Chance." N said in a threatening tone as Z held a blade to Tessa's neck.

"Cute. You know why I keep you around, N-" Z sliced Tessa's neck. She collapses on the ground as her helmet rolls away, blood flowing from the bottom. Z stood panting at what she had done as Uzi pulled the blade out of her chest and grabbed the crucifix N was now holding. 

"You are not the Tessa I knew." Z spoke harshly.

"Hey, buddy. Yeah, that should help." N began to help Uzi up as Z ran over to E.

"E!"

"Z?!"

She slapped him in the face. "You dick! I could've saved V!"

"She trusted me! She told me before we got to the elevator to leave her if anything went wrong and to save you. She... She was prepared from the start to sacrifice herself from the start. I'm sorry Z..." She felt her eyes tear up and she stepped closer to E before collapsing into his arms.

"I'm sorry..." Her sobs were muffled by E pulling her closer.

"It's okay, I'm here for you, no matter what. You're my best friend Z."

Meanwhile, N was talking to Uzi, "All I know is, I need you... to figure things out..." He grabbed Uzi's hand, "...together." He helped Uzi to her feet. But... Uzi crushed his hand and laughed maniacally. She lifted her hand and destroyed the crucifix.

"NO!" Z turned around just in time to see it. That... wasn't Uzi. It was the solver.

"That's really sweet, big brother. Too bad you've served your purpose. Don't worry. Your backups will forgive me." She tossed N and pinned him against the column. E and Z were both pinned by a tentacle to another one. "Too bad you've served your purpose. Don't worry. Your backups will forgive me." Before she could kill N, Nori's heart showed up and sliced her blades off, freeing all three drones.

"Nori? You're dead."

"You're frickin' grounded!"

"Angry."