Chapter Text
It was dark but only for a moment. The sound of crashing waves fading in and out. What's happening to me? I should be dead by now...but I'm not. I did not expect this...I don't know how to feel about this. Mirage? Mirage...stay with me please...I quite enjoy your company...Mirage. Several lines of text appeared on V2's screen; they were rebooting. Her back hurt but she was too overwhelmed to focus on or acknowledge anything. Then arms wrapped around them, V2 could hear a faint sound of sand scraping against metal, metal that was her own. She wanted to talk or at least show some kind of gesture to show how they appreciate the help that was provided, but she was too weak and in too much pain to do anything. All V2 could do was talk to Mirage without her hearing them.
After some time, V2 then heard a door open, then she was dragged some more, then the soft cushiony feel of Mirage's couch. Mirage moved one of her hands to the back of V2’s head, and one to V2’s lower back. As she gently lowered them down, V2 had just enough strength to wince in pain. So, Mirage slowly rotated V2 so she could lay on their stomach instead. Mirage sat down onto her knees and folded her arms on the space next to V2’s head. "Better?" Mirage's voice was slightly warped and muffled to V2, but it was still easy for them to understand. They nodded slightly. Mirage lay her head on her arms and moved one to hold V2’s hand to try and comfort her in any way she can. A few hours went by and V2 was starting to regain the ability to sort of move and talk again; she used what little strength they had and looked up at Mirage.
"Hello." "Hey...you feeling any better?" "Not really. But I am in better condition than I was before. However my upper back is in immense pain. It is barely tolerable." "Ill, try to be here for you. If you need anything let me know. Take your time to heal." "The only thing I desire at the moment is your presence." "Of course…mind if I sit next to you?" “I don’t mind.” Mirage stood up, and sat down at the leftover space on the couch next to V2. Mirage then cupped the side of V2's face to help ease them or try to distract them. V2 tried to make herself to go into sleep mode but being unable to due to the lingering pain. Since they didn’t really have anything better to do, she decided to talk to Mirage. “Do you favor any marine life?” “Hm? Oh, uhh…I suppose I like sea butterflies. The way that they move is similar to how insects fly and I just like the way they look too. What about you?” “…plankton. As well as small sea life in general.” “Plankton?” “Do not ridicule me.” “Hehe! No no I’m not, honest. I just want to know why is all.” “I…like their smallness. Their also overlooked often and not a lot of people favor them. In addition, I’ve seen documentaries about them and I found them very mesmerizing to observe.” “Ah. I can kinda see why you like them now.” “Did you not like them in the first place?” “No it’s not that. I just forget about them a lot.” “How dare you.” V2 said, mocking an offended tone. Mirage chuckled slightly. “I have a favor to ask of you.” “Shoot.” “Could you maybe play a sea life documentary?” “On the TV? Uh yeah sure. Anything specific?” “It does not matter to me right now.” Mirage then grabbed her remote and searched for a channel that streams sea life documentaries. When she found one, she left it there and watched little guys swim and float around with her resting companion.
As time went by, Mirage eventually went into sleep mode with V2 falling asleep after. That night, V2 had an odd dream. At first, they were sinking to the bottom of the ocean with a multitude of dragonflies flying in the water with not a single fish in sight; just water and dragonflies. Then she felt something sharp once she reached the bottom. They looked down and saw it was crystals. She looked closely at some of them and noticed that there were dragonflies encased within the crystals. V2 looked forward and noticed they were in a cave. They got themself off the ground and began walking forward, paying no mind to the pain they felt in their feet and the slight trail of blood they left behind as she walked. When she walked further and further, that pain in her back returned, now being more unbearable than before. Then, the cave started to get more and more narrow as they walked. She started to feel crystals scraping their arms and legs and started to bleed in increasing amounts, but they kept going. Then, they noticed dragonflies emerging from some crystals and the bugs immediately flew to her and landed on her plating. They started to explore V2’s plating and some external wiring, then they scurried to entrances that led to her internal wiring. The uncomfortable feeling of dragonflies crawling around her insides made her sick. She wondered when this dream will end, and hoped for this dream to end soon. Then, in the distance she saw an opening. Her movements were less careful and quicker, causing crystals to cut and seep into her plating and into her body. She did not care about the pain she felt and the damage she dealt, all she wanted was to escape. They kept moving and squeezing through the tight and painful crystal walls, the opening was only at arms length now but each fast and desperate movement felt agonizingly slow. Just a bit further…i’m almost there…just get me out of here, I can’t take it anymore…let me out, let me out letme out letmeoutletmeoutletmeoutletmeou- As she finally escapes, her metal plating had been scraped off almost entirely with only small fragments remaining. But the feeling of relief washed over her as she no longer felt the sharp enclosed walls of the cave. She also felt something else that was behind her…wings. Dragonfly wings from where the source of the pain in her back was. The pain had left already once she escaped…
“V2?! V2 wake up!! Please! Please no not again, fuck!”
Mirage’s voice was faint, same with the feeling of her arms wrapped around V2’s lower back. Then V2 snapped out her dream like state when she heard Mirage call out to them. “Oh thank fuck- V2 are you okay?! What the hell happened?!” Her voice and her hands trembled, it sounded like she was on the verge of tears; the tears that she was unable to cry. V2 held Mirage close with their arm. “I am alright now. Are you okay?” Mirage sat still for a moment, then she tightly wrapped her arms around V2, still shaking. “Yes…yes yes yes I just- I, fuck I can’t talk!” “Take time to calm yourself.” Mirage took a couple minutes to calm down, her grip around V2 loosened. “I was in sleep mode and then I woke up because I felt you shaking and then I realized you were in sleep mode and I’ve been trying to wake you up for like 10 minutes but you wouldn’t move all you did was shake and, and… I got scared…why am I even rambling? Okay, are YOU alright? Are you in any more pain? Do I need to do anything to try and help?” “I feel reassured now that I am with you. I do not feel pain now and I am functioning properly again. All I would like right now is to be with you. However, I had a very unpleasant dream… emphasis on very.” Mirage felt a bit more relieved, now being more informed on what V2 was feeling. “Do you wanna talk about it?” “No…no no absolutely not.” “Okay…I’m glad you’re still here.” “I’m glad I’m still with you, Mirage.” Mirage tightly embraces V2 and felt something on their back.
”Hey can you turn around for me?” V2 turned, now with their back facing Mirage. “Holy shit you have wings now. Like, what are tho- their dragonfly wings.” “What?” Mirage grabbed one of V2’s wings and lifted it to show them. “Oh fuck…I suppose that dream was real in a way.” “What?” “It isn’t relevant. Mirage why do I have insect wings?” “I don’t know! They’re really pretty though. I kinda like them.” “I don’t think I will be able to fly with them though.” “Yeah…I still like them though.” V2 then thought of an idea. “You have a phone correct?” “Yeah. What of it?” “Who’s phone numbers do you have?” “You can check.” Mirage hands her phone over to V2. V2 then scrolled through the phone numbers until she found a contact that read “V1”.
Back at V1’s and Gabriel’s house, V1’s phone goes off.
I lived BITCH
WHAT?
A selfie of V2 was then sent to V1.
HOLY SHIT GIRL HOW???.??.?!??
I don’t fucking know k bye bitch
WAIT WHAT???
HOE ANSWER ME
”What’d you text him?” “Nothing…” “Yeaaaah suuuure.” For the rest of the evening, V2 and Mirage cuddled and talked as sea life documentaries played on the TV.