CTS TIME RE250.09.04 — 11:45 PM
VAULT VOID CLUB — REPAIR BAY
The air in the club smelled of scorched alloys and coolant fluid. Sparks crackled from open plating as Alex knelt over the twisted remains of the androids Valerian had demolished earlier. Raider crouched beside him, thick armored fingers steady as clamps. Falcon, wiry and precise, threaded thin wires like veins back into the broken shells.
"Hand me the torque stabilizer," Alex muttered. Raider passed it wordlessly, his reactor pulsing a dim, steady green. The repair process was messy, but mechanical precision mixed with instinct made it feel almost surgical.
Across the room, Luna had crouched next to Clara, speaking softly. Her lilac eyes glowed faint in the dark corner, her reactor pulsing bright pink against her chestplate. Clara mirrored the glow, hers soft and warm.
"You're… different," Clara said, tilting her head. "Most Mk-1s, they keep their heads down, obey the rules, don't fight. But you smile, even after fights. Even after danger."
Luna chuckled lightly, embarrassed. "Maybe I'm just… careless," she admitted, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Clara leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Or maybe you really love him." She nodded toward Valerian, who stood across the bay like a shadow—arms crossed, reactor pulsing red and green in equal measure, his stormy gaze watching everyone without trust.
The word hit Luna like a bolt. Her cheeks flushed crimson beneath her lilac glow, her reactor flaring a brilliant pink so suddenly Clara had to shield her optics.
"I-I… I…" Luna stammered, curling her hands into fists.
Clara smirked knowingly. "You don't need to say it. I can see it."
But her smirk faded as she glanced back at Valerian. His reactor glowed unstable—half red, half green, like a storm on the edge of breaking. "But him? I don't think he feels the same. Not yet. Maybe never."
Luna's stomach dropped. Her face burned hotter, eyes stinging faintly. She forced a laugh, but it came out brittle. "He's… complicated."
Clara reached out, resting a hand on Luna's wrist. "Then make him see you. Don't hide it. Machines… humans… whatever you are, emotions always leak through."
Meanwhile, Oliver had been pacing nervously, stealing glances at Valerian. Finally, he gathered his courage and approached.
"Brother," Oliver said, trying to sound casual but his voice shook with fear.
Valerian's gaze snapped onto him like a blade. His reactor pulsed red. His glare was so cold Oliver froze mid-step, servos stiffening.
"...Forget it," Oliver muttered quickly, retreating a step, but then he spotted Luna. She was laughing awkwardly with Clara, her pink glow softening the hard, metallic gloom of the bay. Oliver's courage shifted direction.
He shuffled over to Luna instead. "Uh… Miss Luna?"
She turned, smiling gently. "Yes?"
Oliver rubbed the back of his neck plating, embarrassed. "Forgive me, but… what's wrong with your boyfriend? He looks at me like he wants to tear my reactor out."
The word boyfriend slammed into Luna harder than any Mk-2 punch. Her entire face flushed crimson, her reactor glowing so bright pink it lit the side of Clara's face.
"B-b-boyfriend?!" she squeaked, nearly tripping backward. "We're… it's… we're just—!"
Clara giggled, covering her mouth. "Oh, you definitely like him. Look at you—glowing like a reactor about to overload."
Luna wanted to disappear. She hugged her arms around herself, cheeks burning hotter. "I-it's not like that!"
But Clara wasn't done. She eyed Valerian's reactor across the room, its stormy glow flickering red and green like a warning beacon. "But… I don't think he loves you back the same way. His core says it all. He's split—red and green."
Luna froze. Her reactor flared pink again, then softened to a trembling pulse. She turned her face away, pretending to help Alex with wiring. Anything to hide the ache in her chest.
Valerian, watching from the shadows, narrowed his eyes. His reactor glowed darker red for a moment.
Why is she laughing with them? Why does she waste time helping broken machines? This isn't the mission. We need to find Flame, not play mechanics.
But then his gaze lingered. He watched the way Luna's smile lit her lilac eyes as she steadied Alex's shaky hand with the tool. He watched her tilt her head in concentration, reactor glowing warmly pink as if it pulsed in rhythm with her laughter.
And something hit him—like a glitch in his carefully built armor.
That smile…
He turned quickly, leaning back against the cold wall, jaw tightening. His reactor flickered between red and green, unstable, conflicted.
This is weakness. I can't… afford weakness. And yet… why does it feel like something inside me is cracking?