[Voice]

[vandalization]

[A heavily modulated male voice crackles over the network. Each word is broken up by heavy breathing.]

Can you hear me? Is this working?

This is RIG number 438642. My name is-

This is Vandal.

Please. Someone who isn't a freak in a cloak, please respond.

I need to get back to the sprawl. I need- Oh fucking shit I can see the bone. God damn it stop bleeding.

Please help. I need to get back to Titan Station. I'm. Hurt. Badly. Bleeding.

Please.

[Click.]

Comments

[Perma-action]

[docbot]

Drift. Of all the slag-brained, idiotic--

[ Ratchet's engine roars, but he doesn't change back -- getting this human inside and back to the medbay is more important than beating dents into Drift's helm. ]

Ugh- Nevermind, I'll yell at you for having all the survival instinct of a toaster when we get back to the temple. In the meanwhile, make yourself useful and help get this one into me, so that I can get her proper care ASAP.

[Perma-action]

[sword_redemption]

['slag-brained, idiotic'-- in other words: Drift. ]

[but he knows a Dire Threat when he hears one. It is probably going to be one epic yelling at. ]

He--she(?)--[whatever and frag this gender stuff anyway. ]--needed help. I couldn't just do nothing.

[So, stupidest possible option, obviously. ]

[He approaches Vandal, spreading his hands for a moment, trying to figure how to do this. ]

All right. Let me know if this hurts. Uh. Hurts more.

[Because obviously Vandal's in pain. ]

[And with that, he scoops up the metal figure, turning gingerly toward the ambulance's open door, secretly figuring Ratchet's going to whack him with a door once he lays the figure down. ]

[Perma-action]

[vandalization]

Guess the voice filter doesn't work on robots...

[A brief pause, and she winces, curling in on herself as the gentle metal hands move her into the guy... vehicle...]

Hey. Go easy on him. Drift... he's.

S'a good guy... robot... car...

[So she's a little loopy. But she doesn't want to see her new buddies bar at each other.]

[docbot]

[ Ratchet was, in fact, planning on smacking Drift in the face with a door, but he also doesn't want to agitate his patient further. ]

Next time, you could comm someone else like, say, me? And we'll get to it.

You can trust other people to do things for you, you know.

[ And perhaps the reproach will sink in better than physical trauma. Who knows? Ratchet's got a patient to tend to, anyway. ]

Right, so I still don't know your name, human, but I'm going to start moving now. Buckle up if you can, but if not, we'll manage.

[sword_redemption]

[Drift suspects as much, but thankfully, he does have a swordsmech's reflexes, so he ducks back, just in case. ]

You were busy. [Excuse #1, and its best friend, Excuse #2. ]

Besides. Someone shows up injured, maybe they're in danger.

[The kind of danger Drift is good at. ]

I. Uh. They shouldn't have to.

That's Vandal. Vandal killed a reactor. [Be impressed!]

You want me to go ahead of you?

[vandalization]

[Oh Drift. You're too precious for words. Once she's inside it's all she can do to go limp and simply bleed all over Ratchet's upholstery.]