Pax 'verse, The Pit, Robo Master Drift
Five days after Drift's surgery
Heavy Duty: *grumbling as he walks around by the foot of Drift's pallet* Can't believe you hit us with a green jello bomb.
Tunnel Rat: *trying to read over Snake Eyes' shoulder as the ninja sits by the door with a Japanese paperback novel* Hey, Drift liked it. Especially after I added the glitter.
Heavy Duty: *pauses and shoots a look toward the young mech where he's laying under his blanket*
Drift: *a bit of a sulk going at being confined to his berth, and at the amount of 'ow' that happens when he tries to move*
Heavy Duty: *worried frown* Can't believe it took all three of us ta get you scrubbed down 'n in bed. Why didn' you say somethin' sooner, kid?
Drift: *quietly* Didn't think it was anything serious.... *In other words, Decepticon pride and his own stubbornness*
Heavy Duty: *snorts and frowns more deeply* Serious enough ta get me KP duty.
Drift: *quietly* Sorry...
Heavy Duty: *grumbles and turns away* Just stay put and heal. *then notices that Tunnel Rat has changed to ooze and is coming across the floor toward him, burbling and plooping* Aw crud! You know I hate that! *over the gloop and GONE!*
Tunnel Rat: *gleeful pursuit*
Drift: *blink blink, raised brow ridge* The floor can't be that dirty, can it?
Snake Eyes: *quizzical look up from book*
Drift: Tunnel Rat was chasing Heavy Duty...
Snake Eyes: *nods. He saw. It happens a lot*
Drift: *soft chuckle, followed by a sigh. Hates not being able to move* *was having a pretty good time in the obstacle course Heavy Duty set up, even when Tunnel Rat was throwing charges. Yeah, the green "jell-o" wasn't too bad... Adding glitter made it all the better, and it tasted pretty good, too. He hadn't expected that one of the obstacles would catch him in the midsection, and that that would be enough to fracture several supports in his chest and back* *another soft sigh, before he thinks back to the last time he saw Tunnel Rat's ooze form, which was when the soldier had been cleaning up the ants in the supply room. Very slight quirk of a grin*
First Contact: *as she walks over* Well, at least you're in a good mood.
Drift: Just thinking about the time Tunnel Rat had to clean up the ants in the supply room...
First Contact: ...He nanoed, didn't he?
Drift: Yeah... *soft chuckle, winces as one of the cracked struts protests that*
First Contact: *brings his green plastic chair over and sets it by his pallet, then sits on it sideways as she frowns at him with concern* Do you want another pain override?
Drift: *very slight headshake* I'll be alright.
First Contact: You're wincing, Drift.
Drift: I'll be alright. *believes what he says*
First Contact: *frowns at him thoughtfully, but then launches herself right off the chair as the alarms go off*
Snake Eyes: *gone, book hitting the floor with a slight tap*
Drift: *tries to sit up, falls back with a muffled whimper*
pain override: *has suddenly been applied*
First Contact: *back to the pallet* High Tech, what is it?
High Tech: //I don't know, but what I can see of it past the flames looks something like Drift. There's more than one of them.//
First Contact: *snaps a glance at Drift*
Drift: *low cuss*
First Contact: *bends to put a hand on him* Throw off your blanket and brace yourself. We might need a translator.
Drift: *removes the blanket and braces himself*
First Contact: *triggers teleporter and brings him up to the now torn up jungle that grows over the Pit. Just ahead of them Heavy Duty, Duke, and two guys who must be Long Shot and Shadow are using fire fighting equipment on five large robots. One of the bots is red, the other four are white* Eeee...
Drift: *going to try and sit up so he can get a better look at the bots sprawled in a manner similar to a crash landing*
First Contact: *absently gets behind him and pushes a bit, then peeks around him as she hears a male voice from the group... speaking Japanese*
red bot: ~No... no. Help my ladies first. Help my ladies...~
Drift: *blink blink* Ladies?
Duke: *quiet and soothing voice despite his surprise* You're the one that's missing limbs, just hold still.
bot: ~Never... forgive you... if something happens to my ladies.~
white bot: *stirs. Soft female voice* Aid?
Drift: *surprised, is going to do a dumb and try and get up*
First Contact: Stop! Stop! *small hands against his leg, pushing downward*
Drift: But they need help...
Heavy Duty: They ain't Cybertronian at all. *examining one of the white bots* They're just Earth made drones. *looks at the readout on his cuff* ...And not from this reality.
Duke: *looks up sharply*
Drift: They still need help. *getting that stubborn set to his jaw*
Duke: *and then looks down just as quickly* ...This guy has a spark.
First Contact: What? *hurries over*
Drift: *surprised expression is a go*
Duke: *points his cuff at the red bot* He's Earth make, but look. That looks just like Drift's spark.
First Contact: Teleport them all to the hanger bay. *turns and hurries back to Drift*
Drift: *worry is clear on his face and in his optics*
First Contact: *teleports him... back to his pallet*
Drift: *cycles air quietly and worries*
First Contact: *hand moves quickly to poke the two wires in his neck that will knock him out and keep him in bed while she helps with the newcomers*
Drift: *falls back, out cold*
Several hours later...
Drift: *soft sound as his optics flicker. Is starting to reboot*
room: *silent. It's still day, but for the first time in several days there's not even a faint sense of Snake Eyes, and there's no sound of any of the other Joes*
Drift: *turns his head to look around* *small frown as he sees that he's alone, will move to carefully sit up. Once he's sitting, he takes a few moments before getting to his feet. Then he's moving for the door, intending to check the room where the vehicles are kept, though he's not sure whether anyone will be there* *the slight twinge of pain from one of his injuries causes a pause, before he remembers that he does have a teleporter built in... and then he's using it to go to his intended destination*
silver face: *turns toward Drift as he appears. The bot's mouth doesn't move, but blue optics flash in time with with his slow words* *in English this time* Where... where is this? It's not the Machine Robo hanger. And... who are you?
Drift: *hand going to where a stronger twinge of pain starts* *quietly* This is the Pit.... I'm Drift...
bot: *moves his head slightly. Voice quiet and dazed sounding* The Pit? I don't know what that is.
Drift: It's where my friends brought you... Their home...
bot: ... *tries to sit up, only to fall back with a groan* No... They stole us?
Drift: You crashed here....
bot: Crashed? But we... we weren't driving. We were fighting a big fire.
Drift: *slight shrug, wince* Let me sit down, and I'll try to explain how we found you....
bot: *gives Drift a look that is anxious and wary, even with the motionless face and optics that are dark with his silence* *then speaks again* Where is Emily?
Drift: *as he moves to sit* Who is that?
bot: ...The Robo Master I was working with.
Drift: ... *puzzled expression is a go*
bot: Emily Honō. She's my Senior Robo Master's daughter. I was working with her.
Drift: *seriously, with concern in his optics* You and your ladies were the only ones I saw...
bot: *flinches* No...
Drift: *scans the bot for coordinates before quietly reciting the reality coordinates* *slight puzzlement at the lack of location coordinates*
bot: *doesn't notice the recitation* I can't leave... my Robo Master, I have to go back for her...
Drift: *quietly* You don't have location coordinates... *sounds so puzzled, and there's a faint undercurrent of 'ow' in his voice*
bot: *shaking slightly* *very quiet himself* I don't know what to do...
Drift: *as he leans back against the wall* Maybe Tunnel Rat or First Contact can help...
bot: *looks up suddenly* I need to go back. We need to go back! *going to try and sit up again*
white bot next to him: *sits up and shoves him back down with one hand*
bot: Ow! What...? *so confused looking*
Drift: *soft chuckle* I don't think you're supposed to be sitting up.... *says the guy who was knocked out so he wouldn't get up*
bot: But we have to go back! *not much force behind that tired voice*
white bot: *looking at Drift with her featureless face, head tilted alertly*
Drift: *seriously* You need to rest and repair... *pauses and snerks softly as he remembers Heavy Duty said similar to him*
bot: *voice nearly a whisper, the fear and grief in it very clear* I need to find Emily.
Drift: Things will be alright... *head back against the wall*
bot: I need... *startles as a tiny thing falls from no where and bounces off his chest* What?
K-boy: *transforms and sits up dizzily* *squeaky little voice in Japanese* ~Fire Robo is dead. Fire Robo is dead. The entire Fire Team is lost!~
bot: *lifts his head and stares at it*
Drift: *blink blink*
K-boy: *on the tiny screen plays the scene of an explosion, and flying Robo parts, then a young girl in a firefighter outfit screaming as she's pulled away by a brawny boy with red hair and a similar outfit* ~Fire Team is destroyed. Destroyed. Dead.~ *falls over and wriggles sadly*
white bot: *STARES at it*
Drift: ... *quietly* [Slag....]
bot: But... but, we're not dead. *even more dazed sounding*
Drift: *going to try and get up... or not. Pained hiss as his skidplate hits the ground*
bot: Emily... Ace...
K-boy: *shows him the little girl back at base, crying but alive in the arms of an older man with greying blond hair... and then the picture fades to black as the little bot itself went offline*
white bot: *gently puts her hand over it, then looks at the red mech's face*
Drift: *going to try again to get up, though this time it's with the intent to check on the red mech*
white bot: *reaches over her Leader Robo to push the white guy back down as soon as he's in reach*
Drift: *soft clicks as he moves to lay down, cycling air quietly*
white bot: *sending out a soft SOS over the radio*
High Tech: *makes a maintenance drone run out from the room where they charge. And then grab its head* DRIFT???
Drift: *quietly* 'M okay... *tilts his head towards the red mech* He's not...
High Tech: *over to Drift comes the drone, and slaps a hand onto his chest* No you're not, you freaking aggravated those cracks!
Drift: *quiet sigh, knows it's no use arguing* *softly* Fire Robo only has reality coordinates...
High Tech: *pauses in mid-complaint* ...What's that mean?
Drift: *quietly* He died in his reality...
High Tech: *drone falls over with the force of his shock* *voice from the PA system* //What?//
Drift: *will repeat what the little drone thing said*
High Tech: *gets his drone back on its feet and goes to scan Fire Robo* First Contact says he's alive. *blinks as the white bot presents him with the K-boy, and then frowns at the screen for a moment as he reads the little bot's memory*
Drift: *small nod, cycles air quietly and tries to pay the ache in his frame no mind*
High Tech: *decisive movement as he does something with the K-boy* There, now you have a new Robo Master, and he's a kid. *tosses the phone bot to Drift*
Fire Robo: *slowly turns his head to look at the white bot again*
Drift: *blinks as he catches the phone bot*
Fire Robo: *even without his optics lit, his feelings of terror and confusion are clear*
Drift: *quiet clicks*
Fire Robo: ...Another Robo can't be a Robo Master...
High Tech: Yes he can. *checking the red mech over again* *looks at the white bot* You want to lend a hand here?
white bot: *looks back at him alertly, waiting for an order*
High Tech: *grumble grump*
Fire Robo: *quiet protest* Don't say things like that about my ladies.
white bot: *and then remembers something that Emily had been teaching her and her sisters* Aid! *lays down and snuggles Fire*
Fire Robo: 0.o?
Drift: *soft 'heh'*
white bot: *pretty sure she did what the funny commander Robo wanted* *lays head on Fire's shoulder*
Fire Robo: ...What are you doing, Aider Robo Three?
Drift: *quietly* I think she's trying to help you feel better.... *small smile on his face*
Fire Robo: *slowly lifts his free arm and gently pats Three* *softly* Thank you.
Three: *just snuggles*
Drift: *tries to get a bit more comfortable position, soft hiss of pain*
Fire Robo: *turns his head, the corners of his mouth turning down now that he's relaxed enough to function a little better* *to High Tech* Please help my new Robo Master. He's hurt.
Drift: *cycling air in shallow bursts, because deeper pulls of air make the pain worse*
High Tech: *exasperated sound and goes over to open a panel on Drift's arm and do a pain override*
Drift: *relaxing as the override takes effect, sheepish expression is a go*
High Tech: Go to bed. Now. With the teleporter.
Drift: *soft sigh* Alright... *quick check of coordinates before he goes*
Fire Robo: *watching Drift even as he absently rubs Three's shoulder*
Drift: *back a few moments later, with his bed, the woolen blanket, and the parachute*
High Tech: *pops the drone up to look over the side of one of the other Aider Robos. Face palm*
Drift: *stubborn set of jaw, and stubborn glint in his optics* *will hold the parachute up*
High Tech: *a bit grumpy* What? It's your cover.
Drift: Use it to cover Fire Robo. I've got my blanket. *indicates the woolen blanket*
High Tech: You better not try transforming. *sound of a frown in his voice*
Drift: I'm not gonna... *yes, he means to cover as much of himself as he can with the woolen blanket, High Tech*
High Tech: *drone stares at him*
Drift: *looks right back* *firmly* Use the parachute to cover Fire Robo.
Three: *pushes up and leans over Fire Robo to take the parachute and do so*
High Tech: *drone is now staring at her*
Three: *covers all of Fire Robo!*
Drift: *soft chuckle, lays his head back and powers down once he's got his chest covered by the woolen blanket*
Three: *finishes the covering, and then sits by her Leader Robo and looks around*
Fire Robo: *looking for her and murmuring. It's clear that High Tech finally figured out how to at least partially sedate him without just turning him off*
Drift: *silent aside from the soft sounds of a mech in stasis-rest*
High Tech: Aider Robo Three, snuggle Fire Robo.
Three: *lays down and does so*
Fire Robo: *settles down*
High Tech: *back to work. Will keep an eye on Drift as he does*
Several more hours later....
Drift: *soft sound*
hand: *pat pats his shoulder, and then goes around his waist*
Drift: *slight flicker of his optics as he begins to reboot*
Three: *lifts her head and peers across Fire Robo toward Drift*
Two: *just cuddles Drift*
Four: *kneeling and letting Drift use her legs for a pillow*
Five: *doing the same for Fire*
Drift: *sleepy clicks, is just out of it enough that he doesn't care if someone sees how comfortable being in a snugglepile is for him*
Four: *gently smooths his helmet with a hand, like Emily showed her*
Drift: *small smile, optics dimming slightly as he considers resuming recharge*
Fire Robo: *turns his head under the parachute* Drift-kun?
Drift: *quiet* Hm?
Fire Robo: Why am I hiding?
Drift: *still quiet* Thought you'd like having a blanket...
Fire Robo: ... *hesitantly* But blankets don't go over peoples' heads. Unless there are ghost stories.
Drift: *soft 'heh'* Mmkay...
Fire Robo: *rustles slightly* ...I can't move without bumping you or Three.
Drift: *quietly, sooo not all the way awake* Three, uncover his head...
Three: *uncovers Fire Robo's head, and then puts her own back on his shoulder*
Fire Robo: Thank you, Drift-kun, and Three. *voice is soft as he talks to the Aider Robo* *then* Why are we doing this, Drift-kun?
Drift: *slight shoulder shrug* Why not?
Fire Robo: *confused silence*
Drift: *snuggles closer and dims his optics even more*
Fire Robo: This is time off? *trying so hard to understand this strange new situation*
Drift: *small nod* Time off...
Fire Robo: ...And what is this called?
Drift: *another slight shrug* [Snugglepile?] *no, he really doesn't know the English or Japanese equivalent*
First Contact: *from somewhere behind him* It's called snuggling, Fire.
Drift: *small smile* What Connie said... *gonna conk out again if nobody stops him*
Fire Robo: *softly, as he turns his head and sees Four stroking Drift's head* *then registers what Drift is doing. Surprise, and then a whisper as he's seen children do around sleeping comrades* Drift-kun... are you sleeping?
Drift: *optics dark, still has a small smile on his face*
First Contact: Yes, he's sleeping. It's a normal thing for him to do. Don't wake him up, alright?
Fire Robo: *silent nod, and then looks up at Five as she strokes his helm*
Drift: *clicking softly as he sleeps. Surrounded by others, with his blanket, and on his mattress, he's feeling quite content* *he won't be getting up again anytime soon, First Contact. At least nobody will have to make him stay put this time*
((co-written with random_xtras))