(Untitled)

[helpful_squid]

Who: Vergil and Baywarp
What: Vergil's gotten his Cybertronian shell built and needs to test a few things out.
Where: Vergil's clinic, formerly Tyran Ratchet's clinic
When: Thursday, I guess.

Comments

[caelumtorqueo]

Skywarp rolled his shoulders in their gyros. It had been a busy few cycles, and they were gearing up for a big night tomorrow. His newest headliner had odds enough for the match to be exciting even if he didn't have a big name.

Not that there were big names among what could best be called 'refugees'. Still Skywarp was feeling like he'd done pretty well for himself, and for Magnum.

Thus far.

His comm sounded. Oh frag. This better not be his headliner having second thoughts....

[helpful_squid]

It wasn't. The text rolled across the bottom of the screen:

Hello, Skywarp. I hope I haven't called at a bad time, but I wanted to ask a favor of you.

[caelumtorqueo]

Oh, it was only Vergil.

Wait.

Why was Vergil contacting him now? Was something wrong with his repairs? Maybe this 'favor' was just a super polite Hurrrrragrok (or whatever) way of being diplomatic.

"Uhhh, a favor? If I can. What do you need?" He sounded more than a bit cautious.

[helpful_squid]

I've finished my construction project. I was wondering if you would help me test it, Vergil answered. I need to be able to conduct myself in it as well as I do without it. Is there any chance you could come to the clinic when you have some free time and lend a hand?

[caelumtorqueo]

Skywarp hesitated. Construction...project?

"The, uh...the mech body thing?" Skywarp winced. He'd gotten so caught up in his own nonsense. Big mistake. Things were slipping by him. And he'd been told to have Vergil check up on his repairs, it seemed forever ago. "I've just about finished up here...? Or, you could tell me what's a better time. I just need to be back and ready by tomorrow evening."

[helpful_squid]

That would be the one, was the answer. Now is a good time, if you are available. If not, I can clear tomorrow morning. Either way, I'm flexible.

[caelumtorqueo]

"Sure. I'm clear now. Sooner the better, right?" He remembered that after his last visit to Vergil, he'd, uh, needed some recuperation time.

"Same place as before?"

[helpful_squid]

Actually, Vergil's text answered, I have my own clinic now. The Tyran Ratchet passed it on to me before he was deported. I've been working on the project there instead of trying to explain it to the mechs at the other place.

They gave him enough of a hard time as it was. What sort of jokes, pranks, and taunts would be directed his way if they thought a squishy was trying to step up to the mechs' level, he didn't know.

[caelumtorqueo]

"That's...awesome luck." He meant it well; it didn't come out quite as enthusiastically as he'd intended because, well, frag. He didn't have that kind of luck, like...ever.

And they had been...kind of obnoxious at that other clinic. Not just how they treated Vergil but, yeah, Skywarp hadn't appreciated the muttering behind his back either.

"Probably safer to have it kept in a secure location. You know, tampering and so on." Ah, paranoia, Skywarp's one and only friend.

"On my way, then." And Vergil should prepare for imminent jet arrival.

[helpful_squid]

The clinic would be well prepared for Skywarp's landing. Patients were gone, and Wheeljack was out for the rest of the day. There was a landing space cleared; it would, Vergil thought, meet the jet's specifications.

The clinic looked more or less as it always had, save for one persistent modification: the iris-mark of the Forerunners painted on various doors and other places where other buildings might have corporate logos or faction marks.

[caelumtorqueo]

Skywarp dropped out of the sky into his bipedal mode, his turbines shut off. He was a little surprised at the available landing area--that didn't seem something an Autobot facility would have installed as standard equipment. Still, a nice touch.

He entered the corridor. It was quiet, too quiet, in there, after the constant buzz and bustle of noise from the Arena of the last few days.

"Vergil?"

[helpful_squid]

A faint trill greeted the jet, and Vergil drifted around one corner. The Huragok lifted a tentacle and gestured in greeting before sending a direct message via communicator.

Hello, Skywarp. I hope I haven't imposed too much on you, but I felt you were someone I could trust.

[caelumtorqueo]

"You're, uh, looking well?" Skywarp was still a bit iffy on pleasantries. Especially with Vergil. He had no idea if that was 'well' looking for the alien or not.

"And yeah, no problem." Skywarp didn't really have that many social acquaintances. And Vergil, in a way, having rooched around in his cortex, probably knew Skywarp better than anyone else here. Surely Skywarp owed him something for that. "So, how do we do this?"

[helpful_squid]

Thank you, Vergil returned. He began drifting towards one of the doors; the lobby was no place to conduct any kind of business. I appreciate the sentiment. As for what needs to be done- well. I've got the mech suit ready. I'll get into it to operate it, and then if you don't mind, I'd like to conduct a standard exam and follow up on your previous repairs. That should give me an idea of how the suit feels to work in.

What I'll need most, though, is for you to act as if you were any mech encountering me for the first time. I'm used to speaking with most Cybertronians by text, so I have time to think before I speak. If I can't communicate on the fly with you, I won't be able to win the trust of mechs who have less reason to deal with me.

[caelumtorqueo]

One of the strangely reassuring things about Vergil was how he seemed to take Skywarp's...social clumsiness in stride, Skywarp thought, as he followed the small creature into one of the rooms.

"Sure. I could probably use a once-over anyway." It was like getting serviced--for free! Skywarp couldn't help but think that Dirge would be jealous.

"So you'll have a voice?" Interesting. He just hoped it wasn't, you know, screechy.

He settled himself onto one of the exam tables to wait for Vergil to go...uh...get changed?

[helpful_squid]

I will, Vergil confirmed. Which will be strange. If I cannot work with it properly I may have to come up with some form of cover story, but we shall see.

He slipped into the next room as Skywarp sat down. Somewhat later, the door opened again. The figure that emerged was orange for the most part, and tall- something like twenty-four feet or so. It was four-armed, with a slenderer pair emerging from further back on its shoulders. Three white optics gleamed on each side of its head's dark, central oval.

It cocked its head and said, in a light baritone voice with an odd sort of inflection to it, "Skywarp?"