Noping right off Cybertron

[vandalization]

Who: Wing, Drift and Sweary McCurseface
What: Close encounters of the NOPE kind.
Where: Vandal's House of Nope.
When: Shortly after Wing's creeper post.
Warnings: Vandallllllllll.



"Okay, we're going. We gotta go. Come on, Drift. You can't walk with your feet still all fucked up like that. You gotta get on my back, but we need to go now."

Yep. Definitely wanting to get the fuck out of dodge right now. Preferably before Wing gets there. Her only saving grace is that he can't fly right now at least, but she's not really too keen on letting her guard down. They're going to Solus temple, damn it. She was all suited up and ready to go.

And plenty nervous to boot. She really isn't sure what's wrong with Wing, but she doesn't want to find out first hand, alone.

Comments

[sword_redemption]

You can't ever entirely erase Deadlock, Vandal. At least he's turning it to protecting others.

"What? What do you think you're due, Wing?" It's half a provocation, half a question. Part of him is still trying to find Wing in there, under this.

He sways back and forth, a way to keep his center of gravity moving, ready to jump in any direction, and hopefully, hopefully, catching Wing's optic.

[winged_knight]

Wing has no answer for Vandal that won't compromise his weakness and he's too agitated to produce a believable lie. He ignores her as he paces, optics searching the junk, desperate to neutralize that light. He growls under his breath. _{"Fragging idiotic anti-firearm honor code slag..."}

His head snaps around at Drift's words. Wing's eyes narrow and he grins a feral grin. "You said you owed me... didn't you?"

[vandalization]

Well. This is weird. Scary. Awkward. And she can't really believe that she's hiding behind a little girl, but you know.

That girl is still Drift.

She's not really ever around the, both at the same time, and even like this, with this rift, she feels like she's intruding in something. So she'll just stand there, frozen, trying to figure out why he hasn't tried to attack them yet...

[sword_redemption]

Because he might be shoved in a tiny body, but he's still the mech who would give his life to protect something he cares about.

Drift is only concentrating on Wing. He notices that the other doesn't approach, but he can't figure why. His concern is buying time, getting his attention. "_{You can get inside the trailer, Vanda}," he whispers. "Safer there."

He steadies himself with a breath, one small step closer to Wing. "Yes. I owe you. Everything." His voice asks, 'what do you need?'

[winged_knight]

Wing gives up on his search, realizing line of sight would prove a problem anyway, and prowls the edge of the darkness like a thing caged. "_{...power source.....maybe a generator somewhere...}" He grumbles under his breath, optics casting about the trailer and its surroundings.

He realized if need be, he could just circle around the back and flip the whole trailer from it's dark side... Tempting, but subtly would win him less trouble later and it wasn't necessary to get extreme yet. He narrows his optics at the whispering which he can't hear over the growl of his own engine, then Drift's movement grabs his full attention.

Perhaps a different approach.

He smiles, but it's forced around his anger. He crouches, careful to stay cloaked in shadow. "Come to me." His tone demands, 'What do you need with her?'

[vandalization]

"There's no way I'm leaving you." Honestly, even when Drift is like this, she still feels safer. And she won't abandon him.

She does watch Wing, warily. Watches him circle. Pace. Searching.

"Drift..." She hunches down, whispering "Drift, I think you should go to him..."

Why? Because she reaches onto her RIG belt and pulls out her cutter, discretely taking his hand behind her back and wrapping his fingers around it, showing him where the flashlight button is.

"You get me? Right directly on him."

Get him where he least expects it. The trigger isn't far, so if he needs to... but if she's banking on her suspicions...

[sword_redemption]

Drift turns over in his mind what he can hear Wing murmuring. Was Wing underpowered? Did he need a generator? Did that explain why he was hiding in the shadows? No that made no sense.

He nods, feeling the weight of the device placed in his hand, the small fingers curling around it automatically. A weapon, of some sort? "All right." To both of them, to himself.

"I need to protect her, Wing," he said, stepping closer, the device hidden in the long, drooping sleeve of his sweater. "You know that." He hopes Vandal does, too.

"I'm here," he paused, just at the line between light and shadow, the blue human eyes dilating to adjust to the darkness. "For you." His thumb is ready on the switch.

[winged_knight]

It's lucky for Vandal that Wing misses all but the last of her actions, though when he finally turns to regard her it's with wary suspicion. She might still prove to be a problem, but as long as Drift was compliant and she didn't interfere then things would move along without issue.

A slow smile spreads over his face as Drift moves forward.  It was a bit of a marvel, the steadfast way Drift stood by those he cared about. It was an advantageous trait Wing had every intention of exploiting.

Still crouhed, his helm tilts slightly as he regards Drift, "I don't see why we can't all be together." Then he reaches out, slowly, as if to touch the silken strands of hair on Drift's head. 

[vandalization]

She really doesn't want to. Let that happen. But Drift, even like this, is competent and can take care of himself. And if she has to, she still has a line gun in her inventory.

God he's creepy like this...

She almost starts after him when he touches Drift, but she'll wait. Leave it to him for now.

[sword_redemption]

Drift stands still as the hand approaches, the device buried in his sleeve. He's not sure of the range, so he waits. He really doesn't want to hurt Wing, he doesn't want it on his conscience. Because this is maybe not Wing, and maybe Wing wouldn't remember, but Drift would.

"You can't see why, right now, Wing. We're worried about you."

If Wing aggresses toward Vandal, Drift won't hesitate to attack, himself.

[winged_knight]

A black fingertip brushes some of the silver locks away from the side of Drift's face. She's pretty, he supposes, as humans go.

Wing grunts, huffy and dismissive. "There's nothing to worry about. It's better this way. You'll just have to get used to it." And then a leering grin. "Don't worry, you will."

It seems most reasonable at the this point to transform and drive them somewhere safe, to a controlled environment...assuming they both could be trusted. He had little worry regarding Drift, though he supposed if he had weaknesses we was unaware of in this frame that was the one person who could best exploit them.

Vandal though...he did not trust. She was acting strange, and almost aggressive, panicy. Who knew what she'd do? Perhaps it'd be better is she made the trip while unconscious. He cast his gaze that way, optics narrowing dangerously as his hands twitched. He rocked back on his heels, the hydraulics and actuators in his legs hissing in preparation...

[vandalization]

She almost relaxes. Well at least he hadn't just attacked him. At least there was that. Maybe he can be reasoned with.

Just as soon as she's thought it, she jerks at the sudden movement, taking a step back out of instinct.

Oh no.

[sword_redemption]

It takes everything Drift has not to flinch at the touch. He's more aware than anyone here the power in that hand: it's his, after all.

"I really don't want to stay like this, Wing. Nor do you. You know that."

But then Wing turns to Vandal. He recognizes this, too, the bunch and coil of actuators, preparing to fire, to launch himself at Vandal.

No. NO.

He whips the device out, pressing the button. Vandal had said 'right directly on him', so he swings it, aiming right at Wing's face, his own face a contorted mess of panic and fear: he doesn't want to hurt Wing. It's killing him to. But he can't let Vandal get hurt.

[winged_knight]

Wing's expression twitches at Drift's words, but it changes to predatory alertness at the girl's sudden movement and then shock when the button is pressed. The flashlight comes on, striking him full in the face.

He'd have prefer it'd been a weapon, the flashlight a far more effective neutralizer.

He both lunges back and lashes out instinctively, but the abrupt change of direction fouls his balance and his swing goes high, flailing uselessly over Drift's head. He cries out, and ugly, angry sound, the light like a seering pain burning away wickedness. The cry goes from pain to horror as the light exposure reverts him, the cling of darkness leaving his frame and red of his optics fleeing as if in fear with an almost audible snap.

Balance broken he falls back, his other arm flung back to break his fall, the round halo of the flashlight centered on his chin and upper chassis. Clear blue optics blink above it, wide and startled, bordering on terrified, as memories of the past few days begin spooling in his processor.

Wing vents hard, fighting off panic from some unknown source, his vocalizer pitch tinny and high. "Wha...^where...?

[vandalization]

Wow.

It worked.

It actually worked. She was right for once. Vandal has a brief instant where she feels incredibly smart.

"Wing! Quickly! Get in the light! In here! Drift- keep that beam aimed at him."

[sword_redemption]

Drift's hands are shaking, both of them squeezing at the device, to keep in focused on Wing's face. He's nearly crying again--frag, he really hates that part of human teenaged girl-ness--because Wing....is in pain.

"_{I'm sorry i'm sorry}" he's stammering, wincing at the sharp cry, stepping closer. If Vandal wants Wing in the light, Drift can aim him that way. He hopes. "Vandal. He's in pain..."

[winged_knight]

It comes back, faster and harder this time. Like the recollection of a memory purge only he knows now it's not. It feels like days worth, and some of it vivid, but all of it a rushing deluge in an already alarm filled processor. He throws his head forward, clutching his helm, his whole frame shaking as he endures the memory dump. There's a keening whine in the distance...and he realizes it's him. But there's other voices too. Familiar ones...

He forces his eyes open, optics irising down until he can see past the flashlight's beam. Recognition strikes him but so does comprehension, a choking sound of both horror and relief.

The light. 

He'd feared it, because it banished him.

Wing surges forward, a desperate leap for safety, for himself and for others, launching clear over both humans and into the halo of the trailer's porch light. He has enough presence of mind--instincts honed from centuries of training--to tuck his head and shoulder into a roll, but not enough to end on his feet. He lands prone, graceless, but it matters little as long as he's reached sanctuary.

[vandalization]

"Fuck-" Well. It worked. It worked-ish... at least. He's in the light and he seems to be back to... well. Normalish. As normal as things can get right now. She runs over, starting to look him over for any possible injuries he could have sustained just now.

"Drift, you okay?" She calls over to him, worried about both of them at once.

"This is so fucked up... Wing. Talk to me. What the hell is going on?"

[sword_redemption]

"Don't worry about me!"

Frag his injured feet: Drift runs as fast as the small, stupid things could carry him, over to where Wing is lying. In his body. He...can't even process this, still.

He grabs onto a piece of armor, by Wing's shoulder, torn between petting it for sympathy and tugging at it. "Wing? Wing? Please tell me you're all right."

[winged_knight]

The landing is jarring, but it helps bring him back to the physical world, along with the sounds of concern from at least one familiar female voice. He feels the touch of small warm hands on his shoulder armor and his helm turns that way. He knows her now, it's Drift. And it doesn't matter what the package looks like, only that he should be extra careful as he rolls slowly onto this side, an arm reaching for Vandal and then curling around the place Drift stands, burying his face against the ground next to him.

"It's me, I'm here. ^{I--I'm sorry}...!"

[vandalization]

Karrie just sighs, laying a hand on Wing's finial and letting relief wash over her. She'd been right, but it certainly doesn't feel very good. Not with things the way they are.

"It's okay," He finds herself saying, the usual mantra.

"It's okay, we'll figure this out."

[sword_redemption]

Drift can't help the fact that he's shaking. He drops to his knees, the baggy sweater pooling over his thighs, trying to get as close to Wing as possible. "Wing, are you hurt?" He looks up at Vandal. "What do we do?"

[winged_knight]

Wing wishes it was okay. Maybe for now it is. But that's a temporary respite and he knows it. 

Even so, the stroke over his helm finial is comforting, and the presence of those dear to him. His fingers hover near Karrie, then cautiously stroke down her back. It's apology and gratitude all in one.

"Not hurt," he mumbles. Which was true, he had no physical injuries. His frame still shudders occasionally, his mind unwilling to fully process the memories of the last 3 days.

Wing can feel the shaking of Drift's form within his field. He gently presses the crest of his helm against the young girl's chest, blue optics flickering with emotion. It's the best embrace he has to offer.

"_{I was worried about you.}" There's relief in his soft voice, until necessity hardens it, "...but you can't stay here."

[vandalization]

Give her a moment. She's just going to lean against Wing and try not to simply pass out right there. This whole ordeal has been exhausting, and the wash of relief is something on it's own.

"Well, on the contrary, I'm not leaving you here, Wing. From... what I gather, you need to stay in the light. My generator here will be more than enough to last the night. It runs on energon, so..."

So there.

"As long as you stay in here, you'll be good until morning and we can get you to someplace that will be better lit."

Eventually she slides away to go slump by the porch and let them have whatever moment they need to have.

[sword_redemption]

"We were fine, Wing. You didn't need to risk yourself," or whatever--Drift still has no idea what's happening, "for us."

If the dark is what changes him, though. "You have to stay here, Wing. We can watch you." He still has the light in his hand, switched off, and he never wants to use it again, but if it keeps Wing himself, he would. "Listen to Vandal."