Nightshift 37: West Wing, North Hall 1-B

[fourtharcana.livejournal.com]

[from here]

Only a few more hallways to go. It seemed almost too quiet, as he stepped through the hallways. That could mean that it was just early, of course, but it could mean that something was there in the shadows.

Oh, well. If there was, Akihiko would just take it down. It wasn't too much of a worry.

[to here]

Comments

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

Lugnut lifted his head, eyes slowly focusing on Depth Charge and his... his... his offer of assistance?

He blinked several times, trying to process that, before reaching out to gingerly lay his good arm (and its long, shaped stick, though he was as careful as he could be about it) across Depth Charge's shoulders. Yet, even as he accepted the offer, he said (quietly, but in an almost stunned voice), "There's no reason to help me. There... there's no immediate enemy to fight. You could offline me easily, this body has no defenses..."

And Autobots (even ones by other names) just didn't help Decepticons. They opressed, they hated, they coldly murdered the fools who had come first, the fools who had cried out against the system's corruption-- then cried out as they were dragged away, to prison or worse. (Lugnut may have just been a gladiator, but he had heard the whispers of injustice and revolution, even then.)

"Why?"

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

Why? Depth Charge smiled dryly. Actually, that was a pretty good question, one he couldn't quite find the answer to. He thought it over as he shifted Lugnut's arm across his shoulders.

"'cause I got bigger things to do than fight someone else's war," he said eventually, "and you're not exactly gonna get in my way right now, are you?" As he spoke he turned his head just enough to look the 'con in the eye. Cards on the table, no slag. "Right now, you're no threat to anyone but yourself. And if I don't have to scrap you, I won't. Not my style." A pause. "'sides, I was programmed to protect."

The last comment struck Depth Charge a lot harder than he would ever have dared to let on. Protection. It'd been a while since he'd thought like that- and for a reason. What right did he have to protect anyone now? Maybe, just maybe, once X was dead he could think of himself like that, if his conscious would let him. Until then, he had to keep focused.

Slowly, he began to push himself up out of his crouch. "Don't think about it too much, okay? You'll strain yourself." The pain in his legs intensified suddenly as the extra load began to bear down on him, but he managed to grunt out the words nonetheless.

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

With a few quietly pained sounds, Lugnut climbed to his feet, leaning heavily on Depth Charge and the wall when his... whatever passed for gyroscopes in this body... bleedled their organic alarms to inform him that the world was rocking and swirling.

Programmed to... protect. The idea was hazy and strange; usually, the "protecting" sort were Elite Guard or police, the sort that would stop at nothing to kill Lugnut. But this mech, this Depth Charge, was helping...

Slowly, he took as much of his own weight on his legs as he could, and just as slowly, he said (solemn and serious), "Thank you."

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

Depth Charge's knees nearly buckled then and there, but he caught himself just in time. Primus. The guy weighed a ton, even supporting himself. Looked like progress was going to be slower than he'd thought it would be.

"Don't thank me just yet," he replied grimly, "just focus on staying online." Carefully balancing himself, he started the long walk down the hallway with his teeth gritted together so tightly he thought his jaw would grind itself to dust. The bruises lacing his shoulders burned all the more from the pressure. One foot in front of the other, nice and even like. "We just need to find someone who can fix you up."

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

Lugnut nodded, wincing with each step he took. After a few, something bubbled up to the surface of his memory... he had read something. What was it?

"... A clinic. M35," he mumbled, then-- louder-- "There was a message. A clinic in room M35."

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

A clinic, huh? That sounded promising. Maybe they could even check out his legs, tell him if he'd completely wrecked this body already. "M35. Right."

He shuffled around in his pocket with his free hand while they walked and pulled out his map. Not too far then- straight down two corridors, two lefts, then through to the room blocks. They might even make it without falling to pieces first. Without hesitation he picked up the pace a little and started to walk with a more determined stride.

[hailmegatron.livejournal.com]

Stumbling along with Depth Charge, Lugnut managed to stay mostly quiet except for the occasional hiss or grunt of pain. He had taken worse damage than this. He had his altmode's entire tail unbolted, for spark's sake. He was not going to falter now, just because he was in a pathetic human body...

[scalyfishman.livejournal.com]

The double doors leading to the hall up ahead were wide open, much to Depth Charge's relief; opening them like this would have been virtually impossible. They passed through them in silence, save for an occasional murmur from Lugnut, leaving him to focus on the rhythm of his footsteps. One, two, one two, one two... don't stop. Not yet.