BANG CRUNCH BANG CRUNCH
"What the hell are you doing?" Miranda's shouting barely penetrated the cacophony of destruction Grunt was orchestrating from the kitchen.
Relaxed against the sink, Gardner acknowledged her presence with an amused nod. "'big guy here is helpin' me with dinner."
The madness halted only as long as it took for Gardner to swap out a decimated bag of cereal for a fresh one.
BANG CRUNCH GIGGLE BANG CRUNCH
"Does it have to be so ... primitive?" She shouted, clapping her hands over her ears and wincing with each strike.
"The bashing, you mean?" Gardner cracked a grin, pitching the acquired crumbs into a thick, gelatinous substance, as if he were completely unaffected. "I guess there are a few upgrades - But, no. Those would be completely 'non-essential' to the mission..."
Miranda fumed, recalling a budget request she'd denied months ago. "We went over this-"
BANG CRUNCH BANG CRUNCH
Miranda sagged. "I'll talk to Shep-"
Gardner cupped his hand around his ear to feign difficulty hearing.
"I'LL TALK TO SHEPARD."
And the noise suddenly stopped.
Miranda scowled and retreated to her office.
"Great job, kid." Gardner produced a pint of ice cream from under the counter and slid it over to his partner in crime. "We'll get that grill in no time."