Shell Shock

Writers:

Denny and Leila
Rating: PG-RG
Warnings: Ratchet/Azimuth. Violence.
Disclaimer: We value our lives too much to even dare think about claiming Ratchet and Alister as our own. We borrow them for an RP, so don't worry. [Put the Wargroks back into your cage!]
Summary: Everyone's nightmare is to wake up in a cold, dark place without a clue where one is. Sadly, that's what's happened to us. What's even better, we have monsters and weird encounters to endure as well. And then there's them…
Lucky, right? If I ever get out of here, I will need some therapy sessions.

Chapter 16

It seemed like hours when they reached a second door after less than twenty seconds, which led back into the corridor Alister and Ratchet had traveled on before. Alister came last, slamming the door shut and asking Ratchet if he had a weapon that threw flames. The younger caught up and modified quickly his Constructo Pistol while the white Lombax activated his wrench to maximum.

Blue electricity crackled between the wrench's tips. The voltage was so high it nearly burnt white and at that point Alister jammed the tips against the door seams; Ratchet followed his example on the other side with his flamethrower at the highest setting. They followed the openings clock-wise; the frame melted under the modified tools' heat into the wall.

Bar watched them, pressing against the metal surface, his processors producing sounds similar to heavy gasps as they proceeded with sealing the door. Then, when the Lombaxes were done with their work, he slid down onto the ground and dug his fingers into the fabric of his mask. "Oh my circuit, oh my circuit... That was too close, that was too close!" He shivered as he inhaled deeply once more, trying to calm himself down.

But there was no reason to be so agitated at all. Neither of them could hear any giggling. There was no scratching, no indicator that they were following them - and after another few moments, even the robot had calmed down.

"Just to hell with it..." Azimuth sighed, supporting himself on his wrench. "They can't give us a goddamn break, can they? This was the third cursed encounter for today already!"

"The third? THE THIRD? My circuit!" The robot seemed to be well on another breakdown as he clutched the sides of his helmet, shaking his head frantically. He pushed himself against and up the wall instead, though, waving his two companions after him. "Come on, I won't stay put here for another micro-second and you don't want to either, I know."

"Damn it, Bar. Calm down already." Azimuth rubbed his temple. "We are safe here. Safer than when running around aimlessly. We have to think of an actually useful approach to the situation, and not about running around like headless chickens." He still followed him though, but on a slower pace. He felt tired out, both mentally and physically, and certainly did not need an overly nervous robot melting his circuits.

"B-b-but the guards really, reallyseem to want you... And that means we can't stay at one spot for a long time!" Bar hurried down corridor after corridor, always waiting nervously for the Lombaxes to catch up. "Am I not right, Ratchet?"

All the robot received as an answer was an apathetic shrug of shoulders. It made Bar stop, yet to speak of Azimuth who turned around in worry. Was the younger still all right?

"... Why are you asking me this?" It wasn't a growl, but the tone wasn't really friendly either. Ratchet wondered what the robot was getting at, squinting back at him.

"Why I am- because I thought you might agree with me! I mean, these guards are scary and they could get here anytime..." Bar gulped as he tipped his fingers against each other. "I really don't want to wait here too long and... Agh." The robot shook his head and clutched his fingers into the fabric. "I don't know, it's just... I'm sure they want something from me."

That didn't sound good. At all. If the guards really wanted something from Bar too, then they had now two high-profile targets in a group of three. "Just the more reasons to find a way out." Ratchet pushed away the feeling that Bar had meant something different and called up the map of the sector again.

"Hehe. See?" Bar turned around to Azimuth, a wide grin on his face. "I knewI was-"

Azimuth passed him without another word, following the younger while keeping the map in mind. They were still in blue territory, and still safe. Just what did all safety mean when one's mind was confused and troubled? It only gave him the time to realize what he had done, or rather what he had been about to do.
Again regret came over the elder. Had he only... Had he only been faster, perhaps the situation wouldn't appear so unsettling. Perhaps he wouldn't have to worry about Ratchet in this way, and perhaps this whole incident would have become more bearable.
And perhaps he would have stopped clinging to his values in such a needy way.
Even though he did not regret the intimate moment they had shared just a while ago, his conscience accused him of folly. Unacceptable it was to have let himself go so much. To have been so irrational.
To have been so close to Ratchet when he wasn't even sure if the other was thinking similarly.

A growl escaped him as he grabbed his head, shaking it. There was no time to contemplate about this. He had had his reasons to be so intimate with Ratchet. Yes, he did. It was only to show Bar what he had wanted to know. Nothing more, nothing less.
Nothing more?

Slowly he felt his guilt step back again. A low sigh of relief escaped him as he indulged himself in a moment of calmness. He had had his reasons every time. He had not been irrational. There were valid reasons – what, valid? Pitiful excuses, if anything – for his actions. And now he had to focus on the task on hand: Finding a way out of this place.

Turning his attention to the map, he realized that there were not only two, but three different colors. Beside blue and red, a few, select green areas were marked. Were these the absolutely safe rooms Lawrence had spoken of?

"Where the hell did the green areas appear from?" Wonderful. Was that a trick by Lawrence that the map was programmed explicitly on revealing every relevant marking bit by bit? Whatever, they didn't have time to ponder this greatly. "Shall we head there? It can be either the guards again or anything else - the latter always better than the guards."

"That might be a good choice." Azimuth frowned as he looked at those areas. One of them seemed quite large and spacious as it was now the closest to them. "We might find some time to rest in there."

They walked the rest of the way in a stride, in an unusual silence from Bar. But there were also no noises otherwise - the heavy rolls of Alister's boots, Ratchet's tapping, Bar's slightly ringing gait filled the corridors, nothing else. With the terror of the guards appearing only minutes ago this silence didn't help to ease their nerves. Diametrically to the distance they traveled in the quiet, the robot started more and more and stronger nervous ticks like tipping his fingers against each other or snapping his head around. They rounded the corner to finally step into the corridor the closest green area was. "

Azimuth slowly approached the green room, wrench readied for any sudden attacks. As soon as he reached the door, he leant against it and listened for anyone inside the area. He could not hear anything, however, and thus he turned to Bar.

"Could you scan the room for possible individuals in there? I mean, you've detected us inside that recreation room, so..."

"O-of course. Just a sec." Bar was a shuddering mess. His fingers were clattering against each other, and it seemed like he was not able to focus at all. Instead, he kept mumbling to himself, shivering like leaves in the wind. "I need a hug, I need a hug, I need a hug..."

The mutters turned quiet as he focused on the door, his optics winking out behind the visor. Turning off visual feeds helped him to calm down if he had no chance to hug someone or something; then he extended his sensors. Unfortunately, the doors and walls to this room were apparently thicker than where he had found his two comrades before. Bar received the reading of two individuals moving beyond the door but he couldn't even say if they were robots themselves or organic or - Orvus beware, he shuddered - guards. When relaying his findings to Ratchet and Alister, the elder grunted and stepped forward.

"No use in standing around, then. Let's find out for ourselves." He slowly approached the door, careful not to make any noise. When the entrance opened and nothing happened, he waved after the other two before he stepped in, immediately hiding behind some large piece of furniture and waiting for Ratchet and Bar to arrive as well. Meanwhile he listened to the two voices that reached his ear. They seemed so familiar, but also so untypical that he couldn't put them in the right place.

"Come on...", hissed, no, almost hushed the first voice. This person sounded male. "You know I want it."

"I do. I do very well." A faint chuckle followed; again Azimuth believed it to be a male speaking. It sounded awfully familiar... "And I know that you are well aware of the fact that I will use your desire to my advantage."

By everything that is holy, what kind of cheesy conversation is that?Azimuth rolled his eyes as he slowly advanced behind the furniture. He could not see the other two in the area clearly, though. He assumed them to be robots unlike Bar; at least they were of dark blue color.

"Oh you..." The first person growled, but let it dissipate after a while. "Fine. Tell me what you want... And don't wait too long. I can barely hold myself back anymore."

"Ha ha... You've held back so many times now, sir." The second person seemed to enjoy himself. "I am certain one more moment would not hurt you."

"But I need it right now, Lawrence!" Metal was knocked against metal, and a low groan from the other reached Azimuth's ears. "I need it, no, I need you. So, tell me what you want so that we can continue. I can't hold back any longer..."

Azimuth still couldn't see them closely, but he certainly did not want to hear any more of that conversation. Their pose, however, seemed more interesting. As far as the Lombax could perceive, one robot was standing before the other, pushing him against the wall. So Lawrence was in such a relationship? And they had just gotten in when these robots -

The elder's ear perked as he looked down in slight embarrassment. Oh by Orvus, what kind of situation had they barged into? Especially right now, this was the worst thing to listen to for him. It reminded him of what could have been between him and...
A quick shake with his head. He needed to concentrate, not to get worked up. He knew now that one of them was Lawrence, but who was he so intimate with? From what he had heard, one person seemed to be likely, but... It contradicted everything he thought of that individual. Perhaps he was just imagining things?
He inhaled. Try to stay calm. Try to stay calm. Try to stay-

"ENOUGH WAITING!" Once more metal met each other. There was the slight sound of something scraping lightly over a hard, but smooth surface. The voice turned low once more. "I wantyou to obey me right now, right here without delay. I cannot hold back any longer, Lawrence... It's killing me."

"It is odd for you to say that, sir." Fingers brushed over metal, slowly, but audibly digging slightly into the material. "Fine. I shall give in. I'm all yours, sir."

"... How many times do I have to tell you that there is less need for formalities when we're alone, Lawrence," the other robot whispered. "It's Nefarious. Or Doctor Nefarious, if that is more comfortable for you."

Right at that moment the three involuntary spectators passed a spot that offered quite the open view of the robots. Azimuth's eyes widened as he saw the scientist cornering his butler and so close to him, one hand against the wall, the other resting against Lawrence's cheek. Then again, the butler had hishand placed most casually on the good doctor's collar.

"... All right, sir- I mean, Nefarious." A faint chuckle. Slowly the fingers tapped down into unseen territory. "I'm at your service..."

Calmness denied.

Ratchet's jaw fell down at the last sentence. He frantically looked back to see his path inside, wanting to leave as fast he could before the situation escalated. He hadn't expected to sneak into Lawrence and Nefarious getting frisky with each other - his face burnt as he remembered that Lawrence had nearly walked in on him and Alister before when they were making out and hearing the conversation helped nothing to ease the memory's intensity of Alister's smell and touch and kisses.
Oh gosh, his kisses...
The heat vanished as another, more recent memory turned up in connection to a kiss. A heavy lump dragged his stomach down and he bit his lip against the pained noise that wanted to escape him. It should have been bittersweet - the intimacy when Alister's teasing had changed, softening the blow, when he pushed him away again.
No matter what Ratchet did. Whether comforting the elder or sharing something between them he yet couldn't name; probably would never be able to name. In the end it was always Alister who stopped, withdrew or closed himself off.
What was he actually hoping for? This hope hurt Ratchet more than whenever Alister decided to take a step back.

"... But then again," the butler continued. "I still haven't uttered my needs yet." A faint chuckle. "Why don't you come a little closer so that I can tell you...?"

"Hmph." The doctor narrowed his optics before he, too, grinned and nodded faintly. Leaning in closer, he -

"Oh my CIRCUIT are my optics deceiving me?" Bar screamed, but couldn't get any further as Azimuth grabbed him at the place where he assumed his mouth to be. Too late, though - Nefarious snapped around, standing as straightly as possibly.

"... You..." The growl was dangerous, both impatient and strangely vulnerable. He whirled on a heel to them, fists shaking as he stared to the three invaders, having not yet recognized them. Behind Nefarious, Lawrence sported a curious look that crossed annoyance and yet amusement.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! Azimuth cowered behind the piece of furniture halting his breath. Their cover was blown, it was blown... Damn it!
At least make sure that Bar gets out. He'd be beheaded mercilessly by the doctor, especially since he should be dead by now. Pushing the robot to the ground, he looked over to Ratchet, throat dry as he waited for Nefarious' reaction.

"Who has the foolish bearings to invade my private quarters now! I was in the middle of an important task and you dare to interrupt... me..."

The elder searched for Ratchet's gaze while he pushed away into safety. Should we get up?

"Perhaps we should switch on our heat sensors, sir. Just in case that there are individuals with outstanding body temperature in this room."

Of course Lawrence would know all too well how Alister and Ratchet reacted to the situation they had snuck in, and mocked them in his subtle way.
It would have been nice if the butler was close enough that Ratchet could have hit him with his wrench.

"Mmmyes! That should I do." Closing his optics, the doctor engaged his sensors. Before he could use them, though, Azimuth had already stood up and faced them, jumping over the piece of furniture.

"No need to. It was me."

Ratchet held Bar by the hand as they snuck back to the door. Alister had whispered to him he would act as distraction while he got the robot to safety. The Lombaxes could defend themselves easily against the half-insane scientist and the butler, but Bar had no fighting experience, he would have needed protection if it came to a fight.

Luckily, the door hissed open - but much slower than before.

"Well, well, well," Nefarious clasped his fingers against each other with a devious smirk. "If that isn't - AZIMUTH? What are you doing here? In MY facility, in... in my personal quarters?"

"I wouldn't know. I didn't choose landing here." Azimuth remained calm, but wary of it. Lawrence looked at him with such a peculiarly amused gaze that it made the Lombax feel strangely... irritated. But what surprised him the most was the relatively calm attitude of Nefarious - had he ever seen him so reserved and calm before?

"LIES! SQUISHY LIES!" Ah well. So much for the miracle that was a calm Nefarious. An accusing claw was pointed at the Lombax's face as the scientist's voice shrilled up. "It cannot be an accident that you infiltrate not only my hidden underground base, now you found me even in my personal quarters-"

"Well, that would be the fault of your butler." Alister had enough of this nonsense, crossing his arms over his chest. "The map he gave us probably was intended to let me... run into unfavorable endeavors, given the modification that important areas of different kinds only appeared bit by bit. Starting with the barriers and ending with the green areas which I assume represent your quarters. Not that I can be sure as there are no descriptions or a key."

"WHAT?" Nefarious screamed, processors cracking as he whirled around to the butler. Lawrence seemed as calm as ever, brushing off his fingers at his jacket.

"I only wanted to save me some work. You know, he and his lovely companion leave... quite the extraordinary messbehind. One that even exceeds my capabilities as butler."

Of course Lawrence just had to blow the one of the two covers they still had to Nefarious.

"Sooo... The younger, Ratchet is also here?"

There. Already happened.

"I believe so, sir, yes." Lawrence looked at his fingers. "I even believe that Ratchet is trying to leave the room right now." A quick glance to the elder who had turned yellow in his heat vision. "Whoopsie. Should I have not said that? My apologies."

"As if, you bastard." Came the low curse from the golden Lombax. Behind him, Bar began whimpering as his hands clutched and un-clutched against his own. Luckily the robot was as ever conscious on his own strength so he didn't crush the organic's bones.

"Ratchet," Nefarious whispered, unnaturally calmly. "Ratchet, huh." Then he suddenly jumped and stomped onto the ground, hands flexed and bursting with sparks. "YOU GOD DAMN SQUISHIE! DO YOU HAVE TO GET INTO EVERYTHING I DO? I SHALL ANNIHILATE YOU FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, YOU... YOU-"

"Oh Lance...!"
"Oh Janice...!"
"My heart... It burns like a white star for you..."

"Is that Lance and Janice? Oh my circuit, I LOVE that show-"
"Cut it out!"

Why did he bother to whisper his hiss even? Lawrence would have caught on by now that there was a third person present who was a robot, given the lack of a heat signature.

It had to be habit.

"Who is this behind your back, Ratchet?" Lawrence widened one of his optics and had one of his hands half raised. Something about his gaze expressed curiosity, but also a cunning undertone. "Don't worry. I won't tell Nefarious that he is here if you hide him quickly."

A moment of silence followed. "I would really like to if it wasn't for that slow-assed door opening like it's in need of crutches! What kind of door is that slow anyway?"

"One that was built as security measure, should anyone oh so occasionally wind up in this room while the doctor and I are in it." He took a meaningful pause, tapping his fingers against each other. "Of course that mechanism is only triggered upon a certain command."

"... You knew the whole time we were here."
"From the moment the door opened. None of the doctor's underlings would dare to open it on their own and not without announcing themselves. Besides, since I was facing towards the entrance, I couldn't help but notice. Even though, ahem, I was a bit occupied in that moment."

"Occupied indeed." Azimuth cleared his throat. "Either way..."

"You, dear sir," addressed Lawrence the robot behind Ratchet. "Hide, if you will. There is only that much Lance and JaniceI can bear a day, and this has certainly strained my tolerance for the next few days."

"Um." Bar scratched his head. "Thanks. I guess. I'd really like to, but as Ratchet said, there's the problem with that door." No way in Orvus' name he would hide in the same room Dr. Nefarious was in, even when he was currently incapacitated. He looked around, searching the furniture for appropriate hiding places still should things come to push or shove.

"Well, the door won't open in an appropriate time span, that is for sure." Lawrence folded his hands. "Since the good doctor noticed you, its speed has been drastically decreased. Again a mechanism to take good measurements against those unlucky individuals who find themselves in this room."

"Out of which we can conclude that the furniture is positioned in a way that makes being caught essentially the norm in this room, am I right?"

"Hm... Quite the good conclusion, but I fear that is wrong. The good doctor does not know that there are some... hidden areas within the furniture, such as..." He walked past Ratchet and behind the furniture, revealing a small indention in one of the cupboards. "... this one here. Your friend will not be detected, him being a robot and all, but it would have been risky for any organic life form such as you. Now, if you will, um..." Lawrence looked at Bar, evidently trying to think of his name. "Whatever. Hurry up. I do not wish to hear the fifth's season's cliffhanger for the twenty-seventh time."

"What kind of entertainment do you get out of this time? There's always a catch when you're involved." Ratchet grumbled at Lawrence when he helped Bar arrange himself in the indention.

"It wouldn't be entertainment if all participants of it knew the enjoyment behind it." The butler walked back to the spot beside Nefarious, flexing his fingers. "Now, is he finally in there? I do not need to hear the-"

"Chuu-chuu, Janice, chuu-chuu!"

"Talk about speed." Lawrence sighed. "Either way, let's get this over with. Position yourself, Ratchet, or do you want Bar to be exposed?"

Ratchet shot Lawrence an eye-roll but walked back to the position he had been as Nefarious had begun short-circuiting, kneeling down behind the sofa.

"Splendid. Now let's stop this melodramatic tension." Lawrence reared his hand back still a little more before he swung forward. The flat plane of his palm squarely hit on the back of Nefarious' head, the clang resounding through the room. "-PRYING STALKER OF AN ARCH-NEMESIS!"

Azimuth rolled his eyes at the melodramatic outburst of the doctor and massaged the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I have to reason with you of all people." Looking back at Nefarious, he crossed his arms. "Look, we didn't choose to be here. How should we know that you had a secret base here? And besides, aren't you supposed to be in your Space Station?"

"I have learned that it is better having two projects going at the same time. When either of them fails, I still have the other to back me up - besides, I can't stand it to be trapped constantly in space!" Nefarious threw his arms up. "I had enough of that when I and Lawrence were floating on that forsaken piece of rock through the galaxies."

"Oh, I am certain that you did, but also that it was profitable in one or the other way." Azimuth let a faint smirk go over his lips before he frowned once more. "But either way. We did not want to land here and would love to leave as soon as possible. We had enough of your guards and their..." Azimuth paused as he shook his head. "... peculiar interest in us."

"Oh, so you met our guards- wait WHAT?" Nefarious' optic twitched as approached Azimuth step by step. "So it was YOUtwo who drove them crazy?"

"Crazy? Are you sure that they weren't that and also lacking something like 'being stable' before we came here?" Gripping onto the upper edge of the sofa, Ratchet hauled himself into standing with a shout. "As far as we have heard, they also attacked your own workers."

"... PFAH! Details!" Nefarious waved it aside and looked away, one hand placed on his hip. "They are perfectly fine-"

"Let's not exaggerate, sir."

"... All right, almostfine. But still!" Finger raised in a lecturing pose, Nefarious stared at the Lombaxes again. "Until three days ago, they listened to my command without bigger complications. But NOW! They are an agitated mess and completely out of it. And that only because of YOU!"

"Of course, sir. We only don't have the supporting evidence for this claim." A low chuckle from the butler.

"LAWRENCE!" The doctor snapped his head around, growling loudly before returning his attention to the organics. "Either way. You started this mess, so you better sort it out!"

"... What." Ratchet raised his eyebrow. A few seconds later he shoved after. "And how, if at all? You can't force us."

"Oh, I can." Nefarious grinned mischievously as he clasped his fingers against each other. "I can with 100% certainty. COMPUTER!" Before either of the Lombaxes could react, two light beams hit them from the ceiling. The elder winced slightly, blinking confusedly before he turned to the scientist who chuckled in an indulgent manner.

"Data banks updated."

Ratchet felt like he'd been too long in a disco, but just with the visual overstimulation. The various dots flitting in his sight gave the room a polka-dotted tinge. "Um, what was that?"

"A bio-scanner." Nefarious paused, taking the time to smirk deviously. In the back a slightly irritated eye roll could be perceived. "If you don't take care of what you started, our defense system will be focused on you so that no matter where you go, you willbe shot down. If you comply, however... I might consider not reconfiguring the systems, and let you go as soon as you are done."

None of the two intruders looked particularly impressed. Their expression could almost be called "not amused" even.

"Automatic target seeking systems? Oh please, that's older than those bad B-holomovies from decades ago in which they are featured in. And I've faced more of these than I care to remember to count." Ratchet waved his hand in a dismissive 'oh forget it' gesture.

"Oh why you-" Nefarious clenched his fist. "There I give you squishes to get out of here alive on wonderful conditions and you...!" He growled, eyes twitching as if he was about to have a short circuit again. Then, he stepped towards Ratchet, index finger pointed loosely at the Lombax. "I could obliterate you right now, right herewith any of my laser beams-"

"OH GOD NO LASER BEAMS!"

The doctor halted in his motion, lifting his head in surprise. Behind him, a certain butler did something he would have never done before: Facepalm. "By my motherboard - this robot does not seem to have any self-preservation instincts." Lawrence muttered into his hand and to himself.

"Who is there...?" Nefarious hissed in an unnaturally calm way. Turning away from Ratchet, he scanned the environment. There weren't any other entities in this room, at least ones that he could detect. And he was certain that there was not a single robot in his facility that would be so suicidal as to waltz into his personal quarters and -

Actually. There was one robot who he believed to be that insolent. The same robot that had opposed his plans in the facility, yes - he could have been it if Nefarious hadn't had him eliminated a few days ago. But who could it be otherwise?

Only one way to find out.

"Get out of there, you little bug." The doctor's hand flexed as a small energy orb appeared in his palm. "Get out or face COMPLETE ANNIHILATION!" The orb crashed into the piece of furniture beside the cupboard, blowing it into smithereens. An irritated sigh came from behind.

"Please, sir. I have just redecorated this room from your lastoutburst."

The next moment the cupboard fell open and a lean figure tumbled out, hitting the ground face first. Or helmet first. He groaned and whimpered, one hand curling into the ground while the other dove beneath his helmet to touch his head.

What Nefarious saw, however, was only a shiny white butt beneath the facility's protection coat, not the head. Which infuriated the doctor terribly as he took it as an offense against his superior self. "INSOLENT CREATURE! GET UP BEFORE I SHOOT YOU INTO SMALL BITS!"

The scream made Bar scramble in search for support on the smooth floor, arms sliding to the sides as he too quickly drew them under his body to push up.

Finally he just rolled onto his side, twisting on his back so he faced towards Nefarious but crab-crawled back, optics glowing bright behind his visor.

Silence. The frame around Nefarious' optics twitched dangerously as he stood there absolutely calmly. Then, all of a sudden he jumped and stomped onto the ground, voice processors cracking audibly. "So it WAS YOU! You insolentwaste of metal!"

"Was me? Wait a click, what do you mean, Dr. Nefarious?" For a moment he slipped back into thinking he was still a normal worker who had sometimes irked the mad scientist but wasn't in any instant danger of death.

"Was- was ME, he says as if he hasn't done anything wrong!" Nefarious screamed, energy spheres forming around his hands as he kicked his levitators on, hovering in the air. "You INSOLENT scrap metal! This is the last time you oppose me, you aggravating, useless waste of space! I shall ANNIHILATE YOU RIGHT HERE FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!"

Nefarious flung first the one, then the other hand full with orbs at the petrified worker who raised his hand, palm facing outside, in an instinctive but futile motion to shield. They zoomed in on him with a high-pitched whine, their glows reflecting in the sheen of his visor.