Super Robot Quest G

"Aaaaaaand done." Frankie took a step back, his polarized visors withdrawing back into his forehead and revealing his orange optics. "So I know Patch prolly tells you all this already, but, uh, don't pick at it."

"I know." Breakneck was desperately trying to do as instructed and to not pick at the adhesive patch. "Thank you. Just..." One hand raised up, only to be forced back down by a glowering Patch. "But that stings." This was the first time he'd ever heard Breakneck speaking at a normal pace - that fight with Highway must have knocked him for a loop.

"Which is exactly why you need to allow your subsystems to do their work without interference," Patch huffed. Frankie had to admit that the field medic of the Legion not only didn't really have a bedside manner, his appearance only reinforced that. With sunken optics, a face that seemed constantly wracked in a snarl, and a skeletal frame, one would think he was more of a mad doctor than he was an actual medical unit. "So hold still, Breakneck, or so Metatrine help me, I will make you." In turn, Patch nodded to Frankie. "Adequately done."

"Uh, thanks." Frankie scratched the back of his head. "Gonna need more hands on time with that before I get better at it."

"Spend some time in the Enclave, and I guarantee you won't lack for practice," Patch grumbled. "Well, while you're here, I could use the assistance if you're willing to offer it."

"Patch!" Tracker's scratchy voice yelled from across the maintenance bay. "Come help me set these pair of spark heads straight!"

"...you deal with this every time?" Frankie asked warily.

"You get used to it, it comes with the profession. Now, let's begin, shall we? They won't fix themselves."

---

"The package is disseminating itself throughout the Belligerent's systems," Delphi reported. The simple circular icon that remained her avatar spun around as the Oracle Matrix marshaled her thoughts. "I think it's safe to say that they made it back with Bandit."

"Got it, Delphi," Hotwire called out from his terminal. "Nothin' solid yet, but I'm already seeing queries matching up to my old logs when we were all onboard."

"Excellent work," Galbinus nodded. "Is there any risk of your efforts being detected by Chimaira?"

"I don't...think so?" Delphi's voice was a little less confident at the question. "At the very least, Chimaira as far as I can tell has never really bothered to look into human programming methods. Every time she's tried to poke into our systems it's always a saturation brute force approach. Even if she purges it, that will give me and Hotwire enough time to look around and create additional backdoors."

"We've got it, chief," Hotwire agreed. "Don't you worry."

Galbinus nodded, satisfied things were well in hand. "Very well. Is there anything else?"

"Richard and the Argonauts are on their way back. They were a little worries about Perseus, but Diana tells me they've got the situation well in hand. As it is, they're sort of...figuring out what to do with the Drones."

---

"...they what?" Richard blinked as he turned towards the small group of sullen looking Drones.

Iris shrugged in response. "They surrendered."

"I mean, I got that part. But shouldn't the Legion take care of them-?"

"Custody: remanded to Major Devin." Both Iris and Richard glanced back up as Herald approached them. "Context: somewhat complex. Initial loyalties post manufacture hew to manufacturer: Belligerent in this case."

"That does not explain why you're giving them to us, though," Richard countered.

Herald made a vague gesture with his hand. "Drones: not particularly amenable to Legion practices. Conversely: not all Legion members comfortable working with Drones. Association with Tyrannous: considerable. Addendum: Defense Force Research Institute lacks this mental association on both sides. Potential boon to Major Devin."

Richard and Iris looked at each other. "...Greg'll be happy at least?" he commented.

"I was more worried about Doctor Ignatov," Iris replied.

"Weapons and firearms: confiscated," Herald assured them. "Escort: Axiom team will provide." Herald then nodded to both of them. "Combatant potential: high. Our compliments and thanks for your assistance."

---

"So...what did Richard leave us with?"

Charlie shrugged, then winced as the adhesive patch almost came undone. The large, unsightly drab metal clashed with the yellow-bronze color scheme he had going, but Frankie - and by extension Patch - had been very clear about not picking at it. At least I got out of that better than poor Breakneck did. "We got the reactor heart," he said.

"Well, yeah." Frankie - thankfully no longer sporting any of his engineering tools - scratched the back of his head as he looked at the blackened blast zone where the Predasaur had tried to chow down on Beowulf Fenrir - and by extension getting turned into the biggest s'more possible. The blackened carcass looked frail and brittle, but Charlie's younger brother was looking at details that only he seemed to be able to perceive. "But you know what? I bet we could make use of this."

"What? That?" Charlie stared at the piece of broken kit incredulously. "Beowulf tore through it like butter!"

"Yup! But just imagine what Lieutenant Wilde and Sergeant Henry could cook up with this!"

"That's...kinda what I'm worried about, honestly," Charlie admitted frankly to Frankie. "You sure we want them and Lana going mad with power?"

"They tell me that the lieutenant already had delusions of grandeur way back when they were just breaking ground, I'm sure he's gotten it out of his system."

"You're not filling me with confidence, brother." Charlie sighed - he knew there wasn't going to be any dissuading his brother now that he'd been fixated on the Predasaur carcass. "Alright, lay it on me. What are we dragging back, and why?"

"Really, really simple, bro..."

---