Called In

## Meta

**Timing:** a handful of days after "Combat"

**Setting:** Sydney Shatterdome, Hangar 2 and CDL

## Text

A halo of red lights shine down on /*Vulcan Specter*, casting a pool of light around her feet. Assembled in a loose group outside the danger zone, stand the shin, thigh, and hip teams who've just collectively flinched, and since the cranes now thrum with motion, Pietr figures the Chief just sounded the warning horn for "heavy machinery in motion, watch for debris."

The shins plates lift away.

Dried mud crusts the gigantic, hydraulic Achilles rams and sand—good heavens, the sand.

It just keeps flowing.

And flowing.

And flow—that's a—something dead, formerly marine, and reburied.

Everything is suddenly orange.

The teams shuffle from the new estimated debris field.

Dump trucks–worth of sand cascade from the thighs.

As does some heavier, clumpier stuff.

And chunks of coral.

And more dead things.

Pietr frowns at the mess.

The tide finally ebbs.

Just in time for the hip plates to shift away and the shower to start all over again.

A two-fingered tap on his arm.

Tsuki!

He beams.

Zhi smiles back, grimaces at the mess. ::Doubt the hips are gonna look any better.::

::Thought they just stepped in something?::

::They /**rolled**. Quite a bit, actually.::

::Sure they had good reason.::

::Had to get enough leverage to throw the ugly off.::

'Come again?'

::Apparently, our esteemed Rangers got held under by the thing. Praise be the visor held—::

::Or we'd be going to another funeral.:: Pietr grimaces.

The lights change to green, then the main bay overheads come back on.

::Be seeing you,:: smiles Tsuki.

::Yea, good luck!::

::Thanks, same to you. Bye!::

Pietr throws a salute.

Tsuki grins, strolls off towards zhir group.

Pietr whistles and, when all the crew members turn to face him, directs each to their starting point, assigning himself the top half of an ankle tendon. He braces his helmet between his knees as he ties a handkerchief over his hair, then returns it to his head, and checks the variety of wire brushes, scrapers, and files on his belt. Feeling rather prepared, Pietr climbs the ladder to knee-height, clips himself to a safety line, and steps off into the mesh of the Jaeger's muscles. He works along, slowly making his way to mid-calf, and, there, encounters a particularly stubborn clump.

Initial attempts having failed, Pietr glowers.

The clump acts unhelpfully clump-ish.

Pietr whacks at it a little harder.

The clump snaps off—

Pietr whistles three sharp notes—

Tufo shoves left—

—and whizzes by Tufo's shoulder.

Pietr whistles one long note.

—and swings back into place.

Tufo waves without looking up.

Pietr exhales, sits back in his harness, and wipes his face on his sleeve.

A two-fingered tap on his arm.

He turns, smiles to Tsuki, and puts his free hand to his heart with an 'Aww, miss me already?' tilt of his head.

Tsuki snorts, but zhir brow and jaw remain furrowed and tight with concern. ::Daycare wants to see you.::

Pietr swallows. ::Is anyone hurt?::

Tsuki shakes zhir head. ::They just said to come 'as soon as you are able.'::

Pietr nods thoughtfully. ::What's your workload like?::

::Same as you but in the hip. Why?::

::They don't have a signer on retainer. Will you be my interpreter?:: he asks, fluttering his eyelashes.

Tsuki laughs. ::Sure thing.::

::Thank you!::

::I'll let my supervisor know,:: and then taps—'you've got a little something'—above zhir brow.

So does Pietr.

His fingers come back coated with dirt; he sighs mightily—

Tsuki laughs again, offers to change his line.

He smiles in thanks, sends zhir off with a mock salute.

Zhi grins and heads back up with a wave.

Pietr eases off the brake and rappels to the floor.

Two fingers on his arm. The section Chief: "You off?"

Pietr nods, cradles an imaginary baby.

"Your kid?"

'Yup!'

"I'll get—" The Chief turns away.

Pietr taps the shoulder.

The Chief glances back around, turns the rest of the way. "Sorry, mate, you good with Tufo taking over?"

Thumbs up.

"Won't expect you for a couple hours."

Pietr bows.

The Chief grunts, shoos him away, and hollers, [probably] for Tufo. [because hollering kinda has physical cues?]

Pietr sidles up to /*Vulcan*'s foot, hoping his out-of-the-way spot continues to be as incident-free as usual, and pulls off his handkerchief. He gives it a good shake, inspects it, sighs again, and scrubs at his face with the cleanest corner.

Tsuki jogs up a minute later.

Pietr preens.

::Got it!::

Pietr bows, tucks the cloth in a pocket, offers his arm with a flourish.

Tsuki replies in kind, links zhir elbow with his, and they follow the yellow-paint strip to the opposite side of the hangar—

Pietr urks against his shirt, rocks back a step.

Cart from his left.

"Sorry!" calls the driver.

Pietr waves. To Tsuki: ::Maybe I need a dog.::

Tsuki snorts, tugs him to turn around, and dusts his visibility vest with zhir sleeve.

::Better?::

Tsuki huffs. ::It'll do.::

They make it to the doors, and then to the other side of the Shatterdome without further incident. The checkpoint guard scans their IDs.

Tsuki gestures to Pietr, says, "Parent of Isaac Vos." To zhirself, "Interpreter."

The checkpoint guard reads the screen.

Tsuki says, "Meeting with the preschool director."

The guard hands over a badge. "Please return this upon your departure."

Tsuki clips it to zhir shirt. "Yes, sir."

The guard buzzes them through.

"Thank you," says Tsuki. "You, too."

::First door?:: asks Pietr.

::Second,:: says Tsuki, and they turn into the office's anteroom.

The administrator attends a person in gray, so Pietr and Tsuki stand to the side of the door and, apparently, more clearly in their field of view.

The administrator smiles, greets them.

Tsuki says, "And I'm Officer Davega, his interpreter."

The administrator replies, gestures them to go ahead in.

The person in gray nods as they walk by, returns to their previous business with the administrator.

Pietr accounts for a Vos cloud of curls—Izzy—and, on the other side of the door, notes a similarly-sized brunet, face streaked with dirt and tears, perched on a person's leg. This adult-sized brunet, an assistant quartermaster by the insignia, looks sour, and rests both hands protectively on the kid's shoulders.

On the other side, Izzy, hair askew, sits in his own straight-backed chair, swinging his feet.

Pietr frowns, scoops him up—!!!

Caresses the parallel scratches on one cheek.

Izzy offers a carefree smile.

Pietr matches him, slides himself into the chair, and plunks Izzy on his lap.

And, oh, look! One of his Rangers leaning against the wall perpendicular to them, arms crossed over his chest.

The Ranger nods a greeting.

Pietr does, too.

The director says, ;;Officer D, you're here to interpret for Officer V?;;

Tsuki nods as zhi finishes signing.

;;Good.;; Underhill laces her fingers and rests her hands on her desk. ;;Officers V and C, Iz—your sons were involved in a fight in the playground.;;

Morgan's parent, then—Caddick?—frowning at Pietr.

Pietr goes for disarming.

The frown deepens.

;;Now, Ranger J separated them and told me what he saw of the fight before you arrived, but I'd like to hear from the boys what happened.;;

Morgan points to Izzy. ;;He pushed me!;;

;;How did I's face get scratched?;;

Morgan looks at the floor. ;;I don't know.;;

Izzy tenses.

;;M. Did you scratch I?;;

Pietr wraps his arms gently around Izzy's middle.

Izzy relaxes. A little.

Morgan continues staring at the floor. ;;Yes.;; Looks up with a defiant gleam in his eyes. ;;After he pushed me.;;

Izzy vibrates angrily.

Pietr squeezes.

;;What were the two of you doing before I pushed you?;;

Morgan looks back to the floor. ;;Talk—;;

::They were talking.::

;;About what?;;

;;Stuff.;; The gleam is back.

Ranger Jones rolls his eyes.

Underhill sighs. ;;I, what happened?;;

;;M kept pulling my hair. I asked him to stop. He didn't. I said I'd stop him if he didn't. Then he called me a weirdo and pulled some of my hair out. So I pushed him.;; Izzy's chin has a defiant tilt. ;;And then I sat on him.;;

Ranger Jones' eyes crinkle and he fights a smile.

Pietr taps Izzy's shoulder.

Izzy turns.

::Where?::

Izzy points to a spot just above his ear.

Pietr parts the blond curls and finds a bald patch, about the size of a five-cent piece and very red. He mentally counts the leaves on the fig tree in his backyard, slowly.

;;M, what's the rule about touching other children?;;

Morgan slouches on his parent's lap.

::He's mumbling. I can't understand him,:: signs Tsuki.

Underhill sighs again. ;;I, what's the rule about touching other children?;;

;;Don't without—;;

Tsuki falters.

;;—consent.;;

;;Very good.;;

Morgan slouches further.

::'Explict consent'.::

;;Both of you broke the rules and there will have to be consequences. I'll speak with my supervisor as to what they should be. For now, you may return to daycare. Ranger Jones, your help has been noted.;;

Pietr beams.

The Ranger shrugs.

Underhill unfolds her hands, lays them flat on the desk. ;;Officers, children, you are dismissed. Ranger Jones, a moment please.;;

Pietr nods, sets Izzy on the floor, and stands.

Caddick lifts Morgan, stands, sniffs, and stalks out.

Tsuki, Pietr, and Izzy leave the office.

The administrator's reaching into their desk, comes up with a handful of lollipops. "Izzy, if you'd like."

Izzy looks to Pietr.

Thumbs up.

Izzy skips over, plucks a red one, and by the administrator's big smile, thanks them enthusiastically.

The administrator addresses them. "Have a nice day."

Pietr nods.

Tsuki replies, "Thanks. You, too."

They head from the anteroom.

::I need to get back,:: signs Tsuki. ::See you later?::

Pietr nods.

Tsuki smiles to Izzy, waves,—

Pietr and Izzy do, too.

—and leaves.

::Shall we?:: asks Pietr.

::I want to thank—:: Izzy frowns. ::Mister ...? J.::

::Ranger.::

Izzy lights up. ::I want to thank Ranger Jones.::

::For what?::

::Bringing us here. It was fun.::

Pietr snorts. ::How about we wait out of the way?::

::Sure! This way!:: Izzy leads them to the daycare coatroom.

::Means I can fix your hair, too,:: adds Pietr.

::Yippee!::

'Turn around.'

Izzy does; Pietr finger combs Izzy's hair and weaves it into a French braid.

::Is it straight?::

Pietr shrinks a little. ::Mostly?::

Izzy pats his shoulder. ::It's okay. You're still learn—:: He goes rigid with excitement. ::Dad! It's M— The person I was telling you about! With all the games!:: Izzy dances on his toes.

Pietr grins, gives Izzy's forehead a kiss, and steers him toward the playroom.

Izzy darts off.

Pietr shakes his head, straightens.

Someone taps Pietr's arm.

Pietr glances over.

The Ranger Jones who ended the fight. "How many you got?" he asks.

Pietr holds up three fingers.

"Pair and a Spare, lucky you."

Pietr bares his teeth.

"Easy, Fluffhead, I'm trying to help."

Pietr retreats a step.

"'s what they're trying to do to Jack's kids."

Pietr levels a hand at Anni-height, raises an eyebrow.

"Earlier the better, ay?"

Pietr shakes his head and crosses his arms—

"Chuck Hansen?"

His hands freeze and he grimaces.

Ranger Jones shrugs, strolls away.

Pietr does a quick Vos scan as he cuts through the main room; he comes up with two happy, blonde curly tops and one, dejected, braided, and be-ribboned, slinking away from a table—hey, look, the other Ranger Jones!

Pietr waves—

Ranger Jones has tense shoulders, a tight jaw, a bright-eyed, flooffy-haired kid in his lap, and sits with the person from the director's anteroom.

—checks the motion, leaves the room, and passes two water fountains before he finally realizes the trim person opposite his Ranger wore the soft, velvety gray of a Drift Science officer. He frowns, glances back the way he came.