EGYPTIAN WHEELIES

[obeytherod]

[Malik had found something while looking through the East Wing. Just what that "something" was becomes apparent when an engine roars to life, and the skid of tires on tiled flooring echoes through the halls.

Sure...sure, he could just walk his new bike outside...but where was the fun in that?! This wasn't an ATV, and it likely wasn't going to fair well in the spotty terrain outdoors...

So he's just going to take a few smooth-riding laps in the halls before he goes to test it outside.

When somebody gets in his way, he rears the bike back onto one wheel, skidding a few feet on the floor before the front tire slams back down and he comes to a stop.]

What, are you trying to get yourself killed?

Comments

[obeytherod]

Even if I did, it wouldn't matter.

[He revs his engine, giving Pegasus a vicious smile.]

So why don't you stop telling me what to do before I show you how little I really do care...?

[fab_for_u]

Well, I never...!

[obeytherod]

Keh heh...yes, like that. Just make sure your feet don't touch the ground.

[Malik starts the engine and then kicks the stand back in, the motorbike starting off slow and then working up to a decent 25 mph down the hall. He wasn't going too fast now, because he didn't plan on running laps any more; Malik was going to take them outside.]

[obeytherod]

[Wording Harriet, wording; it tips Malik off fairly easily.]

...You forgot? And after you told me to give you a few days to think about it, too! Keh keh... [The lie slips out easily. If Harriet didn't remember, there was no harm in trying.]

Do I really have to explain myself all over again?

[whiterosefoes]

[She was so brain dead at the time. At least she does remember talking to Malik for quite some time, and a few key tidbits (like him poking her head while insulting her religion and letting slip some rod deets), but an offer? ...She does not want to admit that she was too sleepy to remember. She scratches her cheek, staring at him blankly.]

I dunno. It can't have mattered much to me if I forgot about it. You could just take it as a no.

[She can't imagine a deal with him that she would have agreed to in the first place. But she expects he'll explain anyway. He's simply not the type to take no for an answer.]

[obeytherod]

..."Humans"? You say that as if you're not. And your voice...

[Malik can't hold back his suspicions any longer.] What are you?

[obeytherod]

[Casually, Malik pulls off his helmet and sets it in his lap, but he still doesn't bother to move from the bike.]

You seemed pretty interested in it, actually... [An interest born from concern for her friends, but he technically wasn't lying.]

We should talk in private. [He pulls the Rod out from his belt, pointing it at her with an pointed little grin.] And since I think you'll object to me using this to communicate...we'll just have to move!

[soldier_from_surface]

I'm not a human, even if I'm built to look like one. I'm an armed recon robot.

[He figures the shorthand is better, but if Malik asks, he'll expand on it. It's not as if it needs to be a secret here, what with there being no one to do recon missions for...]

[whiterosefoes]

I beg your pardon?

[Is he telling her to get on the bike. Is that what's happening?! he really was trying to pick her up, WHY THIS]

You shouldn't even be able to use that on me while I'm in my armor, you know!

[obeytherod]

Yes, I know. [Malik says with ah int of frustration as he jams the Rod back onto his belt.]

That's why we need to move. I don't want just anybody overhearing us.

[obeytherod]

A...robot?

[Yes, he knew what a robot was, but still...could they really be this advanced?! Besides the voice and the weird skin, it looked and acted human.]

What's the "recon" for?

[soldier_from_surface]

[If not for the clear lack of skin with metal plating instead and that glitchy tinge to the voice... he could pass unnoticed as one.]

Reconnaissance. I was built to scout out places and retrieve as much information about them as I could, so that it could be used for some other purpose.

...That's what my systems register, at least.

[whiterosefoes]

Yes but...

[Every fiber of her being is telling her not to get on the bike. But she's already at a disadvantage from not remembering their conversation. She could tell him to fuck off, but it'll just bother her later. Curse her habit of dwelling on everything! She sighs loudly and steps up to the bike.]

This had better be good!

[obeytherod]

[Well, that went better than expected! She wasn't terribly hard to convince, was she? But he knew that already.

Harriet would be useful to him yet.

Malik pulls his own helmet back on and then starts the engine back up, allowing the bike to start in a slow-speed roll as he briefly adjusts to the weight of having two people on his bike.]

Keh keh...hold on.

[Malik mercilessly steps on the gas!]

[obeytherod]

Somehow, I doubt that.

[Malik reaches up, tapping his left eye knowingly.]

[whiterosefoes]

[Oh yeah, having to hold on was part of riding a motorcycle wasn't it? This is still a terrible idea.

She kinda just... folds her hands hovering a little over him without actually touching him at first, but that goes right out when he tears off like that - she instinctively latches on, yelling] WHOA-!! [out of habit, from riding horses around England. She gets used to it pretty quickly though. High speeds are not something she's scared of. It's actually kind of fun, though she tries not to let it show.]

[obeytherod]

Ohh? [Interesting! Malik's starting to wonder if his Millennium Rod would work on a machine...he doubts it, though.]

What kind of information were you gathering?

[obeytherod]

[Despite that initial burst of speed, Malik slows down soon after as they approach the front doors.

But he's still going fast enough to cause damage if they were to ram into them.]

...Maybe you should summon something to open that door.

[Hint, hint. You're running out of time, Harriet!]

[soldier_from_surface]

I don't know. I was... disabled during my mission and suffered ten years offline, damaged, and discarded. Whatever I had gathered had been corrupted beyond salvage and was purged from my systems a short time ago while I was being repaired here.

[whiterosefoes]

What, now you're too weak for that too!?

[She thinks he's just having fun making her do what he wants. Those doors sure are approaching fast though.]

Ugh, lunatic! [None of her fairies are really bulky enough to straight up ram the door. She lets go with one hand and summons her Hourglass of Courage, which hurriedly flutters ahead of them and blasts the door open with a great burst of wind and glittering sand.]

[fluffydeathdealer]

Shut up! What sort of an idiot do you take me for?!

[Despite the sharpness of his words, Bakura's less concerned about touching the ground and more concerned that his hair will snag in something, so before they speed off, he takes a second to tuck his hair over his shoulder. At least his closeness to Malik traps it.

His breath catches in surprise at the bike's movement, feeling oddly like his stomach fell for a moment. His arms tighten just slightly around Malik. It's not out of fear so much as it is of surprise. What the hell is this feeling? Even at this low speed he can tell some of what Malik likes so much; there really s a feeling of power in this thing.]

[obeytherod]

[Enough of one, apparently, considering the laugh that follows.

Once the two of them are are nearing the door, Malik speaks up again as he continues to drive them carelessly right for it.]

Summon something to open the door, would you?

[fluffydeathdealer]

[Heh. Perfect time to test out the card he'd gained during the blackout. Drawing it out, he focuses on it, feeling the odd synchronization with it. Usually, he'd require a connection with new monsters before he could summon them. He wasn't going to dwell on why this one felt like he already had one.]

DIABOUND! SPIRAL WAVE!

[The blast seems to hit the doors with a violent force, blowing it open hard enough for the doors to fly off and land on the ground. The summon disappears, leaving the doorway open.]

[obeytherod]

... [Not at all; Harriet was right. He's just having fun making her do what he wants, but there was more to it than that. Malik was testing the waters.

But with the doors open, Malik is able to make it outside, almost immediately kicking up sand when he hits the beach shore.

This still wasn't an ATV, so when he steered right and headed for the jungle, he kept near the edge to avoid running into anything that might send the two of them flying headlong.]

[moderndaydragon]

[AND THEN SHE WAS NEARLY RUN OVER BY AN EGYPTIAN ON A MOTORCYCLE

WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS]

M-Malik-kun!