[closed] you're free but in your mind

[cyborged]

Who: Raiden, Milly & Newt
What: Raiden takes Milly to Newt to see if he can help her with her Cyborg Issues
Where: Newt's clinic
When: Let's say a couple of weeks after Milly and Raiden's SECRET IDENTITY talk
Warnings: Cyborg emotions maybe?

Staking out Newt's clinic is becoming a somewhat worrying habit of Raiden's, but he's a paranoid soul and this time he has someone in tow whose secrecy he's a bit more concerned about than his own. He watches the coming and goings for a little while (call it training, Milly) waiting for when it seems like the clinic's empty before he gestures for Milly to come with him to get things underway.

He had told Newt they'd be here around this time, but he hesitates briefly before he opens the door. Gripping the handle, he looks to Milly to make sure she's still up for this. It's a pretty big deal for her. "You ready?" He asks softly, voice hushed just in case there's anyone nearby.

Comments

[bombsheltered]

Milly's trying not to be nervous, but she can hear the thud and whir of her own heart in her ears even as she tries to force a smile onto her face, rocking back onto her heels. Is it really safe to talk here? Well, Raiden wouldn't have brought her here if it wasn't, and if he says Newt can be discreet...then she trusts him. She jitters a little, fidgeting with her hands, but finally she swallows.

"Hi, Dr. Geiszler," she says, her voice a little soft, not quite meek. "I know we've met a few times before, at Mintaka. I, um -- my dad's always taken care of me, but I don't know if I'm always going to be able to rely on him anymore, and Raiden says I can trust you..."

She has to stop to steel herself, biting the inside of her cheek. Deep breath, Milly. One step at a time.

"There's something my dad's never told you about his work in cybernetics," she continues, her gaze settling back on Newt's face. She wants to stare straight at the floor, but she doesn't let herself drop her gaze. She loosely shakes out one hand, neatly pulling back the sleeve of her sweater. "He's never told anyone."

Milly glances back at Raiden nervously for just a moment, but then she turns back to Newt and draws in a deep breath, closing her eyes -- and then with a soft clank and click, her hand cycles into the energon blaster her father had installed.

YEAH TIMLEY FASHION IS TOTALLY FOR NERDS

[kaijugrrroupie]

Newt doesn't notice the way Raiden is looking at him--mostly because he's looking at Milly to try and gauge how this conversation is going to go. But thanks to the fact he's already had a pretty long day and needs another cup of coffee, his brain isn't quite making the logical jumps he normally would. He glances at Raiden only when he speaks, giving them both a small smile, motioning for them to sit if they want.

"Hey, don't sweat it. Anything for a friend, right?"

And then his attention is back on his bosses daughter. He's met her a few times--always introduced by Baelheit, and he's never really had a conversation with her when Baelheit wasn't hovering around to chime in. He's certainly not expecting what happens when she pulls her sleeve up.

Newt's eyes widen.

"Oh man," he shouts, leaping up, having to forcibly stop himself from rushing over and giving her a complete once over. "He totally figured out how to combine Cybertronian tech with ours. Oh man."

[cyborged]

"Cybertronian?" Raiden looks from Newt to Milly's gunhand, incredulity clear as day on his face. "As in the giant robots that caused thousands of dollars worth of property damage and only contacted us after it was done?" Not that he's bitter or anything.

How could Baelheit have even gotten his hands on that kind of technology? They only made their presence known recently, and surely the Autobots would have made that kind of alliance known to CONDOR. Does he have a "friend" in the Decepticons, or...? God, alien politics is so not something he signed up for.

Whatever. That's not the most important thing right now, he can think about whether or not he needs to investigate this further later. Sighing, Raiden crosses his arms over his chest, still looking intently at Milly's hand. "Does that mean you're familiar with this kind of tech?"

[bombsheltered]

Milly shifts a little under the scientific scrutiny, a little uncomfortable but not quite squirming. She bites her lips together, watching Newt, glancing back at Raiden when he speaks. Her heart is still pounding with a sharp whir in her chest. She still can't believe she's doing this.

"It's Cybertronian, yes," she says, fighting to keep her voice up, but it comes out a little small. "I don't know all the details, but I know my father's been doing research on them somehow...that's how he developed this hand, and a whole new generation of prototypes, I guess. This is the only one that transforms, but...that's not all he gave me, either." She rocks back a little on her heels, wondering if Newt already knows about some of this. He must, right? He works with her dad and Dr. Frost in the Cybernetics Division. "He developed a new fuel at Mintaka. He calls it synthetic energon. I used to run on power cells, but...he gave me a new fuel injection system this year."

She hesitates again, sucking in a deep breath and forcing herself to look at Newt's face. "Dr. Geiszler, I've been a secret my whole life. It's not that I really want everyone to know, but...I want to register. I want to work with CONDOR. I don't want to have to stay a secret. But I don't know how things will be with my dad when I do register, and I can't -- I don't know how to do all the repairs and maintenance myself..." Her voice wavers a little, not quite breaking -- she refuses to cry here -- but her eyes are just a little misted over.

[kaijugrrroupie]

Newt pulls himself away from looking at Milly so he can give Raiden a brief nod. "I've worked on some outside of Mintaka and CONDOR," he states simply. It's nothing that Baelheit or CONDOR don't know already, but Newt isn't sure how much he's willing to actually say. Especially since he didn't tell Baelheit the whole truth. Nor CONDOR. He'd pretended he hadn't known who Starscream was when he met him.

His attention falls back on Milly, and he watches her carefully as she talks, his brain running a mile a minute, right up until she starts to waver. Science can wait.

"Woah, hey, it's okay," he says, coming around from the desk and standing in front of both of them, giving Milly a small smile. "Call me Newt, okay? Dr. Geiszler makes me sound like I'm fifty and wow, so not ready to become a silver fox yet. And you came to the right place. I kinda specialise in this sort of thing -- Cybertronian's and cybernetics -- and the clinic was set up for kids like you."

[bombsheltered]

Newt's reassurances help -- but it just makes Milly sniffle more, a couple of tears spilling over her cheeks before she hurriedly wipes them away. It's just...a lot, this is all a lot, and Newt's being so nice she almost can't take it. She doesn't even object to being called a kid.

"You -- you can help me, then?" Her voice is a little thick, a littel wavering, but she looks hopeful. "Can you help me, Newt?"

[kaijugrrroupie]

His expression softens even more as she starts actually crying, and he gives Raiden a quick glance before looking back at Milly, putting an hand comfortingly on one of her arms. He smiles at her and nods.

"Dude, absolutely, Milly. Maintenance, repairs, fuel. Whatever you need, I can help. No questions asked."

[cyborged]

Well that's... Better than expected, honestly. It's put Raiden's mind at ease, and he can only imagine how it feels for Milly. He steps closer to her, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze - it must be fairly overwhelming.

"Thanks Newt," he says softly, attention trained mostly on Milly.

[bombsheltered]

Overwhelming is right. But right now, as terrifying as all this is right now, Milly's mostly overwhelmed with relief. She really hadn't known Newt, only met him a few times at her dad's work, and she really hadn't expected him to be so…nice. So easy to communicate with. Newt's hand on her arm is a huge comfort, and it's only amplified by the light squeeze Raiden gives her -- a gesture that means a lot; she knows Raiden isn't really big on touching.

Milly's lower lip still quivers a little, but she looks terrifically relieved all the same. "Thank you," she manages in a small but earnest voice, and then with a quiet little sound she suddenly throws her arms around Newt to give him a rather crushing hug.

[kaijugrrroupie]

Newt glances back up to Raiden and gives him a small shrug and a smile. Like he's going to leave the poor girl stranded. He's not a monster. And since he's actually pretty familiar with her tech anyway, it makes sense. If they hadn't come to him, CONDOR probably would've done eventually anyway.

He's not expecting the hug, and when it happens he gives a small squeak as the air is pressed out of him, bringing his arms up to her shoulders to give them a squeeze.

"Can't breathe here, Milly," he manages with a lopsided smile, but makes no effort to pull her off. "Seriously, though. Don't worry about it. I'll look out for you."

[bombsheltered]

"Oh -- sorry!" Looking embarrassed, Milly quickly lets go, firmly steadying Newt by the shoulders. She might look like your average willowy teen, but she's definitely packing some major cyborg super strength. She looking a little flustered, she looks aglow with relief, obviously touched by both Newt and Raiden's comforts. "Thank you so much, Newt, it means a lot to me! I feel way better now..."