I fall off my chair as the radio blares, *Ratchets hitting a hunginton bank, Theta?* I check my watch, about two hours have passed with nothing to show for it until I press on the mic's button, "On it!" Zero floors it. Why are the headphones unplugged? Tango peeks back, "Thought you needed a nice nap." I give her a thumbs up, "Maybe you will get the next one." She loads her magazines up, "Who are the Ratchets?"

Zero giggles before I fill her in, "They're a group of former erotic dancers. Need I say more?" She bursts into laughter, "Stippers? Robbing a bank?" Zero and I sigh, "Yup." A hulking mass of metal walks into the street ahead, I yell out, "Hey! Watch out!" Zero swerves as a metal arm slaps us into a shop. The door tears off and a metal arm pulls Zero out.

I get out the opposite side and a whack follows from behind me. "Drop it, sexy." I halt, a woman in casual clothing points a gun at me and winks. I drop the rifle, but my leg kicks it at her face. I didn't wanna do that, but I'll take it. After she gets shots off, I try throwing a punch, she dodges through and quickly wraps her legs around my neck. We both fall to the ground. Before she grips down any more, I want my last words to have meaning. "You smell like fish." "Fuck you! Limp dick piece of shi-!" "Krystal!"

Tango slaps me awake, "You alright?" After rubbing my cheek, she pulls me up. "Where's Zero?" "He's breathing." I sigh while looking at the car, tires shot in and a huge dents in the side. I wave to her, "Request a tow" "Got it." She jumps in the back while I walk around the wreck to find Zero. A nice big welt lies on his face, he's lucky he didn't put up a fight.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Bolt?" "Morning sunshine." He gets up and rubs his face, "I can't believe a bunch of strippers took us out." Who was that? Zero scratches his head while plopping down into the driver's seat, "That's militia grade shit he had tacked on."

I rub my chin, then grin, "Somebody was offered a lap dance, maybe?" Zero laughs, "Must've been some lapdance." The sliding door opens, allowing some loose bullets to roll out. "You boys done fantasizing yet? They're on the way." I grit my teeth, "Krystal." They both look at me, eyes open wide as Tango cracks a smile, "Relax, we'll get em." I doubt it.

A tow truck finally pulls up about thirty minutes later. "That was quick." The men take one quick look before one sighs, "The Ratchets?" We groan, "The Ratchets." They hook the bottom and yank the fucker out with ease. After that, it goes onto the bed. We hop on the bed and hang on. A man yells over the engine to me, "Outpost Six?!" "Yeah!"

Under the moon, the guards out front greet us, "What in the hell did that?!" I yell up, "Some guy's helping the Ratchets!" One guard looks to the other as he elbows him, "Robo-pimp?!" Everyone laughs, but mine slowly fades.

Do I deserve this second chance? Tango's so full of life, dangling her feet in the water without a care, I smile as she hops down. The men in the cabin drive off as I yell, "Thanks!" "Hey Bolt! Let's go to the gun range!" I lean forward and grab at the prosthetics, wincing. "Go ahead, I'm hurting." "Hurting?" I digress, "It's nothin, go." Tango turns, "Alright, see ya!"