FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Part 3

Scavengers of the past.

Clark watched the world pass him by, blurred and dusty, zipping past him faster than he could have ever imagined it would have. Never could he have dreamed of riding in one of these iron chariots, his tribal elders spoke of them from time to time, but he had never seen one in functioning order, always the broken down, piles of rust that dotted his home region. Thankfully it was not as hot as it would have been walking, his entire window panel was down and rattled against the car hull a bit. An hour had drug past and not a word had been spent between rodent and man. Clark's hazel eyes turned to scan around in the car shell, observing and taking everything in. far in the back a short curtain blocked where the trunk would have been, tucked into the sides and along the 'wall' of the car were bolted little cubby holes and holders, small racks and straps, filled to bursting with assortment of items. A large cooler sat against the opposite side of the car, it was what the man was leaning against to avoid being thrown again with the rodents precarious driving skills. the rat was a collector, there was baseballs, gloves, assorted armors and cameras, type writers, computers, tools, everything and anything that he could put to use in the most minimum regard. Clark was most impressed with the incredible assortment of weaponry, so many guns and blades, he had never held a gun in his life, but he knew what they were, never did he imagine there were so many different kinds.

The Man looked at the rodent driver, breaking the silence. "h-how do you know where you are going?" the rodent with no hesitation or hinderance slipped one of those clawed fingers into his nasal passaged and dug around before flicking a glob of green out the window before speaking. "An implant in the back of my cerebral cortex allows me a P.O.V. Heads up display." he smirked a bit, shifting his vision a moment to spy the dumbfounded expression on the human. "When I was experimented on by the Enclave, I got ahold of their files before the rig went up, They were going to use me as some kind of combat unit." the rodent smiled and tapped his temple, "They were going to put some kind of control device in me, but something happened, something went wrong and they changed focus, me and about twenty others were going to be killed, put down like animals, most of us got away." Clark blinked a few times then blurted out, "But, you are an animal."

Clark yelled in dismay and grabbed onto what he could, the rodent slammed his foot on the brakes, the car screeched loudly to a sliding halt partially off the road and in a ditch. he yanked something from under the wheel, Clark looked up only to find himself staring down the barrel of a bull bore .45 with its hammer pulled back, the glistening nubs of brass in the pepper box wordlessly speaking how serious this suddenly got. "Don't call me that, don't you ever fucking call me that, YOU don't get to say that, how dare you call me an Animal, after what your kind has done?!." the rodents face was twisted with anger, "I watched my parents die in front of my fucking eyes!, humans killed them!. I was tortured and experimented on for years, By humans!, I watched my kin tormented to death, just for humans to see what endurance they had!." he pressed the muzzle into the mans forehead,"And when I escaped?, any humans I've encountered have attacked me, this was done by a human." he shoved his tail into the mans arms. he slapped his legs, "you wanted to know what happened to my legs?, they were cut off by Humans!, after they exposed me to lethal doses of radiation, tumors grew in them." he then indicated each scar across his face. " These are from your species as well, your monsters, you think you are the dominant species, look what you did to your world!." he lowered the gun and let the hammer relax, eyes still bored into the man across from him, "Doesn't exactly leave me with a high opinion of your species dose it?"

Clark was shaking and sweating, he would mutter incoherently then spoke up. "W-were all animals, h-humans are animals to, I-I did not mean insult!, I swear it!." a long moment of silence passed and then the rodent lowered the gun. he groaned and shut the vehicle off kicking open the door he stepped out of the car and walked out under the sun, across the parched landscape to stand next to a rusted out car hulk that had been thrown or rolled off the road, he moved around behind it and out of sight.

Clark blinked a few times and rubbed sweat away from his brow the man carefully exited the car himself. closing his door he went around to close the other door, following those canine like foot prints in the dry earth, rounding the turned over van wearing such a heavy rust patina it may as well have been paper. He came across the rodent, this violent killer, this road warrior who just had a hand cannon in Clarks face. curled up in the sand on his side silently weeping. His head rose a bit seeing the man approaching him, the rat wiped the tears from his face and looked away, "go away human, were halfway there, walk from here take what ever you need, just.." he sniffed, "just leave me alone."

Clark hesitated, he pondered letting the rodent be, but after some thought he would reach out and touched the Rodent's side, gently running his hand along his upper arm fluff. He fully expected the rodent to lash out at him, to claw his face off or pull another gun, but none of that occurred. Just a set of red eyes peering back at the human.

Clark took a deep breath and let the simpering weak human drop, he wasn't a coward, he was just easily frightened, and this big, wide open world was merciless and terrifying to him. "I rode in the back of a Brahman wagon for days, I came searching for my sister, we used to live out in Boston, way on the other side of this blasted land." he shook his head, "A simple life, we were in tents and hunted, we gathered, safe in our little sanctuary, cut off from the world outside. A sickness spread among us, it killed in days, our shaman couldn't do anything, and there was talk of going to find a cure, my sister just one day up and ran off, hearing rumors and talk of a place in Nevada where super mutants and humans lived together, even death claws, some mansion in a mountain, said they had medicines and cures for all form of ailments." he gave a soft chuckle.

"Somewhere down the line, it was said they had a vault with some kind of radiation cure, the kind to cure cancer." he looked into those red depths, they stared at him unblinking, intently. "My sister has cancer, she went there to get it cured, off a rumor." he pressed his palm into the rodents upper arm, "off a damn rumor she ran across half the continent, I've been just a few days behind her, or so i thought, the brahmen cart stopped not far from Foundation." his hand went up to pet along the rodents neck, carefully, eyes never leaving the rats own, ready to reel back at any sharp motion. "no one would help me, no one would so much as look at me when i pleaded for help, I been there for weeks trying to hire someone to go with me, to fight for me." Clark blinked when the rodent sat up slowly, peering at the man, listening, observing him as he spoke. "I made caps in the club you were heading to, I was a busboy, but turned out some of the patrons liked other men, especially, an upper twenties fit, little tribal boy." he sighed some and would let the rodent alone, "I made enough caps to feed myself, but one night I just couldn't take it, I ran out and never looked back."

Sketch rubbed his nose, sniffling a bit he spoke, "You didn't like servicing other men?, that's understandable."

Clark shook his head, "Oh no, i loved that part, getting paid to have another man pin me down and relieve his balls in me every night?, fucking heaven." he smiled a bit and hummed softly, "it was the damn women, specially the ghoul bitch, they hated me because some guys would pay me double the going rate, just for me to stick it in them, one wandered in and paid me two hundred caps just so he could suck me off." Sketch blinked and gave a short laugh. this got Clark to canter his head a bit, "That doesn't bother you?"

Sketch shook his head slowly and sighed folding his legs in. "Not at all, I myself have had no interest in the opposite sex, even picked up magazines and portraits of females, not into it." he hummed and rubbed his jaw before scratching at his neck once more. "But the guy in pipfall, now he's a looker." Clark grinned and crossed his arms. "what about Grognak, now there's a real man!." Sketch grinned and shook his head, giving a small laugh, he rose to his feet and offered the human his hand, "Come on, lets get going before someone comes and steals my home."

Back on the road again, the wind gushing through the windscreen, the open windows were a relief to the two occupants. a few minutes had passed and Clark was about to open up and ask some questions when something happened, Sketch sat up stiff suddenly, his eyes on the mirrors stolen from a cargo truck and bolted onto his car, something was following them, and at speed. the rodent slammed the gear shifter and picked up his speed. A turn was coming upon them, "Clark, hang on tight and don't let go, this turn is going to be rough." Clark worried and sweating stared at the rodent wide eyed, "w-what's going on?" Sketch would reach behind him and tugged a brown tarp off of something Clark had been intrigued upon seeing, revealed was a fully loaded, somewhat beat up Mg-42 sitting right next to a second one!. "See the green cylinders next to it?" Clark nodded swallowing hard, "When we make the turn, you get those upfront and ready. were being followed." Clark shuddered, more vehicles?, what did it mean?, how many people had working cars!?.

Sketch peered in the window again, but soon he did not have to, an armored and modified Hummer truck pulled up next to his car, six men on the back were preparing to jump on his car. the window to the Hummers passenger side opened up and just as the glint of metal caught his eye, the rodent slammed the blinder down, rapid fire bullets hit the armor thudding loudly. Sketch yelled out, "Hang on!." turning the wheel he smashed the Torino into a buggy that had come along side them, shoving the much lighter vehicle into a ditch causing it to spin out. He knocked the binder down and spied just in time as a boarder jumped for his car, he yanked the wheel and went off road.

The rodent's car rattled and jerked as it ran off the road, through a ditch and over a mound of earth gaining a little air, then up the road with haste. Tires screeching and engine roaring. he heard angry voices shouting at him, calls for blood and to kill, the hummer was keeping pace, someone said something about skinning him. Seeing a point of interest, a small gas station was up ahead by thirteen miles, his tactical display indicated it was still in semi functioning order. The hummer came beside him again, but this time Sketch yanked the wheel to the side smashing into it, then he slammed on the brakes, yanking the wheel to the side, only to smash into the side of a rusted out family car, both vehicles side by side. Sketch reached back and tugged a modified M1 helmet from the back of his seat, buckling it on and lowering a steel, slited visor down, he took the Mg-42 and the offered drum mag. Slamming it in place he kicked the door open and stepped out. Spying the hummer turning around, he knelt and lowered the bipod, resting it on the remnants of a concrete median. staring down the iron sights, he aimed at the engine block.

The sound was akin to a terrible ripping resonance, loud and unsettling. The hummer turned to avoid the fire, but it was to late, the drum was full of very expensive, very hard to find, very dangerous incendiary rounds. They melted the grating on the truck and from its engine spouted smoke. Seeing the men clamber out of the truck he braced the guns wooden butt to his shoulder again, breathing heavily under the weighty metal helmet, aiming at them he fired in medium bursts, cutting them down, severing limbs and even puncturing the window protection in the passenger seat, it did not stop them from opening the doors to try and escape to cover. A voice broke the blood fueled trance Sketch was in, "Look out!." it was Clark's, he turned just in time to see a cage buggy barreling towards him, yelling he leapt over the median taking the rare gun with him, he rolled to the side just as the buggy smashed into the concrete divider, plowing through it. the six cylinder engine roaring as the car came to a stop and three humans climbed out of it, they wore advanced combat armor, had to be gunners, or talon company, these weren't raiders. Seeing the glowing dots and energy casings of laser weapons, Sketch got up and ran behind more concrete dividers. the fire followed him, ozone burning as they seared past him. hearing them reload and boots moving to take better cover, the rodent was swift, he rest the light machine gun on the concrete and fired. Spraying the buggy and the men, steam rose from the barrel of his gun, those incendiary rounds would melt gun barrels in minutes of constant fire. So he kept up the burst fire, holding the trigger down for seconds, cutting down two of the three, the third had sense to hide behind the same median as the rodent!.

Inspecting his weapon, the rodent tugged the drum out, seeing the weapon dry he set it down and drew his magnum, huffing and holding it against the metal visor. his ear flicked listening to the human on the other side of the concrete barrier shifting, reloading his weapon. Breathing faster and faster, he rose swiftly, and by sheer blind, stupid luck the man aimed just a bit to high when he let loose with the laser rifle, sending a beam of red ozone right through the rats left ear, unfortunately for the man, a .45 barrel was in his face, and this time, Sketch pulled the trigger. A loud echoing, degrading blast like thunder washed over the small gorge like area. Clark emerged from behind the car, wide eyed, staring at the carnage, eyes shifting to the rodent as he rose and collected his discarded weapon, stowing them in the car. "Yea...you definitely hate Humans." Sketch shook his head as he went to loot the corpses of his kills. "I don't hate humans, I suppose. I just hate the kind who attack me for no reason, raiders, gunners." the rat moved from body to body, "The enclave, I just need to warm up to your kind more." he hummed in mild surprise finding one of the men was wearing a rather long duster coat, he grinned greedily, tugging it away and after pulling off his own jacket, he donned it. musing as it fit him, if a bit loosely. he continued to loot, leaning into the hummer taking whatever that he imagined would be worth anything, or of use. of course each gun and every bullet or casing he found went into his cars hold.

Gathering five laser pistoles, two laser rifles, a shotgun, shells, 5.56 ammo and cells, holsters, hats, some caps, and two bottles of vodka. the rat would approach the buggy that nearly made him a flat rat. lifting the chicken wire cage door open, he leaned inside, his upper body in the cabin, his rump in the air as he dug around, dragging out two corpses and tossing them aside like the detritus they were he jumped down and kicked at the tires, inspecting the engine bay. he put away more loot all while Clark just stood there watching, "Its a shame, not much between them, a few guns, some potted meat and dirty water, saddle up Clark lets go before someone else comes and tries to pick us off again.", the man quickly as he could climbed back into the passenger side of the car. Sketch did another scan of the area, the vehicles and the bodies on the ground but nothing of great value to him. closing the door they were off down the road, he tossed his helmet in the back and focused on driving.

Not two hours passed as they kept a steady speed of thirty to forty mph, navigating around obstacles and over and around collapsed bridges and broken roads, the day was getting dim, Clark yawned wide and spoke up."mmh, we should stop for the night." Sketch grumbled, he would keep going, but the headlights weren't the best, and he was not oblivious to some kind of rattling in the engine. he let loose an annoyed sigh and nodded. "Fine, car's heating up and at half a tank anyway. "he squinted his eyes looking ahead, down the long lonesome road. "Were not far from the place you said your sister went to, I guess we can stop up there, a red rocket." he smirked a bit at the name, and urged his car onwards. Coming up to the refueling station the rodent spotted something right away and this caused him to slow the car to a stop, Clark confused would try and see what the rodent had seen, and sure enough there out-front of the station around a campfire, trying to get it going were three humans. "Sketch we d-" The rodent shook his head.

"We'll stop here, I cant keep avoiding every human i come across." he would put the car in park and unbuckled, reaching back to gather up his Mosin nagant. resting it on the dash he peered through the scope, Clark wide eyed. "W-whoa what are you do-"

"I am just checking to see if their raiders!, calm your tits human." Clark grumbled and crossed his arms, trying to get a look at them as well. "Hmm well, they see us, the big one there is pointing at us, oop, there is a fourth coming out of the station, female, wearing muggle clothes." Clark blinked a few times, "muggle clothes?" Sketch smirked, not pulling from the scope, "you know, average, normal clothing." still confused by the term Clark waited patiently. he let loose a breath of relief seeing the rifle get set aside. "I guess if we drive up to them slowly, they armed themselves and are watching us hard." Clark nodded."mkay, yea if they start shooting at us don't kill them okay?" Sketch looked to the passenger and groaned seeing the pleading face peering back at him."Fiiine, i wont kill them."

Putting the gear in place, the car slowly crawled towards the quartet of people, they were increasingly nervous and agitated by the approach of the monstrous vehicle. Its engine reverberating, the car slowed with the creak of break pads just as it turned to the drive in to the parking lot of the station, driving over the crumbling curb and dried grass. An elder man, easily in his upper fifties scratched at his white chin stubble, watching as an arm stuck out of the passenger side window. "Hello there, w-were just looking for shelter were not raiders or part of any groups, were just travelers seeking to share a fire with fellow wanderers of this land!."

The big guy holding a shotgun would look to his fellow men, there was skepticism, but the elder man would step forth and spoke up. "Alright!, but we'll be keeping an eye on y'all, can't trust no one nowadays, specially folk in them rolling death traps." Clark spoke up again, ''Thank you kind sir, let us put the car in the garage, it needs maintenance that only my driver can perform." after a tense moment of uncertainty, they were allowed to guide the car into the maintenance garage, Sketch however backed it into the opening, not wishing to have the ass end exposed, and to make it easier if they needed to leave in a hurry. The engine kept going, as Clark left the car, Sketch put it in park and pressed on the gas a few times, listening to the engine, something was rattling inside. Clark having opened the door and stretched looked in at the driver curiously, "What's wrong?" Sketch shook his head and turned off the engine. "I'm not sure, something may of been knocked loose after the beating we took." with the engine off, the car leaked water onto the garage floor. Clarks door closed and he went to greet the people they would be sharing the night with, they seemed receptive of him, he spoke of where they came from and where they were going, of the great battle against raiders on the road. Sketch popped the hood and shoved the blinders up on each door, locking them in place, he took a deep breath, flicking an ear as a voice inquired of Clark about the driver. And the human simply gave a nervous chuckle, "oh don't worry bout him, he's just shy."

This got Sketch to twitch an eye, 'Shy?, I'm shy?' smirking he would push open the door, it groaned and creaked, and out he stepped, mechanical foot setting on the ground. The humans gathered at the maw of the old gas station maintenance garage were wide eyed, seeing what stepped out of the driver side, "I'm not shy." muttered the rodent, turning to bend into his car and tug out a jug of water and a funnel. he held the funnel in his mouth as he went around front of the car and lifted the hood up, staring in at the monstrous heart of the car. he ignored the men staring at him for the moment, He took a rag and quickly unscrewed the water cap, setting it to the side he stuck the funnel in and began to carefully pour the water into the engine.

"What's wrong with it?" Came a voice the rodent was unfamiliar with, he glanced up to see the large man of the group, looking at him with wide eyes, but not of fear he would note. swallowing hard the rodent in firm fitting clothing moved his lips to speak. "I am not sure, we took a bit of a hammering down the road, some gunners or what ever attacked us, they had a Hummer, military issue and two buggies. we duked it out, I think something was knocked loose, but right now she needs water and gas." The man, a mountain of muscle would nod slowly, "A-anything i can do to help, lil one?" Sketch blinked and looked up for a moment, pulling the water away and closing it up, screwing the cap back on he slowly Shook his head, "um...n-not really, unless you know cars, don't touch the pipes or any part of the engine, it ran pretty hot earlier." Sketch left the hood open and set the jug of water down, moving to the side he would open the iron container and pulled free a jerry can of gasoline, pouring a good four gallons into the tank. Once done he would crawl into the shell once more, tail flicking back and forth, unaware of the man watching him, or more accurately, his backside. he emerged with a tool belt made from a dirt bike tire.

He found himself turning and facing the broad chest and torso of the man, he grinned a bit nervously and pushed his paw against the mans firm, muscular belly."Ah..erm, lemme by please." smirking the man stepped aside, "Oh sorry lil guy." Grumbling the rodent went to the front of the car he got to work. the tall man watched him for a while, but eventually he was called away by the old man, "let him alone Chance, let the lad fix his machine." grumbling a bit, the man left the rat to his own devices.

The light of day had gone, in only thirty minutes the sun had been chased away by the moon, the rat was hard at work, barely looking at or talking to the humans who were sitting around a camp fire, roasting some form of meat and telling stories. When light began to get scarce, Sketch drug a generator off the back of the car and fired it up, setting it infront of the machine, he pushed up and extended a pole, then ignited an overhead fog light to allow him sight. He, as night fell over them discovered the issue, the alternator, he checked absolutely everything, when he went to test the alternator, he rest a wrench against the back of it, but no magnetization. He stood back and cleaned the grease off his paws. Sighing he would close the hood and stuffed his tools away, turning to join the people outside the garage he sat down in a fold out chair with a sigh, stretching and splaying those mechanical feet. "Nice of you to join us Sketch." Spoke the old man, their defacto leader it seemed.

When the rodent looked upon the man in confusion and surprise, he chuckled a bit and spoke up. "Oh your friend here, Clark has been telling us such a wonderful story about you, and that monster you two are riding in. "He smiled gently and held his hand out gesturing to the female in jeans and a flannel shirt, she wore no armor. "I am Porthose, named after a character in one of my grandfathers old books, This is Heather, my daughter." he would nod his head to a man, stocky with a short beard, chewing on a bone of what ever it was they had cooked up. "Jared here is a family friend, and that there is Chance." Sketch looked up at the muscular man, his short semi scraggly hair of black, his eyes blue as the sky once was, he smiled and nodded to the rodent. "We are all very curious, how did you come across such a vehicle?, it is uncommon to see them, but do not think we do not see them now and then, there are even groups of raiders who have organized into banner flying factions, operating with vehicles of upmost terror." He looked to his daughter and held her hand, "We were once a group of twenty, living in a small village, we started with tents, but we began to build shacks, and on the evening we began construction on our first saloon, this behemoth came rumbling over the hill, a fleet of smaller vehicles all around it, they just rolled right through our town, destroying everything, those they did not kill they took, what they did not take they destroyed." The man shook his head slowly. "We've been wandering ever since, from town to town, looking for a place to settle down, where those monsters cannot find us."

Sketch was wide eyed at that, then he gave a slow raise of his brow. "Into the abyss i stared long, and lo did i find, the abyss stared back.." there was a moment of silence after what he said, then, "W-what?" Asked the leader, Sketch shook his head and took a deep breath, "Nothing, just something I read once." he hummed, "So i get the feeling your to ask me if I can fight them, or rescue your stolen people." Porthose smiled a bit and nodded slowly, "You read do you?" Sketch slowly nodded,"Mmh, when i can find books to read I will read them." the old man smiled a bit, "yes, I am going to ask you for your help. after what Clark told us of your battle on the road, you must be able to take on those monsters. "Sketch would nod a few times, letting loose a sigh, stretching his legs again, staring as his toes splayed, the grid pattern in the carbon fiber shell glowed under the flames. "well i cant, my vehicle needs repairs, I need to somehow find a replacement alternator and belt, its a medium size block of metal of fans and moving parts." he sighed and scratched under his neck. he went still staring up into those heavenly blue eyes, "There's an old scrap yard a few miles yandere, isn't no one there, just a pile of junk and cars, when NCR came to these parts they went and drug all the wrecks to that place, piled em high and such." Sketch blinked a few times, "Come to fink of it, they up and left their tractors there to."

Sketch sat up and nodded slowly, thinking silently in his mind, pondering, the squeak of his mouse wheel of a brain running a bit faster than normal. "Alright, I will head that way in the morning then, I have to walk, I don't want to risk the car being further damaged." Chance would rest a hand on the rodents shoulder, "I will go with him, he needs a guide, and isn't wise goin alone." Sketch would slowly nod his head in agreement, eyeing the food cooking over the flame, before he knew what was happening the old man, Porthose spoke up. "You have yet to regale us with the story of how you obtained your chariot, sir." Sketch smiled at that and sat back down, shifting on his buns a bit and leaning forward he was about to speak when a paper plate of sizzling meat was shoved into his paws, "here ya go lad, eat up, its brahmen, dun worry." Chance smiled reasuridly. "V-ery well." The rodent smiled and as he ate the hardy meat he spoke of how he came across the car, speaking of the time with the enclave, avoiding the topic of his dead parents. they seemed to enjoy the tale, Sketch did not even seem to mind when Chance sat next to him, leaning close, perhaps to close than he should have.

Eventually everyone was ready for rest and sleep, bed rolls were pulled out and people tucked into the gas station itself. Sketch of course was on his way to climb into the car to sleep, but a dilemma arose, Clark had no where to rest, no bed roll or tent to pitch. and Chance was coming up to pester the rodent some more, and what's more the man was without his shirt!. "Hey there Clark, why'nt ya go lay on my roll, If'n Sketch here don't mind some company for the night?, I can sleep in the driver seat if need be." he smiled and would tug the door open a bit wider, staring in at the small rodent on his knees inside the shell of the car. Shifting his gaze form Clark to chance he slowly nodded his head, Clark chuckled a bit and stepped from the car, "hey I don't mind, i could do with sleeping stretched out and not curled up in a rolling fortress."

Chance chuckled a bit watching the man go. When the beast of a human, Chance climbed into the car it creaked and groaned. Sketch was left shrinking back into the hull of the car, wide eyed staring up at the man as he left the door ajar, smiling at the small rodent, the man pulled off his boots and tossed them outside, then off came the jacket and shirt. he smiled and would move a bit closer to the Rodent. "ya know, you are kinda cute, in a wastelander warrior sort of way." the man would sit curling his legs up against himself, pressing his back against the driver seat, "We got us a long walk tomorrow, lets get some rest eh lil guy?" Sketch huffed and would reluctantly pull the curtain back, revealing his little sleeping area. His ears pinned and his neck fur rose a bit when the huge man suddenly made a noise the rat had never heard before.

"Awwww, now that is just the cutest thing I ever seen!." Sketch would bite his lip and scooted hesitantly into the lil hole filled with stuffed animals, turning around to crawl on all fours into the alcove, he let a sharp gasp when he felt a sudden hand touching his rump. peering at the human wide eyed, he curled up defensively, staring at him the man was wearing a cheeky smile. "Sorry lil'un couldn't resist." Flicking an ear the rodent would grumble a bit, shifting his gaze as he got lost in thought for a moment. "Fine, you can sleep in here with me, the nights here get cold anyway, but were sleeping, nothing else understand?" he pointed a little furless finger at the man who gave a chuckle and raised his hands defensively. "Alright lil guy, now lemme try and squeeze in that lil cubby hole of yours." Sketch gasped and let off a legitimate squeak when the nearly seven foot tall man curled up and pushed his way into the expanded, reinforced, repurposed trunk space of the fastback model Torino. the car wobbled a bit and creaked until the man was curled up, facing the rodent who tucked into a small ball of black fur and metal legs pinned against reinforced steel, and firm, bare muscle. he let off a soft sigh, pushing his hand against that firm chest, "God dammit."