Ortho and Deuce

Deuce takes Ortho to a blastcycle workshop by his home so that Ortho can use their 3D printer to create his Rabbit Gear, but they are met with hostility: the owner refuses to let Deuce inside the shop, saying that he does not care how many times Dylla apologized for his past actions and sending him away.

Ortho interrupts and introduces himself as a humanoid, which seems to intrigue the owner of the workshop. 

He still refuses to allow them the use of his shop on the basis of Deuce being too much of a liability and Ortho asks, “Do you really think Deuce is just acting polite in order to make you drop your guard? I promise, Deuce is not smart enough to think of a plan like that, let alone pull it off!”

The workshop owner reluctantly grants them the use of his workshop, saying that he does not want to disappoint a humanoid kid.

Deuce explains his situation and asks Ortho to keep the secret, making Ortho one of very few people who have been told the details of Deuce’s pre-NRC lifestyle: perhaps only Epel, Grim, the prefect and Ortho himself?

Ortho agrees to keep the secret as long as Deuce helps him craft the Rabbit Gear, and Deuce agrees.

Deuce says that he is impressed by how Ortho was able to talk down the angry workshop owner and Ortho explains, “Considering he works on blastcycles, I imagined he must be interested in all manner of machines, including robots. So I played up the humanoid angle, suspecting he was bound to be curious.”

During the race a bully mocks Ortho to Deuce, saying that he looks like a little kid. Deuce responds, “Underestimate him at your peril.”

Ortho has a voice line of, “Deuce Spade claimed he is an honor student back at school. But this contradicts my memory banks.”