[OPEN] Arrival

[academybot]

Who: Optimus Prime & You
Where: The Clinic, The Crater
When: After Optimus (IDW)'s return to the city
What: Optimus Prime arrives on the planet
Warnings: ?

THE CLINIC

Wandering through the destroyed city, Optimus took a moment to consider how getting suddenly transported to another planet was pretty high on the list of strange things that had happened in his life, a list that had grown much quicker in the past few months than he would have thought possible. This was certainly not a specific scenario they'd trained for at the Autobot Academy, that's for sure.

With so many buildings in serious disrepair, finding one that not only seemed intact but to have working electricity was a surprise to say the least. With some apprehension he made his way over to the building, cautiously sticking his head in the doorway and hoping whoever, or whatever, might be inside was friendly.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

THE CRATER

Optimus had left the clinic some time ago to try and get a better feel for the city. It was pretty unnerving how much the ruins looked like Cybertron, and the silence was starting to get to him by the time he made it to a huge crater in the middle of everything. An unrefined energon deposit? Just sitting here unguarded in the middle of the city? That was certainly strange. Even if there weren't many bots here, leaving a resource like that unprotected went against everything he'd learned at the academy.

He quickly made his way down into the crater, sliding down some of the steeper slopes to get to the energon vein, running a hand over the rough crystal with a frown.

Comments

[planate]

"As opposed to... not having the huge ones around?"

Then again, just about everyone is huge to Pipes.

"Hm. One of the ones I saw... I don't know his name but I think he was one of the phase sixers. He was like... twice your size. Maybe a little more."

[academybot]

"That's not exactly....what I meant..."

It wasn't really worth correcting though since Pipes wound up giving him the answer. 'Twice his size' was larger than the majority of the Decepticons he'd encountered, save Lugnut maybe.

"What's a 'phase sixer'?"

[planate]

He's trying to be optimistic. It's not hard for him, though. 'Two Decepticons instead of three' is enough for Pipes. Also, no Overlord. That helps.

"Ohhh boy," maybe mentioning them wasn't a great idea. "They're just.... planetdestroyingclassDecepticons..."

[academybot]

"Oh, uh- sure."

He was caught a little off guard by the sudden decision to move somewhere else, but quickly fell into step with Optimus, matching his pace without question.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Only that Cybertron has been apparently teleporting people here from different realities, at least one bot here is from the same universe as me, no one knows how to get back, and that there's at least three Starscreams. Pretty much everyone I've spoken to so far as mentioned that, for some reason."

[academybot]

"Wait- planet destroying Decepticons?" he repeated, slowly, for clarification, to be sure he had actually heard that mumbling correctly.

[luckyfaceplate]

There's a certain kind of relief in walking with this Optimus. He feels...somewhat less alone. He may not have the same experiences as him, but there's a certain kinship in...walking with yourself. It probably sounds better in his head.

"Hm. Well, you've gathered a lot of what we know so far. I've gotten visions from the planet, actually--it's said that it wants us to work together, to build from the ashes what it's original universe could not save."

He thinks a moment.

"It wants us all to get along. All of us."

And yes, he knows just exactly what he's saying.

[planate]

"Conquering, more like."

Well, this got awkward. Maybe Pipes should take a vow of silence after this.

"I mean, I met one and he seemed fairly... not planet conquer-y..."

[academybot]

"But isn't conquering Cybertron the Decepticons' main goal? I guess I'm just not really following what makes these guys so different."

He still sounded a little confused, but shook his head with some resignation before continuing.

"I'm sure I'll find out if I run into one. I'll take your advice on avoiding them though.

Is there an Autobot base around here? I should probably start figuring out where everything is around here."

[planate]

Probably for the best, Pipes is a little upset he keeps saying stupid things and making things worse.

He takes the change of subject happily; "Yes!!!" A little too happily. "I mean. Sort of. A lot of people hang around the medibay or Maccadam's."

[academybot]

It's alright Pipes, no one has given him any really good news so far.

"There's a Maccadam's here that isn't rubble? You're kidding." The question was mostly rhetorical, though Optimus was admittedly pleasantly surprised. At least there was one good thing around here.

"I did see the medibay on my way here. That's where I ran into the decepticon and Sentinel."

[academybot]

"That's....certainly a request." He had trouble getting his team to work together, getting bots from different worlds on both sides of the war to collaborate. It sounded impossible. But if that was the only choice they had then they would have to find a way to do it. "Well, I guess getting Sentinel on board with the concept of 'teamwork' is a good place to start."

"You said you got visions from the planet?" he asked after a pause, looking a bit concerned. "Is that...normal for you?" Neither the suggestion of a living planet nor the implication that his alternate self was prone to hallucination were particularly reassuring.

[planate]

"Yeah, naturally the first thing everyone did was set up a place to get tanked."

He hasn't even been yet, it's awful.

"The big guy? You might want to add him to your avoid list if you haven't already. He wasn't exactly known for... people skills..."

[optout]

"Your concerns match mine. I'm not exactly sure how welcoming Decepticons will be to the idea. If at all." See: Yeah this seems impossible he's so glad you agree because the planet sure doesn't!

"That's correct. A few months ago, I felt...something strange. I couldn't explain to you what it was other than a feeling at the back of my mind. I had to wander away from the city and see the outskirts. When I did...the planet spoke to me. Not in words, but in...

feelings and emotions."

Yeah, he knows how weird that sounds. He's not exactly the most spiritual.

[tomemyoutliers]

Not a Decepticon. Something in Shockwave's face twists at that, but he chooses to focus on something else instead. "I see. But -- Prime."

Someone should really tell Shockwave there's a universe where Prime isn't the top rank.

[academybot]

"Yes, I know it's a little unusual for the Head of Cybertron Intelligence, but it's not that surprising. Is it?"

Someone should tell Optimus there's a universe where Prime is the top tank.

[academybot]

A few stellar cycles ago and Optimus probably would have chalked all of this up as nonsense. But that was before he met Prowl, and after all the times Prowl's 'feelings' and instinct were right he wasn't quite as quick to dismiss Optimus' story.

"Ok," he responded after a long pause, sounding like he was still processing the information. Which was, quite honestly, how he was feeling about this whole day.

"Do you mind if I ask, why you? I mean, why not some other bot?" He caught himself before instinctively adding 'Someone more qualified,' having considered how he would feel in that situation.

[optout]

Yeah buddy, welcome to his world. He's not exactly the most spiritual Prime in the special snowflake storm. But honestly, it's best to get all the weird out while he can. It's easier on him and....other him.

"I ask myself that a lot. Although...that's what comes with being a Prime."

Oh...did anyone have that conversation with you just yet, Optimus?

[academybot]

"You know, so far pretty much everyone I've spoken to has made it sound like bring a Prime is, I don't know, unusual? or, special, or something?"

No. No one has told him. Lucky you, Optimus.

He gave a small shrug, "I mean, I know it's not exactly easy, but a lot of graduates from the Autobot Academy are Primes."

[optout]

..."It is."

Oh boy. OOOOH boy. Optimus's eyes widen slightly as he stops, focusing completely now on the younger bot. This...this explains so much--why some of the bots he's spoken to have been so strange to him. How to break the news...

Well, if anything's worked in his life, it's been being blunt.

"Prime is usually a prestigious title that only one can have at a time. They lead the people and serve as a guiding force. A commanding officer if they have to be. It's not an elected position, but rather chosen by the Matrix of Leadership."

Don't worry, it didn't choose Sentinel. That's another can of worms.

[academybot]

"I'll have to check it out sometime." Optimus wasn't really the type to spend any time at bars unless dragged there by his friends, but it would probably be a good place to start getting acquainted with the other Autobots.

"I can see why." Even his conversation with the decepticon had gone better than meeting gold Sentinel.

"But, uh, you probably had a reason for coming out here, right? I don't want to keep you." They'd been talking for a while, and he didn't really want to get in the way if Pipes had been up to anything important.

[academybot]

He had stopped when Optimus had, but had taken a few scrambled steps back when Optimus turned on him with that look of astonishment. And when he finished explaining it was pretty clear why. Had he been wearing his face plate it would be been a mirrored expression.

"That's... you mean like The Magnus?"
He didn't know what the Matrix of Leadership was but it sounded less like the Magnus Hammer and more like... the Allspark.

"You're telling me you-" he paused, pointing at the other prime so there was no confusion here, "you, Optimus Prime, are the leader of the Autobots? Of ALL the Autobots?"

[planate]

He shrugs, "No, not really. I've just been wandering around and trying to figure out something to do. Scavenging only works for so long, right?"

[optout]

Ah, and there in lies what's seemingly the mixup. The title of Magnus seemed to be the title of Prime, in some aspects, while Prime was nothing more than a military rank. Shocking, nonetheless.

"I am. Before the war, Primes were considered the unquestionable leaders of Cybertron. When my time came, I became Leader of the Autobots, and a military commander. But it has always been a leadership role, and an important title."

To say the least.

[academybot]

"That's...impressive."
He finally managed to reply, still looking pretty shocked by the news, and maybe a little shaken.

"Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. After all, who knows what might have happened if things....had gone differently..."
He trailed off, thinking of all the things Ultra Magnus had said before he was expelled from the Autobot Academy, about his potential as a leader or lack thereof.

He turned away, a sinking feeling in his chest. Working to put all that behind him was hard enough, finding out you were actually the worse of two versions of was not something he was prepared to deal with.

[tomemyoutliers]

"To me, certainly. I've no wish to be Prime. There are other candidates out there far more suitable for the task at hand." A beat, and then a smile. "Like yourself. You can't be that dissimilar from the Optimus I know."

They'll get to it. Eventually.