So Tarn walks into a Bar...

[sparkwhisperer]

Who: Tarn and You
Where: the NEW Maccadams Old Oil House
When: right now
What: Tarn tries to make some new friends
Warnings: None :0

It has been weeks since Tarn’s fight with Megatron and he has kept himself as scarce as possible, nursing his wounds, and even more recently, his broken pride. Spending his days mostly alone has begun to wear heavily upon him, too ashamed by his recent fall from the Decepticons to face most of the mechs in the base.

The bare patch on his chassis still jars him when he glances down at it.

Still, he can’t help but think about what Sixshot told him. He can’t hide forever, and the longer he waits the more the Autobots will think that they have won. A change of tactics does seem to be in order.

Tarn has wandered from the base still wearing his scars from the battle and hobbled by a slight limp; but otherwise at nearly full strength. Heading deep into the city, the DJD Commander begins his search for any flicker of civilization in the vast, crumbling, nearly desolate city. He wants to be seen. To let it be known that he is done hiding and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. They will be forced to face him whether they want to or not.

Before long he stumbles upon a small establishment, clearly Autobot owned. Maccadams, it seems, has made it to even this Cybertron. He isn’t surprised; though as he approaches the door he does note a small sign clearly stating ‘No Tarns’ in bold lettering. A Deep booming guffaw rips from him before he quickly tamps it down, muffling his chuckling by clearing his throat. Tarn straightens his back, lifting his head and purposefully ignores the sign. The former Decepticon pushes the door open and steps confidently into the dim lighting of the bar.

This can only go well.

Comments

[sparkwhisperer]

For once, Tarn is at a loss for words.

His jaw drops behind his mask as he just stares at Shockwave in disbelief for a few moments. That was...surely that is a bit harsh. The DJD Commander opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to squeeze out a rebuttal to the Scientist's scathing commentary.

"Ah." Is all Tarn manages to say for himself. He sits back politely, bowing his head and clearing his throat. "I...suppose I can't object to such a...strongly worded proposal."

[orerrible]

"You've caught me at a bad time."

Also the sun rose every morning, gravity held them to the earth, and several other obvious statements et al. Tarn perhaps had not once in his tenure of being the brutalizing left hand of Megatron's cause been upstaged, and certainly by someone who in another life was nothing short of infamous for their outbursts.

"I never pretend to care for the Division." Shockwave rose, voice falling back to a markedly less room shaking decibel. Almost conversational. "In fact, now I almost find myself pitying you for playing instrument to a vanity project."

[sparkwhisperer]

A stab of anger shoots through Tarn at Shockwave's last comment. His eyes narrow behind his mask, icy rage gathering in their depths as the commentary finally begins sinking in.

A vanity project?

It is one thing to insult him, but to insult the sanctity of his team is edging upon going too far.

"Oh, spare me, Shockwave, I don't want your fragging pity." He spits, leaning back to stare him in his singular yellow optic. "I am proud of what I did for the Decepticons. The cause hinges on its internal administration running as smoothly as possible even if it means getting a bit dirty from time to time."

[orerrible]

"You will find my anger less palatable," Shockwave said thinly, "And you will note I said almost.

This was all beneath him. Shockwave knew he was better than kicking someone when they were down. Even Tarn, whom he counted among the intolerable of those in the old ranks determined to raise Megatron to some sort of level of divinity. And yet the bilious feeling elicited when he saw the Decepticon brand nowadays happened to be plastered over Tarn's face. It made being the bigger man difficult.

However, he also was not here just to vent four millions years of pent up rage onto Tarn.

"Is Megatron here?"

[sparkwhisperer]

Tarn can't help it; he throws his head back and just laughs. He briefly wonders if Shockwave is at all aware of Megatron's defection to the Autobots.

"He is. In fact, from our universe, there are two of him."

He clears his throat, attempting to collect himself and tamp down the surge of manic rage that grips him at the thought of the red badge smeared across his ex-leader's chest.

"I'm guessing you haven't heard the news."

[orerrible]

"If you're referring to his defection," Shockwave said nonplussed by the unexpectedly brassy reaction from Tarn. "I was the first to hear of it."

It had been quite the event seeing Megatron rip the Autobot brand off of Bumblebee's still smoking corpse and call it an act of growing character.

[sparkwhisperer]

Tarn narrows his optics

"You were there." It's a statement rather than a question. There is no doubt in his mind that, somehow, Shockwave has something to do with it.

"Tell me how it happened."

[orerrible]

"Yes." Shockwave nodded but did not elaborate.

"Tell me what you already know." Shockwave countered, it served a purpose twofold; he wanted to know hear what information had been diluted reaching distant ears. And he simply wanted to keep Tarn on the end of the rope.

[sparkwhisperer]

"I know nothing other than what Megatron, himself, told me."

"Mostly that the war is over and he has to atone for the mistakes that he made. Nothing about how it actually happened, or the events leading up to it. Just his weak reasoning as to why it has to be."

Tarn locks eyes with Shockwave's singular yellow optic.

"Tell me."

[orerrible]

"All this and what good would that do me to dismantle the man for you now?"

Shockwave crossed his ankles over the other and sat straight almost prim on the barstool with one hand on the countertop and the cannon for the other set evenly over his lap pointed away but with the implication that was liable to change with the direction.

"Optimus Prime's young scout master Bumblebee and I had an unfortunate run in when I was," Shockwave's massive yellow optic flicked for a brief moment elsewhere. "Caught in over my head researching the energy crisis. Megatron apparently suffered a resurgence of conscious in the wake of his death. I've been told they bonded and some of that ideology rubbed off him.

Easily - willing."