come along to the great unknown

[redshitlord]

Who: RiD Sideswipe and YOU
Where: the CRATER then CITY
When: NOW
What: An Actual Child arrives on the planet of manchildren and... well.  Things happen.
Warnings: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE NEW CARTOON?? that's about it.


[SCENARIO A - CRATER]
This... is not the scrap yard.  Not even close.  It looks a little like Earth at first -- what with the plant life and everything.  So for an instant, he thinks maybe that's what it is.  He made a wrong turn, or this is some sort of joke Grimlock is playing.  Dumping him off in the wilderness to see who can get back first.  That would make sense.

Sort of.

"Okay, really funny," he grumbles into what he thinks is his comm unit.  "You win, you're hilarious, whatever.  Strongarm put you up to this, right?  Because of the whole patrol-taking thing?"

There's no answer.  No nothing.  Just silence.  Which... he likes to pretend makes sense if they're mad at him for some reason.

Except when the red bot staggers out of the little copse of scrubby plant life, it's... apparent this is nowhere near anything like Earth.  It's not like anything he's ever seen before, actually.  He actually stumbles a little, staring around him in wide-eyed shock.  He keeps his comm pulled up, just in case.    Just in case some Decepticon had the ability to mess around with his head or make him hallucinate or whatever Bee had been babbling about.

"C-C'mon!  This really isn't funny!  I was kidding about that part!  Bee?  Grims?  I'll take Strongarm even!  Throw me a word here!"

More silence -- heavy and cloying and a little unnerving after so much time in close quarters with other bots and humans.  After a life (albeit a short one) spent living in the middle of a big city.  There's just so much nothing, it boggles his mind trying to pick up any familiar sound at all.  The next word out of him is a little shaky, at odds with his earlier, brash, shouting.

"... guys?"



[ SCENARIO B - THE CITY ]
... it doesn't get any better when the lanky young bot arrives in the city proper.  In fact, it gets worse.

The last time Sideswipe saw Cybertron, it was restored.  More or less.  Bots everywhere.  Life everywhere.  Enough to where they needed a police force to mitigate things.  But this... this is just wrong.  He can recognize it as Cybertronian, but that's it.  It looks like the place has been through a war, compared to the Cybertron he knew.

That thought, for someone whose "serious action" is only dodging authorities and collecting rogue Decepticon criminals, is horrifying.  He actually stops in his tracks, staring at the shell of a building on the edges of the city, looking it up and down in what is pretty much mute horror.

"This is... this is so not okay."

It's about all he can say.  The building is all he can stare at, stupidly.  Not even thinking to watch his surroundings.

This is not how he wanted to come home to Cybertron.  Not in the least.

Comments

[redshitlord]

"Well, yeah! It's over. But they're still acting the same!"

Like he'd know. All he'd seen were the convicts. Not the real deal.

[redshitlord]

No, no no. This isn't what he wanted. Not even a little bit. Maybe scratch the guy up. Scare him. Poke him and maybe draw a little fluid if he had to. Had to. That was all he'd ever had to do before. Show off, not back down. It was always enough. He didn't... mean to do that...

What is he going to tell the others? The kid-- what is he going to tell Bee?

And then the crazy bot is moving, laughing, and there's not even a hole there. Something in his knees goes a little weak and Sideswipe staggers back a few more steps, the sword swinging wildly in suddenly numb fingers.

"You... what did ...?"

He can't even figure out coherent words, for the moment.

B

[rodders]

Cybertron being a ruin is something Rodimus expects, really. He's been on it too many times since the exodus to really assume it's going to be anything else. He's even gotten used to this Cybertron being full of crumbling buildings after his time back home where it had looked a little bit more livable thanks to Metroplex and no thanks to Shockwave.

"You're gonna have to be more specific," he offers unhelpfully from where he's picking around in the rubble, trying to find something to make his current place of residence less... empty. He hasn't even looked at whoever he's talking to because it's not a voice he recognizes and therefore looking at them can wait until he's found whatever it is he's looking for.

WOW RUDE DAD

[redshitlord]

His head snaps around. How in the world he hadn't noticed anyone poking around is anyone's guess. How he didn't notice someone with Rodimus' paint scheme is even more staggering. Though there is an appreciative beat of study in the awkward silence that follows -- about time he ran into someone who knew how to make themselves look good.

"Uh, maybe all of this?" he says, equally unhelpful. But one hand gestures at the crumbling buildings, hopefully to indicate their very presence. "It's not supposed to look like this!"

[planate]

"Well, it's only been... what, a few years?"

He shrugs.

"Point is, even if they want to act out they're outnumbered pretty severely."

[redshitlord]

"What...? Really?"

He'd thought it had been longer than that. But, then again, this is Sideswipe we're talking about. Not the brightest spark.

"That's never stopped them before..."

[crabcake]

Rampage is laughing so hard that he actually has to sit down. The look on Sideswipe's face! The distress and confusion radiating from his spark! It's far too delightful.

"You-!" he chokes out between guffaws. "You've never killed before have you-!"

He breaks in to a fresh wave of cackles, vents wheezing now with the force of it. "Why do you even have a sword?!"

[villagepup]

"I am not sure. I do not think there are exits from this planet."

He looks down at the ground momentarily. "It needs to heal."

[redshitlord]

How did that just happen? How did -- how could an injury just heal like that? It's not right. It's just not possible. There's not even a mark. He keeps staring at the sword like it's betrayed him, and his wounded pride can't hardly muster a spark of indignation at the laughter. He's just too floored.

At least until the question. Then he's stepping back, throwing his shoulders up defensively.

"Wh -- Why would I kill someone! I'm not a Decepticon!" Just a delinquent.

[planate]

"I know, and you're right to be suspicious. Very good."

He claps his hands together.

"Point is! You're not alone here! Which is an exponentially better than the other options, right?"

[crabcake]

Rampage stops for a moment to stare at Sideswipe, optics wide. Then he cracks up wilder than ever. Maybe the Autobot is trying to kill him, just through laughter instead of violence.

He finally shouts, "It's called war!"

[redshitlord]

"Uh... yeah, I guess. Unless Strongarm's here. Then we're all sort of screwed to the bench."

Although, right now, he wouldn't really mind seeing her regulation-happy face.

Which just went to show how screwed up this all is.

[redshitlord]

"Well! Maybe the war is over! Ever think of that?"

He snaps it out before he really thinks about it. Defensive and angry and confused. This guy just made him stab him -- and now he's laughing at him.

What is he supposed to do?

[redshitlord]

"Okay, then call a planet medic or whatever. Also known as? Not me."

Wow, you're helpful today, Sideswipe.

[crabcake]

The loud cackling subsides into the occasional chuckle as Rampage stares intently at Sideswipe. "How do you think wars end? Here's a hint: it involves lots of killing on both sides."

And what's this one's excuse for missing the war anyway? Did he really manage to survive the whole thing without killing? Hm. Or perhaps this one isn't referring to the same war he has in mind. He'd heard mention of Cybertronians appearing here from alternate timelines...

[redshitlord]

"Megatron died. And then it ended. Or something -- I wasn't there."

He'd come around after it was all over. After Cybertron was normal again. Like it should be. Nothing like this place was.

He probably could have found out more, but... this was Sideswipe. Learning history wasn't incredibly high on his list of priorities.

[planate]

"I don't think they are..."

Whoever this Strongarm person is, they sure sound like a Cool Dude. Anyone who managed to get a good name usually is.

[crabcake]

Megatron dead? This one is in for a surprise. He's heard there are several Megatrons here.

"Oh, he died did he? Just keeled over one day, hm?" Rampage says, voice full of mockery. "Surely an Autobot didn't kill him!"

He's only guessing now, but it seems the likeliest option. If Sideswipe's Megatron had been killed by another Decepticon it hardly seems likely the war would have ended.

And a Megatron dying of natural causes just seems bizarre.

[redshitlord]

"No! Optimus did! Or something! I don't know! What is this, a history test?"

Some of the fear is easing out, replaced by teenage indignation. Somehow, all the laughing has pushed the right buttons. He straightens up, scowling furiously, as if that's somehow going to help matters.

"It doesn't matter, he's dead and the war's over."

[redshitlord]

"Good. You'd know if she was here though, because everyone'd be marching in formation and praising the Almighty Rule Book or something."

Wow, Sideswipe, it's like you don't like your sibling teammate or something. You'd think you'd have learned by now.

[planate]

"I'm sure she'd be flattered to know how much you like her." he snorts.

[crabcake]

"Of course it matters," Rampage says, amused by Sideswipe's indignation even though it's not quite as fun as fear. "I gave you a perfectly good reason for why an Autobot would kill someone."

He gets back to his feet, stretching. "But apparently you missed all the fun"

[redshitlord]

"No it doesn't! It's over, and no one's killing anyone. Except Decepticons."

He either doesn't realize how petulant he sounds, or he just doesn't care. It's probably a little bit of both. He keeps his arms folded, posture defensive.

"No, I didn't. I'm just fine how I am."

[crabcake]

That just draws another laugh from Rampage. "I think you just don't want to admit that your predecessors were all killers."

He continues to chuckle as he turns from Sideswipe and begins to walk away. Over his shoulder he adds, ignoring what the Autobot just said. "But don't worry! I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunity to have some fun during your stay here."

DEAL WITH IT KIDDO

[rodders]

"Sure it is. It's Cybertron, it always looks like this. Mostly."

Rodimus takes the time to set down whatever he was digging up to take a look at the other person. Hey, Autobot. That's good, he likes that. Sure, the helm is weird, but you can't have everything.