[ INTRO LOG ]

[robotsatan]

You don't know how you got here. One minute you were walking, sleeping, maybe dead -- then you're here, your feet suddenly carrying you down an empty street. Where's here?

Any Cybertronian would recognize this as their home planet, Cybertron, but it's not a Cybertron they've ever known. It has all the familiar hallmarks, but none of the specifics -- the city isn't one anyone here could identify, and even at a glance it's obvious that no one's set foot on the planet's surface in hundreds of years. The city and its surrounding areas all bear the marks of devastating war, of dust and rust collected over centuries. With no one in sight -- right at first, anyway -- there's plenty to explore. In fact, if you start walking, you'll find that your feet may just carry you in one particular direction.

A) The crater.
On one edge of the city is a massive crater left by some wartime weapon that seems to have taken out a large chunk of the surrounding metropolitan area. At the center of the crater it's broken through the surface of the terrain to reveal what looks like it might be a promising energon deposit. There is some strange but native vegetation growing around the edges, too, that no Cybertronian would be able to identify -- small, metallic, brittle-looking sprouts that bear a curiously organic-looking fruit of some kind that doesn't look like it's intended for consumption by any natives of the planet. In one rocky nook of the crater, light catches on the surface of a pool of water, which seems strangely out of place on Cybertron. On closer inspection, it seems that somehow an underground water source has formed a spring in the crater.

B) The center of the city.
If you follow where your feet seem to want to carry you, you'll find yourself in the middle of the ruined city. It seems that the center of the city was once home to a massive forum, and some of the pillars and structures still stand. At the very center of the forum is a massive, elaborately constructed fountain, although it has now long since run dry of whatever used to fill it. One of the low, inner walls of the forum has a terminal embedded in its surface, although it looks curiously ancient, out of place with the rest of the city, and unlike the rest of the technology still left around, there doesn't seem to be any way to power it on or operate it. There are a few scattered pools of water and a few of the strange metallic plants in the city, too, but they're not quite as plentiful as in the crater.

The planet was obviously once home to a massive network of communication relays, but those have all been long since destroyed. However, with the bits and pieces left behind and a few determined minds, it wouldn't be too hard to build a working, if rudimentary, one...

Comments

[luckyfaceplate]

Optimus's audials swivel a moment at the sound of his name, head slowly turning to see who was calling out to him. It's not a frame he recognizes, that's for sure, but they clearly know him. Slightly confusing, to say the least. But then again, maybe this was a recruit he never personally commanded.

It certainly wouldn't surprise him. There were a lot of Autobots. Not that it made him feel any better about not knowing every member of his army.

"Ah...at ease, soldier." A hand reaches up, as if to wave off the attempt at following protocol. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met."

Regrettably. It's not something he's proud of.

[awwblammo]

Warpath blinks. He's not as thrown by that as some bots might be - he doesn't have a ton of ego outside of the practical, really, and he knows Optimus Prime has a lot of stuff to be doing. But he does remember at least one time that he'd made his presence very noticeable to him, and it's kind of weird that he's forgotten that.

Warpath puts a hand on his chin with a puzzled sort of expression in his optics.

"You don't say! Kerbang, I can't say I was expecting this." He hesitates for a few more moments, then tentatively seems to proceed despite the obvious quandaries of this situation. "Autobot Warpath, at your service! And blooie, I've been out on the field and we are up to our main artillery in Megatron."

[luckyfaceplate]

Ah, there it was. The confusion on the poor bot's face was something he expected, but not necessarily prepared himself for. His optics stray for a moment, until his name is mentioned. Warpath. Warpath was a name he recognized, certainly. But...

much like Warpath himself, he notices some differences between the one he knows and the one in front of him.

"You are a member of Hound's Tactical Response Unit?"

Please, let there be some familiarity.

[awwblammo]

Hound! He definitely knows Hound. He's worked with Hound plenty of times. But...he's not actually sure if he was serving under him, specifically, at that point in time. He tended to get shuffled around a lot. Like, he knows Ultra Magnus is up there, still, but when he's the second in command it's kind of hard for him to not be.

"...Probably, sir!" is what he ultimately comes up with. Not knowing which squad he's in would be sort of embarrassing, after all.

[luckyfaceplate]

That's good enough for him. The feeling of confusion is mutual between these two, and the less they have of that, the better. So you cut your losses and accept that they're at least close enough.

"My apologies. It's been quite some time since we've seen each other."

A hand gestures out for a handshake, blue eyes glinting. Hopefully that, at least, is the same.

"You're a loyal soldier, though, and that's all that matters."

[awwblammo]

"Kapow! You better believe it!" He takes the offer of a handshake with gusto, and probably rattles Optimus's joints a little bit in the meantime. He pauses for a moment, though, suddenly noticing that Optimus did not react at all to him mentioning that there were in fact multiple Megatron around. "What's orders, sir? You seen what we're up against here?"

[luckyfaceplate]

The handshake is taken, to Optimus's relief. One less thing to worry about in this place, to be honest. The last thing he needs is something that screws with the timeli--wait what.

"I...have not. I wasn't aware we were engaged in battle."

At least, not HERE.

[awwblammo]

Never before has Warpath heard a more confusing assertion. In the Cybetronian civil war, when are you not battling someone?

"Er...well, Megatron appears to be here, and in number. At least two of him, by my count." The implication there is clear. If there are Megatrons, we should be fighting then. Obviously.

[luckyfaceplate]

AHAHAHA see that's the funny thing Warpath about that whole...war...thing...

It's kind of over.

But the more Warpath repeats it, the more unbelievable it gets. Megatron, just ONE Megatron was bad enough. But...more? Did he find out how to clone himself while on the Lost Light? Because he can't even begin to think of all the ways that could go terribly wrong. The war could start up again, people could be murdered....Rodimus could get ahold of that technology...

"I will have to talk with him. Them."

Man, that still sounds so weird.

[awwblammo]

"Talk to them?" Warpath balks, one of his optics implying a raised eyebrow despite not technically possessing any, which is actually unusual in his universe. "Blammo. I hope that's some kind of metaphor, Prime! Though one'a them did seem to be maybe a bit...behind on the times."

[luckyfaceplate]

"Mmm. I'm afraid there's some catching up to do, then."

Optimus's weight shifts, a bit awkwardly.

"The war is over, Warpath. Megatron has since joined with the Autobots."

YEAH, LAYIN' THAT TRUTHBOMB OUT THERE.

[awwblammo]

Warpath stares at him, his optics focusing and refocusing, until he crams a finger at his audial like he's trying to clear some gunk out of it.

"Come again now? I almost thought I heard you say that Megatron joined the Autobots! Kerblam!"

[luckyfaceplate]

...

There's an awkward silence, as if Optimus is trying to find the exact word to say.


"I did."

Wow.

"It must come as a surprise to you, I know. But...it's the truth. I was there when he denounced the entire Decepticon faction.

[awwblammo]

"...Well, ain't that awkward!" Warpath says, putting his hands on his hips. "How's he gunna pull that off with a war going on?"

[luckyfaceplate]

...

Don't do this to him Warpath he's literally losing his mind already with the multiple Megatrons. His ear pieces twitch slightly, as if he hadn't heard Warpath correctly.

Maybe...maybe he just didn't connect the dots right.

"The war is over, Warpath."

[awwblammo]

Warpath just squints at him, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, bang bang boom! Ain't that somethin'," he says, after a moment. Then he thinks a while longer. Suddenly, something seems to occur to him.

"Wait a minute!" he says, volume spiking. "That's ridiculous!"

[luckyfaceplate]

And then, a bit guiltily, Optimus turns his head to look out at the horizon. Yeah, it was pretty ridiculous. Especially with 'Why is Megatron even allowed to live'. Believe him, he went through that lecture with Prowl. He's still grasping at the 'everyone is good on the inside' view.

Also Megatron pulled a heck of a trick during the trial. Oops.

"I understand it seems a bit...far-fetched. But it is the truth. He even sports the Autobot logo."

[awwblammo]

Warpath scratches his head. Okay, he had actually seen that. The logo, that is. For some reason it hadn't really convinced him that Megatron was legit.

"Now why would he go and do that??"

[luckyfaceplate]

He doesn't blame you, to be honest. Megatron sporting an Autobot insignia has suspicious written all over it.

"He had no choice. He lost the war."


It's either that or death penalty. Guess which one he chose.

[awwblammo]

"Pfft."

Warpath crosses his arms under his gun, looking generally sort of unimpressed. It's not really clear whether it's because he would have preferred Megatron dead or if he thinks that it's lame to turncoat like that.

"Don't mean a blasted thing, then."

[luckyfaceplate]

"It means change can occur, Warpath. For a race who's natural ability is to change our shape, we certainly cannot change our ways as easily."

A hand places itself on the bot's shoulder, looking out at the crater.

"I have to believe he has the power to redeem himself, if I'm ever to claim any of us can."

[awwblammo]

"Blammo," Warpath mumbles, gazing out into the distance in the same direction as Optimus. A few heavy moments pass.

"Prime," Warpath says after they're gone. His skepticism is unconcealed. "I think you're just gunna need to tell me who to hit."

[luckyfaceplate]

"..."

Warrior types, now those never changed. He didn't expect Ironhide to ever, and he certainly can't expect it from Warpath, anyway. It was endearing, though, he had to admit.

"I'm afraid that will be difficult if we are the only ones around."


Hahah it's funny no it's not.

[awwblammo]

Optimus Prime is not a funny man.

"At least one other Megatron unaccounted for, sir." THERE IS MEGATRON ALL AROUND US, PRIME.

[luckyfaceplate]

Sighhhh he knows, Warpath. He knows all too well.

"Who do we know of so far? So I can be on the look out for ones that do not match your descriptions."

Walk with him! He'll start trying to get to the edge of the crater, to get a better vantage point.