[ 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

THE CITY

[d_17nolonger]

This place was growing more and more depressing the longer he walked through it.

Megatronus brushed his hand on one of the buildings, pulling it away and examining the thick layer of dust that came away with it. How many years of accumulation were there? Was it even possible to tell?

He waved it away and pressed forward, peering into the distance at what looked like an area for a forum, complete with a massive fountain that must have looked beautiful in its heyday. But now, with such a lack of people, it was disturbing, almost unsettling.

He stops before the fountain, examining it for a moment before turning his attention to the area around it, momentarily taken in the somberness of the place.

[awwblammo]

OKAY, THIS TIME FOR SURE.

The other guy was maybe not Megatron, but this guy is definitely Megatron. Warpath is sure of it this time. So sure, that the moment he has crested the top of this hill of rubble in his tank mode, he immediately tries to pop him one right in the back of the head with his cannon.

This will certainly be a huge favour to the Autobot cause. Definitely.

"ABRAKABOOM!" he yells.

[d_17nolonger]

Thankfully, tanks are a bit loud. So Megatronus hears Warpath long before he turns around and notices that there's a tank right there, and its cannon is aimed right at him. Instinct kicks in and he dodges off to the side, optics - notably blue - narrowing as he draws his sword.

"If you're going to try and fight, have the courage to fight me face to face!"

...'Abrakaboom'?

[awwblammo]

Warpath might like shooting things, but he isn't exactly prideful. So a challenge to his honor mostly just results in a wild laugh, and a subtle shift in his cannon's aim.

"No tank you, hahaha! For a Decepticon, I'll take the high road!" He stays up on the slope, keeping his high ground advantage, and takes another potshot.

[d_17nolonger]

If it wasn't for the fact he was being shot at, Megatronus would have cringed at that pun. But for now, he has to deal with the fact he is being shot at, and he's a bit outgunned right now.

He's certainly faced more formidable opponents before, though. In the end, it's all about patience.

He rolls away from the second shot again, although he wastes a moment in cringing at the proximity before he straightens up and charges forward. Maybe getting behind this stranger will provide the advantage he needs.

[awwblammo]

Probably, from the looks of things. Warpath is faster than an earth tank, for sure, but they are still not the most maneuverable vehicles in the world. This is evidenced by the way Warpath starts packing up as Megatronus approaches, shooting along the way.

"Oh no ya don't! Blam!" Warpath yells, trying to tag the con with a bit more urgency now that he's actually being charged at. He's not scared, really, but he's rather not get stabbed if he can help it.

[d_17nolonger]

One of the blasts comes close enough to him that he's sent stumbling back, and he has to dig his sword into the ground to help steady himself. But he pulls himself back up and continues, although at a much slower pace now that Warpath is firing with much more urgency that before.

"Only a coward starts a fight he won't finish!" He yells over the sound of explosions, making one final push to lunge forward and swipe at the cannon, just to get it trained off of him.

[starscheme]

Starscream's spark thrills with relief when he catches sight of Megatronus from a distance. Finally, a familiar face. And not just any familiar face... it's precisely the person he's been looking for, actually.

He jets his way over there just a little too eagerly, transforms, and is all prepared for a nice reunion when he realizes that this Megatron seems just a bit... off... in a number of ways, actually. His body seems to have shaken off the remnants of Unicron's influence, and is overall just a bit less spiky than how Starscream remembers it. And the blue optics...

"Lord Megatron is... is that you...?" he says uncertainly.

[d_17nolonger]

Megatronus turns when he hears something approaching - a jet? - and is perplexed at the strange amount of excitement and eagerness being presented as this other mech approaches. He seems to have a certain amount of familiarity in his voice - how curious!

"Megatronus," he corrects simply, head canting just slightly and forward, examining Starscream carefully. "And I am no 'lord'."

[starscheme]

“Megatronus?” Starscream just looks flat out confused.... and then horrified. “Wait... Megatronus... Orion Pax...” he turns to and fro, and glances around frantically, eyes wide. Then he turns back to Megatronus with both hands clasped over his head and a pleading expression on his face.

“Did... Did I somehow wind up in the past?!” He squeaks, as if this guy is definitely going to be able to answer that question for him or have any more of an idea of what the hell is happening here.

[d_17nolonger]

Wow. He almost feels sorry for this newcomer, just from the way he's reacting to things. "Depending on what past you've been through, I would assume not."

A few other questions come to mind, but they immediately fly out the window the second he actually processes what Starscream said.

"Orion Pax?" Megatronus' eyes widen, and he approaches, perhaps a bit more menacingly than he means to, towering over Starscream. But he doesn't seem angry; if anything, he's just genuinely surprised. "You've seen Orion? Where?"

[starscheme]

Starscream glances up at him from between his massively oversized claws. "He... yes. Out there," he gestures vaguely, "in the wasteland." He doesn't seem super interested in helping, beyond that.

[d_17nolonger]

Megatronus looks towards where Starscream has gestured with a frown. "Any specifics?" he presses, with a tinge of annoyance in his voice from the vagueness of the answer. "If he's here, it's important I find him."

[pullingamiko]

Oh crap is that who she's pretty sure it is.

There is no way. Running into Starscream was bad enough, the last thing she needs is to stumble across freakin' Megatron, but here he is, being all huge and metal and sharp. Granted, there is definitely something a little off about him, but he's still recognizable enough that that doesn't really register.

She glances around for any nearby Autobots she somehow hadn't noticed (or Decepticons, she wouldn't be surprised if he's here), or maybe something she could use as a weapon, or. Y'know. Anything. However, instead of anything useful happening, she just ends up taking a couple steps back, and her foot plunges straight into one of the weird, brittle plants with a loud crunch (and an alarmed yelp from Miko).

[d_17nolonger]

Megatronus turns almost immediately at the sound, bracing himself for anything that might be coming his way again - but he immediately relaxes after a few moments of searching finally leads him to look a little more towards the ground. Another of these weird creatures?

There's a long pause as he examines her for a moment before saying, "...Was that just the plant, or are you injured?"

[pullingamiko]

Miko hops on one foot, hands clasped around the other as she checks her shin for scrapes. Freakin' weird metal plants.

Her head jerks up, and there's a look on her face somewhere between fear and anger. "Yeah, that'd be real convenient for you, wouldn't it?! Sorry, it's not gonna be that easy!" She stomps her foot down, hands clenched at her sides, and glares up at him. Evidently, hiding wouldn't happen; maybe she could run if necessary, but in the meantime she fully intends to stand her ground.

...even though wait, come to think of it, isn't this guy supposed to be dead? What the hell? What did he do, come back to life out of sheer spite?

[d_17nolonger]

Megatronus blinks, blue optics widening just slightly, a bit startled. That was a rather hostile reaction - why is everyone acting so weirdly towards him today?

"If I wanted to harm you, I would have already." Wait. That might not be the right thing to say in this situation. Backpedal, backpedal! "We haven't met."

[pullingamiko]

She doesn't look at all startled by what he first says, just tenses a little further and keeps glaring up at him.

Then she looks outright offended. "Uh, yeah, we have! What, did you just get your butt kicked so thoroughly that you forgot?" She figures it's that or he's just being a JERK. Doesn't this guy never forget anything ever or something? RUDE.

[d_17nolonger]

"I never forget a face." Megatronus frowns, kneeling down to peer at Miko closer. "Especially one from someone that seems as... spirited as you are." 'Spirited' is the polite term here.

Although the lack of reaction to his first statement is a bit strange.

[rodders]

If Rodimus was smart, he wouldn't just assume any old bot wearing a bucket on their head in a silver color scheme was Megatron, but it's just been one of those days where he's pretty much done thinking. Which is why when he catches a glimpse of Megatronus, his first reaction is:

"You have got to be kidding me."

Of course Megatron would be here. Why wouldn't he be? Rodimus groans, shoving himself off the crumbling wall where he'd decided to sit and chuck rocks at another wall, intermittently comming Blaster in the hopes that someone would pick up.

Sliding up to the bot he assumes is his co-captain, Rodimus scowls at him. Something is off, but he's not particularly bothered by it. "I should have known you'd get here eventually, Megatron."

[d_17nolonger]

"Megatronus," he says automatically, with a sigh and a muttered, "Maybe my followers were onto something when they suggested I shorten my name."

Regardless, he turns to Rodimus with a perked eyebrow, resting his hands on his hips. Someone's a little done with this confusion scrap -- although he is momentarily distracted by that paint job. Wow. "I imagine I might say the same for you if I knew who you were."

[rodders]

Megawhat. Rodimus actually turns to look at the bot next to him - optics narrowing in suspicion because what the heck is going on here.

"You have eyebrows." Very astute, Rodimus, gold star. "And they make you look ridiculous, has anyone told you that?"

But getting back to the point which is not the most important thing here, no it's the eyebrows and the lack of nose that's clearly the thing that deserves the most attention, "Rodimus? Do the flames not give it away?"

A gesture to his chest because those tacky flames are his pride and joy. Well, the flames and the Autobot badge, but mostly the flames.

[d_17nolonger]

Megatronus almost reaches up to touch his eyebrows out of self-consciousness. Almost.

"They have not."

Those flames are ridiculously tacky, but Megatronus is more curious about that symbol - he'd seen it on some others here, but hadn't thought to ask about it before... He ducks his head a bit to peer closer at it. "What is that?"

[rodders]

Woah, hey, people with a name that has more than one syllable in common with Megatron have a no-go zone around him. Did no one tell you that either, Megatronus? But Rodimus frowns, taking a step back out of reflex and the desire not to have a repeat of the situation where he had a hole blasted through his chest the last time he was super close to someone with a 'tron' in their name.

Also the flames are awesome. So there.

Rodimus laughs a bit at the question, because really? "Because you haven't seen a billion of these before---" Wait. "You haven't seen anyone wearing this before?"

Blaming Brainstorm for this one right now, he can just tell.

[d_17nolonger]

"No, I haven't."

Megatronus doesn't seem too insulted when Rodimus steps back, taking his own step back to give the other mech a little more space. He looks up, tilting his head just slightly in curiosity. "What does it mean?"