[ 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

bout two weeks later

[pffft]

City
Being stranded was far from a first in Prowl's lengthy and eventful lifespan. Evidence of the city being recently disturbed is what draws him to the skeleton of whatever mechanical civilization lay here. With energon in the crater and supplies in the city, its likely he'll be able to carve some sort of camp here until he finds out what just happened.

Continuing his survey of the city, the Earth-based police humvee looks oddly out of place in the very Cybertronian landscape. He decides against emitting an emergency beacon for the time being and instead continues to investigate the signs of scavenging and the disturbed dust on the buildings.

Nothing that pointed to any recent faction violence, but just because the war was supposedly over didn't mean every backwater group of Decepticons got the message. He was alone and without backup. Best to stay hidden for now (radio-wise) and find a more secure location to set up a distress beacon.

---

Some time later, Prowl's wheels grind to a calm stop and folds back into his root mode, one hand clutching his helm. Nothing in particular seems to have caught his attention, but his face is pulled into a barely contained grimace.

He leans against the wall of a decrepit building as whatever it is intensifies. He soon finds the familiar sensation of energon slipping from his optics haunting him again.

"You won't shut up, will you?" he growls quietly to himself.

With a single outburst of movement, he wrenches a bench from its rusted sidewalk screws and flips it right the hell over. Venting with the effort, he calms down as the feeling subsides, and finally covers his face to wipe off the energon. Time to keep moving.

[smarterthandad]

Valeria had been spending most of her time in her decreasingly makeshift lab, but even she needed to manufacture vitamin D--she didn't want rickets, after all--so occasionally she relocated outside to work in the sun. Eventually she'd build a lamp with the proper spectrum and then it wouldn't matter, but for the time being, that was low priority. So many giant badly behaved robots with technical needs, only one Val.

When Prowl rolled by in his alt mode, she glanced up from her datapad to see if it was someone she had any interest in talking to or if she should just casually drop behind the rubble she was sitting on before she got noticed. Then, when his appearance registered, her eyebrow went up. This one was looking very...normal. Which was weird. Everyone else's alt modes came across as obviously extraterrestrial.

"Why do you look like you're from Earth?"

[pffft]

Prowl kicks up a little dust as he comes to a sudden halt where Val was detected by his sensors. Needless to say, he spotted life signs long before it was actually visible, but was a little incredulous to believe there was actually something human on this planet.

But lo and behold, there she was, breathing and talking.

Now, unlike the a good number of Cybertronians, Prowl's close proximity with humans on Earth let him know that Val was young, way too young to be self-sufficient. Young enough to have possibly never heard of their previous excursion on Earth. He's tentative as he shifts to his bipedal mode.

"I was on a mission there."

She gets an intrigued look for being so calm without some sort of adult.

"What's your name?"

[smarterthandad]

Val didn't react at all to his transformation, except to crane her neck so she could make eye contact. They didn't have to be so enormous, really. Dr. Banner and the Hulk managed just fine with mass displacement, now didn't they?

"Valeria Richards. I'm intelligent to the point where it can't actually be captured by any existing testing metric and this isn't the first time I've been to another planet, hence my lack of freaking out." She'd maybe gotten a little tired of giving the explanation to incredulous giant robots. "Just to get that out of the way."

[pffft]

Prowl can now tack 'encountered super-intelligent human toddler' on the list of events for this weird day. But ok. Not the strangest thing he's ever seen.

"-And you've met other Cybertronians here."

Or, at least, other mechanical life similar to them.

oh goodie goodie gum drops

[taselikeabee]

"I'm pretty sure the bench didn't do anything, Prowl..."

It's the first thing that comes to mind that isn't a more formal greeting or second guessing that he should even go to the guy at all. Prowl is Bee's friend and it looks like someone is high strung. Well, Prowl is always pretty high strung but more so than usual. This is part of the reason that Bumblebee has been able to sneak up on the guy - other than the fact that sneaking is kind of what he does anyway.

Truth is, Bee is actually kind of glad to see the other Autobot. Things here are a bit strange. For him, anyway. Other than having Optimus present, it's just a little bit more comforting to know that someone else is here too.

[pffft]

Prowl pauses in surprise as it registers that that was Bee's voice that he just heard. He glances in the direction of the voice, entirely sure he must have been hearing things - when there he was, alive and well.

Bee gets a distinct pause, it certainly wouldn't be the first time someone seemingly dead came back, but Prowl still feels an unexpected relief rise through his spark. Some of it even manages to leak into his voice.

"You're alive."

[taselikeabee]

Bee notices the slip, but refrains from saying anything. It's good enough to know that Prowl isn't completely without some feeling in his spark. Pragmatism is great and all, but the guy needs to ease up just a little.

"Looks like it. Bit of a surprise for both of us, huh?"

That's when he determines that it's safe to approach Prowl. It had been safe before but looking at the condition of the bench? Bumblebee knows that's something Prowl just needs to do.

"Miss me?"

Of course he can't make a snarky comment, huh?

[pffft]

Prowl wasn't expecting to feel so... happy at the full realization that Bee was there. Tangible and whole. He was back.

Did Prowl miss him? It takes a lot of his practiced self control to not to blow up at the question. He's quiet as Bee approaches him.

The other Autobot's shoulder gets a firm squeeze. One, dare he say, that might even be welcoming,"It's good to see you."

[officerjuicebox]

The odd machine really does look out of place. Enough so that the big bot pauses in his methodical disassembling of the terminal he'd found to take stock of it. So far, there had only been other bots here. Which meant... this was probably one too. And not one he recognized.

He lifts a hand, a bit tentatively. Just trying to look neutral and approachable. No sense in making enemies already, right?

[pffft]

The vehicle comes to a rather hasty stop as Roller comes into view. What the hell was he doing here? What was he doing alive?

Prowl transforms into bipedal mode as Roller raises his hands. He forwards no such courtesy, because Prowl being anything other than uncaring about your comfort would mean something's wrong.

"You're looking rather unchanged, aren't you?"

[officerjuicebox]

For a second, he wishes he were armed. The silence and the stop is... well. It's a little creepy. And unnerving. After what Pa-- Prime said about missing time, it's entirely likely he's made a couple enemies. Or just plain annoyed someone.

And then there's a familiar face.

"Prowl?" He can't stop himself from sounding incredulous. "That's you, right? The guy Pax brought in?" He pauses. "Who... didn't know how to shoot a gun?"

[pffft]

"I'd always been instructed in firearms training," he retorts coldly.

Combat experience was another matter altogether, but he already had more than enough of that.

Regardless, that wasn't the important matter at hand.

"What's the last thing your remember?"

[arnhaid]

And just like that, there's a bench pretty much thrown in his path. There's a moment or two of shock, and an instinctive reach for a gun he doesn't have before he looks up, and...

"Prowl!"

This is probably the happiest anyone has ever been when greeted with Prowl flipping a metaphoric table. Ironhide doesn't waste time, though. He's grinning, when he first steps forward out of the alley. But when he gets a good look at the other bot, he pauses, expression shifting into one of concern.

"Hey, you okay, buddy? You don't look... great."

[pffft]

Any indication Prowl was anything but alright quickly withdraws behind the Autobot's cold demeanor. He's quick to gather his composure from that little burst of emotion.

"I'm fine."

He gives Ironhide a curious look - he'd stayed behind on Cybertron, so he was wondering what the big bot was doing here.

"How long have you been here?"

[arnhaid]

"If you're sure..."

He doesn't sound convinced though. Nor does he seem put off by the chill suddenly fogging around the other bot. He just smiles at him, before stepping forward.

Reaching out to put his hands on his shoulders, if Prowl doesn't duck away or something.

"I'm really glad to see you." And have it not be a hallucination. "Not too long. You just show up?"

[rodders]

Hah, who's this asshole? Rodimus would recognize that particular color scheme and that particular bot even though it looks like he's changed his frame. But there's only one Cybertronian who'd flip things when he's angry, which is why Rodimus just leans casually up against the outside wall of the building he's closest too - paint job still scuffed and charred in places and the welts on his shoulder less fresh looking than they were but still noticeable.

"Were the tables not enough for you, Prowl? Because I know that poor bench didn't do anything to you to deserve that."

He might not have been so callous if Prowl had been someone who Rodimus had to stop on the urge to punch every time he saw him, or noticed the energon. Or he might have, it's anyone's guess. But guess who's here, Prowl, and guess who's onto your game and is guarded against being manipulated by you again.

If there's one lesson he learned it's that - he won't say yes to Prowl again no matter what he dangles in front of his face.

[pffft]

Prowl's composure grows icy as Rodimus' voice is registered. His breath settles and he regains his straight-edged stance as the feeling subsides.

It only takes one good look at Rodimus to know he'd gotten into trouble - likely within the first couple of hours he'd arrived. Typical.

As much as he despised the irritating Autobot, they were still technically allies, so he approaches while giving the obvious injuries a good, uncomfortable, clinical stare.

"Shouldn't you be with your Captain?"

[rodders]

He doesn't wince or back down during the scrutiny - look all you want, Prowl, he still got away from Tarn in one piece while kicking him in the face. So facing down an irritable second in command is no sweat.

Or you know, at least in theory. Because then Prowl opens his mouth and Rodimus can't stop himself.

"Co-captain."

Didn't this just get his arm ripped off? Yes. Yes it did. Has he learned his lesson? Nope, not this one at any rate. He's kind of cooled on the whole 'bait Tarn thing' for the moment. But only for the moment.

[luckyfaceplate]

Optimus is standing there, watching as the bench seems to have been uprooted from the ground and flipped. Prowl was here...in some ways, he's not exactly surprised. And this way, he could keep an eye on him. The bot had been rather strange these past few days. He doesn't say anything at first, simply walking over and taking the bench by one hand and holding it, attempting to place it the way it was.

"I didn't say anything."

He knows that's not what Prowl meant, but...

Yeah, he'll change the subject.

"I didn't know you'd arrived as well. It's good to see you again, Prowl." Even if their time away had been relatively short compared to everything else going on.

[pffft]

Whatever distress Prowl had been in, he was quick to hide it as he hears Optimus' voice. His usual composure quickly returns, doing nothing to stop the Prime from returning the bench to where it was.

His mouth twitches slightly as Optimus greets him, far less eager to return the gesture than one would expect from his second.

"My arrival was recent, no more than an hour ago. How long have you been here?"

[luckyfaceplate]

The behavior was...normal. At least for the time being. Prowl had become increasingly difficult and erratic back on Earth, and less and less easy to work with. His disposition at the moment only solidifies that...he's from the same time period.

"Two weeks, at the very least."

A pause, before a hand reaches out to his shoulder.

"I'm glad to have you here, nonetheless. You've always been at my side, as I have to you. Not that I'd want you to be displaced from our home world."

: )

[bekind]

Rewind is disoriented on arrival. The last thing he remembers is swimming through quantum foam, Megatron helping him to correct the strange anomaly caused by the quantum engines...he hadn't expected there to be anything more than that. He'd expected to just...cease.

But he's alive, he's conscious, he's aware. And, it seems at first, totally alone. Rewind can't even begin to fathom what this means or what might have happened -- some additional anomaly when they'd fixed the problem that sent him somewhere else, somewhere far out of reach? This looks like Cybertron, it has to be, Rewind grows only more convinced the longer he wanders through the city. He doesn't recognize it, though, not this or any of the surrounding features, not even after cycling through his database a few times, and what's more, this planet hasn't been reformatted any time recently. It still bears the scars of war, and it's totally unfamiliar. Just add it to the list of things that don't really make any sense so far.

Rewind hasn't had much longer than that to speculate about things when he emerges onto a sidewalk from an alley and has to duck to avoid a bench hurled in his approximate direction. He scrabbles out of the way with a surprised yelp, visor widening when he sees who it is.

"Prowl?"

Now this really doesn't make any sense. Also, totally the last person Rewind wants to see right now. Seriously, he'd take Megatron over Prowl.

(B

[pffft]

Prowl's breath settles as Rewind steps into view. A cold, caustic venom immediately enters his frame for the simple crime of undoing what he saw as a very righteous justice against Chromedome. It takes a lot of self control to not let the dark feeling color his expression.

Some of his plating is rigid as he stands straight, but he manages to calm as he steadies himself, covering his face with one hand to wipe the energon clean of his features. He even manages to turn it into a fairly convincing look of slight surprise.

"You're alive?"

chinhands

[bekind]

Alive? That's a pretty weird question to ask -- unless he means the explosion that happened at the Lost Light's launch? At any rate, Rewind's attention is way more focused on the fact that he's just noticed that Prowl is leaking energy from his optics. Fuck's sake, Prowl, what happened to you.

"Of course I -- uh, are you okay?"

Not that he cares, really, you can go rust in a ditch somewhere, but seriously, what.