[ 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

[starscheme]

"What do I--" his expression hardens, wings tucking back furiously. “I’m the one asking the questions here! Which, coincidentally, what I want is some answers...!”

He moves suddenly, skidding down into the crater in her direction and lunging with the intent of cupping his hands over her in the hopes of snatching the girl up before she can scurry off somewhere out of his sight.

[pullingamiko]

OH CRAP

She darts away, flinching as his hands land right next to her, where she had been standing an instant before. She keeps running a few steps before spinning around to check behind her, half-stumbling backward. Maybe just continuing to run would work a little better, but maybe it wouldn't, so she might as well consider other options. She's not sure what those options are, but they must exist.

[starscheme]

Starscream growls, half crouching on the ground where he landed before. It's pretty obvious that he's not in the mood for taunting and joking around today.

Also, a thought occurs to him: If the human is here... well, there's every chance that her caretakers might be nearby as well. Which gives him all the more reason to capture her alive, as leverage.

"Stop scurrying," he snaps, rising to his feet again to make another, more coordinated attempt at scooping Miko up.

[pullingamiko]

This time he's more successful. Miko yelps, stumbling backward and only succeeding in tripping over one of his fingers and bumping into another. Why do this guy's hands have to be so big?!

With that strategy not working, she instead takes the opposite approach and tries to launch herself off his hand, in the direction of his wrist, trying to clamber up his arm and towards his ridiculous shoulder-thing.

[starscheme]

ALL THE BETTER TO CATCH YOU WITH, MY DEAR

He yelps in surprise, because that's a pretty bold move. What is WRONG with this girl?! "Oh, really-?!" he yells in exasperation, rearing up to full height, shaking his arm out of panic... Which, GRANTED, this is probably not the smartest course of action if he's trying to catch her alive, because there's a very good chance she's going to get hurt if she falls off, but there's a tiny organic crawling on him. It's kind of hard to not freak out.

[pullingamiko]

She wraps her arms and legs around his arm and holds on like a really alarmed koala. It would be pretty ridiculous if her LIFE WEREN'T AT STAKE (It does look ridiculous, who are we kidding here. This is ridiculous.)

The moment he stops shaking long enough for her to get a sentence out, she shouts, "Lemme go, Screamer!" As if she's not the one clinging to his arm at this point.

[starscheme]

Starscream does one of those patented exasperated Starscream growls- you know the ones, where his whole frame shakes a little bit as he does it?- and then snatches her up in one fist.

Now that he's got a hold on her he glances around suspiciously, eyes narrowed. "I know you're around here somewhere, Bulkhead!" he shouts at the surrounding area at large. He gives Miko a tiny little shake. "How unusually irresponsible of you, letting your pet wander about unattended! I suggest you show yourself already so that we might talk."

[pullingamiko]

Miko glowers up at him, kicking her legs and trying to squirm out of his grip and generally struggling ineffectively. She starts to open her mouth, to inform him that Bulkhead isn't here and he should really stop making assumptions like that (not in nearly such polite words, of course), and then the implications of what he just said fully sink in.

He doesn't know Bulkhead isn't nearby. Which, of course, makes this a perfect time for bluffing.

"Dude, you really think he's gonna want to negotiate with you? Soon as the 'Bots catch up, you're toast!"

[starscheme]

Starscream glowers at her sidelong. "Oh please, as if they would dare aim a single shot at me with your insignificant life at risk." Still, he isn't taking any chances. He pauses another moment, and... still no response. ...This is growing more concerning by the minute.

Starscream fidgets and turns this way and that, glancing around the rim of the crater with one eyebrow raised, a perplexed scowl on his face. Then he lifts Miko to eye level and stares her down through narrowed optics. "I strongly suggest you start talking."

[pullingamiko]

"Uh. About what?" She grins, a little too widely. She hadn't really thought about what to do when it became clear that there were, in fact, no Autobots around at all. Not that she knew of, anyway. Better keep stalling until she can think of something better. That's a viable plan, right?

[starscheme]

To be fair, Starscream isn't fully convinced that there are no Autobots just yet.

"Gh-- Like you don't know!" he snaps, and gives her another little shake. He's actually too flustered to think of any real questions so... better just try to intimidate her into talking, right? Right. "Explain your presence here!"

[pullingamiko]

"Well, you picked me up, and you haven't put me down yet. Dunno how else I would wind up here." She puts on her best Underwhelmed And Unintimidated face. It takes a little effort now, but it looks like he still thinks she has any idea what's going on. Maybe she can use this? Maybe? She can keep stalling anyway.

Every second, this "plan" is turning more and more into "stall indefinitely, hope for not getting murdered". Drat.

[starscheme]

Starscream doesn't look at all impressed, either. "I'm going to let you in on a secret," he says, starting to squeeze a bit. "I could crush your frail little body in this one hand with scarcely any effort. But I'd prefer not to make a mess." His grip slackens again. "So why don't you do us both a favor and tell me how you came to be on this planet, whether or not you have any Autobots here with you, and, if you have any insight into the matter, how you are managing to breathe in this atmosphere."

[pullingamiko]

Crap. So much for stalling indefinitely. On the bright side(?), it's not like she actually has any important information to give him.

"Well looks like you're outta luck here 'cuz I don't know what's going on anyway! I'm just here, alright?!" she snaps. "So put me down!"

[starscheme]

"No!" He snaps back, and jabs a finger at her. He sounds like a petulant child. "Why should I?! For all I know, you could still be lying to me!"

[milkruns]

June hears voices echoing from the crater, and it doesn't sound pleasant. For a moment she thinks about finding Trailcutter or Shockwave, maybe Optimus, to investigate -- but then she realizes the voices are familiar and she rushes right to the edge of the crater to see Miko...and Starscream.

June should probably running to get help, but she's had just about enough of dealing with stubborn giant robots for today, and besides, that is Starscream threatening a child. June hauls herself over the edge of the crater, starting to climb down the steep slope.

"Hey! You let her go, right now!"

[pullingamiko]

Wait what. Miko's head snaps around to face that surprisingly familiar voice.

"Jack's mo-- Ms. Darby?!" Normally she would be a little disappointed to suddenly have the most adult-supervision-y adult she knows suddenly showing up, but help might actually be appreciated now. Assuming she can help against a giant murderous robot. Hm.

[starscheme]

Starscream whips his head in June's direction, optics wide, fully expecting to see an Autobot after all, and then...

He looks around, and then down and finally locates the source of the voice. Another human. Great. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Sneering down at her, he doesn't even look amused like he normally might about a minuscule human trying to order him around. He just looks exhausted. Exasperated.

"Oh? Or what," he snaps.

[milkruns]

June is totally aware of her dramatic physical disadvantage against Starscream, but she kind of already committed to this and it's not as if she could abandon Miko, anyway.

"Or I'll get one of the many Autobots I've got on speed dial to come over here and make you! And believe me, they won't be pleased to see you threatening a human!"

[pullingamiko]

For all Miko knows, June might be bluffing, too. But she also might not be, and in any case having someone else backing her up that there are totally Autobots here and they are definitely nearby is probably to her advantage here. She twists slightly in Starscream's hand and grins at him. "Yeah, that's right!"

[starscheme]

He lets out a humorless bark of laughter. "You'll call them? With what?" He gestures angrily at the surrounding area with the hand that's grasping on to Miko. "If there were any Autobots within earshot, they would have come running as soon as I grabbed this one."

Then he leans towards June, leering down at her. "I have a better idea: Why don't you answer the questions that this girl wouldn't, and then I'll think about letting her go. That sounds like a far more reasonable proposal to me, considering you're in no position to be making any demands."

[milkruns]

Well...she was going to run back and find one, which probably wouldn't take that long, but June is starting to see the flaws in this plan. Hm. Still not about to let herself be visibly intimidated, June purses her lips and crosses her arms.

"What questions?"

[starscheme]

Yeah like you’d be able to outrun an angry F-16 anyway, June.
“They’re very simple questions, ones that even you puny-minded fleshies should be able to stammer out an answer to, provided you aren’t so stubborn as this one. “

Starscream straightens back up to glare down at her imperiously, still holding on tight to Miko. “Question one: How did you arrive on this planet? I don’t care if you don’t remember anything or not, just tell me what you do know. Two: I want the names, and descriptions if that is not applicable, of any sentient beings you have encountered since your arrival. And three,” his eyes narrow dangerously again, “where is Lord Megatron.”

[milkruns]

June lets out an exasperated, long-suffering sigh at that, plants her hands on her hips, and replies, "Which one?"

[pullingamiko]

"Wait, there's more than one Megatron now?!" Miko squirms in Starscream's grasp again, leaning toward June. "How many? How does that even work?"

Apparently, when she met him earlier and his memories were screwed up, that wasn't even the end of it.