1. [Voice]

[warborn]

[for a long few moments, there's only the sound of ventilation. fans cycling a mech's air systems. he's clicked on his radio, yeah, but now?

now he has no idea what to say, except something slightly hysterical.]

This is a lot different than I thought the Pit'd look like.

[said in the tone of someone-please-tell-me-I'm-totally-incorrect]

Comments

[Video]

[mccrane]

I don't believe anyone has called this place by that name...

What is the Pit?

[McCrane is awake now, and disoriented by the number of new robots around, but he feels he might as well begin interacting with them.]

[voice]

[warborn]

...I've heard some people call it 'hell'. Same thing, or close enough.

[voice]

[mccrane]

Hell.

[He considers that.]

Yes, and no. Not everything has been pleasant here, and the attacks were incredibly threatening, but even so we have been able to work together and persevere.

You run on energon, I believe?

[Because if you do, it won't be so bad for you he figures.]

[voice]

[warborn]

...Cybertron, then. Guess the little guy was right.

[he exvents, heavily]

What else would I run on?

[voice]

[mccrane]

This is Cybertron, yes. An undeveloped one, from what I have been led to understand.

With no easy way to return.

And...

No hard way to return, either.

[Those were the usual questions, he assumed.]

Since you didn't run on gasoline like my team did, it will probably be less 'hellish' for you here than otherwise. There is plenty of energon.

[He pauses, because he's wondering.]

What did you think that hell would look like? [You'd seemed so certain.]

[voice]

[warborn]

[he could care less about returning. though at least one of the company leaves something to be desired...]

...Lot more like a prison, for one.

[video]

[mccrane]

[Alright, NOW you have piqued his interest.]

Cybertronians had prisons?

With robot inmates, and robot wardens, and robot police?

[This entire robot culture that mirrors human culture...he'll never understand it...but this, at least, is something that is closer to what he's used to.]

[Wait.]

You weren't in one, were you?

[video]

[warborn]

[...w h a t.

there's a long pause, as if Max isn't sure how to respond. finally, though:]

I was the warden of Garrus-9.

[video]

[mccrane]

[So it was true. And if there was a prison, then this corroborated what Drift had been saying about not every Cybertronian being on the 'good side.']

That must have been extremely important.

Yet...you didn't like your job?

[Why else would he equate it to hell?]

[video]

[warborn]

I liked it fine, until the damn 'Cons took over the place!

[video]

[mccrane]

[That tells him enough right there, though he isn't expecting the sudden emotion.]

N...no.

I see why that would have been a problem.

[Which makes you an Autobot.]

...

[He wishes he knew what to say now. The last prison break he had to deal with, they ended up turning around and saving the prisoners. He can't imagine how he'd deal with something far more extreme.]

Did you get out alright?

[video]

[warborn]

[have a growl of his engine, and a very, very curt voice;]

Sure. Only took 'em three years to send a rescue party.

[video]

[mccrane]

[Three...years? McCrane hasn't even been online that long. Congratulations, Max, you get to be the first indication he's really had of just how bad your war was.]

I'm sorry.

[He can imagine, but only a little. He was quite well aware of what some of the men the Brave Police had sent to prison would do to any of them if the situation had been reversed, but that hadn't been during a war.]

I hope that you can find some peace, here.

[Some of the other Autobots had hinted that that was all they were wanting right now. Peace. It was a good thought.]

[He salutes.] I am McCrane, of the Brave Police. If you find yourself in need of a distraction, I would be happy to show you around.

Re: [video]

[warborn]

Sorry doesn't change anything.

[yeah. peace. sure. easy as pie. just after he's already responsible for killing someone /else/, after fully intending on doing so but then-]

...Fortress Maximus. Wouldn't mind a tour, I guess.

[video]

[mccrane]

Sorry can't change anything...only you can do that.

As a mech responsible for putting numerous criminals behind bars, however, I can say that I would wish your experience on no one. You were just doing your job.

[He guesses. He hopes.]

Which temple are you in?

[video]

[warborn]

[you know what. he's just. not going to touch on that subject any more.]

...there's more than one?

[video]

[mccrane]

I have counted seven.

[Likely there were more, given that the Firstforged had made references to numbers that he hadn't met, yet.]

What does your arm look like?

[On the video, he taps his own white glyph.]

[video]

[warborn]

[...doesn't look like any faction symbol he's ever seen. frowning, Fort Max looks at his own...

...and ends up staring at the black mark.]

Huh.

[video]

[mccrane]

[McCrane recognizes that mark.]

You're with Megatronus Prime. One of my team-mates has the same glyph.

His temple isn't far, I could be there any time.

[video]

[warborn]

...what kind of name is Megatronus Prime!?

[NO SERIOUSLY THAT JUST SOUNDS ALL KINDS OF WRONG]

[video]

[mccrane]

Wait, do you know him already?

[video]

[warborn]

I know an Optimus Prime, but I've never had the luck to meet Megatron face to face.

[video]

[mccrane]

I don't suspect that this will be who you're expecting.

The Firstforged seem to be...

Different.

Larger.

Not very much like anyone who bears a glyph.

[Though he's judging relative heights on you right now, and you've got more than a few feet on him.]

[video]

[warborn]

You're not making much slaggin' sense.

[video]

[mccrane]

My apologies.

Megatronus Prime is one of the Firstforged, and they seem to be two or three times larger than myself.

[He's aware that there's way more information you'll need than he could supply in even one sitting.]

It might help if you realize you're in a different universe.