[Video] | Vector Prime's temple | Ever wanted to know about Unicron?

[cliffjumper]

Okay, so... [The feed comes on at the same time as those few words are spoken, Cliffjumper sitting leaned back in a chair - the standard one for the desk in the rooms they're given. There's a frown on his faceplates but really... it's there to hide his being uncomfortable, not because he's particularly annoyed or torqued.]

We've all been told Unicron's behind all this slag, right? [Vague little handwave.] I suppose that ain't really gonna tell most of ya anythin' unless you've actually seen him, and since that isn't really safe...

[Cliffjumper trails off momentarily, shifts in his seat and then shrugs. If it was just the matter of people not believeing it, he wouldn't care, just punch the glitches who made fun of him (which he'd done a few times). But since Unicron - or its powers, rather, affected them here, it seemed like an idea to show why it should be taken seriously. Being told it "ate reality" didn't mean much in bare words, really.]

Gonna share a bit of memory with you. The quality ain't gonna be the best, 'cause I wasn't exactly at my best at that point, but it ought to be serviceable.



[There's something of an awkward pause, but Cliffjumper's not going to wait for anyone to chime in or detract and throw off his groove here, so suddenly the video cuts out, only to immediately be replaced by a slightly wobbling view of a ruined street on Cybertron. There's static at the edges, but nothing bad.

In fact, the worst noises in the feed are two; the screeching, rattling tearing of metal being shorn apart, echoing too much to have any particular direction, though that sound soon drops in intensity as the feed stabilises and Cliffjumper stops moving for a moment, dialling down his audio receptors.

That, however, is doing nothing for the other noise.

A noise which isn't really a noise, but nonetheless vibrates right along the memory being played up, underlaying everything. Even those not cybertronian would be able to pick up on a faint sense of certainty, of end. Not just death made into noise, but something more absolute, the negation of matter.

The wobbling movement starts up again, down the street, around a corner, around a building and then.

Stop.

There's a brief waver in the recording, and if this memory had been shared more personally and not over the Link, the transfer would suddenly have been swamped by fear. Then shame for feeling it, and fear again. As it is, Cliffjumper gets to keep that part for himself.

The view tilts slowly upwards, continuing upwards and whatever that is it's huge, the static at the edges briefly strengthening before clearing. Perhaps unwantedly so.

"---been most disappointed if the meat of my ancient enemy was anything but succulent!" That's as much a noise and not-noise as the shearing vibration which still underlies the memory; in fact, the thrumming voice tangles with it, strengthens it, and the view tilts a little, the edge of the building Cliffjumper rounded

visible at the corner as he ends up leaning against it.

Staring.

Because this being isn't just the size of a planet, isn't merely towering up in the air and literally standing on Cybertron as a giant hand descends and tears out a handful of metal and unfortunate mechs who didn't have time to flee to summarily put that handful into his mouth...

It's vaster than that, followed by an oppressive knowledge that even through a straight recording over the Link somehow is transferred that the physical shape is just suggestion, is merely the container of something far larger, something far hungrier and it's not just the metal of Cybertron which is being consumed here.

Another handful. What is being lost here can't be regained.

"---Fight! Fi--" That shout, terrible enough on its own, when followed by a scream that makes the air crumple, the view of the memory fizzle into static and blackness.

It comes back to light.

Unicron's face, the violently green optics wide, staring at a tiny speck of incandesence which can't really be translated. Briefly, that terrible vibration from earlier is eased. Left behind is nothing but soothing stillness, and Unicron reaches---

The view tilts as Cliffjumper slides down against the wall he's leaning against, and then goes black.]

... Uhm, yeah. Best I've got.

[Enjoy Cliffjumper's rather defensive growl and the scowl on his faceplates as now takes the place of then.]

Comments

[im_wavin]

Unicorn guy is totes scary!

[cliffjumper]

[Oh, Ravage... At least the misspronouncement startles a snigger out of Cliffjumper.]

Yeah, it wasn't the most fun thing to face, and I wasn't even there for the whole thing.

[And he'd lost conciousness, going into stasis lock again right where the memory cuts off. Grieveous injuries from an earlier fight and all.]

We survived though.

... You okay, by the way, Ravage?

[Video]

[happyduckbutt]

Whoa...

...that's Unicron?

[Video]

[cliffjumper]

Unfortunately, yeah.

[Cliffjumper scowls and shrugs.]

If it'd just have been a non-multiversal being or whatever we wouldn't have any issue, 'cause it sure looked like Prime killed him... But obviously not.

video

[sword_redemption]

If he had a body like that, we could do something.

[Don't ruin his 'if it bleeds we can kill it' fantasy, okay?]

It's the bodilessness, the getting into our heads, calling us to the Badlands I can't deal with.

video

[cliffjumper]

[Going to have to ruin it, sorry, Drift. Cliffjumper grimaces.]

If there was enough of us, which probably means a slaggin' planet-full. If we could work together well enough... And I still think we'd either need the Matrix, or somethin' like it if the Firstforged got it.

But yeah... sucks as it is, but seriously, not sure how ready we are for an actual confrontation, even if the Firstforged're here.

[Cliffjumper's just... not sure how much to trust that. Maybe if the Nexus here was the same he'd met in the inverse dimension. He's sure (hopes) they're powerful enough, but still.]

[originaldragoon]

Soa... And here I thought the God of Destruction from my world was bad.

[cliffjumper]

Yeah, you'd think one of these big bads would be enough, wouldn't you?

[Cliffjumper scowls, then smiles slightly. It's a dry, grim expression however.]

Sorry 'bout one-uppin' ya though.

[deadlydoctor]

[Well that was freaky.]

Keep that to yourself the next time.

[cliffjumper]

[What, can't handle the heat?]

Didn't have to look, ya know. [Huff.] And it seemed like a good idea to give people an idea of what we might be up against, Primus' Firstforged present or no.

[Text | Private]

[raceme]

Cliff?

Are you okay? Do you want to talk?

[Text | Private]

[cliffjumper]

M'fine.

This was years ago. Just seemed like a good idea. I wasn't even around and conscious for most of that battle.

[Voice]

[primianpolarity]

[hey CJ guess what

you've got Prima's Attention.]

Is this all you've 'got'?

[if he's curt, it's only because he's /intent/.]

[Voice]

[cliffjumper]

[Oh, oops.]

Bein' teleported to the site of battle just 'cause I was conscious ain't really gonna make for an effective soldier.

[He scowls, words snappy and short, crossing his arms. The glare lessens after a moment though and he looks at the ground.]

The fight went on beyond what I saw. Ended with Prime... uh, an Optimus Prime, usin' the Matrix since that's got part of Primus' power in it. Heard Unicron... or at least the part in our reality, whatever, exploded pretty good from that.

[Video]

[laharl]

That's not what I was expecting at all.

[Video]

[cliffjumper]

[Cliffjumper just eyes Laharl for a moment, then snorts.]

And what were you expectin', then?

[He can take a guess. Probably something to do with the translated name's similarity with a fantasy creature... But maybe Laharl'll surprise him.]

[Video]

[wrex_it_krogan]

...shit.

You guys really know how to pick your enemies.

[Video]

[cliffjumper]

[Cliffjumper grins, dry but there.]

I know, right? And we're technically made to battle Unicron, so I suppose the pick is sort of built-in. [He shrugs.] Primus' last defense against the Chaos-Bringer. Nevermind our size.

[He grimaces a bit at that. Rather, their lack of size compared to Unicron. And then all his powers.]

( video )

[pendragon]

[ Here's a somewhat surprised Saber. Although, the surprise has faded and now she's near mournful. ] I had no idea. That is.. quite something else. [ And for the King of Knights to admit such a thing after all she had seen.. ]

Thank you for sharing Cliffjumper. I knew of Unicron, but this.. this puts things into an actual perspective..

( video )

[cliffjumper]

Yeah, 's what I thought. [Cliffjumper just shrugs. Perspective helps, right?]

No problem. If it didn't matter if everbody realised what it was, I wouldn't have bothered, but since we're kinda livin' right at its feet, seemed like an idea to explain as well as it can be.

[Another shrug.]

Picture says more than a thousand words, right?

[Even in the cases where language can be gently layered around meanings and modifiers to lay all sorts of implication out, sometimes, you need something more straightforward than that. Simple.]

[audio]

[rstlsslegsyndrm]

[Oh. Well.]

... I guess there's another reason to miss my universe. Hoping, of course, mine doesn't have a Unicron hiding somewhere.

[audio]

[cliffjumper]

[Swell, ain't it?]

It might. [Cliffjumper grimaces and shrugs on his end.] But maybe it doesn't, but since Unicron's apparently some sorta fraggin' multiversal entity, I ain't sure that's gonna help ya in the end.

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

Thanks fer the reminder of the time we had ta battle Unicron.

[That was over six months ago, but it's still hard to forget.]

[Video]

[cliffjumper]

You're welcome. [Yes, a bit of sarcasm there and then Cliffjumper's expression smooths out a little.]

You too, huh?

[Well, his was over fifteen years ago, so don't count on forgetting yours very soon.]

[symmetriphiliac]

[That was the dark god they were up against? It wasn't the first time he'd faced one - he was the son of one, after all - but...]

... Were you able to stop him in your own universe?

[cliffjumper]

[Unfortunately, yes.]

Luckily, yeah. That was over fifteen years ago by now. [Cliffjumper shrugs, rubbing the back of his helm.] Thought we'd destroyed him, but it's kinda obvious we didn't, if he's a multiversal entity or what the slag ever.

But yeah. Stopped, at the least. Otherwise I wouldn't even be here. [The grin is just a quick flash, but dryly amused all the same.]

[Video]

[notyourblueangel]

[Hey, CJ . . . if you've never seen a deeply-shaken Decepticon, enjoy the view now.]

What . . . that . . . P-primus!

[Video]

[cliffjumper]

[Oh, he'll take it, thanks. Even if, given what Thundercracker's shaken for, he's not going to gloat. Just shrug and grimace.]

Opposite of, but yeah. Pretty much.

[Even if, ahem, anyone who paid attention could probably guess that bright blip of light at the end was connected to Primus.]