╬ [Video] :: Location - Wastelands

[young_upstart]

[The feed seems a little shaky at first, but once it comes into focus, all one can see is the dark stretch of the skies above, dotted with the pinpoint lights of distant stars, and perhaps just at its edge, one might catch the fringes of the Lambda's glow.]

Ugh...

[The view shifts, completely tilting on its side to capture the unmistakable grounds of the bleak landscape outside of the Haven. For a moment it remains that way, and then suddenly there's a gasp, and the world blurs as someone jerks to sit upright. It's then that the perhaps familiar magenta and orange paint job can be seen, as well as the stunned face of the young Autobot who so proudly wears it.]

Wh-

[He's getting this weird feeling of déjà vu.]

...where am I? I thought...

Comments

[young_upstart]

Rodimus..?

[It takes him a moment to jog his databanks before he can remember why he feels so annoyed being called that. He shakes his head.]

-it's Hot Rod.

[Blearily he looks down at the unfamiliar face eying him on the screen.]

[skidaddle]

Hot Rod, eh?

[You sure do look like the captain...but not like the captain. What was it he'd just been talking with Perceptor about?]

And I guess the 'Lost Light' doesn't mean anything to you? Or Ultra Magnus? Or...I dunno, whatever else you did when you were younger.

[young_upstart]

I... [He pauses a moment, trying to think.]

-you've got the wrong one. I've only heard of the Lost Light... But I do know Ultra Magnus...

[Why was it so hard to process anything?]

[skidaddle]

I got a different Hot Rod...

[That makes perfect sense, but is kind of fascinating regardless. He's met a bunch of people from different realities, but usually they weren't copies of people he knew. Usually.]

Okay, so what are you like, then?

[young_upstart]

Right now? Confused.

[He looks around.]

And...lost.

[skidaddle]

Okay, now I know you are a different Hot Rod.

[This is kind of cool.]

Where are you?

[young_upstart]

Oh yeah? That didn't take long.

....that's a good question. Doesn't look like there's much out here. My systems must be out of whack or something because I can't tell heads or tails by it otherwise.

[skidaddle]

Rodimus would never admit to being confused or lost, even if we were stuck in the depths of space with major engine malfunctions and completely out of contact with Cybertron.

[Oh wait--that happened.]

However, that does explain a bit.

Get ready for some signal triangulation--just let me grab somebody first.

[young_upstart]

Huh. Well it's kind of hard to ignore the obvious. And as embarrassing as it is to admit, I really don't feel all that up to wandering aimlessly on the off chance I'll just get myself more lost.

[He gives a nod, slowly getting to his feet in the meantime.]

Yeah, okay. You do that.

[skidaddle]

Heh. I think I like that about you already.

[And you'll have to give him a bit to snag someone to be a third communicator, but...bingo!]

Already done. I'm heading for you now.

[young_upstart]

[That gets a faint smirk from him.]

Already? Great. I'm...not going anywhere, I guess.