[video] Location: Prima's Temple

[prime_junior]

Whoa whoa whoa, wait, so...this is Cybertron? But I was just on Cybertron, a-and this is definitely not the Cybertron I remember. This isn't where the ground bridge was set for...

Arcee? Oh man, please be alright. Miko? Raf? Optimus?

Or...anyone, really. I just want to know how to get home. It's important I get back as soon as possible.

[Jack is trying his best not to look or sound panicked but he's probably not completely succeeding here. What is this crazy place and how did his life suddenly manage to get ten times crazier?]

Comments

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

Yeah, uh. She's aligned with Prima too.

Heh, nah I won't take offense. I know it's hard ta believe. Oh yeah, Smokescreen's here too. But not Ratchet, Bee or...Optimus.

[There's a slight grimace when he mentions Optimus.]

[Video]

[prime_junior]

Okay, I, I'll have to go look for her.

Smokescreen's here? But no one else...

What? What is it?

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

Ratchet was here but he disappeared a month ago, [He stops himself from adding 'again', Jack hasn't been here that long. Ain't been seen since. Not seen Bee at all since I been here.

[He hesitates. He really does. On the one hand it would probably upset Jack. On the other...it would probably be better for him to hear it from one of them then a con.]

Optimus was here...about six months ago. But he.....[He looks away from the camera and down, face and voice saddening.] He died.

[Can you hear the guilt, Jack? Can you?]

[Video]

[prime_junior]

He just...disappeared?

[Jack freezes, trying to stay composed.]

W-What happened?

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

Yeah, he was here one day, then gone the next. No warnin', no sayin' anything to us or nothin'.

We all got glyph's on our arms, as ya know. [He twists so Jack can see his for a moment before he turns back to the camera.] Six months ago, a bunch of refugee's like us showed up, but they didn't have glyph's. Optimus...was one of them. They all seemed fine at first, but it wasn't all it seemed ta be.

These glyphless refugee's, they were tainted by Unicron. [He scowls some.] They turn into monsters. The Forged kept warnin' us fer a month of what would happen, but we didn't listen. We didn't want ta believe it. We thought there had ta be a way ta help, ta fix it.

In the end they all had ta be deactivated. [It's paining him to say it, and he still can't say he killed Optimus. He's sorry you have to hear this Jack. His optics shut.] It was just me, Smokescreen and Ratchet here from the team. We didn't want ta do it, but we had no choice. It was either that, or Optimus went mad and started possibly killin' people, includin' innocents.

Optimus never woulda wanted that.

[Video]

[prime_junior]

[Jack just listens quietly, head bowed as he listens. As upset as he looks, he nods when Bulkhead finishes explaining.]

...You're right. Optimus never would have wanted to risk hurting anyone. So it's okay Bulkhead. I can understand why you guys had to do it.

[Video]

[neverputincharge]

[Bulkhead nods, taking a second to gather himself again, before he looks back to the feed.]

I'm...sorry ya had ta hear it Jack. But...figured it'd be better ya hear it from one of us then somebody else.

[Video]

[prime_junior]

[Jack drags his free hand down his face, squeezing his eyes shut as he does so until he can manage a wan smile at Bulkhead.]

I didn't believe Knock Out when he told me, so it definitely would've sucked to hear it from someone else and find out he was right. So thanks for telling me, instead of trying to hide it.