re_alignment | A public service announcement re: Airachnid.

Don't let her sweet talk you. She may have a nice set of eight legs, but Airachnid lives only for #1. She is disloyal, self-obsessed, power hungry, sadistic, evil, without empathy or morals ; and more importantly deadly. If you're a bot or a con or especially a human, stay the scrap away from her. Scrap she's done :

1. Betrayed Lord Megatron on multiple occasions
2. Betrayed the Autobots
3. Stolen energon and spare parts
4. Tortured mechs for the fun of it
5. Taken out an entire unit of Autobots on her own
6. Hunted entire species to extinction, causing planetary collapse
7. Stolen ships
8. I'm pretty sure she had something to do with the Barrun Far disaster
9. Disrespected her teammates and superior officers
10. Fostered mutiny
11. Dismembered and killed teammates

If you're thinking "Oh, but I can take care of her, and make a deal, and we can both come out on top." : NOPE. No, she'll doublecross you before the deal's even done, and leave you under a junk heap missing your t-cog. She also enjoys torturing squishies. Also, she can drill through the ground so be careful. I'm serious, don't help her, she'll just repay you by killing you and stealing all your stuff.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

C- commander Starscream? What happened to your voice?

[Megatron has an APB out concerning Starscream. Capture the jet at all costs, he says. Welllp, Subtrefuge isn't Breakdown's forte but he's got to try. AT this rat, he might come across Megatron! And what better way to prove he's still a worthy commander despite disappearing?]

You should... You should come to the temple of Solus and get yourself looked at. Doctor Knock Out's here. You uh, you don't sound okay.

[For instance, what was with the "I've never heard Breakdown before" tone?]

[So offended.] Nothing's happened to my voice. I've sounded this way for millions of years.

...I'm not familiar with that designation, "Knock Out". What's yours.

[he's not suspicious, but he is kind of wondering what, if any, deep scrap another Starscream may have gotten him into. ~~Like he'd never do the same to them.~~]

Breakdown.

[Breakdown wasn't that stupid. He took some time to think about the entire situation. Starscream being slagged off wasn't new. But there's no way Starscream would feign amnesia around two bots who owed him. So either something was really REALLY wrong, Starscream was being more devious than usual, or "Starscream" was a more common designation than he thought.]

Now that one I know. You're the mech who kept landing himself in trouble with the humans back on Earth.

[more cheerfully]

Well, it'll be easy to avoid those problems here. --Did you say Solus's temple?

Yeah, that's me. Wasn't exactly my favourite time. Solus' temple is where the doc bots are, plus me and a Wrecker. We sorta got a neutral ground truce going, 'specially after all those sharkticons.

[more confidently now, even if this Breakdown not recognizing his voice means it's a different one--it's probably a similar universe, right? ...Right? Ha.]

Right, great. I'll swing by soon.

What's Knock Out like?

Most beautiful mech I know, outside, and in. Bright red, winning smile, you can't miss him. He's smart, too, and gots a good sense of humour. Great at parties.

[a pause as he transforms--he wasn't incredibly close to Breakdown back home, as far as mechs went, but he wasn't expecting a glowing description, and it shows in his voice.]

You sound like you admire him.

We're partners. I like him ; he likes me. Watch each others backs, that sort of stuff. It's great to have someone you trust.

I can't imagine what that's like. [And he means it, too.

Not long after that last reply he's landing lightly outside Solus's temple, glancing around thoughtfully. Trying not to mull too hard on that. Someone you trust. Sure, it sounded great. But then they proved untrustworthy and it was suddenly hideous and at best you were sparkbroken and at worst you were terminated.

He reopens the Link.]

Okay... So now what?

Uhhh... I don't know now what? Has something changed? [Via audio he's unsure what's going on.] I guess if you want a partner you can trust, you just have to give that to other people.

I'm waiting for you, outside the temple. [He adds] I don't trust. It's expensive.

That's where you're wrong. Trust comes free. People think it's not valuable because it's so cheap. [He starts making his way to the entrance.] Be there soon.

[tsks.] I won't split wires with you, but it's not the kind of thing I'm eager to do because the end result is always ugly.

[Starscream idles outside, looking around quietly.] ...Maybe you're not exactly like the Breakdown I know. [or maybe the Breakdown he knew just needed a Knock Out :c]

I guess all Starscreams get fragged-up by life. Sorry to hear it.

I'm doing fine.

[was that a little defensive]

I mean it. Where I'm from, not trusting is the default mode.

That doesn't seem right. [His footsteps ring in the hall.] Everyone should have someone to trust. I got Knock Out. My men can trust their commander. Me. Megatron can trust Soundwave. Starscream... Ah. The Starscream I know doesn't trust anyone any more. Burned those bridges. I don't think you wanna be like him.

I don't think I have a choice but to be me. [his tone is meant to be disarmingly charming] But I'm more interested in strengthening bridges--I understand reliability in more practical terms. What I can depend on people for to a point.

Trust, to me--that's going beyond self interest. I don't expect anyone to prioritize me over themselves. I wouldn't do it for them.

A public service announcement re: Airachnid.

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