re_alignment | audio || action

Entry tags:

✘ tf: bayverse | sideswipe

audio || action

I've seen enough.

[Well... it's Sideswipe's voice. But it's crawling with static and contempt. More than usual. It sounds almost older somehow. Harsher.]

You let them crawl around your world like it's nothing. Foolish.

Don't worry. I'll clean up your little mess.

[And the line goes dead.]

[LATER]

[A banged-up, paint-scarred Corvette can be found cruising the Haven, its headlights off and engine muted. It acts more like a shark than a flashy sportscar, moving quietly about the area.]

[It's stalking. Searching.]

[As if it knows what it seeks is somewhere nearby, and is tirelessly seeking it out.]

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[It catches his attention. Almost immediately -- if only because he doesn't recognize it. Who is that? Mirage? No, the shape is all wrong.]

[He pulls out from concealment, following behind it.]

[Aaaand that's not creepy at all - the moment he catches on to the fact that there's someone following him, Cliffjumper veers sharply aside, transforming mid-motion and---

Actually catches on to the fact that it's Sideswipe - should be, anyway? - before he's drawn a weapon. If barely.]

... Sideswipe?

[The car doesn't unfold. If anything, it sits lower on its wheels, as if watching the strange red bot.]

[He doesn't know who this is. And, as such, doesn't move.]

[Shifting on his feet, Cliffjumper grimaces, optics narrowing. It's probably a good thing he's crossed his arms, because otherwise he'd definitely have withdrawn his gun by now - as it is, his right hand just twitches a bit.]

Okaaay, that's just... not creepy at all.

[Eyeing the silent, dark Corvette, Cliffjumper scowls a bit.]

Lemme guess, you ain't got a clue what you're doin' here.

[He doesn't have an answer to that. This thing... it's not anything familiar. It's not a Decepticon, so he can't kill it. Is it an Autobot? Something to be ignored?]

[The headlights flicker.]

How did you know.

[His voice is a rasp. Like it's been damaged before.]

[Okay, at least there's some sort of response and not just silent stalking or lurking. But that also pretty much confirms Sideswipe either... had something happen to him when the storm... or pillar... hit, or this is an alternate. Whichever.]

'Cause we've got a few people that suddenly ain't got a clue, after the storm a few days ago.

[So what happened to Sideswipe's voice? Or... well. Everything else, too.]

I know... knew... whatever the Sideswipe that was here before the storm. [That should work well enough, regardless of if this is the same or another one.]

What storm.

[It's a question, but his tone implies otherwise. He's all but demanding the information.]

[He still doesn't transform. He doesn't have a reason to -- no need to attack or flee. Not yet.]

Explain what you mean. I've never been here before.

[Rubbing a hand down his faceplates even if his risk-calculations warns that he shouldn't, Cliffjumper huffs.]

Right before ya woke up, there was a storm. Brought that thing [He waves in the direction of the Junk Pile and the pillar there, easily seen even at this distance.] with it, and after that we had a bunch of people who're absolutely sure they ain't been here before...

Or got outright switched with the ones who were, who the frag knows anymore!

Edited 2013-11-06 14:06 (UTC)

You're not making any sense, Autobot.

[It's sort of hard to miss the brand and the optics and all that. No wonder this stranger isn't being helpful -- he's one of them.]

So you don't know what's happening. And you... what, expect me to?

[There's a slightly annoyed grunt and Cliffjumper waves a hand.]

This is an interdimensional nexus and we've got people from different realities here and I know how that sounds but we do, and a few days ago there was a really huge storm, that pillar came down, and then some people started actin' like they weren't here before the storm.

[He shrugs, turning half away to look at the pillar, but still keeping Sideswipe in his vision.]

People disappear or pop up nearly all the time, but usually we don't have a bunch that appear to be the exact same people that were here before.

There.

That clear enough for ya?

[His head tilts all the way to one side, as he regards the unfamiliar Autobot in silence. The words don't get much reaction, short of narrowed optics.]

[Mostly because he's more used to keeping his emotions throttled back.]

And you're trying to tell me I was here before.

Why don't I remember that?

[Really, that restraint is more unsettling than if Sideswipe would've attacked him - he's kind of used with that, what with dimension-hopping and slag like that.]

Might be that, yeah. No way to know, really... What do ya remember?

[He's not paid an overwhelming amount of attention to everybody on the Link after the storm, but something was definitely off with the way everyone was acting.]

[He rocks on his wheels -- finally, actual motion out of him. What does he remember?]

Earth. I remember Earth. And everyone on it.

Being robbed of what was mine -- abandoned.

[He lifts a blade, pointing it toward Cliffjumper.] By your kind.

[As soon as that blade comes up, Cliffjumper twitches and takes half a step back, hands fisting at his sides. He hates not knowing if he should assume he's going to be attacked or not - he kind of is, though.]

Hey, I didn't have anything to do with that, whatever happened! [But it was probably warranted. Maybe. But he doesn't say that.]

What--- [He almost asked what Sideswipe had done, but manages to not to at the last moment.] happened?

[He doesn't move it more than the first point. He's gesturing with it, nothing more.]

You're one of them. It's all the same.

[His expression goes flat.]

They killed my target. They let the human beings go after me -- their allies tried to kill me.

And they did nothing.

Yeah, whatever. [He huffs, but the fact that Sideswipe hasn't moved helps some. Not completely, but some. And he doesn't know what to say to that, frowning.]

... Where was your target when you caught up?

Earth.

Why does that matter.

No, not the whole fraggin' planet, Sidswipe!

[Huffing, Cliffjumper tosses his arms out.]

It matters 'cause the place ain't just some smeltin' wilderness as I think you've noticed! People live there, and they'd get kind of upset if you tear up a city.

[Of course that, and casualties, were sometimes unavoidable, but the point still stood.]

So?

[He couldn't look any less impressed right now. His head tilts slightly.]

Why should I care what humans think?

[Here, have Cliffjumper basically face palming.]

Not that I get why the Autobots wouldn't just stop ya instead of lettin' the humans trying to kill you but that's why.

'Cause they get kinda fragged off when you kill a lot of 'em on their own planet. Not that they don't do a lot of that themselves too but. Ain't our planet, is it?

That's no good reason to let one of their own die like that. To leave them behind.

So what? They should have gotten out of my way.

If you ain't noticed it, humans can't exactly get out of the way fast enough when we're tearin' up the place. Houses usually aren't made to be gotten out of fast and since that's what a city is...

That's not my damn problem.

See, that's why. [Cliffjumper has now decided he likes the normal... or other... Sideswipe better.] They ain't got anything to do with our war, but they get caught up in it any way.

Hard to get outta the way fast enough.

[He scowls, crossing his arms over his chestplates.[

Then they should have thought of that before they started messing with our tech.

[He'd picked up that much from NEST transmissions.]

Or joining the Autobots in battle.

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