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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.

Humans like to mess with whatever they can find, whether they oughta or not.

[With a grimace, Cliffjumper shrugs. He can give this Sideswipe that. The second thing, however...]

Except I'm rather sure the people just livin' in the city you decided to have a battle in, ain't got a single thing to do with those who are fighting with you... or uh, the Autobots.

'Cause if anyone's involved, it's usually a small handful, if that.

[Also, kids, but lets not get into that.]

So, they're stupid. I knew that already.

I don't care. They should have stayed out of my way. All of them. Autobots and their pets alike.

["I don't care" is probably the best summary of his attitude toward life, lately.]

Then it shouldn't be a fraggin surprise you got attacked!

[Tossing his hands up in the air, Cliffjumper growls, frustrated.]

Humans can be fraggin' unreasonable and have done some blasted creepy things, but a bunch of innocent collateral 'cause ya can't fight elsewhere...

No! I couldn't fight anywhere else! He was there!

Don't talk about it as if you can understand, Autobot!

Fraggin' Decepticreeps and fightin' where they shouldn't cause usually it means we're more careful...

[Narrowing his optics, Cliffjumper thrusts a finger at Sideswipe.]

What I'm hearin' is a complete disregard for the natives of the planet, just 'cause they were "in your way"! Even if the 'Con would probably have been near impossible to lure away, did you even try?

Why should we be careful. They aren't. There's no way to survive, otherwise.

[He slowly tilts his head to one side, glowering at that pointing finger, panels shifting like bristling fur.]

There wasn't time. That thing had to die. Right then. Right there. They don't deserve to be given a single inch.

'Cause we ain't them! That's why! Time or not, if we were just like them when we're fightin'... then what?

[Engine revving, Cliffjumper grits his teeth, frustrated.]

Because killing them is the only thing that matters. It's all that's going to stop this war.

Sure. [And yeah, he agrees, but.] Of course it is, but we can't do that the same way they fight us or treat 'em or our surroundings like they do us 'cause then we're no better!

If we go soft, they kill us. Or we get left behind to die.

What kind of war are you fighting where you can choose your tactics like that?

A war, that's what. [With a hiss, Cliffjumper narrows his optics.] A war where we were surprised and slaughtered at the beginning, but that ain't no reason to not have some rules of how we do things!

And it would have continued if we hadn't hit back!

Their precious little mudball is going to go to scrap if we went soft on the enemy, like Optimus wanted.

And if ya kill humans while tryin' to kill 'Cons, the humans're gonna work real fraggin' hard at killing you!

A two-front war ain't the best thing, ya know!

audio || action

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]

[action]