audio || action

[stabbywheelfeet]

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.]

Comments

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

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.

[action]

[cliffjumper]

'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.]

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

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

[action]

[cliffjumper]

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!

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

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?

[action]

[cliffjumper]

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!

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

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.

[action]

[cliffjumper]

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!

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

Then they're going to be killing the only damned thing standing between them, and their planet being another wasteland.

If they're too stupid to realize it, that's not my problem.

[action]

[cliffjumper]

Rrrrr--- Well they can't fraggin' appreciate that when both sides are killin' them off, can they?!

[He tosses his arms up, thoroughly frustrated. Cliffjumper doesn't really have the personality or patience for this.]

[action]

[stabbywheelfeet]

Don't ask me. I'm no monkey.

[action]

[cliffjumper]

Guuuuh--- [Scrubbing a hand down his faceplate, Cliffjumper has to haul himself back from stomping over and... well, he's not sure. But. Step back.]

I suppose it fraggin' well doesn't matter, since this isn't either of our realities.

[He doesn't like having to give even that, though.]