re_alignment | audio;

Entry tags:

brave police: j-decker | kagerou

audio;

[For a long moment, when the feed clicks on... there's nothing. Only static. Did the manic-seeming BP start fidgeting with his Link again?]

[Then, abruptly:]

I'm sorry.

[The words are soft, choked. They're rough around the edges, as if edged by jagged points. If he were human, he'd have sounded like he'd been crying.]

[Despite the tone, the plea, it's clear the old Kagerou is back in the driver's seat again.]

I'm --

I'm so sorry.

[ click ]

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[Deckard waits patiently, and then is just starting to settle again when Kagerou finally starts moving. He'll stand, then offer a hand if the ninjabot wants it. If not, that's fine too. He frowns at the wings, concerned.]

Should probably let Barricade or someone see to your injuries.

[He'll head for the lake for now, though. Kagerou's apparently not overly bothered –or he's doing an excellent job of hiding it –so Deckard won't press. Were it one of his other teammates, he would, without a doubt, but he doesn't know the ninjabot well enough yet. And for now, the calm quiet will probably do him more good anyway.]

Dangerous because he's absentminded? How so?

[He folds them flat. Well, as flat as they'll go, given the damage. He shakes his head a little.]

I'll manage. I can still fly.

[Which is the important thing. He'll have someone look at them, later. When he feels more up to facing people. Now he wants nothing more than to withdraw, to be a shadow again. There's safety in it...]

[But he can follow, easily enough.]

His absentmindedness caused problems before. It changed people before... twisted things we wanted.

[... he'd spent a long time wearing Shadowmaru's frame, as a result. Even been tempted to keep it with him, afterward. Not something he's proud of, these days.]

. . . Alpha Trion has the power to change people if he doesn't maintain his attention?

[That does /not/ make him comfortable, to be honest...]

It... mm.

[He quiets, shoulders hunching in thought. His teeth dig into his lower lip, unconsciously.]

[How does he explain this...]

He didn't pay attention to where the pages of an important book were going. They were lost. Those who found them... wrote on them.

And were changed.

…a magical book of some kind?

[Surprisingly, perhaps, there's no skepticism in his tone, just a note of uncertainty regarding if he's understanding correctly. He has, after all, faced a sorcerer before –it was one of his earliest cases, before even the Build Team had been formed; it was his very first time achieving his J-Decker form –so he's well aware that magic is real. ~~Those damned bats had certainly been real enough.~~ He nods.]

[He looks at Kagerou for a moment, tempted to ask if he was one of the affected and what happened…but it's none of his business, so he refrains.]

So what is it you're able to do to protect Kay better?

Something like that.

[He's not really sure how to elaborate on that. Or if he's even allowed to. Trion hadn't been very specific on that point.]

[He shifts a bit, arms folding around himself again. As if cold.]

We were supposed to be learning a way to fight. Something... only the old ones -- the Cybertronians -- knew.

[But then the whole Pillar thing had happened.]

[When the ninjabot wraps his arms around himself, Deckard reaches a hand to lightly grip his shoulder without thinking about it, trying to lend support.]

. . . and now Alpha Trion and the others are missing. Damn.

I wonder if the Pillar did something to them too, and that's why they're MIA…

[It's a thought, at least.]

[He starts to twitch away. The motion begins. But he halts it, before his shoulder moves entirely out of grasp. He settles himself.]

[Forcibly. He's still not totally used to all this contact. And not after that week...]

[He does lift his head a little, at that information.]

They're missing?

No one told me that.

[Kagerou didn't pull away, but Deckard felt the twitch and can read the discomfort on his face. He pulls his hand back, letting it drop.]

I'm sorry. If you don't want to be touched, just let me know, and I'll stop.

[He shrugs.]

As far as I know, and others seem to agree. No one knows for sure, but no one seems to know where they are or what's happened to them, either. The few that I know of who have tried to reach any of them haven't been successful, and the Acolytes I've talked to at Prima's temple don't seem to know anything either.

It's just new. From others.

[He'd gotten used to physical contact from PJ. Kay. A few Cybertronians. But for the most part, it was new, coming from everyone but ...]

[He shakes his head -- shakes off the thought. No, thinking about him doesn't help anything right now.]

I should check the libraries. Maybe... he's just lost. Or forgotten. Something like that.

Understood. Still, if you'd prefer it not from …me, considering…

[Considering what little previous history they have.]

You mean Alpha Trion? Were it just him, I could believe that. But if that's the case, I'd have to guess he took Prima and possibly at least Solus and Nexus with him.

[He thinks about that for a minute…and nods.]

Still, checking the libraries might not be a bad idea. Even if he himself isn't there, he might have left some kind of clues about his whereabouts or what he's doing.

[By that point, they've reached the lake's edge. Deckard . . . decides to try something. Even if it doesn't work, it'll be worth the momentary distraction. He picks up a stone and tosses it out into the water, throwing underhand in an attempt to skip it on the surface. It…just plunks and disappears. Hmn.]

It doesn't hurt.

[So why would he mind? It's just something he needs to get used to. Nothing more.]

[He nods.]

Yes. That's who I mean.

I can look for him. Regardless. I can go places in there... others can't.

[At least, that's how he understood things.]

[Deckard gives him a questioning look at that last . . . but then nods, figuring it makes sense. Be that because of his stealth systems, because Alpha Trion is his sponsor or whatever they're considered, or because of the deal the ninjabot made with him.]

Yes, please do. And you'll let me know what you find? If there's something I can do to help, also, please let me know.

I'm not sure.

It's hard to say what is and what isn't allowed for those who aren't like me. I should have asked... but I was trying to focus on other things.

[Like remembering all of McCrane's advice. And Gunmax's.]

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