re_alignment | [Video] [Transmission originating from: Somewhere in the Junkpile]

Considering I'm not Sunstorm, it seems so. I suppose I'm lucky you aren't coloured like Skywarp, as well.

[Because then he'd be a lot more difficult to find, really. Jetfire was quiet for a moment and then glanced down at the screen.]

If you're not actually going to ping me your location, can I have a clue?

[Is he really going to do this? This isn't "playing it difficult", this is being silly... But then, a lot of things Starscream did when he wasn't cornered rather was.]

Sure. I'm on a planet.

[There. That's a clue.]

[...]

Yes, that seems to be quite clear, since this doesn't circle another planetary object. No, Starscream; how far have you moved from our point of origin where we woke up?

[Just. Flat stare and then a slight flare of his optics before he continue to circle, having flown back to where they'd started from, and working outwards.

You can either tell him where you are or he'll find you, Starscream.]

Somewhere to the east.

Or maybe the west.

Or north.

Or possibly south.

I don't know, I forget.

[In other words, he's not going to tell you.]

If you truly are unable to tell, I'd be worried over the integrity of your navigational systems and memory files.

[The Junk Pile may be huge, but he'll still be able to find you... especially if you react to him coming by taking to the air.]

Besides, I asked for how far, not in which direction, since that matters less at the moment.

[Due to the way he's circling outwards, and by now Starscream's Earth-based alt is easily familiar.]

It doesn't matter anyway because even if you did find me, you'd never be able to catch me.

[And he might have just taken to the air at that. He was fully confident that he could out fly Jetfire in any situation though.]

[It wasn't really hard to see Starscream when he shot up in the air, especially as the sky was at a twilight and Starscream... was mostly white.]

I'd like to remind you, that even before my reformat, my simple output in power and speed were above yours.

[And now? They were definitely more than thatJetfire banked hard, but didn't engage much of his boosters yet... merely 5% to shorten the distance between them, if not catch up.]

And I'd like to remind you that you are delusional and I'm still faster than you.

[And he'd totally transform into jet-mode and shoot off in a random direction.]

Edited 2012-07-15 06:28 (UTC)

[Transforming in the middle of a completely unnecessary barrel-roll, Jetfire abandoned the newly-accessible comm. upgrade to simply use their normal short-range frequencies.]

As delusional as highly precise engineering and format specifications make me, then.

[Abadoning his current trajectory, Jetfire angled slightly to the side, turning on his side as well, aiming to approach and catch up to Starscream diagonally. He was aware, however, that he had two choices here. Either he caught up, in which case Starscream would probably be... ah, displeased and just fly away again, or he... didn't, and let the Seeker think he was faster.

Neither would be a solution or lead to the discussion he wanted to have. For now, though, he found he was quite enjoying tearing through the light, if near Earth-normal atmosphere of (a) Cybertron again, while following Starscream. And not with the intention of shooting at him.]

[So this was the game they were going to play huh? Starscream made a sharp turn towards the surface of the planet. He only pulled up when he was dangerously close to just crashing right into it.

Oh it was certainly a show off move. Basically a 'look at me' sort of thing.]

And yet, you still are slow.

[That was a taunt, something that he was going to keep doing. He liked to push buttons and Jetfire, despite his position, was not immune to this.]

[Well, he didn't really choose the game, now did he? Starscream just had to be difficult (like usual). Even if he was also showing off, and in this stress-less (relatively) situation he could actually take a moment to appreciate that. Though he ended up having to pull up earlier than Starscream did, veering away sideways and upwards to give himself the space needed.]

What, exactly, is your top speed, Starscream?

[Pushing buttons? Just a little, even if Jetfire still sounded rather... collected. He still had some pride as a flier, after all.]

[...]

Fast enough to be better than you.

[Jetfire obviously wasn't allowed to push buttons in return. Starscream ignited his thrusters to full power and banked to the left. He would probably start showing off even more if this kept up.]

[He'd certainly be welcome to do so. Fact was, Jetfire wouldn't be able to match any outstanding aerial maneuvers. He just wasn't as "agile" as Starscream in that department.]

Indeed? Let's see if that hypothesis actually holds up when tested.

[Having to take an opposite turn to aim himself in the same direction Starscream was in, Jetfire let his thrusters have more power and tore after the Seeker. He still hadn't decided whether or not he should let Starscream "win" in their speed-chase or not.

He had, though, realized and accepted that he wouldn't get out what he wanted and had intended at first from this. Maybe it would work out anyway.]

You call that fast, Jetfire?

[Starscream laughs over the radio frequency.]

You must be getting old.

[He dives downward, putting more power into his thrusters. He was the fastest jet in the Decepticon army and he wasn't about to let Jetfire prove him otherwise.

Well, he'd still be the fastest in the Decepticons, but that wasn't the point.

The point was to be the fastest ever.

And he was going to prove he was just that.]

I might have some longer time functioning than you do, but that doesn't really ahve any bearing on this, particularly as I reformatted a while ago.

[There might have been a faint huff accompanying those words as Jetfire matched Starscream's descending dive with an ascending one of his own.]

You prefer we split up for the moment, go to the... er... Firstforged we apparently bear the marks of?

[The question was off-hand as his thrusters worked to lift him upwards, Jetfire not turning himself level until some hard-defined point, where he pointed his nosecone down, aiming for above and beyond Starscream... even with added calculation for Starscream noticing what he was doing and giving all power to his thrusters.]

And no, that wasn't fast. But I'd argue this is.

[Jetfire's response was a bare murmur over the radio as he engaged his boosters in addition to his thrusters. He'd have perhaps ten seconds to decide whether to strangle fuel to the boosters and allow Starscream to overshoot him when the Seeker noticed and tried to overtake him again. 5 seconds of those were compensation for Jetfire's beginning greater altitude. A handicap, if you will.]

Edited 2012-07-17 16:58 (UTC)

My, my, Jetfire. Are you breaking up with --

Hey!

[Starscream let a growl echo over the comm unit and re-routed power to his own thrusters and shot off after the larger jet.

There was no way Jetfire was going to overtake him like that.

Though he did briefly consider shooting down the Autobot with the null ray just to win, he did not go with that course of action.

But he did think about it.]

Hardly. Merely asking how you want to do this, since the situation's obviously different from the Keep.

[He pretended not to notice Starscream cutting himself off with the exclamation and a growl, replying instead as if the whole sentence had been finished.

3.45 seconds until he had to start strangling the fuel and slow down if he wanted to delay Starscream being... ah, frustrated at the fact that he was slower. Until it came out he'd deliberately slowed down, but well.

2.96 seconds.]

However we want. Does it matter?

[Because it really didn't matter to Starscream at the moment as the most important thing was beating Jetfire in the speed race.

Which he was busy doing internal overrides and boosting his thrusters with even more power.

Not the best thing to do, but he was going to win, slaggit.]

[And that was such a typical Starscream answer - and yet, somehow, unexpected - it actually stole a chuckle out of him.]

I suppose not. There is after all a whole planet at our---

[The amusement dried up as an errant scan sent Starscream's way, along with simple observation and what he knew Starscream ought to safely be able to usually and within normal parameters put out was clearly being overridden.]

Starscream, you're not---- [Of course he was. Mentally gritting his teeth, Jetfire abruptly cut the fuel to his boosters, but let what was already there burn through before he started to, very subtly brake.

If he was going to "let" Starscream win, especially before the competitive idiot ended up potentially injuring himself, he couldn't let Starscream know he was doing that.

At 0.12 nanoseconds left, and he was definitely, if slowly, slowing down, but it'd take Starscream another 1.3 seconds to catch up to him and then overtake him. Enough to hopefully fool him.]

I'm not what? Winning? Because I believe I am.

[Of course Starscream knew just how potentially dangerous things could go. The problem was, he just didn't care. If anything, Starscream hated to be proven wrong.

Which is what Jetfire beating him would do.

That and Starscream had this really bad habit of pressing his luck.]

... I can see that.

[It was just as well, then, that Jetfire cared, even if it sort of burned to have to give up the win on what was essentially a straight-run race which he could easily win.

But he wouldn't be responsible - especially when it wasn't necessary, for Starscream to burn something out.

So the heavy mutter as Jetfire angled to the side just as Starscream screamed past him could have meant anything, really.]

[Starscream slowed himself down and flipped around, transforming in mid-movement to a point where he was just hovering in mid-air.]

Don't be so grouchy, Jetfire. We both knew this would happen.

[And as much as he put a very big strain on his systems, he didn't manage to actually hurt himself.

Which was a good thing.]

[Braking and transforming before he flipped around to basically come to a stop in front of Starscream, Jetfire shook his helm and managed to keep his expression straight.

Which meant mostly neutral, though there was a slight angle to his helm.]

With you endangering yourself for something that wasn't even essential.

[Even if they both had their pride in this matter. He was, however, relieved nothing had happened. Not that they didn't have medics, but a system's failure at the speeds they'd been going... Well.]

And perhaps. I wasn't convinced it was.

[Since he hadn't decided until Starscream pulled his stunt to back off. With a small smile, he slowly drifted around Starscream, trailing a finger along first the closest arm, and then the trailing edge of the wing. Pulling Starscream back against him, Jetfire rested his chin on top of a vent.

Have a hug, you silly Seeker.]

Edited 2012-07-25 12:01 (UTC)

[Oh Primus a hug. What if people were watching?! Jetfire you can't do this out in the open! He would of course squirm to get away ...

Until something registered in his processor of what exactly Jetfire had said.]

... Wait a minute. You slowed down, didn't you?!

[Oh yes, that was a rather sharp accusation and more annoyed struggling.]

[Honestly, Starscream. They're far enough up in the air no one's easily going to see what they're doing. Only another passing flyer would know.

... Ah. He should have been more careful, but then, it wasn't as if Starscream didn't know him well enough to be able to read what he actually meant in a sentence that could be interpreted several ways like that.]

... If we hadn't been flying in a straight course race, you'd have won.

[Jetfire grunted and refused to give up his grip, at least for the moment. Rather, he carefully changed to so he was holding Starscream closer. He'd have to let go soon he knew, unless Starscream accepted his "peace offering". (Unlikely.)]

[Video] [Transmission originating from: Somewhere in the Junkpile]

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