re_alignment | [Audio] [Transmission from: Solian Temple]

[The audio starts up out of the blue, with only a brief pause at the beginning. Even so, every word seems deliberate and carefully chosen.]

Sorry about the timin'a this, but... I've been thinkin' a lot lately. Dangerous habit, I know.

This is the third multidimensional hub I've been in. I've gotten ripped out of dimensions more than I can explain. I've gone backwards in time twice... forwards once. Turned into a human and a cat. Heh, got haiku-powered jet boosters for a while. I rebuilt my own legs from scratch. I've had my processor picked over more times than I'd like. I've lost more friends than I ever wanted to... and made a few more than I've expected. Including a few that were too stubborn to give up on me when they should have. I've seen how how our wars start... and I've seen them end.

And the one ending was enough. Three hubs has been too much, and I'm too old. I know too much that would compromise this Cybertron's chance at having its own future.

I can't stay.

I have a few things to finish up, still, but in a week... I'm leaving. I've heard rumors of a place in the Outlands that could use someone like me, and I've dug out the clues I need to get there.

I'll be contacting a few of you individually; this is what the humans call the Season of Giving, and I have things to give you. Call them parting gifts if you will.

{{Individuals on this list will be getting special presents as listed, though if Barricade is so much as a passing acquaintance of his you can expect a few cubes of high grade left outside your door (or a six-pack of beer if you're human).))

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That does not surprise me, somehow. [Knock Out reminds Barricade a little of himself, that way.]

[Barricade hadn't bothered with the wrapping himself either. He's not good at it and really, how do you dress up datasticks? Really?

He arrives, eventually... but stays as a Saleen as he enters. Instead of transforming right off... a human opens his door and steps out, leaning against him and grinning. When the 'human' finally speaks it's with Barricade's voice.]

Olly olly oxen free.

[Maybe they are long lost cousins in one universe.

How to dress up datasticks? They should ask Rewind.

Knock Out stares down at the human, blinks a few times and when his processor catches up he chuckles.]

You fooled me for a few clicks, my friend. [He walks closer and leans over, inspecting him.] It's solid?

[That would make sense and also be awesome.

Barricade chuckles when Knock Out finally gets it, pushing away from his car door. He knew you'd get it.]

Startlingly real, isn't it? Meet "Benjamin Cade". [He spreads his arms and does a little twirl.] Solid to a fault; Benny here can pick up a coffee cup or lean against a door, but any more than that...

["Benjamin" reaches out, shoving on Barricade's door. It holds for a few moments and then destabilizes. The holoform flickers, betraying an almost robotic understructure that is remarkably similar to Barricade's own looks - minus the pointy bits and the huge pauldrons.]

Used to I couldn't do even that, but the TransTechs were kind enough to upgrade this when they did my face.

[Damn right, it would be

He does and he thinks it’s really amazing. He has to get himself one of this Holoform thing.]

A pleasure, Benjamin. It’s a really neat trick. I’m impressed that he can be even the slightest solid. Your universe is clearly far more advanced than mine in this subject.

Like I said, blame the TransTechs of Axiom Nexus. One of them stabilized and solidified my hologram tech; thing used to destabilize at the drop of a hat.

[Barricade finally transforms but leaves the holoform around... if only so the next thing he says comes from both bodies. Creepy much, dude?]

Today is your lucky day~

[He pulls a datastick out of his chest compartment and lets "Benjamin" fizzle off with a small popping noise.]

You get to benefit from all the awkwardness I went through there.

Smart people. Too bad we don't have many of those here.

[It's creepy but Knock Out has seen wayyyy creepier things, so he's not all that weird out.

At the view of that datastick he look like a kid on christmas day.]

Did I ever tell you that you are my favorite, Barricade?

You don't want them, trust me. They think everyone else is inferior to them 'cause we aren't technorganic.

[They totally suck, man.

He chuckles, offering it over.]

Awh, you're flatterin' me. It's got all the plans for the on-board weapons from my universe - in case anyone wants something a little wilder - and my personal blueprints for doing trans-dimensional upgrades... and a couple that I did myself. If any Minicons show up, you're set. And I included my holoform upgrade, too.

So it's like a whole race of Starscream. Just change 'technorganic' for 'Flyers'.

[Knock Out really had enough of people like that.]

That information will be really useful in case 'someone' needs to study it. I got a present for you too.

[He raises a claw and them moves to a cabinet that looks like a safe. He unlocks it and a few seconds later there's metal box in his hands that he offers to Barriade. Inside there are four bottles filled with a bright green liquid.] The formula is not yet all refined but those could be really useful to you.

Something like that. But with more "Oh you poor, primitive creatures, you couldn't possibly aspire to be us."

[Can you tell that Barricade hates TransTechs?]

Figured as much. Oh!

[Well, this is a surprise. He wasn't expecting to get anything from anyone else. He takes the offered box, carefully pulling out a bottle of the fluid to give it a good looking-over.]

Now this is interesting. Dare I ask what it is?

That's exactly how my Starscream sounds most of the time. Perhaps with more insults involved.

[He can. Can you tell how done he is with Starscream?

Knock Out can be surprisingly friendly and generous if you are in his good side. Getting in his good side and making him actually care about you, though, that's the hard part. Barricade accomplished both things.]

Synthetic energon. It's unrefined so it makes you supercharged, stronger and faster but it has the side effect of making you more aggressive. You don't have to use it on you but I hope It helps you at some point.

They probably thought we were too pitiful for insults. But it sounds like someone oughta knock some sense into your Starscream.

[Barricade would be surprised and flattered by that, really. He'd never really set out for either of those things. Not intentionally. Funny how that works out.]

Hrm. I'll have to see what I can do with it. Who knows, I might even be able to refine the stuff. This is extremely thoughtful.

Oh, those sort of people. I already punched him but if you feel like hitting him again I won't oppose to it.

[Life really works in mysterious ways. Knock Out wasn't expecting real friends either, not after Breakdown.]

A new project to keep you occupied, what more can someone ask? It was nice having a partner again.

[Audio] [Transmission from: Solian Temple] - Twelfth Offense

best icon

Thanks, I never get to use it <3

Well you should use it more, it's lovely!

aww thansk! <3

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