re_alignment | Number III: A Public Service Announcement

[The transmission opens with a full body shot of Axel. It seems he has the communicator propped up on something in order to allow a wider view, and from the looks of the background, he's somewhere around the Junkpile.]

Hey there, robots of Haven. Autobots, Decepticons and.... miscellaneous others. Thank you all for tuning in today for this very special public service announcement.

What is it about, you might ask? Well, to be perfectly honest, it's about your attitudes. Specifically, your attitudes towards humans, humanoids, and other organics like myself.

Now I know what some of you are probably thinking. 'What's that pointy-haired weirdo talking about? I like organics just fine. Why, some of my best friends are organics!' And believe me, we all appreciate the friendliness and general lack of deliberate attempts to stomp us.

However, it's not the liking part that's the issue here. What the issue is is the simple fact that you all seem to think being 20-feet tall and made of metal automatically means that you're superior. Especially when it comes to the ability to defend yourself. And I don't just mean certain unpleasant individuals who'd try to squish us for fun. I mean all of you, or at least most of you.

You might try to be nice about it, and you're probably genuinely trying to protect them, but when one of your organic friends wants to help out in a fight? Your general attitude always tends to come off as 'Look, it's cute that you think you can help, but just sit over here while the grown-ups handle things, OK?' And when your friends actually can fight? It's as condescending as hell.

Case in point, my friend Sora. Recently, Knockout locked him in his medbay with him in an attempt to protect him. Which would be great... if Sora needed it. But he doesn't. Lemme tell you a little bit about Sora.

This kid spends most of his time back home traveling from world to world fighting monsters made of pure Darkness called Heartless. I once saw him take out 1000 of them in the space of about ten minutes using nothing but his Keyblade and his wits. Aside from Heartless, he's also fought and beaten- among other things- pirates, the Boogie Man, a sea witch imbued with all the power of the ocean and grown to the size of a skyscraper, and a sorceress who turned into a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Not to mention, he's saved the world at least twice.

I could go on, but the bottom line is that he can damn well take care of himself, even against things like you. He doesn't need to be protected or coddled. In fact, he should probably be protecting some of you.

And just in case you think Sora is an isolated case...

[Axel steps a bit to one side, revealing a chunk of Cybertronian-looking scrap-metal about the size of a fridge.]

Here's a nice chunk of Cybertronian metal. And here's what a guy like me can do to it if I'm so inclined.

[Axel points a palm at the chunk of metal and tosses off a Firaga at it. The large fireball strikes and envelops the chunk of scrap, which quickly becomes red hot and begins to melt. When the fire dissipates a few moments later, the chunk of metal is badly scorched and melted enough to be mostly unrecognizable compared to its previous state.

Axel turns calmly back to the camera.]

So for future reference? Don't automatically assume that just because we're small and squishy that we're helpless. It'll save your organic friends a lot of frustration and it'll save you from looking like an ass.

Any questions?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Are you in a war?

Trying to stop one from starting...

Alone...?

'Course not. I have a lot of friends. Some travel with me and some stay on their own worlds and help.

That's good, then. No one should be alone.

Nah, no one should be. And I never am - even if they aren't around, we're still connected to each other.

How does that work?

Hearts... Spirits... Sparks... Whatever you want to call it, but that thing that makes you, you? It can touch other people too. Connect with them - at least they do where I'm from.

And my friends? We've been through so much that it's so easy to just think of them as part of who I am.

So that's how living things stay connected...? Their souls?

Makes sense... People have memories together. In a sense, you carry part of someone's life with you by sharing those experiences.

Memories...

I never thought they would be able to keep someone together with another.

Why not?

I didn't think that was how they worked...

Isn't that who we are, though? Made up of memories and how we feel about those memories?

... I thought it was different for humans.

Me? All I am is data, though.

It's really not, though.

But... One of my good friends is a computer program, if you want more proof.

A computer program?

Yup! His name is Tron.

Is he here?

I wish.

... I'm sorry.

It's really okay. Sometimes I just wish a lot of my friends were here with me.

But you know? It just means that I should work more on making friends with people here.

I... understand. I know that feeling.

[He lowers his head, briefly.]

Hopefully, you'll have more luck than I have.

More luck with what... Making friends?

Yes. With that.

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