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

[ let him teach you the glories of the power of friendship. and all that soft, mushy stuff. ]

I'd definitely wanna take the fight to them if it's possible.

[This sounds amazing he could definitely use lessons in that.]

Me too! I can't understand why we are fighting each other when there are bigger problems out there. It's a little ridiculous.

[ yes, good. ]

Because some people just can't let things go, I guess. I don't get it either. Fight each other all you want, but in situations like this? It doesn't do any good.

It does not. Especially since I have heard people come back from the dead. What's the point in fighting each other when it won't get us anywhere, or worse, hurts our chances against the real foe?

We'd be better off helping each other. For now.

Exactly. I gotta admit I don't get this Autobot and Decepticon thing and now you're throwing Predicons at me too or why it's even really important here.

What little I know of Autobots and Decepticons I learned from Starscream. He was not the best teacher, and the war was over before I was made. The Predacons are not part of their war. We fight whom we choose.

Well that's a plus.

But. Um. What exactly is a Predacon?

On my world we are the oldest and strongest of all Cybertronian species. We ruled the world until the Great Cataclysm destroyed us all.

[ Sora's counting his fingers about the facts here. oldest race... but this guy wasn't around until after? ]

Then how were you...?

[ is "born" even the right word here? ]

Shockwave cloned my kin and I from the bones of our ancient ancestors. [Darksteel snickers.]

Pretty neat, huh?

Pretty awesome is more like it.

[ wait... ]

How do robots have bones?

I am not certain! I would tell you to ask Shockwave but he has been absent for some time.

[Science is for nerds and he is SO not a nerd.]

Guess I will just have to chalk that up to another unsolvable mystery.

Guess so. Hrm. Oh! Some of the Autobots from my world might know, maybe.

I can't tell which ones are from which world...

There is the big green one, the skinny red one, the grumpy orange and white one... I believe there is a teal one with wings around... and a red, green, and white one with swords.

Huh! I think I've met some of those guys already.

[ yeah, Sora. pretty much everyone but the one with wings. ]

Oh! Oh good. Perhaps they might now how there could be fossils of my ancient kin.

Number III: A Public Service Announcement

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