Number III: A Public Service Announcement

[nobody_number_8]

[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?

Comments

[nobody_number_8]

Normally Heartless would exist in the Realm of Darkness, which is separate from the Realm of Light and the Realm Between where people like us can live. They seem to spawn there naturally. The reason they're such a problem in our world now is that several people from my home world took it upon themselves to research the darkness of the heart in some very nasty ways. Their tampering and experimenting weakened the barriers between worlds and the Heartless were able to invade.

As to where they came from originally, though, I don't know. The closest I've heard is an old story my parents used to tell me when I was a little kid. I can tell it, if you're interested.

And usually you have to kill them to stop them. There've been a few instances of them being repelled in other ways, but those were special cases and can't really be reproduced in any helpful way, as far as I know.

[And yeah, Axel doesn't like it much easier, but unfortunately it's true.]

Yeah... you aren't the only former bad guy Sora's taken a shine too. Which is why I wanna tell him first; like I said, I kinda owe it to him. Up to him to decide what to do with the information when he has it.

[deadlydoctor]

Like the human version of Hell, heaven and what's in between. [He's going to assume Heartless are like demons now, it seems easier.] Do you call those people Necromancer by any chances?

Sure, go on. I'm always interested. [Knowledge is power.]

I don't even know what he's trying to do. I don't need a morality pet. [But it's sure helping to make him a better mech, he's not sure what to think anymore.] We will see what happens then.

[nobody_number_8]

[Axel shakes his head.]

Not exactly. The Realm of Light is just the normal world where most worlds exist and most people live. The Realm of Darkness, while it's certainly creepy, dangerous, and generally not a place you'd want to get stuck in, it and the Heartless aren't really evil, exactly, any more than the Realm of Light and the people there are automatically good. It's just that Darkness is the opposite of Light, so Darkness is dangerous to us. Kinda like putting an acid and a base together; when they collide, you're bound to get a violent reaction.

Which is why the Realm Between exists. It's kind of a narrow buffer zone, keeping the two larger Realms from annihilating each other. There's only a few worlds known to exist there, and most of them have some... unique properties thanks to their location. How safe each on is depends on how close it is to either the Darkness or the Light. Castle Oblivion is directly between the two and it's especially weird.

[Upon hearing that Knockout wants to hear the story, Axel has to stop and think for a moment.]

Well, it's been awhile; I haven't heard it since I was a little kid. But here goes... [ahem]

A long, long time ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of Light. Everyone loved the Light.

But then some people began to fight over it. They wanted it all for themselves. And Darkness was born in their hearts.

The Darkness grew and covered everything. It blocked out the Light and consumed many people's hearts. And the old world was destroyed.

But some tiny fragments of Light survived, in the hearts of children. Together, the children used those fragments of Light to rebuild the lost world. That's the world we live in now.

But the true Light still sleeps, deep within the Darkness, until the time is right for it to reveal itself again. That's why the worlds are still separated from each other.

So always remember, that no matter how deep the Darkness, there will always be a Light to guide you.

[Reverts from the formal, 'storyteller voice' to a more normal tone.]

I may have flubbed a line or two, but I think that's pretty close.

As for Sora, he's not trying to do anything, I don't think. That's just the way he is. He... kinda rubs of on you. [shrugs]

[deadlydoctor]

Ah, I see...that makes more sense. [Barely but he thinks he understands. If Knock Out knew about the shadowzone in his universe he probably wouldn't find all this so strange.

That story makes him think about his own people's war. GOOD JOB AXEL, you made him sad.]

That's an interesting story. Nice ending too.

I am realizing that.

[nobody_number_8]

[And he didn't even bring the Realm of Nothingness into it, which adds a whole new level of bizarre to the whole thing...

Axel doesn't blame you for being confused, though, Knockout. He lives there and it's all kinda confusing to him too; he's just used to it, and has accepted it as the way the world works.]

Yeah. Good message to give kids. And from what Sora's told me about what's going on back home, a lot more of it is true than I thought it was.

[He chuckles slightly at Knockout's realization.]

I had to find out the hard way myself too. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.

[deadlydoctor]

[It almost makes this place look like a nice break form Axel usual crazy world(s).]

A good one but not always easy to believe.

[If only he knew how to quite the kid. And really wanted to.]

So we are doomed?

[nobody_number_8]

You're tellin' me...

And yeah, we're doomed. Or at least our reputations are.

[deadlydoctor]

[Knock Out drags a hand down his face.] Just lovely...

[nobody_number_8]

Heh... Price of associating with Sora, I'm afraid. But it does have it's good points too.

[deadlydoctor]

Name three.

[nobody_number_8]

Well, for one thing, you never have to worry about losing your keys with him around.

For another, he's damn handy to have watching your back in a fight.

And he genuinely believes that guys like you and me are better than we are... and then makes you wanna live up to that belief. Which, aggravating as it can be sometimes, I'm counting as a good thing.

[deadlydoctor]

[You get a chuckle for that.] Good point.

He shouldn't be in any fights. Now should I be. [Fights aren't for kids or mechs like Knock Out unless the inevitable happens. Like a zombie predacon apocalypse.]

One day he will realize the awful truth. [And Knock Out's sure he doesn't want to deal with that.]

[nobody_number_8]

Yeah, well, unfortunately the world rarely respects your opinion as to what should and shouldn't happen to you. Hence why being prepared for it is a good thing.

[And that line hits a little closer to home than you might think, Knockout, given what Axel is planning on confessing to Sora.]

Probly, yeah. Though given that this is Sora we're talking about, who knows how much that'll change things.

[deadlydoctor]

And isn't that annoying... [Yes, very.

Axel if you upset Sora papa bot will hunt you down and step on you. Don't make him do that, he finds you easy to talk with. And he likes your hair.]

True. The Kid's probably a lost case. We'll have to bear with him, it seems.

[nobody_number_8]

[Axel finds you easy to talk with too, Knockout; finding someone who can match him in snarkitude is rare. Not to mention, you have excellent taste in paint colors.

And while he can't guarantee not upsetting Sora in the short term, he thinks coming clean will be good for them both in the long term.

Probably. He hopes.]

Most likely. I'm sure we'll manage somehow, though.