re_alignment | 2nd Web

[Alright, so, investigating Hub on his own and then making it back to Vector Prime's place had turned out to be a spectacular failure of an idea, once he'd realized how much webbing he'd go through trying to speed up the travel time. And while he probably could have asked for help, he didn't want to risk the suspicion that would arise from Spidey then asking for a ride back to Vector Prime's temple not long before Peter Parker "arrived." So, he'd kept his head low for a few days before arriving...again, really.

Except this time, it wasn't the wallcrawler addressing the camera, it was puny Peter Parker, Totally Normal Human Teenager. Trying his best to look as though he'd just arrived, and in his defense? He pulled off "clueless" pretty well. Mostly because he'd had plenty of practice.]

Aunt May is so gonna kill me...

...hello? Is this thing working? I don't know if anyone can hear me, but if you can...little help? Please?

Last I checked, my curfew's up in ten minutes, and I'm pretty sure the nearest bus route's a few light years away.

[He also points the camera at his arm to reveal Vector Prime's glyph prominently featured on the forearm of his right arm, just above the wrist]

I also don't know how I'm going to explain this to my Aunt in a way that doesn't get me grounded for at least the rest of my natural life.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I really wouldn't worry about being grounded. Or your curfew. Or your aunt.

The Lambda kind of... well, it plucks people from their worlds and plops them here. But at least those here think that no time is passing between worlds. So whenever there is a way to get you home, you still won't be late!

[And that is a very familiar glyph. Look, she has one too!]

The thing on your arm is called a glyph; don't quote me on this, but I don't think it will stay on you once you're finally returned home. I think they're supposed to be a way for the Firstforged to keep track of everyone, though I don't really think they're all that useful.

[She offers a her condolences through an empathetic smile. It's a lot to take in at once, she knows.]

Um, I'm Rapunzel, by the way. We both belong to the Vectorian temple, so I'm sure we'll be seeing each other often.

They keep track of us through a tattoo?

That sounds...creepy, actually.

[To say the least.]

I hope you're right about them going away, though. And about everything back home. I think even the big robots'd be afraid of getting The Look from Aunt May.

[What follows could barely qualify for a laugh, and a nervous one at that, but at least it was a laugh, right?]

Nice to meet you, Rapunzel. I'm Pete, Peter Parker. But I think I'll have to give you a rain check on any visits. Someone Drift is gonna give me a lift to someplace called "The Hub." But hey, maybe if you're ever in the neighborhood?

Well, we're marked with them to show which Firstforged we're aligned with, so I'm guessing they kind of work like tags or labels.

[As for actual tracking, well... she hasn't the slightest.]

Well, we certainly wouldn't want that. [Yes, the laugh counts for a lot. Rapunzel knows how hard it is to come to grips with being stuck on Cybertron, but a laugh is a sign of hope, of positivity. And he'll need it.] Don't worry, though; just have a little faith that things will work out in the end, and I'm sure they will.

And it's very nice to meet you, Pete. You'll most definitely see me visiting The Hub... it's kind of the only place to get food. Well, for us humans. I mean, it isn't the most practical, but I've decided to live in the temple room I was given... mostly because of the wall space.

Somehow, that doesn't make it any less creepy. Now I just feel like someone's toy on the playground with their name written on it so it doesn't get misplaced.

[And from the sound of it, Vector's got a pretty big toy box.]

Wait, we only have food there? What's the point in them shacking us up so far away from it then? They know we have to eat, right?

...and why is food an acceptable trade-off for wall space?

It didn't seem that bad until you put it that way...

At least the Firstforged seem benevolent; I feel more like an assigned team member than I do a toy.

[Right. The food.]

That's just where the Lambda drops it. It's... packaged kind of strangely sometimes, though. But even then, it's not really a trade off; I just make regular visits to the Hub and carry back what I need.

As for staying in Vector's temple... I'm kind of a painter, and I've just recently been able to gather all the supplies I need to pick up the hobby again. If I have more wall space, I have more room for paintings.

Sorry! Guess I'm used to seeing the bad side and just hoping for the best. Personally, I blame high school.

But painting? I guess that's a good reason to stick around, especially if you've still got a way to get food. Maybe you can show me some of them sometime. I could probably even work out a trade! I've still got some photos saved on my camera from my job back home, so I could show you some of those!

You know, when you visit. Or if you think I've got enough time to find you before Drift gets here to pick me up.

High school?

[She shrugs it off. It's probably not important to know what high school is, even if her ignorance is shining bright.]

Well, there isn't a way home quite yet, so it's really just a way to keep me from going stir-crazy.

That said, we might have time! Are you in the temple right now, or...?

It's...[How do you explain high school to someone with no concept of a school system?]...a learning institution, basically. One for kids our age. You go there to learn things like history, writing, math, science...most of them even have an art class or two.

[Or a theater department that decides to put on a re-imagined Shakespeare production incorporating Spider-Man and his villains.]

I'm still here, yeah. I'm down on the first level, waiting for Drift to show up.

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