re_alignment | [Video] Oooooops.

[The feed fizzles on, something big in the way for a moment. It soon becomes apparent that it’s a giant metal foot. The Link is turned slightly on its side, and angled so it’s looking up at Drift and Wing. It was apparently Drift’s foot in the way.]

[The two are facing each other, moving in slow, deliberate movements. It’s almost like a dance, but not, and way too slow to really be...anything. What are these hippies up to?! Whatever it is, it’s clear that Wing is the one slowly guiding Drift through these odd, slow moves.]

[And Drift has clearly had enough of this. He stops, not hiding his frustration very well at all.]

...Seriously, though. we've been doing this for weeks. I think I get it by now. Would it really hurt to pick up the pace a little or-- or do something else for a change?

You are improving, Drift, but perfection takes time.

[Wing looks thoughtful, studying his student for a moment.]

Would it help to see the results of what all of the slow control will result in?

[Drift huffs slightly and straightens up, planting his hands on his hips and giving Wing a shrug.]

Couldn't hurt. As things stand now, it feels like I'm getting nowhere.

All right.

[Wing takes a fighting stance.]

You will do the first kata I taught you. Nothing more, nothing less. You'll go from start to finish as quickly as you can, understood?

[Drift nodded, mimicking Wing's stance.]

Quick as I can, got it. Say when.

Now.

[Wing says it even as he lunges at Drift. What follows is an impressive flurry movement. Wing strikes at Drift fast and hard, and Drift moves as though in response to block and dodge, despite the clear shock on his face. It’s a fight, it’s a dance, and for a moment it seems this may end with Wing not landing a blow on Drift at all.]

[Those experienced in combat may be the only ones to realize that from one movement to the next Drift’s footing ends up off, and so leaves the mech wide open to attack. Wing doesn’t hesitate to strike with a kick to Drift’s side. BAM!! Drift stumbles. He's able to regain his footing pretty quickly, but it's already too late. He knows what's coming next.]

Wait wait wait--

[This is lesson time, Drift. With a grab, a sweep of his leg, and not much more than a tug, all of which Drift should have been able to block had he managed to finish the kata, Wing will toss Drift aside, sending him tumbling across the ground.]

And that is why these kata need to be second nature. You lost your stance at the end, else you'd still be on your feet in front of me.

[Drift just stares up from the ground, clearly grumpy but not outright complaining. Yeaaah this was kind of his own fault. He waggled a hand in the air dismissively]

Okay, okay. I'll take my time with it.

[Wing smiles and steps up, offering Drift a hand to pull him back to his feet....and then gets a shocked look on his face, gaze going to the Link just beyond Drift's head...]

Oh...

What? Is something broken?

[Drift totally doesn't get it and starts prodding at his face with his free hand, y'know making sure nothing's actually broken.]

Wing?

[Wing covers his smile with one hand, making a soft buzzing sound.]

No, no, nothing's broken. But it seems we just put on a show for the residents of Haven.

[Drift gives him a confused look and glances around, finally spotting what Wing had been talking about. And then he looks absolutely mortified because wow. Wow.]

Oh hell.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh you don't know half of it. I told him not to put that in the ship's core either but they ignored me again and it became sentinel. And then the ship tried to kill us. What a funny day that one...What did you have to do?

Only 'think'?

Okay... There is literally something wrong with your Megatron. Anyway, ah... typical soldier stuff. I just happened to have racked up a higher body count than the rest of my unit. Uh. Much higher. I think I broke some records, actually.

[IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'S A LOT OF DEAD AUTOBOTS]

It's complicated.

Do you want to know the best part? He died but was resurrected and possessed by Unicron but after unleashing a zombie predacon army to kill Primus he changed his mind and put and end to the war and his differences with Optimus. [And he only explained half of the things that happened that day.]

Ah, one of those. I understand.

[Really. He does.]

That... sure. Yeah, why not. That sounds totally reasonable.

[dude what is WRONG with your MEGATRON.]

Saves me the trouble of having to explain it, at least.

We thoguth the same, yes.

[The answer is EVERYTHING.]

We all did things we regret. [Mostly, he regrets ever trusting Starscream.]

[you poor, poor little dude]

I'm sure that's true for anyone from either side of the war, from any universe, even. This is a little unique, though. There aren't many people I feel like I can really connect with when it comes to something like this, you know what I mean?

[He was miserable ;; And a victim! honestly!]

It could be but regret it on our level? There's not so many, no. Yes, I understand.

[BUT OF COURSE]

I hope it hasn't been too hard for you.

I lived with Megatron. Take a guess at how great it was.

And then add Starscream and giant nasty Insecticons to the mix.

Yikes... Well. Okay then.

Why did you leave the Decepticons? If uh, you don't mind me asking.

Yeah, it was that bad.

[Ey look, Knock Out's going to be honest for once.] The first time? Because they won, Megatron was dead and I adapt to survive. It's my special ability. They didn't buy it, of course and I ended it in jail.

The second time? The real time? The time where Unicron was going to kill us all while possessing Megatron's body, with his predacon zombie army, in that time when the Autobots were losing...? I realized I didn't want Starscream or any other person that only considered me a tool for their plans to tell me what to do.

When you spend as many years as I did next to megalomaniacs you end believing that being violent and barking orders at others is how things should work.
The autobots weren't like that, even in their darker hour.

You could say I had an epiphany.

So I broke the immobilizer on Starscream's head, stopping him from killing Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee, and fleeing from the planet with the Nemesis. The predacon zombie army was still pretty much a huge threat, mind you.

I know what you mean. I'd joined the Decepticons early in the war, and they weren't so bad back in the beginning. Over time they just became more violent and agressive, and when you're in that deep for so long you start to pick it up yourself and adapt to it, and it just feels natural. I'm guilty of it myself.

I admire you, though. I know it isn't easy leaving them. I don't know everything about your universe, but it can be really dangerous out there for Ex-Cons.

...And on a bit of an unrelated note, it still blows my mind hearing names of people I know in relation to someone else's universe.

Funny how no matter where we are from, we did the same in all the universes. [And by 'funny' he means 'pretty sad'.]

You admire me. [That makes him double take. He's genuinely surprised.] This is the first time I hear that.

And yes, it is. I don't go around telling everyone. It was worse when the Starscream and the Megatron from my universe were here.

It was really weird for me too, I got used to it.

A little depressing, isn't it. Everyone may have had different reasons for doing what we did, but the results were still the same.

You've done something that I can only imagine wasn't easy for you. It's definitely admirable. I've never made any effort to hide what I used to be, personally, but I can understand why you would want to.

Let's all agree that we were awful together.

I never saw it like that. Actually, I think you are the only one who did.

Thank you.

[WOW KNOCK OUT sounding a little sincere there.]

Hey, don't mention it. I know how tough it can be.

[YOU BETTER NOT TELL ANYBODY.]

Alright. I need to get back to work but give me a call if you ever feel like hitting the bar for a few drinks.

[OH HE WON'T]

Sure thing, that doesn't sound bad. Take care of yourself.

[YOU YOU MIGHT LIVE...I MEAN, THANKS.]

Likewise.

[And with that he cuts off the feed.]

[Video] Oooooops.

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