[Audio] [Transmission originating from: Solian Sector] - Second Offense

[namesnotprowl]

I'm out of contact f'r a couple days and everything goes crazy. Y'all are really trying to make me feel at home aren't you, darlings?

[Barricade sounds tired, but amused. He's been in and out of the medbay keeping an optic on Ratchet and tweaking the upgrade plans for the prototype that kind of... exploded at said medic, and in between that has been trying to finish the renovations to his quarters in Solus Prime's temple.

Busy bot has been busy.]

So we've got a police force coming up, and a mercenary guild forming, huh? Well, I frankly ain't seen any law system work out - and I certainly ain't joining any of you, no offense - but I will say this.

I've been told that here we're more or less at peace among one another. Means we don't need warriors.

We need cops.

And if there are outside aggressors, we don't need warriors either. We need soldiers, because the whole Spec Ops suicide runs? Don't end well. For anyone. Ever.

That's all.


[Encrypted to Knock Out]

Probably nothing you ain't heard from others yet, but I finished my sniffing around for your partner. Trail went farther towards the Badlands than I was willing t'go and I didn't catch anything indicating he might have exited it or changed directions.

For what it's worth, I'm sorry he's gone.

Comments

[action - LMAO 'CADE.....]

[automobile_enthusiast]

[Knock Out's definitely looking a little shell-shocked as that sinks in.] Third... time...

[He gives himself a little shake, as if to snap himself out of it.] Well. Aren't you just the unlucky slagger?

[action - HERE LET HIM JUST... BE HORRIFYING FOR A WHILE]

[namesnotprowl]

[Barricade's grin just widens. If he was a cat there would be feathers in his dentals from the family's late parrot.]

Oh, I don't know. Got a shiny new face, met a Megatron better than mine and I got to get away from my war. So I figure I ain't doin' half-bad~

[Let's just ignore his legs being blown off and the Spider Incident and all those Soundwaves... and that the 'shiny new face' made him shriek incoherently for a day and a half before he started coping, the drama queen.]

[action - I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER VICTIM THAN KNOCK OUT]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Hm. [Hands on his hips, Knock Out regards Barricade with frank appraisal, particularly his face.] You know, now that you mention it, this-- [He gestures at his own face, but means Barricade's.] --doesn't really mesh with the rest of your aesthetic. I was wondering why that was bothering me.

[...Priorities!]

[action - MOST EXCELLENT, BECAUSE BARRICADE WOULD *LOVE* TO PLAY WITH HIM~]

[namesnotprowl]

Yes, well. Apparently the native Shockwave thought it would hilarious to tweak it to something closer to their aesthetic. Don't mind it so much now, but the lips are definitely a change.

Though if you're curious how it looked before...?

[Barricade would certainly be willing to oblige, if only to see the look on Knock Out's face; as far as he knows, there are only three here that remember his original face, and they wouldn't talk about it he's sure.]

[action - ohoho is that a promise?]

[automobile_enthusiast]

I can't deny that you've made me curious. [He crooks the fingers of one hand in an inviting gesture-- please, oblige him!]

[action - it most certainly is~]

[namesnotprowl]

Mm, well I'd hate t'leave you hangin' then~ [Let him just pull it up on his hologenerator: he'd had it all set up for when he'd been back home.

After a few moments there's a snap-hiss and his original face is transposed over his current one.]

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

[Knock Out rocks back a step, for a moment visually startled before he manages to compose himself.]

Well. That's certainly more... congruent.

[And not attractive at all, at least to his eyes. Sorry Barricade.]

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

[He can't help a little smugness at the reaction. That sort of thing used to annoy him more; Barricade considered himself attractive for a Tyran 'Con, whichever face he had.]

Softening your words f'r little old me? I think I'm flattered.

[The Other-You hadn't even been so kind with the face he has now. He flicks off the hologram.]

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

[He shrugged and spread his hands.] I'm not so ill-mannered as to antagonize my host~. Especially before he's even broken out the energon.

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

Mm. Smart and pretty. How'd I get so lucky~? [But since it was mentioned, energon! He has it, carefully set on a stack of half-cut metal panels.]

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Well that's easy-- you had the good fortune to meet me. [Grin! And you get bonus points for calling him pretty even in his current state of disrepair.]

Shall we? [He sees that energon there, and indicates it with a gesture of one hand.]

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

Suppose I did, at that. [Well hey, he doesn't mind scratches and scrapes in the least. Besides, compliments get him places.]

We shall. I did get these f'r this reason, after all. [He turns and grabs a couple cubes, offering one over to Knock Out.]

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

[Knock Out takes the bright pink cube and weighs it in both hands.] You know, I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the color of this.

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

[Barricade chuckles quietly.] Don't tell me. You're used t'something a little bit more blue, right?

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

...How'd you guess?

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

Well. The energon from my dimension is generally the same color. And from what I've noticed, if it's not pink it's usually blue.

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Hm. [KO regards the cube an instant more, than shrugs and sips from it.] Tastes the same, at least. Although I have to admit I was pretty wary of this, at first. I thought maybe it was some diluted form of red energon.

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

Red energon? Oh, now you've got me all curious. [This had never come up before and Barricade is very much an information hoarder.] I'm sadly unfamiliar with that particular shade.

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Oh, you know. [He waves a hand.] It triggers hyperspeed in anyone who imbibes it once it's been refined?

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

I really don't I'm afraid. This's the first I've heard of it, point in fact.

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Really? [KO seems surprised-- and you were seeming so worldly and well-traveled there, too!] What do the energon variants do where you're from, then?

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

We don't have variants that do different things. Just a mix f'r grounders and a more potent variety typically reserved for fliers. The variations from your dimension seem to be... a new thing.

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Curious. We have a few different variants, naturally occurring, and of course you can spice up the natural stuff with additives and such...

[action]

[namesnotprowl]

Ours was naturally occurring until my Autobots, geniuses that they are, destroyed the object that supplied it. We have t'get creative about extraction and refinement these days.

[action]

[automobile_enthusiast]

Ooh. [Knock Out winces.] That... sounds just like Autobots, really.