re_alignment | [Audio Post]

[At first he was going to encrypt the message to only Autobots. But then he started wondering if that was what he really wanted? Maybe it was time to try other things and see what came up. In any case, no one was to see who he was, and he made sure to scrub the connection clean of his personal identifiers. He even modulated his voice a bit to sound higher. He was a trained spy, after all, and he didn't want to go giving himself away.]

Is anyone hearing this? Is anyone out there? I'm not sure where I am or what I'm supposed to be doing, but... If someone could explain it to me that's not a temple drone?

[Was that too telling? Slag. Or did everyone start at these temples?]

Is there a way out of here? Any shuttles or teleports or whatever? Let me know what you've found. I'll be here.

[That little snippet was all anyone would get from. The mission was to collect data. the source didn't matter because all information was valuable. It would of course, be evaluated based on who it came from after it was obtained. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'd like to think I'm not naive. [That was all he'd say about the differences between himself and his apparent otherworld counterpart.]

Purple insignia? Trustworthy Soundwave and Megatron? Did your circuits get scrambled in your many dimensional jumps?

[Of course, the Mirage Cliffjumper knew had long since dropped that belief that he could somehow convince the Decepticons they could work together, but it had still happened.]

You know, I'd say they could well have been, especially as the Constructicons said I had some particles or other in my field, but it's all true. [Hard not to laugh, but he manages to stifle it into snickers.]

I'm serious though. [His optics narrow and his lips thin as he scowls slightly.] Use execution for entertainment, an' the purple clunker who calls himself Optimus Prime is a megalomaniacal, sadistic, crazy glitch.

[This Mirage didn't think they could work together, he just thought maybe the Decepticons were right.]

Are they here, or did you encounter them on your dimensional travels?

Both. [Cliffjumper shrugs as he gestures vaguely in the air, but continues because he wasn't actually intended to be teasing. It was just the truth.]

Both Megatron an' Soundwave're here, but I met 'em in the dimension I ended up in after I walked through... suppose it was an interdimensional transwarp portal or whatever, the transwarp in my own reality.

Was a bit crazy to start with.

And you accept them as allies? [Either this Cliffjumper had been through a lot, which is sounded like he had, or he was fairly different from the Cliffjumper Mirage knew.]

You will have to excuse me if I still find it hard to imagine Megatron being 'trustworthy'. Who have you found you trust most here? [Not that he necessarily expected to get an answer, but it was worth a try.]

What else was there to do? [He grimaces a bit and then huffs before pausing. That wasn't fair, really.]

'Sides the fact that they're defending against a genocidal, bent-on-conquering and razing version of... ugh, the "Autobots" there, they do believe and fight for what the Autobots should be.

And I wasn't gonna hang around Iacon. Place's a slaggin' asylum, and since I don't agree with torture an' don't think corpses on the walls and hanging from the ceiling makes a good morale an' fashion statement, it doesn't really agree with me.

[So yes, of course he's been through a lot, but on a basic level he's still the same.]

Not that it wasn't slaggin' confusin' for a while not to shoot or punch the guys on "my side" rather than the ones I usually count as allies.

He took a shot for me when I'd known him for a joor, tops, when Prime saw me an' got pissy.

[He shrugs. He can definitely understand the disbelief, but that doesn't make what he's saying any less true.]

... Well. Megatron, Soundwave, Optimus Prime. [He pauses, crossing his arms, and while he sort of wishes there were more... trusting isn't easy.]

Then I will give them my trust as well. [The conviction with which Cliffjumper spoke was surprising and it made Mirage feel sort of bad for questioning him.]

It's a short list. [And still ironic.] I may know a few others to add to it, but for now discretion is best. Which of the First Forged do you find yourself aligned with?

[No need to feel bad, really. It's not as if Mirage had been there or anything.]

Yeah, I know. [He grimaces and shrugs. He does wish there were some more there, and while he'd maybe add Blurr...] Wish some of the mechs from my original reality was around, but at the same time's just as well they ain't.

Vector Prime. Fitting, I suppose. Prime said he had to do with guardin' space-time and dimensions an' slag.

[And considering he's done a bit of dimension hopping these days... But some part wondered if that was all there was to how these alignments were decided.]

Yourself?

And who did you trust in your original reality? [This could be interesting.]

The same. I have yet to meet him, but as I understand he is very noble and honorable. [Which was about all they had in common.]

[There's a huff and a grimace as Cliffjumper crosses his arms.]

Does it matter? None of 'em are here anyway!

... But I suppose most of the crew of the Ark counts... even if anyone can be or end up a spy or traitor.

[It's a bit grudging, but there it is. Not anything over the top, but still... obviously not particularly trusting.

The comment that they share their Firstforged alignment just gets a thoughtful frown and a nod, however. Even if it's a little bit hard not to smirk over the "noble" part.]

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