[video] Enter the Fanboy

[cerebroshellshocked]

[The video feed pops on, to a slightly breathless sounding voice and a worried pair of blue optics.]

...must have gotten knocked out.

Perceptor?  Verity?    Springer?  A-anyone? 

[He tries to make his voice sound a little calmer, a little less unnerved. ]

I'm okay. Something must've, uh, hit me on the head or something.

[Not, you know, the passing out thing. Of course not]

Tell me it's over.

Tell me...we won.

...

Tell me I'm not alone.

Comments

[Video]

[rungout]

[Well isn't this a surprise. A big one. Well, no, a huge one in fact. Rung had read the reports--knew that Ironfist hadn't made it back alive from the Wreckers mission at Garrus 9 and yet....here he was.]

Ironfist...you're...It's...I'm so glad to see you well.

[Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

I'm, uh, confused. But I guess that's not really important.

I mean, in the scale of things that are important.

I'm, uh, Ironfist. You've probably never heard of me.

[Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

[A few quick blinks. He doesn't forget what Rung wrote in his psych screening.]

Are you? [He's not hostile, just...he doesn't quite trust Rung at this point.]

[video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

It is, [he knows--the bullet eating its way into his brain module hurts] but, uh, it happens to everyone.

videoprivate

[cerebroshellshocked]

Thank you.

...I'm sorry. It's just...it's pointless.
[He doesn't believe in false hope. Not anymore.]

[Video]

[rungout]

[The therapist fights a wince--he should have been expecting a reaction like this.]

I am. Very much so.

[Video]

[winged_knight]

Of course it is. [He smiles.] That scale changes at any given moment doesn't, as priorities shift?

Do you still have questions?

No... [He thinks a moment.] Wait... maybe? It sounds mildly familiar. From something I read once.

[Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

N-no. Not really.

Just...I could use a nap or something. [Does that sound pathetic? It probably sounds pathetic. Frag. Yeah. Springer would never have said anything like that.]

Really? I...really only published in Kimia journals.

[Video]

[vandalization]

Well why not let the medbay at least have a look...?

There has to be something. And I don't see why we can't still be friends.

[Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

No! No. Really. It's okay. I'm fine. It's not necessary.

[Video]

[vandalization]

I INSIST.

you can feel free to skip that summary

[chatterbot]

[Ah, it's like robot college all over again. The Academy. Whatever.]

Things got really weird towards the end. Earth was a big deal for a while, but it was pretty fine until Galvatron and his guys invaded Kimia and killed a good amount of the mechs on there. Arcee and Hardhead came by and rescued us when our escape pod got busted and they explained that Galvatron had this thing called the Heart of Darkness and he thought he was keeping something called the D-Void from destroying the universe by destroying Cybertron.
But it turned out the Heart was actually a way for it to get purchase in the universe, and so everyone had to sort of team up to stop him and they did and Cybertron got kind of rebooted.
But it came back kinda wrong and started attacking pretty much everyone. Which is weird 'cos it also sent out a signal telling us all to come home.
And then we found a map to the Knights of Cybertron in the now dead Matrix so Rodimus, Drift, Magnus, Red Alert and a few hundred others decided to go follow it to see if we could bring them back and usher in another Golden Age.

We found Tailgate too. He missed pretty much the whole war and almost killed Nut-Jo- I mean Whirl. I think you'd like him. It's kinda hard not to. [He's like a kitten.]

And yeah? Do tell. 'cos last I checked he got arrested, so you might wanna take that up with Magnus.

Re: [video]

[percept]

You survived the mission.

[ Just. Not what came after. ]

We came through an anomaly known as the Lambda. It appears to be a rift in time and space connecting a multitude of universes and timelines. At this time there is no known way to return through it.

: [Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

....I can't.

[video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

I suppose that's...more than a lot of us did.

[Oh, hello there, Survivor's Guilt.]

Who else made it?


So we're stuck here? [He's not quite sure how to feel about that.]

[Video]

[vandalization]

Why not? Seriously, what's wrong with trying at least?

*pets the beautiful summary it must have taken you an hour to write*

[cerebroshellshocked]

....

That sounds...weird. Yes. [He'll go with weird.] Wait. The matrix is dead?

[There are about a dozen more questions but that's the one that actually gets traction in his brain.]

You....think I'd like Whirl? [Not from what he knows of the Wrecker.]

Oh. Because, uh, I have this thing. In my head. And I might be able to use it on Overlord.

you'd think so but it didn't and I'm not sure what's sadder ;n;

[chatterbot]

[He vents a bit and it almost sounds like 'pfff'. Almost. Never figured out how Prowl managed to make that noise.] Yeah, tell me about it. Took Brainstorm five explanations to get it. We were there listening to them talk forever. And then they rammed their ship into Cybetron and we had to bail out mid-air. Well, okay, that part was a little fun.

And yeah. Best I got was that Prime used it to fix the planet after Galvatron did something to it and it just sort of broke after that.

What? No. Primus, no. I meant Tailgate. I mean, I guess you could like Whirl too, if you want. Everyone knows you're kind of a Wreckers fan at this point, but he is definitely not who I was talking about. [He's not even sure Whirl likes Whirl.]

A thing. In your head. That you might be able to use on Overlord. Is this the thing that I think you're thinking about, or is this another thing that doesn't have anything to do with the thing I'm thinking about?

well that means you're an amazing player. :D

[cerebroshellshocked]

It sounds like fun.

[Maybe. He's not sure anymore. He'd thought the Wreckers would be more fun, too.]

We broke the Matrix? You can't break an ancient artifact. I mean, that's like...against every rule in stories ever!

[But those were just stories. He stifles his outburst, sheepishly. ]

Oh. Yeah, I mean, Whirl is... Whirl.

[Kerblink.] I'm not sure? [But he does have a headache now from trying to untangle that.] What, uh, what were you thinking about?

[Video]

[cerebroshellshocked]

Because it's a long story that doesn't help anyone and hurts a lot of people.

And because I don't believe in false hope.

.....Not anymore.

audio private

[thehardway]

I disagree. But again, I will not force anything.

Inform me if I can be of assistance, Ironfist. I will be around.

adshaghs

[chatterbot]

Yeah, tell me about it. I guess it's the same with stories and quests. Sometimes life doesn't get to be like stories, and it's just plain ol' life, with all the bumps and falls. Kinda learning that the longer I'm on the Lost Light.

[Mistakes get made and everyone gets to feel like the worst heap of scrap this side of the Milky Way.]

Hmm... How do I put this delicately? [THIS IS SO HARD. UGH.] Do you remember leaving a message behind before you left for the Wreckers? One set to go out on the Wreckers: Declassified feed?

[audio]

[percept]

[ Perceptor is silent for a moment, then a file blinks through the system. A full list of casualties and survivors from the mission, including injuries and causes of death. ]

We are. Various parties are investigating potential routes home, but as of yet no one has come forward with a solution.

[Video]

[vandalization]

Yeah but nobody should have to suffer alone.

[audio]

[rstlsslegsyndrm]

[smirks; he likes you. you're modest and not insane. so far.]

No, can't say I ever have.

I hope you've found at least some of your comrades.