“Yeah. When was the last time Grimlock ever talked to anyone of us. The new guy’s got everybody talkin’. And I think somethin’s gonna happen. Be it good or be it bad, I don’t know. But whatever it is, this gonna be big.”
“I can imagine. Getting to know these old war bots is fun and all, but if I’m being honest it’s nice to talk to somebody who’s more from my time.”
“The new guy is inspiring me many types of bad feelings.”
“Same. The little ones who are from my time are kinda afraid to come close to me, because of G.”
“Oh come on. The kid’s only been in one fight, and hasn’t done much of anythin’ else. How could you not like him that bad?”
“He is… Quite the character, to say the least.”
Axis had quite a lot she’d like to say about the predacon, but he was still Wildsong’s brother. So she tried her best to be respectful.
“Tell me, Thundercracker: between risking your life, almost certainly failing, but following the kid in his foolish attempt to escape the arena, or staying here, with me, and surviving for the rest of your life till you die of old age, what would you choose?”
“Quite the character always has quite the story.”
“Let’s be honest here. You and I both know Iota wouldn’t ever kill us. We’re too valuable. Besides, what’s wrong with trying to live a little? Survivin’ is one thing, but I haven’t “lived” in centuries. Say this kid actually cooks up a plan. If it fails, nothin’ changes. We go back to the way thing’s’ve always been. But if it works, then we’re free!”
“So tell me, how’d you two wind up here?”
Gronius frowned, obviously cooking something inside his head.
“Many many years ago, I was working for a insert company name here as a and also insert Song’s old job, as in too much time has passed since I’ve read the first TPC chapter. Gronius, on the other hand, was member of the Thunders of Iacon.”
Axis would most probably know that calling the relationship between the Star Talons and Thunders of Iacon similar to the one between cats and dogs was a massive understatement.
Thundercracker watched him, not sure what to say.
“Oh right. They’re some branch of the Maximal Federation right? Small time law enforcement? Well I guess I wouldn’t call the guardians of Iacon small time in any sense. I almost joined actually, but decided against it.”
“And after that what?”
“Oh, you did?”
Brunt followed what seemed like the majority of the group, or at least Axis and Gronius.
He hummed a tune as he walked and listened, not really paying attention.
Spotlight sat in a corner and continued to watch the group.
“It seems they want to perform a much more extravagant procedure.” He murmured to himself.
"I will have to adjust accordingly.
Gronius was at a table, eating together with Thundercracker.
Axis was at a different one, together with Wildsong and (I think) Backbreaker.
Brunt meandered over to Wildsong, Axis, and Backbreaker, sitting down. The table would shake a little as Brunt’s massive frame dropped onto the bench.
“Oh, hey Brunt.” Axis would almost emotionlessly greet as a sign that she wasn’t necessary his biggest fan, tho not his hater either.
“Yeah. But I figured a career in combat wasn’t my thing. Space exploration is more my kind of job.”
“Right… Well, Gronius loved his job. He was even sometimes breaking the rules to get me into some of his more exciting adventurers, tho that was pretty uncommon and was happening only at special occasions. However, even tho he loved his new medium, the medium itself was definitely not sharing his feelings. As you know, the Thunders of Iacon are mostly made up of Maximals, and most of the Predacons are kept to the rookie level till they die or get missing in action. Gronius was not one of them. My brother climbed the ranks quite fastly, even tho nobody around him accepted the idea. Gronius wasn’t even whishing to get promoted, as every time he was doing so he had to face new discriminatory Maximals which were getting worse and worse with each raise.” Song said, her indifference slowly but surely turning into depreciation.
“Yeah, I see what you mean. But if everyone around him hates him so much, why would he stay? I know a few professions where he’d get to do similar missions, and would be a lot more accepted.”
“What do ya mean?”
“Because Gronius is hardheaded into his moral values.” Song said, trying to hide in what seemed to be a few traces of zealously. “When you like what you’re doing and what to go on and continue doing it, you don’t let yourself beaten down by the ones around, you prove them wrong or ignore them and continue living your life the way you like it, instead of the way others dictate it for you. Or at least this is what my twin says. It’s up to you if you believe it or not, but it’s clear that he really, really does. This is why he continued staying, in hopes that, eventually there will be a change. But the Maximals are just as stubborn as him, and wouldn’t change.”
“Look, listen to me.” Gronius said, waving his shaking hands in the air. “In the possibility in which we escape, we run away, what comes next? What are we going to do? Are really going to colonise a planet? And if so, where will we find that planet? Where will we find the resources needed to create any long-lasting settlements? Or heck, even the resources that we need to survive! And who is going to lead us anyway? The kid? Under no circumstances or context I will accept that kid leading me, even if he is the responsible one for our freedom!” Gronius said, having a dialogue more with himself than with Thundercracker.
“Well, speaking as a Maximal myself, I wouldn’t say change is impossible. I’ve never really hated predacons, but since I met Maximus and his pals, I realized a lot of what I thought about them was completely wrong.”
“Well it’s not like a habitable planet is hard to come by. All we need is a place with plenty of energon. As for a leader though, I do agree. But it’s not like we’re short for better candidates. Grimlock for instance. He’d probably make a great leader.”
“You are one of the few open-minded ones, but this is slowly turning into a political discussion, which is not what I want. Anyway, after a while this top agent, Qingour, turned rogue and got banished out of the company when he was caught selling drugs. The ToI tried multiple times to catch him, but he always escaped.”
“I will not accept command over that coldkilling, simple minded brute either! What we need is a determined leader! A leader who has been part of both the Maximal and Predacon cultures, which equivalents into both the Autobot and Decepticon culture. We need a leader that would understand all of us, all of us no matter out differences, and that would be able to lead us into one cause, one goal, towards progress, towards survival, towards freedom and towards a better, prosperous life, one that everybody can enjoy, no matter their background!” Gronius said, waving his hands in the air, slightly raising his tone so that the ones around him that weren’t paying him attention would hear him.
“Huh… So when did you guys get captured?”
“Yeah… That Backbreaker guy maybe? We got a few good natured autobots like that around who’d make great leaders now that I think about it. Like that Gravedigger guy! He knows his stuff pretty well, good natured, gets along with just about everybody. He’d be perfect!”
“I’ll get to it, sorry, I am a long stories lover kind of girl.”
“Or how about me?” Gronius said, slapping his hands into his pumped up chest.