“Hey!”
She shouted, struggling against her binds.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
This was all that was needed to gain her attention.
“Oh. Hey little guy. What can I help you with?”
She said. Sounding tired, but pleasant.
Railfire was immediately alarmed. Beliving that he was referring to the decepticon tyrant. He had tried that particular simulation more than once, and could never quite beat it. Meaning poor Maximus stood no chance.
“I see. I don’t know what’s gotten into his head, but it’s important I snap him out of it.”
The decepticon medic immediately walks out of the medical ward and towards the training areana. Moving with a great deal of urgency.
She finds that it’s surprisingly tight and that Tie-Grabber is stronger than he looks.
“Just following orders, like the good little boy I am.” Tie-Grabber says, with a hint of laughter at the end. Not quite sarcastic, just a humorous and truthful.
Railgun looks around at the table, wondering if anyone would mind if he carved into it. He decides against it and hopes his gestures would be enough to get it across.
“Krink chrong?” “Are you okay?”
He points at her and then gives a thumbs up.
Machbreaker nods and followed after him, just in case he would be needed.
“What orders!”
She shouted, still struggling.
“Let me go!”
Clawshot got up and walked over to the two of them.
“Hey! What’s going on over here?”
“Uh… Yeah. I’m fine, I guess.”
Axis replied. Not understanding the gesture super well, but she got the point all the same. Though despite her words, it would have been more than clear something was off with her, based on the way she looked before Railgun got her attention.
Railfire rushes into the training room, and is very confused by what he sees.
Maximus, held by his neck in the grasp of the simulation, was slammed into the ground with great force.
“What is going on here. You told me he was fighting Megatron.”
Railfire said, very perplexed.
Blackout could tell, and decided to explain.
“Look, I want out of here just as much as anyone else. And if you’re putting up an honest to Primus attempt to break out, then who would I be not to help?” @Chromeharpoon
“Like I said, to keep you all down here. Best to make this easy on yourself and just wait until the others return. Everything should be sorted by then.” Tie-Grabber answers, tone a mix between cocky and a “whatever” attitude.
He attempts to pull Nebula further back into the den.
OOC: Out of curiosity, does she need to turn on the translator actively?
IC: “Krink krink krunk?” “Then why did you crash in your cell this morning?”
Railgun bends his arms to almost an L shape, hands open as he moves them back in a motion might make when asking why. He then clasps his hands together and puts them up against the side of his head like a pillow, pretending to sleep before falling face first onto the table. Of course he caught himself, it was just attempting the motion of someone very tired flopping on a bed.
“Megatrons. Plural. He has been fighting a bunch of ones called Megatron.” The tablet replies. “I think they’re the ones from his time?”
Nebula, unable to do much else, is dragged across the ground.
“Maximus isn’t even your problem! I appreciate the help, but now you think you know how to handle the situation better than I do? I’m the one who bonded to him for Primus’ sake!”
Nebula spat back angrily.
OOC: Once she decodes a language, it becomes passive. But its something she still needs to focus somewhat. Meaning she wouldn’t overhear a conversation. Only understand someone who’s talking to her directly. That is of course if I can stop forgetting she has it.
“Its… Long. And complicated. A bunch of emotional slag that I’m sure a minicon like you wouldn’t be all that interested in.”
Axis replied. Sounding more emotionally tired than anything.
“Also, you can cut the sign-language. I can understand you just fine.”
Railfire thinks for a moment.
“I belive I may have overheard something about a predacon who nammed themslef after the legendary tyrant, just as Megatron named himself after the fallen Prime so long ago. Regardless, this isn’t healthy behavior. I’ll see what I can do.”
Railfire walked into the arena. Maximus didn’t even take notice. Without a word he deactivated the simulation. The massive predacon dematerialized, and Maximus staggered to his feet.
“Come on. What is it with you people!”
He shouted angrily, turning to see who it was that interfered. Calming down when he saw it was none other than his ancestor and mentor.
“Oh. It’s you… Sorry.”
Maximus, how long have you been at this?"
Railfire asked. A noticeable mix of both concern and curiosity in his voice.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Maximus said plainly. To which Railfire offered a stern galre.
“Okay fine. Most of the day. I wanted to blow off some steam, had a good idea, and then when I realized the challange I was dealing with… Well I wanted to see it through.”
“And I’m the one who removed his fried nervous system and helped saved his life! Your point?! You were in his head for a couple hours, if he didn’t listen to you then he isn’t suddenly going to listen to you now.”
Railgun is internally surprised she can understand him, but it doesn’t show. Though he isn’t entirely worried, given they weren’t near her during their previous conversations. Just something to note for the future, keep quiet around the hostile bird.
“Oh.” He begins, trying to sound a bit embarrassed at first before resuming his typical composer. “This facility has plenty of soldiers with long emotional baggage, war does that to us. Everyone just needs an ear to listen now and again and I like stories. So, what’s yours cadet?”
Machbreaker walks over the console and just stares at it. He’s paying attention to Maximus and Railfire’s conversation, but is giving the simulator a hard look over. Might as well while he’s here.
Nebula calmed down, and ceased her struggle. She had to admit, he had a point.
“Alright, fine. But I still don’t understand why you have to keep me here.”
Axis sighed.
“Alright. Fine. If you really want to know…”
Just before she began, she stopped herself. Realizing this would be best begun with a question.
“First thing’s first. How much do you know about Maximus?”
The console itself was simple enough. A holograpic keyboard input system, with a 3d display that would show the slected presets, with their statistics next to them. There was also a design feature that the three minicons should have been more than familiar with, where prisoners could build up their own custom presets.
“Maximus, this isn’t healthy. Throwing yourself at an enemy you stand no chance against over and over will do you no good.”
Railfire said, urging his descendant.
“But this is different. Megatron, is different. You don’t know Cybertron like it is now. Even if it isn’t real, seeing him there, in front of me, it’s infuriating. I just need to take him down, for everything he’s done.”
Maximus sighed.
“I’m sorry. You wouldn’t get it.”
But that wasn’t entirely true. Railfire did indeed understand what Maximus was thinking. He was still young and stubborn. Pushing himself harder than he needed to. It wasn’t too hard for the old medic to remember a time when he wasn’t much different. It was clear that he couldn’t be talked out of this. Sometimes the harder lessons needed to be learned first hand. If Maximus kept throwing himself at this brick wall again and again, he’d either realize how much of a waste it is and give up, or he might actually break through, and hopefully learn something.
“Very well.”
Railfire said simply.
“I don’t exactly agree with what you’re doing, but it is ultimately your choice to make. All I ask is that you be careful. If you ever find yourself in need of serious repair, my door is always open.”
His tone of voice was a kind one. Not quite supportive, but understanding. Railfire then turned around and walked out.
“Uh… Thanks.”
Maximus replied. Surprised and confused, he wasn’t really sure what to think. But he shook it off easily enough and walked back to the console to reactivate the simulation.
“Though, a word of advice. I overheard you talking about getting one of us promoted in order to spread word in the higer ranks. Its a good idea, but a flawed one. The thing is as soon as you get the ball rolling, even a little bit, you put yourself on a timer. You wait too long to spring the trap, and you risk losing interest. You lose interest, you lose support. Promotions are too inconsistent. Far and few between. Your best bet would be to find someone who already has connections, and get then to talk to tier 2. Gronius would probably be your best bet. Try talking to his sister, then she talks to him, next thing you know you’re getting support on two fronts instead of just one.”
Machbreaker points at his optics and then at the console to say, “I’ll be watching you.” Though after Railfire allows Maximus to go on, he just sighs. Mission failed. Well, best to let the others know, so he heads back into the den.
Tie-Grabber is about to answer that when Machbreaker returns. The rocket sled briefly looks for Railgun, but sees that he is not here. He is slightly confused why Tie-Grabber is seeming to hold Nebula hostage, but lets that go for now. It is obvious from the noise above that whatever he tried didn’t last very long.
“Well?” Tie-Grabber asks.
“He should stop, but Railfire can’t get Maximus’s mindset to pop. Letting him beat it out of his system.”
Tie-Grabber looks at Machbreaker suspiciously. Was there something his brother was keeping from him? Why would he think Railfire could convince the boy to stop? Wait, is this related to when Maximus was deep fried? The doc was freaked out by the incident, Machbreaker almost as much when he reported. Could they be?
“Are we really just going to take that as an answer?” Tie-Grabber’s response was more of confusion than a question. He lets Nebula go. “Bah. There goes our attempt.”
Railgun mulls this over a bit and decides to just list what they knew so far.
“He’s of the successors to our Decepticons masters, is part of a pirate gang, can turn into a dragon, seems to have a form of electrokinesis, his internal mechanisms are a bit gross, and very young, reckless and inexperienced as a result. With his youth, quite the optimist despite reporting that Predacons have no choice for the roles they play. Heard some word travel around about some adventures of Earth, but not much in specifics. And he really, really hates the Megatron of your era – to the point of self-destruction.”
“Hey. I never said it’d be pleasant. But it’s practical. And probably your best shot at getting support in the higher ranks in a timely maner.”
With the minicon gone, Maximus reactivated the Megatron simulation. Turining to face the towering dragon, with every bit as much determination as he had before.
Nebula stood up and shook her arms out.
“Well, thanks for the try. But if you’ll excuse me, I have a partner to help out.”
She said, walking out of the den.
“Yeah, that about sums it up. But- Wait a minute. What was that last part?”
Axis said, caught off guard by the “self destruction” comment.