Prowl and Tarantulas meet Soundwave and Whirl to discuss their plans to revive Springer. Prowl and Whirl threaten to kill each other if the other does anything to make Springer worse. It went pretty well.
Whirl hasn’t quite agreed to the phase sixification of Springer, because they haven’t finished working out the science yet.
Part 2
A week ago.
Soundwave hosts another meeting with Whirl, Prowl, and Tarantulas, this time to finalize the plans to repair and upgrade Springer.
The current plan: they’re going to infiltrate Debris, take out Roadbuster, and set up false readings so it looks like Springer is still in his berth; and then they’re going to bridge him to a locked-up lab in a half-abandoned Decepticon base where (they think) experimentation was done on how to create Phase Sixers, so they can use the old equipment to bond their small ununtrium sample to Springer’s torso.
They’re moving out within a week.
Part 3
The team assembles for a Springer heist. They run through the details of the plan one more time, settle some final details, and at last, Prowl is sent ahead of the others to scout out Debris.
From here on out, none of these chat logs will be canon until we’ve finished. Until then, all our blogs are still pre-Springer Quest.
Part 4
The gang infiltrates Debris. Due to the fact that it has, like, five people, and one of them’s in a coma, it’s pretty easy going. They successfully unhook Springer and bridge him to the Decepticon lab where they’re going to repair and upgrade him.
For full authenticity, listen to this.
Part 5
Tarantulas repaired Springer’s zero point. Our boy is Cured.
But still not awake—not until he gets his upgrades. That’s coming next time.
To properly capture the mood of this stream as it was when we were writing it, please go watch every song with “doctor,” “surgeon,” “nurse,” or related words in the title that you can find.
Part 6
Tarantulas augmented Springer’s spark so he could handle the ununtrium process, removed his limbs, put him in the ununtrium chamber, and pumped the ununtrium in. Everything went very smoothly.
And then Springer’s spark started dying.
After a minor generator explosion, they regrouped and panicked about how to save him. Whirl suggested the spark jump First Aid had performed on him. They needed a matching spark type; Prowl volunteered, and space bridged himself out of the room that’s served as his cell for the past year to come save Springer.
And then the Decepticons attacked.
Part 7
Inside the lab, Prowl and Tarantulas (with some help from Whirl and Laserbeak) rush through a life-saving procedure to stop Springer’s spark from going out. Outside the lab, Whirl and Soundwave & Co. slaughter the Decepticons who have come to take out the intruders.
With all but one Decepticon prisoner dead and Springer’s spark stabilized, they reconvene in the lab to put him back together. Next time: reassembly and, hopefully, wake-up.
For full authenticity, listen to the Transformers: Devastation soundtrack.
Part 8
After a team effort to reassemble Springer, Tarantulas deactivates his stasis. He doesn’t wake up.
Soundwave goes into Springer’s head to figure out what’s wrong and fix the problem.
Springer punches Soundwave in the face.
Part 9
At last, Springer is on his feet. After a brief, tense stand-off, the group (primarily Whirl) explains to Springer that they’re here to save him, and that quite a lot’s changed. After a brief overview of the basics (war’s over, Megatron’s iced, Starscream’s in charge, the Wreckers are scattered), he returns to Debris.
His rescuers declare the mission a success and tiredly disperse.
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It had been an eventful evening, and now it was all done.
When Whirl stepped back into his quarters on the Lost Light, he still wasn’t sure how he felt.
Springer was back. Some part of Whirl that had never quite healed from the bitter sting of the Veto felt soothed. It wasn’t as if this could change anything that had already happened--you couldn’t un-Veto someone, after all--but Whirl had lost everything that mattered to him because he’d been trying to fix a situation the best way he knew how. And, now, years later, after everything he’d seen and done, after all the ways he’d changed, he’d managed to go back and fix that situation anyway. He’d managed it in a better way.
It wasn’t a feeling strong enough to be called triumph; it wasn’t even strong enough to be called vindication. It just felt like a loose end that Whirl had never taken care of, and now it was done.
Things had gone relatively well, too, aside from the scuffle, but honestly, that battle had been more of a massacre, so Whirl couldn’t really count that as a negative. Whirl still remembered the purity of the rage that had thundered through him in those moments, when he had taken in the reality of those Decepticons clawing their way towards a room that held one of the last things he cared about. He’d felt right again. He’d felt alive again. It was a good memory, but the feeling hadn’t lasted.
It was all done, and there was a sense of finality that lingered in the aftermath that left Whirl feeling strangely discomfited.
That was it. No more loose ends, right? In a strange way, despite the victory, when Whirl looked to the future, it seemed a little bit emptier than before. Standing in front of Springer, hearing his voice, had reminded him, for a few brief moments, what home had felt like, what having everything he’d ever wanted felt like. And now...
Whirl looked around the dim and mostly-empty room. He’d packed all of his things. Even Killer was gone, delivered safely to the custody of Rumble and Frenzy. There was very little sign that anyone lived there at all. Soon, nobody would.
Now he was left to steep, once more, in the knowledge of everything he’d lost that was never going to come back to him.
After a team effort to reassemble Springer, Tarantulas deactivates his stasis. He doesn’t wake up.
Soundwave goes into Springer’s head to figure out what’s wrong and fix the problem.
Springer punches Soundwave in the face.
Tarantulas
It’s no surprise that Tarantulas hasn’t even noticed Soundwave’s prisoner, much less thought about the killing that must have gone on outside the lab. Right now it’s all Springer – well, mostly Springer, with a decent helping of Prowl.
Speaking of – Tarantulas pings Prowl a warm thank you for the map and sets to work retrieving pieces and reattaching them, directing Frenzy as needed. It’s a few moments before he realizes Soundwave had asked a question, though.
“I – yes, he’s currently still in induced stasis, miracle of miracles. I’ll be reversing that once we’re certain we’re prepared.”
Soundwave
Soundwave nods and steps back to allow those working on Springer room to do what they're doing. Frenzy cheers at the helpful map of where things might've gotten blown off to; between this and his own he should be able to gather and hand over each successive piece with very little time in between them now.
Prowl
Prowl slouches back in his seat, upper doors hooked over the back of his chair, and lets his optics dim. It's not actually terribly comfortable—especially on his door hinges—but he's tired, he doesn't want to hold himself upright anymore, and a little discomfort is worth that. From this point on—he hopes—he'll have nothing to contribute; and he wearily watches Springer's reassembly.
Tarantulas
It’s strangely quiet as Tarantulas and Frenzy work, almost too quiet – no more Cons, no more battle, no more whining generators, exploding equipment, or buzzing electric shocks. It’s just the sound of metal on metal, welding, drilling, and a fit of spitting sparks here and there, with oddly synchronized back-and-forth between Tarantulas and Frenzy to coordinate the process.
Eventually all the armor’s back on, the arms and legs are reattached, the kibble replaced carefully bit by bit. Springer might not look as good-as-new as he did when they retrieved him, but he’s finally whole again.
Tarantulas takes a long moment to stare at his re-masked Ostaros before turning to Prowl. “Do you – could you approximate where you think my medical scanner might be? From on the chamber, there.”
Prowl
Prowl remembers where the scanner had sat. Based on where it would have flipped off and slid down to the ground, the angle it would have hit and clattered on the floor, then the direction the blast would have blown it... He glances around, then points at the scanner, resting against an upturned crate.
Tarantulas
…Damnit. One of the welded-on modules is missing. Snatching it up, Tarantulas fiddles for a moment to make sure it MOSTLY still works, and when satisfied, scrambles back over to Springer’s side. A few scans, a medical line into Springer’s arm, and Tarantulas looks up, glancing around the room at his co-conspirators. “He’ll be conscious for exactly one and a half seconds. I’ll – I can keep his optics offline, so – just stay quiet.”
Once he gets the go-ahead, Tarantulas is removing the stasis blocks from Springer’s systems and initiating reboot. Here’s the final test, the last tiny hurdle they have to jump before this Primus-forsaken mission actually completes its main goal.
But for the second time this mission – nothing. No signs of processor activity. No reflexive ventilation. Not a single twitch. Nothing. Tarantulas doesn’t have it in him to panic this time around though - he’s just going to curse vehemently under his breath while he tries in vain to troubleshoot.
Prowl
Prowl stares at Springer, waiting for his systems to hum to life.
Nothing.
... Nothing.
His strained spark sinks.
He doesn't even ask what’s wrong this time. He's lost the energy to panic, too. He just turns his gaze toward Tarantulas, and waits for the bad news.
Tarantulas
It comes soon enough. There's only so many directions Tarantulas can come at the problem from before he has to tell them all something.
"He's - he's. He's still under. Alive, functioning excellently, but - s-still comatose." He can't look any of them in the optic.
Whirl
Whirl has gone quiet and still since Tarantulas began to run his tests. The minutes drag on, and with them the growing sensation that things are somehow not going to be as easy as everyone had hoped.
When the bad news is delivered, Whirl looks sharply to Soundwave. Reading Whirl’s facial expressions—such as they are—is an acquired skill, so it would be understandable if nobody in the room catches it. He doesn’t say a thing as he stares, but it’s obvious what he’s thinking: the look Whirl throws Soundwave’s way is very simply hopeful.
Prowl
Prowl just keeps staring. "... Did the zero point break again?" he asked. "Was he damaged in the explosion? Can you..."
He falls silent. He can't think of anything.
Tarantulas
Tarantulas shakes his head sharply. No, neither.
Soundwave
Soundwave gets the feeling he's being looked at, glances to Whirl, and rubs his crest. He's so tired already, and they'd said he probably wouldn't need to do this. He'd been looking forward to just... nodding at everyone, sending Springer on, making sure the others got home, and - Primus, he still has to figure out what to do with his prisoner.
He swings his arm in a sharp, mildly irritable manner and trudges forward.
[[Move out of the way.]] To Tarantulas, of course. Not Frenzy. Frenzy already knows what's going on and has his drills out, ready to stand guard over his Boss once Soundwave finishes making his way around the table. [[Go sit with Prowl. Whirl, do not harm or kill his captive. Laserbeak, to him.]]
Prowl
"... What?" Soundwave's taking over? Why? How? He's no medic, is he? What can he...?
... Oh. Obviously. Obviously.
Prowl sits up straighter.
Whirl
Whirl nods, remaining silent. For the moment, the gravity of the situation has subdued him, and so, he simply stays out of the way, and behaves.
Tarantulas
Tarantulas is about to retaliate, but what can he really say? Snippy comments won't get them anywhere. All he can really do is remove the medical line and retreat to Prowl's side, clutching at whatever he can get of Prowl just to keep himself grounded.
"He - you can't -" Tarantulas begins, then regresses to a weak whine. "Be - be careful. P-please."
Prowl
Prowl has nothing to add that Tarantulas didn't already say. So he just lets Tarantulas cling to him, looks down, and tightly laces his hands together in his lap so they can't clutch at the back of his neck.
Soundwave
Soundwave watches him go, hoping Tarantulas' presence will be enough to keep Prowl steady while he watches what's about to go down. Or distract him. Or whatever else is necessary to keep Prowl from panicking about what Soundwave might be about to do (and memories of what others have already done - one of the other reasons he had hoped not to be needed for this).
Once Laserbeak is docked over his spark to protect it, he lets his feelers tap across Springer's chest and helm, listening for good, strong signals. A few more silent commands to the deployers protecting his prisoner and it's time to go. The claws clip on, clutching tight. Tendrils spread out like wriggling fingers, but do not worm into the cracks.
It would be easier on him if they did, but that, he thinks, might be too much for certain audience members.
One small shock, because finding his way into coma patients' minds seems to be easier with the help of a little jolt to get things moving in there, and he's absolutely gone from the real world, seeing nothing but the brief parade of multicolored lights and waves that precede him tripping into someone else's mind.
The question is what, exactly, Soundwave - or, more accurately, an unidentified Vehicon with a yellow band and no insignia - will find waiting for him when he arrives.
Springer
The bar doesn't look like anything that could possibly exist in any remote place. There's no real detail outside- he never gave the outside much thought. After all, he's never seen the outside. He's not even sure what he could possibly see out of the windows. A murky city? A town? Nothing? He never gives it further thought than 'that's where I don't go.' The inside the of the bar, however, is alive. Bursting with activity, chatter and the closeness of mechs only he could surround himself with.
Springer sits in the middle, a smug look on his face as Hot Rod throws down his shanix, loudly complaining. “You've gotta be kiddin' me! You're cheating!”
“Me,” Springer asks, his tone serious, “You're accusing me of cheating?”
“Careful, Hot Rod, you're gonna hurt his feelings,” Blurr comments from the side, face screwed up in irritation as he tries to somehow move his black dot over the white one. Hot Rod actively whines and settles in his chair, huffing as Springer settles a servo on his shoulder, giving him a shake.
“Maybe next time, bud,” he jokes, swiping the shanix into his servos. Whirl snorts, an ugly sound that makes its way forward. A cube is set in front of him.
“Lucky I ain't playin', ain't you?”
And so there he spends his time, with the friends he remembers. The comfort of the bar no one has ever seen, wrapped up in the confidence he's always had, playing over and over every day. An underlying layer of something else lingers in the tense smile the green mech wears. He's done this before.
He does it every day.
And every day has an end, which is fast approaching.
Soundwave
This isn't the first "bar" Soundwave's seen, but it's certainly one of the most interesting. And look, Springer's got some figments projected for company. They even seem to have personality. That may not sound like a big deal on the surface, but compared to piles of dead Autobots, an empty watch shop, and one-dimensional targets barely capable of spitting out old quotes, well. It's fascinating. How long has it taken Springer to get to this point?
He finds a seat and patiently watches Springer for a moment, wondering how finely tuned the mech's sense of internal self is. Will his presence be noted? Will Springer actually know he doesn't belong? Will he care, or has this become his preferred reality?
So many questions. Only time will tell. For now, he's waiting.
Springer
Every day has its same routine. Sometimes they play different games, sometimes they tell stories, and sometimes they just drink. Springer is in the middle of drinking when he sees someone walk by. Someone he hasn't seen before- that he's not used to. He chokes slightly when he feels a hard slap on his back.
“Whoa... check out the armor on that one.”
“Have you seen him before?”
“Seems lost, doesn't he?”
He takes a look at all of his friends, optics settling on each. All optics are on the new mech, yet the confusion is received differently. Blurr's pede begins to bounce with anticipation as Drift's servo idly taps the hilt of his sword, other servos busy moving black and white pieces. Whirl's optic has done that signature squint and the gangly mech seems to tense up. Hot Rod stares, openly, with little tact. Springer smacks the back of his helm rather quickly.
“Ow- what was that for?!”
“Will you stop staring,” Springer hisses, looking back at the stranger, “This isn't time for you to check someone out.” He moves to stand.
“Eh? Springer, where are you going,” Hot Rod whispers, moving to stand, but gets pushed back down instantly.
“Stay here. I'm gonna go see what he wants.”
Soundwave
So he does know. It's almost a shame they have to wake Springer up. This would've been an interesting series of visits, had there been an entirely different set of circumstances surrounding his presence here. Unfortunately, this is a Wrecker, and he is who he is, and if this proves successful than the chances of a repeat session are smaller than those of Prowl letting him in to lazily poke at unimportant files.
The Vehicon waves a friendly hello and motions to the seat in front of themselves. If anyone familiar with Laserbeak were in here with them, they'd recognize this as her voice, but they aren't, so...
"Hi. I'm not in trouble, am I? Looked like a good time."
Springer
Springer crosses his arms over his incredibly vast chassis. His optics flare a little brighter at the interaction. It catches him off guard- completely off guard. This mech doesn't look familiar at all, so how could he possibly- only mechs he knew came in here. He turns to look over his shoulder, looking back at the group of friends that wait patiently until their time is up. He turns back to the stranger and huffs, a bit louder than he means to.
“I wouldn't say trouble. What are you doing here?”
It's quick and to the point, which is what Springer is best at. He glances at the chair and then up at the other mech. He doesn't trust them just yet, so he won't be sitting.
“You're not someone I know.”
Soundwave
Small shrug. "I'm just visiting. See a new place, meet a new friend, talk about the mysteries of the universe over a coupla drinks. You know, the usual. There's still time, right?"
They lean to the side and wave to the others too. No smile, of course; this frame isn't built for that. But it doesn't hurt to try to identify what their purpose is and how they feel about intruders. Suddenly being dogpiled by protective avatars won't help him drag Springer back out.
"Name's 54N-D."
Springer
The reaction of the others is varying. Drift just nods, Blurr glances, Whirl says something most likely insulting and Hot Rod waves back. Springer rolls his optics and moves the chair in front of him out, turning it around and settling on it. He crosses arms against the backrest, optics narrowing slightly.
“That's nice and all,” he says, sounding stern, “But we don't see visitors here. The only people who come in and out are standing behind me.” A thumb over his shoulder before a skeptical look.
Names are nice to know, since he's pretty sure that name isn't exactly familiar. But, he's curious. Tense and curious.
“Depends on what mysteries you wanna talk about. Whirl's a mystery all on his own.” But it didn't matter. He's about to speak again when Hot Rod slams a servo on his shoulder, leaning over.
“Hey. I'm Hot Rod,” he starts, but Springer lifts his arm and effecitvely shoves him back with his forearm, shutting him up with an amused spark in his optics.
“And I'm Springer. I live here.”
Soundwave
Of course Whirl is the insulting one. Of course. Kind of odd looking at who Rodimus used to be before the Matrix, though. He makes a note of it for his records before moving on.
"Hey, Hot Rod." Hm. He might have to watch the one, but the others don't appear ready to pose much threat. As long as he doesn't get himself kicked out, things should be okay. "I'm sorry, you live here? In the bar? But this isn't a house. Wouldn't you rather be out there?"
He curls his two fingers into a fist and jerks his thumb over his shoulder at the door.
Springer
Springer's optics follow the movement and he sighs. He wants to- he's always wanted to go out of the front doors and see where everyone else goes. “I don't leave,” he says, shifting back slightly, looking disappointed. “It's not that hard to live here. Closing time keeps it quiet and I get sleep.” Or, he tries. Most nights, he wonders what his friends are doing. What adventures lay out in the vast universe?
He feels the rush of air before he hears it and he has to refrain from telling Blurr running isn't wise in the bar. Hot Rod is leaning against the bar, looking at 54N-D with curiosity. Drift is standing behind Springer, arms crossed and an angle to his frame that shows he's relaxed, but in tune with his senses. And Whirl? Whirl is clambering over to the bar and standing at the one spot left- adjacent to Springer and the Vehicon.
“So, what's the call? We kickin' this gangly noodle one out?”
“He doesn't look like a Wrecker to me.”
“Wreckers only.”
“And Hot Rod.”
“I could be one, you know.”
Springer lifts a hand and waves off everyone's comments.
“Did you come from out there,” he asks, sounding somewhat curious, mostly stern.
“Where are you from,” Blurr asks.
“What city,” Drift follows.
“Where did you come from,” Whirl snaps.
All the questions Springer has in his mind flow out in different voices in different tones.
Soundwave
To Soundwave (or 54N-D's) credit, he doesn't flinch when everyone comes near. If anything, he puts on a show of sitting straighter and looking as happy to be surrounded as someone with a face with no movable parts can get.
"I'm from Bitrex," Laserbeak's voice says. It's an easy lie to tell. That is her home town, after all. "So, yeah, out there. Way, way out there, heh. You should see it! I mean, even bar owners have to take vacations. Nobody wants to be cooped up forever, right?"
He looks around. "What time's this place close? Maybe I could show you all around. I'm supposed to go back after I'm done here. We could get the same transport."
Springer
Bitrex? Way out there? He wrinkles his nasal ridge in thought, but his mind isn't supplying him with any visuals at the moment. He looks to the others, shrugging a little. The idea of going out- of leaving the bar is tempting, even if it's with this odd mech.
Hot Rod grins. “Hey, that sounds like something we could do. I bet there's loads to do where you're from. What kind of job do you have?”
“Whoa, slow down,” Blurr says, ironically, of course, “You guys are forgetting that Springer isn't allowed out there. Strict orders.”
“From who,” Hot Rod asks, hanging onto Springer's shoulder and looking at Blurr dully, “Your publicist? Oh, that's right-”
“Listen, at least I have a job with them.”
“You're the messenger, you burn out,” Whirl says, laughter flooding his voice. A claw slams against Springer's shoulder and he wiggles the green mech side to side.
“Come on, Springer. Before the guys kill each other.”
Springer glances up and around, then back to 54N-D.
“It's closing time,” Drift comments, looking up at the ceiling of the bar, nebula and stars swirling into sight, “We gotta go.”
Soundwave
"I'm a geologist!" That's what the real 54N-D wanted to be - and started studying, post-truce. Provided his records are correct. The red Starscream's ship's files were always a big mess. "I was in town to check out a private collection. The handlers picked up some rare metal. Neat stuff."
He waits until the collection of projections finish bantering to continue, quietly amused by Blurr's request for everyone else to slow down.
What is--? Where's the ceiling going? That can't be good. He's already partway into this plan. Throwing it out and starting over based on whatever that stretch of space turns the bar into will just take time and energy he doesn't have to spare.
"Springer, right? You came over first, so you should be first out. Besides, this is a Wrecker bar, right? Who's gonna be dumb enough to mess with it?" Rude, Laserbeak. Don't think he's not going to talk to you about that later. He nods his head in Blurr's direction, like he doesn't already know who that is. "Gimme your hand. We'll race them!"
Springer
His optics linger on the ceiling and the switching of the scene steals his attention for a moment. Closing time means saying goodbye to his friends and remaining alone in the bar- like every night. Except, this time, they're all looking at him with hopeful expressions.
“Springer, we have to go,” Hot Rod says, lifting his servo to settle it on his shoulder, “Maybe you can come with us this time?”
“Sorry, man,” Whirl says, lifting a claw to his helm in a mock salute, “You won't leave unless you get up.”
“Maybe this time, the door will stay open,” Drift offers.
Only Blurr remains quiet, leaning against the chair 54N-D is in. He crosses his arms and looks expectantly at Springer. Springer looks, instead, to the vehicon. The offered servo. The idea of a race. The idea of going outside- of leaving. He looks back over his shoulder, only to see his friends still waiting, grouped together by the door.
“What's it gonna be, Springer,” Whirl asks, his optic curving upwards, “Don't you wanna see what's out there?”
Springer's optics slide in 54N-D's direction. “Race,” he asks, motioning to Blurr, “That's something he likes to do, not me. Me? I'm more of a...”
“Fighter,” Blurr says, stepping down and quickly walking to the door. He looks back at the vehicon, lifts a servo, and points at him.
“If you trick me, I'll ruin your day,” he says sternly, not an ounce of a joke in his voice, “Let's go.” A strong grip on a smaller servo.
Soundwave
More of a fighter. Maybe they should have said they knew where to find a good boxing match? Doesn't matter. He's got Springer's hand. Now all he has to do is lead him - them - whoever, out as quickly as possible.
Laserbeak hoots, thrilled that her part in this seems to have gone well, if only because it's a testament to her restraint that she didn't spit and call Springer a filthy, filthy Autobot. And Soundwave is off with his new "friend", up and out of his seat in a flash and running out the door. Just because he doesn't run in real life doesn't mean he can't do it here.
Now, as long as they can keep it up all the way from the outside world to the real world...
Springer
Honestly, he finds himself wishing he'd gone with Blurr instead. They're moving at speeds he's not quite used to, except for watching, and he isn't sure how. He can't express any concerns or ask questions and, before he knows it, his pedes are on a different ground.
A familiar ground, but he isn't sure how. Or why. His optics flick side to side and he notices a corroding building. It looks like pieces have fallen apart, scorch marks plastered along ruined walls. The sky isn't like it was in the bar- it's dark and unkind. He knows this place, the feeling of dread hanging in the air. He can feel it crawling on his plating and he shakes his arms to get it off. The name hangs at the tip of his glossa and he desperately tries to understand the crumbling surrounding-why the ground quivers at the same shake of his cycling vents.
He knows this place. What was its name?
He turns on his heel, scanning the ruins for his friends. There's no sign of Blurr's blue streak of a frame, nor Drift's oddly decorated one. He can't see Whirl anywhere, not even in the skies. And Hot Rod- where is Hot Rod?
He knows this place. His friends' whereabouts are becoming less and less of a concern and he isn't sure why. He can feel the throbbing in his helm and he's never felt a pain so sharp before. It makes his rotors twitch and he turns to 54N-D. “I know this place,” he says, but it isn't what he wanted to say.
“My friends...”
Where are they, he wants to ask.
“Are they alive,” is what he asks aloud.
Soundwave
This... is not where Soundwave expected them to end up. This is a deeply unpleasant place, and he doesn't need the visual to tell him that. He can feel the knot of burning, upset threads under his pedes where a clean path had been just moments before. This is an obstacle of sorts, but he doesn't yet know why it exists or what it's supposed to represent. To be holding onto Springer right now is dangerous. If Springer doesn't like what's happened, or tries to tear this place apart, or breaks down and tries to drag them back to the bar--
Don't think about that. Focus on the fact that Springer has the data they both need bubbling just below the surface. Make some space and fade. Lure it out.
"No," Laserbeak says. Soundwave slips his hand loose as easily as if Springer's had been made of foil and thins out, his existence now stripped of the convenience of form. "They are not. Not here. You know where here is, don't you?"
Springer
“I think so,” he mumbles, but he suddenly realizes there's no hand holding his. He turns, looks and finds that he's somehow been left alone. He swings his frame around, optics seeking the vehicon. Alone. Alone. He doesn't want to be left alone. His optics flare and he makes his way across the beaten path, wheels in his helm turning. “Hey, where did you go,” he asks, climbing over fallen debris with ease, “Hey!”
No one. There's no one here. Was there ever anyone here? He slips down a slippery slope, crashing into a pile of burnt debris and what appears to be remnants of plating. With every step forward, he finds himself going further back. He stares ahead at a fading horizon, not knowing where it leads. He can hear the echoes of something, so slightly pulling at his mind, begging him to pay attention. 54N-D becomes less prominent- he's already forgotten he's looking for him. He hears a crunch and his frame tenses, servo reaching for the hilt of his sword. He watches as something rolls down a few fallen chunks of a building. He walks forward and crouches, servo reaching out, digits hovering over the length of the weapon.
'Listen to me, I'll forgive the both of us- we can both walk away from this with a better mindset, but you have to admit you were at least wrong!'
He feels the ground shake as he listens to an echo- his echo. He grabs onto the endoscopic claw with interest and studies it. A sudden flash of events and his optics strain.
'Kup! Sight for sore optics- just in time.'
'And I know just where to find the off switch!'
He drops the weapons and backs away, optics wider than ever before.
You know where here is, don't you?
“G-Garrus-9...”
Soundwave
He may not be wearing a shape while Springer travels through this scorched, broken, ruined mess of a building and crunches pieces of dead things beneath his feet, but Soundwave is there nonetheless, following and watching in silence. He's nothing but a ghost hiding behind Springer now, observing, debating, conferring with Laserbeak in secret beyond the boundaries of Springer's consciousness.
At least until he sees (hears tastes feels) the fear and catches the name of the location. Those, he knows. Prowl told him about them, once.
There's something Soundwave can do about this, but he's not entirely sure that he should. Tricky business, playing with other mechs' traumas. Most don't respond well. Leaning on this particular button might drive Springer so far deep into himself he'll never come out again. And no stranger will ever be trusted again. He'll have ensured that much.
On the other hand, Springer's a Wrecker. And Soundwave has known enough Wreckers in his time to know that most of them, when defeated, crave a chance for revenge. For payback. Humiliation at the hands of others isn't to be tolerated.
Blurr did say Springer was a fighter.
One message from Soundwave to Laserbeak. One message from Laserbeak to Frenzy. One message from Frenzy to... whoever has what he needs.
\\...LISTEN UP. I CAN'T TELL YA WHY, BUT THE BOSS NEEDS OVERLORD. ALL YOU GUYS GOT. HE GOT VISUAL SPECS ALREADY. NEEDS MORE VOICE.\\
Whirl
Whirl has been watching in rapt silence. He’s never been on this end of the equation before, and he finds himself wondering how fast things are happening on the other side. Is Soundwave experiencing hours in there while only moments pass outside? Whirl doesn’t know. He only vaguely recalls his own experience, and hasn’t talked about it to anyone, not even Soundwave.
Frenzy’s voice breaks him from his thoughts. “Wh—Overlord?” Immediately, his optic narrows in suspicion. It isn’t difficult to put the pieces together, knowing what he does about the last place Springer had been conscious. He isn’t sure he likes it, but if it works, it works. “I ran into him a year or so ago. I can send you stuff from that.”
Whirl’s contribution has part of his recollection of Overlord’s rampage through the Lost Light, and, sure enough, there are sound clips of his joyously murderous boasting peppered in there.
Prowl
The wait is interminable. And Prowl wasn't expecting it to be broken by the gentle whisperings of Frenzy.
He starts, then lifts his head to look over at—at Soundwave. (The view isn't as awful as he expected. But the knowledge of what it was...) Overlord? Why in the world? How could that possibly help...
... Prowl is in no position to question right now. "I've got a recording." One on the run who had commed Prowl to taunt him. He transferred the recorded exchange to Frenzy.
Soundwave
Frenzy snatches up both sets of data and stuffs them into a comm to Laserbeak. She sorts through them, feeding them into Soundwave through the half-active telepathic link, and waits.
A shadow quickly grows and spreads over the ground in front of Springer, boiling up from nothing to become a positively massive form it should be utterly impossible to mistake. Heavy footsteps willed into echoing louder than usual come to a stop just behind him.
Overlord's figure rolls a dark, horrible laugh inside its chest before giving full voice to both that and the words that follow.
"No shooting until I'm done playing."
Springer
Springer feels something looming behind him and it raises his senses. The surrounding area quivers as he lets out a few shaky vents, his servos curling into tight fists at his side. Garrus-9 holds so many of his strongest memories and he's beginning to regain most of them. Killing Stalker, laying waste to him with his own weapon. He swallows thickly as the growing shadow reminds him that Stalker wasn't the last mech he fought.
No, it was someone much bigger. Someone much stronger. A sharp intake and he freezes. There are a range of emotions that flow through him. Fear is not foreign to him, but it is something that he's learned to control. But this, this sudden, cold grip on his brave spark- it is something that shakes him to his core. Quick to chase is anger, a boiling race that causes his spinal strut to tingle with anticipation. The ground rumbles as his frame shakes just slightly. Debris falls to the ground, crumbling to nothing.
That voice is what gets him to turn. Blue optics stare, wide and unbelieving, at the towering form.
Are your Wreckers ready?
“You.” The shaking in his voice is not to be mistaken as fear. It is anger. A pure, burning hatred that can only be expressed with one word. An accusing spit of sounds at the looming figure and a quick movement. His servo on the hilt of his sword, drawing the blade he is most skilled with.
Springer remembers how this ended, but this isn't the last time.
This is the first time in a long time.
Soundwave
"Me." His smile is smug, even in the face of Springer's fury. It has to be. Soundwave needs that rage to burn hotter, burn brighter. To fuel Springer all the way to the end of where they have to go, past every horror here and back where he belongs. "You're welcome to follow me and raise the alarm, lightweight."
People to supposedly kill, places to potentially destroy. Springer knows how it theoretically goes. He was nearly one of them.
Overlord runs.
Springer
His fury is like a fire, flaring out and corrupting the world around him. Pieces of the memory begin to crumble and structures continue their descent to the ground. He runs after him, pedes slamming heavy on a fading ground. The surrounding is shifting, changing in swirling motions. He keeps his optics locked onto that large back, knowing that if he gets the chance, he will dig his blade into it to turn the mech around. An opening shifts and the ground moves beneath them.
Elevation is key and the ground rises as Springer runs. Like running up a ramp, he makes his way behind Overlord, stumbling only when the ground crumbles. His rotors burst to life, using a powerful spins to push him back into place. Battle suits him. It settles well in his mind and his frame.
“Turn around and face me,” he shouts, anger flooding his voice, giving him the growl of the famous leader. He is what they say he is- he is a warrior. The ground settles, and the roof forms quickly around them, creating a barrier of sorts; a ring to fight within; a pit. With the ruined environment far beneath them.
“Now you can't run anywhere.”
Soundwave
Good. This is good. They're in the core of the knot now, buried deep within the old tangle of mental threads. Soundwave can feel the bindings holding Springer loosening up, ready to finish pulling themselves apart and straighten out with just one more tug. They're so close to breaking free.
Springer can do this. He has to do this. The only way out is to confront and then act to change his perception of things. And reshaping an accepted truth may technically be tampering with Springer, but it's within the boundary lines Whirl drew when they first met.
Overlord scoffs and throws his arms wide. Take your best shot, puny Autobot.
This, Laserbeak reminds him, is going to hurt.
Springer
He can feel himself loosening. The time he spent within the bar had tightened his joints. Endless hours of enjoying time with his friends were now gone and the heat of his anger seems to have melted the stiffness away. His servo tightens on the hilt of his sword and he glares dead ahead, staring at the titan responsible for putting him here. He doesn't know where here is, per say, but he knows he does not want to be here. Not anymore.
He's out of the bar. He's away from the confines of its walls, away from the loneliness that lingered there. He's away from the desperate attempts to make his friends stay, the whispers of words unknown and the long, far too long, hours spent staring at the ceiling of the bar; to the vast universe he could never see. He grits his denta and stares at the taunting mech before him.
He swings his sword down and he's able to make the environment move. The swing of his sword seems to move his arm- his real arm. An arm that hasn't moved in years. A backstrut that hasn't arched finally bends. Springer bursts to life with the swing of an arm and his fist connecting with Overlord; no. It's someone he's never met before, but the poor sod is in the way.
Soundwave
Overlord rocks off his feet and over the edge of the roof in a way that is far too dramatic for the strength of the punch leveled at a mech his size, but they left reality behind back when the universe started spreading into the ceiling of a bar. He crumbles into nothingness as he falls, a faint gurgle escaping his vocalizer before all is gone.
The world begins to follow shortly afterward. That is, Soundwave's impression of it does, because his connection to it is no longer needed. Springer's already found the way out.
He knows that because he happens to be the poor sod in question.
Soundwave's far too exhausted for his normally spot-on reflexes to successfully kick in and let him dodge the blow. It's not strong - it's wild, and strikes him from an odd angle, making only incomplete contact - but the crunch and tinkling of breaking, falling glass is unmistakeable. His helm (and indeed, most of his upper body) are thrown back. He stumbles, then, and let him tell you, he hasn't returned his mind to his own frame so quickly in ages.
Both feelers snap free a spark's pulse later, one of his hands going up to shield his face from view. It takes him a half-second to remember which set of hands are currently his, though, and in that time one bizarre, vaguely insectoid red optic and part of a startled, snarling mouth filled with sharp, glowing, purple fangs (one of which is broken) can be seen between his skinny fingers.
He adjusts to hide them with his arm instead, skittering back and away from Springer, using the other arm to hold Frenzy still. Grotesque but creative threats spill out of the spiny red minicon's mouth, promising all sorts of disturbing new encounters with various medical implements and four oxide sharks.
Looks like Soundwave managed to wake Springer.
Hoo-Primus-damned-ray for him.
Whirl
Whirl has not stopped watching closely, and he doesn’t miss an instant of Springer’s re-awakening: the sudden blaze in his optics, the way his frame goes from being utterly still to electrified with life and (familiar!) fighting spirit, the arc of his fist as it moves through the air, and then—
CRUNCH.
The chopper’s first thought is a flicker of uncharacteristic concern, because, all things considered, he’d honestly rather not have Soundwave get his entire face broken to pieces while trying to help them all, but before he can even muster the mental wherewithal to be properly worried, he’s greeted with a sight he doesn’t expect. It’s Soundwave’s face, fanged, four-eyed, and positively wicked, which until this moment has been hidden beneath the impassive curve of his visor. It’s only there for a fraction of a second, and then it’s gone.
Whirl blinks. Huh. Neat, he thinks to himself.
And then he gives his head a little shake and springs forward. “Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Ch—Springer. Calm down.” He immediately pushes his way towards them, trying to at least partially shield Soundwave from further blows with his gangly frame and pushing at Springer’s broad chest with a single massive claw. “Cool it. You’re good, mech. You’re good.”
At last, Springer is on his feet. After a brief, tense stand-off, the group (primarily Whirl) explains to Springer that they’re here to save him, and that quite a lot’s changed. After a brief overview of the basics (war’s over, Megatron’s iced, Starscream’s in charge, the Wreckers are scattered), he returns to Debris.
His rescuers declare the mission a success and tiredly disperse.
Tarantulas
Tarantulas has been waiting increasingly restlessly ever since Overlord was brought into the picture, nearly driven to actually letting go of Prowl for the sake of his signature agitated pacing. But no – he’s cut off before he can do so, in a flash of an arm and a shattering of glass. “S-Springer!”
Tarantulas is completely blind to the revelation of Soundwave’s face, far more fixated on the one who’d revealed it in the first place. Despite Springer’s blatantly violent intent, Tarantulas rushes forward, not so much to shield anyone as to – to – well, honestly he’s not sure. He just knows Springer’s awake now, and pits if he’s going to sit on the sidelines while Ostaros - Springer - is in obvious distress.
Prowl
When Springer suddenly shoots upright, Prowl jumps to his feet (and almost loses his balance)—Springer is alive, he’s awake, he’s—
Punching Soundwave. “Spri— Soun— cut that out!”
And then the civilian with the crunchy, organic, but absolutely terrifying-looking body mods decides to charge at the furious half-conscious Wrecker. "TARANTULAS! Get back here!"
Springer
Whoever he punched was definitely not Overlord and the amount of force he has used is probably misplaced. Even so, Springer curls his fist up in a defensive gesture, prepared to punch the next mech approachin. But, it is the familiar push of a claw that forces a temporary ease.
Whirl's presence seems to capture his attention for just a moment. He glances at him briefly, preparing to ask what's happening, when he feels an approach. His anger erupts as if it never dwindled and he quickly reaches for the hilt of his sword. He doesn't know who this mech quickly approaching him is, but his name is being said by too many voices he's unfamiliar with. He swings the sword into the air in an arc and reaches forward with his other servo. A gentle (not that gentle) of a shove to Whirl.
“Move-!”
He reaches for something he's unfamiliar with. Tufts? Fur? He doesn't know-he doesn't need to. He hoists his frame up and lunges from his lying position, pulling his sword around and under the chinplate of the mech in purple. His optics are narrowed, burning blue with an anger and fury unmatched. The blade shivers against the pieces of plating it touches, threatening to pull up any second.
“Don't move.”
Soundwave
Soundwave's not going to leave himself or his minicons where Springer can get at them again. Tarantulas - Tarantulas' loss would be a shame at this point, considering Prowl's attachment to him, but Soundwave's isn't so great he's willing to risk more important lives by interfering.
He backs up even more, at least twice past Springer's arm's reach, and starts searching his subspace pocket for a spare visor with his free hand.
...Just the old set that will be too recognizable to risk wearing. Damn it.
Tarantulas
Oh – oh Primus. In an instant Tarantulas’s concern for Springer is completely subsumed by fear and panic, two reactions he should not have to be having around Springer. Because this is definitely Springer, not Ostaros. Ostaros wouldn’t – this isn’t what Tarantulas wanted him to be, he wasn’t –
Tarantulas is frozen, unable to think straight, completely forgetting the myriad ways he could safely escape the situation. Instead he’s paralyzed, haunted by flashes of the last time he was face-to-face with his creation, memories that are far too similar to what's playing out before his optics now.
Whirl
Whirl lunges after him again, loosing an undignified blart of sound that is half-static, half-electronic warble. He intends to grab Springer and pull him back again, but hesitates, seeing how close Springer’s blade is to Tarantulas s throat. If he jostles Springer too hard one way or the other, that sword might slip.
This isn’t at all the way things are supposed to go. Springer wasn’t even supposed to see him, and now he’s got to try and talk the mech down. Whirl hasn’t even had time to be properly relieved that Springer’s up and about again, as all of his attention is focused on making sure he doesn’t kill everyone else in the room. “Primus fraggit, Springer, calm down! You think these people would be alive if they were a threat? With me in the room?”
Prowl
Prowl’s wires freeze, and his spark stutters hard enough to send painful electric shocks across his engine. No, not Tarantulas, not after everything they went through to get here—
“Springer, no!” He lunges at them, shoving Tarantulas back and the sword to the side, sliding himself in between them—and if that means the sword’s aimed at his neck now, so be it. “Springer, remember Kup! Remember Tsiehshi! You’re doing what he did—you’re attacking the people here to rescue you! We're ALL here to HELP.”
Springer
Springer's optics flare a brighter blue, bordering on the rage of white. The adrenaline, though sudden, is pumping through him at an incredibly fast pace. Whirl's words make his grip tighten on the hilt, optics narrowing at the mech in front of him; the stranger he doesn't recognize. Even so, Whirl wouldn't let just anyone waltz into a room; if they were a threat, they would be dead. Still, the lingering presence of Overlord within the confines of his mind is pumping fear and vengeance through him.
The sudden jostle of his sword is probably not a good idea, either. It only irritates him more and his tension only winds tighter. Prowl. A familiar face, but one he is not expecting to see. “Rescue me,” he says, sounding skeptical, optics roaming the crowd. Whirl is unpredictable, but he knows this as a fact. The two strangers in the room make up half of his supposed rescue party?
Kup. He remembers. He remembers and it twists his spark into a knot. Attacking people who are there to help; he's seen the worst side of it. The turmoil shows in his optics. Does he trust these strangers with mechs he's known to be comrades? Or does he shove Prowl back and continue to wrangle them up? His servo grips the hilt tighter before he swings the sword back to his side, but the tension has gone absolutely nowhere. “If you're here to help, then help.”
His agenda has changed; it shows in his serious facial expression.
“Where is he?”
Tarantulas
In the midst of Springer’s attack and Prowl’s intervening, the sword against Tarantulas’s neck manages to nick a cable, and the tiny sting of pain shocks Tarantulas, snapping him out of his daze. Thanks to Prowl, though, that’s the only damage he takes – he stumbles back, thrown off balance and barely able to keep from collapsing to the floor.
There are no words from his vocalizer – only choked sounds of what feels like betrayal and grief. His visor's blown wide, shining pale. Twice. This is the second time. He can't believe it - but at the same time, he can. He has to. This is - this is Springer now.
Prowl
Crisis averted? He doesn't know what Springer's going on about—they already DID help—but he just came out of a coma. And Springer's always been easy to read, it won't take long to figure it out.
He never looks away from Springer's sword (and the massive chest behind it) as he reaches back to search for Tarantulas. "Who? Kup?" Prowl shakes his head. "Not here. He's—ahh—was in the Sol system, last I heard from him. You can comm him later."
After a moment, he finds Tarantulas's arm, and slides his hand down to take his claw. You're safe.
Soundwave
[[Overlord is nowhere,]] Soundwave thinks, somewhat irritably. Springer may be able to tell that the voice is coming from inside his helm, not through his audio receptors. [[That Overlord was a dream - one he designed.]]
He doesn't turn around. Springer doesn't need to see who he is from the front. The back is bad enough. He'd meant his involvement in this to stay secret. Won't work now. There's nobody on that Cybertron like him or the crowd of minicons.
[[You have been comatose since the real Overlord's attack. A zero point in your helm - incurable, until today. But you would not wake. It was his duty to lure you out of your own mind again - out of the bar with the nebula ceiling and the other Wreckers, and the crumbling ruins of that prison.]]
[[He isn't really a geologist.]]
{{And this being Bird voice, yes. Not 54N-D.}}
[[If you will only trust one mech, trust Whirl.]] Soundwave extrudes a feeler and points it in Whirl's direction. [[In your helm, he was the voice of suspicion. Ask this one for the truth.]]
Tarantulas
Tarantulas clasps Prowl’s hand tightly in return, suddenly desperate for the reassurance and contact. His own visor never leaves Springer, either, but he’s not nearly as wary as Prowl, simply stunned.
So that’s what was going on with Overlord. Tarantulas thinks he might know a fraction of what’s going on, but honestly he’s not wholly certain of much at the moment. The only thing he’s 100% on is that even if he could speak, he HAS to keep quiet. This isn’t about him right now, no matter how much it pains him.
Whirl
Whirl remains still, letting Prowl put himself between the blade and Tarantulas, and listening to everyone’s various explanations. While Soundwave confesses as to his methodology for luring Springer back into the waking world, Whirl gives a huff of exasperation through his vents, though he isn’t too surprised, considering Frenzy’s earlier request.
Still, can anyone blame Springer for overreacting to that particular brand of therapy? Whirl doesn’t dwell on it. Soundwave has paid enough. Whirl hadn’t expected to hear that he was part of Springer’s internal psyche at all, but of all the roles he could’ve played, he supposes that Springer’s inner suspicion isn’t too off-base.
“He’s telling the truth, Chief.” Dammit. It slipped out that time. “Just chill for a second and try not to cut anyone to pieces before we can explain it to you. None of the other docs they sent your way made any progress. So...” he shrugs. “We decided to try things our own way. It’s...” Whirl suddenly realizes how much explaining there is to do; Springer doesn’t know anything about the multiverse crisis, or alternate dimensions, or anything like that.
Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, he thinks to himself. “Honestly kind of complicated, but I wouldn’t have brought all these guys into it if I thought they’d do more harm than good.”
Springer
Cobalt optics don't miss the movement. The slow joining of hands and the surveyed horror on one face, wariness on another. He isn't a murderer; he doesn't lunge to split them apart. Instead, his lipplates tug downward as he tries to process the situation at hand. He gives Prowl a look of neutrality, but the cowering mech behind him receives a mixture between judgment and a silent threat.
Don't make any sudden moves
Annoyance floods his face and he rolls his optics.
“Not Kup-.” Interruptions. The tension in his frame winds up tighter as he listens to the various voices around him. Some familiar, mentioning familiar places and speaking in tones he's heard before. Others are familiar in a more realistic way. His optics linger on Soundwave for a moment, listening to the explanation. So, he was in a coma? The bar? The Wreckers- they were never real? Everything was all in his head? He lets his limbs loosen the more he listens, his optics flicking away from Soundwave as thoughts swirl up into the forefront of his mind.
He remembers the feeling of something impacting his face, tearing upwards. It's the last thing he remembers before the remnants of a dream that linger. Before the bar, the wreckers, the nebula. He flinches at the sound of Whirl's voice. It's a lot to process and he finds himself wishing things were moving a little slower so he could catch up; when did history suddenly move at the speed of Blurr? His grip on his sword loosens and he reluctantly slides it back into the rotor sheath on his back.
His attention is on Whirl. A mech he understands and knows that he can at least trust more. More than anyone else in the room. “Whirl,” he says, looking at the mech. The nickname, if it can be called one, is well received, but there's no time to relish in it.
“Who are they? They don't look familiar at all.”
Prowl
Crisis averted.
... Even if it stings that Springer can't even recognize— has Prowl changed so much that—?
No. Shut up. Lock that away. Prowl's expression doesn't flinch. It doesn't matter.
He takes a few steps backwards (and out of sword's reach), taking Tarantulas with him. Don't say anything dumb, Whirl.
Soundwave
They don't look familiar at all.
He can't help but wonder how Prowl's going to take that. But he'll let Whirl do the rest of the talking for now.
Tarantulas
Even though Tarantulas retreats with Prowl, his mind is still crying out no, Prowl please no, don't pull him further away - because even though Springer's lashed out at him twice, his spark can't bear to be dragged away from the one he just helped rescue from the brink.
But - now Springer's looking at him, and Tarantulas wilts. He can still feel the aggression there, and it's killing him. Please, he wishes you could understand...
Whirl
“Well, you know Prowl,” Whirl says, nodding to him. “As for the rest... first thing you need to know is that the war’s over. Mostly. Still some pockets of ‘Con resistance, but Megatron’s been apprehended and they’ve got him on ice—as far as I know, permanently. Lotta mecha went neutral, and most of the ones in here are just that. The fuzzy one’s Tarantulas. He fixed your zero point. He’s a neutral.”
He nods towards Soundwave. “That there is Soundwave, who is also a neutral so don’t try anything, and he’s the one who pulled you out of your head. If he looks different, there’s a reason for that, but it’s a really long story that I’m gonna take one step at a time. Are we all on the same page so far? Right? Ragtag group of misfit Cybertronians all banning together to save your ungrateful hide?”
Whirl jabs Springer with a claw. He is, perhaps, being coarser than one might expect under the circumstances, but these are mannerisms that Springer should be very familiar with at this point.
Prowl
"To be clear," Prowl throws in, "NOT the Soundwave you know. Same name, different person."
Soundwave
He's still going to edge a little closer to a safer spot in the room, just in case Springer takes it into his head to fire a gun or throw a sword. Whirl and Prowl get grateful pings, though. They didn't have to go even that far explaining his existence and he knows it.
(Over in the corner, the prisoner whimpers quietly. They were hoping they were wrong about the identity of their captor.)
Springer
Prowl. He looks back over at Prowl and nods his helm. Definitely knows him, but the appearance is a little different. Even so, he seems to be more and more at ease the more Whirl explains. He looks over at the fuzzy one- Tarantulas. “Never heard of him,” he grumbles, looking over at Soundwave. The name alone makes him tense and it's clear that he'd like to reach for a weapon, but he refrains. Prowl had said that these people were here to help him and Whirl was confirming. For now, he has no reason not to trust them. He looks like he's trying to cycle through it all and understand where it all fits. He looks over at Whirl and reaches up a servo, sliding it up to nudge the claw away from him. "I'm gonna trust you, Whirl..."
He's used to Whirl; he's known him long enough to read mannerisms. Maybe not this Whirl, but Whirl all the same. “I'm not ungrateful,” he says, “You've got strangers running up on me when I'm waking up. What did you expect me to do?” He looks back at Soundwave, then Tarantulas, then Prowl. He hasn't forgotten the way the two seem to huddle together- not that it's his business, he just finds it odd.
“Prowl.” A nod. “Tarantulas.” A judging nod. “Soundwave.”
A pause.
“How's your face?”
Soundwave
[[Sore. And not for your optics.]] He's silent for a moment. Breaking, stealing, or otherwise messing with his visor and exposing his face when he's not ready for it is up there on the list of Personally Decided Sins. But it was probably his fault for using the tactic he did. And he'd really like to change the subject. [[He's fine.]]
Prowl
Prowl glances back at Soundwave. Still hiding his face?
A holomatter sham-wow appears in front of Soundwave. Here. Bandana?
Soundwave
Still hiding his face. Only one person in the room has the right to see it and this is entirely the wrong setting for that.
Soundwave twitches slightly at the sudden appearance of a floating cloth, but doesn't question it. He remembers this thing from the Titanic night, and knows who it came from. Prowl gets a second gratitude ping while Soundwave makes tiny knots in the corners to tie it to either side of his crest.
Much better. He can let his arm drop now.
Whirl
I’m going to trust you, Whirl. Whirl hadn’t expected those words to fill him with such relief, but they do. All right. This entire enterprise hasn’t gone to shit. Yet.
“Okay, that’s fair. This guy’s kind of emotional, “ he nods at Tarantulas, “but as far as I can tell, he mostly means well. Nobody here’s gonna hurt you. Okay... uhh. Damn, where do I eve begin?” Whirl looks down and taps the underside of his helm with his claw. “Well, like I said, war’s over. You’ve been under for years. Right now things are kind of... in a way, quieter than before, and in another way, even more crazy. Good news: Cybertron’s safe, though. It’s livable again, and we’ve got a couple of cities there. Bad news: the neutrals elected Starscream their ultra-mayor or something. But so far, it hasn’t gone to hell yet. So, that’s something.”
Whirl looks back up. “Do you have any specific questions right now? Because I’ve got a lot to fill you in on, but it’s probably best if I don’t dump all of it on you at once.”
Tarantulas
Tarantulas suddenly suppresses the urge to laugh. The sudden appearance of the cloth, now tied up as a veil, and the way Whirl dismissively calls him ‘emotional’ – it’s surreal, more ridiculous and outlandish to him than anything else was this mission. Yes, maybe he’s emotional, but if you knew even half of the story…
Springer
He shrugs at the answer he receives from Soundwave. He could have hit him harder, honestly, so he isn't sure if there's a reason to apologize. In fact, the thought fades away as quickly as it arrives. Soundwave knew what he was getting into, he assumes, so a hit is most likely part of the natural course of things. He turns his attention back to Whirl, finding the information mostly reliable through him. As far as Tarantulas goes, he can see the emotion on his face- it hasn't changed in the last few minutes. “That's obvious,” he says, arms crossing over his chassis. He shifts his weight and reminds himself that he isn't so stiff anymore; he can move.
“War's over,” he repeats, confirming that he registers it, “That's good news, I guess.” Even if it means he missed a majority of it. He wrinkles his nasal as he mulls over the new information. Cybertron safe? The relief is almost visible in his optics- almost. Then Whirl drops another bombshell and it isn't one he expects. “Are you joking,” he asks, sounding serious, but skeptical all at once. “Why would they elect Starscream? The guy couldn't find his way out of an oil can if I gave him a knife to open it.”
He's bristling and it's beginning to show. “Sounds like he cheated if you ask me,” he grunts. He drops his arms to his sides and thinks of the most important questions he could ask, but there are too many to possibly get answers for right now. He looks at Prowl, Soundwave, Tarantulas, and finally Whirl.
“... Where's everyone else? Are we still together or did we fall apart?”
Prowl
"He did cheat," Prowl confirms, "and also most of the voters were NAI—neutrals, who have no idea what Starscream is capable of and weren't willing to listen to the Autobots."
The questions, he assumes, are about the Wreckers; so he's leaving that to Whirl.
Whirl
“Basically, what Prowl said. It’s because the city’s mostly populated by a bunch of idiotic self-righteous neutrals who think they know what’s best for everyone,” Whirl snaps irritably, “honestly, it’s not worth it to go to Cybertron if you can avoid it, these days. As far as everyone else...”
Whirl trails off for a moment before he gathers his thoughts. “A lot of the Wreckers are still around. Impactor, Guzzle, Kup, Perceptor, and Verity made it off G-9 with you. They fixed Fort Max—he’s doing great, actually. Verity’s on Earth, now, and last I heard Guzzle and Impactor had shacked up and were off on their own. Perceptor’s on Cybertron right now, and Roadbuster’s still on Debris. I don’t... know about anyone else, because I’m out. Veto.” He doesn’t dwell on the topic, but he won’t lie to Springer if he asks.
“But the Wreckers have been effectively out of commission since G-9. I can’t tell you whether or not there’s any way to re-form them, or anything like that.” He shrugs.
Springer
Prowl and Whirl both confirm that Starscream basically cheated. Well, that's enough to get him to stay away from Cybertron for a while. “Not planning on going there.” That takes Cybertron off of his map, however, and he isn't sure where else he can go. He isn't even sure where he is at the present time, more concerned about the people around him. He looks around the room with slight curiosity, listening as Whirl continues to explain everything.
His helm jerks back down when he hears Whirl's next statement. They were alive, but everyone sounds like they scattered. How disappointing. “Debris, huh?” He tilts his helm as he rumbles in thought, optics dimming as he mulls over the list of where the Wreckers are now. Well, mostly ex-wreckers, right? “You? Out?” He scoffs, as if offended for Whirl. “Saw that coming,” he comments, bitterly, “No one ever takes a second to think things through. You're fine.”
He huffs and lifts a servo to rub the back of his neck cables, easing tension. “Guess I'm gonna have to start cleaning up the mess I left.” Pause.
“So... where are we?”
Prowl
"Classified."
Sorry. Reflex.
Whirl
Saw that coming. To his credit, Whirl doesn’t flinch. There are too many people here he’s uncomfortable being vulnerable in front of for him to lose control of his reactions, but that does genuinely hurt. His antenna gives a momentary, miniscule flick backwards., but he steels himself against any other reaction. Springer was probably right. His days with the Wreckers had been numbered from the beginning.
“I’d tell you where we are, specifically, but I don’t know. We should probably get you back to debris, though. We kind of... stole you. So, the sooner we get you back there, the better chance we have of nobody noticing that we stole you. Look, you’ve got my frequency—“ He pings Springer once, just to be sure. “—you can call me up if you want more questions answered. But it’s probably best that we get some more doctors to look at you, anyway. But you should probably get home, for now.”
Prowl
Which brought up an important point. "As Whirl said—we kind of stole you. Everyone in this room has willingly risked their safety, their freedom, and potentially their lives to save you." Because Prowl didn't doubt that some of the Wreckers would have attempted to kill them for this stunt. "... Except him."
He points to the Decepticon in the corner.
"If you tell anyone about this—we're all endangered, for helping you. So don't."
Tarantulas
Finally, Tarantulas starts to say something – but he stops himself, because what does it really matter, to argue about medical health? It’s not like he’s going to get the chance to examine Springer any more himself, and he can’t stop him from leaving and seeing other medics.
The thought – Springer, leaving – makes Tarantulas clench Prowl’s hand hard.
Prowl
Prowl squeezes back.
Springer
Springer's nasal wrinkles up. It's a lot to take in, honestly. The news of no more war, of the Wreckers being disbanded, Whirl present, Prowl a different look, this Tarantulas and Soundwave. And now the fact that his rescue is a secret? His optics flash and he lifts a servo to rub at his faceplate, digits pressing against his temples. It makes his processor hurt and the throbbing is beginning to pound louder against his helm plating. He accepts the ping and returns it to ensure the transfer of comm links.
“All right. So, I'm supposed to tell people I just woke up?” He figures that if he was in a coma, people will be surprised to see him. He shifts his weight, moves and finally takes a few stressed steps to the side, rubbing his palm up his faceplate as he hisses out his frustration. It's a lot- so much to get through.
Home.
He needs to get home.
The rotors on his back spin around just once.
“I have to go to Debris. I can't waste more time.”
Prowl
"Tell them whatever you want. As long as you don't tell them we were involved."
Whirl
“Here, step back. I’ll send you home.” Whirl shuffles away until he has enough room to transform; he does so without hitting the floor, as always, bobbing neatly in the air. In another moment the room is illuminated by the swirling blue vortex of a space bridge. “Don’t worry, it’s safe,” he says, “I travel by them all the time. And, I’ll explain that later, too.”
The bridge is going to take Springer right back into the room they took him from. There’s a moment of silence, and then, before Springer leaves, Whirl blurts, in a manner that seems almost involuntary, “Roadbuster’s really going to want to see you. So...” He seems abashed, but goes on. “Be sure to go see him as soon as you can.”
Springer
Roadbuster. Right. Hed have to stop by and see him. In fact , that's where he's going first. He looks around one last time. "Thanks," he says, but he looks at whirl to continue, "I mean it." He waves a servo up above his shoulder at the others. "See you sometime, Prowl." And, well.
"Hope you get that fixed." To Soundwave.
"And, uh... hope you figure out those emotions." To Tarantulas .
And he's off.
Prowl
A nod.
Thanks. That's enough for Prowl.
Soundwave
Of course he's getting that fixed. He's getting that fixed as soon as he can. Which may take a few days. He's out of spares again. Damn it. Still, he'll take that.
Whirl
Whirl simply bobs in the air. It’s an acknowledgement that Springer should be familiar with. In his alt mode, he’s even more inscrutable, so it’s anyone’s guess what’s going through his mind, or how he’s feeling.
He holds the vortex open long enough to see that Springer’s through, and then he dismisses it.
Prowl
And as soon as it's shut, Prowl sighs wearily. "Mission accomplished."
Soundwave
\\FINALLY.\\ Frenzy pulls his drills back in and shakes his hands out. All that explaining! How boring. \\AIN'T THE WORST ONE I EVER BEEN ON, I GUESS.\\
Tarantulas
This is happening a lot quicker than Tarantulas thought it would - Springer's on his way out already? And Tarantulas hasn't even said a single word to him yet, he should mention something, anything -
But then comes 'hope you figure out those emotions' and Springer's gone. Tarantulas doesn't even have a chance to say what those damned emotions ARE or why they're there, or - well, literally anything. He simply has to watch Springer walk through the bridge and disappear.
His hold on Prowl's hand remains tight, though it slightly shakes.
Prowl
Tarantulas. Right. Prowl might have been content with one word of thanks, but Tarantulas—he'd been so desperate to speak to Springer. To tell Springer who he was.
Prowl turns to him and says, softly, "Thank you for showing such restraint. I think you hardly said a word to him." And he means it. Out of Tarantulas, it had been a very pleasant (and relieving) surprise.
Tarantulas
Does Prowl want to kill him. Does he. Because, despite the softness of his tone, the words sink in deep like a knife buried in Tarantulas's chest.
"I - I - suppose you're welcome."
He lets go of Prowl's hand.
Whirl
“Nah,” Whirl says. He hovers for a moment longer before shifting and landing in a crouch. "None of us died, which is usually better than half of the missions I end up on going.” He stares at the spot where the vortex was for a moment, unsure how to feel. For a moment, in the heart of it all, he’d felt as if someone had poured his old self into him like you’d poor energon into a cube. But now...
Now, he doesn’t know how to feel, or what to say. It’s all done. The weight of it sits on him heavily, but it’s not necessary a bad weight. “Well,” he goes on, wryly, “I’m guessing I’ll probably hear from him sooner or later.”
Soundwave
Well. That's over and done with. And Soundwave is one hundred percent ready to curl up on the scorched berth Springer had been on and pass out under a pile of snoozing minicons. Unfortunately, he has other, more pressing matters to take care of before he can do that.
He walks over to that matter and lets a feeler drift close to their face so he can see them, thinking. Ravage brushes up against his leg and quietly informs him that their name is Slingshot.
They can't trust Slingshot to keep quiet about all of this on his own. For once, Soundwave doesn't have enough to ensure they won't break their silence. But he can't kill them, either. He won't. That doesn't leave too many options, does it? Not ones he can say out loud. Deep down, the others might know what he's planning, but that's not the same as being comfortable with consciously confronting it.
[[Bring him,]] he says, trusting the four who aren't docked to herd Slingshot along without incident.
He turns toward Whirl then, and, approaching without a word, offers his hand in the same silence. Whirl trusted him more than he'd deserved, fought well in the hallway, and verbally protected him during Springer's jitters. A small shake and a sincere nod is the best thanks he can think of, for now.
Prowl
Prowl glances tiredly at Soundwave and Whirl. He needs to say something to them—to thank them, to ask about Soundwave's face, probably more he can't think of—but right now? Right now, he only wants to get home and pass out.
He looks back at Tarantulas. "I'm going home."
Tarantulas
Tarantulas's visor widened a fraction. "You're -"
Of course Prowl was going home. He wasn't even supposed to be here in the metal. (Primus, how long had it been since Tarantulas had actually touched him, up until the hand he'd just let go...)
"You - yes. V-very well. I'll have to stay behind though." A gesture around at the various tools scattered on boxes and floor.
Whirl
Whirl doesn’t look away from the space where the bridge had been until he senses Soundwave drawing up, and he swivels his helm to regard him curiously. In another moment, Soundwave is offering his hand. Whirl stares at it for a moment before he reaches up, takes those spindly fingers carefully between the great curve of his claw, and shakes back. By this point, Soundwave’s more than earned that privilege.
It’s something of a solemn moment, but Whirl can’t help but be amused by Soundwave’s impromptu Sham-Wow! Veil. “I guess you can back those gladiator stories up,” he says at last, which is as much of an admission of mutual respect that Whirl can articulate at the moment. Prowl’s sudden announcement draws his attention back, and he releases Soundwave’s hand. He feels himself almost saying, Me too, but well...
Well.
He can leave, but he can’t necessarily go home again. “Sounds like a good idea. You all know how to reach me, if you need anything after this.” Part of him feels that there’s something more significant that he should say, but he can’t think of it, for the life of him, and nobody seems inclined to linger. If nobody else has anything to say to Whirl, he’ll shift right back again and open a bridge to Cybertron. “Don’t step through that, Prowl, it’s in the air,” he warns quickly.
And, with those poetic parting words, he glides forward through the portal, which shortly closes up after him.
Prowl
Honestly, Prowl isn't going "home" either. But he's too tired to pull out anything but a stock phrase. I'm going home it is.
"... Right." Prowl looked around them. What a mess. They can't leave this here—if the Decepticons come to investigate why this base has gone silent and find all this here... "I'll come back to help you clean." Even if all he wanted to do was sleep.
After a moment of hesitation, he decides, screw it, and leans forward to nuzzle Tarantulas’s forehead. There’s no one here who doesn’t already expect that. He’d offer one to Soundwave, too, but there is a prisoner in the room, and the prisoner may have already seen Prowl holding hands with Tarantulas but he hasn’t seen Prowl showing affection to Soundwave, and Prowl plans to leave it that way.
Besides. Prowl doesn’t feel like walking over to Soundwave.
He does send Soundwave an affection ping, though. One, two, three.
After he draws back from Tarantulas, he trudges over to the box of solder and soldering irons he found earlier, picks it up—Hook's been complaining about needing more solder, Prowl owes him this much—switches his shamwow projection from his projector to Tarantulas's portable one, waits for Whirl's bridge to shut, and opens up his own.
And he's gone.
Soundwave
Yes. Yes he can.
And now... nothing, he supposes. There's nothing he wants to talk to Tarantulas about. None of the questions he has about Springer can be asked. Nothing he says will make up for Tarantulas being threatened by his own creation and left without conversation.
Soundwave looks at Prowl a little longer than he should, which probably amounts to the fact he's looking at all. There's a lot he'd like to say. He can't shake the thought of that glow, or how useless he was then. He wants to pull Prowl close and feel the metal and the warmth, and damn the dirt, anyway. He wants to know if this is - if it's made Prowl even the slightest bit happy to see Springer up and about.
But this moment isn't his to borrow. Both creators will need time to process and talk, here or elsewhere, and he isn't one of them. So he just watches Whirl and Prowl go, gives Tarantulas a nod as well, and pops open a bridge. They're through in a hurry.
On the other side, he counts to three, has a small revelation, and sends the prisoner along with Rumble and the others. He's gonna need a seat. And a nap. And maybe a little while to think about things he's been trying not to think about. He can take care of the other problem after that.
Tarantulas
"Help me - ? Ah." In holomatter. Right.
Tarantulas is completely thrown by the forehelm-nuzzling - affection? Here of all places, now of all times? It makes his spark seize for the hundredth time this mission, and in a sparkbeat he's already forgiven Prowl for that knife and for leaving so soon.
If he had followed him instead of stood there wavering, Tarantulas would have gotten the box for Prowl - the mech just underwent a spark jump, for Primus's sake - but by the time Tarantulas begins to protest, Prowl is already gone.
And Soundwave - Soundwave's gone too, with a simple nod. Of course, there's no reason for anything more.
Which leaves Tarantulas alone in the devastated lab, just one of the many scorched and shattered things left in the wake of their successful mission.
Inside the lab, Prowl and Tarantulas (with some help from Whirl and Laserbeak) rush through a life-saving procedure to stop Springer’s spark from going out. Outside the lab, Whirl and Soundwave & Co. slaughter the Decepticons who have come to take out the intruders.
With all but one Decepticon prisoner dead and Springer’s spark stabilized, they reconvene in the lab to put him back together. Next time: reassembly and, hopefully, wake-up.
For full authenticity, listen to the Transformers: Devastation soundtrack.
Whirl
Whirl has been in enough situations that suddenly escalated to full-scale violence to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. His helm snaps towards the door the moment Soundwave’s alarms go up. “Looks like we’ve got company,” he says, stepping away from the three of them. “Just complete the circuit—I’ve got to go.”
He rushes out of the room with the deployers, skidding to a stop outside the door and sizing up his opponents. There has to be close to thirty or so of them, all thundering down the hallway, a wave of angry bodies ready to break against the line. He isn’t about to wait for them to arrive. Whirl takes two steps forward and carries the motion over into a fluid transformation, rotors whirring as he stabilizes himself in the air. There’s not a lot of room to fly, but Whirl can more than handle himself in such tight quarters.
He immediately begins a barrage of fire with his cannons, tearing into the front of the ranks with each blast. It slows the enemy for now, but it won’t last. “Got a plan?” He calls over the comms to Soundwave. “Because if not, I’m about to dive in.”
Prowl
Prowl turns toward the door. "Dammit." The explosion must have got the Decepticons' attention. How many? He knows Soundwave and Whirl can handle themselves, but against too many enemies...
He looks back at Tarantulas. "Hurry. I don't want this to be the way we test Springer's new armor."
Tarantulas
Everything’s going to pits in a toolbox. Everything that could go wrong is going wrong. Except Springer’s ununtrium frame, but that won’t help any of them now.
But – the spark jump. It’s their last chance to salvage what little is left of Springer’s spark. Prowl doesn’t have to tell Tarantulas twice, so he braces himself and snaps the dual clamps on Springer’s spark chamber.
And nothing happens.
Tarantulas waits a moment, but it’s clear that whatever was supposed to happen hasn’t happened. Frag. Frag frag frag.
Prowl
"... I don't feel anything." A useful patient tells his doctor what he's experiencing. "Isn't it supposed to hurt?"
Tarantulas
“It should!” Tarantulas is starting to shake now. “I-it should -”
Frantic pings across the communal commlink, but Tarantulas ends up crying out across the lab as well as over comms. «WHIRL - IT DIDN’T WORK -»
Soundwave
Soundwave dips his helm in acknowledgment of Whirl and the deployers' arrival, but doesn't look at him. He's already tearing apart poorly secured comm lines in the search for the enemy group's leader.
[[No bridges.]] They can't be allowed to see something as identifiable as that. Especially not if they're still brandishing Decepticon insignia. There's no telling who they report to - or who they might give ideas. [[Take the back, prevent escape. Allow surrenders... if there are any.]]
He doubts there will be, though.
Soundwave's deployers abruptly explode out of their line and into the fray, once again ready to be the well-oiled fighting machine they were in the pits, the war, and lately, the Underworld.
Whirl
“No bridges is fine,” Whirl replies, “but I’m not taking anyone alive.”
With that he launches himself forward, his booster igniting and sending him hurtling towards the enemy. It’s a brutal, inelegant charge, roughly the equivalent of a full-body punch. The moment he collides with the line, Tarantulas’s frantic message comes through.
Whirl shakes off the nearest Decepticons with a few quick blasts from his canons and then swivels up to dart along the ceiling, flying upside-down over the heads of the enemy below. “Dammit,” he mutters aloud. Obviously, completing the circuit wasn’t enough. “Laserbeak! Go back in there, I need you to shock the hell out of Prowl!”
Clearing the crowd at last, he corkscrews neatly away from the ceiling and re-orients himself, swiveling to face the crowd of mecha between him and Soundwave. “I’m sending you some help, Tarantulas. I’m guessing you need a surge—she’ll handle it!”
Soundwave
[[ He can't wring information out of dead processors. ]] Soundwave's fingers curl tight in irritation. He's going to have to find their commander, and fast. At least it'll go faster now. Touch telepathy, physical confrontation...
Laserbeak whirls free of the writhing mass with a gleeful whir and zips sideways through the door, exposing no more than a crack. (Someone takes an opportunistic shot but misses the gap. Soundwave vents in relief - then spears them in the gut with the end of his arm and, twisting, slams them to the ground.)
Tarantulas
A surge. A surge. Of course. Activation energy. Not that electricity would serve as a substitute for the actual spark energy needed, but it’d cause Prowl’s spark to seize and power the jump. Yes, that – that had to work.
«Are we SURE Laserbeak can deliver a sufficiently extreme voltage? She – it’ll likely have to be in excess of sixteen times Prowl’s baseline for it to – we’ll try, but –»
Tarantulas will be ready when she gets there though, assuring the leads still connect Springer and Prowl but careful not to touch either of them. The panic is burning deep gold in his visor – because on top of all this, he has a sudden fear for Prowl’s spark now. For the pain Prowl is about to suffer, if Laserbeak really DOES have the voltage. But should he say anything? No – better not. Just – do what needs to be done. He's so, so sorry, Prowl.
Prowl
Prowl glances back at the door as Laserbeak zips inside—here to help? to tell them that things have gotten worse outside?—but only manages to get out a “Wha—?”
Soundwave
Laserbeak's feelers clip onto either side of Prowl's back without so much as a by-your-leave, and suddenly there's enough electricity running through him to knock out a handful of minicons and then some.
{{Now tinfoil turkey roast you! }} she cackles.
It's the best day of the last few months of her life.
Prowl
When Laserbeak latches on and—threatens him??—his first wild thought iss s sgh ghh h dghd dg gg## #g#g g## # #g#
His scream is nothing but static. As he's electrocuted, excess energy burns through every wire in his body—and through the cables into Springer.
Whirl
“Then you’d better get to them before I do,” Whirl replies simply.
A few more blasts from his cannons clear him a space to land, and he does, whipping his plasma-launcher out of subspace and readying it. There’s an eagerness to fight in him, a sense of tension broken—they’ve all been waiting for the other shoe to drop, ever since they’d arrived, and it finally had. More than anything else, though, Whirl feels rage.
Hatred pulses through every atom of his body with every beat of his spark. It’s an all-consuming, exhilarating feeling, rendered even more vivid by the numbness that has been gripping his spark all these long weeks. Hot streaks of glowing plasma lash through the air like whips, hungrily eating through the armor of Whirl’s enemies. “Did it work?”
Prowl
Prowl nearly collapses, barely holding himself up on his hands, and grits his dentae shut over a strangled cry. His spark is roaring in pain—it feels like a black hole is sucking it out of its casing. His feet and hands are covered in a stabbing pain (like a thousand knives being driven into one’s body), and then the stabbing becomes a prickling, and then goes numb, as spark energy is drained out of his extremities and the stabbing pain travels ever closer to his spark. His fingertips are turning gray. His HUD is changing colors and distorting across his vision. The killswitch hadn’t hurt like this. Prowl’s come close to dying before and this feels no different.
What if Prowl isn’t strong enough to save Springer? What if his spark is just too small? Springer’s always carried a far larger body than Prowl has, Springer’s spark is obviously stronger than his, plus Tarantulas just augmented it; what if Springer needs more energy than Prowl can safely give?
His fingers are stiff and uncooperative, but he forces them to curl into fists, knuckles driving into the ground. If Springer needs more energy than Prowl can safely give, then Prowl will die to save a better mech than him. He’s ready.
Tarantulas
There’s nothing Tarantulas can do but watch as Prowl falls forward onto his hands. He can’t touch him, can’t comfort him in any meaningful way – he can only, must only, monitor the transfer of spark energy from one frame to another. (Those fingers. Those grey, grey fingers. Tarantulas trembles.)
Now comes a new judgment call – deciding when to separate them. Tarantulas may not have his medical scanner at the moment, but he still does have ten optics and a visor, and a few of their functions help narrow down the window to half-seconds, tenths of a second –
Suddenly he unclips and yanks the cables from Springer’s chest. That’s it, that’s – that’s –
Tarantulas laughs out loud. Did it work. Did it work. Primus, Whirl, if only you could see the vibrant blue light dancing in Springer’s chest now, the leftover sparks from the electricity flitting jubilantly from their frames. Tarantulas can't seem to decide between vocals or comms, so it's still both aloud and transmitted. « Yes, yes, it – hold on, hold on –»
Tarantulas quickly looks Prowl over to make sure he’s not in any critical condition (please don’t be crashing please don’t spiral out please) – yes, Prowl passes muster. Then he’s promptly zeroing in on Springer for a closer inspection. A few pregnant seconds later, he confirms the good news. «– Yes yes thank Primus yes he’s alright, he’s stable, he’s, he’s –»
Soundwave
Laserbeak’s not sticking around to get swatted out of the air by a cranky post-shock Prowl. Or one of Tarantulas’ many misunderstanding legs. Time to zip back over to her Boss and the battle outside, where she’s a little less likely to be murdered.
Rumble punches someone’s knees to scrap. Ravage leaps at them from behind, toppling them over, and Frenzy jams his drills into the sides of their helm. Buzzsaw dives repeatedly, blades whirring, cutting another mech free from the fighters and herding them backward into Soundwave’s waiting grip.
Soundwave promptly pins them with a foot and tears them limb from limb. The feeler still holding the screaming leftovers by one leg swings them and clubs yet another Decepticon into the wall before flinging them into the crowd.
So it goes.
Prowl
Stable. Thank god. His job is done. When Laserbeak takes off, Prowl lets himself slump to the side, landing with his head next to Springer's. Weakly, wearily, voice crackling, he said, "I c##an die i#n peace now#.» (He's not dying.)
Soundwave
(txt): Negative, forbidden.
Hey, Whirl. Laserbeak's gonna shoot some cons your way as a personal thank you for giving her that beautiful chance.
Prowl
What's that pinging in his head? Hmmm. Irrelevant.
Whirl
Whirl pauses momentarily as Tarantulas’s comm comes in, confirming Springer’s stability before he goes back to the task at hand, which is presently shoving the muzzle of his plasma-launcher into the open mouth of the Decepticon screeching under his heel. He laughs, half at the horrible gurgling noises that erupt from his opponent when he pulls the trigger, and half from Prowl’s very dramatic declaration.
“All the dyin’s happening out here, mech,” he crows into the commline, his voice ringing with a sort of joyful viciousness. Whirl has been absorbing a steady stream of weapons-fire while he dispatches with the mech underfoot, and finally raises his attention to the others, leaving the Decepticon to perish while he claws at his face.
Simply using his cannons would be more efficient, or even his sword, in such close quarters. Whirl is taking more damage than was necessary, but he can more than handle it. He doesn’t want to kill these mecha quickly, or efficiently; he’s savoring every moment of the fight the way a gourmand might savor every bite of a meal.
And here comes Laserbeak, delivering dessert. Whirl lifts his plasma-launcher out of the way to dispatch one of them with a quick one-two blast of his chest cannons before closing with the other, optic wide and bright.
Prowl
What's THAT ping supposed to—? Oh. Comm. He opens both messages, studies them, and—with what grim dignity he can muster—replies, «Then I suppose I'll live.»
Tarantulas
Tarantulas could cry, he’s so overwhelmed with relief. In fact, he IS crying, but the tears behind his visor are being efficiently recycled, since the pores were upgraded since last time. Thank Primus, because it means he can see well enough without having to deactivate his visor – he can accurately reach out over Springer’s prone body and pull Prowl in, then shakily embrace the two of them where they lie on the floor.
It doesn’t matter that both their spark chambers are still exposed and vulnerable. It doesn’t matter that there’s still static in the cables still attached in Prowl’s chest, and that Springer isn't even conscious. It doesn’t matter that this isn’t even his Prowl, that this isn’t his Springer, his Ostaros. This is it. This is all Tarantulas has ever wanted. Himself, Prowl, and Ostaros, all in the same place at the same time and not trying to kill each other.
He can’t get any words out, comms or no. It’s just too much for him to handle.
Prowl
He's limp as Tarantulas pulls him up into an embrace. But after a moment, he shakily embraces him back. Static arcs from his spark chamber into the fur of Tarantulas's chest.
"Thank you."
Tarantulas
Oh, Tarantulas is definitely crying now. “T-thank – thank you. Thank you Prowl, you’re – you’re here, and Ostaros, a-and–” He’s burying his face in whatever pieces of the two mechs he can reach.
It’s a pretty dysfunctional family reunion, but he’ll take it.
Soundwave
He'd better live. Soundwave isn't going through all this to come out of it with a dead ally.
Somewhere in the middle of what's left of their attackers, a mech fit to put one of the murdertank Insecticons from Soundwave's homeworld to shame starts shrieking and spinning in place, hands scrabbling uselessly at one of the shot tunnels Whirl's plasma cannon left in his dorsal armor. He does a fair amount of work for them, accidentally elbowing someone into shooting the mech in front of him instead of at Rumble and distracting two more long enough for the bird twins to mow them down. Energon pours out from behind his facemask, running thick pink rivers down his chin and throat.
There's a loud whine and a glow that doesn't match the blue of a spark, and then the center of his chest explodes outward, courtesy of a pair of powerful hip blasters. He's dead before he hits the ground.
Ravage claws his way out of the sparking hole and leaps at the next person without even shaking himself off.
[[That one - the three-wheeler. They're his. ]]
Soundwave's feeler darts past a couple still struggling to keep Frenzy and Rumble from getting hits in and wraps around said three-wheeler's shoulders, yanking him up and over the fray. This is his prisoner now, and maybe a bribe for Starscream in case they get in trouble.
Whirl
As the number of mecha between them grows less and less, Whirl and Soundwave’s group draw nearer and nearer, and this necessitates a little teamwork. The beloved plasma thrower is put away, and Whirl lays into his foes with his blasters and his claws. He’s quite happy to cooperate with the twins, knocking a mech’s legs out from underneath him to put him into chest-drilling level or pinning someone so their head can be pile-driven into oblivion.
Ravage’s performance is a work of art; it sets Whirl laughing, and he doesn’t stop laughing until he takes out his final opponent—rather suddenly, catching even himself off-guard, with a vicious kick to the helm that had been meant to simply knock the Decepticon down. Instead, the mech’s neck snapped, twisting at an odd angle, and he crumped to the ground, having been damaged enough to interrupt the connection between the brain module and the spark.
“Oh. Huh.” Whirl stared for a moment before he knelt and finished him off with a quick shot to the chest. Whirl pauses to survey the hall. “Damn is that—is that all?” He’s not as spattered with gore as his companions: he’s scorched, bleeding a little, and his optic and cockpit glass are both badly cracked. He swivels his helm to regard Soundwave as he trots back over. “Anyone else coming? Or are we good for now?”
Soundwave
Soundwave and most of his deployers are accustomed to fighting in close quarters without the aid of guns or blasters, Laserbeak being the obvious exception. Them being spattered is just another day, especially for Frenzy and his brother.
And Whirl's not the only one to take some damage. Missing spines (some of which are buried in other mechs' weak points), missing fangs, missing plates, dents, gouges, one wing blade chain snapped, Soundwave's arms covered in claw marks from being used as shields - ah. It was a good fight.
To some, anyway. Soundwave's looking at the dead mechs before them and shaking his helm. He wanted so much to be wrong about the refusal to surrender. Over two dozen dead mechs in exchange for Springer...
He gives the ex-leader a violent shake and telepathically demands an answer.
"N-no. Nobody else, I swear. We - I never - the roster, look at the roster. You'll see."
Satisfied that he can't feel any lies under the words, Soundwave turns to face the door, ready to re-enter with his new prize in tow.
Prowl
Prowl nods along to Tarantulas’s babbling; the head movement makes him dizzy, and he leans more heavily on Tarantulas for balance. Yes, they're here. They're here and Springer is here, Springer is going to live, Springer is going to be invincible—and Tarantulas—Prowl has Tarantulas, he's here in his arms, and—
"Tarantulas… I love y—"
Whirl
Whirl pauses by the door, staring at Soundwave’s captive as he’s given a good shake. When the Decepticon is done babbling, Whirl thrusts his helm forward and fixes the mech with a pinprick-small optic. “You,” he said, "have no idea how lucky you are.”
He draws back. “Well. For now, at least.” And then Whirl barges in through the door, attention snapping down to regard the three mecha sprawled on the floor. Everyone seems to be in one piece. ...well, except Springer, but that’s nothing new.
“Everyone good? Why is he still on the floor? C’mon, get up, we’ve got work to do.” Whirl trots over to Springer and hooks his claws into his frame, staring pointedly at Tarantulas as he waits for him to help move Springer to the bed. “You can cuddle later.”
Prowl
Prowl flinches as the doors slams open, and falls silent.
Soundwave
Soundwave opted not to approach the Springer pile with his captive. For one thing, there were probably sparks out still, and for another - well, there were probably sparks out still.
Instead, he walked them to the other side of the room and parked the poor fragger on the floor. They said to check the rosters. He was going to take a moment and do just that while the others shook Springer awake, or put him up on the berth, or whatever they still needed to accomplish.
Tarantulas
It’s probably a good thing Whirl barged in at that moment, because Tarantulas swears he heard – did Prowl say – his spark’s going to implode if he really did – but no, no. Prowl never finishes what he was saying, and whatever moment was there is gone now.
Whirl’s pulling at Ostaros – no, Springer – and Tarantulas has to pay attention. They’re not done. In his blissful little moment of family reunion he’d forgotten their circumstances and what was still left to be done. Time to get up and pull your weight, Tarantulas.
Or rather, Springer’s weight. Tarantulas is on his feet again, ignoring his hidden tears in favor of mass-shifting up further than before and scooping Springer’s torso into his arms, like he should have done the first time around. No worries, Whirl, he’s got this.
A moment of wavering as he looks back down at Prowl from so far up. “A-are you – can you – stand? Ambulate?”
Prowl
Prowl slides back off Tarantulas and barely manages to sit upright. "I'm... not entirely sure." His processor is rounding probabilities to the nearest 25% so he's not trusting their results; there's a 75% chance they're still compromised. He tries to get to his feet.
And immediately flops back to his knees. "Nope." His strained spark is fluttering in its casing. "I'm not moving. I'm staying right here."
Whirl
Whirl hasn’t exactly forgotten about Tarantulas’s odd size-changing abilities, but it still does take him somewhat off-guard. He releases Springer to the other mech’s custody for now and turns his attention to Prowl. “Yeah, it’s a hell of a thing, isn’t it?” Whirl nods sagely. “Feels like someone sucked all the energon out of your body and replaced it with water.”
He kneels and nudges Prowl. “Close up, mech.” And Whirl silently offers one arm for Prowl to grab onto. The chivalry of the gesture might be somewhat compromised by the state the arm is in: scuffed, scorched, and spattered with blood.
Prowl can sit, and probably should sit, but there’s no reason he has to do it on the floor. There are still crates and suitable surfaces elsewhere in the room.
Prowl
"Yes. That's—good description for it."
Prowl gives Whirl a dull, confused look. Close up? Close up wha—? "Oh." He closes up his chest, latches it, and swings his push bar back into place.
And then he looks at Whirl's arm, for just a second, before grabbing it as firmly as he can manage. "... Thanks."
Tarantulas
Tarantulas’s worry for Prowl is exacerbated by his inability to stand, but if Whirl’s got him, well… He’ll see to Prowl later. He has an unconscious, open-chested, limbless patient to see to first.
Back over to the berth they go – thankfully it was far enough over that the explosion didn’t upend it, but unfortunately the boxes and tools around it are in complete disarray. Tarantulas sets Springer down as tenderly as he can manage before mass-shifting down again and picking around in the mess for what he needs.
Alright, there we go. It isn’t long before Tarantulas has Springer’s chest pieced back together again. But now…
“Frenzy?” Wait, where is Frenzy. “I – h-hyeh. Mind helping me reassemble? The explosion made quite the mess of your arrangement. And, if Prowl -” Tarantulas glances over at him. “- is in a state in which he can assist, that’d – that’d be invaluable as well.”
Soundwave
Frenzy looks to Soundwave and the others for confirmation before leaving the three-wheeler behind to hop-walk his way over to Tarantulas. The others can keep the mech under control. He seems to have lost all his fight without anyone else to back him up anyway. (The roster has confirmed it. He gets to live a little longer for telling the truth.)
\\I GOT RECORDS,\\ Frenzy shouts, tapping his helm. And yeah, he can talk freely again. Who's left to come running for the source of the noise? \\JUS' HOPE WE AIN'T MISSIN' NOTHIN' IMPORTANT NOW. DUNNO HOW TO MAKE FRESH PIECES YET.\\
Rumble balls up and tosses him one of the rags he saved from the crates before the blast. It does an awful job cleaning up even a fraction of the mess sprayed across Frenzy's front, but at least his hands are more or less dry. No fingerprints all over the bits of armor he's sorting through and bringing back one at a time.
After a couple of unheard instructions to the last few deployers, Soundwave makes his way over to the berth as well.
[[...He's not awake.]] There's a hint of tiredness in that assessment. [[He'll wake when you finish?]]
Whirl
Whirl hauls him up fairly easily, and bobs his head at Prowl in silent acknowledgment of his thanks. Prowl is let down on the closest surface that passes for a chair, and once he’s settled, Whirl turns to watch Tarantulas and Frenzy re-assemble Springer. He contemplated assisting for a moment, but instead hangs back, figuring it will be best if he’s not underfoot.
There’s something in Soundwave’s tone that catches his attention. Whirl feels a faint prickle of alarm at the back of his mind, and he looks to Tarantulas questioningly.
Prowl
As Prowl is lowered into his seat, he glances over at Soundwave—and his gaze catches on his prisoner, instead. Who’s this? One of the combatants outside? Where were the others? How many had there been? How many had died so that they could save Springer?
No one was supposed to die. Was it worth it, those lives lost to save one? Would Springer contribute enough to this galaxy to make up for what they’d sacrificed to save him? The sacrifice should never have been made in the first place. Prowl should have made sure the generators were stable. Prowl should have opened a bridge beneath the malfunctioning generator. People have died.
At least they’re only...
... No. “They’re only Decepticons” isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Tarantulas asked him a question. "... Mhmm." Prowl leans forward in his seat, elbows on his knees, hands laced together, peering around the room. Maybe his probabilities were still a bit imprecise (although they were about 80% better), but probabilities had only ever been a second layer of calculations to him, anyway. He's built, first and foremost, for trajectories. It takes him longer than it should to reverse-engineer the rubble he sees to figure out how it exploded out, and then to use that mental simulation of the explosion to determine where Springer's pieces had gone—but once he has it, he pings out the mental map to the others. There's a slight margin of error on some of the pieces, depending on where and how some parts might have been influenced by other flying debris, but it should help them track down most of the parts.
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Tarantulas repaired Springer’s zero point. Our boy is Cured.
But still not awake—not until he gets his upgrades. That’s coming next time.
To properly capture the mood of this stream as it was when we were writing it, please go watch every song with “doctor,” “surgeon,” “nurse,” or related words in the title that you can find.
Whirl 6:48 pm
((screaming))
((my internet is being real bad so my skype messages ain't going through. let's see how many times rabbit drops me before i give up))
Tarantulas 6:49 pm
(( ;A;
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:53 pm
((how we wanna start))
FakeProwl 6:54 pm
((want me to describe the lab in more detail?))
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:55 pm
((sounds good))
FakeProwl 7:04 pm
"I'm going to find a light source." He headed for a wall, and then searched around the perimeter for a switch, as he did so illuminating swathes of the lab in his headlights. The lab was obviously long past its heyday—it seemed to be mostly used for storage now, crates piled up on and under the tables, many of them marked with hazardous material warnings—but it was clear that even when it had been in use, it probably hadn't been the pride of the Decepticons' R&D department. Over a dozen workstations, most of them with radically different equipment nearby, were crammed into a room that could more comfortably have held eight. But the station they were working at now—the prototype for the Phase Sixer project—had, at one point, been given a place of pride; most of the other tables were scooted away from it, giving more room to the project it had been working on, and the empty tank near the medical berth was the largest thing in the room.
FakeProwl 7:06 pm
Prowl found a switch near a set of double doors, and flipped it on. A knee-height generator in the far corner of the room began humming, lights on top of it glowed a sickly green, and in a few seconds fluorescent lights flickered on. Two similar-looking generators were shoved underneath the tank, so at least they'd be able to get adequate power to it without having to disrupt the base's electrical supply.
Whirl 7:14 pm
Whirl stalks through carefully, swiveling his helm about in a sweeping, exaggerated arc. He remains tensely silent for a moment, just as calm and still as he's been since the mission began, before softly muttering, "What a dump."
Whirl steps aside to let the others enter. He continues peering about, and after a moment, he pauses, making a soft huffing noise with his vents. "Hey, Ravage? Can I get your take on this? Someone's been here recently, I think."
He looks back towards the bridge. "I can smell 'em."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:22 pm
Soundwave drops out of alt mode from just high enough to make the smallest thump possible and deploys Ravage.
The big cat sneers at the room - who's been maintaining this mess? - and prowls around a little, the small plates along his nose bunching up and wrinkling. His tail flicks a couple of times, and then he squints at a corner of the room. There's nobody there, though. It's probably safe enough.
=Yes. Older scent.= Huff. He sits on his haunches and looks up at Whirl. =I don't know them.=
FakeProwl 7:24 pm
"That would be the Constructicons' friend," Prowl says. "They talked somebody into checking out this lab and making sure the equipment was still there. Other than that, they report that nobody else has been in this lab, and I quote, 'for forever.'"
Tarantulas 7:32 pm
After shifting back out of Springer-carrying mode, Tarantulas remains unusually quiet, busying himself setting up on and around the berth where Springer now laid. The mess all around doesn't seem to bother him - if anything, it makes him feel more at home. The boxes scattered around the berth serve as perfect organizing surfaces for the surgical tools and equipment Tarantulas is pulling from both his subspace and through a small bridge back to the Tor.
"Just so long as no one is ACTUALLY here," he mutters.
FakeProwl 7:34 pm
With the lights back on, Prowl drifts back toward the berth. He grimaces at the tools stacked on the various boxes. "That doesn't look sufficiently sterile."
Whirl 7:35 pm
After getting confirmation from Ravage, Whirl huffs softly, one last time. "Yeah. That'd explain it," he says. After this, Whirl falls largely silent. He isn't going to interrupt the surgical proceedings unless something happens, but he is going to be watching Tarantulas like a hawk.
Tarantulas 7:38 pm
Scoffing, Tarantulas double-taps the top of a box, and the surface seems to ripple. "I've laid holo-mats," he explains. "I'm honestly offended you think I'm that slapdash, especially /now/ of all times."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:41 pm
Already deployed as of the last space they were in, Frenzy wrests himself free of his brother's grip and trots over to examine the surgical equipment. This is some kinda learning opportunity, as well as the chance to see some cool alternate-world guts, and he's gonna take 'em both.
Rumble stands over by Prowl, while Ravage moves over to Whirl and resettles himself, still sniffing the air from time to time.
FakeProwl 7:42 pm
Prowl nods. Good enough for him. He settles back against a table to watch.
... Not good enough. "How can I help?"
Tarantulas 7:50 pm
Alright, all settled. Tarantulas steps back for a moment to survey everything, to get one last glimpse of Springer lying strangely serenely there on the berth still with the temporary life support module on his chest - before he begins.
"Mostly by staying right where you are," Tarantulas says offhand. "The zero point should be easy enough to resolve once I find it." He's picking up sensors and bits from the kit he made, placing them strategically, starting to remove plating here and there to get at underlying parts of Springer's frame.
FakeProwl 7:51 pm
Prowl hesitantly nods. He crosses his arms, puts on his most neutral face, and settles back to wait.
Whirl 7:53 pm
Whirl is going to stretch up to his full height and crane his neck so he can watch, but he's not going to move from his spot. He's just going to stare, intense and unblinking.
Tarantulas 7:56 pm
Unfortunately for the rest of the crew, there isn't really much to monitor or watch, no screens on which Springer's vitals are displayed - only some beeping from smaller pads arrayed on a box right next to Tarantulas. The only sounds otherwise are from the surgery itself, klunks and scrapes of plating, and the buzz of equipment as Tarantulas runs spark energy through Springer's chassis one trial at a time.
Tarantulas 7:59 pm
It isn't long before he's worked his way up to focus on Springer's chest, then shoulders, then neck, then solely his helm. There's some muttering about how that would make sense - of course the zero point's in Springer's helm somewhere. "One of the only things they /didn't/ replace on his frame. And no one thought to - well. I'm sure they did. But given -
hm. If..."
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:02 pm
Soundwave isn't paying much attention to the surgery itself; Frenzy can deliver him a recording later AND have it annotated to the best of his ability. Instead, he's busy poking and prodding at the different machines laid out around the room, searching for something that will help him get into the building's security with a minimum of work. Laserbeak's at the door, listening carefully for sounds of approaching Decepticons. It keeps her from complaining about rescuing an Autobot.
FakeProwl 8:03 pm
Prowl is still all crossed arms and careful neutrality; but he's leaned forward to watch as Tarantulas progressed. Of course, of COURSE it's in his head. The only part of him that hadn't been completely replaced. They hadn't even fixed his nose, had they; nothing else would have been changed.
Tarantulas 8:07 pm
Carefully Tarantulas begins taking apart Springer's helm, small pieces of kibble at a time, until he's fairly certain where the zero point is. A little tricky - it's very close to the brain module, but nothing that frightens Tarantulas. He'll be able to handle this.
Tarantulas 8:10 pm
There's a moment when he almost pauses, suddenly emotional as underlying bits of Springer's helm start looking much more like Ostaros - but he keeps on.
"...I've got it." Not triumphant, just matter-of-fact.
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:10 pm
Frenzy leans forward, determined to see for himself what a zero point looks like.
...He kinda thought it would be something really big. Huh.
Whirl 8:11 pm
"Where was it?"
FakeProwl 8:13 pm
Prowl craned his neck slightly, but didn't get any closer. It probably wasn't going to be visible to the naked optic, he was sure; and there was no practical reason for Prowl to know that would justify crowding Tarantulas while he was trying to work.
Tarantulas 8:13 pm
Honestly there's really nothing to even SEE. It's a microscopic gap in spark circulation, after all.
"Directly inferior to his left lateral subprocessor. Not interfering with processing itself, mind you."
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:14 pm
That's why Frenzy's surprised.
Tarantulas 8:19 pm
The kit pieces are discarded now in favor of finer tools, one of which seems to be something akin to a soldering iron. Tarantulas leans in close, and...
It's mere seconds before he's done, stepping back again to check Springer's vitals on the mini console. A quick scan, a pause, another quick scan, and a pleased chitter of mandibles. "Well! One surgery, successfully completed. All I've left to do is reassemble, and - yes. Yesyesyes."
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:19 pm
\\WHAT'D YOU DO?\\
It's said as quietly as he can manage, which is a hair above indoor voice.
Whirl 8:20 pm
He only moves slightly, stepping around the perimeter of the scene to get a better view and a fresh angle.
Tarantulas 8:21 pm
"Bridged the gap, of course. You DO know what a zero point is, don't you?"
Tarantulas already has Springer's helm back together, all bits of Ostaros disappeared again. Springer himself hasn't stirred.
FakeProwl 8:21 pm
(Somewhere back in reality, Prowl sighs in relief.) "He's—fixed, then? You're sure? There's some difference you can measure now?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:22 pm
Frenzy shakes his head yes. Then no. Then shrugs? What he knows is literally what he just saw and a bland everyman's explanation picked up from earlier discussions.
Tarantulas 8:23 pm
"Yes, most definitely. Spark energy circulation is reestablished instantaneously as soon as the zero point's negated, and - of course I can measure that." He's consistently baffled by the things other people don't know, goodness.
FakeProwl 8:26 pm
It isn't that he doesn't know; he just needs to hear the conformation. He nods. That's good enough for him. "... I expect to see a paper on your new repair process sometime soon."
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:27 pm
Frenzy rolls his optics. Are they seriously getting mushy during a surgery and mission? Some romantic bots, Primus.
Tarantulas 8:28 pm
A few tools get tossed back into subspace, clearing up a box, and the life support module is gone from Springer's chest as well.
"Sometime, hyeh."
Tarantulas 8:29 pm
"And yes, before anyone asks, he's not going to wake up yet, he's still in induced stasis."
FakeProwl 8:31 pm
Hey. Prowl is all business. He's talking about a paper that could potentially save countless future zero point victims.
The fact that this is also about as close as Prowl can get to giving a compliment to someone's face is irrelevant.
Tarantulas 8:32 pm
Pretty much, yep. Tarantulas didn't catch that bit, he's already moving on to the spark augmentation process, removing one bit of Springer's chest after another in order to get to his spark chamber.
Soundwave hosts another meeting with Whirl, Prowl, and Tarantulas, this time to finalize the plans to repair and upgrade Springer.
The current plan: they’re going to infiltrate Debris, take out Roadbuster, and set up false readings so it looks like Springer is still in his berth; and then they’re going to bridge him to a locked-up lab in a half-abandoned Decepticon base where (they think) experimentation was done on how to create Phase Sixers, so they can use the old equipment to bond their small ununtrium sample to Springer’s torso.
They’re moving out within a week.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:54 pm
With Tarantulas too isolated, Prowl too imprisoned, and Whirl too topsy-turvy to host any meetings, it fell to Soundwave to once again provide the meeting place.
So there he sat, waiting at his usual Business Table, hands politely crossed and door locked because everyone coming could bridge themselves in. Or come as an avatar. Whichever.
Whirl 6:57 pm
Whirl bridges in near the ceiling, since he has to arrive in alt-mode, but he angles neatly towards the floor and lands rather neatly by the Business Table.
He gives Soundwave a single nod, sits, and then just waits, silently.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:57 pm
Whirl gets a single quiet nod as well.
FakeProwl 7:01 pm
Prowl's avatar appears exactly when the meeting is scheduled to start, and not a second earlier. If there's a seat left at the table that isn't next to Whirl, that's the one he takes. And then silently waits as well.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:03 pm
Prowl gets a hello ping in private in addition to his nod because habit is habit. Now all they need is Tarantulas.
FakeProwl 7:03 pm
He doesn't move, and doesn't glance up from the random spot on the table he's decided to focus on; but he does silently return the ping.
Whirl 7:06 pm
After waiting a few moments he lifts his head, looks around, and eventually turns to Soundwave. "Is Tarantulas coming?" He doesn't actually sound annoyed. He doesn't sound anything; his voice is flat and dronelike.
Tarantulas 7:07 pm
Speak of the devil! There's a ka-clunk as someone tries to open the doors from outside. Then comes some knocking, which quickly escalates into banging.
Soundwave gets a flurry of pings from Tarantulas.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:08 pm
Soundwave just vents softly and puts his face in one hand before waving the other in the general direction of the doors. They're unlocked now.
FakeProwl 7:09 pm
Prowl glances at the door, but doesn't move to get it. Soundwave's place. Soundwave will get it.
Tarantulas 7:12 pm
Tarantulas goes to bang on the door some more, since Soundwave didn't ping him back, and he ends up stumbling and falling forward through the opening doors. Good job, spide.
At least he manages not to fall COMPLETELY flat on his face, but it's definitely not a dignified entrance.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:13 pm
Soundwave just. Shakes his helm into his hand and tries not to laugh. Serious topic, serious people, serious meeting. Also it's rude.
Whirl 7:13 pm
He swivels his head to stare, and then just nods towards the Business Table. Time to sit, spider.
FakeProwl 7:15 pm
A glance; and then it's back to that interesting spot on the table.
Tarantulas 7:15 pm
...It would have been less awkward if they HAD laughed. Erk. Fluffed and ruffled, Tarantulas weaves his way over, hovers, then takes a seat where he can best half-curl-up in shame.
"Why did you lock the Primus-forsaken doors!?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:17 pm
[[Because he expected everyone would bridge in for secrecy reasons.]] He looks up and puts his hand back on the table. [[Never mind that. Are you ready, or did you need more time?]]
Whirl 7:19 pm
"I think we all waited long enough," he says flatly. "All right. I've touched base with Tarantulas and Soundwave. Where are you at, Prowl?"
Tarantulas 7:20 pm
A huff from Tarantulas. He certainly hadn't thought that through.
FakeProwl 7:22 pm
He blinks slowly. What, him? What was expected out of him? "I contributed everything to Tarantulas." A sideways nod. "What do YOU want?" He doesn't mean for it to sound aggressive. He honestly doesn't know what Whirl's expecting to get out of him.
Whirl 7:26 pm
"To make sure we're ready." Whirl returns his attention to Soundwave and Tarantulas. "All right. Tarantulas had a little talk with me about the procedure." A "little talk" that lasted several hours, courtesy of Whirl's relentless grilling.
"And Soundwave and I have gone over the security. We can get to him, and we can do what we need to do. You said we were taking him somewhere, right? What's the story on that?"
Tarantulas 7:28 pm
OH. Yeah. That. "HAVE you found somewhere with a sufficient chamber?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:29 pm
Soundwave holds a feeler up in protest.
[[He can -almost- do what he needs to do. But more on that after this.]]
Turns his head to look at Prowl.
Whirl 7:30 pm
Nods. Noted, Soundwave.
FakeProwl 7:34 pm
Prowl meant, specifically, what does Whirl want that Prowl can actually contribute.
But Whirl eventually got around to asking a question that Prowl could actually offer an answer to. (And then EVERYONE was looking at him. Primus.) "I have. The Constructicons were able to locate a Decepticon base which contains a lab that, while not actually the site of the creation of a Phase Sixer, WAS run by Rossum shortly before the first Phase Sixer was created. An investigation of the lab that was under Rossum's command revealed that it contains equipment that's similar to what Tarantulas has theorized would be necessary for the procedure. It's likely the Decepticons experimented with a prototype of the project there. The Constructicons were able to find this lab because they know someone who's still stationed at the base, but they tell me that shortly before the Surge, the base was reduced to a skeleton crew, and the unused labs are locked up."
Whirl 7:36 pm
"So, there are still 'Cons actively there? Should we take care of them before we settle in? Skeleton crew shouldn't be hard to put down."
Tarantulas 7:37 pm
Tarantulas looked instantly concerned. "There'll be mechs there in the building with us? Is that what we were planning on?" Fret fret. No risking his precious adopted son.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:37 pm
[[Leave them be. If they do not harm us, they do not need to be harmed.]]
FakeProwl 7:38 pm
"I'd rather avoid them. Skeleton crew or not, any fight would risk damaging the equipment. Besides, the lab we'll be using is at the far end of a wing that's locked and not patrolled. I have a map."
Tarantulas 7:39 pm
"Do you have the specs for the lab as well?" To toss Tarantulas's way, of course.
Whirl 7:40 pm
He looks to Soundwave, briefly, and then to Prowl. There is no expression on what passes for his face. "...all right."
"We'll all need that map, just in case, obviously. So, we've got a place to take him to do what we have to do--Soundwave, you said you had something else to add?"
FakeProwl 7:42 pm
"I've got the message that the Constructicons got from the person they asked about the labs. It doesn't contain specs, but it does contain a few pictures. And the map, of course."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:42 pm
[[He will want that.]]
FakeProwl 7:43 pm
Ping to everyone. Have a map of a top-secret Decepticon base-slash-military research facility. "This map is, of course, classified."
Tarantulas 7:43 pm
A slightly disappointed noise from Tarantulas and some muttering about having to improvise, but he doesn't seem too upset.
Soundwave 7:43 pm
[[And, yes. He does have something to add.]]
[[First: He has gathered most of the programs and trinkets he will need in order to deal with the majority of their security measures. What he still lacks is the medical data. He knows -how- to feed their equipment false readings. He does not know what those false readings should -be,- and we cannot afford unnecessary delays.]]
Turns to stare Tarantulas down.
[[You will give him what you have on Springer. This is not debatable.]]
Whirl 7:50 pm
He also turns to stare at Tarantulas. He’s not staring him -down- but he is joining the stare.
Tarantulas 7:51 pm
A slight squint from Tarantulas while he hesitates, then: “…What - what exactly do you need? Which readings?”
Prowl 7:52 pm
“It might be easier to steal that data from the Wreckers. Tarantulas would have no data on what readings Springer would give off now, with his current array of upgrades and mods.”
Tarantulas 7:53 pm
(False, but Prowl didn’t have to know that.)
Soundwave 7:55 pm
[[If he knows enough to plan the surgeries with a minimum of on-the-spot learning and to Whirl’s satisfaction, he knows enough.]]
And Soundwave knows Tarantulas has some sense of what a modern Springer is like. He’s known that from near to the start.
Incoming requirement list.
[[But if it would put you at ease, he will see if he can recover something without being traced.]]
Whirl 7:57 pm
“Better to get them both, right? Cover all possibilities.”
Prowl 7:57 pm
“The fact that he knows enough that he’ll be able to quickly fill in the gaps of what he doesn’t know once he DOES have access to Springer’s body doesn’t mean he knows enough sight unseen to be able to fool whatever scanners are hooked up to Springer. Better to have both.”
Soundwave 7:58 pm
[[Both, then. But he insists on the base now.]]
Prowl 7:59 pm
A nod. Fine by him.
Tarantulas 8:00 pm
Tarantulas receives the list, skims it, groans internally, and slouches a little more. “I - yes, I can provide what you need. I’ll send you a packet when we’re done here and I have a moment to sift through his medical files.”
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:39 pm
[[Let him think, now. Security measures, medical data, location, surgery, ununtrium, Ravage and Roadbuster's stasis, potential threats... was there more?]]
FakeProwl 8:40 pm
It takes Prowl several seconds to process that. (Several seconds more than it should.) And then, he turns to give Soundwave a blank look. "Why are Ravage and Roadbuster in stasis?"
Tarantulas 8:41 pm
Roadbuster? W-what? Tarantulas totally forgot Roadbuster wasn't dead in this universe, but - what?
Whirl 8:43 pm
"Not Ravage. Just Roadbuster." Whirl pauses, glances to Soundwave, and then back to Prowl. "Y'know, maybe we should just begin at the beginning. Run through everything as we know it?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:43 pm
Soundwave motions to Whirl. By all means. It'll save him the time of writing.
FakeProwl 8:44 pm
For a moment his gaze wavers back and forth between Soundwave and Whirl as he tries to figure out which one of them is about to explain, before he gives up and looks back at the table.
Whirl 8:44 pm
He cycles a long, deep breath as he gathers his thoughts. "All right. This is the plan as I understand it:
"First thing we need to do is get into Debris and get Springer without being detected. I've told Soundwave everything I know about the security, but we gotta be prepared to think on our feet, because it's several years old." He glances up and pauses when he sees Prowl staring at his table.
Whirl separates his claws and cranes his neck forward, thumping a single one on the table in front of him. "Prowl. Pay attention."
FakeProwl 8:48 pm
Prowl jerked back from the thump. "I'm—? I am?"
Whirl 8:50 pm
Whirl stays that way for a moment, his helm thrust forward, staring blankly. "And once we're inside, we need to isolate Springer." As he speaks, he gradually straightens back into a normal position.
"Odds are good it's going to be Roadbuster assigned to looking after him. We need him out of the picture, so Soundwave suggested we knock him out while he's asleep--to make sure he doesn't wake up before we want him to."
At last, he interlaces his claws again. "We've got Ravage on that."
Tarantulas 8:52 pm
(Good thing Soundwave's not in Tarantulas's head right now. There are definitely memories of Roadbuster's last moments flickering through his mind.)
FakeProwl 8:55 pm
It takes much longer than it did for Whirl to straighten up for Prowl to stop leaning away from him. "How?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 8:59 pm
[[Frenzy is... acquiring... some emergency anesthetics from the hospital. Ours,]] he adds, in the hopes it'll keep Prowl from protesting much. [[It should be simple enough for Ravage to sneak into Roadbuster's quarters and install them. They're designed to be user-friendly.]]
Whirl 9:01 pm
"Mostly, it's just for insurance. I'd rather not fight anyone on Debris if we can avoid it." Especially Roadbuster. But he's not saying that aloud.
FakeProwl 9:03 pm
A moment of silence (too long a moment) as Prowl contemplated that. "... It's extremely risky. If Roadbuster detects Ravage before he gets the anesthesia in, or if the anesthesia doesn't kick in quickly enough once it's injected, he could kill him."
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:04 pm
[[It is.]] Believe you him, he thought about it. A lot. [[But if Roadbuster comes to check on his charge without us realizing it, the three of us will be in more danger.]]
FakeProwl 9:09 pm
"So why not send somebody who isn't at risk?" Prowl asked. "If one of you with a holomatter projector installed is on Debris, I can project through it. I can resize my avatar and recolor it to camouflage with the background, and if Roadbuster DOES detect me—what can he do to me? Pop my hologram?"
Whirl 9:10 pm
Whirl tilts his head slowly, but doesn't say anything for now. The others can speak up first.
Tarantulas 9:10 pm
"That's - that certainly sounds doable." Better than what Tarantulas was about to suggest, a.k.a. that he should do it instead.
"I've been meaning to update your avatar anyhow, a few edits should be a piece of oil cake."
FakeProwl 9:13 pm
Edits? Hm. Doesn't matter now, he supposes.
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:16 pm
Soundwave just. Stares. At Prowl. For a good long little bit. Roadbuster can do an awful lot of things that will permanently send Prowl away if he squawks about the attempt to the wrong mech.
On the other hand, it means the chance he'll lose a deployer while helping Prowl's creation and a known enemy of Unicron's will be slashed by at least a third.
Deployers come before others. And it's. Prowl offering that is--
He looks down at the table and bobs his helm.
[[Thank you.]]
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:18 pm
And then, belatedly:
[[...If Whirl agrees.]]
FakeProwl 9:18 pm
A small nod.
Whirl 9:18 pm
Whirl's perspective on the matter is somewhat similar. Moreso than the sound logistics of the plan, along with the fact that Prowl can't really do anything to Roadbuster while he's a hologram are good reasons to agree--not to mention the fact that Prowl can change his avatar in a way that could not only make him unidentifiable, but invisible.
But at the end of the day, he's more inclined to be agreeable for the simple fact that he likes Ravage, and doesn't want him to get hurt.
This message has been removed.
"Yeah. Sounds good."
These words are delivered with the same dronelike flatness that every other word has been.
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm
His helm turns just enough to the side to make it clear he's talking to Whirl, but he's mostly still looking down at the table.
[[...Thank you, too.]]
Whirl 9:21 pm
His antenna twitches, but that's the extent of his response. "Right. So, after we knock Roadbuster out, Soundwave's got some plans for the surveillance."
FakeProwl 9:23 pm
His lowered gaze redirects slightly in Soundwave's direction.
Tarantulas 9:24 pm
Tarantulas leans slightly toward Prowl as an aside. "Don't forget to shuffle your avatar specs to me sometime soon, then?"
FakeProwl 9:25 pm
A small nod.
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:34 pm
What? Yes. Right. He does.
[[...Trade secrets. As long as you are all quiet, wait to enter until he has cleared you, and do not leave the designated area, he should be able to hide our entrance from them. They will be unable to see, hear, or sneak up on us while he is within his own frame.]]
[[Do not disturb -anything- you are not responsible for touching while he is in Springer's mind. He cannot be there and account for other mechs' errors at the same time.]]
And the deployers can only handle so much. They don't communicate with different systems the same way he does.
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:35 pm
[[He must also be last to leave.]]
FakeProwl 9:36 pm
Do what he's told to do, don't do anything he isn't told to do. Simple. A nod.
Whirl 9:37 pm
Whirl also nods. "Right. You got it." And now his helm slooowly turns to regard Tarantulas. He stares. Your turn to agree.
Tarantulas 9:39 pm
Geez, what's with all the STARING today?
"But of course."
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:40 pm
Well, for one thing, he expects Tarantulas to be first to mess up the "don't touch anything" rule.
Whirl 9:41 pm
Nods. "Good. So, after we secure Springer, we're going to move him, yes? To this place of yours, Prowl?"
Tarantulas 9:41 pm
"It's hardly HIS place, hyeh."
FakeProwl 9:42 pm
Is there any need to reply to Tarantulas's comment? He supposes not. Everyone knows the place doesn't belong to Prowl. "Yes."
Whirl 9:43 pm
"And we're going to not only fix him, but basically soup him up so that he's a lot harder to put down next time." He knows there's more detail to this, but he already went over it with Tarantulas.
Tarantulas 9:45 pm
"NEXT time? There will be no next time."
Whirl 9:45 pm
"That's the idea."
FakeProwl 9:45 pm
Tarantulas didn't directly answer Whirl's question. "Yes." There, question answered directly.
Tarantulas 9:46 pm
Tarantulas nods.
Whirl 9:47 pm
"And after that... if everything goes well, he'll be good as new. Now, are we planning on keeping him under and returning him to Debris? Or are you lot going to try and talk to him after? What's your plan?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm
[[If Springer returns to Debris, it cannot be with his help. He will be too tired to ensure the same level of security.]]
Test runs. Lots and lots of test runs.
FakeProwl 9:50 pm
"There's no point in trying to sneak him back in—if we're knocking Roadbuster out, once he wakes up they'll know that something happened to Springer. That's an argument neither for nor against returning him to Debris; but if we DO return him to Debris, there's no need to worry about maintaining the same level of stealth."
Whirl 9:50 pm
"So the question is: do you want them knowing you were involved?"
FakeProwl 9:52 pm
"That's a completely separate question. But I see no benefit to their knowing of our involvement and multiple benefits to their not knowing."
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:52 pm
[[Springer will know he was involved. There is no way around that. But he would prefer the others did not.]]
FakeProwl 9:52 pm
"He'll remember?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:53 pm
[[He might. Even if Springer doesn't remember, he -will- be standing there.]]
FakeProwl 9:54 pm
"So blindfold him."
Tarantulas 9:54 pm
Tarantulas gives a small laugh.
Whirl 9:54 pm
"I'm not going to be there when he wakes up."
ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm
Soundwave huffs softly.
[[He doubts a Wrecker will take well to being blindfolded in a room filled with strangers.]]
[[Where will you be, Whirl?]]
FakeProwl 9:56 pm
"It would be best for none of us to be there when he wakes up. However, we do need to ensure he CAN wake up before we return him. Is there any reason why we can't wake him up just long enough to ensure that he'll be lucid, and then immediately anesthetize him?" He tilts his lowered gaze slightly toward Tarantulas. Medical questions are his field.
Whirl 9:56 pm
"Nearby, maybe. Just outside the door. Near enough to make sure you don't do anything drastic. But not... there. With him."
Tarantulas 9:58 pm
Tarantulas hums. "No, I - I suppose there's no reason why not. But -" Nngh. That's the last thing Tarantulas wants to do.
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:00 pm
[[That would work even better. He is fine with that.]] Thank Primus. He'll have to try to obscure his mental projection, and that'll make him even more tired, but... at least he won't have to fight off a Wrecker who knows an ex-Decepticon has been in his head.
Whirl 10:02 pm
"As long as it doesn't do any damage, I've got no problems. So, just to clarify--I'm a little foggy here--you're going to verify that he -can- wake up, and assuming he's all good, where do you plan to leave him...?"
FakeProwl 10:03 pm
"I suppose we might as well open a bridge to Debris and roll him through. Either that, or find a safe abandoned facility leave him in, and comm Debris with the coordinates so they can go pick him up."
Tarantulas 10:03 pm
"Can I -" Tarantulas starts, then stops. "What - what if -" ....No, he shouldn't.
Damn it all.
Whirl 10:04 pm
"What?"
Tarantulas 10:06 pm
Tarantulas fudges what he was going to say. "There's - there's no way to follow up on him medically, should something happen - I think -
he should stay in - in our custody."
Whirl 10:06 pm
"We'll return him to Wrecker custody."
"They'll handle it from there."
FakeProwl 10:07 pm
"As much as I'd prefer for us to be able to safely follow up on him medically, we'd be essentially keeping him prisoner while he recovers. That's unacceptable. Returning him is the best option. If need be, we can spy on him to ensure that everything's going well."
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:08 pm
[[...He can leave something for that.]]
Whirl 10:08 pm
Whirl nods at Prowl. That's reassuring to hear, even if he only sort of believes Prowl's being genuine. "Besides, Springer's a huge public figure. Once he's back up, word'll get out. His recovery's not going to likely be a secret thing--no."
"No, Soundwave. We don't need to spy on them after this. We're already pushing it."
Tarantulas 10:09 pm
"He - a prolonged stay could be voluntary! With a backup plan for if he chose not to remain." There's a tiny bit of a whine in his voice.
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:09 pm
...All right. He'll bow to Whirl on that one.
Whirl 10:10 pm
And now he returns to staring at Tarantulas, his helm thrusting forward again. "No."
FakeProwl 10:11 pm
"For his stay to be voluntary, he'd have to know who's keeping him. Not only does everyone in this room except for you not want that, but Soundwave would be endangered by it."
Tarantulas 10:12 pm
This message has been removed.
FakeProwl 10:13 pm
He turns toward Whirl. "I DO think we should spy on him, if only for a bit. We don't necessarily need to bug him but we need to know if something does go wrong that only we know how to fix. If there ARE complications, there's no way Debris would willingly release that knowledge."
Whirl 10:14 pm
His optic contracts a bit, then expands. Then contracts again. It's anyone's guess what THAT means. "...you have a point. But if you do this, then I get the same info you do. All of it."
Tarantulas 10:14 pm
"But we wouldn't NEED to spy on him if he were in custody, which I'm - there's certainly a way we could work out such a thing." More a question than a statement.
Whirl 10:16 pm
"Out of the question. He belongs with the other Wreckers. End of story."
FakeProwl 10:16 pm
"We're not going to keep him captive a second longer than is absolutely necessary to repair and upgrade him."
FakeProwl 10:18 pm
To Whirl, he nods. "You'll get the same info." Prowl isn't even sure if he's telling the truth. (And certainly nobody else would be able to read that off of him; for someone with an actual, fully-functioning face, he's been no more expressive than Whirl to night, either physically or verbally.) Whether or not he's telling the truth doesn't matter; in either case, agreeing to Whirl's terms is the only acceptable answer.
Tarantulas 10:19 pm
"We're - for goodness' sake, we're kidnapping him, performing invasive surgery on him, invading his MIND, and then knocking him back into stasis so he doesn't even know who did it - the LEAST we can do is - is -"
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:20 pm
[[Do what? Tell him what we did so the list of suspects can be immediately narrowed to the most obvious?]]
FakeProwl 10:21 pm
"We're doing what we have to do to fix him and make him safe. We're not going to do a single thing beyond that."
Tarantulas 10:22 pm
Tarantulas is internally choking. How in the world can he try to argue what he wants without spilling too many beans in all the wrong directions?
Whirl 10:22 pm
"He's not going to be traumatized by it. He won't need anyone to--to coddle him afterwards. He's Springer. Trust me--I've known the guy for millions of years."
Tarantulas 10:23 pm
"I wouldn't coddle him! I'd - I'd /inform/ him."
FakeProwl 10:24 pm
"There's nothing he needs to be informed of."
Whirl 10:24 pm
"He doesn't--exactly. Honestly? It's best that we just let him get on with his life."
"He's missed enough as it is."
FakeProwl 10:25 pm
A small nod.
Tarantulas 10:27 pm
"Just because we're going to be infringing upon some of his patients' rights doesn't mean we have to do so with all of them! He - he deserves to know what he'll be!" ...Who he is.
Whirl 10:28 pm
"You can leave a note, or something. I don't know why you think that kidnapping him is somehow infringing on his rights LESS."
Tarantulas 10:29 pm
Weakly: "He can't ask questions that way."
"....You're.... nevermind."
Whirl 10:30 pm
"We'll have a bug. Send him an anonymous message or something."
FakeProwl 10:30 pm
"He doesn't..." ... Prowl falls silent.
Whirl 10:31 pm
"He doesn't what?"
Tarantulas 10:31 pm
Tarantulas will come up with a new plan. It's pretty obvious to him he's not getting anything he wants right now.
FakeProwl 10:32 pm
He doesn't answer Whirl's question. And, after a moment, he stands up, and starts quietly pacing behind his chair.
Whirl 10:33 pm
He doesn't press it, but he follows Prowl's progress with his helm as he paces.
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:34 pm
[[Some things are not meant to be questioned.]]
[[He has his life back. He was not harmed. He will be watched, one way or another.]]
FakeProwl 10:34 pm
The pacing continues.
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:36 pm
[[If he truly needs to know something, it will get to him another way.]]
Tarantulas 10:37 pm
Tarantulas's ire is rising, but he - he can't. Instead he feigns defeat. "Do what you will. Cart him back off to Debris. I - I can assist with that myself if necessary."
Whirl 10:37 pm
"If he goes missing, I'm coming after your ass, spider. This is the part where you get fair warning."
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:38 pm
[[But he must be let go to find who he is. Even deployers leave, after a while.]]
Tarantulas 10:41 pm
"Don't, with the cliches," Tarantulas suddenly snaps.
Whirl 10:42 pm
Whirl stops watching Prowl to look at him. For a moment, just a moment, something almost like anger enters his voice. "I'll do whatever I damn well please. You heard me."
It's gone almost as quickly as it appeared.
FakeProwl 10:42 pm
Prowl stops walking. And, staring at the floor, speaks: "Imagine waking up one day to be informed that your body has been irreversibly modified without your consent." A moment of silence. He's sure that's a hypothetical that most of the room can strongly sympathize with. "Now imagine if, on TOP of that, nobody can tell you who did it, how they did it, or why they did it. What reason do we have that's adequate enough to justify doing that to him? How is it BETTER to do that to him?"
Tarantulas 10:44 pm
...Did Tarantulas win Prowl over. Did he just.
FakeProwl 10:44 pm
"I don't want Springer to know we're involved." He turns slightly toward Whirl. "You don't want him to know." And toward Soundwave. "YOU don't want him to know. But how is the fact that we DON'T WANT HIM TO KNOW more important than what that lack of knowledge will do to him?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:45 pm
Soundwave's tempted to lean across the table and swat Tarantulas for calling what he said a cliche. Tarantulas didn't even know enough about deployers to fully understand what he was getting into when he agreed to help with Zori. He wouldn't know whether they do or don't leave.
But Prowl is there, and Whirl is there, and violence won't help.
So he sits and listens to Prowl instead, and curses to himself.
Whirl 10:46 pm
"He'll be alive, which is more than he was before we stepped in. Yeah, it's not the gentlest way to do things, but you can't always be gentle."
He waves a claw. "Look, if you want to drop him a line and say, 'Hey, you want to know what this is all about? Come see me.' or whatever, that's fine. But let him come to you. Kidnapping him and holding him somewhere, -away- from his allies, isn't the right way to do it. Let HIM come to you."
Whirl 10:47 pm
"Besides, you're basing all of this on the assumption that you all can be trusted to do what's best for him when you have him in your custody. I absolutely don't trust you--" A nod to Prowl. "Or him." A not to Tarantulas. "And I trust none of you more than the Wreckers."
FakeProwl 10:48 pm
"No, no, I'm absolutely not talking about keeping him our custody. That's COMPLETELY off the table. Just—making sure he doesn't have to WONDER what happened to him." He took a deep vent, and let it out. "Yes. I think... Leaving him with the option of making contact himself is ideal."
Whirl 10:48 pm
"Yeah. I'm completely fine with THAT. That's not a problem at all."
Tarantulas 10:48 pm
A prolonged vent from Tarantulas. Damn, and he thought he had Prowl there for a moment.
"At the very least."
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:50 pm
[[He should not be told until he asks because knowing before he is ready may lead to -all- of us being killed. The Wreckers cannot trust a member of their own who has had a Decepticon in his head. If they cannot trust him, and he continues to fight with them, it risks his life. And if we are - whatever would happen - as a result of him knowing before he is ready and able to handle the data, then there is no-one left as experienced as we are to help him should something go wrong.]]
[[He will agree to the method of contact, but that is because he already did. He said the information would get to Springer one way or another.]]
FakeProwl 10:52 pm
A nod. "We stick to the original plan, then. We drop him off either in Debris or in a safe place where they can pick him up. And we leave him—and him alone—a way to contact us and find out what happened, if and when HE decides he's ready to find out."
Whirl 10:53 pm
Whirl also nods. "Sounds solid to me." Soundwave's points were good ones to begin with, but he cemented Whirl's acquiescence to them by hinting that alternatives could put Springer in danger. "There's honestly no need to drag me into it, though. There's nothing I could tell him that you guys can't--and I'm not a doctor."
"He still doesn't need to know about my involvement. It's not that big of a deal."
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:55 pm
[[He deserves to know that you wanted to help. And you deserve to be recognized for your loyalty.]] Finger tap. [[You are... rarely given the credit you are due.]]
FakeProwl 10:56 pm
"... Which one of us is he going to be given a line to contact, then?"
Whirl 10:56 pm
"I can tell you're trying to appeal to my pride, Soundwave. It's not going to work."
ItsyBitsySpyers 10:56 pm
[[Then your senses are off. He is merely speaking his mind. He's known to do that.]]
[[He offers to observe, but the contact should not be his. If one of you wishes it disguised, he can arrange that.]]
Whirl 10:57 pm
His antenna pins back and he just looks away. Soundwave should honestly be thanked for his kindness, but Whirl doesn't know how to handle that even when he's in a good state of mind. "And what would you suggest, Prowl? -I- be his liaison?"
FakeProwl 10:58 pm
"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm asking." As not only an Autobot, but also the very Autobot that everyone would EXPECT to do exactly this sort of thing, Prowl would be the most reasonable option. But Prowl doesn't want it. Prowl is holding out hope to find a reason to cease existing, and being Springer's one and only contact put a kink in that plan.
Whirl 10:59 pm
"Well, it can't be me, because he's going to notice pretty quickly that I'm not there. And he's going to be told WHY I'm not there. And he's not going to want to talk to me."
Tarantulas 11:00 pm
"Why does it have to be someone he KNOWS?"
FakeProwl 11:01 pm
But as an ex Decepticon, Soundwave couldn't be chosen. And if given half an opportunity, Tarantulas would take advantage of a direct line to Springer to tell him things he shouldn't know.
Only Whirl and Prowl are options.
Whirl 11:01 pm
"It would probably be a little less disconcerting. Sorry, Tarantulas, my vote is Prowl. We used to work more or less under him--it wouldn't be a huge adjustment, in the end."
FakeProwl 11:02 pm
A slow nod. It was, in the end, the only logical option.
Tarantulas 11:02 pm
"If - well then, why does it have to be only ONE person?"
Whirl 11:03 pm
"I never said that. I don't have any issue with you speaking to him, or anything."
FakeProwl 11:03 pm
"If anything happens to me before Springer makes the call—the line will have to redirect to you, Whirl."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:04 pm
Soundwave watches Tarantulas from the corners of his optics. He can smell personal tension on Prowl and Tarantulas' horizon later for that one.
FakeProwl 11:04 pm
Yeah, well, hopefully Prowl won't be around for it.
He returns to his seat, and resumes staring at that same spot on the table.
Whirl 11:05 pm
Whirl pauses, and then cycles a deep breath. "About that. That brings me to something else--timetable. We need to get this show on the road, because I might not be available soon."
"And, you'd better hope that nothing happens to you, because if I become unavailable I'm not likely to become... un-unavailable."
Tarantulas 11:05 pm
"I - what?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:05 pm
Prowl will forgive Soundwave for hoping that hope doesn't come true.
He's listening, Whirl. Do go on.
Whirl 11:07 pm
He doesn't intend to go on. That's it.
FakeProwl 11:09 pm
Oh, Primus. Don't tell him they're BOTH suicidal. Prowl looks up at Whirl, and for the first time that night something actually emotive slips into his gaze—something a little bit conspiratorial, a little bit sympathetic. The corner of his mouth twitches.
And he drops his gaze again. "So Tarantulas can be second back-up."
Tarantulas 11:10 pm
"You can't just - that doesn't -" ...Don't argue, Tarantulas, you're getting what you want. Shh.
Whirl 11:11 pm
Whirl meets his gaze, but it's anyone's guess what he thinks of that. "Guess so." Another pause. "So try not to beef it, I guess."
Now he looks to Soundwave and Tarantulas. "How soon do we think we can move?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:14 pm
[[He can be ready within the week. He needs only to account for the medical data and set up his absence from work to look like he is still there.]]
Whirl 11:15 pm
"A week should do. Yeah. You guys?"
Tarantulas 11:15 pm
A moment's hesitation, glancing sideways at Soundwave. "Technically I'm prepared as soon as I've prepped for the particulars of the given lab and have my materials in line, which should be - well. Days, at most."
FakeProwl 11:15 pm
"I can move at any time. Literally any time. Give me the word and I can arrange a non-fatal workplace accident in under ten minutes."
Tarantulas 11:16 pm
"Not - not a REAL one?"
FakeProwl 11:16 pm
"I'm hardly going to get out of work with a FAKE broken leg."
Tarantulas 11:16 pm
A cringe from Tarantulas.
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm
[[Please, do not put yourself in the hospital again.]]
[[There are cleaner ways of withdrawing you from the public optic.]]
FakeProwl 11:17 pm
"I'll ensure it's something Hook can fix." Although he doubts Hook will be WILLING to fix it. No need to share that detail until after Springer's been resurrected.
"... Well, if you can arrange something fast enough."
Whirl 11:18 pm
"Prowl's got an entire team of people looking out for him--he'll be fine."
Tarantulas 11:18 pm
"Please, Soundwave." He's imploring you.
FakeProwl 11:19 pm
"Don't inconvenience yourself. You should be preparing for Springer, not wasting time ensuring that I'm as comfortable as physically possible as I skip work to help wake him up."
Tarantulas 11:20 pm
A quick turn toward Prowl. "No, no, we can use your upgraded, updated avatar instead, you don't have to get YOURSELF hurt."
FakeProwl 11:21 pm
"I don't have an avatar of my real body and you're not going to waste time making one just for this."
Whirl 11:21 pm
"It's not that big a deal, you two." Whirl's not even spiteful, a broken leg hardly registers as any sort of injury in his mind. That is a plan he'd be happy to do himself, were he in Prowl's place.
"There are multiple people heavily invested in Prowl's well-being besides the two of you, you know." he looks between them with a brief, knowing look. "Let's focus on the important thing, which is the mission."
FakeProwl 11:22 pm
"Agreed."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:23 pm
[[He does not want Prowl's attention hampered by the pain of a broken leg, or the medicines required to dull that pain.]]
[[Roadbuster and a safe entrance depend on him not being drugged.]]
[[But, yes. The mission.]]
Whirl 11:24 pm
"A broken leg doesn't hurt THAT bad. We're used to being roughed up around here."
FakeProwl 11:25 pm
"I can shut off my pain sensors in each limb separately."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:25 pm
Debates saying that Prowl spent much of his time OFF the field, but is tired of arguing that. And, that answers that, he supposes. Fine. If he can't stop Prowl finding ways to hurt himself now, he'll just - do something about it later.
[[Fine. Move on. Is there anything else?]]
FakeProwl 11:25 pm
"AND it's nearly impossible to feel your body while your holomatter avatar's on." Maybe that's true or maybe Prowl's just become very good at ignoring his body.
Tarantulas 11:26 pm
"/Prowl/. You can't just -"
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:26 pm
Soundwave smacks his arm down on the table.
[[ENOUGH.]]
[[Are we moving soon or not.]]
Whirl 11:27 pm
"So, excepting the finer points of how Prowl's going to--" He pauses, glances and Soundwave, and carries on. "--get himself out of the public eye, are we good?"
Tarantulas 11:28 pm
Tarantulas has to keep himself from hissing at Soundwave, or anyone else, really. "Quite. Positively golden."
FakeProwl 11:29 pm
Prowl starts at the smack.
"... But if we move after I get home from work, I'll have fifteen uninterrupted hours where nobody will be expecting me to be anywhere but inside my apartment. Otherwise, I'm—good. No further issues."
Whirl 11:29 pm
"That's not a bad window to aim for. My schedule's wide open; guaranteed privacy is better than likely privacy."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:30 pm
[[-Thank you.-]]
[[Then it is settled.]] And with fewer broken legs than he thought they were going to have. [[Good.]]
Tarantulas 11:31 pm
Suddenly: "Is there anything else? Otherwise I'll be going." He's already starting to stand up.
FakeProwl 11:31 pm
"I don't have anything else."
Whirl 11:32 pm
"Nope. Seeya."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:32 pm
[[When he and Tarantulas are both finished and rested, we will go. And no, he knows of nothing else. Except for Prowl, who must be made part of a different plan.]]
[[Goodnight, Tarantulas.]]
FakeProwl 11:32 pm
"Who must what?"
Whirl 11:33 pm
"You're our new Ravage, in short."
FakeProwl 11:33 pm
"Oh. That plan. Yes."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:33 pm
[[Yes. You will require updating. Please stay for now.]]
FakeProwl 11:33 pm
A nod.
Tarantulas 11:33 pm
No goodnight for Soundwave in return. Tarantulas stands tall, ruffles briefly, and makes for the exit.
Tarantulas 11:34 pm
There's no way he can be around these three mechs any longer without getting in a yelling match or possibly hurting someone, and right now that's the last thing he needs.
Whirl 11:35 pm
Whirl hops up. There's an unspoken request in Soundwave's words for Whirl, and he will obey, and let them be alone. "Call me if anything changes. I'll do the same."
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:35 pm
[[He will not hesitate to tell you.]]
Whirl 11:37 pm
He shifts into alt-mode, arcs away from the floor, and bridges himself out; a blue vortex appears before him, and he is gone.
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:39 pm
Soundwave waits until he is certain both are gone and rubs his crest. This had almost turned out to be more irritating than Decepticon command meetings of old. If Springer were anyone else's creation...
(txt): Request: stand, come here.
FakeProwl 11:43 pm
He might be looking down, but he's got enough peripheral vision to catch that rub. He's not sure what he did this time to earn it and he's too tired to replay the conversation and check.
Well, whatever dressing-down Soundwave is about to give him, he's certain he deserves it. He stands and comes there.
ItsyBitsySpyers 11:53 pm
He waits to rise until Prowl is standing as close as can be expected right now and looks the foot and a half up at tired blue optics, quietly wishing he could make what's driving Prowl to embrace jumping off of ship rails and face punch dents and broken legs disappear with nothing but a wave of his feeler.
But he can't. As hard as he's trying, he can't do it unless Prowl wants to help.
He can still be thankful that one part of Prowl hasn't been completely consumed by this, though.
(txt): Prowl offered self, removed highest deployer death chance. Reminded others Soundwave: endangered, if involvement discovered.
(txt): These--
To Pit with it.
(txt): Contact permitted?
Yesterday
FakeProwl 11:55 pm
Prowl hesitates a second as he tries to figure out where this is going. Those don't SEEM like things Soundwave would criticize him for—
Oh. This is a—thank you? "... Granted."
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:04 am
Soundwave's in Prowl's space in a blink, arms and feelers wrapping tight around him. They squeeze Prowl in a ferocious, crushing hug - the sort that suggests he could easily kill a mech this way if he wanted, and probably has - and, as he straightens out of his slouch, lifts him a little.
Not as much as he said he would do back in the hospital. This isn't the time for that. It's just the side effect of his standing up. But it's enough to prove that his cold, serious demeanor from earlier has been abandoned in favor of this moment.
His fans hitch. He sets Prowl down again and presses their crests together.
(txt): Apologies, if excessive. Deep gratitude earned.
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:07 am
One Prowl helped kill Ravage. Another has probably just saved his life. Funny how the multiverse works.
FakeProwl 12:15 am
Prowl's so surprised that he forgets to hug back—and for a moment, his optics flicker to life with... something. "Something" is a whole lot more than they've had for the rest of the meeting.
But then he wraps his arms tightly around Soundwave in return. This is the first touch from someone else he's felt, REALLY felt, in weeks. Like he's actually there.
Once he's set down, he presses his crest a little harder against Soundwave's, trying to feel a little of that pressure again. "I... You're fine. It's fine. Thank y—er, you're welcome."
He considers saying something about how... it was only sensible, only logical for the person who could take no harm to take over a more dangerous duty, or how it would have been wrong NOT to point out that Soundwave was in a more vulnerable position; but Soundwave already knows that, doesn't he?
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:26 am
He does know that, and he values Prowl's choice all the more for it. One, because Prowl still cares enough about others to make a protective decision, and two, because he actually followed through on it. There hasn't been a whole lot of that in Soundwave's life over the last few million years.
He's more than happy to press against Prowl's helm as hard as Prowl wants. Let him bust a biolight. If it happens, it happens. He'll get it fixed.
(txt): Off-work solution also appreciated.
(txt): Soundwave--
Everything he wants to say is screaming and rioting and trying to shove itself through the translation door all at once, so he just leaves it there and gives another, smaller (but still somewhat tight) hug.
(txt): Prowl plan portion sent across comm tomorrow. Frenzy: not returned, cannot explain use yet.
FakeProwl 12:35 am
"Honestly, I don't know why the off-work solution wasn't self-evident. I said I CAN leave at any time, including in the middle of work if necessary. I never meant that the middle of work is the ONLY time I can go." Figures that when he assumed Plan A was obvious and started planning for contingencies, everyone thought his proposals for Plan B WERE Plan A.
Is the plan complicated enough that it needs a translation? Or—oh, it's not that. Frenzy is the one learning medical skills, he probably had to explain how to administer the anesthetic. "I'll wait for the comm. If it needs to be explained in depth, you know what times I'm available. Anything outside of work or Metroplex." He'd break a leg for Springer, sure, but he isn't volunteering it for just another planning meeting.
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:42 am
(txt): Situation: tense. Upsetting content: easiest noticed. Errors made.
(txt): Soundwave knows schedule. Will modify comm volume levels during transmission.
He won't subject Prowl to Frenzy's yelling while Frenzy's not there in person. There's no need for that.
(txt): Addition: Expect hard light projection file, more instructions.
FakeProwl 12:45 am
Was it tense? Prowl hadn't noticed.
"Appreciated." While Prowl will put up with Frenzy's volume in person because he knows Frenzy can't help it, he would much prefer to not have to. If Soundwave didn't offer to turn the volume down, Prowl would have done it on his own end. "What's the projection file for?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:49 am
(txt): Hiding bridge until Soundwave arrives, takes control. Less direct security interference, less discovery risk.
FakeProwl 12:52 am
He tilts his head, thinking. "So you'll have me go in first and conceal your arrival. I'll have to be piggybacking off of Tarantulas's holomatter avatar, then—out of the three of you, he's the only one who can get onto Debris without creating a similarly-obvious bridge."
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:53 am
Nod nod.
(txt): Speed necessary. Tarantulas not trusted alone long.
FakeProwl 12:53 am
A quiet sigh. "No, he's not."
ItsyBitsySpyers 12:55 am
(txt): Other things. Not this.
He bunts Prowl's helm again.
(txt): More explained tomorrow. Go, rest. Must attempt medical data recovery.
FakeProwl 12:58 am
Prowl dims his optics as he bunts Soundwave back. Affection tag: ping, ping, ping.
"I'll be waiting for your comm."
ItsyBitsySpyers 1:00 am
This message has been removed.
ItsyBitsySpyers 1:08 am
That's not the first time Prowl's sent him a trio of pings. It's starting to make a pattern of activity. Why the change?
He pings affection back - just his usual once, though - and nods.
(txt): Until then.
FakeProwl 1:10 am
"Until then."
He steps back and out of Soundwave's touch, and disappears.
ItsyBitsySpyers 1:12 am
Soundwave watches the place where Prowl was for a second longer, still thinking, then shakes his helm and heads upstairs. Work to be done. Puzzles later.
Oh, and he'll lock the doors on the way up.
The team assembles for a Springer heist. They run through the details of the plan one more time, settle some final details, and at last, Prowl is sent ahead of the others to scout out Debris.
From here on out, none of these chat logs will be canon until we’ve finished. Until then, all our blogs are still pre-Springer Quest.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:09 pm
Soundwave stands at the entrance to the workroom and its sprawling station, trying to convince himself that letting Tarantulas see it won't be a fatal mistake. It's not as dangerous as showing them the one in his quarters, but still. This room and its contents run the majority of Soundwave's business - Dancitron and otherwise.
At least Zori is big and deadly enough he should pose a threat to anyone trying to tamper with things while Soundwave is gone.
He deactivates... most of the security measures protecting the room from strangers and pings his three co-conspirators. Time to go. Here are the coordinates. Get your afts in here. AND DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.
Tarantulas 6:18 pm
Tarantulas isn't so sneaky he could tamper with Soundwave's things without Zori seeing, no, so they're safe on that front. Besides, Tarantulas is far more preoccupied with the mission at hand, considering who they're about to revive.
This time he's actually on time for the event, arriving pretty much instantaneously once the summons is sent out. And yes, he bridges inside the room instead of outside the door this time, thank goodness.
A quick extra ping to Prowl to let him know he's brought the holo pack - he's free to project whenever he's ready.
Prowl 6:18 pm
He's been waiting for this call.
And doing little BUT waiting for this call. He's spent the last several days since their final meeting distracting himself by reading about a little shipwreck from Earth, but in his mind part of him has always been on standby, waiting for the call.
He pings his acknowledgment to Soundwave as soon as he gets the comm, but waits until he receives notice from Tarantulas that he's arrived. And then patches into Tarantulas's holomatter projector.
Tarantulas 6:19 pm
Tarantulas is nervous and tense enough that he'll let the others initiate greetings if they so choose. Otherwise he's just going to start pacing.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:20 pm
No greetings from Soundwave aside from a pair of distracted nods. Just fiddling with the last of some small cylinders before stuffing them all into his subspace.
Prowl 6:21 pm
No greetings from Prowl today. Too wound up to remember social etiquette. The anxiety/anticipation feels like static in his system.
Whirl 6:21 pm
It's not long before Whirl arrives. His bridge is hovering as close to the top of the room that it can, and he slides out of the blue vortex with as much caution as he can muster. As a helicopter.
As soon as the bridge is gone, he pivots on the spot and carefully lowers. From a technical standpoint, it's impressive flying, but in every other respect it looks pretty silly. As soon as he has space he transforms, landing neatly and casting a bright optic around the room. He seems much more animated than he was at the last meeting.
"Let's do this shit."
Prowl 6:23 pm
A sharp nod, and a ping to Soundwave: visual data for him to patched into one of the screens, so those back at Dancitron can keep up with his progress.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:26 pm
Soundwave picks the largest center screen and quickly gets the feed running - and stops for a second (but only a second) to admire the mathematical data spilling all over the place. Good thing he's recording this for later study. It'll let him see these things in more detail. For now, it'll let everyone else see them too.
[[We are all ready?]]
Tarantulas 6:27 pm
Tarantulas snickers at Whirl's irreverent greeting, then rolls his shoulders. "Let's. A quick overview of the plans might not be amiss though."
Whirl 6:29 pm
Whirl's going to tilt his head and stare at the visual feed. He's quietly, but genuinely impressed.
Prowl 6:30 pm
Look at all these people who appreciate the fact that formulas, graphs, and probabilities spill all over his HUD.
Tarantulas 6:30 pm
Tarantulas is ALWAYS impressed by Prowl. Get with the program, people.
Prowl 6:33 pm
He glances at the screen long enough to confirm it's working—and consequently gets to see his HUD within his HUD within his HUD within his—before turning sharply away. "Right." He's usually the one in charge, he supposes he's the one that's going to explain the plan.
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:33 pm
Briefly distracted by the sudden chaining of HUDs? Oh yes. But paying attention now.
Prowl 6:36 pm
"Phase one is on Debris. Tarantulas is bridging me in first to scout out the location and the defenses, to neutralize Roadbuster, and to deploy the hologram behind which everyone else will bridge in to Springer's room."
Prowl 6:37 pm
"My progress will be monitored here," he gestures at the screen without looking at it, "and Whirl will update me on anything he recognizes from Debris or anything that's changed that I should look out for."
Prowl 6:39 pm
"Once everyone has bridged in, Soundwave will begin feeding Springer's life support systems and monitors false data to hide the fact that he's disappeared, and Tarantulas and Frenzy will work to unhook him as quickly as possible, while Whirl..." Prowl looks at Whirl for a moment, flummoxed, then finally finishes, "... monitors our progress."
Whirl 6:41 pm
"I can help with unhooking him, too."
Prowl 6:43 pm
Prowl stops on the verge of saying something, and looks at Whirl, considering the proposition. The last time Whirl was given any sort of control over Springer's static form, he tried to kill him. What were the odds he was going to again?
... Low enough. "Fine. All the faster."
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:44 pm
Good. The less time and energy spent safely holding the room down, the more he'll have for other things.
Prowl 6:44 pm
"Chimera will open a bridge for us to the abandoned Decepticon lab, we carry Springer through, and that begins phase two."
Prowl 6:48 pm
"Now that he's disconnected from his life support, from here on out, until the zero point is fixed, Springer's spark will be slowly shrinking. How fast, we won't know until we see it, but most likely not enough to be a threat. Plus, there MIGHT be functional life support equipment in the lab—I'll be looking for it once we arrive—but we can't count on the possibility. Our best bet will be to work as quickly as possible."
Whirl 6:49 pm
He simply nods, silently.
Tarantulas 6:49 pm
"I've got that covered," Tarantulas adds. Don't you worry about the science, Prowl.
Prowl 6:52 pm
Good. A nod. "Tarantulas will be performing the procedure to locate and seal his zero point. Frenzy, Whirl, and I will be on standby to help in whatever way Tarantulas deems necessary." That probably meant Frenzy might be ACTUALLY helping while Prowl and Whirl were sent to grab tools. "Soundwave will be patched into the base's security to ensure that no Decepticons discover their locked wing has been breached and come to investigate—but since the wing IS locked and we won't need to go through any doors, the probability that they'll discover us is 1.4%."
ItsyBitsySpyers 6:55 pm
Chimera slinks in as their feline self while Prowl talks. They hop up onto the chair to begin making their calculations, stopping their typing only to get an affectionate scratch under the chin from Soundwave.
Prowl 6:55 pm
"Once his zero point has been sealed, Tarantulas will do a quick checkup to ensure that everything is functional, and then we move on to phase three: invincibility."
Prowl 6:57 pm
"First, Tarantulas will augment the output of Springer's spark, so that it can handle the strain of the process. I don't have the slightest comprehension of how he's going to do that. And then—from what I can understand—we remove his limbs, kibble, and outer armor, stick him in a tub, and shower him with ununtrium." He looks at Tarantulas. "Is that about right?"
Tarantulas 6:58 pm
Tarantulas squints his visor in an unreadable expression. "Close enough, hyeh."
Whirl 6:58 pm
"What d'you mean by that, exactly? What might change, there?"
Tarantulas 6:59 pm
"There's propex involved, among other things. Just details and semantics, that's all."
Whirl 7:01 pm
Whirl stares at him for a moment longer, and then just nods slowly, flicking his optic back to Prowl.
Prowl 7:03 pm
Well, if everyone's satisfied. "Then we remove him, examine him, and reassemble him. Soundwave will wake him up briefly enough to ensure that everything's all right while we—" hide like the cowards we are— "conceal ourselves. Once we've ensured his safety, we sedate him, and bridge him to a secure bunker on Hydrus 5 where the Wreckers can retrieve him."
"Questions?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:03 pm
[[None.]]
Tarantulas 7:04 pm
Not the ending Tarantulas wants, but he can't argue with it at this point. He shakes his helm no.
Whirl 7:04 pm
Whirl looks down at the floor while he spends a moment gathering his thoughts. "So... what's our backup plan if we do get caught? Do we fight, or do we run? CAN we even run, if we're in the middle of all that?"
Tarantulas 7:06 pm
"Medically, it depends on where we are in the process of operations. It's - possible, though."
Prowl 7:06 pm
"It depends where we are in the process. There will be very few moments—most of them only a few seconds long—where Springer will be in any danger if we have to immediately drop what we're doing and relocate. Since we can bridge and the Wreckers and Decepticons can't, relocating is the safest bet.
Prowl 7:07 pm
"Most dangerous, I expect, will be applying the ununtrium, since it has to be done all at once and can't be interrupted without ruining the end result; but if the Decepticons have shown no signs of detecting us by then, they're unlikely to suddenly start. And if they HAVE begun to suspect that they have intruders, Soundwave will have noticed and alerted us before we get that far."
Tarantulas 7:08 pm
A nod. That's the only part Tarantulas would be worried about.
Prowl 7:08 pm
Ah, good. Prowl had been about to ask if Tarantulas agreed with his analysis; apparently so.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:09 pm
Small nod. He will do his best to ensure that they need neither fight nor run. Failure is not something to which he is accustomed, and fighting risks lives and leaves evidence.
[[If there is a problem, the three of you are to leave first.]]
Whirl 7:09 pm
He nods slowly. "So, odds of us having to make a stand are very, very low. In the hilariously unlikely event we DO have to fight, I can hold them off. "
Prowl 7:09 pm
"You mean Springer, Tarantulas, and Whirl." Surely Prowl wasn't included in the three. Prowl was fake.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:10 pm
[[The four of you, then. You will deactivate your avatar.]]
[[And so noted, Whirl.]]
Prowl 7:10 pm
"Negative. We gain nothing by having me leave and we lose any help I can offer.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:11 pm
[[Then be something that is not you. He knows Bonecrusher added a Predacon.]] Or something like one.
Whirl 7:11 pm
"I'll go second-last, if it comes to it. With Prowl being the last one. I'll be most useful fighting every second I can fight."
Tarantulas 7:12 pm
"Mm. Then I'll prioritize Springer."
Prowl 7:12 pm
He frowns. "I'd be useless in a fight as a Predacon. I'll make my avatar camouflage with the background—without my paint colors, I look identical to a thousand other mechs with my frame."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:13 pm
[[Very well.]] Soundwave nods to Tarantulas and Whirl. Their remarks are also noted.
Tarantulas 7:13 pm
"...We're to bridge to Hydrus 5 in the case of an emergency, I'm assuming?"
Prowl 7:15 pm
"I recommend against it—that would put us in range of panicking Wreckers while they're wondering who took their leader. I thought we'd come back here. If not, then one of your labs—or I could provide one of a myriad abandoned Autobot bases."
Whirl 7:16 pm
"As long as you ping me coordinates before you vanish, I can bridge on the fly."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:16 pm
[[Hold.]] Shakes his helm no. [[If we must return here, we do not return to Dancitron itself. We will be harder to find in New Praxus.]]
Prowl 7:17 pm
"You have a secure place we can go in New Praxus?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:17 pm
Huffing laughter.
[[He has many secure places on this planet. Yes.]]
Prowl 7:18 pm
"Risk of nearby mechs getting caught in the crossfire if we bridge there?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:21 pm
[[If they follow us through, none, unless the fighting spills into the street. If they simply follow to the settlement itself and do not know where we are hiding, little to none expected. New Praxus' population is primarily Autobot, and there are several skilled enforcers and Wreckers present - Prowl and Whirl's alternates included. A rampage would not last long.]]
Whirl 7:21 pm
He does perk up curiously at the mention of his alternate, but doesn't interrupt.
Prowl 7:22 pm
"... Your war is under an ongoing ceasefire, is it not? A sudden unexplained assault by Decepticon forces could jeopardize your peace."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:22 pm
[[Ah. Decepticon forces. He thought you were referring to the Wreckers.]]
[[In that case, to the Pits. The Predacons will not take kindly to intruders.]]
Prowl 7:23 pm
"We're at risk of attack by both the Wreckers AND the Decepticons."
Tarantulas 7:23 pm
Tarantulas is getting a little impatient. "If it's going to be this much of a fuss, I'd really recommend my old lab on Cybertron."
Prowl 7:23 pm
"... To the Predacons, won't WE be intruders?"
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:24 pm
[[WE will be below and have a guide. THEY will not. But, if it pleases you more, Tarantulas' lab will do.]]
Tarantulas 7:25 pm
A pause. "....And if it comes down to it, I'll accept moving to the Tor."
Whirl 7:25 pm
"What's the Tor?"
Prowl 7:26 pm
Well, if they were going to be below, why would the Decepticons not also be below instead of on the Predacons' level? "The Decepticons and Wreckers lack the ability to bridge after us, much less to figure out where our bridges went. The only risk, slight as it is, is of them FOLLOWING us through the bridge—which would put them in the exact same location as us, not merely the general vicinity."
Tarantulas 7:26 pm
"The Tor is my *actual* lab." That's all Whirl needs to know.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:26 pm
That was why he mentioned himself as guide. He knows how to get others to the surface without going up there or being seen himself. But, Tarantulas' idea seems to be more suitable, so he waves a hand.
Prowl 7:26 pm
"Under these circumstances, bridging into a populated zone and hoping they lose track of us isn't a viable strategy."
Whirl 7:28 pm
For now, he doesn't challenge the explanation.
Tarantulas 7:29 pm
"Just - the lab ruins, then," Tarantulas insists. "I couldn't care less about the location if something happens."
Prowl 7:29 pm
... That stings a little to hear. Ignore it. Prowl nods. "Any other questions?"
Tarantulas 7:30 pm
It's only a half-truth, if that helps anything, Prowl.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:30 pm
[[None.]]
Whirl 7:30 pm
Once again, Whirl takes a moment to think things over. "I think I'm good," he finally declares.
Prowl 7:31 pm
Nod. "Then let's begin."
Tarantulas 7:32 pm
A hum. "...Soundwave, would you like to be in charge of opening a secure collective commlink for the duration of the operation?"
"In case of - well. Plenty of situations, really."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:34 pm
[[Done.]]
Tarantulas 7:34 pm
"Much appreciated."
Whirl 7:35 pm
"All right. We've got a plan and a party line." Whirl steps up to the display showing Prowl's video feed and begins to set his claws down on the console, but thinks the better of it. "You ready, Prowl?"
Prowl 7:35 pm
"Once I get the holomatter projector and the sedative."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:36 pm
Frenzy's arm unfolds and pokes out of Soundwave's arm to pass it over. It's kind of weird-looking. Just roll with it.
Whirl 7:36 pm
A simple nod. Whirl returns his bright optic to the screen, waiting. He's very evidently eager to begin.
Tarantulas 7:37 pm
As soon as Prowl's got the sedative, Tarantulas is offering the tiny backpack-esque holomatter projector that Prowl's currently using.
Prowl 7:38 pm
... Now Prowl wonders if the Constructicons can do that. He takes the sedative and sets it into his right thigh holster. Then the projector in his left. "Ready."
Tarantulas 7:40 pm
Nervously Tarantulas takes mental inventory of his subspace and equipment, but there's really not much he can to do be any more ready at this point. "Similarly prepared."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:41 pm
It's been far too long since he had the chance to amuse himself in this manner. A final bit of humor before the action begins, then.
[[Prowl, Tarantulas, Whirl, eject. Commence Operation: Spring Springer.]]
Whirl 7:42 pm
You get a soft, simulated snort in return.
Prowl 7:42 pm
And a blank stare.
Please hold while he boots up his humor subroutines.
Tarantulas 7:43 pm
Tarantulas is torn between being offended and producing a snort just like Whirl's, so he simply shakes his helm and rubs his upper optics.
Prowl 7:44 pm
Wait for it...
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:44 pm
Soundwave tilts his helm. Did he break Prowl?
Prowl 7:44 pm
"... Pff."
Tarantulas 7:45 pm
OK, that gets a snicker from Tarantulas.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:45 pm
There it is. Good. A forward motion with his hand now. Get on your way before it gets much later.
Tarantulas 7:46 pm
"Very well. A temporary moratorium on puns for the duration of the operation though, if you will."
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:46 pm
Through Soundwave's speakers: //No promises, legs.//
Whirl 7:46 pm
"I'm going to actively go out of my way to make 'em, now." Tarantulas gets a cheeky glance before Whirl goes back to staring at the screen.
Prowl 7:47 pm
"No puns in moments where the ambiguity in speech could potentially cause a moment of confusion capable of distracting or endangering anyone." He shrinks his avatar as far as it can go without crushing the sedative dispenser in his holster.
Tarantulas 7:47 pm
"Yes, that." Tarantulas squints off in Whirl's direction before moving on.
Whirl 7:48 pm
"Of course."
Tarantulas 7:49 pm
Alright, here comes the first bridge of the operation, perfectly Prowl-sized and ready for him to trot on through. The location on the other side: Debris.
Prowl 7:50 pm
"And if anyone DOES make an inappropriately timed joke," Prowl threatens, "he will be severely pun-ished."
And he trots through the bridge before he can receive his just retaliation.
ItsyBitsySpyers 7:50 pm
Rumble squawks a loud HA at Prowl's back.
Tarantulas 7:50 pm
"Ghh!" Tarantulas fluffs up briefly. Prowl, how could you betray him so?
Whirl 7:52 pm
You get one last snort from Whirl. Well done, Prowl.
