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[sword_redemption]

[There was Theophany, and fighting the Galactic Council troops. And then he heard Rodimus say something over comm, and there was a blinding flash. And now he was here, alone, standing in what looked like a courtyard, still half braced for combat. But Cyclonus wasn't next to him. No one was. Even the snow itself seemed undisturbed, a thick blanket of white, crunching under his feet. ]

[He reached for his communicube, stowing one of his twin blades, coming up instead with...a book? He'd seen them on Earth, of course, but, well, not on Theophany. And not in his own storage.]

[He flips through it, talking to himself.]

...must be the Metrotitan. All the old stories say they could teleport. Maybe he went after the others. To find the Knights of Cybertron.


But....[He looks up around the walls of the Cair rising around the courtyard.] Where is everyone else?

Comments

[sword_redemption]

There has to be a way, though. I mean, we can't just sit around doing nothing.

[originalcopy]

Fuck no, this place doesn't just let you sit around doing nothing. It likes to mess with us too.

Eventually it will do something... crazy psycho viruses, magic kissing, mirrors that drag you into trippy wonderlands. You never know.

Basically, this place sucks in just about any way you can imagine.

[sword_redemption]

[Magic...what now? He probably doesn't want to know.]

Sounds, uh, [Terrible? Horrible? Are you quote sure you're sane?]...interesting.

Who is it, though? I mean, someone has to be behind it.

[originalcopy]

Just wait until your first mindfuck...
[yeah, go ahead and sound skeptical noob.]

From what I've been told it's the Castle itself. It's alive or some bullshit.

It also took something from you. An ability, a memory or something else. Because apparently, it's just that much of a bastard.

[sword_redemption]

I can hardly wait. [Semi-deadpan.]

Like a citiformer? Like Metroplex? [Because of course you know what those are.]

Took something? [And then it hits him: the weight he's so used to feeling between his shoulders. Gone.]

....where? WHY?

[originalcopy]

City-what? What the hell does a movie theater have to do with this?

[No clue buddy.]

Ah, just figured out what it was...

[sword_redemption]

Movie....?

Metroplex. No. He's one of the cityformers. Or he used to be. He's out there somewhere.

[But Drift doesn't think this kidnapping thing is quite Metroplex's style.]

Yes. [He's going to try to play it off lightly, like it's not, OH the worst thing in the world on top of ending up here.] I don't suppose I can get that back, either.

[originalcopy]

What the fuck is a cityformer?

And no, whatever you lost is gone.
I've heard rumors in the journal chatter that sometimes a loss can change. But don't hold your breath.

[sword_redemption]

It's a Cybertronian, like me, but their alt is a city.

[Obviously.]

But..._{I need it}

[originalcopy]

[ok, so Cybertronian must be his what... species or nationality or some shit.]

What's an alt?

[He's all ready with a cutting asshole remark on the guys loss, but then he goes all "kicked puppy" and it vanishes. God damnit, he hates that.]

Look, I'm sorry but whatever it is.... it's gone.

[He actually manages to sound kind of sympathetic.]

[sword_redemption]

Alt. It's our alternate mode. Like a car. Or a jet. Stuff like that.

[He's trying not to hyperventilate. It's a little hard.]

It, I mean, it used to belong to someone very important to me. It's all I have of his.

[originalcopy]

[God fuckin damnit... he tells himself he'll just help the rookie get over it and then the asshole is on his own.]

Where are you?

[Get him focused on something else so he'll calm the fuck down.]

Alternate mode... are you saying you can turn into a car or some shit?

[sword_redemption]

Something like a courtyard. With snow. [He remembers snow from Earth.] Which is not where I should be. Either of them.

Yes. I turn into a car. [It's pretty boring where he's from.]

[originalcopy]

No fuckin' way... right, I'm on my down. I have to see that.

[Church makes his way to the courtyard while he talks. It's not that far from where he was anyway.]

[sword_redemption]

I. Uh...sure?

[No one's actually wanted to see it before. Weird.]

[originalcopy]

[Nothing like a crazy sci-fi robot to look out of place in front of a snowy castle. At least Church looks vaguely knight-like in his armor.]

So, let's see this trick of yours.

[Because really, who else would it be?]

[sword_redemption]

[Hey, Drift's got swords. He's got this knight thing down.]

It's not a trick so much as, you know, what we do?

[He shoots the blue, uh, robot? Whatever? a look. Because he's transformed thousands of times but never, you know, with a deliberate audience. It feels....weird. ]

[But he's done weirder. Here goes nothing. Human-sized robot transforming to tiny car.]

[originalcopy]

[Whatever, sniper rifle trumps sword any day.]

Uh... what are you supposed to be a kiddy car?
A mongoose is bigger than you are.

[Ok, so the transformation was cool looking and all, but seriously. So tiny.]

[sword_redemption]

[It's a macho angsty weeaboo thing. You wouldn't understand.]

I'm bigger than a mongoose. [After he looks up what that is. He manages to sound hurt. ]

[originalcopy]

Pft... not by much.

[He's (mostly) kidding... sheesh, sensitive for a robot isn't he.]

So, what's the point of turning into a car anyway?
You a taxi in your spare time?

[sword_redemption]

[He's a sensitive robot, okay? ]

It's better than some, at least. At least I can move. [Rewind turns into a memory stick, for Primus' sake.] No one was really small enough to fit.

[originalcopy]

[He's cool with that. At least he's not like Andy, that asshole bomb.]

Why would you turn into something that can't move?

Do you get to pick what you turn into? Or is it like a factory setting?

[sword_redemption]

Because there's some use for it, I guess. I mean, microscopes and such.

[Hey, what do you turn into, blue guy who's so judgmental? Huh? HUH?]

No. There's no choice. Unless you went to relinquishment clinics and rented something else.

[originalcopy]

Why not just... you know, build a microscope?

[He turns into a giant judgmental, bitter asshole... wanna' see? Actually, he's genuinely curious. His original robot body is pretty boring in comparison.]

[sword_redemption]

....

[That's...a damn good question.]

I don't know. Maybe they're bigger? Or smarter? Or something? We didn't have a lot of those when I was in the Decepticons.