[ti]Ep 2.5[/ti]Homebound [Q, Coldwind, Open please ask]

[Deleted]

Episode 2.5, Week 3, Day 6

A small island off the north-east coast of England.

You know that one dream where you’re falling and you wake up a second before you hit the ground…?

Flamesnort woke up with a start, hitting his head against the sapphire chain-glass lid of the stasis pod. It was a bad sign to be dreaming while in stasis. It was supposed to be a null energy field - no time should have passed at all for him since he went down for a nap. Instead Flamesnort’s internal chronometer read three years where it should have been zero. He ached from the slow energon drain, and oil that felt coagulated in his veins. The lid of the pod unhinged at his touch and he pulled himself out. Bleary eyed as his sytems ran diagnostics, he staggered over to the crystalline growth of the energon deposit the faintly glowing purple in the tiny dark cave. With some distaste at the need to once again raid the suplies, he carefully took a small cube to ingest. Flamesnort gave himself a few more minutes to loosen the oil in his joints before plodding over to a small console built into the side of the stasis pod. While most of the computing power and equipment was purely for the purpose of keeping the sole occupant in a state of temporal suspension, there was some small ancillary pieces. The largest was the trans-warp transmitter, a means to communicate ideally with Decepticon HQ from across the stars. He started this piece of equipment up and out of habbit, checked his own person radio comms.

Flamesnort practically had a spark attack with the sheer level of radio signals flying invisible in the air. The extent to which the squishies had extended their command of telecommunication shocked him. Simple sound only radio signals, more complicated TV signals both digital and analog, stuff that was compressed and encrypted streaming gigabits every second. Flamesnort felt severly out of depth. The more the squishies expanded their hold on their planet, the closer they got to discovering him. This was unacceptable but there was little he could do.

The last resort, the only resort was to once more try to contact HQ. He could have automated the process but he preferred to do the deed himself every time. Flamesnort phoned home, or more precisely broadcast a trans-warp signal. In theory it was supposed to reach across the stars, but Flamesnort didn't know that it barely reached the moon. Entropy always won.

“This is Flamesnort, sentry of site Iomega eight-eight, requesting orders from command. Does anyone recieve this signal?”

[Ren]

It’d been exactly one week since QLC-972 had been reassigned from his wonderfully cushy job at manning the monitors at the Space Bridge. A reassignment to the Energon mines was in his future and for absolutely no reason at all.

Okay, no, it’d been exactly one week since QLC-972 had been busted by Soundwave for playing silly little human games on his datapad. Which had then gotten him reassigned and his datapad reformatted and taken away.

There was probably more to it, hell if he could remember! But he’d been practically AVOIDING going back to Blackridge because that’d mean running into Soundwave and then that’d mean getting a swift pede up the aft through a ground bridge to the mine where he’d probably last all of… ooooooh, two minutes.

Dying? Ha! Not happening.

The coordinates to the mine in question had been sent days ago, only he’d conveniently forgotten how to read. Laying low, playing dumb, he bided his time in the hidden cave system that contained the Space Bridge. Ignoring the other Vehicons as they questioned why he was still around. Hahaa! Jokes on them! Soundwave couldn’t have really meant anything by the career relocation because the Spymaster hadn’t been back to fetch him or check up on his whereabouts (that he knew of, ignorance is bliss!). He’d continue to man the monitors here, pretending like he was supposed to be here and that everything was totally a-okay and he totally wasn’t missing his shifts in the mines. Aah, the joys of being just another drone - it wasn’t like they missed him, right?

He was safe. Cushy job secured. He’d even started looking into jailbreaking his new datapad to download more games! He’d lost his daily login bonus a long time ago buuuut that was something he could get back.

Only the safety blanket of pretending things were okay didn’t last, and… it wasn’t Soundwave that called upon him, but a ping from Knock Out about routine maintenance and a checkup. One ping, then another. Risking a third was probably super bad news, and so he’d slunk back to Blackridge, hoping to get in and out in no time at all.

Using his best stealthy ninja skills, he crept down the stone corridors of Blackridge. Peeking around corners before scuttling forward to get to his destination.

All in all, the checkup went well. Nothing to report. No errors in his system, just a gentle nag about arriving after the first ping. Noted. Now to get back to the cave system without running into Soundwave, which if his ability to get here unnoticed was anything to go by? Would be easy-peasy!

Q got this.
Heading back toward the Ground Bridge, it would just be a case of inputting the return coordinates once more, stepping through, and going back to a life of (mostly) glorious inactivity and silly video games.

Only-

There were a lot of things happening at once then. Maybe it was some horribly twisted karma for not doing what he was supposed to all this time, or just some ridiculously unfortunate bad luck, but no sooner had he inputted the reverse coordinates did an unknown voice ping through the comm (which he ignored), shifting the coordinates of the soon-to-be-opened bridge to lock on to this new voice and approximate location.

Something Q probably would’ve noticed if it weren’t for the sound of hauntingly quiet-but-familiar footsteps heading his way. Or at least, he thought he heard them - which was enough reason to get the heck out of dodge. Was he about to stick around and wait to find out? Hellz to the no, and the button was pressed - a portal tearing into the air with swirls of green and yellow a split second later.

Q wasted no time in running through the portal, which closed moments later behind him.

-

It was dark in here, and unfamiliar.

“Uuh…”

Well, this certainly wasn’t the cave he was used to. Was this a… mine? His visor-like-optics adjusted to the changing of ambient light rather quickly, and he couldn’t help but notice there were blue shards of Energon all throughout the area, jutting out of the rock - large ones, too, like they’d been here for a long time. No signs of mining activity, nor any presence of Cybertronians or Humans that he could see.

“Could’ve been worse, coulda bridged myself into a wall!” he laughed to himself, filling the now eerie-quiet with his voice because what was better than the sound of your own voice in a time of crisis?

Obviously the first thing to do would be to find some sort of exit so he could get his bearings and work out just where the heck he actually was, and so he’d carefully begin to walk, turning down a narrow corridor that seemed to lead into a larger area, pausing in his footsteps and letting out a rather high pitched shriek of surprise almost instantaneously, and then another.

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. Realizing what he’d just done and knowing he’d no doubt drawn any and all attention onto himself, he’d turn quickly on his heel, sprinting back the way he’d came, ducking down and hiding behind a large cluster of Energon in the room that had no way out.

What a good plan.

In a perfect situation, this would be where he called back to base to report not only the mass amount of untapped, unrefined Energon crystals but also the giant...WHATEVER THAT WAS. He only saw it for a split second, all he knew it was bigger than him. Unfortunately, this was Q and well- this wasn’t a perfect situation, and he’d never been good at acting well under pressure.

A servo would raise to the side of his helm, first step into reporting to Blackridge was a success, only in his panic and confusion, a direct comm would be sent to… well, he didn’t know who.

“HELLO? HI. Hello. Ohh Primus. Aa- Okay, okay. Calm down. Calm down. This is Q… Uh. QLC-972, reporting in. From- I don’t know. I don’t technically knoowww where I am.”

Great start, Q.

“There’s SO much Energon here. I fell into an untapped mine I think. Or a cave. Yeah. Cave. But there’s a huge- I don’t even know what he is! A dinosaur? Lizard? DINOSAUR LIZARD?! Guarding it maybe? I’m not making this up! Send help!” he was talking a mile a minute, and probably not making a whole lot of sense but hey- he got all the key details out there, and with the comm would be coordinates, so that probably helped, too.

Hopefully whoever was on the other end wasn’t Soundwave, had heard the previous comm and put two and two together, or at least had enough sympathy to help a Vehicon in need!

It was a lot to ask, but Q needed some good luck!

[Coldwind]

There were always those among the Decepticons who pursued comfort at the cost of their status and integrity. Complacent fools who vaingloriously believed themselves to be beyond consequences. They needed a reminder before their self-sabotage threatened the Faction.

The fear of the Decepticon Justice Division and Soundwave did well enough for most. But then there were the drones. Nameless, and many, they were disposable. If one happened to shirk their duties, it barely registered with their superiors. The great and mighty were tone-deaf when it came to the conduct of their minions. Such has been the Decepticon way from time immemorial.

Coldwind, like many in her position, hardly cared about the duties of a nobody Vehicon. And unless Starscream forced it upon her, she would scarcely pay any attention to what they were doing. The Seeker was a lieutenant, not a clerk. Simply put, bots like she, well, they had better things to do than to preoccupy themselves with such things.

And on the subject of those better things, today seemed like an exceptional day to focus on one’s combat skills. In the end, what else was there? Coldwind was ever a warrior. A cold, ruthless, and efficient warrior. And efficiency dictates that she should practice.

The Seeker spent many hours in a large hollow room at Blackridge. Her opponent was a rudimentary hologram projected from a tiny gadget on the floor. Whenever she punched through a specific area, it lit up red, and whenever she “disabled” her opponent, the hologram dispersed into a sea of purple particles.

The femme was about to deliver another killing blow when, suddenly, she noted strange sounds coming down the hallway. 

A thunk here, a dunk there.

At first, she thought nothing of it. It was probably a stray worker who came down to fix a faulty circuit or two. But then, one thing seemed rather odd about the pattern. Irregular, tense, quiet for a moment, comically loud for the next. These were not the ques of a maintenance crew.

These were footsteps. Somebody was trying to sneak in...or out.

Have the Autobots discovered Blackridge? Perhaps it was an infestation of local vermin? Her mind started to race. Whatever carried such gait could be a threat. And when Coldwind recognized a threat, very few could stop her.

She struck out after the noise.

Eventually, Coldwind came upon the Groundbridge, swirling and glowing brightly. A silhouette jumped in as if it was running away from her. Through the green hues, she could discern no details, but the figure was far smaller and thinner than her, no doubt humanoid too.

But then, as soon as the mysterious intruder vanished, the bridge sputtered and died. Coldwind snarled quietly and approached the controls. With a lazy sway of her clawed digits, the Vosnian entered the last set of coordinates used.

Before Coldwind opened the way, she pressed an index finger against her comlink. There was only one bot you could call when the base was at risk.

Soundwave.

A moment from contacting the spymaster, something unexpected happened. A horrible, loud, and panicked voice attacked her comms mercilessly. It was so painful you could mistake it for a sonic weapon.

“HELLO? HI. Hello. Ohh Primus. Aa- Okay, okay. Calm down. Calm down. This is Q… Uh. QLC-972, reporting in. From- I don’t know. I don’t technically knoowww where I am.”

"I don't care! I'm busy, and you have a lot of nerve calling this frequency."

QLC...That sounded familiar.

“There’s SO much Energon here. I fell into an untapped mine I think. Or a cave. Yeah. Cave. But there’s a huge- I don’t even know what he is! A dinosaur? Lizard? DINOSAUR LIZARD?! Guarding it maybe? I’m not making this up! Send help!”

Oh...it was him. The idiot. Coldwind quickly cut the feed before his rambling did any permanent damage to her audio receptors—or to her processor. If that happened, Knock Out would never let her hear the end of it. And he was a handful already. The femme didn't need even more of him in her life.

Now, what was on the other side of the bridge—that seemed far more important. 

If Coldwind only knew.

With a quick pull of the lever, she opened an emerald waygate and went through.

—————————————

A dimly lit cave, Energon in the distance. This couldn't be... Oh, no. Of course, it was. She figured the whole story behind this already. Just when she thought there possibly couldn't be a way to make this day any worse, it turned out that Q was a gift that just kept on giving.

Now, about that (completely real and totally not made-up) giant lizard...Where was it?

[Deleted]

Flamesnort had made and sent his message so many times he’d lost count, and while he hoped for a response, he never ever expected one so unannounced. The appearance of the ground bridge was so surprising, it took Flamesnort precious moments to shift his processor out of neutral. He knew of them, but had never seen one let alone been through one, the singular exception being the one time he was sent to Earth so long ago. The green light from the ground bridge, combined with the light coming through from the other side flooded the small rocky sanctum that was Flamesnort’s home. It lasted but a handful of seconds illuminating the stasis pod with its hinged open crystal clear canopy and the dais of instruments built into the side, of which Flamesnort had been operating. The dark volcanic rock, once rough hewn, was smooth and clean. A small tunnel, too low for anyone other than Flamesnort led out of sight. The floor had a furrow from eons of wear of four heavy metallic feet.

His gut reaction was that he was under attack by some Autobot force. Flamesnort moved to attack. If he had been quicker, there was a chance that Flamesnort would have made every effort to turn Q into a shredded pile of molten slag. As it was, Flamesnort halted the attack before he really got started when he recognised the distinct form a vehicon trooper. A sole trooper at that. Still, the sentry of the energon hoard pounced ahead to intersperse himself between the trooper and the treasure.

A million and more years ago, back when the war was still gathering into a colossal storm, Megatron had seen fit to give freedom of choice to drones who would become vehicons. He had freed them from indentured servitude, just like so many of the dregs who made up the Decepticon rebellion. Flamesnort had been wholly in support. So he knew a vehicon when he saw one, and knew most, if not all, owed their sparks to Megatron. He also knew that they were not the most competent or capable, and there was a sad truth to the reason they were relegated to canon fodder. They were people and deserved equal treatment. Still Flamesnort had to put his duty to guard the energon first.

“Step forward and die! State you name, rank and directive Soldier!” He barked out. That was as far as he got when another gate opened up almost directly behind the Vehicon. At this point Flamesnort was deliberately increasing his full body temperature. In less than a minute he would be literally burning hot to the touch. He was well ready to lit rip with a jet of flame intended to make any Autobot burn.

[Ren]

"I don't care! I'm busy, and you have a lot of nerve calling this frequency."

“Wai-!” Click.

Oh. Oh well that wasn’t good. The comm being cut off after the rather rude response was even worse- it meant that he was alone down here in this cave, trapped with whatever the heck that thing was with absolutely no hope of rescue. He could’ve sworn he’d heard that voice before, but his processor was on other, probably more important things than whoever it was that he’d called.

Okay, okay- next step of this mission he’d found himself on. Call someone else! Duh! Maybe Reggie could work something out, come and get him, or at the very least open a bridge so he could escape!

Servo to helm, he kept himself low and mostly out of sight. All he had to do was caaaalll and-

A barked voice cut through the quiet, making Q flinch and stop what he was doing.

Oh no was the thing talking to him? Well OBVIOUSLY! He was the only one here! Damn that shriek of terror that gave him away! Then again Ground Bridges weren’t exactly quiet, and it’d no doubt illuminated everything too, so…

Another high pitched squeak left him. He couldn’t exactly stay hidden behind this Energon cluster. He wasn’t HIDDEN for one thing.

Weighing up the pros and cons, of which there weren’t exactly many pros, Q would slowly pull himself to his pedes, holding up both servos to show he meant no harm.

“Hullo! Not stepping forward! Nope! Staying here! Right here, see? Promise!” hahah. Ha. A nervous laugh as he crooked his helm downward to indicate the place he was standing, not wanting to move his arms in case the lizard creature thought he was about to shoot.

“Uh, I’m QLC-972, S-sir! Vehicon… trrrrooooper?” he didn’t really have a rank.

Directive?

Well, he didn’t have one of those either!

“My directive is uh-”

He was cut off by the loud, familiar roar of a Ground Bridge opening and he’d tense his frame, shoulders hiking up some as he thought for a moment that something terrible had happened. Ah-ha! Rescue had come! Whoever it was was behind him, and he didn’t dare turn around. Not yet.

“I came here by mistake, honest!”

If he’d been paying more attention to the initial comm from Flamesnort, it would take all of ten seconds to work out that this was indeed site Iomega eight-eight, and that Flamesnort was on their side.

But unfortunately, paying attention wasn’t something Q was good at. As far as he was concerned, this was all some terrible misunderstanding. 

[Coldwind]

“So, this is your—and I quote—dinosaur lizard?” A hollow voice mocked Q from behind while the Vehicon was too preoccupied with the supposed monster. Coldwind stepped forward with heavy footfalls and noted Flamesnort’s readiness to unleash his attack.

She wasn’t very good at de-escalation, but this situation made it critical. Otherwise, she and QLC-972 could end up pieces of molten slag. That was not a pleasant thought since everybody present was a Decepticon. Just imagine the report; not a great resume.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for Coldwind to notice the prominent insignia at the center of the dragon’s crest. Thank Megatron for small mercies. Rolling her optics, the Vosnian pointed to the Decepticon symbols decorating her wings.

“We are on the same side. If you still want to incinerate this moron, at least do it in a place where I won’t have to look at his whimpering,” the femme explained with due emphasis and passed Q a momentary glance of judgment and anger. If there ever was solid grounds to bully Vehicons, he was a perfect example. Not that Coldwind ever needed a reason, but it was nice having one.

After such a coarse and ruthless remark, she clasped her hands behind her back and began to reason.

“I assume you are one of the sentries we’ve left behind on Earth following the seeding.”

As a Seeker and a somewhat highly-positioned Decepticon, she had access to such information. And even if she had not, her many years in the presence of Starscream would warrant knowing as much regardless.

“It appears your signal was received by our base on this planet, and by some gargantuan leap of logic—which we mere mortals may never comprehend—this genius decided your coordinates would be a good hiding spot... for all the good it will do.”

When talking about "this genius," Coldwind half-heartedly nudged her head in Q’s general direction, but otherwise maintained her focus on Flamesnort. While he was a Decepticon, she still maintained caution. You never knew with lesser species. Insecticons and the lot always gave her a pause.

[Deleted]

Flamesnort made a very brief assessment of QLC-972 and held of any attack. The vehicon didn't seem to have enough mental cohesion to be anything other than a stereotypical sentient drone. Unless of course he was acting. In which case he was very artful and they were all doomed. Perhaps fortunately, Flamesnort's attention was drawn to the one coming from behind Q. He didn't care much for her derisive tone towards QLC-972 but for all Flamesnort knew, the drone warranted worse.

"Your assumption is accurate, I am Flamesnort, guardian to however much energon that has grown to be" he replied while gesturing behind himself. He decided to take these two at face value for now. Flamesnort knew the Autobots could be decidedly tricky but thought the probability of going to such an elaborate hoax incredibly unlikely. Still he only lessened his defences slightly, better safe than sorry had served him well. He also had so many questions to ask but he was patient. Always patient.

"This was a good hiding spot, for a million years. Forgive me if I seem terse, I have so few visitors here, and none who make an entrance unannounced." He glanced, almost accusingly at QLC-972. "So please, tell me your name and rank...and... how goes the war? Are we victorious against the evil Autobots?" he enquired.

[Ren]

Even though Q was more than aware that someone had bridged in behind him, his processor was so focused on the giant dinosaur lizard that in the span of about five seconds, he’d completely forgotten there was a third person here.

At least, until they spoke.

A startled squawk escaped him, and he’d turn his helm to look over his shoulder at who it was. It hadn’t quite clicked yet that he’d in fact spoken to Coldwind before - back when she needed passage to Earth - and with the way things were going? It was unlikely that it ever would. He was just thankful that there was someone else here! That his mad scramble to reach someone over the comm had worked, even if she’d hung up on him! He was saved!

“Ah! Yes! Look at him! Look!” he squeaked, madly gesturing toward Flamesnort with both servos as if it wasn’t completely obvious who he was talking about.

“Please don’t incinerate me! Soundwave will be really mad, I’m useful! Honest! Just in the wrong place!”

Psh, as if Soundwave would care if he lived or died. But throwing the Spymaster’s name out there had to mean something, right?

A nervous look behind him, then back to Flamesnort.

“Nice to meet you, Flamesnort the giant Decepticon Dinosaur Lizard!” almost as if he’d forgotten he was terrified mere seconds earlier, he’d give a cheery wave.

“There was a mix-up with the coordinates and that’s how I got here. Honest misunderstanding, things have been a bit of a mess right what with the new base and stuff!” he laughed, not fully answering the question that'd been asked, and probably leaving Flamesnort with more questions than actual answers - Coldwind would probably be able to articulate it better than he ever could. Q wasn’t privy to things going on in the war, only that he was still alive - which was a good thing!

[Coldwind]

“I’m lieutenant Coldwind,” she casually waved a servo towards Flamesnort without too much care or effort. Then, her demonic optics snapped back to Q for the last time; irritation plainly obvious in the Seeker’s expression. Why wouldn’t he shut up?! Did the standard for Vehicons truly drop so low? That even an absolute cretin like QLC-972 could somehow continue to function? This was the last straw.

“Silence! Or I will have Knock Out remove your voice box,” Coldwind snarled at the apologetic Vehicon in a bout of anger. Following that little outburst, she turned back towards Flamesnort. He was the focus, Q was just the distraction.

But to emphasize the point, she let out one final phrase directed at the inept trooper: “...Without anesthetics.”

Then, the draconic Decepticon had her full, undivided attention. Hopefully, QLC was spineless enough to avoid disturbing the two from now-on. There was a lot to explain to somebody who has been out of the loop for as long as Flamesnort. Coldwind would have to cover a lot of ground.

“But back to your question, Flamesnort. The Autobot scourge has been driven off Cybertron. However, in the wake of their retreat, the planet was left barren and uninhabitable. We’ve paid for victory with our world.”

Exposition was not her forte, but Coldwind spoke with passion. It seemed she well and truly hated the Autobots.

“A regrettable sacrifice, but necessary. Cybertron will be remade in Decepticon image, but first, we must finish this war of attrition. The Autobots scattered across the stars. And here on Earth, we found their leader.”

She crossed her arms, scouting the cave with her optics.

“Optimus Prime has chosen this planet as his harborage, surrounded by what little remains of the Autobot resistance. But we are many, and we have the advantage.”

A solemn pause.

“Yet recent developments have somewhat weakened our grasp on this ball of organic filth. First, you should know that a dangerous disease spreads through the ranks. It changes sane bots into vicious monsters and corrupts the mind. Through the influence of this pathogen, we have lost the warship Nemesis...and relocated into a new fortress—if you can call it that.”

Resentment and rage saturated Coldwind’s voice. And how could it not? The events themselves were infuriating enough, but they also called to mind the way Starscream himself had to elaborate on them, and in so doing, they reminded the Vosnian of her long years of solitude, for which the current Decepticon Lord shall know no forgiveness, no matter how convenient it is for the both of them to pretend otherwise.

“Since the warship’s crash, Megatron has been absent. Per protocol, Starscream now leads our forces. Or rather, Lord Starscream, as he would have you say it. Quite possibly followed by a reminder of how he terminated some nobody Autobot...Hophill or whatever.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Coldwind realized how absurd the current state of affairs seemed. Her only comfort was that the Autobots had grown weaker than the Decepticons. But even that was no longer a certainty, taking into account the unpredictable nature of current times.

“I would explain more, but not here. This place grows tiresome...claustrophobic. And besides, It is high time you saw Starscream’s wonderful new seat of power.”

The timber of Coldwind’s tone was one of irony and dismissal. She has never held any love for Megatron’s vaunted Nemesis and she lamented not having the opportunity to serve aboard the vessel, but Blackridge Hold was even worse. A disgusting, organic hovel, no better than the cave she stood in now.

[Deleted]

Flamesnort gave QLC a small smile. “Neither lizard, nor dinosaur. Hmmm...think Dragon!” He pounced out that last word with satisfaction of a fond memory a thousand years old. And to further emphasize, he spat out a small jet of flame to one side, clear of the pod, people and energon hoard. 

What warmth Flamesnort felt towards his long lost comrades  - aside from his own preternatural heating - was quickly extinguished by Coldwind’s treatment of QLC-972. He felt no anger or frustration at Coldwind, just momentary disgust briefly replaced with mild resignation. Flamensort knew full well that the war had brought out the worst in many, and some were already twisted from other psychological issues far beyond Flamesnorts meager understanding. But they were meant to be fighting oppressors, not becoming them. Any action Flamesnort might take would be far from now however. Patience was after all his strong suit. But a few good words might alleviate his own tension.

“Leave the poor vehicon alone, it’s hardly his own fault for being the way he is, yeah? It was Megatron who freed them from Autobot enslavement, were all in this together.” Flamesnort tried to balance the pleading in his voice with command. His social skills were rusty, and poor enough when at his best.

There was so much that Coldwind further said that only led to more questions. He figured a substantial debrief would clarify much, but all in due time. There was also much that worried him, but the Good Decepticons were winning over their evil counterparts and that did give him hope.

“I do see however that I have much to learn about the last million years, and yes I do admit I desire to leave this hole." Flamesnort couldn't hide his smile however at Coldwind's announcement of claustrophobia. Seekers and their desire to stretch their wings, for all that they sought, they always seemed to bring trouble. "I would however be derelict in my duty if I did not stand watch over this energon now that my location is known. If QLC can find me so easily then I have concern those Autobots can too. I will not leave this site until it has all be safely mined and transported to this new fortress."

Flamesnort thought briefly about the logistics of a mining operation here and now. Sensing the end to this sentry duty made him both anxious and content. "Coldwind, are you in a position to initiate a mining operation here at this site? The proximity of the squishies to the west will necessitate some stealth."

[Ren]

“Dragon?!” Q gasped, perking up considerably. That was so much cooler than a dinosaur lizard, especially paired with the jet of flame that was so showing off - but heck, if Q could do something like that? He’d do it ALL the time. He knew there were things like Flamesnort back on Cybertron, although he’d never actually seen one until now - meaning it’d probably take some time for the wow factor to wear off.

As Coldwind stated her designation, something seemed to click in Q’s processor. He KNEW he recognized that angry voice from somewhere! She was the one who’d called back when he was at the Space Bridge controls!

Which was why her snarled command paired with a horrible threat didn’t come as much surprise. Still made him flinch and shrink in on himself a little, though.

“Sorry!” he started, at his usual volume - before squeaking out another, mumbled apology that was barely audible. Did she even have the power to make Knock Out do that? Then again all she had to do was threaten to scratch the CMO’s finish and he’d probably do anything.

Best not to risk it! He didn’t know any other way of talking! Chirolinguistics? HA! As if. Maybe he could write notes. But that’d be annoying, having to carry a datapad and stylus around everywhere every time he wanted to say something!

Time to stand still and behave.

He stood quiet and awkward, fingertips tapping against each other as he listened to Coldwind explain the situation far more coherently than he ever could. Occasionally he’d nod along to her words, as if him nodding would show that yep, she was right and telling the truth!

Only at mention of ‘Hophill’ did he shuffle his pedes a little, holding up one finger to very, very quietly interject.

“Cliffjumper!”

Giving the correct name was helping, right? Just in case Flamesnort congratulated Starscream on terminating him, how awkward it would be if he got the wrong name! That wouldn’t be a good first impression! Not that Q was any good at those himself!

He slowly panned his helm to look at Coldwind as she mentioned the new seat of power, and how this place was claustrophobic. Blackridge wasn’t exactly any better! That place was cramped as heck! Maybe the sarcasm and irony were lost on him, however.

He’d been expecting Flamesnort to leave it at that, but- strangely, the dinosau-- uhhh, dragon, was defending him. Or at least sticking up for him!

If he had a mouth, he’d smile. But he didn’t, so there was a gentle shifting of his weight to stand up a little straighter. Yay!

“In my defense, I wasn’t trying to find you.” he added, quietly - keeping his voice low as not to annoy Coldwind any further.

“We have the coordinates marked, so you should be okay going to Blackridge- uh, the new base. Then we can get some Vehicons in to help clear it out over time!”

Maybe he was partially overstepping here in continuing to talk when it was Coldwind that had been asked the question, but he had been tasked with mining, and even though he technically hadn’t even started yet, he sooooo knew what he was talking about!

[Coldwind]

A moment of quiet disregard.

Coldwind didn’t care to confront Flamesnort, nor did she bother silencing Q whenever his annoying vocal processor synthesized another equally annoying word. Indeed, she would be hard-pressed to make Knock Out remove it, but the Vehicon didn’t know that. And he didn’t need to know that. All he needed was to be afraid of the possibility.

Fear was what kept the Decepticon armada in order. Fear was the thing that kept their enemies on the run, and fear was the medium through which officers like Coldwind treated with their subordinates. That Flamesnort lacked such a basic understanding of modern Decepticon doctrine was...concerning. She wondered how long he’d be able to hold onto that gallant defense of Vehicons.

A thought to finish another time, perhaps.

The vents on her torso and back hissed, releasing steam as tension left Coldwind’s body. She turned her back on the two Decepticons and pressed a gnarly claw onto the side of an audio-receptor.

“Soundwave, prepare a Groundbridge at my coordinates. We have company.”

A chilling voice, devoid of emotion and melody. In part, it was more of a request than a command. She didn’t hold enough power within the structure to order Soundwave of all bots around. But this was his duty, and the spymaster seldom erred in that regard.

Now she waited for the seafoam portal, for a confirmation that her signal did indeed reach the correct recipient, and that he was made aware of the request at hand.

While the three of them waited, she glanced over her shoulder, moving the towering wings on her back out of the way so that she could see Flamesnort eye to eye.

“A word of advice, Flamesnort.”

A long pause, the Seeker’s pupils shifting from one corner of the optics to the other.

“Be careful with whom you share your sentiments.”

Was this a threat? If so, then it would surely be one poorly veiled. No, Coldwind was smarter than that. This was not a threat. It was a warning. While she may not care how Flamesnort conducts himself, there were those who could take issue with his noble and friendly demeanor. The Decepticons have changed much since his day and age, and not at all for the better.

The dragon would have to measure his steps with delicate care.

[Deleted]

“I apologize for not making myself clear enough. Unless you can absolutely assure me that the Autobots on this dirt ball of a planet cannot do with intent what QLC did here by accident and find this site from my transmission, I will not leave the energon. That is my duty direct from High Command. Unless Lord Starscream..” The words sounded alien in his mouth. “Orders me to relinquish my post.”

Flamesnort sighed. He really did want to finally leave this hole but he would not abandon duty. And what was another few days or weeks in comparison to the million years past. Plus the end of the mission was finally in sight, and there was finally decepticon company. He could be patient, more than patient enough.

Even with his lack of ability regarding subtle social clues, Flamesnort caught the veiled meanings in Coldwind’s tone and words, he was also caught by surprise. A surprise to be sure because of his hard grasp on his ideals rather than reality.

Flamesnort stared back hard at Coldwind, full of suspicion at the whole current situation rather than the femme herself. “I beg your pardon but are you implying my sentiments regarding the fair treatment of fellow soldiers” Flamesnort glanced at Q indicating who he was talking about. “Is not shared by others? Because that unfairness to others is exactly why the war began!”

He had no intention to start any verbal conflict with anyone, least of all his would be rescuer but he was still a little overwhelmed by all the revelations of the last minutes.

[Ren]

Q didn’t notice Coldwind turning to use her comm, and it was probably a good thing he didn’t know who she was talking to because Soundwave was exactly the mech he’d been trying to avoid.

Instead, he listened to Flamesnort - nodding at his words. The slight pause after Starscream’s name was interesting, but having being stuck in a cave for so long thinking Megatron was in charge and then finding out he wasn’t? Well, it was probably a shock to the system!

Another nod - confident this time, before he responded with equal confidence.

“I can absolutely assure you! Once the comm came in from you it would’ve been encrypted and then scrambled so the Autobots couldn’t get a bead on where it came from. Honestly we have so much energon right now that even if we did have to leave this for a little bit it probably wouldn’t matter!” he stated matter-of-factly. It was no secret how much energon they had stored, he’d helped open bridges getting it to their various fortified bunkers.

More was always good, though! But he could only assume that leaving this little stockpile unguarded for a little while wasn’t going to harm anything! Kudos to Flamesnort for being so dedicated, though. A true Decepticon!

As Coldwind started speaking, Q snuck a peek over his own shoulder to look at her. Even with her back turned to them, she was so imposingly huge - and he didn’t like the way she was talking, even if she didn’t sound entirely angry.

Turning back to look at Flamesnort, he’d give another gentle (if a little hesitant) nod.

Oh this was quickly becoming awkward, and given it was about the Vehicons - which he was! - he’d remain quiet, figuring his input wasn’t needed on the matter - pressing his fingertips together and just hoping that Coldwind didn’t react with violence.

[Coldwind]

It was then that Coldwind finally turned around and showered Flamesnort with her attention again. QLC already explained the technicalities of just how safe his Energon was currently, and so she did not bother to further elaborate. Now, she was focused on intruding good old lady reality back into Flamesnort’s life.

She approached closer, lifted her chin towards the cavernous ceiling, and threw wide her arms, ready for a grand speech, all to the dragon’s benefit. With her fingertips stretching out as far as her wings did, Coldwind began to speak in a prideful voice. She reveled in violence, and she praised subjugation. Explaining how things worked was a dream manifest.

“Fair treatment?!” She laughed a deep, grating chuckle.

“Fair treatment is not a right! It is a privilege of the strong and the competent!” The raw, saturated megalomania in her voice was sickening, permeating every word and taking root in every syllable. Oh, how long has it been since she got to express herself like this?

Far too long, apparently. With a mighty swing of her right arm, Coldwind brought a hand towards her chest and clenched it into a tight fist.

“This Vehicon? Well,” another poisoned laughter, “he is a great many things, but competent he is not.”

This time around, she did not even bother scowling at Q. The way she spoke about him with such vitriol was enough to see just how much she hated him and his ilk. With every fiber of her circuitry to the rotten spark beating in her chest.

“The Decepticon paradigm has shifted!” Coldwind raised her voice to the point of yelling, waving that clenched fist outwards again. This was indeed what the war has done to the once well-intentioned extremists. Now, monsters like Coldwind held status, and might made the ultimate right to everything.

Then her voice shifted. From a bassy shout to a low, smooth baritone.

“You’d do well…”

That’s when she stepped closer towards Flamesnort, lowering her head so that the two of them would see eye to eye. And in that exact moment, a gigantic, vile grin crept over her features, mouth twisting. Was this even the same person that once regarded this whole situation with callous disregard?

“...To adjust.”

With those final words, a vortex of swirling mists opened behind Coldwind. The many hues of purple, blue, yellow, and overpowering green illuminated her ghoulish visage from the back until she eventually retracted, disengaging from Flamesnort.

And so, she bowed; her performance over with the gateway to the dragon’s next chapter in life open. If her theatrics did not set the tone for what was to come, few things would. The new Decepticons were not the faction Flamesnort joined. Megatron was no longer a visionary, he was a cruel overlord. Their forces were no longer a mass of the low and downtrodden, they were murderers.

They have risen above their humble origins and became an army. An unstoppable weapon.