Ep.1 - 'Tape Deck' - Open - Finis

[Deleted]

Fairwinds was sat in one of her favourite spots on the Nemesis, eating gummies shaped like lightning bolts from the packet she'd stashed here last time. The girders atop the main concourse outside of the Eradicon refabrication plant were straight-beam beneath the curved ceiling, a leftover from a restructuring many vorns ago, and made for a private walkway for cassette-sized folk. There were even relatively close air vent hatches situated at either end.

The view was what Fairwinds came for. Whilst naturally social and brimming with enthusiasm to gossip, trade collectables and manage the ship's social calender, sometimes it was nice to just sit up and away from the bustle. The refabrication plant was always a hive of activity amongst the Decepticon troopers, second only to the Eradicon's mess. Outside the heavy doors was the most common route to the patrol-dispatch groundbridge, the mess hall, and the lift to the command pit.

Mecha were rolled in from the Medbay once their cores had been stabilised, often for a frame overhaul that was beyond Knock Out's patience and beneath his skills. The reunions between awakened Eradicons were particularly enjoyable to watch - usually comprising of an update on the scuttlebutt, which shows had become popular, what was on at movie night this week, and what new collectables were on the market.

No patrols had encountered resistance today, so there was no refabrication traffic below Fairwind's perch. There was still plenty to watch, however. Mustang was having a pretty vocal exchange with Eddie about taking her tool kit and leaving his 'greasy, cockeyed monkey wrenches' in their place. Against the bulkhead, a group of Vehicons were exchanging Pokemon. Another group were placing bets on something Fairwinds had not yet gotten wind of. She couldn't make out from their coded glyphs and words if it was about a television show or someone's body count.

She snapped back another gummy, working her tongue around the gelatinous goop of energon that would make up part of her fuel ration for the day.

The vibration against her undercarriage alerted her to Ravage's slow, near-silent approach before anything else. Fairwinds checked her packet of gummies to see if there was enough to offer one, pleased to see that the 'one for you, six for me' ratio could be met. Privately she knew that she would offer the quadruped one even if it couldn't. Ravage was cool.

"Hey Ravage," she greeted brightly, confident that he would stop as she was partially blocking his path. Nudging the packet towards him with the flat of her head, Fairwinds smiled up at the mech. "Gummy? I finally got some Strontium Aluminate to make'em glow green instead of blue, but it's not really worked. Makes them kinda tingly on the tongue instead. Try one!"

[Ravage]

It had been a long, long week, Ravage thought to himself. Amazing how time often seemed relative. It wasn't like he hadn't remained in one position for an equal amount of hours during important meetings back on Cybertron. In those meetings though, there was always something to listen to or debate. There was passion and anger, there were politics and persuasion. Mechs rising up to take new postions, to bring up new facts, to twist truth to their own agenda.

Always something he took away with him each time and kept close. He held onto these memories, knowing that someday they might be useful for his cause, his goals... even his life.

Out on patrol on Earth this time, his patience over the last days had only been rewarded with a fleeting sniff of mech. All he'd had to listen to was the drip of the rain and the rustle and chitter of forest creatures. At least this time they'd refrained from attempting to stuff pinecones into the gaps in his plating. If there was to be a squirrel revolution, he thought dryly, I shall be the first to say I anticipated such.

His jaws parted with wry humor at the thought, and exposed his fangs in what was the spy's approximation of a smile. Below him, the clash and clang of those that were working made his ears twitch slightly. He padded silently along the byway of beams, his dark form slipping in and out of shadow as he observed what was going on below. An argument that might culminate in a thrown wrench to the head, a pondering of... Pikachu versus Luxio, and a bet that sounded rather suspect as to who would be getting the payoff -

Ah, and Fairwinds, watching it all from this lofty walkway perch. The avian's red frame gleamed; her head cocked from side to side before she lifted her beak and swallowed a glowing little morsel. Ravage's ears quirked forward; and he realized she'd noticed him as well. Immediately, he offered up a companionable nod.

"Greetings, Fairwinds."

Oddly enough- while many of the Decepticons around base didn't appear to appreciate Fairwinds at times, Ravage genuinely enjoyed the company of the the other cassette. Far more so than many of the others. He could appreciate her enthusiasm, the sheer joy and excitement over little things like a shiny bauble; it reminded him that at times he needed to stop focusing on the grand picture and remember the components it was made of.

As she pushed the packet towards him, he politely sat down, tucking his haunches underneath himself. He extended his nose; a sniff to analyze the treat she offered to him. It personally wasn't his favorite thing - perhaps it was the texture? He never was entirely sure. However, it was a special offer coming from Fairwinds, and he simply would not turn that sort of gesture down.

"Thank you," he rumbled and carefully plucked out one little gummy. It rested delicately between his fangs before he tipped back his head and swallowed.

His ears pricked upright as he eased back onto his haunches, tucking his paws just so, perfectly straight and even under him. "Well, that is an interesting combination," he agreed with a chuckle, tail flipping thoughtfully back and forth. "Not bad at all. I rather like the aftertaste."

"How are you?" he asked, after the fizzy little remnants had cleared from his throat. "I half expected you to be out on a patrol yourself, I have not seen you about recently. Things well? Busy?"

[Deleted]

The avian's helm crests flicked in her equivalent of a shrug, her optics still fixed down on the mecha milling about the concourse. "Yeah. It's nice to be on-board longer than eight cycles, now. 'cept my mini-still backed up during my last patrol and made this weird sticky mess in my cupboard that I haven't figured out how to scrape up yet, but I think it's edible, so I might just eat it so it's not there any more. I haven't decided yet."

Fairwinds slumped a little on her perch, mood switching as easily as a gear change. "I torqued Master off a bit a while back. Got sent on ditch-digging duty and brought back an Insecticon, which he was super happy about." She slung her helm back with typically exaggerated despair at how unfairly the universe had been treating her. "So then I had to shadow Raddie patrols and not break radio silence unless it was relevant to the patrol, and basically not have any fun, but now I've clocked up enough punishment time and I'm allowed to dock and watch movies again."

Docking was something of a rare privilege for Fairwinds. Megatron used the hardline connection for secure data transfer and the minimum contact time required for a stable cassette/carrier bond. Otherwise, the warlord preferred his adopted cassette to remain separate and thus extend his reach. Soundwave was the eyes and ears of the Decepticons, but he was not a social creature and mecha did not talk to him. Fairwinds had the kind of longwave and throttled charm that eased vocalisers and teased out more nuanced sentiments from her fellow Decepticons.

The current unease at the forefront of the awakened Eradicons' processors was not something that had to be teased out, however. Knock Out had the damage reports, Breakdown the refabrication statistics, and Soundwave the statistical probabilities of attacks on various patrol routes.

Fairwinds, on the other servo, knew well the feelings behind those numbers.

The Eradicons were angry at the attacks that served no gain to the Autobots other than a temporary decrease in Decepticon numbers. More than that, they were genuinely unsettled by the single-minded viciousness of the attacks. Rumours of a massive, mad Autobot hunting down patrols to sate his sadistic needs were running rife.

Deciding that she wasn't in the mood for snacking any more, Fairwinds tucked the packet of gummies back into her subspace and, after a considering glance at the other cassette, sidestepped to sit closer to him. "But I think I'm gonna volunteer for extra patrols again. Just to keep an optics on things," she announced, nodding at her own conviction. "Did you hear someone's been slagging our guys? Like, just tearing whole squads apart at the seams?"

[Ravage]

Ravage simply sat and listened to Fairwinds as she flitted from one topic to the next as easily as she bounced and perched along the girders in the base. He chuckled at the remark about the still. Well, she'd fix that in her own way, no doubt; unless her newest concoction ate through the underplating of the cupboard and burned a large hole in the floor below. It hadn’t happened yet- well, that he’d heard about.

His ears tipped forward slightly as her body language shifted. Ah, no wonder she was a bit upset. Not being allowed to dock would be difficult for someone as gregarious as Fairwinds. Her bond with Megatron was very different than his with Soundwave. Both he and Soundwave were used to long stretches of silence, long weeks without verbal contact with the other, Contrary to what some believed, his life and world did not revolve around Soundwave’s every move and direction.

They were partners, yes. Dependent entirely in many ways on each other - Ravage respected the fact that if Soundwave was to fall in battle, the damage to his spark would be un-repairable. He had chosen his path of survival, even knowing the dangers involved with the process. Soundwave was willing, and so was he. It worked.

However, Ravage did not need Soundwave’s personal approval in the same way he needed to recharge and refuel. Yet– he could understand Fairwinds. It was a different sort of bond between her and Megatron, and one he could respect for its own right.

Musing on that for a moment, he let his attention wander slightly. Down beneath them, the room was still busy with activity. Mechs of all shapes, sizes and colors of plating moved through. There was a sharp clang as someone smacked someone else upside the head; a flurry of good-natured scuffling that turned into a bit of a row of good hard punches. The combatants were pulled apart. Someone sat on someone else. Ah, yes, totally normal.

Ravage turned his head though, when the tiny sidle of Fairwind’s feet clicked along the beam. She had moved closer to him, and the scents she carried with her filled his processor. Hints of open sky, of that sharp metallic sweetness that was the femme-bird herself, and then that darker, heavy scent of Megatron, ever present on her frame. He didn’t move away though. Only the tip of his tail swished, and then it stilled.

“I have heard,” he said. He had. He’d even been- sniffing around, in his fashion. Rumors had been trickling down, and Ravage knew most rumors had their basis in fact. The fact was, that there had been exactly what she was relaying. That there were entire squads going down, and it was disconcerting. Not because one did not expect that in war, it was that... it hadn’t been the pattern here. It was out of place.

“I think going on extra patrols is wise, but you need to make sure you have a wing-mate with you if you start hunting the situation down,” he told her. He lifted one paw and gestured down below. “It does not matter who. Take someone. I do not believe myself that this is an isolated incident, and I do not think that it is happening under orders from anyone.”

He slicked his ears back against the smooth planes of his head. “Take someone,” he reiterated. “If you do patrol around the areas that this has happened, make sure you notify when you leave and where you are generally headed, but... you know that of course. I know, I know, I do not need to tell you to be wary. You understand that more than most."

[Deleted]

Though she could play the part when it suited her needs, Fairwinds was not an idiot. She knew what she looked like, how she sounded and acted in comparison to this ship packed with lunatics and psychopaths. Over the centuries she'd proved her mettle (and her usefulness) as well as any cassette could, but she wasn't always taken seriously.

Ravage... did. He listened to her prattle with infinite patience, indulged her enthusiasm and childishness, and still acknowledged her as a competent Decepticon. A fellow Decepticon, not just a fellow cassette.

Fairwinds was still as she absorbed his advice, watching his profile from the corner of her optic. Her helm crests continued to flick in a steady pulse, as if breathing.

Then she gave a cheery whistle-clack and raised a wing to Ravage in a jaunty salute. "Yep-yep - Absolutely. Can't take all those fraggers on at once, now. That's not cricket. Gotta share."

She sidestepped closer to him once more, probing to see how close she could get before his tail flicked in warning. Continued not to quite look at him, but rather down at the milling soldiers. "I don't want any of my friends to die like that. They wouldn't even be battle statistics - just anomalies at the hands of some loose-canon lunatic. And that's... Well. That's really not cricket."

[Ravage]

The vibrations of Fairwind’s feet shivered the metal of the beam they were sitting on and he nodded. She understood. Yes, she was making light of it, but he knew it was her way of agreeing, she would be careful. Much better than someone who kowtowed and bowed before their ego got in the way and then promptly dismissed a knowledgeable warning.

“Not that you will share many,” he agreed solemnly. His ears seemed to twitch with silent amusement. “You do need to leave some for those who need practice. How will they ever be able to get better at their job if you constantly do it for them?”

Ravage sat perfectly still as she moved slightly closer. He just sat in the shadows, angular red optics surveying the range Decepticons below. It was an observation of their relationships- the laughter, the friendly slap across the back.

Each mech he watched was an individual, of course. He knew them by name, by function, by scent and sound. Ravage had access to dossiers and reports, and he perused them constantly. It was how he spent his personal downtime- search for patterns. Find them. Report what’s needed. Keep the rest of the observations about each mech and femme to yourself.

Sometimes it was the most trivial of things that provided excellent motivation.

Yet as friends and associates... in social groups? The mechs below changed dramatically. Often, things were said and done offhand that they would have never once let show around their superiors. It was what he had done for so many eons that it was as much a part of him as how he walked, moved, thought. Learn all there is to know, and then learn more.

He took that moment to reflect - then turned his head back to regard her again. “No. I can understand not wanting any of your friends to die like that,” he said. “It is one thing to die for a cause, for the things and those you believe in. It is another for your spark to be extinguished because you are hated for simply what you are in theory - not what you have done in fact. That line is an easy one to cross and yet incredibly difficult to return from.”

“If one is able to return at all,” the mech admitted. “No, as you say, it really is not... ah, cricket. I admit, the situation has me concerned about how quick it may escalate into something truly troubling for all involved."

[Deleted]

Ravage's admission that he, one of the most calm and collected cassettes she'd ever met, was also concerned solidified Fairwinds' resolve. His advice about caution bumped down a few notches in importance, and she could only see the Eradicons again. None of the ones leaving the fabrication room were victims of the mystery assailant. He didn't leave survivors. Didn't leave witnesses.

"It won't come to that." Fairwinds grit the tiny denta running the length of her beak. "Fragger's not the first psychopath to use the war for his own jollies. He'll get caught, and then there's a precedent for dealing with it. Involves mangling."

Fairwinds' glower continued through the consumption of another gummy. It was quite a thing to maintain a scowl when there was an energon gummy oozing sweet chemical goodness across the glossa. A second gummy eased her expression and the agitated rattle of her dorsal plates.

"Think I'm gunna put some comedy on this week for movie night. 'Gremlins', maybe, or 'Scanners'." She scritched the underside of her jaw with one sharp claw. "You in for it?"

<<Good to wrap unless there's another topic you fancy these two covering?>>

[Ravage]

Ravage nodded. He rested on the beam, his paws tucked just so beneath him, like a statue. His tail flicked back and forth, and then stilled. The sweet scent of the gummy filled the air between them; and with her choice of movies, he found gentle humor in it. Good thing it was before midnight at the moment.

He too was glad to leave their darker conversation behind. He tipped his head, he flicked his ears and pretended he had to ponder her question.

"Both," he finally said. "I think it is a double feature sort of week, myself. If I can be there, I will."

<<Good to wrap, yes!>>