We are a literate, intermediate to advanced AU Transformers RPG Based off of the first season of TFP with dashes of other incarnations sprinkled here or there. Characters from any continuity are welcome however must be restyled to match the TFPrime universe.
Active, with ongoing plotlines, we are always willing to integrate new characters into storylines once incorporated into the setting.
Fortress Maximus looked like he believed the Wrecker and backed off, for which Wheeljack was quite glad because he'd have hated to have lost the warden's regard over something a Decepticon had done. Wheeljack enjoyed Maximus's quiet company, his willingness to come with on Wheeljack's latest ventures. Most mecha wouldn't follow a Wrecker anywhere and with good reason, they didn't go looking for soft fights.
Wheeljack listened as the warden seethed to himself. He didn't comment that he himself had plans to end the Con. Honestly, he wasn't certain which was the better option for Max. Doing the deed himself and almost certainly being forced to hear whatever foul words escaped the Con's vocaliser or if the Decepticon was killed off on a distant battlefield, sparing Maximus from having to deal with yet another attack on his past.
The Wrecker quirked an optic ridge at the question Fort Max threw over his shoulder. "Grenade plus energon plus hidden energon seam," Wheeljack answered easily, without the slightest trace of shame that yes, he'd blown up an island. It had been satisfying. And if the Con had been caught in the explosion, that would make it even more so. "It made a big boom. And that was a small island."
Deciding that maybe the warden was done with the previous painful topic, Wheeljack continued on. "Didn't get to see it myself, but yeah, satellite images confirm it's gone. I'm actually surprised the Omega base hadn't heard back from Fowler yet on it, he's normally on the ball about these sort of incidents."
Maximus thought of unmanned spy planes, whispering through the night sky.
"Agent Fowler has been preoccupied lately," he said distantly. "Some big activity is being planned that he's involved with. I'm sure once it's over he'll catch up on everything else that has piled up on his desk. Like reports of a smoking load of rubble in the sea."
He fell silent and stood apart for a moment longer, uncertain of what to say next. Then he turned back. He did so slowly, reluctant to make eye contact. Despite the Wrecker's assurance he felt ill. He couldn't stop the reaction. It felt beyond his control.
He offered Wheeljack a grim smile.
"Wish I had been there to see that," he said. "The island go up, I mean. Can't say I've ever seen anything like that before. It must have been a sight. I'm sure Agent Fowler will be furious when he finally does get word of the incident. The agency in control of the place probably had a tough time explaining that one away to the public. That sort of thing will come back to haunt his department in some way or another. You might want to avoid him for a while. Should be easy if you're planning on leaving the base yourself, like you said."
He trailed off. A long silence stretched out between them, broken only by the drum of the rain on their plating.
Maximus listened to it beat down against him. It echoed loudly against his head, in his audials. The Wrecker had wiped out an island to get to one Decepticon. Maybe it had just been an accident, the wrong grenade at the wrong time.
"When you head out looking for Shockwave," he heard himself say. "Where are you gonna go first? Any leads?"
Wheeljack listened with half an audial about Agent Fowler and how busy he was. His attitude towards the humans was similar to the one he held towards Autobot command. Fowler was a useful resource for much of the materials and equipment in Wheeljack's lab but beyond that, wasn't much of his interest. He did enjoy needling the human and matching wits to a certain extent, but then again the same could be said about hassling Red Alert and Optimus Prime.
The Wrecker matched Fortress Maximus' grim smile with dark one of his own. That had been a shame, not seeing the island go off. Nothing quite like a good explosion. Wheeljack eyed the warden thoughtfully, recalling the trip out to Area 12. The big mech seemed a little better after utterly devastating those old dormitories. Maybe they should give that a go again some time.
Wheeljack gave a light snort. "Next time I'm testing out a new formula for my grenades, should I give you a ping? It won't be anything as exciting as an island but still should be fun."
He otherwise didn't react to the suggestion of avoiding Fowler. That would be missing half the fun. The human got so indignant over the smallest or strangest things… Last the Wrecker had heard, he'd ben devastated over the destruction of Tranquillity Base, up on the moon. There had been a long heated argument over that, Fowler was convinced it had been a Cybertronian. None of the Bots however had passed by the moon, so eventually the agent had accepted it had been the most dastardly work of a Decepticon. It was also far from the worst that the Cons could do but the way the human had dragged on about it, you'd have thought it was the end of the world or something.
"When you head out looking for Shockwave. Where are you gonna go first? Any leads?"
"Red Alert encountered Shockwave over in the DMZ," Wheeljack answered. "Thought I'd head there first, see if I can find out anything more. It's not much but it's more than I've ever had during the entirety of the Exodus." The Wrecker's expression grew dark, his helm tilting towards the sky as if he could peer into the distance and see the Nemesis itself. His lip-plates tightened momentarily before he forcibly relaxed himself and turned back to the warden.
Maximus hummed and nodded absently at the mention of grenades. Normally he had little interest in either the science or spectacle of explosions – he had survived enough of them during the war, or else witnessed firsthand the grotesque injuries they inflicted – but engaging in a little munitions training outside of the base did appeal to him. It would be something different at least.
An entire island going up, with Decepticons on it, all of them melting and perishing in fire...
Maximus narrowed his optics and focused back down upon the Wrecker.
“Shockwave is bound to be well protected, whether he is aboard the Nemesis, or planetside” he said warningly. He held up one fist. “If you ever need an extra pair of hands to help cut through to him, just let me know.”
Wheeljack noted the absent response to the offer for field testing. Well, it had been the same sort disinterest he'd been given when it came to the mention of a sword and well, look how that turned out. Personally, Wheeljack couldn't understand why anyone would not be excited when slag exploded but maybe that was because his cohort had deemed him a lost cause before even onlining him, building him specifically to withstand explosions from failed experiments. And when those experiments could involve ship reactors or power plants...well, they made grenades look extremely mild.
The Wrecker took Fort Max's warning seriously. He knew that, he knew he was going up perhaps the best the Decepticon army had to offer. Shockwave was notoriously difficult to get to and few would even contemplate going after him. Suicidal was the general regard to that idea. But Wheeljack did appreciate the offer to help. Back-up wouldn't be a bad idea, it was an extremely sensible one and Maximus was a heavy hitter.
"Thank you," he said earnestly. "I mean it. I'll probably take you up on that." Wheeljack thought for a moment, maybe adding on more but no. He was grateful but there was no need to continuously babble his appreciation and gratitude, all it would do was weaken his words the more he expounded it.
Wheeljack stretched his arms out above his head suddenly before falling back a bit into a ready stance. "You still up for a spar?" he asked curiously. He'd come here to clear his head, not drag out unwanted and deeply private personal issues from either of them and felt that both could do with a good distraction right about now.
Maximus regarded him soberly for a moment. He did not respond when the Wrecker dropped into a ready stance but remained standing as he was, his hands lowered. As he recovered from the shock of Wheeljack’s unpleasant news his manner grew more subdued and distant, his anger drained away.
The rain drummed off his plating. It guttered through his treads and ran down his legs. Not a glimmer of light touched the dark and clouded sky; it would be hours before dawn arrived. A nimbus of rain glowed around each of the floodlights behind them. It would be a muddy drive back to the airfield, and to the hanger that currently served as a barracks.
Maximus slowly nodded.
“Yeah,” he said heavily.
The big mech shook himself out, rain flung from his joints as he flexed his arms. He slid his feet apart through the mud and lowered himself into a combat stance, his hands lifting. The troubled aggression from before was gone as he settled and fixed his red gaze upon Wheeljack, his expression closed.
“Yeah,” he said. “Still a few hours before dawn anyway. You ready?”