[ti]Ep 2.5[/ti]Like a true Warrior [open/Coldwind]

[Deleted]

Episode 2.5 – Week 2 – day 7

Location: Blackridgehold.

_____________________________


Things had been rather hectic at Blackridge lately, not in the form of scrambling troops rushing to their respective work area, no, but in the form of an overcrowded base that was filled with soldiers to the brim.

The most popular rooms were occupied by Vehicons, merely sitting in a corner, or standing in the hallways to communicate with their peers. Some laughed, some were engaged in a more serious conversation and some even traveled down the path to reach their desired destination.

While Downfall never had been one to flee from his team, his crew, the big flier found himself in need for some privacy, even after having just arrived a day or two ago. Things were different, he could tell...

And it was this what led Downfall to explore the more deserted areas of said base, traversing deeper into the labyrinth like corridors. The path was small and narrow, carved from stone and rock as it snaked its way deeper into the Oregon mountain.

Taking a turn he continued to follow the layout, heavy pedes impacting with the ground beneath him as he walked. Slow, calm, and cautious. Yet the sound that echoed along the walls helped him to navigate around the area. Tiny waves traveled through the organic structure which allowed him to receive feedback of the sounds created. It was like a map of shock waves that circled into existence, but faded as quickly as the sound subsided into the distance. Like a Tsunami that ran in waves over his distorted vision, if he had to explain it.

As he walked, one of his clawed servos found the wall next to him, sliding along the rough surface to actually 'feel' those vibrations, until...

Something disturbed it.

A sudden influx of energy rushed through the wall and send input after input from various directions. It wasn't helpful that the constructions were still in full swing, lots of crates and items were just tossed into corners, hurriedly pushed aside or just forgotten in the middle of a hallway.

A stacked up pile of trash that had been shoved to a corner junction became his downfall then. A wrong turn, a sharp twist to the side and it did not take long before it had the big flier tumbling over, robbing him of his balance as he fell face first to the ground. Disorientated.

He never was one to call stealthy, this ability was reserved for the smaller and lighter frames within their forces. And so it was no surprise that the impact was accompanied by a heavy clang of metal that scraped along rough sand. Gritty and screeching noises followed quickly after as a low and hoarse voice groaned in distress. He could feel a faint hint of some weight pressing down on his back, and instinctively his wings flared out, flailing helplessly into the air.

[Coldwind]

Meanwhile, even deeper into the tunnels, in a recent dug-out suite, Coldwind was carefully arranging various thingamabobs from Cybertron on the would-be shelves embedded into the side of her room. She almost had them sorted the way she wanted. Then suddenly—

CRASH! CRACK! BOOM! The entire collection of knickknacks tumbled from the shelf. This made Coldwind angry—nay, furious. Who dares to disturb the sanctity of her privacy with such horrible noises and tremors? She had to investigate. Right now.

The Seeker stormed out of her room. She turned towards the direction of those infernal clangors. Then she footslogged her way through the tight corridors. She turned left, then right, then left again, and right a final time.

And there she found him. Downfall. Distressed, panicked, covered in rubble. She started shaking, barely able to contain her urge to punch the poor sod. But instead of doing that, Coldwind simply leaned towards him and opened her mouth.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Coldwind howled in a dreadful voice.

Now that she got that out of her system, she only managed to add an exhausted sigh.

"Why is it that when I finally have some alone time, a buffoon like you has to come around and ruin it? Can't you watch your steps?" She shook her head, hands-on-hips.

[Deleted]

With a few weak attempts the rubble was shoved off of his back then, crackling down his frame and to the side.

However, struggling to pull himself up, his pedes barely scraped somewhere on the ground to find solid surface, before a voice echoed through the hallway. Deep, loud and toxic in volume, but lighter than what a mech sounded. It shook the green jet back into reality and he paused momentarily to try and turn his helm towards the direction it had came from.

He did no answer immediately and focused his attention back to his own mishap instead.

Then, with a heavy groan he pushed himself up and off the ground, servo grazing hold of the wall next to him in order to steady himself. A few seconds later, the flier stood tall and proud on his pedes once again, brushing off the remaining dust before turning back to meet the individual not far from him.

He couldn't help but scan the Decepticon from helm to pede once he'd found his balance. His helm jerking lightly from one side to another as if trying to gain visuals from different angles.

There wasn't much he could gather from the other, save from a heavy armored frame that was. Well covered in rounded and edging plating that wrapped around a bipedal shape. Strong and big, just barely as tall as him, save from the ever extending wings that rose proudly up behind her back.

An aerial, a flier, this was definitely welcoming.

“I apologise, ma'am. It was not my intention to cause any trouble, nor was it to disturb your privacy. If I have upset you, I can only ask for forgiveness.”

It was a calm respond, one spoken with an amicable tone which was laced with respect.

“My designation is Downfall. And it is my pleasure to meet you.”

The other individual hadn't given him a name yet, though, Downfall would not ask for it at the current moment, hoping that his introduction would be hint enough.

[Coldwind]

Coldwind simmered down a little. She was pleasantly surprised.

"Downfall? Ma'am? What a polite demeanor," The Vosnian stated in a condescending yet intrigued tone, laced with a hint of coarse contempt.

Then she introduced herself, "I'm Coldwind. Seeker Lieutenant."

"I must say, I'm pleased to finally meet somebody with an ounce of respect in their servos," The Vosnian continued. She returned Downfall's inquisitiveness and too did inspect him. A powerhouse built like her, perhaps a bit taller. He certainly seemed like a worthy Decepticon to her.

"Now. What is it you do around here, Downfall?"

She took a few steps away from the brown mech, beckoning him to follow. Hopefully, he'd pick up on the gesture. Coldwind hardly knew anything about him, so she was ignorant towards the condition of his sight.

[Deleted]

As the other flier introduced herself, Downfall remained quiet and fully shifted his attention to what was said. The change in tone and word was not lost on him, and he wondered what it was that seemed to have caused this abrupt change in mind.

He was already prepared to receive a 'talking', one he'd already been used to due to past events. Though, it never came. Instead, Coldwind seemed pleased with his apology, apparently.

However, the word what truly stood out was the mentioning of her rank. Lieutenant! This femme had rank, which was more than reason enough to behave. It immediately led the jet to dip his helm in utterly respect and submission.

“I am honored, Lieutenant.”

His wings pulled back as he said this, shifting lightly behind his back before being tugged tight to his frame.

The femme's gesture that followed was simple, an easy request to accompany her. It only lasted for a second, Downfall was sure, yet he he'd paid attention and so could pick up on it. The faint waving of a servo was different from a normal dismissive motion and soon, the big flier followed suit.

“I admit that I have not been given any task as of yet. Lord Starscream is apparently very busy, so I have been told. But I am confident that he is already aware of my presence.”

He simply stated while letting Coldwind lead the way.

Downfall had heard of the disappearing of Lord Megatron, and while he did not like the fact that their Lord was currently unavailable to them? He found that Starscream was one of the very few who would be able to establish a similar position until their Leader would return.

“In the meantime, I do hope to make myself useful in any way I can, Lieutenant.”

[Coldwind]

Coldwind crossed her arms and leaned back away from Downfall.

"To be honest, I'd be surprised if he cared," she muttered under her breath in regards to Starscream.

Then the Seeker poised herself more nonchalantly, puffing her chest.

"Since you are not occupied, maybe I should put your servos to good use," she explained. "You see, with the Truce in place, I don't get much combat practice." The Vosnian lifted one of her arms and quenched its hand into a tight, shaky fist.

"What I am implying is that we should spar. Con on Con, unarmed. Like a true warrior."

Her red optics narrowed and her arms fell back to the side of her body. She folded them behind her back and looked at Downfall expectantly.

[Deleted]

Downfall stopped in his stride as the Lieutenant began to push her frame upwards, displaying a posture of superiority. In contrast to her seemingly formal stance, the green jet's field gave a faint pulse of submission.

He was not seeking to disobey her and wanted to display this in a non-verbal way. She was the one with a rank anyway, and therefor he didn't even dare to contradict her point of view.

However, at her sudden offer Downfall fell silent for a few seconds before answering.

“Of course, Lieutenant. If I can be of any service, it would be my pleasure to assist you.”

He slowly turned to 'look' her in the optics, searching for any signs of discomfort before continuing.

“But forgive my bluntness when I have to say that I am not as skilled as you might wish me to be. It had been some time since I engaged in combat, nor did I had the privilege to make myself familiar with this place yet.”

True and honest words.

Downfall had been on a journey for far too long, missing out on active combat for quite a while. It wasn't so much that he actually missed it, as quiet times were still enjoyable and welcome to the big flier every now and then, but it was uncomfortable to endure such silence alone.

While he still was careful to not overstep his boundaries, he also became a bit more confident around the femme.

She truly was one with a strong personality, one he found admirable. Only a few had the spark to lead and were suited for the task even, but she truly seemed to have such traits strongly rooted within her frame, which was, if Downfall had to be honest, worth looking into.

And who knew? Maybe this could be a chance to make another friend.

“But may I ask as to where you were planing this to unfold? I hardly can imagine a corridor to be the right place, ma'am.”

[Coldwind]

Coldwind was most pleased with Downfall. She even genuinely smiled at the clear signs of cooperativeness combined with an inquisitive yet polite demeanor. Such traits were scarce in Decepticons, including herself. However, when someone was respectful, subservient, and knew their place, the Seeker had no problem getting along.

"Oh, how wonderful," she exclaimed as Downfall agreed to the terms. Then he doubted his skills for a while, which threw Coldwind off. Either he was trying too hard to be humble, or he seriously did not believe in his capability—this didn't do Coldwind well on the soul. She liked her allies and foes confident, kicking and biting to the bitter end. The Vosnian herself would have it no other way.

Regardless, she decided to play into his insecurities. Just to see what would happen.

"And such a good little soldier you are, Downfall."

Coldwind paused for a while, urging the mech to continue walking and keep up his pace with a simple gesture of the hand. There was no need to stop in these corridors, as tight as they were.

"The incompetence and driveling of Vehicons set my expectations so low, that even if you were as pathetic as you claim, you would still be better suited for the job than anybody else in this hovel."

Then came the question of where. Coldwind could not imagine having her duel take place anywhere but in the open field. She regarded her brown-green companion again with the slightest and most dismissive glance.

"I'm sure somebody can patch us through to the surface if you are so concerned about collateral damage."

[Deleted]

“I only wish to serve.”

Downfall wasn't quite sure how he should respond to her former 'compliment', as he was currently unable to decipher the meaning of this statement. But whatever it was, he would gladly take it. On the other servo? A small voice in the back of his helm alarmed him to be more careful with his wording. He truly did not wish to upset the femme right now, nor was it in his interest to disrespect her.

But thankfully, Downfall's thought had been haltered with a subtle movement of Coldwind's servo.

His whole frame started to swing behind her as his pedes were starting to keep up the pace once more. This time, the green jet made sure to stay at her side like a bodyguard, taking each step in long confident strides. He listened to her speak and followed her lead with great interest as he did so.

How she spoke of the Vehicons told him much about her insight regarding the purple troopers. Granted, the Vehicons weren't the brightest lamps on a terminal, but they still did their job. And he was quite sure that most of them were very capable fighters if one allowed them to proof it.

Though, it was best to stay quiet for now and follow Coldwind without complaints.

But as soon as she started to mention a possible location which could be suitable for their approach of training? Downfall immediately raised his voice, not in volume, but to address his concerns firmly.

“With all due respect, Lieutenant, but I would like to suggest to reconsider your choice regarding our location. The surface of this planet is prone to memorize tracks and prints left behind. And as we are currently incapable of shielding our presence, I believe that it would be wise to stay underground for now.”

It wasn't an easy task, all things considered. The base truly never was meant to occupy such a large amount of individuals, it was probably difficult for those in command to maintain a low profile and keep their location hidden.

And he really did not want to make their efforts go to waste.

“But if you allow, I might be able to locate a suitable area within this base to perform our actions without interruptions.”

[Coldwind]

Coldwind didn't pay much attention to Downfall, at least not until he decided to speak up against her suggestion of surface training. Had he been anything less than he is, she would be fuming, unwilling to listen. However, she believed that Downfall established something of a rapport, giving him enough room to make a statement such as this one.

The Seeker noted how careful her companion was in his choice of words. She admired it. Perhaps, Downfall spoke well enough to make the otherwise staunch and disrespectful Coldwind open to his idea. She also had a particular affinity for aerial alt-modes and generally viewed them as superior to ground-based modes. Lucky Downfall. Very lucky.

"Your suggestion is noted," she snapped back at him quickly, but not in a particularly unfriendly manner. That was a good sign.

"By all means," the Vosnian continued, "If you feel like there's anywhere else you'd like to do battle, speak up."

After all, it doesn't matter where I crush you, just that I do, she thought. Her approach to a simple training session was... brutal to say the least. Truly, she was not somebody who'd reserve herself for the comfort of others. On one hand, it was a terrifying and twisted way of thinking, on the other hand, Coldwind's determination could not be denied.

[Deleted]

The big flier did not respond as Coldwind approved of his suggestion, but waited instead to let her finish her own sentence.

Downfall was a patient mech who could wait and observe his surroundings quietly, to allow the world to go on its own pace. But Coldwind was different, he could tell, she appeared to be a strong individual with great ideals and an undying will to keep fighting. But her tone, and how she spoke told him that she also was an impatient individual...

Not that he would mind, but he knew from experience that it was best not to strain someone's nerves or test their threshold of acceptance because of this. And with that, the jet stopped once more to shift his attention towards the roughly hewn out stone wall and pressed his forhelm flat against the surface.

For a bystander it would might appear weird and unnatural, but for him it was already a habit to interact with his environment in such ways. It only took a moment until he backed away from the wall, resting his servo faintly against it before he would speak.

“We might be able to occupy one of the rooms downstairs, to the west. Though, I do not wish to disturb any constructions that might be held in the foreseeable future there.”

Taking his servo off the wall to let it rest calmly at his side, Downfall turned to face the femme once again.

“I suggest to see for ourselves how far the constructions have progressed. It would allow us to judge the state of the area and determine a safe location before engaging in our training session.”

To say he was concerned about their safety was as to say the sky was blue.

While an unused room could provide them with the necessary isolation they might need, it also proofed to be a double edged sword. Nonetheless, he found that an unused room was still the best option as those were mostly empty and did not contain any furniture or other items that could obstruct their freedom of movement.

It was risky, but still worth a shot.

[Coldwind]

Coldwind watched Downfall as he inspected the wall. At first, she was just confused and perhaps thought that he might've been one diode short of a processor. But once he turned to her with a clear answer, the confusion turned into a pleasant sense of surprise. Soon enough, she decided to reply.

"Very well, do as you see fit," the Vosnian reassured her companion with nonchalance.

Shooing him with the wave of her hand dismissively, the Seeker didn't even bat an eye on Downfall's safety concerns. She cared for it much less than most. That included the safety of others and her own.

"We may proceed," Coldwind added and looped the two monstrous, clawed hands behind her back. The fashion in which she did was very akin to Starscream, however, her posture, as always, was dignified and upright. That was very unlike her superior indeed.

She then set out to walk towards the western side of the corridor, hoping Downfall would follow her. It was only now that she bothered to acknowledge his consideration of construction and structural stability.

"I do hope you are correct in your assessment of the situation. It'd be a shame to learn that your senses are unreliable. But rest assured, should we find this room, we will make sure that all Vehicon rabble steers clear—and more importantly, that the construction is finished," The Vosnian explained as they walked. She was uncharacteristically polite. Perhaps she wanted to know more about Downfall.

"Does that lay your concerns to rest?" She then asked, a red optic glancing at Downfall casually.

[Deleted]

A nod. It was a simple answer to Coldwind's gesture.

It was interesting how quickly she could analyze the flaws within his statement. The fact she had been able to root through his wording, the use of words and the exact construction of a sentence told much about her level of intelligence. Not only was she strong and had an aura of superiority around her, but she proofed to be smart, quick witted and intelligent, to pay attention to small details most others would not. It was impressive, very impressive.

“Of course. I am pleased to hear that.”

He responded with a respectful dip of his helm, continuing to follow her as she lead the way. While Downfall could not see much of their current environment, he knew how the outlines of the corridors were formed and molded into a sturdy tunnel. It had quick, sharp angles, some debris still lingering around as some of the unrefined surface allowed a rough texture to be visible.

It somehow reminded him of Cybertron.

At first everything had been rough and raw, until it rose up into the sky and unfolded its infinite beauty. Golden towers, large facilities, railroads and even the Space bridge program with its potential to grow towards something new. Something more interesting... until it all fell down and crumbled to dust.

“I apologise should this be too personal, but I could not ignore your observational talent from before. May I ask as to where your specialties lie, Lieutenant? I have to admit that I do find them exceptionally precise and have not encountered one who was as quick thinking as you are.”

Curiosity. It could be a dangerous trait, allowing individuals to open a door they could not close again. Downfall was normally not one of them as he always tried to avoid such temptations, yet here he was, trying to know more about the femme next to him. The former statement from Coldwind had not been forgotten, and the big flier wondered what it was she performed during her duty as a Seeker Lieutenant.

[Coldwind]

Curiosity.

Indeed. It had killed many a cat. Especially when that curiosity partained to Coldwind. She was not particularly receptive of questions, and certainly did not hold people who asked too many of them in high regard. Often, she would not answer. Keeping her secrets was what she preferred. A beacon of brutality and strategic obliteration is all she had to be in the public eye. Nobody needed to know why or how... Yet so many asked.

Downfall asked.

Coldwind regarded him with another raised brow and a slight scoff. Though, he did one thing right. He appealed to Coldwind's massive, bloated ego. Hearing about her amazing observation skills, no less from somebody so refined, was rether pleasing, even if the Vosnian refused to show any outward appriciation towards the kind words.

She decided to humor his inquiries.

"I'm not only a Seeker, Downfall. I served as one of Starscream's personal escorts. Precision and quick thinking was the key to dominating our enemies for bots like me. You either acted fast enough and directly enough to eliminate your oppositon—or you would be crushed."

The longer Coldwind spoke, the more apparent was her mildly disgusted tone. Perhaps working for Starscream was not everything people cracked it up to be. To say the Vosnian felt a bitter aftertaste would be to state the plain and obvious.

[Deleted]

“Lord Starscream had chosen you to watch over his life. It must have been an honorable task, a very difficult yet responsible one, I can only imagine. But this requires trust, respect and pure dedication. You sure can be proud of yourself, Lieutenant.”

It wasn't hard to notice Coldwind's disgust with this job. The way her tone fell, and the way she had spoken about the air commander prior had not been lost on Downfall.

His wings pulled back, folding neatly behind his back as his gaze dropped to the ground. He walked with calm strides next to her, trying not to fall behind. Downfall could only imagine how a job like hers would be; all this responsibility one had to carry. It sure sounded wonderful, and secretly he wished that one day, he could perform such a task all by himself as well. But as it was, he barely was even considered important enough to be trusted with the simplest of tasks.

It didn't bother him though, he was good in what he did; being a loyal lapdog to whomever required his services.

As they walked, the corridor slowly but faintly became more uneven, rocky and rougher. A two way intersection could be seen at the far end which spread off to the north-west side. The light was dim there, barely being installed to its full function. A few flickering light bulbs struggled in the distance as they tried to keep the darkness from swallowing the entire area. It was hard to tell what exactly was down there, gloomy and dark as it was. But what could be seen if one paid attention, were a few gray and silver metal pillars, lined at the sides of the corridor walls to support the tunnel from collapsing in itself.

The other way however, was brighter, following a path to the north-east section of the base. The light was not as shallow as the one's down to the left, yet were still in development as well. They did not flicker and instead shimmered in a pale white at the ceiling, encased in a protective shell that had been installed within the mountain surface to prevent them from falling off their brackets. They revealed a few items that were scattered on the ground though; buckets, picks, shovels and even a few rubber-like cables. Seemingly tossed aside in a hurry. Even the walls were more refined as they were supported by the same metal construction that weaved through the entire base.

The construction seemingly had not been concluded in here as it still required some effort and hard work before this section could be considered a part of Blackridge-Hold. But it was in here where they'd began to carve out new rooms, new suitable areas which could help expand the slowly overcrowding base in the foreseeable future.

Downfall lifted his helm before addressing Coldwind once more, his voice held in a rough and tired tone.

“We are approaching our destination. I can sense a few empty rooms ahead.”

The jet stated flatly before turning his attention towards the vast blackness in front of him. It was not his call to make any decisions here, and therefor would await further instructions from Coldwind.