A blip on the radar [Open - but please read note first =) ]

[derpjack_ftw]

WHO:  G1 Wheeljack, IDW Wing, OPEN
WHAT:  The missing Autobot engineer finally resurfaces and Wing is able to put his borrowed device to work
WHERE:  Some forgotten back alley in Zone 6
WHEN:  Tonight
WARNINGS: None
NOTES: Antepathy...LJ started working (seemingly??...assuming this posts) not ten minutes after I let you go, so imma go ahead and post

Comments

LJ hates me, what did I tell you!?!? (

[swordofpeace]

Megatron had made Wing promise--the condition of loaning him the device--that no harm would come to it. It probably looked like distrust, but Wing had decided that the best way to protect that was to use the device himself.

He'd been overflying the city for cycles now, keeping one optic on the device.

There. A signal. Faint, fuzzed by interference from the buildings. He looped around, flying in a low, slow spiral, hoping to clear the signal.

((ooc: I'm cool with keeping this all in the same post, just to keep things tidy?))

Hates you, me, Kayla . . . >,>;;;

[derpjack_ftw]

((ooc: Also cool cool . . . I'll go edit the Note to state as much. Also . . . I apologize for Jack. 9,9 Too many eons dealing with Seekers...))

Wheeljack had gotten himself down from the top of the building, and even crossed half the sector by now . . . though he still didn't know where he was. For all he knew, he was headed deeper down. Wouldn't that just be his luck? Then, his servos locked up in deep-seated dread at the sound of flight engines. A Seeker!? Had Megatron sent Starscream or Skywarp to find him? The engine noise didn't sound right, but could he really afford to find out the hard way?

Ducking into an alley, the engineer stuffed himself between dumpsters, hoping to escape detection.

Luckily for him - not that he'd know till later - that would not be so easily accomplished.

You mean I'm not special? ;-;

[swordofpeace]

The signal got clearer this way: Wing followed it, tracking it between buildings. Wheeljack was moving--hopeful, right?

Unless that meant that he was offline or disabled and someone was hauling the body.

No, Wing. Have faith. Have hope.

The alley got too narrow to fly, so Wing landed, dropping to his feet. He moved slowly, keeping half an optic on the device. The place reeked. (Just the place to toss a body.) It was filled with shadows and darkness and that kind of dreariness Wing hadn't seen in centuries.

And here, alive or dead, the device was telling him Wheeljack was.

"Wheeljack?"

((ooc: rock on! and poor wheeljack! ))

You're most definitely special, love. ~<333 What happened to "just about to go to bed" tho? XD

[derpjack_ftw]

Wheeljack hadn't seen it any time recently either . . . though there'd once been a time in his life - forever ago now - when this sort of environment had been "home." He was more comfortable here than he ought to be, and like a retrorat at knowing how to avoid detection, how to dodge pursuit, how to escape into the recesses of society's grime and discard.

Well . . . except when the one pursuing him had a lock on his very spark signature. Not that he knew it.

The engineer had quietly shifted around in his cubby-hole to get his back on the ground, propped up on his elbows, and his heels against the nearer of the dumpsters. He was prepared to shove it at his pursuer, sending it rolling on squeaky wheels to give him precious astro-seconds to dash farther down the alley and find a new hiding spot, or some way to take out his pursuer. Not that he hoped it came to that. He didn't want to hurt anyone, let alone kill them . . . though if push came to shove

Yay!....wait. >:[ (Insomnia--my neck spasmed so ouchytimes)

[swordofpeace]

How do you look non-threatening when you're carrying three swords? Wing's trying, anyway. He paces down the alleyway, trying to make his footsteps audible, so it was clear he wasn't trying to sneak up on anyone.

He'd walked past the dumpster when he heard the voice. He froze, before turning slowly, hands held away from his sides. Nonthreatening.

"Wheeljack. It's Wing. I--we've all--been looking for you."

He still can't see where Wheeljack is--he looks around, blankly, waiting, the device held loosely in one hand.

Argh . . . ='< *gently HUGGLES*

[derpjack_ftw]

When the other had walked toward him, sounding like he'd go right past without discovering the engineer's hiding place, Wheeljack had held off his "attack" in favor of remaining hidden - if he had to, he'd maybe be able to slip off behind the other once he'd past. And he'd been forced to dive behind and under a pile of refuse between the dumpsters, crap that someone(s) hadn't bothered to actually manage to get into one or the other of the containers. Thus it'd been that the engineer had failed to recognize the other by sight either

It happens. :)

[swordofpeace]

Wheeljack revealed himself, and Wing hesitated for a moment, unable to tell what was damage and what was just...mess.

But the voice sounded normal--well, under the circumstances. And Wing didn't mind a little dirt.

"We'll worry about that later, Wheeljack. You did the best you could, and you survived. That's what matters. Everything else, we can deal with."

He reached forward, if Wheeljack wanted an arm to lean on. "Don't apologize. Let's get you back. To your friends."

Re: It happens. :)

[derpjack_ftw]

Wheeljack looked up, saw the arm . . . and shifted forward to cling to it - both arms wrapped around the other's and everything. Restraint? That was for mechs with more sleep and fuel than he'd had in a while. He didn't care if he made a fool of himself to his friend - more of one than usual, that was - he just wanted friendly contact again.

He nodded, his voice low. "I wanna go home." But then he remembered...and shook himself. "No . . . n-no, gotta get ta the shop. I gotta-" He stopped so fast, it might have felt to Wing like the engineer had walked into a wall. Which he sort of had, mentally. He looked up at the other. "Comm! You've gotta comm! A workin' one. Wing, contact Optimus Prime - um, t-the older one - well, frag, call 'em both! Tell 'em they're in danger. Megatro- . . . one of the Megatrons frag, what's his handle Malcolm! Tell 'em that Malcolm-Megatron's got a powerful weapon he's plannin' on turnin' loose on the whole Nexus, but he's goin' after Prime first. Actually . . . here . . . I-I know how ya

[swordofpeace]

Oh! Well, perhaps not unexpected, in the circumstances. Wing pats Wheeljack's shoulder, gently.

He nodded at the chaos of words pouring out of Wheeljack's vocalizer. "Home. We'll get you home--to repairs. I promise."

Maybe they'll listen to him, this time, and remember that they're all in this together. Maybe they'll learn that it's better to unite to fight a common enemy than to sit apart, and suffer.

"I'll alert the others. You're safe now." He grins, tapping his back, against one of his knife hilts.

LOL that icon . . . I wanna add "Whoa, dude! Dude...whoa!" text XD

[derpjack_ftw]

Safe. He was safe now. He'd be back with people he could trust again. Not, in truth, that Megatron or Shockwave had actually hurt him - much - but the possibility, the threat, had been there, sometimes almost tangibly. He shivered.

"Thanks, Wing..." His voice was low and weary.

He was loathe to let go, nearly clinging harder, when Wing gently pulled his arm free to step away, but he caught himself from doing so. He let go reluctantly, instead moving back to lean again on the dumpster, arms hugged around himself, pulling in a little. He was so exhausted. It'd been a long time since he'd been so exhausted and hollow. And he'd failed Prime. That stung more than anything. He could only pray Optimus would be okay . . . and that the great mech would be able to forgive him.

Hey guys can I joiiinn or is this a two-mech party? ;)

[rednotyellow]

Depsite the fact that he was aware Wing had said it was safe, Cliffjumper came tearing into the alley at near-full speed, transforming in the air and landing--- at least without any weapons brandished.

"Wing! Where's--" Cliffjumper interuppted himself as he caught sight of Wheeljack as he actually took time to look around the alley, and snarled before coming over, stopping shy of actually touching the engineer, crossing his arms and scowling.

"How bad is it?" Because while he doesn't look hurt, who knew if there was anything not visible, and that had been several weeks in captivity. That was never a good thing.

The more the merri...er...?

[swordofpeace]

Cliffjumper's...umm...dramatic arrival caught Wing by surprise, and he had his blades out and activated as the red mech landed. He gave a sheepish shrug before stowing them again.

He stepped away, to give Cliffjumper and Wheeljack space to talk without him overhearing. He was well aware of his...marginal status. And this wasn't the time or place to push that.

"I think," he said, softly, "it's mostly exhaustion." That's bad enough.

YUSH! XD - also? LOL playing a G1 chara (who'd take this seriously) to other...

[derpjack_ftw]

((ooc: ...continuity characters [who rightfully maybe wouldn't] makes the G1 chara sound kinda idiotic. XD;;; *amused* I love G1, crazy stupid shit and all.))

If Wing felt marginalized by any Autobots in specific, Wheeljack would hope he wasn't one of them. While he might not agree with all of the Neutral's views, he did respect them and considered the Knight a friend. And he was just as glad to have Wing here as anyone else

[talks2stoplight]

And not long after Cliffjumper, Ratchet also arrives, transforming as he turns the corner into the alley. It's not quite as manic an entrance as the minobot, but the medic isn't exactly wasting time either.

He nods to Wing as he arrives, giving the white mech a brief 'thank you', before heading in Wheeljack and Cliffjumper's direction. Which is where he walks in on Wheeljack's frantic explanation.

"You could've recreated the Magnificence for Megatron, Wheeljack- he'd still be a complete glitch to think he's going to get anywhere against the Primes and the Transtechs."

Whoops no one saw that right?

[rednotyellow]

Tossing Wing something of a smile, though the following shrug wasn't apologetic at all, Cliffjumper nodded. Not that he knew Wing's retreat was because he considered himself 'marginal', though

[swordofpeace]

Wing kept quietly to the side, telling himself that someone had to look out. The others are more helpful here for Wheeljack.

But he's listening. And wondering, worrying, already, how much--if any--to tell Magnum. Whose side would Magnum be on?

He turned on his heel, stepping closer. If Wheeljack had escaped, then there was a chance Malcolm would send trackers after him, to bring him back or silence him.

And Ratchet's and Cliffjumper's arrivals had been even less subtle than his own. Any casual observer would know that Something was going on in that alley.

Wing decided the 'something' they'd find, if any came looking, was him.

Still. "Cliffjumper," he said, quietly, hoping that Ratchet and Wheeljack are too occupied to make out the troubling question. . The smaller Autobot had a great deal of experience thinking how both factions thought. "Why would Malcolm just...let him go?"