28 Needlenoses

[lunatron]

Bring it.

1. Naughty Needlenose - claimed by sapphirebreeze
2. Happy Needlenose
3. Silly Needlenose - claimed by sapphirebreeze
4. Angsty Needlenose
5. On-Vacation Needlenose - claimed by sapphirebreeze
6. Horny Needlenose - claimed by dualistic
7. Transforming Needlenose
8. Excited Needlenose
9. Book-Reading Needlenose - claimed by raisedbymoogles
10. Dancing Needlenose - claimed by koilungfish, with his Nebulans

Comments

[lunatron]

13. Caring Needlenose

"Spinister's the ranking officer here, isn't he?" Optimus Prime studied a datapad, his look thoughtful.

"Yeah, but he's also so out of it that even I am worried about how quiet he's being," Needlenose replied, looking over at Spinister mournfully. Just looking at Spinister this way made Needlenose hang his wings. "I'm an Elite. Ruckus and Windsweeper are just grunts."

"So it fell to you. You didn't try to seize Spinister's position." Optimus Prime rubbed his chin. "It wouldn't have been hard to take him out while he was down."

"The only place I'd take Spinister out is the nearest bar," Needlenose replied defiantly. "We're partners."

"And it means something to you." Optimus Prime levelled his gaze at Needlenose.

"Of course it does! Spinister's the only thing left in this stupid universe that has any meaning. High Command changes over every other week, it seems like. I lost my job because of you." Needlenose narrowed his optics. "I know what you're thinking. That I was some petty scum - maybe a pickpocket or a smuggler. You're dead wrong."

"Oh?" The Prime looked unimpressed.

"I was a circuit designer. Totally above the table. Not a mark on my record. You can check it yourself. Your war doesn't just hurt the guilty. The innocent get ground up in the gears." Needlenose looked over at Spinister, silently adding, And even my favourite sinner had to fall.

Optimus Prime looked away and changed the subject, "You say that stasis will kill Spinister. You have to understand that I cannot allow him to remain in a standard cell. Does this Decepticon bastion of compassion have any suggestions? Perhaps how to disable those anti-tampering devices?"

Needlenose let slip, "If I don't? Anti-tampering devices are tricky to disable for a reason."

Optimus Prime turned, optics ablaze. "He's going to have to die, then. I don't like it. I mourn each of the fallen-"

"You suicided over a video game. I mean, I love video games, but I've never been that serious." God help him, but he couldn't help that crack.

"Do you want Spinister to die?"

"No," Needlenose replied quickly, sobering himself. "Get your medic here. I'll explain the sequence."

"If it's a self-destruct..." Optimus Prime warned.

"Get off your high horse, Autobot. I love him. I don't expect you to get that, since you love everybody, which really means that you don't love anyone, but I love him!" He turned to Spinister and said softly, "I love you, and I bet you don't even understand what I'm saying."

Optimus Prime looked convinced. Good. Telling the medic Spinister's emergency reboot sequence and undoing the mode locks that prevented his helicopter mode weapons from being used in robot mode was a better profession of love than any words he could ever say.

[sapphirebreeze]

Aw! Sweet!

And I like how this follows on the last one. :)

[lunatron]

Thank you. Decepticons who care about each other are fun.

[ravenclaw_devi]

*briefly sticks her head in to reply to this* Awww! I like this. *relurks*

[lunatron]

Glad you liked it. It follows off of "Dominant Needlenose" fairly closely.

[beckyh2112]

you love everybody, which really means that you don't love anyone

I saw that idea in a "Good Omens" fic once. /random

Also, Needlenose is very... Mmmm. Ruthless nice. I bet the Autobots think he's all fluffy right up until Spinister pwns them.

[lunatron]

I saw that idea in a "Good Omens" fic once. /random

Oh, I'm sure that I got it from somewhere. :)

Also, Needlenose is very... Mmmm. Ruthless nice. I bet the Autobots think he's all fluffy right up until Spinister pwns them.

Heh-heh-heh. The ruthless application of niceness is a wicked weapon.

[koilungfish]

Bwaheh. Needlenose continues to be an evil beast. I approve. I'd say I hope Prime felt suitably guilty after this, but he's Prime, he does little but feel guilty.

[lunatron]

Bwaheh. Needlenose continues to be an evil beast. I approve. I'd say I hope Prime felt suitably guilty after this, but he's Prime, he does little but feel guilty.

Thank you. Feeling bad for Decepticons never gets you anything! Except large holes in your spaceship. ;)

One wonders if Optimus Prime ever kicks himself that it's his fault that Needlenose is his enemy.

[koilungfish]

Hah. Prime will shortly be having small problems with Megatron and Scorponok, so I doubt his mind's on these two much.

Prime kicks himself over everything. As you pointed out, the equality of his compassion degrades the quality of his compassion.

[lunatron]

True, true. And then he dies. And comes back. Needlenose will never get the attention that (he feels he) deserves!

The compassion really plays more like stupidity. It's bloody selfish of Optimus Prime to kill himself over a video game when his troops need him and the rest of the universe needs him to stop the Decepticons. More will die if he dies! I think Optimii are just inherently suicidal.

[koilungfish]

Poor Needlenose, so lacking in vindication, or just possibly the chance to make Prime cringe. Hence your fic, which neatly capped the who idea. Which is just one of the reasons it's good.

Yeah, Optimus does have some sort of a deathwish. Well, G1/G2 Optimus. Not sure about Primal. RiD Optimus seemed pretty sane. Armada Prime ... had Megatron issues.

[lunatron]

He'd like the former, but he secretly wants the latter.

Primal gets a deathwish in Beast Machines. He even comes out and states it.

[koilungfish]

Heh. And why not.

Haven't seen BMac, a fact that continues to be a nuisance.