(no subject)
bsBee: *walks slowly down the abandoned hall, fiddling with her PINpoint with one hand and leaning heavily on her cane with the other*
Sellout: *has discovered that Scanbar has been to the Nexus and is now sequestered in his workroom, refusing to let the captain in* *leaning against the door and talking in* ...working? You?
bsBee: *head snaps up with alarm and her thumb hits a button as she loses her balance. Winks out just before she hits the floor*
Sellout: *stops listening to the door and looks round in alarm*
*Out in the wild and the windy, far away where the ship's medic walks, there's suddenly a yellow form curled around the pain of a wrenched weld*
Dropjaunt: !!! *caught frozen in the act of packing up a container* Bumblebee?
bsBee: *squeaks and startles again, but doesn't uncurl* Hmm?
Dropjaunt: *hasty comm call* *shuts the container lid and stands up* What- what are you doing out here? *glancing from side to side*
bsBee: ...Hit the button by accident when I fell... do you see my cane?
Dropjaunt: *optics fix on the ground as he looks for it* Ah... there. *he moves towards it carefully, skirting a couple of small piles of equipment*
bsBee: ...I'm leaking. Uzulee's gonna flip. *no spazzing happening here. No flashbacks.*
Dropjaunt: *peers at her as he passes the cane over, wondering if she's in shock* I... I can fix that. *to Ashdasher* //No, really, take a detour.//
bsBee: *looks up at him with calm big optics as she takes it* Thanks... why are you looking at me... oh right. *tries to straighten out, only to squeak and curl again* I don't flashback anymore.
Dropjaunt: *frowning* How?
bsBee: ...stuff... happened
Ashdasher: //If you have a reason for this, I'd like to hear it. But I'm not waiting for it. I am tired and I want fuel and I am done out here. I'm coming in.//
Dropjaunt: >_< *crouches down to examine Bumblebee* Hindsight... wasn't part of it, was she?
bsBee: ...I don't really remember. I haven't been online that long. *sighs and manages to straighten out a little as she says quietly* I lost it completely and wound up running into some live cables. Blew my spark out
Dropjaunt: *hands stop cold; he stares at her, not heeding the sound of an approaching engine as the wind carries it their way* Blew your spark out...?
bsBee: *looks back steadily* I was dead for several minutes.
Dropjaunt: ...No-one on the ship has the skill to- do they?
bsBee: ...Somebody sent me back.
Dropjaunt: *frown* ...From the other side.
bsBee: My Commander. *doesn't look up*
Dropjaunt: *silence for a few moments as the wind rises and falls around them* So you saw- are you sure he was... yours?
bsBee: *quietly* Yes.
Dropjaunt: ...Well, good. *pause* You really are better. I can see it already.
*The engine noise is audible without the wind now, and he doesn't have to look to recognise the rust-red dune buggy bumping across the rocks towards them.*
bsBee: *looks toward it, her optics sharp and wary- the gaze of a scout who's been in dangerous places, but who is still an inherently friendly person* Redeco's still looking at me funny, though. *relieved he didn't ask her how she knew it was her Commander.*
Dropjaunt: *has given up trying to understand anything but medicking and geography, really* Really? That's funny... he's always ignored everything strange about this place.
*That stranger is pretty big... but there aren't any weapons visible from this distance.*
bsBee: *And Dropjaunt doesn't seem worried. She trusts the roving medic. She's also not looking at him as her faceplates heat slightly* Yeah, but I kissed him.
Dropjaunt: *blink* Oh. ...I'm surprised by that too. But he'll forget it soon. These things happen...
Ashdasher: *transforms without slowing, walking into camp with an easy, powerful stride* Planned or not. Done with the spectroscope?
bsBee: *still blushing, and wincing a little at the pain of the place she redamaged. Her optics are steady though as they watch the stranger* I kinda wish it hadn't.
Dropjaunt: *nods at the Decepticon and pats a case beside him before he looks back at Bumblebee* Why does it bother you?
Ashdasher: *crouches beside the lighter mech, opening the case and one of his own compartments, and transferring something from the latter to the former*
bsBee: *not watching anymore because she's looking away from everybody. Very softly* Because I was using them.
Dropjaunt: For comfort?
Ashdasher: *finishes his task and closes the case, lifting red optics to study the little stranger who's blown into his camp*
bsBee: *still quiet* To try and make the memories go away*
Ashdasher: *quiet chuckle, getting a glare*
Dropjaunt: *mutter* It's not polite to do that without explaining yourself.
bsBee: *hugs self and looks a very embarrassed and unhappy young femme*
Ashdasher: *laughing harder, now at Dropjaunt, but he reins himself in* Autobots... the things you feel guilty for. *addressing Bumblebee now* I don't know you, scout, but on this ground there is no-one to accuse you of anything.
bsBee: *looks up at him, meeting his optics squarely and frankly* There's me.
Ashdasher: *chuckle* Then play at judge, and scare the other little Autobots. If using each other like that upset us any more, we'd all be in the brigs - ha! *slaps Dropjaunt's shoulder* And lonely in them, too.
bsBee: *looks at Dropjaunt*
Dropjaunt: *pulls a face at the 'Con, then turns back and realises he's being looked at* *shrug* Redecho won't care. Songstop might pretend to, but he's strange - I don't know what he really gives a slag about these days. *he thinks that's the confirmation she's looking for*
bsBee: *nods and mutters* And it's not like I'm gonna do it again. *then she looks up again* Have you guys seen Ironhide?
Ashdasher: *shakes head*
Dropjaunt: Isn't he at the ship? *frownfrown*
bsBee: He's been gone since before I hit the wires. No one's heard anything from him. *hides her concern, but her voice shows it anyway*
Dropjaunt: I'm... sorry. But people wander around a lot here. He might turn up when you least expect it.
Ashdasher: *deep hrrrm* Not a safe planet if you don't know how to read it.
Dropjaunt: Oh, shut up.
bsBee: He's the second best tracker we've ever had. But he... didn't care.
Dropjaunt: ...You'd be the best, am I right?
bsBee: No. That was Arcee.
Dropjaunt: *headscratch* Ah... if only she was here, then...
Ashdasher: Bot like that has better places to be. *shrug*
bsBee: She died at Tyger Pax.
Ashdasher: In your world.
Dropjaunt: Bumblebee. I know it's probably small stuff to you, but there's a reason people here actually recognised your name the first time you arrived.//
bsBee: *pauses in the middle of pushing herself up and leans against Dropjaunt to hide a sudden rush of tears* //I'm not a slagging hero!//
Dropjaunt: *startled*
Songstop: *well, what can you say?* //Actually, you are. A couple times over, at least.//
bsBee: I'm not a hero... everyone died. //Yes, sir//
Dropjaunt: *soothing* Shh, it's all right, it's all right now...* *patpat*
Songstop: //...That's Prime Squad code for 'I'm not listening, you slagfaced liar', isn't it?// *Or it's the one he just taught her, but meh.*
bsBee: *static comes from her vocalizer, and her communicator as she puts up an arm to cling to her friend* //No, sir.//
Songstop: //I get it. I'll shut up.//
bsBee: //I'm sorry.// *sends him her coordinates*
Songstop: //It's not you.// *checks the distance and whistles* //When Dropjaunt said long-distance, he wasn't kidding.//
bsBee: *gets herself under control and looks for her PINpoint but doesn't see it* //I lost my PIN.// *Looks up at Dropjaunt and hastily lets go of him, only to wobble and squeak. Ouch* Sorry.
Songstop: //Slag. I think Scanbar's got one- I'll go check if it's still in one piece.//
bsBee: //Dr. McCoy has one.//
Dropjaunt: No, you're all right.
Songstop: //Then I'll look for her, too.//
bsBee: *sends acknowledgement to Songstop as she looks at Dropjaunt uncertainly. She knows well the discomfort with which a lot of the crew view things like hugs and such*
*Being only mildly troubled by guilt and not having any touch-issues as such, Dropjaunt doesn't seem to mind. He does seem concerned about the Decepticon coaxing the converter to give up its energy on the other side of the campsite.*
bsBee: *needs hugs. Wibbles and leans against him again, looking very young*
Dropjaunt: *pats her again* Are you feeling better?
bsBee: *nods* Yeah. The spot I popped hurts, though. *and she's tired*
Ashdasher: *comes their way, bearing a couple of smallish cubes of energon* Is she staying? *his tone is neutral: he simply wants to know*
bsBee: *realizes that Dropjaunt's not answering and looks up* No. Songstop's coming to get me.
Ashdasher: *nods and hands her down a cube*
Dropjaunt: *checks Bee's damage again: he's reassured it doesn't look serious*
bsBee: Thank you. *sips slowly, mindful of patches on her fuel lines that make her tank a little jumpy. As she drinks those big optics study the Decepticon.* I'm Bumblebee.
Ashdasher: I know. *drains part of his cube - it's been a long night and day. He looks back down at the Autobot, studying her back. Eventually he condescends to identify himself.* Ashdasher.
bsBee: *shy small grin* Hi. *she's still leaning on Dropjaunt, he's comforting and she's tired*
Ashdasher: *cocks his head at her, then nods slightly and finishes off his cube*
Dropjaunt: *is relieved he's not getting asked any awkward questions* How soon is Songstop coming?
bsBee: Um. //Songstop?//
Songstop: //Yeah? Hang on, I've found Uzulee...//
bsBee: //..okay// *looks up at Dropjaunt* He's asking Dr. McCoy for a PINpoint, because I don't know where mine went.
Dropjaunt: Soon, then... *looks up at Ashdasher*
Ashdasher: *has had his look at the offworlder and is content. He gives a rumbling chuckle and moves away, aiming for a dip in the ground he knows is nearby*
bsBee: Yeah *watches him go, calm in her optics where the sight of a Decepticon would have once had her tripping out and arming up* He's tired.
Dropjaunt: *wary look at her* Yes. He's been working since it was dark.
bsBee: Does Sellout know, or do I have to keep quiet about this?
Dropjaunt: *uncomfortable shift: these things are not spoken of normally* He knows. He just doesn't... say anything. No-one does. *except on certain occasions when the rules break down and all bets are off: namely when the high-grade's out*
bsBee: *nods, the calm continuing* I'll be quiet.
Dropjaunt: *eyes her, wondering as a medic as well as the guilty party* You don't have to.
bsBee: *shrugs and snuggles a bit as the wind makes her scars ache* Nobody will talk about it anyway. And the doctor probably already knows.
Dropjaunt: *startled frown* Dr. McCoy? How?
bsBee: Her boss knows stuff. *shrugs and then squeaks*
Dropjaunt: *remembers a conversation just before he left and nods slowly* Does Sellout know that?
bsBee: I think so. Yeah. I'm pretty sure he does.
Dropjaunt: Then I hope he doesn't try to do anything drastic.
bsBee: *looks up at him with concern*
Dropjaunt: ...It's all right. You probably don't have to worry.
bsBee: *frowns*
*And at that moment Songstop PINs into view a short distance away. He spots the campsite in a second and heads for them.*
Songstop: Hey! Are you OK?
bsBee: *straightens from where she was leaning against the medic* Yeah, just tired and a little cold. I broke a weld, but Dropjaunt fixed it.
Songstop: *semi-surreptitious glance around them* All right. *he comes forward, offering her a hand up* Should get you back home before you get any colder..
bsBee: *stands shakily with her cane, pretending she didn't see the hand* Yes, si... um. Right.
Songstop: *blinks at her, then exchanges a parting look with Dropjaunt - who frowns*
Dropjaunt: ...Have you been upgrading without me?
Songstop: *blink* What?
bsBee: *blinks, and then understands* 0.o *to Songstop* //He's noticed your height... I thought you were taller!//
Songstop: Oh, you mean... *gestures at the top of his head and the ground*
Dropjaunt: Yes. /: I
Songstop: Well, yeah. Kinda. It was an accident.
bsBee: >_> *trying to get a clear memory of that nagging thought of the Matrix*
Dropjaunt: An accident? >_<
Songstop: Yeah, basically. It didn't change much anyway. Stop looking at me like that. BI
bsBee: *blinks at a huge wind gust... and then face plants with a clatter*
Songstop: *curses and drops to help her up* Come on, we don't have time to play catch-up.
Dropjaunt: o_o No, no. Get her comfortable. She still needs to recover. *And she doesn't have the insulated systems and patchwork modifications that both of the others have acquired during their time on the planet.*
bsBee: *too uncomfortable and cold to pull away now, and lets the CO2 help her. Her faceplates are scrunched slightly with discomfort, but all she says, with typical Bumblebee optimism, is* I'm... o.. okay.
Songstop: *voice softening a bit as he puts a hand on her shoulder* Yeah, but OK isn't 'good'. *he looks up at the medic* See you... sometime, I guess.
Dropjaunt: *nods, watching them* Good luck.
bsBee: Okay *wearily leaning against Songstop, but with none of the cuddling she used to do. She's only a tired young femme looking for support* *holds out her hand to Dropjaunt, her optics warm* Thanks
Dropjaunt: *optics flicker in surprise, but he clasps her hand after a moment* It's nothing. I'm just... glad you're doing well.
bsBee: *nods, feeling a bit sad to say good bye to the guy who feels like a friend* Thanks... uh for that too. *laughs softly*
Dropjaunt: *smiles, though there's a slight uncertainty and sadness to it* Until next time.
Songstop: *decides it's time to PIN them out*
bsBee: *meeep! cling!*
Songstop: *steadies them* OK?
bsBee: Yes, si... yeah.
Songstop: *looks her over, then at the PINpoint* I ought to give this back.
bsBee: *steadies herself on her cane, creaking and squeaking* Okay.
Songstop: *frowns* Do you need some energy or anything?
bsBee: I think *wince* I really need to sit down.
Songstop: *offers her a hand, waving at the door behind him* The mess is just here.
bsBee: *hesitates, but takes the hand, still leaning heavily on her cane* Thanks. Yeah... I... oh, I had a cube... but I left it behind. I guess I better get another one.
Songstop: *leads her in* I heard a rumour that Sellout restocked this place with actual drinkable energon, so you're in luck.
bsBee: *chuckles* The stuff Ashdasher gave me tasted like baked on engine sludge.
Songstop: *blinks and freezes for a second, then turns away* Yeah, I'll bet... *So he was there.*
bsBee: *wincing and embarrassed. She'd said she'd be quiet, and then she blabs the moment she powers up her vocalizer. Falls into unhappy silence*
Songstop: *thinking hard as he goes and roots for the low-grade, and by the time he turns around and spots her expression, he's reached a decision. He puts the cubes on a bench.* You should've tasted them before any of us got the hang of the converters.
bsBee: *inadvertant grimace* No thanks. I've tasted energon after I tried starting up a converter. *remembers herself and settles down in a chair with a sigh of relief*
Songstop: If you're desperate, you'll drink it. *grimace at his own memories* But a bot can't stay desperate forever.
bsBee: You should try diesel, or gasoline
Songstop: The 'cons strike oil every now and again. We stole it before they'd processed it once... *pulls a face.*
bsBee: *does too* Crude oil is only good for baths
Songstop: *glances upward* Certain people round here like to burn it.
bsBee: *drops her optics to the table as a memory surfaces* Some of the 'Cons on Earth decided to set all the wells there on fire as part of their plan to get rid of the humans.
Songstop: *blink* What's the idea of that?
bsBee: *doesn't look up* Oil's poisonous to humans.
Songstop: ...Oh. Uh... did it work? *how much oil could one planet have?*
bsBee: Along with other things. *lets air out of her intakes in a sigh* Certain kinds of radiation are even worse.
Songstop: *frowns deeply at his cube* Did they even want the planet?
bsBee: They wanted the energy, the remaining resources were being stripped toward the end. *slight, pained laugh* So when Ironhide and I blew up their base... it really blew.
Songstop: *shudders slightly, but his voice stays even* No kidding. And you were there to see it...
bsBee: *low voiced, as she stares into her cube* The explosion was the last thing I ever saw in our reality.
Songstop: *voice no louder than hers* You really can't go back?
bsBee: I haven't tried in awhile, but we couldn't when we did. *blinks as something drips into her energon*
Songstop: Going back's never a good idea anyway. *looks around at the noise and then at Bumblebee*
bsBee: But Megatron could have survived. *more drops, and she puts up a hand and discovers that she's crying*
Songstop: *realises what the sound was and tries to think of something comforting* But there's no-one left for him to hurt.
bsBee: There are other worlds than Earth. Other people than... than humans. *pushes the cube aside and puts her head down*
Songstop: *edges closer* Yeah, but not close, right? So to get to them, he's got to get past... other things. *And he wonders just how different their universes might be, in that respect.*
bsBee: *only staticks with quiet sobs*
Songstop: *writes off that attempt and kicks himself* *moves closer and leans down to put a hand on her shoulder* It'll be all right. Trust me. Some guys aren't as dangerous as they think they are.
bsBee: *she doesn't cling to him as she once would have. She doesn't start and drop into a fashback. She only shakes with near-silent mourning for a world and a people that she failed.*
Songstop: *decides to follow Redecho's advice: shut up and be supportive* *he translates that as sitting next to her and letting her be*
bsBee: *it doesn't last long. She's not that strong yet, and in a few minutes she falls still, her optics shuttered in exhausted recharge. The little bot that could is worn out with the battles of the day*
Songstop: *realises after a bit that she's offline* *leans down, peering at her face to check*
bsBee: *very offline. Sleeping peacefully, though the sheen of drying tears is still on her faceplates*
Optimus: *gently and softly at the back of his mind* Bring her to bed.
Songstop: *has to clamp a hand over his mouth to stifle the yelp at the voice* *blinks at nothing for a second, then scowls at it and calls Redecho to help him with the other Autobot*
*The ghost is silent now, but Bumblebee twitches slightly at the stifled yelp, murmuring something reassuring before she drops back into deeper sleep.*
Songstop: *slowly lowers his hand and watches her, shoulders slumping* *It's enough to make him regret his mixed feelings about her and her people... but what can he do? He shakes his head at himself and waits for Redecho to come and lend a hand.*
Redecho: *shows his face a little late, complaining about the quirks of relay drones until the communications officer silences him with impolite sign language. Then both of them are quiet, bar some muttered sniping at each other as they lift Bumblebee and settle her in her quarters.*
bsBee: *sighs and sleeps. Content for the moment*
*And Redecho, noting that and Songstop's unusually subdued manner when they get back outside, privately sets about tweaking his assessment of the situation as he strolls back towards the repair bay...*