Prompt 1 Dec 12 Music: Staying in Tune
Title: For a Few Upgrafes More - Chapter 3
Warnings/content advice: violence, giant robot battle, injury, swear words, jet under the influence...of sound.
Rating: PG-13
Continuity: Transformers Animated
Characters: Soundwave, Lockdown, Slipstream, with supporting Laserbeak and Ratbat
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro et al, not to me
Prompt: Prompt #1 Dec 12 Staying in Tune (with inspiration from Leonard Cohen - Hallelujahand a touch of Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home, and maybe Anberlin - Impossible.)
"I'm your bot," Lockdown had said. This particular phrase had significance to Soundwave: the choice of words it contained, the smooth and familiar manner in which it was spoken, the sonic qualities of the vocalizer with which it was generated. Analysis suggested the words were true, and so Soundwave took the bounty hunter at his word; Lockdown was in his service until the job was completed. But, apart from objective indicators, the phrase seemed to have some subjective meaning to Soundwave. This phrase, and the particular facial expression and posture that went with it, and even Lockdown's alt-mode - Soundwave was not as capable in analyzing visual cues - triggered association with Earth movies Soundwave had assimilated. To Soundwave, Lockdown was a cowboy.
There were, Soundwave knew, from accessing Earth data networks - he would see machines control these - alternate and conditional meaning of 'Cowboy', other than those of Western movies. Just as 'pirate' had particular meaning in relation to data, unrelated to ancient water vessels. Lockdown had, in Soundwave's perception, a kind of reckless ease. He was a machine not to be controlled by inferior organics. Soundwave admired him.
Soundwave wanted to return to the stadium and acoustically hack the mixing board and electric instruments so that he might change the subliminal message to one of benefit to machines. But, he needed to refuel and recharge. He had put the electro-ecolocation system in Ratbat. Ratbat's instrumentation was superior in locating fuel and energy resources. It was therefore logical he recover Ratbat. So, Soundwave followed Lockdown.
They drove through Detroit in the night, a pair of black and red vehicles, moving in a search pattern.
Soundwave's Cybertronian systems - those originally designed by Megatron and given life by that key - were strained by the assimilation of the Earth vehicle. Soundwave felt like an out of tune instrument, and without a key he was just off. He was capable of driving in this vehicle mode, but he had very limited control of its electronic components, which now underwent excruciatingly slow conversion, as his few Cybertronian nanomachines labored to transform the alien mass of his upgraded body.
Near dawn, they met with a series of informants. The Newsbot automaton, A Constructicon, and a Hero. The automaton was eager to relay information, but had no news of a bat or keytar. The second informant confirmed only what Soundwave knew of his own recent defeat by the Autobots. The third - captured with an impressive driving technique in which Soundwave helped Lockdown trap the garbage truck between their forms - eventually confessed he had collected something that might be a keytar, but then tossed it from his pack
with some other garbage to a curb along a street near the riverfront.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Things were going real smooth. Lockdown didn't usually take a client along on a job. Such exceptions - like Prowl - were rare. But, in this case, he wanted opportunity to check-out Soundwave's sonic mods, fast-upgrade ability, and connection to these pets. Couldn't do that until the bot actually got through his full assimilation of the upgrades. There was some chance Soundwave, at full power - no. No way he was a match for Lockdown and his upgrades. Bot was even more a kid than The Kid. 'Least those clones seemed to have some kind of pre-installed memory.
"How ya doin' with those upgrades, Kid?"
"Assimilation ongoing." Didn't wanna talk, Lockdown guessed. Sometimes the process hurt - worth it, though.
"The Hero narrowed down the area, and it looks like I'm picking-up something." He was purposely vague in just how significant the AllSpark fragments were on this particular hunt. He didn't need to rely on his net and the data from Prowl! He had all kinds of tracking skills. Just...the gadgets made it easier. Didn't need to get all in tune with spark energy and spiritual scrap with the gadgets.
Lockdown led the way off the road onto a drive within a development in some kinda construction hiatus. He was scanning in infrared, illumination dark as he could, tire pressure reduced just slightly. Behind him, Soundwave rolled, headlights lit and some kind of undercarriage novelty lighting. Lockdown didn't know if he had control enough yet to make an adjustment.
"Gettin somethin from that big garage at the end of the drive. Hang back a bit, Kemosabe. I'll go around back."
"Sure, Partner." Did he sound somehow...pleased. Hard to tell with that voice.
Lockdown wasn't exactly comfortable with Partner. He transformed and then stalked toward the building. The signal was stronger than he had anticipated. A lot stronger. He had
a job to do; he was always serious about a job. The rear of the building had a wide door, like a garage, but it opened onto a ramp descending into the river, rather than a road. Lockdown didn't remember any rumors of aquatic bots on Earth. But, the structure might just be big enough for- "Slag!"
The door opened and Lockdown was faced with a Seeker in walker-mode partial transformation, this one with some decidedly Earth-made weaponry mounted under-wing. The missiles fired and Lockdown dove to his right side, into the river. He tracked, and saw the curve of their path, as transformation sounds carried from the interior. Heat seeking, or maybe locked onto him? No. He had stealth mods enough to confuse the smart-missiles. Unless-
A shriek sounded overhead and the pair of missiles curved again, toward the building. The violet and teal Seeker ran out, toward them, blasting one on her left -pew pew pew - and rising on thrusters to kick the second one from her path. Both fell to the water - killed by remote, though Lockdown didn't know which bird had done it.
The Seeker hovered, glaring at Laserbeak, then turned on Lockdown. "Where are my brothers?!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"Was the Autobots got 'em. I had a deal with Ramjet-!" Lockdown hedged.
"I don't slaggin care - now - who did it. I asked you where they are!" Slipstream shouted.
He was laughing at her. "Slag if I know. EG custody. Probably on their way to Cybertron now, Sweetness."
"My designation is Slipstream!" She fired her lasers at the hunter.
He laughed again, as the rays hit the rippled surface of the water and were rendered ineffectual, light refracted from her target.
Frustrated, Slipstream looked away. There was the bird that had hacked her missiles, and some red and black bot she didn't know. He walked like he was just not-right, and staggered into the boathouse after Ratbat. So, now the bat's creator was going to show up to claim him? And Starscream was still MIA! The loser! Distracted, Slipstream didn't see the net launch from the hunter's right arm, she only felt it hit her.
Slipstream fell, dampening effect of the sleep-net cutting power to her thrusters. Hitting the water, the conductivity between her plating and net was reduced by the contact between net and water. She shrugged-off the net and stood, glaring. For a moment, Lockdown had a look of surprise and she laughed at him. "This fun for you?"
The hunter's grin returned. "Darlin, you don't even know!"
Slipstream fired a blaster.
Lockdown dodged.
She fired another shot.
It hit his left shoulder, and knocked him back.
All the while, the other bot was in her boathouse, with her computers, and her hi-jacked data and power lines, and her barrels of oil!
Lockdown went on the offensive, again. He launched bolas.
Slipstream dodged, but failed to see it as distraction.
Lockdown had already transformed. The muscle car plowed into her left leg, damaging a thruster, and transformed again, and got her in some kind of hold - she was still reeling from the thruster damage.
"Fragger! Do you practice your transform-ups in front of your mirror?"
"Every day!"
Slipstream wailed. How was she supposed to kick this aft in the shin-pipes while standing on her one good leg?! She wasn't some kind of kung-fu Karate master! "Jesus fragging Buddha mother-" Slipstream lifted her good leg and threw her weight forward. She and Lockdown both fell beneath the icy water. They grappled with talons and hook, and after struggling and rolling for some time, landed together on the boathouse ramp; Slipstream on top.
The other bot was there, looming right over her, pets perched on his arms. Ratbat squeaked at her, she thought. "Whose side are you on?"
"You are not like a schoolmarm or a saloon girl."
Lockdown laughed at this, like it was funny he was pinned and marked by her talons.
"What the-?" Slipstream felt...something. It was like something moved through her shell. The fragment in her spark chamber twinged. Then, whatever it was, happened again.
"Hey now!" Lockdown said in alarm.
Slipstream felt...dizzy, like she was flying, no, in freefall. Again, but just a bit sharper. She laughed giddily.
"Soundwave, you done found the chord that pleases...the jet," Lockdown said. Slipstream could see that wide maw smugly grinning. That sound pushed at her again and she sighed.
"Subwoofers are now functional."
"If you-" Slipstream giggled, "If you take advantage of this, I will end you!"
[I would like to write another part using the remaining music prompt, but I need to go sleep, and I'm not sure how I can work Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus into this plot...western-like as it is in it's thematic appropriateness.]
Warnings/content advice: violence, giant robot battle, injury, swear words, jet under the influence...of sound.
Rating: PG-13
Continuity: Transformers Animated
Characters: Soundwave, Lockdown, Slipstream, with supporting Laserbeak and Ratbat
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro et al, not to me
Prompt: Prompt #1 Dec 12 Staying in Tune (with inspiration from Leonard Cohen - Hallelujahand a touch of Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home, and maybe Anberlin - Impossible.)
"I'm your bot," Lockdown had said. This particular phrase had significance to Soundwave: the choice of words it contained, the smooth and familiar manner in which it was spoken, the sonic qualities of the vocalizer with which it was generated. Analysis suggested the words were true, and so Soundwave took the bounty hunter at his word; Lockdown was in his service until the job was completed. But, apart from objective indicators, the phrase seemed to have some subjective meaning to Soundwave. This phrase, and the particular facial expression and posture that went with it, and even Lockdown's alt-mode - Soundwave was not as capable in analyzing visual cues - triggered association with Earth movies Soundwave had assimilated. To Soundwave, Lockdown was a cowboy.
There were, Soundwave knew, from accessing Earth data networks - he would see machines control these - alternate and conditional meaning of 'Cowboy', other than those of Western movies. Just as 'pirate' had particular meaning in relation to data, unrelated to ancient water vessels. Lockdown had, in Soundwave's perception, a kind of reckless ease. He was a machine not to be controlled by inferior organics. Soundwave admired him.
Soundwave wanted to return to the stadium and acoustically hack the mixing board and electric instruments so that he might change the subliminal message to one of benefit to machines. But, he needed to refuel and recharge. He had put the electro-ecolocation system in Ratbat. Ratbat's instrumentation was superior in locating fuel and energy resources. It was therefore logical he recover Ratbat. So, Soundwave followed Lockdown.
They drove through Detroit in the night, a pair of black and red vehicles, moving in a search pattern.
Soundwave's Cybertronian systems - those originally designed by Megatron and given life by that key - were strained by the assimilation of the Earth vehicle. Soundwave felt like an out of tune instrument, and without a key he was just off. He was capable of driving in this vehicle mode, but he had very limited control of its electronic components, which now underwent excruciatingly slow conversion, as his few Cybertronian nanomachines labored to transform the alien mass of his upgraded body.
Near dawn, they met with a series of informants. The Newsbot automaton, A Constructicon, and a Hero. The automaton was eager to relay information, but had no news of a bat or keytar. The second informant confirmed only what Soundwave knew of his own recent defeat by the Autobots. The third - captured with an impressive driving technique in which Soundwave helped Lockdown trap the garbage truck between their forms - eventually confessed he had collected something that might be a keytar, but then tossed it from his pack
with some other garbage to a curb along a street near the riverfront.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Things were going real smooth. Lockdown didn't usually take a client along on a job. Such exceptions - like Prowl - were rare. But, in this case, he wanted opportunity to check-out Soundwave's sonic mods, fast-upgrade ability, and connection to these pets. Couldn't do that until the bot actually got through his full assimilation of the upgrades. There was some chance Soundwave, at full power - no. No way he was a match for Lockdown and his upgrades. Bot was even more a kid than The Kid. 'Least those clones seemed to have some kind of pre-installed memory.
"How ya doin' with those upgrades, Kid?"
"Assimilation ongoing." Didn't wanna talk, Lockdown guessed. Sometimes the process hurt - worth it, though.
"The Hero narrowed down the area, and it looks like I'm picking-up something." He was purposely vague in just how significant the AllSpark fragments were on this particular hunt. He didn't need to rely on his net and the data from Prowl! He had all kinds of tracking skills. Just...the gadgets made it easier. Didn't need to get all in tune with spark energy and spiritual scrap with the gadgets.
Lockdown led the way off the road onto a drive within a development in some kinda construction hiatus. He was scanning in infrared, illumination dark as he could, tire pressure reduced just slightly. Behind him, Soundwave rolled, headlights lit and some kind of undercarriage novelty lighting. Lockdown didn't know if he had control enough yet to make an adjustment.
"Gettin somethin from that big garage at the end of the drive. Hang back a bit, Kemosabe. I'll go around back."
"Sure, Partner." Did he sound somehow...pleased. Hard to tell with that voice.
Lockdown wasn't exactly comfortable with Partner. He transformed and then stalked toward the building. The signal was stronger than he had anticipated. A lot stronger. He had
a job to do; he was always serious about a job. The rear of the building had a wide door, like a garage, but it opened onto a ramp descending into the river, rather than a road. Lockdown didn't remember any rumors of aquatic bots on Earth. But, the structure might just be big enough for- "Slag!"
The door opened and Lockdown was faced with a Seeker in walker-mode partial transformation, this one with some decidedly Earth-made weaponry mounted under-wing. The missiles fired and Lockdown dove to his right side, into the river. He tracked, and saw the curve of their path, as transformation sounds carried from the interior. Heat seeking, or maybe locked onto him? No. He had stealth mods enough to confuse the smart-missiles. Unless-
A shriek sounded overhead and the pair of missiles curved again, toward the building. The violet and teal Seeker ran out, toward them, blasting one on her left -pew pew pew - and rising on thrusters to kick the second one from her path. Both fell to the water - killed by remote, though Lockdown didn't know which bird had done it.
The Seeker hovered, glaring at Laserbeak, then turned on Lockdown. "Where are my brothers?!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"Was the Autobots got 'em. I had a deal with Ramjet-!" Lockdown hedged.
"I don't slaggin care - now - who did it. I asked you where they are!" Slipstream shouted.
He was laughing at her. "Slag if I know. EG custody. Probably on their way to Cybertron now, Sweetness."
"My designation is Slipstream!" She fired her lasers at the hunter.
He laughed again, as the rays hit the rippled surface of the water and were rendered ineffectual, light refracted from her target.
Frustrated, Slipstream looked away. There was the bird that had hacked her missiles, and some red and black bot she didn't know. He walked like he was just not-right, and staggered into the boathouse after Ratbat. So, now the bat's creator was going to show up to claim him? And Starscream was still MIA! The loser! Distracted, Slipstream didn't see the net launch from the hunter's right arm, she only felt it hit her.
Slipstream fell, dampening effect of the sleep-net cutting power to her thrusters. Hitting the water, the conductivity between her plating and net was reduced by the contact between net and water. She shrugged-off the net and stood, glaring. For a moment, Lockdown had a look of surprise and she laughed at him. "This fun for you?"
The hunter's grin returned. "Darlin, you don't even know!"
Slipstream fired a blaster.
Lockdown dodged.
She fired another shot.
It hit his left shoulder, and knocked him back.
All the while, the other bot was in her boathouse, with her computers, and her hi-jacked data and power lines, and her barrels of oil!
Lockdown went on the offensive, again. He launched bolas.
Slipstream dodged, but failed to see it as distraction.
Lockdown had already transformed. The muscle car plowed into her left leg, damaging a thruster, and transformed again, and got her in some kind of hold - she was still reeling from the thruster damage.
"Fragger! Do you practice your transform-ups in front of your mirror?"
"Every day!"
Slipstream wailed. How was she supposed to kick this aft in the shin-pipes while standing on her one good leg?! She wasn't some kind of kung-fu Karate master! "Jesus fragging Buddha mother-" Slipstream lifted her good leg and threw her weight forward. She and Lockdown both fell beneath the icy water. They grappled with talons and hook, and after struggling and rolling for some time, landed together on the boathouse ramp; Slipstream on top.
The other bot was there, looming right over her, pets perched on his arms. Ratbat squeaked at her, she thought. "Whose side are you on?"
"You are not like a schoolmarm or a saloon girl."
Lockdown laughed at this, like it was funny he was pinned and marked by her talons.
"What the-?" Slipstream felt...something. It was like something moved through her shell. The fragment in her spark chamber twinged. Then, whatever it was, happened again.
"Hey now!" Lockdown said in alarm.
Slipstream felt...dizzy, like she was flying, no, in freefall. Again, but just a bit sharper. She laughed giddily.
"Soundwave, you done found the chord that pleases...the jet," Lockdown said. Slipstream could see that wide maw smugly grinning. That sound pushed at her again and she sighed.
"Subwoofers are now functional."
"If you-" Slipstream giggled, "If you take advantage of this, I will end you!"
[I would like to write another part using the remaining music prompt, but I need to go sleep, and I'm not sure how I can work Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus into this plot...western-like as it is in it's thematic appropriateness.]