Nexus. The Black Dog bar. Alive again, or newly alive.

[random_xtras]

She sits at the bar, idly dabbling a finger in her cube of mid-grade blue as she listens to the comings and goings and the talk and laughter all around her. She can make sense of what she hears now, since Scattor gave her a little of his own programming... an 'operating system', he'd called it. So she knows what's going on here, and she knows how to use this body she's found herself in.

She still doesn't know what she was created for.

Nothing is random. Scattor says this, and she finds that she strongly believes it herself now that she's capable of believing anything. Yet here she is with a superbly equipped body and a functioning processor inhabited by the memories and personality of a dead organic femme and the quirky jokes of a former Decepticon turned Guardian Fae.

Her ears quiver softly in a smile as she thinks of her mentor. She still hasn't figured him out, but she thinks she likes him. As much as she likes anything yet.

There's a whimper and a little yip from her left, and her hand goes out unerringly to scratch the ears of the hybrid Maximal sparklet that the bar is named for. "Ach, Pooka, is everyvone ignoring you again?"

There's a good-natured snort from Nemesis, and Liedherz's ears move with amusement as she lowers her head to nuzzle the fuzzy youngster.

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[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

The door rattles behind him as the newest arrival strides through it and pauses just inside. He stands tall, sweeping the room with an unreadable gaze, big enough not to heed any hapless bot trying to pass him. Mega-Octane is in the Nexus… and there are no Commandos at his side.

And one might wonder what he’s doing in a bar. But he certainly doesn’t look confused about it.

Satisfied there’s no-one at the booths or tables he’s interested in, he heads for the bar itself, glancing along it at the other patrons as he approaches.

[random_xtras]

"Thhpphth." Liedherz straightens and wipes her muzzle. "Danke for ze lovely kisses, kind. Thhpphth. But I don't think ve know vone another vell enough yet to be kissing like zat yet."

"Huh?" Pooka tilts his head at her, then gives her a little nose bump and goes to check out what that Bumblebee's doing at the other end of the bar.

Liedherz chuckles, her ears twitching and her wings resettling around her shoulders as she lifts her cube for a drink.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Mega-Octane pauses for a second, gaze snapping in the direction of that voice. He recognises her, of course, with the information he took from Movor before he came. His visor narrows for just a moment…

And then the expression is gone and the only sign he’s noted the ex-organic’s presence is the shift in his course towards her part of the counter.

He settles himself comfortably on the stool between Liedherz and the door, radiating hard-edged purpose. He knows things in this place have changed since any of his Commandos were here last, but as he glances at the blackboard he’s not interested in how.

[random_xtras]

There are Scorponok chew marks on the edge of the bar here and there. And the dark green femme who walks over to look at him with optics the colour of dried blood could nearly be a shorter version of Blackout.

"What's yours?" she asks him mildly, then calls to Pooka to stop eating all the energon pellets, she just fed him.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

He notes that as he looks her over briefly, and isn't particularly surprised. "Green mid-grade," he says, not knowing why that comes to mind so readily. He assumes it's his team's doing, like the way he recognises most of the drinks on the list.

Though he doesn't look round, he's far more interested in whether Liedherz will react to his voice.

[random_xtras]

Liedherz is listening, as she has been since she first detected those footsteps. Except for that single ear pointing his way there's no sign she's aware of the combiner captain, though.

Nemesis, meanwhile, fills a cube at the tap and sets it down in front of Mega-Octane as she gives him the standard n00b lecture. "This is neutral ground. Disturb the peace and drink elsewhere. And the fuzzy black guy's off limits. He's also the only one that gets to sit on the bar without a chair."

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

"I know the rules," he responds gruffly, though everything from 'fuzzy black' is new and he glances down the way at Pooka. Bars aren't for sitting on, anyway: he can't imagine why anyone would want to...

There's a flicker of memory that's echoed in his visor, and if he could he'd smile. Maybe he can.

[random_xtras]

The hybrid sparklet is busy washing Bumblebee's face thoroughly as that little mech laughs and flails a bit and tries not to fade out. One white paw is on Bumblebee's shoulder so he can't run away, and Nemesis seems oblivious to his actions as she nods and turns away, wiping her hands on a towel. Apparently she resembles Blackout in more than just appearance.

Liedherz lifts her own cube and takes a sip, then reaches over for the nearby bowl of energon pellets and starts dropping them into her drink one by one. She's a bit surprised at Mega-Octane's being here, and wonders why there's a strong association between the gruff mech and milky coffee in her memories.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Mega-Octane turns back to his cube. He's less than pleased by Bumblebee's presence, but the Autobot won't recognise him. He extracts a fuel line and plugs into the mid-grade, purposeful but unhurried. He is not subject to the same time constraints as his subordinates; he has no fear for his sanity; he is free to take his time in assessing his target.

And in noting that she has a spark signature now. Movor's sensors couldn't have missed that before. Perhaps whatever force was engaged in reviving her came back later to finish the job...

[random_xtras]

Bumblebee loses the fight and vanishes, but this only confuses Pooka for a moment. Baby thing that he is, he can still see the intangible free spark, and is rather delighted that he somehow can't touch him anymore. His tail goes furiously as he yips and bows in invitation to play.

One of the drones that's working the floor drops the heavy earthenware bowl that it was using to carry water with which to clean the empty tables, and the resounding hollow gong sound has Liedherz's wings flaring out with surprise even as the jerk of her hands spills her energon across the counter. "Ach!"

"Bet, you brainless glitch, I'm angry at you!" Nemesis informs her minion even as she grabs the means of cleaning up the energon.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Mega-Octane's hand lashes out to lift his cube clear of the spill zone. Combat reflexes have their uses, although it might say something that said reflex was 'save the energon'.

He sits back, letting the bartender do her job (and giving her a brief odd look because who has to say 'I'm angry at you' to their underling?) and turning his attention to Liedherz's reaction. "You startle easily," he observes, and perhaps there's an unspoken now at the end.

[random_xtras]

One whose minion is a drone too stupid to understand proper cursing.

Nemesis growls and orders the other drone to go hit the first upside the head as she acquires a Pooka in robot mode wrapped around her leg.

The winged femme he's addressed has both ears back in a scowl even as she resists the urge to shake her head to try and clear the ringing from her audio sensors.

"Not particularly," she says after a moment, listening to other bar patrons settling back in their seats and putting away weapons.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

The Decepticon takes a moment to survey the room, surprised by the level of disruption one sharp noise can cause. He chuckles as he looks back at Liedherz. "If I'd known this place was so quiet, I might have realised you'd be here."

[random_xtras]

She accepts the cube that Nemesis hands to her, one ear slanted toward Mega-Octane in what would be a faintly puzzled frown in most beings. The ear, and her body language say that she has no idea what he's talking about, and that she's not particularly interested in finding out. She takes a sip of her energon and then speaks, her voice cool and noncommittal as she says, "Oh. Vreally?"

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

"You're audio-dependent," he says, turning back to the bar and leaning his elbow on it. "It's about as to figure out as why Ro-tor likes a clear line of sight so much."

[random_xtras]

"Vhatever." Both ears go back as she drinks deeply and then sets the cube down, noting to herself that it smells and tastes just a bit cleaner. Nemesis gave her a better vintage the second time around. "Vhat do you vant?"

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

"Everything you know about our future," Mega-Octane replies bluntly, before he takes a first slug of his drink. He's unhurried in getting there, but he's direct in his path.

[random_xtras]

She gives a snort of contemptuous laughter. "I vread minds und valk through shadows. I don't see ze future."

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

He makes a dismissive noise. I didn't come all this way to buy that slag. "You think I'm that much of a fool, do you? This is the Nexus, Liedherz. When you eavesdrop here mere time is irrelevant."

[random_xtras]

"So go und eavesdrop und leave me alone." She turns a shoulder toward him.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

Now wouldn't that be pointless?

He speaks in the tone he uses for his underlings when they show wilful stupidity, the one that carries a note of warning behind the forced patience. His more forcible tactics aren't an option here, of course. "Or you can just tell me what I want to know, and neither of us has to hear each other's voice again."

[random_xtras]

She snorts again and returns her attention to her drink.

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

"You're determined to do this the hard way." He sets his cube down and turns to study her coolly. "Why?"

[random_xtras]

"I vant nothing to do vith you und your brainless lackies. Und I am under no obligation to have anything to do vith you." Her voice drips ice. "You vished to be free of mien predecessor, und you succeeded in that. Go und be free of me as vell."

[voice-of-ruin.livejournal.com]

"Predecessor?" His visor narrows, and then lightens as he gives a growling chuckle. "Oh, I see..."

Mega-Octane leans forward and lowers his voice. "As I told you: I'm not trying to have anything to do with you after this. Give me the truth and I'll walk away now."