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randomplaces2011-02-22 06:26 pm
random_xtras) wrote in randomplaces2011-02-22 06:26 pm
Entry tags:
Nexus and double 'Hide 'verse. Black Dog and team base. Flashbacks and disclosures.
Ironhide: *appears in the Nexus and looks around, ignoring the sign* *to the small black form clinging to his plating between his shoulders* Don't think I don't know you're back there, runt.
Nightscream: Hey, I didn't come along to get ignored. *scrambling up for a better view*
Ironhide: *turns his head to look at his obstreperous little passenger* Didn't the captain tell you no?
Nightscream: I didn't hear her.
Ironhide: *grumbles and turns toward a narrow alley between two brownstones* Well I'm not going back now.
Nightscream: *snicker*
Ironhide: I'll be slagged if I'm buying you any drinks, either. *comes out from between the buildings and walks along a path toward a building that looks like a warehouse and which has a sign nearly as ugly as the one they started out by. Doesn't point out that he IS slagged still from his last visit to this place*
Nightscream: Oh yeah? *disbelieves* So we're going somewhere interesting, huh?
Ironhide: *grunts and keeps walking. As the building comes closer bots will become visible on the porch and sitting on the steps. Bots of all makes and techs, and of all factions. They're talking, laughing, trading insults, and generally looking like they're all content to be here. Some of them are holding cubes or snack fuels*
Nightscream: *eyes them all with a pointedly casual air... though his visor narrows at the ones bearing Decepticon insignia, and he tenses quietly* Talk about your mixed bunches...
Ironhide: This place is neutral ground. Anyone tries anything and the bartender kicks their can out for life. Besides, there's an anti-violence field. *gives a much less battered version of himself the stink eye as he walks past the mech, and gets the same in return*
Nightscream: Anti-violence field? *not at all impressed by that... though kinda weirded out by the other 'Joe'* Uh. Was that your build-twin?
Ironhide: *steps into the building and looks around, his brow ridges lowered in an absent scowl* No. It was me as I might have been.
Nightscream: Twice as shiny and just as ugly? :| *more bugged by that than he's prepared to let on*
Ironhide: *grunts and then heads toward the bar, stepping over a tussle on the floor that erupts into irate Minicon beeping as he does so*
Bender: *having WORDS with Toyrt-Mow!*
Nightscream: *hello, other Minicons!* *scrambles over to peer at the shouting with interest* You never said there were other Minicons here. How'd they get here?
Ironhide: The little silver slagger lives here. The other one probably came the same way we did. *creaks softly as he puts his foot up on the bar rail and rests an elbow on the counter* Chromia.
Nemesis: And the runt? *looks at Nightscream with optics the colour of dried blood*
Ironhide: Not a runt. *grumble*
Nemesis: Fine. What's your friend want?
Nightscream: There's more of them? *stops for a click to listen to the conversation, optics flickering at Ironhide's correction* Yeah, same thing. *for someone so vocal about what he wants, he sounds unused to ordering for himself. Maybe connected with the way he's eying Nemesis*
Ironhide: More of what? *eats energon pellets from a bowl* And are you sure you want Chromia? That's the stuff that explodes. *the stuff he gave Stormcloud at that party that time...*
Nemesis: *has already grabbed a large cube of high grade and a tiny one and is busy mixing*
Nightscream: More bots out there that know about this. How come High Command don't have this place sealed tight? *snorts* And yeah, I know what I want. *...maybe. Ironhide might be about to get an idea of just how much confiscated contraband disappeared from Airazor's keeping while she had this Minicon...*
Ironhide: How are you going to seal off a place that can just casually scoop you off the street? *offers the little noisemaker an energon pellet. They're cheap snacks, mostly calcien filler. But they taste alright*
Nightscream: ...Dunno. Guess they could stick some kind of checkpoint in here or something. It's not my job to think of this stuff. They're the smart guys. *omnom pellet... two pellets, what? He's got sonics to feed!*
Nemesis: *snorts without looking up from the now popping and crackling drinks* They could try. The Nexus would have something to say about it.
Ironhide: *just grunts and uses one hand to eat more pellets as the other offers pellets to the Nightscream*
Nightscream: *sniggers, and downs another pellet* Yeah, like to see anyone win that argument with Airazor.
Nemesis: *quirks a brow and adds a pinch of mineral to the tiny drink that turns it sulfur yellow with black streaks* Airazor?
Nightscream: My partner. *cuts off a further comment on just how good she is at putting 'Cons in their place*
Nemesis: Huh, should've known there'd be bots with that name in your kind of reality. *sets the drinks in front of Ironhide*
Ironhide: *on impulse, as his drink gives a deafening bang and a flash* What do you know about a black Skywarp with a mask?
Nemesis: Only black Skywarp with a mask I know of is Blackout's ex. He was a jerk to the little people. *grabs a rag and wipes down the bar*
Nightscream: You got that ri- *blink* ... *pause* *pause* Skywarp has a social life? *brb, laughing himself off Ironhide's shoulder nao*
Ironhide: *catches him and sets him down by the drinks* Blackout?
Nemesis: Yeah, big black broad. Looks a lot like me.
Ironhide: *soft growl as he realizes that Skywarp probably DID have a scanner of his tech that day in the wasteland*
Nightscream: *looks up, visibly makes the mistake of trying to visualize that* *OK, drinking time.* Great. So that Unicron-spawn's here. *...ironic insult, much?*
Nemesis: Nope. Like I say. He's an ex. Haven't seen him in a long time, and the Primus Servant says he's not coming back anytime she can see. *pauses to watch the black Minicon's reaction to the strong and explosive drink. True, it's not the strongest mix, you need a disclaimer for that. But it's still strong enough to knock new initiates to its charms flat of their cans*
Nightscream: *squints as it combusts a bit on the way down, coughing out a bit of over-heated gas* The what now?
Nemesis: Primus Servant? *quirks a brow plate, then glances at Ironhide*
Ironhide: *drinking and ignoring the world. Also going boom*
Nightscream:*hic-cough* Yeah. That.
Nemesis: She's the broad you go to to talk to Primus, or just get help or a fancy edge. *wipes the counter and then starts mixing an order brought by one of her minions*
Nightscream: ...What kind of edge? *never heard of one of these people before...*
Nemesis: *sets a dagger longer than the Minicon is tall beside him. The handle is some sort of expertly worked and polished bone, and the blade... Yes, Nightscream. That's a tooth*
Nightscream: ...They make weapons? *out of... that stuff?*
Nemesis: Hormah does. She's Destron wired, even if she does serve the big boss. *polishes the bar after passing the drink to its owner, then starts another one*
Nightscream: What's a 'Destron' when it's in dry dock?
Nemesis: A Destron. Me.
Nightscream: ...Right.
Ironhide: Old name for the warrior models, before that slaggin' Fallen showed up. *drinks more*
Nightscream: He's some guy in your world?
Ironhide: I don't want to talk about it. *takes the drink Nemesis passes him and knocks it back despite it being on fire*
little black femme: *gasps and looks up from the gadget in her hand* Ironhide???
Ironhide: *spits his flaming drink right out again with a fwoosh*
Nightscream: The frag?! *ducks* *then twists on his knees and stares at the speaker*
femme: *looks back at him with big round blue optics from a face that bears nearly as many scars as the mech she just called Ironhide's does*
Ironhide: *intakes deeply, and then again before turning* ...Bumblebee.
Nightscream: *looks at him* *at the stranger* *not liking the vibe* Is she a friend?
Bumblebee: *wibbling slightly as she leans on a heavy cane* I thought you were dead.
Ironhide: *shutters his optics and grits his teeth, then looks down at her and catches her hand as she reaches to touch him* Bumblebee... I'm sorry.
Bumblebee: *shakes her head* It's okay. *brightens slightly* I have a home now! There's room for you. My mate and sparklet...
Ironhide: *staggers* What???
Bumblebee: *winces and steps back* He's an Optimus... I think you'll like him... *stops uncertainly as the old mech shakes his head* What?
Ironhide: *quietly* I can't go with you, Bumblebee.
Bumblebee: But...
Nightscream: *starts his vocaliser, but then, wonder of wonders, actually shuts up for a minute*
Ironhide: *gruff gentleness* You're happy with him, aren't you?
Bumblebee: *nods, her big optics welling over with oily tears*
Ironhide: And you have a good, safe home?
Bumblebee: *nods again, her mouth plate moving mutely*
Ironhide: *turns and buys a bag of Cybertron Sunrises, then turns and gently puts it into the little femme's free hand* *gruffly* Go back to them. And forget you ever saw me. Ironhide is dead.
Bumblebee: *crying now as she turns and hobbles slowly away*
Ironhide: *turns back, grabs the cube Nemesis just set in front of him, and slams it back*
Nightscream: ...Whoa. What was that all about?
Ironhide: *blinks and looks down at his small friend blankly, then shudders and drinks the second cube Nemesis hands him. He's visibly shaken*
Nightscream: That was harsh. *pause. waaaait...*
Ironhide: *and another drink*
Nightscream: Ironhide?!
Ironhide: *looks at him absently* What?
Nightscream: You're... *uh* ...Like... That's your real name?
Ironhide: *attention back to his drink* It was.
Nightscream: Whatever. Isn't that... you know. Weird?
Ironhide: *tiredly* What weird? *orders another drink*
Nightscream: Come on. With you and... well, Ironhide. On the same team. Doesn't that make a time paradox or something?
Ironhide: No. *frowns as a shadow falls over him*
Nightscream: ... *looks up*
Blackout: *grabs the old black Autobot, picks him up, and plants a snog on him*
Ironhide: *trying get loose, but his arms are pinned* *growling furiously*
Nightscream: HEY! CUT THAT SLAG OUT, JACKAFT! *motor in full-on, audio-slaying, dentata-grinding squeal* *which yeah, means everyone gets it*
Scorponok: *high-pitched hiss and disappears into Blackout's rotor array in a flurry of thrashing pointy bits*
Blackout: *drops Ironhide, wincing* What the slag? *turns off audio receivers and scowls down at the black Minicon*
Nemesis: *as something starts to howl under the bar* *flips Nightscream with her bar rag* KNOCK IT OFF!
Nightscream: *already cut it out, but glares as he rolls to his feet* SHE STARTED IT!
Nemesis: *stoops and scoops a sobbing sparklet into her arms, still glaring daggers at Nightscream* Take your rustbucket and GET OUT! And don't come back!
Nightscream: *unrepentant and defiant - didn't figure he'd jacked it up that high, but whatever, a bigger Con needs a bigger shock* Like we wanted to stick around in this stinking crowd. *moves to scramble up Ironhide's arm* Come on, let's ditch this place.
Blackout: *frowns and reaches out to poke the old Autobot when he doesn't respond*
Nightscream: ...Slag did you do to him?! *vaulting up now to poke him in the head* J- Ironhide? Buddy? You in there?
Blackout: I didn't kiss him that hard. *rumbling perplexedly as she stoops to look into the Autobot's blank optics* Ironhides are tougher than that.
Nightscream: Yeah, sometimes. Back off. *mistrustful? oh so very much yes*
Blackout: *scowls at him, but moves away, herding a massive sandy copper youngster over with her as a little pink and grey Minicon watches Nightscream from the sandy femme's shoulder with worried big blue optics*
Nightscream: *grumpy* What're you looking at? *but he's more worried about getting out an ever-present scanner and giving the bartender a look that says 'don't bother me, I'm working on it*
Nemesis: *watchful and protective as she cuddles her whimpering son*
Ironhide: *fist very very slowly clenches*
Nightscream: Hah! See? Come on, buddy, I know you're listening!
Ironhide: *soft explosions from his last drink are his only reply as that hand slowly moves up to his chest and removes something from a storage compartment. The object is a disk big enough to fit comfortably in his hand, so it's going to be big when that hand shoves it at Nightscream*
Nightscream: *staggers back under the force of it, but somehow manages not to drop the over sized disk as he fumbles the grip and blinks at it* What the...?
Pink: *zips down and hovers nearby* It's his PINpoint. I think he wants you to press the button.
Nightscream: Huh. Right. *doesn't exactly look like the one Ir- Minicon!Ironhide flashed at them, at this scale. But he can find the right button.* All right. Here goes... *press*
Ironhide: *stumbles as they appear in his room at headquarters, and then slowly sinks to one knee and holds his head in his hands as his drinks give a mighty bang from his tank*
Nightscream: *all but slides right off, letting the PINpoint go. It clatters to the floor as he tries to peer at Ironhide* Frag. I'll call Ironhide... uh. I mean, the orange one.
Ironhide: *shudders with the force of the bangs from his internals, but only a slight flicker from his better optic shows that he's heard his small friend's words*
Nightscream: *getting no response, cursing Ironhide right now* Slagging useless- what's she think she's doing? *leans over to try and get a look again* Uh, Ironhide. Buddy. You still with me?
Ironhide: *more internal fireworks, and a faint wince, but something's starting to glisten in his optics*
Nightscream: *kiiiiiind of concerned here. A bit. Damnit, where is the other 'Hide?* I'm gonna try Cliffjumper and Armorhide, OK?
Ironhide: *clenches his fist further, and then lowers his head to the floor and starts to cry silently and wrackingly*
Nightscream: *pauses in the midst of comm-opening. This isn't exactly what he expected... He closes the comms and slides off the Autobot's shoulder* ...Ironhide?
Ironhide: *rattles with the force of his sobs. Is curled uncomfortably over his knees with both fists clenched, and his intakes are wheezing as the aftereffects of the drinks gets louder*
Nightscream: *shifts uncomfortably for a minute. He's not sure even he ought to be here*
Cliffjumper: *hammering on the door, harder than she means to in her concern* Ironhide? Are you all right in there?! *better not be the Sea-cons breaking and entering!*
Nightscream: Ye- *uh* Kinda!
Cliffjumper: *oh hell what?* *coming in nao* Nightscream, what are you doing in here?
Ironhide: *explosive chorus from his internals, and then falls silent but for the hitching of his intakes. He's lost track of what's going on around him and is lost in a flashback of the last day he saw Bumblebee back on that forsaken and forgotten world*
Nightscream: I-I dunno. Look, he's just kinda - we met some old friend of his in the Nexus, and it... uh, well obviously he took it kinda hard. *helpless shrug*
Cliffjumper: *optic flicker as she takes all this in, and then she's moving closer to 'Joe'.* Hey. Joe, are you all right? Is there anything we can do for you?
Ironhide: *startles and turns his face toward her, revealing both a dazed and unfocused expression, and a lot of tear marks* *movement sets off more explosions*
Nightscream: *backs off a bit, uneasy*
Cliffjumper: *stays where she is and tilts her head, looking for any sign of recognition in his expression* *calm, soothing* Hey. It's OK. We're here to help...
Ironhide: *blankly* Ironhide...
Cliffjumper: We haven't gotten through to her yet. *Linkage knows she's trying.* But she'll be here just as soon as... as soon as we can find her, don't worry.
Ironhide: *feels confused by her response, and it shows. He's still caught in that flashback* Where... I need to see Bumblebee.
Cliffjumper: Um... Bumblebee? ...Isn't here either. *looks at Nightscream, who nods*
Ironhide: I have to see her. If there's no place for us here, then there's only one place left for us. *tries to straighten up, but the explosions from his tank confuse him further and he stops to stare at himself*
Nightscream: Huh?
Cliffjumper: No, it's OK. You're OK here. You shouldn't go anywhere.
Ironhide: *moves his startled and confused expression from himself to the little Minicon femme, his broken brow plates drawing together as he tries to figure out what she just said, which clashes with his flashback* We're a danger...
Cliffjumper: No you're not. *she hopes* Why would you even think that?
Ironhide: *blank look as he stares at her and tries to figure out who she is. And then he statics and grabs his head as other files start playing through his processor* Nnnnn!
Nightscream: *worried* Ironhide?
Cliffjumper: *wait-* What?
Ironhide: Chromia... Ironhide! *shakes the whole slagging building as he keels over, then rattles as the drinks give a last mighty explosive hurrah*
Cliffjumper: *picks herself up* Joe?
Nightscream: *scrambles over to check the Autobot* Slag! Last time I'm letting him drink when he's like... that. *what were you going to do, Nightscream?*
Ironhide: *still running, though his systems sound irregular. At Nightscream's exclamation he flinches and stares at the Minicon* What... Where?
Nightscream: *loudly* I said you're not drinking any more.
Cliffjumper: What was that about Ironhide? Did she answer?
Ironhide: *wide-eyed look for Cliffjumper* Ironhide... I... *shudders and shutters optics* Primus... Bumblebee.
Nightscream: *sigh* He's Ironhide. Like, from another universe. I dunno why they didn't want to tell us. I mean, apart from it's kinda weird.
Cliffjumper: *optic band widens at him* ...Oh. *looks back at the 'Bot uncertainly* ...Ironhide?
Ironhide: *deep voice rough and grim as he rubs his face and tries to remove tears* Ironhide is my sister.
Nightscream: Yeah, but it's your name too. *confused*
Ironhide: Not anymore. That Ironhide's dead.
Nightscream: Yyyeah. Right. Are you OK?
Ironhide: *bluntly* No.
Cliffjumper: Is there anything we can do to help?
Ironhide: *as the rattling of his plating becomes more audible* Why?
Minicons: *stare at him*
Nightscream: Because we're your friends? Duh?
Ironhide: *looks up to give the black Minicon a look of weary and hurting disbelief*
Nightscream: *doesn't blink* What? Is that weird now?
Ironhide: I'm a Bulk.
Nightscream: *looks at Cliffjumper. Is this a thing he doesn't know about?* So? You're an Autobot. One of our guys.
Ironhide: And I killed one of your people. And ate him.
Nightscream: Hey, I didn't come along to get ignored. *scrambling up for a better view*
Ironhide: *turns his head to look at his obstreperous little passenger* Didn't the captain tell you no?
Nightscream: I didn't hear her.
Ironhide: *grumbles and turns toward a narrow alley between two brownstones* Well I'm not going back now.
Nightscream: *snicker*
Ironhide: I'll be slagged if I'm buying you any drinks, either. *comes out from between the buildings and walks along a path toward a building that looks like a warehouse and which has a sign nearly as ugly as the one they started out by. Doesn't point out that he IS slagged still from his last visit to this place*
Nightscream: Oh yeah? *disbelieves* So we're going somewhere interesting, huh?
Ironhide: *grunts and keeps walking. As the building comes closer bots will become visible on the porch and sitting on the steps. Bots of all makes and techs, and of all factions. They're talking, laughing, trading insults, and generally looking like they're all content to be here. Some of them are holding cubes or snack fuels*
Nightscream: *eyes them all with a pointedly casual air... though his visor narrows at the ones bearing Decepticon insignia, and he tenses quietly* Talk about your mixed bunches...
Ironhide: This place is neutral ground. Anyone tries anything and the bartender kicks their can out for life. Besides, there's an anti-violence field. *gives a much less battered version of himself the stink eye as he walks past the mech, and gets the same in return*
Nightscream: Anti-violence field? *not at all impressed by that... though kinda weirded out by the other 'Joe'* Uh. Was that your build-twin?
Ironhide: *steps into the building and looks around, his brow ridges lowered in an absent scowl* No. It was me as I might have been.
Nightscream: Twice as shiny and just as ugly? :| *more bugged by that than he's prepared to let on*
Ironhide: *grunts and then heads toward the bar, stepping over a tussle on the floor that erupts into irate Minicon beeping as he does so*
Bender: *having WORDS with Toyrt-Mow!*
Nightscream: *hello, other Minicons!* *scrambles over to peer at the shouting with interest* You never said there were other Minicons here. How'd they get here?
Ironhide: The little silver slagger lives here. The other one probably came the same way we did. *creaks softly as he puts his foot up on the bar rail and rests an elbow on the counter* Chromia.
Nemesis: And the runt? *looks at Nightscream with optics the colour of dried blood*
Ironhide: Not a runt. *grumble*
Nemesis: Fine. What's your friend want?
Nightscream: There's more of them? *stops for a click to listen to the conversation, optics flickering at Ironhide's correction* Yeah, same thing. *for someone so vocal about what he wants, he sounds unused to ordering for himself. Maybe connected with the way he's eying Nemesis*
Ironhide: More of what? *eats energon pellets from a bowl* And are you sure you want Chromia? That's the stuff that explodes. *the stuff he gave Stormcloud at that party that time...*
Nemesis: *has already grabbed a large cube of high grade and a tiny one and is busy mixing*
Nightscream: More bots out there that know about this. How come High Command don't have this place sealed tight? *snorts* And yeah, I know what I want. *...maybe. Ironhide might be about to get an idea of just how much confiscated contraband disappeared from Airazor's keeping while she had this Minicon...*
Ironhide: How are you going to seal off a place that can just casually scoop you off the street? *offers the little noisemaker an energon pellet. They're cheap snacks, mostly calcien filler. But they taste alright*
Nightscream: ...Dunno. Guess they could stick some kind of checkpoint in here or something. It's not my job to think of this stuff. They're the smart guys. *omnom pellet... two pellets, what? He's got sonics to feed!*
Nemesis: *snorts without looking up from the now popping and crackling drinks* They could try. The Nexus would have something to say about it.
Ironhide: *just grunts and uses one hand to eat more pellets as the other offers pellets to the Nightscream*
Nightscream: *sniggers, and downs another pellet* Yeah, like to see anyone win that argument with Airazor.
Nemesis: *quirks a brow and adds a pinch of mineral to the tiny drink that turns it sulfur yellow with black streaks* Airazor?
Nightscream: My partner. *cuts off a further comment on just how good she is at putting 'Cons in their place*
Nemesis: Huh, should've known there'd be bots with that name in your kind of reality. *sets the drinks in front of Ironhide*
Ironhide: *on impulse, as his drink gives a deafening bang and a flash* What do you know about a black Skywarp with a mask?
Nemesis: Only black Skywarp with a mask I know of is Blackout's ex. He was a jerk to the little people. *grabs a rag and wipes down the bar*
Nightscream: You got that ri- *blink* ... *pause* *pause* Skywarp has a social life? *brb, laughing himself off Ironhide's shoulder nao*
Ironhide: *catches him and sets him down by the drinks* Blackout?
Nemesis: Yeah, big black broad. Looks a lot like me.
Ironhide: *soft growl as he realizes that Skywarp probably DID have a scanner of his tech that day in the wasteland*
Nightscream: *looks up, visibly makes the mistake of trying to visualize that* *OK, drinking time.* Great. So that Unicron-spawn's here. *...ironic insult, much?*
Nemesis: Nope. Like I say. He's an ex. Haven't seen him in a long time, and the Primus Servant says he's not coming back anytime she can see. *pauses to watch the black Minicon's reaction to the strong and explosive drink. True, it's not the strongest mix, you need a disclaimer for that. But it's still strong enough to knock new initiates to its charms flat of their cans*
Nightscream: *squints as it combusts a bit on the way down, coughing out a bit of over-heated gas* The what now?
Nemesis: Primus Servant? *quirks a brow plate, then glances at Ironhide*
Ironhide: *drinking and ignoring the world. Also going boom*
Nightscream:*hic-cough* Yeah. That.
Nemesis: She's the broad you go to to talk to Primus, or just get help or a fancy edge. *wipes the counter and then starts mixing an order brought by one of her minions*
Nightscream: ...What kind of edge? *never heard of one of these people before...*
Nemesis: *sets a dagger longer than the Minicon is tall beside him. The handle is some sort of expertly worked and polished bone, and the blade... Yes, Nightscream. That's a tooth*
Nightscream: ...They make weapons? *out of... that stuff?*
Nemesis: Hormah does. She's Destron wired, even if she does serve the big boss. *polishes the bar after passing the drink to its owner, then starts another one*
Nightscream: What's a 'Destron' when it's in dry dock?
Nemesis: A Destron. Me.
Nightscream: ...Right.
Ironhide: Old name for the warrior models, before that slaggin' Fallen showed up. *drinks more*
Nightscream: He's some guy in your world?
Ironhide: I don't want to talk about it. *takes the drink Nemesis passes him and knocks it back despite it being on fire*
little black femme: *gasps and looks up from the gadget in her hand* Ironhide???
Ironhide: *spits his flaming drink right out again with a fwoosh*
Nightscream: The frag?! *ducks* *then twists on his knees and stares at the speaker*
femme: *looks back at him with big round blue optics from a face that bears nearly as many scars as the mech she just called Ironhide's does*
Ironhide: *intakes deeply, and then again before turning* ...Bumblebee.
Nightscream: *looks at him* *at the stranger* *not liking the vibe* Is she a friend?
Bumblebee: *wibbling slightly as she leans on a heavy cane* I thought you were dead.
Ironhide: *shutters his optics and grits his teeth, then looks down at her and catches her hand as she reaches to touch him* Bumblebee... I'm sorry.
Bumblebee: *shakes her head* It's okay. *brightens slightly* I have a home now! There's room for you. My mate and sparklet...
Ironhide: *staggers* What???
Bumblebee: *winces and steps back* He's an Optimus... I think you'll like him... *stops uncertainly as the old mech shakes his head* What?
Ironhide: *quietly* I can't go with you, Bumblebee.
Bumblebee: But...
Nightscream: *starts his vocaliser, but then, wonder of wonders, actually shuts up for a minute*
Ironhide: *gruff gentleness* You're happy with him, aren't you?
Bumblebee: *nods, her big optics welling over with oily tears*
Ironhide: And you have a good, safe home?
Bumblebee: *nods again, her mouth plate moving mutely*
Ironhide: *turns and buys a bag of Cybertron Sunrises, then turns and gently puts it into the little femme's free hand* *gruffly* Go back to them. And forget you ever saw me. Ironhide is dead.
Bumblebee: *crying now as she turns and hobbles slowly away*
Ironhide: *turns back, grabs the cube Nemesis just set in front of him, and slams it back*
Nightscream: ...Whoa. What was that all about?
Ironhide: *blinks and looks down at his small friend blankly, then shudders and drinks the second cube Nemesis hands him. He's visibly shaken*
Nightscream: That was harsh. *pause. waaaait...*
Ironhide: *and another drink*
Nightscream: Ironhide?!
Ironhide: *looks at him absently* What?
Nightscream: You're... *uh* ...Like... That's your real name?
Ironhide: *attention back to his drink* It was.
Nightscream: Whatever. Isn't that... you know. Weird?
Ironhide: *tiredly* What weird? *orders another drink*
Nightscream: Come on. With you and... well, Ironhide. On the same team. Doesn't that make a time paradox or something?
Ironhide: No. *frowns as a shadow falls over him*
Nightscream: ... *looks up*
Blackout: *grabs the old black Autobot, picks him up, and plants a snog on him*
Ironhide: *trying get loose, but his arms are pinned* *growling furiously*
Nightscream: HEY! CUT THAT SLAG OUT, JACKAFT! *motor in full-on, audio-slaying, dentata-grinding squeal* *which yeah, means everyone gets it*
Scorponok: *high-pitched hiss and disappears into Blackout's rotor array in a flurry of thrashing pointy bits*
Blackout: *drops Ironhide, wincing* What the slag? *turns off audio receivers and scowls down at the black Minicon*
Nemesis: *as something starts to howl under the bar* *flips Nightscream with her bar rag* KNOCK IT OFF!
Nightscream: *already cut it out, but glares as he rolls to his feet* SHE STARTED IT!
Nemesis: *stoops and scoops a sobbing sparklet into her arms, still glaring daggers at Nightscream* Take your rustbucket and GET OUT! And don't come back!
Nightscream: *unrepentant and defiant - didn't figure he'd jacked it up that high, but whatever, a bigger Con needs a bigger shock* Like we wanted to stick around in this stinking crowd. *moves to scramble up Ironhide's arm* Come on, let's ditch this place.
Blackout: *frowns and reaches out to poke the old Autobot when he doesn't respond*
Nightscream: ...Slag did you do to him?! *vaulting up now to poke him in the head* J- Ironhide? Buddy? You in there?
Blackout: I didn't kiss him that hard. *rumbling perplexedly as she stoops to look into the Autobot's blank optics* Ironhides are tougher than that.
Nightscream: Yeah, sometimes. Back off. *mistrustful? oh so very much yes*
Blackout: *scowls at him, but moves away, herding a massive sandy copper youngster over with her as a little pink and grey Minicon watches Nightscream from the sandy femme's shoulder with worried big blue optics*
Nightscream: *grumpy* What're you looking at? *but he's more worried about getting out an ever-present scanner and giving the bartender a look that says 'don't bother me, I'm working on it*
Nemesis: *watchful and protective as she cuddles her whimpering son*
Ironhide: *fist very very slowly clenches*
Nightscream: Hah! See? Come on, buddy, I know you're listening!
Ironhide: *soft explosions from his last drink are his only reply as that hand slowly moves up to his chest and removes something from a storage compartment. The object is a disk big enough to fit comfortably in his hand, so it's going to be big when that hand shoves it at Nightscream*
Nightscream: *staggers back under the force of it, but somehow manages not to drop the over sized disk as he fumbles the grip and blinks at it* What the...?
Pink: *zips down and hovers nearby* It's his PINpoint. I think he wants you to press the button.
Nightscream: Huh. Right. *doesn't exactly look like the one Ir- Minicon!Ironhide flashed at them, at this scale. But he can find the right button.* All right. Here goes... *press*
Ironhide: *stumbles as they appear in his room at headquarters, and then slowly sinks to one knee and holds his head in his hands as his drinks give a mighty bang from his tank*
Nightscream: *all but slides right off, letting the PINpoint go. It clatters to the floor as he tries to peer at Ironhide* Frag. I'll call Ironhide... uh. I mean, the orange one.
Ironhide: *shudders with the force of the bangs from his internals, but only a slight flicker from his better optic shows that he's heard his small friend's words*
Nightscream: *getting no response, cursing Ironhide right now* Slagging useless- what's she think she's doing? *leans over to try and get a look again* Uh, Ironhide. Buddy. You still with me?
Ironhide: *more internal fireworks, and a faint wince, but something's starting to glisten in his optics*
Nightscream: *kiiiiiind of concerned here. A bit. Damnit, where is the other 'Hide?* I'm gonna try Cliffjumper and Armorhide, OK?
Ironhide: *clenches his fist further, and then lowers his head to the floor and starts to cry silently and wrackingly*
Nightscream: *pauses in the midst of comm-opening. This isn't exactly what he expected... He closes the comms and slides off the Autobot's shoulder* ...Ironhide?
Ironhide: *rattles with the force of his sobs. Is curled uncomfortably over his knees with both fists clenched, and his intakes are wheezing as the aftereffects of the drinks gets louder*
Nightscream: *shifts uncomfortably for a minute. He's not sure even he ought to be here*
Cliffjumper: *hammering on the door, harder than she means to in her concern* Ironhide? Are you all right in there?! *better not be the Sea-cons breaking and entering!*
Nightscream: Ye- *uh* Kinda!
Cliffjumper: *oh hell what?* *coming in nao* Nightscream, what are you doing in here?
Ironhide: *explosive chorus from his internals, and then falls silent but for the hitching of his intakes. He's lost track of what's going on around him and is lost in a flashback of the last day he saw Bumblebee back on that forsaken and forgotten world*
Nightscream: I-I dunno. Look, he's just kinda - we met some old friend of his in the Nexus, and it... uh, well obviously he took it kinda hard. *helpless shrug*
Cliffjumper: *optic flicker as she takes all this in, and then she's moving closer to 'Joe'.* Hey. Joe, are you all right? Is there anything we can do for you?
Ironhide: *startles and turns his face toward her, revealing both a dazed and unfocused expression, and a lot of tear marks* *movement sets off more explosions*
Nightscream: *backs off a bit, uneasy*
Cliffjumper: *stays where she is and tilts her head, looking for any sign of recognition in his expression* *calm, soothing* Hey. It's OK. We're here to help...
Ironhide: *blankly* Ironhide...
Cliffjumper: We haven't gotten through to her yet. *Linkage knows she's trying.* But she'll be here just as soon as... as soon as we can find her, don't worry.
Ironhide: *feels confused by her response, and it shows. He's still caught in that flashback* Where... I need to see Bumblebee.
Cliffjumper: Um... Bumblebee? ...Isn't here either. *looks at Nightscream, who nods*
Ironhide: I have to see her. If there's no place for us here, then there's only one place left for us. *tries to straighten up, but the explosions from his tank confuse him further and he stops to stare at himself*
Nightscream: Huh?
Cliffjumper: No, it's OK. You're OK here. You shouldn't go anywhere.
Ironhide: *moves his startled and confused expression from himself to the little Minicon femme, his broken brow plates drawing together as he tries to figure out what she just said, which clashes with his flashback* We're a danger...
Cliffjumper: No you're not. *she hopes* Why would you even think that?
Ironhide: *blank look as he stares at her and tries to figure out who she is. And then he statics and grabs his head as other files start playing through his processor* Nnnnn!
Nightscream: *worried* Ironhide?
Cliffjumper: *wait-* What?
Ironhide: Chromia... Ironhide! *shakes the whole slagging building as he keels over, then rattles as the drinks give a last mighty explosive hurrah*
Cliffjumper: *picks herself up* Joe?
Nightscream: *scrambles over to check the Autobot* Slag! Last time I'm letting him drink when he's like... that. *what were you going to do, Nightscream?*
Ironhide: *still running, though his systems sound irregular. At Nightscream's exclamation he flinches and stares at the Minicon* What... Where?
Nightscream: *loudly* I said you're not drinking any more.
Cliffjumper: What was that about Ironhide? Did she answer?
Ironhide: *wide-eyed look for Cliffjumper* Ironhide... I... *shudders and shutters optics* Primus... Bumblebee.
Nightscream: *sigh* He's Ironhide. Like, from another universe. I dunno why they didn't want to tell us. I mean, apart from it's kinda weird.
Cliffjumper: *optic band widens at him* ...Oh. *looks back at the 'Bot uncertainly* ...Ironhide?
Ironhide: *deep voice rough and grim as he rubs his face and tries to remove tears* Ironhide is my sister.
Nightscream: Yeah, but it's your name too. *confused*
Ironhide: Not anymore. That Ironhide's dead.
Nightscream: Yyyeah. Right. Are you OK?
Ironhide: *bluntly* No.
Cliffjumper: Is there anything we can do to help?
Ironhide: *as the rattling of his plating becomes more audible* Why?
Minicons: *stare at him*
Nightscream: Because we're your friends? Duh?
Ironhide: *looks up to give the black Minicon a look of weary and hurting disbelief*
Nightscream: *doesn't blink* What? Is that weird now?
Ironhide: I'm a Bulk.
Nightscream: *looks at Cliffjumper. Is this a thing he doesn't know about?* So? You're an Autobot. One of our guys.
Ironhide: And I killed one of your people. And ate him.
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He's fond of the little people. Okay, maybe not so much the Seacons. But he wouldn't want to eat one of them alive either.
"I wish I could remember what happened down there," he mutters, extreme weariness and overcharge making him fretful.
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"Tell me... tell me after," he mutters, and then, without thinking, he snags Nightscream and gives the little guy the teddy bear treatment. There is a shift of plating as he tries to get comfortable on the floor, and then all his systems drop to a soft whir as he drops into sleep mode.
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