Transformers: Steel Reign

[rhoenix]

Joining his new companions and walking slowly out of respect for their smaller size, Blindside nonetheless made almost no noise as he walked. He looked thoughtful as they moved into the Ark. "Ironhide, did you say? That name seems vaguely familiar."

He then heard Hornet piping up unabashedly. "So...Where did you come from?"

At this, Blindside looked thoughtful. "I spent most of my life on the fourth planet orbiting the star Kleitall. It is a rocky, barren, lifeless world, devoid of all resources except sunlight. Before that, I was first activated and lived on Cybertron."

[General Havoc]

Hornet explained in his own inimicable fashion. "Ironhide's in charge when Prime's not here," he said. "He talks funny usually, like the humans with the really big hats and the sharp metal things on their boots."

That made perfect sense to Hornet, and to nobody else.

He looked puzzled at Blindside's answer though. "How come you lived on a planet with nothing else? Was it pretty or something?"

That also made perfect sense to Hornet, and to nobody else.

[LadyTevar]

"Hornet? Remember what I told you." So much for no questions from the little bot. In a way, however, having Hornet ask the 20 questions did get more information from those he was tormenting. Still, Crimson was thankful Briefing Room Alpha wasn't that far away.

But a little warning was in order. "Be careful, Blindside," Crimson said from behind them. "Hornet's insatiably curious, and if you encourage him he'll talk for vorn." Ok, a Vorn (83 yrs) was a huge exaggeration, but it got the idea across.

[rhoenix]

Nodding at the explanation the one known as Hornet gave about Ironhide as they walked, Blindside frowned slightly. "I'm not very familiar with humans or their culture just yet; as a matter of fact, I think I upset their Patrol of the Highway on the way here."

He was almost interrupted by Hornet's curious exuberance; Blindside couldn't help but smile at this. "How come you lived on a planet with nothing else? Was it pretty or something?"

Smiling at Crimson's rebuke, he shook his head. "No, that's alright, I don't mind Hornet's questions - I'll be going into far more detail in the briefing soon anyway, I'm sure."

He turned to look down at Hornet to answer him directly as they approached the meeting room. "I crash-landed on that planet when I managed to escape Cybertron after something terrible happened there. I stayed there as long as I did because there was another there who called that planet home; that Autobot taught me the art of walking through myself, so to speak. I'm still not done learning, and I spent many vorn there. There is more to it than that, but I will elaborate fully in the briefing room."

[General Havoc]

Hornet had not yet been alive for an entire vorn, nor even a twentieth of one, but the warning and the reminder served their purpose, as Hornet suddenly remembered that he wasn't supposed to be asking any questions to Blindside. He gave a little yelp and mumbled a quick "sorry" to Crimson, lowering his head and falling silent in the hopes that she wouldn't tell Wheeljack.

The silence lasted about five seconds.

He looked back up at Blindside, puzzled again by the answer. "Walking through yourself?" he asked almost rhetorically, and it was plain he had taken a litteral meaning for those words. He scratched his head and raised one eyebrow (or where an eyebrow would have been on a human). "How's... that work?"

The metaphysical implications were beyond him.

[rhoenix]

Upon hearing Hornet's question, Blindside couldn't help but smile. "It's the nickname of sorts for the art I learned while I was there. To progress at it, one has to face and make peace with all aspects of yourself, one step at a time. Learning that art taught me to make peace with myself and my past most importantly, but it also taught me how to fight."

As the trio neared the door to the meeting room, Blindside felt cautiously elated. Even if he felt nearly alien around these two for being away for so long, he was deeply glad to be among other Autobots again. The chance to help them in their struggle would be a great honor.

[LadyTevar]

"Primus knows we need more fighters," Crimson sighed, opening the door to Briefing Room Alpha. "But this is where we part company for a while, Blindside. We hope to see you around the Ark sometime."

Just to make sure Hornet didn't follow him in, Crimson reached out and put a hand on the teenybot's shoulder. Otherwise Hornet would follow Blindside in and IronHide would have a fit.

[Dark Silver]

Ironhide, the big red Security Chief, walked into the briefing room, blue optics looking over Hornet and Crimson for a moment. He looked his great age, old even when Megatron was first crafted, old even before Shellshock and Overload woke up from their creche initializations, he had a aura of frankness and authority about him - one matched only by a few Autobots currently on the planet.

"Well 'ell 'ell, if'n it ain't the l'ng l'st Blindsaide" Ironhide's Texan-style accent was to noticeable to ignore, yet it seemed to fit the aged war machine.

"Crim'on and 'Ornet, your dismassed. Tell Breakout once Rachet's done, I wanna see 'em."

With that, Ironhide turned his full, penetrating gaze upon the new arrival, "Tell me everything that's 'appened to ya 'side."

[LadyTevar]

"Yessir." Crimson answered, one hand still on Hornet's shoulder as she pulled him out of the room and left Blindside along with Ironhide. Only once the door shut did she let go of Hornet.

"Come on, Hornet... the rest of the Convoy's in Repair Bay One." she said, starting to walk that direction. "They've been worried about you."

[rhoenix]

Giving a nod of respect to Crimson and Hornet as they turned to go, Blindside was brief, though direct. "Thank you both for the escort. I look forward to speaking with you again."

Turning to Ironhide, he bowed in respect again in the same strange fashion as he had with the others; that of the left fist covered by the open right hand. "I am honored to see you again, Ironhide. Thank you for this meeting."

At Ironhide's half-question, half-order to recount his past, Blindside nodded. "I will start at the beginning, then, though I will give a brief version. I also volunteer to have my memory core scanned to corroborate what I will tell you."

His golden eyes dimming for a moment as he remembered, he paused before beginning his tale. "When I was first activated, my name was Firetrack. I spent most of the time after I first awoke generally getting underfoot, and being irresponsible. I also raced around far too fast with Hot Rod at the time. During one such race, I took a shortcut, and was separated from Hot Rod for what should have been barely a minute or two."

He frowned, as this part was still a little painful. "I never got the chance. Decepticons, by the name of Dirge and one other, shot me with some sort of paralyzing beam, and loaded me onto a shuttle. I also watched them tip a near-duplicate of myself over the edge of the track near where they had taken me, and blow it up with a very impressive explosion. From there, I was taken to Shockwave's laboratory. It was there that I gained my second alt. form, and lost my Autobot insignia in favor of this." At the mention of "this," he pointed to the large yellow X with the "1036" below it on the left side of his chest.

He continued, with a small frown. "Shockwave had considered my usefulness as a test subject at an end when Autobots broke into the lab in an assault. Thinking I was going to be saved, I was instead shot at a few times, since they didn't recognize me. Not knowing what else to do, I ran, and stole an old shuttle. The engines and navigational controls were shot at as I left, and I crash-landed on the fourth planet orbiting the star Kleitall, where I met who would become my Metallikado teacher, Thundershot. I spent over a hundred vorn there learning that art, and making peace with myself, until he told me about this small contested world the Autobots were fighting for. It was then that I took on the name Blindside, leaving my old name behind, as it no longer fit me. Since I had completed the basics of my training, he helped me repair the shuttle, and I came directly here. Your compatriot Deathstrike rescued me after a Decepticon shot up the shuttle with missles, and gave me a map to travel here, as he would be unable to carry me."

Blindside looked slightly embarassed. "I think I ran afoul of the Terran Patrol of the Highways on the way here, as I did not understand what was meant by 'maximum speed.' After that, I ran overland until I reached the Ark. I am here because I wish to rejoin the Autobots fully, and give whatever assistance I can with your fight."

[Charon]

Shellshock stepped from the room he had entered a changed 'bot. The rough edges, large shoulderpads, and generally old feel to him was gone. It had been replaced by sharp points and a sleek shine of green with silver highlights. Shellshock's weapon loadout had changed as well, two missile batteries sat, one on each of the massive warbot's shoulders. Furthermore, the single barreled cannon had been replaced by an equally large double barreled cannon.

Shellshock grinned as he rolled his shoulders and ran an internal diagnostics. It would take awhile to get used to this form again, but not long.

Without further ado the redesigned autobot walked towards the repair bay the rest of the convoy was at.

[General Havoc]

"They have?" asked Hornet as Crimson gently lead him away from where Ironhide and their newest arrival were talking. He was of course happy to hear that they had been thinking about him at all (he was always petrified that everyone would forget all about him one of these days), but why were they worried? He was with Wheeljack, getting fixed. Wheeljack could fix anything!

They entered the main repair bay just a few moments after Shellshock walked in, looking re-designed, brilliant, and ready for anything. Hornet did not even attempt to disguise his wide-opticed stare as he walked up to the massive artillery bot.

"Wow..." he said in undisguised awe. "You're all... shiny!" He remembered his own semi-mottled paint scheme and suddenly felt very self-conscious by comparisson, but as always this lasted only a moment or two before Hornet noticed a new bot, another smaller one, Crimson's size or a little bigger, and hopped over to say hello.

"Hi!" he chirped, smiling at the bot, without a clue in the universe that he was speaking to Overload. "I'm Hornet! Who're you?"

[SirNitram]

Overload couldn't help himself, chuckling. "Overload, short stuff." Said the Autobot now nearly the same size. "How do you think I got the name? Lookin' good on the refit, Shock." He added, as the pint-sized hauler moved over to finish inspection of his trailer. "Back in our Cybertronian forms, since there were no blanks around."

[LadyTevar]

Crimson was giggling madly at the look on Hornet's face as Overload revealed himself. "I had to do a vocal match, Hornet, so don't feel bad."

"You're looking very nice, ShellShock. Do you know where Breakout went? Ironhide wants to see him." Crimson's optics were looking around for Stryke, wondering if he'd found the detailing on his rear fender yet.

[Agent Fisher]

"CRIM!" The yell came through a door, just a few seconds before the green warbot did. "What did you paint on my fender?" He asked, some of the other bots had been teasing him and then one of them told him to ask Crim, since she was on his fender.

[General Havoc]

Hornet looked like someone had just unplugged his lasercore. He stared at the wholly unrecognizeable new Autobot like he was trying to interpret ancient runes, and his mouth fell open like a nutcracker's.

"Wh... what?!" he asked, totally nonplussed by this. Autobots had retouches certainly, alterations done, but... what the heck had happened?!

"Overload?" he asked, still barely able to believe it. "What... what happened? You were a... a tank, and then... what?"

Hornet suddenly felt like he needed to sit down.

[SirNitram]

"The tank was temporary. It didn't belong to us. Also, there was a little voice in there that kept bugging me." Overload replied to Hornet, patting the bot on the shoulder. "Relax, little guy." A glance was sent to Stryke. "Ah. So someone finally pointed out you sport your girl's image on your rear end." He smirked. "I think it's sweet. I told Shock the same thing, when Prime did the same."

[Charon]

Shellshock grinned at Hornet as he looked so surprised. "You're looking at the Cybertronian Shellshock kid. But speaking of shiny, what happened to you? Wheeljack not done with you yet?"

Shellshock acknowledged Overload and Crimson's praise with a nod. "Best I knew he just got finished with repairs same as me. Don't know where he is now though."

Shellshock glanced up at Stryke as he entered, then stiffled a laugh as he saw what was on the bot's fender. "Looks stunning on you Stryke. Pink really brings out your fembot side."

[LadyTevar]

"CRIM!" The yell came through a door, just a few seconds before the green warbot did. "What did you paint on my fender?" He asked, some of the other bots had been teasing him and then one of them told him to ask Crim, since she was on his fender.

The Fembot ducked, but couldn't stop laughing. Didn't take long for someone to spill that joke to Stryke.

Overload and ShellShock's teasing gibes made it even harder to stop laughing, and so Crimson was more or less at Stryke's mercy, looking up at him with her optics wide, holding her waist as she giggled wildly. "I told you..." she managed through giggles. "Neon Pink Paint."

[General Havoc]

Hornet was slowly begining to recover from the shock of everyone's new forms. He blinked up at Overload (even Overload's 'small' form was still twice his size. How was that fair?), and nodded slowly. The voice was Overload's and so was the tone, but it was quite a shock.

He lowered his head and scuffed his foot again as Shellshock pointed out his paint scheme. "Wheeljack said I don't pay enough attention to my paint when I'm flying, so I have to do this next mission in my undercoat. Clearly he felt that this was the height of unfairness, but there wasn't much Hornet could do.

Then Stryke walked in.

Hornet tried to avoid laughing, he really did, at the bright pink paint that graced Stryke's backside, but Hornet was not good at supressing his emotions, and so within moments, he exploded into peals of laughter so intense that he fell down onto the ground and rolled about, clutching his sides and laughing. Privately, humor asside, he was relieved. He no longer looked the most rediculous out of all of them.

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke hung his head. Even the kidbot was laughing at him. "Primus, just kill me now." He said, then glared at Crim. "I'll get you back for this." He said.

The warbot shook his head. "Maybe i should just go find a giant puddle of mud to lay in."

[SirNitram]

"When I was your age, I would've given my rear axle for a fembot to paint her silhouette there." Overload laughed. "Mind you, I would've also given that axle for Ironhide to stop treating me like a kid, so there you go. I didn't appreciate my rear axle too much."

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke grinned at Overload's comment. "Good point." He said.

[LadyTevar]

Stryke hung his head. Even the kidbot was laughing at him. "Primus, just kill me now." He said, then glared at Crim. "I'll get you back for this." He said.

"You'll have to catch me first," Crimson teased, giggling again as Overload admits that he was slightly jealous. She wasn't going to mention Elita-1's comments about the mudflaps.

[Charon]

"When I was your age, I would've given my rear axle for a fembot to paint her silhouette there." Overload laughed. "Mind you, I would've also given that axle for Ironhide to stop treating me like a kid, so there you go. I didn't appreciate my rear axle too much."

Shellshock chuckled. "Or your body, as we can see from the fact that this is your third in about as many weeks."