KPC s1e3 - Propogation
āSheās a civilian, no experience whatsover, distraught and-or traumatized over the state of her parents, utterly unsuitable for the project...ā Optimus let her talk. It confirmed his own suspicions, formed over what Moonracer both had and had not brought up; it was also cathartic for Marissa, and indeed seemed a common way for humans to relieve their emotions. He hadnāt quite found the socially correct way to interrupt, either, but found that it was informative despite the repetitive points Marissa was making, over and over, all of it telling. She was worried. About and for the human of which she spoke, never quite outright insulting⦠but Optimus was very glad it was only them here in the garage-hangar. It was early morning, Marissaās routine having her awake by dawn, showered and dressed by the time Optimus came to check in. Their own routine after any event; Marissa had noted that being able to āsleep on it allā could let her see things more clearly the next day. And the way she was seeing them, well, was that they hadnāt changed at all. The Prime waited until sheād paused for breath, leaning back against the wall with eyes closed. Then he spoke, quietly but firmly; āYou think it best she be turned away?ā Marissa cracked one eye open, lips pressed together in an unhappy frown. āI āthink it bestā if she and her parents are gotten out of here as soon as possible,ā she answered with a sigh. āBut from what Iāve been told, theyāre still in critical condition.ā Human fragility; one of their curses. Such strong spirits, and with only so much physical strength to support it. Optimus nodded slowly, briefly scanning his own information. āThey will remain at the hospital, then? Atari will likely want to stay nearby.ā āI figured.ā Marissaās gaze turned towards the high ceiling, brow furrowed in thought. āShe may be able to find a job in town. Sheās got decent test scores, work placement can probably find something before too long. Itās the lack of experience thatās going to be her biggest obstacle but if we find any relatives or family friends willing to lend a hand-ā āMarissa,ā Optimus waited until sheād looked back at him before continuing, making certain he held her attention, āLegion will no doubt go after her again.ā Another unhappy frown. āI know,ā Marissa admitted quietly. āWhich is why if she stays nearby, weāll be able to protect her.ā It was time to steer her towards his own points. āDoesnāt she deserve a chance to protect herself?ā Optimus asked, spreading his hands apart. This was, perhaps, the wrong thing to say. Marissa clenched her own hands, pushing herself up off the wall. āSheās afraid,ā the woman argued, reaching up to rub her shoulder as she began to pace, āso am I, but I know how to deal with fear, and sheās the sort of person whoās been a target of bullies all her life. I donāt know if you have them on Cybertron,ā she added, looking up- āA different sort, but they exist,ā Optimus confirmed, with a brief thought towards some of their more colorful citizens ā-here on Earth they can have a critical impact on someoneās life, especially without a strong support net. And from what Iāve gotten, sheās either kept it all hidden or hid herself as a coping method, and that is not the kind of person who can cope with this kind of stress!ā āAnd you think keeping her in hiding will help?ā he pressed. āIt wonāt be hiding!ā she turned back to him, grimacing, āsheāll be able to live her life, weāll just keep a closer eye on Legionās activity in the areas-ā ā-and go after this other KP as well? My troops will do what they can to help,ā he continued, knowing he wouldnāt even have to ask, ābut we are underequipped as it is in comparison to this enemy, and there will come periods of time when we are down a member or two. Even with the landbridge, there is only so much all of us can cover.ā āYou think itās a better idea to recruit her!?ā Marissa reached up, rubbing the heels of her hands in against her eyes in frustration. āOptimus, this is completely unfair to ask! She doesnāt need that kind of stress, especially with the state of things-!ā Grimacing as well, Optimus nonetheless lowered himself down to a kneel, and then lowered his shoulders further so that he could meet Marissaās gaze - upon her own level. She looked tired and thin in spite of her actual physique, burdened with her own stress, and while he couldnāt fault her logic she was missing a key part of it all. āI am thinking,ā he steadily said, āthat we should at least offer her a choice.ā --- They let her wander around, for the most part. There was someone nearby at all times and more than willing to steer her away from any āoff-limitsā areas, but compared to how Atari had feared she would be treated, it was⦠Strange? Different. There was a level of respect that sheād rarely gotten before, and she had the sinking feeling that it only had so much to do with professionalism. They knew what she had done, and they knew what she was capable of, and they knew⦠They know Iām a freak. That, at least, wasnāt an unfamiliar feeling, so Atari swallowed it down and bowed her head, holding herself as she sat down on the bench outside of the dorms. Her brief explorations had taken her right back to where sheād started, where sheād spent the night alone worried and restless and had woken up more tired than she was when sheād finally gotten to sleep. I want my mom. I want my dad. Sheād seen them, briefly, and theyād looked so awful in the hospital that she almost feared to go back there again. But she didnāt know where else to go. It was becoming more and more clear that she didnāt belong here, with all these uniformed men and women rushing about, everyone had a place here on the base and hers⦠⦠wasnāt here. Atari sighed mournfully, letting herself wallow in her misery. And why shouldnāt I be miserable? she wondered. It isnāt like I have any idea where to go from- āHI!ā She practically fell off the bench, grabbing on to it wildly as bright blue eyes blinked at her - and sparkled as their owner giggled, finishing her climb over the back. āYou so were not expecting that, were you?ā the girl preened, stretching herself over the length of the bench. āI totally couldnāt resist myself, and you gotta pay attention, you know, especially here!ā Fingers waggled as the girl leaned closer, grinning broadly. āNever know if the oogy-boogy-monster-robots are gonna come to getcha-!ā Bewildered, Atari could only stare as she went on her little rant; the girl could barely be a teenager, and in her own way fit just as badly on the military base as she did. Even if she did drop her hands a few seconds later, huffing a bit. ā-man, nobody here can take a joke, can they?ā Oh. She was waiting onā¦āS-sorry,ā Atari stammered, pulling herself off the bench and on to her feet. The girl quickly made up the space between them, settling down on her knees. āWhat for?ā she asked, with a tilt of the head. āBeinā scared? āCause I mean, if that means I donāt have to be sorryā¦ā She grinned again, an expression Atari could only weakly mirror. āSorryā¦?ā āStop-ā A pause. āWait. Did you know my name?ā āHuh?ā āDo I know you?ā she added, squinting and leaning even closer. Atari couldnāt help but take a step back, wringing her hands. āI-ah- I donāt think so-?ā What was she talking about, why was she even here, was she one of the soldierās kids or something- āSorry, I-ā āWell, stop saying it then!ā It finally clicked. āYour name is Sorry?ā she ventured, wondering just what kind of parent would name their child that? The girl sat back with a final huff, rolling her eyes as she leaned back on her hands. āSa-ri,ā she corrected, frowning more than just a little by now. āSo either you know it and youāre poking fun back, or youāre justā¦ā She trailed off, tilting her head. Atari didnāt bother trying to correct her. Instead, she swallowed, and forced herself to offer her own hand. āAtari,ā she managed to say. āAtari Hitotonari.ā Sari looked down, then up, then back down- and then smiled again, reaching forwards. āSari Sumdac,ā she elaborated, and then continued as she saw Atariās eyes widen- āYeah, my dadās that guy. He came on over to help with the spooky-scary ābots that are scaring everybody. So whatās yours here for?ā ā... huh?ā āYour dad,ā Sari repeated impatiently, before pausing. āOr mom, I guess,ā she amended with a bit of sheepishness. She must think Iām her age. It almost made up for the whole sinking feeling the question brought up. Atari swallowed and pulled her hand back, briefly rubbing her knuckles. āTheyāre⦠itās complicated,ā she settled for, looking away. āI guess⦠they wouldnāt be here if it wasnāt because of me.ā She could tell she was still being watched, and almost flinched under the scrutiny. āāCause of you, huh?ā Sari pressed, leaning forwards once more and giving her a once-over. āSo- what? Youāre a child genius? Do you build stuff or something? Ooooh, maybe youāre a pilot, are you a pilot?!ā THUD. Sari had leaned so far over that Atari had lost her balance and managed to land squarely on her back. The two comically blinked at one another, before Sari giggled, and Atari managed a weak little smile. āāmnot a pilot,ā she managed, pushing herself up to a seating position. āAt least, not⦠thatās not what they called me.ā Predictably, Sari pressed again; āWhatād they call you?ā she asked, swinging her legs so that she was sitting on the edge of the bench. āAhā¦ā Atari had to think for a minute. āKay-Pea, I think, something like thatā¦ā There was a moment of silence in which Sariās eyes widened- and if Atari had thought she was active before, she was then proven wrong. āAre you KIDDING me?! Youāre one of the KPs!? Oh my gosh!ā she all but shrieked, jumping off the bench in an excited flourish that nearly knocked Atari over again. āThat is SO COOL! That means you merge with the robots, right!? The good ones, I mean, not the scary ones! One found me before but he wasnāt that scary and I totally could have taken him but merging would be so cool to do! I mean, can you imagine- well, I guess you can, but just imagine me being one of them-ā How much energy can she possibly have? Atari was growing dizzy just watching her bounce around, pantomiming with every word ā-and you get to use WEAPONS and blow things up and dakka-dakka-dakka and-ā ā-itās not like that,ā she tried desperately, thinking that maybe if she told Sari how it really was sheād calm down a little. Sari ended up only looking at her, laughing a little, and then picking right up where she left off. āItās just like that! Did you even do it yet? I mean, itās just like something out of a video game or a cartoon, man, it sounds so cool-ā ā-I was terrified!-ā ā-so maybe itās one of those things thatās scary at first but I bet Iāve got it in me, too, I bet I could be the best KP out there and if youāre one that totally means I could be one, too, and-!ā And Atari needed to get out of here before she cried, again, because she could already feel the tears forming. She absolutely hated crying so easily, but she couldnāt help it, she just felt so overwhelmed-! Sari seemed torn between idolizing the concept and demanding more and more information from her, and how could she convince her how scary it was, not knowing what was going on, having another personās thoughts inside of you and moving for you while you were fighting against monsters? From the edge of her vision, red- she half-turned, catching sight of a vehicle pulling up towards the road. At first she was inclined to dismiss it, but it seemed so familiar⦠And then, as Sari brought up the āgood robotsā again, it hit her. That was one of them. She couldnāt quite remember the name offhand, but she remembered that from Moonracer, and moreso remembered him, directly, from the attack. Heād been fighting with them- what was he doing here, had he come to see her? Between he and Sari, who by now was back on the bench punching some imaginary foes⦠Atari made her decision; she stammered something about needing to go, and then made a break for it, hoping desperately that she could at least convince him to let her hide behind him but then the door was open and she was all but throwing herself inside and āGeez, the kidās really that bad, huh?ā Half-sprawled over the seat, Atari could only lie like that for a moment before managing to pull herself together. āAh, maybe-ā There was a sort of clicking sound, and then, once sheād gotten her legs fully in- the door swung shut behind her. Through the window, she could see Sari pouting a bit, but her attention was drawn quickly back to the vehicle. āRight,ā he concluded, āshe is. So, er- you need a lift, somewhere?ā Atari managed to adjust herself, making a bit of a face as she reached for the seatbelt out of habit. āCould you just, um- maybe drive a bit?ā āDrive where?ā Though he was already beginning to roll. Atari leaned back in her seats, closing her eyes. ā... anywhere?ā The answer was not one she expected. Of all things- there was an outright snort from the stereo, a sound that made it clear that the maker was unamused. āYou kidding me?ā he demanded, āyou better choose somewhere, ācause I aināt doing it for you!ā Her eyes widened in surprise. And just what was that supposed toā¦? āI d-donāt know!ā she stammered, hand clutching at the seatbelt. āI just donāt want to be here-!ā This time, she got a huff. āWell you are, so if you want to go anywhere youād at least better figure out a direction or something-!ā āI donāt know-! M-maybe around the base?ā āSee, now was that so hard?ā She could just see him rolling her eyes, and the car obediently made a turn. Belatedly, she realized that she was leaving her escort behind, but- maybe this one would count as one, too? She couldnāt keep thinking of him like that. Grimacing despite the little chide, she pulled herself together again and admitted, āI, ah⦠kind of forgot your name.ā Predictably⦠another little noise before words. āCliffjumper. And youāre Ari or somethinā, right?ā āAtari.ā But he was close, and she managed a tight little smile. āRight, sorry. Atari. You humans and your weird names,ā he grumbled. āAt least ours make sense.ā ā... āCliffjumperā makes sense?ā she asked, despite her brief encounter with āSorryā. āSure it does, back on Cybertron. I mean, thereās the whole language thing, but itās pretty clear what itās going for, huh?ā Despite herself, Atariās smile grew just a bit less tight and a bit more bemused. āI⦠guess. And⦠thatās what KP is drawn from, rightā¦?ā āYeah, but donāt ask me what that means. Goes over my head, size aside.ā Says the robot whoās three times my own, Atari thought, but Cliffjumper continued on. āOptimusān Marissaāre the ones who settled on the name. They didnāt bring me along to think,ā he concluded, sounding not in the least bit offended. āOn the other hand, you need someone to get things done, you find me and itās simple as that.ā The smile grew a bit more. At least⦠he seemed pretty honest. āI wish I knew what I was here for,ā she murmured, looking out the window. It was nearing lunchtime, she thought; maybe sheād ask if he was willing to take her to the mess hall. āI still feel like everythingās over my own head, too.ā āWell, at least we got somethinā in common,ā Cliffjumper drawled, prompting a short little laugh. āI wonāt say itās not all confusing, but I got used to it. You probably will, too.ā āIām not so sure.ā There was motion, prompting her gaze; the rear-view window had tilted towards her. Was that how they saw, like this? She wished she looked a little less insecure, and half as confident as Marissa had seemed, but instead all she saw there was a kid who dearly needed to find a way out of this. āWhy not?ā her companion asked, sounding a bit bemused as well. āI mean, you guysāre pretty adaptable. Figured you could get used to just about anything.ā Atari swallowed, then shook her head. āI donāt⦠I mean, I donāt know,ā she added, dropping her gaze as she reached up to play with a braid. It gave her something to do with her hands, at least. āIām just⦠Iām a nobody. I donāt jump cliffs or anything. Iām just⦠me.ā There was a stretch of silence broken only by the low hum of vehicle engines. It was borderline uncomfortable, Atari wondering if she should say something more⦠but just as she opened her mouth, Cliffjumper broke in. āYāknow, if we painted you up in yellow, youād really remind me of a friend back home.ā Paint-?! It took her a few moments to get over the absurdity of the comment, but when she did- Yellow!? Did he even realize what he was- āW-what do you mean?ā she stammered, hoping desperately this wasnāt something about her ancestry-! āI mean, you already remind me of someone. Itād just be more so if you were⦠nevermind,ā he added with another sort of huff seeing her face. āLook, paint jobs aside, one of my best friends back on Cybertron⦠he has a habit of always getting in over his head, too, you know? Othersāre always willing to give him a hand getting out, but Bee⦠Beeās always getting himself back in there.ā She wasnāt sure where he was going with this, and it must have showed in her look of confusion. Cliffjumper sighed, and, again- it was just so easy to imagine him making a face, but this one, maybe a little frustrated? āAll Iām saying is that even if heās always getting into more than he can handle, and thinks he aināt up to scratch for it⦠he handles it anyway. Somehow. Maybe with a little help, but⦠somehow.ā --- āCan we go over number eight again?ā Carly rolled her eyes, trying to hide a little smile. āI swear, Spike, youād be hopeless without me,ā she said as she turned back the page. Through the monitor, the boy didnāt seem to mind looking sheepish, only shrugging. āHey, youāre the one who agreed to help me with this. At least Iām not making you do it for me?ā āBecause you know Iād give you all the wrong answers to teach you a lesson.ā She pressed her lips together, putting a hand under her chin and giving him a bland look - one which made him laugh a little, then shake his head. āI get schooled one way or another, donāt I?ā he pointed out, before leaning back in his chair. āThough⦠if you need to take a break, I donāt mind.ā She tilted her head. āI should be the one asking you that. Youāre the one doing all the work, Iām just showing you how.ā Or was there something else? her face said, expectant as it was. Spikeās smile faded⦠and then he sighed, rising to the bait. āI just⦠you know. Wanted to talk a little bit about the news.ā And there went Carlyās own smile. āSo much for needing help on your homework,ā she sighed, pushing the book away. āIs that why you called? To make sure Iām all right?ā āCan you blame me?ā he gave her a meaningful look. āYou were the first thing on my mind, when I heard of it.ā While it in itself wasnāt a bad thing to hear, she knew what he really meant by that. āI wasnāt a target,ā she admitted, glancing to the side where her phone laid on the desk. āSome other girl was, I think.ā There was a brief moment of considering telling him about the other one, the one Elita thought was fighting against them⦠but she wouldnāt betray the trust put in her. Besides, it would just make her boyfriend worry more. He was giving her that look when he wanted to say something about coming out there to protect her, or her crossing the country to attend school by him - but theyād gone over that, and he knew better than to argue it when itād just make her mad. Instead he just gave a look that said all of that without saying anything, and she couldnāt get mad at him for not saying it, but she could huff a sigh and roll her eyes. āIām fine, Spike. My friend came by to make sure, too.ā She smiled humorlessly. āTried to recruit me as well.ā He furrowed his brow. āRecruit you for what?ā he asked, upon which she realized that sheād never touched much on it. They both knew very well that she was āspecialā, but sheād never admitted⦠She wasnāt sure she should, now. But maybe itād be good, to at least talk with someone about it, and as long as she stayed vague it wasnāt as though she was spilling any secrets. āThey want me to become one of the fighters,ā she admitted, looking back towards her phone. āAnd, you know- fight against those things.ā There was a moment of silence. Then, a crackle of sound from the speakers that made her jerk back in surprise- Spike was shouting, āwhy wouldnāt you!?ā She could only stare back at him as he went on. āThat sounds amazing, Carly-! I mean, you could be out there saving the world and everything! Youād be even more famous than- than those inventor guys you wanted to study under, that one with the hair-ā āSumdac,ā she supplied thoughtlessly. ā-Sumdac and Blackrock and all those other guys-!ā āAnd I donāt want to be famous,ā she pointed out. Not much, that is. āEither way, Iāll get there just fine after I graduate and get going.ā āYeah, but- Carly?ā He leaned forwards, arms crossed on his own desk. āForget about being famous, then- doesnāt saving the world mean anything to you?ā It did⦠a little. The idea of having such a positive impact⦠but she sighed, shaking her head. āTheyāve got trained people on this,ā she demurred, rubbing her nose with thumb and forefinger. āItās fine.ā āCarly?ā She looked back up to see him giving another look. This was the kind he gave when he was sure of something and sure she wasnāt sure; it wasnāt one she really liked to see, especially when he was right. Carly sighed, then, giving her nose a final pinch before lowering her hand and forcing a smile. āYou were talking about number eight?ā
Situation stable. Shield & shieldbearers currently occupied with Quintesson activity in Nordest sector. Servo units on high alert due to rumored infiltration upon V colony. Will continue investigating openings in to L.P. security. No further activity advised at this time. Airachnid could only see the monitors so well, but she could see well enough to tell that the so-called General was displeased. Inwardly, she rolled her optics; outwardly, she was the picture of patience, waiting for the hulking mech to acknowledge her presence. All of this seemed matters of silly pretense, really, but at least it wasnāt much longer before the great figure turned her helm and looked back. The General didnāt say anything, but it was invitation enough. Airachnid smoothly stepped forwards, opening with, āIf youāre quite finished with that, I do already have some ideas on how to proceed.ā āDo you, now.ā It wasnāt a question, not quite a demand, but Airachnid paused before answering nonetheless. āIndeed. You said that you had someone taking care of Legion other than our little weapon and her partner~?ā To that, the General only glanced to the side before hitting a key on the console. Another visage popped up, one she didnāt quite recognize, but that wasnāt surprising. It was a human. āShe has showed an affinity for the beasts,ā the General explained, āand, complete with technological modifications, is quite the wrangler.ā ā... I see.ā Airachnid focused her optics, the slightest of frowns touching upon her features. A bit more colorful than the human in their care, this one showed a wild blonde mane and visible metal upon her face. Curious. āWell, going over the data, it seems to me that these humans have quite the uses, donāt they?ā That earned her a brief snort. āTools,ā the General declared, shaking her head. āAt best. The rest of them, fuel for the plan. Your point?ā This General really needed to learn some patience. Airachnid again resisted the urge to roll her optics, and picked right back up- āIāve been going over the data regarding your little seeds,ā she explained, raising a hand for the console. The General made no move to stop her - or move at all, making it a bit difficult to raise up what she wanted, but, well, a little difficulty had never stopped her before. āAnd I believe Iāve gone ahead and predicted the next fruit. Rather than allow Legion to sample it before itās ripe-ā ā-you want your own human.ā The General sounded less than impressed. Perhaps not quite disappointed, but utterly unimpressed, as though Airachnid was acting exactly as expected. She didnāt resist the urge to let her rotors irritably flex on her back. Sheād already chosen her disguise from the data files, one of the aerial vehicles this planet provided, and already it felt as much a part of her as any other form. āCan you blame me?ā she asked, laughing a little as though she was aware that the General was aware and that it was all one sort of game. āWhy, I thought that was what you were thinking, mentioning reinforcements-!ā The General glanced off to the side, towards the cell in the corner; the human within blinked once before looking away, a hand touching the fresh electrical burns about her neck. And still Airachnid continued. āThe point, my esteemed friend, is that the more humans we use, the better- and all the best if theyāre doing this of their own free will, as opposed to our coerced little rat over there.ā She could just make out the human curling her lip in distaste, and pressed her lips together in a smile. The General did not respond, didnāt seem to even react at all - that was, until footsteps were heard down the hall, the deep thud thud thuds of a heavy mech- āMy General! I have done it!ā From that hall came a figure just as large as the General, if not larger still- deep violet and sea green painted the frame of a hulking brute with one large optic and several smaller ones - that was his only redeeming feature in her opinion. Airachnid felt her own lip curl in automatic distaste as the General shifted her stance, leaning forwards in clear interest as the new figure approached. āLugnut,ā she greeted in pleasure, āwhat have you for meā¦?ā Lugnut, as it seemed his name was, managed a surprisingly graceful stop and salute in one motion. āThe data!ā he proclaimed proudly, āyou sent me to review it, organize it, find the patterns withinā¦ā The same sort Airachnid had been following. She frowned a bit, glancing between the two, trying to understand what Lugnut could have possibly found that she would have missed. ā... and Iāve done it, Iāve found the next crisis point!ā Crisis point? Airachnidās frown deepened, but the General seemed to be smiling. She leaned back, beckoning Lugnut closer, and he happily rushed to hand her the datapad clutched in his claw. A few swift motions and it was slotted in to the console, the data swelling on to the screen - Airachnid considered it in confusion before the General seemed to notice her bafflement, and, of all things, laughed. āYou think too small,ā she explained, optics narrowing in dark amusement. āAnd forget why weāre here. Go play,ā she continued, waving a hand in dismissal, āif that is your wish. The rest of us will take care of the real business - preparing this world for my true Lord.ā --- āYou find āem?ā By the time Atari had stepped out of the hospital, Cliffjumper had transformed; he wasnāt maybe quite as tall as Moonracer (it was hard to remember when they all seemed so tall) but she still had to look up to look him in the face. āMmhm,ā she acknowledged, even if she was wearing a frown. āThey hadnāt moved from before,ā she added quietly. Cliffjumper made a āhnhā noise, seeming for a moment as though he was about to comment on that - and then seemed to change his mind. Instead- āYou wanna go for another drive?ā She wouldnāt have minded, but⦠āWhat happened to the, um, āescortā?ā āTold him to bug off.ā Cliffjumper shrugged slightly. āI can call him back if you want, no big deal.ā Still blunt. She couldnāt help but smile a little in appreciation. Still, she wasnāt sure that she could think of another place to go⦠it was hard enough making herself come back here, but what else did she have to do, here, other than see if there was a change in her parentsā condition? āI think I just want to stay outside for a while,ā she admitted, loosely holding herself as she looked up at the sky. āItās justā¦ā āJust what?ā He glanced up as well, frowning a bit. ā... just starting to hit me, I guess.ā Another hnh. She tried to ignore it, along with some of the more unpleasant thoughts coming in to mind. She was sure that heād done the best he could on there, though, but... āHow did you say this started?ā she abruptly asked. āEh?ā He looked down at her, and she at him. āHow this began,ā she repeated, tilting her head. āWith⦠Legion. And everything.ā Cliffjumper gave her a look somewhere between annoyed and rueful. āAlready said I wasnāt the brains of this thing,ā he pointed out, ābut⦠from what I remember, weād heard a report of some crazy slag here on the planet, made a detour from a whole tour-of-duty,ā he added with a brief finger-waggle, āand next thing any of us know, the shipās in pieces and weāre stuck on this dirtball.ā Making a conscious decision not to take offense at the slight to the planet - I happen to like this ādirtballā. Well, sort of. - Atari pressed with a shake of her head. āBut- how did you hear about it? This has been going on for a little while, I guess, but if you just got hereā¦ā This time, the sound was sort of an āerhmā. And Cliffjumper shifted in a decidedly awkward manner, glancing around towards what few military were around⦠and giving them all a wide berth. He seemed to be treated with a degree of respect, but also avoidance⦠so not dissimilar from her. āWell, I mean- I donāt know, but I guess someone was keeping an eye on the place?ā āSo...you knew about this before?ā āWoah, woah!ā Cliffjumper held up a hand, shaking his head, āLike slag we did! I think I know where youāre going with this, Atari, and it aināt like that. Prime was worked up about getting here as soon as he heard about it,ā he pointed out, āand we got here as soon as we could-!ā With a frustrated sound, Atari reached up to rub at her face. āBut- I donāt understand! Why did you have someone watching in the first place if you didnāt know-!?ā For a long few moments, there wasnāt anything- no argument, no protest, just Cliffjumper (from what she could tell) looking extremely uncomfortable and as though he very much wanted to say something...but couldnāt find anything to say. He did manage a cough (and how did robots cough?), reaching up to rub at the back of his head. āItās⦠uh, ācause of where you guys are goinā. Aināt got nothing to do with this whole thing though,ā Cliffjumper shrugged and waggled a hand again, encompassing their surroundings at āthisā, and then looking away again, still looking uncomfortable. Like he wasnāt supposed to have said what heād said. So much for silence. But so much for talking, either, because it didnāt go further than that, and what heād said sounded⦠kinda suspicious too, really, but hardly sinister as much as her frustration wanted to make it out to be. Atari sighed again, closing her eyes for another few moments, and there was another maybe-start from Cliffjumper but once again, he gave up. Leaving it to her. āI just donāt know,ā she softly admitted, swallowing. āI want to be mad at you. Iām mad at Legion, but I want to be mad at you, too, or anyone who couldāve stopped this from happening but didnāt, butā¦ā And she went on, almost desperately now, tears forming at her eyes. ā...but if I have the chance to stop this from happening to anyone elseā¦ā Shouldnāt I?














