What's in it for me?

 ❝Ugh, you just want to     die for the guy.       That's leadership.           — or brainwashing,                   or something.❞

[mouthfulofsnark]

challengerofways‌:

Wing, settling once it was confirmed that the medic and construction team were on their way, moved closer, the jet carefully clearing away what rubble he could, attempting not to disrupt anything that looked important, or unbalanced. “Please, try not to move.” he called, voice loud enough to hopefully be clear without sounding threatening; his wings trembling slightly with the care he took to be neutral.

“Help is on the way. We’ll get you out of there.” 

【 ⊕ 】

            The pressure over his frame seemed to lessen and someone was speaking; given instructions that he promptly ignored, as his frame jerked to sit up. It hadn’t mattered, the shrapnel piercing through his protocol prevented it and he was soon on his back, staring up through white noised static. 

            “Not Drift,” he spoke, wheezing and turning his helm away. More like the cables themselves had simply given up and his helm merely flopped to one side. “Don’t know who ya are but... ‘m Crosshairs. Need t’ get a message t’ somebody.”

            There was no help coming. They would see his brand and abandon him here. Or kill him if the voice belonged to a Decepticon. He didn’t know where his guns were. Couldn’t protect himself.

            “Drift. Stationed on Earth. Won’t care, stupid fraggin’ turncoat. Need t’ tell him I’m dead. Not comin’ back. That ‘m sorry.” Optics cycled, in a vain attempt to focus. “No, don’t tell ‘im that. Tell ‘im he’s an aft.”

[mouthfulofsnark]

challengerofways‌:

Wing had been on patrol duty when the call came through; security had noticed a small tremor and possible cave in, and being the nearest Knight, he was detailed to investigate and decide if repairs were needed. 

Obligingly, he changed course, sweeping gracefully through the air a few more klicks, and then transforming to land, to enter the most direct tunnel to the affected area.

A few more moments’ walking, and then he rounded a corner- and froze. This… was not a cave in. 

::There’s… there’s a shuttle in here. I can’t tell how intact it is, or if anyone’s still alive inside.:: he commed, briefly. ::I need a construction crew out here. And a medic. I think.::

“…Hello?” he called out, then, aloud; a calculated risk. If anyone was alive in there, they were probably too injured to attack. And he was a Knight.

【 ⊕ 】

            Crosshairs hadn’t heard the approach, his processors pounded and his warning alarms pinged. His spark felt like it had entered burnout, though it was most likely the agony and stress put upon his frame. However, he had picked up a voice -- and in that moment, he thought somebody had come for him. Probably Drift. It was always Drift.

            Despite the blinding pain his frame was in, the paratrooper twisted around and ignored the taste of his own energon in his mouth. He tried to focus on the direction of the voice but he couldn’t see anything, the flickering of his optics preventing actual visual feeds. 

            “Dr-Drift,” he managed through static and wheezing. Coattails curled around his battered frame, the mech subconsciously knowing it wasn’t Drift -- nobody had come for him -- and tried to protect his vulnerable state. “’m sorry.”

            ‘what would a Decepticon know about friendship,’ was the last thing Crosshair had spat at Drift before taking off. They’d been fighting about Crosshairs leaving the Autobots on Earth, things were said -- things that Crosshairs wasn’t proud of. 

            Even if this wasn’t Drift, if he was going to die here, he wanted the message sent.

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】

           His helm hurt; everything hurt, agonising white pain zapping his energy at every movement he tried to make. The smell of burning circuitry filled his senses and it took a few cycles of resets before his optics even entertained the idea of onlining. Even when they did, the light surrounding him was too bright and warning errors filled his visual feed, 

           WARNING !! major energon leak, critical damage to internal mechanisms, major structural damage to 50% of frame, foreign object breaching abdomen, left servo --

           A groan of pain and annoyance rattled from his sparking vocoder, the paratrooper exited the report and tried to force his frame upright. He failed when his frame locked at the pull of shrapnel from his demolished ship pulled at something within his frame. Another blaring warning and Crosshairs was down, grinding his teeth and trying not to scream.

           He didn’t know where he was. If there were Decepticons around. If he was safe. He couldn’t afford to make a sound.

@challengerofways

[mouthfulofsnark]

thenestbrat:

                    “That’s not happening any time soon. Oh, and your coat? Is lame as fuck.”

【 ⊕ 】 — 「”I have never been so personally insulted in my life. I’ve seen some of the clothes you wear, you have no room to give me fashion advice.”」

[thenestbrat-blog]

@mouthfulofsnark

                    “I still hate your stupid face. And accent.”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“You take that back you little shit.”」

[mouthfulofsnark]

//offline for about half an hour while I discuss a few things with some fam. Replies when I return.

[comin-in-cannons-blazin-archive]

“I’ve tried just about everything! It all comes down to what Nemesis says on the matter…” He sighed, tilting his helm. “Huh? Wait, you mean you aren’t here? Then who is?”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“Who is this Nemesis?” Did the stranger mean Optimus? Cross didn’t know, but now he’d pulled back a few steps and watched cautiously. “And when was following every single command a thing?” 

                     He shrugged soon after, frowning before motioning with his helm at Ironhide. “You are--or rather, your better self is. I’m just a paratrooper. How it goes, I guess. Not that I mind, ‘cause I still get to raid the armoury whenever I damn well please.”」

[mouthfulofsnark]

stealthandsilence

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“You’re actually a decent person.”」

[mouthfulofsnark]

comin-in-cannons-blazin

【 ⊕ 】 — 「A long silence; Cross just staring across the way at the weapons specialist, tapping his fingers against his thigh in thought. “... you could kick my ass...” Was that a proper compliment? He didn’t know.」

[writemeasobstory-deactivated201]

Cloudmind looks up at Crosshairs and blinks. She takes a moment as she pauses in her writing and just looks at him, her mind still caught in her novel before she comes back to reality. “Oh. Ok…” She stares at him blankly before raising her optic ridge. “What brought about that little taste of politeness?” Cloud knows by now that even the littlest comment said with the smallest hesitancy or through clenched teeth tended to be a compliment. And she didn’t know why he was even attempting.

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「Cross frowned, looking damn near offended by her question than anything else. Coat tails curl and optics narrow, and soon enough he was turned so that his back was to the minibot. “What? I can’t be nice now?” Defensive or not, he turned his helm to catch a glance of her over his shoulder, arms folded across his chest. 

                              “Just saying anyway. Think I’m going to take it back though.”」

[comin-in-cannons-blazin-archive]

“I don’t follow.” He blinked, looking up at the larger mech with a genuinely confused expression. “You don’t believe what?”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“That you can’t get your Cross to hand over weapons.” He paused, straightening his frame with a near curious expression. “Wait... I’m the Weapon Specialist in your fragged up universe?”」

[mouthfulofsnark]

“Let me kiss it better~.”

【 ⊕ 】 — 「If he had the energy, he would have glared childishly and told her to bugger off. Though he did try, but it came across more as a pout and grumbled, “pain killers, thanks,” and he felt absolutely pathetic about it.」

[writemeasobstory-deactivated201]

Cloudmind hopped back a little, worry just barely etching into her features as she backed away. He didn’t seem too keen on hurting  her, but she knew with his size and hers… accidents happen. Still, he’d missed anyways, so she wasn’t too worried. In fact, it was almost pathetic. She sighed a little, holding out the medication almost passively. “Since you asked so nicely,” she said sarcastically, “you can have it.” She frowned at his dented chassis and sighed again. “If you need to lay down, I can shrink you down to size and you can hide in one of my human berths. They’re surprisingly comfortable and relieve tension.”

In fact, there were a number of other things she could think of to relax him and… well… With that wound she was sure he wouldn’t be interested in anything other than high grade and she had none. His temper was enough to deal with anyways. She walked up and patted his shin. “Just take the medicine and rest. You can hide out here for however long you want or need to.”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「He didn’t quite reply, not yet anyway, as he was far more interested in taking the medication from her grasp than speaking. Not that one could blame him, he was sure. And he tried to be as careful as possible, not to startle her or injury her for that matter. The correct dose was measured, then taken, and Cross simply fell back to wait for it to lessen his discomfort.

“Can just lay here. Until I need to get the frag out; don’t need rest or to hide.” It was a quiet, distant murmur that didn’t hold the normal malice that was normally weaved into his words. He flung an arm over his optics, the other moving to the heaviest dent across his middle. “What do I owe you? Nobody’s nice enough to offer assistance without wanting something in return. Don’t know you well enough to know on my own.”」

[mouthfulofsnark]

//I am a dumb ass. I just burnt two of my fingertips on the fucking grill while making lunch. 

[mouthfulofsnark]

"If you look like this, I’d hate to see the other guy.”

【 ⊕ 】 — 「Blue optics narrowed at the tiny human, expression twisting into a disgusted snarl. “Your sarcasm isn’t appreciated, mate.”」

[karmeladrake]

“What if I don’t like them?” she asked and looked at him with a smile “Come on Crosshairs, I’m not that bad. I’m quite the opposite. Give a girl a chance. After all, we both like to take shots… and aim for the right kill”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「Cross actually looked a bit offended. “Nothin’ wrong with the Samurai.” Dented or not, the paratrooper had actually puffed out his armour–he’d never admit it openly, but Drift was one of the team he’d become a bit protective over. 

                    “Now Hound on the other hand, you can not like him all you want. About time someone agrees with me about that one.” Cross was still a little bitter. 

                   His armour flattened and optics grew dark again. “Ain’t about what shooting to kill, mate. It’s about humanity in general. Slimy little leeches that they are. Traitors even. Don’t like ‘em. Might even like ‘em less than I like medics, which I thought it impossible.”」

[comin-in-cannons-blazin-archive]

“I don’t. I’m just the assassin.” He shook his helm. “And like pit my version of Crosshairs would hand over any of his weapons to you guys. Do you know how hard it was for me to talk him into letting me use a freaking hand grenade for one of my missions?”

[mouthfulofsnark]

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“Come on, I don’t believe that. The way you came up on me? That’s pretty telling, and I’m sure that with some optic batting and some paint swapping, you could clear him out.” He shrugged lightly, “or you stay here, even after we get ‘Hide back, and I let him put a few dents in you.”」 

[mouthfulofsnark]

thankorblamemelater

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“You’re a bit of an asshole.” Yes, that was a compliment. Or it is to Cross anyway.」

[mouthfulofsnark]

writemeasobstory

【 ⊕ 】 — 「“... you’re an OK bot, Neutral.” It’s a grumbled little thing, because Cross is incredibly stubborn when it came to her.」