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Post by Sable Conolly on Jan 26, 2011 23:39:51 GMT -5
Day 29 - Semi-private. Sparring room.
Scourge is almost prepared. Just one thing remains, something he's been putting off.
He has to find Shockwave, and his hunting leads him to the sparring room. Shockwave is, after all, a fearsome warrior, and better, he is a wise warrior. Of course Shockwave trains to keep his edge keen.
Scourge just waits and watches quietly.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jan 29, 2011 21:36:25 GMT -5
Shockwave drops and rolls to avoid blast from a silver and black mech's arm mounted canon. He returns fire as he rolls back onto one knee, the blast knocking Megatron backwards.
A white hand grips Shockwave's shoulder hard enough to crimp the metal. Shockwave throws himself against Ultra Magnus's- an Ultra Magnus Scourge has only seen in a poor quality security vid- legs. The Security Commander seems to take the movement in stride, not releasing his grip as he tumbles over Shockwave's head. The result is a severely-damaged shoulder for Shockwave as a chunk of his armour comes away in Ultra Magnus's hand.
It as as Shockwave lines up a shot on Ultra Magnus's head that Megatron attempts a tackle- and Shockwave spies Scourge. The simulation abruptly pauses, cut off by a radio signal.
"Hello Scourge."
The gunformer watches the tanker expectantly.
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Post by Sable Conolly on Jan 29, 2011 22:19:37 GMT -5
Shockwave has dangerous tastes in simulations. Scourge approves, though his approval matters naught. He salutes politely and greets respectfully, "Commander."
Scourge reasons that it is impossible for him to be interrupting. If Shockwave really desired solace, Shockwave would have locked the door and tossed some cabinets against it to keep it shut against lock-pickers.
So he says bluntly, "I want my vocal commands gone."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jan 30, 2011 12:20:08 GMT -5
The lack of a true face has served Shockwave well over the years, has made it even easier for him to keep his emotional output in check. Scourge's admission garners merely a sharp nod of the head and none of the smugness or approval with which some others might meet that admission.
"You wish this dealt with before the attack," Shockwave assumes, "So as to provide an edge unknown to them. A strong tactical move, but you give me little time for error."
"It is good then that I have already run through several simulations of the procedure in order to test for difficulty. It can be done."
Another radio pulse and the simulation ends completely. Shockwave stands unhurt before Scourge in the empty room. Stepping up nearer to Scourge, Shockwave cannot help but ask one question.
"What was the breaking point?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Jan 30, 2011 17:16:25 GMT -5
Scourge apparently expects the stars and moons from Shockwave, but perhaps there is an unstated compliment there, that Scourge expects that Shockwave can deliver.
Scourge could say any number of little things that added up to his choice, but that isn't what Shockwave asked him. He juts out a hip, places his hand on it, and answers, "Space. You can't gag me, no mouth, but I'm not... sure if vocal commands work without a medium to carry the sound or if subvocalisation is all it takes. It is a silly weakness, anyway."
Scourge sniffs and crosses his arms.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jan 30, 2011 21:44:16 GMT -5
Shockwave's head tilts slightly forward and one headfin tilts up. "An excellent reason, and one I had not considered."
"Walk with me. We will go straight to my lab and take care of the matter."
Assuming Scourge does follow, Shockwave will head out of the room. After a short distance, he will ask, "Tell me, how goes the planning?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Jan 30, 2011 21:54:38 GMT -5
Not enumerating the many, many little reasons means not talking about Blackarachnia, too, which is a bonus.
Scourge looks surprised and asks, "You didn't consider that I'd consider that reason, or you didn't consider it at all?"
He walks with Shockwave and shrugs, sulking. "It went, and now, it does not go at all."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Jan 31, 2011 21:30:43 GMT -5
Shockwave turns his head to watch Scourge as they walk.
"You sulk entirely too much. Do try to behave less like an angry two-vorn-old and more like my second, please."
Head back to front, Shockwave continues, "As to your question- I did not consider it at all. I assumed the ability was linked in a more physical way and would work regardless; your schematics do not indicate otherwise."
"Regardless, it will be dealt with."
Another touchy question, "You and Starscream are not getting along, I take it?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Jan 31, 2011 21:50:24 GMT -5
"I am both," Scourge notes petulantly. Years, not vorns. They never even threw him a party. Maybe when he turns five?
If Shockwave wants Scourge to grow up, Shockwave can at least wait until Scourge hits a million years of age. What was Shockwave like when he was only a few years old?
Scourge crosses his arms as he walks, and he growls, "I want to get along with Starscream. I just don't. I want to slam him against a wall and then for everything to be fine, but I don't think that will work."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Feb 2, 2011 23:43:01 GMT -5
If Scourge will tell Shockwave his creation day, Shockwave will be sure to give the tanker a party. He'll assign it to Needlenose. The jet likes doing such things, after all.
They reach Shockwave's lab as the gunformer shrugs and says, "Not every problem can be solved with violence, no matter what most of our ilk think."
He opens the door and enters, assuming Scourge will follow. He waves a hand at one of the tables.
"You are both forceful personalities. I would worry if you were suddenly bosom companions."
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 3, 2011 0:04:36 GMT -5
Scourge would tell Shockwave if Shockwave asked!
Shockwave's assumption is correct. Scourge follows Shockwave inside, and he admits, "I know. Intimidating Mega-Octane into his proper place was much easier. The other Decepticons fell in line after him. Starscream is braver. Older."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Feb 6, 2011 23:39:09 GMT -5
Shockwave pulls up Scourge's schematics on one screen and several sets of plans and notes on another. First, he opens a panel on the tanker and switches off the tactile network for the areas he will be working on first. He'd prefer to simply offline Scourge, do the work, then bring him back up, but Shockwave thinks his second may not trust him quite that much.
"You have always been able to solve your problems with your greater guns and might. Now you have a problem that can not be solved in such a manner."
He continues as he works, "Starscream is also highly intelligent. You could learn from him, as well."
"If you are careful."
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 9, 2011 11:17:06 GMT -5
Scourge's antennae flicks back, and he states plainly, "I don't always solve my problems with might. I'm not now." He is offended!
Throwing down with Shockwave while Shockwave is operating on his code is not the best time, though, and Scourge doesn't really want a duel. He's just tired of being the big dumb muscle that beats things on Shockwave's command. Scourge is cunning and clever, he knows it!
"I won't beg Starscream. That's unseemly."
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Post by Victoria Raines on Feb 9, 2011 17:11:41 GMT -5
One of Shockwave's headfins twitches at Scourge's protests, a silent show of annoyance.
"There are both physical links and coding links to your attack and transform commands. If I merely deal with the physical first, your self-repair will immediately start working to restore your defaults. So I shall handle the coding first."
"I am going to distance a part of your mind from your conscious self. That way, we can continue our conversation, but you will not be actively troubled as I upload the rewrites."
As he speaks, Shockwave does as indicated, and then begins to hunt down and change the specific areas of Scourge's code. Does this add Shockwave to the tanker's family tree, then?
"I did not say to beg him. There are places between actively fighting an individual and capitulating, Scourge. Watch him. Study his habits. Spar with him, verbally and physically."
"You have the makings of a leader, but you are lacking in seasoning. If you do not learn to control your temper and impulsiveness, you will one day find yourself against an opponent you can not best." Subtle warning, perhaps, or foreshadowing.
"How old are you, exactly, Scourge?"
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 9, 2011 22:10:54 GMT -5
Feeling a bit... drunk, for lack of a better term, Scourge gives Shockwave the exact amount of time, to the day. It amounts to the time he's spent in this middle dimension, plus a few days, maybe a few weeks at the most. He came online September 22, 2001, on Earth, and in the middle of the next episode after his introduction, he ended up here!
Scourge is a few years old, not even a decade. He looks over at Shockwave, curious and expectant. Pacified by his detachment and addled state of processors, he doesn't leap headlong into the conclusions he might otherwise.
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