Spinister Interviews: Counterpunch

[Counterpunch]

OOC note: This takes place both after Counterpunch's eventual escape from the mines in the "Rat in a Cage" thread, and the interview thread with Spinister, Skyfire, Hellbender, Hook, and Cannonball.

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The town nearest the mine is not the only town in the mountains, though most are rather small. After Counterpunch storms away from the others from the mine, he drives some way up the road, ostensibly to vent a little. That it also gives him more opportunity to explore his surroundings is pure coincidence. During his drive, he discovers one of these little towns, something that would be described as a one stoplight, one gas station town on Earth, and transforms.

Some time is spent in investigation, though the story here is much the same as its been on the rest of the planet. More information to be had in the mining town, or at least will be until the Decepticons eventually succeed and destroying every useful piece that's been left behind.

Before too long, however, Counterpunch decides it's time he start appearing more a Decepticon. And besides, he really could blow off some steam. He finds what looks to be a storefront, and decides it's time for some target practice. He stands a good distance away, removes his weapon from subspace, and begins blasting. His aim is no better than average, but boy does it feel good to be blowing up the various displays in the opposite store.

[Spinister]

Spinister would be in sorry shape if he couldn't track an injured car. Granted, this particular car can fly in robot mode, if Spinister's information about technology is correct. That adds a bit of a challenge. The Apache helicopter has tracked that nondescript blue car out to another sleepy little mountain town, this one much tinier. Looks like the car didn't want to stick around and answer Needlenose's questions.

Why come out there? The sound of blaster-fire neatly answers that question in part. Cresting over the top of a small building, Spinister transforms and lands at Counterpunch's side. He inquires, "Didn't want to shoot up the town back at base? How thoughtful."

His tone of voice seems to belie his words, and there's a datapad out in one hand.

[Counterpunch]

Counterpunch eyes Spinister warily. He's a Decepticon. Suspicion is the norm amongst Decepticons.

Finally, he shrugs and goes back to shooting. "Spent enough time cooped up with those others in that mine shaft," he answers softly. Even under normal circumstances, his voice has a slight, snarling hiss to it. "Wanted to find a spot where I didn't have to worry 'bout seeing anyone else for awhile. Looks like I screwed up. Who're you?"

[Spinister]

Spinister is used to people eyeing him warily. It comes with the territory. Placing a hand on his chest, between the 'strap' details on his chest, he says softly, "Spinister."

"I need to interview you now. Starscream's orders. You could have stayed around and got it over with Needlenose. You're stuck with me now." Spinister makes this sound like an undesirable outcome.

He observes idly, "A machine could get killed, wandering off alone. The local technology can be unfriendly."

[Counterpunch]

"Actually," Counterpunch replies, finally returning his weapon to subspace, "Starscream specified that I seek you out. It could be that he didn't realize you'd be assigning your subordinate to assist you." The spy shrugs. "That's what I'm guessing, anyway, but to be on the safe side, I'd just as soon avoid getting in trouble for reinterpreting his orders."

As to Spinister's last observation, Counterpunch just looks around absently. "If I get myself killed out here, I'm either too weak or too stupid to be of service to the Empire anyway. But I don't intend to get myself killed out here."

[Spinister]

Spinister can check that, you know. Will he? That Counterpunch cannot know. Spinister observes mildly, "Someone remembers his ethics class, but 'Id at least like to know where to look for the body."

He withdraws a stylus and opens up a file for Counterpunch before rattling off, "What is your function? Abilities? Weapons? Notable skills? Hobbies? Useless talents? Also, give me a brief history of your universe as you understand it and point out the important pieces of technology and major players. Finally, describe the incident in the mines for me."

That should do it for now.

[Counterpunch]

Counterpunch is totally telling the truth (for once)! A somewhat literal version of the truth, but the truth, none-the-less. He grumbles, "Oh, of course. Damned idiot mini-jet-thing can come and go as it pleases, but I drive up the road and you won't get off my bumper. Got a problem with folks who have land-hugging alts or something?" Such prejudice is not uncommon in the Decepticons, at least in his own reality, and besides, the reaction, no matter what it is, should tell Counterpunch something about this pink and teal mechanoid.

A lot of questions and all at once. That in itself may be part of the interview - remembering so many questions rattled off so quickly and addressing all without further prompting implies a greater than typical intelligence. Best not to do that, then.

"Just a general combatant, not especially notable. I can dodge a shot decently." He shrugs. "That's about it, but I carry my own weight, and won't hear anyone suggest otherwise." Here his voice takes on a note of challenge. "Standard blaster and a photon cannon that does a bit of circuit scrambling."

"The history... of my universe?!" Counterpunch shakes his head. "Uhm. It happened. Somewhere along the line, the Quintessons turned a planet into a factory and used it to make robots for sale. We threw 'em out. We been fighting off and on with each other ever since. Autobots just don't get that the whole leaking universe is out to get us, and the way to deal with that is get it first. Like... like those Predacons. Claim to be our future, after some point when we lost. Why should we have to do that to ourselves? Why should we make ourselves less than what we are? We were never given any gifts to begin with, brought into the world to be bought and sold as nothing... what the blazes do we owe everyone else?!" Here Counterpunch starts to pace as he begins to get worked up. "The universe owes us, and if it won't give it up willingly, it's our right to go out and take it!"

Finally, the spy realizes (gives the impression of realizing) that he's ranting and he stops and clears his vocalizer. "Well, anyway. Yeah. Erm. Key players. We're lead by Galvatron, Cyclous, and Scourge. The 'Bots have Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and Kup."

"And, erm, the incident down there. I went down 'cos it looked like those mines would end up being where we live, and I wanted to check out my new home. Ran into the guy going to pick up the tape, found the tape had one of those little quasi-organic things with him. Some sort of rat thing. The other one, the spider lady, showed up and said he was a 'Maximal.' I got confused, because the little jet-guy who had picked me up had said she was a 'Maximal.' Seems to me, with all these strangers about, s'bit much to be jumping to conclusions about who's telling the truth and who isn't." He shrugs. "I don't see the point of either of 'em, really, and... might have mentioned something to that effect." He sounds a bit reluctant to admit the social mistake, but like he's decided it's better that Spinister get the truth from him than another source.

"Rat thing set off some sort of light and smoke bomb and ran off. In the confusion, shots were fired and part of the ceiling came down, some of it on top of Eye-fire. We were busy getting him unburied when that crazy motorcycle guy came roaring up and fired at alla us. Spider lady... not sure where she got off to, but she popped up behind him and started firing at him. He saw her, ignored us, and went after her... me, I was just torqued all to blazes at being fired at, and went after him. He tried to use some sort of strange device - called it a "Spark Extractor" on me, shouting about adding me to 'Megatron's collection.' Whatever it should have done, didn't work, and I broke it before punching the guy around a bit. Spider lady webbed us both, that damned hoverthing set the web on fire, somehow the motorcycle guy got knocked out," Counterpunch saw how, but being as he was covered with a flaming web, many, if not most, Transformers would have missed that, and so Counterpunch leaves that detail out as well.

"Then the non-Seeker jet boy... Needlenose, your guy... showed up and got me out of that damned web." He tilts his head. "The little jet-thing might have finally got the guts to get down there, too. Everybody got unburied and whatever else, and we left."

[Spinister]

Spinister is familiar with the concept of taking orders too literally in order to get out of them in some fashion. He senses that's what's happening here. Ignoring the accusations of bigotry, Spinister replies, "Jetstorm already submitted to his interview, as did your fellow land-dwellers Demolishor and Dead End."

He's noticing that Counterpunch definitely has anger issues. Those get an underlined note.

Spinister notes, "Where did the rat thing go? You were webbed to Thrust. You had to notice how he was knocked out."

Counterpunch may get the impression that Spinister listens at least as much to what isn't said as he listens to what is.

After giving Counterpunch a moment to process those questions, "I still need your skills, hobbies, useless talents, and a description of the major pieces of technology in your universe."

[Counterpunch]

Anger issues? Counterpunch? Naw!

"I don't know where the rat thing went, there was a lot of smoke and the flash was dambed bright. I'm pretty sure it didn't come out the front way. Hell, could still be down there for all I know."

"I was webbed to Thrust with a web that was on fire. I was paying a hell of a lot more attention to that than anything else! Plus it was a pretty cruddy angle to see things from." Counterpunch grunts, and the optics recessed beneath his mask narrow as he 'tries' to remember. Finally he shakes his head in frustration. "Think it might've been the spider lady that got him again; she was the only one near. But I couldn't make anything out clearly."

Oh, hey! There were other questions that Counterpunch apparently missed. He sighs, and admits reluctantly, "Some time back I had started some training for... internal investigation, if you get my meaning, but they wouldn't let me finish." He crosses his arms and grumbles, "Claimed my temper got in the way."

"You're interrupting my main hobby, and like most cars, I like a good drive. Useless talents?" Counterpunch tilts his head and thinks. "Well, I can balance a stick right here," he points to the spot where a nose would be, if he had one, "a lot longer than most people."

"Technology. There's gestalts, though everyone has that these days. Antigravs are still mostly a Decepticon thing. We lost the use of the space bridge when we lost Cybertron, but there are warp gates for general use that we'll make use of, too. Not sure who built 'em, though."

[Spinister]

"Lovely," Spinister observes sharply. There is an unknown and likely unfriendly 'rat thing' on the loose. "Did this rat thing have a name?"

Spinister notes something interesting. Counterpunch claims that he washed out of internal investigation because of his temper, yet he cannot recall what took out Thrust and did not notice where the rat went. Either he washed out for the different reason of having poor attention to detail, his internal investigation programme was not as rigorous as Soinister would like, or Counterpunch is not giving all the details on purpose.

At the mention of Counterpunch's hobby of randomly shooting stuff, Spinister says, "You ought to be pleased. The new base should have a shooting range. Also, I'm going to run a mandatory combat exercise to get everyone used to working with each other."

[Counterpunch]

Counterpunch shakes his head. "His name wasn't mentioned around me. Blackarachnia called him a 'Maximal,' which would be the same thing Jetstorm called Blackarachnia."

And for the record, between dark cave, smoke, light, fire, awkward positions, and being webbed, Counterpunch genuinely didn't see where Rattrap ran off to or what, exactly, Blackarachnia had done to Thrust. But that's neither here nor there.

The blue carformer only nods at the mention of the shooting range, and grunts softly at mention of the mandatory combat exercises. "Guess that makes sense," he allows grudgingly. No, he won't be trying to get out of them.

For one, they'll give him a chance to observe the others.

Finally, the spy shifts his weight, places his right hand on his waist, and asks, "So is that it?"

[Spinister]

"For now," Spinister acquiesces.

The Mayhem does not explain himself to Counterpunch. He likes to think that what he is would be obvious to even an internal investigation washout. He's not just the guy who passed the course. He's the guy who runs it.

Spinister transforms and chops away, off to hunt down the next person on his list.