In His Own Defense

[Dinobot]

Month 1, Week 3, Day 4, Semi-private

The Defense has called Hook to the stand to speak on his own behalf. The Constructicon has been sworn in and seated, and all that good stuff.

Dinobot approaches the witness box, the predatory expression he's been using on other witnesses gone, to be replaced by a different, equally disturbing one that might be sympathetic if you squint. Either way it involves bared teeth.

"Hook, do you recognize the Transformer seated there?" he asks, pointed a claw at Long Haul. If Hook decides to cooperate and reply in the affirmative, the Maximal will proceed to ask. "What is your relation to him?"

[Dr. James Hook]

"Oh, of course I do. I would have to be quite haywire not to. That's Long Haul," Hook replies haughtily. "Next, shall I identify myself in the mirror for you?"

His next answer is a growl out, "He's mine." After a moment. "My combiner-mate, before he had the modifications done."

[Dinobot]

Dinobot nods. Next, he asks "Do you know this mechanism? What is your relation to him?" pointing either to Omega Supreme if he's in the room, or to a hologram of the massive Guardian if he's excused himself from the rather stressful situation.

[Dr. James Hook]

It's a hologram. Omega Supreme is so not here (his player says so). They want Hook able to talk and look down at his nose at them, not curled up in the corner of the box, glaring and muttering about death rays.

Hook answers coldly, "He is my enemy, the Autobot Omega Supreme. I suppose he fancies himself my team's nemesis. I see him as an... unfinished work."

His optical band glints just a bit.

[Dinobot]

"An unfinished work. Interesting choice of words. Could you elaborate?" Dinobot asks.

[Dr. James Hook]

"His emotional status isn't normal. We could fix that," Hook explains, hand under his chin.

That's true, for a certain value of 'fix'. Omega Supreme could be a happy, loyal Decepticon capable of friendship, love, joy... all those nice things. Then Hook would not need to fear Omega Supreme anymore, which would be nice, too.

[Dinobot]

Dinobot wishes the prosecution had called Hook. Then he could cross-examine and ask leading questions like 'Do you want to turn Omega Supreme into a Decepticon so that you'll have your old friend back?' Sadly, Elita-1 will probably jump down his throat if he tries to ask that.

"Why would you want to fix Omega Supreme at all? He is an enemy combatant, one who has sworn to destroy you," is what he asks instead.

[Dr. James Hook]

"It galls me to see something damaged when it could be repaired," Hook drawls.

Isn't that about what Long Haul said about Hook?

[Dinobot]

Come on, Hook, work with Dinobot here. "Is that all there is to it? If some other Autobot were to be damaged, would you repair them?"

If Hook answers in the negative to that, Dinobt will ask why, then, he would repair Omega Supreme.

[Dr. James Hook]

"I've repaired Autobots," Hook notes coolly, one optical ridge raised. "But, no, that's not all there is to it. Omega Supreme was a... friend. He's an enemy now, but he doesn't have to be."

[Dinobot]

Dinobot nods. "Are the personal attachments, friendships, you made when you were an Autobot still important to you, then?" he asks.

[Dr. James Hook]

"They are," Hook answers, lips pulled in the thin line of a frown. 'Important' is not the same thing as 'personal', which Hook well understands.

However, people who want to kill him are important by default, because he needs to either avoid them or kill them or change their minds.