Ngamer11
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I checked after I saw this, and it still says stabbed.
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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
- Start date
-
- Tags
- self insert young justice
Mr Zoat
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You have to wait for me to click 'save'.
Stsword
Versed in the lewd.
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Perhaps but Zoat keeps things rather uniform in between dimensions so this would be an exception to the rule.
For example there isn't a single dimension we've seen where Alan doesn't seem to share the Earth-16 "has a broken lantern corps ring."
Reading this fic, would you know that usually Alan made his own ring? Took a hammer and chisel to his power battery because he didn't want to lug his lantern around so he carved himself something a bit more portable.
Sojiko
Getting sticky.
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I laughed so hard at this part!
That link is dead. I think that this is the image that was supposed to be there.
Broken link again. I normally wouldn't mention one of those without a suggestion for a replacement, but this one was kinda important to the chapter. Zoat even put the final line in a spoiler to make sure the reader would look at the picture carefully before the reveal.
Ngamer11
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Mr Zoat, these parts aren't under the correct date on the TOC. Part 10 should be April 2, and part 11 should be below Aug. 12, 1997.
Past Participant (part 24)
Mr Zoat
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16th September 2012
15:03 GMT -5
Okay, that's… Beatriz, that's…
Um.
Okay, I've got no idea who that is. But this is quite a lot of superpeople that I'm having to grin insanely-
"Do you hear the voices too?"
-at.
"Clearer than ever!"
I think I've made a friend.
Regular cultists move with purpose through the Fortress, but like Overman said they're not interacting directly with the superhumans. Other than my escort, they're just sort of… Hanging around. I'd guess that listlessness is a consequence of the control spell Wolf Krieger is using because I've never known people under the influence of demon magic to be anything but effusive.
"Who is his prophet?"
"His prophet is his prophet. We will be the heralds announcing his glory to a new world."
Sounds like I'm in the right place. I'd guess that his extraordinary mental focus is the reason that he's still moving about rather than just barely responding to external stimuli like the rest.
"He has ordered this?"
"His prophet has ordained this."
But does the Demon care or not? Yes, a highly tainted person might enjoy listening to the screams of a slowly dying world, but he's not going to want to do that forever. Demons can be very short sighted, but it's not a class-defining trait. Demons can plan. Does he care about this one? Did he actually give Wolf orders?
We pass through an archway into a large internal space.
Will he actually…
"Great prophet! It is as you foresaw!"
Wolf Krieger isn't in his customary Thule Society robes. Or in any sort of disguise. Rather, he's wearing a robe of blue and red with a prominent yellow 'S' on the back, front and shoulders. Same face I remember, plus the Glasgow grin and mildly glowing eyes. The Spear of Destiny has been stabbed into a crystal monolith and Wolf himself is grinning extra wide as he stares at me.
"Orange? Well, it hardly matters. Come here, my good man."
I walk forward, making a show of being unconcerned by my environment but curious about what's going on. I'm not… Familiar with cutting edge Kryptonian technology. I know what their military was like before they went into isolation, and I know what the mid-to-high tech part of their civilian society looked like, but…
That looks like it could be a teleportation gateway. Possibly. Kryptonian crystal technology was fairly unique, but there are other societies that found other paths to the same ends. Kryptonians weren't big on teleportation but I've seen this general design before. I don't think I can risk scanning it without tipping Wolf off, but I'm going to keep a little distance between myself and it.
"You are his prophet?"
"What else could I be? I spent my life searching for the ultimate strength, only to have it revealed to me at my life's end. But before the end I will open the way, that ALL may know his might."
Okay, he's definitely responsible. I could probably kill him now. Except that he'd go to Hell, and he might come right back. I don't have a handy focus of thematically appropriate magic to use his own weapon against him this time. No one who can work out what magics he's using and unbind them, and I can't rely on my ability to burn it out. It's not like turning him back into a Thule Society Nazi would be an improvement over him being a demon cult leader.
And then there are his followers. What will they do if unconfined? I think I should try to keep him talking.
"What do you mean?"
"One of the technologies he had here was a planar portal. I have located a world with no magical defences and sent through those who know of his majesty and are marked by him. With every mote of mana and every drop of blood they carry his presence with them. Soon, soon the connection will be strong enough to open a portal permanently. His loyal slaves will flood through and brand their world with his sigil. Then, he will grant me the privilege of consecrating his conquest with my death."
Consecration by death, yes, avoid killing him for now.
"How can I serve him? Tell me how I can serve him!"
"Advanced parties are already moving amongst their populations, spreading his word and shedding blood in his name."
Overman's people didn't get them all. They presented an obvious threat so that the more subtle team members would be ignored, while… What, moving to places of magical significance? Overman said that arcane science was underdeveloped on his Earth. Would they even know where to protect?
"You will go through with the next group. Engage their champions so that his hidden followers may complete their work."
"Will he not want to face them himself?"
"If he does, you may fall back once the way is secure."
Right, because the superhumans didn't show anything in the way of self-preservation. 'I' wouldn't be asking 'what if he decides to kill me for my impudence' because 'I' would be fine with that. I'd be asking 'how can I minimise the offence caused to him while maximising my service to him'.
"When will the way be open?"
"I was waiting until we had gathered more strength. But with you here..."
He pulls the spear free, and green bonds snap into place around me!
"Did you think we could not tell one who was bound to him from one who is not?"
I shift my face back, strands of orange light working their way through my bonds until they collapse.
"For a minute there?"
Railgun construct load crumbler rounds fire fire at the green light user!
"B-h!"
Grab his body as Wolf throws lightning at me shield thrust the body at the arch and tear so that the blood soaks it!
Wolf gestures and-
Warning! Spell eater overheating!
-he's doing something as the portal flickers into life as the result of the blood sacrifice. I can detect motion in the corridors as superhumans rush towards us, their passivity instantly removed as a threat appears.
I need to go.
"Superman." I fly at the portal. "Target located."
"Kill him!"
And I'm through.
15:03 GMT -5
Okay, that's… Beatriz, that's…
Um.
Okay, I've got no idea who that is. But this is quite a lot of superpeople that I'm having to grin insanely-
"Do you hear the voices too?"
-at.
"Clearer than ever!"
I think I've made a friend.
Regular cultists move with purpose through the Fortress, but like Overman said they're not interacting directly with the superhumans. Other than my escort, they're just sort of… Hanging around. I'd guess that listlessness is a consequence of the control spell Wolf Krieger is using because I've never known people under the influence of demon magic to be anything but effusive.
"Who is his prophet?"
"His prophet is his prophet. We will be the heralds announcing his glory to a new world."
Sounds like I'm in the right place. I'd guess that his extraordinary mental focus is the reason that he's still moving about rather than just barely responding to external stimuli like the rest.
"He has ordered this?"
"His prophet has ordained this."
But does the Demon care or not? Yes, a highly tainted person might enjoy listening to the screams of a slowly dying world, but he's not going to want to do that forever. Demons can be very short sighted, but it's not a class-defining trait. Demons can plan. Does he care about this one? Did he actually give Wolf orders?
We pass through an archway into a large internal space.
Will he actually…
"Great prophet! It is as you foresaw!"
Wolf Krieger isn't in his customary Thule Society robes. Or in any sort of disguise. Rather, he's wearing a robe of blue and red with a prominent yellow 'S' on the back, front and shoulders. Same face I remember, plus the Glasgow grin and mildly glowing eyes. The Spear of Destiny has been stabbed into a crystal monolith and Wolf himself is grinning extra wide as he stares at me.
"Orange? Well, it hardly matters. Come here, my good man."
I walk forward, making a show of being unconcerned by my environment but curious about what's going on. I'm not… Familiar with cutting edge Kryptonian technology. I know what their military was like before they went into isolation, and I know what the mid-to-high tech part of their civilian society looked like, but…
That looks like it could be a teleportation gateway. Possibly. Kryptonian crystal technology was fairly unique, but there are other societies that found other paths to the same ends. Kryptonians weren't big on teleportation but I've seen this general design before. I don't think I can risk scanning it without tipping Wolf off, but I'm going to keep a little distance between myself and it.
"You are his prophet?"
"What else could I be? I spent my life searching for the ultimate strength, only to have it revealed to me at my life's end. But before the end I will open the way, that ALL may know his might."
Okay, he's definitely responsible. I could probably kill him now. Except that he'd go to Hell, and he might come right back. I don't have a handy focus of thematically appropriate magic to use his own weapon against him this time. No one who can work out what magics he's using and unbind them, and I can't rely on my ability to burn it out. It's not like turning him back into a Thule Society Nazi would be an improvement over him being a demon cult leader.
And then there are his followers. What will they do if unconfined? I think I should try to keep him talking.
"What do you mean?"
"One of the technologies he had here was a planar portal. I have located a world with no magical defences and sent through those who know of his majesty and are marked by him. With every mote of mana and every drop of blood they carry his presence with them. Soon, soon the connection will be strong enough to open a portal permanently. His loyal slaves will flood through and brand their world with his sigil. Then, he will grant me the privilege of consecrating his conquest with my death."
Consecration by death, yes, avoid killing him for now.
"How can I serve him? Tell me how I can serve him!"
"Advanced parties are already moving amongst their populations, spreading his word and shedding blood in his name."
Overman's people didn't get them all. They presented an obvious threat so that the more subtle team members would be ignored, while… What, moving to places of magical significance? Overman said that arcane science was underdeveloped on his Earth. Would they even know where to protect?
"You will go through with the next group. Engage their champions so that his hidden followers may complete their work."
"Will he not want to face them himself?"
"If he does, you may fall back once the way is secure."
Right, because the superhumans didn't show anything in the way of self-preservation. 'I' wouldn't be asking 'what if he decides to kill me for my impudence' because 'I' would be fine with that. I'd be asking 'how can I minimise the offence caused to him while maximising my service to him'.
"When will the way be open?"
"I was waiting until we had gathered more strength. But with you here..."
He pulls the spear free, and green bonds snap into place around me!
"Did you think we could not tell one who was bound to him from one who is not?"
I shift my face back, strands of orange light working their way through my bonds until they collapse.
"For a minute there?"
Railgun construct load crumbler rounds fire fire at the green light user!
"B-h!"
Grab his body as Wolf throws lightning at me shield thrust the body at the arch and tear so that the blood soaks it!
Wolf gestures and-
Warning! Spell eater overheating!
-he's doing something as the portal flickers into life as the result of the blood sacrifice. I can detect motion in the corridors as superhumans rush towards us, their passivity instantly removed as a threat appears.
I need to go.
"Superman." I fly at the portal. "Target located."
"Kill him!"
And I'm through.
Last edited:
Idkusername
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Broken font tag.
Darko
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'I'm having'
Joy.
Time to potentially meet Freeman.
Ngamer11
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That should say 'you'.
Great. Now Paul's alone on Nazi world. Hopefully he won't step on too many toes and kick too many asses while there. Maybe he'll at least meet Paul Freeman.
Bud-E
Stand up so I can push you down!
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Why fly through the portal? I'm sure there were other places he could've gone?
Ganurath
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To get rid of the subtle demonic cultists at the locations of magic power, so that Nazi world doesn't become Nazi feral demon world.
Chaoswind
Lord of nonsense
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That is a more significant and interesting development than what was going on Earth 666.
Get to Paul Freeman, take the orange ring from Nazi batman (call it) and then give both the ring and a lantern to his buddy.
Also would be significant if he gets stuck on Nazi earth for a couple weeks or ends up being sent to a completely different one and he has to spend months getting back to 16.
Chojin Patriarch
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Naturally she'd have been one of the first pulled here. What with being one of the few South American heroes in general circulation in the DC universe, especially one as close to 'canon' as this one was. So, a high-threat target for anyone but OL...
Ah, the original villain version who shares a name with El Dorado, of the Superfriends. Best guess is that they may also share power-sets to some degree... Amusingly, he and his father exist on Earth-16, though presumably not operating openly in the present of this story...
Oh, joy. This one's extra-crazy, it seems... Probably some odd interaction between his power source and the binding. You'd think the various Pantheons in DC would have complaints about those they empower being corrupted like this...
Presumably unless he tells them to do something, they'd just sit there until they collapse of exhaustion. Which is a nasty side-effect.
He's probably lucky. If his will had been any stronger (or his soul less tainted by demonic influences) he might have resisted and been killed off.
Which still leaves the question hanging: Did the Demon Superman order this or not? I mean, I can see Rakkar looking to expand his power base...
...I could also see Rakkar wanting to seek out more Kryptonians to corrupt. And since they're nearly extinct in this universe...
...Why does that announcement fill me with foreboding?I take it he was hoping to get his hands on a suitably powerful soul to make use of here. Which makes it seem less and less likely he's actually working for Demon Superman... The big guy would be able to supply plenty of disposable Z-listers.
...Crap, that's the way into Earth-10, isn't it? Because of course some Science Council spod found a way to crack the Dimensional barrier...
Great, not just a fanatic, but an inspired fanatic. Who knows just what he's got planned in that bag-full of crazy?
If you could manage it, Branding him might work. But a smart sorcerer always prepares for anything, and he might be well-defended on that front.
...So the Reichsmen and other defenders have been playing into his hands by killing the attackers... Clever. Evil, but clever.Yes, please, get him monologuing... The longer he's distracted, the sooner the Supers will arrive.
...Crap in a hat...That is impressively canny for someone in this state... Evidently he's allowed a lot more freedom in order to pull this shit for Rakkar.In other words, be the big gun of the distraction party. Yes, that'll go well...
Ah, the complexity of pretending to be a monomaniacal lunatic...
...Shit, he just aced his Sense Motive check, didn't he?
...Well, it worked this far. Time to get dangerous.
The upside of this fight? They're probably prepared for Green, or maybe Sinestro. They have no idea of what he can do...
Oof, Construct-destruction feedback right to the brain. Bet he's down for a moment or two.
...Ow? Okay, the guy might have been a bit of an idiot and an asshole in his comics appearances, but wow.
"Okay, who aggro'd the entire instance?" Ah, OL. Definitely not the rogue.
I'm sure they can handle things from here. Mostly through lots of flying and face-punching...
Hoo-boy. He's going to have some fast talking to do when he arrives on the other side, especially if the Reichsmen are quick on the response time.
I really hope he had some plan for if he ended up on Earth-10 without Overman. Code-phrases or something like that to clear him with the locals... Otherwise, it looks like he gets to go for another round of 'Take down the local heroes solo'. At any rate, the rest is up to Superman and the Kants back on Earth-Hell, unless he can find some way to open a gateway back. Let's hope things don't go too badly back there.
Handlewithcare
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If Paul rallies Nazi Earth to save Demon Earth...damn, the awkwardness alone will probably create a new god in the Dream
Also, is this like a Prime Evil from Diablo situation where Demon Supes has slain all other hell inhabitants and absorbed their mojo? Would explain why there aren't any demons around.
Also, is this like a Prime Evil from Diablo situation where Demon Supes has slain all other hell inhabitants and absorbed their mojo? Would explain why there aren't any demons around.
NightmareWarden
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Do you expect Freeman to stay on his world when this is all over? Or do you reckon he'll join Paragon-Paul's universe? Or Freeman could die, I guess.
Darko
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Unless they're dead or can't get involved due to Earth becoming Hell.
Because you're an intelligent person.
Except when Murphy is involved.
Or he can more easily deal with magic due to his decades of experience.
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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Yo mama broken font tag...
Thank you, corrected.
DrThoth
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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How exactly did the Shade get killed in Nazi Earth if he's all was-once-a-man Eldritch Abomination? I don't know what kind of power the Ray brings to the table.
I forget if this was answered, but is 'The First Brick' (godspeech) a reference to something?
Ngamer11
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I believe the Renegade was extending his metaphysique to a device, which is referred to as the First Brick, as Sunset wanted to scan what happened and it exploded.
Mr Zoat
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As the SI said, brilliant light which leaves no shadows nullifies his abilities. The Ray can make light.
Starting a building.
DrThoth
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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I was just wondering if it was something more specific, like a shout-out or homage, but thanks for clarifying that it's basically just a poetic phrase (with metaphysical potency given the context).
Coda
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I'm not the first one to point out this correction ("your" -> "you") but it seems you accidentally missed the last one.
Impartial Panic
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Mr Zoat
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I don't... Think it was? Maybe a reference to the first domino?
Coda
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The "first brick in the wall" is a reasonably common expression referring to the first step in what will be an immensely powerful, difficult-to-displace process. It might not have been intended, but it fits and it's how I had interpreted it.
Plus Two (part 1)
Mr Zoat
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21st May 2013
21:43 MTZ
The tiny human female groans quietly, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of-. Wait, her hands aren't bound. She was in Knock Out's trunk, then-.
Next to her, her overweight companion rubs his head as he sits up.
"What just happened?"
"I did."
She looks-. She looks up at the twenty foot tall purple robot-. A new Autobot-? No, she thinks as she sees the dark-purple-and-silver face on her wings. Decepticon.
Her companion glowers. "What, did you and Knock Out have a fight over who gets to hand us over to Megatron?"
"Heh. I don't work for Megatron. We're freelance peacekeeping agents. If your government will pay for our work, they can have you right back."
"'Freelance-?" He scowls. "You're a mercenary."
She makes a dismissive motion with her right hand. "Football, soccer."
"And who's 'we'?"
"Down here."
They both look down, spotting the purple jumpsuit-wearing human standing next to her left leg. He waves.
"I'll get in touch with General Bryce. You're worth a few tanks of energon, aren't you, Agent Fowler?"
The man frowns. "The United States government does not negotiate with terrorists."
"Yes you do? And you certainly pay private security operatives. We did rescue you from Knock Out. What do you think, a couple of barrels for you and Nurse Darby?"
"The United States government has no knowledge of any 'energon'."
The robot smiles. "We'll see. I suspect that your General will be quite interested in Cybertronian technology he can just buy."
Agent Fowler hesitates. While the Autobots kept up their end of the agreements regarding technology trades, they weren't exactly open-handed, and… Well, the US army was usually happy to buy any advantage it could. There were plenty of people in government and the top brass who would find a simple monetary transaction for an immediate payoff preferable to the slow drip Prime's team gave them, regardless of prior agreements.
The human man notices his hesitancy and smiles. "I'll go and get in touch now. Keep an eye on them, Slipstream."
The human man turns away, giving them both a quick glance at the cybernetic implants sticking out of the back of his neck. As he walks behind Slipstream to head towards the door he reaches up and-.
And slaps her on the as-. Aft as he goes.
Both remaining humans blink in surprise, while Slipstream just glances back with an amused expression on her face. "Do that again and I might just slap you back, partner."
A moment later the room's door slams shut behind him, and she goes back to watching their 'guests'.
"He said it was something humans do as a sign of physical attraction." Slipstream leans in closer, left eye narrowing. "Unless he was making that up. Was he making that up? Because if he was, then he's sleeping outside my cockpit tonight."
Nurse Darby and Agent Fowler glance at each other.
"No." The nurse decides to field that question, fearing all too much that a question that she'd carefully been avoiding asking her son and his 'partner' was about to make itself heard. "No, it-. Certainly can be. I'm.. just a little surprised."
Slipsteam straightens up slightly. "Why?"
Agent Fowler raises his hands. "Oh, we're not trying to imply that you're not an attractive.. giant.. robot.. woman..?"
Nurse Darby shoots him an incredulous look, and he shrugs helplessly.
"I'm not a woman."
"And there's nothing wrong with that. But you're still.. gi-"
Nurse Darby elbows him.
"-ant-?"
Slipsteam stares at him for a few moments, trying to work out how to bridge the obvious gulf in comprehension. Then she puts her left hand on her hip and points at Nurse Darby with her right forefinger.
"You're a female human, right? You have an internal factory unit for making smaller copies of yourself?"
"That's… Not exactly how it works."
Her finger move to Agent Fowler.
"And you're a male? You have a bio-data exchange injector?"
"Ah…"
Slipstream smiles. "Don't worry, I've seen them before."
"In… That case, yes."
"Why did you assume that I'm female?"
"Well…" Agent Fowler glances at Nurse Darby for help, but she's content to let him take the lead. "Your build, your voice, some parts of how you behave..."
"I have almost exactly the same build as Starscream." She frowns for a moment. "At least, the build he had last time I saw him. It's been a while." She shrugs. "We're both light frame aerial models. Seekers. I don't have any sort of internal fabricator. Very few Cybertronians do, because we don't make more of ourselves like that. My voice? I changed my default voice-" An unpleasant, screeching, grating and far lower pitched voice issues from her mouth. "-a long time ago because I wanted something unique, and I never had any reason to change it again. It's just a setting in my vocal processor; it doesn't signify anything."
Nurse Darby looks slightly interested. "Then how do you reproduce?"
"I was built on a production line during the Quintesson occupation of Cybertron. Other than when my spark case was brought online the entire process was automated. There might be other ways; they didn't bother telling slave soldiers anything they didn't need to know."
Agent Fowler's eyebrows shoot up. "You're a slave?"
"I was a slave. Most Decepticons were. That was why the uprising happened." She frowns. "Didn't Prime explain that to you?"
"The Decepticons… Were slaves-? Of the Autobots?"
"Mostly." Slipstream waves her right hand nonchalantly. "Not all Autobots owned slaves, but most of the old High Council did. And not all Decepticons were slaves. Megatron earned his freedom in the gladiator pits and I think Starscream ruled a city or something?"
"But you were a slave."
She nods.
"In Kaon, which was the first city Megatron liberated. And fighting as a Decepticon was better than being a slave. The food was much better, and we got some time to ourselves. But as the war ground Cybertron to scrap, I kind of lost my enthusiasm. Paul says that when I was freed I just traded one person giving me orders for another, and I think he's on to something. I need to be more selfish, you know? Finally find out how I want to live. Which is why I'm trading you back to your own people, rather than giving you to Megatron."
Agent Fowler clearly needs a moment to process that, so Nurse Darby decides that now is as good a time to ask as any.
"This… Paul. He's your partner?"
"That's right."
"Do you mean… Romantic partner?"
"That's not exactly how it works. I told you: we don't reproduce like you do. I'm not looking for someone to provide half the schematics for my 'minicons'. We don't have the family structures that you do, because we don't need to arrange everything around propagating ourselves and guarding our mini-mes."
"So he's a work partner?"
"Yes, but that means more than you think it does. We don't have 'parents' or 'children'. Our strongest emotional relationships are usually with the people we work with. A Team might work together for hundreds or thousands of Earth years, and get so used to each other that they can't imagine being apart. It's not really a romantic relationship in the way organics have them, but I suppose it's the nearest equivalent."
"What happened to your team?"
"The last of my team died in the war, and…" She pulls back slightly. "Paul is… There."
Fowler shakes his head to clear his daze. "How does that work? I mean… Physically."
Slipstream shrugs. "He has a cybernetic implant that makes it possible for us to engage in binary bonding."
"'Bonding' as in..?"
"We meld into one. Not like humans would; I don't have the components. And since we don't reproduce like that it probably doesn't have the same mental relevance to me. But it's extremely intimate and…" She smiles lasciviously. "Quite a lot of fun."
Nurse Darby shakes her head. "But if you don't have the comp-. The right parts, how does it-?"
"I can adapt to an entirely new body form in a few seconds just by scanning a vehicle. I switch from the mental patterns needed to control my robot form to the ones needed to control my aero fighter mode in less than a second. Adapting my cognition processors to stimuli that I couldn't normally experience isn't much harder. And it's a real rush." Her eyes narrow. "Why are you so interested? Do you have an eye on someone?"
"No! No. But my son insists that he's Arcee's partner-."
Slipstream's eyes light up.
"Does he want the cyber surgery? I can give him a discount. Since we're friends."
"No he does not want cyber surgery. He's sixteen!"
Agent Fowler looks at her sceptically. "When I was sixteen, if I'd had an opportunity to get it on with a hot alien woman who was also a cool motorbike, I'd-."
"Thank you Agent Fowler." Nurse Darby takes a moment to calm herself. "At least that explains why Arcee was so reluctant to call him her partner. Is that..? Sort of thing common where you're from?"
"On Cybertron? A planet with no organic life? No."
"But when you meet other species. Does it happen a lot?"
Slipstream smile becomes more cruel.
"Bulkhead's on Prime's team, isn't he? Why don't you ask him about his old team mate Seaspray? I'm sure he could explain how it works."
21:43 MTZ
The tiny human female groans quietly, her eyes adjusting to the dim light of-. Wait, her hands aren't bound. She was in Knock Out's trunk, then-.
Next to her, her overweight companion rubs his head as he sits up.
"What just happened?"
"I did."
She looks-. She looks up at the twenty foot tall purple robot-. A new Autobot-? No, she thinks as she sees the dark-purple-and-silver face on her wings. Decepticon.
Her companion glowers. "What, did you and Knock Out have a fight over who gets to hand us over to Megatron?"
"Heh. I don't work for Megatron. We're freelance peacekeeping agents. If your government will pay for our work, they can have you right back."
"'Freelance-?" He scowls. "You're a mercenary."
She makes a dismissive motion with her right hand. "Football, soccer."
"And who's 'we'?"
"Down here."
They both look down, spotting the purple jumpsuit-wearing human standing next to her left leg. He waves.
"I'll get in touch with General Bryce. You're worth a few tanks of energon, aren't you, Agent Fowler?"
The man frowns. "The United States government does not negotiate with terrorists."
"Yes you do? And you certainly pay private security operatives. We did rescue you from Knock Out. What do you think, a couple of barrels for you and Nurse Darby?"
"The United States government has no knowledge of any 'energon'."
The robot smiles. "We'll see. I suspect that your General will be quite interested in Cybertronian technology he can just buy."
Agent Fowler hesitates. While the Autobots kept up their end of the agreements regarding technology trades, they weren't exactly open-handed, and… Well, the US army was usually happy to buy any advantage it could. There were plenty of people in government and the top brass who would find a simple monetary transaction for an immediate payoff preferable to the slow drip Prime's team gave them, regardless of prior agreements.
The human man notices his hesitancy and smiles. "I'll go and get in touch now. Keep an eye on them, Slipstream."
The human man turns away, giving them both a quick glance at the cybernetic implants sticking out of the back of his neck. As he walks behind Slipstream to head towards the door he reaches up and-.
And slaps her on the as-. Aft as he goes.
Both remaining humans blink in surprise, while Slipstream just glances back with an amused expression on her face. "Do that again and I might just slap you back, partner."
A moment later the room's door slams shut behind him, and she goes back to watching their 'guests'.
"He said it was something humans do as a sign of physical attraction." Slipstream leans in closer, left eye narrowing. "Unless he was making that up. Was he making that up? Because if he was, then he's sleeping outside my cockpit tonight."
Nurse Darby and Agent Fowler glance at each other.
"No." The nurse decides to field that question, fearing all too much that a question that she'd carefully been avoiding asking her son and his 'partner' was about to make itself heard. "No, it-. Certainly can be. I'm.. just a little surprised."
Slipsteam straightens up slightly. "Why?"
Agent Fowler raises his hands. "Oh, we're not trying to imply that you're not an attractive.. giant.. robot.. woman..?"
Nurse Darby shoots him an incredulous look, and he shrugs helplessly.
"I'm not a woman."
"And there's nothing wrong with that. But you're still.. gi-"
Nurse Darby elbows him.
"-ant-?"
Slipsteam stares at him for a few moments, trying to work out how to bridge the obvious gulf in comprehension. Then she puts her left hand on her hip and points at Nurse Darby with her right forefinger.
"You're a female human, right? You have an internal factory unit for making smaller copies of yourself?"
"That's… Not exactly how it works."
Her finger move to Agent Fowler.
"And you're a male? You have a bio-data exchange injector?"
"Ah…"
Slipstream smiles. "Don't worry, I've seen them before."
"In… That case, yes."
"Why did you assume that I'm female?"
"Well…" Agent Fowler glances at Nurse Darby for help, but she's content to let him take the lead. "Your build, your voice, some parts of how you behave..."
"I have almost exactly the same build as Starscream." She frowns for a moment. "At least, the build he had last time I saw him. It's been a while." She shrugs. "We're both light frame aerial models. Seekers. I don't have any sort of internal fabricator. Very few Cybertronians do, because we don't make more of ourselves like that. My voice? I changed my default voice-" An unpleasant, screeching, grating and far lower pitched voice issues from her mouth. "-a long time ago because I wanted something unique, and I never had any reason to change it again. It's just a setting in my vocal processor; it doesn't signify anything."
Nurse Darby looks slightly interested. "Then how do you reproduce?"
"I was built on a production line during the Quintesson occupation of Cybertron. Other than when my spark case was brought online the entire process was automated. There might be other ways; they didn't bother telling slave soldiers anything they didn't need to know."
Agent Fowler's eyebrows shoot up. "You're a slave?"
"I was a slave. Most Decepticons were. That was why the uprising happened." She frowns. "Didn't Prime explain that to you?"
"The Decepticons… Were slaves-? Of the Autobots?"
"Mostly." Slipstream waves her right hand nonchalantly. "Not all Autobots owned slaves, but most of the old High Council did. And not all Decepticons were slaves. Megatron earned his freedom in the gladiator pits and I think Starscream ruled a city or something?"
"But you were a slave."
She nods.
"In Kaon, which was the first city Megatron liberated. And fighting as a Decepticon was better than being a slave. The food was much better, and we got some time to ourselves. But as the war ground Cybertron to scrap, I kind of lost my enthusiasm. Paul says that when I was freed I just traded one person giving me orders for another, and I think he's on to something. I need to be more selfish, you know? Finally find out how I want to live. Which is why I'm trading you back to your own people, rather than giving you to Megatron."
Agent Fowler clearly needs a moment to process that, so Nurse Darby decides that now is as good a time to ask as any.
"This… Paul. He's your partner?"
"That's right."
"Do you mean… Romantic partner?"
"That's not exactly how it works. I told you: we don't reproduce like you do. I'm not looking for someone to provide half the schematics for my 'minicons'. We don't have the family structures that you do, because we don't need to arrange everything around propagating ourselves and guarding our mini-mes."
"So he's a work partner?"
"Yes, but that means more than you think it does. We don't have 'parents' or 'children'. Our strongest emotional relationships are usually with the people we work with. A Team might work together for hundreds or thousands of Earth years, and get so used to each other that they can't imagine being apart. It's not really a romantic relationship in the way organics have them, but I suppose it's the nearest equivalent."
"What happened to your team?"
"The last of my team died in the war, and…" She pulls back slightly. "Paul is… There."
Fowler shakes his head to clear his daze. "How does that work? I mean… Physically."
Slipstream shrugs. "He has a cybernetic implant that makes it possible for us to engage in binary bonding."
"'Bonding' as in..?"
"We meld into one. Not like humans would; I don't have the components. And since we don't reproduce like that it probably doesn't have the same mental relevance to me. But it's extremely intimate and…" She smiles lasciviously. "Quite a lot of fun."
Nurse Darby shakes her head. "But if you don't have the comp-. The right parts, how does it-?"
"I can adapt to an entirely new body form in a few seconds just by scanning a vehicle. I switch from the mental patterns needed to control my robot form to the ones needed to control my aero fighter mode in less than a second. Adapting my cognition processors to stimuli that I couldn't normally experience isn't much harder. And it's a real rush." Her eyes narrow. "Why are you so interested? Do you have an eye on someone?"
"No! No. But my son insists that he's Arcee's partner-."
Slipstream's eyes light up.
"Does he want the cyber surgery? I can give him a discount. Since we're friends."
"No he does not want cyber surgery. He's sixteen!"
Agent Fowler looks at her sceptically. "When I was sixteen, if I'd had an opportunity to get it on with a hot alien woman who was also a cool motorbike, I'd-."
"Thank you Agent Fowler." Nurse Darby takes a moment to calm herself. "At least that explains why Arcee was so reluctant to call him her partner. Is that..? Sort of thing common where you're from?"
"On Cybertron? A planet with no organic life? No."
"But when you meet other species. Does it happen a lot?"
Slipstream smile becomes more cruel.
"Bulkhead's on Prime's team, isn't he? Why don't you ask him about his old team mate Seaspray? I'm sure he could explain how it works."
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Darko
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