(no subject)

[notsoterriblelizard]

There is no honor in retreat.

Comments

[know_sacrifice]

[She laughs again, but it's softer this time.] Could be!

So what's your name?

[notsoterriblelizard]

[He narrows his eyes at the sudden agreement, but it's probably better not to pursue it right now. Moving on. He can do friendly. Sometimes.]

Dinobot. Of the Maximals.

[know_sacrifice]

[Well that's original.]

Dinobot, huh? I'm Mikaela. What's a Maximal, like, a genetically engineered weird-looking talking dinosaur?

[notsoterriblelizard]

[The rattling hiss returns.]

Careful, human.

It is one of the two factions on Cybertron. I look like a dinosaur because it was one of the strongest forms the scanners picked up when I first arrived on your planet. My other form is much more...useful.

[know_sacrifice]

[Can you hear the mental sound of brakes locking?]

Hold it. Cybertron? [Suddenly she's wary, taking a step back.] I have never seen a Cybertronian with any kind of animal for an alt. And I've never heard of any Maximals. I thought it was just Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron.

[notsoterriblelizard]

It used to be. The Autobots are the ancestors of the Maximals. Decepticons are the ancestors of the Predacons.

[And, as if to make a point, or at least remove any lingering doubt, he transforms.]

You are familiar with Cybertronians.

Oh BW, your graphics are so unfortunate

[know_sacrifice]

Okay, I guess that makes sense... [So he's sort of... grand-Autobot. That works for her; she relaxes.]

[She watches with delight as he transforms, and then--] Oh wow, you're tiny! [Who's rude now, Mikaela? She covers her mouth, instantly embarrassed.] Sorry, omigod, I don't know why I said that. It's just all the 'Bots I know are big, and most of the 'Cons are even bigger.

[So yeah, she's familiar with Cybertronians.]

so very bad :/

[notsoterriblelizard]

[He growls at her because do not mock the Dinobot he feels weird enough about being a Maximal on a technicality as it is.]

I'm sorry three hundred megacycles of evolution seem to have made us amusing to you. I assure you, we are no less capable for it.

[know_sacrifice]

I'm sorry! [She's genuinely contrite, at least?] I didn't mean to laugh, I was just caught by surprise!

Are...are you guys still fighting...? The Predacons and the Maximals, I mean?

[notsoterriblelizard]

[He settles down at the apology a little bit. Only a little bit, but hey, that's more than he'll grant most.]

There was a peace treaty signed between the two some time ago, however Megatron has never been one for treaties.

[know_sacrifice]

[Her lip curls, not an unimpressive snarl for a flat-faced mammal with flat teeth.] Him? He's still around? No wonder your peace treaty didn't work.

[notsoterriblelizard]

A different one than the version you probably know. The lapse was more a matter of convenience for him than anything else; an exploration ship from the Maximals and a group of Predacons he had convinced to follow him ended up on a much earlier version of your planet. Megatron wanted to take it for himself, the Maximals objected, and so the treaty was ignored. The Tripredacus council is more than content to honor the treaty so far.

[know_sacrifice]

...Wait. Are you talking about, like. Time-travel?

[notsoterriblelizard]

As improbable as it seems, yes.

[Trust him, he wasn't pleased to find that out either.]

[know_sacrifice]

That's crazy! How does that even-- so you're, like, really from the future? Our future? That's how you can be descended from the Cybertronians I know.

[notsoterriblelizard]

Probably not anyone you actually know, but yes.

[...it's really awkward to explain where he comes from okay. Well. Not really but it's kind of embarrassing.]

[know_sacrifice]

[She laughs self-consciously.] Well okay, yeah, probably not anyone I actually know. I don't. Actually know that many Cybetronians.

But that's beside the point! The point is, you're from the future.

[notsoterriblelizard]

And they are probably all Autobots, are they not?

[Don't mind the testiness in his voice; he's fine. Really.]

Yes. I am from the future.

[know_sacrifice]

[She scratches at the back of her head self-consciously.]

Well, uh, yeah? I mean, the 'Cons aren't exactly human-friendly. The whole kill-people-and-destroy-the-sun thing, you know.

[notsoterriblelizard]

And their ancestors don't get any kinder to them in the future, I can assure you.

[know_sacrifice]

Great. Just friggin' great. Of course they don't, I mean, it's not like you can just change your mind about being that evil.

[notsoterriblelizard]

They aren't evil.

[It's probably too quick, too sharp, too snarling not to be suspect, but what does he care if the human passes judgment. Okay, so she'll find him out. Could be worse things.]

They have been subjugated by the Maximals for generations, and the Autobots before that. Perhaps if they were allowed an equal stake instead of fighting over leftovers and being forced to heel by a pact that weighs heavily out of their favor they might be more sympathetic.

[know_sacrifice]

[...Wait, what.

It's obvious she's touched a nerve, and Mikaela does recoil back a step from his snarling anger. Her eyes are wide at first, then narrow as she takes in what he says and tries to process it.

When she speaks again, it's delicately.]

...That's not the story I heard.

[But her tone and the way she's leaning slightly towards him makes it clear she's willing to hear his.]

[notsoterriblelizard]

Of course it isn't. It's not the version the Maximals want to present because it doesn't paint them as the heroes they want to be.

[He starts off with more snarling, but when she seems like she's actually set to listen him him rather than just write it off, he calms down a hair or two.]

I admit, the Decepticons weren't the most...honorable of Transformers, in general. However, after they lost the Great War, they were relegated to second class citizens, reviled by all, and instead of being given even a portion of the planet for their own they were locked up or worse. Yes, there was an agreement for peace, but it was weighed far more heavily towards the Autobots even many megacycles after the war had ended. By the time the Autobots had become Maximals and the Decepticons Predacons it had just become a way of life. The Maximals, or Autobots, for you, don't want to share their world any more than the Decepticons did.

[A beat, some slight hesitation, then:]

In the interest of full disclosure, I was born and raised a Predacon, so I admit I am a bit...biased on the argument. However, my loyalties these days lie with the Maximals.

[know_sacrifice]

[Is there something to sit on? She sits, even if it's just on the ground, and listens to what he has to say.]

I... I had no idea. Actually, I'm not even sure that's happened yet. I mean, as far as I know the 'Bots and the 'Cons are still fighting...

[She looks deeply discomfited, mostly because she is deeply discomfited. And why not? It's hard to hear that the heroes you trust to protect you from the bad evil space robots will maybe go on to be kind of shitty to those same bad evil space robots, even after they beat them in the war...

She looks up at him, her expression a little troubled, a lot thoughtful.]

...What made you decide to throw in with the Maximals?