| abstract
| - Magnetic Dampener Fields - Tyrest Rows upon rows of Magnetic Dampeners line up and stretch for as far as the optic can view, the only sanity in the maze is the middle walkway which is noticeably silver as compared to the rusty bronze color everything else is here. The contraptions jut up from the ground, rectangular with instrumentation hanging every which way off their sides. The top of the Magnetic Dampeners are all adorned with a small radar dish in where they are remotely controlled to magnify or decrease their output, as it pertains to the electrical current neutralization and the poles of Cybertron; essentially stabilizing the planet itself. Darting around in a random manner are all sorts of drones, performing mundane and routine maintenance on the Magnetic Dampeners. LAST TIME ON THE TRANSFORMERS.. The rebuilding effort in Tyrest was proceeding well, until the timely intervention of Adjudicus.. Tyrest's sworn Sci-Chancellor. His meeting with Rodimus, going as well as expected for a wormy neutral shady science-driven individual, helped to stem any bad feelings between the city-state and the Autobots. That is, until Trailbreaker got himself good and drunk in public. NOW.. Performing a routine maintenece check on some of the drones, the Autobot's resident cheerleader closes up the access panel and reaffixes the screws keeping it secure. A heavy sigh later, he moves onto the next in line for checkup with a staggered step. Thus was his punishment for 'celebrating' a little too early in Tyrest square, though his lasercore was in the right place.. it backfired in usual Trailbreaker fashion. "Alright little buddy, time for the doctor visit." he attempts to joke. "You must be a magnet," the Malfunctioning Drone asks, "Because I'm attracted to you." Even with the two groups managing to make some amends, Tyrest was still uneasy about pretty much any sort of a larger military presence... But at the same time, knowing the Decepticons were possibly targeting their intellectual stars for who knows what nefarious dasterdly doings (Backfire counts as nefarious?), they couldn't really say no. Didn't stop the residents from glaring and jeering though. Not that getting leers was anything new, or anything that seemed to phase, the bulky blocky mech known as Roadbuster from being part of that presence. Civilians just scowl and complain because they don't know what's really going on in the state of war... and because Wreckers do kinda have a stigma that tends to follow them around. None of which matters as he comes motoring down the access path between the rows of emitters, to check on what could be a potential high priority target considering the expansive technology involved. And maybe to check on Trailbreaker and make sure he's not getting into more accidental trouble. When did it become so bright on Cybertron? Towering over Trailbreaker, somewhere behind him, is Chromia. She's not towering for the sake of supervising him - mostly because she has no technical clue as to what he's doing, but more because she's on her feet. The irony there is that she wishes she was laying down as she could use a good three day-long stay on a recharger. Trailbreaker's drinking might have been in public but her slip into the drink was more private, and far more prolonged. "Shhhhhh," she cautions Trailbreaker for the fifth time already. She does stand at the ready though there behind him as she holds his purs-... er, tool box. Chromia tries to restart the conversation that she began the day with. "It still feels like a waste being here." Here being Tyrest. "It feels like a diversion, one that we are wasting way too much time on. Tarn's where we're needed..." Compared to there, Tyrest seems almost comically affluent. "Guh," she grinds her gears as she holds up a free hand to shield an audio-receiver (ear!) from the nearby rumbling of somebot she's not deemed loudly annoying. Harkening a look down the access path, Trailbreaker holds a hand up to his visor to shield his optics from too much glare. Even at full dampening capacity, the shining metal distorts his vision. Of course, being a bit hungover will do that to you too. "Looks like.. Kup, get it in gear Chromes." he smiles, moving to the backside of the drone and opening up his access panel. When it suddenly emits something about magnets, Trailbreaker stops mid evaluation. Did the drone just.. talk? "Just gotta grin and bear it, Chromes.. hangover isn't gonna dissipate on a whim." he replies, attempting to reconnect some of the drone's wires. Is that.. plasma scorching? "Tarn, Siberia, Tyrest, Iacon.. you ask me, we're needed everywhere at once Chromia. Me, I'll leave it up to the big bots to decide where I need to be." he bites out, trying to forget the verbal reaming Ultra Magnus gave him three cycles ago. How does one use words to hurt your brain? "Ratchet, you say?" the drone rambles, "Oh, no... wrong kind of field. And continuity." Mentally Roadbuster was taking count of the layout of the various relays, and the access spaces between them. Some were wide enough for a Transformer or two to pass through, others were so narrow it would take a minibot or a cassette to get between. A fight in this sector would rely heavily on hit and run tactics, even though the Decepticons would likely try to use the general inclination of -most- Autobots to avoid excess collateral to their own advantage. Whereas someone like himself would just knock a station over on them, weather out the complaints later, and be done with it. You can't pussy foot around when it comes to Decepticons. The military evaluation was more to keep himself from getting bored. Eventually he makes it up to the other Autobots working, after ducking under a low structural beam. You would think an outdoor area would have more space for work equipment, but apparently that's why they rely more on these drones. Bother. "Everywhere, everything." The big bot rumbles a bit, having caught the tail ends of the conversation. "Too many people still not willin' to fight for themselves." There's a pause as he turns his head in the general relative direction of Tarn from here. ".. And not all of them needin' a -physical- fight." That one sounded like it might of been a partial complaint at least. "Ugh, you say that as though this is my first time being... like this," Chromia grumbles down at Trailbreaker. "It's hardly that, nor will it be the last," she assures her partner. She's opening up a great deal more to him the more time she spends with him, that's for sure. Maybe she's starting to feel comfortable with him? Speaking to Torque about him certainly helped. "Let me lement as I want," she fusses. "Of course we're needed everywhere as there is still so much to do, and those 'big bots' you're eager to listen to could do a lot more for Cybertron if they were out there instead of hiding away in their offices deciding where to send bots like you and me. You never would have caught Elita doing that," she stews aloud. "When's the last time you saw Kup anywhere doing anything? Even that dinbot, Grimlock? Even Ro-..." But she stops herself. She *has* seem Rodimus out doing things as of late, hasn't she? Chromia shrugs that off and rambles off other leadership types to gripe about. "Jazz or Bumblebee?" All of which she gets to then turn on Roadbuster as he gets involved. And shows up. Wow, maybe she is still a little tanked as it's not until about the fifth word in that she realizes he must of come from somewhere. Still, she holds Trailbreaker's tool purse as she points at the bulkier bot. "Not everyone *should* have to 'fight for themself'. Not ever bot on this planet asked for or wanted to get involved in any of this," she snaps at Roadbuster. "More bots got pulled into this war than those that signe dup to fight in it." "The frak?" Trailbreaker intones to no-one in particular, still puzzled by the look of the droid's internal wiring. By all conventional analysis, it shouldn't even be functional.. let alone speaking. "Yeah yeah, not the first time.. but certainly one of the grumpier moments lately. Are you sure you're not still.." Then Roadbuster rolls up on them, joining the conversation. Certainly not helping with the workload, as both of Trailbreaker's allies keep themselves content with talking instead of helping to repair these drones. Then again, it was HIS punishment. "Buster, how's it going my mech? Still showin' the protos how it's done in the field?" Trailbreaker snaps into his usual jabbering, face already set in that cocky/corny grin of his. Then Chromia grumps up the place with her grumpiness. Trailbreaker is not at all surprised. "Easy guys, we're still on the same side here.. I think." he gives Chromia a sheepish grin and wink of his optic. "Tarn is bustling with young devoted bots ready to arm themselves, Tyrest houses the finest scientific minds this side of the Nova Nebula. Ain't no shame in needing help every once in awhile." "Tailgate is not permitted here," the Malfunctioning Drone states. Roadbuster turns his attention back (and down a bit) to Chromia as she turns and snaps at him, unphased. Not that he has the facial details to flinch even if he was phased, which he's not. By the way he tilts his head slightly to the side, he can probably tell that she's still feeling a bit of the side effects from her 'personal consuling' -- aka spending time with something high grade. "Different opinions. Still here for the same reasons." He isn't really the most chatty of Autobots. On the other hand, he doesn't chew at her for the state she's in... That would be kind of hypocritical, honestly. If it wasn't for the sensative equipment around this place and that Tyrest was like one big laboratory in the first place he'd probably have one of his enercigars shoved in the grating of his faceplate like usual. Trailbreaker's greeting is a bit more jovial, at least. "Of course. Decepticons pushing a lot lately. Need to push back more." He grunts a little, regarding both at the rest of Breaker's rambling. "Don't need to fight to stand up for themselves," is his eventual response. Maybe she still is. She had a LOT to drink after Trailbreaker passed out and she tied him up. Chromia gives aworried look up to Roadbuster as she knows she just went off on him and yet she can't exactly remember what for, which isnt exactly good. Right now might not be the best time to be picking a fight she realizes, so she backs down. Chromia grumbles still and spares a sidelong apologetic glance to Trailbreaker, who's right. This is a Wrecker afterall and, like her, they busted gears all over Cybertron for eons. Roadbuster knows the same way she does. "Sorry," she mutters up at Roadbuster. Chromia immediately backs down from the myriad of things she was about ready to spout off about. Chromia also lowers that finger and steps back to let the two jugheads banter without her in the way. Maybe that's Trailbreaker's strength, to not get too tanked to still remain useful. "Maybe the scientists here oculd come up with a way to locate the kidnapped on, some kind of ... sciency locator thingy." Continuing his checkup on the drone, Trailbreaker severs some connections and reattaches others in a vain attempt to make sense of the innerworkings. The mention of Tailgate goes unnoticed for now. "Though similar, I get totally opposite feelings from them." Trailbreaker illustrates further his views on the two city-states. "Tarn, in the need of most help doesn't want it.. but sorely needs it. Here, Adjudicus has the best minds on Cybertron at his disposal.. but goats Rodimus into playing errand bot?" he shakes his head, "Doesn't make sense." Chromia's mention of a science locator thingy just brings a blank look from the Autobot's defensive specialist, which lingers for a passing moment. Then he erupts into laughter, "Hahaha, and here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor." The drone's maroon visor whirls to life, "Broken? No, Im just popular. Blame my magnetic personality." Roadbuster could probably sympathize with Chromia very well, he's just very terrible at expressing such things. He did seem to get that his initial remarks were a bit too broad stroked, at least. He just gives her a nod at the apology, and the matter is pretty much dropped. It's unimportant in a greater scheme of things. "Those that need help most often the least wanting it." The drone gets a bit of a look, but it's high technology and not a weapon so it pretty much goes over his head. "Maybe it should of been an explosive. It's jokes are bombing." .. that was a terrible joke, but the way he says it in such a flat, almost serious tone makes it funny right? Chromia is living proof of Roadbuster's statement. When is she ever going to ask for help? Never. It's been assigned to her though and she looks to Trailbreaker with an ... odd, worried look as a response to his laughter. Maybe she should punch him again to keep him in line. Instead, she maintains that worried look. Really? That is how he sees her? Humorless? Chromia looks to Roadbuster and shakes her head. she answers him, equally serious in tone. "Maybe a dud, since its timing seems to be off." "Ba-wahahawahahahahahahahahaha!" Trailbreaker, mid erupting laughter, stands to give Roadbuster a good solid pat on the back. "You know, if they ever kick you out of the Wreckers.. I hear Altihex has an open mic night we could go to, you'd kill!" he continues to laugh, settling down a bit. "It's odd.. it's rejecting the normal software and trying to write over it with new learned behaivors." he mentions of the drone, giving it another prod. "Like.. it's becoming self aware?" The Malfunctioning Drone actually hovers to attention, "Polarity is here?" Roadbuster just gives Trailbreaker his usual mostly blank (due to lack of facial features) expression. It's not that he doesn't get the impression behind the remark, it just doesn't really register anything to him. Not exactly his idea of how to spend the off hours. The drone provides more of a much needed distraction, when it starts spouting off about Decepticons instead of Autobots now. If he had a brow it would probably narrow a bit. ".. It's not gonna be a security risk I hope." Just what they need, drone sympathizers with the Decepticons. Chromia gives a shrug to that. "Stranger things have happened," she muses as she turns her attention to the drone now. She hasn't even so much as looked at it before now, yet now she's curious. "It's going to need a name." Even as she says it, semi-still drunk Chromia prays that Rodimus doesn't make her and Trailbreaker's its parents. "Maybe we should ask it what it wants." Chromia moves closer, sets down the tool-purse and peers at the little drone. "Maybe we can even ask it what it thinks of what's going on around here." A drone that would be able to tell the Autobots EXACTLY what has transpired in Tyrest? Now that would be far too convienent for our would-be heroes, that's for sure. The drone peers back, without a proper face no less, at Chromia and zips off towards the other drones. Trailbreaker just blinks it off, trying to forget it ever happened honestly. His expert analysis: It shouldn't even be functioning right now, let alone acting independently. "Wait, what brings you round these parts Roadbuster? I'm fulfilling my Magnus enforced discipline and of course, Chromes isn't too far behind. But what is a Wrecker like yourself in Tyrest for?" "Decepticons got in too easily last time." Roadbuster rumbles in reply. "Looking for weak openings. They don't want full military guard but security definately needs tightening up." It's a simple yet thorough answer, as one would expect from him. And less boring than some patrol shifts he's had to pull, at least there's enough mental work in the analysis to keep him from moping through it. "Dull, but needs to be done." "The detail is what makes or breaks us," Chromia agrees as she gets ot her feet, what with the drone she had meant to look at flying off. She follows it, visually, for a while. "It's what keeps us safe. You should never discount vigilance." There's been many a time when it's saved her spark, that's for sure. "Maybe something all of Cybertron could use more of. maybe we'd be neede din fewer places then," she smirks towards Trailbreaker. She doubts it ... but maybe. "Though... I thought the Wreckers took the fight to the Cons, rather than waiting for it to happen, or looking for weak spots to secure." Chromia looks to roadbuster as she considers. With a name and a repuation like his... still, he's the one that Prowl wanted to go to. "Fray," she says suddenly. "The cop bot from Tarn, the one that needed to be shown around the armory." "If anyone can turn this place into a fortress of solitude, it'd be you supermech!" Trailbreaker replies, giving Roadbuster a thumbs up. "Let me know if you need any help, I'll pitch if I can." he downsells his function. Attention drawn to Chromia, Trailbreaker frowns. "Fray?" he ponders, peering around to see if anything else needed repaired in the vicinity. Could it be, was he done from his punishment?? "What about him?" To which Roadbuster shrugs his broad shoulder frames. "Military needs. Wrecker 'business'." He holds up two large fingers. "Two different things." Translation, he's doing this out of the needs of a military officer rather than 'Wrecker business'. "Gotta pull weight as Autobots, same as any other mech." He promised Arcee he'd help her keep the military division running, and he's not the sort to break said promises even if the needs to do so were sometimes very, very dull to his mindset. Woe be it to the Decepticon that tries to attack when a very bored Wrecker is staking out the premises though. He tilts his head at the mention of one of the Tarn cops. "What about him?" Is there an echo here? Just Roadbuster not having a more elaborate way of asking the question. "I just..." Both bots are looking at her right now. "Haven't kept up on him," she admits rather guiltily. Chromia sighs. "I kind of did that thing I I criticise others about," she fidgets. "Help, promise to help and then send on their way. I was there in Tarn,w atching Lightsinger..." and yet not once went to check on Fray. "Sorry," Chromia waves it off, "Just unable to filter my thoughts between private and aloud," she smiles a little. Damned Nightmare Fuel. She can blame it on that later. So, Chromia needs a diversion. "I'm almost afraid to ask. What qualifies as a 'Wrecker need'?" "I'm sure he's fine, Chromia.. sides, Sterling is locked up safe and sound behind bars in the Decagon as we speak. I figure after this assassination business, if it ever surfaces, Tarn will be able to right itself before too long." Trailbreaker comments on the Tarn youth. "Not too late to follow up. Now with the crooked mech out of the way. They're busy. We're busy. Sure he'd understand." Maybe? We're hitting that social zone that the big guy really doesn't know or understand very well. At the question, his optic band flickers faintly. It's as close to a rueful smile as he can get. As Roadbuster's answer pretty much confirms her first comment about asking. "You probably don't want to know." Chromia's last pose: Chromia looks to Breaker as he wanders off. She *should* meader with him to also meet her end of the punishment, what with carrying Breaker's toolbox and all, but this is a Wrecker here. So, Chromia's content to let Breaker go handle that as she stays here. "So... what about you? What are you itching to get to that isn't here?" Chromia is curious, if Buster is willing to talk. "I can only imagine the list of grievances you must have, targets to hunt down, and all of that. Targets you wish to paint on certain individual bots." Roadbuster stares off in the distance a bit. Who knows what at, considering he's looking well past where Trailbreaker wandered off to. "Decepticons ain't gonna leave Vigilance alone until they're made to leave it alone," he eventually rumbles out in response. "Humans have a saying for it, though." You wouldn't think such a big bulky fellow would be able to move too quickly, but it's surprisingly fast how defly he suddenly draws one of his smaller (to him) heavy pistols, cocks it and with a faint spin in his hand holds it out. Fortunately it's not actually armed, so it's all just for show. UGH! Why does everything have to keep coming back to Terra?!? It seems like daily Chromia is reminded of all the reasons why she never wants to go there, ever... yet, she knows she has to ... which only makes her hate it more! Of course the humans have a saying for it; they have a saying for everything! Their influence is so corruptive. "Go ahead," she tries to sound like she's interested, "Lay it on me. What do the humans say?" She swears, if it's another one about getting down tonight she'll punch somebot. Chromia actually does smile at that though, what with Roadbuster putting on that short show. The line is cheesy, even if she doesn't understand it. What is a 'bitch'? She doesn't think she should ask. "You better to deliver payback than a Wrecker, right?" Chromia knows she's right. The Wreckers have the record and the reputation to prove it. "We should talk the Prime into sanctioning you guys to go after Galvatron and put an end to this war already." Roadbuster flicks his wrist to mimic the recoil of firing the pistol. "If the oppritunity ever arises..." But then he flicks the gun back and returns it to whatever compartment of his 'backpack' it was pulled from. "Beast only dies when you kill the head.... but all the limbs have a habit of getting in the way first." It's kind of fun to see a Wrecker this close enjoying himself being a Wrecker. Chromia wants to encourage it further. "Assuming those limbs could be kept busy by others," she spitballs a strategy, "And you and yours had a clear shot... could you do it? How'd you pull it off?" She's never thought about taking out Galvatron before - Shockwave, sure, she's planning something right now - but Galvatron seems like a whole other beast. "Lure him somewhere to have him alone, I assume?" Roadbuster grunts a bit. But the topic shifting to something closer to his comfort zone has a small yet notible effect on his demeanor. Even if it was a lot of 'What if...?' it was a topic the big Wrecker could easily grapple with and comprehend better. "That's the toughest part of such things. Was the same for Megatron. Surrounded by mad dogs and zealots. It ain't that Galvatron -needs- it, but that he has what Cons regard as expendables willin' to die for his corrupt ideals to throw in the path of anything else doesn't change." Not that Roadbuster would object about having to go through a pack of Sweeps if the oppritunity did arrise. Chromia steers this theorycrafting around to something more subtly useful. "What about somebot who likes to keep to himself, somebot like... oh, I don't know, what about Shockwave? Super tough, very deadly and yet cold, cut off from his fellow Cons yet seemingly impossible to get to." She steps a little closer, clearly interested in what the bigger bot has to say now more than before. "How would you tackle someone like him?" Returning from his work, Trailbreaker stretches his arms and takes a small chair out of subspace. Setting it down near the Wrecker and Femme, he takes a load off and slouches in it with splendor. Nothing better than a job done and a Magnus off your back. "So, what now?" he comments, re-entering the conversation. .. And so it comes around to Shockwave in the end after all. Not really surprised. Of course the same thing could be applied to Soundwave, or any other of the 'reclusive behind the scenes' Decepticons, but really. It's one of Elita's brood. It isn't hard to tell where it is going even if Chromia hadn't outright used Shockwave as an example. Though if he had a mouth, Roadbuster would probably be smiling a bit. It's a dedication to a task and desire he can appreciate, if nothing else. "Yeah, mech like that is hard to get to. Pin down. 'Specially one like Ol' Blinky who likes to think he's good at predicting because of 'logic'." Now he does kind of wish he had a cigar to gnosh on while conversing. Feels like something missing. Oh well. "As I'm sure you already know well, he's the sort to only come out when you're directly breakin' his shit, or he has a direct need for something himself. Ya can't just wait fer that time to come. But layin' out something to lure him into the open ain't easy for a mech like that. Hate to admit it about a Con, but he's gonna see an obvious trap miles away." And then Trailbreaker wanders back into the conversation. "Done with all yer fixin'?" Someone pink this way comes. A pink convertable is heading into the area from the main avenue toward the residential sector. Looks like Arcee's on her way to find out what's happening. First 'bitch' and now 'shit'... Chromia silently reminds herself that she needs to get a Cybertronian-to-Terra dictionary at some point in the near future. If such a thing even exists. Maybe it's available for download somewhere. "So you're saying an ambush might be better," Chromia muses as she mentally checks off that on her mental checklist. "Keep him off-balance, perhaps? Overwhelm him from the onset..." Now it might seem like she is indeed planning something, or has something planned. Fortunately Trailbreaker meanders back before semi-drunk-Chromia can reveal much more. "Lures bad, open spaces good," she confirms however. Chromia looks to Trailbreaker. "Done already? Good," she 'whews' as she retrieves his toolbox. "If we're all done with this," like she did much to help, "Then we can get back to that other thing, the thing Arcee sent us here for." Finding that kidnapped sciencebot. "Of course, record time too!" Trailbreaker grins, eyeing the bottle of Nightmare Fuel in his inventory. Then the emergence of a pink car speeding their way in the distance is enough for him to relinquish the thought. He'd just completed one punishment, didn't need another. "Shockwave?" Trailbreaker intones, whistling for added effect. "As Buster just eloquently noted, he's not a dumb-bot you can lure out by dangling a turbo-rat on a string." he comments dryly, folding his arms behind his head in the chair. "The best offense is a good defense. How you intend on keeping him boxed in once he's lured?" he asks. On the mention of 'finding' the kidnapped scientist, Trailbreaker frowns. "What did she send us here for anyhoo? I thought we were here for public relations?" Roadbuster probably knows all sorts of alien cursing, but that wouldn't really help the conversation when he has trouble expression certain things as it is. As Chromia makes her own conclusion from the topic he just grunts a little as he does and nods. She's gotten the point it would seem though. "Mech like Shockwave likes to be in control. Think he's got every little variable under his one thumb. Gotta pull that out from under him." He turns his head just enough for the source of the engine sound to come into his peripheral view, confirming that it is another Autobot, and he doesn't need to get tense over the matter. Arcee scoots to a stop near Roadbuster and transforms to root mode, smiling up at her really, really large XO before looking over at Trailbreaker and Chromia. "Hi, is everything okay out here?" Chromia looks to Trailbreaker with a bit of an incredulous look. Yes, Shockwave! Of course Shockwave. Who el-... oh, right, she shouldn't even be thinking that where soomeone might get the notion even that she's up to something rash. So, Chromia looks back to Roadbuster too. Not since Elita has she had someone to help point her in the right direction about that Con. "Right, right, he has to be in control at all times so if you could keep him out of control..." It might be enough. Whew, her plan hasn't been so Chromia nearly jumps when she looks to where Breaker and Buster have glanced. She nearly snaps to attention, the shock rousing her from her drunken haze as she sees *who* it is. Chromia tries her very best to be her most alert because Arcee deserves nothing less. "Oh, Arcee. Hi. Yes, greetings," she gives a little wave. "Better? All is better now. We," she gestures to Trailbreaker, "Were just fixing some things so... about to get right on it, what you sent us here for." Which, wait, what? She looks to Breaker. It wasn't to find the missing scientist? He didn't read that between the lines like she did? Arcee smiles kindly...it doesn't look like she suspects anything, although she seems a tad confused. "Great! ...Um, what broke, exactly?" Roadbuster gives a curt nod to Arcee. "Ma'am. They were just doin' some work. Was out checkin' city locals for potential security soft spots myself." Which more or less sums it up. The discussion of tactics with Chromia was a small diversion, but a welcome one. It was a much more favorable topic. But good things have to at least come to a temporary end. "Gonna go finish doin' that now. Everything is secure here with you all around." ALL of you. Yes, even you Trailbreaker. You're not as hapless as you think. But with that the Wrecker turns and starts marching off again. Still a lot of city to cover. "Which reminds me, I should show you around." Trailbreaker mentions, getting up from the chair and folding it back into subspace. "Ma'ams." he cocks his head in respect to both Arcee and Chromia, following after Roadbuster. "Hey, wait up Buster!!" No, don't leave her! She's not sober enough to... "Arcee," Chromia smiles broadly as she's left alone with her favorist bot of all. It's good to see her. "You're fully functional?" The last time she saw Arcee, well, Chromia couldn't even bear to look at her, she was that torn up. "I'm guessing you were cleared for duty or you skipped out," she grins, as it could easily be either/or. "You were couped up and just had to get out, didn't you?" "No, I'm definitely all cleared for duty again," Arcee answers Chromia, as she waves to Trailbreaker and Roadbuster. "Well, I'm glad things are progressing with this kidnapped scientist. Hopefully, we can get him back unharmed." "Or at least mostly unharmed," Chromia grins as she answers with that dry wit of her's. "We will," she nods. "If the Cons nabbed him, then it's for a reason. As long as that reason still exists then he will too. Maybe we need to figure out what it is that he was nabbed for. Someone like Nightbeat might be best to look into that, to pry around and maybe piece together why he was taken. If it requires certain equipment, it might help to narrow down where to look." "I was kind of glad to see Roadbuster out here with you...was he here for very long? He tends to just...do his own thing, which is fine by me so long as the work actually gets done, and it does," Arcee notes. "He's a great XO. You know, Chromia, I'm really not the micromanaging type, so he fits into that rather well." "Long enough? I mean, he approached us so... I think he's good? What, you worried about him, mentally?" Chromia is still a little foggy-headed, despite her best efforts to be as alert as she is. "He seemed as personable as any of the Wreckers really. He opened up more when he had the chance to talk about something he knew more about... He seemed like a bot unsure what to do with himself at the moment, that he's out roaming around to find some way to pitch in. Maybe he needs a little micromanaging? Point him in the right direction, rather than letting him find his own. Some bots like to be told what to do," Chromia points out. "Why would I do that, when he's doing everything just fine?" Arcee asks with a grin. "I like him because I don't *have* to worry about him. And how well do you think that would work out, telling a Wrecker what to do? Chromia, are you feeling alright? You seem a bit...off." "Sorry," Chromia sighs like she's been caught, because she has been. Not like there's not a record of it somewhere, no doubt. "It was... a night," she frowns without lack fo a better way to explain it. It's not like she can lie to Arcee anyway. "Everything's just kind of piled up and there was plenty of Nightmare Fuel to be had," she explains, and conveniently leaving out that she consumed most of it. "We all recover in our own ways," she smiles, a little weakly. "You know I don't normally, that I wouldn't... well." Normally Chromia would have Elita there to vent to but that's not happening right now. Chromia tries to change gears, quickly. "You haven't heard from Racer or Star lately have you?" Arcee folds her arms across her chestplate, but her expression doesn't change, so she's very likely not trying to be judgmental about Chromia's night out drinking. Far as she's concerned, she has no room to talk, there, as Prowl once cited her for public intoxication in Iacon. Very embarassing to say the least! "No, I haven't heard from either of them," she admits, shaking her head. Ugh! Chromia *hates* that she's the cause of Arcee's arm-folding. Yet, it's deserved, so she stews a little. It's impposible to not fidget in front of Arcee though as she knows she needs to find some way to turn that around. "They must be busy then." She's quiet for a moment. Finally, "I talked to Torque. She's going to come up with something. She might want to be involved," Chromia warns, more of a 'heads up', since Chromia thinks that is a good idea. Clearly, she trusts the mechanic. Chromia's silent for a bit again as she looks at Arcee, who once told Chromia that she was there should Chromia want to come to her with anything. Chromia smiles a little. "How are *you* doing? You didn't even slow down for a moment after being ripped apart." "Oh, you DID get to talk to Torque. Great!" Arcee looks to be 100% on-board with that plan. "And I just don't have TIME to slow down. Speaking of which..." She pauses pensively. "You wouldn't happen to have seen Blurr around lately, have you? If there's one thing he's an expert in, it's the art of avoidance." With a smirk, she adds, "I never used to think it was an art. But at the level he does it, it's definitely gone straight from skill to artistry." "I think I saw him once, when he slowed down long enough to tell me how fast he could go," Chromia smirks. "I've definitely heard him on the comms alot. He's very adept at chatter too." Arcee's avoidance isn't lost on Chromia, not when she identifies with it so strongly. They both need Elita back, in part for the same reason. "Mostly though it's been me and Trailbreaker. I haven't even heard from Prowl lately," which is odd, now that she processes it. "Maybe you could check on him for me. I *did* see the Prime though, both in Tarn and then here. Either Rodimus is proving me wrong or he's proving your assessment of him correct. There might be more to him than meets the eye." Arcee rubs her chin. "Hmph. Well...I'll just keep looking for both of them, although I think locating Prowl is going to be the simpler task. Prowl just tends to lose himself in work, and ends up in inaccessible locations once in a while." When Chromia mentions Rodimus, Arcee smiles slightly. "You don't have to like him, but...keep giving his way a chance. Sure, it isn't conventional, it isn't like the leaders before him, but he deserves a chance." "Maybe," is about as far as Chromia is willing to admit, but even still that's a pretty big shift for her. If it's not Elita One then she's not immediately sold on anyone being Prime. "I only have all of eternity to hold him against him which means he also has that long to prove me wrong. We can see which comes first," she grins openly. It's in jest - mostly -and fortunately Arcee is one of the few that might get it. "Prowl's likely in his office, if he's not blown up his hand again or do something else reckless. For someone devoted to logic, he sure can be a bolt at times." Chromia shakes her head before she looks back to Arcee. "Well, you know, there might be one place that Blurr might be that you haven't looked already. You siad youself that you've been too busy to slow down..." Arcee chuckles at Chromia's stubbornness. "You're bad," she jokes. "But I think you're right about Prowl. So tell me where I haven't looked for Blurr yet where I might be able to find him?" "Well, if what I've heard is true...," Chromia looks around as though to make sure no one is listening. She leans in, like she has a secret to whisper. Yet, she winks and says, "Maybe you should look in your recharge chamber." Arcee swats at Chromia playfully. "Shut UP!" she exclaims. "And that was a /while/ ago, anyhow!" Now there's the Arcee that Chromia enjoys most. She'll take the swat since she deserved it. "We should go find out what Trailbreaker's gotten into now. I don't like to leave him alone for *too* long," she sighs but she's quick to smile. "He's probably resting off a drunk somewhere," Arcee mentions with a smirk. "Ark bots..."
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