re_alignment_logs | Spidaaarghs.

Who: IDW Drift and Perceptor (and Barricade too maybe if he wants?)
What: Working off a debt to Liege via spidermilking EWWW.
Where: The BADLANDS.
When: Shortly after Drift's last post, when he can finally tear himself away from Wing.
Warnings: SPIDAAAARGHS and spider-associated violence. ~~Vandal don't look.~~

Drift finally tears himself away from Wing, gathering the vials he needs to fill. He hates the idea that he's getting Perceptor tangled up in his debt to Liege Maximo. But on the other hand, there was no one he trusted more beside him, if he had to go somewhere dangerous.

And he is under no illusion that this is going to be safe. He's been in the Badlands before, with Ashitaka, and the oppressive weight and darkness that seemed to cling to your spark, the edges of your vision. He didn't look forward to facing that darkness again, but he'd rather he do it than anyone else.

He rolls out of Vector Prime's palace, to the area in front of the first main bridge, looking around for Perceptor.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"There are plenty of lab facilities within Liege's temple, if I am able to retain a small sample of the material."

In fact, the idea of having strange alien goo with unknown properties is rather exciting. Perceptor will always be a scientist at heart, even if he's a little more... combative these days.

"Mm, seen. Are you alright with me taking the first shot?"

He's already transforming, reaching for his rifle.

"If we can get some for Liege, we can certainly get some for ourselves." It's the least he could do, dragging Perceptor all the way out here, into danger, to give him something sciency to chew on.

Drift transforms as well, one hand on his blade hilt. "I won't say no." He also won't say, because he's afraid of embarrassing Perceptor, how much he enjoys watching the other shoot: the focus and concentration really were, well, beautiful.

But there are two spiders and one Perceptor, so Drift's ready to move if the other one gets an idea.

Perceptor smoothly drops to one knee, raising his rifle to his shoulder, targeting systems flashing over his HUD as he lines up his shot with small, precise adjustments.

When he finally squeezes the trigger the gun jumps slightly, Perceptor moving with the recoil, already lining the sights back up as the projectile punches a sizeable hole through one of the spiders, just behind the head. It staggers slightly, hovering for a moment before it crashes to the ground.

The other spider turns at the sound of the shot, starting toward them as soon as it spots them. Perceptor trains his rifle on it, but doesn't fire quite yet.

"Yours?"

Hopefully Perceptor's so engrossed in the act of firing that he doesn't notice the looks Drift is giving him. It is probably a wrong thought to have, but Perceptor, using his focus and concentration, is captivating to watch.

He jerks, tearing himself out of his reverie. "All right."

Well, now, Drift. You have an audience. Better make this good.

Then again, this is Drift's element. He draws both blades, leaping at the spider, meeting it nearly halfway. He drives one blade into the spider thing's abdomen, bracing against the ground, to break its momentum against him, while his other sword slices at the gap under the thing's head.

When he turns back around, he may be giving Perceptor a cocky grin.

If Drift enjoys watching Perceptor shoot, it's nothing compared to how enamored Perceptor is with watching Drift work with his swords. He quite openly stares as the other sets to work, a smile twisting the corner of his mouth.

"Wonderful work, as always."

He wishes he could be half so graceful. Guns, while precise, lack the sort of fluid grace of Drift's motions with his blades.

"Shall we? We may need one of your shorter blades."

He's already striding toward the nearest spider, slinging his rifle across his back.

Drift ducks his head to one side, gratified but a little embarrassed. "Had to try to live up to you, after all."

And maybe show off. Just a little. That's forgivable, he hopes.

He nods, stepping back to the spider he'd killed, holding one of his blades hilt first out to Perceptor.

"Thank you."

He's no stranger to blades, although he's far more accustomed to the tiny, precise instruments used in lab work and lacks the general finesse Drift has displayed time and time again. Still, he accepts the blade without hesitation, crouching down below the spider. He takes a moment to run his fingers over the head, mapping out the armor plates, before he finds a suitable seam and drives the tip of the blade in.

From there it's simple, albeit methodical, dissection, Perceptor taking stock of points of interest as he flays open the head, searching for-- ah, there it is. An almost organic looking component near the base of the head. He quickly slices it out, wiping gore off it as he raises it up for further scrutiny.

"Do we have any idea what effects the venom has on Cybertronians?"

Drift might be better with a sword, but his knowledge of anatomy is focussed on how to kill, not how to dissect. So he peers curiously over the other mech's shoulder.

He shakes his head as Perceptor pulls out the bladder-looking thing. "No idea. It can't be good, or else Liege would have sent his own Acolytes out to do this, I think."

"True..."

Perceptor stares at the organ for a few more moments, tilting it this way and that as he inspects it, before he stashes it away on his person. He heads over to the second spider, repeating the same series of incisions to pluck out a second venom sac.

"Will two suffice, or should we seek out more?"

"Are you sure that thing's not going to, uh, leak in you?" Ewwww ewww ewww why is he even thinking this?

Drift is trying not to be too obviously, well, grossed out. Because, well, ick. Perceptor is touching things.

"It depends. I mean, you said you wanted, maybe, one to do your own research on, right?"

"I can only hope it doesn't and, if it does, that simple contact with the venom or other associated bodily fluids are not harmful." And really, he's handled worse things in his own labs.

He frowns thoughtfully, flicking gore from his hand.

"An extra would not be amiss... But it would be easier to decide how many venom sacs were necessary if I knew exactly how much venom Liege Maximo will require for his own purposes."

While he could personally work with just a small sample, he has no idea how much Liege needs for... whatever it is he plans on doing with the venom.

"You can 'only hope'?" Wow, that sounds not very reassuring. "I mean, the things can likely kill us. I'm not sure that venom is, you know, harmless."

"He showed me a thing. It was about this big." He makes a distance with his hands, about the size of his chassis. If he knew science he'd probably be able to give it a sciency name.

Spidaaarghs.

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