When you've fallen off a horse...

[notyourblueangel]

WHO: Thundercracker and OPEN
WHERE: Police HQ in Prima's quadrant
WHEN: Shortly after Blurr's announcement
WHAT:  Haven's token Decepticon police officer returns to HQ for the first time since before the storm
WARNINGS: None at present . . . unless grumpy Seeker counts



Thundercracker flew across Haven as slowly as he could without dropping out of the sky, taking in the sights below him.  His feelings about the place were mixed, so very mixed.  But . . . for better or worse, it was home now.  It was where he was stuck, first and foremost.  It was where he'd regained a huge measure of the freedom he'd lost so very long ago, and for several horrific days thought he'd lost in ways he could never have imagined before.  This also was where he'd made friends - not just acquaintances with whom he got along well enough and trusted for the most part not to shoot him in the back at a given opportunity . . . but friends, real friends.  Blurr, Four, Ventus, McCrane, Barricade, Fracas, Rose, the white Megatron, silly Ravage . . . and those were just the ones he could pull off the top of his head.  People he trusted with his back, people he trusted like . . .

. . . like he trusted Skywarp.

The pain of loss was . . . lessening, if still sharp, terribly sharp.  But he'd done his searching, he'd done his grieving, he'd had his fits and his nightmares over that hellish other self he'd been forced to endure for days (and still had nightmares about, if he were honest with himself), and Blurr's message reminded the Seeker that he had jobs to do.  He was still a bouncer at the Hub's bar and, more importantly, he was still a member of the Haven police force.

He'd not been back to the headquarters since he'd found himself...himself again.  The memories of the other Seeker's torturous experiences with the authorities of his reality had made it hard . . . though what had made it harder were the memories of what that Seeker had said to his allies, his friends.  Shame - especially in facing McCrane and Blurr again - had kept him away, but enough was enough.

And so, after making a few lazy passes over Haven, his home, he banked and angled for Prima's quadrant, landing outside of the police headquarters.  In root mode, he paused only briefly, wings flicking, before he strode inside, heading for his desk. 

He had work to do.

Comments

[notyourblueangel]

is small and devoid of humor.  "Let's just say I'm here to make sure the law and its enforcement is fair and equal for all people."  It's not the only reason –by far, not the only reason –but the rest is deeply personal and he's not about to share it.

[primest]

"I'm sure you are."

Sentinel, you are calling the pot black here. Or not because TC is genuine and you're the giant selfish asshole.

"So, uh. When did you join?"

[notyourblueangel]

((ooc: Wow, thanks, Reply-by-email – dunno if that fail was DW or Yahoo, but the part that got dropped was " Thundercracker favors Sentinel with a grin that" . . . just for FYI. =3))


Thundercracker's optics narrow a bit . . . but he's not really surprised by the prejudice. Honestly, he's been wondering when someone would come along and finally give him a hard time – at best – about his efforts. Besides . . . the questioning's not wholly unfounded or unwarranted. He readily recognizes that. "Let me ask you this – if a Decepticon is suspected of something, would you decide right off that he's guilty based solely on his faction brand? By the same token, would you automatically assume an Autobot's innocence, regardless of evidence?"

The question makes him pause . . . and think . . . and his optics brighten a little as he realizes. "It's . . . been a year now. I approached Blurr after the mess with the Glyphless was dealt with and done. He was supportive of the idea and told me to talk to Ultra Magnus." Which, honestly, was a nerve-wracking experience, to walk into the office of the proclaimed Enforcer of Tyrest or whatever he'd been, in the middle of the police station, and put himself in possibly easy-to-capture space. He knows he couldn't have made it back outside had the powerful Autobot decided for some reason to have him arrested just because he was a Decepticon who'd made an easy target of himself. But that hadn't been how things had gone down. He gives Sentinel a wry smirk. "He didn't like me any more than you seem to, but I'd proven myself to him already. I filled out the files and passed the tests. That was December of last year."

[primest]

((i thought it might've been something like that <3))

Sentinel has actually been trying to get rid of his prejudice, but it's hard. It's hard when you've spent your entire life being taught to hate and fear Decepticons. It's hard when you know back home, the war is pretty much about to start again, and that currently, the Autobots might not be able to deal with it because of their leadership. Because of Ultra Magnus.

So, he has to think about his answer to that question, "Both Autobots and Decepticons are capable of heinous crimes. The law dictates that an offender, no matter what faction should be subject to the same trial and possible imprisonment." Boy, let Sentinel tell you how much he loves following the rules.

There's another pause. "After the war, Decepticons were exiled in exchange for being pardoned. Some of them couldn't let that go and clung to their ideals, and continued to try and follow Megatron's defunct orders. They would be tried on those grounds, instead of what they did during the war."

Oh fuck oh fuck he forgot Ultra Magnus was on this planet. Absolute hell. He must be like the Ultra Magnus back home if he let a Decepticon into the Police Force, pleased about it or not.

It... it's not the same one, right? No. No, he would know by now. As his superior commander, Sentinel should also trust Ultra Magnus's judgement. Even if he doesn't agree with it. Even if it's a different version; he's still The Boss.

He rubs his temple. Politics are hard. Grey areas are hard. It's easier to see the world in black and white, then there's no problems.

/petpet Also...UGH here's to reply-by-email working better this time. 9,9

[notyourblueangel]

Thundercracker is pleased and…actually a little surprised at the answer.  Maybe there's hope for this pompous aft after all.  He nods.  "A Decepticon is also just as capable of being innocent of a crime as an Autobot."  He allows a wry grin.  "Granted, chances may be that he's not . . . but there's also always the chance that he is.  Especially here."

  He grimaces and looks away at the rest.  "Forgiven but still punished, huh?  Some pardon."  The thought of Cybertron, alive again, rebuilt and whole, and never being allowed to go home –to return to Vos –to see it for himself . . . it hurts.  There's no real bite to the words, though.  Again, it doesn't really surprise him.  For many, it's probably for the best.  He can think of any number of Decepticons just off the top of his head who'd probably never manage to make it in "normal society".  He sighs, still gazing off wherever he'd turned, looking without seeing.

  "It's the same here.  Judgment based on what's done here, not back home.  I have my reasons for retaining the brands on my wings, just as you still bear your brand, but the war . . . it doesn't exist here.  Individuals who come here and try to bring it with them are quickly shut down, by the First-forged themselves if not by us Refugees . . . from both sides of the fence." 

  He looks at Sentinel.  "If an Autobot comes here and causes trouble, attacking a Decepticon or anyone else, he will be arrested.  If a Decepticon comes and attacks an Autobot or anyone, he too will be arrested."  His look hardens as he remembers…  "I've already helped take done two Decepticons who were menaces to everyone here.  One's no longer in Haven.  The other's currently rusting in jail –"  Thundercracker's voice drops with anger and hate, and Sentinel might get a taste of just how dangerous the Seeker can really be, even though it's not at all directed at him.  " –and if he ever manages to get free, however that might happen, I will be at the head of any effort to take him down again."

oh my god is this reply showing........ character development????

[primest]

"Yeah, you say that. Then pretty much all the time they turn out to be guilty."

There's a shrug. "I wasn't even alive when that was decided, but it was either that or they be given the war criminals treatment. They got off lightly."

Sentinel is trying to be careful, here. He's already almost died because of a Decepticon and had no intentions of aggravating one almost twice his size in an enclosed space.

"I know it doesn't. This is beyond anything I've ever been trained to deal, and the war... there's not enough of us here to even have a civil dispute. Besides, it wouldn't be worth it. Nothing would be worth killing Cybertron over."

Yeah, that last part doesn't get a reply. He'd seen the video, everyone had. He'd been aware of what happened with Tarn and hated not being able to help. Sentinel looks away from Thundercracker the same way the seeker had earlier; this wasn't something he knew how do deal with. He hated his core values being challenged on a daily basis.

This planet sucks.

YAY character development! Go, Sentinel! *\o/* XD

[notyourblueangel]

With another 'Con, Sentinel might need to be more careful. But with Thundercracker, he has two advantages. One, the Seeker is well-practiced at telling what's meant to be outright insulting as an attack and what's "just talk". (He's spent hundreds of thousands of vorns with Starscream and Skywarp, after all.) And two . . . he actually agrees with what Sentinel's saying, at least for the most part.

He nods. "True, they usually will. Probably nine times out of ten. Just don't assume it outright based on brand alone. Let it be proven fairly that they are."

The age comment gets a headtilt. "How old are you?" He doesn't mean anything by it, just an honest - if slightly startled - question. Sentinel's from the same world as Blurr, right? Blurr told him once that the war had been over for centuries now. A long time . . . but in terms of lifespans, Thundercracker's used to thinking of mech's lives in thousands, not hundreds.

But then he shakes his head. Sentinel doesn't have to answer that if he doesn't want to. It's not that important.

At the last, he flinches faintly and looks away again, his voice soft when he speaks again, agreeing. "No . . . no, it's not."

oh god oh man time to fudge his age

[primest]

Blink blink. His age?

"Uh. A few thousand years old. I don't really... keep track."

He does, but Thundercracker is giving the impression of reaching the millions and it kinda intimidates him. He's such a baby!

That reaction doesn't merit a response. Sentinel knew he was one of the few on the planet that hadn't experienced an all out war, but he was also aware of some of the horrors that had happened in his own universe. It really wasn't something he wanted to talk about with a veteran, especially considering the mental state of some Autobots in his own universe.

Warpath came to mind.

So did a restraining order.

XD

[notyourblueangel]

Yup, several million and a very old and very weary war vet.  Sentinel's definitely a baby by comparison.

  "Be glad that your world was able to be rebuilt."  It gives him hope that his might still one day as well, even if he may never see it.  It eases his spark to think that Seekers may yet soar Vos's skies again someday.

  His head tilts a little as a thought occurs to him. It's one he kept meaning to ask Blurr but never got to whenever it came to mind.  "If the war is over, why do the Autobots still exist as a faction?  Do you still have Neutrals and Empties too, or is every Cybertronian now an Autobot?"  No answer to any of that will surprise him at this point, really.  He's just curious.

  And then another thought hits him –again –one he'd not had a chance to ask when Sentinel first arrived.  "And . . . you're their Prime?  Does Optimus not exist in your world?"  Or maybe he just never came to power…somehow…

[primest]

"It was never destroyed in the first place. Or, well. There was some superficial damage as to be expected of a war, but nothing really permanent."

That's a good question! Sentinel bristles slightly. "Because Decepticons still exist. I don't know what Empties are, but we definitely have neutrals - though they tend to start off as either Autobot or Decepticon then abandon their faction."

Oh, god. The Prime Thing again. He rubs his forehead but can't help but grin at TC's speculation of Optimus not existing.

"It's a military rank as opposed to single leader. The Magnus is leader in my universe. Optimus does exist, and he's a Prime too." Sigh. Better try to be the exposition fairy as much as possible based on the questions he's been asked before.

"Yes, there can be more than one. No, the Matrix doesn't exist - neither does Primus or Unicron."

He looks up at Thundercracker expectantly. Any more questions? Sure can't wait to keep telling him about how Autobots are better and his own universe is the best one!

LOL poor Sentinel

[notyourblueangel]

Yeah, okay, that answer makes sense. And Sentinel did say that were Decepticons close enough to Cybertron still to cause problems. So. Hm.

He can't help the faint smirk at Sentinel's reaction – gets that question a lot, does he? Not surprising, really, since EVERY. OTHER. Timestream Thundercracker's heard of has had that in common with his. Even Ravage's and the white Megatron's . . . even if their Optimus Prime is a psychotic monster as evil as Unicron. Even that one is still "The Prime."

"If it's a military rank for you, then yeah, that makes sense. I've heard that Matrix is real, though I've never met anyone who's actually seen it." He snorts at the last. "And no, Primus and Unicron don't exist for us either. Even if there are plenty of idiots who still believe in them. Or if they ever did actually exist in our Timestream, they bailed on us a long time ago."

And actually, he does have more questions. "Huh. Tell me about your Cybertron? What's it like?" He's heard a little about it from Blurr, but it's still interesting to get another's view.

[primest]

Oh, man. He just had to ask about home, didn't he? Of course, Sentinel hasn't told anyone, but he's been feeling the homesickness a lot more than usual. Mostly because of that thing with Ambulon, he'd spent most of his time in the medbay wishing that he was back in some boring meeting with Ultra Magnus, or on Earth getting pissed off at Optimus and his stupid team. Or just... not here.

Can you see that expression change? Probably, seeing as his default 'resting' face looks like he just stepped in cat puke.

"It's... it's Cybertron that wasn't destroyed by war. What do you think?"

Oh, god. How does he even say everything he wants to? Should he even say everything he wants to? This is still a Decepticon, and he's uncomfortable revealing any information. Plus, he's not up to date on all the social developments. Embarrassing.

How can you explain what it's like for someone who's known war for so long? Surely anything he says will be alien to Thundercracker, regardless?

"Most are happy, living their lives. They go to work, go home and don't have any particular issues to deal with because of the Decepticons being exiled and the war ending so long ago. There's no shortages of energon or anything else, and it's... too precious to lose."

[notyourblueangel]

solemn.  At the last, he just nods.  "It is precious.  It's good that you recognize that."  His tone is quiet, gaze on the desk without really seeing it.  "Don't ever take that for granted."  It's not an order, just . . . something he feels needed to be said.