heavyweaponsbot | 18th Transmission

That is it! I am finished with this nonsense! With this place!

[The snarl of rage all but shakes the journal. Ironhide's voice is sharp, harsh with anger and bitter pain. His words are crisp, but undercut by a warning growl. Finding his charges missing only a day after their arrival has pushed the old warrior to the edge. The lack of a familiar, stabilizing presence only shoved him further over it.]

[He no longer cares for their punishments. He has a mission now.]

You--! All of you under this lord's command! Tell me where you have taken them! Where do you hide the missing!

[Stone -- probably some random bit of rock he found to illustrate his point -- crunches.]

You will tell me... Or I will tear this place apart! [Another warning crunch of stone.] You have one hour.

[And with that, he ends the recording. He can be found waiting near the stables. And once the hour winds down, if he hears nothing, he will literally begin attempting to rip the very stones of the keep apart.]

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[He could back off, call it a lesson learned, and be done with it.]

[Instead, he advances. He plants a foot on Starscream's hip. And lifts a hand to strike him in the face again.]

[Jetfire had been on his way to attempt to talk to Ironhide either way, but he wasn't fast enough to stop the first punch. That didn't mean he'd let it go further than it already had.]

[With the help of his boosters adding speed, Jetfire jumps and then slides across the ground, going down on his knees to be able to easily yank Starscream out from under Ironhide's foot, his other hand up to catch the fist coming down.]

Ironhide! This is not necessary!

[Since Starscream's already down. Jetfire's stare is more solemn than angry, one arm around Starscream's shoulders. And maybe this can distract the angry black mech.]

Do you really think this will help?

[Well that hurt a lot.]

Nnn. Don't waste your breathe. We both know after a certain age a mech's processor degrades to that of a mindless drone. He probably doesn't have the mental capacity to stop.

[That really really hurt and while he was still dazed, he also had his walking shield here with him. So.]

Edited 2012-02-20 22:36 (UTC)

[He snarls something angry and incoherent. Jetfire's arrival takes him by surprise, and, as a result, Starscream is pulled away before he can do any further damage. He strains against the hand holding his fist, engine revving hot and hateful in his chest.]

[He doesn't want to stop. Starscream is a good target -- he's the enemy. Something Ironhide should be allowed to take his anger out on.]

Why should I stop! Why? Nothing is going to help!

[Then Starscream speaks. He can't hit Jetfire. Jetfire is an ally, an Autobot. Instead, he turns to the nearby wall... and rams his fist into it. Hard enough to crack the stone.]

[This is not helping things. Starscream is not helping things.]

That is patently untrue and do stop that, Starscream. I don't need you further injured when we don't have access to repairs.

[Jetfire doesn't really shake the Seeker, his hand on Starscream's shoulder merely tightens a bit, and he lets Ironhide's other hand go as he turns to punch the wall instead.]

Injuring yourself, others, or the Keep isn't going to bring anyone back! I'm not going to claim I know what you're feeling, Ironhide, but I don't want you to get yourself hurt... or punished, either.

[A pause, and a warning glance at Starscream.]

I'm sure there are others that wouldn't want that either.

[Starscream doesn't react much except to just glare at Ironhide]

He could randomly burst into flames for all I care.

[He continues smashing his fist into that wall, ignoring the cracks. Ignoring the pain. Something has to pay for this. Someone. Jetfire took his best option away from him.]

I no longer care what they do to me. They have already done the worst! They already ripped the children away!

[His children. His charges. His friends. Ratchet. They're all gone. The End took Prime, took Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Jolt... Lennox. Epps. All of them are gone, and he's finally hit the breaking point.]

Just go, Jetfire. Leave.

Take him... wash your hands of this.

[He doesn't want to leave, but he has no idea what else to offer - except for physically restraining Ironhide, and that won't solve anything either, but he does not want---

But then there's Starscream. Jetfire pulls the Seeker with him when he stands up, and knows he can't just trust Starscream to peaceably leave to let him attempt to diffuse the situation.]

And there aren't others who care what they would do to you? All of them can't be dead, if you were in a place where it was all claimed to be destroyed, and then the same is claimed here.

[But the hand on Ironhide's shoulder does nothing more than land there, briefly squeezing instead of attempting to haul Ironhide back.]

... If you want, however, I'll do so. Just... think it through before you do anything, Ironhide.

[With that, he grabs Starscream's arm and starts walking away, forcibly removing him from the scene to stall any more taunting. He also wants to see what sort of damage Ironhide did.]

[Starscream does struggle in an attempt to get away from Jetfire as he's dragged away, but it's no use. He totally wanted to to piss off Ironhide some more.

Why you gotta ruin it, Jetfire?

However, as soon as he's able, he will get away and storm back to his room.

And sulk there for getting his face smashed in.]

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