- It’s a quiet night, most activities having died down for the evening, save a few of the local bars, both raucous music and piercing lights lancing out into the streets. Some feel-good femmeflick is glowing on the drive-in screen, with a handful of robot pairs lounging on the tiered parking platforms and 'watching the film'.
- Not so for all free robots, though. Slowly striding the darkened city streets is one massive steel-and-black robot, idly glancing down alleyways and peering off into the shadows of the road ahead. The Autobot warrior Grimlock seems none too interested in the happier activities around him, begging the question: Is he looking for trouble? And if so, is it merely to put an end to it... or to start some of his own?
Sitting alone in a roadway was a vehicle. A streetcar - Crackshot it looks like. HIs lights were dimmed, and he was idling there, musing to himself, oblivious to Grimlock coming his way behind him as he put putts in place.
Shark is walking around down here on his break from patrol duty, though he certainly is on the lookout for something here in the commerce and theater district. What that is though only the mech himself knows. Though he pauses as a large form steps out into the light, a form that looks vaguely familiar.
- With a low grunt, Grimlock eyes a trio of shifty little minibots, huddled around a small packet of something shimmering with a dull bluish glow. "Me think you not want be here now," he growls. "But Me Grimlock play fair. Me give you head start before call authorities. Five... Four..."
- Not taking a chance, the trio bolts in the other direction, leaving the packet in the alley. "Idiot glitch-heads," he grumbles, shaking his head and leaving the contraband in the alley for the next lowlife empty to destroy his life with. Better, after all, for the weak to eliminate themselves on their own...
Crackshot watches the minibots zip by where he was parking, and his lights brighten "Eh? WOAH!" he pauses, now noticing Grimlock in his rear view mirror "Hello sir!"
Shark approaches Grimlock, not making any effort to be sneak about it so the mech knows he's walking up to him. "Hey Grimlock, long time now see. Not see you since.." he pauses there, then smirks with a hint of tooth showing, "..slag not see you since we went on the tour of the underground tunnels with Metro-X and Ironhide."
Grimlock says, "Hnn," recognizing the young 'bot before him. "Quiet night," he offers the small vehicle, with a casual wave of the hand. "Quiet sometimes good," he muses, as the other young Autobot walks up, to whom he offers a curt nod. "Sometimes not so good. If want do bad, not want attention. Want quiet." Jerking a thumb back to the alley, he shakes a head. "Like glitch-heads making deals, sparking up. Not good for Autobots. Not good for Cybertron."
Crackshot rolls towards the other two "I didnt even see them there. I was lost in my own thoughts." he confesses "I like to sit and idle sometimes, just think. I guess we all wanted a quiet time.
Shark looks toward the alleyway and hms, "That's not.. wait right here." he tells the other two, going over to the alleyway to get what the trio left behind. He returns with it in hand with a frown, "I'll dispose of this proper like. Don't need someone using this stuff that doesn't know what it is and harming themselves." He nods to Crackshot, "Heya Crack, been awhile since I've seen you too. Still pining over that satellite?" he asks with a tease in his tone.
Crackshot twitches his wheels "Its V'Ger, thank you!" he responds. "And I can still see her travelling through space. She's gone into 'observe and conserve' mode, so not talking anymore.
Grimlock huffs quietly at Shark, his arms crossed, letting the other mech do 'what he felt was right', for whatever good that would do. "Distraction dangerous, me say. No worry about things no can control. Only confuse, cause make mistake. Instead focus. War. Allies. Enemies. No distraction."
Shark smirks a bot at the other mech, shaking his head. "Take it as a hint mech and move on. Get a femme that will actually give you a decent conversation and can do stuff with ya." he states. He looks up at Grimlock and nods, "Gonna have to tell Prime about this, if we got troops using this stuff it’s more than dangerous." he points out.
"Its a project of mine. A pet project. I'm allowed to be mopey about it. And the femme I want isn’t interested." he notes, sounding a little bit hurt, though not towards Shark. He then focuses on the package "Ugh, that stuff. I've seen it. Nasty."
Grimlock nods to the two mechs. "Make stupid. Slow. Always need next spike." Crossing his arms, he grunts, "And... only more distraction. Big problem in Autobots. Getting bigger. Too much distraction, from little soldiers, to big leaders. That why no make progress in war. That why still fighting."
Shark shakes his head at Crackshot and leaves that one alone, just too easy to pick on the mech. He glances at Grimlock, "I so hope you aren't saying femmes are distracting cuz I think Jackknife would take offense. That's one lady you want on your side since she can fix up weapons like you'd not believe." he states to the taller mech.
Crackshot twists his wheels again "Distraction by what sir? " he asks "My science project?"
Crackshot twists his wheels again "Distraction by what sir?” he asks "My science project?" He falls silent, considering this, his lights dimming again in deep thought before he brightens "I do it in my spare time, never on duty.
Grimlock huffs, his entire point being ignored, as usual... "Femmes not distracting on own... but can be distraction. Project not distracting... but can be distraction. If no can leave behind - COMPLETE leave behind - still distraction. Still thinking about. Still problem." Jabbing a finger into Shark's chest and raising his voice, he snarls, "If thinking about Jackknife, you not thinking about tactics!" Glaring at the vehicle before him, he adds, "If thinking about science, not thinking about strategy!"
"Mechs can be distractions too you know..." notes Crackshot softly "For femmes. Works both ways." he falls silent as he's glared at. "I think about science when the time is right. I think about STRATEGY when the time for strategy is right." he promises
Shark gives Grimlock such a look as he jabs his finger into his chest. "Slag Grimlock what crawled up your tailpipe and left a present in it cuz you are acting like we don't know when not to be distracted." he tells the taller mech, "And last I checked the one that thinks about tactics all the time is so tightly wound up he could use a femme distraction, if you know what I mean."
Crackshot eerps, and backs up a few feet.
Grimlock's optic band flares for a brief moment, as the massive one-time-gladiator tenses... then, slowly relaxes. "Me Grimlock see what happening," he rumbles, turning away from the pair. "Some think life more important than war. That being free more important than fighting. That happiness more important than beating enemies."
Crackshot states "There should be a balance - It’s hard to fight if you’re always miserable, but you can't be free unless you fight for what you believe in."
Shark shakes his head a bit at Grimlock, "Can do both you know." he tells the mech, "Our lives isn't just about this war you know. I mean sure it takes up a good percent of our time, but slaggit mech you gotta know when to enjoy the little things too."
Grimlock whirls around to face the pair, clenching a fist. "IF NO FIGHT," he roars, "NO HAVE LIFE TO LIVE! NO HAVE FREEDOM! NO HAVE HAPPINESS! IF NO FIGHT, NO WIN... THEN NO LITTLE THINGS LEFT TO ENJOY!"
Crackshot jumps, bouncing on his wheels "I just SAID that. I agree!" he notes, finally raising his voice "I said you can't be free unless you fight for what you believe in!"
Shark crosses his arms over his chest, frowning at the yelling mech. "Wow. If Prime heard that he'd so give you a talking to.. but since he isn't here then you listen to the Eelmaster here. "I fight, you fight, we all fight. We fight to live, to have freedom, to eventually get to peace so we can be happy and not have to fight anymore. So just calm the slag down."
Grimlock tips his head to the side, his optic band flaring as he obviously is restraining himself from lashing out at someone... before turning his back on the Autobots, his hands repeatedly clenching into fists, then opening. "You happy with distraction, fine." Slowly stomping away, he hisses, "When in pieces, in smoking crater on battlefield, when finally realize need to forget distractions and give EVERYTHING to fight... THEN you let Me Grimlock know."
Crackshot murmurs "Didn’t we just say we do that already? " to shark, but in a quiet voice, hoping Grimlock didn’t hear.
Shark sighs and nods to Crackshot. "Apparently we didn't say it a way he wanted to hear it." he notes and shrugs, "I got better things to be doing than deal with moody mechs right now."
--Moody my aft plate,-- Grimlock muses, but not honoring the smaller, younger, obviously naive Autobots' comments with a response. Whirling about, he shifts into his tank form, his treads rumbling against the rough city streets as he seeks somewhere he can think, and perhaps cause some non-essential property damage...
Crackshot hrms a little bit "Eh, He may be frustrated. He's a good warrior, so can't be angry at him really." he notes, perhaps too forgiving.
Shark watches the mech transform and rumble off into the distance, he looks over to Crackshot. "He's got a temper that I don't like too much. Yelling doesn't solve anything."