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[kissplayconnection]

KPC s1e3 - Propogation

“She’s a civilian, no experience whatsover, distraught and-or traumatized over the state of her parents, utterly unsuitable for the project...” Optimus let her talk. It confirmed his own suspicions, formed over what Moonracer both had and had not brought up; it was also cathartic for Marissa, and indeed seemed a common way for humans to relieve their emotions. He hadn’t quite found the socially correct way to interrupt, either, but found that it was informative despite the repetitive points Marissa was making, over and over, all of it telling. She was worried. About and for the human of which she spoke, never quite outright insulting… but Optimus was very glad it was only them here in the garage-hangar. It was early morning, Marissa’s routine having her awake by dawn, showered and dressed by the time Optimus came to check in. Their own routine after any event; Marissa had noted that being able to ‘sleep on it all’ could let her see things more clearly the next day. And the way she was seeing them, well, was that they hadn’t changed at all. The Prime waited until she’d paused for breath, leaning back against the wall with eyes closed. Then he spoke, quietly but firmly; “You think it best she be turned away?” Marissa cracked one eye open, lips pressed together in an unhappy frown. “I ‘think it best’ if she and her parents are gotten out of here as soon as possible,” she answered with a sigh. “But from what I’ve been told, they’re still in critical condition.” Human fragility; one of their curses. Such strong spirits, and with only so much physical strength to support it. Optimus nodded slowly, briefly scanning his own information. “They will remain at the hospital, then? Atari will likely want to stay nearby.” “I figured.” Marissa’s gaze turned towards the high ceiling, brow furrowed in thought. “She may be able to find a job in town. She’s got decent test scores, work placement can probably find something before too long. It’s the lack of experience that’s going to be her biggest obstacle but if we find any relatives or family friends willing to lend a hand-” “Marissa,” Optimus waited until she’d looked back at him before continuing, making certain he held her attention, “Legion will no doubt go after her again.” Another unhappy frown. “I know,” Marissa admitted quietly. “Which is why if she stays nearby, we’ll be able to protect her.” It was time to steer her towards his own points. “Doesn’t she deserve a chance to protect herself?” Optimus asked, spreading his hands apart. This was, perhaps, the wrong thing to say. Marissa clenched her own hands, pushing herself up off the wall. “She’s afraid,” the woman argued, reaching up to rub her shoulder as she began to pace, “so am I, but I know how to deal with fear, and she’s the sort of person who’s been a target of bullies all her life. I don’t know if you have them on Cybertron,” she added, looking up- “A different sort, but they exist,” Optimus confirmed, with a brief thought towards some of their more colorful citizens “-here on Earth they can have a critical impact on someone’s life, especially without a strong support net. And from what I’ve gotten, she’s either kept it all hidden or hid herself as a coping method, and that is not the kind of person who can cope with this kind of stress!” “And you think keeping her in hiding will help?” he pressed. “It won’t be hiding!” she turned back to him, grimacing, “she’ll be able to live her life, we’ll just keep a closer eye on Legion’s activity in the areas-” “-and go after this other KP as well? My troops will do what they can to help,” he continued, knowing he wouldn’t even have to ask, “but we are underequipped as it is in comparison to this enemy, and there will come periods of time when we are down a member or two. Even with the landbridge, there is only so much all of us can cover.” “You think it’s a better idea to recruit her!?” Marissa reached up, rubbing the heels of her hands in against her eyes in frustration. “Optimus, this is completely unfair to ask! She doesn’t need that kind of stress, especially with the state of things-!” Grimacing as well, Optimus nonetheless lowered himself down to a kneel, and then lowered his shoulders further so that he could meet Marissa’s gaze - upon her own level. She looked tired and thin in spite of her actual physique, burdened with her own stress, and while he couldn’t fault her logic she was missing a key part of it all. “I am thinking,” he steadily said, “that we should at least offer her a choice.” --- They let her wander around, for the most part. There was someone nearby at all times and more than willing to steer her away from any ‘off-limits’ areas, but compared to how Atari had feared she would be treated, it was… Strange? Different. There was a level of respect that she’d rarely gotten before, and she had the sinking feeling that it only had so much to do with professionalism. They knew what she had done, and they knew what she was capable of, and they knew… They know I’m a freak. That, at least, wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling, so Atari swallowed it down and bowed her head, holding herself as she sat down on the bench outside of the dorms. Her brief explorations had taken her right back to where she’d started, where she’d spent the night alone worried and restless and had woken up more tired than she was when she’d finally gotten to sleep. I want my mom. I want my dad. She’d seen them, briefly, and they’d looked so awful in the hospital that she almost feared to go back there again. But she didn’t know where else to go. It was becoming more and more clear that she didn’t belong here, with all these uniformed men and women rushing about, everyone had a place here on the base and hers… … wasn’t here. Atari sighed mournfully, letting herself wallow in her misery. And why shouldn’t I be miserable? she wondered. It isn’t like I have any idea where to go from- “HI!” She practically fell off the bench, grabbing on to it wildly as bright blue eyes blinked at her - and sparkled as their owner giggled, finishing her climb over the back. “You so were not expecting that, were you?” the girl preened, stretching herself over the length of the bench. “I totally couldn’t resist myself, and you gotta pay attention, you know, especially here!” Fingers waggled as the girl leaned closer, grinning broadly. “Never know if the oogy-boogy-monster-robots are gonna come to getcha-!” Bewildered, Atari could only stare as she went on her little rant; the girl could barely be a teenager, and in her own way fit just as badly on the military base as she did. Even if she did drop her hands a few seconds later, huffing a bit. “-man, nobody here can take a joke, can they?” Oh. She was waiting on…”S-sorry,” Atari stammered, pulling herself off the bench and on to her feet. The girl quickly made up the space between them, settling down on her knees. “What for?” she asked, with a tilt of the head. “Bein’ scared? ‘Cause I mean, if that means I don’t have to be sorry…” She grinned again, an expression Atari could only weakly mirror. “Sorry…?” “Stop-” A pause. “Wait. Did you know my name?” “Huh?” “Do I know you?” she added, squinting and leaning even closer. Atari couldn’t help but take a step back, wringing her hands. “I-ah- I don’t think so-?” What was she talking about, why was she even here, was she one of the soldier’s kids or something- “Sorry, I-” “Well, stop saying it then!” It finally clicked. “Your name is Sorry?” she ventured, wondering just what kind of parent would name their child that? The girl sat back with a final huff, rolling her eyes as she leaned back on her hands. “Sa-ri,” she corrected, frowning more than just a little by now. “So either you know it and you’re poking fun back, or you’re just…” She trailed off, tilting her head. Atari didn’t bother trying to correct her. Instead, she swallowed, and forced herself to offer her own hand. “Atari,” she managed to say. “Atari Hitotonari.” Sari looked down, then up, then back down- and then smiled again, reaching forwards. “Sari Sumdac,” she elaborated, and then continued as she saw Atari’s eyes widen- “Yeah, my dad’s that guy. He came on over to help with the spooky-scary ‘bots that are scaring everybody. So what’s yours here for?” “... huh?” “Your dad,” Sari repeated impatiently, before pausing. “Or mom, I guess,” she amended with a bit of sheepishness. She must think I’m her age. It almost made up for the whole sinking feeling the question brought up. Atari swallowed and pulled her hand back, briefly rubbing her knuckles. “They’re… it’s complicated,” she settled for, looking away. “I guess… they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t because of me.” She could tell she was still being watched, and almost flinched under the scrutiny. “‘Cause of you, huh?” Sari pressed, leaning forwards once more and giving her a once-over. “So- what? You’re a child genius? Do you build stuff or something? Ooooh, maybe you’re a pilot, are you a pilot?!” THUD. Sari had leaned so far over that Atari had lost her balance and managed to land squarely on her back. The two comically blinked at one another, before Sari giggled, and Atari managed a weak little smile. “‘mnot a pilot,” she managed, pushing herself up to a seating position. “At least, not… that’s not what they called me.” Predictably, Sari pressed again; “What’d they call you?” she asked, swinging her legs so that she was sitting on the edge of the bench. “Ah…” Atari had to think for a minute. “Kay-Pea, I think, something like that…” There was a moment of silence in which Sari’s eyes widened- and if Atari had thought she was active before, she was then proven wrong. “Are you KIDDING me?! You’re one of the KPs!? Oh my gosh!” she all but shrieked, jumping off the bench in an excited flourish that nearly knocked Atari over again. “That is SO COOL! That means you merge with the robots, right!? The good ones, I mean, not the scary ones! One found me before but he wasn’t that scary and I totally could have taken him but merging would be so cool to do! I mean, can you imagine- well, I guess you can, but just imagine me being one of them-” How much energy can she possibly have? Atari was growing dizzy just watching her bounce around, pantomiming with every word “-and you get to use WEAPONS and blow things up and dakka-dakka-dakka and-” “-it’s not like that,” she tried desperately, thinking that maybe if she told Sari how it really was she’d calm down a little. Sari ended up only looking at her, laughing a little, and then picking right up where she left off. “It’s just like that! Did you even do it yet? I mean, it’s just like something out of a video game or a cartoon, man, it sounds so cool-” “-I was terrified!-” “-so maybe it’s one of those things that’s scary at first but I bet I’ve got it in me, too, I bet I could be the best KP out there and if you’re one that totally means I could be one, too, and-!” And Atari needed to get out of here before she cried, again, because she could already feel the tears forming. She absolutely hated crying so easily, but she couldn’t help it, she just felt so overwhelmed-! Sari seemed torn between idolizing the concept and demanding more and more information from her, and how could she convince her how scary it was, not knowing what was going on, having another person’s thoughts inside of you and moving for you while you were fighting against monsters? From the edge of her vision, red- she half-turned, catching sight of a vehicle pulling up towards the road. At first she was inclined to dismiss it, but it seemed so familiar… And then, as Sari brought up the ‘good robots’ again, it hit her. That was one of them. She couldn’t quite remember the name offhand, but she remembered that from Moonracer, and moreso remembered him, directly, from the attack. He’d been fighting with them- what was he doing here, had he come to see her? Between he and Sari, who by now was back on the bench punching some imaginary foes… Atari made her decision; she stammered something about needing to go, and then made a break for it, hoping desperately that she could at least convince him to let her hide behind him but then the door was open and she was all but throwing herself inside and “Geez, the kid’s really that bad, huh?” Half-sprawled over the seat, Atari could only lie like that for a moment before managing to pull herself together. “Ah, maybe-” There was a sort of clicking sound, and then, once she’d gotten her legs fully in- the door swung shut behind her. Through the window, she could see Sari pouting a bit, but her attention was drawn quickly back to the vehicle. “Right,” he concluded, “she is. So, er- you need a lift, somewhere?” Atari managed to adjust herself, making a bit of a face as she reached for the seatbelt out of habit. “Could you just, um- maybe drive a bit?” “Drive where?” Though he was already beginning to roll. Atari leaned back in her seats, closing her eyes. “... anywhere?” The answer was not one she expected. Of all things- there was an outright snort from the stereo, a sound that made it clear that the maker was unamused. “You kidding me?” he demanded, “you better choose somewhere, ‘cause I ain’t doing it for you!” Her eyes widened in surprise. And just what was that supposed to…? “I d-don’t know!” she stammered, hand clutching at the seatbelt. “I just don’t want to be here-!” This time, she got a huff. “Well you are, so if you want to go anywhere you’d at least better figure out a direction or something-!” “I don’t know-! M-maybe around the base?” “See, now was that so hard?” She could just see him rolling her eyes, and the car obediently made a turn. Belatedly, she realized that she was leaving her escort behind, but- maybe this one would count as one, too? She couldn’t keep thinking of him like that. Grimacing despite the little chide, she pulled herself together again and admitted, “I, ah… kind of forgot your name.” Predictably… another little noise before words. “Cliffjumper. And you’re Ari or somethin’, right?” “Atari.” But he was close, and she managed a tight little smile. “Right, sorry. Atari. You humans and your weird names,” he grumbled. “At least ours make sense.” “... ’Cliffjumper’ makes sense?” she asked, despite her brief encounter with ‘Sorry’. “Sure it does, back on Cybertron. I mean, there’s the whole language thing, but it’s pretty clear what it’s going for, huh?” Despite herself, Atari’s smile grew just a bit less tight and a bit more bemused. “I… guess. And… that’s what KP is drawn from, right…?” “Yeah, but don’t ask me what that means. Goes over my head, size aside.” Says the robot who’s three times my own, Atari thought, but Cliffjumper continued on. “Optimus’n Marissa’re the ones who settled on the name. They didn’t bring me along to think,” he concluded, sounding not in the least bit offended. “On the other hand, you need someone to get things done, you find me and it’s simple as that.” The smile grew a bit more. At least… he seemed pretty honest. “I wish I knew what I was here for,” she murmured, looking out the window. It was nearing lunchtime, she thought; maybe she’d ask if he was willing to take her to the mess hall. “I still feel like everything’s over my own head, too.” “Well, at least we got somethin’ in common,” Cliffjumper drawled, prompting a short little laugh. “I won’t say it’s not all confusing, but I got used to it. You probably will, too.” “I’m not so sure.” There was motion, prompting her gaze; the rear-view window had tilted towards her. Was that how they saw, like this? She wished she looked a little less insecure, and half as confident as Marissa had seemed, but instead all she saw there was a kid who dearly needed to find a way out of this. “Why not?” her companion asked, sounding a bit bemused as well. “I mean, you guys’re pretty adaptable. Figured you could get used to just about anything.” Atari swallowed, then shook her head. “I don’t… I mean, I don’t know,” she added, dropping her gaze as she reached up to play with a braid. It gave her something to do with her hands, at least. “I’m just… I’m a nobody. I don’t jump cliffs or anything. I’m just… me.” There was a stretch of silence broken only by the low hum of vehicle engines. It was borderline uncomfortable, Atari wondering if she should say something more… but just as she opened her mouth, Cliffjumper broke in. “Y’know, if we painted you up in yellow, you’d really remind me of a friend back home.” Paint-?! It took her a few moments to get over the absurdity of the comment, but when she did- Yellow!? Did he even realize what he was- “W-what do you mean?” she stammered, hoping desperately this wasn’t something about her ancestry-! “I mean, you already remind me of someone. It’d just be more so if you were… nevermind,” he added with another sort of huff seeing her face. “Look, paint jobs aside, one of my best friends back on Cybertron… he has a habit of always getting in over his head, too, you know? Others’re always willing to give him a hand getting out, but Bee… Bee’s always getting himself back in there.” She wasn’t sure where he was going with this, and it must have showed in her look of confusion. Cliffjumper sighed, and, again- it was just so easy to imagine him making a face, but this one, maybe a little frustrated? “All I’m saying is that even if he’s always getting into more than he can handle, and thinks he ain’t up to scratch for it… he handles it anyway. Somehow. Maybe with a little help, but… somehow.” --- “Can we go over number eight again?” Carly rolled her eyes, trying to hide a little smile. “I swear, Spike, you’d be hopeless without me,” she said as she turned back the page. Through the monitor, the boy didn’t seem to mind looking sheepish, only shrugging. “Hey, you’re the one who agreed to help me with this. At least I’m not making you do it for me?” “Because you know I’d give you all the wrong answers to teach you a lesson.” She pressed her lips together, putting a hand under her chin and giving him a bland look - one which made him laugh a little, then shake his head. “I get schooled one way or another, don’t I?” he pointed out, before leaning back in his chair. “Though… if you need to take a break, I don’t mind.” She tilted her head. “I should be the one asking you that. You’re the one doing all the work, I’m just showing you how.” Or was there something else? her face said, expectant as it was. Spike’s smile faded… and then he sighed, rising to the bait. “I just… you know. Wanted to talk a little bit about the news.” And there went Carly’s own smile. “So much for needing help on your homework,” she sighed, pushing the book away. “Is that why you called? To make sure I’m all right?” “Can you blame me?” he gave her a meaningful look. “You were the first thing on my mind, when I heard of it.” While it in itself wasn’t a bad thing to hear, she knew what he really meant by that. “I wasn’t a target,” she admitted, glancing to the side where her phone laid on the desk. “Some other girl was, I think.” There was a brief moment of considering telling him about the other one, the one Elita thought was fighting against them… but she wouldn’t betray the trust put in her. Besides, it would just make her boyfriend worry more. He was giving her that look when he wanted to say something about coming out there to protect her, or her crossing the country to attend school by him - but they’d gone over that, and he knew better than to argue it when it’d just make her mad. Instead he just gave a look that said all of that without saying anything, and she couldn’t get mad at him for not saying it, but she could huff a sigh and roll her eyes. “I’m fine, Spike. My friend came by to make sure, too.” She smiled humorlessly. “Tried to recruit me as well.” He furrowed his brow. “Recruit you for what?” he asked, upon which she realized that she’d never touched much on it. They both knew very well that she was ‘special’, but she’d never admitted… She wasn’t sure she should, now. But maybe it’d be good, to at least talk with someone about it, and as long as she stayed vague it wasn’t as though she was spilling any secrets. “They want me to become one of the fighters,” she admitted, looking back towards her phone. “And, you know- fight against those things.” There was a moment of silence. Then, a crackle of sound from the speakers that made her jerk back in surprise- Spike was shouting, “why wouldn’t you!?” She could only stare back at him as he went on. “That sounds amazing, Carly-! I mean, you could be out there saving the world and everything! You’d be even more famous than- than those inventor guys you wanted to study under, that one with the hair-” “Sumdac,” she supplied thoughtlessly. “-Sumdac and Blackrock and all those other guys-!” “And I don’t want to be famous,” she pointed out. Not much, that is. “Either way, I’ll get there just fine after I graduate and get going.” “Yeah, but- Carly?” He leaned forwards, arms crossed on his own desk. “Forget about being famous, then- doesn’t saving the world mean anything to you?” It did… a little. The idea of having such a positive impact… but she sighed, shaking her head. “They’ve got trained people on this,” she demurred, rubbing her nose with thumb and forefinger. “It’s fine.” “Carly?” She looked back up to see him giving another look. This was the kind he gave when he was sure of something and sure she wasn’t sure; it wasn’t one she really liked to see, especially when he was right. Carly sighed, then, giving her nose a final pinch before lowering her hand and forcing a smile. “You were talking about number eight?”

Situation stable. Shield & shieldbearers currently occupied with Quintesson activity in Nordest sector. Servo units on high alert due to rumored infiltration upon V colony. Will continue investigating openings in to L.P. security. No further activity advised at this time. Airachnid could only see the monitors so well, but she could see well enough to tell that the so-called General was displeased. Inwardly, she rolled her optics; outwardly, she was the picture of patience, waiting for the hulking mech to acknowledge her presence. All of this seemed matters of silly pretense, really, but at least it wasn’t much longer before the great figure turned her helm and looked back. The General didn’t say anything, but it was invitation enough. Airachnid smoothly stepped forwards, opening with, “If you’re quite finished with that, I do already have some ideas on how to proceed.” “Do you, now.” It wasn’t a question, not quite a demand, but Airachnid paused before answering nonetheless. “Indeed. You said that you had someone taking care of Legion other than our little weapon and her partner~?” To that, the General only glanced to the side before hitting a key on the console. Another visage popped up, one she didn’t quite recognize, but that wasn’t surprising. It was a human. “She has showed an affinity for the beasts,” the General explained, “and, complete with technological modifications, is quite the wrangler.” “... I see.” Airachnid focused her optics, the slightest of frowns touching upon her features. A bit more colorful than the human in their care, this one showed a wild blonde mane and visible metal upon her face. Curious. “Well, going over the data, it seems to me that these humans have quite the uses, don’t they?” That earned her a brief snort. “Tools,” the General declared, shaking her head. “At best. The rest of them, fuel for the plan. Your point?” This General really needed to learn some patience. Airachnid again resisted the urge to roll her optics, and picked right back up- “I’ve been going over the data regarding your little seeds,” she explained, raising a hand for the console. The General made no move to stop her - or move at all, making it a bit difficult to raise up what she wanted, but, well, a little difficulty had never stopped her before. “And I believe I’ve gone ahead and predicted the next fruit. Rather than allow Legion to sample it before it’s ripe-” “-you want your own human.” The General sounded less than impressed. Perhaps not quite disappointed, but utterly unimpressed, as though Airachnid was acting exactly as expected. She didn’t resist the urge to let her rotors irritably flex on her back. She’d already chosen her disguise from the data files, one of the aerial vehicles this planet provided, and already it felt as much a part of her as any other form. “Can you blame me?” she asked, laughing a little as though she was aware that the General was aware and that it was all one sort of game. “Why, I thought that was what you were thinking, mentioning reinforcements-!” The General glanced off to the side, towards the cell in the corner; the human within blinked once before looking away, a hand touching the fresh electrical burns about her neck. And still Airachnid continued. “The point, my esteemed friend, is that the more humans we use, the better- and all the best if they’re doing this of their own free will, as opposed to our coerced little rat over there.” She could just make out the human curling her lip in distaste, and pressed her lips together in a smile. The General did not respond, didn’t seem to even react at all - that was, until footsteps were heard down the hall, the deep thud thud thuds of a heavy mech- “My General! I have done it!” From that hall came a figure just as large as the General, if not larger still- deep violet and sea green painted the frame of a hulking brute with one large optic and several smaller ones - that was his only redeeming feature in her opinion. Airachnid felt her own lip curl in automatic distaste as the General shifted her stance, leaning forwards in clear interest as the new figure approached. “Lugnut,” she greeted in pleasure, “what have you for me…?” Lugnut, as it seemed his name was, managed a surprisingly graceful stop and salute in one motion. “The data!” he proclaimed proudly, “you sent me to review it, organize it, find the patterns within…” The same sort Airachnid had been following. She frowned a bit, glancing between the two, trying to understand what Lugnut could have possibly found that she would have missed. “... and I’ve done it, I’ve found the next crisis point!” Crisis point? Airachnid’s frown deepened, but the General seemed to be smiling. She leaned back, beckoning Lugnut closer, and he happily rushed to hand her the datapad clutched in his claw. A few swift motions and it was slotted in to the console, the data swelling on to the screen - Airachnid considered it in confusion before the General seemed to notice her bafflement, and, of all things, laughed. “You think too small,” she explained, optics narrowing in dark amusement. “And forget why we’re here. Go play,” she continued, waving a hand in dismissal, “if that is your wish. The rest of us will take care of the real business - preparing this world for my true Lord.” --- “You find ‘em?” By the time Atari had stepped out of the hospital, Cliffjumper had transformed; he wasn’t maybe quite as tall as Moonracer (it was hard to remember when they all seemed so tall) but she still had to look up to look him in the face. “Mmhm,” she acknowledged, even if she was wearing a frown. “They hadn’t moved from before,” she added quietly. Cliffjumper made a ‘hnh’ noise, seeming for a moment as though he was about to comment on that - and then seemed to change his mind. Instead- “You wanna go for another drive?” She wouldn’t have minded, but… ”What happened to the, um, ‘escort’?” “Told him to bug off.” Cliffjumper shrugged slightly. “I can call him back if you want, no big deal.” Still blunt. She couldn’t help but smile a little in appreciation. Still, she wasn’t sure that she could think of another place to go… it was hard enough making herself come back here, but what else did she have to do, here, other than see if there was a change in her parents’ condition? “I think I just want to stay outside for a while,” she admitted, loosely holding herself as she looked up at the sky. “It’s just…” “Just what?” He glanced up as well, frowning a bit. “... just starting to hit me, I guess.” Another hnh. She tried to ignore it, along with some of the more unpleasant thoughts coming in to mind. She was sure that he’d done the best he could on there, though, but... “How did you say this started?” she abruptly asked. “Eh?” He looked down at her, and she at him. “How this began,” she repeated, tilting her head. “With… Legion. And everything.” Cliffjumper gave her a look somewhere between annoyed and rueful. “Already said I wasn’t the brains of this thing,” he pointed out, “but… from what I remember, we’d heard a report of some crazy slag here on the planet, made a detour from a whole tour-of-duty,” he added with a brief finger-waggle, “and next thing any of us know, the ship’s in pieces and we’re stuck on this dirtball.” Making a conscious decision not to take offense at the slight to the planet - I happen to like this ‘dirtball’. Well, sort of. - Atari pressed with a shake of her head. “But- how did you hear about it? This has been going on for a little while, I guess, but if you just got here…” This time, the sound was sort of an ‘erhm’. And Cliffjumper shifted in a decidedly awkward manner, glancing around towards what few military were around… and giving them all a wide berth. He seemed to be treated with a degree of respect, but also avoidance… so not dissimilar from her. “Well, I mean- I don’t know, but I guess someone was keeping an eye on the place?” “So...you knew about this before?” “Woah, woah!” Cliffjumper held up a hand, shaking his head, “Like slag we did! I think I know where you’re going with this, Atari, and it ain’t like that. Prime was worked up about getting here as soon as he heard about it,” he pointed out, “and we got here as soon as we could-!” With a frustrated sound, Atari reached up to rub at her face. “But- I don’t understand! Why did you have someone watching in the first place if you didn’t know-!?” For a long few moments, there wasn’t anything- no argument, no protest, just Cliffjumper (from what she could tell) looking extremely uncomfortable and as though he very much wanted to say something...but couldn’t find anything to say. He did manage a cough (and how did robots cough?), reaching up to rub at the back of his head. “It’s… uh, ‘cause of where you guys are goin’. Ain’t got nothing to do with this whole thing though,” Cliffjumper shrugged and waggled a hand again, encompassing their surroundings at ‘this’, and then looking away again, still looking uncomfortable. Like he wasn’t supposed to have said what he’d said. So much for silence. But so much for talking, either, because it didn’t go further than that, and what he’d said sounded… kinda suspicious too, really, but hardly sinister as much as her frustration wanted to make it out to be. Atari sighed again, closing her eyes for another few moments, and there was another maybe-start from Cliffjumper but once again, he gave up. Leaving it to her. “I just don’t know,” she softly admitted, swallowing. “I want to be mad at you. I’m mad at Legion, but I want to be mad at you, too, or anyone who could’ve stopped this from happening but didn’t, but…” And she went on, almost desperately now, tears forming at her eyes. “...but if I have the chance to stop this from happening to anyone else…” Shouldn’t I?

[kissplayconnection]

Due to personal issues, the next chapter will be up in ~two weeks, 11/29. 

-artoni

[kissplayconnection]

KPC s1e2 - Infection

The room was dim but for what illumination they naturally wore; the holoprojectors on one side made up most of the actual light. They bathed them both in an unsettling edge-light, their silhouettes and shadows exaggerated by their positions; here, Shadow Striker noticed, her superior looked somehow like a god in her own right, and every square inch the one she aspired to be. Rather, to join. She still only understood so much of her goals, but Shadow Striker knew enough to knew she was on board with them all. And that so long as she was, she had nothing to fear from the behemoth gazing back at her, even if her entire posture spoke of malevolence. It wasn’t aimed at her, but at those of which she spoke. “...there’s no question about it. He couldn’t keep up with me, but they have human allies, now, and at least one Tainted human. I can handle Prime,” she added, “with my experience, but if they get another…” Off to the side, behind the clear walls of her cell, Shaoshao Li watched as Shadow Striker continued her report. Her lips were pressed flat in a small frown, but then, that was her normal expression as of late; her situation gave her very few causes for amusement even if she took what she could. Now was not one of them; now, in what may as well have been hanging on a coat rack waiting for someone else to put her on, was the time to try and recover some of her strength for...for… For the next time they use me. She closed her eyes for a moment, curling her hand against the glass. Or not glass; it was too strong for that, more like a steel that had been tempered clear. She’d tried to break through, once, and her hands had never healed right; her captors had been displeased with her efforts, and the burns on her neck were an additional reminder of the situation she was in. Just thinking about them made it all hurt. She scowled, turning to sit back on the sparse cot they’d allowed her, and even then she had to argue and be good to even get that kind of allowance. She was a prisoner, here, captured months ago and forced to do that awful merging with Shadow Striker that made her lose her sense of me until it was we and us. She hated it. Every moment of it, and she hated how it was the most freedom she could have. Lying down with her back to the two robots - aliens, Cybertronians - she ran her aching hands over each other. The skin was almost sickly-pale, with the lack of exposure to the sun; she knew that if she looked for a reflection in the walls she’d find her face even sharper than normal, green eyes sunken in, the entirety maybe not so much sick or weak as strained. Worn and dirtied clothing that made her look even smaller, with the weight she’d lost, hanging off her frame as though it was three sizes too large. If she cared more about how she looked, she’d probably throw a fit, but it really didn’t matter to her as of late. What mattered was staying alive. She knew, from her merging with Shadow Striker, that the threats they gave about her being consumed were real. She’d watched it with shared eyes, a Legion taking another person and going on a rampage, going and going and the human never coming out of them. Shaoshao ran her hands over her bare upper arms; the possibility was there for her, too, but she couldn’t help but doubt that they’d risk losing her. That too had been learned from the merger - she and Shadow Striker had learned how to hide their thoughts from one another, but things still leaked through. Shadow Striker knew of Shaoshao’s fear and loathing, no matter how much she tried to hide it; Shaoshao knew of Striker’s feeling of loss and helplessness, but also knew better than to try and use that to her advantage. Much. Pushing a little got her things like clean clothing and the opportunities to clean herself (if while under observation) - cooperation and faking subservience got her things like a supply run to a city, where she didn’t have to worry about payment for anything but she did have to watch her words because the awful implants at her neck remained in place, and if they so much as thought she was thinking of escape they would send a warning prickle, and if she didn’t beg off whatever she was doing and return to Shadow Striker immediately they would continue to burn and burn and burn… Shaoshao knew she could resist it, but not forever, and she saved her willpower for the battles that really mattered. Like hours ago, when she was tightening down on her own feelings and emotions so harshly Shadow Striker had full control of their shared energy; whatever kept her from wondering why Shaoshao had been so quiet and subdued, because something was familiar about the one they fought. And not from Shadow Striker’s memories - from Shaoshao’s own. The voice was familiar, even if it was pitched differently; the memories it drew were old and dusty, but memories were one of the few things she had, here. And knowing that it was all because this ‘Optimus Prime’ had a partner of his own, someone that he was using for his own power… Maybe...maybe she had an ally out there, maybe someone she could use… Shaoshao pressed her fist to her forehead, grimacing to hold back tears of a hope that hurt to even exist. ——- AARs were never her favorite. Marissa understood their use, yes, and the invaluable information within them; the debrief and review before a council of peers was a small price to pay for such. And with Optimus Prime himself lending his weight to her words, nobody dared push too far for the sake of playing Devil’s Advocate (except for Simmons, but he was always like that and Marissa no longer took offense) and at least it was over quickly. Still, Marissa felt as though she’d gone through a gauntlet by the time they were done, and immediately took advantage of Optimus transforming and swinging open his driver’s side door in clear invitation. She hauled herself in to his cab, letting out a heavy sigh as the door swung shut behind her and she could lean back in his warm seat. “For what it’s worth,” he offered after a few moments, “we have a similar procedure on Cybertron.” “Yeah,” she allowed, smiling despite herself, “but I have the feeling you’re usually on the other side.” He made a sound that could be assent, beginning to drive. Not that there was a need for disguise, here on the EDC’s base - they’d built it under another military complex, a great network of tunnels constructed with the assistance of their Cybertronian allies. With the sharing of skill and knowledge, they’d kept it suitable for both species, utilizing buildings both above and below ground. Most of the human-centric equipment was above, and there was little if anything to denote it as anything other than a standard military base… ...but Optimus turned into a garage, and what looked like a simple vehicle storage instead held a checkpoint that guarded a ramp down - it showed to hold more than first met the eye. The tunnels were large, having been constructed with enough space for even Optimus to stand tall. They reminded Marissa of a subway, and there was indeed a set of rails off to the side for those who couldn’t have a Cybertronian ferry them. The tram was elsewhere at the moment, and Optimus took to the road path, aiming to quickly cover ground. With his low engine rumbling, Marissa took a moment to be thankful that the alloys that made up the pipes and conduits and road-floors had something to them, something that kept the sound from echoing too badly. Even so, they could still hear the rev of another engine some seconds before it came down another hall. It proved to be a familiar blue shape that immediately took position next to them as they drove. Marissa leaned out enough to toss a little wave, and the riderless motorcycle tilted slightly in acknowledgement. “Chromia’s in a good mood,” she quietly observed. Optimus didn’t respond immediately, but when he did, his voice was wry. “She is waiting for a chance to speak with me in private. About having to remain here while the rest of us were after Shadow Striker, no doubt.” Waiting for a chance to chew him out, more like. Marissa held back a wince of sympathy. Though she didn’t understand the culture completely, even with what Optimus could share during a merge, she understood that Chromia was responsible for Optimus’ well-being, essentially as a bodyguard. Even so, she, Cliffjumper, Moonracer and Roulette took turns on standby, residing at the base and monitoring the situation. This time had been her turn. And this time, it hadn’t been Legion they were up against. Just Legion, she corrected herself mentally. “Speaking of which- I wanted to talk with you about that.” “I know.” Acknowledgement that held another meaning; here, while we have privacy. Chromia couldn’t listen in so long as Optimus kept his vocalizations within the cab (not that she would; again, some matter of Cybertronian culture), and the security cameras couldn’t pick up their conversations from here. Marissa looked up, catching sight of herself in the mirror; dark skin, mussed black hair, and grey eyes that looked every bit serious. “There was something familiar about Shadow Striker.” A beat. “You are speaking of more than my memories, I presume.” Optimus’ memories offered subtle insight, but even so, outside the merge they were slipping away. She did remember that he didn’t remember much of her in the first place; Roulette’s sister (Cybertronian families aside) that had gone missing after some sort of conflict. He may only have known of her because of Roulette’s own position to Elita, and the research that was involved in seeing whether or not she could fit the role. None of that mattered here. Marissa reached up, running a hand through her tangled locks. “No. These were mine, I think. It may have been related to how we think she’s KP’d.” (And wasn’t that a funny bit of Cybertronian on its own. She knew the concept behind it, very well in fact, but there was no proper translation in to English or any other major language anyone at the EDC could speak; thus, the attempt at translating Cybertronian in to something humans could at least pronounce. ) Optimus was quiet for another few seconds before responding; Marissa wondered if he was comming one of the others. Instead of asking, she pushed further; “We’re all but convinced already, that it’s either that or some other sort of upgrade, but- if I remember right, Roulette’s own report mentioned her speaking plural, right?” “‘You are no sister of ours’,” quoted the Prime. “It would stand to reason that she bears some sort of gestalt identity.” “Exactly. And- I know you’re going to think this strange, but I could swear that I know whomever she’s merged with.” That caught Optimus’ interest. “Whom are they?” To that, Marissa could only grimace. “I- can’t remember,” she admitted reluctantly. “But I know I know them. I can’t say how,” she added, raising a hand to curl at her chest, “but I know that I’ve met them before. There’s no other way to explain it.” Not that it narrowed things down; she’d met a lot of people, and fallen out of touch with just as many. From childhood to adulthood, it perhaps narrowed things down from a trillion to half a million, but that was still far too many… “Even so,” Optimus noted, “that is nothing to dismiss.” He paused for a moment, then continued- “If we had to fight her again, do you believe you could identify whom they are?” “I don’t know. Maybe,” she added quickly. “I could try. I will try,” she finished, reaching to rub at the bridge of her nose. “It’s...about all I can do at this point, since we can’t keep up with her enough for a capture.” “Not alone. But as I understand it, we are no longer alone.” And that...that made her grimace again. The civilian. A young lady, from what she heard, who’d displayed the KP affinity as well, accidentally initiating a merge with Moonracer on the freeway in the midst of a Legion attack. She didn’t envy the PR department trying to handle that fiasco, but it did fall upon her own shoulders to personally interview the girl. Which was why Optimus was giving her this ride, so that she could speak with her in person and get a feel as to whether or not they could...they could… Hell with it, they were making up all of this as they went along. The whole concept of KPs was too new for anything but a base idea to be had when it came to encountering another; most of the ones they encountered, if they encountered them, were exhausted survivors of Legion and in need of trauma therapy at the minimum. There’d been discussions of what to do if one possibly fit for enrollment in the program was found, but all proposed first steps had involved her, as the only other active unit, taking charge. Just what she wanted to do after something that had proved to be just as emotionally exhausting as it had been physically. On the other hand, the girl must have gone through worse. “We’ll see,” she demurred, Optimus pulling up to their landing and opening his door to let her out. Pulling together her strength (and hoping that they’d at least gotten some coffee prepped), she climbed out, giving his door a brief pat as it shut. “Good luck with Chromia,” she added in a mutter. Optimus made a sound that could very well have been a suppressed chuckle, and then she was turning away, giving the guard a brief nod as she stepped inside. It was one of the smaller rooms, more of an office, really, designed specifically for human usage; desk, chairs, some file cabinets, sparse decorations (and, praise be, a small coffee brewer off to the side that smelled like it was fresh) - and two other occupants. One in the EDC’s uniform, who was browsing through a small file while speaking to one who wasn’t, and it was that second one Marissa focused on. She looked young, but it could have been the baby fat; round cheeks, big eyes, round and big a lot of things, really, except her height. And the way she was sitting, practically drawn in to herself while clutching the - loaned? - military jacket about her as though cold. It wasn’t warm down here, but Marissa made a note of it nonetheless as both persons glanced towards her. She gave a vague smile and gesture, beelining for the coffee while the officer attempted to pick up the conversation. Apparently, they thought introductions would be the best course. “Marissa Fairborne,” he mentioned, nodding towards her while she readied her cup. “She’s the other unit I mentioned.” Now was the girl’s turn to look over Marissa, and even that spoke volumes about her. Shy, uncertain, but maybe holding it together a bit better than Marissa might have expected. Her eyes were puffy as though she’d been crying, but her lips didn’t quaver. Maybe because she was biting them, but still. Marissa managed another vague smile before taking a sip of the liquid. “Marissa, Atari.” The officer took over for a few moments more, giving Marissa time to at least get some of it in her system; then he extracted himself, fingers lingering briefly on the file before Marissa sat down. She caught the gesture, and let her eyes fall upon the notes- and managed to hold back the wince. Well, first impressions could be wrong, couldn’t they? “Have they explained what all this is?” she began smoothly, leaning back in her seat and meeting Atari’s eyes. The girl - no, the file said she was older than she looked, she was nearing her twenties - blinked once, then shook her head, swallowing as she looked down at her hands. “I was mostly worried about my parents,” she admitted, voice as small as she probably felt. Not the best of signs, when it came to someone who was being considered for the project… Marissa sighed mentally, and began to explain. ——- The Cybertronian squad had come here some months ago, but they’d had a unit on Earth for some time before that. One following the trail of a criminal, which in itself wasn’t worrisome, but when rumors about just what that criminal was getting in to were abound… It paid to take extra care. And when that care resulted in another lead they couldn’t ignore, one that brought Optimus Prime himself off Cybertron to deal with it - he hadn’t brought an army with him by any means, but he hadn’t needed one. Himself, his Guard, another unit of the command Trine, her Guard, and two others to act as support- it was expected to be in, dealt with, and done. We need to confirm canon here; was OP already off Cybertron w/ Elita & co? Probably not, if Moonracer is Chromia’s kid instead of theirs (since the thought was then that it’d be some “coming of age” thing). The humans, on the other hand, had been dealing with it on a far more personal level; machine-monsters, they’d called them, preying upon highly-populated area. Sometimes with a leader, but most often mindless beasts whose only goal seemed to be chaos and destruction. And that leader, a visibly intelligent mecha who could hide in plain sight, making expert strikes to sew even more anarchy. In a desperate bid, multiple countries founded the EDC - the Earth Defense Command - and pulled their best minds from across the globe. Multiple installations, to best respond to the chaos in a given area- but they were still outgunned, even with their considerable ingenuity. Still, once they’d managed their alliance with the Cybertronians - who had been shot down by forces unknown even to them - they at least had a fighting chance. But it wasn’t enough, and even with Marissa and Optimus slowly turning the tide, they were only one pair. And they were wearing themselves thin trying to do so much. Which was why Elita was here, now, following up on another lead- one that involved the human just stepping out of the doors, there, ringed by a group of others. They all seemed to be going to their own destinations, but considering this was one of their universities, it wasn’t surprising. All of them getting out of classes, probably, and there her target was chatting it up with another. Elita took a moment to ensure her windows were tinted; no need to draw attention to her lack of driver. The brief blare of her horn, though, that was meant to get attention- heads turned, and just as many turned away when they didn’t recognize the vehicle, except thankfully for the one she wanted. The human’s gaze lingered on her, then she was quickly finishing up with her friend, and then adjusting the bag on her shoulder before quickening her pace. It’d taken some effort getting her trust, but it proved now to be worth it as she moved inside without a moment of hesitation. Nor did she hesitate to express her thoughts; “I thought I told you to text me, first?” “I did,” Elita answered wryly. “You didn’t answer. Nice to see you too, Carly.”

“No you- oh.” Carly made a face at her cellphone, the tiny charm on its end swinging in cheerful opposite to her expression. “Right. Well, ‘see you at nine’ isn’t really descriptive. I may have had plans.” “Did you?” “I might have!” Elita laughed quietly, and began to move, easily navigating the campus’ traffic. She’d gotten the hang of it by now, even at night, and could keep up the conversation without issue. “You’re the one who got inside, so you must be curious.” “That’s because I heard what happened on the freeway.” Carly adjusted her seatbelt, some of her nervousness creeping through. “Was it really Legion?” “Three.” Carly shivered, and Elita couldn’t blame her. The two had met during a Legion attack some miles away from the university, as Carly was on her way to the city. Thankfully, Elita had been able to handle it on her own, but Carly had made her promise not to ‘betray’ her to the EDC or to anyone else. Half-impressed, half-taken aback at the young lady’s courage during the assault, Elita had agreed - on the condition they stay in contact. Survival of one attack didn’t guarantee the future, and especially with the unspoken acknowledgement that it likely meant Carly held KP affinity… I don’t have time for that! Carly had declared then, and clung to even now. I’ve got college!! “Did they get…?” “The human they were after was unharmed,” Elita assured her, “but collateral damage’s a given, as you well know.” She paused for a moment. “She managed a merge with Moonracer.” “The green one?” “Close enough.” Elita paused again, then decided that if simple requests hadn’t worked so far when it came to convincing Carly of the severity of the situation… maybe simple honesty would. “We think another human’s involved with the attacks.” As expected, Carly practically snapped to attention, eyes widening. “With Legion?” she asked, furrowing her brow as she tried to understand Elita’s words. “Working with their leader.” Also as expected, Carly took the news badly. “What, working with- no!” she shouted, jerking in her seat. “There’s no way anyone would do that, they’d die! Who in their right mind-!” Elita let her rant for a long few seconds. The best way to handle Carly, really, was to let her get the worst out of her system before cutting back in. Or just letting her continue on until she ran out of steam, like now- Carly grabbed at her face, groaning as she leaned back in the seat. “-and please tell me you’re joking.” “Nope,” was the ironically cheerful reply. “Great,” the girl rubbed at her eyes, making another face, “and you’re telling me this, when I have three tests to study for, why…?” “You know why.” “Three. Tests.” Carly’s eyes may have been hidden by her hands, but her frown was clear, and her tone was anything but receptive. “Elita, we’ve gone over this. I can’t-” “-be bothered to try and do something?” Maybe it was cruel, but Elita had argued this point over and over, and she’d never been able to make herself clear. Still, with the recent danger, maybe…”Carly, I know this is important to you. But you need to understand that this is important to a lot more-” “-and if I don’t focus on myself, I’m not going to be able to help anyone!” Her hands lowered, balling in to loose fists. “Elita, I know it’s important, but- c’mon, there’s got to be loads of people more capable than me. And,” she added, somewhat crossly, “ones who have more time.” “You’re the one who took on so many classes,” Elita was quick to remind her. “All I’m saying is that it wouldn’t kill you to drop one, but it might kill someone if you aren’t the-” “Elita!” The name was like a curse, accompanied by a smack to her dashboard. Not painful - it was doubtful Carly could really hurt her in this form, unless she actually thought about it - but the message came through. “Don’t you dare-!” Too far. Right. Carly was still somewhat young by this species’ standard, and Elita took a mental step back to readjust her stance. “Sorry,” she said, and at least she could sound contrite. “But things have changed, since we last spoke.” Silence. Okay… maybe she needed to say more again. Elita sighed, and after a moment, did so. “Things are getting worse, Carly, and you need to understand that if we can’t turn them around quickly then tests will be the least of your worries. School will be down there, too, as will your friends. And that boy you told me about.” Another smack, but lighter- more of a chiding swat. Elita took it in stride, pressing her point. “If there’s any other humans with the affinity, we haven’t found them yet, and the one we have found?” She let some of her derision creep in. “From what I’ve heard so far, she may be powerful but she doesn’t have the attitude for this sort of thing. “You do.” The rest of the drive was in silence. ——- The first thing Sari noticed about the place was the noise. Or the lack thereof - back in Dad’s lab, there was a constant hum or even a whirr, something or other being on and most of the time multiple somethings being worked on. At once. There was another hum here, but it was quieter, suppressed somehow, and she wasn’t sure she liked it. Everything looked as though it should have been making more noise than it was, and when she brought it up to Dad, he only laughed a little. “Isn’t it incredible?” he wondered aloud, looking out of the tram’s windows. “They say that those great robots helped them make all of this, and to share their knowledge so freely-! This is such a wonderful opportunity, Sari, I’m so happy we’ve been invited here…” Sighing, Sari let him ramble on, resting her chin on her hands. “Great, Dad,” she agreed, mostly to keep him from thinking she was ignoring him. Which she was, but only a little. When started like that, he was hard to stop, and Sari let him go on and on about the details of the construction here and only really paid enough attention to know when to make a ‘mhm’ or ‘mm-mm’. Sure, it was cool, being on a military base and all, but- there was nothing to it. It was cool coming on to it, but then they’d gone immediately underground, and now being carted off so that Dad could meet the big wigs, blah blah blah bo-ring. She’d even seen robots before, with Dad’s lab being so full of them-! -okay, not full of these ones, but she hadn’t even seen them yet. In the news stories, sure- the fact that there were actual living aliens on Earth and they were robots kind of made some headlines, and the idea that they were here to help fight those other robots - the ones that were trying to eat people - had attention. But Sari’d never met them. Sari’d just been kept all cooped up and safe and super bored until Dad got the whole invitation to come and work with everything because they thought he could help and at least he was bringing her along but really, where else could she go? “Are we there yet?” Thankfully, it took only two more turns of her asking before the tram rolled to a stop - in front of something that did catch Sari’s attention. The first thing she noticed was how big it was; it looked like some sort of giant hangar, all levels and platforms and giant screens-! Beside her, she heard Dad inhale sharply with his own delight, and knew he was just as fascinated. She couldn’t really blame him here, because this? This looked cool. Someone in uniform came up to meet them, but Sari only paid half attention, looking around with wide blue eyes before grinning to herself, and obediently following as they went on about how good it was to meet you, Mister Sumdac, and this must be your daughter and so on and so forth and the moment they both looked away? She was darting off with a skill that came only from experience. First moving behind some sort of console, peeking out to make sure they didn’t see her, and then off to another. These ones hummed rightly, and she hummed a little herself, some aimless little tune as she began her exploration. Once again she was struck by the size of things; some of the pieces were clearly designed for people at least twice the size of regular people! It must be for the aliens, she thought with delight, half-tempted to start climbing up on to one but she couldn’t see any handholds. Later, she decided, moving to the next. There seemed to be three main ‘levels’ - the central area was tall and clear, with railed platforms along the edges of the walls, where most of the people were gathered. No aliens, she noted with disappointment, but she could take care of that later. The tram had let them off on the bottom floor, and she could see Dad and the other lady moving towards one of the levels; everyone else seemed occupied with their own things, or maybe they didn’t expect anyone to have gotten this far without an escort. To be fair, Sari did have one. She’d just let it go on without her. She could see something off to the side, a pillar of some sort- one that did have some ridges that could be used as handholds. A quick look around and Sari was scurrying towards it, grabbing hold of the sides without hesitation and starting to climb up. If nothing else, it could give her a better view of the area, and maybe a bit more of an idea of what there was to explore. She didn’t quite expect the glowing tube on top of it. “Woah,” Sari breathed, eyes practically bugging out of her skull. Definitely a tube, and definitely glowing, but as for what was in it...she’d never seen such a thing before. Some distorted mass of metal and - energy? - something, all cables and edges and weird. It reminded her of a science-fiction movie, where they found some sort of alien, but it didn’t look alive. Besides, the aliens looked different, she was pretty certain. So whatever this was, it wasn’t them. But that meant...what was it? She reached for it, enchanted, the eerie green glow reflecting off her own face. Within the tube, one of the tendrils wavered, practically beckoning her forwards. Nobody’d care if she took a closer look at it, right? “Hey, what are you-!” A great grey hand coming from nowhere practically slammed itself between her and the thing. Sari yelped in surprise, skittering back, only to bump against something big and metal - something which then proceeded to take a hold on her, picking her up off her feet. “Let me go!” she shouted, flailing about, and not even stopping for a moment as she was hauled upwards and in front of some sort of metal face? A metal robot face - this must be one of the aliens! It looked human enough, with a nose and a mouth and twos glowing eyes were narrowed (looking very much like her last tutor when she was caught playing with her phone instead of paying attention to the lesson) but frankly Sari didn’t care in the slightest. “DAAAAaaaAAAAAAaaaAAAD!” All heads turned, but she couldn’t see the familiar salt and pepper hair - so she kept screaming, shouting, twisting in the robot’s grip. “You better let me go right now or I’m gonna pop you one and you’re gonna be super sorry you big piece of-!” “SARI SUMDAC!” Only her father’s tone of disapproval could cause her to freeze, but the weight it carried here seem to still the entire room - except for him, marching down the ramp, the officer from before trailing behind. Sari shrunk only slightly, more of a wince really, managing a glance back at the red and grey robot before turning towards Dad. “Uhm…” “How many times must I tell you, stay close to me-! I am terribly sorry,” he continued, looking up at the robot-alien with clear apology, “she is very curious, and I hope she did not get into anything she was not supposed to…” The robot made a sort of rhn noise, and, apparently taking this entry as a sign, made to lower her to the ground. “No harm done, I guess, but she was kinda getting towards the whatever-you-call-it, Angolmois.” “The what?” Sari asked, looking back up as she reached to smooth down her collar. Robot-man shrugged. “Angolstuff. Dark energon. Whatever. Aren’t you guys supposed to be keeping an eye on it?” they added, looking towards the officer, who coughed into her fist. “I’ll...talk with the guards. Nobody, even with clearance, should be getting that close to a sample.” She cast a heavy look towards Sari, and Sari couldn’t resist sticking out her tongue in a quick ‘thbt’. It wasn’t her fault they weren’t paying attention! “Of course,” Dad continued, close enough there to put his hand on her shoulders. Explorations now well and truly over, Sari resigned herself to following him around for the rest of the trip. “I believe we have not yet been introduced?...I am Isaac Sumdac, and I have been asked here to take a closer look at this strange energy and what creatures it makes-!” He raised his free arm, and the robot seemed to pause only a moment before offering a single finger for him to shake. “Cliffjumper.” ——- “Moonracer.” The scout turned towards the voice with a brief frown, pulling her thoughts back together. They’d started to drift back to the earlier merge, and how vivid everything had seemed there- the focus, the speed, the...everything, really, so easily to get lost in even from memory. “Sorry, sir,” she said nonetheless, brushing a few fingers by her right optic. “Just…” Optimus gave her a long, steady look - then nodded once. “I know,” he said after a few moments, turning back towards the screen. “It was the same way with Marissa and I, at first.” She smiled a bit, discomfort eased if only a little. “It’s sort of overwhelming,” she admitted, following his gaze. The screen was a holodisplay, projecting a set of her own schematics - and a smaller figure next to it, meant to represent their new human friend. Were they friends, Moonracer wondered? She hoped so. She could understand the poor girl’s fear, and probably would have been just as scared in her position. But she’d managed to overcome that fear, in the end, and together… Well, maybe none of it had been intentional, but they’d more than made up for a crazy situation and carved through Legion as though they were nothing. The sheer rush of it… She shivered despite herself, forcing herself to pay attention to the Prime’s words. And Chromia’s, for that matter, her mentor in weaponry and the reason she was even here at all. The reason she’d been on the mission to Earth, to investigate the strange energy readings and report of creatures… “...and if my student would pay attention…” There she went again. Right. Focus, she told herself firmly. half-raising her hand to ask a question. At the nod, she spoke it- “Is distraction common, after merger?” Chromia looked towards Optimus, who tilted his helm in thought. “It was - difficult, at first,” he admitted, “to focus my thoughts. With experience, it became easier to reaffirm myself.” “Still creepy,” muttered his Guard, shaking her helm before resetting her vocalizer. “Right. Well. Will this be a repeat occurrence? The power levels are off the chart,” she continued, gesturing towards the readout. “And that’s assuming we use the same measure as we use with you, Optimus.” “She does seem to be rather powerful,” Optimus mused, looking towards Moonracer. “What do you think?” Moonracer hesitated before answering - what did she think? - and when she did speak, the words were slow, still being thought out. “It was...interesting,” she began, trying to form it all together. “I think, if I had to guess...I’m not certain, but I think we could have handled a few more Legion at once, especially if we had more room to move. Not a horde of them, like Paris,” she quickly said, thinking back to one of their more problematic events, one where Optimus and Marissa had ended up having to retreat in the face of overwhelming power and a ticking clock, “but...we weren’t even tired by the end of it all. Physically.” She shrugged lightly, unsure of how to finish. “It was difficult getting to the point where we could focus, but once we did… it felt like we were unstoppable.” “Mm. Not an unknown feeling,” agreed Prime. “But it is important to know that even with the power the merge grants us, we still have our limits.” “Of course, sir, I’m not saying we don’t!” Moonracer spread her hands, offering a weak sort of smile. “I don’t even know how long we could keep it, but I think at least as long as you can with Marissa, based on what you’ve told us on how it feels.” It was too bad Optimus was the only one of them who had any real experience; everything they knew was from his experience, as Marissa had expressed a preference to ‘keep things simple’ rather than merge with any of them unless they needed to. So far, it had worked, and Chromia for one had asked to be put on the end of any list to volunteer - Moonracer wasn’t sure where she was on it, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to be the next in line. “And the girl herself?” Optimus continued, pressing the matter. “How did she take it?” That was even harder to answer. They’d ended the merge with no small amount of effort on both parts and some radio-coaching from Optimus and Marissa once they’d understood what had happened. The exhaustion had been almost overwhelming, then, and even now Moonracer was still feeling the low after such a high. And yet… “I think...well enough, given the circumstances. She’s innocent, all things considered, but the will to fight was there. It just needed some encouragement.” Chromia made a derisive sound, turning away with a wave of her hand. “She’s a civilian, in other words. She doesn’t need to be brought in to this. Let the humans take care of their own, and we’ll go back to handling Legion our… selves…” She trailed off at the look Optimus gave to her; unamused and unimpressed. Even Moonracer wilted a little bit, and she wasn’t on the receiving end. “Be that as it may,” he said heavily, “Marissa is speaking with her now. I am loathe to involve the unwilling, even considering these worrisome readings, but I will wait for her counsel as well before making any kind of decision. An additional pair would give us welcome reinforcements but without this ‘Atari’’s willingness, it isn’t worth even considering. We will not,” he continued, “pursue this avenue without all parties’ cooperation.” The weight in his voice alone ended the discussion. ——- Shaoshao had managed some rest by the time Shadow Striker returned. Perhaps not true sleep, but a doze, and she at least felt somewhat better as she watched the aliens do… whatever it was. The hulking leader was back on the far side of the room, which seemed to be meeting hall, control room, auditorium all in one- there were only so many of them, but it was only a matter of time between she saw the familiar black and blue armor enter. Right on time, too. Her internal clock may be constantly offset, but her stomach had learned the rhythm, and she pushed herself up in to a sit as the lid was removed from her cell. “How the hell do you have a sister?” she immediately asked, not even bothering to wait for the parcel to drop. Shadow Striker paused, gave her a second look, and then scowled. “None of your business.” At least she still dropped the package. Shaoshao let it fall to the ground, pushing her luck. “You realize you hesitated a couple times, right?” she asked, leaning forwards. “I gave you full control and you-” “-you didn’t give me anything,” snapped the robot, glaring daggers at her. “This isn’t up for discussion.” “Really? Because I feel it just as much as you do when you get hit because you’re sloppy, and that sister of yours certainly-” Shadow Striker’s hand slammed into the wall behind her cell, cutting her off and almost knocking her to the floor, but Shaoshao couldn’t help but feel a fierce swell of spiteful glee at the way Shadow Striker’s face contorted. “None of your business,” she spat. “She’s--- She won’t be that lucky next time!” Anger? Fear? Frustration? Shaoshao couldn’t pick out the jumble of emotion, especially when the voice crackled with static. But it seemed she had some sort of advantage, so she decided to push. “How long until you hesitate with the others?” she demanded, “or do you already have a plan for dealing with Opt-” Experience had her ducking the swipe of the hand, something that could have easily knocked her into the wall and into a hell of an ache. She kept the motion, rolling into a crouch at the side of her cot, wary to dodge another strike only to hear a light snort. “Keep it up,” Shadow Striker warned humorlessly, her emotional equilibrium back, “and I’ll turn on your little collar.” The metal, cold and heavy around her neck, seemed to warm upon mention alone. Shaoshao managed a just as humorless smile up at her captor, considering another push for the hell of it, when a crackle of energy caught both their attentions. The two turned as one towards where a large ring was set against the wall; normally dark and dormant, it was humming to life, energy arcing across it before seeming to merge into a single disc of swirling light - through which a thin shadow formed, and then stepped through. “Airachnid,” the deep voice from afar greeted, turning from their focus at the screens. “So good of you to finally join us.” The newcomer walked with a delicate step, but one that oozed a deadly sort of grace, her feet klik-kliking on the floor. Shaoshao couldn’t tell what she turned into, not from here, but there were no wheels to be seen or even treads like Shadow Striker’s master; instead, metal hung loosely off their hips like an armored skirt, with long blades at their back waving in loose time. “Well, I couldn’t stay away,” they - she - purred, her voice smooth and sublime and Shaoshao hated her already. “Not after you’d given all those juicy details.” A quick glance up showed Shadow Striker feeling the same way - her own face was curled in a disgusted grimace, one she forced in to a mere frown before speaking. “I thought,” she bit out, “we were handling things ourselves. General.” The General only turned back towards her, tilting their head. “That was before,” she rumbled, voice echoing in the confined area, “you mentioned the reinforcements. Airachnid will be…following up on the potentiality of increasing our own merged ranks.” “And I must say,” Airachnid smoothly continued, klik-kliking towards the two of them, “from what she’s told me, I already have some ideas. Especially when it comes to, how shall we say…” She leaned over, optics narrowing in sinister delight as she caught sight of Shaoshao. Shaoshao herself couldn’t decide whether or not to ‘stand’ her ground or go for submissive, even if every cell in her body screamed, get away! get away! (She’d thought herself numb to that by now, but apparently not.) “...ensuring cooperation.” get away! GET AWAY! Frozen, she could barely manage to keep eye contact, feeling like nothing more than a mouse under some hawk’s gaze. The moment she moved, the moment she looked away, that was it, all instincts shouted, it was over, she wasn’t going to- KRK! The cell top slammed back on as a (shorter) Shadow Striker made to put herself between the two. “Find your own,” she snarled, and for the briefest of moments Shaoshao was actually thankful before it occurred to her this may have been some sort of territory thing. Well, as long as it got Airachnid backing off, though she seemed more amused than anything else as she let out a rippling little laugh. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear, I have every intention to-!” Shaoshao swallowed, flexing her aching fingers to keep away the urge to shudder. Another captive…? I have to get out of here. And even more desperately, even more in vain, even more impossible- I have to stop this.

[kissplayconnection]

KPC s1e1 - Exposure

...DJ Poplock bringing you the best of the 80s', every weekday from noon to three, hope you're having a good afternoon as we kick it back with some classic rock...

Even the radio couldn't distract her from the tedium of traffic. Atari sighed softly, her chocolate brown eyes blinking back at her through the faded reflection of the window glass. Cow eyes, some of the kids at her old high school had called them, and she really couldn't find it in her to argue. Or argue when they called her other things, really. Any things. At least if she tried hard enough she could ignore most of them, their voices fading to background noise, but now with this move she'd have to get used to a new set of voices all over again. Maybe it'll be a fresh start, at least. She glanced forwards, where her parents took up the front seats of the vehicle. Mom was singing along to the radio, her voice untrained but not unpleasant to hear. Dad provided back-up vocals, tapping his hands on the wheel in time to keep the beat. Their accents were palpable, comically twisting their words into exaggerated mockeries. On one hand, she wasn't made fun of for that- her parents had made very sure to teach her only English. On the other, when they lapsed back into Japanese (like at the moment, with the commercial coming on), it made her feel cut off and alone- more so than she already did, at least. Grimacing in to her hand at her face, she looked back at the road, only giving another brief look to her reflection. Braided black hair, round cheeks, glasses that seemed overly large for her face - Atari couldn't remember the last time she'd looked at herself and felt proud of how she looked. She looked boring. And fat. A pudgy little dweeb more at home with books than with other people; she made a face before looking back at the cars stuck around them. She could drive, too, technically, but it always scared her; thankfully she hadn't asked to take a driving shift during this move, but she almost would have tolerated it instead of being crammed back with all the luggage. A glance towards a traffic sign showed that they still had at least fifty miles to go. And in this traffic, they wouldn't be there for more than an hour, easy. Sighing to herself, Atari closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against the window and hoping she at least could catch a little sleep. ...Sandy Red here with traffic, looks like we've got a bit of a jam on the 90 thanks to some sort of disturbance on the west side of town, here's hoping you're going in the opposite direction... ----- KRAK! The blast hit the building above their head; debris fell like bombs, threatening to crush them. Instead they hurled themselves to the side, red and blue armor taking those which they were too slow to dodge. Marissa tried to wince, but Optimus instead channeled the motion into trying to find their target, who had used the brief diversion to move out of view. Not there...not there...not...-! "FALL!" She leapt from above, all baton-blades and fury, dragging twin paths of shredded metal down their back. Both Optimus and Marissa howled in fury, their merger focusing the pain, but also focusing their reactions- they spun around literally as one, throwing a strong right hook that was just deflected by their enemy's weapons. She's fast, Marissa noted. Very, Optimus agreed. Shadow Striker has always had me on speed, but I do not remember her being this quick. Do you think-?

It is possible, the Prime conceded, blocking another strike and trying to grab her wrist. Shadow Striker shifted back, glaring as she went on the defensive; she practically danced around the retaliating strikes, managing to throw in a few of her own that nicked and scraped at armor without doing too serious damage. But it still leaves the question as to why she is here in the first place. It was still distracting. Marissa expressed frustration without needing to say a single word; ethereal like this, merged with Optimus in body, mind, and spark, their communication was as wordless as it was worded. Emotions and concepts transferred between them at the speed of thought, and she didn't bother to hide how much the fight was disturbing her. This wasn't the first time they'd come together like this; as soon as Marissa's affinity had been discovered, both her rank and her personality had led her to working closely with Optimus, until both parties were comfortable enough to experiment with the fusion- the success of the first combat against the Legion had led them to make it a repeat occurrence. All told, this was the best defence either side had against the monsters; this was, however, the first time they'd used it upon a fellow Cybertronian. 'Fellow'. Despite the hostility, Optimus still thought of the other as one of his people. Marissa didn't blame him in the slightest, and didn't slight him for it, either. Were this a human foe, she'd have felt the same way. Nonetheless- there's something wrong here. More than when we fought a Legion that had... She didn't need to finish. I know, Optimus responded, his shared body grimacing under the mask as Shadow Striker spun away from another swipe of the axe.If we can catch her, we'll find the answers to both our questions. ----- She'd resorted to breathing against the window and drawing a face in the fog that resulted; it smiled back cheerily at her, then stuck its tongue out as she drew the half-circle by its mouth. It even dragged out a little half-smile of her own as her parents bickered back and forth in Japanese, and Atari hoped they were talking about pulling over for food, soon. Or at least to find a way out of this. The traffic had completely stopped, now; only the occasional horn breaking the monotony. As the fog-face began to fade, she leaned away from the window and sighed in boredom, wondering if she could finish the next few chapters of her book before it picked up again. Usually, reading in the car gave her a headache. She was hoping it was the motion, and considering they very much weren't in motion, it was maybe worth the risk. ----- The fight had degenerated into a chase; one Optimus and Marissa knew they couldn't win. As if to mock them of this fact, they'd turn a corner only to receive a pot shot- and then, after dealing with that, receive a glimpse of Shadow Striker's bumper before she disappeared around the corner. It was getting old, fast. How much longer? Marissa asked, frustrated. We can't keep going like this. Trust them, came the steady reply. They've never let me down. Though Optimus, too, was getting tired of this nonsense, it was tempered by his faith - not just in himself or Marissa, but in others. Such as the ones that were pinging the comms, as though on cue. We're in position, Elita-One's voice reported, direct and clear. Hang back a bit. The semitruck didn't hesitate on such a command, speed flagging as they approached the unpaved road of a construction site. Where Shadow Striker was able to weave in and out of obstacles, it went without saying that they had to take it more slowly, but this time there was zero surprise as another series of shots peppered the grill as they came around- -there was, however, no small amount of satisfaction as shots rang out from behind their foe. Shadow Striker jolted forwards on her wheels, then transformed and stumbled as she spun around to return fire - the hot pink form of Elita-One mirrored the shapechange, with two others flanking her. Marissa winced internally, and Optimus echoed it, glad at least for the relatively clear area. Their chances of being sighted were slim, but even so, they were supposed to keep a low profile... "Optimus!" Elita called, ducking a shot while throwing an arm forwards. Beside her, Cliffjumper laughed out a challenge as he charged, wielding a blaster nearly as large as he. "Moonracer's picked up some Legion activity by the freeway!" Legion. Had Marissa blood, it would have run cold, but merged with Optimus the sensation transmitted nonetheless. A decision was made at the speed of thought; they couldn't abandon Shadow Striker to continue her chaos, but going alone against Legion was insanity. "Send her and Cliffjumper!" they barked out. "Are you kidding? I'm just getting start-" "GO!" The fused KP's voice, with two unshakeable sets of willpower behind it, brooked no argument. Swearing, Cliffjumper broke off his attack after a single rally, switching back into altmode as Moonracer offered a salute. "Prime!" Now facing a unit just as fast as she was, the rogue Cybertronian offered a curse of her own as she grabbed a girder and flipped herself upwards. She climbed quickly, Elita following suit without a moment of hesitation. Unable to give chase lest they risk tearing down the unfinished structure, Optimus and Marissa went to find a better position as their other two units quickly sped away. ---- No luck; the familiar nausea and headache were starting to build, and with a quiet groan Atari replaced her bookmark and set the book aside. Taking off her glasses, she put the heels of her hands at her eyes and rubbed to try and disperse the pain. "All right, back there?" Mom called over her shoulder. "'Mfine." Just fine. With another soft noise, Atari replaced her glasses, blinking owlishly as the world came back into focus. "Are we moving yet?" "Not yet. Maybe we could park and go to the restaurant there." Dad earned a light punch in the side for that, Mom needling him again in Japanese which only made him laugh a bit. Even so, Atari didn't think it was a bad idea; she glanced off to the side, noting the sign which proclaimed something about italian food. Not her favorite, but certainly not hated; maybe once she felt a little less sick she'd be up for a meal. They hadn't eaten since lunch, and the sky was starting to turn orange as it got later in the day...she followed it down towards the horizon and its metal, then leaned back in the car again, closing her eyes... ...then opening them again, frowning a bit. Metal on the horizon? She looked back, eyes having just enough time to widen before the sound of ripping steel filled the air- followed closely by screams. Something was tearing through traffic- literally tearing, with a horrific shrieking sound. A car went flying over theirs, and she screamed a little, herself, shrinking back against the door. Her parents shouted in alarm, Dad leaning out the window to try and get a better view- another piece of shrapnel flew by, clipping him in the head, and then Mom screamed as Atari fumbled with her seatbelt, trying to get out and there was more screaming and tearing and she couldn't get out and she shouted for help and something was roaring outside and other people were screaming and she couldn't get out get out she finally managed to get the door open, falling on to the asphalt, covering her head in terror as people ran past, trying to escape whatever it was and she finally managed to get a grip on the truck next to them and start to pick herself up and then her car flew overhead and she screamed again and there was something looking at her all metal and sharp edges and burning red eyes and teeth and claws and looming over her and there was another and she turned and crawled under the truck just as something slashed caught her foot it hurts she kicked and kicked and pulled to the other side and her leg was bleeding and there was another there, on top of another car, another monster reaching for her and she dove back under the truck and the truck flipped and there were three now all looking down at her like she was some sort of dinner and she was going to be the meal and "GET SOME!" and a streak of red flew up in to one, knocking it back before something else came up and a crackle of energy lanced over her head and at that point Atari lost control and just began to cry. Arms over her head, glasses scuffed and dirtied, eyes shut tight as sound erupted from all around her, she waited for the end, or at least an end, because just- she couldn't take this, she didn't know where Mom or Dad were, she didn't know what was even going on, and her heart was beating a hundred times a second. Frightened beyond words or motion, she just sat and shook there for what seemed like eternity until another voice caught her attention; "You need to move!" Through hazy vision, Atari looked up, blinking as much from crying as to try and focus- there was what looked like to be a blurred form of teal and white. Fear of the unknown welled up in her throat, tempting another scream; the last shreds of sanity had her nod numbly and crawl towards an overturned vehicle for cover. The figure - whatever it was, it dwarfed her in size - followed, putting itself between her and the danger as she managed to wipe her glasses on her shirt and look back up and it was about the same size as the monsters, maybe a little smaller, but- there was a humanoid shape to it, despite the metal form it wore. It seemed almost like armor, but as much a part of them as anything else- the wheels at the ankles, the bumper at the chest, the pale white face with bright blue eyes staring down at her with what looked like concern and confusion... Those tattered shreds reformed into willpower, and Atari demanded, "W-what's going on?!" The - robot - grimaced in an all-too-human expression. "There's no time to explain. We need to get you out of here." They - she? - reached down, offering a hand, but Atari instinctively drew back. "What do you mean there's no time to explain?!" she shouted over the din. Behind her, she could hear mad cackling over the snarls and screams; it was far from reassuring. "Look, we have to go, it's not safe for you here-" "I need to find my parents! Help me find my parents!" "They're probably running away with everyone else, come o-" "Mom was still in the car!" Atari grabbed on to the proffered hand, furiously blinking back further tears. "We need to find her!" The robot looked around, stress straining her face, and then lowered herself. "I promise I'll help you find them later, I'll explain later, but there's more Legion coming and they're coming after you!" It startled her only for a moment, but the sheer insanity of the claim made no sense. "B-but I'm nothing! They've got no reason to come after me, I didn't do anything, I'm just- look, I can't go, we need to go find them please!" she babbled, reaching for the teal armor by the robot's cheek. Hysteria gave her strength, despite the fact the robot was over twice her size. She was able to grab with a hand on either side, pulling herself closer. "Please, they're my parents, I need to-" The metal was warm in her hands, but the moment her face collided with the robot's own, it seemed to flare in a surge of heat. There was another scream, and Atari wasn't sure if it was her own; she wasn't sure of anything for a moment as everything everything turned into sound and noise and color and warmth, a feeling of moving in and being enveloped but at the same time

something pulling in to her and filling her body with energy and she was cold and warm all at once and when she could see again she wasn't looking up at the robot she was looking down at the ground at a car but there was nobody there and she was stumbling back in surprise as a voice not her own said oh. Oh my. ---------------- The construction site had been left behind; they were now vainly trying to catch up to a foe who had put all of her effort in to escaping. With the tide turned, there wasn't a point in staying behind; extract and delay until she could lose them completely. Not this time. This time, I find answers. She took another look at the map, judging the terrain- then sped up on her intercept route. This area was mostly abandoned, with some halted reconstruction efforts on the south side; they should be able to avoid it, if she moved quickly enough, and there just up ahead were the black and blue colors... Roulette lunged out of the alley, tires screeching as she spun to face the other. Before her, Shadow Striker's tires offered an echo as she hit her brakes, transforming and skidding to a halt in a crouch as she drew her weapons. "Wait!" Roulette shouted, transforming as well and throwing her hands before her. "I don't want to fight you-!" "Then get out of the way!" She gripped her fists. "No! Striker, tell me what's going on! Why are you doing this?!" Shadow Striker scowled, raising the batons. "Get out of the way!" she repeated, lunging forwards; Roulette threw up her arms to protect her face, and was treated to a full-body tackle in reward. Immediately she rolled with it, making to grab Shadow Striker's wrists; the two rolled over, struggling for position. "You don't have to do this!" "Shut up!" "Who's holding something over you!? Who's making you do all this!?" She tried to pin the other's hand over her head, but had to move away from a kick; Striker managed to squirm out as Roulette was recovering, but not without another swipe of a baton. Roulette barely dodged that one, leaning back and trying a jab of her own- Striker moved too fast, pushing back and then expertly flipping on to her feet. Roulette shouted as she lunged, trying for a tackle- Shadow Striker leaned back, dodging the strike, then the next, then the next, nimbly darting out of the ways of Roulette's blows. All the while Roulette tried to shout her down, hoping desperately that she could end this before Elita and Optimus caught up. If she could just understand-! Every time Shadow Striker tried to duck and escape, Roulette was there, stepping in her path; every time she threw a strike meant to kill, Roulette only dodged or blocked, holding back her own attacks. She didn't want to hurt her, but it was rapidly becoming clear that there was no choice. "Sister," she cried desperately, "please!" Snarling, Shadow Striker raised her blaster, the weapon switch catching Roulette by surprise- especially with such close quarters. She had just enough time to lean out of the way as it fired heat washing over the side of her face and helm, scorching it as Shadow Striker poisonously roared, "You're no sister of ours!" and she felt like she'd been shot in the gut, stumbling back with surprised bright optics from the sheer hatred of the words then being thrown forwards from the explosion from behind her as the blast caught something explosive and reacted. ---- oh my god oh god what is this help i can't easy, easy! icanticanthelpwhatsgoingonhelpicantohgodmomdadhelp Double-vision without being doubled; four arms with two of them as one. Atari tried to scream with a voice that wasn't her own, or maybe it was, she could barely move it felt like she was trying to move through molasses and carry ten times her own weight and there was a panic here, one that wasn't all her own; it was like an echo if an echo used someone else's voice, and that someone was trying desperately to remain calm but was feeding off her panic in the first place and it was feeding her own fear and there was a Legion right there!? Legion? One moment she was turning her head to look; the next she was thrown on to her back, a strike which should have taken off her head instead of just rattling her processor(?) as she struggled for control. The Legion - and now that she could take a look at it, a familiarity there, she could see that it looked almost like a car itself, if a junkyard car had been stretched and shaped in to a grotesque humanoid form in a freakish mirror of her own(!?), baleful red eyes staring over a drooling, snarling set of teeth and fluids she really didn't want to think of... That, informed the other voice, overstressed but trying her best to be helpful, is Legion. And just like that she knew; knew that while they didn't know everything about it, they knew it was drawn to certain humans- ones it would then attempt to consume to feed its power, and if such ever happened then they were even more of a threat than they already were- they were lucky because even if this group was an unusually high amount they'd gotten here before they consumed the girl-me, Atari realized. They were after me to- eat? I still don't understand! How do I know this?! Moonracer - because that was the robot's name, she knew that as much as she knew her own, seemed to wince. But she was trying to move, too, and Atari's stress made her own actions sluggish, and she could just get her arm up to try and block the next strike pain surged through her - their? - arm as the creature sunk in its claws, and then its teeth, and she heard another voice - Cliffjumper - shouting at her to hold on, he'd be right there oh god i'm going to die Atari, listen to me! I know you're scared, but we can do this! A shaky resolve that nonetheless cut through the terror. Even so, there was uncertainty; she still didn't know what was going on, and it was crawling on them, shrieking and swiping with its other claw as if to tear out her heart her spark, it hurts, it hurts Look- look, just listen! The merger's supposed to lend your power to mine, and working together we can easily take out one of these guys, just like Optimus and Marissa! A memory- red and blue armor shouting with a strangely-echoing voice, assaulted on all fronts by these creatures, expertly dodging strikes and sweeping around to counterattack while throwing a fist without even looking, then cleaving through another one that tried to leap upon them I- I haven't done this before, but I know it's possible - and if you're the kind of girl who can start this, well, I'm the kind of 'bot who can help us finish it! You with me? I...I don't... If we do this- then the sooner we stop them from hurting anyone, the sooner we can find your parents and help them! And just like that, with a hand reached out to her fear - just like that, she took it, and the world seemed to sync. The blurry echo-vision sharpened, focusing upon the threat before them that was still trying to reach in. As one, their free arm shot out, palm-first to strike the creature's neck- there was a horrific snap of metal as something in there broke, and the grip on their other arm eased. Only slightly, but it was enough for them to tear free, then kick back behind them for leverage as they threw themselves forward knee to the Legion's face, smashing through with enough force to cause shrapnel to fly and finally they could grab their fallen rifle, spinning it into their grip proper before firing point-blank to make sure it was gone then raising it up, seeing Cliffjumper falling under a handful one, two, three the shots weren't perfect, but one went down, the other two whirling around as she got their attention and then her rifle was like a club and her body was moving with speed she'd never know, neither of them had ever known this sort of thing and it was exhilarating, absolutely incredible how fast she was, how the world itself seemed to slow before her is this how Optimus and Marissa feel? She didn't know who either of them were, not personally, but at the same time she did; Optimus was their leader, bringing them here to investigate the strange energy readings that their lone scout had reported, but none of them had expected to find themselves under attack, they were still trying to find out who had shot them down stepping on top of the cars, kicking another Legion in the face while firing blindly behind her, but only because she didn't need to look and the shriek of pain was enough to confirm the hit and Marissa Marissa had been one of the first humans on the scene, newly promoted to her status, still fresh, new, and inexperienced but a natural at what she did, and she was the one to first offer her hand in friendship to the group of stranded Cybertronians and Optimus had been the first to take it and there had been pats on the back as the tenseness began to pass but the next thing either of them knew a Legion collided with a bus, shrill sounds of terror lancing through to both, and then they were there before it could so much as notice the few humans trapped around it it wouldn't hurt anyone they wouldn't let it no more no more and she remembered the humans shouting and hearing their fear and Optimus holding up his hands and, in a voice that sounded like him but didn't asking for everyone to just hold on, hold on, damn it let us-! everyone had tried to laugh about it later but at the time nobody had known what was going on us. We. Atari still didn't understand, but she understood enough to know that Moonracer was almost as new to this as she was and was at least, if never again, with her now and even as all of this transferred in a flash they were still moving, still striking the Legion, and then it was over because there were simply no more to fight. Cliffjumper stared in utter shock as they turned around, scanning the area, hypersensitive to the few humans who'd hidden instead of run and the smell of ozone and burning and the sirens in the distance- and back then to Cliffjumper himself as he shot one of the downed Legions in the head, and at the look they gave him, huffed defensively. "It twitched." ---- They found her surrounded by fire. Elita arrived first; Optimus and Marissa had to linger back, their power surge flagging, and when they did arrive it was with a weary-looking Marissa seated in Optimus' cab. By that time, Elita had immediately adjusted her priority; this inferno, if left uncontrolled, would surge back into the city proper. Sending a comm back to their human contacts, she immediately went to work, helping Roulette suffocate the flame. They were lucky, all told, as this part of town was relatively abandoned; the bright life that the rest of the city held was all but absent, though she did note some wide, scared-looking eyes in the shadows. They'd let the EDC deal with it. Thankfully, they already had a member on scene. Marissa slipped out of Optimus' door, then stepped forwards. Even with the Prime remaining in vehicular mode, Elita could tell he was tired; perhaps Marissa moreso, but both of them were holding such back admirably. "She got away?" Marissa asked up at them, to which Elita nodded before looking back towards her own weary unit. "Roulette tried to head her off. She was...less than successful." An understatement; Roulette looked on the verge of breaking down, at least emotionally; her motions were shaky, her optics were leaking light-trails, and her entire frame was scorched and scratched. With a sigh of her vents, Elita stepped forwards, resting a hand on the smaller figure's shoulder. The unit started before looking back, optics blinking and refocusing. "Elita, I....I tried," she began, voice trembling, "but I couldn't...she..." "Enough." A squeeze of her hand, a brief glance to Optimus, and then back to Roulette. "There's nothing more we can do here. Let's go back." "I..." "Come on." Roulette winced, then bowed her head submissively- then folded down into her vehicular mode. Elita followed, pinging a few quick messages to Optimus- can you take it from here? Yes, came the response. Marissa reports the local fire department is on their way. We'll meet them here until their own damage control arrives. All right. We'll catch you back at base. With that, the two began to speed away, Elita taking up position behind the mech that was technically her bodyguard - but right now, was the one who truly needed shielding.

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Good morning! The first Episode of KPC should be up this Saturday, 10/25. If all goes well, we should be posting the second Ep two weeks afterwards, on Saturday, 11/8.

-artoni

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So I may have accidentally forgot to enable asks until now.

Oops.

-artoni aka "what do you mean i messed up the settings"

(If it doesn't work for you, try hard refreshing the page.)

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whoops my hand slipped

Sari and Atari, from a Kiss Players revamp they are scribbling at. aw yeah.

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Not exactly finished, but the look of the three major (female) villains for the story. :3

Airachnid had a really nice design with the spider's stomach as her "dress", digitrade legs, four arms and two spider arms on the back, but then I remembered she's in an Earth alt for the story. 8v so away it went.

Strika has War Within Grimlock's design (with some minor cues taken from her Beast Machines and Animated appearances) and I think she carries it very well~

Shadow Striker straight up has the design/look for the only toy she has, no differences there.

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KEY TERMS/DEFINITIONS

CYBERTRONIAN - aka TRANSFORMER

Much as Earth has its Humans [aka Earthlings], the planet Cybertron has its own people - the name of which loosely translates to 'Transformer' due to their ability to change between a set of forms. Most often this is two, but triple- and quad-changers are not unheard of. In general, however, they maintain a bipedal and a vehicular form, the latter of which is suspected to be at least partially tied to their social status.

While the Cybertronian envoys upon Earth have been open about their culture and knowledge, there are still many things we do not know about them. With the looming threat of Angolmois and Legion, a full cultural exchange will have to wait.

It is clear, however, that they are metal-based organisms; a group of living beings who share as much in common with humanity as they do differ. 

ANGOLMOIS

A unique substance also known as 'Dark Energon' by the Cybertronians themselves. Said to be the blood of Unicron; the Dark God, the Chaosbringer, the World-Devourer (at least through their mythology). Whatever it is, it's bad; that it doesn't kill on contact it tends to warp over a given amount of time, slowly twisting to a nigh-unrecognisable form.

For Cybertronians, this tends to turn them in to mindless, hungry machines bent on destruction; upon Earth, it seems to have a few...different effects. While it can certainly affect the machines there and make them a part of 'Legion' - monstrous creatures with a tendency to consume all in their path - it's shown to have a unique effect on a good amount of the human populace, granting them the ability to merge with these machines and boost their strength substantially.

So far, the effects seem limited to females- with a few exceptions. Not all females are affected, but 90% of those who are affected are female. Scientists are currently gathering data to try and understand why it has such a narrow range.

KP UNIT - aka KISS PLAYER

Despite the unprofessional nomenclature, a 'KP' is merely a human who has been affected by Angolmois to the point where they can initiate a full merge with either a Legion unit or a Cybertronian life form. Said merging is usually initiated by face-to-face physical contact; most often forehead to forehead (size differences allowed for), but somehow the thought of them literally 'kissing' to initiate a merge has become the given mental image.

What is known is that the KP unit disappears during a merge, apparently converted to energy (Cybertronian intelligence theorizes that they literally become a 'Spark'). Their partner can then utilize this energy boost to commit incredible acts well beyond their normal abilities. However, they only have a limited time to accomplish such; at the end of such a period the KP unit will re-materialize, exhausted and often unconscious. (It is possible for them to disengage on their own; their rate of exhaustion is directly proportional to how close the are to their personal time limit. Every KP unit has a different limit, and it seems to only be discovered through repeated merges.)

Certain materials (such as synthetic fabrics) have proven themselves to be destroyed in the merging process. Thus, all official KP units are given sets of special uniforms, parts of which are to be worn under their civilian clothing to preserve modesty in case an unexpected fusion is required.

KP units report that they maintain a degree of control while in merge; though their body is absent, their consciousness is not, and they are fully aware of what they and their partner are doing (thus lending credibility to the Cybertronian 'spark' theory). They report a sort of time-dilation, as well; debates to a course of action occur seem to happen far more quickly than the world would normally allow, and only when both minds are in agreement can they truly utilize their abilities. It also seems to be possible for one or the other to take full control, at times, but it seems far from the ideal.

(Those who have merged with Legion report a hungry consciousness on the edge of their minds, making it difficult to tell which thoughts are theirs as opposed to its' own destructive urges; Cybertronians suggests that this is at least partially due to the entity known as 'Unicron'. This is one of the primary reasons Legion mergers are avoided, as it can take an unprepared KP by surprise and overwhelm them entirely- literally using them until there is nothing left.)

A merged unit tends to refer to itself as 'we' when speaking aloud, attributing to this gestalt consciousness; the mannerisms and postures also tend to reflect a mixture of both units'. It is possible for one or the other mind to comment on their own; observers describe it as 'disturbing' when a merged unit carries on a human conversation with a Cybertronian (or Legion!) voice and face.

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VILLAINS

Because you don't have to be made of metal to make a threat.

JOSIE BELLER - aka CIRCUT BREAKER 37 - 6'1" - FRENCH Blonde hair - Green eyes

Brilliant engineer with a sharp wit and a bottomless anger towards the boss who fired her, towards a society that hasn't (in her opinion) helped her and against the world in general. Is fully on board with the Unicronians' aim. Has "enhanced" herself with Angolmois-infused wiring and circuitry with the assistance of Strika, which has resulted in the curious ability to command groups of Legions. Despite not being a 'true' KP, her upgrades and the second-hand Angolmois infusions arguably give her similar powers- but she finds fusing or enhancing the machines annoying at best, and prefers to fight on her own power. Her misplaced rage leads her to an argumentative but surprisingly strong bond with Shadow Striker.

SAMANTHA LOMOW 27 - 5'6" - AMERICAN [mixed ancestry] Brown hair - blue eyes Elegant, fashionable, impatient and with a fixation of time (doesn't want to be late, even if any given thing isn't something she could be "late" to), Samantha doesn't know the full story of the Unicronians' goals. She is, nonetheless, Airachnid's "willing" KP (as far as she's given consent to aid a cause she doesn't know the full impact or scope of), with the attitude that the strong will always do as they want with the weak. And this puts her among the strong. Besides, it's either this or jail for the number of petty (and not so petty) crimes she's committed over the years.

LELAND BISHOP - aka SILAS 49 - 6'3" - NORDIC Grey hair - brown eyes Ex-Cobra. Recently moved to Canada's EDC-equivalent for parole, but ever since Cobra started to falter he was starting his own plans. When the Angolmois is activated worldwide he activates his own plans - MECH, and stealing any Angolmois he can (whether it be from EDC storage, from the battlefield, from civilians who've had unfortunate luck to be in the wrong place in the wrong time). His ultimate goal? The ultimate weapon, something that will give him the push he needs to make his new world order.

HITOSHIZUKA AMAO 43 - 5'8" - JAPANESE Black hair - brown eyes A brilliant scientist who loved her daughter- and was devastated when said daughter died in a Legion attack. She blames all 'alien robots' for her loss, but is seemingly swallowing her pain to help the EDC end the worldwide threat. But this is merely a way of getting what she wants- her position gives her close proximity to Angolmois, a substance she is convinced can help to give her daughter a second chance at life.

PENNY SUTTON 12 - 5'1" - AMERICAN [mixed ancestry] Black hair - brown eyes Schoolmate of Sari's. They don't get along. That's really all you need to know.

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So, in order from top left: Marissa, Shaoshao, Atari, Sari and Carly!

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FAQ #1

Because.

No, really. We liked the base Kiss Players concept - girls and giant robots - but hated the execution. So we decided to do our own.

What 'verse is this set in?

Our own. KP:C draws inspiration from a number of settings (Animated, G1, Movieverse, Prime, etc) but is ultimately meant to stand on its own as a unique setting.

What do we need to know?

Well...

No Great War and/or Autobot/Decepticon divide.Primus and Unicron exist. Well, if you believe the stories.

There was some strife some vorns ago, but with the combined efforts of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Elita-One, damage was minimized. What 'war' there was, never left Cybertron- though there is still a bit of unrest to this day. (Megatron sees it as fun, the bloodthirsty botcrusher that he is.)

The Transformers are (relatively) new to Earth, and have an alliance with EDC.

Atari's allergic to peanuts. 

About 30 years ago, a group of Real American Heroes [AKA G.I. Joe] fought some jerks named COBRA. They had scuffles. It's mostly died down, though supposedly some COBRA cells remain.

KP does not stand for 'Kiss Player'. Kiss Players remains part of the title for homage to the original series.

What it does stand for is classified.

Everything else can be learned as the story progresses!

How will this be presented?

Eh, we don't know. Right now we're just taking notes and doing scribbles. If it does get organized, it'll probably be either comic or illustrated story format, or some mixture of that and other media.

We tentatively have five 'seasons', aka primary storyarcs. 

What can we expect?

A damn good story, or so we intend to (eventually) tell. We're taking what we like, removing what we don't, and trying some new things for flavor.

Is this SFW? Seeing as it's based off of, well...?

Minimal skeeviness, we promise. We can't promise everything will be 100% shiny happiness, but we can promise that any questionable material will be labeled as such. As it stands the story has a few elements which may make others uncomfortable, but they are intended to be such and not meant to be accepted as healthy and/or the norm.

Also no nude scenes. (We may consider Marissa in a swimsuit.)

What's with the tagline?

Little tongue in cheek joke with one of other currently-popular Hasbro brands. ♥ Don't take it seriously. 

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UNICRONIANS

Bad girls and guys.

STRIKA Cybertronian Battle Tank - ~35" Black, violet, yellow General of Destruction. Seeking to become a full Herald of Unicron, Strika has seeded Earth with Angolmois with the intent of merging those so infected with the sparkless hulls called Legion, which in turn are the results of Angolmois fusing with the machines on earth. The final result? A unique sort of unicronian mechanoid fully in the service of Unicron, to ravage the galaxy in preparation for his arrival. SHADOW STRIKER Dodge Viper - ~23" Black, blue, yellow One of Strika’s minions. Bitter and vengeful towards the world for the death of one of her sisters, she wishes to see it hurt as she has been. This desire clouds her reasoning, along with the fact that it would probably leave her *other* sister dead as well. Strika was able to play off her emotions and use her as a test subject to see if normal cybertronians can be infused with Angolmois and join with an Angolmois-infused human as well. Long story short- yes, they can, but at a high cost to both. LUGNUT A-10 Thunderbolt II - ~33" Sea-green, violet Strika’s conjux endura/partner. Devoted to her more than her cause, and as such can be blinded to its faults. Still, he finds himself occasionally at odds with who he believes in and what he believes in. A little slow, but ultimately a valuable ally for those who have him on their side. Also surprisingly fast and agile for his size and build, though that's only saying so much with his current companions. AIRACHNID Sikorsky X2 - ~29" Black, grey, red Elegant, deadly and terrifying, Airachnid is without a question both the deadliest and creepiest in Strika's entourage. Sadistic, she has a fascination with the state of a species brought to the most terrible low of them all - near extinction. She likes being the cause of said state herself, as excruciatingly, elaborately as possible. Finds her KP's impatience annoying, and tries to teach her the art of taking your time and enjoying it. Finds herself inexplicably charmed by her "partner"...she'll kill her last. (Podmates with Blackarachnia and Cogwheel.) NIGHTBIRD N/A - ~20" Black, grey Result of the Japanese version of the EDC’s research into Angolmois. First human mechanoid. Activated before schedule, she escaped the facility and joined up with Strika and her unicronians. Is not fully aware of her background, but has faint memories of her early pre-activation existence. Has some conflicted feelings regarding humans and Strika’s plans for Earth (not so much the wider galaxy, beyond the fact that Earth is in it), but pushes those away. GALVA͏TRO҉N̨ ?̸?? ̢-̶ ~3̵2̸" G҉r̕eys

F́͟I͠͞L͏E̴҉̧ Ç͡O̵̶̧̡͟R̶̡͝Ŕ̸̸̛͝U̵̵͟P͠͏̧͠T̷̸̷́̕E͞͏͜͠D̡̡

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CYBERTRONIANS

The crash-landed crew, stranded on Earth- and helping to fight its greatest battles yet.

OPTIMUS PRIME Navistar Lonestar long-haul - ~30" Blue, red, white

The Prime of Cybertron, partnered with Elita One and his Highlord Protector Megatron. Patient and compassionate, has a noble (even something of a self-sacrificing) streak a mile wide. Was far less proficient with people and far less patient when he was younger, but he has grown into his role (a little too well, in Elita’s opinion) despite his lingering doubts. He is, nonetheless, also extremely stubborn and while his anger is usually slow-burn and low-intensity (though make no mistake, if he’s angry at you you will know), he can be pushed into a rage. Megatron is very good at provoking this, but he’s also good at both matching and defusing that. ELITA ONE Lamborghini Aventador - ~27" Pink, greys Partnered with Optimus and Megatron. Strong-willed, no-nonsense and practical. She doesn’t like having her skills questioned, and when she was younger she tended to act hastily when she thought someone was questioning her skills. Less diplomatic than Optimus, but nonetheless better at people than he is (even if he’s far better than he thinks he is, as she has to remind him). Can match Megatron in her temper, and Optimus has had to defuse their arguments quite often. ROULETTE Dodge Viper - ~23" Grey, yellow, violet Elita One’s bodyguard, previously an up and coming peace keeper/law enforcement officer. Joined law enforcement as a reaction to her sister’s death, compared to Shadow Striker turning to criminality and basically seeking to “end the world”. Worries about her sister, and when she realises she’s one of the Cybertronians on Earth, hopes she can convince her to stop. But if she can’t, she knows she has to - and will - have to stop her in whatever way necessary. Proud of her skills and her career, sometimes to the length of being somewhat obnoxious about it, but is friendly and extremely protective of her friends and others who are in need. Not excellent at dealing with her own emotions, but still surprisingly good at being insightful with others - something that helps her later with Shaoshao. Good friends with Moonracer. CHROMIA Custom Kawasaki J Concept - ~17" Blues, white Old friend of both Elita and Optimus, partnered with Ironhide. Is Optimus’ bodyguard. Hot-tempered, seemingly hard-ass, Chromia has a gentle core even if she’s very, very awkward about it. Thinks she’s less protective and mothering than she actually is, which means that her bonding with Sari and caring for her is very much a surprise to her...and makes her panic a little. Elita tries not to laugh at the whole thing, especially when Isaac and Chromia later commiserates about Sari’s tendency to rush into things. Though, on the other hand, Chromia is far more allowing than Isaac is, as long as she’s present, and tries to both train Sari as well as teach her how to judge a situation and if she can deal with it realistically. Chromia knows her limits, and sees nothing wrong with calling for backup when it’s needed. She seldom needs it, however, wielding an energy halberd and her guns with the same proficiency. Moonracer’s teacher in guns, though Moonracer is quickly out-stripping her in skill. MOONRACER Ferrari Enzo - ~20" Blue-green, white Friendly, cheerful and full of smiles and laughter, Moonracer is idealistic and seems to have taken after Optimus when it comes to his noble (and self-sacrificing) streak. She doesn’t like the thought - or reality - of having to compromise when it comes to other’s safety and lives. Can be far more serious than her first impression gives, and while her first response is to try and cheer people up, she can tell when it’s time to simply be there and offer support - or when it’s time to leave someone alone. Is far more headstrong than she seems, as she at least tries (and tries very hard) to obey her elders’ words and wisdom. Manages to become a good friend to all the human girls, though particularly to Atari (whom she, along with Cliffjumper, slowly helps becoming stronger) and Sari. Moonracer and Sari, in particular, tends to get into trouble together by rushing into situations in attempts at helping. Cliffjumper Chrysler ME Four Twelve Concept - ~14" Red, black For all the world the opposite of Moonracer, Cliffjumper is a loud, proud, and rather mouthy minibot. Can be surprisingly deadly in a fight, which only partly comes from being underestimated - the rest comes from him carrying around an arsenal twice his own weight. Doesn't like being underestimated, and tends to think people - even his friends and family - do that all the time, and tries to show his real skills... Unfortunately often in a way that makes space rather than fits in alongside. Not that he can't fight in a cooperative effort, but Cliffjumper has a light trigger finger on more than his literal trigger fingers, which means he tends to jump into thing, because he thinks he can/should/has to do something and doesn't pause to listen to input. Hides his insecurities well, not least because he doesn't actually think of them that often. Still, he can hold a bit of a softer side; if nothing else he's honest, and is a terrible liar if he even was willing to try. But he also cares for the safety of those he cares about, and is very much invested in what's right and wrong. Practical, much like Elita, though more emotional.

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HUMANS

In this post; the main five ladies, and a bonus father figure.

SARI SUMDAC 13 - 5'4" - INDIAN-AMERICAN Red hair - blue eyes - blood type AB- Aries - Horse Youngest of the group, while she isn't a KP unit herself Sari nonetheless displays a spirit to match any one of them. At least, when she's not acting bratty, spoiled, or otherwise abrasive to others- though this is more a matter of social clumsiness on her part, as making friends has never come overly easy to her. Still, she feels deeply for others, and at least is comfortable making connections with others- her natural curiosity and and self-belief can be endearing to many. Sari develops a back-and-forth relationship with Atari, as they end up caring about a lot of the same things despite their different personalities. But she's by far and above the closest to her father, even if she thinks he's overprotective and a bit "dim" sometimes. ATARI HITOTONARI 19 - 5'0 - JAPANESE-AMERICAN Black hair - brown eyes - blood type O+ Pisces - Boar Gentle, whiny, and very much a cry-baby; compassionate, sickly and not very strong. Atari hasn't stood up for much in her life, but if she had a stronger personality, she might have become a militant about animal rights and about being a vegan. As it is, she'll only look extremely sad as you take a bite of your sandwich...though her puppy eyes are basically a weapon all of their own. Cannot speak Japanese as her parents never taught her (to make her fit in), and they have been constantly commenting on it since she was little - one of her only actual resentments to their parenting. Now if she could only get rid of her resentments about her chubby body... When Atari and her parents are attacked by Legions, they are rescued by Cliffjumper and Moonracer - and to both Moonracer's and Atari’s surprise, they end up joining during the fight. Due to the fact that her parents are lethally injured, Atari carries a grudge (as much as she can) but also understands it’s hardly the Autobots’ fault, and works with THE EDC to fight the Legion creatures who are responsible for her parents’ state. Oddly enough, she's proven to be an exceptionally strong KP, and partners with both Cliffjumper and Moonracer. CARLY SPENCER 25 - 5'6" - CAUCASIAN-AMERICAN Blonde hair - blue eyes - blood type A+ Leo - Sheep Cheerful and with leadership qualities, Carly is somewhat fanciful in her imagination - not romantic as such, but she allows herself flights of fancy that can seem silly to others - Elita doesn’t understand them, but comes to appreciate them. Is gifted with electronics and chemistry, and pursuing education specifically in the latter - both reading up on and tinkering with the former in her free time. Can come up with rather unconventional solutions to problems (which usually turn out to work, but not always), because she can rather easily see the actual “core” of the issue at hand quickly and then her brain jumps to working out solutions. On the other hand, she can't deal with unforeseen situations very well, and has trouble working under pressure. Likes going fast and facinated with robots and A.I. Carly sets herself up as the impromptu 'big sister' of the group, and tries to make sure they're all as efficient as they can be. It takes Marissa's temperance to lead her in to understanding that being a leader means adapting to others as much as trying to tell them what to do. SHAOSHAO LI 28 - 6'0" - CHINESE Black hair - green eyes - blood type B+ Scorpio - Rooster Though she was born in America, Shaoshao's family moved back to China during her preteen years. It was only a few years ago that she was kidnapped by Shadow Striker due to being infused with Angolmois to be part of Strika’s experiment. She joined with Shadow Striker several times, and the combination became a worldwide threat. Later rescued by Marissa and Optimus when they realise that Shadow Striker IS fused with someone during their battles with her. Carries a huge chip on her shoulder against ALL Cybertronians thanks to her treatment, but ends up joining with Roulette (and slowly come to trust at least her). Friends with Marissa since childhood and has developed a strong crush, but hasn’t been able or dared to tell her. Yet. Strong-willed, rather sharp/sarcastic and with a somewhat ‘if you can’t defend yourself you deserve it’ attitude, which has messed her up emotionally when it comes to her kidnapping and joining with Shadow Striker (though this doesn’t stop her from really disliking Atari). Also possesses something of a temper, and is afraid of bugs and ghosts. MARISSA FAIREBORN 30 - 5'9" - MIXED AFRICAN-AMERICAN Black hair - grey eyes - blood type A- Aquarius - Rat  Rescued by Optimus from one of the Legion creatures when the small contigent of cybertronians find out something is wrong on Earth. Later helps/rescues Optimus when he ends up fighting against Shadow Striker, who by the time is fused with Shaoshao. Compassionate, with a strong work and moral ethic, but no-nonsense, and thus weighs up Optimus’ noble streak in a similar way that Elita does (which Elita is thankful for). Quiet and patient, but has more of a temper than even Shaoshao when it’s finally lit - and here Optimus weighs up against her. Friends with Shaoshao since her childhood, and currently not aware of the other young woman’s affections. But very much the real 'mom' of the group, perhaps even worrying needlessly and taking on too much in her attempts to protect them. ISAAC SUMDAC 43 - 5'2" - INDIAN-AMERICAN Black hair - brown eyes - blood type AB+ Libra - Ox Sari’s father. Awkward, quiet and earnest, he is caring and protective - in Sari’s opinion over-protective. Works as a robotics engineer, tends to invent things in his spare time. The house is cluttered with both utterly “useless stuff” (in Sari’s words) and quirky but functional inventions. Ends up signing with the EDC in order to further their KP program. Lately, he and Sari have had a harder time to communicate properly thanks to their different (and developing, in Sari’s case) personalities, but that doesn’t stop either of them from trying. Trying until they get frustrated, which means he often ends up locking himself in the basement and works on his inventions - and then puts a plate of hot food outside Sari’s door to make sure she has food, or come in after she’s fallen asleep to tuck her in properly. Patient with his daughter’s brattiness (but closes down anyone else with a similar attitude and who is older), though he has a tendency to lose his temper sometimes. If he does, he immediately reigns himself in.