{"id":5029,"date":"2021-10-22T11:32:49","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T15:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/?p=5029"},"modified":"2021-10-22T11:32:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T15:32:49","slug":"tmc-24-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/tmc-24-3\/","title":{"rendered":"TMC 24-3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Megatron returned to the Nemesis-A<\/em> and ordered the ship to be ready for the next day\u2019s battle. He sat in his ready room and stewed over his lost chance of power. The coming war against Starscream\u2019s forces wouldn\u2019t give him enough of an opportunity to wrest that kind of power from Optimus. \u201cPeace,\u201d he muttered. \u201cAll I want is power to bring peace. Why is it so difficult for the universe to understand?!\u201d His door chime then rang. \u201cCome in.\u201d The door opened to reveal Treadshot. Megatron stood up. \u201cDad!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI met with your mother,\u201d replied Treadshot. \u201cShe said she told you boys everything about what I was. \u2026I\u2019m sorry to hear about Dion\u2019s reaction\u2026and yours considering Dion\u2019s. \u2026My boy, making the same mistakes as me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, come on, Dad!\u201d protested Megatron. \u201cThe Autobots had become decadent! They went all Functionist on the Decepticons! Someone had to stop them! That\u2019s why I gained power! You were a Decepticon once! That\u2019s how we obtain peace, isn\u2019t it? By seeking power?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not the trick to obtaining peace, my boy. The trick is knowing when to give up power, something both sides lost sight of during the war.\u201d Megatron rolled his optics and sat down. \u201c\u2026How\u2019s your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Physically, she\u2019s fine,\u201d remarked Megatron. \u201cIt\u2019s her mental state I\u2019m worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHadn\u2019t you better check on her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe locked me out when I tried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026She\u2019s hurting, badly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Try again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe needs her husband now.\u201d The two mechs then stood up. Megatron went one way and Treadshot went another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Nightbird was in the mess hall with a bottle of Engex. She gave everyone the impression that she wanted to be alone. As she poured herself another glass, someone approached her table. She looked up and glared at Drift. Drift responded with a smile as she sat down. \u201cI\u2019m glad I could find you, Nightbird.\u201d Her optics then rested on the bottle. \u201c\u2026I see you started without me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy former target wanted to meet me,\u201d replied Nightbird, \u201cto discuss my bright future once we commit deicide. Did you expect me to deal with any of this in a sober manner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI figured a somewhat casual setting would make things\u2026easier. Fewer ghosts lurking around.\u201d Nightbird scoffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSays the only ghost that matters.\u201d She downed her glass, then poured another one. Drift noticed that Nightbird spilled some Engex as she poured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026Don\u2019t you think you should slow down?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is nothing.\u201d Nightbird set the bottle down. \u201cAnd whether or not I want more will depend on where you think this conversation is going.\u201d Drift realized that Nightbird might not be totally receptive, so she considered her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026All right, let\u2019s talk,\u201d she sighed. \u201cLook, our cyber-ninjitsu styles are similar to the ones Yoketron teaches, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, why not have the two schools work together occasionally? I\u2019m not suggesting a total merging of the schools, even Yoketron would be against the idea. What I\u2019m proposing is the occasional student exchange. I mean, with Starscream beaten, do you really think either Autobot OR Decepticon will, deep down, WANT to resume hostilities? Maybe this is a good opportunity to try and\u2026learn from one another?\u201d Nightbird DID give the idea some thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026No.\u201d Drift was a little dismayed but held her course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a ludicrous suggestion!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut why is it ludicrous?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo I really need to explain why telling Yoketron that the exchange will involve his students learning how to kill, when his own dojo code calls killing impetuous courage, is a bad idea?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, but I might need some help understanding why it\u2019s crazy to suggest that both schools at least learn from each other so they can better understand the other\u2019s philosophies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re being difficult!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing from you, that\u2019s a compliment.\u201d Nightbird slammed her hand on the table as she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou and I come from a school of killers, Deadlock! That is what we exceled in! That\u2019s what we ALWAYS excel in! Decepticon Cyber-Ninjas are not, nor will we ever be, heroes!\u201d Drift briefly considered her former pursuer\u2019s words, then changed tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said, when we were students, that you wanted to change the Decepticon Cyber-Ninja Corps; now, now you say that the Corps is irredeemable, it\u2019s beyond redemption.\u201d Nightbird folded her arms in annoyance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you getting at?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNightbird, have you ever tried saving people instead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I\u2019m sure that I saved plenty of people by removing certain unsavory individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCERTAIN unsavory individuals. That means the clients had to wave a lot of Shanix under your olfactory sensors to get you to remotely care about them. You know what Bludgeon always said, never take contracts simply for the sake of others, and you didn\u2019t. Tell me, even when you accepted the contracts, when you ran your sai into the head of a gun-toting drug lord with a resume shockingly like your own, were you really thinking about how many people you saved by doing so?\u201d Nightbird looked away, uncomfortable at Drift\u2019s questions. \u201cSo, let me ask again, have you ever taken up your sai because innocent people were in need, or are you chasing around potential personal futures, hoping that if you kill enough of them, you might get a decent recharge one day?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026I wouldn\u2019t\u2026\u201d muttered Nightbird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t\u2026?\u201d invited Drift. Nightbird finally stood up and slammed her hands on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t know where to start!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow fortunate that you have someone who can help you with that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat exactly do you want from me, Deadlock?!\u201d Drift sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026I want us to move on. I don\u2019t want to be a ghost locking you in a moment in the past. You already said that you don\u2019t believe the Decepticon Cyber-Ninja Corps will ever change if you continue like this. If it hasn\u2019t worked then, maybe it\u2019s time to try something else.\u201d Drift got up and headed towards the door. \u201cI don\u2019t expect an answer right now. Give it some thought. I\u2019m not asking you to be a hero. A work in progress is good enough.\u201d She left the mess hall, leaving Nightbird to her thoughts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Megatron returned to the Nemesis-A and ordered the ship to be ready for the next day\u2019s battle. He sat in his ready room and stewed over his lost chance of power. The coming war against Starscream\u2019s forces wouldn\u2019t give him enough of an opportunity to wrest that kind of power from Optimus. \u201cPeace,\u201d he muttered. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,685],"tags":[146,337],"class_list":["post-5029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles-arc-24-the-gathering","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5030,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5029\/revisions\/5030"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}