((RP Thread))

[bw_waspy]

((After this))

Comments

[lavender-wings.livejournal.com]

Hey... *waves back to Elec, then just watches - it's not like she can do much at the moment*

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec glances at the computer readings. He hadn't been able to stay long enough the last time to see how quickly the strange device did repairs.*

*He's also wondering when he should leave. He doesn't want to make things worse for any of them when they wake up, and he knows his alternate's destruction is a sensitive topic.*

*Quick didn't seem too troubled by his presence. He wasn't sure about Crash, based on the reaction at the party, although Crash seemed to be ok as long as they didn't have to interact. Flash... if he didn't know about Wind, then he couldn't know what had happened to the other Elec. Metal, however, was an uncertainty in more ways than one.*

*Elec sighed. Well, he'd see what happened, and leave when he had to.*

[rmmayhem]

*Air sighs as he checks things over, then quickly goes back over them a second time to make sure he didn't miss anything. Everything looks good to him, so Air confirms that it's ready for the CR to begin its work.*

*shivering a little, commenting softly* I'm just glad that I no longer have to worry about the limits on the amount of damage I was allowed to repair when I was first activated. Quick's well beyond that limit right now.

[pogo_boy]

*quietly* I don't think anybody here is going to tell you not to fix them, 'niisan.

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec pats Quint on the head, almost looking amused* Of course not.

*then he shakes his head a bit at the thought of there being 'limits' on allowed repairs, commenting quietly*

I've only heard of a few that our universe's Wily considered too much trouble to repair, and he still sent them down to the Gallery. I guess he'd fix them if he ever needed them enough to bother.

*Elec looks uneasy at that. It wasn't something he could truthfully say he agreed with, but he couldn't really disagree either - not unless he wanted to make himself very uncomfortable*

*He watches the screen occasionally. He doesn't understand most of the repair data, but progress/status bar next to the ongoing repairs are simple enough that even Gutsman might have understood. After it was explained to him anyway. Several times. In small words.*

[rmmayhem]

*Air just watches the progress nervously.*

*softly* Seeing them hurt like that, reminds me way too much of a few memories I've found ever since the incident with that chip. I don't really know if they happened but...

*shudders a little before adding quietly* If those memories were real, then maybe I really do deserve what he wants to do to me. Or to be recycled like they were.

*sadly* They didn't deserve what happened.

[pogo_boy]

*Quint shivers slightly, remembering the recording, and trying not to think of Air screaming like that. Just the thought scares him.*

No... no you don't, 'niisan. Nobody deserves to be hurt that much...

*his voice takes on an odd, less frightened tone, sounding almost predatory as he adds* Except maybe Wind. And the Dr. Wily where you're from. And Kurama. People like that, maybe.

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec frowns, remembering the little bit of the recording he'd heard* No, Air, you don't deserve that. Or what Wind wanted to do to you either.

Whatever you're remembering, or whatever you were like then, the person you are now doesn't deserve that.

[rmmayhem]

*Air looks down towards the floor, trying to keep from looking at anyone else. He doesn't want to see the disgust he expects for this.*

*voice full of regret* I was the one who declared two of the Alphas to be beyond repair. For damage less than what Quick has now. Two of them had the same fate as the one in the recording Wind was playing.

*softly* My personality matrix was damaged as well as my memory. Certainly, that changed me. But does that make me any less guilty, Elec?

*oddly emotionless* I was just as responsible for their suffering as the one whose hands did it.

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec sits down rather hard on the floor of the cave, stunned by the news. For a few moments he can't say anything, shivering at the thought of two of the Alphas going through what he'd heard on the little part of the recording that he'd listened to. He doesn't ask who. The thought of that happening to any of them is horrifying.*

*He looks up from where he's sitting, visibly shaken, but still able to notice the way Air is looking at the floor, and note the regret in the Beta's voice.*

Air, you said you wouldn't have been allowed to repair them. Did Wily give you orders to report that kind of damage? You know we can't disobey, no matter how much we hate the orders.

*He's quiet for another second at a warning from his choke chip, but this needs to be said. He stands up and goes over to Air.*

Whatever you did then, you regret it now. And unless the way you care for your brothers is an elaborate act and I'm mistaken about what's in those boxes we carried over here, you've done a lot to make up for it since.

As for anything like that recording, Wily did that, not you. *Elec winces at a sharper warning, but continues to speak despite the pain.* If anyone's to blame for that, it's him.

*He's silent for a moment again, waiting for the choke chip to leave him alone, before he continues quietly*

I think the two you sent to him would forgive you, based on what you've done since.

I know I would.

[pogo_boy]

*Quint is disturbed, at the memories of the recording, not at Air's actions. He doesn't interrupt Elec, letting the older Wilybot handle this, though he looks a bit concerned when he notices Elec is setting off warnings from his choke chip as he speaks.*

*He really didn't know what he could say. He barely knew most of the Alphas, and some not at all - they'd been in the Gallery most of the time he could recall.*

You wouldn't do something like that any more, 'niisan. I know you wouldn't.

[rmmayhem]

*sadly* I may have done it on orders Elec, but at the time... I didn't feel any regret. I was actually glad I wasn't the one being recycled. That's all I felt. Is there anything I really could do to make up for being a monster then? As for disobeying orders, Elec, I disobeyed them with every one of those boxes being filled...

*softly* I just wish I could apologize to them.

*directed at Quint* That's just it, Quint. My personality changed so fast due to that damage. What's to keep my systems from eventually undoing the damage and making me that monster again? If that happened...

*Air looks over at the screen to watch the CR's progress. Better to try to not think about the memories. The others needed Air stable enough to finish this.*

[pogo_boy]

*Quint shivers, not wanting something like that to happen to Air*

Maybe there's some way to be sure it won't. Like trick your self-repair program into not fixing that. Or.. maybe the CR. It made a scan when you were hurt before, and that means there's a record of the damage, and maybe if that starts to happen it can undo what your self-repair does. I-I don't know.

*a little more certainly, he adds* It won't happen, 'niisan. There'll be some way to make sure it doesn't.

[feathers_in_wax]

People change, Air. So do we, sometimes. That you regret it now matters. *there's a trace of bitterness in his tone as he adds* If you think I'm going to keep rubbing your face in past mistakes, sorry.. I'm not Rock.

*Elec sighs, the way the choke chip had been acting up had made him a little snippy, and he hoped Air didn't misunderstand the irritation in his voice.*

*Quieter, he adds* Your brothers are lucky to have you. And lucky that you can disobey. *He winces slightly* It's more than I could have done if I were in your place.

[lavender-wings.livejournal.com]

*If Air expected disgust from her, it never comes. Steadfast remained quiet for a bit, letting the Wilybots talk among themselves, but now she speaks up.*

Sometimes we condemn people to die - kill them, even - out of necessity. I once killed my own wingmate. He was wounded and... I had to leave him behind, but I wasn't going to let the Autobots get him alive. It's... it's life.

Not having felt shame for what you did out of necessity doesn't make you a horrible monster. Neither is there shame in thinking about your own survival. If we're not alive, how can we do good for others?

*Her gaze is that of an ancient, battle-hardened warrior. For a moment, it's easy to tell that she's millions of years old.*

And you've been a good brother ever since. You filled those boxes. You did what you could.

Air... *sighs* those two... I understand that you feel bad and you miss them and you need to grieve. It's normal. *emphatically* But I bet they'd want you alive, and able to be there for your surviving brothers. If you want to die or give up - let alone surrender yourself to Wind - you dishonour them.

((Drawing on ficverse!Steadfast's backstory here 'cause it fits the context so well...))

[rmmayhem]

*to Quint* All I've been able to do to keep the self repair system from going to my personality matrix is by doing things to make sure it has other things to fix that it sees as higher priority. Even if it means causing myself damage occasionally, I'll keep doing that... Just scared it won't last.

*Air stays quiet for a little while, unsure of what to say. He's confused because the response is far from what he was expecting to receive. Almost exactly the same as what Quick and Crash keep telling him...*

*softly* I couldn't leave family to suffer like that if I had the chance. I didn't want to have to watch as another brother went through that... And I sometimes thought that I could make up for the siblings I did fail by doing what I did. Even if it didn't help them...

*sounding almost bitter* Even if I want to die or give up, there's no way I'll ever be able to. They won't let me, and they need me. I'm the oldest. I can't let them down.

[1st_mistake]

*Blues walks into the cave, whistling, in time to hear the last of that* Now why does that sound familiar?

[pogo_boy]

*Quint looks troubled by the idea of Air having to injure himself, but can understand how the alternative would be worse in this case*

I.. maybe I can ask Cole if she knows another way to trick your self-repair system into not fixing that, when I go home. There's have to be a way.

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec's not sure what else he could say, and he's pushed his luck enough with the choke chip for a while. He looks at the computer again to see how the repairs on Quick are progressing*

[rmmayhem]

*Air starts a little at hearing Blues come in but keeps himself from reacting too much.*

It's not that bad. Really. I'm fine. It's no worse than a lapse is, anyways. And it doesn't hurt for long, when I do feel it. Don't tell Quick or Crash about it, alright? They don't need to have something else to worry about.

*Air lets his attention go back to the screen and the progress indicator. It looks like it's just about finished. It would have taken a lot longer to do the repairs manually, so Air's grateful he didn't have to.*

*softly, with a slight tinge of annoyance present* I just hope Quick actually manages to use logic rather than immediately force his systems into a shutdown...

[bw_waspy]

*Waspinator has transformed to Beast Mode and curled up on one of the piles of towels for a nap, buzzing slightly in his sleep*

[pogo_boy]

*Quint nods. He won't tell Quick or Crash - unless some situation comes up where Air could be in worse danger if he didn't*

*He glances towards the CR, worried about Quick* I hope.. maybe he'll know we're here, and it's ok.

[1st_mistake]

*Blues almost smiles at what Air says. Not that he's not concerned about Quick, but the comment reminds him of something.* Did you know, there used to be a steriotype of sorts in science fiction years ago. Humans thought any robots would, by nature, be extremely logical.

Funny how wrong assumptions like that can be. *he moves closer to the CR, curiously*

[feathers_in_wax]

*Elec grins a bit* I remember reading about the U.N.'s reactions to you, Blues.

[1st_mistake]

*Blues does smile at that* Yep. For them, I dropped right into Masahiro Mori's 'Uncanny Valley' and didn't quite make it to the other side for most.

Made them very uncomfortable.