video | a finer world, part 2

[solarcharged]

[ Does this guy ever broadcast to the network from ground level?? APPARENTLY NOT because here's Apollo with yet another video message from somewhere dizzyingly high, this time sat on top of a brightly lit neon encrusted building in the heart of Jeopardy. Over his shoulder the sun sets over the desert in a picture perfect background landscape of bright pinks and oranges, but Apollo looks pensive despite the dreamy setting. He's been keeping an eye out for the so-called ghosts, you see, and maybe remembering a few ghosts of his own in the process. ]

An old friend once told me that saving the world is no good if we leave it the way we found it. She said 'saving the day shouldn't be the same as preserving the status quo'. Because what's the point in saving the world if you make no effort to change it? To make it better than it was?

That's why I joined her team, back home. I wanted to save the world and change it for the better. None of us could have done it alone but as a group... [ He trails off, turning a little wistful. ] As a group we were formidable.

But I know most of the teams currently operating here - [ you know who you are ] - are all pretty much Registered-only affairs. And that's fine if you're the Registering type...

[ Apollo's expression turns grim. Or as grim as you can look when surrounded by neon pink signage. ]

Personally? I've got no intention of swearing my loyalty to the government just because they want tame superheroes. But I still want to make a difference and if being a so-called vigilante is what it takes, then... I guess we'll see what happens next.

So consider this an open call. Is there anyone else out there who's Unsettled and wants to do their bit to save the world?

[ And yeah, maybe change it a little bit too. He hopes you're happy, Jenny Sparks. ]

Comments

[solarcharged]

No, it's never that simple, is it?

[ says the guy who executed the president of the united states for destroying florida, with a sigh ]

What did you do during the war? And why did it last so long?

[knaval]

Oh, I was deployed all over the place. I'm bottom of the barrel soldier, you see.

[he shrugs.]

Unstoppable force meets immovable object.

[solarcharged]

Which were you? Unstoppable force or immovable object?

[knaval]

Cannon fodder.

[literally.]

[solarcharged]

You saved planets too, right? Pretty good work for canon fodder.

I'm Apollo. Good to meet you, Riptide.

[knaval]

Not alone. Failed to save just as many.

[he shrugs.]

You too. So long as this doesn't end up like the Decepticons did. Good intentions, but then suddenly everything that doesn't think your ideas are good need to be killed.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo pulls a face at that. ]

Yeah, going to try and actively avoid something like that as much as possible.

So you're interested, right? In theory.

[ Because theory is all they have right now!! ]

[knaval]

I think that's what Megatron thought before he pulled out the previous Prime's spine through his chest.

[ghoulish overkill! thanks riptide.]

Can I offer help without actively aligning myself?

[solarcharged]

...I'll bear that in mind.

[ although hmmmm that certainly sounds familiar ]

That's a good question, actually. I mean, considering that what we're planning to do is probably not going to be considered altogether legal by the American government, I'd say you're either in or you're out. Might be safer for everyone that way.

[knaval]

Good. Though I guess I barely know what peacetime enforcing is actually like... wow, that's depressing. Oh well.

[it's 0 or 100 with cybertronians, generally.]

I'll need to think on it a bit more. I guess if you have more people and have space for a heavy hitting alien I'll be down.

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo spreads his hands. ]

I always have space for a heavy hitting alien.

[ That's, like, the best kind!! ]

[knaval]

Nice.

[a pause, though--] So what've you done before all this?

[solarcharged]

I was in a team up until three or so years ago. Preventing apocalypses, overthrowing governments, seeing off inter-dimensional invaders, that sort of thing.

[ y'know. standard. ]

It's no three million year long war, but it kept me busy.

[knaval]

Honestly, you probably did more than I did. It wasn't all non-stop fighting. There were a couple hundred thousand years where nothing happened quite often.

[he grunts.]

Were you good at it?

[solarcharged]

We were the best. Earth was under our protection and the whole galaxy knew it.

[ 'nobody fucked with us' is what he means. ]

Oh, a couple of hundred thousand year gaps of nothing? [ Apollo grins. ] You bunch of part-timers.

[knaval]

Like, the... galaxy galaxy, or just the Human galaxy?

[...]

Weapon cleaning and setting up base, you know. Not nothing. I'm offended. [he's not.]

[solarcharged]

I don't know, galaxy-galaxy? I never really stopped to check. Most of the aliens seemed to know Earth was under our protection, so.

[ He shrugs. ]

What planet are you from?

[knaval]

Guess that's far enough if the people who needed to know knew. Cybertron. Nowhere near Earth. Couple galaxies away.

[he doesn't really want to talk about how important earth was to ending the war... a different thought occurs to him.]

--Hey, you're not a normal organic, right? If you can be in space like that? What was with that?

[solarcharged]

I guess I was normal once upon a time. Then a scientist with delusions of grandeur and a creative streak gave me solar energy conversion powers and installed a laser canon behind my eyes...

[ basically. ]

But, no, I don't need to breathe. And I can handle whatever space decides it wants to throw at me. So, no, 'normal organic' is definitely not something I'd call myself nowadays.

Why?

[knaval]

Wild!

[he means that! that's crazy, and he's seen a lot of crazy shit!]

So you're really durable? Asking because I think fighting you would be super fun.

[solarcharged]

[ Slow... eyebrow raise... ]

I should clarify, 'handle whatever space decides to throw at me' includes not-robots from distant planets.

[knaval]

Good! I was hoping you'd say that. Like, I could punch you and you wouldn't explode. That would suck for both of us.

[he claps his hands together.]

Friendly throw down, eh? Up for it?

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo is silent for a moment. He did just get a severe blast of negative press from the "fight" with Archie. And although this is 100% not the same thing, it's still probably not a good idea to actually be seen throwing down with a giant not-robot, no matter how friendly it is.

But on the other hand: who fucking cares? He wants to see what Riptide can do. ]

...Okay. [ The logic part of his brain wins out as he adds: ] Not here though. Not where people can see us.

you gotta fight both my chars

[knaval]

[riptide grins, delighted.]

Righto! Can't imagine it would be too hard to find an uninhabited island off the coast.

rolls sleeves up

[solarcharged]

We're not allowed outside the country...

[ Apollo taps his chin thoughtfully. ]

But as long as the island's in American waters it should be okay, right?