Optimus Who? OPTIMUS BOO.

<< Springer! >> Hot Rod's voice over the comms comes without warning as he radios from afar. << How's Autobot life? Megatron forced you to register yet? >> He's in Nyon -- not unusual for him, really -- driving a circuit to check some of the paths they used to use to smuggle supplies. Checking to see what's still there, and what's been melted or collapsed by the city's destruction.
Springer was flying alone checking for anyone who might need help or anything unusual when his comm goes off. It startles him yes, but Springer is Mr Joe Cool Green so he calmly replies. <<"No, I havent registered. I dont trust that miner. Something about him. What about you? Did you? And waht are you doing?">> he can hear his engine in the background.
<< I'm not an Autobot. >> Hot Rod's outrage at the idea diminishes day by day, but still he clings to the idea that he's not for one side or the other. He's for the people. << You shouldn't trust him, though. I'm checking some stuff out. About what we talked about before. Wanted to meet up, hear what you've heard. Maybe catch you up on some things. >> He blips a location marker on the outskirts of Nyon: << Meet me there? >> He guns his engine, racing to make it there before Springer can.
Springer chuckles, <<"You might as well put on the orange smiley face and be done with it, pal.">> he picks up the location marker and banks over toward that spot, gunning his motor as he does so.
Hot Rod's a touch more serious than his usual as he says, << I don't know. For a long time, that orange smiley face meant Sentinel. Zeta. It meant people trampling the helpless under the armor of authority. It's hard to imagine. >> But he's got a badge, stashed away in a pocket, just waiting for the day he gives in. He idles red and gold at the location as he waits for Springer. Catching a glimpse of him, he transforms back to root mode and throws a hand up in a wave. "You made good time."
Springer ignores the comments as he drops down to transform and land. Gray soot flies everywhere, small dust devils of it erupting around them as the rotors stir up the air. Springer touches down on the ground and looks around. "Why here?" he asks waving some of the soot away, "And I made great time." he corrects on the side.
"Here's home." Hot Rod's smile acquires a crooked edge. "But that's not really why." Rocking forward on his feet, he asks, "What've you heard about Pax?"
Springer shakes his head as he looks around again, "We need to go apartment shopping then..." he gets serious then. "And no. Ive not heard at thing regarding Pax. I think its time to face the fact that he is dead."
Smile widening to a grin, Hot Rod loses edges in favor of infectious enthusiasm: "He's not. He's so not." It's sad. Hot Rod's finally cracked. "He's Optimus Prime -- a /real/ prime. Not like Sentinel. Not like Zeta."
Springer stares at Hot Rod with this total WhatTheSlag look for a moment. Yes the kids finally snapped. "Too much soot in your systems, Hot Rod. I need to get you to this new repair tech. Minerva I think is her name. She can help you." he pauses a beat then says, "If you are serious though, tell me what you know about this supposed new prime?"
"Not supposed! Real! It's complicated. He says he died, or gave himself to the Matrix, or something, and when he came back -- he's Optimus. I've seen it." Hot Rod taps his fingers over the flames on his chest and says, "The Matrix, I mean. /And/ I've seen the one that Sentinel and Zeta were carrying around. So I know it's different. I know this is real. Minerva is with us, too. And Jazz and Prowl. You and Arcee should be, too."
Springer stares at Hot Rod again, "So thats where Arcee has been." and Minervas already with them? "Where is this /real/ Prime that is Orion Pac?"
"Here." Hot Rod spreads his hands wide to indicate the shattered ruins of Nyon. "He asked Prowl if he was going to stand with him, or with the government. What about you? You ready to stand for something real, instead of guarding a corrupt institution?"
"What did Prowl say?" Springer asks and he glances around in spite of himself as Hot Rod spreads his hands wide.
"He's with Optimus. So am I." Hot Rod drops his hands back down to his side. It's not clear what he could possibly be referring to. Of the structures that remain in Nyon, there's not one that doesn't show some sign of damage. If Pax -- Prime -- is here, it's quite a comedown from Rodion. "And we're not going to let Megatron run over everything like he has been."
Springer figured hot rod meant all encompassing with his gesture which gives him pause for real concern but when he hears that Prowl of all mechs has joined this Prime he has to stop and think about this. "Prowl?" he asks as if wanting confirmation, wants to be convinced he heard it right. "...Ok..." he says finally, "Where is, Orion literally? I want to see this for myself."
-- Radio: J-Team-Pax -- Hot Rod says, "Hey, Optimus? Springer thinks you're dead. I'm trying to convince him otherwise. He'd be great if he joined up with us!"
-- Radio: J-Team-Pax -- Optimus Prime sounds amused. "Let me check my schedule and see if I'm dead today or not."
-- Radio: J-Team-Pax -- Hot Rod says, "You need more practice not being dead anyway."
-- Radio: J-Team-Pax -- Optimus Prime says, "Maybe you can be the dead one next time."
"Optimus," Hot Rod corrects. "He's not Orion." When Springer insists on seeing it for himself, his grin acquires a slightly mischievous edge. He gets the distracted look of someone sending a comm. What's he saying? Who knows! "Anyway, yeah, Prowl. And others."
Springer looks curiously at the flaming autobot. "If Prowl joined then there has to be something substantial behind this." and now the ravings of a pretty battle tramatized mech. "How many have seen and joined... Optimus?"
Hot Rod sacrifices his Orion Pax card and Matrix of Leadership card and spends 100 of his own cool points along with two red mana and two blue mana to cast: BLUE OPTICS, RED HAULER. 
As a familiar to most red and blue hauler and trailer combonation comes rolling out of the Acroplex, it approaches where Hot Rod and Springer are discussing the very subject of whether or not he is alive. There's no fireworks or explosions to announce his apperance - and he certainetly doesn't run over Springer like he did Overlord, but Optimus does pull up to the duo before protoforming fully into his root mode. "Springer." Optimus announces, before he turns his attention to Hot Rod. "As I said, word at a trikle takes more time and draws more skepticism than a full on announcement." he comments, bringing up a past conversation with the flaming one. 
"There is." Hot Rod smiles like he has a secret. There are few smiles more annoying than that one. Since his secret rolls on up, the smug edge fades in favor of the eager grin of someone eager to hare a cool thing. "It was kind of funny. He thought I'd cracked, wanted Minerva to take a look at me. There you go, Springer, Optimus. Optimus Prime. A real Prime. The first we've had in a long time."
Springer watches the large hauler and trailer pull up, transform and speak. This mech is impressive and one hes never seen before. He wants to get on his guard but hes picking up no bad vibes from this mech. In fact he seems familar. "... Orion?" he asks quietly.
"Minerva would have simply agreed with you, Hot Rod, considering that she had seen me in action, actually." Optimus comments, before he turns his attention to Springer anew. "Orion Pax is only part of who I am, but he gave himself so that I might rise. I am Optimus Prime. Or Optimus. It's.. a lot to get used to." he admits with a hint of chagrin. And yes, except for a few extra bits of kibble, a bit taller, and a lot of stature, he looks just as Orion did. 
Speeding down the valley, out of Acropolex comes an hyper-vehicule with red and white colors. Nothing like some high speed after a day about hearing complaints from patients... Time to change her mind a little. The vehicule comes closer to the gathering of robots, skidding to slow down as it approaches. The ambulance finally shifts and transforms into a robot mode, a wide hopeful grin on her face, "Awww! Finally! Some faces that aren't all depressed and grims!"
"PArt?" Springer asks bluntly and then looks to watch Minerva pull up. He puts his gaze back on PRime, "What are you saying exacly? Are you or are you not Orion PAx? You look like him, with a bunch of kibble."
"Like I said: complicated." Hot Rod looks terribly pleased. He watches Springer, about to say something else, but the quiet of his words pauses the first thing that he might say. Instead, he give shim a second to get used to it. Wrap his head around it.
--but only a second. "Awesome, right?" Hot Rod enthuses. He glances over at Minerva, who he NATURALLY assumes will share enthusiasm. In anything.
"Orion Pax was murdered. Shot in the back by Megatron after the battle with Zeta." Not Prime, just Zeta. Optimus gets a grim look for a moment. "For the cycles he was left alive, he wandered the undergrid until he found the Matrix.. and was reformatted. Into me." he blanks his optics for a moment, and decides that once again, it's just better to show. With that, he opens up his chest compartment and exposes his green point one percenter green spark and the Matrix of Leadership that it has become part of, or next to.. or.. it's complicated. Pax is alive, but not alive. Dead, but not dead. It's Schrodenger's Prime. 
"Definately!" Is Minerva's initial response to Hot Rod, spreading her arms wide in front of her. Hot Rod's enthusiasm had indeed affected Minerva momentarily. She blinks and glances back and forth, "... Just what were you guys talking about in the first place?" She asks after a few seconds.
She turns her optics in Prime's direction who somehow answers her questions... Or just makes it worse. She stares at him for a moment, "Wait, aren't you... Oooh, I see... Ahah, new frame, new name, eh?"
Springer listens intently and looks into Primes chest when he exposes it. "I knew Megatron is not what he says." the triple changer says finally, "And you paid the ultimate price -- well part of you did." he glances at Hot Rod then at Minerva and back at Prime. "So whats your plan on stopping him, Optimus Prime?" and as simple as that hes joined the right side.
Hot Rod turns toward the light of the Matrix much like a plant (definitely not a flower though, something tough and WITH FLAMES ON IT) turning toward the sun. His enthusiasm settles into something deeper, yet just as content. "That," he tells Minerva, thumbing toward Optimus. "I'd say that's pretty awesome, how about you?"
Closing his chest panels and sealing the Matrix back within him, Optimus considers Springer. "That is what we are working on at the moment. Prowl is tracking down Blaster so that I may make a planetary-wide announcement. Once that is done, we will replace Megatron.. as one." he responds finally, not offering much more than that as he glances towards Minerva and can't help but to make an amused noise. It's interesting to meet the ones that never got to meet Orion before his demise. "Something along those lines, yes." 
A pair of gleaming green-lensed optics study the scene before them, fixed on the gleaming jewel of the Matrix with fierce wonder and surprise. With a huge leap, the giant puma lands nearby with a crunch, a dead turbo-fox in his mouth, "Phoo," he spits it out onto the ground and then sits back on his haunches, a little disappointed when the Matrix is closed from view. Is this that new Prime? Of course! It has to be. His reaction is much, much different than what he thought it would be.
Springer was just as impressed with what he saw inside Optimus Primes chest but was cool about it. Not like Hot Rod right now. He glances at the young mech and frowns a bit. But just as quick the look is gone. "Go ahead and put on the smiley face and be done with it, Hot Rod."
The sparkles and light from the Matrix and the sight of his green spark were definately something. She nods absent-mindedly to Hot Rod, "I... Don't think I've ever had the chance to see one," She muses to herself. Minerva might have never had the chance to meet Orion Pax in person, but his name and charisma were quite reknown amongst those who joined their cause. Minerva blinks, "Woah, woah, replace Megatron?" She glances at everyone present, "Are you really talking about pulling out another coup d'etat...?"
"I told you. That's complicated, too." Hot Rod folds his arms over his chest. Glancing around at the others -- Autobot, Autobot, /Optimus/ -- he doesn't say much more. But he's totally ready to fend off any attempts by Springer to paint a face on his flames!! His gaze paces back by the puma with a blink of surprise before turning to Minerva. "Something's got to be done. Right now a lot of bots out there don't understand yet how it's going to get bad. And it will. Megatron's killing people without trial and his thugs are setting up little torture arenas."
Paralyzed by too many emotions in too short a time, Quickswitch sits there, optics on Prime. Finally, a transformation is wrest from him as he returns to root mode, all emotion showing on his face, and unable to say a thing. "--!!"
Minerva turns her optics in Hot Rod's direction and she frowns, "Something's got to be done? Ah, you know, that's exactly what Megatron must have thought when it came to the Functionalist Council," The femme folds her arms in front of her chest and heaves a sigh. Minerva thought the fall of the council would bring happier days but it seems like it's all the opposite so far. The femme finally notices Quickswitch : a faint smirk spreads on her lips as she notices the dead turbo-fox he brought back, ".. I think I'll go out for a ride, maybe I'll have more luck today," She says as she transforms back into her hyper-vehicule.
Springer just shakes his head with a slight smile at Hot Rod and then watches Quickswitch drop the dead turbofox and finally transform. "Doing any better then last I saw you?" he asks and then nods at Minerva as she makes her remarks and leaves.
"Yeah, but I bet we don't do as much decapitating." As people start peeling off, Hot Rod makes to do the same. He tosses a quick wave at Springer and nods at Quickswitch -- curious, but pulled away. "Now you know!" he calls at Springer with a cheerful note in his voice. "Catch you around."