Bye, Backdrop

For the past few days, Backdrop has been doing nothing more than wandering the area. He hasn't even been trying to sneak around or anything; after everything that's happened, he's felt... Lost. Still probably in shock. And, for the most part, everyone's been giving the survivors enough space to just... Be.

After a short while, though, Backdrop seemed to have bounced out of it. At least, he sent a message to Hot Rod that he wanted to talk to him. Hey, Hot Rod's probably been super busy, a note is just courteous! He even made sure to put a little smiley face on it to let Hot Rod know that it was okay to postpone it. No biggie. Things have been happening, it's cool.

Backdrop is currently sitting on a bench. With a big ol' purple badge in the middle of his flame decals.

Hot Rod approaches from behind: SNEAK ATTACK. So he gets to the bench and leans over the top to go, "Hey Baaa-- ah." Guess when he spots the badge.

Although he looks a touch surprised, Hot Rod doesn't look angry, or disappointed -- or approving. He just looks surprised. A touch of regret fades as he recovers with a repeated, "Hey." He is not wearing any badge but the FLAMES OF FREEDOM. (See also: flames of nyon. flaming rubble. ruins.)

Hot Rod seems relatively recovered. He's not quite as shattered as he had been recently, thanks in no small part to recent conversations. But he's a far way from ever being described as bouncing out of it. "Sooo. Decepticons, huh?"

"AAH." Oh, Hot Rod. You've snuck up on Backdrop countless times in the millennia you've known him. He screams every time. "...Hot Rod! I, uh... Yeeah."

At least Backdrop looks a bit embarrassed. "I probably should have told you before I joined, but... But I like what they're doing. I wanna help, and..." He pulls something from the seat next to him; it's a brochure! ... Decepticons have brochures! ... For some reason! "I wanted you to see, too."

"It's okay." Hot Rod grins in the face of Backdrop's embarrassment: it's slight, but genuine. He climbs over the back of the bench to take a seat rather than go around it like a normal person. He sits on the back, too. Now he's just being a twerp on purpose.

Elbows on his knees, Hot Rod hunches over and squints at the brochure. "I see," he says, somewhat doubtfully. He looks up, sweeping the area. "I do see," he adds, a little more honestly. "I've seen a lot. I saw that the Decepticons were there to take care of the ones who got away, when Zeta's people just wanted to kill anyone who got away. So I understand, you know? I've always thought people should be free to go where their heart leads them. Just -- why? What was it that /you/ saw? I talked to Arse. She's okay. She joined up, too."

"Arsenal joined, too?" Backdrop looks genuinely surprised. "I... I talked to Soundwave. He's the nice big buy that gave me a copy of Towards Peace AGES ago..." An actual age, too. "And I got to ask questions and... And it makes SENSE what they're doing. What Orion Pax..."

There's a sigh. "I know you really look up to that Pax guy... But he's doing things... Too NICELY. Nice doesn't save lives."

"Mm-hmm." After a slight pause, Hot Rod admits, "She'd been thinking about it for a while." Regarding Backdrop with vague concern, he adds, "Soundwave's a good guy. Not all of them are. They've got some dark spots too, just like the Autobots. Stick close to Soundwave, okay?" He's slower to leap to Pax's defense this time than he normally would, and just says, "I wish we'd had proof sooner. Something to show him. Before all -- that. So you want to save lives, huh? Good reason."

There's a small shrug. "Save lives, try to change things... And, yeah, I guess a few of the Decepticons are nuts, but... But I think everybody is, now. I'm surprised I'm not completely off the walls." A pause. "...I'm not off the walls yet, right?"

Hot Rod laughs outright, then reaches over to -- wait, no ruffling is possible. And bomping is trademarked. It's a boop, then: a tap of two fingers to top of Backdrop's head. Laughter lingers in his voice as he says, "Nah, mech. You've got your head on straight. I'm just -- look, Zeta needs to answer for what he's done, but I'm glad you didn't just join up to get back at him, you know? It's real easy right now -- /real/ easy -- to make that your reason. I'm not sure if I'm not lying to myself about it not being mine. Make sure saving people is what comes first, yeah?"

"Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm REALLY MAD at Zeta." Backdrop frowns a little; he looks confused by the boop. "I want him DEAD, but... Slag, I've no idea how the scrap to even accomplish THAT, so... So saving people. Just... Just makes more sense."

His legs swing at the edge of the bench. He's so short. "Soundwave said even the smallest things can help. I'm not good at much, but I can help organize and clean and maybe... I was thinking maybe help whatever medical staff they have. Clean tools are important!"

"He's right. You always helped us," Hot Rod says. He straightens, glancing out to the far horizon. "You'll help them. Clean tools can help save lives, too. Better medics, fewer people dying on a medical bed. Maybe you can even pick some of it up if you're working at it long enough. And I really do trust him to do okay by you. So that's good."

A small smile crosses Backdrop's face. Hot Rod's approval was important. "I hope I can do something, at least. Instead of just... Running and hiding all the time. Been doing that forever." A sigh.

"...What about you? What'r you gonna do, Hot Rod...?"

Expression a little lost, Hot Rod says, "I don't know." He manages a smile when he looks back at Backdrop. "I just -- I don't. Nyon was everything. I thought I was going to be able to lead everyone to freedom, and instead--." He breaks off. "I need something to fight /for/. Sometimes the Decepticons feel more like they are fighting against things. That probably sounds kind of weird, doesn't it. But Pax -- until now, he wasn't even fighting. He knows Zeta's bad, but there's so much else that needs to be changed. What happens when Zeta's gone?"

"...If we can get him gone." Backdrop frowns. "I mean... He just wrecked Nyon. Everyone saw him wrecking an entire city and killing everybody, and... And he's still in power. He's still GOT power. I figure if we can get him out, then... Then they'll just find someone else just as bad. That's why the Decepticons sounded like a good idea, too, because they want to take out the ENTIRE thing..."

"Yeah." Hot Rod's sure not the one to stop Backdrop there and talk about the need for careful, measured change. Burning it all down sounds pretty good, actually! "Just -- there are a lot of people who could hurt if people aren't careful."

"...But people are already getting hurt." Backdrop slumps. "And dying. It's already all scrap."

"Yeah." Hot Rod says, "I think of when they first took--" Liberated. "--Kaon, though, and there were a lot of people who got hurt who didn't need to be." He ducks his head and then pushes off his seat. "This scrap is complicated. I don't know. For now -- for me. Zeta first."

There's a few seconds of silence as Backdrop seems to think things over.

"...Hot Rod. Even if... Even if you don't stay and join the Decepticons... Be careful, okay?"

Hot Rod flashes Backdrop a smile. "Can't promise /that/, come on, but I will be better than anyone around me, right?" Just like he was better at destroying Nyon than Zeta. Ha ha hA HA. "Stay in one piece yourself, okay?"

The small smile crosses Backdrop's face again. Then, he's sliding off of the bench and... Hugging Hot Rod. D'aww.

"I'm serious, though. Stay safe." He's... Not letting go. "Don't die, okay?" ... Still not letting go.

Kiiinda awkward now.

"Okay. Never." That much Hot Rod can promise. He's unkillable. He'll live forever. He's still young. And dumb. And mostly young. He wraps his arms around Backdrop in turn, but /he/ lets go after a reasonable amount of time. He pats Backdrop on the shoulder. This would be a good time to let go, now.

Hesitantly, Backdrop does. It's awkward. He's clingy. But it's all just worry and concern, honest! So many people died in Nyon. So many. Think about that.

"Thanks for understand, too."

Hot Rod's trying his hardest /not/ to think about that, actually. Not thinking is great. These being his formative years, not thinking about things is going to be one of those things sticks. Becomes a character trait. That's how it works. "Hey, who knows? Maybe I'll get a new paint job so it won't clash and join up, too," he teases. "I'll see you around." With that, he heads off to go do .. things. Important things. (Not important things. He's a double nobody now.)