Break the Cutie

Shiftlock is in the recovery area of the medical facilities, sitting on a couch - she's sick of medical slabs. So very, very sick of them. She is watching television on one of the large holographic screens projecting from the wall, and trying to catch up on what she missed. She's hooked into medical drone on wheels that is providing her a nucleon-energon feed to try to encourage spark recovery.

Whirl had actually tried to come into the medbay earlier to see Shiftlock but a guard at the door turned him away saying that Whirl's brand new Autobot status didn't give him the security clearance to just wander around the medbay; he told him he needed to be injured in some way if he planned on getting inside. So Whirl did just that.

After showing the guard the gunshot wound to his knee (no doubt self inflicted) he was finally given the green light to go inside. He spurns the medical staff that try to treat him, his mind only on one thing: seeing Shiftlock. He busts through the doors of the recovery room, optic honing in on the femme.

"SHIFTLOCK!"

Shiftlock startles, dropping her reading material. She grins up at Whirl. "There you are!" She opens her arms wide for a hug.

She doesn't get out of her chair. The dim state of her exterior lighting might give a clue as to why. She's still pretty weak, and her welds are still fresh. She hasn't been painted yet.

Considering what Shiftlock went through, Whirl isn't too surprised by her weakened state though it still upsets him greatly. Weren't the Decepticons supposed to be the sympathetic heros fighting for change? Abducting and torturing people doesn't really fit that image. Thankfully Whirl already had a poor opinion of Decepticons so this doesn't change anything for him.

Whirl plops down on the couch next to her and gives her that big ol' hug she's asking for, arms wrapping around her body and pulling her close against him. "Shiftlock! I'm so freakin' happy to see you again! You can't really tell because I don't have a face but trust me, I am."

The little drone wheels itself around catch up with Shiftlock's movements, and she gives Whirl the biggest hug she's capable of. Her forearms are bigger than they used to be, and she's momentarily clumsy with them. "I can tell. Your lights are brighter," she assuages. "Ohhh, thank you for the hug, I could use it. Primus Whirl I thought I was gonna die. -- Are you gonna think less of me if I say I was scared?"

Whirl has yet to even notice the changes to Shiftlock's arms, he's far too distracted with the fact that HOLY SLAG SHE IS ACTUALLY HERE AND ALIVE AND SAFE. He holds her in his arms for a few moments before pulling back just enough to look her in the optics. "What? No, of course not. There is no shame in being afraid, especially if you're in the situation you were." The mech pulls her in for another hug. "Ugh, Primus, Shiftlock. I was scared too when I found out."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Anyone know the status of the kid we rescued last night?"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "She has a name, you insensitive jerk."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "What the hell is your problem, guy!?"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Yeah. So do you, you no handed, one opticed, flying purple Con eater."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "You. You just stomp in here, grab a symbol and a radio and think you're our great savior and conscious."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Now why don't you do like a good little recruit, sit down, shut up, and let the grown ups talk."

Scattershot has arrived.

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "Here's a better idea. How about you suck my pistons?"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Don't you already have someone to do that for you?"

Shiftlock is sitting on a couch in the recovery room, hooked up to a medical drone feeding her a nucleon/energon blend to encourage spark recovery. She in a weak condition, as indicated by the dimness of her exterior lights; she has fresh welds and hasn't been painted. And currently, she's hugging Whirl. "I'm messed up, Whirl. They did a number on me. I'm never gonna be normal again." She barks a short, coughing laugh. "... guess I can empathize with you even more."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "What the hell do you mean by that!?"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Shiftlock says, "Primus, keep it down."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "What have you heard!?"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Shiftlock says, "Some of us are recovering in here."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Hey kid. I wanted to drop by for a moment."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Shiftlock says, "I'm in recovery. Gonna be here awhile."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Scattershot says, "Figured as much. Gimmie a moment. \*ignoring Whirl is easy cause he's beautiful~\*"

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "Ugh no, don't come here."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Whirl says, "Don't you have Autobot things to do or something?"

Too late, Whirl. Stepping into the medical bay is the leader of the Technobots as Scattershot strides in, rifle set against his shoulder in a relaxed fashion. Taking in the room, he glances towards where Whirl and Shiftlock are huddled and gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Looks better than ya did last night, kid." the commander comments as he comes towards the two. "Lightspeed let me know you were pretty banged up."

"Well, come on, let's be honest.. You weren't exactly 'normal' to begin with," Whirl says, all hugging up on Shiftlock and enjoying being in her company once again. "But what /is/ normal anyway? I don't think anyone really knows." Wow. Deep.

Then THAT guy shows up. Whirl knows exactly who it is despite having never actually seen him before; that voice is all he needs to identify him. "Scattershot."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Hey... someone thank that guy that carried me out."

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "That was Lightspeed. He was carrying out his orders. Good one, he is. Little nerd-techish for my tastes, but he puts the Techno in technobots." A snort that could be a chuckle. "Anyway, kid. I left you a gift on your table. Ya earned it." "

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "... Should I be afraid."

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "Naw. "

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock coughs. "Good, 'cause I can't take a lot of shock right now."

"Anyway." Scattershot pretty much ignores Whirl like he would had he stepped in some Insecticon waste at this point and sets the box on Shiftlock's table. Inside? A small laser pistol, shaped like a submachinegun (See Afterburner's Weapon). "Heard ya didn't come back with anything ranged. Ya want to learn how to use it, look me up sometime, my mechs and I will take ya through the paces." Perhaps it was something in that report he read. "I'll let ya get back to yer recouperatin and reunitin." he shrugs his shoulder as he turns to head right back out the door.

Shiftlock looks at the box, opening it. It's a gun.

Normally she'd be happy to accept something like that, but like the flip of a light switch revulsion and anger storm through her emotions. She had weapons forced into her body, weapons that make transformation difficult, weapons that are siphoning off her spark. It takes all her effort not to slap the box across the room - it would be rude, and she's sure Scattershot meant well.

"I can't take this," she stammers lowly. "I... I'm sorry, I just can't take this." She slaps the lid shut and covers her face with a hand.

Whirl does NOT like being ignored but in this particular case, the less he interacts with Scattershot the better. He can only watch as the other mech places a box upon the table, and then the reaction Shiftlock has when she opens it. She's visibly upset as evidenced by her tone and the way she hides her face, and that just serves to upset Whirl as well.

"What the hell's wrong with you, mech!?" Whirl stands up to face Scattershot, claws twitching almost instinctively. "She's trying to feel better and you come in here making her all upset! Maybe you should just march your aft out of here before you make things worse."

"Do what ya want with it kid. I know ya been through Pit in a handbasket, and I ain't the expert on that type of scrap, all I know is ya busted yer aft to make it through the experience. I'm proud to call ya a Bot, even if it ain't what ya may want." And then Whirl has to go and try to get in the commander's face. Scattershot sets his jaw, looking down at Whirl, and shakes his head. "Ya think yer helpin? But coddlin' someone that's gone through a battle ain't gonna fix the problem. Maybe someday, when ya have experience - you'll figure that one out." With that, the Technobot leaves because he wants to, not because Whirl made him.

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "No, no, it's okay. I just... I didn't think I was gonna react like that."

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "Ain't my problem, kid. The mechs figured ya earned it. Up to ya to decide if ya want it or not. "

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "Tch!"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Ranged weapons... I've got a grap--"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock pause.

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Oh no. Nonononon."

[O-Autobot] Scattershot says, "And Shiftlock learns that Hook gave her Manzinger's FLYING FISTS."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "MotherFRAGGER. It's gone, that pitsucking scumbag con took it out!"

[IC-Autobot] Springer says, "Took what out?"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "MY grapple line!"

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "I'm sure, whatever they have removed, someone here can fix, replace, or improve upon."

[IC-Autobot] Springer says, "What Acuity said, Shiftlock. Though I do find it a bit odd that was stripped from your form."

"I'm not coddling anybody!" Whirl huffs, growing angrier and angrier the longer Scattershot stays in his line of sight. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" But it's too late, he's already gone. Whirl crosses his arms and emits a noise not unlike a growl. "That guy sucks."

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "I don't. Decepticons are weird people. Probably using it for some sick perverted business."

Shiftlock begins to panic. She had been offered the chance to change bodies before, she refused. She couldn't imagine having a body other than the one she has, the one she knows perfectly, the frame that responds exactly to her mental commands. She's suddenly feeling her forearms, flexing her hands, and her vents flare open; she starts to 'breathe' heavily, distressed noises coming from within.

"MOTHER FRAGGER!" she screams, jerking up and out of Whirls's arms, yanking the little drone with her along the ground. "It's gone, my body's messed up! I can't even transform right anymore, I don't know if I'll ever drive before and now I have these -- these THINGS on me!" She raises her arms, showing off the strange weapon systems.

She loses it.

Shiftlock begins to smashing her arms against the wall, screaming in fury.

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "Or perhaps they did it simply because they could."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "They broke me, they broke me!! I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OFF MYSELF!"

Whirl is still huffing and puffing and being all butthurt over Scattershot's machismo and generally rude demeanor when Shiftlock starts screaming. He snaps his attention to her just in time to see her going absolutely nuts and trying to smash the wall (or herself) into pieces. Normally he would just let her, or whoever else was experiencing this kind of emotional crisis, do what they had to do to let it out but Shiftlock is in a physically vulnerable state right now and she could hurt herself pretty bad.

"Woah! Shiftlock! WOAH!" Whirl comes up behind her and hooks his arms under her shoulders, pulling her back and trying to restrain her just enough to keep her from injuring herself. "I get the outrage, really I do. But you can't go smashing yourself against walls, not until you've given your systems some time to heal!" Because he's cool with self destructive activities in regular situations.

Shiftlock struggles against Whirl until it dawns on her who is trying to help her; she gives up and sags against him, making pained, stressed noises. Cybertronians may not weep, but they do feel grief, distress and strain. Her internal components make noises like the high pitched whine of a saw blade, and she trembles all over. "Just kill me, Whirl, put me out of my misery. I'll never be myself again. I'm broken and they can't fix me. I can't live like this."

Whirl's grip tightens as Shiftlock struggles but it gradually loosens once she gives up. The noises she makes are just awful, so sad and pathetic that it makes Whirl's spark sink. This femme, once so spunky and defiant now trembling and begging for death.. it bothers him, it bothers him A LOT to see her like this. Whoever did this to her is going to pay with their life, he decides. He's going to find them and he is going to kill them.

"You can live like this and you will," he says almost sternly, arms crossing over her chest and holding her gently but firmly against him. "When I lost my hands, I thought my life was over. There was no point in living without them, they were my greatest tool and the only thing that gave my life worth. I thought I was better off dead. I thought about offlining myself more times than I can count. I even tried to do so many times. I told myself life was not worth living as a broken mech, that death was far more merciful." His voice becomes increasingly more strained, the cyclops having to take a moment before continuing. "But it /was/ worth living. It's /still/ worth living. Because as long as you're dead, the people who deserve your wrath the most will never get it. You need to hang in there, if nothing else but to take your revenge on those who wronged you."

"I'm not strong enough!" Shiftlock weakly protests. "I couldn't stop anything that's happened to me! I couldn't stop them from putting Mercury in my body, I couldn't stop Blurr from dragging me here, I couldn't stop Drift from selling his spark to the Decepticons, I couldn't stop that Constructicon from opening me up and rewiring me in front of everyone! I've failed in every last thing I tried to do!" she sobs. "Maybe... maybe you can get revenge, but I'm done. I can't do anything... I'm just a low caste and when they find out I can't function as a soldier /what do you think is gonna happen to me/?" She's still shaking. "I'll just be obsolete."

Now Whirl wants to start smashing walls. It's extremely hard for him to listen to this because.. well, she's right. She ISN'T strong enough. She COULDN'T stop all that terrible crap from happening. She HAS failed in everything she's tried to do. Well, not /all/ of it. She did try to make his life better with that whole interfacing thing and although that particular event ended extremely poorly for the both of them, it kicked off one hell of an adventure that eventually brought him here, to this exact moment.

Whirl spins Shiftlock around so she is facing him, claws gripping her shoulders. He stares right into her optics with his own singular one, close enough that she could probably see her reflection in it. "Don't say that. Don't you ever fraggin' say that again. You're NOT just a low caste, you're NOT oboslete, and you CAN do anything. You CAN'T give up, Shiftlock. I wont let you. I wont let you just lay down and die!"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "So if there's a superior officer out there"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "What happens when I break."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Do I get thrown away? Replaced? Smelted?"

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "None of the above, kid. We have people to help you when you have problems. Ya know. Talk to, work it out, maybe punch something if ya need it."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Oh, you mean people to help /adjust your personality/, right."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "I certainly would hope not.  You have been through a lot; you just need some rest and perhaps some time to regain perspective."

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "Not that I know of. Ain't noone 'readjusting' me. But if ya need someone to talk to. Hey, any of us are around."

Shiftlock throws her questions on the Autobot radio, because she doesn't know what to do next. "I just want to know what'll happen to me. I guess... I don't know what to do anymore, Whirl. I don't know what to do. I hate the Decepticons so much for what they did to me, but I don't know how to pick up what's left of my life."

She leans forward, up against Whirl, as best she can while he holds her. "Now I know why Drift was always strung out on circuit speeders and syk."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Hey Blurr, if you're listening - this is all your fragging fault."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "I hope you crash and die."

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "It is his fault and I blame him for everything."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity sighs.  One can imagine her just shaking her head.  "There is a resident psychiatrist; if you are troubled perhaps you could speak with him?"

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "Oh yeah, like a psychiatrist is going to help."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "That is his function."

[IC-Autobot] Whirl pfffts.

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "Have you ever seen one?"

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "A psychiatrist? Hells no!"

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "Then you're not the best person to ask on whether they are effective or not."

[IC-Autobot] Whirl just huffs at that. "Whatever."

[IC-Autobot] Scattershot says, "Acuity, remind me to buy you a drink sometime."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "I'm broken."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "I can't transform. My arms are fragged up"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "I'm useless now."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "Give it a try sometime.  I was nervous when I first went to speak with him, but he seems nice enough.  Though, granted, when I went to see him things were a bit...crowded."  Pause.  "Why, thank you, though that might be a bit awkward.  The sentiment is apprecation, even though I'm not sure what I did."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "These things can be fixed.  As long as you have a will to uphold and protect the law, then you are not useless."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "No offense lady but do you have something wired into your fragging \*spark casing\* that sucks the life out of you>?"

[IC-Autobot] Whirl says, "Hahahahahaha, Shiftlock. I have missed you."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "No, but that does not mean I have not had problems."

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "You put me in a room with a psychometrist and you're gonna have a dead psychometrist and a court martial case."

[IC-Autobot] Acuity says, "Now why would you say that?"

[IC-Autobot] Shiftlock says, "Because I felt it fair to give warning."

Really the only thing Whirl can do at this point is just listen. There's only so much he can say to Shiftlock, there's only so much he /knows/ to say. Their experiences, while similar in that they were broken beyond their control, are just too different for him to really advise her (which is terrible idea in of itself. Whirl is the /last/ person anyone should be taking advice from.)

The mech sighs and just holds Shiftlock, resting what used to be his chin on the top of her head. "Yeah, drugs are pretty great for this sort of thing, aren't they? It's easy to see how people become addicts." There's another sigh. "Shiftlock, I don't know how you're supposed to pick up the pieces and put your life back together but.. I want to help you. I want to be a part of it. I wont let you go through it alone."

"Go easy on me, Whirl. Every time I tried to help someone or they wanted to help me, things went too fast, and then I ended up with so many problems." Read: Would-be suitors. Shiftlock is nonetheless grateful for the offer. "I just wanna... I dunno. Get completely overcharged. Forget I'm alive for awhile. Forget what the doctors told me."

Her internals grind again, crying-equivalent. "I'm so tired of being everyone's experiment."

The whole broadband conversation was...concerning at best. As such, Acuity has decided to actually come and /meet/ the femme that she had been talking to. Shiftlock certainly sounded full of woe, and that does not sit so well with the well-meaning triplechanger. Upon entering she makes a soft noise to announce herself, just because she doesn't want to be seen as eavesdropping.

Whirl can't help but feel a little bad because he's pretty sure he's one of those problems she's talking about. If it weren't for him, she would still be a Decepticon and none of what she went through ever would've happened. Even though all this time has passed and so much has happened since then, he still feels really guilty for screwing up her life. He holds her tight, burying his not-face into her shoulder, feeling at a complete loss as to what to do or say or how to help. "I can help you forget. For a little while." He may be an Autobot now but that doesn't mean he threw away all his drugs and experimental energon. It's a bad idea but if it would help her..

There's a sound that neither he nor Shiftlock made that catches his attention, Whirl lifting his head to stare at the new arrival. Acuity, yes, he remembers her. How could he forget? They just talked not a few cycles ago. "Acuity."

"What about it?" Shifty asks, not making the connection to that being someone's name. Hey, she's kind of out of it right now. Her poor little medical drone is laying on its side, still hooked up to her via IV-cable, spinning its wheels uselessly. Her forearms are dented.

Acuity says nothing about the position they were in when she entered. She inclines her head to the pair of them. "I am Acuity," she clarifies; I spoke to you on the com." Her tone is gentle, but her face is, well, a lot like Whirl's. Their colors, kibble, and voices, however, make them quite different otherwise. She flicks a glance down at the drone. "What happened?"

"No, I mean Acuity as in the person." Whirl starts to explain but finds it unneccesary once Acuity introduces herself. He's still trying to get used to having anther empurata around.. except she's not really empurata? Well, whatever, she's close enough that it's taking him some getting used to. Like looking in some weird mirror.

"Uh.. that's kind of a loaded question right now, Acuity." His mutilation belies his nervousness, the cyclops fearing that Shiftlock is going to go crazy and try to smash the walls again if she has to explain what exactly happened.

"I accidentally tipped it over while I was trying to break my arms off," Shiftlock says with an exhausted numbness.

"I meant with the drone only," Acuity says. "I don't see what's loaded about that." Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug.

Shiftlock actually gives her an answer, to which she nods her head. "I see." She bends down to sit the drone upright, checking it for any obvious damage. "I'm not high up enough to have all the details of what happened, but it sounds like it was quite the trial; our bodies can heal faster than our sparks, and if you've had trauma to both...then you will be a long time healing."

"Oh." At least that question can be easily answered and not trigger anyone into either a violent rage or a suicidal depression, so that's good. Whirl lets out a little huff, slightly embarassed at having Acuity see him being all physical and huggy with Shiftlock (the Autobots are a fresh start for him, he has a reputation of a bad-ass from the streets to maintain!) but it's not enough to actually force him to move or change his position at all. He's been wanting to hold Shiftlock for so long, he's not about to stop just because someone decided to barge in on them.

"Alcohol helps," he adds super helpfully. "Alcohol helps a lot."

"The long and short of it is that I've been everyone's experimental glitch," Shiftlock explains, her plates tightening to her body in unease and distrust. She wiggles up against Whirl a little more, as if he's a blanket she can somehow hide under. "First the Senate, then the Decepticons. I was ignited with a weird spark type so everyone thinks they can just shove their hand in my chamber and do what they want in the name of science. Or convenience."

"One of the Decepticons opened me up - without pain blocks - and then started using me to test a weapons platform. It's hardwired into my spark casing and I can't get it out. I'm stuck with -this-" she says, holding out the forearm with gauntlet, "--until the day I burn out. The medics here don't know how to unhook it from my spark and that's what it's driving on. My -fragging spark-. If I shoot it it uses up a little bit of my spark energy each time. It's like he gave me cybercrosis!"

"Add to THAT, he took out my grappling line, the one thing I used all the time, the one thing I was proud of, that I didn't need a weapon, I had THAT and my wits - and I can't transform. I can't shift into root mode because these piston-sucking motherboard-fragging arm-scabs don't fit."

The medical facility isn't exactly a private place. Anyone could have walked in at any time. Just as well it was someone who doesn't have a face to look at them all judgementaly with. "I am no scientist," Acuity says softly to Shiftlock, "and I have no desire to...experiement, on you." Tilting her slightly triangular face to the side, she stares at Shiftlock; it might be just as well she's used to Whirl or it might be unnerving. It might still be.

Her single optic then rests on Whirl. "Alcohol is nice, yes, but make sure she's cleared to ingest by a medic first before you get too creative," she says gently.

Whirl is okay with Shiftlock using him as a security blanket, it's the least he can do for her right now. He doesn't know the entire story of what happened to Shiftlock during her time with the Decepticons so the revelation that her weird new weapon system is hooked /directly to her spark/ is definitely cause for alarm. If it was anyone else Whirl would think it was pretty cool but no, they had to go and do it to someone he cares about. Damn Decepticons.

"Pfft, I already know what the medics are going to say. They're going to say it's a bad idea and that it's 'dangerous'-" He says that part sarcastically as if the notion of getting drunk and high immediatelty after a tramatic experience being a bad idea was ridiculous. "But whatever, screw them."

How long has Arcee been here? Has she been here long enough to overhear what Shiftlock has been talking about? Nevertheless, there is now a pink femme in the repair facility, regarding Shiftlock curiously.

"... So why are you here?" Shiftlock asks Acuity, distrusting still. She hasn't yet noticed Arcee; Cee's getting good at staying out of sight. Looks like that training is paying off. "I'm gonna take a wild guess that medical or command sent you down here to make sure I didn't offline myself or make a mess, because Primus knows we aren't allowed to kill ourselves - we have to wait for someone to order us out to die first."

Acuity spotting Arcee, she nods to the pink femme. Oddly Whirl's words make her laugh softly. "It probably is, though I think sometimes they say that just so it isn't on /their/ aft if something goes wrong." Then her tone sobers. "Still, with the amount of damage done, I would suggest that you both listen to the warning in this instance."

"No one sent me here, Shiftlock. You sounded like you were in distress so I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help." She /sounds/ earnest, but without facial expression, it might be hard to accept. "But it seems as though you already have someone helping you." She gestures a claw towards Whirl. And no, she's not being ironic or sarcastic.

"We aren't allowed to kill ourselves!?" Whirl sounds SHOCKED. "That's, like, a basic right, isn't it?" If it's not, it sure as hell should be. He would look slightly embarassed over Acuity's comment about his helping Shiftlock but he can't so he doesn't, though he does scuff a foot on the ground a little bit in response.

As for Arcee, Whirl also doesn't notice her at first though eventually her pink-ness catches his attention from the corner of his optic and his turns his head to stare at her. Oh. /Oh./ They have met before, haven't they? Yes.. he remembers chasing her with Blast Off, trying to beat information regarding Shiftlock's disappearance out of her. He also remembers Blast Off shooting him in the leg, so there's that too. Maybe he can play it cool and Arcee wont remember him. "Uh.. hello person I have never met before."

Perfect.

"Hello, Acuity, sorry to interrupt, but I trust you got my memo? It's basically the same information I ended up having to refile for Captain Springer later on, but I didn't know when you were leaving on the assignment," Arcee says smoothly, as she establishes a reason for being here that isn't Shiftlock. Although it's entirely possible that Arcee came down here to check on the former P.O.W....she just doesn't want to admit to something like that, in case it's enough to send the beleaguered femme into yet another angry tirade.

She spots Whirl peering over in her direction, and she stares directly into his cyclops-optic for a long moment, but gives no indication that she recognizes him. Perhaps she's forgotten all about that time he attacked her!

All these people, and Shiftlock just wants to kind of sink away from everyone. She doesn't know who to trust anymore (barring Whirl). She can't tell them the truth - that Blurr forced her here against her will, that Pharma deceived her, that Cipher reprogrammed her. She wants to scream it through the entire Decagon that she's still very much a prisoner, but her only gambit in staying intact is what she knows about Ratbat.

Once Senator Ratbat's trial is over, Shiftlock's begins. She doesn't know if she'll make it out in one piece.

"I... I should just rest. Yelling isn't going to do any good," she says numbly.

Acuity's claws twitch slightly as Arcee mentions Captain Springer, one of the few mechs that can make her feel like sinking right through the floor. "Yes, I got your message, and it is greatly appreciated.

Turning, she looks at Shiftlock. "Of course; you have had a lot of trials. But if you ever want to talk, I've heard I'm a pretty decent listener."

The optic switches to Whirl again. Stare. "I would hope that most people do not feel a need to kill themselves, though it's not too hard to imagine some might think it is necessary. Still, it should be discouraged except in the most extreme cases."

* + Radio: A-Chat \*\* Shiftlock says, "... gotta be some kind of record. I'm... I'm gonna pass out now."

Shiftlock does exactly that. She falls to the floor, exhausted, going into mild stasis lock.

Arcee nods, and peers over toward Shiftlock. The femme seems to be comforted by Whirl's presence, and...that's fine with her. Apparently satisfied with the fact that Shiftlock's calmer now than when she was first brought in, Arcee heads off.

"The world is a cruel place, Acuity. For a lot of people, it's too cruel and they feel their only way out is to just end it all." Whirl knows this from personal experience as he has tried this a few times. It's actually a lot harder to kill yourself than most people think! Arcee gets an awkward sideglance, Whirl still unsure how much she does or doesn't remember about him. She hasn't said anything yet so maybe he's in the clear after all.

Shiftlock gets a nod and Whirl gives her a little squeeze before pulling his arms away. "Yeah, you could definitely benefit from some rest. Just take it easy for now, alright?"

Then Shiftlock collapses.

"Uhh.." He picks her up and dumps her onto the couch. "...Good enough."

"Yes, and it should be /us/ that makes it not this way, rather than making it more so," Acuity states. "But I wouldn't have known it without going on my 'stupid' errand as you put it," she notes.

"It WAS stupid," Whirl huffs, crossing his arms. "Anyway, I guess I'm going to hang out here until one of the medical folks kicks me out. You're welcome to stay with if you want."

Acuity nods her head, leans against a wall. "Yes, I can't deny it was stupid, but it opened my optic. I didn't want to see what I saw, I wish it wasn't there to see, but I /had/ to see it."