[video]

[knightoflight]

[Wing is standing outside the hospital--obviously, because he's far too big to fit inside. He has several long black chars on his white armor, and a few dents where he's taken rounds.  ]

[The biggest injury, though, is to his honor. He was trying to protect the hospital, but the Authorities...did not see to care.]

[He's standing by one of the low, ramshackle buildings when he speaks.]

I owe...everyone...an apology. I was trying to help. I thought I could minimize the damage, and protect the Hospital.

[He cycles a vent of air, like a sigh. He doesn't need to say this next part, but he does. He needs to admit it.]

I was wrong.  This?  [He gestures toward the crumbling walls, the jagged glass still hanging in rickety window frames,] is my fault.

I would like the opportunity to make up for it.

[It's up to them, now, if they'll have him.]

Comments

[Action then!]

[catchingflies]

[Humans can't. Todd is quite happily not human, or so he's been told. He looks confused for a second, then looks down on the rubble he's perched on, realizing what Wing is talking about.]

What, that? Naw, I was talkin' 'bout you. You really talkin' and stuff?

[Nevermind that he's obviously talking and stuff, Todd is still kind of expecting a trick of some sort. Robots aren't people, right?]

[Action ]

[knightoflight]

Me?

[Well, at least this one isn't afraid of him.]

Yes. I am talking. And...stuff.

[He tilts his head.]

You're new, I take it? I'm Wing.

[catchingflies]

[He leans back a little from the attention-- not afraid, no, but a bit wary of things like laser eyes and stuff.]

Uh, yeah. Tolansky, hi.

[He waves a little, feeling kind of dumb.]

Kinda new. Just woke up at that ship thing, like, yesterday. Did I miss somethin' big? I mean, this place is a mess, yo.

[knightoflight]

[There are no laser optics. Wing is a pacifist. Despite the three swords. It's...a little complicated.]

I wish we met under different circumstances, Tolansky.

[He frowns, but not at the newcomer.]

This is the second time the Authorities have attacked us since I've been here.

[He muses.]

But before that, there were also dinosaurs.

[catchingflies]

Dinosaurs? Really, man?

[Todd isn't sure he believes that-- but then again, talking robots. So he just snorts and gives his head a quick shake.]

This I gotta see sometime. But who're those Authority guys? They like cops, er somethin'?

[Great, somebody new to try and avoid? Not like he isn't used to it, but still. Kind of annoying.]

[knightoflight]

That's what the other humans called them. [He sounds unsure now. ] They were large and unintelligent.

The Authorities? I suppose they think they are. They fought a war here, long ago, and poisoned the planet. They retreated to their domes and the Old City, and us, are all that's left of their war.

[catchingflies]

Heh, there's a lotta things that're big an' unintelligent.

[Like Fred Dukes, the Blob. Todd snickers at that one. It's sure easier than trying to make sense of the rest of it, laughing at one of his friends. Or, ya know, whatever they were.]

Sounds like a weird kinda place. That's got talkin' robots and dinosaurs. They got, uh, school or anythin', too?

[If he's found a world without school, at least that's better than home! Though the lack of power is kind of annoying.]

[knightoflight]

[He laughs.] This is true. But the humans called them dinosaurs.

[School?] Not that I've heard of. But perhaps they simply don't tell me. There are many things in the Old City I simply can't access.

[Being two stories tall and all that.]

Do you miss school? We could find someone?

[catchingflies]

Oooooh nonononono.

[Todd holds up both hands and hurriedly shakes his head.]

Not missin' school, promise! Just askin' in case somebody was gonna try an' make me!

[It sounds like a nice break from being bossed around by the rest of the Brotherhood, really. And there are plenty of flies around here! Speaking of, his tongue darts out to snatch one out of the air.]

So you get here same way's me? In that big ship thingy?

[knightoflight]

[Well, that seems a little strange, but most of human culture has, so far.]

Honestly, I don't think there's much anyone can do to make anyone do anything here.

[....!!]

I, er [sorry, he's a little distracted by the fly thing.] Yes. I awoke on the ship. In a hangar.

[Is he...eating it?]

[catchingflies]

[Oblivious to the shock-- not really sure what shock would look like on a giant robot, anyway-- Todd does indeed swallow and then rests his cheek on one fist, frowning over at Wing.]

So weird. Woulda thought whoever did it woulda said somethin' by now.

[He's kind of used to villains bragging. Or at least making a big mess. Hey, he's done the same thing, but this kind of thing is way beyond him. He's a pickpocket, not a mastermind! Looking vaguely hopeful, he asks,]

Don't suppose you know any Mystiques hidin' around here, do ya?

[knightoflight]

[Eww? That still didn't seem normal to Wing. But he's not one to judge.]

It was a long time ago. Whoever brought us here is long dead, I imagine.

[Mystique? What's a mystique? Obviously a place. ]

I don't know of any but they may have one in the Old City, if you need it.

[catchingflies]

[Disgruntled by both comments, Todd says,]

Mystique ain't a place, she's a person. But either she's all lyin' low, or she ain't here....

[Which he isn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed about. At least if she's here, he'll know what to do and where to go, plus he'll know what happened to her when she vanished. But without her here, she can't boss him around. Still, a familiar face would be kind of nice.

He shrugs it off, for the moment.]

Well, whatever. Guess I'm on my own.

[knightoflight]

Oh. I'm sorry. [Oops?]

She may be in one of the pods on the ship, though. Don't lose hope.

[Because obviously (according to Wing) Tolansky is lonely. He understands, all too well, being alone himself.]

...you needn't be. On your own, that is. And it really is best for us to stick together in this place, don't you think?

[catchingflies]

Right. Giant robot's tellin' me 'bout stickin' together.

[Todd isn't sure whether to laugh or be disgusted. He settles for glaring a little at Wing, just looking vaguely annoyed.]

Geez, there's goodie-goods even here, ain't there? All right, how's anybody stickin' together here, then? What're you all doin'?

[knightoflight]

"Is that wrong where you're from?"

Giant robots preaching unity were pretty rare in Wing's homeworld, too. He just doesn't want to admit it.

"We...we stick together by trying to stay alive, mostly."

[catchingflies]

"Naw, s'just kinda... geeky." Todd wrinkles his nose, thinking of the X-men. "And, y'know, nobody ever really does stick t'gether, it's just a big thing t'make them out like they're better'n the rest of us, anyway."

He drops from his crouch to actually sit on the edge of the busted wall. "What makes you guys's stickin' together better'n that stickin' together? You guys actually, like, help each other out or somethin'?" He sounds doubtful. It's not something he expects out of anybody, not these days.

[knightoflight]

"Geeky. That's bad?" He honestly was asking.

But he has to shake his head. "No. No one here is better than anyone else. Whatever they were in their world, here, we're all the same: survivors."

"And we do help. Or try to. Several helped during the dinosaur stampede and others right now are helping fix the hospital. It's simply," he struggles to try to find words. "It's in each person's best interest that we all survive."

[catchingflies]

"Huh." Todd is still kind of skeptical, but he isn't that great at arguing, and nobody's been particularly nice, really, since he got here... but then, he hasn't talked to a lot of people. Mostly people who lived here already, and they were kind of... displeased with him.

"Well, guess if you say so." He swings down to walk on all fours down the wall, like a spider or a gecko. "Still ain't seen a lot of it yet, but I guess if you're right, I will, yeah?"

[knightoflight]

Wing is only displeased with the Outer Authorities.

"It's always best to judge for yourself, of course. But give people here a chance. And yourself."

He does tilt his head as Tolansky moves down the wall. Why didn't the others tell him they could do this?

"Well, what would you like to see? I could take you?"

[catchingflies]

Wing isn't one of the natives. The natives have been kind of irritable when it comes to weird people clinging to their walls. Todd is apparently doing a really bad job at hiding he's a mutant... not that he's trying all that hard. Or at all.

He stops at the offer, though, and stares up-- he's far enough down now that it's definitely "up"-- at Wing. "Uh. How's that? You gonna carry me on yer shoulder, or somethin'?"

[knightoflight]

The natives hadn't been great with giant robot jet, either, but Wing would grant your point.

"I could fly you." Silly! "I do transform into a jet."

[catchingflies]

That officially has Todd's attention, and he leapfrogs back up to the top of the broken wall to stare at Wing eagerly, at his level again. Between the whole shape-shifting thing, and the flying thing, he's officially interested again. "You can turn into what?"

[knightoflight]

Well, that was more of a reaction than Wing was used to.

"A jet? Not a big one, just...me." That sounded awkward. "All of my kind has an alternate mode."

[catchingflies]

"Whooooah. That's cool, bro. Can people, like, ride in you, or just, like, on your back?" He's not too sure whether he likes the idea of being inside somebody, big robot or not, but on seems pretty cool, on its own. "I mean, you're plenty big already, y'know?"