You head back into the Waiting Room.
Iacon MedCenter Waiting Room(#3611RntN)
Contents: Scattershot

Rodimus Prime steps out of the medbay rubbing his head slightly.
Scattershot grunts, shuffing towards medbay
Scattershot looks up, staring at you.
You say, "Hey, Scattershot."
Scattershot says, "Yea, I see ya took da Matrix back?"
Rodimus Prime shakes his head.
Scattershot looks at you.
Scattershot says, "Den what happened?"
You say, "It took me back."
Scattershot grunts, "Oh."
Krystal emerges from the Repair Room.
Scattershot doesn't understand, but he doesn't care anymore, but he does 
take another step forward, "Good ta have YOU back anyways." He wheels 
around and heads out.
Krystal stops short as she hears voices, hovering in the background.
Rodimus Prime chuckles softly under his breath and continues out to the 
main hallway.
Scattershot heads northwest, back into the Central Hallway.

You head northwest, back into the Central Hallway.
Central Hallway - New Iacon Base

Krystal arrives from the Med Center.
Krystal enters quickly, the sound of her boots echoing sharply, her 
cloak trailing swiftly at her heels.
Rodimus Prime pauses at the threshold, about to head north, and glances 
back over his shoulder. "Krystal?"
Krystal stops, swallowing. "Sorry..."
Rodimus Prime doesn't answer for a moment, blinking to himself, then 
shakes his head. "Sorry for what?" he smiles.
Krystal frowns slightly, her brow creasing in concern. "Nothing....I..." 
she stops....blinks likewise with a shake of her head. "Do you feel all 
right?" she asks then.
Rodimus Prime grins, "Better'n I have in years, Krys. Why?"
Krystal grins a little. "Well, yes, I can tell...there is something 
different..."
Rodimus Prime leans back against the doorway. "Nothing different. We 
just.. worked out a few differences, that's all."
Krystal nods. "I see...well, I can tell...I mean...but that isn't what I 
meant right at the moment..."
You say, "Well, what did you mean, then?"
Krystal shakes her head. "It's...nothing, I guess...I'm sorry...I was 
just making sure,...." she shakes her head again.
You say, "No, don't apologize." He grins, "Really, I'm fine. I don't 
mind."
Rodimus Prime shoves himself off the edge of the doorway. "Although.. 
you mind moving to my room? I think I'd better sit down."
Krystal arches an eyebrow as Rodimus suddenly confirms her suspicions. 
"Uh, no..."

You are whisked away on a large people-mover, through a tube, into the 
Main Commissary.
New Iacon Main Commissary

Rod's Office
        Your average-sized personal cubicle, nothing terribly spacious, 
but sufficiently well-organized that it's not too cramped, either. A 
large desk is to your left as you enter, dominated by a personal 
computer terminal and varying stacks of as-yet unread reports. At the 
right side of the room is a medium-sized worktable and several 
haphazardly pushed-back chairs. A small holoprojector sits in the center 
of the tabletop. Along the back wall are stacked a few storage 
containers. There is also some shelving mounted on the wall, bearing 
various trinkets, some of which are obvious leftovers from the 'good old 
days,' and several framed pictures.

Krystal enters quickly, the sound of her boots echoing sharply, her 
cloak trailing swiftly at her heels.
Rodimus Prime drops gratefully into his chair, leaning back and rubbing 
his palms over his face with a a slightly weary sigh.
Krystal bites her lip to fight back a grin of amused concern. "Do 
you...need something?"
Rodimus Prime exhales slowly, dropping one hand to rest lightly over his 
chest, pausing to examine the other, tightening his fist a few times and 
releasing it, then rubs his thumb across the sharp creases of his face 
again before dropping that hand as well and lacing his fingers together 
over his chest. "Need something? Why?"
Rodimus Prime drops forward in his chair again sharply, unable to sit 
still for long, shaking his arms out to his sides, still grinning rather 
stupidly. "Damn, that just feels good."

================================== Autobot =============================
Message: 3/65                      Posted        Author
Big Night!                         Fri Nov 01    Whiz
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wellll... I'm still just a li'l bit woozy from lost energon, and the 
boost to my self-repair systems that I did after studying Junkions seems 
to be shunting a little energon from my brain, but hey! This is NEWS, it 
can't wait forever. Right? So anyway, ummmmm, we tried that invasion of 
Darkmount idea, which might have worked if Galvatron hadn't met us in 
Polyhex, and in the suburbs no less. And there were *shudder* rats, but 
we won't get into that. Anyway, anyway, I drew the decepticons out of 
the residential areas and into the forum, but that meant that I got 
blasted a couple... erm, a lotta times trying to get back with the rest 
of the group. There was a big fight and stuff, and Optimus Prime ordered 
me to set this big bomb on Darkmount, but the thing was, I couldn't get 
there once he fingered me to teh Cons. So I got blasted a lot... and I 
got realy confused, because Optimus was saying, "Blow it up!" and Rod 
was yelling, "Don't, you're hurt." So we played this hot potato game 
with the bomb, and it blew up in the air, and we all got hurt some more. 
So then Optimus told me to get out *another* bomb, and I was pretty far 
gon by then, but I tried, but then Rod argued with him, and there was a 
fight thing, and... Galvatron shot Optimus, and Optimus punched Rod, 
and... well, it was a long story, but Rodimus finally stood up and took 
command again! And it was GREAT!
======================================================================

================================== Autobot =============================
Message: 3/66                      Posted        Author
Big Night! (cont)                  Fri Nov 01    Whiz
------------------------------------------------------------------------
So Optimus was unconscious... I think, something like that... and I was 
totally destroyed, and so we retreated, but I got Rod to take me over to 
Optimus cause I *said* I was gonna try to see if I could revive him... 
And I was, but I knew it was really hopeless, and besides, we needed 
some transport for the injured, right? So I unlocked Optimus' chest 
cavity and took out the Matrix, and gave it to Rodimus. Sorta like the 
Lady of the Lake, but green! And then I collapsed, right next to 
Optimus. Of course, Galvatron had to go and spoil the mood by blowing up 
Optimus' body, what a jerk, so I got blown halfwy across the room by the 
blast, and then I don't really remember anything until I woke up in 
Rodimus' trailer and was afraid from all the red that I'd gone to hell. 
*hee hee*. Whoo, I feel dizzy. But anyway, everybody congratulate 
RODIMUS PRIME, wow, that feels good to say, and give him your support. 
Be cool, peace and stuff, bye-bye.
======================================================================

Krystal drops her eyes almost bashfully, feeling, odd, to say the least, 
sensing Rodimus's inexplicable, yet welcome peace and marvelling at it 
just the same. She grins at his boyish energy, but wonders about its 
source.
You say, "Well, c'mon, say something. I wouldn't've asked you in if I 
just wanted to talk to myself all night."
Rodimus Prime pauses abruptly. "It's.. all right, you know. About 
Optimus."
Krystal's smile fades a bit to a more serious line, looking back at 
Rodimus. Is it, she wonders? She pauses, then nods. "It is, isn't it? 
...I know...I guess it's..." she sighs finally. "Look at you...it's good 
to have you back...I mean, really back...you, but...somehow different." 
she shrugs.
Rodimus Prime says soberly, "I don't think anyone could be quite the 
same. But I think I finally made my peace with him.." he pauses, then 
smiles again, ruefully, as the Matrix sends another (comforting?) pulse 
along his neural net. "I know my place now, though. I belong here, and.. 
I.. I want it."
Krystal smiles softly, remembering the conversation from a few nights 
back.
Rodimus Prime draws another slow breath, still smiling vaguely to 
himself. "The problem was never here--" he touches his chest-- "like I 
thought." He taps the side of his head. "It was always up here.. once I 
got over that, everything else just.. fell into place."
You say, "I mean, I'm not sure I can explain it. If there's ever been 
one moment in your life when you just felt like you *belonged*.."
Krystal's smile is warm as she nods in understanding. "As we tried to 
tell you... but it wasn't for us to tell. You always knew, but somehow 
seemed afraid of that knowledge. Your heart was always there...but you 
let you mind override it with doubt." she pauses, wondering how stupid 
that sounded. "You stopped fighting it."
Rodimus Prime grins, "Yeah, I guess sometimes you do just have to go 
with what feels right -- always knew those gut instincts were good for 
something."
Krystal tilts her head slightly. "What changed your mind?"
You say, "I'm not sure. I saw all of that stuff happening, and I knew 
someone hadda stop Optimus, and no one else would... it just.. felt 
right. Something slid into place. I'm not sure I can explain it any 
better than that."
Krystal hmms, seeing through Rodi's eyes the events of what happened, 
even though she wasn't there.
Whiz wanders into the room to see if anything interesting is happening.
Whiz trundles in, towing her energon feed behind her. "'S Unlocked!" she 
announces cheerily.
Whiz receives a radio transmission.
Whiz apologizes in advance. "I'm a little woozy and stuff. Energon going 
to self-repair instead of up here." She taps her head gently.
Rodimus Prime looks up and chuckles softly, "Docs let you out in that 
condition?"
Whiz says dizzily, "I *am* the doc!"
Whiz transmits a message via radio.
Rodimus Prime grins expansively and links his hands behind his head. 
"Self-repair, bah. I feel fine."
Whiz says, "'Sides, I'm fine. Just need the energon back in the system. 
Got my friend here for that."
Whiz patpats her energon drip. "Just like ER, crazy lady wandering the 
halls on medication."
Krystal snickers.
Rodimus Prime tosses a look at Krystal, still grinning, "I thought that 
was me."
Krystal grins widely.
Whiz holds up a finger. "Aha! Just wanted to let you know that I've 
reported on the night's events, fearless leader. Though after the 
explosion it all gets fuzzy."
Whiz hee hees. "So do I."
You say, "Did you? Great, saves me the trouble for the time being.. I'll 
throw something up when I can actually report objectively."
Krystal looks at Rodimus seriously. "I think we should wait then," she 
whispers gravely. "It's much to soon yet....we can't tell her that right 
now...maybe never..." she levels her gaze at him, the only hint of her 
sarcasm apparent in the mischievous glint in her eyes.
Whiz says proudly, "I was *very* objective."
Whiz hmms. "I think. I was a little out of it."
Rodimus Prime says mock-indignantly, "Can't tell her what?"
Whiz perks up. "Tell who?"
Whiz announces, "Also, I came to say Merry Christmas. I'm Santa. Got a 
present for you."
You say, "Hmm?"
Whiz moves surprisingly nimbly, pushing her energon feed ahead of her, 
as she leaps over to the desk to pinch Rodimus' cheeks.
Whiz dissolves into laughter. "I can still do it! Not as fun, but I 
can!"
Rodimus Prime GAKS and slides backward in his chair against the wall, 
grabbing at Whiz's wrists. "I am not cute!"
Whiz says, "You're right about that. But I had to do it one last time."
Whiz giggles. "Besides, you have no recourse. I'm still wounded."
Whiz 'ha's. "Hurt me, and you're a tyrant."
Rodimus Prime hmphs indignantly, wiping his hand across his cheek as 
though to erase the mark, then hehs ruefully, tracing the 
familiar/unfamiliar/can't-quite-decide creases of his face again with 
one thumb before letting his hand slide back down to his side. "Tyrant 
who looks older'n your grandfather. I'm immune to pinching."
Whiz shakes her head, which seems to make her even dizzier. "Nahhhhh. 
Nobody is immune to the Whiz virus."
Rodimus Prime grins, "Will you sit down before you fall down? You're 
scaring me."
Whiz says, "'Sides, I don't have a grandfather."
Whiz naaaahs. "I'm fine."
Rodimus Prime spreads his hands, "I mean, c'mon, even I've got that much 
sense -- just a colloquialism." He smiles devilishly, "Can you spell 
colloquialism?"
Whiz ponders. "It's weird. Euphoria, dizziness, but not like 
overenergizing. And not just lack of energon. I'm just *happy*. After a 
long time of being miserable. And I can spell colloquialism, I'm the 
Scrabble Champ of Autobot City."
Whiz uhhhs. "Well, I usually can spell it."
Whiz rubs her temple with one hand, then grins.
Rodimus Prime cocks a sideways look at Whiz. "Well, Primus, if rerouting 
my energon feed was all it took to feel like that, why'd I bother going 
through the smelter for it?"
Whiz says, "Don't take advantage of me 'cause I'm silly."
Whiz says, "Well, it hurt a lot on the way here..."
Rodimus Prime shakes his head ruefully, "Whiz, you have NO idea..."
Rodimus Prime pauses, "Then again, maybe you do."
You say, "You figured out a lot of stuff before I did."
Whiz shakes her head. "Nah. Only you do. But hey, it hurt, right? So 
that's a good thing!"
Whiz says, "It's Christmas! Santa brought you destiny in his big sack!"
Whiz says, "And all his little Christmas elf had to do was get her aft 
smeared across the Forum in Polyhex!"
Whiz hee hee hees and leans on the pole of her energon feed.
You say, "Hey, anything for the sake of progress.."
You say, "Sit DOWN, Whiz."
Whiz says, "Not the same head-rush when I'm sitting..."
Whiz grins lopsidedly and weaves her way to a seat anyway.
Rodimus Prime cocks his head oddly. "Funny, I get the same thing no 
matter where I am.. then again, I guess I haven't tried standing on my 
head, yet. Not that I think it'd matter."
Whiz settles in, looping the tube of the feed over her shoulder. "So, 
you don't want to kill me as much as you always suspected, eh?"
Whiz peers around the place, regaining some of her equilibrium.
Rodimus Prime sighs softly, focusing inwardly on something for a moment, 
then looks back at Whiz. "Nah, you can live. Provided you don't let 
being right all the time go to your head."
Whiz shakes her head with a grin. "Not likely. Chances of me being right 
again are slim to none, I've exhausted the whole shebang right here."
Rodimus Prime grins. "My turn now."
Whiz says, "Besides, to be honest, I'd started to give up on you. So I 
was wrong, after all. And I'll broadcast it to the world."
You say, "Don't worry about it. I'd given up on myself a long time ago."
Whiz grins. "Cool, I held out longer than you."
Rodimus Prime grumbles, "Slaggin females.."
Whiz bounces in her seat. "This is just so *cool*! Don't you think so?"
Rodimus Prime grins and leans back in his seat again. "Oh, you think YOU 
feel good.."
Whiz grins. "I got euphoria, I got heroism, I got to be right, and I 
have about... hmm... three-quarters of a full tank. Yeah, I think I feel 
good."
Whiz says, "There are those that might say that three-quarters of full 
is more than I usually have, though."
Whiz grins.
Rodimus Prime smiles oddly, "Yeah, but I've got the same thing that blew 
up a planet-eater a few years back trying really hard to tell me how 
much it likes me right now."
You say, "I guess destiny's not all that bad."
Whiz ennhs, grinning. "Nah, it's just a honeymoon thing. And it's got 
the bends from coming up to the surface too fast. It'll remember all the 
stuff it didn't like about you with time."
You say, "No, I really think you were right the first time on that 
one.."
Whiz smiles. "Bah. Any minute now, it'll come running back to me."
You say, "About how I had to accept IT first. Once I got past that 
mental block, everything just.. fell into place, you know?"
Whiz nodnods. "Cool, right again!"
Rodimus Prime smirks possessively. "Mine."
Rodimus Prime pauses, then laughs softly at himself, "Although I think I 
belong to it more than the other way around, really.."
Whiz says, "Nah, we made a deal. This time *you* get it, the dictator 
comes after you to blow you up, and *I * step in to save the day.""
Whiz giggles. "In my dreams. Fact is, I felt nothing. Well, kinda a nice 
feeling, but nothing... special."
Rodimus Prime says honestly, "I really wish you could, Whiz.. I don't 
think I've felt this good in my life. Not even Unicron."
Whiz says, "That's cause you got it from the right kind of person this 
time!"
Whiz beams. "Call me Santa!"
Rodimus Prime sighs softly, only half in reality again for the moment. 
"Yeah, that must be it."
Whiz says, "And I fooled you! You never suspected it!"
Whiz giggles her way right out of her chair.
Whiz says, "Ooof!"
Rodimus Prime grins. "Least I can sit without difficulty.."
Whiz says, "I'm hurt, you tyrant, don't make fun."
Whiz clambers back up into the chair.
You say, "Oh yeah, I'm a tyrant.."
Whiz yeahs, "You're abusing the wounded."
Whiz mutters about needing chairs with arms on them.
You say, "No, abusing the wounded would be if I got up and BEAT you with 
the chair."
Whiz eeks! "Demonstrations are unnecessary."
Whiz settles herself, taking a minute to regain her balance. "There. 
Fine now, nothing I can't handle. Been a long time since I got hit like 
that, though. Whoo. I'm getting soft in that medbay."
You say, "Maybe I'll have to drag you out and hit you every now and then 
to keep you in shape, then."
Whiz says, "See that? Abuse, pure and simple Krystal, you're a witness."
Rodimus Prime pauses. "Wonder how to break everything to Daniel.."
Whiz hrms. "Or maybe I should have enough sense in my head not to run 
out and shout at Galvatron and Onslaught to follow me..."
You say, "Well, that might help too."
Whiz says blusteringly, "Yeah, Galv, well yo' momma was a toaster oven, 
and your daddy was a Chevy Nova!"
Rodimus Prime chuckles. "Always preferred lawnmower myself."
Whiz hmmms, "Lawnmower is insult of choice for Rodimus Prime."
Whiz makes a very obvious mental note.
You say, "Great, that's gonna come back to haunt me now."
Whiz grins. "Whaddya know, you're getting started right away with that 
'being right all of the time' stuff."
Rodimus Prime grins rather stupidly, "Although in my admittedly addled 
state right now, I gotta say it just feels damn good to hear that name 
again. I thought I hated it."
Whiz says, "I kept testing, just to see if you'd gotten over it yet."
Rodimus Prime says dryly, "I'd noticed. Lot of people took it on 
themselves to test me."
Whiz grins lopsidedly. "And then you'd let me know in strident terms how 
much you hated it, and so I knew I was getting somewhere."
Whiz puts up a defensive pair of hands. "Hey, it was hardly 
insubordination, you were just a short little punk with an attitude 
problem then."
Rodimus Prime smiles and says quietly, studying his hands, still working 
his fingers with a mild sense of disbelief, "Hey, I think I always knew 
who I was. I just didn't know where."
Whiz says, "The fact that I was shorter and had a larger attitude 
problem didn't come into it at that point."
You say, "Hey, who says I don't have an attitude problem now?"
Whiz nodnods enthusiastically, almost tipping again.
Whiz puffs up. "I know attitude problems when I see them."
Rodimus Prime puffs up, mocking Whiz, "Then what do you see here? The 
Easter bunny?"
Whiz wobbles up out of her chair and assumes a bent over position, 
throwing her arm over her eyes and moaning melodramatically. "Why me? 
I'm such a loser? I hate being responsible..."
Whiz moans, "Kill me now, put me out of my misery, so people will stop 
calling me Rodimus and making fun of the flames on my chest..."
You say, "Hey, don't touch the paint job!"
Whiz hehs and sits down.
Rodimus Prime smirks ruefully. "I was acting pretty stupid, huh."
Whiz says, "Now that, sir, is an attitude problem. An attitude, taken 
properly, is not a problem."
Whiz says, "I have attitude. I have no problem."
Whiz grins.
You say, "Then what do I have?"
Whiz snickers. "Well, you have an attitude, and you have me. Thus you 
have both and attitude *and* a problem."
Rodimus Prime laughs. "I guess that solves it neatly enough."
Whiz wooz. "I'm pretty clever when I'm silly."
Rodimus Prime grimaces and thumps his upper chest with the side of his 
fist, shaking his head. "You wouldn't think two months'd be enough to 
make your own voice sound funny."
Whiz says, "Probably got more to do with the fact that Hot Rod has such 
a funny voice to start with."
Whiz smirks.
You say, "I do NOT."
You say, "Did not."
You say, "Whatever."
Whiz says, "Don't let the woozy one confuse you."
You say, "Hey, I'm woozy too, lemme alone."
Whiz says, "You'd never live it down if anyone found out."
Whiz says, "Ha! It's my turn to be the tyrant!"
Whiz hmmms. "Speaking of which, did that light show cure you, or are you 
still hurting from that fight?"
Rodimus Prime hmms? "I feel fine.."
You say, "Better than fine." He sets his hand to his jaw and shifts it 
from side to side, testing. "No problem."
Whiz says, "Ohhhh, it couldn't have the courtesy to do that for the 
messenger, could it?"
Whiz grumbles. "Leave me hobbling and shuffling around..."
Rodimus Prime awws, "But it gave you me to give you the ride back."
You say, "Besides, did you ASK it?"
Whiz grins. "Yeah, I think that was one of my justifications, wasn't 
it?"
Whiz says, "Even with half my energon gone, I can think pretty well on 
my feet."
You say, "Or your aft, as the case may be."
Whiz says, "Not that you needed justifications by then. Heh."
Rodimus Prime smiles and says softly, "Nah, no justifications."
Whiz puts up one finger in the air proudly. "I, Whiz, do hereby declare 
that I can pull very good ideas out of my aft."
Rodimus Prime nods decisively. "Seconded. So ruled. Rod hath spoken."
Whiz wooz! "All right!"
Whiz says, "Whiz brand field technicians. Take a licking, keep getting 
sillier. Good even on half a tank."
Whiz suddenly bursts out with a non-sequitur. "Party."
Whiz says, "We should have a big ol' party. With a disco ball. Grimlock 
said that if he became leader, he'd put up a disco ball."
Whiz jerks a thumb toward the commissary. "How about it?"
You say, "Well, isn't that a reason right there NOT to?"
Whiz says, "Well, only 'cause I asked. It was to solicit a vote. 
Politics is beautiful."
Rodimus Prime holds up a finger. "Ah, but dictatorship is more fun."
Whiz says, "See? Tyrant!"
You say, "Slaggin' straight."
Whiz says, "I should have asked around more before I passed that on, I 
could have gotten a lot more out of the deal."
Whiz pretends to be an auctioneer. "I have a sega saturn and a disco 
ball in the commissary? Who'll throw in the enforced siesta between 2 
and 2 pm?"
Whiz ooos, "That doesn't sound right."
You say, "See, before you got away with that stuff cause you were 
dealing with Insecure Rod (trademarked).. now you gotta deal with me 
knowing why I'm here and liking it." He considers. "Then again, I still 
don't know what the hell I'm doing, so you've got a fighting chance."
Whiz ahs. "I don't know what the hell you're doing either, if it helps."
Whiz grins.
You say, "Good, at least we see things my way."
Whiz says, "I'm having enough trouble figuring out what I'm doing. So 
what does all this mean for the disco ball?""
You say, "Still means no. You slipped your gimmick too late. Let me get 
my guard up first."
Whiz awwwws.
Whiz says, "What if I get a petition?"
You say, "Tyrant, remember?"
Whiz chuckles. "I can see it now, Jazz and I would be the only ones to 
sign it anyway."
Whiz gets up woozily to make a point of some kind, which certainly 
seemed to make sense to her, but staggers a little.
Whiz says, "Hmm. Hey."
Rodimus Prime leans back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the desk, 
watching in obvious amusement.
Whiz says, "Maybe that rest in the medbay thing isn't such a bad idea."
You say, "Hey, you're the doc, remember? I'm just the punk with the 
flame tattoos."
Whiz says, "I'm still feeling a quart low, so to speak..."
You say, "Then again, I'm always right now. So ha. Go to medbay."
Whiz grins lopsidedly and takes hold of her energon feed.
Whiz says, "You're still a punk with flame tattoos, but now you're just 
right. So sue me."
Whiz says, "You just wait until I'm not so, well, loopy. We'll see who 
beats up on who then."
Rodimus Prime nods decisively. "Course I'm right. And don't gimme that, 
I'll beat you any day of the week."
Rodimus Prime grins.
Whiz chuckles. "Ha, as if. Anyway, I'd better get some recuperation in 
if I'm going to be able to catch up with the new and improved model."
Whiz trundles on out the door and over to her lab for some rest.
Rodimus Prime chuckles, "You wish.. see ya, Whiz."
Whiz waves behind her, and as the door shuts, you hear a shout of, 
"Merry Crhistmas to all, and to all a good night!"
Whiz has left.
Krystal stays quiet, curled up in a chair.
Rodimus Prime casts a sidelong look at Krystal and decides to leave her 
be..
Rodimus Prime does, however, get up and open one of the storage 
containers in the back of the room, rummaging through the contents for a 
minute.
Rodimus Prime finally retrieves a blanket (hey, Danny used to sleep 
over) and gently tucks it around Krystal's sleeping form before returing 
to his own spot and leaning back with little short of an utterly 
contented smile, slipping back into that for-the-moment enormously 
compelling, quiet communion.