Robots in Bellwood

BARTER

The highly unexpected revelation results in a wave of urgency crashing into everyone present. Before long, the conference room is overtaken for the day. Security cameras, off. Guards, posted outside. Entrance, limited. Currently...

Bumblebee and Steeljaw – once again not feeling well – keep a short distance away from the other occupants. Max, Ben, and Rook stand in a semi-circle around Khyber, who is lounging in a chair with one leg resting atop the other. His hands, bound by shock manacles, lay flat in his lap.

BEN: "Okay, Khyber, spill. How do you know about their home planet?"

Khyber taps a digit and hums, most likely annoying his interrogators on purpose. He answers after an infuriating few minutes of nothing.

KHYBER: "Well, I would say it starts with that Lockdown fella."

MAX: "How did you two meet?"

KHYBER: "If you're asking me which of us ended up in which dimension, it would be the same as what these ones went through..."

The hunter trails off as he eyes the Cybertronians.

KHYBER: "Except for the obvious."

BB: "You're saying that Lockdown retained his actual form?"

Khyber doesn't need to say anything. His silence and intense gaze are more than enough.

KHYBER: "Anyway, I was intrigued. I never saw a ship like his before, so I thought I would have a little fun. We fought, but after realizing we had a lot in common, decided to let bygones be bygones. We had a drink and showed off our trophies..."

BEN: "Are you going to get to the point anytime soon?"

KHYBER: "Not very patient, are we?"

The Plumbers glare at Khyber. He takes a breath and leans back in his seat.

KHYBER: "When we conversed, we did, eventually, get onto the topic of how Lockdown ended up in this universe. He said it might have had something to do with a new device he received from a business acquaintance of his."

BB: "What kind of device?"

KHYBER: "Don't know."

BB: "What about its function?"

BEN: "Dude, if he doesn't even remember what it's called..."

KHYBER: "Hyper-galactic teleportation, if I remember correctly."

The Plumbers are startled by the interruption. Khyber closes his eyes and chuckles.

KHYBER: "And since Lockdown's a fellow hunter, I don't believe I need to tell you why he wished to acquire such a device."

Bumblebee shivers, unsettled by such thoughts.

BB: "So, did he succeed in getting home? Back to his own universe?"

Khyber ponders over the question for a minute.

KHYBER: "Honestly, I don't know. He got his device working and teleported away, but whether he actually made it back is something that I couldn't possibly tell you."

The answer isn't exactly what they're hoping for, but the possibility is there!

ROOK: "What I am wondering is how Lockdown managed to get his device working again. Surely any missing or damaged component for an item from a different dimension is next to impossible, if not completely so, to find here."

"You find the next closest thing and work with what you have."

Finally, Kevin, Gwen, Moonracer, Knockout, and Starscream have arrived.