Log Title: Banshee Unt Viper
Banshee
Characters: Banshee, Viper, Banshee's Gumbies
Location: Decepticon HQ, Cybertron
Date: 12 November 2017
Summary: Viper visits Banshee at her revetment outside DHQ.
As logged by HCIJess
Decepticon HQ, Cybertron[]
Left outside a medical facility, Viper's body is callously 'dropped off' - medically - he's a case study waiting to happen. A cryptic, green vapor trail continues to emit from his neck. His body has been shellacked from the beating he took at the hands of Fallen's followers, and now - even if, IF he's repaired, it's as if half of his soul has left his body.
Time passes...
Banshee can be found hanging out with her gumbies in her revetment. It's clear which one is hers; red flags bearing the Decepticon insignia flutter from the doors of the hangar at the back of the revetment dramatically, along with a slogan in German: "Stärke macht Frei" - Strength makes (us) Free. If that wasn't a big enough hint, the Kettenrad towing a fifteen-cart train of bombs, ammunition crates, energon cubes and high-octane aviation fuel towards it would be a pretty big clue.
Banshee herself can be found at an easel on the edge of the little earthen fortification, sketching with a long charcoal pencil that she keeps sharp with her 'Kampfmesser-42'-styled energon-edged knife.
She appears to be sketching a scene of the Fallen being driven back towards some kind of hell-portal by massed Cybertronian forces - a few Autobots are recognisable amongst the primarily Decepticon forces. Megatron has, of course, the primary focus of the image, with Banshee herself fairly prominently performing a dive-bombing run against the Fallen; all five of her bombs are free, half of her rockets are on their way, and her machine guns are firing.
An old German-style radio plays soft opera while she works.
Viper approaches Banshee. Ever since he's been repaired, he's had this feeling of being utterly disconnected, like he's viewing himself from on above. His eyes have a cloudy, faded haze. To an untrained eye, it could just look like he's in dire need of a recharge. He looks at Banshee and says in a droney, docile tone "I have been repaired...and I am ready to begin work again."
Banshee looks over at him, pausing in her sketch. "You don't look it, mein freund." She comments. "You look like..." She pauses, peering again and lowering her pencil. "You look like scheiße. Kommen Sie. Kommen Sie. Sitzen. I don't know, I think I preferred zer irritated Viper from zer mountain, ja? Vhere's your fight, you vere attempting to chew out a senior officer a few months, vot happened down zere? All I know is, zat ugly little scout-car dropped you off, unt zen hacked our radios to tell us zer fucking Fallen voz back."
Viper obediently sits down, per Banshee's request. He gazes out with a deadened expression. He drones "What are your orders?" He looks like right now, he probably COULD do menial work like dig and scrap. But he appears to have zero interest in trashing Autobots, or talking up his accomplishments with the Decepticons. A patch is on his neck, the gash he suffered from his throat slit still very much healing.
Banshee looks critically at Viper for a moment. "Find your balls, Viper." she says, shaking her head. She pours two cubes of energon, handing one over. "Now, tell me vot zer fuck happened to you?"
Viper slowly, slowly, slowly takes the energon and drinks its contents. But the contents of the cube don't register in the least. No pleasure. No revulsion, no 'pain' of taking too much of a swig. He says hollowly "I was captured. They slit my throat. An Autobot helped me escape. I was fired upon as we left. He left me at the foot of a hospital." He looks over at Banshee and says "And now I'm here." The story is devoid of Viper's typical bluster and braggadocio. This story makes Soundwave's accounts of any regular event sound downright stirring.
Viper holds the energon cube. The cube tilts ever so, the contents move to the lip of the cube, threatening to spill on the floor.
Banshee looks over, blinking. "Careful, don't spill. Primus, really? Vell, can't blame zer Autobot for zat, it's not like ve vould haff treated him all zat kindly." She chuckles, then sobers. "scheiße. So zer Fallen really ist back? No vunder you're out of it. You're on medical leave until you... find your personality again, Viper. Tell anyone who doesn't like it to take it up mit me."
She sketches as she talks. One of the slightly more prominent Autobots is erased, and replaced with the sniperbot.
Viper stares vacantly off. Banshee just gave him a medical leave. This would be an awesome time to go out and kill Autobots, or at least maim them. Anything but this mind-numbing "work" he's been assigned to. Banshee's generosity barely gets a reaction from Viper. "Thank you" he says very slowly.
Viper tilts his energon cube back, preventing the precious contents from spilling on the floor.
Banshee looks over. "Between you and me, I'd go hurt some Autobots." She suggets. "Zat's alvays good stress relief for me, helps me feel mein self again. Or, alternately, go to zer bar zey've set up. Zer bartender, big guy, don't tangle mit him. He likes bar brawls, zo... if you want some low-risk, high-fun violence, zat's zer place to go. Very strict mit zer no veapons though."
Viper looks onward, eyes deadened - this seems to be a perfect mix for Viper. Getting all good and lit, and then taking out his frustrations on pathetic Autobots. But again, nothing that Banshee suggests seems to elicit any reaction - pleasure or anger. "Whatever you command...I will follow" he says docilely.
Banshee sighs, shaking her head. "Zat's... you're not getting it, Viper. It's not about vot I command - though listening to me is a good idea. It's about vot you vant. I understand things are a bit..." She shakes her head "Vell, maybe I don't understand..."
Viper slowly looks at Banshee and says in a resigned tone "I live to serve. That is what I do. That is my mission." It's as if someone was uploading a new personality - and suddenly - woah, the wi-fi went out. Upload incomplete. BUT, there's enough there for said Decepticon to do some basic tasks.
Banshee shakes her head a little, with a sigh. "You poor sing. Look... go get laagered, pick ein bar brawl... don't kill anyvun. Haff some fun. Find... find yourself, ja? Zer Decepticon Reich has plenty off drones in its ranks. Ve don't need drones. Ve need... ve need you back, thinking independently."
Viper gets up, turns around, and heads toward the bar. He doesn't know why he's going there. Actually, he does. Banshee just told him to go there. He doesn't acknowledge Banshee, nor thank her. He just goes, because he did what Banshee told him to do.
Banshee shakes her head with a sigh, watching him go. "Armer Kerl. Verdammte Schande." She sighs, and gets back to sketching...