(Please see all previous disclaimers)
Meanwhile, as Lancex was finishing up securing the damaged cons in their secure brig cells and heading out of the ark, Crosswise and Snarl entered the vessel and Lancex was curious as to what the pair wanted. Wanting to help Evac and Scourge, Crosswise and Snarl decided to approach Lancex to talk to the bot. Lancex was a bit wary, but figured he could at least see what the bots wanted.
"Lancex, what do you think of my friend, Evac?" Crosswise asked, testing the waters so to speak.
"Well, Evac is a reliable and responsible bot" Lancex answered, unknowingly disappointing Crosswise, as that wasn't the answer he was seeking.
Snarl thought he would try to get a better answer. "Tell me, Lancex, what do you think of Scourge?"
"Well, Scourge is a powerful bot and is a king who has lots of bots that respect him" Lancex answered, not quite getting why they were asking these questions. And much like Crosswise, Snarl was not thrilled with the answer. But after a silent private comm, Snarl and Crosswise decided to approach this another way.
"Lancex, what would you think of having a mate like Evac in the future?" Crosswise asked, hoping for a better answer.
Lancex thought for a minute. "I think that Evac could do better than having me as a mate. Evac is a responsible, respectful, and reliable bot and any bot would be lucky to be selected by him" Lancex answered, not seeing the shocked look on Crosswise's face as Lancex had turned away as he remembered sharing the love between Evac and Scourge. Crosswise was concerned that Lancex may not feel the same way about Evac that Evac seemed to feel for Lancex.
Hoping for a different answer, Snarl asked, "I'm just wondering, Lancex. What would you think of having Scourge as a mate in the future?"
Lancex sighed a bit. "Scourge could do better than me as his mate. He is a powerful bot and a king. He could find any bot he wanted to carry his sparklings" Lancex answered, also leading Snarl to wonder if Scourge's feelings were misplaced. Snarl and Crosswise looked at each other and sighed, both hoping that their friends, Evac and Scourge could show Lancex that the bot deserved love from the pair.
Since neither of their previous attempts had worked, Snarl and Crosswise decided to try one more angle. "You know, Lancex, ever since Scourge met you and decided to join the Autobots, he has been less violent than he used to be and friendlier to the Autobots. I know you may not want to hear this, but this is something you need to think about – Scourge really likes you and wants you as a mate, and he doesn't care about your past or your abilities" Snarl spelled out for the dense bot. Lancex didn't show it, but he was stunned.
"Evac has also been happier since he met you, Lancex. He used to be so serious, but you have brought out a better side he didn't realize he had" Crosswise added. Lancex was stunned yet again – those two powerful and respected bots wanted him – a low level swordsman who had little to offer. Lancex was also worried if his little brother would even allow the three to become mates. Lancex thanked the two for talking to him but he needed some time to think and process what he had heard. Snarl and Crosswise nodded and let the bot go. Both Snarl and Crosswise hoped that they had gotten through to Lancex for Scourge and Evac respectively. Only time would tell.