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| - Valley of the Guardians -- Crystal City _________________________________________________________________________ Metro-X is hovering over one of the streets leading into Crystal City. He's in robot mode, so his leg and foot jets are thrumming steadily in conjunction with his wing vectoring jets. Arms folded across his chest he watches to the south, like a big... hover-ey statue. Ironhide is driving in from the south in his alternate mode: A sizeable cargo van. It is painted red with a sweet horizontal yellow stripe halfway down the doors, black bumpers, and black fenders. It has no windows except for the windshield. From the looks of this vehicle, it is probably some sort of armored car. What's inside? Who knows, but odds are, it's pretty valuable. He approaches Crystal City, which, due to his high rank in the Autobots, is typically off limits to him. Still, he's hoping to find a 'friend' in law enforcement who can help him answer some questions. He rambles onward, approaching the two Transformers who appear to be having a conversation of their own. Metro-X turns slightly where he floats, nodding as he looks down. "Good cycle, miss. I hope you are finding it going well?" he turns then at the sound, and sensor blip, of the cargo vehicle traveling the highway. When it gets closer, Metro raises a hand in greetings, nodding to the Cybertronian. "Greetings, unit, little trouble passing through the disputed lands I hope?" Murusa nods her head, smiling up at the taller mech. "Oh yes, going well today despite the rat issues. I've been asking around to see who has noticed rats where to help expedite the situation. Hopefully Solarix has spoken to the scientists about my idea." she stops as she senses the same blip. "Good cycle, how may we help you?" she asks, trying to sound friendly and not so official despite that brand new Crystal Guard emblem on her chest. Ironhide slows to a halt when he arrives, and transforms. He keeps a polite distance from the city guard and returns the greeting with a warm grin. "Nothin' I couldn't handle. But I gotta say, things have sure been weird around Cybertron." He nods to Murusa and 'tips his hat' like a Southern gentleman. "Ma'am." He continues. "Don't believe I've seen you on the force before. Name's Ironhide, Autobot Security." Metro-X nods again to Murusa, and then turns towards Ironhide. He doesn't speak again though, as the Femme was questioned, he only float/stands there, watching to the south, apparently contemplating something. Murusa is reminded again at her shorter stature around another tall mech. But she seems not to mind it at all as she smiles and nods up to Ironhide, "I recently joined, which seems to please Omega quite a bit. The lad has such plans for me and the other femmes in the guard." she notes, sounding almost humored about it, "What brings you out this way?" Ironhide says, "All those strange happening's, I'm afraid." His smile evaporates to a frown. "Turborats, raptors, and..." He looks towards Metro-X. "Some unusual reports about Omega Supreme. I promise ya'll, I'm not here to start trouble. I was actually here to see how things are goin' were in the big city."" Metro-X would grin if he had a mouth, looking to Ironhide again. "I am not a member of the Crysguard, sir. My name is Metro-X, former Tetrahex Law Enforcement" he looks a little sad when he mentions the destroyed city "I was in Crystal City working with them for some information before I resume my work to clean up Cubicron." Murusa listens quietly then give what sounds like the most patient of sighs, "Mmm yes, Primus is testing his children well lately. As to how it is going, we are hoping the scientists can synthesize the scents that turbo foxes make so we can basically chase out the rats into their normal environments. Failing that, there's possible a sound that could scare them out." she pauses, smiling at something, then says, "Maybe there is a sound or smell the raptors wouldn't like, certainly something for your scientists to look in on." then a glance at Metro-X, "I haven't been to Cubricon in a long long time, it saddened me to hear of the issues there. But the Autobots seemed to help there from what I had heard." Ironhide grins and becomes a little more boisterous. "Law enforcement, huh? So we're all brothers and sisters here. I've never worked for the force, but I've been in the private sector since before the War. Alarm systems. Ever hear o'Sonodar? That was my company. Course it's hard to find any units that still work. Those darn Deceptipunks wrecked all my hard work." He offers a brief response to Murusa. "We Autobots do what we can. I don't like the war and neither does Optimus Prime. We're tryin' to end this." Metro-X bobs his head, his jets cutting slightly as he drops to land with a hefty thud. "Well, any help in Cubicron would be appreciated. It has grown worse, open gang warfare, organized crime..." he shakes his head slightly. "Since I was... forced into the so called 'private' sector with the destruction of my home, it has been strenuous dealing with the darker elements. The city is practically a sprawl of armed garrisons manned by the dregs." Murusa smiles and nods, "I was private sector security for quite a chunk of time, served off planet with the local scientists who were on a mission that involved numerous experiments and testing of hypotheses. Before that I was in construction." she just lets that hang out there. Keeping her feet despite that thud, apparently used to such things. She frowns now at what Metro says and shakes her head, "I'll be praying for them to Primus when I'm off my shift." Ironhide starts pounding a fist into his palm. "I gotta solution for gangsters. A good head bustin'." He relaxes his aggressive gesture. "I'm 'fraid prayer ain't gonna be enough. Time for the common robot to get involved. Primus' grace will be forged in the flames. Purifyin'." He frowns, realizing he's getting a little agitated. He rubs the back of his neck uneasily as if in apology for his hard-line stance. "But I ain't gonna lose hope. We can see this through. Then we can save the guns for huntin' trips and shootin' tourneys." Metro-X nods his head, giving a snort. "The language best spoken in Cubicron -is- head busting, and a few rocket volleys fired into the midst of the gangs." shaking his head slightly. "It's a hard road, but I'm going to see it through. Murusa chuckles softly, then says to Ironhide. "Prayer for those that are open to guidance from the higher power. Head busting for those that are closed to it. Win win situation." a short pause, "I can talk to Solarix about getting the Guard involved in assisting down there." Metro-X's optic ridge raises, turning towards Murusa. "Just because I am willing to dent my knuckles on the faceplates of those who would rather shoot a praying mech as much as a soldier does not make me close minded, miss." Ironhide looks up at Metro-X. He appears serious now. "I assure you, the Autobots are ready an' willin' to lend a hand to the peace effort." Panning downwards, he looks enlightened by Murusa's response. "I think you've got it right. Gotta keep the faith." He looks up at Metro-X and repeats, pensively. "Gotta keep the faith." Metro-X offers a mouth less sigh. "Faith is for those who have time to contemplate it. I spend enough time watching innocents die before I can stop their assailants." shaking his head now, leaning his weight onto one leg. "If faith could shield them from the photon blasts of the degenerates I fight on a daily basis, I'd have more than a few astroseconds to consider it." Murusa glances up at Metro-X, "I was referring to the gangs and the lawless who have forgotten the goodness that Primus gives all his children. We all have that moment where the darker side of ourselves can try to take hold. Since we have free will, we have the choice what we do with that moment of personal struggle between good and evil." a nods to Ironhide, "Faith is what keeps me going, the belief that things will get better given enough time and patience." then a little frown to what Metro said, deciding though not to speak of it further as it is evidently upsetting him. Ironhide crosses his arms and keeps his serious outlook. "Like I was sayin'. Time for the common robot to get involved. But I don't need to tell all y'all about that. Ya'll are doing your part." He takes this opportunity to make a sales pitch. "An' we'd love to have you come aboard. Prime's the best bet in these troubled times. I don't like takin' orders from anyone, but Optimus Prime...." He nods in approval. "Now that's a leader." Metro-X's optics narrow considerably, "It's the war between you Autobots and the Decepticons that leveled my city, sir..." he keeps it simple, just like that, but he holds no apparent malice in his tone. Murusa makes that patient sigh sound again, likes she's dealt with /this/ before. "Gentlemechs, please." her tone even but pleading. Ironhide switches from conversation to argument quicker than he could transform from robot to armored car. "An' it's stayin' neutral, stayin' isolated, that lets Megatron pick these cities off one by one." Unlike Metro-X, he is clearly agitated. He looks at Murusa as if to acknowledge that she spoke, but does not relent. "How you gonna survive all on your own? I tried stayin' out of this and they wrecked my business. Not just my Autobot clients. They were killin' civilians. That's innocent life, buster." Metro-X nods, facing Ironhide directly now, leaning to be more face to face with the mech. "And I have been working on my own, in the slums, and the darker zones, protecting refugee caravans, transporting the injured, and fighting the criminals that revel in the chaos Megatron started and that your people fight against." his own patience thinning slightly. "Call me isolated if you want, but my lack of affiliation lets me enter the Decepticon territories a great deal easier than those big red sigils on your frames, and I don't cause wild gunfire and explosions when I move in to help others get to safety." Murusa's hands tighten fists so hard she can feel the scarring on them, feel the grit in her knuckles grind audibly. Then stepping between you two, raising up her arms, palm toward each mech. "Two steps back, take a moment to calm down, or I'll show you what a femme can do in the way of cracking helmets." her tone warning and even. Optics flaring bright, this femme won't tolerate any fighting around her city, Ironhide tries to level off, but is still a little hot around the gaskets. "An' we appreciate what you do, but I worry about ya'll. You do Cybertron a great service, but how long you gonna last on your own? Ever hear of Soundwave? He'll identify you, he'll profile you, and then he's send a seeker team to pay you a visit. An' they are NOT gonna be interested in your work as a model citizen. I promise you that." He complies with Murusa’s request, surprised (and impressed) by her courage in the face of two considerably larger robots. "I'm not lookin' for a fight. I'm just sayin' we worry is all. I apologize if I'm outta line, ma'am." Metro-X's optics flick towards Murusa, but remain narrowed. He leans back to stand up straight again, hands folding behind his back. "My apologize, miss." is all he offers, just looking back to Ironhide, lacking really any kind of facial emotion besides his optical sensors... 'cause well he has no face! NO FAAAAACE! Murusa looks up at Ironhide, "If what you say is true, he probably already has a profile on anyone of interest. Nothing we can do to prevent that other than not get into his interest list." her tone even, hands flexing a few times. "And I think we all know being in the security field how to defend ourselves. So can we please be a little more respectful and agree that things aren't optimal right now with the war and that emotions run high when a town you cared about, others you cared about, were harmed." Metro-X hasn't been looking at Ironhide since Murusa did her job as a Crysguard, he is just looming like the bad year blimp, watching the landscape again. "I figure Soundwave already knows who I am. And if Seekers come for me, they will have a fight on their hands. If I fall, it will be in defense of the work I do." Murusa glances between you two and shakes her head, then suddenly she cuffs the both of you in the chest, "Enough of the posturing." sounding annoyed now. Ironhide relaxes. He can respect that. He nods in approval. Then he gets whacked. He gives Murusa a hard look, but this IS her turf. "Well, I guess that's all one can ask. Just take care of yourselves, folks. That's all. And don't forget the Autobots are here to help." He can tell it's time to go, before things get worse and he makes enemies out of potential allies. Metro-X takes the thump in the chest in stride. "Travel carefully then, Ironhide, the Decepticons apparently have been making plans for something directly south of the Crystal City Plateau, and so their patrols may be increasing in size." Murusa nods to Ironhide, "We won't forget." she assures, but standing right where she is just in case. A glance to Metro, "That's what Omega meant..." then a sigh, glancing up at the sky as if pleading for guidance right there. Ironhide grins. He appreciates that everything ends on good terms. "What a coincidence, I just happen to be heading south." He nods at Murusa. "Nice meetin' ya'll." He looks up at Metro one more time. "Thanks for the tip, friend. Till all are one." He just couldn't resist. He transforms and barrels south eventually disappearing down the road. Metro-X looks now to Murusa as Ironhide moves off, head inclining slightly. Murusa watches Ironhide go and relaxes a hint, "Well that was.. interesting.. enlightening.. and aggravating." that honesty showing in her tone. Metro-X mrmmmms at that, optical ridge back up. "There was no need to become physical miss. I was not going to engage violently, and I suspected the same of him." Murusa turns toward you now, "I don't know you or him well enough to know that Metro-X, I have to go on my security instincts and keep the peace." Metro-X mrmmms, looking back to Murusa. "Well, now you are made aware eh?" head canting to one side, watching the smaller femme for a few moments. Murusa considers that a few moments, then replies simply with, "Yes." Metro-X nods again, shifting his weight again. "Either way... It's done with. How has your patrol gone otherwise?" You say, "Yes, all is quiet. Which bothers me a little." Metro-X mrmmms and looks back to the south. "Unfortunately I know what you mean, when things get quiet, I expect the hammer to drop." You say, "Speaking of patrol, I should be continuing it." Metro-X bobs his head at that. "I apologize if I caused havoc in it miss, and distracted you from your duties." bowing slightly. "I do hope it goes uneventfully, but without worry." Murusa nods, "Thank you." she smiles, "I'll catch you later."
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