| abstract | - Commerce Avenue This is a large, wide avenue with dozens of cross-streets, bustling with life forms of every description. It stretches far down the road and out of sight. There is a huge variety of stores on the avenue, and many different people to run them. Anything you could ever need on Monacus could be found on this strip mall, from souvenirs to weapons of mass destruction. The large wide streets run for miles, booths set up every foot or so. The vendors are actually in the street, toting many different items in the face of tourists who obviously aren't interested in roasted turbo-rat. Illegal size changing tech, crossbred genetic vegetable mutations, rare pets, anything that can be roasted and put on a stick ... anything you can possibly think of purchasing, the Commerce Avenue of Monacus has it in spades. It's this particular venue and area that has caught Backfire's attention. After his recent activities on Earth and Iran, the simpleton had enough wits about him to pick an off world site to loot for weapons tech. <> the Seeker tries to scold his 'prisoner'. The lime green alien simply hrmphs and puffs up his shoulders. "Yes yes Backfire, let us get this over with already." Pulling up mere feet from the ground, the Decepticon transforms and lands ... placing Tuk-Tuk on the ground seconds later. <> Tuk-Tuk goes about rifling through the booth's contents for anything useful for weapons design: spare parts, scrap metal, stocks, munitions, etc. The denziens of the area have spread to the four winds, running and screaming like madmen. Whatever Patchwork was doing here, running and screaming seems to be an indication that she needs to go TOWARDS whatever's causing it rather than away from it. She's not big, as far as other Bots are concerned, but she's bigger than most here, which means she can cover ground quickly. And spotting the Decepticon isn't hard. Optics widening, Patchwork actually, surprisingly, looks...can she really be angry for a brief moment as she stares at him. James Bailey was still off-planet (off-Earth, at any rate) trying to pick up the trail of Backfire and his prisoner. On the one hand, he missed the latest episode of the Adventures of Backfire and Tuk-Tuk, which occured on Earth. But at the same time he was able to redirect here to Monacus when one of the rare EDC intercepts picked up reports of familiar Decepticon activity and pattern-matched it with Backfire's description. His normal Exo is still on the shuttle but he's here on foot, in his off-planet attire. Quickly picking out the silhouette and insignia of an Autobot, James breaks into a trot to catch up to her, although he remains well behind. "I'm still unsure what exactly it is you wanted me to do for you Backfire? I mean, all you said was true 'glory of the empire' or something." Tuk-Tuk comments, currently picking through a booth full of knock off data-pads. <> Backfire idly comments, looking down each side of the street for trouble. One can't be overly cautious when pilfering. Eyeing a store of interest, the Decepticon hefts Tuk-Tuk up in his arms and begins running for it ... away from James and Patchwork. <> the Seeker exclaims, knocking some civilians out of his way of the store's entrance. Setting the lime green alien down, Tuk-Tuk is soon in the store and searching it's contents. Patchwork opens her mouth to call after Backfire as he starts dashing away, before she catches herself and deciddes surpries is a better way to go it seems. She starts after him, trying to be quiet, as she pulls her pistol out as she moves. James Bailey nods almost approvingly at Patchwork brandishing a weapon first instead of trying to 'talk' or something like that. He pulls out a large (for a human at least) revolver of his own and then takes cover behind a parked vehicle across the street from the weapons store. Combat: James Bailey sets his defense level to Protected. "They've a large collection of ballistic munitions, but nothing in the size of Cybertronian offhand. The teller informs me I'd have to show your weapon permit and the mandatory two cycle wait." Tuk-Tuk reports from inside the store. Leaning down on his knees, Backfire is able to get an optic down to street level. <> he hollers from outside. The citizens are still rushing about like madmen, although the area is more or less vacated ... at least the streets. There are still a couple of 'brave' souls watching from stoops and alleyways. Patchwork was always the 'talk first, fight as a last resort" sort a bit of a passifist, actually. But things have changed, it seems. Coming up behind Backfire, Patchwork squares her shoulders before she brings the pistol around to press the muzzle against the back of Backfire's neck, just below the base of his 'skull'. "Stay where you are, Meaniepants Decepti-jerk." A pause, and Patchwork's voice lightens as she calls, "Tuk tuk? Come out...it's time for you to go home, with me." James Bailey realizes quickly that he can't really see much of anything from his vantage point. Just Backfire, but whatever's going on inside the weapons store has got to be more important (and more interesting). Cursing softly under his breath, he darts out from behind the car he was using for cover and then moves to another one, this one on the same side of the street as the shop. Then, once Patchwork makes her move James dashes for the alley next to the store, looking around for a back entrance. Backfire whirls around at the faintly familiar voice of Patchwork, pushing her away all the while. <> Behind the alley, citizens quickly cower out of James' way. Behind the back of the structure, there's a barred door ... but a well placed kick should do the job of knocking it in. Tuk-Tuk comes to the door with a cart, dumping the pile of weapons on the ground. Upon seeing Patchwork though, his disposition goes from bad to worse. "Mr. Patchwork, you came for me! While I appreciate the sentiment, you might have made the situation worse." he reports in a sullen tone. Combat: Backfire strikes Patchwork with his Push (Grab) attack! "I didn't -come- for you...I was here, and Backfire brought you to me..." Patchwork advises Tuk-Tuk, though she clearly looks surprised by his sullen tone. She keeps her weapon up, and eyes Backfife quietly. "You didn't give him much choice. Do the other Decepticons realize just how pathetic you are, that they w on't repair and upgrade you, and you have to steal someone to do it?" James Bailey kicks open the back door to the Discount Weapons store and then creeps in, handgun readied. He sees Tuk-Tuk's back through the doorway and slowly thumbs back the hammer on his pistol. Then he pauses. "Psst!" he whispers. "Hey! What's going on here? What's that Decepticon got you doing?" The commercial district of Monacus, a series of streets and side alleys that are -usually- filled to the brim with merchants and booths. But on this particular evening, it's filled with frightened citizens and worried street workers. It's at "Dee's Discount Weapons" that most of the comotion is surrounding, as the Decepticon simpleton Backfire raids. Patchwork has subdued his attention in the front of the store, while James Bailey slowly creeps around the back. <> Backfire shouts, flailing all the while. So much, that he momentarily loses balance ... and trips onto his aft. <> Tuk-Tuk returns with another bundle of weapons, sighing as he rubs the restraints placed on his neck and hands. "Backfire, they're just trying to do their jobs. You don't have to be such a hind quarter about it." The lime green alien goes back to 'liberating' the store of supplies. As soon as James breaks through the door, he's immediately set upon by the store's matron ... wielding a broom. Swatting away, she screams something about one thief being enough and that no looting will be tolerated. "Tuk Tuk, you don't -have- to do this..." Patchwork calls down, almost plaintive, to the little green Alien before she plans her hands on her hips, towering as best she's able over the aft-seated Backfire. "You're stealing, and you're making him do it. You're mean, and...mean, and need to go away." she informs him. Meanwhile, back at MONACUS SPACEPORT... A Terran shuttle lands. Topspin was oddly enough just handing out outside because he saw Patchworks enter so he thought he'd wait for her. Then the screaming starts which causes him to pull out his particle beam rifle. He looks aroud trying to asess where the trouble may be coming from. And then he remembers that his medic is in there. The Jumpstarter rushes towards the building and comes bursting in shortly after James does. He looks around and calls out, "Patches?!" James Bailey tries to fend off the matron without shooting anyone. "Ma'am, ma'am, I'm here--!" He ducks a vicious broom-swing. "Here with the EDC! From Earth!" He ducks again. "Here to help!" <> Backfire declares, standing to his feet and brandishing his trusted Hypno-Ray Rifle. It looks more or less like a toy ray gun from a 1960's sci-fi movie, complete with small attennae at the end with a ball. Pointing it at the Autobot Medic, the Decepticon pulls the trigger ... releasing a blast of disorientating spheres intended to knock Patchwork out of comission. <> Tuk-Tuk comes out with the final load, looking over his shoulder at some commotion in the back of the store. It's probably nothing he thinks, then looks on in awe as Backfire blasts the Autobot. "Noooooooooo!" he cries in vain, shoulders slumped yet again ... a single tear streaming down his green face. Relenting, the matron shoots James a look of doubt for a moment. Then stepping out of the way, she moves into a closet and shuts the door. Yelling about telling her when it's okay to come out. Combat: Backfire strikes Patchwork with his Hypno-Ray Rifle (Laser) attack! [Pulled -2] Sam sets the shuttle to idle once it's landed, keeping the engines warmed and ready to go at a moment's notice, because the shuttle may very well need to leave at a moment's notice. Patchwork doesn't move back away from Backfire as he stands, her hands remaining planted on her hips as she listens to his blustering protests. She barely has time to blink down at the 60's era toy before she finds herself launched backwards quite a distance landing hard on her back and not immediately moving. James Bailey breathes a small sigh of relief and then turns to track down Tuk-Tuk once again. James waits in the doorway, sticking his head out briefly to get a look around. "Tuk-Tuk!" he hisses, urgently. "Now's your chance! Make a break for it, we'll cover you!" Topspin reaches out as his optics go wide, "Patches!" he yells out then fights the urge to just level this entire area. So instead the Jumpstarter runs outside and down the alley trying to figure out of this is the area that the con and Patchworks were. He busts through the back wall and looks around, he puts his rifle through the hole that he made, "You con.. step away from the femme now! Before I have to wreck and rule all over your face!" Andi Lassiter looks at Sam at the shuttle controls. "I'll go suit up in an Ares. I may not be a very good shot, but I can at least offer cover fire." She unbuckles from her seat and hurries back to the compartments containing the ARES suits. Meanwhile, back at MONACUS SPACEPORT... The Terran shuttle Intrepid lifts off and moves out over the city, cruising out over Commerce Avenue... Bailey's faint words barely reach Tuk-Tuk over his sobbing outside the store front, his face buried deep into his hands. "You promised, no one would get hurt." he gasps between cries. Reaching down to pluck up the alien weapons engineer, Backfire freezes when Topspin's warning reaches him. Spotting the tip of the barrel through a hole in a wall, the Decepticon smiles and places Tuk-Tuk in his cockpit. <> he jests, leaning down to assess the weapons gathered. Peering in the store, he spots Bailey as well. <> Patchwork groans quietly where she landed, a hand lifting from the ground towards her head. At least she isn't completely offline, but she's not jumping back up to join the fight, either. Sam nods to Andi as he punches buttons and flips levers to bring the shuttle into a stable position near the shop. "Careful," he admonishes, and opens the cargo doors. James Bailey peers up at Backfire. "Yeah well, they don't call you a coward because of your fighting style. It's because you /run/ from fights." He gives Tuk-Tuk a worried glance. "And this whole 'kidnapping' thing isn't helping either." Touching a few controls on the small comm unit strapped on his wrist, he glances up at the skyline in the direction of the EDC shuttle - even before it's completely visible. "Now we're giving you just one more warning before we light you up." He taps another button. What could he be doing? Combat: James Bailey analyzes Backfire for weaknesses. Andi Lassiter, wearing an ARES armored suit, clomps out of the shuttle and toward the shop seeing all of the activity. Topspin gives pause as Tuk-Tuk is placed in the cockkpit as a hostage, "You think thats going to stop me from re-arranging your face?!" he raises the barrel of his rifle to aim high he tries to shoot the Decepticon in the face or shoulders, okay.. lets face it, anywhere but the chest is good. He squeezes the trigger and the weapon fires out a large lance of blue energy towards Backfire's head. Then he looks over to Patchworks, "Patches, you okay.. can you transform?!" Combat: Topspin misses Backfire with his Particle Beam Rifle attack! <> Backfire retorts, casually tapping the glass of his cockpit ... Tuk-Tuk looking on in sorrow, trying anything to catch a sign of life out of Patchwork's corpse laying there. <> he comments on his looting, shooving some more items into his subspace pocket. Upon the arrival of more EDC agents and Autobots, the denziens of Monacus have become even more scarce. Only a couple are visible at this point, mainly the police force that are setting up barricades and trying to get a handle on the situation. Ducking as the lance beam goes wide, Backfire sighs. <> The attack strikes a nearby scaffolding, sending debris to the vacated street below. "D...don't. You could h..hurt...Tuk-Tuk," Patchwork protests as she struggles to sit up, only partially managing to lever herself up onto an elbow while she rubs at her optics. "L...let them go. We'll get Backfire another time...I...I promise, Tuk-Tuk!" Not that she's looked to any of the other Bots or EDC yet, too busy trying to clear her head. Topspin looks over at Patchworks and then back to Backfire, "But.. what the heck is a Tuk-Tuk?!" the withdraws and runs over to the side where he think the femme is and tears down a large enough hole for him to grab Patchworks and pull her out of harm's way. The he looks at Backfire, "This isn't over.. not by a long shot and next time you won't have anyone to hide behind!! I'll find you if its the last thing I do.. I'll make you pay!" he looks at Patchworks, "You shoulda let me scrap that guy." he pouts slightly, "Can you transform or do you want me to carry you back to base?" James Bailey raises his revolver and draws a bead on a few places on Backfire he thinks will do the most damage. And James is pretty good at those kind of calls. But he hesitates at Patchwork's comments, then finally lowers it. "We'll follow your lead, Autobots. Since this a Decepticon, and the hostage isn't technically under our mandate." He pauses and then adds, "I hope you know what you're doing." "So do I," Patchwork groans after she's hauled back out of harms way by Topspin. "Just...help me up. And guide me home. I can't...the world's spinning." <> Backfire stammers, expecting to be shot at once again. A moment or two passes, and the Decepticon realizes he's been given some leniency ... given his 'sidekick'. Throwing the rest of the aresenal into subspace, he shoots all of them a cocky grin before jumping into the air. <> Transforming, the Decepticon simpleton takes for the skies ... almost colliding with a certain ship. <> A shake, shudder, and shiver; and before your eyes BACKFIRE transforms into a F-16 Falcon! Combat: F-16 Falcon begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit. The Intrepid's pilot is apparently paying attention, and the large shuttle angles as much out of the way of the retreating jet as it can in such a short time. James Bailey watches the Decepticon leave, then grimaces. Once he's sure the Decepticon has really vacated the area, he walks out into the street, waving the EDC shuttle down. Andi Lassiter clomps on over toward James, her voice filtering a bit oddly through the suit's speakers. "I'm too late, aren't I?" James Bailey shakes his head at Andi. "Lucky you made it at all, really. It would have been touch and go with one of those Autobots disabled." Andi Lassiter says, "True. Hm." The ARES stop for a moment, then opens up so that Andi can climb out. "Yikes that thing is clumsy. Anyway. What can I do to help?"" James Bailey gestures at the store that Backfire and his - what, hostage? Accomplice? Prisoner? - just robbed. "We might as well try and find out what he was after. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and we can figure out what he's doing /next/." Civilians start to become less weary, repopulating the area and commenting while Police officers attempt to get a handle on the situation. Topspin looks at Patchworks with a fair amount of concern. He lifts her up in his arms where she just lays limply. He turns his attention back to Backfire. He growls, "This isn't over!!!" then he tosses the femme medic up and transforms around her and then his engines burst forth sending a cloud of dust and dirt as the Jumpstarter zips away. He tells himself he's not running from a fight so he doesn't go nuts, because Patchworks' well being is far more important to him than a fight. Andi Lassiter nods to James. "All right. Let's get to sleuthing." James Bailey smirks. "That's the spirit." First stop is to let that shop-owner out of the closet. James does so, and then quickly steps aside. To examine some of the shelves that look like they may have been rifled by Tuk-Tuk's efforts...and not to let Andi deal with the broom-wielding Matron. Bursting from the closet, the matron still has her broom held at her side. "What took you so long? Jeez, I about suffocated." she grumbles. Human sized, the only real difference between the matron and James is the orange skin and two small attenae sticking out from her forehead. Andi Lassiter looks at James oddly as he opens a closet to reveal a broom-wielding matron. She looks at James questioningly, not sure if she should speak with the woman or look around for other clues. James Bailey gestures quickly at the woman. Then he mouths the words, 'be nice'. Strange that James keeps giving Andi those sort of hints. Andi Lassiter gives James an odd look, but then turns her attention to the woman. "Are you all right?" She has no problem sounding genuinely concerned. Clearing a stray hair from her eye, the matron slowly nods and puts the broom down. "Uhh, yes yes. I'll be fine. And the name is Savra-Oween Malockaskawl. You can just call me Savra if you want." she chiefly reports, plopping down in a nearby chair. James Bailey looks over from the shelves. "Savra," he murmurs. "Do you think you can help us create a list of what was stolen? We'll do our best to track it down and see it returned to you." Andi Lassiter steps over to crouch down next to the woman's chair, pulling her little phone to use as a notepad for whatever the woman mentions as having been stolen. Savra looks at James, then to Andi, then to her store. "Oh my, oh my." she mumbles before breaking down into tears, they stream and cascade down her face. "My store!" James Bailey nods grimly. "That's right. I'm afraid you've been targetted by Decepticon thieves. We've tracked them all the way from the planet Pz-Zazz. But they're always one step ahead of us. Maybe with your help we can change that." He looks around at some of the empty spots on the shelves, then shakes his head sadly. "Otherwise, I'm afraid your goods are as good as gone." "But but but, all I wanted to do was sell my lovely weapons to the world. Why mister?" Savra continues to cry out, words coming inbetween sobs and tears. "Why me?" James Bailey watches impassively, then begins looking around for some kind of inventory system. Maybe they can check for themselves. Andi Lassiter sighs, putting a hand on Savra's shoulder to try and comfort the woman. She looks at James questioningly, as if he'll be able to do or say something that'll help. Sniffling, Savra tries to regain her composure. "You want to know what they took? Why, who are you people anyways ... you don't look like Monacian police to me." "Not Monacus," James replies patiently. "Earth." He taps the EDC logo on his shoulder. "We're just helping out the local security forces. This has all the makings of an intergalactic crime spree." Andi Lassiter says, "We're from Earth -- the EDC. The same Decepticon that raided your store attacked and damaged several natural fuel extractors on our planet just a few days ago. We're trying to figure out why he's doing these things so we can stop him." "Hey mister, what are you trying to do over there? I don't know where you come from, this 'Yurth' ... but it's exetremely rude to root through people's belongings. Even if I just got robbed, don't take my dignity too." Savra protests, soon back to her sassy self that assaulted James with a broom earlier. James Bailey holds up his hands, having had no luck with the computer in here. "Just trying to figure out what these guys took. Once we catch up with them, we need /some/ way to return stolen goods to their rightful owners," he hints. "Otherwise they'll be sold off at auction. With the proceeds going to charity." Andi Lassiter frowns at James briefly, then looks to Savra again. "If you can help us figure out which of your items were stolen, we can do our best to get as many of them safely back to you as we can." "Charity my ass, you'll do no such thing!" Savra calls out, bursting towards the counter and computer. A few seconds later, she's printing out a couple sheets worth of inventory. "What is it with you offworlders, never even have time to let me grieve. I'd just as soon be done with this so you can leave!" she complains, hopping back over the counter and bustling through the store. Making little hashmarks as she goes, Savra checks every nook and cranny for items missing or damaged in the robbery. "There, here's a bloomin' list. Items with one slash mark through them are damaged, two slash marks in a crisscross fashion are flat out stolen. Everything else is here. Now, when should I expect payment or return Mister and Miss EDC?" she shouts, shoving the list into Bailey's gut. James Bailey oofs softly before taking the list. "As soon as we catch that Decepticon, naturally." He replies vaguely. Taking the list he begins to hustle out of the shop. "Speaking of which...we've got work to do." Andi Lassiter blinks after James as he just leaves. And he told HER to 'be nice'. Hmph. She looks at Savra and offers the only thing she can to help the woman in her current plight. "I can help you clean up a bit if you want..."
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