| abstract | - TF2k5 - Hubcap - Sunday, June 30, 2013, 11:13 PM Istoral Trench North Towards the northern boundary of Istoral Trench, the high, looming walls narrow abruptly, merging into the solid metal of the crust and sealing that end of the canyon. Because of the overhanging cliffs above, shadows are everywhere, harsh during the bright golden light of day. Brittle, rusty shards of scrap litter the broken ground, forming unstable piles of rubble here and there. The small, rust-stained entrance to Primus' workshop, oddly enough, has been widened by the structural stress. Contents: Bonecrusher Elita One Jetfire Torque Tailgate Shockwave Obvious exits: North leads to Dark Cavern. South leads to Istoral Trench. Crumbling Gateway. The Decepticon shuttlecraft Despoiler cruises low over the Istoral Trench, stealth deflectors on maximum. With both of Alpha Centauri's suns low on the horizon, the newly contested city of Tarn casts a long shadow across the chasm, painting it as a dark abyss. The shuttle hovers, shining bright spotlights down into the chasm, lighting it up as best as it can. The spotlights move around, revealing every crack and crevasse in the chasm. They continue their search until one passes over a hole in the bottom of the trench, at which point all the spotlights converge on that location. "There." Shockwave states from the Despoiler's cockpit. He strides into the back deployment bay. "Decepticons, we have our entry point identified. We have Vector Sigma's coordinates, but we do not know what else may lie at them." The bay doors slide open. "Our objective is threefold: 1. Find Vector Sigma. 2. Capture it. 3. Infect it with another sample of Dark Energon." Shockwave takes a step towards the open doors and flies out, but then thinks of one last order. "Finally, recall that this mission is top secret. The Autobots must not find out about it." ___ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ / __| / _ \ | \| | / __| | | | | | (__ | (_) | | .` | \__ \ |_| |_| \___| \___/ |_|\_| |___/ (_) (_) Transmitters on Cybertron abruptly power on. Unlike previous cases, this is isolated only to Autobot communication assets and frequencies. A powerful, mechanical voice says: "COME IN AUTOBOTS. AUTOBOTS, DO YOU COPY?" Which probably means they already -do- know about it somehow. Because they are pests like that. "Locked, loaded, and ready to blow slag up as Brawl would say." Swindle finishes making a final adjustment to his scatterblaster and relatchs it onto his arm. "Well, if slag needs to be blown up. Personally I'd rather -salvage- anything old and interesting looking that -is not directly important to the mission-," he emphasis that last bit with an optic dart before sauntering up to the open hatch and hopping out. Thank the pit for anti-gravs. Blitzwing takes to the skies as a MiG-25PD Foxbat-E jet. Tailgate says, "So what exactly am I supposed to do? I don't know anything about the subconscious..." Shiftlock has partially disconnected. ___ ___ _____ ___ _ _ | _ ) / _ \ |_ _| / __| | | | | | _ \ | (_) | | | \__ \ |_| |_| |___/ \___/ |_| |___/ (_) (_) And it just so happens that despite Shockwave's attempts to be stealthy, the Autobots have managed to track him here regardless! Down to their exact coordinates! The Autobot shuttle Facemonkey swoops through the trench, nearly flying right into the Despoiler before it suddenly jinks away. Heedless of the near death experience, the back hatch of the Facemonkey pops open and Repugnus is the first to bail out! "Geeeronimooo!" Repugnus cries as he plummets to the ground, firing blasts from his Venom Laser all the way. "Okay, Autobots, you know the drill! Shoot to kill, and if you don't manage to kill them, take them in for TORTURE!" Shockwave says, "Explain." Shiftlock says, ".... Oh that's really encouraging, Jetfire." Shockwave suddenly hears gun shots ricocheting off the ground all around him. "Ah." Jetfire folds up, shifting into a technologically superior spacecraft. Shiftlock says, "I'm trying to make an escape plan just in case-- oh I give up." Combat: Tech Spaceship sets his defense level to Neutral. Elita One says, "sometimes you have to embrace it, Shiftlock. Aren't you the one I heard talking about not fearing death?" Combat: Tech Spaceship misses MiG-25PD "Foxbat-E" with his Quad Particle Beam Phalanx Area attack! [Pulled -3] Combat: Tech Spaceship misses Shockwave with his Quad Particle Beam Phalanx Area attack! [Pulled -3] Combat: Tech Spaceship misses Swindle with his Quad Particle Beam Phalanx Area attack! [Pulled -3] Combat: Tech Spaceship 's weapon has jammed! Shockwave says, "Shockwave to Despoiler. Destroy that Autobot shuttle." Shiftlock says, "That doesn't mean you don't have a plan!" Combat: Hubcap sets his defense level to Guarded. Spindrift says, "If it ain't big 'nuff he'll just make it big 'nuff." Shiftlock decides the best way to leave the shuttle is not on foot, but on wheels. She gears up her turbines and shoots out of the back of the shuttle, adjusting spoilers and wheel wings, and angles herself mid-air. Using a forward energy grapple from the center of her grill, she hooks into the side of the trench, and pulls herself onto it, landing with thud and keeping enough speed to drive sideways down the walls of the trench. Vector Sigma transmits, "I REPEAT, GET TO THE ISTORAL TRENCH IMMEDIATELY. I THINK THEY PLAN TO LOCATE THE CORE AGAIN." ___ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ / __| / _ \ | \| | / __| | | | | | (__ | (_) | | .` | \__ \ |_| |_| \___| \___/ |_|\_| |___/ (_) (_) What was it the Autobot said? '...even if Galvatron does manage to control it without destroying everything--what if he decides that with the kind of power he has, he doesn't need you anymore?' Shockwave touches down at the bottom of the trench, about to enter through the hole the Despoiler picked up when suddenly Ravage sends a transmission about... Auto- VENOM LASER VENOM LASER VENOM LASER!! Shockwave dodges, though he doesn't seem to have been the primary target. <> He then dives out of the way of a particle blast sent his way. <> The Decepticon Military Commander looks up as the Despoiler comes around to the, ugh, Autobot shuttle Facemonkey and cuts loose with a powerful broadside! Shockwave, before ducking through the tunnel leading underground, fires an arm cannon blast at the Monsterbot leader Repugnus. His screaming like an idiot works to get attention drawn to him. Combat: Shockwave sets his defense level to Guarded. Combat: Shockwave strikes Repugnus with his What Rodimus Should Have Done Ages Ago (Laser) attack! Hubcap says, "hard to tell, Elita, everything is sending out signals, I'm having to check incoming/outgoing logs. So far though? Beneath. Waaay beneath." As he bounces along the inclined wall the jeep rattles behind an overhanging ledge, giving himself a bit more cover as his turret swivels to aim at the racer, and the smaller gun mounted aside it fires a disorienting magnetic burst. "Now now lady, no fair trying to cut firsties. Back to the end of the line with you." Combat: Swindle sets his defense level to Guarded. Swindle folds down and in on himself to become a military grade off-road jeep. Combat: Military Gunnery Jeep strikes Shiftlock with his Gyro Gun attack! [Pulled -2] Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Shiftlock's Agility. (Crippled) Swindle says, "Moving out to slow down that speedster." Ravage listens to the commotion over the radio and simply carries on, slipping deeper into the trench and towards the listed coordinates provided. <> It is truly all that needs to be said. In the shadows, crawling deeper through the trench and towards true darkness, the feline feels at home and starts sprinting along. <> Optical fibers intensify the lack of light deeper within the chasm. Now this...this is more like it. The noise of the fight left behind for slinking about. Proper work. The cat is happy. <> Ravage says, "If Vector Sigma does not comply, may I utilize more ...invasive means of altering its code work?" Combat: MiG-25PD "Foxbat-E" misses Tech Spaceship with his Vulcan Battery (Laser) attack! ___ ___ _____ ___ _ _ | _ ) / _ \ |_ _| / __| | | | | | _ \ | (_) | | | \__ \ |_| |_| |___/ \___/ |_| |___/ (_) (_) Jetfire groans as the particle beams jam. But it isn't too much of a big deal, since he hadn't actually fired it at full power and therefore it did not drain any of his fuel reserves. Taking a brief moment, he transforms to recalibrate them, returning them to a fully functional state. Scanning the battle field again, he determines that Repugnus and Elita One are keeping the rest of the Decepticons occupied, allowing Jetfire to find the Core itself and do whatever he can to counter the enemy's attempts to further corrupt Vector Sigma. "Tailgate--with me. Hang on, might be a bumpy ride." The scientist flies under the minibot, hoping he'll grab onto him so that he can carry him below the surface. Blitzwing is on his aft, but he more or less ignores the triplechanger, banking slightly to the right to avoid getting shot. Coming up on the opening Shiftlock had just driven down, he suddenly pulls into a vertical dive, flying straight down into the crevice. Hopefully he doesn't smash into the Shiftlock... The corridors travel deep within Cybertron, and they shift and transform all around Ravage, corralling him from one spot to another. Are they trying to make it harder for him? Easier for him? Either way, he is getting closer to Vector Sigma's coordinates. Soon, he reaches a dead end, and nothing transforms to show the way. Or, it would be a dead end to someone without advanced sensors and senses. The faint outlines of an ancient, locked door exists at the very end. Runes in a language predating the end of the Golden Age occasionally flicker on before fading again. A highly advanced, but very old, electronic lock keeps the door shut. The Facemonkey takes nearly every single shot fired at it, and immediately catches on fire. The pilot retaliates by flying the Facemonkey right into the Despoiler, maybe trying to smash them both into the Trench walls. One might say that the pilot is a bit... Wreck Less? Maybe not so much as Repugnus, though as he drops down into laser fire from Shockwave, but the Monsterbot, as usual, takes it in stride, transforming into monster mode before he lands and charging right at the cyclops. "Hey, Shockwave! Funny meeting you here! Say, you know what would be really awesome? What if *I* got a crack at controlling Vector Sigma? Eh? Eh? That scare you a little?" He grins maniacally as he slashes at him. Vector Sigma transmits, "STOP SHOCKWAVE AT ALL COST. GET THE DARK ENERGON BEFORE HE CAN USE IT." Combat: Elita One sets her defense level to Protected. Combat: Elita One strikes Shockwave with her Plasma Cannon attack! [Pulled -4] Hubcap lands and rolls nimbly, then glances around, taking in the battleground. Of course, almost the entire planet is talking at him, so he knows he needs to go .... /that/ way. He moves carefully, trying to sneak past the Decepticons. The gyro gun fouls Shiftlock's sense of balance, causing her to lose traction and speed. Her wheels slip and she begins to fall. Transforming mid air, her right arm retracts and extends the same energy grapple she'd been using before. Jetfire is spiralling forward and towards the ground; Shiftlock swings over him as he passes beneath. "Hi Jetfire, Hi Tailgate," she says casually, releasing the grapple and sailing over and behind Swindle, landing in the chasm floor with a solid thump. "Back of the line? Well, if you insist. Hope you don't mind losing a tire," she quips, drawing one of her pistols, and taking aim at Swindle's rear wheels, firing a flurry of metal blades. Combat: Shiftlock strikes Military Gunnery Jeep with her Flechette Rounds attack! Swindle says, "Oof. That gals got a bit of bite." ___ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ / __| / _ \ | \| | / __| | | | | | (__ | (_) | | .` | \__ \ |_| |_| \___| \___/ |_|\_| |___/ (_) (_) Shockwave sprints into the tunnel... which for him is a slightly speedy walk. He is many things, but built for rapid running is not one of them. Turning and looking over his shoulder as he hears Repugnus land and shout at him, he realizes he has no choice but to face the Monsterbot. "Cybertron would not survive the likes of you," Shockwave intones. He means it as an insult/fact, but a part of him recognizes that Repugnus isn't going to feel insulted. Shockwave takes a swipe at the charging Repugnus, but Repugnus ducks under it and slashes at his gut, leaving a deep gouge for Repugnus's scythe-like claw. Although the injury looks gruesome, Shockwave isn't slowed as he tries to bring his gun arm's elbow down on the Monsterbot's head to smash him into the tunnel. Then, spying Elita One at the tunnel's opening, Shockwave reaches for the side of the tunnel, tears off a positively gigantic metal panel, and hurls it at Elita One. This all happens just as Elita One fires her plasma blast, which hits home and knocks Shockwave back. The tunnel behind him transforms, putting a wall between him and his attackers. It could be blasted through, though. In all the commotion, Hubcap will have no problem sneaking past the very distracted Shockwave. Up above, the Despoiler duels the Facemonkey. The Despoiler is one of the most powerful warships in the Decepticon armada, having been created by the Constructicons years ago. It outguns the Facemonkey. It out-armours the Facemonkey. It out maneuvers the Facemonkey. It doesn't out-bats--- crazy it, though. The Facemonkey and Despoiler collide, with the latter reeling back. Both smash into the side of the Istoral Chasm, causing debris and airship parts to rain down on the battlefield. Combat: Shockwave sets his defense level to Protected. Combat: Shockwave strikes Bug Creature with his This Will Have To Do Until Swindle Gets Me That Gun I Asked For (Ruckus) Area attack! Combat: Shockwave misses Elita One with his This Will Have To Do Until Swindle Gets Me That Gun I Asked For (Ruckus) Area attack! Ravage watches the door for a moment, the symbols...the ornate lock...and smirks. Now this. This is more like it. His tail-tip splits open, a myriad of tools and interfacing devices sprouting from the tip as he works with the electronic lock, tweaking and otherwise breaking through the codework governing it. Sure, it might be foreign, but all code has patterns...and it's merely a matter of finding that pattern in order to begin inputting his own commands. "Just you and me, old one. I promise, this will be fun." He flicks his ear, listening for the tell-tale chirp of electronics complying with his whims. Combat: MiG-25PD "Foxbat-E" sets his defense level to Aggressive. ___ ___ _____ ___ _ _ ___ ___ _ _ ___ _ _ Combat: Swindle strikes Shiftlock with his Combaticon Sidearm (Laser) attack! Laser Gun speeds away from Elita One and Repugnus, but isn't able to outpace either of them. Repugnus gets in a swipe before he escapes, and Elita One gets past him in tech car mode. The laser gun is smoking... and not just from having blasting Elita and Repugnus. Reaching Primus's Workshop, Shockwave transforms into robot mode and sees Elita One barring the way. He doesn't hesitate in trying to blast her face off and charging past. Success or not, he won't get in there before she will. Once inside, Shockwave assesses the situation. He sees Vector Sigma hovering, but he also sees a small horde of Autobots present. Ravage glances towards the door... Now or never, it seems. Odds are stacking up, and Vector Sigma has not yet rejected him. The Feline's optics narrow as his cloaking systems go offline, fading into view as only a cheshire cat can, complete with that sadistic grin. Rockets blast him, but he holds fast by digging his claws into the ground. Oh...how wonderful. How blisfully wonderful. <failures of a blockade!>> The feline folds his ears back before shooting a warning hiss at Velum, and Hubcap... and...ugh, for good measure Jetfire too, and that little tyke he's got with him. And with that, he transforms and slips into the data socket, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Combat: Pink Techcar sets her defense level to Aggressive. The futuristic car breaks open in the middle, as the legs form upward. Her hood shifts into her armor plating with her arms coming together at the last, turning into Elita One's robot mode. Combat: Tailgate strikes Blitzwing with his For the Common Bot (Ram) attack! Things are going well enough. <> He watches the various works of Jetfire and Hubcap working in vain to prevent him from furthering his goal... Heh. Stupid Autobots. "You know, Vector Sigma, we should do this another time. You pick the century and I'll pick the spot." Having been deflected by Blitzwing, Tailgate bounces a couple times before landing painfully on his faceplates. He moans, but is brought out of his daze by the distant thunder. "Oh no... " He glances over at the dimly glowly Vector Sigma. "That can't mean anything good.." He stands up quickly and waves his arms at Jetfire. "Just tell me what to do! I know you don't really want to... but if that's what it takes I'm more than willing.. Jetfire.. please... I-I want to save everyone. And Cybertron." Shiftlock turns partially away from the blast as it blows free from the entrance to the chamber, taking further damage and being thankful she didn't catch any exposed fuel lines in that blast. She can barely move, but she's not giving up, as she presses closer to where the rest of the Autobots are, trying to find survivors. She keeps her weapons at the ready, just in case. Combat: Shiftlock sets her defense level to Guarded.
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