| abstract | - The Silent Grill is a ruined part of Helex that none dare go. It contains a tunnel network that is the rumoured home of cultists, their consorts, and things that are far, far worse. Sunder has arrived. On a far point access road which rings Helex, a pink convertable car travels. Arcee knows she's conspicuous, and that's precisely why she's remaining a 'safe' distance from the area known as Silent Grill. She requires more information about what lies within the underground city, but she isn't foolish enough to think she's able to do such a task on her own. What she is here for, however, is more long-distance surveillance. As far as she could tell, Silent Grill only has one way in and out. Perhaps there's other access tunnels... Pulling off the main road, Arcee transforms to root mode and begins canvassing an outlying, abandoned area of Helex for unusual access points in the ground. Hot on the trail of the Pink One is Sunder. He notes her entry into the area the Sweeps are keeping under surveillance, and so when she transforms and starts walking through an abandoned area, the Sweep silently flies above, in robot mode, ready to pounce. Arcee isn't looking up. She's looking down. Which is why Sunder is able to follow her right into the territory without her noticing. Eventually, however, her scanner alerts her to the Sweep's presence, and Sunder will see the Pink One suddenly peer up at him. She doesn't *immediately* shoot, which may mean she's in love with him. OR...it could also mean that she doesn't want to alert the cultists to her presence here. The optics of the Sweep and the Femmebot meet, as she peers up at him. Since she doesn't immediately start shooting, he alights in front of her. "So, what brings you to these parts?" he asks somewhat casually, "Is there something here that we should know about?" His piercing ruby optics seem to scan Arcee's very soul. Arcee ponders, looking from Sunder over toward the forboding entryway of the Grill in the distance. Sunder is the last mech next to Starscream that she'd actually want to engage in 'casual conversation', but this entire situation puts her at a disadvantage...plus, if she got torn up in a pointless fight, Springer might get annoyed with her. So since Sunder seems to be in the mood for conversation...well, why not, she decides. "It's that cult, the Unicron cult," she says. She sees no reason not to tell him the truth; if the Sweeps want to battle it out with Dal Matia and her minions, maybe that would be an advantage to the Autobots who have other reasons for being interested in this site. "They never really go away, do they. They just move from one place to another." "Oh," Sunder says, "So, you're trying to find a way inside without going through the front door, correct?" The Sweep eyes the femme. "You know, if you can't find a way in, maybe someone should simply make a new entrance." He wiggles his talons at Arcee. Arcee stares at Sunder, and tries not to recoil from those talons. She can put on a brave face when she needs to do so, but she isn't sure what creeps her out more: Silent Grill, or the strange, strange sweep who has a special place in his spark for her (second to Unicron, natch). "...Right. No, really. Good point. But we're not talking just a small group, here. There's a LOT of cultists down there. Thousands, maybe." Sunder strokes his beard, peering off into the distance of the abandoned surrounding area. "Then it is just a matter of finding a point of entrance that they won't notice." "You know...you probably wouldn't have problems going in there. Think about it," Arcee points out. "You and the other Sweeps could probably just...walk right in the front gate, and that leader would welcome you in. Unless, she doesn't. But I don't see why she wouldn't. Have you heard of her, Dal Matia?" Sunder rubs his beard. "I'm...I'm not sure. Unicron cultists can be a fickle lot. Particularly if they have some Galvatron cultists concealed among them." Arcee nods, smiling very slightly. It would seem that this little discussion is yielding some usable information! Of course, there's no guarantee that this will end well, as Sunder's ideas about what constitutes a 'good time' are more than a little questionable to her, and past experience has taught her well. She decides to divulge a little bit more intel...sometimes you have to give in order to get. No way is she giving anything away about the titan; she decides that one's going to remain a secret between the ruling Triumvirate and the Autobots. "Well, you know," Arcee says, folding her arms across her chestplate, "I don't believe that the cultists are under any sort of free will. Dal Matia appears to control them, with some sort of power staff." "Oh, really?" Sunder says, "Then it would be beneficial if someone were to steal or wrest the staff from her." "She won't make it easy," Arcee notes. "She wields it like Sweeps wield their claws...expert level. And a straightforward run at her will get you 'zapped' with the powe end of that staff. It isn't just an electrical effect, it...it does something to the spark. Changes it." "Well then, the strategy is obvious. Distract her while another seizes the staff and pries it away. Else sneak in and steal it from her recharge table when she's recharging." Sunder says. "You make it sound very simple," Arcee exclaims. "But she's willing to fight very hard for the things she's already claimed. I know this for a fact." Sunder nods. "Then it's all the more important that a strategy be devised to wrest the staff from her." Arcee gives Sunder a sidelong look. "Do you believe it should be a joint strategy? A temporary truce? Or is this work that can best be handled separately? I shared what I have shared with you because...I believe that whether we're working apart or working together, we should at least have the same goal in mind: this cult has no business being in this polity. They've kidnapped both Autobots and Decepticons -- our last mission into that place proved it." Sunder ponders. "It is possible that we should work together in this," he says, "I will consult with Scourge and the others. Either way, the Cult must be disarmed." For a moment, Arcee is actually surprised. One part of her thinks Sunder's just telling her what she wants to hear, but for this particular situation where he and the other Sweeps might actually be the key in drawing this cult out of their entrenchment once and for all, she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "So I suppose we're...in agreement, then," she observes cautiously. "Perhaps the next time we meet will be right here." "Perhaps," Sunder says, a grin spreading across his bearded visage. At least no other bots or 'cons are around, so he doesn't have to pretend that he was fighting her. Arcee sighs softly, still watching him. She's seen that grin before, although it's usually on Hot Rod or Springer. It makes her a little uneasy to see it on a Sweep. But she knows what's at stake here -- it could mean many lives in the balance, and that's enough for her to tolerate an uneasy truce. Uneasy for her, anyhow; she isn't quite sure about him, and she isn't sure she wants to ask. He might just scoop her up and take her home if she presses the issue too much. "Thank you for hearing me out," Arcee says considerately, backing off a few steps as she prepares to transform and return to the ring road that leads back into Helex. Sunder lets her go, watching her drive off into the distance for some time before turning to the abandoned area Arcee had intended to scout. He tries to find a weak spot in the walls he can get his claws into and make or enlarge a hole for a tunnel.
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