Ambushed Ambush

Petrified Forest

''As far as the optic can see are rows and rows of spindly metal structures, each consisting of a set of four masts in a wedge-shaped pattern that protrudes from deep beneath Cybertron's surface. The upper half of each mast has a thick, tightly-rolled wrapping of thin, fragile metal of varying sizes and colors from tiny delicate blue ones to gigantic red ones that tower overhead, like skeletal robots the size of Guardians. There are several that have frozen in the open position, their colorful "petals" fully unfurled though in many places ripped.''

''With two bright, brilliant golden suns blazing in the skies, the forest becomes a place of patterned shadows, evenly alternating between light and dark. Creaking noises occasionally disturb the silence, as some malfunctioning petals slowly open and close like fists unclenching and clenching. Most, however, are locked into the open position, their petals completely unfurled to welcome the sunlight.''

Rumors were true. The Resistance in Crystal City wasn't just aiming at slowing the Decepticons in their occupied city...they were desperately trying to ferry refugees and political enemies of the state to the safety of Retoris.

The rebuilding of Retoris. The resistance. And now, the so called 'underground railroad.' Spinister had learned of it's existence through his interrogation of Gunrunner while Octane fought Jazz in the former 'Hollywood Hills' of Cybertron. Coindences? For agents of the Empire, there were no coincidences.

Deep in the petrified forest, unaware of a lurking Imperial eye, five mechs make their way to their next stop to freedom.

"Come one, quickly now..." Rollwheels, a short and stout Autobot with a beard that would give a Sweep a powersurge beckons his compainion forward. "I know you're scared...and you've got every reason to be. But every step forward gets you closer to Retoris. To a new life." And so, the group makes their progress, zipping from hiding spot to hiding spot, watching each other's backs as best they can. Hoping. Dreaming. Fooling themselves.

Combat: Jazz slips into the shadows and out of sight...

Normally herding refugees would be a task to pass on to the lower ranks. But after last night, something about it all still made Jazz's circuits spark. Octane's pumping of clunkers for their last drops of fuel and the burned building just couldn't be a strange coincidence. That making it clear the Decepticons were going out of their way to mess with the common mech even outside the City just didn't sit well with him at all.

Not that there weren't lower ranks involved. A couple of Autobots, painted in washed out greys and browns to look downtrodden and unkempt, stood guard at the intended checkpoint, which was really no more than them and a portable shelter, as they kept these waysides moving to avoid being tracked down too easily. It was likely once the contacts got there, they would pack up and accompany them the rest of the way.

The Intel Director was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't unexpected. Jazz had found himself a nice hidey-hole to lurk in, waiting to see just how right or wrong his hunchs may be.

Kind of one of those times he's hoping he -is- wrong, but things never go that easily.

Continuing their progress, Rollwheels throws up a fist for the group to stop. "See that flickering light? We're almost home, guys. Torrent, Air Razor, Mellowtron, I hope you guys are ready for some fresh energon." He flashes a reassuring smile at the group, and then frowns. "Mellowtron?"

But Mellowtron is no where to be found. The funny thing is that he's really only a few yards behind them, except his major fuel lines have been cut. Spinister watches the group from a short distance away, awaiting their next move. He'll have to make his quickly- if they run late, it will alert the Autobots that something is wrong...

Petrified Forest

As far as the optic can see are rows and rows of spindly metal structures, each consisting of a set of four masts in a wedge-shaped pattern that protrudes from deep beneath Cybertron's surface. The upper half of each mast has a thick, tightly-rolled wrapping of thin, fragile metal of varying sizes and colors from tiny delicate blue ones to gigantic red ones that tower overhead, like skeletal robots the size of Guardians. There are several that have frozen in the open position, their colorful "petals" fully unfurled though in many places ripped.

With two bright, brilliant golden suns blazing in the skies, the forest becomes a place of patterned shadows, evenly alternating between light and dark. Creaking noises occasionally disturb the silence, as some malfunctioning petals slowly open and close like fists unclenching and clenching. Most, however, are locked into the open position, their petals completely unfurled to welcome the sunlight.

ELSEWHERE Contrail is parked in car mode, engine off and radio on. A woman could run down her battery that way. Luckily, she is a space robot. The smell of doughnuts wafts from one of her open windows.

The dastardly deed doesn't go unnoticed. Or maybe the guards just saw the refugess come into view. Either way when they start to approach they slow down when they do catch sight of the fiend responsible. Spinister has a reputation for being a big bundle of bad news, and his little buddies in crime are obnoxious little brats. Can you really blame the rank and file for not wanting to contend with him?

The dual suns Cybertron has come to be near cast shadows throughout the strange cybertronian forest... And one of those shadows moves. Or more accurately moves out of the shadow provided by a cluster of them positioned close together. A gun comes up with the motion, silent save for the hiss of released energy when the trigger is finally pulled and a bolt of photonic energy hurtles for the Decepticon's backside.

"Com'n dude, ya wanna make trouble?" Stepping entirely into view afterwards, Jazz makes a 'come get me' motion with his other hand. "At least make it with someone who's lookin' for it."

Combat: Jazz appears from the shadows... Combat: Sneak Attack!! Combat: Jazz strikes Spinister with his Ambushing the Ambusher attack! [Pulled -1]

Spinister is rarely caught off guard, but Jazz pulls it off. Spinister goes reeling from the blast, hissing in surprise. And frustration: He's underestimated his enemies. Rule #1 in the Spinister book of Mysterious Rules. Recovering quickly, Spinister has no reply, other than to sprint towards Jazz, bobbing and weaving to avoud additional fire, and leaps with a massive flying face fist! The refugees scream and scatter the moment gunfire erupts, and run for the outpost. &r&r ELSEWHERE... Singe leans back in Contrail's passenger seat, helping himself to a pastry. "These are absolutely divine, Hairsplitter. Well done on ordering them... Let's make sure Lord Zarak doesn't get any, shall we?" Hairsplitter doesn't respond, which earns an eye roll from Singe. "Honestly, Hairsplitter, I'm finally inside Contrail. Don't *ruin* this."

Combat: Spinister sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Spinister strikes Jazz with his FFF Flying Face Fist (Punch) attack!

Lamborghini Gallardo  is babysitting Spinister's Nebulans, because the Nebulans are too noisy for covert work. Now, Hairsplitter seems quiet and well-mannered enough, to her, but she trusts Spinister's judgement as well as she trusts anyone's. Singe, however, yeah, is definitely chatty. So Contrail inquires over her internal intercom inquires, "So, can you two just... read Spinister's mind and figure out what he's up to, even when you're far away? And, uh... can Spinister just read your minds and figure out what those pastries taste like?"

Hairsplitter starts to respond to Contrail's inquiry, but Singe cuts in. "The details of it are all quite boring, love, but he's currently engaged in combat with the Autobot Jazz. You know, the..." He makes some weird dance move gestures... "One. And I doubt Nebulan turnovers are something he'd be very interested in." He sighs into his last bite. "A sad case of misplaced priorities."

Jazz is all ready to follow up with another shot, but he's forced to pull up short when a fist comes flying for his face. The impact topples him over backwards, though Jazz is quick to recover, taking the fall with a grunt and twisting his body around. True to form he puts his skills to use by pulling a breakdance spin that ends up sweeping one of his heels up at Spinister's chin and following through the flip up onto his feet again. "Is that the best you can do? Maybe you shoulda stuck to burnin' buildings when no one was looking!" See how that little zinger gets his attention.

While said attention is got, once Spinister is paying more attention to Jazz the guards hurry their pace, trying to get the remaining refugees and hustle them to the outpost before they're remembered. Combat: Jazz strikes Spinister with his Bustin' a Move Bustin' Ya Face (Kick) attack!

Spinister steps back to avoid the breakdancing, but frustratingly, it's not the attack. The kick slams Spinister into one of the mast structures, but he come right back, jumping up to grab a branch and using it to propel himself forward to crush the Autobot's chest cavity... He has no response to Jazz's zing. If only the Autobot knew that the building wasn't the only thing that burned.

Combat: Spinister strikes Jazz with his Kick attack!

Lamborghini Gallardo  is somewhat concerned about Singe being chummy with her. It increases the odds that someday she will find a bomb in her berth. She points out, "There are actually some pretty interesting tactical possibilities, though, given what you just said. Uninterceptable lines of instantaneous communication? I mean... slag. ...wait, did you say /Jazz/? And you two are here, so Spinister is missing some of his usual armament..."

Could she be /worried/?

Preposterous.

"My calculations indicate a need for us to clock in, Contrail. Sooo....yeeeah." Hairsplitter monotones, completely boring anything that hears him. Singe rolls his eyes. "And so ends a perfectly respectable first date."

Yeah, definately got his attention. Maybe a little -too- well. But if it gives the soldiers time to do their job and get the survivors disappearing underground, so be it.

The blow collides with Jazz's old-school car-bot chest and sends him tumbling backwards again. This time with a nasty skid that causes sparks to hiss from the friction. It takes a moment to recover, twisting into a position he can halt the backward motion and flip himself over... Then twisting around in midair with the oh so classic sound to land in vehicle mode, wheels already spinning to take off weaving between the trees. Then queues up something suitable on his sound system as he zig-zag circles around a few times.

o/~ Send in your skeletons, sing as their bones go marching iiin agaaaain. The need you bury deep, the secrets that you keep, are at the ready.... Are you ready? I'm finished making sense, done bleeding ignorance at your... defense. Spinnin' this imagery boy, the wheel is spinnin' me, it's never ending... same old story o/~

Headlights flash in the corner of Spinister's field of vision as the Porsche pulls up between the trees.

But the thing to worry about is that the song abruptly escalates in volume as it hits the heavy beat, because he's got those -friggin huge speakers- out of his trunk! The ones that turn a beat into a sonic beatdown blasting away, yow!

o/~ What if I say you're not like the others? What if I say it's not just another one of your plays? You're the pretender! What if I say that I'll never surrender! o/~

Combat: Jazz sets his defense level to Guarded. Jazz drops down into a breakdancing kick and spin, ending the moves in vehicle mode. Combat: Porsche Turbo  strikes Spinister with his EPIC BATTLE MUZIKS attack! [Pulled -2]

Lamborghini Gallardo  is definitely concerned now! Singe should be dating other, more... 'interesting' people, not her.

Ugh, time to be even more paranoid than usual.

The Lamborghini pulls out, rolling towards Spinister's location. Once at the scene, she transforms and somehow manages to put Singe and Hairsplitter in her hands as she does so. Then she throws them at Spinister, who will hopefully have the common sense to catch. In a transformation that is harder than it looks, Contrail rises up into robot mode.

In millions of years of war, Autobots turning into cars and driving well has been a constant weakness to the Decepticons. Decepticons, who could easily just immediately be in the sky, avoiding the situation. No one has figured this out. Tale as old as time. Spinister is immediately thrown off guard by Jazz's fancy driving, and is brought to his knees by the Autobot's outdated music selections! Systems and scanners going haywire, the Targetmaster is still able to catch his Neb components with ease. After all, it's easy to catch...yourself? Singe and Hairsplitter, now locked into weapon mode, take over for their downed commander, Singe gleefully spewing flames towards the Porsche, happy to burn the region down if it means killing his target!

Combat: Spinister misses Porsche Turbo  with his Hot Mess! attack!

Attention shifts slightly when another form pulls into range, Jazz mentally frowning when the slick looking Lambo turns out to be another Decepticon! What a waste of such slick wheels! Arguably more of an offense than her throwing Spinister his little happy hooligans. "Looks like it's time to boogie." The sonics switch off only to be replaced by the screech of wheels as Jazz puts it in reverse and floors it, blasting backwards as Spinister turns and lets Singe unload with his fiery temperment.

Tires scream in protest again as Jazz veers left and right -backwards- to avoid the blasts of fire igniting masts and what-not, until he finds enough of a clearing to stop just enough to put it in forward and then turn sharply to the side as he accelerates again to avoid the heat wave. James Bond would be jealous!

The Porsche doesn't take long to come back into view however, and where he can see both Cons now. You know, he never did fold those speakers back in... except now he pops out the extra emitters in his grille and front as well. Uh oh. "I think it's time to evacuate this dancefloor, so lemme light your way yow!" The music selection changes to the terror known as DUBSTEP, resulting in a barrage of chaotic beats and rapidly flashing, color changing light flashes like a raver doped up on the good stuff.

Combat: Porsche Turbo  strikes Spinister with his WUB WUB GOES THE DUB DUB Area attack! Combat: Porsche Turbo  strikes Contrail with his WUB WUB GOES THE DUB DUB Area attack!

Contrail is confused by dubstep. On so many levels. Where is the dubbing? Where is the stepping? She just doesn't get it. Contrail scratches her head. Her cannons swing over her back, and she takes aim at what she /thinks/ is Jazz... but is probably actually Spinister, the poor man.

Combat: Contrail's Acid Strike attack on Porsche Turbo  goes wild! Combat: Contrail strikes herself with her Acid Strike attack!

 Contrail says, "Autobot Jazz. I DEMAND THAT YOU EXPLAIN DUBSTEP IMMEDIATELY."

Spinister manages to drop the Nebulans, pressing his hands to his head. He struggles to his feet and transforms into helicopter mode, flying towards Jazz in a desperation attack. Hairsplitter lays on the ground, dazed. Singe follows after Spinister, completely unaffected.

He's been to some clubs.

Combat: Spinister's ramstep attack on Porsche Turbo  goes wild! Combat: Spinister strikes himself with his ramstep (Ram) attack!

 Jazz laughs. Then retorts unhelpfully "How much Wub could a Dubstep Dub if a Dubstep could Dub Wubs?"

 Elita One says, "Jazz? Are you..confusing the enemy?"

 Jazz says, "Hell yeah. Now this is a party!"

 Elita One says, "well..keep it up. Anything that gives Shockwave a logic error is bound to be useful"

 Contrail says, "I will destroy you."

Somewhere in the middle of the bright lights and loud sounds Jazz drops the hammer once more, speeding past the swooping helicopter and leaving Spinister to plow through the mast-trees instead. Maybe Contrail will burn a tree with that acid so it falls on her? He doesn't stick around long to find out as he zips through, finally leaping up to unfold into robot mode and land in a perfect three-point stance.

Then remembering both Decepticons are kind of hazed and confused, stands up and makes a more obvious jesture of using two fingers to whistle sharply. Then leans against (and slightly behind) one of the masts, folding his arms and crossing one leg in front of the other in the epitome of cool and calm even in middle of a fight. "Yo, fat cats. I'm over here. You done harshin' my vibes yet, or do I gotta get -serious-?"

With that classic sound the sporty racer pops up into a stylin' robot.

Combat: Porsche Turbo  takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

<Autobot> Elita One says, "heh...Contrail's mad too eh? She deserves it, just don't let them gang up on you much, hate to hear you got a mark on your paintjob."

Spinister struggles to pull himself into robot mode, after completely snapping his rotors apart. Smoke hisses and energon leaks out of the extremely messed up assassin as he stands, staring at Jazz with some difficulty while trying to recover his systems. Singe flits down by his side. "Well... Shall we stop embarrassing ourselves?" Spinister stares down at him.

Combat: Spinister takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Contrail dumps acid all over herself while confused by dubstep.

No, not the fun kind of acid. That would... actually make marginally more sense.

So Jazz is hiding behind trees, like he's an elf or something. Doesn't he know that dwarves get stonecunning!? Dripping painful, melty acid, Contrail stalks after Jazz and tries to shoot him. With lasers.

Combat: Contrail strikes Jazz with her 25-mm GAU-12 cannon <Long Burst> (Laser) attack!

Jazz glances in the direction of the wayside post, but no sign of the guards or the survivors. They're probably inside and on their way by now, hopefully.

But Jazz isn't quite done giving these two a runaround just yet. He presses a hand against the mast as he leans against it, but Contrail's shots rattling around it chip through the sides of the shaft and out of his armor as well. Slag, it was thinner than he thought. Oh well.

Sliding around the mast Jazz darts a few meters over to press against a different one, then duck and rolls behind one after that. From there he presses back against it as he takes aim and fires. The energy bolt appears to be uncharacteristically off the mark for the master of style... Until it deflects off the shiny surface of a pole across the way and bounces back at her!

Combat: Jazz strikes Contrail with his Trick Shooting attack! [Pulled -1]

Spinister drops to one knee, Hairsplitter flying into his hand, laser systems humminh to life. The Targetmaster takes careful aim, hoping to take some pressure off of Contrail for a hasty retreat. The mission, after all was not a total failure. A railroad party has been disrupted, and the full Autobot involvement of the exodus measured. He squeezes the trigger.

Combat: Spinister strikes Jazz with his Lock-Target Laser Rifle attack!

Combat: Spinister (Spinister) used "Lock-Target Laser Rifle": A Level 4 RANGED attack.

Contrail totally does not expect a trick angle ashot like that! Is Spinister taking notes? Spinister should do trick angle shots like that, too. That would be great. But ow. This hurts. In any case, she ends up chasing after Jazz, the refugees forgotten for now. Contrail shouts, "Augh, you and your dubstep!" and she tries to close the distance and deck Jazz.

Combat: Contrail strikes Jazz with her Smiting the Heathens (Punch) attack!

Jazz was at his best thinking on his feet, both figuratively and literally. He keeps moving, darting between the 'trees', appearing only to wait against long enough to decide his next movement.

Hairsplitter proves to live up to his name though, catching a brief window between two very close together trees and splits a shot clean between them to score a deep laser gouge across one shoulder. He breaks from cover, but Contrail is right behind him to throw a fast punch. He gets an arm up partially to intercept, but it throws him with the momentum and impact and the Intel Director goes for a tumble.

Nimble as a turbofox Jazz bolts back to his feet after the painful spill though, Decepticons hot on his heels, using one hand to vault over a fallen mast-tree and drop behind it, partially crouching. He's visible enough for his enemies to see the smirk on his metal features though. "It's been a real jam guys, but this show ain't over just yet. After all," his other hand out of view behind the trunk, clicks the switch-box held in it. "What's a party without party favors?"

There's a *beep*. And then another *beep*. And then several more as a lot of the trees he's been ducking around and leaning on start to beep and flash little red lights around the two Cons from the mini-detonators stuck to them. Not as powerful as full sized explosives, but there's quite a few of them.

And then the entire chain explodes.

Combat: Jazz has created a bomb: "Boobytrap Surprise"! Combat: Jazz strikes Spinister with Boobytrap Surprise's Huge Explosion #9697 Area attack! Combat: Jazz's Boobytrap Surprise is destroyed! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Spinister's Agility. (Crippled) Combat: Jazz strikes Contrail with Boobytrap Surprise's Huge Explosion #9697 Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Contrail's Agility. (Crippled)

Spinister braces himself for impact. It's all he can do: They've played themselves directly into Jazz's trap. The mangled Con ends up a short distance away, holding his own arm, which he found nearby. Hairsplitter is unconscience. Singe, aside from being charred, seems ok. OK enough to complain, at least. "Countless attempts to perfect this hair color...Son of a Bot must pay..." He swears through gritted teeth.

Combat: Spinister begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit.

<Cybertron> Jazz | First there's the sound of explosion in the background. Then Jazz speaks up, coyly, "Was that a bit more to yer likin' toots?"

A boobytrap that actually catches boobies!

And boy, is Contrail caught. She exclaims, "He set up an ambush for us!" as the blastwave comes inevitably for her. Contrail ends up down on one knee, a completely skeletonized mess. Her body makes little >tink ping< noises as it rapidly cools, a number of servos fusing in place. For a long moment, she is silent, too injured to move or speak.

A lesser Decepticon surely would have been outright felled.

The pain catches up with her now, in a scream of agony. Then Contrail snaps back to herself and take wing... for some rat hunting. A missile screams as she lets it loose.

Flipping into a modified F-35B Lightning II, the sky is not the limit. Combat: F-35B Lightning II <Contrail> sets her defense level to Neutral. Combat: F-35B Lightning II <Contrail> strikes Jazz with her AIM-120C AMRAAM attack!

Jazz glances up as despite the blast Contrail proves to be able to transform still, abiet painfully by the look to it, and take to the skies. Then try to ruin his day with a missile to replay the trap in kind. "Guess we're gonna really blow this joint!" He vaults over the fallen mast again, but the missile hits the ground next to it before he can get fully on his feet and the blast sends him flying as smoke and flames shoot upward. Not that anyone would notice a difference now, with the smoke and flames and broken 'trees' from his own bomb trap, and Singe's handiwork.

Jazz takes an ungraceful tumble, though the rolling does help to put out any flames before he finally gets to his feet. That stung, but he shakes it off and brushes away dirt like it wasn't no thing. Keep cool, as always. With a grunt he starts to backpedal, keeping the Con in his sights as she flies overhead, and pulls his own launcher up into place. "Here's one more for the road!" It's a flamethrower!... in that it throws flames by shooting rockets that turn into streaking balls of fire mid-flight.

Combat: Jazz strikes F-35B Lightning II <Contrail> with his Someone was on crack when they wrote that part of my tech specs I swear attack! [Pulled -2]

Who let Jazz have a flamethrower? Jazz is already a master of STYLE and wields the dread powers of DUBSTEP. Why does Jazz have to be FLAMING, too?

This is jetslag.

And so is Contrail, who is now a Kentucky Fried Triple-Changer. Her engine flames out, gutters, and dies. She goes in for a very rough landing, and she transforms into her third mode, to bring some brakka brakka to bear on the Meister.

Turning into a police car, Contrail fights crime! Wait, that's not right. Contrail causes crime.

Combat: Lamborghini Gallardo <Contrail> sets her defense level to Guarded. Combat: Lamborghini Gallardo <Contrail> strikes Jazz with her FN Minimi 5.56mm Light Machine Guns attack!

Jazz fistpumps as the flaming projectile hits home, but doesn't get a chance to celebrate as Contrail exchanges her wings for wheels instead of crashing as he had hoped. Spinning on his heels, he goes from backpedaling to all out sprinting as guns rattle away. Plumes shoot up from the ground in a shower of sparks, as do where they hit several times down the meister's backside.

"With everything else already on fire, I think it's time to burn some rubber!" Cue transforming acrobatics to hit the ground with wheels spinning, but fortunately there's no dubstep this time as the Porsche eats some street and takes off at full throttle.

Jazz drops down into a breakdancing kick and spin, ending the moves in vehicle mode.

Combat: Porsche Turbo <Jazz> begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit.

Porsche Turbo <Jazz> drives .... right into the modular outpost? Damn right he does. And then the outpost falls apart like cheap stage scenery, revealing the tunnel it had been hiding, and the fading glow of the sports car's tail lights before a last small blast collapses the entrance.