Istanbul Car Show

Istanbul, Turkey

You have arrived at Istanbul, a major trading mecca in Europe. The city is full of exotic buildings, and an extensive marketplace lines several prominent streets. Yet even with these hints of ancient traditions, Western ways have found their way into Istanbul. Many people drive fancy vehicles and talk on cellular phones. Modern glass skyscrapers can be seen in between the ancient mosques.

NOTE: This room is using the new TACS combat system. So use !transform to change your name for posing & looking.

Contents:

Dead End

Red Spacecraft

Obvious exits:

East < E > leads to Outskirts of New Aztlan.

North < N > leads to Black Sea.

South < S > leads to Mediterranean.

Southwest < SW > leads to Athens, Greece.

West < W > leads to Sarajevo, Bosnia/Herzegovina.

Fly < Up >

High above the blazing sands and rough terrain of the middle east flies a sleek red and black craft; Not as big as a jet, and with curved black wings reflecting the hot sun. "Do you have the coordinates, Dead End?" The ship emits, not quite sure how he got roped into flying a Stunticon around like this. He was probaly drunk.

Red Alert has arrived.

Dead End grunts quietly "Affermative" the porche replies. There's not much to his statement. "Don't scratch me." he adds gruffly.

There's a classic car show! In Istanbul! And in the classic car show are many classic cars. Red Alert, rather than his usual Fire Chief's paint job, is disguised in white with red racing stripes, and to complete the disguise, he lacks both Autobot symbol and emergancy flasher bar. He's in the area to investigate rumors of a Protectobot cult that's sprung up in the area, and he's using the car show as cover to sit and listen to an alleyway four blocks away. He's not alone, however, and since the matter he's investigating pertains to the Protectobots, it's a Protectobot that he's dragged along with him.

First Aid is at the car show. It should be no surprise that the Protectobot is interested in fixing up cars and the like. Cars, computers, streetlamps, tin cans that have become slightly too crumpled... but in this case all the cars are in beautiful condition. They are all well tuned, nicely touched up, and have been polished to the nines. First Aid doesn't seem to have taken too much persuasion to be dragged along by Red Alert. Currently the Protectobot is a perfectly average ambulance at the paramedics' station, just outside the car show.

First Aid falls forward, arms sliding in and legs flipping about, transforming into an ambulance.

Red Spacecraft is equally as worried about getting /his/ paint scratched as the Stunticon passenger is, it seems. The supersonic craft nears the drop off point, as Istanbul looms larger on his sensors; Very soon, they'll be directly over the famous Istanbul classic cars of the 1980s show, so Redshift can make the drop and get the heck out of here. What does he care about cars? "Get ready, we're nearing the drop zone. I'd activate your crash shields, if I were you."

Boomslang has arrived.

Dead End grunts again and does as the ship says keeping himself ready for the drop. "I'm ready when you are.." he says gruffly

Fire Chief's Car would totally be picking up the space ship on his radar by now, if he weren't inside. :(

With the usual ratcheting sound, Boomslang spins and flips and turns into a fighter jet.

White Lamborgini transforms into his Red Alert mode.

Red Alert transforms into his White Lamborgini mode.

F/A-18E, on station about a hundred and twenty nautical miles away, turns in big lazy circles, his stealth technology hiding him from human radar as he lurks and lingers.

White Lamborgini has great difficulty in the simple task of /staying still/. As usual, he's listening to everything he can, and wants to react to as much as it as he can. That, and he's a bit unnerved by being inside the car show - this place echos strangely. For what is probably the 20th time in the last ten minutes, Red Alert radios First Aid with, //Any sign of any strange activity on your end, First Aid?//

Toyota Ambulance < < First Aid >  > idly chats with Red Alert over a shortwave Autobot tightbeam as they wait. < < Nothing on my sensors, Red, >  > he replies. His scanners aren't nearly as good as Red's. < < I don't know how likely it is that we're going to run across this theoretical cult. Honestly I think it may just be a rumour. > > First Aid surely can't see why anyone would bother with a Protectobot cult. They're just doing their job, after all.

Red Spacecraft suddenly changes his flight path, angling his nose down into a steep dive, engines roaring and air ripping past his smooth lines. "Bombs away!" The red n' black craft spouts, releasing his magnetic locks on the car-mode Stunticon, leaving the car to fend for itself against the steady pull of gravity.

First Aid falls forward, arms sliding in and legs flipping about, transforming into an ambulance.

Dead End growls and stays as still as possible to minimize damage his crash sheilds on he waits for the impact which comes quickly he lands on his nose but his shields buffer the impact and he grunts again as his back end comes down to a stop "Stoopid ariel landings."

The cult *IS* just a rumor, but don't tell Red Alert that! He won't believe it until he's wasted several hours here at least - or, perhaps, the show gets interrupted, perhaps, say, by a Decepticon arrival?

//Rumor or not, it still needs to be investigated!// Red Alert lectures over the tightbeam signal. //After all, something like this can be very detrimental to our public relations!//

Dead End Shifts into his robot mode, legs flipping and inverting as his transformation compleates. He twists his head around on his neck joint and stands eyes red and dead serious.

Jumping forward and down Deadend Changes into a sleek black and red Porsche 928.

Dead End growls at how dusty he is and pulls himself around looking for an automatic car wash

< < Well I suppose that's true. Better safe than sorry, > > First Aid admits. < < I'd hate to be responsible for humans getting up to no good. > > He can still recall those battles all those years ago. He's glad the place has recovered so well, even if it gained a few additional quirks. As Dead End is miles away, First Aid does not personally hear or see the landing. But after a minute, radio calls are flying on the local police broadband. < < Oh boy... Red, are you picking this up? > >

F/A-18E does a barrel roll through a cloud formation just for grins. What he's doing in Turkish airspace, who can say. But he doesn't seem to be involved in this 'operation,' if what the Stunticons usually do can be called that. For the moment he seems content to just cruise around and appear to be Turkish air force.

/I am, First Aid,// Red Alert answers. //There are a few flying car models approved these days, but none of them are mid-80's Porsches. That means trouble, and probably Decepticons.//

The advantage to always jumping to the worst possible conclusions is that when the worst possible conclusion is the truth, you're actually right on track from the start.

With the reports and First Aid's warning, Red Alert turns on his engine and actually heads outside, dropping his disguise among any who notice that the car is driving himself. He parks quietly, then flips on his radar.

Combat: White Lamborgini initiates a radar sweep of the area.

Red Spacecraft has pulled up out of his dive, and lifted to a much higher cruising altitude. There might be a mild disturbance reported over the local air traffic control frequency, but noting as exciting as the reports about dubious cars falling out of the sky. The red and black spaceship begins to circle lazily around the city, hoping something more exciting might happen.

Ambulance < First Aid > would nod if he could. < < I agree completely. > > When even he is jumping to conclusions, it probably means that it is a safe conclusion indeed. To be fair, 'The Decepticons are behind it' is the correct assumption approximately 99% of the time. (The other 1% is Lord Chumley). < < What's the plan, Red? > > the doctor asks.

Dead End growls and pulls himself closer to town and down a ramp into the closest car wash he can find...it's at least functioning and he scans the coin machine and magnetically kicks it on without even giving it a coin and drives slowly into the small concrete building and comes out shiny clean and as pristine as before. "Better." he mutters and rolls down the ramp and out of the carwash and continues down the next two miles to this 'car show' he rolls up to the curb and a man with a clip board walks up to the tinted window, there's no way he can see in but he barks directions about pulling to the back of the lot and lining up keeping two feet between each car. Deadend only moves past the man and does as directed 'fleshbag' he mutters to himself and rolls on.

Hun-Grrr descends from the skies above.

Hun-Grrr has arrived.

//I'm picking up one... maybe more... contacts overhead,// Red Alert reports, frustrated. //This means we're outnumbered.// Although when it comes to First Aid, the help Red would have gotten is questionable, anyway.

Aaaaand then Dead End rolls past and receives his orders for the backlot. //I'd better follow and see what he's up to,// says the Lamborghini, who proceeds to do just that, getting a few curious looks from bystanders in the process.

Hun-Grr drops down onto all fours with his torso rotating into position and both heads coming up. He is now a monsterous looking dragon!

< < Maybe we should call for back-up, Red, >  > the Autobot doctor transmits. The ambulance continues to rest at the paramedics station as First Aid dithers over what he should be doing. The local police at least are getting a helicopter ready to monitor Dead End's location from above, but with two other Decepticon fliers in the area, air superiority isn't too likely. < < Be careful, >  > First Aid tells Red Alert.

Mortex has arrived.

Nightbeat has arrived.

Mortex lands, cape and pieces shifting about, until he's transformed into a hearse with a revving engine and a black-and-white paint job.

Dead End rolls himself around and pulls ahead and backs up slowly into his space, when humans seemingly arn't looking he opens his truck which slides open with a hiss of hydrolics and lifts his hood, all the other cars look like that He assumes that's how he should look too. //This is stoopid.//

Red Spacecraft's job here is done, and car shows are boring. He aims his nosecone for the upper atmosphere, to go find something more exciting. /zoom zoom/

Hound has arrived.

Hound collapses to the ground, landing on his wheels to become a rugged, but ordinary-looking jeep.

Redshift has left.

Mortex is hanging out on the Extra-Customized floor, an example of a heavily-modified hearse. A holographic human owner is calmly explaining how he's shifted around the hearse's engines for more power, painted it up, and generally fixed the hearse from a death machine to a death-metal machine. It was amusing to him, in this sick sort of way, to see what the humans considered 'ultra-modified'. He was just fortunate to have decided to paint over his Decepticon symbol in hearse mode before coming down here...though it would be easy to remove the paint with some of that paint thinner.

The holographic human goes about discussing the finer points of modding hearses as Mortex listens to Dead End's radio broadcast, chuckling to himself soundlessly. He actually found it rather quaint.

< Autobot > First Aid says, "First Aid reporting in. We have several Decepticons hanging out in Istanbul. Red and I are here but I don't think we'd be able to take care of them all by ourselves."

< Autobot > Hound says, "I'm near the area. I'll be there shortly, First Aid."

Mortex is hanging out on the Extra-Customized floor, an example of a heavily-modified hearse. A human owner is calmly explaining how he's shifted around his car's engines for more power, painted it up, and generally fixed it up. It was amusing to him, in this sick sort of way, to see what the humans considered 'ultra-modified'. He was just fortunate to have decided to paint over his Decepticon symbol in hearse mode before coming down here...though it would be easy to remove the paint with some of that paint thinner.

Inwardly, the mech chuckles at Dead End's commentary. He actually found these car shows rather quaint examples of the backwards engineering, but then, there was always -some- idea he just sort of felt the need to improve on.

Call it the inventor's curse.

< Autobot > Silverbolt sounds skeptical at first, "'Hanging out?'... Right. I'm on my way."

< Autobot > First Aid says, "Thanks Hound, Silverbolt."

Red Alert has left.

Silverbolt has arrived.

The rugged and weathered autobot hound has been enjoying the unique cities and scenery that fill the Middle East, an area he hasn't visited properly in several years. The jeep is dirty and a little banged up after a few weeks of 'roughing it' out in the countryside, and he trundles down the roads of Istanbul, approaching the source of the disturbance.

Why did Constantinople get the works?

That's nobody's business but the Turks'!

Or is it? Maybe it's Nightbeat's business! Maybe Nightbeat is just really obnoxiously nosy. Maybe Nightbeat's here to help a brother Autobot out. Who knows? The Shadow knows. But enough of that.

Ambulance < First Aid > updates his fellow Autobots as he registers their transponder codes entering sensor range. < < We have numerous Decepticons, most notably Dead End from the looks of it, circling around this car show. As far as Red Alert and I could tell it's a perfectly ordinary show, so they might just be out here for their brand of 'fun'. Dead End's on the ground and we have a few other unidentified Decepticons in the air. I'm holding tight a short distance from the car show itself. > >

Somewhere to the northeast, a Concorde has all the beauty of Eastern Europe beneath to marvel at. It's wasted on Silverbolt, alas - the Aerialbot leader always preferred to keep his sensors on the sky in front of him, even more so as he accelerates in response to the Autobot comm signal.

Dead End sighs and shuts off his engine and sits quietly listening to things, humans walking by and pointing at him asking each other if his stripes are toreador red or candy apple red...he wished he had a please don't touch sign. Car enthusiests lean into his engine compartment to get better looks, and for moment he has a fantasy of slamming his hood shut and taking one of their little fleshy heads off..but he remains still. He is scared by a child running past his left front fendor almost running into him. //Fleshling spawn are going to be the end of me..// he growls and sits quietly again now trying to keep calm //don't know why you're enjoying this so much Mortex.// he growls //whos big idea was this anyway?// he asks quietly over secured channels. //I'm gonna get scuffed...I just got clean. This must be Blitzwing's idea of a joke...//

Mortex doesn't actually respond to Dead End's speech. He's rather enjoying the whole thing - people examining his handiwork on himself, his modified exterior, his brilliant changes, his -perfect- form...it was all a nice little boost to the ego. Dead End simply didn't have any fun with life, he decided.

Besides, it wasn't like he -always- needed to be cutting something up. He was technically off-duty, and the sad truth was, very few Decepticons who weren't Scrapper tended to 'get' his love of modification and alteration. The humans were so much more receptive, and he was willing to overlook the children climbing on him for that validation.

It wasn't so much arrogance as the simple enjoyment of someone -getting the Unicron-cursed point-.

Istanbul is a supremely ancient city and there has been development after development after development over the course of not just the last score of years, but the last centuries. Even more modern developments like the ancient mass transit tunnels that crisscross the underground of the great city have been largely forgotten -- and then rediscovered; for a short distance beneath the streets something lurks. It has been following the tunnel for some time, investigating it for inscruitable purposes until now by chance a point very near the ground has been arrived at -- located near the car show is an old, abandoned station. As the underground one heads upwards another Decepticon beacon will suddenly appear and then predictably, the wall of the building explodes in a shower of mortar, brick and fire that is very typically Hun-Grr's way of doing things and the big monster-thing steps right out into city traffic -- one mouth taking a swipe at a bus that was passing by as some other traffic swerves to avoid him. So much for subtlety!

< Autobot > Nightbeat says, "Y'hear that? Sounds big, two heads... Terrorcon?"

< Autobot > First Aid says, "The police reports seem to agree, Nightbeat."

< Autobot > Silverbolt says, "I just got another on my radar. I take it they're not just hanging out anymore?"

< Autobot > First Aid sighs, "I think you're right."

< Autobot > First Aid says, "I'm going after Dead End."

F/A-18E, in another part of Turkey, flies off to go look for something to oppress or usurp.

Hound slams on his brakes and swerves around a chunk of flying debris, a holographic human driver covering his head with his arms for protection from the rubble. There's little need for disguises anymore, though, and the hologram fades from view, along with the hologram obscuring Hound's mounted weaponry from prying eyes. "Definatly a Terrorcon." Hound says, partly to himself, partly in response to the radio. "Can't let you knock down all the scenery, big guy. Chew on this instead!" His turret takes aim, and fires a quick burst of bullets at the armoured hide of Hun-Grrr

Boomslang has left.

Combat: Hound strikes Hun-Grrr with its Pistol attack!

Ambulance < First Aid > 's headlights turn on as he rolls out of the station. Nobody seems to mind - the local paramedics knew who he was from the getgo. < < First Aid to all other Autobots. Police reports are coming in concerning a Terrorcon sighting! I have the approximate locations. Anyone able to get to him? > > The Autobot doctor heads towards the show itself, where Dead End was last sighted. The police are now setting up the evacuation of the show. Dead End will surely notice the people slowly being herded away just as the ambulance arrives on the scene. Folding upwards, the Protectobot transforms into robot mode, photon pistol already in hand as he slowly makes his way through the parked cars. "Everyone please be careful!" He implores the evacuating humans. He knows what Dead End looks like, but there are a ton of cars here. His vision fills with hundreds of them, and First aid suspects he's already lost the initiative. Occasionally he looks up to make sure none of the fliers are trying to get the drop on him.

< Autobot > Hound says, "Terrorcon confirmed. It's Hun-Grrr, and he looks pissed."

Ambulance < First Aid > 's front section fold back as a pair of legs and arms fold out, transforming into First Aid.

Hound collapses to the ground, landing on his wheels to become a rugged, but ordinary-looking jeep.

Nightbeat tracks by hearing, just following the sound of the screams. As soon as Hun-Grrr is in visual range, he calls out, "Hey, you big paloot! Why don't you pick on someone yer own size? ...like Grimlock. I hear he's under this rock." Taunting done, Nightbeat tries to drive down a side street that seems less-occupied, hoping to lure the Terrorcon away from populated areas.

Combat: Nightbeat sets his defense level to Protected.

Dead End curses minorly and sits watching the Autobot walk through the small sea of cars and trys not to be noticed. He waits like a cat on the prowl. He is sure that the Autobot has more than one thing on his mind...decepticons being one and humans scattering and running around everywhere the other. //mortex what's going on?// he asks over the secured channel //I have an autobot ....walking toward me...//

Combat: Hun-Grrr sets his defense level to Aggressive.

< < Confirming visual, >  > Silverbolt reports as he closes in on the city. < < I don't see any laserfire. I see Hun-Grrr went straight for collateral damage again... need backup there? > >

Hun-Grrr is enjoying playing the wrong way in traffic. Lowering both heads almost to the scorching ashphalt, Hun-Grr sets his weight and takes the impact of a motorcycle and sidecar combination that is fortunatly moving at low speed. The driver and passenger manage to get clear as the small vehicle is lifted; mulled and ruminatively crunched. A small *WHUMP* indicates a secondary explosion as the gas tank catches on fire, but the Terrorcon seems to not notice -- it barely a belch to he. Nearby a family of five is trapped in a sedan by the crush of vehicles around them and plodding, taking his time Hun-Grr bears down upon them. It is then that Hound distinguishes himself as an Autobot hero and his weapons fire stitches a line of small craters across the bulk of his body. Nightbeat is ignored for the moment, but the beast focuses on two things -- the right head is annoyed at Hound. Drawing itself back on a long neck it parts jaws and lets loose a steaming blast of molten fire at him -- utterly heedless of the people nearby. Fortuantly, nobody is hurt as he begins to plod towards the Autobot -- giving an oppertunity to take the fight out of the crowded street. The other had roars at Dead End over the radio. < < HUN-GRR /SMASH/! HUN-GRR EAT!!!!! YOU SMASH, AND YOU EAT AUTOBOT. > >

Mortex notices First Aid almost immediately. It's hard not to notice a giant robot transform, after all.

Intelligently, he doesn't say anything; as someone sits down in his driver's seat, his car alarm goes -berserk-, setting off several other car alarms due to the Law of Car Alarm Inertia (when one goes off, at least two others will). As the driver messes with his (fake) buttons, he switches it off, but the point was there for Dead End to get - he wasn't going to get involved in this.

Someone revs his engine, and Mortex pretends to drive off, responding to the driver's pushes and pulls as he's driven into the streets...away from Hun-Grrr.

That poor, poor human.

Runamuck has arrived.

Combat: Hun-Grrr misses Army Jeep < Hound > with his Digested Missile attack! [Pulled -4]

First Aid is taking his sweet time making his way through the cars. It is not just his cautious nature that makes him do this, but also because he wants to buy time for the evacuation. "Don't worry, I'm not going to let anything happen," he ensures the civilians. The evacuation is relatively orderly, as there's no overt sign of Decepticons in the area. Dead End's disguise is a good one. < < I don't see Dead End here, but frankly it wouldn't surprise me if he's just hiding, >  > he reports to his fellow Autobots.

He continues to creep through the parked cars. All of them silent like this, it is eerily similar to passing through an Autobot morgue. Suddenly, a car alarm abruptly goes off, blaring its high pitched squeal. First Aid jolts, instinctively crouching into a firing stance as he aims his pistol at the offending car that is Mortex. More alarms go off, but as the human drives away 'safely', First Aid realizes it was just a false alarm.

Army Jeep < Hound > transforms and jumps behind an overturned car, just in time to miss being hit by the remains of Hun-Grrr's last meal. He aims his holograms down the street, making some traffic detour signs appear to help keep civilians out of harms way, before firing again at the huge(and hungry!) Terrorcon, to keep his attention in him.

The rugged army jeep rises up to reveal Hound!

Combat: Hound sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Hound strikes Hun-Grrr with his Turret Gun attack! [Pulled -3]

Nightbeat hears that Hun-Grrr isn't following, and more, he hears that Hun-Grrr is picking on Hound. So the detective brakes to a screeching halt. He transforms and comes tromping back along the side street, photon pistol in hand. It'll take him a while to get back into range, though.

Follow the fire and screaming, that's a sure way to find Hun-Grrr, as if the big Terrorcon wasn't already obvious from Silverbolt's perspective. It looks like one head's attention is already on somebot, but where Hun-Grrr is involved that unfortunately only takes care of half the problem. "What's happened to you, Terrorcon? Too feeble to take on anything that fights back?" The accompanying shot isn't that powerful really, but it's mostly to get the enemy's attention on Silverbolt and away from any other targets in the area.

Combat: Silverbolt misses Hun-Grrr with his Laser attack!

Some Decepticons are masters of stealth and subtlety. It's in their name, after all. Deception and disguise is part of the charter. In an environment like this, chaotic and noisy, filled with panic-stricken humans and empty vehicles...well, there's cunning old Mortex over there, who's just slipped right under the olfactory sensors of First Aid himself.

Then there's Runamuck.

"DA RUNAMUCK IS IN DA HIIIIIZZZZOUUUUUSSSEEEE!"

The sound of a V8 engine pierces the air, a loud throaty roar accompanied by a long sound of shattering glass and metal. A white vintage Pontiac Firebird crashes over and through the outside perimeter of the show area, blasting through a display of parked Japanese compact cars before coming to a tire-squealing halt. Barely missing a few unfortunate convention-goers in the process. The screaming reaches a new shrill pitch.

"Alright, yeah," a voice rumbles from beneath the Pontiac's hood, "am I too late for the ACTION?!"

Runamuck shifts into car mode.

Dead End rolls forward behind the autobot medic as he's distraced and off the back of the lot into the road in the direction of Runamuck but stops pulling a 180 he turns back to the Autobot medic and transforms looking in the bots direction lifting up his air cannon and smiles for some reason dead end is itching for a fight. "Autobot.." he says as if to get the bot's attention "Looking for someone?" he attemps to fire his air cannon in the direction of the medi-bot in the hopes of hitting him.

Dead End Shifts into his robot mode, legs flipping and inverting as his transformation compleates. He twists his head around on his neck joint and stands eyes red and dead serious.

Hun-Grrr plods forwards; inadvertantly flattening the front end of a brand new 20-whatever Ford Taurus as he goes. Nightbeat is barely even registering on his mind, just the same as Silverbolt's own weapon fire. That particular beam lances into the ashphalt beside him. Hun-Grr is angry now, though. Lowering his front limbs he rears up, both heads screaming a beastial and frustrated roar at the sky as he suddenly lunges for Hound. He is not fast, but Hound is also not so far away -- both sets of jaws aiming to do nothing but eviscerate him and swallow whatever bits he can tear away!

Combat: Hun-Grrr misses Hound with his Chomp attack!

Mortex indeed is a cunning old monster, driving off with as many humans as pile into his spacious trunk to 'evacuate' from the Decepticons, unknowingly aiding the Necrocon's human studies in a most gruesome way. Runamuck's screaming loud entrance elicts an inner chuckle from the Decepticon medic as the human driving him turns the radio on, playing some music (he hopes) to calm the crowd.

Unfortunately, Mortex doesn't pick up radio signals, so he's forced to play the only tape he has inside him - the Lion King song he was playing during his operation on Bandit, 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. A very macabre warning to those who might be fans of Doctor Who as the hearse's doors are locked.

The only downside? He's stuck in traffic.

Curse his wheeled alt-mode.

Silverbolt falls foward, limbs tucking in and under as nosecone and tail assemblies unfold. The Concorde is ready for takeoff, well, as ready as he's going to be.

Dead End Shifts into his robot mode, legs flipping and inverting as his transformation compleates. He twists his head around on his neck joint and stands eyes red and dead serious.

Combat: Dead End misses First Aid with its Compressor-Air Gun attack!

First Aid uses his anti-stealth expertise to notice Runamuck in the area. "Oh boy," he murmurs upon hearing the loud roar of the Decepticon's engine. At first he thinks it's Dead End, but he quickly realizes that this isn't the Stunticon's style. Just about every other Decepticon's style, sure, but usually not Dead End. Out of instinct, the doctor aims his photon pistol towards Runamuck. Before he can pull the trigger, however, Dead End transforms and fires a burst of compressed air in his direction. Having seen this sort of thing from Streetwise many times in the past, the Protectobot tucks and rolls out of the way. To his credit he even manages to avoid crushing a beautiful rally car that was right at his feet. He doesn't have any problems using it for cover, however. < < First Aid to Autobots! Runamuck and Dead End are here at the show. I'm going to try and draw their fire in case any humans are left. > > By now the evacuation is nearly complete, but First Aid takes no chances. Raising up from behind the rally car he's using for partial cover, he fires a beam of light back towards Dead End. This might leave him open for a shot by Runamuck.

Combat: First Aid sets its defense level to Guarded.

Combat: First Aid strikes Dead End with his Photon Pistol attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Dead End's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Hound is glad that he's on the menu instead of the local inhabitants, although it's never nice to be lunch for a Terrorcon. Hound is slow, but so in Hun-Grrr. The dull green Autobot makes a flying leap out of the way, tucking and rolling to avoid the pair of incoming jaws of doom. Hound folds down into his car mode again, revving his engine and driving around towards Hun-Grrr's rear(which may not be pretty, but at least it doesn't have teeth). He opens fire with his turret again, spraying hot lead at Hun-Grrr's wide bum.

Hound collapses to the ground, landing on his wheels to become a rugged, but ordinary-looking jeep.

Combat: Hound sets his defense level to Neutral.

Combat: Army Jeep < Hound > strikes Hun-Grrr with his Turret Gun attack! [Pulled -1]

Nightbeat tromps into the area, sees the choas unfolding, and he decides that he might as well try to get some of the humans out of the area before the place is completely pulverised by rampaging Decepticons. Those lugs sure know how to ruin property value.

Oh, there's Hound, jumping out of Hun-Grrr's way. That answers Silverbolt's wondering exactly who was down there... besides too many Decepticons, and way too many valuable-looking human vehicles. At least the Decepticons are making themselves obvious targets now - and Hun-Grrr's tall enough that Silverbolt can bank around, fly low and fire without much worry about hitting things close to the ground.

Combat: Silverbolt misses Hun-Grrr with his Electrostatic Battery attack! [Pulled -6]

Hun-Grrr closes his jaws around empty air as Hound manages to evade. Like a caged breast the Terrorcon bellows his anger at this. Stupid little Hound. He has evaded him one too many times! Flailing about him he turns around only slightly ponderously and begins stomping after him -- only to have Silverbolt take a pot shot at him. This time at least, Hound is ignored even as his weapon sends scintillating showers of sparks down Hun-Grr's back as his armor sheds pieces like fallen scales. Squarely, he plants his feet and takes a deep breath and then a sound like rending steel is heard and his left head vomits explosively. In the center of this disguisting shower of caustic alkili, half-proccessed oil and god knows what else is the roughly cylinder shape of a missile -- it's aft end vomiting fire as it streaks towards the flying aerialbot.

Ambulance < First Aid > is missing much of its right side, where his arm would normally go while in vehicle mode. The ambulance's passenger side door isn't all there, and it wouldn't be terribly safe riding in the back anymore. Still awkwardly positioned partly on a mini, First Aid reconfigures himself back into robot mode, down on his hand and knees. His gaze is cast downwards as he is silent for several moments. "Ugh... that... ugh." He looks up at Hun-Grrr as the Terrorcon blasts Silverbolt. Well, the Aerialbot Commander is going to have to take care of himself right now. Now without the Protectobot trademark sidearm, First Aid, still partly on his knees in a defensive position, aims his remaining fist at Dead End. "Why did you Decepticons even come here in the first place? There's no justification for attacking a random car show!" From the doctor's fist, a thin surgical laser shoots out towards Dead End, trying to slice through his windshield.

Ambulance < First Aid > 's front section fold back as a pair of legs and arms fold out, transforming into First Aid.

Combat: First Aid misses Dead End with his Surgical Laser (Disruptor) attack!

Combat: Gained 1 energon.

Nightbeat suggests to First Aid, "For the vintage cars? We /are/ lookers, I have to admit." Though Nightbeat mainly just looks on fire, which is a pain and would ruin his value to collectors. He gets knocked back by the punch and attempts to pistol-whip Runamuck in reply, keeping a calm, cool, head despite... being on fire. Yeah.

"First Aid!" Whether it's because Silverbolt's preoccupied with flying over to First Aid to make sure the Protectobot is functioning or just because Hun-Grrr's heads are double trouble, the Concorde isn't quite quick enough to evade this time, and something foul and caustic burns into the bottom edge of Silverbolt's right wing. "Do you need help evacuating?" Silverbolt circles around First Aid's position, firing as he can to try and keep the Decepticons from further maiming the already damaged.

Combat: Silverbolt misses Hun-Grrr with his Disruptor attack!

Combat: Nightbeat misses Runamuck with his Pistol-Whip (Kick) attack!

"Weeeeelll," Runamuck drawls, as he deflects the butt of Nightbeat's pistol with a raised forearm - metal ringing against metal in a loud sound that echoes across the big open lot of the car show.

The Battlecharger offers his own answer to First Aid's conundrum: "It's a good place ta meet Femmes?"

Still without his main weapon, having been disarmed by Nightbeat, all Runamuck has...is his wits and fists.

Wait.

Okay, just his fists. But that's good enough. He can't set Nightbeat on fire again, but he sure as heck can try to wrestle the Autobot to the ground, attempting to shove him into a line of parked mint-condition off-roaders.

Combat: Runamuck strikes Nightbeat with its Hot Car on Car Action (Kick) attack!

Dead End moves out of the way of the amulance's lazer and moves forward toward the direction of the damanged service vehicle and transforms standing before him "you're not very handy anymore are you?" he lifts his air cannon and prepairs to fire in the ambulance's direction.

Dead End Shifts into his robot mode, legs flipping and inverting as his transformation compleates. He twists his head around on his neck joint and stands eyes red and dead serious.

Combat: Dead End strikes First Aid with its Compressor-Air Gun attack!

Combat: Dead End (Dead End) used "Compressor-Air Gun": A Level 3 RANGED attack.

Combat: You took 4 damage.

Combat: Dead End's attack has damaged your Strength!

Hun-Grrr is largely ignorant of First Aid's eloquent speech as his heads are tracking where Silverbolt is flying. Judging by the look on the right one, something really devious is up. Sure enough, both mouths open and a pair of missiles go downrange -- and completely miss the aerialbot. What they do though, is explode against a nearby high-rise. For a second nothing seems to happen and then some of the concrete structure crumbles away and debris flies into the path of the flyer. Even a stupid Terrorcon seems to know what foreign object damage is and what it can do to an air breathing engine! Meanwhile, one head, still dripping black sludge puke turns at First Aid. "YOU STUPID." It bellows. "EVEN HUN-GRR KNOW ANSWER TO THAT. WE COME CAUSE IT HERE. COME CAUSE IT SOMETHING TO /SMASH/. COME CAUSE WE EAT. GOING TO EAT YOU LITTLE AUTOBOT NEXT. BEG FOR ME. MAKE HUN-GRR LAUGH." Both heads are facing him now; even as Dead End launches into the Autobot medic too.

Combat: Hun-Grrr strikes Silverbolt with his ROCKS FALL EVERYBODY DIES (Kick) attack!

First Aid doesn't see the humour in Nightbeat's suggestion, but he replies anyway, "I doubt it. I think they were bored and wanted to push people around." This opinion doesn't change any despite Runamuck's reply. Nor does Dead End's painful /painful/ pun. "'Handy'? That... that was horrible," he says even as Dead End once again resorts to the air gun. First Aid takes the hit square on, but steadies himself by leaning against a pick-up truck. The doctor's torso is mangled from repeated strikes and being crushed between cars. His right arm ends in a stump just below the shoulder. First Aid aims his left fist at Dead End's pistol, tying to destroy it with a final burst from his surgical lasers.

Combat: First Aid sets his defense level to Protected.

Combat: First Aid strikes Dead End with his Surgical Laser (Laser) attack!

Combat: Drained 2 energon.

Nightbeat gets dragged down to wrestle with Runamuck. This is not really the detective's forte, it must be said, but he certainly knows how to fight dirty. He tries to jab Runamuck in the knee with his own knee, to try get some space between them, so that maybe he can scramble up to his feet next round.

Combat: Nightbeat strikes Runamuck with his Knee! (Punch) attack!

Even in the middle of dodging more Terrorcon barf, Silverbolt can see First Aid well enough to guess that the Protectobot won't be able to hang on well enough to fly out of a fight. Unlike some of the smaller Aerialbots, Silverbolt doesn't have a tailhook to try and grab him, so drive the attackers off first it is... but with a nasty grind and sputter comes from one turbine, Silverbolt abruptly transforms and lands hard on both feet and one hand, the other drawing out a firearm and snapping a quick shot off at Hun-Grrr.

The Concorde's nosecone snaps backward, arms and legs emerge, and finally Silverbolt's head pops up, looking slightly relieved.

Combat: Silverbolt strikes Hun-Grrr with his Laser attack!

Dead End reels back after getting hit by the lazer and sighs turning around and looking to Runamuck "The amblulance is getting worse ...go for the Ariel bot I'll hold down the fort here." he shoots at the amulance again trying to hit it on it's prone side.

Combat: Dead End misses First Aid with its Compressor-Air Gun attack!

Combat: Dead End (Dead End) used "Compressor-Air Gun": A Level 3 RANGED attack.

Runamuck gives an undignified -yelp- as Nightbeat's armoured kneecap slams into his own limb. His exact words are unprintable. Good thing all the humans are gone, by now - that kind of high volume transformer swearing can't be good for organic ears.

"Who cares why we're 'ere, anyway," Runamuck finishes, "you guys THINK too much!"

The Battlecharger seems determined -not- to let Nightbeat regain his bearings. Even as the detective starts to rise, Runamuck -transforms-, going from a prone position on the ground to his white Firebird mode. The transformation's fast, fast, fast, perhaps the one genuine skill the destructive 'con can claim.

Engine revving, tires gripping the churned-up and scorched earth of the car show lot, Runamuck drives into Nightbeat's legs, trying to take the Autobot's balance out.

Runamuck doesn't seem to have heard Dead End's suggestion. Or maybe he did, but, you know. Complex tactical ideas and Runamuck? Naaah...

Runamuck shifts into car mode.

Hun-Grrr is ripping mad at the moment. Like, even more angry than he usually is. And that's saying something because Terrorcons being angry is pretty legendary across the cosmos. He isn't paying attention to First Aid anymore. He's plodding towards where Silverbolt is presumed to land -- eventually accelerating into an all out run. Which isn't much for him. He doesn't talk, he doesn't roar. He doesn't even bite. He just tries to barrel headlong into Silverbolt and through the wall of a nearby building into a department store. Chances are he's going to end up going through it anyway weather he hits silverbolt or not, though from sheer momentum.

Combat: Ron A. Muck misses Nightbeat with its Reckless Driving attack! [Pulled -3]

Combat: Hun-Grrr misses Silverbolt with his WEEEEEEESMASH. (Smash) attack!

An angry Terrorcon running straight toward you is a terrible thing indeed. Maybe almost as bad as seeing the ground coming straight up at you, and Silverbolt faced that one when he was factory fresh. Maybe it's no wonder that the Aerialbot holds his ground... stepping aside at the last possible moment to let Hun-Grr smash into whatever was behind him. "Come on, that won't keep him long!" he calls out to the others, transforming as he runs-then-taxis to the others. "Can you hold on?"

Nightbeat gets a headache just listening to Runamuck cuss, courtesy of his overly-sensitive audios. "Yeah yeah yeah, you're here because you're here because you're here." He narrowly manages to scramble to his feet and out of the way of the rampaging Battlecharger. He quickly shifts into his car mode - these Decepticons are too much for today. Time to call in the local authorities for a mop-up job. He calls to Silverbolt, "I can drive. Get First Aid!"

Nightbeat slouches down into Porsche 959 form. Time to roll.

Combat: Porsche 959 < Nightbeat > begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit.

Hun-Grrr goes barreling right past Silverbolt like the unmanuverable idiot that he is. He strikes the wall of the department store in an explosion of masonry and dust and a bellow of pure anger. Mass flailing, more dust and such is seen from within and for a moment one of his heads tears through the glass door of the exit -- snapping furiously at the lingerie display that is stuck to his face.

Combat: Hun-Grrr takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

First Aid staggers back up to his full height as Dead End once more goes to the compressed air blast well. He sidesteps it, though a sporty little car behind him pays the price for the Protectobot's evasion. "I've figured that trick out by now, Dead End," he mutters. Badly damaged and having difficulty continuing the fight, the Protectobot is reluctantly forced to disengaged. The humans (that he knows of) have been evacuated, and hopefully the Decepticons have been contained until EDC or more Autobot forces can arrive. Silverbolt taxis past him, building up speed as he goes. The Protectobot reaches out with his remaining hand and snags onto the Aerialbot's right wing, hoisting himself up. "I can hold on," he reassures Silverbolt, "Go!"

Dead End Laughs watching the ambulance move away from him "until next time deary..." he says quietly pointing his air cannon at the ambulence but not firing "until next time." he says and turns transforming and darting away as fast as his wheels will take him.

Jumping forward and down Deadend Changes into a sleek black and red Porsche 928.

Combat: Dead End takes extra time to steady itself. [Pass]

There are some Decepticons who are tactical geniuses, masters of situational awareness. Runamuck is not one of these Decepticons. Some days, he has difficulty finding his own skidplate with both hands.

As the battle begins to move away from the ruined car convention, Runamuck is left sitting in the lot. His front wheels spin, his nose shifting as his vehicle mode looks in the direction Hun-Grr barreled off in, then at the retreating dust of Nightbeat and Dead End.

Over the sound of his idling engine, Runamuck says in a confused voice, "'ey-ey, where's everyone goin'? Izzit my aftershave? Was it somethin' I said?"

Combat: Pontiac Firebird takes extra time to steady itself. [Pass]

Silverbolt doesn't need to be told twice. Even as First Aid says he can hold on, the Concorde is accelerating away from Hun-Grrr extricating himself, away from Dead End's air-cannon... away from First Aid's other arm too, but that can be replaced. First Aid, himself, couldn't be... the Aerialbot ignores all else, knowing he's doing the right thing in bearing the Autobot's finest medic and part of a fellow combiner team safely home.

Silverbolt retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots.