The Plot Thickens in China

Beijing Bicycle horns echo through the air amidst the ebb and flow of people making their way around this megalopolis of some 20 million people. Neon lights flash from platforms atop skyscrapers in the financial district in a display of modernity curiously at odds with the heart of the city, centered and focused on the 95 acres of Tiananmen Square and the ancient glory of the Forbidden City, once home to the Chinese Emperors. Fantastically coiled dragons glare down from the palace wall, the many-tiered black roof of an imperial pagoda rising up behind it.

Contents: Foxfire Grimlock Great Wall of China Red Pagoda Obvious exits: East  leads to P'yongyang. West  leads to Datong Coal Mines.

Despite China's booming industrial capabilities, the government has suddenly cordoned off a stretch of warehouses and old factories- barring all but the most important of visitors from entering. And what might be the reason for this?

Well, there's the big Dinobot sitting on a pile of shipping crates, peering curiously at the various Chinese military officers and politicians who're coming to look him over.

"Hnn. Which one am you again?" he asks of a particularly stern-looking General.

Olive and Sand colored Cybertronian Tetrajet  flies in from doing a patrol and also assisting the minors from where they were the day before. As the Seeker comes in closer he recognizes Grimlock and descending he transforms and lands, "Grimlock." Windy says as he walks up, "Ran into a Decepticon patrol of sorts -- only one, trying to see whats going on.. I forced him out of this air space... have you heard anything from the Autobots?" he realizes what an odd question that was coming from his mouth but right now the only think he was interested in was Chinas borders, not faction wars.

Cybertronian Tetra jet transforms into the pretty boy Decepticon, Windshear.

Foxfire is a sneaky little saboteur. With the help of his holograms he has gotten into the stretch of buildings with little problem, and still concealed under a holographic disguise that blends him into the background, he makes his way toward Grimlock's location, following the Dinobot's unmistakable scent. Eventually finding him, he comes to a stop and crouches down, still hidden in plain sight, though he has huddled up against a wall so nobody walks into him.

"Hnn. Septi-con patrol guy? Who was?" Grimlock says, narrowing his optic ridge. "You shoot him in face? Me Grimlock say you need shoot more septi-cons!"

There's a cry of protest from one of the Generals, who soon protests. "No, Grimlock! We mustn't DESTROY more robots...not when we can RECRUIT them!"

Windshear points to the little china guy and nods, "I tried to do just that but hed have no part of it. It was... my CO.. Dreadwind. Ive also tried to recruit through the comm links but nothing."

Foxfire flicks his ears. Something is very, very wrong. Brainwashing, perhaps? At this point, he can't rule anything out. He stays silent, observing and listening.

"No, you ferrous fool!" the General swears, glaring up at Windshear. "Mere WORDS will not do! We weren't planning on implementing this stage until later, but you're forcing our hand!" at that, the General barks out some curt commands...

And soon, a truck rolls up, pulling behind it a crate full of disk-shaped objects. Grimlock, peers down, and picks one up between two massive fingers. "Whut these?" he rumbles.

"Dominator Disks!" the General says with no small degree of pride. "Developed by the FINEST of our scientists...all you must do is place one upon one of your robotic bretheren, and they too shall become a warrior for the glory of China!"

Windshear folds his arms and looks at the human, "You know..." he rasps snide and arrogant, "I dont like flesh creatures -- and Im known for it, I want to defend this land and my intentions were only meant for the best, but don't push it, meatbag..." he looks over at the disks and steps closer to take a better look. "So when do we get started?" he asks no one in particular.

Foxfire pins his ears back with a silent snarl. So *that's* their game, is it? His optics roam the area, eventually settling on Windshear, who he recognizes as the Seeker who injured Springer during the slave rescue on Cybertron. He marks everything he's hearing on a metal note, and decides to stay a bit longer, to see if he can learn anything else.

Grimlock narrows his optics as Windshear speaks up- and then he reaches forward, grabbing at the Seeker.

"HEY." he growls. "Me Grimlock say you listen to THEMS. 'Cuz me Grimlock KNOW you listen to ME. Else Me Grimlock CRUSH YOU FACE." Yeah, some things never change.

"Wait!" The General says, dismayed, "You must not fight amongst yourselves! We must save it for the enemies of the People's Republic!" He forces himself to relax- just as Grimlock releases his grip on Windshear. The General continues.

"Soon, we shall stage a demonstration of your...abilities, whatever they may be. I imagine some of your former comerades may come to rescue you- in flagrant violation of our Chinese sovreignity, no doubt. Should this happen, THAT is when you must secure their loyalty with a Dominator Disk!"

Windshear gets caught by an arm and is suddenly looking Grimlock dead in the optics at point blank range. He holds the Dinobots glare steadily and listens, ".. Fair enough..." is all he rumbles but keeps a defiant pose. He calmly waits for Grimlock to release him and does not give any outward acknowledgement of the humans comments.

 Blast Off says, "Well, this is an interesting turn of events, is it not..."

Foxfire slowly backs up, still under the cover of his holographic disguise. This is important information! Hopefully he can get out and make the report without being discovered.

"Hnn. Sound good. Me Grimlock do GREAT demonstratings! Me, like, break stuff. And then me Grimlock light it on fire. Then maybe do dance. Me Grimlock great dancer."

The General just stares. "Perhaps...we shall skip the dancing." a beat, and he turns to Windshear. "And you, what are YOUR capabilities?"

Meanwhile, as Foxfire slinks off, pair of guards happen to cross his path- but they cannot see through his hologram! Still, one has to ask: "You hear something?"

Windshear steps back and looks down at the human. Demonstrate his abilities? Hes never thought about anything like that. What can he do? Hes not the fastest seeker, not the most maneuverable, hes got no special weapons per say, well hes got the one but it’d cost too much to demonstrate it. "Swords," he says finally and extends both arm blades about half way down. Sword play he does do...

Foxfire comes to an abrupt stop, one front paw in the air. He stays as still as a statue, his disguise never wavering. He waits for the two guards to depart...

"Oh, Me Grimlock have sword too!" *SCHWING!* And the dinocommander stands, waving his massive Energo Sword around- it's inelegant, but effective, nonetheless. In fact, the display of Windshear and Grimlock's sword-age is enough to cause the two guards to turn away from Foxfire to watch the display!

"Robots. Never would've thought we'd get robots." One murmurs, rummaging around for a packet of cigarettes. "Got a light?" he asks his buddy.

Foxfire silently sets his paw down on the ground, waits a moment, then proceeds to continue slinking off.

Windshear watches the Dinobots sword and takes a cautionary step back, "Watch it with that thing, Dinobot!" he warns. Vector knows hes been on the receiving end of it enough times to know how ir feels. He retracts his blades and casually looks around the warehouse and to the two guards looking around for a light. He smirks, "Grimlock could give you a light..."

"Oooh, yeah, me Grimlock do that!"

The energo sword flares with added flame, and Grimlock suddenly sweeps it down at the poor soldier! And, such is Grimlock's surprising skill with the weapon, only the barest tip of the lit weapon touches the cigarette, lighting it on fire! Well, about mid-way through the cigarette, at least. This leaves the poor soldier standing there stock-still, quite stunned, despite his military training.

"That's enough!" the General says. "...let's save the rest for tomorrow?"

Windshear laughs and is mildly surprised that Grimlock didnt slice the dude in half to begin with. He glance at the human, "And in the meantime, what are your.... orders..." He does not beleive he just asked a human that.

"Just...don't do anything stupid." the General says. "Tomorrow's demonstration is important. Remember that! You must be in optimal condition!"

Foxfire still continues to slink off, until he is long gone.

Windshear nods and takes a glances at his paint job. As usual its scruffy and scorched and shot at. "Ok.. where does one get a paint job around here then?"