Survivormech

Air Raid can be found at the small outpost near the edge of the jagged mountain range. Leaning on his rifle, he accompanied by six neutrals, all monoformers save for one, who looks like he might be a biplane, along with the Autobots that volunteered. Desert winds from the northeast whistle ominously through the lance-like spires that make up the giant roadside foliage.

"The airspace is heavily patrolled here. Keep your optics open for jets and uh, wildlife. Don't try to drive - the terrain'll tear your tires up. We stay on the path till we get to the Eastern Highway. Unless the COs have better ideas." Raid turns to address the neutrals. "Then you're on your own, all right?"

The neutrals nod warily. "Sounds like a plan."

Impactor gives Air Raid a nod when the Aerialbot addresses the CO's. "Your show, Sergeant." He eyes the neutrals with a bit of amusement before spitting on the ground next to him. "Where do we keep digging these guys up? Or are these monoformers gonna surprise me and prove they're all Masters of Action?" The Wrecker hangs back, eyes on the sky.

Just in case.

Elita One hangs back behind Impactor, still scanning the sky, her cannon slightly upraised just in case. She adds at Air Raid's assessment of the area, "The hill here have always been Con practice grounds. They usually send out their less accurate warriors to do target practice." She shades her optics, "The wildlife's not too helpful either, helping throw false sign for aerial attacks." Elita One glances towards Impactor, "Depending on how fast things go, it may just be easier if Impactor deems it necessary to just drill."

Shiftlock pats one of the neutrals on the pauldron. "We got your back. Might get a little tense, so keep your guard up, but I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure everyone gets out in one piece." She gives them a big, encouraging smile.

Well, she hopes it's encouraging.

"Don't count on it, sir," says the biplane, gesturing to the monoformers. "We're just trying to evade the war that keeps /finding/ us." His tone is clearly bitter, but the other neutrals don't look very keen on insulting the 'bots that have chosen to help. At least Shiftlock is encouraging.

As group makes for the path, Raid salutes Impactor and elects to take point, rifle drawn.

"What do you think that flash on Mia was? Did you see it?" pipes up a neutral, addressing anyone that might answer.

"Yeah, maybe some kind of explosion," replies the biplane.

"I don't know about that, it /flashed/."

"Frankly I'm a bit more concerned about the fraggin' convicts of Crystal City runnin' the place. Whatever's left of law enforcement is beside itself. Not goin' back there anytime soon," mutters the biplane.

Whirl's been here the entire time, honest! One of the underpaid Korean artists just forgot to draw him in, that's all. "So!" The Wrecker snaps his clamps together with a loud clang. "What are we doing again?"

Impactor gives Whirl a smirk. "We're just hear to kill something if it needs to be killed, since Elita One and Shiftlock have inspiration and public relations covered." And to observe Air Raid, who's been stepping up lately since Blades was promoted to Captain.

"Okay, cool. I can handle that, killing is one of my favorite past times." Whirl cocks his head towards Shiftlock before strutting over to stand uncomfortably close beside her. "Heheheheh, all right, looks like we'll finally get to work together, eh?"

Elita One waves her hand dismissively at Whirl, "Escort mission." Her gaze drifts back over to the neutrals. "Trust me, it's no fuel-up for us here either." (picnic) She starts to drift ahead of the group, then pauses. She wasn't in charge of this mission, "Impactor, Need me to scout ahead? The terrain is difficult but I know it well enough...Just means I won't be racing back to the group anytime soon."

"Hey, I can kill things and do PR at the same time," Shiftlock grins, commenting ahead to Impactor. She nods to Whirl. "Kinda nice, ain't it? Let's make sure these folks get to their destination alive. You can say that I'm kinda invested in protecting neutrals."

Impactor shrugs a bit at Elita. "Raid's call. Sure it couldn't hurt." Air Raid is distracted. Because he's trying to do some sweet rolling moves, rifle poised at the slightest movement. "Yeah Elita, go for it," he says eventually.

The deeper they venture into the range, the more obscured the sky becomes. The urchin-like clusters grow taller and thicker and its not long before the taller mechs have to stoop under the giant spikes.

"Whuuul-PAK," trills some kind of hornbill-dactyl mechanoid, perched on a low hanging spindle. "Whuuuuul-PAK." It eyes the group with glowing purple beads before something startles it, and it darts off with a whirl of turbines. Impactor, Shiftlock, Whirl, Elita and Swerve will detect some not-so-distant footfalls, or catch a glimpse of a flash of red amongst the spires further ahead.

"Oh don't worry about a thing. Now that I'm here, there's absolutely nothing that could go wrong." Whirl puts what passes for his hands on his hips and nods. "Yeup, not a single thing."

Of course, as soon as he says that, suspicious stuff starts happening like those quick flashes of red and the sound of activity nearby. "Buuuttttt if something DOES go wrong, I'll make sure to protect you. Not that I need to, you're pretty badass on your own but it's the thought that counts, right?"

Elita One trots off ahead of the group, nimbly ducking through the underbrush then sidling past the vine-like constructions. This is her turf, and while she's not an infiltrator, her footfalls make less sound than most. With her rifle before her, she presses a vine aside, stepping high over a snare of low, twisted urchins.

She gives the Swoop-wannabe a quick glance, but everything seemed by the numbers here. She pauses, moving to a defensive position when she spots something. <>

Impactor phases a side arm in, peering ahead at the creepy red eyes. "Whirl, less being creepy and more stabbing whatever that is." He nods forward. "Shiftlock, you're with the Newts. Raid, you're on point." He pauses. "Your call, of course."

Swerve doesn't have to duck under the spikes! That's often something he's glad for, actually, that so much goes over his head. Many times he's been saved by just being too short to get caught in a crossfire. Good thing, too, because of how easily distractable he is. "Oh hey, there's somebody over there. We didn't bring Red Alert, did we?" Swerve asks Air Raid. "You know how he likes hiding behind stuff."

"Somehow I don't think that's Red Alert. I don't think he'd be comfortable outside of his office," Shiftlock muses.

She unholsters a gun and checks its ammo supply, making sure it's ready to go at a moment's notice. "It is the thought that counts, Whirl. If we find anything to kill, you're gonna have to show me how you do it. I'm always working to improve." She stops to see if she can move some of the spines out of the way, trying to change their position (if possible) so that the neutrals will have an easier time getting through this mess.

"Copy," Air Raid murmurs, "I can't get a visual..." He looks back at shorty Swerve, "Shifty's right, we wouldn't have made it past that bird. He'd want to interrogate it."

Whatever it is that's preying on the oblivious neutrals now switches its attention to Elita. It abruptly bursts through the metallic foliage to lunge upon one of the femme. It appears to be a mecha wolf about the size of a bus, with lengthy spikes making up a mane around its neck, not unlike the spires of the forest. "RARRGH!"

"Keep the neutrals together!" shouts Air Raid. Indeed, the group of neutrals appear just about ready to scatter, though the biplane is trying to keep them from fleeing. Shiftlock has cleared a nice escape route!

Combat: Air Raid misses Elita One with Wirewolf's POUNCE attack!

 Elita One says, "Carnivac!"

 Elita One says, "Wait, no. Something else"

"Not only will I show you how I rip the life out of a Decepticon, I'll even bring you his hands as a gift!" Bitches love hands, right?

Just then, a huge bus-sized robowolf pops out of the robotrees and attacks Elita. "Oh daaamn! I didn't know those thing still existed." He takes a step back to admire the beast as it tries to maul the femme. "What a majestic beast. Look at those teeth! Those claws! Nature is so amazing." The Wrecker pulls his photon blaster out of subspace and slips it over his claw hand. "Welp, time to murder it." Pew pew pew! He cracks off a few shots at the horrible creature.

Combat: Whirl strikes Wirewolf with his Pewpewpew (Laser) attack!

The moment turns quiet as Elita One checks her bearings. Instinctively she checks her surroundings, and it saves her from harm. Just as Wirewolf makes a grand leap, she accounts for her surroundings, taking a measured dive backwards, ducking under the briars as she does. The move isn't elegant but it saved her from harm. <> She exclaims, then, as she scrambles onto her feet, <> She draws her sidearm as well. It is obviously hostile, and needs discouragement, though her processor can't help but wonder if it was just a beast or a robot in disguise.

Combat: Elita One sets her defense level to Protected.

"Everyone, behind me!" Shiftlock calls to the neutrals. "There's an alcove here that should fit you, bend some of the spines out towards the wolf and away from you!" she instructs, letting the others draw its attention as she works on getting a fast shelter prepped, setting herself up to block the entrance.

Combat: Elita One strikes Wirewolf with her Disruptor attack!

"So that's what Carnivac's supposed to be?!" Swerve exclaims, half alarmed and half relieved. He'd always wondered about that guy. He runs off after Shiftlock and the neutrals. Working metal is actually a field of expertise for Swerve. "Here, lemme help ya with that," he offers to Shiftlock, bringing one of the metal-softening infrared torches in his wrists into play to make the spines easier to work into a fence.

Impactor swears to himself as the wirewolf attacks. "That thing's not alone..." He scans the surrounding 'forest' carefully, confident that Whirl (and Elita) can handle the beast. In the meantime, it's time to prepare for any friends joining the fun. He notes Shiftlock getting the neutrals into cover with assistance from Swerve, and checks the sight on his sidearm as his shoulder cannon hums to life.

The giant beast crashes into a cluster of spikes after missing Elita, only to get some laserfire from Whirl, which melts some of its fancy mane. It turns to stalk for the chopper, but is stopped short by Elita's shots. Parting its jaws, it unleashes an audial-splitting howl. The neutrals try to stick with Shiftlock, and work to arrange a makeshift shelter with greater ease thanks to Swerve, but the sound has them all frozen. Impactor might notice some glowing red eyes popping up from the shadows around them, but they don't move.

Combat: Air Raid misses Elita One with Wirewolf's Sonic Howl Area attack!

Combat: Air Raid strikes Impactor with Wirewolf's Sonic Howl Area attack!

Combat: Air Raid strikes Swerve with Wirewolf's Sonic Howl Area attack!

Combat: Air Raid strikes Whirl with Wirewolf's Sonic Howl Area attack!

Combat: Air Raid strikes Shiftlock with Wirewolf's Sonic Howl Area attack!

Elita One nimbly ducks behind a rather dense outcropping of razorvine, her back scraping against it. Her guess that it'd help dampen the howl proved right, even if her audio is still somewhat scrambled. <> She steps lightly across and around several more briars before she gets a clean view of the wirewolf's flank.

Elita One responds to Impactor, <> With that she takes careful aim, though only having a small hole through the briars to work with.

Combat: Elita One strikes Wirewolf with her Plasma Cannon attack! [Pulled -4]

Something about the Wirewolf's howl causes a slight sense of panic to surge through Whirl. Normally he's a pretty cool guy (and doesn't afraid of anything) but the howl is pitched high enough to unsettle him. "Hnnn...." He struggles to crack off another shot, his entire body frozen as a weird side effect of the wolf's audial assault. Eventually he pulls himself together and tucks his weapon away. That howl was terrible and he's going to make sure that stupid wolf can't do it again.

"BERSSSERRKKKEERR!" Whirl hollers, running full speed at the beast before lunging at it, clamps poised to wrap around it's throat and tear what passes for it's larynx right out.

Combat: Whirl strikes Wirewolf with his MY LOVE FOR YOU LIKE TICKING CLOCK (Smash) attack!

Impactor smirks as the wolf's howl bites through the air, staring down the red eyes that have started to pop up. "Do something..." He smiles. "Do something and see what the devil really sounds like, you worthless slag..." He glances at the others for a moment, standing his ground on what has suddenly become a perimeter. "Autobots, stay aggressive- mutts like this run on fear, and we're just the mechs to give them something to be afraid of! Whirl, wreck and rule!"

Combat: Impactor inspires Air Raid, Elita One, Whirl, Shiftlock, and Swerve with majestic and uplifting words!

Shiftlock covers her audials, wincing. "Oh that is not good. Five shanix says he's calling for his buddies!" She hurries to help the neutrals and Swerve with the fencing. "Swerve, once this thing is done, you get inside it, all right? I've got your back."

Combat: Shiftlock sets her defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: Shiftlock takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

"Keep it off me!" Swerve exclaims in fright, ducking behind the spike wall as the wirewolf's howl echoes through the all-too-fragile cave. He applies a coolant spray to the bent spikes to harden them into the new position, in expectation of the beast's attack!

Combat: Swerve sets his defense level to Protected.

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

The biplane neutral looks /quite/ agitated. Nothing like feeling powerless. But at least the beast can't really get to them now, behind their protective fence. "We have to press on!" he urges Shiftlock.

Impactor's quiet threat does seem to have a strange effect on the eyes that leer from the shadows. They back away, if only a little. Conversely, Impactor's stirring words shake the neutrals out of their frozen state, and the sight of that crazy Whirl guy lunging at the wirewolf only spurs them further. "YEAH! KILL IT!"

The wirewolf gets caught right on flank by Elita's cannon, which heavily damages it. It whines and staggers to one side while Whirl leaps forth to grab its the throat. He savagely successful in ripping its vocalizer right out. Jesus. Focused solely on the chopper, it makes to try and bite Whirl in the face.

Combat: Air Raid strikes Whirl with Wirewolf's Vibro Fangs attack!

Combat: Elita One strikes Wirewolf with her Caught You Flatfooted! attack! [Pulled -4]

"Unless you wanna go hand to hand with that thing and any of its pack, I'd suggest you stay here for the moment until we take care of this thing," Shiftlock advises the neutrals. "We'll clear them out and we'll move as quick as we can after, but there's no point in you guys trying to make a run for it right now and getting yourselves shredded." Her protective hardcoding goes into overdrive hearing Swerve yelp for cover, and she gets into position a short distance from the entrance to the cave, trying not to draw attention to herself for once, for fear that the wolf will turn charge the makeshift shelter.

Combat: Shiftlock takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

Impactor turns to the wolf fight, rolling his optics. "Whirl, why in the hell isn't that thing tiny pieces by now?" He fires off a round from his shoulder cannon. "Come on, damn it- we've got places to be!"

Combat: Impactor misses Wirewolf with his Shoulder Cannon attack!

Inspired by Impactor's exhortation to wreck as well as to rule (and Whirl already doing both), Swerve pulls a dinky laser pistol and fires through the barricade at the wirewolf. "Yeah! Get some!"

Combat: Swerve sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Swerve misses Wirewolf with his Dinky Laser (Laser) attack!

Whirl lets out a maniacal laugh once the wolf's voice box is ripped away from it's anchor inside it's throat. "Hahahahahahhahahha! WRECK AND RULE, BITCH!" He pauses from mutilating the robot animal to turn towards Shiftlock and the neutrals position, waving the voice box clamped tight in his pinchers over his head. "Check it out, Shifter! I told you I'd get you a present!" He holds it up to his throat and makes mocking howling sounds. "Awwooooowoowoowooooo! Hahaha-AUGH!"

Whirl's mockery is interupted when the wolf's jaws wrap around that box that he calls a face, it's teeth sinking deep into his armour and tearing a mouthful of it right off of him. "FFFFFFfffffffffff.... YES! PRIMUS, that feels SO AWESOME! Hahaha!~" He lifts his arm over his head and drops it ontop of the wolf's face, smashing it with the bulk of his null-ray module over and over again.

Combat: Whirl strikes Wirewolf with his Face Punch (Punch) attack!

The wirewolf gets shot right in the aft thanks to Elita. And it's not a pleasant shot, as it obliterates one leg and partially melts its spine. Things are made worse when crazy Whirl just hammers into his face. It bleeds all over the chopper, whimpering and thrashing, dodging Impactor's shot in the process.

Swerve, unfortunately, shoots a spire that ricochets the laser back through the fence, and it /nearly/ scalds a neutral. "HEY!"

The wirewolf has seemingly had enough, and begins to half-run half-limp back into the safety of the giant spiky urchin trees.

"All right. Looks like the coast is clear for now. Give it just another minute to be sure," Shift says to the neutrals. "Anyone get hit in there?" she asks.

Combat: Shiftlock takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

Elita One disregards the wirewolf for the moment, approaching Whirl instead. Her instincts are, naturally, to be concerned for the others in her team, but this one is a Wrecker. Thus she looks towards the wirewolf, then to Whirl. "Thing almost ate your face." She waits a beat, "It'd be an improvement." Jockularity aside, she starts regarding the area with a keen eye again. <>

"Hey!" Whirl runs after the retreating wolf as he's clearly not done with him yet. "Get back here! I want to make a pimp cup out of your robo skull!" He takes aim at the animal and pops off a few shots but (fortunately for the wolf) misses it completely and lasers some of the thicket it's hiding in instead.

"Tch! At least it can't howl anymore." He tucks the voice box into subspace as a memento.

Impactor transforms into his tank mode. "Alright, it's procession time. Swerve, you're behind me with the empties. Raid, you're riding up top to call your shots. Elita, the scout gig is yours. Whirl and Shiftlock, you're bringing up the rear." His drills grind to life and the tank lurches forward. "Roll out, Autobots!"

Impactor transforms into his drill tank mode. Someone is going to die.

"Phew..." The biplane pushes away from the makeshift fence and gives Shiftlock a thumbs up. The neutrals exchange weary glances, "We're okay." Pause. "That was AMAZING!" one exclaims, thrusting his fist in the air.

Raid pulls some spikes from his armor, "Argh, yessir. Hup to!" Before too long, the thickness of the range lets up, the sky becomes more visible, and the outskirts of the Eastern Highway can be seen. "We're sitting ducks out here so keep up a decent pace!" calls Raid. "It's the home stretch."

Swerve squeezes sideways through the spike wall and sticks with the empties (he'd call them NAILs but they seem to be aligned with the Autobots now) as they file out.

"Uh, I have a question for you, Skydive," Whirl says despite knowing Air Raid's actual name. "Why didn't we just take a shuttle or something? Why are we hoofing it through dangerous territory? I mean, I don't mind or anything, wrestling with a wolf was on my to-do list but I'm just curious." You paged Scorponok with 'nope. i mean you could come out of the ground or fly or whatever'

Elita One gives a curt nod to Impactor, "Right." She takes the lead again, "So since there's no more cover, all we can do is make fast time. The longer we're out here the more likely we'll be spotted by something." With that, Elita One waits for the group to come together, then gestures to the flatlands. "No need for scouting, we're going to have to stay in tight and just burn petrol as much as we can. I'm front guard. Other positions stand as before." She waits for the group to acknowledge, and then the race is on!

Shiftlock frowns at Impactor. "They are *not* empties," she grumbles to herself, probably audible to the Neutrals. "If everyone's in one piece, move ahead, stay together and do not lag behind." Watch out for the KILLER CARS.

Wait, wrong series.

There's a rustling in the urchin trees. The wirewolf gurgles at something initially, then it's silenced. THEN... it emerges ABOVE the urchin trees. It's being held by something--which promptly rips it in half, each half trailing fuel and lubricant lines and spraying mech fluid everywhere! But what killed it?...

"AUTOBOTS!!!" Scorponok roars as he scuttles in from the cover of the urchin trees, holding both halves of the wirewolf. He tosses them aside, then raises his stinger up at Whirl. KZAP!

 Shiftlock says, "Aw HEYL no."

Combat: Giant Scorpion  strikes Whirl with his One Hundred Thousand Volts attack! [Pulled -6]

 Elita One says, "Ah slag"

"Uuughh, I'm not SKYDIVE!" Raid glares at Whirl as he jogs, "We can't shuttle because there's fraggin' 'con jets all over the airspace. Pay attention!" He's glad to let Elita take the lead, moving to flank.

"Do we look /empty/ to you?" the biplane huffs, peering at the drilltank. Everything is brought to an abrupt halt when Scorponok makes his gruesome appearance.

"HOLY SLAG!" exclaims Raid, scrambling to steady his rifle on the giant 'con.

 Air Raid says, "We can't stay out here!"

 Air Raid says, "Can any of you keep his attention?"

 Elita One says, "Get the Neutrals to safety"

 Elita One says, "The Wreckers and I can handle him"

 Shiftlock says, "You got it."

Whirl looks up just in time to get showered with robot wold blood and guts, big chunks of mechanical intenstines slapping against his mauled face and slipping onto the ground with a squishy 'plop.' "Ugh, nasty but at least it can't get any worse than this."

The Wrecker is then electrocuted with the power of one hundred thousand volts running through his body. He can only stay locked in place as the electricity courses through him, frying his circuit boards and causing thick plumes of smoke to seep out of him. Once it's over, the Wrecker falls over and bursts into flames.

A shadow appears over Elita One, as Scorponok makes a grand entrance. <<Ah, slag.>> Why on Cybertron was Scorponok here? It didn't matter all that did matter was the fact he just sent a million volts at Whirl. She brandishes her pistols. 'Okay....just like fighting Shockwave. Abusive and Elusive. Keep him distracted, off balance. Make him work for it.' Her thoughts race as she swaps out to her paired sidearms, sending rapid shots at the Headmaster, several of them discharging optical flares. She glances aside at Whirl. 'Get up....get up, Whirl I can't do this alone.'

Combat: Elita One strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with her Abusive and Elusive attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Giant Scorpion <Scorponok>'s Accuracy. (Blinded)

Shiftlock quickly scouts the terrain with her eyes, looking for a path to take that will be out of the way of Scorponok's immediate view. While she isn't getting a lot of combat action (and this disappoints her, Whirl is having all the fun!), she has something more important to tend to.

"There's a low path through some of the thicker spine-trees, it looks like it'll empty towards the high way. Move low, keep close to the ground and keep behind trees, you'll draw less attention from that monster. Got it! I'll keep watch for you from animals but I have to do something to draw his fire. Move!"

Moving away from the neutrals, Shiftlock takes aim at Scorponok and fires, loading in tiny razored flechette rounds, hoping to damage the joints of his claws.

Combat: Shiftlock strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with her Flechette Rounds attack!

Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> screams in rage as he's blinded by the optical flares, and begins to thrash violently through the trees, smashing them aside but connecting with nothing. "AARRRAGH! You may have blinded me, Autobots, but all you've done is delay your inevitable destruction!" But his arms shudder as painful little flechettes find their way into his joints. "Nnnghhh--! You are making me VERY ANGRY!!!"

His scorpion tail swivels around, as if searching for an attacker, though really Scorponok is just trying to mentally sort out where Shiftlock's shots came from. Thinking he's got her zeroed in, he fires another devastating electrical blast. "And after I've killed you Autobots, those refugees you're escorting should make excellent playthings for my dungeon! Heheheh!" He pauses, and yells loudly at someone(?), "What do you mean what am I doing? I haven't killed anything in days, with you and your politicking! Leave me alone!"

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> strikes Shiftlock with his One Hundred Thousand Volts attack! [Pulled -5]

The neutrals do as Shiftlock directs, trying not to look at the carnage that is unfolding in front of them. Raid accompanies them as they make their way across the flatlands towards the spine-trees that line the highway.

"Don't look back guys! War is ugly," assures Air Raid.

"What about the chopper! He's fried! And the orange femme!"

"We have a mission," Air Raid grates. "You are the priority."

After a few seconds of unconciousness, Whirl sits up. "Ugggh.. what happened?" The sight of flames burning all over his body brings it all back to him and he quickly stops drops and rolls to put himself out. Just in time too, most of his armour was starting to melt off. He looks up at Scorponok, his optic flashing as he watches the gigantic Headmaster zap the hell out of Shiftlock.

Aw hell naw.

"HEY! You wanna kill something, kill me you big freak!" The Wrecker jumps up onto his feet and makes a dash towards Scorponok, shooting at him wildly with hella lasers. Yeaaahhh, what a bad ass.

Combat: Whirl strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with his Badassery (Laser) attack!

Elita One scowls, even her flares weren't distracting Scorponok. She looks grimly at the foe before her, as it attacks Shiftlock. Perhaps another strategy was in order if that wasn't enough. Elita One draws into subspace, bringing to bear the second weapon she put together, using plans from the Forge she had come across. A large, unwieldly looking cannon, a distinctive whirring sound starts up almost immediately as she brings forth her Energon Harvester. "All the forms in the cosmos for you to pick...and you look like that." It wasn't a cutting remark really, she was simply too surprised to come up with anything witty. The harvester roars.

Combat: Elita One strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with the Elita One-forged Just Like Old Times! attack!

"For the adventure of it!" Swerve exclaims in response to Whirl. "Duh. Come on, what kind of question is that for a Wrecker? We're on a Jungle Quest! Maybe we'll find a crazy temple covered in heads or something! Maybe we'll chop up a hydrobuffaloid! You don't wanna be like that guy who doesn't want to get off the boat."

Lightning strikes, and Shiftlock is knocked off her feet. She struggles to get up, actuators feeding damage warnings to her sensor hub, occupying so many threads in her processor that the instructions to move are temporarily choked out.

Whirl's shouting and the roar of Elita's weapon are a dull, ambiguous roar, fine details muted as the orange fembot staggers to her hands and knees. Her first thought is to check for Swerve, to check for the neutrals. Air Raid is leading them away. Good. They're safe. "Swerve," Shiftlock snaps, her vocoder sounding like water over a rusty grate, as her actuators fight to regain control, flicking priorty switches over damage messages. "Stay with Air Raid! Help the Neutrals!"

She brings her arms up, trying to take aim at Scorponok again, hands shaking.

Swerve is so busy rattling on about Jungle Quest that he's hardly noticed Scorponok. I mean, yeah, Scorponok's there, tearing up the wildlife and shooting people with his stinger thing, but come on, Jungle Quest! That makes it all worthwhile. "Oh, hey," he adds to Whirl, who seems to have been electrocuted, "are you okay? You look a little fried." Swerve pops a few of his tools out of his wrists and takes a minute to work on Whirl's fusebox (from behind Whirl, sensibly).

Combat: Shiftlock strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with her Double Pistols attack!

Combat: Swerve quickly patches up some of Whirl's minor injuries.

<Autobot> Whirl says, "Shiftlock!"

<Autobot> Whirl says, "Are you still alive?"

<Autobot> Swerve says, "Hang on over there, Shiftlock, I just gotta get some fresh fuses in Whirl. He burned these ones out like whoah. Smells like that time Hound tried to make popcorn."

<Autobot> Air Raid says, "Nearly there. Don't die!"

<Autobot> Shiftlock says, "Haha... did'n ev'n know y'could do that. Y' jus' get Whirl onnis feet, 'k?"

<Autobot> Whirl says, "Swerve! Forget about me, go help Shiftlock!"

<Autobot> Shiftlock says, "Look, we can't both be a hero, Whirl. Y'got more... firepower'n me. You get priority. "m fine."

Giant Scorpion <Scorponok>'s vision clears, and he sees Elita One firing something at him--and watches his own energy get sucked into Elita One's gun! "An energon harvester!? Heheheh, feisty, Elita!" He scuttles towards her more rapidly than his enormous bulk should allow. "You know, I told Shockwave that if it was me fighting you all those millenia when Megatron disappeared, I'd have killed you aeons ago!" He snaps a claw at her, trying to seize her. "Shall we find out now who would have won that contest, my dear!?"

Then a host of other Autobots begin blasting him from seemingly every quarter, and the scorpion regards them with a tilt of its head. "Rrrgh... pests! You'll all get your turn to die, I promise you!" And he either swings Elita One at Whirl and Shiftlock, or, if he didn't succeed in grabbing her, just tries to smash them with his claws! "And then I'll decapitate the lot of you and present you to Maximus, hahahaha!"

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> sets his defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> strikes Whirl with his Pincer Trap Area attack! [Pulled -3]

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> strikes Shiftlock with his Pincer Trap Area attack! [Pulled -3]

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> strikes Elita One with his Pincer Trap Area attack! [Pulled -3]

<Autobot> Whirl says, "I electrocute myself all the time for fun, I can take it."

<Autobot> Swerve says, "No no, it's cool, I'll get to you too. It looks- yeah, it looks like you need it."

It'd be so easy for Air Raid to just transform, but the monoformers know no such luxury, and the hardy biplane neutral doesn't look too interested in leaving his group behind. At long last they reach the highway, and the biplane pauses to spare a winded 'thanks, we'll be in touch' before leading the rest towards the nearest protected structure. Raid vents a heavy exhale before turning to rejoin the fight.

Air Raid shifts and twists into his black F-15E Strike Eagle mode.

Combat: F-15E Strike Eagle <Air Raid> sets his defense level to Fearless.

The Global Pose Tracker marks that F-15E Strike Eagle <Air Raid> has 'skipped' his action for this round.

<Autobot> Air Raid says, "Newts are cleared!"

<Autobot> Swerve says, "Is that why the power keeps going out on floor sixteen? Cliffjumper kept saying it was enemy action, traitors sabotaging us, fifth column yakedy yak, you know, but it only happens in the evenings after lights out."

<Autobot> Whirl says, "I plead the fifth."

Cybertronian Drilltank <Impactor> though Impactor had been hanging back to provide a buffer between Scorponok and the Empties, well...He's a Wrecker, and the neutrals have been cleared out. Also, occasionally, he's a murdering psychopath with no self control.

This is one of those times. Something about the Decepticon's arrival snaps something in Impactor's already sour mood.

"It's gonna stop." The drill tank's engines rev, and Impactor peels out, charging at Scorpnok. "It's time we sent you home in a recycling bag, you worthless piece of scrap!" It's time to add some red to the Wrecker's ledger. No matter the cost.

Combat: Cybertronian Drilltank <Impactor> sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Cybertronian Drilltank <Impactor> strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with his Diamond-Tipped Drills attack!

<Autobot> Air Raid says, "YEAH IMP!"

Elita One grimaces as she gets snatched up and beaten about. With a bit of struggle as she gets clouted into Shiftlock, she breaks free tumbling unceremoniously to the ground. She pulls herself to her feet moments after, "Shockwave hasn't beaten me, and at least he knows better than to underestimate me." As she flexes her neck, getting the whirr of actuators back into place, she watches Impactor lay into Scorponok, then draws his attention. Almost casually, she gestures to his claw that she was grabbed by.

Beep.

Beep.

BEEEE---

Swerve keeps his head down and runs under the giant scything pincers, scurrying over to try to keep Shiftlock from locking up. "I gotta say I wasn't expecting to meet Scorponok on Jungle Quest," he remarks as he attends to her, shoring up some crushed and bent endoskeleton. "Maybe that guy who turns into a giant ape. Or the parrot guy who merges with the other little ape. Either way, apes."

Combat: Swerve quickly patches up some of Shiftlock's minor injuries.

Combat: Elita One has created a bomb: "Crab Cracker Bomb"!

Combat: Elita One sets her defense level to Protected.

Combat: Elita One strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with Crab Cracker Bomb's Huge Explosion #11505 attack!

Combat: Elita One's Crab Cracker Bomb is destroyed!

Whirl does everything he can to keep aggro off of Shiftlock but it doesn't really work because in the end both of them get the crap beat out of them by Elita One. Not in the sense she is actually beating them up but that she is being used as a weapon to beat them up. Yeaahhh... that happens sometimes. "Arrgh what the hell!?"

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

Shiftlock is snagged up in giant claws, and crushed for good measure. She can't move, her arms are pinned to her sides. She's also a lot thinner around the middle! Well, that's nice, but this isn't how she wanted to maintain her figure. Dropped to the ground, Swerve's repairs keep her from falling completely offline in shock.

She makes a mental note that she simply HAS to get tougher. Too many close calls these days.

She quickly turns and covers Swerve for a moment as the bomb goes off, bits of flying debris smacking against her backplates. "Thank you," she says in gratitude to Swerve.

Combat: Shiftlock takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> roars as, although the Autobots seem to be getting pretty tired, a few of them still have some life left in them! "What!? Impactor!?" Scorponok grunts right before the drill tank slams into him, but the drill doesn't burrow too far into him before it gets jammed. "Rrrgh, I've always wanted to destroy you, Impactor! Thanks for delivering yourself to me! Eh--" Then he happens to glance where Elita's gesturing--his claw! "Dammit!" BOOM! One of his "thumb" claws is blasted right off his arm! "WITCH! You'll die for that!"

Somewhere back at Crystal City, in Zarak's personal suite, Zarak is on a table, lying down on his chest wearing naught but a towel as two Nebulan women massage his bare back. Zarak says into a cellphone-like communicator, "WHO else is there!? Impactor? Scorponok, get out of there, you'll be overwhelmed."

"SHUT UP ZARAK!" Scorponok screams aloud for all to hear. "I can handle all of them Now, where was I, Impactor!? Oh, that's right, I was WRECKING the WRECKER!" Although Impactor's probably heard that a thousand times, it might not be much consolation as Scorponok rains down on him with a brutal pummeling from his claws!

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> strikes Cybertronian Drilltank <Impactor> with his Mountain Crusher attack! [Pulled -3]

Swerve slaps Shiftlock on the shoulder encouragingly and helps her up. "Nothing to it. Autobots stick together. Adventure hones the spark! Speaking of sticking, though, his claw's looking pretty messed-up around that hinge where Elita stuck that bomb to it when he grabbed her, eh?" Having passed on this info, Swerve grins and runs off to go drag one of the neutrals, a guy who appears to turn into a vending machine, out of the line of fire.

Combat: Swerve sets his defense level to Guarded.

Elita One raises her cannon to bear again. She smirks for a moment in satisfaction, but the moment is short lived as Impactor gets mauled like a champ. He weathers the beating well, still it was apparent he still needed aid. <<Alright, if the neutrals are free and clear, then all we have to do now is drop Scorponok.>> She looks aside to Shiftlock, "Firing line. We work the flank, cause him to split his focus, Catch those legs if you can." The plasma cannon belches out superheated energy in several quick rounds, going for Scorponok's side.

Combat: Swerve analyzes Scorponok for weaknesses Shiftlock can exploit.

Combat: Elita One strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with her Plasma Cannon attack!

Shift's opinion of minibots just keeps getting better and better! Now she has to COLLECT THEM ALL. 'Collect' defined loosely there.

With a nod of acknowledgement to Elita, Shiftlock darts the opposite way from Elita, taking aim at the weak point Swerve so helpfully pointed out.

"Check it out, the Scorpion is having a mental breakdown!" Whirl 'points' at the Headmaster and laughs. "That's hilarious!" But there's no time to laugh. Whirl transforms into his awesome helicopter mode and lifts up off the ground, hovering as high as he can without getting caught up in the trees and fires grenades all up in Scorponok's grill Whirl transforms into a super cool helicopter!

Combat: Bell AH-1 Cobra <Whirl> strikes Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> with his Incendiary Shell attack!

Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> is hammered from every direction! A massive purple fireball blossoms on his side as he's ravaged by Elita's plasma, and Whirl's incendiaries find their mark, burning deep and painfully into his armor with harsh hissing sounds and acrid blue smoke! But most devastating of is Shiftlock's pistol fire, which expertly slips into the joints between the two remaining claws on Scorponok's already damaged hand, and soon those are severed as well! "AAAAGH my hand! Hnnngh... Autobot weaklings! Only by sheer numbers can you prevail against me!" Scorponok fires his stinger again, but this time he's aiming for some Magnesium Bushes to light them on fire! Oh no, that fire might spread(?)!

"Til next time, Autobots... I'll have my revenge! And tell Maximus I WILL find him and destroy him!" And with that, he turns himself around, and crashes through the trees and spiky grass to make his retreat! Will the Autobots let him go and tend to the civilians, or whoop on his ass?

Combat: Giant Scorpion <Scorponok> begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from F-15E Strike Eagle <Air Raid>, Bell AH-1 Cobra <Whirl>, Elita One, Swerve, and Shiftlock

Elita One snorts, "Sheer numbers...Says the Scorpion with a Nebulan inside his head so he can have backup." She fires a few parting shots at Scorponok, perhaps enjoying herself too much for a few moments. "Well, team....we all survived, if banged up. All the neutrals got out of here safely, and we sent Scorponok packing." She nods to nobody in particular, "It is a good day. Let's get out of here..."