Repugnus's Counterattack

Crystal City Spaceport

Capable of handling multiple incoming and outgoing spacecraft, the gleaming new spaceport is an efficient layout of several large and small hangars, various warehouses, three launchpads with corresponding terminals, and three tall control towers, all of the indigo steel/titanium alloy typical of Crystal City's new design. Unlike the rest of the city, though, this area has very few of the city's namesake crystals on the exterior, as a concentration of them would interfere with visual and sometimes even instrumental navigation. Traffic is infrequent, despite the facility's capacity, and usually consists of occasional alien freighters. Passengers are equally rare, and the waiting rooms typically empty. Due to the lack of personnel, almost all functions are automated.

Grimlock stomps into the spaceport from one of the makeshift 'roads' surrounding the place- the Dinobot's a little singed and dented...but he looks pretty smug, nonetheless. He gives a dismissive grunt to the sentry on duty- and then heads to the center of the spaceport, as if...looking for something.

Repugnus appears to be pacing about, two fingers to the side of his head, frowning, listening. He barely notices Grimlock arrive, and looks really occupied with something.

Jetfire, for his part, has been helping assemble and direct the placement of the sentry guns and assembling big walls to ensure that there is plenty of cover against a ground assault, "No no no... you must account for the field of fire, if the tower is there it's likely to get blown up by friendly fire! Over here, 10 degrees further ensures that the sentry towers cannot directly hit one another." he instructs the team of construction gumbies. His attention turns towards the thumping feet of the dinobot, the Guardian offers a nod to his friend and occasional guinea pig, "Howdy Grimlock, need a little patching up today?"

Grimlock hmmns at Jetfire. "Guess so." he says, and shrugs. This done, Grimlock tromps on over towards Repugnus- in fact, walking PAST the monsterbot to a handy blank wall...at which point Grimlock produces a shard of metal with a decepticon symbol on it! He proceeds to pin this to the wall with a jagged shard of metal. This done, he takes a step back, and looks at his 'work.' Smug.

"Woulda had three, but other seekers runned 'way!"

Sit-Com has arrived.

Foxfire has arrived.

Jetfire nods at the Dinobot's reaction, hatches opening in preparation to tend to Grimlock's wounds and then... he walks away? The Guardian is left standing there, tools in hand and stares as he walks away, "Huh... good job." he emits before moving after the leader of the Dinobots, "Now if you'll just hold still..." he's had to work on moving targets once or twice, and it has never gone quite right.

Combat: Jetfire runs a diagnostic check on Grimlock

Repugnus stops, optics going wide for a moment, then they narrow to deadly slits. He mutters something too low to hear, then abruptly begins to walk away from the Autobots' camp. "Going into the city," he announces to no one in particular. "I have to check out a siting." A siting of what, he noticeably doesn't say. "But good work, Grimlock. More dead seekers is always a good thing..."

Foxfire is here. As usual, he's just trying to stay out of people's way. Or just trying not to get stepped on. At the moment, he's looking at the Decepticon insignia that Grimlock has pinned to the way. "Nice decoration," he comments. "That's for playing darts, right?"

Grimlock hmms, and stands still, allowing Jetfire to get to work! "Is okay job. Warm up." he says, flexing his fists. He glances over at Repugnus, and gives him an...odd look before he just shakes his head.

"Me Grimlock think that bug guy am crazy. Good fighter, though."

Grimlock also looks down (down, down) at Foxfire. "...uh, sort of. Is, uh...morale...thing! Other Autobots can try rip off Decepticon symbols too. Like CONTEST!"

Industrial Park

These crystal-studded indigo steel/titanium buildings rise a mere four or five stories from the ground and are widely spaced in this variation from the usual city architecture. There are no true roadways, just plenty of open space between the buildings. As with the Emporium, the buildings are also rather nondescript with the additional feature of being relatively the same size as well, waiting for the personal touch that would come with their owners. One building is designed as a foundry, equipped with shiny new smelters and molds for refining and processing construction materials. Another is a drone manufacturing plant, with automated machinery that can produce generic automatons much like the ones that operate it. Others produce circuitry, communications equipment, repair parts, armour, etc.. One other thing they all have in common is the fact that they are highly automated. There are few Cybertronian workers to be found here, at least for now.

Inside a run-down, abandoned warehouse--apparently they have those even on Cybertron--a collection of Crystal City civilians is tied down to a bunch of chairs and arranged in a circle. They all appear to be quite nervous, and with good reason, considering that the Monsterbot Repugnus is stalking around them, twirling a combat knife around in his fingers. "Alright, let's get something out of the way right off the bat. I know who and what you are really are. You're Decepticon sleeper agents, and you're all supposed to activate at some cue from your masters."

"That's a damn lie--" one shouts, but Repugnus is quick to take the knife and shove it right into his optic. "---AAAAGGGHHHH!"

"I AM NOT LYING," Repugnus growls, grinding the knife around in the poor guy's skull. "And you sacks of crap had better start talking right now. I want to know what it is you were supposed to do upon activation, and I want to know the name of the contact you use to communicate with other cells, capice? Otherwise..." He rams the knife in deeper, and victim #1's head slumps over, deactivated. "...now let's get started, shall we?"

Some time later, the Decepticons receive an urgent request from one of their covert agents to rendesvous at this very warehouse. A big, blocky Crystal City civilian is loitering in a nearby alley, looking terrified.

Responding to the distress call, and skulking around, the Predacon known as Rampage heads for the source of the alert. His ears pin back ever so slightly. "I smell Autobots." he snorts.

Rampage collapses down into his Tiger mode.

"My my, doesn't someone look perturbed." hisses a voice, followed by a stifled giggle as the mechanical wolf emerged from the darker portions of the alley behind the blocky fellow. While not the stealthiest of Decepticons, the urban sprawl of Crystal City, even in its deadlocked state of occupation vs liberation warfare, made it easier for Carnivac to lurk around the shadows of the city looking for Autobot spies, and thus being close enough to respond quickly to the call-out. "Now what pray tell could have such a big, burly brute as yourself with his wires in a bunch?"

And not once in the entire time does that snarl-toothed smile leave the robo-wolf's elongated muzzle. Creepy.

Grimlock is not a very good scout. But he tries!

And so, Grimlock crouches upon the roof of a warehouse, doing his best to be sneaky- which makes him just 'as noticeable as a regular sized transformer' as opposed to 'Huge and loud and punching you in the face.' He's got a pair of binoculars held up to his optic visor, and he scans the landscape...pausing.

"Me Grimlock think me see something move." he mutters to the 'bots around him (whoever they might be!)

Kup looks around, follow Grimlock and the others and taking cover where he can. You don't get to be this old by not ducking when you need to. "Any idea where, Grimlock?" he asks, his voice a hushed stage whisper as he looks around.

Foxfire is not a scout by function, but he's a lot stealthier than Grimlock. Quieter, too. At the moment he is keeping his body low, positioned beside Grimlock as he peers in the same direction. His optics are focused, giving him a bit more distance visibility. "Want me to go check it out?" he asks, his voice just barely above a whisper.

The blocky character yelps in terror as something creeps up behind him, and actually falls over onto his rear, whipping out a small pistol and aiming it down at Carnivac. Once he sees who it is, though, he's quick to put the gun away. "I... oh, Primus, I thought it was the guy who... um, okay, I'll... er," He staggers back up to his feet, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry, let me start over. I'm Tackle, I work for you guys okay? I pass on messages, that sorta thing. My ID code's 423A81, should check out, right?" It should.

He clears his vocalizer. "I... oh, geeze. I was going to send this cell a message, right? I... opened the door, looked inside, and... bodies. Everywhere." He sounds rather haunted, like the words are coming from him, unbidden. "Bodies... everywhere..." His arms begin to shake. Whatever he saw, it really got to him.

Robot Tiger < Rampage > 's ears flick forward again. "I want to tear some Autobot cylinder from servo," he says to Carnivac, "You do too, don't ya?" The Tiger makes his way to the building where the signal is strongest and looks for a window to peer through.

The windows are all painted over. Apparently someone valued their privacy.

"There." Grimlock points in the...general direction of the warehouse, then hands the binoculars over to Kup. "Is look like some sort of SNEAKY MEETING." he nods, then glances over at Foxfire. "Can you Foxfire get closer n' see whut happen?"

"It's a war. That happens," Carnivac replies, still not losing the smiling expression even as the horrible reaccount is made. It's not nearly as disturbing to the mentally manical monster. "All dead, hmm? Not very good at keeping a secret then, were they?" All the same, it bears looking into. He just chuckles a bit at Rampage as he lopes towards the building. Takes note of the painted over windows. "Someone is doing something they don't want known about~", he sing-songs at the privacy attempt.

The mecha-wolf trots up, not to try and look into the window, but to cock his head and press a highly sensative ear-shaped audial sensor up to it and attempt to tune into any talking or other sounds inside.

Astrotrain has arrived.

It's dead quiet inside the warehouse. Not even a turborat is stirring--maybe they were all killed, too?

Foxfire looks up at Grimlock and nods. "Sure thing. I'll report back ASAP." With that, he jumps down from the rooftop, landing gracefully on his feet. He promptly activates his cloaking device and hurries off in the direction of the warehouse.

Combat: Foxfire activates his cloaking field and vanishes from sight!

Decepticon Space Shuttle < Astrotrain > is here. Or rather, not so much here as a few blocks over, currently up in the air and supporting the push of a Decepticon raiding party that's getting in the clear after a near-disaster attempt to secure an energon storage facility when they were jumped by a waiting Autobot raiding party. After losing a quarter of their numbers they were pushed into a full on retreat that could have ended up in their total destruction if they didn't get a sudden helping hand in the form of some 'air support'.

Even though this happens several blocks away from where the current drama is unfolding, the air still rumbles and shakes slightly with the passage of sub-orbital engines screaming at full pass, followed by the telltale racketing of a long strafing run that fills an entire street with purple energy bolts and sets the pursuing Autobots to scattering and breaking off their chase lest they get blown to pieces. The purple shuttle triplechanger is soon climbing for height again right after, keeping up his high speed as he chuckles and proceeds to be -very- pleased with himself. "Ahh I love this stuff."

Kup follows Grimlock, continuing the duck and cover routine when he catches A-Train's climb for height. "Be careful guys, Astrotrain's in the area. He's nothing to mess with." he keeps a wary eye skyward. "This could get ugly."

Tackle follows Carnivac at a bit of a distance, looking around nervously. "I, uh... yeah, I guess they were found out. Look, whoever did it? He obviously... was getting information from them. These guys talked a lot with Gamma Cell, uh, I think they might be next on this guy's list..." He stays at a respectful distance from the warehouse, wringing his hands. "We gotta warn them, because if we don't, they could be the next ones to..." He gulps.

Decepticon Space Shuttle < Astrotrain > banks hard, coming around the peaks of several skyscrapers as a pair of missiles corkscrew after him. They detonate against the side of a building instead, blowing out large chunks before the source of the missiles below finds themselves in a firefight with another Decepticon squad that's moved up on them. A further reminder that at any time, whatever drama is playing out, the rest of the city is constantly in a state of warfare.

Deciding it's time to put down a lower profile, Atrotrain transforms in short order as he dips down below the skyline of the city, flying superman-style through several streets until he notices the Pretender and Predacon b elow him. With a quick flip forward, the triplechanger aims his feet down to come landing behind the 'civilian' they're in the company of with the heavy impact of large feet making contact with Cybertron's surface, "And what're you primitives doin skulkin around down here anyway?"

In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode.

Robot Tiger < Rampage > almost wishes he had a turborat or two to amuse himself with right about now. He lifts his head up as Astrotrain arrives. "We're responding to a distress call," the Predacon says to the Triple-Changer. "Did you get it?"

Tackle yelps at Astrotrain's sudden arrival, trying to pull his sidearm out, but failing spectacularly as it flies out of his hands and skids across the street. "I... oh. Um... sorry. I just... nerves."

Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > huhs. Not hearing anything, but that doesn't mean there -isn't- anything. "Go warn others if you want. I prefer to take a more..." The wolf backs up a few steps. He chuckles a bit, crouching.

And with a crackle of subspace the Pretenders' shell appears, closing around the mechanical wolf within it's biomechanical embrace. ".. Direct approach. Stop the problem at the source, yes..." The monsterous wolf is still crouching, eyeing the building like a predator eyes a wounded gazelle...

Carnivac is sealed within his Pretender shell, becoming a giant biomechanical wolf.

For a moment, Foxfire stops in his tracks, Astrotrain's presence alerting him. It's hard to *not* notice a shuttle, you know. He cranes his neck to peer skyward and watch Astrotrain, his gaze following the Triplechanger until he transforms and lands. Then Foxfire continues toward the warehouse, the Decepticons' voices drifting to him. He follows those, and their scents, to guide him to their exact location. Though currently invisible, he moves into a particularly dark shadow, where he waits and listens.

Kup advances ahead, just a shade ahead of Grimlock. He doesn't go into the warehouse yet, keeping his eyes to the sky and sticking to cover and the buildings. He makes a few hand signals so as not to be heard.

Tackle tilts his head, curious. "Direct approach? You mean find the guy who did this? I dunno, I think he's long gone. If he was still here, he woulda... well, I wouldn't be here. Or... I would be. Just... not alive."

Grimlock narrows his optic visor, and slowly peeeeers around a handy corner. He's still watching, for now...on the one hand, Grimlock can beat the snot out of random Decepticons any day (and he does, more often than not!) On the other...well, even -HE- can tell something fishy's going on- and he's curious to find out what!

"Hn."

Astrotrain watches with distant disgust as Tackle fumbles with his weapon and drops it outright in the process of getting startled. "Pathetic."

A slap to the back of the mech's head is given, followed by a mock karate-chop to his neck, then a simple push of one hand as if to shove him out of the way, "Pathetic! This is what we're pullin in for recruits these days!? I coulda slagged this guy and a half a dozen others just like him in the time it took him to react!"

The triplechanger then narrows his optics, looking between Rampage and Carnivac, then back to the building again, "Well for cryin out loud. If you're lookin for the direct approach..." Raising his arms up, Astrotrain is already transforming, and -already- moving forward as his eight huge wheels hit the ground with a thunderous crash, "Then let's get DIRECT already!" Without any warning of his intentions, and with NO care for the subtle type of approach, the huge locomotive quite simply crashes INTO the side of the building, moving to keep RIGHT on going through and make a huge hole for the others to follow.

With body twisting in place while folding up on himself, Astrotrain slams to the ground as a huge armored locomotive.

Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > turns his head towards Tackle... the broad grin across the lupine's face prehaps even more unsettling due to being as large as some transformer's upper body now. "You're alive because he wanted someone to run in terror. Fear only works if it is spread." Then turns his gaze back towards the warehouse. "Is he, or is he not? Only one way to find ou--"

And then Astrotrain goes about making a doorway for them. "I love the way the you thing, three-form!" Cackling, the massive mutt bounds after the engine. "KNOCK KNOCK!"

+POT Wreck-Gar is now observing.

Robot Tiger < Rampage > shrugs and then dashes into the warehouse after Astrotrain and Carnivac. "Well, that works," he says.

Wreck-Gar has left.

Inside the warehouse is... a scene of gruesome horrors. In fact, while Astrotrain should have no trouble smashing his way in, he might find the floor rather slick given that it's almost completely covered in mech fluid and energon. And that's not all. There appears to be body parts scattered everywhere, on the floor, on a bunch of chairs inside, hanging from the ceiling... Carnivac should recognise this as clearly being the work of not just someone out to take out a target, but a fellow psychopath who loves his work.

Blockbuster arrives from the Memorial Square to the northwest.

Blockbuster has arrived.

Grimlock is not very sneaky. But in comparison to a speeding locomotive? He gets better.

And so, Grimlock quietly tromps over to the warehouse- and he leeeans around the edge of the hole- only to widen his optic ridge in surprise as he sees the carnage inside. Warlike as he is, Grimlock still takes pause at the 'handiwork' on display. And so, he ducks back, and starts muttering into his comlink...

Foxfire winces a bit as Astrotrain makes a hole in the warehouse. After the Decepticons go in, he quickly follows, silent as a predator on the prowl. Or a mechanical fox who's spying. At the sight of the carnage inside, however, he abruptly stops, jerking back in horror, and managing to refrain from crying out. Somehow, he stays quiet, despite the gruesome sight. The smell of the spilled energon mixed the mech fluid is nearly overwhelming.

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Hnn. Look like there am rogue septi-con or something! Somebody chopped up buncha neutrals!"

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire makes a small sound like he's trying hard not to cry out in horror. "G-Grimlock...the...the carnage..."

Tackle blinks at what Carnivac says. "Oh, crap, you're right! Geeze, he probably saw me, even, and was like, 'Nah, I'll let him go so he tells everyo--WUNNFFFT" Astrotrain's head smack cuts him off, the chop staggers him, and the shove outright floors him. Tackle collapses, then, precariously close to an energon drainage grate. Two yellow hands reach out at Tackle from behind the bars of the grate as the Decepticons make their way inside the warehouse...

Armored Locomotive < Astrotrain > can't really go all the way inside given that he's half through the wall where he smashed opened the hole for the others, and he's a HUGE HONKING TRAIN on top of it all. Nonetheless, the single headlamp on the front of the train swivels to and fro, taking in the pools of mechfluid and the remains that are strung about. And of course, the triplechanger takes it all in stride, not so much because he's a psychopath, but the bruising sort of evil Decepticon one would expect to be lacking completely in any sort of empathy for the suffering of others.

"Get a load of this funhouse in here. Hah! Sorry pal," He intones towards Tackle without any care for his mood, "Looks like your buddies didn't have the ball bearings to keep themselves from getting slagged!" The headlamp swivels again to illuminate a far corner, panning around like the EYe of Sauron. "Think he's still here, or has he gone and scampered off into a hiding place now that some -real- mechs have gone and showed up?"

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Hn. Is war. ...well, this part no am war, but still. Us gon' find whoevers did this n' smash them inna FACE."

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "The scent of the mech fluid is overwhelming! I have to get out of here!"

Over the city, where a near constant Decepticon presence has been kept since the invasion began is an A-10 Thunderbolt II flying Combat Air Patrol. After the suggestion that he close in to offer more short range support is made, Blockbuster drops into the city proper, cruising through the wider streets before he locks onto the Decepticon signals on his radar, < < Blockbuster reporting in, I am taking up an airborne presence over your current location and widening my scan to pick up hostiles. I await further orders, Astrotrain. > > he adds the last after identifying one of the blips as an Aerospace Wing Leader.

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "This sounds bad..."

Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > plods through the rubble of Astrotrain's entrance, looking one way and then the other over the scene laid out in front of them. "Such a delightfully disgusting display of debatchery," Carnivac giggles unhingedly as he swats a corpse with a forepaw to roll it over. "Shame it is not ours." Dips his head down to lick some of the energon up. It looks just disgusting... but there's a method to his madness. "Still fairly fresh. One could not have gotten fa--"

He pauses, lifting his head, ears flicking back and forth. Then turns to look towards the outside street. "... I imagine no one else heard possible movement..." He starts to slink towards the grating...

The mess on the floor doesn't disturb the mecha-tiger one bit. After all, he's seen worse (and done almost worse himself), and it's all in a day's work for a Predacon. "If this was Autobot remains, I'd say give the guy a frakking medal," he says.

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "It's *horrifying*, Jetfire. Energon and mech fluid...all around...body parts...so much spilled energon..."

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "I am engaged at the moment, but I will join you at my earliest convenience (OOC: Blockbuster is there already) do us all a favor, Foxfire... no matter how bad it is, we need you to get as much information on what happened there as possible. We're counting on you."

Grimlock grumbles a bit into his radio- only to blink as he sees Carnivac starting to turn! Uh oh. Grimlock ducks back into his hidey-alcove...and waits. And, once the wolfbot prowls into view, Grimlock lunges!

He moves with that terrible martial quickness one wouldn't expect from someone so big- though Carnivac is lucky! Instead of trying to crush the big bad wolf, Grimlock merely tries to grab him- wrapping one arm around his 'waist,' and the other around his muzzle in an effort to keep him quiet, to keep him from raising the alarm!

Combat: Grimlock strikes Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > with his Yoink! (Grab) attack!

< Autobot > Horsepower grunts. "Keep workin' on defenses, Jetfahre. Ah'll got get repairs ready fer when they get back."

Kup seems to change when the scent of energon mixed with mech fluid hit. It's like something shuts off and Kup goes cold -- emotionless. It's the soldier taking over as the gore becomes apparent. "Everyone just keep calm. We've got work to do." he says, double checking his weapon and going into the warehouse. < < Passing on attacking this round, am attack ok however. > >

And once Carnivac checks on the grate, he'll find that Tackle has apparently had his head pulled into it. "MMM!!! MMMMGH!! HWWWMMMMMGHHH!" Tackle screams, his arms flailing one moment, trying to push off the grate the next. His legs kick up and down as he thrashes helplessly under the influence of whatever is keeping him there. Then, suddenly the screaming stops. There's some muttering. More muttering. A little bit muttering. Parting comment. *SHRAK*

"AGGGHHH!!" Tackle screams, and finally pulls himself free of the grate. He stands, the metal having literally ripped right off of his face as he runs as fast as he can for the cover of an alleyway. Did It get him or what?

Foxfire continues to stare in horror at the scene of carnage. < < Grimlock! Kup! > > he radios. < < The scent...the sight...I can't handle this! > > But then a message comes to him, and he forces himself to swallow his horror. Speechlessly, he slowly slinks farther into the warehouse, then hurries out of the way as Carnivac stalks by, only to be grabbed by Grimlock. He dims his optics momentarily before turning them back online, almost as if wishing this was all just a bad dream.

However, Foxfire's attention is drawn to Tackle. He whips around in his direction, optics wide as he watches the mech struggle, his screams piercing his audials and sinking into his processor. When the screams temporarily stop, he picks up on the muttering, easily making out what's being said. He waits until Tackle flees before creeping over to the grate in silence, his curiosity getting the better of him. Despite the horrors around him, he still has a duty to fulfill, and investigating is part of it.

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Okay, Jetfire. I'll...I'll endure this.  Grimlock, Kup, the plot is thickening..."

Armored Locomotive < Astrotrain > 's light is swivelling all around now as things start happening fast! For a moment he's got the grate, and Carnivac illuminated, but it swivels to follow Tackle atthat moment, conveniently missing the point that Grimlock makes his move to grab the Pretender.

By this point, the triplechanger is rising up as he transforms, his face turning into a confused expression as he sees Tackle start running past him...with no face on top of it all? "What the...? Hey wait, wait! What the frag was it that...what did you...HOLD STILL ALREADY!"

With absolutely no care for the pain/terror that the other mech is going through, Astrotrain abruptly seizes up the civvie-designed robot in one huge hand and slams him against the wall harshly. "Oh for the love of, QUIT YOUR SCREAMING! Here!" With that, he slams a large metal bin that looks like a bucket upside-down over the Decepticon agent's head. He then produces a transformer-sized sharpee type marker and uses it to draw a couple of quick eyes and a smiley face.



And this smiley face is what he speaks into, "Now what the frag happened already!? What'd you see!?"

In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode.

By some stroke of positioning in order to turn his head towards the grating, Carnivac looks away from where a Dinobot of all things is trying to hide. Ears tilt forward, as if straining to hear something. "Oooo, I think Tackle found the ass--rrff!" Only Carnivac gets grabbed before he can reveal anything he heard though, yanked back as Grimlock tries to grapple him into submission.

It works for a few moments.. Until Carnivac manages to pull his head free, and with a barking cackle attempts to chomp down on Grimlock's hand before he can regag him.

< Autobot > Kup says, "What's going on Foxfire?"

Combat: Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > misses Grimlock with his Finger Food (Punch) attack!

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Someone's in this grate. That mech...someone in the grate was threatening to kill him unless he provided certain information.  But the voice...the voice sounded familiar, somehow."

< Autobot > Kup says, "Okay, that's it. Autobots? If you're outside? RUSH IN!"

When the old mech makes his way into the warehouse, the Robot Tiger jumps. "Don't come in here with that old mech stink! You're ruining the odor!" the Predacon complains. He lashes out at Kup with his claws.

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > misses Kup with his Old Man Scratching Post! (Punch) attack!

Blockbuster swings low over the scene below, scanning the wall that Astrotrain blew through and humming, "Looks like a mess." he mutters to himself, and then rather than holding his position overhead he drops to the ground while transforming and starts to approach the warehouse through the hole the triple changer made, "Astrotrain, what the hell is going on --" he takes a look around, "Hmm..." he trails off, optics dimming as he takes a long slow look over the situation, his armguns clicking to life as the ammo belts lock into position.

The A-10 pulls up sharply, engines suddenly sliding forward on the frame, nose splitting down the middle and opening to either side as a head pops out, the wings lock over arms, and the tail splits into legs leaving Blockbuster in robot mode.

Tackle is shaking like a leaf, but gosh, he looks so happy with that smiley face, now. One might even say it was an improvement over his old face, if they were total bastards, anyway. "I... hn... hnn... I... hnnn! I didn't see him! He just... pulled me in, and he said he'd kill me if I didn't talk, and I had to talk dammit you gotta understand, I had to tell him where Gamma cell was because if I didn't I was going to die and oh geeze he pulled my face off why would someone do that MY FAAAACE!!! Primus it hurts!!!"

Meanwhile, Foxfire might get a glimpse of red and white legs walking off further down the storm drain, somewhere further into the city...

Grimlock grunts and struggles- he curls his hand into a fist, so when Carnivac bites on it, it's like a dog trying to sink its teeth into a bowling ball! Of course, in blundering about, this brings him into full view of Astrotrain, Rampage, Tackle, and whoever else might be inside the warehouse.

"Hn. So much for sneaky stuff!" Grim says. He rears back with both arms, and HEAVES Carnivac at his fellows! This done, Grimlock growls out a challenge, and points accusingly at the bad guys. "Hn. Now tell me Grimlock which of you buddies stabbed everybody!"

Combat: Grimlock misses Astrotrain with his Throwed! (Ruckus) Area attack!

Combat: Grimlock misses Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > with his Throwed! (Ruckus) Area attack!

Foxfire lowers his ears, Tackle's screaming still reaching him. He does his best to ignore it, instead sniffing around the grate before peering into it. The mysterious mech's scent is masked by that of the spilled energon and mech fluid, so he can't determine who it is, but he does catch sight of them for a second. 'Red and white?' he thinks, narrowing his optics in puzzlement. He becomes suspicious as a thought dawns on him. 'It couldn't be. Could it?'

Blockbuster, after listening to Astrotrain, backs right out of the warehouse, calling towards Grimlock, "If you can catch us, you might get an answer, but not before!" and leaps into the air, transforming as he climbs into the air with a scream of his accelerating turbofan engines. The A-10 Thunderbolt II locks in on to Astrotrain's signal, ready to offer air support during the rush to save another group of their own agents.

The wingshields detach from his arms, expanding outwards as his arms come up, hiding his head and forming the front end of an A-10, his legs collapse partially as the jet engines slide back and lock into place, leaving Blockbuster in his A-10 Thunderbolt II form.

Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > gets lobbed hard by the Dinobot commander, and hopefully Astrotrain knows well enough to duck when he hears the yowling from the monsterous wolf as he flies through the air under no power of his own. The beast churns mid-air though, twisting around to hit against a wall on his own paws, powerful hydraulics compressing to absorb the shock of impact from even a Grimlock throw. Followed by kicking off with the bled off momentum to flip forward and land on the ground.

"You ignorant imbacile!", he snaps back at Grimlock. "Stabbing is only -one- of -several- deprived deaths inflicted upon them. Methinks Dinobots need to learn of more ways than that of the smashy-smashy!" The cannon on his back swivels in Grimock's direction, and fires off an energy sapping anti-heat ray at him. If he's trying to just blast Grimlock, or slow him down from following the others, is anyone's guess. The manevolent smirk and deviant giggling from the wolf-beast make it hard to tell when he's being clever or just crazy.

Combat: Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > sets his defense level to Aggressive.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I get it." Astrotrain speaks completely without sympathy, "My face is tore off, boo hoo hoo, it hurts so much, waah waah. suck it up, Jack!" He pauses, then taps the bucket-head with a finger.

"Your name is Jack now, by the way. Frankly I dunno what use you wimps are supposed to be to us if ya can't even keep yerselves from getting turned into somebody's modern art displ...GACK!"

He throws himself down a bit as a flying pretender-wolf comes his way, managing to avoid getting clobbered in the process. He even has the presence of mind to keep ahold of Tackle when he does it too. He still needs the little bucket-faced freak afterall. "I see you're about as swift as ever, Grimlock! So here's somethin for ya to ponder over for the next few hours while ya try to figure it out. WE DIDN'T DO IT!"

And with that, Astrotrain abruptly transforms, all but swallowing Tackle up inside of him as he slams down onto his huge steel wheels again. "Let's go, you maniacs! And as for you, Jack, you make sure I got the right destination I'm heading for!" Yes, that's right. Rather than standing and fighting, Astrotrain is now jetting -away- from Grimlock and the other Autobots, namely by smashing through the wall of another building and picking up speed as he quite literally makes his way across sidestreets towards his new destination like...well, a speeding locomotive.

We -did- mention he's not into subtlety, right?

With body twisting in place while folding up on himself, Astrotrain slams to the ground as a huge armored locomotive.

Combat: Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > strikes Grimlock with his Anti-Thermal Cannon attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: That attack has slowed Grimlock, making him less efficient.

Robot Tiger < Rampage > 's scratching post somehow disappears, forcing the Predacon to choose another target. "Ah, Grimlock! Time for stupid Dinobots to get taken down!" The Tiger tries shooting at the Dinobot Commander with his side-mounted guns.

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > strikes Grimlock with his Gun-Ports attack!

< Autobot > Horsepower says, "... Ah'll get out the -big- roll of duct tape."

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Armored Locomotive < Astrotrain > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Combat: Armored Locomotive < Astrotrain > takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

The Global Pose Tracker marks that A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

"Hah! You no can trick me Grimlock! There am no Autobot that am this stabbity! Not even-" and Grimlock's thought process suddenly grinds to a halt- which allows the other primitives to hose him down with firepower- even if said firepower doesn't slow him down that much.

He soon shakes his head- and then turns towards Rampage, snarling angrily now. He transforms to his dinosaur mode and ROARS- at which point he spits out a stream of flame at the bothersome tiger! *FWOOOSH!* This done, he storms off after Astrotrain- not nearly as fast, but determined, nonetheless!

With a grunt and a growl, Grimlock changes into a robot T-rex! Watch out.

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Robot Tiger < Rampage > with his Fire Breath attack!

"Jack?" Jack says, feeling around blindly as the bucket wobbles around on his head. "Um, okay, well, I suppose I can helWOOAAAAAAHHHH!" And he yells in surprise as he is suddenly swallowed into Astrotrain's body, an effect somewhat aided by the animator drawing things kind of vaguely. Within the locomotive, Jack tilts the bucket up so he can see, and says, "Right, just take a l--" SMASH! Astrotrain just barrels right through a building, and Jack just says. "--or just drive right through the building instead, that might be faster."

Foxfire peers into the storm drain for a moment longer, then straightens himself and starts heading out of the warehouse, careful not to step in any fluid and basically just trying to ignore the carnage. As he is not really built for fighting larger opponents, he leaves the Decepticons to his comrades and makes his way over to Tackle--or rather, Jack. But before he can ask the mech anything, Astrotrain decides to steal him and then speed away. Foxfire mentally utters an annoyed curse. So much for that plan!

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "I need more time to investigate. Can you handle the 'Cons, Grimlock?"

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Hnnn. Where am him Repugnus?"

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "I don't know, but I'll find out."

The A-10 shoots over the buildings as Astrotrain goes through them, climbing and weaving around obstacles like an expert - which he is. Blockbuster's scanners scan back, picking up the dinobot and commenting, "We've still got company back there, slow but steady. I think Rampage might be able to slow him down." he turns himself sideways, squeezing through a pair of towers that nearly collapse behind him after the abuse Astrotrain had leveled upon them, "Is that faceless wonder in there guiding us true, sir?"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Is there a reason you're looking for Repugnus? Like, on purpose?"

With Grimlock's systems left sluggish, and the big oaf just being slow in general, Carnivac has little trouble bounding past him to follow the others, all too happy to turn this into a running battle to keep slowing down the Dinobot from following the others. Turning his head as he passes, two lances of red energy fire briefly from his eyes, aimed at the wall of the warehouse just above and behind him. This causes a small eruption as the intense lasers rip through the infrastructure, and send a portion of the wall tumbling down towards Grimlock while he's trying to flambe the Predacon. Probably won't do much damage to that thick armor, but anything that slows him down is still good at this point.

Combat: Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Eye Laser Collateral Damage attack! [Pulled -1]

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Aside from that fact that he should be somewhere in this vicinity?"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Hmmm... and he's not?"

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "If he is, I can't smell him. The scent of spilled energon and mech fluid is still lingering in my nose."

Robot Tiger < Rampage > sputters and fumes as a stream of dinobot bad breath ignited gets blown right into his face. A puff of smoke comes out of his mouth afterwards and a slight cough. "Alright, that's it! No more playing around!" the Predacon roars, and leaps. Time to maul a T-rex!

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Mauling attack!

Armored Locomotive < Astrotrain > keeps smashing through wall after wall, cutting through side streets by simply crossing over them. Literally. "He better be pointing me in the right direction if he knows what's good for him!" The triplechanger snarls, and makes NO point in trying to hide it from Jack either.

"Okay so, this way, then hang a left and...this building right here, right?"

Without even waiting for confirmation, Astrotrain turns and hurls down the street for his target, picking up speed like a rocket with a deafening *FWOOOSH* of his boosters kicking in in a rush of brilliant flame!

Cue to a brief inside-view on the other side of the wall of the building in question, as it suddenly explodes -inwards- as the front end of the train comes smashing through! "Heeeere's Johnny!"

*crickets chirp*

"...fine!" Slamming into reverse, Astrotrain backs out of the hole. A few seconds later, a second one is made a short distance next to it as he smashes through a -second- time.

"...OH YEAH!"

"RARGH!"

Grimlock is used as a scratching post- but this just makes him angrier. He twists about and attempts to grab hold of Rampage with his little dino-arms- though those arms are surprisingly strong! He attempts to throw the Predacon to the floor...and once he's there? *KA-STOMP!*

The wreckage from Carnivac's lasers bounces off of Grim's armor- denting it, but not slowing him. "Grr! Me Grimlock gonna GET YOU!" he snarls, and slowly plods forward, following the path of destruction Astrotrain's wrought. "Me gonna get you GOOOOOOD!"

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Robot Tiger < Rampage > with his STOMP! (Kick) attack!

"Y... yeah, just keep going that way," Jack says, feeling he's not doing as much of the guiding as he should be, but so long as they get there...

The building Astrotrain crashes into, it turns out, is a factory of some sort. Shut down in the wake of the war, but it was in pretty good condition until Astrotrain made two dramatic entrances into it. And what does he find inside the factory?

"Well, this is awkward," Repugnus says, holding some 'civilian' in a vicious armlock. Squirming about the floor are more injured 'civilians,' with a handful more of them actually on their feet and looking like they were waiting for their turn to try and punch him, like ninjas in a Chuck Norris movie. "And I don't just mean how you busted in, like, TWICE," the Monsterbot continues. "I mean, I'm busy over here, you know. So. Uh. Come back in fifteen, 'stro? I'll be your BFF forever if you do!"

Jack, meanwhile, begins running around in a panic, though he does so looking quite happy, at least. "Oh, oh Primus, that voice... it was him! It was him!"

Repugnus pauses, thinks. "Wait. BFF already has forever in it, doesn't it? Okay, I'll be your BFF... squared!"

Though he has absolutely no way off actually catching up, Foxfire decides to follow Astrotrain. He's easy to track, what with the trail of destruction the Triplechanger has left in his wake. Foxfire moves as fast as his four legs can carry him, all the while still invisible. < < Just hang in there, Grimlock, >  > he radios. < < I'm trailing Astrotrain. One way or another, we will find out what's truly going on. Mark my words. > > Despite his previous reaction to the macabre scene inside the warehouse, it seems to have inspired new confidence within the small saboteur.

Wreck-Gar has arrived.

With the revelation of what is going on inside the Factory, the A-10 Thunderbolt II circles wide, pulling away while his weapon systems go full hot, the AGM-65's on his pylons coming to life with their own simple little targeting systems chirping away happily at the variety of targets around. However, as he swings slowly around, a deep scan gives Blockbuster the look he needed to make sure he doesn't drop a chunk of ceiling on the Wing Leader. Throttling back while he's still a ways out, he calculates flight times and times his own speed to make it work best. A plume of smoke erupts as one of the AGM's is launched, followed quickly by a second - he wants to make SURE he punches through the top of the warehouse with the missiles before he himself plows through, intending to take Repugnus off-guard and give A-train an opening to strike.

Robot Tiger < Rampage > urghs as he's curbstomped by Grimlock. "OW!" he complains. As Grimlock stomps, the Predacon tries to kick the Dinobot off him. "Giddoff, you're heavy!" he says.

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Kick attack!

With powerful legs and a surprising amount of speed for something his size, Carnivac bypasses Grimlock while the later is busy toying with Rampage along the way with ease in leaps and bounds. Literally, as he uses said powerful legs to leap onto a rooftop with little trouble. At first he's looking towards where Astrotrain is leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, so he can follow before all the good smashing is done.

But just as he's about to leap off again he pauses, and turns his head back a bit. From the new vantage point and not being distracted by tussling with Grimlock, hightened senses pick up on something moving in the shadows of the Triplechanger's wake in the smashed streets below. "It would seem we have more sneaks about than we thought..." he murmurs in a moment of seeming sanity... until it fades into giggling as his eye lasers fire out. They slice through the street below and into the base of a street lamp, knocking it over.

It seems at random at first, until the pose crashes to the street just behind the fox, the light emitting electronics giving off a final brilliant flash as they smash into the pavement, potentially revealing the unwanted tailer...

Combat: Giant Armored Timberwolf < Carnivac > searches for Foxfire.

Combat: Foxfire has been found!

Caught in the figurative spotlight so to speak, Repugnus is illuminated by the big train's headlight and nicely and BRIGHTLY outlined with his hands in the figurative cookie jar. Or rather in that particular unfortunate mech's face. "End of the line, parasite!" The triplechanger announces, opening his rear ramp and ejecting Jack unceremoniously out the back complete with an audible *PFFFRT* noise.

He raises up in transformation in the next instant, one hand rubbing his chin, the other on his hip. "What...what is this strange feeling? This sensation of feeling torn? On one hand, I want to punch your ugly Autobot face...on the other hand, I love the idea of seeing the looks on the other Autobots' faces when they get here, so I'm tempted to just stand aside and wait for them to catch up! What should I do? What would Galvatron do?"

Unceremoniously, he reaches out and takes hold of a piece of debris that looks conveniently like a crown-shape and plunks it on his head before changing the pitch of his voice to resemble a certain warlord, "...ahem. You fools let my agents get slaughtered and didn't even raise a hand to retrieve them? NYARGH!"

Just as calmly, he removes the 'crown' and nods safely, like he just did some VERY important research, "Yep, guess that settles it. C'mere you so I can squish ya good and proper!" And with that, Astrotrain abruptly hurls forward the 'crown' and aims it at Repugnus' head.

In a chorus of shifting and spinning parts, Astrotrain's body spins and lifts up into his large robot mode.

The Global Pose Tracker marks that A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Combat: Astrotrain strikes Repugnus with his You've been...CROWNED! (Punch) attack!

Combat: You took 11 damage.

"Grr! Go 'way! Me Grimlock gots better things for do!" he snaps at Rampage, and then flares his optics- lancing out with twin beams of focused energy! Carnivac's not the only one who can have cool eye lasers! *kapew!*

This done, Grimlock puts in extra speed to his lumber- which finally brings him to the scene of...Repugnus, surrounded by Decepticons (and, or, maybe pieces of them). He blinks his optics, then gives a pained "Hnf."

"Me Grimlock shoulda knowed it wuz you Repugnus fault!"

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Robot Tiger < Rampage > with his A LAZOR (Disruptor) attack!

Foxfire stops dead in his tracks when he is discovered, his cloaking field promptly vanishing. He has a wide-eyed expression akin to that of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. After a second, he bolts, taking off farther down the path of destruction until he finally reaches the factory, where he, again, comes to an abrupt halt.

He stares at the scene before him, the scent of the mech fluid on Repugnus's body filling his nose. It's the same scent as the fluid staining the floor of the warehouse.

"Repugnus," Foxfire says lowly, his tone indicating horror. "I knew it. I knew it!" He shakes his head in apparent disbelief, backing up a few steps. "You're nothing but a murderer, Repugnus!"

Wreck-Gar wanders out of KNUJ Towers. "Hey Spongebob, what's with all the RUCKUS?!?" he calls out loudly. Then he transforms and heads off towards where the majority of sounds are coming from, popping a quick wheelie along the way. He skids to a stop near the rest of the Autobots. "Ohhh," he emits knowingly, as if he understands what he's seeing.

Wreck-Gar transforms into motorbike mode!

Repugnus's optics narrow, and he smirks at the triplechanger. "I see, you wanna see the fireworks when they find out what I've been up to. One problem--" He wrenches off the arm of the mech he had been wrestling with prior to Astrotrain's arrival, and kicks him aside as he screams in pain. "What makes you think I even CARE what they think? I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing it for me, because it's the best way to guarantee my own freedom and, well, *because it's fun.* You might as well just save them!" Then the ceiling suddenly explodes as Blockbuster makes his own dramatic entrance, and Repugnus's gaze is drawn upwards right before the crown is flung at him. It smashes into little bits across his forehead, and the Monsterbot winces.

"Ow--having your pal distract me like that, very underhanded!" The Monsterbot rushes forward towards Astrotrain, whipping the severed arm like a nunchaku. "Gonna have to HAND it to you, though, it worked!" he cries, as whips the arm at Astrotrain, aiming especially for his joints in an attempt to minimize his agility.

At the Autobots' shock and horror, Repugnus merely deadpans, "Oh, no, the Autobots have found me out, my reputation is ruined."

Combat: Repugnus sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Repugnus misses Astrotrain with his Dirty Fighting attack!

Jack, meanwhile, takes the opportunity to join the other collaborators/sleeper agents in fleeing out of a back entrance. "Wait for me!" he cries right before running straight into a wall. "Ow...."

With Repugnus distracted enough to get pelted by the debris, and then retaliating, that leaves Blockbuster free to press his advantage, still dropping towards the scene ports on his wings open as several lasers start firing, intending to strafe over the top of the murderous Autobot before transforming and dropping behind some debris and looking out to gauge the situation. He won't be able to stay focused on the bug for very long - Grimlock is going to be a problem after all, though it looks like Rampage and Carnivac have their attention on him for the moment, "Good... I can back up A-train on this mess." he decides, "For the moment."

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > strikes Repugnus with his Laser attack!

Combat: You took 11 damage.

The A-10 pulls up sharply, engines suddenly sliding forward on the frame, nose splitting down the middle and opening to either side as a head pops out, the wings lock over arms, and the tail splits into legs leaving Blockbuster in robot mode.

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Any updates?"

Robot Tiger < Rampage > gets lazored in the face! He blinks, shaking his head. "You're not getting rid of me that easy, dino brain!" he shouts, transforming and taking out his lightning rifle. "How about I send you a charge?"

Rampage rises up into his robot form.

Combat: Rampage misses Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Lightning Rifle attack!

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire speaks softly, his tone indicating horror. "It's Repugnus. The carnage is because of Repugnus."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "...yes, I have an update. I have found the enemy, and he is us."

< Autobot > Jetfire doesn't sound terribly surprised as he states, "I can't say I am entirely surprised."

Far be it from a predator to pass the chance to pounce on hapless prey. Cackling at the frightened fox stopped cold by the acts of his own supposed ally, Carnivac leaps off his perch. Transforming in mid-air to shed the Pretender shell, its back as a mechanical wolf more akin to the sorts you would see amongs the robotic ranks of Cybertron. Upon hitting the pavement he lunges again towards Foxfire while the tape-bot is shocked in horror.

But its only to bring one forepaw down, trying to pin the smaller aniformer beneath his larger clawed limb. Particularly trying to grab Foxfire by the back of the head as he's holding him down, so the vulpine can't look -aware- from the disaster left in Repugnus' wake.

"See, see?" He gloads, cackling. "Your so-called friends are no better than us? Who's got the morale high ground now, hmmmm? We've left the civilians alone, after all~" He's totally not mentioning the whole sleeper cell undercover thing, of course.

Carnivac drops to all fours, turning into a mechanical wolf.

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Autobots don't *murder*, Jetfire! That's all Repugnus is doing!"

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Wait! Me Grimlock have questions! Wuz them guys bad?"

Combat: Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > sets his defense level to Fearless.

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Oh, yes, very bad. You guys want in on a secret? This city was rife with Decepticons before they even invaded it."

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Hnnh. Really?"

Combat: Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > strikes Foxfire with his Paw Pin and Psychological Taunting (Grab) attack!

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "He may be repulsive in many ways, Foxfire, but..." even before he can explain, Repugnus speaks up, "I hope you can prove that Repugnus, though I suspect you are correct even without proof."

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "That doesn't excuse murder--ACK!"

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Yup. And hey, it was *self defense.* Really it was."

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Look like you self defended all over the wall."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "That's, uh, just my unique fighting style, is all."

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "I am going out on a limb, Foxfire, and suggesting that Command will agree with you. However at the moment things are a little dire to be focusing on this particular issue." he pauses, "Death is a part of war, and if these dead are indeed Decepticon Agents, there are mitigating circumstances. I don't expect you to like it, I know *I* don't, but there are many things that happen in the course of war that cheapen both sides."

< Autobot > Horsepower's response to Jetfire is agreeing with little more than a drawled "Eeyup." Why say much when little is needed?

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire goes oddly silent.

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "It is the cold hard reality Foxfire, even the good guys wind up killing. In war, there is no true good and evil."

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Sure there am!"

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Well, I guess that explains why I've never gotten a raise."

< Autobot > Whirl says, "You get paid??"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "We pay him to go away, it doesn't work."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "I'm terrible at my job."

< Autobot > Horsepower says, "Ah guess 'necessary evil' is the whole reason we even keep the Monsterbots 'round... We don't gotta like it, but they -are- able to do things the rest of us can't.... Or won't, at times like this."

Astrotrain hmphs, "I said I wanted to see the looks on -their- faces, not yours. I don't care about yours!" And then when Foxfire is revealed, and is expressing his horror at the Monsterbot's actions, Astrotrain proceeds to point straight at the Foxtape. "See? See!? That's what I'm talking about. That is freaking -hilarious-!"

Raising one hand to shield himself, the triplechanger abruptly lunges to one side as the severed arm comes arcing down to smash against the ground where he was a split second ago.

"You know, he makes a good point actually," Astrotrain observes, before oh so casually lunging out with one huge foot and bringing it straight up in an attempt to put it into Repugnus' chin forcefully, "You bots are -surprised- by this?"

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Psh! Me Grimlock better fighter than him Repugnus! Me no waste time ripping pieces off once they stop movings!"

Combat: Astrotrain misses Repugnus with his Kick attack!

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "We'll need to be certain this was justified on some level, of course... but war is ugly."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "This is fun. Ordinarily you guys have this conversation in your own heads while at the same time waggling your fingers at us like disappointed schoolmarms."

< Autobot > Horsepower says, "Nawt ness'arrily talkin' bout fightin', Big Grim."

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "You don't know me very well if you think I don't understand your value Repugnus. But I don't have to like you."

"You're no better than the Decepticons themselves, Repugnus!" Foxfire blurts out, his horror turning into anger. Before he can do anything, however--such as aiding Grimlock--he finds himself pinned underneath Carnivac's much larger paw, and positioned in such a way that he can barely struggle, let alone attempt to free himself.

Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > barrels on- his path carrying him out of the way of Rampage's lightning blast! This done, he takes a long, long moment to look over the scene- at which point he gives another dismissive *snort* of flame.

"Know what? Me Grimlock kinda glad you Repugnus around. 'cuz you so crazy, it make me Grimlock look good! HAW HAW HAW!"

And with that, Grimlock wheels around on the Decepticons. "But now, me Grimlock say it time for fight REAL bad guys!" And Grimlock storms into action, as he's done countless times before! First, he sweeps his tail towards Carnivac, aiming to bat the wolf off of the tape! This done, Grimlock storms further into the factory! A conveyor belt is smashed to pieces as Grimlock plows through it- the obstacle barely registers to him as he heads towards Blockbuster- his teeth gleam like daggers in the scant cybertron light before he attempts to close them down on the bomber-bot. *CHOMP!*

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > misses Blockbuster with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Repugnus glowers at the nimble Astrotrain, who avoids his every move. "Little triple-changing fairy." He starts waggling his hips about like a dainty woman. "Ooh, look at me, I'm Astrotrain, I don't like pain so I dodge it like a FAIRY! TEEHEEHEE!" Ironically, though, his girly gyrations cause Astrotrain's kick to miss his jaw, and even Repugnus is shocked by that. "Huh." But he chucks the arm-chuk aside, then looks about the room. "Need a more willing victim--NNNGH!" Lasers scorch him from above, and the Monsterbot looks up in time to see Blockbuster flying overhead shortly before he dives behind some cover. "Hehhhh. You'll do."

Transforming, Repugnus shuffles towards the aerial Decepticon in his creepy, hunched-over way, and once in pouncing range he bursts forward, talons raised high! "NRRAAAHHHHHH!" he shrieks, and stabs the talons down at Blockbuster viciously. "Oh, it's no problem, Grimlock! After all, I'm here to help my fellow Autobots in whatever way I can! And, please, Foxfire, flattery will get you nowhere."

Repugnus twists and flips around into his horrific creature mode!

Combat: Temporarily restricting the NO-ARMOR effect from all of your attacks.

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Blockbuster with his Shearing Claws attack! [Pulled -1]

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Junkion Motorcycle < Wreck-Gar > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Blockbuster ducks down behind the cover he'd found as the huge Dinobot goes crazy, the mech letting out a bit of a grunt at the sound of it, "Big guy is a bit scary when he's mad." he notes. The sound of ammobelts locking into his arm rifles, the three barreled weapons spinning up as he waits for an opportune moment.

The rampage from Grimlock comes to an end and the CAS specialist steps out from behind the cover with his rifles ready, expecting Repugnus to be going after Astrotrain, only to let out a yelp as he's pounced, the claws digging into his armor, "Oh you are a dirty motherfrakker." he howls, both guns speaking out with chattering sounds filling the air, "Get the slag offa me!"

Combat: Blockbuster strikes Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his Tri-Barrel Arm Rifles attack!

Combat: You took 13 damage.

Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > leans his head down and inhales deeply through his olfactory sensors. "You smell that?", he growls softly, mere microns away from the struggling tape's ear. "That's the sweet aroma of niavity being broken." The wolf-beast's tone sounds almost... euphoric in delight at Foxfire's poor shattering moral perceptions, giggling like the psychopath he is with delight. "For all they claim, you Autobots are no better than we are. If power is used to protect or to enslave makes no difference, pup.. it destroys all in time. Only those willing to do anything to survive, will. But you won't function to see that...." He opens his maw, metal fangs gleeming as he prepares to snap the fox's neck-joint in two...

But doesn't get a chance as the Dinobot's tail slams into him from the side as Grimlock storms past, knocking the wolf off of Foxfire before he can bite down and into the nearby wall with enough force that it collapses as he skids across the floor on the other side and into a pile of boxes. Must of been a shipping warehouse.

A few moments later he tromps back out the whole, shakes a box off his head, and transforms. "Alas, the dramatic moment has been ruined, but all the same." Pulling his rifle from subspace he points it back at Foxfire and pulls the trigger, sending a bolt of energy lancing towards the elusive little tape-fox. "But it matters not. Some of us only live to watch the world burn! Nyahahahaha!"

Carnivac flips up from his grinning mecha-wolf mode into his manic robot mode.

Combat: Carnivac strikes Foxfire with his Fox Hunting (Laser) attack!

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Enh, for some reason the 'cons love double-teaming me..."

Rampage fortunately isn't in range when Grimlock goes Dinobot-slag. He pulls out his thermal sword and prepares to attempt a chopping. Heads probably won't roll, but the Predacon hopes he can do some sort of damage. "Have at thee!"

Combat: Rampage misses Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Thermo-Sword attack!

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire grunts, "I wonder why!"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Stop complaining, I once had an entire wing of their elites chasing me around."

Astrotrain fumes as Repugnus pantomimes him and compares him to a fairy! "Oi, where do you think you're getting off calling me that! I oughta..." He then trails off and rubs his chin, before turning and pulling out a tiny dictionary, which he opens and checks. "...THAT's what a fairy is!? Ooooh you dirty rotten bug! I'm gonna..." He then trails off as Repugnus goes off to attack Blockbuster instead! "...wha? Hey! HEY! Get back here! I am -totally- not done kicking your face in! Doggonit!" Pulling his rifle as if out of nowhere, he quickly slaps a clip home and starts looking around as well. You never know when -another- potential target will present itself too.

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

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "That's only because your color scheme makes you such an easy target to pick out!"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "I won."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Oh. Did they give you a medal?"

"Grr!"

Grimlock twists about- and he catches Rampage's sword arm with those claws of his- and he *shoves!* the guy away from him. "Hnf! You still here? You dumb." And Grimlock stalks backwards a bit- not calming from his rage...rather, just lining up new targets. Thankfully, there's LOTS of targets to pick from, so he won't take long...

"Hey! You Repugnus! There any more of thems spies to worry 'bout? 'cuz if you get dead, how we s'posed to know?"

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Nope, a new paintjob."

Junkion Motorcycle < Wreck-Gar > transforms and then wanders into the steel factory. Did someone think 'another potential target'? Wreck-Gar takes in the chaotic scene and then wails briefly. He rushes out into the midst of all the shooting, trying to snatch up pieces of scrap lying here and there before they get stomped by stampeding dinobots, triplechangers or bug creatures. His arms are getting full when he comes across a severed arm that was tossed earlier. Wreck-Gar takes a moment to count his own arms, then satisfied there both there adds it to the little pile he's collecting.

Wreck-Gar transforms into robot mode!

The instant he is free, Foxfire gets back on his feet, whipping around to face Carnivac. He is then promptly hit by the Pretender's laser, the force of it, though not very powerful, knocking him into several kegs of fuel, which immediately fall over, their contents profusely flowing out and gradually covering the factory floor. Ignoring this, Foxfire quickly rights himself, getting back on his paws. He prepares himself, opening his jaws and unleashing a burst of flames, much larger than usual. The blaze goes in all directions, potentially endangering even Foxfire's own comrades, though that, of course, is an unintentional side effect.

And, of course, the spilled fuel catches fire.

Combat: Foxfire strikes Carnivac with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire strikes Rampage with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire misses Blockbuster with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire misses Astrotrain with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire misses Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Combat: Foxfire strikes Wreck-Gar with his Fox Fire Area attack!

Bug Creature < Repugnus > shudders under Blockbuster's rifle fire, the spray of bullets forcing him off of him. "Enh, Carnival or whatever his name is is mostly right, Foxfire, though there's one difference--I'm fighting for *something.* These 'cons don't fight for anything but the scraps Galvatron flicks at them from his dinner table, and that dude even tries to screw them out of that. Frankly they're a buncha friggin' dumbasses. And back to OUR conversation," Repugnus grunts down at Blockbuster, yes, I am quite dirty, what was your first clue?"

Ducking behind some falling chunk of ceiling for a reprieve, he replies to Grimlock, "I dunno, I got quite a few of them, but those ones running out just now? Probably going to go underground. I could track them down, but, eh, it will probably take a long time... oh!" He's delighted as suddenly the factory erupts in flames. "Ooh! Surprise disco inferno party... EXTREME!" he cries as he begins flashing the room with his stroboscopic effect!

Industrial Park

These crystal-studded indigo steel/titanium buildings rise a mere four or five stories from the ground and are widely spaced in this variation from the usual city architecture. There are no true roadways, just plenty of open space between the buildings. As with the Emporium, the buildings are also rather nondescript with the additional feature of being relatively the same size as well, waiting for the personal touch that would come with their owners. One building is designed as a foundry, equipped with shiny new smelters and molds for refining and processing construction materials. Another is a drone manufacturing plant, with automated machinery that can produce generic automatons much like the ones that operate it. Others produce circuitry, communications equipment, repair parts, armour, etc.. One other thing they all have in common is the fact that they are highly automated. There are few Cybertronian workers to be found here, at least for now.

Contents:

Wreck-Gar

Blockbuster

Astrotrain

Carnivac

Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock >

Rampage

Foxfire

KNUJ Towers

Obvious exits:

North < N > leads to Residential Sector.

Northeast < NE > leads to Crystal Park.

Northwest < NW > leads to Memorial Square.

Southwest < SW > leads to Crystal City Spaceport.

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Wreck-Gar with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Wreck-Gar's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Blockbuster with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

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

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Astrotrain with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

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

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Carnivac with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

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

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > 's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > misses Rampage with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Foxfire with his Stroboscopic Eyes Area attack!

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

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, in a low, almost dangerous tone, "Don't play with fire, or you'll get burned..." The faint sound of crackling flames can be heard.

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "You did -not- just say that."

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Heehee, PSD is fun and good for you!"

Carnivac hahahahahs as the crashing tape knocks chemicals all over, but it turns into a yowl as Foxfire lights things up, what splashed on him aflame along with everything else sloshed across the ground. "When I said watch the world burn, I didn't mean literally!" With a growl he transforms back into wolf mode, ignoring that he's still on fire himself to stalk through the resulting flames and smoke towards Foxfire. "Oooh, prehaps you have some spunk in you after all.

Pause.

"I hate spunk." Then reverts back to cackling as he barrels forth... and right into the blinding strobe effect from the Monsterbot, which the pretender's heightened senses do not take very well at all. "Yaargh!" Stumbling from the flash the wolf slips in the flaming chemical spill, and instead of a vicious pounce makes more of a skidding, flailing tumble towards the fox that's probably not going to hit at all before crashing into the pile of knocked over containers.

Carnivac drops to all fours, turning into a mechanical wolf.

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Why shouldn't I say it?"

Combat: Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > strikes Foxfire with his Crash And Burn... Literally! (Ram) attack!

"Hey, you ain't got it all figured out!" Astrotrain states towards Repugnus, pointing a finger straight at the monster bot. "I do this job cause one, I like beating people up. Two, I throw my lot in with the winning side and frankly it ain't gonna be you. And three, the pay is good, the scenery changes and they let me play with explosives!"

A pause, as he suddenly ticks off fingers, "Okay maybe that was three four and five actually. You get the point!" And then the whole world is BRIGHT AND SHINY AND EYE SPARKLY! "Gyaaagh! A bright light in my optics, MY ONLY WEAKNESS!"

Narrowing his optics to mere slits, the triplechanger raises his rifle and points at the big...reddish blob in front of him, that he -thinks- is Repugnus. "Grrrr, just hold still...." A series of bright purple beams lance out a moment later, spraying wildly!

Combat: Astrotrain strikes Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his Ionic Displacer Rifle attack! [Pulled -4]

Combat: You took 6 damage.

Combat: Astrotrain's attack has damaged your Velocity!

Combat: Astrotrain's attack damages your armor.

Blockbuster manages to drive Repugnus off of him, crawling back behind cover for a moment, just in time to avoid the burst of fire that bathed the whole area, "Whoa. That was impressive." he muses, "Didn't think a little thing like that could spit that much fire." and then - the sounds of transformation fill the area as the A-10 jets straight up, making a tight turn in the air just in time to get pelted by the lightshow, "FRAK! MY SENSORS!" he barks, nearly flying into a few different obstacles as he staggers mid-air. He could fire blind, but Blockbuster isn't quite that reckless - he actually tries to think and plan his attacks, how un-decepticon of him! Instead he does his best to reboot his sensor suite while he hurtles towards the far wall of the building.

The wingshields detach from his arms, expanding outwards as his arms come up, hiding his head and forming the front end of an A-10, his legs collapse partially as the jet engines slide back and lock into place, leaving Blockbuster in his A-10 Thunderbolt II form.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Rampage gets hit by fire from a fox! He backs off even though Grimlock basically decided to ignore him, more or less. His energon is low, so he tries to conserve it.

Combat: Rampage sets his defense level to Fearless.

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

Foxfire cries out in alarm as he is momentarily blinded. He paws at his optics in an attempt to regain his sight, and he does, just in time for the blurred form of Carnivac rush at him. As Carnivac crashes into the pile, Foxfire does the same, and a wall of flames goes up, concealing the two from sight.

But Foxfire is not bothered. He almost seems to be reveling in the heat of the blaze.

"Burn, Decepticons, burn!" he cries out as he slashes at Carnivac's muzzle. His processor seems to have been damaged somehow, and it's making him uncharacteristically violent.

Combat: Foxfire misses Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > with his Claw (Punch) attack!

Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > blinks his optics a few times- though this doesn't quite clear the spots from his field of vision. "Hnfh." Grimlock growls, "Stupid sparkly stuff. Me Grimlock think you used turn into, uh...sparkly...thing? Hnf."

And so, storms forwards anyway, at which point he starts laying about into anything that's moving! Just a liiiiittle hard to see in this state, with the building rapidly filling with smoke! "Grr. Stupid septi cons! Me Grimlock gon' crush all of you!" And maybe Repugnus too, if he's not careful! At least Foxfire's small enough that Grimlock knows not to step on the tiny thing! Usually.

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > misses Astrotrain with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Rampage with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his Dino Rampage Area attack! [Pulled -5]

Combat: You took 12 damage.

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > 's attack has damaged your Strength!

Bug Creature < Repugnus >, at a micro scale, has some of his ions shifted six inches to the left. At a macro scale, the effect takes the more mundane form of an explosion. "Hwuufff!" the Monsterbot grunts out as his body is smashed into itself violently, and the accumulated damage he's taken thus far is beginning to take its toll on him. Yet, despite that, Repugnus shows no sign of pain and even seems to be smiling in his hideous way. "Those are all good reasons," he remarks. "But see, the problem with two is that you aren't going to win. Your fate is pretty much what you saw in the warehouse. You're going to be carved up like cattle in a butcher's shop and your body parts will be scattered all over the place as an example to others."

Whipping out his talons, he snaps them both out at Astrotrain's head, trying to impale it. "You're a pretty tough guy, 'Stro, but sooner or later, you'll just be parts, too..." And he tries to force his talons back out of Astrotrain's armor, doing as much damage as possible.

...of course, either before or after that a big Dinoboot descends down upon and squashes him into the floor. "Fmmmmph. Slag."

Combat: Removed restrictions on NO-ARMOR for your attacks.

Combat: Bug Creature < Repugnus > strikes Astrotrain with his Shearing Claws attack!

Wreck-Gar is first lit on fire by Foxfire. "No, a Bud Light!" he calls, running around wildly with bits of the scrap metal he collected earlier, now burned and scorched, falling from his arms to leave a smoldering trail showing where he's gone. Then he's struck by Repugnus' strobe affect. "A BUD LIGHT!!" he repeats, this time wailing it out. Finally he trips over one of the bits of junk he dropped earlier, collapsing in a heap with the remaining junk cascading off of him, bits rolling and bouncing in all directions. That's when Blockbuster goes flying overhead -- straight at a wall.

"I'LL save you!" Wreck-Gar bellows heroicly, possibly mistaking Blockbuster for an allied A-10 after that feeling the blinding effects of Repugnus' attack. The Junkion leader quickly unlimbers a length of chain, spins it once to build up speed and and then lets fly, aiming to wrap it around the A-10's oversized tail section like a lasso.

Combat: Wreck-Gar misses A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > with his slooow down there attack! [Pulled -5]

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is too low, his flight erratic and uncontrolled while he tries to unblind himself, and as a result when Grimlock goes nuts he's tossed tail over nose into the air, smoke erupting from both engines momentarily before he manages to bring his full suite back online, "You're gonna pay for that, bug." he snarls, launched nearly out of the hole he'd made in the building, and in the process having the Junkion's chain bounce off of his undercarriage.

Proving, however, that he is a master of aerial maneuvering, Blockbuster recovers, spiraling back down into the room, only this time he's not spitting little lasers, the massive main gun that his entire airframe is built around has spun up, "You're goin' down hard now, frakker." he barks. As the A-10 Thunderbolt II drops back down, he walks his nose very carefully up, intending to zipper Repugnus right in half as he screams overhead.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > strikes Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his GAU-8/A Avenger attack!

Combat: You took 16 damage.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > 's attack has damaged your Firepower!

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Oof--okay, starting to get a little too heavy--"

< Autobot > Grimlock says, "Hnn. Place is on fire. Lotta dead stuff. Me Grimlock think us job am done!"

< Autobot > Repugnus says, "Yeah, starting to think that, too--"

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "Well, sometimes you get bit in the skidplate..."

Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > rolls onto his feet just in time to jerk his head out of the way of the smaller Primitive's swiping claws. "Aaaaw, now ain't that cute... but it's WRO--" A solid CRUNCH from getting trampled by a Dinobot the second time tonight cuts Carnivac off as he's knocked across the pavement once more. "Stupid Dinobot! Stop getting in the wa--heeeeey now." He pauses, on his own this time, as some scattering junk rattles across the ground in front of him. "I smell scrap and bad reruns!" he practically sing-sons, mood lightening a bit again. Forgetting Foxfire for the moment, he turns just enough to swing his back-mounted cannon in Wreck-Gar's direction and open fire. "This is our city now... NO SALVAGE FOR YOU!"

Combat: Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > strikes Wreck-Gar with his Anti-Thermal Cannon attack!

Astrotrain reactions are sometimes startlingly quick, even when he's unable to get himself completely out of harm's way. As he lunged forward to avoid getting caught up in the Dinobot's rampage, he ends up going straight -at- those lunging claws that are aimed at his head. But a sudden raising of his forearm has the blades shearing into the metal of his arm instead, protruding out the back in a shower of sparks as the big Triplechanger straightnes up to his full height, over the Monsterbot, "You think making fancy artwork with a bunch of unarmed wimps is gonna bother me? Or talkin all that doom and gloom crap like it's all predetermined? You ain't no psychic."

He suddenly wrenches his impaled arm back, another shower of sparks following as the limb comes free, right before it lunges forward as he aims a fist right at Repugnus' chin. "I gotta listen to Dreadwind, and Darkwing every fraggin day talk the doom and gloom, and I used to dangle a safety rope just out of reach of Autobots melting in the slag pits and call it a fun little hobby! All yer talk may spook those useless little wimps who couldn't put up a half decent fight, but with a mech like me yer taking the wrong approach!"

His other fist lunges forward now, aiming to slam into Repugnus' gut and start driving him back as the Triplechanger shifts from dancing agile-like moves to simple brute force, something he's also very good at. "What I mean is you talk too much. Shut yer stupid ugly trap, put yer claws where your mouth is and start swinging and we'll see who's standing when it's all over!" Another fist, then another, and another as he starts just punching over and over and over at Repugnus' face. "Hint...it ain't gonna be you! Gyah hah hah hah!"

Combat: Astrotrain strikes Bug Creature < Repugnus > with his Astro-Beating attack!

Combat: You took 11 damage.

Combat: Astrotrain's attack has damaged your Strength!

Rampage gets trampled by Grimlock, again. "Oh for Predaking's sake!" he curses. He transforms again and fires at Grimlock again.

Rampage collapses down into his Tiger mode.

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > misses Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Gun-Ports attack!

Foxfire does not emerge from the wall of flames. He stays where he is when Carnivac decides to leave him alone, merely taking in the intense heat around him. Being fire-resistant really comes in handy.

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

Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > shakes his head clear as he looks over the carnage..."Oh good, me Grimlock punched septi-cons." he mutters. Of course, this is just in time to get a fresh blast of machine gun fuire from Rampage! Grimlock ducks beneath the attack, and retaliates with a fresh pair of eye laser blasts. "Hnn! Foxfire! Repugnus! Get outta here! Me Grimlock cover you!" he snarls.

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > strikes Robot Tiger < Rampage > with his A LAZOR (Disruptor) attack!

Wreck-Gar yelps in pain as Anti-Thermal Cannon proves to be just as much of an anti-Junkion cannon as well. "The city...already lost?!" Wreck-Gar whirls around and points a finger at Repugnus, accusingly. "You've lost without even a fight! You've lost Rrrrroooome!" Then he turns back towards Carnivac and pulls out his axe. Raising it menancingly above his head he charges forward, aiming to carve off a few important looking pieces.

Combat: Wreck-Gar strikes Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac > with his Armor Axe attack! [Pulled -4]

< Autobot > Sit-Com says, "You know, in the bullfights, the bullfighter doesn't always win."

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire mutters, "What bulls?" He doesn't sound like himself.

< Autobot > Jetfire says, "An astute observation."

< Autobot > Horsepower says, "Sound like it's time to hit the pitstop and regroup fer next time."

Bug Creature < Repugnus > is starting to have a really bad day. It wasn't enough that Grimlock accidentally flattened him, no, then the Decepticons have to brutally double-team him, first Blockbuster nearly succeeding in ripping him in with a hail of bullets that leave his armor in tatters, then propelled backwards by Astrotrain's charge. "Don't know that reference, Wreck-Gar, you'll have to--unf oof ow--" Once the triple-changer follows that up with a barrage of punches, Repugnus's mug is pretty much obliterated under the assault, scattering into pieces everywhere.

"Heheheheh, that's a good speech, Astrotrain! Really eloquent. Bet you're Galvy's top speech writer," he mocks. The Monsterbot transforms into robot mode, and begins to run for a window. "But the thing is, I'm *getting to you,* Astro. You can deny it if you want, but which of us Autobots are you guys so fixated on destroying? Grimlock, the Dinobot leader? The guy who used to go toe to toe with Megatron and occasionally even beat him? No, no no. You're all going after the humble Monsterbot." He grins over his shoulder. "Because I'm *getting to you.* Rest assured, though--it's with good reason! Audios!" He flings himself out of the window in a spray of glass, then tries to scramble back under a storm drain before he's shot or beaten again. "Heeheehee!"

The creature spins and twists about into Repugnus's robot mode!

Combat: Repugnus begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Mecha Fenrir Wolf < Carnivac >, Robot Tiger < Rampage > , Wreck-Gar, Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock >, A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > , Astrotrain, and Foxfire

Whunk! The axe striking doesn't seem to do much damage directly as it hacks into the mecha-wolf's metal hide, but it does splinter a portion of it, sending bits of shrapnel flying from the impact point of the cutting blade. "What is it with Junkions wanting to cut off pieces of me?", Carnivac cackles to no on in particular as he wrenches free of the blade and flips backwards into his robot mode, the cannon popping off to land in his hands as his rifle, checking an otherwise unseen power gauge on the side.

"Hmmm, little low on charge... oh well!" Reverting back to his usual grinning, cackling self, Carnivac flips the rifle around the other way and attempts to slam the butt end of the stock into Wreck-Gar's head. "You hear that? The Dinobutt says to RUN AWAY!"

Carnivac flips up from his grinning mecha-wolf mode into his manic robot mode.

Combat: Carnivac sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Carnivac strikes Wreck-Gar with his ... What do you call a 'pistol whip' move with a large assault weapon that's clearly not a pistol anyways? (Kick) attack!

"Believe me," Astrotrain growls, "I -wish- I could be in more places at once to simultaneously dish out the fistbeatings on Autobots. I don't discriminate, yer just the lucky one tonight." He blinks as Repugnus then turns and lunges through the window in an explosion of shattering glass, and leaps to pursue at first, but stops short right at the window's edge, peering down into the street as he watches Repugnus scrambling for the storm drain and freedom! Smoothly, almost calmly, Astrotrain picks up a decent sized 'boulder' of twisted metal, easily twice the size of his own hand. He gives it an experimental toss up into the air before catching it again.

"You always wanna make it out like it's so complicated, but for me it's really simple. I do this..." Maybe for a moment Repugnus is stopped while he's getting the grate open. Maybe he actually turned to look back for a split second, who knows. Either way, Astrotrain hefts the 'rock' up and then HEAVES it straight down at the Autobot in the street with all of his considerable might as he attempts to catch Repugnus right in the noggin with a vicious fastball special. "...just cause it's fun!"

With the bug scurrying for the fridge, the A-10 swings around in a tight turn, displaying the legendary maneuverability that makes it so deadly in the rough terrain, and comes back across towards the withdrawing autobots, though this time he's got a decidedly different target in mind, "Y'know, ya overgrown lizard, I let ya be cause I had no quarrel with you, but NOOOOOOO..." the Gambler snarls, "You jus' HADDA keep makin' trouble for me."

Several clicks fill the air as he arms his rocket pods, two sets of 19 Hydra Rockets going live as he zero's in on the big lumbering oaf, "So why don't you get your big ugly skidplate the frak outta here, before I show ya just what kinda trouble I can cause for a lumbering oaf like you." more than 3 dozen smoke trails erupt at once, a shotgun effect of explosive rockets sprays over the area around the dinobot.

Combat: Astrotrain sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Astrotrain strikes Repugnus with his Rock to the head (Punch) attack!

Combat: You took 11 damage.

Combat: You are very aware that your life is in danger!

Combat: Astrotrain's attack has damaged your Firepower!

Combat: Repugnus falls to the ground, unconscious.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > sets his defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his LAU-61 Hydra Rockets attack!

Robot Tiger < Rampage > gets Lazored yet again. "Ugh, get lost, Grimlock," he says, "Look, your pathetic minion is already scrap. Why don't you take him and go?" His own eye lazors fire up and pew pew pew at Grimlock!

Combat: Robot Tiger < Rampage > strikes Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > with his Laser attack!

Foxfire's ears twitch as he hears the order to retreat. With the factory still aflame, Foxfire is still out of sight among the blaze. For a moment, he does not move, but then he suddenly leaps through the wall of flames and bolts toward the nearest exit. It's probably impossible to tell what he's thinking at this time, but it's now quite clear that there is something wrong with his processor.

Combat: Foxfire begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Robot Tiger < Rampage >, Galvatron, and A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster >

"Hnf."

As Blockbuster engulfs Grimlock in rocket fire, the dinocommander just GLARES at him. "Hmm. Next time, me Grimlock gon' crush you FIRST." he decrees- and then starts lumbering away- at which point he does take pause as he sees Repugnus' body laid out on the ground. And he looks at it for a long, long moment.

"Hnf. Fiiiiiiiiiine." Grimlock says, as if conceding some argument to his inner conscience (he has one! It's the little dinosaur with angel wings on his shoulder that says 'Don't forget to use guns!').

The dinosaur dips his head down, grabs one of Repugnus' legs in his jaws (gently...well, dinobot gently, that is) and drags him down into a nearby tunnel, and out of sight!

Combat: Robot T-Rex! < Grimlock > begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Carnivac, Robot Tiger < Rampage >, Wreck-Gar, Galvatron, A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > , Astrotrain, and Foxfire

Repugnus makes the mistake of waiting just a bit too long to make a witty remark at Astrotrain, and thus doesn't quite make it into the storm drain in time. The boulder smashes across his head, splintering his armor and finally kicking him over the edge into unconsciousness. "Heh. Heheheh. Heehhhhh," he drawls as he slumps forward, out like a light. "Gutsman's ass." He leaves the Decepticons to ponder his final words Grimlock hauls him away by a leg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFtZ0SbWTrg

"Is it over!?!" Jack cries as he rushes up to Astrotrain, looking as cheerful as ever. "And... why is it so hot in here?"

With the Dinobot dragging the disgusting bug away, the A-10 pulls up and - rather than dropping any more ordinance - announces, "I'm returning to CAP, sir. My systems are still well within acceptable operational parameters and I've got plenty of fuel still." the engines throttle up from their 'barely keeping him airborne' speed that he needed in the massive but enclosed factory, and hurtle him up through the impromptu skylight he'd made, "I do love my job." he adds, watching as a chunk of the shattered roof drops from the thunderousness of his passing.

Combat: A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Astrotrain watches as Repugnus is carried (dragged?) off by Grimlock, slowly cracking the knuckle-servos of one hand as he observes, "Well least we saved -half- of the little twerps. Cyclonus shouldn't complain TOO much..." And speaking of the little twerps, along comes Jack!

Who suddenly gets backhanded harshly by the triplechanger, sending him smashing into the wall behind him. Maybe it's a good thing in a way. Being unconscious he doesn't have to lament about the fact that he has no face.

Astrotrain then pulls out his marker again as an afterthought and makes a quick modification to his earlier artwork on the bucket.

x_X

Wreck-Gar looks right and left, as the Autobots start to disappear. He backs off a few steps, whistling innocently, then turns in the same direction. "Like, hold up man!" he cries plaintively. He does a quick run in place, feet spinning for a bit while from somewhere a high-pitched warbling noise emits. Then he dashes off after them.

Combat: Wreck-Gar begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Robot Tiger < Rampage >, Galvatron, A-10 Thunderbolt II < Blockbuster > , Astrotrain, and Foxfire

Carnivac howls with maniacal laughter, content with letting the Autobots run to their little hovel of defence with their tails between their legs amongst the burning ruins of the factory. Hah! Not even the mighty Dinobot on their side can save them!

Finally he calms down, at least to the normal level of grinning bastiche for him, and asides to Astrotrain. "Yes, because it's fun. War is too short to dwell on moral convictions, eeeehehehe...."

The A-10 Thunderbolt II roars down out of the sky, pulling up mere feet off the ground and labels you with round after round from his GAU-8/A Avenger Cannon, the result of the decimation is a +nom.

Jack's new face is quite appropriate considering that he won't be getting back up for a while. Well, maybe the flames won't get him and he'll be fine here.

"You're still a freak organic shell-mutt. But at least you got -some- priorities straight." Astrotrain grunts as he hefts Jack up and throws him over one shoulder, "Let's gather up the rest of these runts that are still kicking and ship them back. The Boss and his boys can decide if they're worth branding a purple symbol on or melting down for scrap. Either way, we're done here!"

Robot Tiger < Rampage > is pretty much on his last legs, but he is relieved to see the Autobots turning tail and fleeing. "Good, we beat 'em," he says.

< Autobot > Saboteur Foxfire says, "Heehee...FIRE!"

Carnivac grabs one of the fallen but still functional agents by the leg and drags him off, much like a wolf would carry away some fresh kill to offer to the alpha. It's only made more disportionately weird by the fact that he starts to hum some merry tune to himself while doing so, ignoring the grunts and yowls from behind him every time the poor flunkie's head bounces over a piece of debris.

You move southwest to the Crystal City Spaceport.

Crystal City Spaceport

Capable of handling multiple incoming and outgoing spacecraft, the gleaming new spaceport is an efficient layout of several large and small hangars, various warehouses, three launchpads with corresponding terminals, and three tall control towers, all of the indigo steel/titanium alloy typical of Crystal City's new design. Unlike the rest of the city, though, this area has very few of the city's namesake crystals on the exterior, as a concentration of them would interfere with visual and sometimes even instrumental navigation. Traffic is infrequent, despite the facility's capacity, and usually consists of occasional alien freighters. Passengers are equally rare, and the waiting rooms typically empty. Due to the lack of personnel, almost all functions are automated.

Foxfire stops in his tracks, stiffening as Sit-Com approaches him. He watches the Junkion with wide optics, jerking back when he reaches down to pick him up, but other than that he doesn't protest. "Fire, fire, everywhere," he murmurs. "Burn...burn Decepticons..."

Sit-Com draws back a moment as the foxtape reacts, then slowly crouches down and offers a hand for Foxfire to sniff. "It's ok, it's ok. The big baddies aren't here to get you."

Foxfire stares at Sit-Com warily for a short time before leaning in slightly, his gaze shifting to the Junkion's hand. He knows that scent. "Sit-Com?" he murmurs.

"Yes, it is I, Sit-Com," the Junkion replies, "Don't worry. You're in good hands with Allstate."

Sit-Com reaches down to pick up the fox so that he can get him repaired.

LATER

Crystal City Spaceport

Capable of handling multiple incoming and outgoing spacecraft, the gleaming new spaceport is an efficient layout of several large and small hangars, various warehouses, three launchpads with corresponding terminals, and three tall control towers, all of the indigo steel/titanium alloy typical of Crystal City's new design. Unlike the rest of the city, though, this area has very few of the city's namesake crystals on the exterior, as a concentration of them would interfere with visual and sometimes even instrumental navigation. Traffic is infrequent, despite the facility's capacity, and usually consists of occasional alien freighters. Passengers are equally rare, and the waiting rooms typically empty. Due to the lack of personnel, almost all functions are automated.

Foxfire has arrived.

Jetfire has arrived.

At this time, Foxfire is completely offline. He is lying on a medical table with one of the medics looking him over and basically trying to fix a certain problem.

Jetfire had finished directing a significant amount of the defensive construction earlier, though there was plenty more still to do, and now was taking a few minutes rest to contemplate more intellectual pursuits. The Guardian is seated on a large crate, datamask closed over his face and the red optic band flickering madly as text scrolls rapidly along it. For the time being, the scientist seems preoccupied with pursuits more pleasant to him than the tasks at hand.

The medic casts a glance over to Jetfire, seemingly wanting to speak to him, but he remains silent, not wanting to bother the scientist at this time. So instead he has a quiet conversation with another medic, seemingly discussing Foxfire.

Repugnus is still lying back on a slab with a tarp over it. He's looking a little better but seems to be twirling a bit of his internal wiring around a finger.

While he is offline, Foxfire is dreaming. It's a fantasy of a universe with no war...

Jetfire seems to know that there is something going on, and after a pointed delay, the Scientist stands slowly, the mask retracting from his face with a quiet flick. Turning to the two medics the Guardian approaches, "Something unsual wrong with our little friend? Besides the obvious psychological trauma that comes with realizing the world isn't as clean and orderly as he would prefer it to be?" he pauses, "Poor kid would probably be horrified to find out just how much killing some of us have done in defense of the Autobot way. It's not pretty, and we always avoid it where we can..." he shrugs, "IN any event, it looks like you require my assistance..."

The first medic jerks slightly, apparently not having expected Jetfire's approach. "Well," he begins, "Foxfire's processor seems to have been damaged somehow, which is probably part of the reason for his strange behavior. But we can't find the exact problem."

"Just hit his head from the other direction it was hit from originally," Repugnus snarks. "That'll patch him up right quick."

"I dare say you've done enough in regards to this situation, Repugnus, leave this to a professional in -this- field. You can go murdering all you want once you're up and running." Jetfire replies, not even looking at the repulsive bug, "Are you certain there is a processor malfunction?" he inquires, the mask sliding closed as a scanning beam lances out, taking detailed readings of Foxfire's status, "There is certainly psychological damage, but if you cannot find where the fault is, can you be certain one exists?"

Repugnus smirks. "I didn't do a thing to the little fox. Honestly if that little scene in the warehouse shocked him so much, then he doesn't belong in this freaking war."

The medic pointedly ignores Repugnus. At Jetfire's suggestion, he shifts a little, seemingly uncertain. "Well...that is a point..." He sighs.

Jetfire's scans are deep and thorough, "I did not ask if I had a point, nor am I saying there is -not- a fault." he explains as he is analyzing the data, "I asked you what lead to your conclusion of processor damage. This is a learning moment, I want to understand the thought processes and evidence chain that you followed to this conclusion." he has his own theories of course, but he's waiting for the full data analysis to be completed.

The medic pauses. "Well, it's just...very strange behavior for Foxfire. Surely mere emotional trauma couldn't make him act the way he has been... Slag, we had to manually shut him down so we could even take a look at him."

That reply makes Jetfire most grumpy indeed, "Such a point of view displays precisely how small minded you are." he declares, "I expect better out of MedSci troops. To discount the power of an emotional trauma is folly itself... I have no small amount of experience with such things." he regards the scan in detail, "There is no fault of any particular note in any of the systems that help maintain Firefox's personality matrix." (OOC: Innocent glow), "He requires time and assistance assimilating the psychological impact of what he has experienced, and he cannot do that while offline and in the hands of limited mechs. I expect you to spend several cycles studying - in detail - the effects of such trauma, and learn from this situation."

The medic looks a bit startled at this. "Ah...yes, sir. I'll turn him back on, then..."

A few moments later, Foxfire is back online, his optics returning to their usual glow. But he is silent, and seemingly just staring into space.

Repugnus is, meanwhile, sighing and rubbing his forehead. "Ugh. Geeze. The solution to this sort of thing is just so easy. If you see something that shatters your mind, just learn to accept and the new person that you've suddenly become. You'll start getting productive that much sooner."

Jetfire glances over at Repugnus, "I will not go into the psychological aspects involved in what you suggest. Sufficed to say your neural network operates differently than most. Deal with the fact that you're different and stop expecting others to react as you do." he turns back and scoops the fox up slowly, cradling him on one arm and moving further away, out of Repugnus' earshot as he starts to speak, "Foxfire? It is my belief that discussing and assimilating what you have seen is necessary if you are to recover to peak efficiency."

Foxfire does not acknowledge Repugnus or his words. He continues to stare at nothing, but his optics brighten slightly as Jetfire picks him up. He is silent for a long moment before finally responding. "So much spilled mech fluid," he whispers. "The scent of it still lingers..." His ears lower. "Am I going insane, Jetfire? I burned the factory..." Not intentionally, but it still happened.

Repugnus chuckles. "I ain't all that different. You shoulda seen me when I first rolled off the assembly lines. You wouldn't think anything was wrong with me. Why... feels almost like it was someone's else's life, and somehow his memories got transplanted in me." His optics twinkle a bit. "Those... were... the... days!"

Jetfire replies, "No, Foxfire, you're not going insane." the Guardian assures, "Such things do not happen to our kind. Your programming is changing however, your personality is reassimilating new data." the terminology is so cold and unyielding as the big mech speaks, "You will have to come to terms with the world as it is. This is a part of the world you had never seen, but has always existed, Foxfire." he murmurs, settling onto a crate and holding the Fox in his lap as he speaks, "Many of us have committed atrocities when put into positions where there was no choice. Repugnus is perhaps a bit quick to resort to uncouth tactics, but he fulfills a role that is necessary when fighting an enemy with no moral compass."

Sideswipe has arrived.

Foxfire really isn't sure if Repugnus is trying to be helpful. His optics flicker slightly as he steals a glance in the Monsterbot's direction. "..." Seemingly at a loss as to what to even say to him, he turns his attention back to Jetfire. "I've never killed anyone," he says quietly. "I'm not built for heavy combat. I don't think I could kill anyone even I wanted to. I just...I just couldn't handle seeing an Autobot act so violently."

Repugnus covers his mouth as he stifles a yawn. "You thought THAT was violent? Man, I was in a rush. If I could have taken my time, I'd have REALLY gone to town on them." He looks left to right shiftily. "...in self-defense."

"Foxfire..." Jetfire murmurs, "It is entirely possible that you are not capable of such behavior. However I believe it to be more likely that you simply have not found the something worth the cost of such action. You are so very young yet, not even infantile in the true sense of Cybertronian lifespans, in time... unless we stop this war, you -will- kill. There will be something too precious and too important to you and you will face the same dreadful choice so many of us have." his tone is subdued as he speaks, "I hope you never find out what your price is, as I and others have, however."

Foxfire's ear flicks in Repugnus's direction. "Those mechs you killed," he says neutrally, "was that in self-defense also?" Then a frown plays across his muzzle. "You're right, Jetfire. I suppose I just haven't found a reason to kill. And frankly, I hope I never do."

Repugnus smiles. "Yes, those were the mechs I was referring to. And hey, killing isn't so hard. Well, first one might freak you out. Ten thousand kills or so later, though, and you've gotten acclimated."

"So do I Foxfire, so do I." Jetfire replies with a soft chuckle, "That being said, you have to come to grips with what you've seen and how your world has changed. We still need you, and the war isn't over... I am prepared to help you however I can, of course, but ultimately something like this is within your power to deal with alone." he gives the fox a little pet on his head as he speaks, continuing to ignore Repugnus for the moment.

Sit-Com has arrived.

Sit-Com is puttering around.

Sideswipe wanders through, carrying this thing over there somewhere. He hasn't really been around to construct the base much, preferring to take patrols and missions into the city. He does take a moment, however, to stop where the others are gathered. He looks over to Repugnus, and interjects: "Hey, Repugnus... about that last mission..."

A smile, no -- a smirk creeps across his face. "Great job."

He nods to the others, and continues on his way.

Foxfire watches Sideswipe come and go. "Thanks...Jetfire."

Repugnus smirks back at Sideswipe. "Hey, I aim for quality." Turning to Jetfire, he winks at him. "Looks like I got my own fanclub. But seriously, Jetfire, Foxie'll be okay. Maybe he'll light a cardboard box on fire and giggle a little, but he *probably* won't try to murder all of us."

At some point or another, Rodimus has literally appeared. Maybe the animators suddenly decided to start drawing him in again because this was the part of the script. Or he may have just been miscoloured and blending in with the background. Either way, as Repugnus is speaking, the Autobot leader is standing behind the pallet wher the Monsterbot lays, arms crossed over his chest and just...watching him.

Jetfire glances at Repugnus, "Foxfire carries in him a rare gift however, and I fear it is tainted. Innocence is something that should be cherished, not shattered." he sighs, giving the Fox another pet before moving to set him down, having spotted Rodimus there, "Uh oh." he murmurs, "Speaking of maintaining innocence, we might want to step away."

Sit-Com sits down by the fox in order to pet him as well, taking on a tone and accent of Sigmund Freud. "Jah, now tell me, Foxfire, vhat is ze problem? Vhen did the bad things start happening?"

Repugnus hmphs. "Innocence just gets you killed. Better that he loses it now before he loses his life." He then gives Jetfire a funny look, tilts his head up, sees Rodimus. "Huh. Now, Jetfire, honestly, I'm shocked that you'd think I'd defile our dear Leader in that way." He tilts a brow. "...that's what you meant, right?"

"Repugnus... our 'dear leader' is not near so innocent as the fox." Jetfire says, tossing a smile towards Rodimus as he says this, "I dare say the words that will be had are not fit for such young audials." he glances down at Foxfire as he says this, though his tone betrays some amusement at the situation.

Foxfire abruptly perks his ears, staring at Rodimus as he takes notice of him. "Stepping away," he mutters, "is probably a good idea." Really, he can't tell if Rodimus is displeased, but it's probably better to be safe than sorry. As Sit-Com addresses him, he raises an optic ridge and peers up at the Junkion with an odd look on his face. "Long story."

"Well Repugnus." Rodimus says, leaning forward a bit and resting one foot on the edge of the slab upon which the monsterbot rests at the moment. "How about you fill me in again on the fine details of your last little mission?"

Repugnus fumbles about his person for a moment, then produces a datapad for Rodimus, with his recent reports loaded up. "It's all right here. Don't think I have much to add, except that the Decepticons seemed really hellbent on taking me out for some reason."

Foxfire mutters, almost inaudibly, "I wonder why."

"I read the reports already. What I want is to hear it from -your- mouth, Repugnus. In fine detail, no less." Rodimus makes no move to reach out and take the datapad, instead just leaning on that one raised knee with an elbow now as he never breaks eye contact with the Monsterbot.

Repugnus stares back up at Rodimus. "Oh." He retracts the datapad, shoves it away somewhere. "Hm. Well, I hope you'll forgive if I don't get up. I had a tiring day the other day. Not sure what else you want to hear from me. Maybe I'll start from the beginning. See here... there was this guy, Vinnic, right? He fancies himself some sort of robo crime boss in this town, right? Smuggles things in and out, makes dirty deals, has his ear on the ground... So, yeah, I approach this guy, and after convincing his bodyguards to let me speak to him, I ask him if he's got anything juicy on the Decepticons. Before he can answer, though, I notice one my fellow Autobots *is in danger.*

"So I tell Vinnic to keep me posted and I go help my Autobot brothers. We lose that fight because we waste too much time being big damn heroes, then the next day Vinnic timidly calls me up and tells me he's heard of some guys who might have been doing some work for the Decepticons. I'm like, 'Oh, really? Where are they now?' He tells me where I can find them, and I go there. Some abandoned warehouse, naturally. I just walk in the front door because I figure that'll intimidate them into giving up, but no, the instant they see me, they go, 'Autobots!? Slag, we better take him out before he tells the others where we are!' Cue brutal, mismatched fight, wherein I am forced to kill every single one of them to save my own life." He nods his head, and it appears that his 'expanded report' is going to follow this general theme as he goes on.

Sit-Com slightly nudges Foxfire. "This gone get gooooood."

Foxfire makes a kind of low "mrrr" sound.

Rodimus Prime's face remains suprisingly neutral the entire time that Repugnus describes everything that went down in painstaking detail. It's only when the Monsterbot pauses after mentioning the fight that the Autobot leader finally speaks up, "Was this before or after the particularly painstaking display that was put together that some of my other Autobots happened to come across? I'm curious what part of 'self defense' involves painting the room in mechfluid and spreading their limbs all over the place like some kind of macabre statue garden?"

Repugnus mock-winces. "Ooh, careful recalling how that went down, Foxfire might have a relapse or something, start burning things. But no, seriously, that's just my fighting style, which I have perfected over the course of many years. Maximum pain and dismemberment. Messy and horrible, I'll admit, but it works for me. It's really good for encouraging people not to fight me in the first place... though that didn't seem to work this time. Anyway! Moving right along, I investigate the site because, well, honestly I didn't get a lot out of those guys. I had to take them out, after all. But I did find some evidence as to where I could track down the next cell, since *naturally* I was hoping they'd just surrender this time instead of, you know, dying fruitlessly. And I did, some contact info, very sloppy of them to leave it lying around, but I was hardly complaining."

He scratches his chin. "What next... ah yes, so to get there more quickly, I hopped into these energon drainage tunnels the city recently installed in light of the fact we have energon rain again, and it turned that these things made for a pretty convenient shortcut. I pop up at the next site, some factory or other, kick in the door. I tell the guys inside, 'SURRENDER!' and they say, 'NO!' and things go downhill from there, especially when the REAL Decepticons arrived, not these fanboys and wannabes."

Wreck-Gar moves northeast to the Industrial Park.

Wreck-Gar has left.

Whirl arrives from the Sky above Crystal City.

Whirl has arrived.

Foxfire turns a glare on Repugnus, but says nothing.

Assault Helicopter < Whirl > drops down from the sky, dodging around an Autobot shuttle as it lifts off and then transforms before hitting the ground with a double *CLUNK* sound. "Is it just me or are the skies kind of quiet for a city under Decepticon siege??"

Whirl transforms into his reckless robot mode.

Rodimus Prime's turn to produce a datapad, though it has reports of a different sort on it. "So it turns out, your information was all correct on that front." He doesn't say it, but one almost gets the impression that there was supposed to be a 'luckily for you' in there somewhere. "These -were- Decepticon undercover operatives, and it looks like they were supposed to eventually link up with the Decepticons again, with the possibility of some of them continuing some undercover work."

He lets that hang in the air for a few moments, before narrowing his optics and leaning in a BIT closer at that, watching Repugnus -very- carefully. "Of course with the way you describe all of this, Repugnus, it really sounds to me like you work better and -prefer- to work on your own, isn't that right?"

Repugnus shrugs a bit. "Either alone or with the other Monsterbots, honestly. Most Autobots don't have the stomach for the kind of dirty ops we do. Hell, they won't even step into the same kinds of environments as us. It's a nonstop cryfest until the dude gets extracted. 'Waah, this acid's eating my armor plating' and 'Waaah, you killed those Decepticons, I'm telling Opppptimusssss.' To be quite honest? I look at most of you guys and I just see... an obstacle."

Foxfire lowers his ears, staring at Repugnus wordlessly.

"I see," comes Rodimus' reply. "So I assume that in light of your preferences in how you like to work, that you'll have no problem with informing Jazz that you'd like to return to your old duties and another Autobot will assume the position of Intelligence XO at a later time at his discretion, correct?"

Rodimus' expression has never once changed in the slightest, nor has his posture for that matter.

Whirl looks back and forth between all the people talking, trying to catch himself up on the conversation. "Wait, what WERE his old duties?"

Repugnus hmms. "Well, never saw myself as a leader anyway. You get rank and then you have to give a damn what people think, and who wants that? Jazz, though, I imagine he'll be distraught to see this come about. I'm sure he thought he saw something in me, but oh well. So, sure, I'll give him the bad news..." He smirks, and adds, voice quiet, "...though I gotta say, rephrasing this little demotion in this way? Pretty clever. I get punished in an oblique way and we minimize the amount of attention getting drawn to this little incident. Nice job, Rod."

Out loud, he lifts his head up a little and says, "Oh, well, I was 'counter-intelligence.'" He grins. "Sometimes I'm a little too good at it, though!"

Foxfire finally speaks up again. Something is really bugging him, and he has to get it off his chest. "Sorry about burning the factory," he says sincerely. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course you didn't," Sit-Com says, "It's ok, Carrie, it's ok."

"Let's just call it restoring balance in a way more agreeable to ALL parties concerned." Rodimus deadpans, before finally straightening up and removing his foot from the slab, "As for Jazz, I'm sure he'll manage just fine."

Finally stepping away from the Monsterbot's makeshift 'bed', Rodimus' gaze shifts down to Foxfire as he finally speaks up. He blinks once, then shakes his head slowly, "Foxfire. Burning one factory is going to be pretty small compared to what's happening to the rest of the city during this fight. Sure, if we can avoid causing damage to places we'll certainly do it but I don't think you have to worry too much." He gives something kind of like a sad smile, "Think of how Omega Supreme probably felt with the inevitable damage he was doing to the city while trying to fight the Decepticons."

"Counter-intelligence?" Whirl repeats, thoughtfully. "Hmm, not the Dinobot kind, right? You say 'counter-intelligent' and they kind of come to mind." After a bit he raises his pincer-hands. "No no, I'm just messin' with you. I know what you mean. Nice to know we've got someone working on that kind of stuff though. Who knows what those Decepticon spies are up to. There could be one in here right now, watching us, listening and taking notes, keeping track of our every move..." He turns his head ever so slowly to look over his own shoulder.

Foxfire lowers his ears a little and nods. "You're right. And I'm sorry for my behavior, Prime. I'll try to keep my emotions in check. For now..." He nods again, this time more confidently. "We've got a city to save. Any specific orders, boss?"

Repugnus chuckles at Rodimus. "Spoken like a politician. You oughta run for the Senate back in the US. You'd be a shoe-in." Resting his hands behind his head, he says, "Well, Whirl, if there was a spy here, I'm sure one of us would have heard or seen him by now. I gotta imagine, you know, that they must be REALLY nervous, especially nowadays, what with psychopaths running around and offing them." He peers at Rodimus's back. "In self-defense."

Jetfire has been watching in total silence, and when Rodimus approaches and addresses Foxfire, the Guardian notes, "Admirably handled, Rodimus." the simple words offered from one friend to another, rather than trooper to leader. His gaze drops to the foxtape and he smiles a touch. Even with the war grim, every now and then something would remind the old mech why he did what he did.

"We'll see with time," Rodimus says cryptically, though is he answering Jetfire or, something else? Either way, he doesn't elaborate on that, "Right now, the usual stuff, Foxfire. Putting the crunch to the Decepticons wherever possible. Getting the locals out of here and safe as well. Not to mention trying to find out just what it is that Galvatron -wants- with this place anyway." At that, Rodimus narrows his optics and stares off to the distant city skyline, watching bright blue and purple flashes as an aerial dogfight takes place on the far side of the city, "There's got to be more to this than a simple invasion. This is a gamble even for the Decepticons to make this kind of move. Galvatron's crazy but he still wouldn't do this sort of thing without looking for -something-."

Foxfire offers Rodimus a salute, as best as a quadruped *can* salute. Then he perks his ears forward, narrowing his optics slightly in thought. "Sounds like we need to do a little spying. Maybe I can find out what the Decepticons are up to. I can shadow some of 'em." Having a cloaking field does come in handy.

Whirl says, "Locals? Are there even any locals left around here? Don't they hear all the shooting and crystal breaking and, and..." he looks around searching for the right word when his gaze falls on Repugnus. Whirl gestures in that direction. "And screams of horror and stuff?"

Repugnus props his head up a little and grins at Whirl. "Well, dying in combat is pretty horrifying, so that's just to be expected. But if you're wondering why the locals haven't left, well, 1) Where are they going to go? and 2) They obviously thought OMEGA SUPREEEEME was going to save the day for them like he usually does. Or did."

Rodimus Prime nods towards Foxfire, "Just make sure you're careful if you decide to sniff around. Information isn't worth dying for, and it isn't much use if you can't bring it back either."

He then tilts his head in Whirl and Repugnus' direction, "THere's also the fact that a lot of Crystal City's defenses involved bunkers and shelters for the population in the event of attack. A lot of the locals are either huddling in these shelters waiting for things to blow over, or they're trapped in them now due to battle damage rendering them inoperable. Things aren't going to be calming down anytime soon by the looks of it, so we need to get the word out to these people and try to help them get clear of the city. We've always got room in Iacon if they want to join us...it's not like there's anywhere else for them to go, really.

A smirk crosses Foxfire's muzzle. "Aw, c'mon, chief. I'm *Foxfire*. It'll take more than some dangerous spy work to kill me." He nods then. "But I'll be careful. Promise."

Repugnus crosses one leg over the other, grinning. "And then they can drink our fuel and complain about how this is all our fault! Heh, I can't wait."

Jetfire has left.

"I suspect Galvatron's overly aggressive opening shots on the city may have helped our image with the more stubborn locals in more than a few cases." Rodimus states, crossing his arms over his chest, "But there will always be those few hardheads who think they can keep distant from everything. We won't force anyone to come, but we -will- always offer them the option."