Silica: All You Can Eat

&lt;per&gt;Mexico

Covering almost 762,000 square miles, rugged, mountainous Mexico is a land of extreme diversity: the modern tourist resorts coexist with awe-inspiring ancient cities, and snow-capped volcanoes slope down to evergreen forests, colorful deserts, and endless tropical beaches. The huge, crowded metropolis of Mexico City is only a short distance from tiny villages. Mexico's diversity is also reflected in its people; there are over 50 different indigenous peoples with different languages and customs.

Warsong marches out of the Decepticon Battle Bunker designated for land based personnel, his clawed hands clasped together behind his erect back. "Decepticons!" he calls, voice booming as a broad grin plays across his face. "You who have rallied to the call of destiny!" he bellows, chortling softly as he begins to pace back and forth in front of both the land and air bunkers. "This cycle we launch and assault on a Nevada based Silica Sand plant's delivery convoy! The aim is to retrieve the sand housed within the transport rigs', and return with it to Mexico to aid in Executrix Fusillade's covert experiment. Those of you with gears enough to follow me into the lion's den... Sound off!"

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; is present, and has a mouthful of something. He nods at Warsong mutely as he chews. His spikey tail lashes back and forth, kicking up the dirt and sand behind him.

Mexico is a bloodstained land by now, its name soon to be placed in the history books under the section for genocide, and catastophic losses for mankind. The Decepticons have brutalized this place in an attempt to make it theirs once and for all, and Snapdragon is utterly complicit in those dire acts. Time and time again the Horrorcon has come here and reapt a gory harvest of Autobot parts and human corpses, and once more he has returned to show the natives of the Earth what alien terrors lurk beyond the stars. Snapdragon is sitting on top of the bunker which Warsong had departed from, his massive weight no burden at all for the fortification, which is more than can be said for most of the remaining structures in the vicinity. "Hrn. Well that dazzling speech was enough to rouse me from my slumber, if only for the time being. Clearly you're the freshly promoted Sergeant if you're so eager to dive into merciless warfare." The triplechangers optics darken as he examines the far smaller Warsong before he growls out, "So be it. Lead the way, fearless one."

Warsong grinds his teeth together so hard that sparks fly from his maw when not every Decepticon on the base leaps to stand front and center at his call to action, though just as he is about to speak the Sharkticon waggles its tail. "Good, that is ONE!" he shouts, just before the Horrorcon begins to address him; the words of the larger mech drawing a chortle from Warsong. "My promotion has precious little to do with my eagerness to dive into merciless warfare, I assure you..." he replies with a hint of amusement flowing freely in his tone. "...Alright then, if these are the only two Decepticons present that may call themselves warrior enough to enter the United States Empire then so be it! We move out immediately. Only light resistance is to be expected due to the mobile nature of the convoy, along with its perceived low-priority status in the optics of the Autobots and the United States Empire's command. We will hijack the convoy as it moves through Northern Texas... To arms!"

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; nodnods as he munches. Finally he gets whatever he was chewing on down his gullet. "Food there?" he says. "Gnaw go!"

Snapdragon simply nods and takes to the sky in his jet mode to reach the objective with all due haste. Perhaps his eyes in the sky will give the Decepticons a much needed edge in this raid. Of course, having the advantage of surprise never hurts either...

Texas

Almost a country in itself, Texas offers sandy white beaches, heavy rains, and the temperate waters of the Gulf of Mexico in the south, bleak, barren scrublands in the west, breathtaking sunsets in the Panhandle, rolling hills and myriad lakes in the central region, and lush, towering pines in the east. Mountains, deserts, plains, forests, rolling hills, wetlands, coastal dunes, lakes, and rivers all mingle to form the Lone Star State. The nation's richest state in mineral resources, Texas is known for its oil and natural gas production, nor is it far behind in agriculture, second only to California.

The Lone Star State has seen its fair share of Decepticon activity in the last several cycles, and some within the State are beginning to wander if the increased activity is a sign of things to come. The news outlets, mainly local outfits, have been speculating heavily on whether or not a full on Decepticon invasion is looming on the horizon considering the Evil Robots' foothold in Mexico. Can the Autobots and the EDC adequately protect them with these 'bad guys' so firmly planted directly in their own back yard? Only time will tell...

At present, the latest strike force crosses the Mexican border and makes haste toward their objective located within a bumper to bumper traffic jam several kilometers north of their position. Simplot, Nevada's own Silica Sand, providers of some of the finest high quality Silica Sand in all of the Americas sit irritatingly ignorant of the approaching storm. "Snapdragon, you are our optics and audio receptors in the sky. Gnaw and myself are headed North and will reach the rednezvous in just a few nano-cycles."

"...and that's when we realised that if we could trigger a massive feedback loop, we could open all the doors in the cells" says Mishap as he sits cross-legged on Sludge's back, not really paying attention to anything important like 'where they're going' or even if they're going at all. That's because no-one told Mishap this was a guard mission. In fact, they told him that he was just taking the Dinobot for a walk.

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; cuts a wake swath moving up river leading towards the industrious facility zone. More nimble in the water than on land, the dinobot's back is like an island, and upon this island is Mishap. Talking complicated stuff inside a story. "Hurrr... If you say so." His neck rising higher above, he keeps his blue optics peeled for things of interest. Ayotzinco, now relatively established as an Autobot foothold in the middle of Decepticon occupied Mexico, does not need his constant presense, so he's been directed to go out on the lookout for further Decepticon shenanigans. They've already managed to cut off one source of supply for the Autobots when they took out that bridge a week ago. After a long pause Sludge asks, "Then what?"

The Horrorcon keeps high in the skies in his SR-71 mode to avoid detection while monitoring the situation on the ground. Of course he's hardly stealthy, but then again, he was never meant to be. If Autobot or human resistance proved to be too much for Warsong and Gnaw, he would intervene to ensure a swift victory for the Empire. After all, if they succeeded quickly, he could return to sleep. &lt;&lt;Acknowledged. Hopefully we will see some fireworks, Warsong. Then you can write up a lovely new poem on the subject.&gt;&gt;

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; tailwags some more as he heads in to raid the Silica. He grinds his teefs together, hungering. Perhaps he needs a little more sand in his diet?

"Well then we found Brake, Gantry, Tangent and Carry and busted out of there. With the bomb that Paradigm had made earlier and hid in the waste disposal, plus the rioting prisoners, we were able to get out and hijack a ship." Mishap pauses to pick at his teeth, surveying the riverside scenery with mild interest. " 'Course we had to get guns off the guards."

Warsong moves as fast as he can on foot across the Texan landscape, having assumed his slower tank mode only a couple of times when passing by heavily populated areas that threatened to reveal Decepticon presence within Texas too soon. As he transforms into his robot mode and begins to pick up the pace again, a chortle flows from deep within his chassis at the Horrorcon's words. &lt;&lt;Perhaps I will! You know Gnaw, Snapdragon... That reminds me of an Autobot I engaged in battle some twelve-hundred solar cycles ago. His name was Haikutron... We had battled for three cycles, attacking each other back and forth across thousands of kilometers! Finally, I gained the upper servo on him and he fell before me. His last words were... Slaggit my head! My head and my back oh no! I am offline now. Hahaha, what a riot!&gt;&gt;

Ted Wilks had no idea what he had gotten himself into this time, as he sat back in his big rig with cowboy hat slumped down over his forehead. He'd been sitting in the same spot for over twenty minutes, and it didn't look like he would be moving any time soon. "Man-o-man... I sure could use a beer about now..." Good thing for him he happened to have one. Sure, it was a clear violation of not only the law, but also his employment agreement with Simplot, but c'mon... What harm could just one beer do?

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; slows as the Silica Sand complex comes into view around a bend in the river. No wonder Sludge hadn't seen any significant numbers of fish in the river. Human presense is a constant in this area. "Hnnn... Sludge see pop-poo-lated place... Sludge go on land now." The Dinobot turns and walks up the riverbank, slightly tilting and jostling his back perch area where Mishap has been enjoying the free ride.

The disgusting jet continues soaring overhead, a long trail of filth pouring from its roaring turbines. &lt;&lt;Well as interested as Haikutron -sounds-, perhaps you could get to work finding this convoy. My sensors are seeing next to nothing out here save for humans and their disgusting animals bred solely for consumption.&gt;&gt;

...Snapdragon calls out over the radio.

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; waddles towards the silica. Does the Sharkticon intend to carry the silica in his belly? Well it's not like he brought a box or a garbage bag to carry it...

&lt;&lt;Bah... I thought you were suppose to be looking for the convoy? You've got the best vantage point after all,&gt;&gt; Warsong replies with a laugh. &lt;&lt;The trucks all have Simplot located on the side. The logo is...purple, and there is a tri-leaf over the 'm' symbol. You cannot miss it!&gt;&gt; 'Song calls from the ground as he continues to charge forward at a much slower pace than the 'filthy' interceptor jet.

"Mmmm... Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout." The ice cold frothy beverage hit all the right spots as it sent chills down his spine as the intoxicating liquid traveled down his throat and into his gut. "Hooo-wee!" This was his absolute favorite beer! Good old Ayinger Bru Weisse, Hefeweizen... Though if his friends knew it he'd probably be disowned! They all liked their beers domestic. At that moment something strange comes into view, and Wilks blinks emphatically as a large brontosaurus rises from the waters not far from the overpass upon which he and his rig sit. "Whoa!" he exclaims, reaching for his radio. "Jimmy, you seeing this? It's a Dinobot!"

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; loses his passenger to an interest in getting a carwashing or something, and the the lone Dinobot doesn't seem to take notice or register it for long. He passes by the fenced perimeter, giving it a respectful berth as to not shake the postings loose in the dirt, and heads towards the road and looks into the rig windows up on the overpass. "Hnnnn... Sludge not smart... but me Sludge smarter den you. Sludge say don't drink and drive." His glare is menacing no matter what mood he's in in this mode.

Filthy Jet &lt;Snapdragon&gt; continues his scouting mission, although now he begins to take in the information that he needs to be successful. &lt;&lt;Purple, and a tri-leaf with an M. Very well, then I have your convoy spotted. Due northwest, ten clicks. I'm closing in for optics-on identification. Perhaps I will -buzz- them to rile up potential ambushers.&gt;&gt;

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; waddles up to one of the trucks containing the precious silica. He gnaws a hole in it and starts filling his mouth.

&lt;&lt;Ahhh, excellent! Gnaw, form up on me and make haste! You will be consuming the silicate sand internally. If this mission is a success I will see to it that both of you receive a hefty energon ration for your efforts!&gt;&gt; Warsong decrees, continuing to trek through increasingly plain-like landscape. &lt;&lt;Hmmm... I do so hope that there is at least a little resistance though...&gt;&gt;

Jimmy Calhoun had been slumped over his wheel half asleep, and the sudden buzz of his radio caused the man to jolt to life! "YEEE-OWWW!" Jimmy exclaims as he hits his head hard on the canopy roof of his truck cabin. "What the heck is yer problem, Ted?? I was catchin' some much needed shut-eye...and we ain't even moving yet!" That's when Jimmy's jaw dropped, his eyes bugged and his face then pressed against his driver's side window. "Whooooaaa...."

Blinking, Wilks shook his head at the Dinobot that was currently peering into his truck right at him. "Wh-wh-what? I...umm, I didn't mean to! I thought it was Pepsi!" he shouts, swallowing hard before fumbling with the bottle that spills all over his pants. "Aww, man... Mah new slacks!"

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; likes slapstick comedy, and smirks to himself as the spillage hits the lap of the driver. He trudges away from the overpass and looks around. His gaze passes by some light traffic and settles upon... A Sharkball feasting on another truck. "Grrrr.... Me Sludge think that not right." The walking neckasaurus starts trudging along towards the scene of the crime in progress.

Snapdragon screams past the convoy and cackles madly as he does so. He growls into his radio, &lt;&lt;We may have a possible incoming bandit. I didn't identify it, but we should be quick in our duties. So fearless leader, do you need me to stay up here or to return to earth to help you with this collection detail?&gt;&gt;

Lifting the bottle of beer from the floor, Wilks sighs heavily and shakes his head. "Go figure... Now I gotta get the smell outta the cabin else Lloyd'll have mah a-hey! What the!?" The truck begins to shake violently, tossing the man inside around for a moment causing him to spill the beer on himself yet again. "You gotta be kiddin' me!?" he shouts before turning white as a ghost as he spots a set of impossibly large and jagged jaws clamping down on one of the tires of the eighteen wheeler through his side-view mirror. "Holy cow! Jimmy! Jimmy get out yer shotgun! Help!" he shouts into his radio.

Unfortunately for Wilks, the only thing that the man hears from Calhoun is the slamming of his truck door and the pitter patter of running feet as the man sprints down the highway. "Sorry, Ted! They ain't payin' me enough fer this kinda sheeeiiiii..."

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; is still stuffing his face full of Silica. Where is it all going? Subspace?

The massive Dinobot is rather difficult to miss, and when Snapdragon pipes in over the open comm the 'fearless leader' doesn't hesitate. &lt;&lt;Lets wreck that Dinobot! Gnaw can handle the mission... We will handle the surprise,&gt;&gt;" he calls out gleefully. "Glory be to the Empire!" he shouts as he alters his course ever so slightly to charge into the fray. Oy, all of this running is annoying... Perhaps he should have gone for a flight capable alternate mode after all...

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; is just about to lean down to pry off and pick up the Sharkticon when he is distracted. Sludge tilts his head upwards at the shouting declaration of bold brass bearings. "Huh?

Snapdragon transforms down into his robot mode and lands with a harsh thud on the earth below. A wall of dust goes skyward in his wake, and he roars ominously as if barking at the moon. "Damnable landscape. This -Texas- place is a wasteland worthy of some dead world. Perhaps when this war is finished Lord Galvatron will give me claim to it so I might wipe it clean from the face of the galaxy." The Horrorcon then casts a wild glare towards the convoy and cackles a bit. "So what now, fearless leader? Will we disassemble the Dinobot? Or perhaps you are capable of such things by your lonesome?"

Snapdragon shifts into his robotic form.

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; takes little notice of the Dinobot. His tail wags rapidly as he munches silica, which *may* accidentally strike Sludge.

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; strikes Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; with his wagging tail thwap (Grab) attack!

Warsong doesn't slow at all as he continues to charge toward the Mecha-Brontosaurus, completely intent on diving right into the fray. "Tag, Dinobot! You're IT!" he shouts as he throws his weight forward, throwing himself off balance to pick up a bit more speed. "Let us see if your assistance is needed! I have a strut to pick with these Dinobots!" Warsong declares as he leaps forward to slam his body into Sludge!

"Aiyeeeeeeee! Save me Jesus! Save me, oh Lord I'm sorry I knocked Debra up! I'm sorry I didn't tell Billy about the affair, or the time I lit that sack of poo on fire in front of that old man's doorstep that gave him the heart attack! Or the time I played keep away from that nerdy boy with his inhaler leadin' to his asthma attack! Ohh, Lord please! Please forgive me fer that time I drank that bottle o' Jack an' went streaking then passed out naked on Rhonda's porch that led to her divorce!" Wilks is not having a very good day, but he's not going down without a fight! Grabbing his pistol from the glove compartment the Simplot truck driver aims at the Sharkticon devouring his precious cargo and begins to fire. Pew! Pew! Pew! "I'll see you in hell beast-bot!!!"

Combat: Warsong strikes Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; with his Smash attack!

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; doesn't even register the wee tail clubbing from the Sharkticon, his attention on Warsong as he dives into Sludge. The Dinobot makes a light grunt noise upon collision, and then raises a foot over the Decepticon mouthpiece. "Tag? Sludge tag you, no tag-backs."

Combat: Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; strikes Warsong with his Stomp (Punch) attack!

Now is about the time when Snapdragon takes note of what the humans are doing and begins being the awful, awful creature he is. With surprising grace the Decepticon approaches the convoy where he had heard gunfire and an interesting slew of confessions just a moment earlier. He bellows out in his most angry god-voice, "Human! Abandon this post, and FLEE! Or face the wrath of a truly enraged MONSTER!"

Warsong's ruby-red optics go wide as he looks directly at the raised foot of the Mecha-Brontosaurus. "That's a big foot..." he comments dryly moments before he is struck! Over the rainbow, where bluebirds fly... Or rather where Warsong flies as he takes off from the Earth under a power other than his own and slams head first into the ground. "Arrrghh...." he groans. "I HATE Dinobots..." murmurs the Decepticon buried shourlders deep in the sandy ground, his feet sticking straight up toward the sky.

Ted Wilks is blastin' away! He'll be damned if he's gonna let these crazy Decepticons get the best of him! He may have lost it earlier for a moment there, but now it's on like Donkey Kong! "That's right, fishy! You're way outta yer element now! Nothin' but a fish outta water, an' they don't ever last very long!" he exclaims, still popping off harmless round after round at Gnaw. Then... Snapdragon appears next to him, and the man goes completely rigid. "Uhhhhh...." he starts, and begins to stutter. "Hamanay-uh-hahaha... I don't I h-h-hey..ho...ho... Ohhh...boy."

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

The Sharkball is continuing to try to gobble down silica, though now it's spilling out of his mouth. Undaunted, he keeps trying to shovel more and more silica down him. Oh, this can't end well.

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; turns towards Snapdragon and the eloquent human in mid conversation. "You ugly... me Sludge say you talk to me first." His optics glow brighter, then a flash of laser beams streak towards the horrorcon.

Combat: Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; misses Snapdragon with his Turning Angel Eyes Your Way (Laser) attack!

"YOU! Simple cretin! Do you know what I am?" Snapdragon hisses menacingly at the poor Texan. "I'm an instrument of destruction sent by an uncaring master. I come from the sky, but I am no angel, no. Nor am I a demon, descended on wings of fire to deliver your soul to an unjust and eternal damnation." Snapdragon continues to inch closer and closer to the poor man the entire time, his disgusting face dripping with grease and chunks of stinking offal from previous victims. "No. No I am something much worse than that. I am -real-. Retribution borne on wings of anger and relentless hate. There is neither salvation nor torment in your future, human. Only darkness. Only an inky and painful end. There is no God to save you. Even if there were, his blood would adorn my fangs just as yours will." "Bear witness to the the Beast of the End, for I am he!" Snapdragon rages, suddenly turning his gaze towards Sludge and leaping into the air above with terrifying haste. The energy beams pass him during his ascent, which becomes only a momentary distraction as gravity return the Dragon to earth, his fists now doing the talking for him. They say hello!

Combat: Snapdragon sets his defense level to Guarded

Combat: Snapdragon misses Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; with his Thunderfall (Punch) attack!

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; is stuffing silica down him so fast that it's still coming out of his mouth. But something has gone wrong. Either there's something foreign in the silica, or he's just eaten too much of it. Either way, the Sharkball suddenly steps back and heaves...

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; strikes Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; with his retching sharkball (Grab) attack!

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; opens his maw, a growl gurrgling from his mighty trunk like throat. Snapdragon's carrying on annoys him. And he sees the intent of attack coming. His internal fire maker broils up and he faces the dropping horrorcon, blasting a flame upwards. It works enough to deter the horrorcon's attack, but does it make contact? And why the heck does Sludge's leg suddenly feel warm?

Combat: Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; misses Snapdragon with his Fire Breath attack! [Pulled -3]

Wilk's lip begins to squiver, and his eyes tear as he stares into the face of pure horror that is Snapdragon. "B-b-b-but I don't WANT my blood to adorn yer fangs..." he sputters, his voice cracking. Closing his eyes tightly, poor Wilks begins to cry and sob like a child, his nose dribbling mucus. "I wanna go h-h-hoooommmee..." Just when all seemed lost, all seemed completely bleak, a glimmer of hope emerged in the form of the Sludge the Dinobot! Ted Wilks doesn't waste a moment! Leaving the keys in the ignition, his pistol on the seat, the man pops open the door and bolts down the crowded highway with arms flailing in the air.

"Hyunnngh! ...Hyuunnnngh! C'MON! Grrrr-aaarrrgh!" Warsong growls before a sudden pop resounds across the landscape as he finally frees his head from the ground with an eruption of dirt and sand. "Finally! Yuck, pi-tooie! Pah! P-p-plach!" Optics blinking, the Decepticon begins to glance around trying to find where the dirty Dinobot had run off to. "Where are you? Huh? Stinking Dinobot... Where is your warrior pride!?" he shouts, then spotting Snapdragon engaging his former foe, and then more importantly Gnaw as he begins to heave and puke up the precious Silica! "No! Noooo! You ding-bat! Suck it down!" he cries, running toward the others.

Snapdragon laughs maniacally. All of this biblical end-of-the-world doomspeak is absolutely hilarious to him, made only moreso by the fact that he actually did manage to scare the human off. That might have been a bit of the whole 'giant effing robot' intimidation thing going for him though. His fists of furious fury are indeed deterred by the eruption of flame, something which catches Snapdragon somewhat by surprise as evidenced by his optics going wide and him yelling "Hot stuff coming through!" Yeah he can be cliche sometimes. Still, the Horrorcon manages to activate his boosters in time to overshoot Sludge and his volcanic breath. "You Dinobots are all the same! All bite and no bark. It's disappointing- I really would /prefer/ my enemies actually have a brain for me to devour. He lands behind Sludge and then launches into a forward snap kick, hoping to catch the Dinobot in the back. Who cares about Silica when you're having this much fun?

Combat: Snapdragon strikes Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; with his Kick attack!

"ME GRIMLOCK HOPE YOU SLUDGE LEAVE SOME FOR ME GRIMLOCK!" Pronouns, obviously, are not Dinobot specialties. Violence, however, is. And so, Grimlock cruises through the air! He lands on the ground with a *THUD!*- the reverberations of which carry through the ground like a small earthquake (which, it should be noted, will probably be following soon).

Grimlock lands behind Snapdragon- he takes a moment to *taptaptap* the horrorcon on the shoulder, even! "HEY. You dead yet?"

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; doesn't look all that well. He's still spewing silica from his maw. Finally the shuddering dry heaves cease, and he desperately tries to put it all back. Looking sort of like Pac Man attacking a mountain of cocaine. These are not power pellets!

Mecha-Brontosaurus &lt;Sludge&gt; stumbles forward, recieving a swift heavy booting to the heiny by the horrorcon. "Rarr, dat me Sludge's coccyx... Him Grimlock make you pay for cheap shot." He turns to the charging Warsong. "Hnnn... who you?" He transforms and lumbers towards the Decepticon barking orders and insults. His fists clenched, Sludge takes a swing at him.

The Robo-Bronto transforms, from four legs, a tail and a long neck to just your average ordinary everyday robot of humanoid shape and super-duper size. Yes, I said super-duper.

Combat: Sludge misses Warsong with his Shut up punch (Punch) attack!

Warsong darts right by the Horrorcon and the Dinobot as they battle like Titans by the highway overpass, his aim... The Sharkticon that's attempting to put back the precious Silica that he'd spent so much time devouring. "Here, let me help!" he shouts and begins to push against the pile, as a clawed hand moves to grip Gnaw's nose while his other hand begins to shove piles of the sand into his fellow Decepticon's maw. "HEY!" 'Song exclaims at the sudden swipe from Sludge! "Attacking me from behind now, are you?" snarls the Decepticon, who pauses briefly to consider just how it was possible that he did not notice the massive Dinobot lumbering his way sooner. "Huh..." he muses, moving a clawed finger to scratch thoughtfully against his head. "Anyway! Taste tread-whip you oversized robo-lizard!" is shouted into the sky, and Warsong swings one of his tank treads toward the Robo-Bronto's chest!

Wait...is that ANOTHER Dinobot over yonder? Hmmm, might be about time to go...

Combat: Warsong strikes Sludge with his Tread-Whip attack!

The Sharkball is nomming as fast as he can, putting back all the silica his internals have just evacuated, and then some, as a pile of ever-growing silica was pouring from the truck that Gnaw was eating from.

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Snapdragon feels the reverberation ring through his servoes as his foot makes contact with Sluges heavily armored hide. "Frag." He mutters under his breath. He had nearly forgotten how durable the Dinobots were. Being unable to immediately and rapidly injure his Autobot foe put an instant damper on the whole situation. Considering that the mission did not require any particularly dazzling acts of villainy, nor did Snapdragon have much enthusiasm for fighting Dinobots (which he even mentioned earlier!) this fight seemed pointless to continue. The fact that Grimlock shows up directly behind him...does not help. "Grimlock. What a pleasure to see you again. Feels like just yesterday when Fusillade and I stole that precious isotope right out from under you, and you were too stupid to even realize it. Perhaps you've returned to showcase how incredibly strong and -useless- you are?" Snaps growls wickedly as he begins boosting backwards to put some space between him and the Dinobot commander. He had fought Grimlock enough to know...to not ever fight Grimlock.

Combat: Snapdragon sets his defense level to Protected

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

"Me Grimlock here to show you how STUPID you is!"

And so, Grimlock steps forward- he presses the attack, making sure not to give Snapdragon any space- in fact making it a point to fill said space the headmaster might occupy...with PUNCHING. "Hey Sludge! How come these guys not dead yet! Me Grimlock think you slacking! Haw haw haw!" Oh, he's having a good time!

Combat: Grimlock strikes Snapdragon with his A PUNCHING! (Punch) attack!

Sludge takes a lashing and keeps on dino-mashing. Well. The stink of the tread whip makes him recoil and rub at the point of contact. "You not whip Sludge again. Me Sludge crush you." His sword comes out. Big. Glowing. Red. Fun at parties. The sword swings in a sophisticated arch at the tank-con. "Dem dead soon, me Sludge just starting.

Combat: Sludge strikes Warsong with his Energo Sword attack! [Pulled -3]

Warsong barks with laughter as his tread-whip strikes home! "Dinobot fools! Yet again you waste your talents on a futile battle! You have been defeated and you do not even know it yet... Still, I commend your efforts! True warriors you are, even if you fight for the wrong si-aaii-OW!" Flipping head over heals backward, Warsong tumbles through the air before landing face flat on the ground. Lifting his head he spits out a mouthful of sand, "Pah-pah-pi-tooie! Grrrr.... Alright... Decepticons! Re-... Reeeee.... Decepticons! Tactical advance to the rear!" he growls before attempting to clammer to his feet. &lt;&lt;Snapdragon, assist Gnaw in taking flight.&gt;&gt;

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

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; is now like a shaken can of beer. The slightest mishandling of the sharkball could result in disaster. Think the episode of the Simpson's where Bart shook that can of beer in the paint shaker for April Fools' Day.

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Snapdragon sees the punch coming. It's like those movies where the bad guy is totally winning and then suddenly the good guy gets a resurgence of energy and hurls this devastating punch that knocks out Drago and America -wins the Cold War-. It's like that. Snapdragon is, unfortunately, on the receiving end of such a punch, and recoils as such. Despite his backpeddling the Dinobot fist crushes into his faceplate and sends a spray of grease and filth into the air. In slow motion. Then time resumes its normal pace, and Snapdragon shakes his head. Weirdly enough, as he does so it sounds like someone is shaking a can of spray paint. "Alright, we're done here. Fighting you is like fighting a targetting drone, Grimlock. Neither you nor the drone have the capacity to understand -pain- or -loss-." He goes rigid and then shrugs, as if totally detached from the situation at hand. "It's like you don't even have a core." With that he boosts away towards the gluttonous Sharkticon and grabs onto him firmly. "Hold tight little monster. We wouldn't want you getting sick and then thrown into a volcano for being -useless-."

Combat: Snapdragon begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; and Warsong

"Oh YEAH!?" Grimlock snarls at Snapdragon. "Me Grimlock think you no know what WIN mean! 'cuz you always lose! Cuz me Grimlock always win!" he fistshakes at the retreating Decepticon- and then hmmm, glancing at the remaining Decepticons. "Hnn." he grunts- perhaps knowing better than to ask Sludge what's going on. All Grimlock knows is there are jerks here- and jerks deserve to be lasered! Thus, he whips up his double-blaster, flicks the switch to 'lots' and fires away!

Combat: Grimlock strikes Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; with his Laser Barrage Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: You took 5 damage.

Combat: Grimlock strikes Warsong with his Laser Barrage Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Sludge doesn't know what the eloquent Decepticon Warsong is stuttering now. Doesn't care really. It's all like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher to him. Wah wah wah. He steps on trumpets like that. :p The tall Dinobot raises his sword and declares, "You ceptycons think twice next time you want eat dirt from trucks!

Sludge thinks there have been a lot of stupid people in Texas today. All sent packing.

As the Sharkball is carried off, a shot from Grimlock strikes him in the tail section. This causes him to eject a small amount of silica from his maw...and who knows where that will land?

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; misses Sludge with his wretched sharkticon ralphing (Grab) attack!

Warsong staggers backward as he is struck by a barrage of laser fire! "Arrgh! What is wrong with you!? Stupid Dinobots, we're leaving!" he calls out, lifting his clawed hands to shield his face. "Bah! One of these days Grimlock I will smash you! Mark my words! Until then... Thanks for the good times!" Turning about, Warsong begins to retre-err... Tactically advance into a direction far away from these hulking Dinobots!

Combat: Warsong begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt;

Sludge optic laser blasts the silica-chunder from the sky, disintegrating the partially scuzzed up matter that has already graced his bronto-leg. He turns to Grimlock. "Hnn... good thing Sludge here today... else Dinobots no get excercise."

Grimlock hnmms, and taps his finger on the trigger guard of his double-blaster. "Hm." he grunts, and stomps over towards Sludge. "Hey. You no hurting, right?" he asks of his brother/subordinate. "Them septi-cons just bunch of wusses. Me Grimlock gonna have to make fun of you's if you beat up." he nods, and gives Sludge a little *poke!* to the shoulder.

Gnaw is carried away! Missing maybe a gallon or two of silica, literally a drop in the bucket.

Combat: Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit.

NCC Medical Ward

Like its previous incarnation, this medical ward was designed with the medic in mind, with all the modern advances to make the dirty work of repairs a world easier. It is well lit, the blue and violet metal of the walls and decor is a shade paler here, and the ubiquitous filigree is missing, all to assist in ease of cleaning. Still, the place veritably sparkles. In the furniture, there is a subtle motif of blades and sharp edges, as if to evoke the scalpel of a surgeon, although it is all quite safe. Around two dozen beds, more comfortable than their sharp looks would suggest, fill the medical ward, laid out in a tidy grid, and more can be flipped out of the walls should emergency demand it. A set of tracks on the ceiling mirror the grid of beds, allowing advanced scanning equipment and tolls to be swiveled around to the various beds. Computer terminals and cabinets are molded right into the walls at intervals, and while there are the normal medical security cameras, it appears as if someone has set some of the cameras specifically to watch the cabinets.

Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; waddles into the medical ward and picks a corner. He looks like someone shook him a little too hard during transport. The maw opens and tons upon tons of silica pour forth.

There is only one Reflector in here at the moment. Perhaps his other selves are on assignment with other Decepticons... or perhaps his other bodies are stored away in subspace... or at a class reunion. Who knows with the mysterious cameracon? He is currently restocking the med wards emergency energon supply vault.

A Medic comes running when Sharkticon &lt;Gnaw&gt; starts spewing. "Oh my, what are you doing?" he says, "What did you eat?" He stares at the pile of sand.

"Raid," the Sharkball replies, "Gnaw store it then put it here."

"Well then let's get that all out of you. Nurse, I'm going to need some Energon of Ipecac, STAT!"

Reflector regards the entire proceedings with disgust. Seriously, what is up with turning machine people into throwback machine 'creatures' lately? Decepticons are supposed to be proud, dignified, and sophisticated. Instead the ranks are bloating with things with giant mouths. He analyses the upchuck and correlates with the most recent reports. "Ah. Silicate. So your internals are good for something afterall. A walking purse."

Somewhere, someone's made a 'piggybank' to look like a Sharkticon.

The Medic feeds the Sharkticon some Energon Emetic. The sharkball immediately starts heaving up the rest of his load, including all the sand he had in subspace. The pile grows. Yup, looks like more than enough for the requirements that were posted.

As to beast-form Decepticons, in Gnaw's case, blame the Quintessons.

After a while, though, after all the silica is evacuated, Gnaw keeps dryheaving. An unfortunate side effect oF Energon of Ipecac. The Sharkball is rolled onto a med bed and placed under observation.

Reflector approaches the heaved mass, analyzing it for impurities... traces of anything else leftover that was still unabsorbed by the Sharkticon's internals. There is so much silica, however, that he doesn't find anything of consequence.

The lack of impurities is good news for the Medic, as it means he doesn't have to give Gnaw any sort of antidote treatment to make sure they don't wind up with a Sharkticon floating bellyup. For his part, Gnaw transforms to robot mode, but he's still heaving. The Medic puts a bucket beside his med bed so that Gnaw doesn't have to get up. Poor little shark! It's like that time he had that Thalassian Cyberflu.

Gnaw transforms into his robot mode.

Reflector returns to energon stocking duty. The vault must be loaded and locked for medic access only.

The Roly Poly Sharkticon is tucked in for the night, though periodically he has to make use of the bucket near his med bed. Finally he stops retching and falls into recharge. Visions of energon dances in his head. Surely he will be well-fed for this!

Reflector wouldn't count on it if he was in the bulbous adopted Decepticons place. Around here it's like a big family's dinner table.... grab what you can when you can before everybody else does.

Fortunately Gnaw is a fast eater.

~fin~&lt;/per&gt;