Final Crisis

'''Detroit

''A ruined landscape. Overgrown factories. Rusting car hulks littering the streets. A sense of bleak desperation smothering all hope.

''That was Detroit before the apocalypse. Now, forged from the ashes of that ruined city, rises Praxis' private joke. Fortress Praxis is a work of beauty, surrounded by that impossible, almost-forgotten sight of green grass and tall trees. Crystal-clear water, from the flooding of Lake Michigan, has washed Detroit clean. On an emerald island in the midst of the waters, the fortress itself is composed of a delicate, white, dome-shaped structure flanked by three spires, bowing towards the dome and intertwining at their apex. It looks like a work of art, built from porcelain rather than ultra-durable alloys. Light radiates from the structure, like a miniature sun in a land which has missed that warm caress for decades.

Peacekeeper rumbles softly as the once-proud building falls and creates a bridge to the Inquisitors' base. "Excellent," she murmurs. She touches the left side of her helm, the old radio crackling to life from its connection to the remote--the only reason it was repaired enough to work even this much. "All units, follow Astrotrain in." The drone troops stir to life and begin marching forwards, shields and weaponry at the ready as they move towards the bridge. She, for her part, makes her way down from her vantage point, rifle in her left hand and an electron-bomb in the other. Her expression is what has become the default expression over the years--simply a flat, cold expressionlessness.

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity , Zek Briar frowns saying, "I don't want to do this but...." he sets his weapons free and powered up. "...for terra! For all that is good!" he screams pushing the Unity onward. He reaches to his hip for the rail rifle and swings it up into a firing position. The Unity slides around in the air, first to one side, then to another before doing a roll and dip to avoid several tracer rounds from below. With the fire avoided, the Unity pulls up hard aiming his rail rifle and firing several yellow and white hypervelocity rounds into the troops charging across the bridge from the fortress.

In one of the auxiliary labs of the Fortress, the moon pool explodes into foam as the orca-patterned plesiosaur emerges, skidding across the floor and into the main atrium on a slick of water. With a sharp bark, it raises its muzzle high. There's a long moment as it bores its gaze into the power-gorged beacon of light, an animalian fire within. However, at the call to march forward, it transforms. With a curl of wingblades-cum-chainswords dancing around her ankles, Fusillade strides purposefully back to the main group of Inquisition and Reapers.

Grimlock lifts a communicator rod from Astrotrain's control console, holding the microphone up to his mouth. "I, Grimlock, have no need for Megatron. We shall dispatch Praxis before the day is through, mark my words. Take us up to the land bridge and prepare to unload troops. We'll go in behind the Church Zealots once they break the skirmish line." Reholstering the rod, Grimlock turns his back and heads towards Astrotrain's rear compartment, nodding for Jazz to follow.

Octane hits the land bridge, bouncing up and down on the uneven ground, as his horn blares loudly across the water as he guns his engine and barrels toward the oncoming fanatics stirred on by Fulcrum. The mob either doesn't have time or doesn't want to get out of the way and so as a result Octane barrels into them, crushing many of them in the first few ranks, and causing those on either side of him to be knocked into the water as he drives forward.

Locomotive thunders forward, picking up speed as he closes in on where the land bridge has been made, and Fulcrum's followers arenow starting to move across. He comes to a halt on the opposite side, letting his ramp thunder down with a heavy *CRASH* behind him so the new Americans aboard can disembark.

"C'mon, c'mon!" he intones impatiently, until the last feet have thundered down out of him. It's only then that he spots something coming from the -opposite- direction of the landbridge. A large, familiar looking tanker trunk? "Oh you GOTTA Be kidding me!" He intones with a low growl as Grimlock and Jazz disembark last. "I'll catch up to you both soon...I got something to SETTLE!" And with that, there is a dull roar as the train begins to move forward again, now rumbling towards the bridge as well.

Geo and the Hot Rod Patrol ramp off some debris, whooping as they go, landing on the landbridge that Roadbuster has created, heading across. "GET THEIR SKIDPLATES!" Geo yells, she and the Hot Rod Patrol's small size allowing them to maneuver around the fanatics and the crazy Octane (mostly from the Hot Rod Patrol's stunt additions). The call goes out as soon as the Micromasters have crossed to the island. Geo begins to open fire with her inbuilt weapons systems, cannon blasts beginning to fire towards the Fortress. "Atlan, Converter, Desire, Raze, San Diego, Wind - TRANSFORM AND COMBINE!" comes the cry from the first air vehicle, as the vehicle suddenly disconnects in comes apart into pieces. Each piece attaches to one of the Micromasters, who transform into train engines in midair, then into limbs and body pieces, which combine. "SIXLINER!" the gestalt, about half as tall as a normal gestalt, shouts as it lands on the ground. Above, the second one stays airborne, as the six air vehicles: a space shuttle, a supersonic jet, a helicopter, two jets and a bomber transform and combine with their vehicle. "Chaingun, Falcon, Flanker, Missile Run, Raker, Supersonic - form SIXWING!" The second sixcombiner begins to fire into the enemy fortress. Below, the remaining two teams land and begin to open fire into the Fortress. "Big Daddy, Hubs, Trip-Up, Greaser, open fire!" comes Geo's voice, as the four hot rods transform to robot mode and begin to open fire as well. Above, the helicopter, A-10, and two jets release missiles and ballistic bullets at the enemy.

From the fortress comes a blast of horns and the loud mechanical sound of gates and doors opening and suddenly, as if emerging from the fires of hell itself comes Praxis. Still clad in his mightly battlearmour, he is seated on a throne. Calm, serene, hands on the arms he gazes across the battlefield as he sees his enemies amass. The throne itself moves forwards slowly, gigantic mechanical legs sprouting from the sides, carrying him as if a king. "Pathetic" he booms. "Is this the best you can offer, Grimlock? The cream of your force, marching gladly towards extinction. This night you shall become one with the void, and it is I, Praxis that will reign over infinity." He stands up solidly, huge servos clanking as he clenches one fist, and points another huge gauntlet forward. "Wipe them out. ALL of them!"

- Grabbing for a few weapons off the inside of Astrotrain's cabin, Jazz makes sure to grab several belts of .50 caliber ammo. Slinging them into an X-Shape across his torso, he follows Grimlock along. Reaching behind his back, he clips both belts into a pair of TF-Sized .50 caliber machine guns. "I'm with ya B.I.G.!!!" Following Grimlock along towards the land bridge, Jazz calls out to the other rag-tag forces of the New America's, "Come on!! Feel the FUNK!! Feel the POWER!!! Time to bring Praxis the RUCKUS!!!"

Scrapper strides out along with Praxis, the Inquisitors, the Reapers, and his brothers. The Constructicon always feels a little nervous before these massive battles, but even more-so for this one. Scrapper considers this such a vital battle. Imagine if the limitless energy source they worked so hard to create were to be destroyed. All that work for nothing. All the potential for saving the Transformers and giving them the chance to expand throughout the Galaxy and conquer it all would be lost.

Scrapper draws out his laser pistol as he spies the approaching horde of opposition to Praxis's glory. "Primus... they've really come at us in force," he says with an unsettled tone in his voice. He hasn't the confidence of Praxis. "Hook, Scavenger, look over there! Micromasters coming in on our 12 o'clock." Scrapper looks left at his brothers. Scrapper looks right to his brothers. He hasn't a clue if the old transformation sequence is still going to work after all these years. Maintainance on the system is practically impossible without sufficient, and it's only recently that they acquired the Zero Point Energy Device.

Missiles from the merged and other Micromasters rain down on the Constructicons' position as they gather up for the inevitable. Scrapper takes several potshots back at the enemy, but in this form they're far too outnumbered.

Fulcrum has given his anti-gravs for the good of the cause, so has no way of boosting himself over the oncoming Octane - but he's not so slow as to not leap out of the way of the tanker truck. Scores of his frothing followers are not so lucky, crushed under treads or smashed into pulp by a chrome bumper. But the followers of Primus are in such a religious mania that they barely notice, more throwing themselves into Octane's path, stabbing and hammering at him with a variety of makeshift weapons, attempting to break anything they can reach. Fulcrum himself continues his headlong charge, smoke trailing behind him like a banner as he pounds across the fallen building, heading for the Reapers, his mind ablaze with hatred, vowing to make them pay for their crimes.

Grimlock's boots slap the debris-built landbridge, standing precariously on a block of disintegrating concrete, his tattered American flag cape snapping in the howling wind. He draws his golden broadsword from its scabbard, nodding to Jazz. He points down the length of the bridge, the point of his sword gleaming as he levels it at Praxis. Grimlock shouts over the roar of battle, "We kill the head, and the body dies, Jazz! Follow me!" With that, Grimlock charges into battle, shoving Church Zealots out of his way in his fervor to confront the Inquisition's leader.

The slightly grimy form of ansi(hg, Hook) exits from the fortress of Praxis beside his comrades. No longer weary from lack of energy resources, ansi(hg, Hook) stands tall and proud. Proud to have been a part of the wonderous feat of the free energy device, and proud to have a chance to kick some major aft, just like old times. He wields his Constucticon pistol, and his left hand has been replaced by an imposing-looking Hook. As the mass of Micromasters cross the newly created bridge, Hook raises his pistol, and fires off a few quick shots towards the merging Sixwing.

New Soundwave, however, had anticipated this sort of treachery. Earlier he had seeded the moat with dozens upon dozens of Cassettidrones. Now, at his remote command, they are finally beginning to clamber out of the moat. Many of them are even more rusted up than the usual standard for Cassettidrones, as if about to waste away completely. But the zombie-like drones march on despite their state of disrepair, and begin to open fire on the invaders with slug-throwers. Some of them attack those on the bridge, others attack those who are following behind them.

And as for New Soundwave, he is following behind Praxis, wielding a massive gun in his hands. It doesn't look either like his concussion rifle (which is in his left hand at the moment) or the recoilless rifle he started to use earlier. "As you command, Praxis," he drones. Then he looks up... is that.. the Unity? The exo-suit that nearly killed him so many years ago, and brought about his transformation into New Soundwave? Yes... that's the one. Raising his concussion rifle up, he opens fire upon Zek Briar.

Octane blazes along the land bridge, shouting in irritation as Geo and her group blazes by him but doesn't stop his forward motion as pose blazes along the land bridge, shouting in irritation as pose blazes along the land bridge, shouting in irritation as Fulcrum's followers stab, scratch, and slice at him as he roars past. Octane sticks his refueling tubes straight out on either side of him suddenly, causing many of those followers to fall over backward as they are clotheslined by the tubes, before they are quickly withdrawn again as Octane drives on. His airhorn blazes again as he spots the familar form of Astrotrain starting to approach the bridge toward him. "Hullo there, -brother-! I'm gonna give you the beating you should've had a long time ago!"

New Soundwave misses Exo-suit Glaive Unity  with his Concussion Shot  attack.

Scavenger is among the flanking Constructicons who emerge and comes out tooting an imperial sounding piece of music on his Trumpet, but quickly cuts that nonsense out as he takes in the scope of this assault. His trumpet returns to storage. Yes, his previous thought of this looking like an end game commitment attack wasn't a sufficient assessment. The raining missile fire. The numbers of the puny ones are staggering. Taking cue from Scrapper, he too tentatively positions himself with hope that the dusty old sequence will function.

Fusillade stares pointedly at Missile Run as if he were the most vile abomination to walk the planet -- or in this case, fly in the skies. With a spat out curse, she takes to the skies herself, covering the Constructicons, she transforms into the fully sized B-1B Lancer, and her hundred and fifty foot length screams to the combined form of Sixwing. She's not terribly interested in the gestalt, so much as the red-tipped wings of that offensively smaller version of herself.

Crosscheck comes out of the Fortress behind Praxis, holding his laser pistol in one hand and something else in the other one. He keeps glancing at tower Praxis and doesn't look eager to attack anyone at the moment.

As Grimlock's troop charge fowards, the Fortress defenses seem to come to life but without fire a single shot...a moment latter they stop moving. Something is obviously wrong.

All throughout Detroit, monitors on elevated towers begin to flash discouraging words. OBLITERATE. DESTROY. MAIM. CRUSH.

Where was Wheelie? Apparently he had transformed and hidden -- transformed, that is -- into Grimlock's crown! Launching from the tyrannosaur's head and stroking his robot beard with a nimbleness and dexterity that no Sweep could ever match unless they seriously just AP-whored themselves into a coma, Wheelie leaps into battle swinging his Robot Machete mercilessly, hacking his path toward -- "Praxis! Today your end you face, as we crush your misbegotten race! What Wheelie say make not a bigot, for it's survival of the fittest!" In the future? /That rhymes/.

Locomotive comes to a halt for just a second at the other end of the bridge, a thick belch of black smoke coming from his stack as he watches Octane's progress. "Yer kiddin me, right?" He growls, a sudden ignition of rocket power coming from his aft section, hurtling him forward at an incredible pace towards the other triplechanger. "Ya always were a third whee, Octane! Cheap imitation of the rest of us! And when ya had a chance to really get playin with the cool kids, ya go cryin off to the next shiny one wavin his toys!" With that, he pushes a path of his own through the Church's followers, albeit from the rear. "I'm gonna give you the proper schoolin you shoulda had a LONG time ago!" With that said, he puts every last bit of power into his approach, the fastest of the triplechangers rumbling ominously over the bridge as his reinforced ram prow aims solely at Octane's cab in short order.

The drones follow the New Americans across the bridge, then spread out and begin adding their firepower to those of the Micros'. "Focus fire on Inquisitor forces. Reapers are secondary targets," Peacekeeper rumbles softly into the radio. She spots Crosscheck, but only narrows her optics somewhat as she scowls briefly--only seeing him as an Inquisitor, no matter how reluctant to fight he may be. She is not sure about where the Reapers stand just yet, although some seem to still be Inquisitor-affiliated. She remains back for now, surveying the battlescene and amending orders to the drones when needed. She notices that the defenses seem to be jammed or something, but she isn't too concerned about that at the moment.

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity , The Unity screams at Zek warning him of the energy spike from below. The Unity slows down and dips letting New Soundwave's bead on the Unity slip ahead. The blast goes high and far ahead before the Unity pulls up again and picks up speed. Zek looks down towards where the shot came from and returns the favor. The Unity's ion cannons flip up from its hips charge to a bright yellow red glow before firing out twin beams of ionizing radiation with a shimmering sizzle. He's agreeing with Grimlock, attack the head. Being as New Soundwave is near to Praxis, it's as good as a place to start. The Unity's ion cannons flip back into their storage and it dives downward towards New Soundwave.

Exo-suit Glaive Unity  strikes Soundwave with Twin Ion Cannon Blast.

Sixwing and Trip-Up take a few shots from the Constructicons. Trip-Up goes down in a blaze of glory, landing on his side with a hole blown completely through his torso, from the shot from Scrapper. Sixwing fares much better, having now merged, and the shot rips into her left shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. "B.I.G.! On your left!" comes Geo's cry, and Big Daddy and Hubs turn and open fire with their energy rifles -- yes, energy rifles, the Micromasters are energy-efficient after all -- on the Constructicons. Above, as Fusillade aims to collide with Missile Run, Sixwing jukes to the side and releases a burst of mini-micromissiles after the MUCH larger bomber-moded Guzzler. Above them, the Air Patrol begins circling, taking potshots at the Fortress' defenses, but not really getting through the ZPE system. Below, on the ground, Sireen and Crush Bull have led their troops to flanking positions, firing on either the Constructicons or the fortress. Above, Blaze Master and Treadbolt break off and move to support Sixwing. "Don't let them get together! I don't know if they can combine, but they're just as dangerous wihtout Devastator, the uber-guzzler!" comes the shout from Mixing, an orange Micromaster that looks heavily like Mixmaster. Abruptly, the whole corp of Construction Micromasters turns as one and begins to fire on the Constructicons, allowing Geo and the Hot Rods to adjust their fire onto the Fortress' defense systems. Meanwhile, Greaser begins to drag Trip-Up's corpse away from the firing zone.

Octane doesn't stop his forward motion even as Astrotrain briefly pauses on the other side of the bridge before Astortain kicks in his rocket engiens and starts to blaze toward Octane. Octane, for his part, keeps his forward speed constant as Astrotrain rockets toward him and is certainly not taking any of Astrotrain's words lying down. "Oh yeah, tough guy! I guess no one told you what a measley brained excuse for a Decepticon you where! You wanna have a go at me, then bring it! I'm not scared of you anymore!" He blazes his air horn again for emphasis.

- Locking his dual .50 caliber machine guns into proper firing position, Jazz runs along behind Grimlock, slamming the barrels of his primitive weapons into the masses in the thick of things on the land bridge. "I'm with ya G-Lock! Let's take this suckah' out like yesterday's trash!!" His faded blue boots slammin' against the concrete rubble under him, the New American Officer starts taking aim as he gets closer and closer to Praxis. "I got him in my sights now G-Lock! Just say the word mah' man!"

Locomotive picks it up even more. Gestalts, dinobots, even a Guardian once, albeit that didn't turn out so well for him before...it is with the supreme confidence that there is nothing out there he cannot ram that propels him hurtling at Octane's front grill. "Ya talk pretty big! Hope them Inquisitors reinforced yer front end!"

Astrotrain succeeds in grasping Octane, throwing him off-balance.

All of Fulcrum's targets have run away, the COWARDS. But he's still got plenty of zealots who are frothing at the mouth and attacking everything in sight - rocks, burnt out cars, each other. But an intrepid band of penitents stop whipping themselves long enough to realise that Praxis is the real threat. Bellowing prayers to their god, they rush their all powerful enemy, armed only with sticks, pipes, shards of glass.. and faith.

Despite all of the chaos around him, Hook notices that something is amiss when the well-designed base defenses fail to hold back the approaching horde. However, he does not have much time to communicate the information as he is busy dodging incoming energy rifle rounds from those blasted Micromasters rip-offs. Hook takes a shot in his chest, but it does little to deter Hook from his goal. He sinks his hook-hand into a large chunk of masonry that has fallen from the toppeled building, and lobs it with considrable strength towards ansi(fc, Mixing), since he's the only Sixbuilder member Hook knows the name of.

New Soundwave reels from the attack, and feels a twinge of fear. It's just like that moment, so many years ago... it comes back to him in full living color. He was engaging Michael Briar in battle, feeling confident in his chances of victory--only to have Briar inexplicably turn the tables on him. He remembers being blasted hard by those same ion cannons, and descending into blackness, wondering if he was dead... only to come back to life some time later, thanks to some old allies.

"Are you surprised to see me, human? Did Michael Briar tell you that I was dead? Fool. We Cybertronians are more hardy than you flesh creatures. Which is a fact you are going to have to face very soon." He emphasizes his point by bringing his arms back and blasting out a massive sonic wave from his chest towards Zek Briar.

New Soundwave misses Exo-suit Glaive Unity  with his Sonic BOOM! attack.

"INFAMY!" roars Praxis as he rises from his throne, fists clenched. "Where are my defenses, what treachery is this? Those responsible shall be taken and die in pain over the course of a millenia!" Cold optics stare across the battlefield, his huge armoured form tensing up, blasts of plasma issuing from every joint. "FOOLS!" he bellows. "Show no mercy my pawns. Crush their bodies and destroy their minds, let none leave this day unbroken.

Praxis spreads out his hands as his opponents dare to approach him. "Do you embrace death, Grimlock? Do you, Jazz? Do you long for the touch of oblivion? Let me give you this touch. I bring my gift of death to ALL Transformers!" And with that, a blast of white light eminates from Praxis's suit, arcing at those close to him, namely Grimlock,Jazz, and Wheelie. And of course, Fulcrum's minions.

Containment Suit (Praxis) unleashes its area_ranged attack on Grimlock, Jazz and Wheelie, striking Grimlock and Wheelie.

Grimlock is still elbowing his way towards Praxis when the Inquisition leader's blinding omni-blast incinerates the Zealots standing in front of him. Shielding his optical band with one hand, Grimlock is dazed for a moment; though once his optic recalibrates, he doesn't appear too damaged -- only some smoke whiffing off of his broad shoulders. "Praxis," he snarls, leaping into the air without a further word, his sword held over his head. His anti-gravity booster kicks in, carrying his jump in an unprobably high arc over the surrounding casseticon drones, right up towards Praxis' throne. Grimlock swings his broadsword down with both hands on Praxis' shoulder at the apex of his flight, with a thundering growl. "HUUUUUUUUUARGH!"

Grimlock strikes you with Broadsword for 19 points of damage.

Crosscheck raises his weapon and aims it...at Praxis!!!, "I know what you've done Praxis. I know you're destroying the reality with your machine! That energy doesn't come from nowhere and it is not unlimited! You're going to doom us all!.. I also know about the virus! I know you created it. You're responsible for the near extinction of our race!" After those strong words, Crosscheck fires at his former leader.

Crosscheck strikes you with laser for 8 points of damage.

"It's no good." Scrapper shouts as the Micromasters continue to press on. He killed one of the little bastards but there are many more. "They're just going to pick us off one at a time like this." Scrapper hesitates before giving the order, unsure about whether this is even going to work. A lot is riding on this maneuver succeeding. Having six Inquisitor warriors fall by their own hand would be a blow Praxis might never recover from. Still, sometimes the dice have to be thrown. "Constructicons," he calls out to his brothers, shouting to be heard over the noise of incoming weaponsfire. "Transform, phase one."

One by one, the Constructicons shift into vehicle mode. A missile explodes just to the side of Scrapper's front left wheel, nearly upending him. Energy blasts from Big Daddy and Hubs slash through his seating area. Doing this in the middle of the battle might not be such a hot thing. Raising his voice to be heard, he signals the second part. "Transform, phase two!" Scrapper suddenly reers upwards onto his shovel. There's a dull groaning sound as old servos that haven't seen action in years are worked.

Long Haul, shifted into lower torso mode, attaches firmly to Mixmaster and Scrapper, nearly causing them to buckle from the strain not felt in some time. Hook follows, with rusty connections keeping them in place. The beginning stages of the Constructicons' combined form teeters and nearly keels over. The Constructicons fall to one knee, but keep the process going nonetheless. Scavenger and Bonecrusher slide into place as arm attachments appear. Shots from Siren and Crush Bull strike the form, glancing off the super-heavy armour as a familiar old head slides upwards.

Devastator rises up to his feet even as the Construction Micromasters unload on him. The first Combiner does not seem to notice. A wide and crazed grin appears on the monster's face as he realizes that he is born again, and already his enemies are offering themselves up to be destroyed by his hand.

Devastator's booming laughter echoes across the battlefield.

Scrapper shouts, "Constructicons, MERGE to form Devastator!"

With a shudder of metal, the Constructicons undergo a stunning transformation and combine into the mighty form of Devastator!

Devastator has arrived.

Octane has a surprise prepared for his triplechanging brother, however...as Astrotrain is just about collide with him Octane suddenly transforms into a much bigger form and suddenly there is a tall multidecked oceangoing vessel with a tall derrick sitting in the middle of it's deck. The keel of the ship rests solidly on the land bridge as Astrotrain collides with it, causing the hull to reverberate with the impact and leaving a dent but likely doing little else in the way of damage. A laugh comes from the ship, Octane's laugh, which is followed by a loud thump which causes the land bridge to reverbate and the section around Octane's to develop hairline cracks. "You see that, -brother-? I'm bigger then you now and guess what?! It's gonna be me who stops you!" An ominous grinding sound, that of a drill slicing through metal, comes from Octane's hull as he engages the large drill contained within the tall derrick on his deck. More cracks start to form around Octane as the water begins to seep into the tunnel left by the large drill.

- The white light of Praxis comes down like acidic rain. Jazz leaps out of harm's way, landing with a soft thud safe and sound for now. After ramming his elbow through one of the Inquisitor drone's faces, the former Autobot takes aim at Praxis. "Yo Super Geek!! Ready to Rock n Roll?!? Cocking his twin .50 caliber machine guns for 'cool-effect', Jazz begins charging the leader of the Inquisitor's, guns blazing.

As the battle rages on, a single, massive form tears across the distant horizon. It isn't entirely visible at first, but as it draws closer and closer, the form is all too apparent: a distinctive, red and blue car-carrier ripping across the devestated roads on a straight path towards the massive and intimidating form of "PRAXIS!" The voice of Ultra Magnus booms out from that large semi as he barrels through Inquisitors and unfortunate cult members alike (he'll feel badly about that later), with every intention of just RAMMING himself straight into with the deafening crunch of metal striking metal.

"Sorry I'm late," he intones to Grimlock, "I had to resolve some things."

Ultra Magnus strikes you with Step Off My Grill for 23 points of damage.

There's a tremendous WHOOOOOOOOOSH and rattling of air as Fusillade sails across Sixwing's flight path, before she flicks ailerons, and wind-up turns out of range of those mini-missiles sent her way. As the Church of Primus, the New Americans, and other forces descend upon the walls of the fortress, Fusillade banks, dipping one slender wing and scanning, searching the fray. "Smelt, where are they? I get taken in, and they CHANGE me, and NONE of them even bother to show up when called anyway!?" The reluctant Reaper hisses vilely to herself as she circles, gaze swinging back toward the energy spire even as Fulcrum's flock begin assailing the walls. She noses down, and transforms into her wweapon mode. With a flicking of ratcheting parts, she turns into a spinning, bladed yin-yang shape powered by engines, and cuisinarts through the air in a collision course for the faithful.

Jazz strikes you with Twin .50 Caliber Machine Guns for 14 points of damage.

Wheelie turns to look over. 'Devastatah,' he can hear Kup's voice say, all echo-y from beyond the grave, even though Kup probably isn't dead in the far-flung dystopian future. That doesn't concern Wheelie, who maintains that Kup is dead for reasons that, once this plot ends, may never be known! Wheelie is blasted by Praxis's 'white light,' which is bascially horrible, and he skids through Ultra Magnus' legs by sheer coincidence. Rolling to his feet and then scrambling up Magnus' back, Wheelie leaps off -- and then leaps onto Grimlock's back as he does that slo-mo '300' leap -- and then does a flip on top of that as he jumps from Grimlock to swing his machete at Praxis! Wheelie is awesome!

Wheelie strikes you with Robot Machete for 5 points of damage.

Mixing doesn't move quick quick enough, and essentially gets crushed by the piece of masonry. Quickly, Ironlift and Crush Bull get to work removing the piece of stone, using their altmodes of a hook lifder and a bulldozer, hopeful that Mixing is still relatively alive. They can't form Sixbuilder without mixing, seeing as he's a LEG, which is much a requirement. Grand Arm, Digger and Treader transform into an end loader, an excavator and a dump truck (respectively) abruptly, bringing their vehicle mode weapons to bear on the constructicons. Geo, Hubs, and Big Daddy move back, and spread out, to give the Constructicons a much smaller set of targets, rather than being all grouped together. "Get it together! We've practiced this!" Geo shouts. "Sixwing, get that Deceptijet! Sixliner! Keep up the heavy fire! Sireen, GEt YOUR TEAMS AFTS IN GEAR!" Sireen's team all transform to vehicle mode and begin to get into motion, various ground vehicles, which then link-up with pieces of their air vehicle, combining the police car, motorcycle, fire engine, Lamborghini, ambulance and F-1 race car into another Micromaster gestalt. "Sixturbo is on it, Commander Geo!" comes the cry from the gestalt, who stops stark as Devastator rises up, tower, at least three times the Micromaster gestalt's height. "Oh shit, what're we gonna do NOW?" yells Big Daddy, to which Geo replies by gritting her teeth and shouting, "Let's hear the call, Micros! NO ONE GETS OUT ALIVE!" Her shoulder cannons flip up into place, and Greaser goes down in flames, defending his teammate. Sixwing holds her position in the sky, while the Air Patrol begin to open full-bore on Devastator. On the ground, the remaining Micromasters that aren't gestalts retreat and find cover, while Sixliner and Sixturbo get their shit together, and begin to open fire on Devastator, holding position, though looking ready to do a 'firing retreat' should it become neccessary.

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity , Zek Briar isn't sure exactly what he's doing, but the Unity does. A hand snaps up forming a shimmering purple translucent shield which intercepts the sonic wave scattering it around him. Zek says, "Know you? No, I have no idea who you are!" The Unity closes in on PRAXIS and New Soundwave looking like a small four winged monster which slashes downward at New Soundwave from up on high.

Exo-suit Glaive Unity  strikes Soundwave with energy shield blades.

Praxis glowers at Crosscheck, his expessionless face holding back torrential malice. But the turncoat is saved for now, as Grimlock leaps at him, sword in his shoulder. "You DARE?" he roars, standing again, to face Grimlock. "You are a worm, an abberation. I shall swat you aside as I have swatted aside all others. I have laid waste to Cybertron, I have forged a new destiny and a new will for the Transformer race, and now I shall ascend to the Godhood that is mine by right. The universe will survive for I PRAXIS AM THE UNIVERSE!" This roar is met by a mighty fist, that aims to slap Grimlock from him. "Leave me, and meet your oblivion with the meekness demanded of your kind."

You strike Grimlock with slap.

Wheelie /is/ awesome, everyone agrees

Peacekeeper blinks as she studies Crosscheck. Dissention in the ranks...? And the energy, the virus--all of that...? She narrows her optics as her cold gaze focuses on Praxis. ""All units, cease fire on Crosscheck--he is designated as 'ally'. Team Omega--focus fire on Praxis. All other teams, continue fire on Inquisitor and Reaper forces,"" she growls into her radio to the drones, who immediately obey. She then promptly throws an electron bomb at Praxis, hoping that the electrical charge would still cause some damage even if her aim is off.

Peacekeeper strikes you with Thrown Electon Bomb for 13 points of damage.

Locomotive's entire back end raises up into the air and smashes down once more as he meets the rather sudden massive object in front of him. "Guh...what the...?" He's not really hurt, being reinforced for impacts and all, but it -was- an unexpected surprise that stopped him cold in his tracks to put it lightly. It takes a moment for him to digest just what happened, before the hairline cracks start to form around his position.

"What the slag...WHAT THE SLAG!?" He transforms suddenly, lifting off with a push of his feet, sending him rising into the air to hover over the bridge as his rifle ejects from his back so he can snatch it out of the air. He takes a long moment to look over Octane's new....form. "....a ship? A fraggin -ship-? YER imitiating BROADSIDE now!? Oh that's the lowest of the low!" With that, he flies over Octane's form, loading his rifle and actually pointing it -straight- down the derrick to where the drill is. "Puttin you under is gonna be the biggest favor I do for the universe! Only wish Blitzwing was right here to do it too!" With that, his entire arm kicks back with a heavy *CRUMP* as he fires an explosive grenade at the drilling equipment's base.

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

Fulcrum looks up. He knows those engines. "Fusillade!" he booms, voice clearly audible over the din of battle, amplified a thousandfold by the two seeker heads floating either side of him, even as his former comrade transforms into.. whatever the hell that is. "You are NOT what they have made you into! You still have a choice! Your FLAME still BURNS!" As the spinning blade cuts down the faithful, Fulcrum raises his staff/hammer, a huge gout of flame erupting from the braizer at its tip to engulf the newest six-changer. If reason doesn't work, try force!

Fulcrum strikes Fusillade with THE FLAME OF PRIMUS.

Crosscheck looks up at Praxis, "You are not a God, you are not the universe, you're just another madscientist. I shall for ever curse the day I met you! For the long I've been an inquisitor and forgot who I truely am, an Autobot." The scientist leaps fowards, lowering his shoulder as he charges Praxis

Crosscheck strikes you with ram for 17 points of damage.

The towering form of Devastator is not the the unstoppable killing machine he once was... But there is enough pent-up rage and frustation and pure destructive energy left in the rusted remains of this hulk to dispose of some measly, pitiful Micromasters who DARED to steal the Constructicons ability to merge(even if stolen second-hand). Devastator's face opens up in a wide grin, and he lets out a rumbling, rolling laugh. There is little time for debate among his fractured sentience. It is time for action. There are too many targets, and too much confusion.

"DEVASTATOR DESTROY!!" He roars, and begins to destroy the crumpled bridge that lies ahead of him, despite the tortured grinding of his rusty and long-unused gears. He stomps, kicks, and rips at the bridge, lifting some of the larger pieces over his head and throwing them towards the scattered Micromasters and Gestalts.

And now... Praxis will deal with the other curs who have dared to defy him. "PATHETIC!" his brown tones roar over the noise of the battle. "I am PRAXIS, it is I who have reshaped the very fabric of the universe, who has held in his hand the stuff of dreams and legends. I will NOT be stopped by a gaggle of diseased miscreants." And with that, he raises his fist to the air, tentacles snaking from his throne as he stands upon it, writhing towards Wheelie, Peacekeeper, Jazz, Ultra Magnus and that traitor, Crosscheck.

Containment Suit (Praxis) unleashes its area_melee attack on Peacekeeper, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, Wheelie and Crosscheck, striking Jazz, Peacekeeper, Wheelie and Crosscheck.

Grimlock's sword is buried deep into Praxis' shoulder armor, so he doesn't have much room to evade the giant's hand as it moves to swat him. Just as Grimlock flees his blade, he is struck, a thunderous KARANG of metal-on-metal resounding across the alread-cacophonous battlefield, knocking Grimlock to his back meters away. "You've already lost, Praxis," Grimlock snarls, drawing his ballista from underneath his American flag cloak. "You're too mad to realize it. Allow me to provide some clarity," he says, shoulder the weapon and firing off a 2-ton steel I-beam with a hefty K-THUNK noise.

Grimlock strikes you with Scrap Ballista for 25 points of damage.

The Cassettidrones are cut down in droves as the opposing forces charge the fortress. But more emerge from the moat all the time, like something out of a bad horror movie. They shriek and wail as they stomp towards the Micromasters, and a few of the drones might look familiar to them, and with good reason--some of the Micromaster's former comrades are among their number! "Please... kill me!" several of the Micromaster drones gasp out as they spray bullets in every direction.

New Soundwave, meanwhile, is knocked over by Zek Briar's words just as much as he is by Zek's attack. "What?... he... said nothing of me?" New Soundwave seems disappointed. "Why? I came closer to killing him than any other Decepticon!" Perhaps an exaggeration. "Accursed humans! It does not matter. Your kind is fated for extinction!" Standing back up, New Soundwave fires back at Zek with a full-powered concussion rifle. But he doesn't use Crosscheck's gun... not yet...

New Soundwave strikes Exo-suit Glaive Unity  with Concussion Bolt .

As Grimlock fires the I-beam, Wheelie leaps off of Praxis and then /surfs the I-beam/ in an attempt to increase the damage by /doing an ollie on the I-beam right into Praxis' face/.

With a sudden explosion of movement, Ultra Magnus' massive semi form launches -straight- into the air. The cab seperates, and for a moment a familiar form of white can be seen amongst the flurry of metal until it is enwrapped and encased in a cocoon of protective blue and red armor. "All you are is a fool, Praxis. You have no idea what you've done here. Our only hope is that we can undo the damage you've already done with your brash and mad actions." And, that said, Ultra Magnus sweeps out, seeking to SLAM his elbow into Praxis' abdomen before following it up with a sudden kneeing strike.

Ultra Magnus strikes you with -Takedown- for 16 points of damage.

Roaring down out of the sky is its master, a dark green, grey and red sub-orbital jet. Its engines join a bellow of such pain-filled rage, as he studies his potential targets, and simply unleashes a missile in the direction of whatever's in his path. Rage, pain, and confusion...

Quickswitch strikes Roadbuster with Missile.

The tower containing the drilling equipment shatters from the force of the explosive grenade that Astrotrain fires toward it, the sound of protesting metal filling the air, as the metal tower slowly wavers and topples onto the deck with a loud thud. Octane cries out in surprise at the sensation of having a part of himself torn away before he swiftly transforms into robot mode, a large rent section of metal on his back corresponding to the damage inflicted on him by Astrotrain when Octane was in his ship mode, but Octane still looks very satisfied with himself about something. The reason wyhy soon becomes clear as he holds up a small vial with a push button on the top of it. "See this, Astrotrain? I had it made up...it's something that'll really make an impact. He then depresses the button and tosses the vial into the water filled tunnel he made with his drill before it shattered. He then flies up quickly, transforming into his jet mode mid way to gain speed, before a huge jet of water erupts out of the whole as the new Energon explosive detonates. The section of the land bridge already weakened by the drill shatters under the impact from inside and seperates before starting to sink down into the water and taking whomever was too close down with it.

Crosscheck is knocked back by Praxis's attack. For someone who stayed aways for so long it's sure a rude awakening. He slowly gets back on his feet, aiming his gun at Praxis and fires another shot, "Now die deciever!"

Crosscheck strikes you with pistol for 6 points of damage.

- Jazz is flung backwards into the air, landing with a hard CRRunch on the rubble floor. "Talk about gettin' pimp slapped!!" winces the former Autobot as he rises slowly. Met by a pair of Inquisitor drones, Jazz leaps into the air with a spinning kick to drop the both of them, before returning to his goal of taking down Praxis. "Yo Prax! Thought you could get rid of me?!?! Not so fast ya jerk-face!" Withdrawing a make-shift bow and arrow from his shoulder, Jazz loads up an exploding arrowhead into it's sling, "Rambo time!!" With that, the explosive arrow heads for the leader of this robot Inquisition.

Jazz strikes you with RAMBO Arrow goes BOOM for 19 points of damage.

As Devastator begins to thunder towards the gathered Micromasters, Geo snarls something into her radio. "Sixwing! Get down here NOW!" she yells, as she transforms to a heretofor-unseen third mode -- a gun emplacement -- which Big Daddy immediately runs to and begins to line up the single-barrel on Devastator. Beside them, Mixing has been freed, but is not without damage. But he pushes himself up, shaking his head. "We... gotta merge. Even if we die... gotta stop that... construcicon." With that, the construction Micromasters merge, their vehicle transforming, leaving them as the unsteady Sixbuilder, with one leg looking already worse for wear. Distracted abruptly by the Cassettidrones, Sixturbo turns, looking briefly horrified -- before beginning to open fire with her flame cannons, her pulse rifle, and her machine cannons, working to pull the 'drones' out of their pained existence. Sixwing lands and she, Sixliner and Hubs work on opening fire into Devastator, with Sixbuilder soon joining them, adding his own acid blasts and cement cannon to the mix. "GET HIM! HOLD YOUR GROUND! MAKE THIS BATTLE THAT 'CON'S LAST!" Big Daddy shouts, continuing to work to line up Geo's Plasma Cannon mode on Devastator. The Air Patrol -- Blaze Master, Eagle Eye, Sky High, and Treadbolt transform and land, offering their firepower to Sixturbo's in destroying the Cassettedrone and Microdrone forces.

The 'slish' and 'crack' of human and merfolk falling before the food processor action of the giant chakram, eating and grinding its way through the ranks. As the cleaning sears through her armor, the weapon frame shudders to a halt, energy crackling over its form before transforming back to Fusillade's robot mode. Suspended on anti-gravs, she fixes the mutilated Seeker with fierce yellow optics, and spits out, "New America will not have me! Half the others won't EITHER! And what about yours?! YOU say there will be acceptance, but what about from THEM?! Will the words from YOU be any different?!" She points at the rag tag congregation, before diving to plow heel-first into Fulcrum's chest.

Fusillade strikes Fulcrum with Heel Snap.

While minding his own business and crossing the landbridge like an old Space Nam Vet, RoadbusteR ^_- is hit with a missile! It strikes him right in the chest, splintering his rusted armor this way and that. As he's hit, red white and blue fireworks, like a patriot miracle, spray from the wound. His optic band flickers like a neon holocaust, and he looks up at the jet that just hit him. "Old soldiers never die," he sputters. "They just turn into something different," he raises a rifle and sprays it at Quickswitch.

Roadbuster misses Sub-Orbital Jet  with his Cloth-Wrapped Assault Rifle attack.

Praxis bursts with laugher, rocking his head back, even ignoring the attack by Grimlock and Wheelie against his huge frame, insulting as it is. "Crosscheck, once more you are pathetic." He raises his right arm, the huge orange cannon on it glowing with light, his fist clenched as his head moves to view the traitor. "I shall lead you into the light. Become one with infinity Crosscheck, this is my gift to you. The only finality you shall ever know. At least you will DIE well!" And a blast of blinding plasma energy flashes out of his cannon with a tremendous crash, echoing across the battlefield at Crosscheck

You strike Crosscheck with cannon.

A nearby drone tries to block the incoming attack from Praxis, but the tentacle easily swipes the drone aside before impaling the right side of Peacekeeper's chestplate. "GAH!" She coughs, optics widening as she looks down at the new hole through her torso. "Nnnnnnnnnnh..." She looks up in time to see Ultra Magnus join in the fight and smirks. /Thank Primus he listened to me,/ she thinks as she lets others take over the fight as she circles around and starts to run towards Crosscheck--especially when she sees her former comrade get cannoned. The drones continue firing on Praxis and also assist the Micros against the Cassetti-drones.

Zek's eyes go wide as the concussion beam of energy rips into the very old suit. It's the first time the Unity has seen combat in over one hundred years. You could imagine that it's hardly up to snuff as it was one hundred years ago. Also, Zek is hardly trained or as skilled as Michael was in his day. This was probably unavoidable given the circumstances. The blast nails the exo-suit stopping it in mid flight causing it to drop to the ground with a shudder of parts. Zek suddenly can't find any comback to New Soundwave's taunts. Not even the breath to say it. Zek looks down seeing what amounts to a huge puncture wound into the Unity. If he could look down at his chest, well, let's just not go there. He looks up at the towering form of Soundwave and gasps for breath, "I....don't..." and falls over slumping to the ground with eyes wide open in your typical death look.

Astrotrain was already in the air to begin with, and he's not exactly the heroic type to go jumping down trying to save people. He may have been exposed to the 'good guys' for god knows how many decades now but all his old spots haven't exactly changed. When the explosion from Octane's makeshift bomb goes off, the other triplechanger is caught in the shockwave and hurtled through the air. His back impacts the water, skipping across the surface before he comes to a halt on the far shore, crunching into a pile of old scrap metal. "Gnnfh. Stupid, bomb totin, cheatin slagger..." He isn't exactly aware of it, but he's actually rather nearby where Fusillade and Fulcrum are battling it out. A few moments pass as he fumbles his rifle, then points it towards the sky, looking around for the other triplechanger through narrowed optics.

Crosscheck is blasted right in the middle of his chest. The energy rips his armor open and severely damage his internal system. He covers his wound with both hands and for a moment he looks like he's going to manage to get away, he makes a step, then another one but finally fall to the ground...dead?

Fulcrum staggers backwards, Fusillade's heel prints leaving idendical dents in the solid plate where his jet canopy used to be. "The flame of Primus burns in us ALL" he replies, half preaching, half pleading. "It is up to YOU whether you open yourself to that flame. YOUR choice. We cannot force you to make that choice. All we can do is free you so that you CAN." Gripping his two-handed, flame-wreathed hammer in both hands, he swings it in a huge overhand arc at Fusillade

Fulcrum strikes Fusillade with The Holy Hammer Of Primus.

The jet looms like a hellish preditory thing before it changes forms impossibly fast, dodging the spray of laser-bullets and hitting the bridge with a shuddering boom as his feet meet metal. Roadbuster, his processors call up the memory of the hardened warrior--completely irrelevant it is to him now. A deep crimson gun-barrel raises, Quickswitch peers with Liefeldesque teeth-gritting and glowing optics, looking absolutely stricken about something. Then the Reaper Sixchanger fires, aiming for the fresh wounds in Roadbuster's chest.

Quickswitch misses Roadbuster with its Photon Blaster attack.

Praxis has staying power going for him, that much is certain; the attacks of Grimlock, Ultra Magnus, Jazz -- even /Wheelie/ -- seem to do little to hinder him. Yet, Ultra Magnus is not deterred. He stays directly in the fray, making a break towards Praxis in a dead rush. "I learned a long time ago never to give up, Praxis... and a mad idiot like you doesn't have half of what it takes to stop -any- of us!" As he speaks, Ultra Magnus leaps -up-, seeking to drive his fist into Praxis' heavily armored jaw with a single uppercut.

Ultra Magnus strikes you with -Haymaker- for 11 points of damage.

Death only fuels Wheelie. For as their lives seep out of their lame little wounds, that just leaves /more life for Wheelie/, FUNCTION: THE SURVIVALIST II: SURVIVE HARDER: THE FUTURE. Recklessly plunging into the HEAT of B.A.T.TLE, Wheelie grabs a Micromaster -- the green one that turns into a tank, with some silly little name that probably is something like Wee Brawl -- and hefts him up by the tank barrel sticking out of his back to use him as a tiny Targetmaster -- that is, a prehistoric Beast Wars Targetmaster, as he attempts to bash Praxis with him.

Wheelie strikes you with Micromaster for 6 points of damage.

Photon Blaster? More like 'Oh No Ton Blaster'! RoadbusteR ^_- dives to the side, clinging onto a broken window of the Renaissance Center and dangling over the water. His cloth-and-chain wrapped right arm shudders under the pressure, but he hefts the future chaingun from around his back, steadies it against the wound in his own chest, which pours red, white and blue robo-blood all over the place, and fires its whole F'ing belt at Quickswitch. "No surprise that you've become the worst of us."

Roadbuster strikes Quickswitch with Apoclaypse Chaingun.

Grimlock snarls as he sees Praxis fire on Crosscheck, apparently snuffing the life from the Inquisitor traitor. "Hnnngh," Grimlock growls, getting to his feet and taking to the air, his Wheeljack-patented anti-gravity system kicking in as he gains altitude on Praxis and his battle throne. "Every life you take today Praxis will increase your suffering in the Pit a thousandfold!" Transforming in mid-air, Grimlock drops from above onto Praxis, clawed feet spread out in front of to focus the force of his impact into two very hurtful locations.

Grimlock falls forward onto his hands, his wings wrapping around his chest as a mighty tyrannosaus rex head slams down into place over his old robotic head. A gleam runs through his optics as he reconfigures into dinosaur mode!

Grimlock strikes you with Flying Dinosaur for 28 points of damage.

Octane climbs rapidly as Astrotrain skips across the water backward like a very large and irate skipping stone before levelling out and looking like he's going to fly away. However, Octane's spots have changed and he turns around before lining up on an approach to where Astrotrain has come to rest. He dips down lower as the distance between the two of them close before transforming into his tanker truck mode and barreling toward Astrotrain as quickly as he can manage to ram into Astrotrain and send him flying back into the water.

Octane misses Astrotrain with his grasp attack.

Praxis turns his attention back to Grimlock and Wheelie, who are still trying to kill him on his podium. "Fools!" he hisses. "You cannot stop my ascention. If I am the ultimate force which shapes life and death on a scale unimaginable in this universe, am I NOT God? Is that not what I am? I shall distort your life, crush your mind and subject you to an eternity of torment and horror for DARING to stand against me. How could you." His metallic armour glows and throbs, a huge gauntleted fist arcing towards Grimlock. "Die Grimlock. Die so that I may live."

You strike Grimlock with crush.

- Raising his forearm, Jazz takes a solid hit from an Inquisitor drone that slams his across the back with a burnt car door. "Uggh!!" Fighting like the dickens to get the drone off of him, the former Autobot finally succeeds to incapacitate the drone with a nearby chunk of rock. Springing upward with a creak of his replacement parts, Jazz reaches for the burnt car door, swinging himself around for momentum as he aims for Praxis. "If it takes throwin' everything at ya to stop ya Stone-Face then we're gonna do it!! Let's go NEW AMERICA!!"

Jazz strikes you with Flying Car Door for 9 points of damage.

Peacekeeper ignores her own injuries and stressed systems as she increases her pace to a dead sprint as Crosscheck collapses. "Fraggin' Pit..." she mutters softly as she skids to a stop, kneeling on one knee next to him and carefully turning him onto his back as she internally forces her old medical scanners back to full operating status.

Peacekeeper pulls out a medical scanner and runs a check on Crosscheck.

The drones continue firing, even after Crosscheck appears to be out of the game. They target the Reapers, Fusillade herself among them. This, combined with the convulsive shudder of the artificial bridge as Octane's explosion takes out a portion of it, throws Fusillade off her feet. She doesn't have much choice when it comes to evading the hammerblow of Fulcrum's, as it descends with a resounding 'KRAK' on her left shoulder. She goes down, hands and knees stubbornly splaying so that she is not fully floored. With a guttural snarl, and an angry soreness throbbing in her shoulder, she SNAPS out one wingblade, sending the chainsword segments flying out to wrap around his knees. "LIAR!" she screeches out at the former blacksmith, gritting teeth and clenching jaw. "Cyclonus couldn't even keep his word about the Empire... he gave up on that years ago..."

Fusillade strikes Fulcrum with Chain-Sword Saw.

Devastator may be reminiscent of an over the hill movie monster, but a monster nonetheless. His lumbering stride is slowed to a halt by the onslaught of Sixturbo, Sixwing, Sixliner, Sixbuilder, Blaze Master, Eagle Eye, Sky High, Treadbolt, and ofcourse Hubs. He growls an unintelligable, "MRAAAWCRUCKHEMAZZZZZZZZ!" And then with great groaning force from his legs plows forward slowly step by step. Bulldozing forward for every inch. Driving forward, Devastator brings his decrepid old aft closer and closer to the foremost pip-squeak gestalt Sixwing. The fire upon Devastator rains all over. Under this barrage, Devastator groans and roars while he hunts and spreads his arms out wide as if ready to hug or make peace. Instead, with a terrible noise of rushing air currents, his arms swing together as he lunges at Sixwing, hands driving together to HULK-CLAP Sixwing between them. The sound of his hands coming together will be like cannon fire next to ones ears.

New Soundwave levels his concussion rifle down at the exo-suit. He listens for a hearbeat... and doesn't hear it! "You are... dead?" Frustrated, he kicks the exo-suit. "You cannot be terminated! Michael Briar defeated me with this exo-suit!" KICK. STOMP. "GET UP!" he booms. "I desire revenge! This... this is unsatisfying!" He looks about himself, asking of anyone who's nearby. "Who possesses knowledge on repairing humans?" He only manages to get a groan from one of Scrapper's zombies (whose design he always has suspected was stolen from his own Cassettidrones). "ARRRARRRGHHHH!" New Soundwave roars, his voice echoing across the battlefied.

The Cassettidrones, despite their numbers, are no match for the Air Combat Patrol, and are slaughtered as quickly as they can emerge from the moat. One of the Microdrones manages to smile as it's perforated by an energy bolt, and just before it falls back into the water, it whispers, "Thank you... old friends..."

Crosscheck is just laying there. He still function but barely as Peacekeeper examine him. Praxis sure did a good job at cannoning the poor scientist but Crosscheck has no regrets, he did the right thing.

"DEATH!" yells Praxis, flexing his arm, blasting hellfire and plasma all about him. "Why do my enemies still function, Scrapper? I demand them all at my feet, dead or dying. None shall stand before me, not YOU Wheelie, not YOU Jazz, and especially not YOU Magnus!" He staggers back from the shots, his containment suit smoking, his throne damaged, but still he functions. "I will see you all burn at my feet in the firey nothings of the vortex. My will is IMMUTABLE!"

Containment Suit (Praxis) unleashes its area_ranged attack on Jazz, Ultra Magnus and Wheelie, striking Jazz, Ultra Magnus and Wheelie.

Astrotrain turns just as Octane comes rushing in towards him after transforming. The squeal of tires filling his audials as his image is reflectd oh so briefly in the other triplechanger's windshield. It's almost reminiscent of a time long ago when Optimus Prime was about to run down Blitzwing. And just like that time, Astrotrain takes to the air suddenly at the very last second. Out of the three Decepticon triplechangers of the day, Astrotrain was always the fastest, and even a hundred years later that hasn't changed.

He lands with a heavy *THUD* a split second later, JUST behind the tanker truck, turning and aiming his rifle right at the exposed fuel-carrying trailer. "Yer time's up, Octane!" He pulls the trigger, only to have a loud *CRLICK* issue out a moment later.

"...oh yeah, ammo. Right. This is what I get for usin energy weapons for a couple million years..."

As Praxis unleashes all his fury upon Grimlock, Ultra Magnus can't help but wince in sympathy from the destruction the monstrosity can unleash. But, it hardly hinders him. Instead, he attempts to draw attention -away- from the Dinobot leader of New America. "There has to be a weak point to you somewhere, you overgrown freak, and I am going to find it, so help me Primus..." As he speaks, that plasma rains down... and he RUSHES straight into it, fiery power ripping at his hull. "You are FAR from invincible, and I'll -prove- it!" As he speaks, Ultra Magnus rips forward, his form burning mildly from the assault as the missiles armed at his shoulders -- old, archaic technology from his days as an Autobot -- sputter to life, igniting two shots from his shoulder-holsters as those last of Magnus' armaments blaze forward to impact against Praxis' mighty chest.

Ultra Magnus strikes you with Missiles  for 22 points of damage.

WHEELIE'S ROBOT CROTCH /EXPLODES/. "ARGH! Because thanks to that throne," Wheelie hisses, "Wheelie's groin is truly blown!" He staggers around, hamming it up a bit, and then begins to cry, salty robot tears running down his face, and his temper tantrum reaching such a high pitch that surely not even Praxis can withstand its octavular deciblosity.

Wheelie strikes you with Retarded Castrati Voice for 14 points of damage.

Grimlock is hammered into a dinosaur-shaped hole in the ground by Praxis' giant piledriver of a fist, smoke and debris forming a thick cloud where a T. Rex once stood. Moments later, though, a shakey, dinosaur-shaped silhouette rises from the ground, blue optics still blazing. "Nnnnrgh, it will take more than THAT, Praxis, to end the reign of I, KING Grimlock!" He steps out of the crater, waving his troops onward with one tiny dinosaur claw in the air. "CONTINUE TO FIGHT! GIVE HIM NOTHING! FOR AMERICAAAAAA!" He then rushes forward, using his thickly-armored skull as a battering ram against one of Praxis' throne's spider-like legs.

Grimlock strikes you with Headbutt for 19 points of damage.

Peacekeeper rumbles softly as she pauses slightly to issue more orders to the drones. "If we were near Houston, I would be able to at least get your systems back up into working order," she mutters softly to Crosscheck, regardless if he can actually hear her or not. "As it stands, out here, I'll do what I can." She's not a combat medic for nothing, after all--healing under fire is her specialty.

The drones, for their part, cease fire attacking any certain Inquisitor or Reaper, instead focusing on the Inquisitor drones making things difficult for the combined non-Inquisitor forces. Devestator, the Micro Gestalts, and even stray fire start thinning the ranks slightly, but still they fight.

Quickswitch moves toward Roadbuster, his long ago one-time ally, and never a friend. Green-optic embers look down at him, his own guns pointed at the old warrior. The worst of them? It burns, worse than the entire clip embedding itself in his armor, "No..." he shakes his head, "I was saving us all against a war no one could win," he shakes his head, lowering one hand as something pops from subspace, a piece of teal and grey armor, badly wrecked. He looks down at it, then toward Roadbuster, "My brother's dead." A moment of hesitation next, before Quickswitch acts, smoking pock-marks riddling his armor. He lifts a foot and stomps down on Roadbuster's hand, the one hanging onto the window.

Quickswitch strikes Roadbuster with Kick.

"All Empires must fall. And I am not Cyclonus." Fulcrum replies, taking another step towards Fusillade, ignoring the pain as the chainblades bite deep into his leg. "I knew this, long ago, but refused to believe. When the Empire fell, I had nothing. I fell into despair. I considered terminating my own existence, but was too much of a coward to do so. There was nothing for me except the darkness. And then, one day.. I saw the light." Once more he raises his double-handed hammer, the fire surrounding the head roaring into an inferno as he brings it down onto the crouching sixchanger.

Fulcrum strikes Fusillade with FLAMING HAMMER OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR PRIMUS H. PRIMUS.

MiG-25 "Foxbat" is an late but moving fast- very fast. He had to go break out the big guns he had been saving up for just such an occasion in a disused Minuteman silo. The preciously hoarded cruise missile actually arrives before he does, both the munition and Blitzwing breaking the sound barrier twice over.

MiG-25 "Foxbat" strikes you with Cruise Missile for 22 points of damage.

Crosscheck slowly comes to his senses, "... ... Peacekeeper? Is that you?... What happened? Is Praxis defeated? He must be ... stopped. no matter the cost, his marchine...is tearing reality...appart." Crosscheck starts to move slowly, trying to get back on his feet.

There's a certain unease amongst the Micromasters gathered as Devastator grinds to a halt before them. Did the guzzler run out of energy? Did they get enough shots into his frame to disable him? As quickly as that thought goes through the heads of Sixwing's component pieces, Devastator moves into motion with a sped that belies his huge size. With a yell of surprise, Sixliner leaps to the side, and Sixwing moves to take to the skies. But not quickly enough, as the giant hands of Devastator catch the gestalt in the midsection, and with four screams, four Micromasters are killed, smashed into component pieces. The two arm pieces survive, detatching, as Missile Run and Raker escape into the air, and begin to rain hell down upon Devastator. "NO! NO! KILL THAT GUZZLER!" Geo shouts from her gun emplacement mode, as the shockwave from Devastator's clap knocks Hubs off his feet, sending him flying into the moat, where he's torn apart by the Cassettedrones. With a snarl of rage, Sixbuilder rushes towards Devastator, the servoes on his arm units beginning to wind in an odd, almost preparatory action. Sixliner and Sixturbo spread out, beginning to focus fire on Devastator's knees. Big Daddy shouts, "We're lined up. You ready, boss? I mean... you only got one shot, Geo." With a grunt, Geo's voice calls out, "I know, B.I.G., but we ain't got a choice." Sixbuilder runs ahead and, dear LORD, the smaller construction Gestalt seeks to PICK UP the much more huge Devastator. Nodding, Big Daddy turns Geo's cannon on, and a menacing HUMMMMM begins to emit from Geo.

The chaingun is quickly dropped, and RoadbusteR ^_- growls as his makeshift robot-arm is stamped on. He switches hands quickly, using his good arm to pull himself up and onto the land bridge /he/ created. A huge TRNECH KNIFE pops out from its wrist and into his hand. He swaps it to his good arm as the cloth and chain wrapped arm explodes into a big awesome patriotic fireworks display. With his good arm, he stabs the fearsome post-nuclear blade at Quickswitch, "For... AMERICA!"

Roadbuster strikes Quickswitch with Jagged Trench Knife.

MiG-25 "Foxbat" blows past overhead, the sonic boom double-cracking with the missile's arrival and detonation against Praxis' back. "Did someone call for munitions delivery?" The fireball blooms into the air, rolling over itself in a coiling black and red cloud. "To quote a brave and retarded little soldier now deceased, let's show them how we do it... IN AMERICA."

- Moving his wrist-mounted communication device to his mouth, Jazz calls out to his enem...ally!! Blitzwing!!"Yo man! Nice of ya to join us homie! Get your guns on that freak Praxis pronto mah' amigo. Let's get this cat cookin'!" Activating his old internal sound system with a bit of stored solar energy, the former Autobot aims a blast of David Bowie at Praxis. However, nothing but static comes out. It's LOUD though.

Jazz strikes you with WHITE NOISE for 15 points of damage.

"NO GRIMLOCK!" Praxis roars, faceplate contorted, his cracked and smoking armoured shell blasting steam and plasma all around him. "I WILL TAKE FROM YOU /EVERYTHING/." The damage to Wheelie lifts his fuel pump, but then Magnus blasts him with a missile. "Magnus!" he hisses. "You who had everything, and lost it all. You who had the potential to become a great leader but instead ran from power, giving it to a whelp of a boy. And look where that has got you now. Dying. Damaged. In a ruined wasteland on a dead planet." His suit starts to power up again, whining with energy. "And DEAD!" A gigantic blast plumes from his arm-mounted cannon, liquid plasma death aimed straight for the Autobot

Ultra Magnus evades your plasma attack.

Wheelie's weeping and bawling clearly didn't cause Praxis to shudder with disgust long enough to be brutally murdered or at least kicked in the back, as was Wheelie's cunning plan. So he's forced to resort to more drastic measures. "You didn't fall for playing possum," he says, leaping into the fray and /totally pushing Magnus out of the way to save his life eat that power-pose Magnus/, "now let me show you why Wheelie's AWESOME!" He then shoots a rock at Praxis, Davey and Goliath style (Praxis is Davey, Wheelie is the talking dog).

Wheelie strikes you with Slangin' Shot for 7 points of damage.

Like a corona of a planet-killing asteroid, Fulcrum's hammer once against smashes down, this time shattering the left knee pauldron of the female. The searing heat continues to burn, and with a howl, Fusillade staggers backward, tearing away the sword, but no longer pressing the battle as defiance -- but against what? -- continues to contort her face into a sneer. There's a pause, a hesitation, as the haunting words about never knowing oneselef from Sixknight still echo around in her processor. Oneself, he had said, and not the Reapers... "Light, right... And what do you plan to DO once you GET to that tower, and ITS light?"

Grimlock rebounds off of Praxis' armored spider-leg, snarling, circling around in a manner befitting the vicious king of the dinosaurs. "Do you feel it, Praxis?" He hisses, whipping one leg with his thick, metallic tail. "Do you feel your defeat imminent? I, GRIMLOCK, DO!" He jumps off the ground with a push from both thick legs, ramming his head upwards into the bottom of the mobile throne.

Grimlock strikes you with Flail 'n Thrash for 23 points of damage.

"Get away from the TRAITOR!" roars Praxis as his mighty gaze slowly turns to Peacekeeper tending to the fallen form of Crosscheck. "He has forfeited his right to life, and so will you. Both of you shall be taken to my fortress, where you will live FOREVER in unimaginable torment and agony. So says PRAXIS, your lord and master!" That said, a bevvy of missiles rise from his back, striking with plumes of thick smoke towards Peacekeeper. And then Wheelie attacks him. "Impudent wretch!" he snarls, angrily. "You cannot hope to prevail. My power is everything, defeat is absurd! " He gestures towards his fortress, the white light still spilling from the top. "And my power is INVINCIBLE!"

Peacekeeper evades your missile attack.

New Soundwave kicks the Exo-Suit a few more times in frustration, then finally looks up at takes in the current situation. And at once he is appalled by what he sees--his drones, overwhelmed by Micromasters and their allies. His head snaps towards Geo as his sensors pick up a massive energy spike--he can't believe it! She never had that much power as a Cassetticon! But then again... she won't for long!

"All of you... my creations... all of you betrayed me!" New Soundwave booms. "You brought this on yourself, Geo! Just like the others." And then, he brings up Crosscheck's cannon, aiming it at Geo. "I made you!!! But... I can also UNmake you! Goodbye, Geo!" He squeezes the trigger, and the rifle hums with power... then... nothing. "What?" New Soundwave cries, looking at the rifle in his hands. "What is.... arrrghhhhh!" He drops the rifle, and clutches his head in pain. "What is... happening to me?..."

"You don't know the first thing about power and authority, Praxis..." Magnus begins as he lands, his missile launchers sputtering and crackling in silent protest from a distinct lack of use for years. They came through when he needed them -- that's all that he could ever ask. "I may be nothing more than another insignificant soldier in the grand scheme of things, in a world that's past its prime." As he speaks, he notes the sudden hum of power from Praxis' suit, and his fists clench. That beam of pure liquid plasma punctures the skies, the air rippling in a nauseating display of power... as the massive form of Ultra Magnus suddenly is SHOVED to the side. His eyes widen as he staggers across the ground, landing on his rear most unpleasantly as that beam cuts a swath of destruction across the spot he once occupied with sheer, unrelenting power.

"... Thank you, Wheelie. I might be just a soldier. But I have people who care about me. People who care about this planet. And I could be worse off..." He leaps from here, -straight- at Praxis. "I could be a spineless coward who's given up all hope. I could be -you-." And from there? He just seeks to SLAM his right arm across Praxis' face in a brutal backhand.

"And that 'boy' was ten thousand times the leader you'll ever manage to be."

Ultra Magnus strikes you with -Backhand- for 14 points of damage.

Devastator grins wildly. He cannot help it. Despite the six annoying voices prattling inside his head, all telling him what to do (kill Sixwing! Kill Sixbuilder! Kill Sixliner! Kill Sixsix! Sixsix doesn't exist you moron!), Devastator feels reborn, and he relishes the chaos and the fury that radiates out from the battle around him. His mammoth hands come together with a booming shockwave, trying to squish Sixwing with a mighty clap. The Constructicon laughs, gleefully opening up his hands in order to see if the gooey remains of the Micromaster Gestalt are there as expected.

The Decepticon (for Constructicons are always, at heart, Decepticons) laughs as bits and pieces of the remains of SIxwing fall to the ground like confetti. It was a very satisfying crunch for all six of the Constructicons, and their combined cheer is spread to Devastator himself. He didn't even notice what happened to Hubs.

The hulking warrior stands upright again, wondering which of the gnats buzzing around will be next to present themselves for destruction. His cheer is diminished as drones circle about his head, zapping him with rifle shots all over his body. Deep scorch marks are left at the impact points. Devastator waves his left hand around, trying to shoo them away. They're too small and too fast for him to accurately draw a bead on, and somewhere in his primitive head he knows it. Thus, he concentrates on the larger victims at hand.

Ignoring Praxis's prattling in favour of doing his own thing, Devastator prepares to move against the other Micromasters. Sixbuilder charges, just getting underneath a wild swipe from Devastator's Scavenger arm. The sound of metal cutting metal is heard as Sixbuilder tears into the Gestalt's knees. Devastator roars as Mixmaster's drum is punctured. Icky acidic foam bubbles out in an uncontrolled fashion, dripping down the rest of the chemist's form and to the ground below. Mixmaster's paint is ruined, and wherever the acid pools, the ground burns away.

Stepping back in an attempt to draw a better angle on Sixbuilder, the smaller Gestalt again outmaneuvers him, trying to lift the behemoth up. It almost works. Devastator squirms, and the grip is lost. He teeters and topples backwards, crashing against the side of Fortress Praxis. The thick and sturdy walls of the palace hold, but Devastator appears to be on the ropes. He expresses his anger with a loud bellow.

The pain is nearly a welcome distraction as the knife embeds itself deep within his armor, producing a shower of bright yellow, gold and silver sparks from a shoulder joint. The shift he takes on next, producing more sparks as the joints twist and turn, is that of a laser pistol, aimed right for the New American's head. Was he going to blow it apart, as easily as any common Decepticon might? Such distinctions were no longer made, he scoffs at himself, "Ideals worn like insignias," he comments out loud, "I act for the good of our species. You would have suffered for many more years until extinction. Why don't you see it?" he asked earnestly. Why didn't /he/ see it? One of two freaks, encodings etched deep in his engrams. He does not fire. Not yet. 

Octane misses Astrotrain as the other Triplechanger leaps over him, rapidly transforming into his robot mode as he sees himself bearing toward the water, before flying up and away. He turns around to shake his fist at Astrotrain, apparently not yet spotting Blitzwing, before he flies down and toward Astrotrain with his face contorted into a furious mask. "You want to play with guns? That's fine! Try this one!" Octanetransforms, another transforming that is unfamilair to him, before shifting into a large airborne flamethrower, it's wide mouthed barrel aimed directly at Astrotrain. The trigger squeezes itself just before a large jet of flame slides out of the barrel and reaches out toward Astrotrain

Octane transforms into his towering robot mode, his wings spread out on either side of him, and already hiding behind his heat shield.

Octane succeeds in grasping Astrotrain, throwing him off-balance.

"To be honest, Fulcrum replies, lowering his weapon on a sudden impulse, instead offering a hand to the still prone Fusillade as his comrades launch themselves at Praxis, drones, Micromasters, and Devastator rolling and clashing around them. "I have never been a great strategist or tactician. Or, for that matter, a great mechanic really. Do you have any ideas?"

Peacekeeper narrows her optics as Crosscheck starts to move, normally one to keep a patient lying down--but this is different. Especially when she hears what Praxis has done. "That insane...! So that is how he did it!" She was there when Praxis had made his announcement, and now she starts to understand just what she means. "That mad-scientist is still standing, but many of the New Americans are wearing him down," she explains, glancing towards the fortress. "You say a machine is causing the disturbance? Then we should destroy that machine, now shouldn't we?" She spots Praxis roaring at her and her optics widen as missiles are fired. "Crosscheck, get down!" She barks as she shoves him back to the ground and rolls out of the way herself, cursing up a storm as the missiles instead striking the ground and drones nearby.

The drones, all in all, continue dealing with the Inquisitor drones and assisting where needed--i.e., Devestator.

"Shut up and bleed, Quickswitch," RoadbusteR ^_- emotes. If he had robot teeth, they'd be gritted, but he was robo-born without a robo-face. He twsists the knife and steps back, leaving it embedded. From his back he draws another gun... what's thios, an old Cybertronian Mark 1.5v flaregun? Those haven't been around since Starscream and Megatron were going out. A veritble antique. He fires a shot, a willy pete, right at his foe. (YES ATTACK)

PS: yes the attack, no matter what, is red, white and blue fireworks

Roadbuster misses Laser Pistol  with his Flare Pistol attack.

Praxis cries out a terrible cry of frustration as his missiles go astray, Magnus' attack pushing him backwards against his throne. The gigantic mechanoid growls out, glowing almost red with fury. "Yes Magnus, you are insignificant. You, Grimlock and the rest of your pathetic rabble. Any victory you may win is so much dust beneath my feet." He raises his left hand, which crackles with electricity. "And now I shall kill you. Die Magnus, die a thousand deaths before me. I shall wade through oceans of your blood in my ascent to godhood!" The electricity crackles out again and again, looking to reach into every crack in Magnus' body

You strike Ultra Magnus with repeating.

- Taking a look at the battlefield, Jazz can feel the momentum slowly turning against Praxis. "We almost got 'im everyone!! Till all are Rockin' and ah Rollin'! Outta sight!" Bending down, he springs into the air, bringing one of his legs across the face of the evil one. "Hah Yeaaa!!" Jazz shouts as he takes it old school with the Street Fighter assault.

Jazz strikes you with Ryu lives through Jazz for 8 points of damage.

MiG-25 "Foxbat" flares hard, pulling his nose up into a Pugachev's Cobra to bleed off speed as he skims low over the blasted wasteland. He transforms in midair as soon as his airspeed falls below 400mph, firing his boot jets to glide through the battle in a blast of hot wind and bullets; he's drawn his handmade outsized AK-47 and as he passes through the midst of the gauntlet he whirls, overclocked reflexes slowing time for him so that he can fire a burst of 20mm FMJ at every enemy he can see, his rifle's unmistakeable chatter dopplering past as he bears down on Octane.

Crosscheck is already down so he just have to roll over to his side and the missiles miss him. He looks up at Peacekeeper, "You are right...all the Inquisitors seems busy and the drones will still obey me. If we can reach the Fortress alive, we will be able to stop his blasphemous machine."

Astrotrain fumbles with his weapon, growling and complaining as he gets several more grenades loaded into the underslung launcher. He barely has time to snap it shut with a hard *CRACK* before he is suddenly wreathed in flames from Octane's new weapon mode. No sound comes from him as he is propelled back once more, his rifle slamming to the ground and skidding alongside of him as he crashes to a pile of rubble once more, landing on his aft end and coughing for a few seconds.

Smoke rises in thick plumes from his body. A hundred years of torture and abuse starting to catch up to him. "...maybe they were right back then." He coughs. "...start chummin around with Autobots and you start to lose your edge..."

As Darth Praxis force-lightnings Magnus, Wheelie hefts his Robot Machete, which is cooler than a lightsaber because an African man has never killed a tiger with a lightsaber. "Hey, Praxis, if you want to fry," he says, chirping and giggling despite the horror surrounding him and the fact that he has verniers in the future, "Give someone Wheelie's size a try!" He then tries to /cut off Praxis' fingers/ with the machete, or at least hack at them badly, even if it means diverting the electricity toward his own damn fool self.

Wheelie strikes you with Robot Machete for 4 points of damage

Blitzwing unleashes his Giant AK-47 (full auto) attack on New Soundwave, Fusillade and Octane, striking Octane and Fusillade.

Blitzwing succeeds in grasping Octane, throwing him off-balance.

Sixbuilder lets out a cry of pain as his left hand disintegrates, as his own form begins to spray an acid suppresant from Mixing's drum. On the ground, Sixturbo lets out a yowl of pain as one of the cassettedrones gets into the mix and fires into his left leg, causing her to crumple to one knee, before blowing the snot out of the last of the Cassettedrones. Geo coughs, as energy builds at the end of her cannon mode, aimed... now conveniently... at Devastator's head. She calls out over the tacnet, which Soundwave would also be able to hear, "Told you guzzler's weren't all-powerful. It's been fun, y'all. Drink an enerbrew for me when you get to wherever yer goin'! And I'll see you in the Pit, Soundwave!" With that, abruptly, the Air Patrol take off, and Big Daddy transforms, beginning to retreat. Sixwing's remaining componets fly up and meet with the Air Patrol, all using the last of their ammunition on Devastator. Sixturbo fires one last shot, before separating and jumping on their hovervehicle, joining the rest of them in the air. The gun emplacement that is now Geo... simply fires, a HUGE blast of energy that rips a furrow in the ground, as it arcs up and heads towards Devastator. Smoke and steam pour from Geo and with a SCREAM, her body explodes, and any scans of the energy output would show that it's the same energy that fills a transformer's laser core. Hopefully she'll be able to do some damage (maybe irreparable) to Devastator.

Grimlock finishes his berserker's tantrum underneath Praxis, ducking out from beneath the mobile throne just as some allied munitions explode underneath it. "Huargh!" Grimlock snarls, jumping onto the back of the throne and clambering his way up. Opening his jaws wide, and without a quip this time, he chomps down, his maw making distorted scissoring sound effect and then a generic stock sound of a crip potato chip being bitten into as he chomps down on the battlesuit's helmet.

Grimlock strikes you with bite for 14 points of damage.

Blitzwing crashes into Octane bodily at speeds in excess of three hundred miles an hour with a deafening CLANG, tumbling end-over-end with him in a roil of dust and smoke. "I'm gonna rip you from neck to gut, Octane!" hisses Blitzwing. "Astrotrain! Are you all right?!"

Furrowing her brow in some uncertainty, Fusillade winces as the Triplechangers rumble nearby. Clasping her hand around Fulcrum's wrist, she levers up, and stands shoulder to shoulder with Fulcrum, wincing a few times as the drones continue to ping away at her. "Well..." She scowls at the tower. "Unlimited source of energon, could you believe that? Always too good to be true. That energy has to come from somewhere, and... if all the talk about unmaking reality is right, then... no version of the Empire would exist, or even our past, maybe??" She shhhs Fulcrum, "You are top notch. I just... don't think we'd be able to make it inside in time. I think destroying it would be our best be- NNGH-OW!!!" She recoils from the ballistics attack by Blitzwing, tucking and rolling even as sparks fly from her already stressed frame. She staggers back up, and clutching one arm in pain, she casts a petulant look skyward. "And even if we did, this is the kind of treatment I would have to endure..." And then, a radio from Quickswitch.

Praxis' attack on Magnus is cut short by Wheelie, one of the fingers of his suit rended off, plasma and black Kirby-dots pouring out the wound. "You WHELP!" the gigantic armoured fiend roars. "How dare you touch me. I will see you and your friends cruficied for my pleasure." His locks optics with Grimlock, his armoured helmet shielding any emotion. "Now Grimlock, watch as your friends die. Watch your future fate!" And his right arm arcs towards Wheelie, intent on crushing him.

You strike Wheelie with crush.

Magnus has no time to respond. Before he knows it, electricity is infiltrating his entire essence, convulsing across his being in a terrible fury that launches him straight backwards through the air. That electrical power conducts across his power armor, lines of white hot pain crackling in arches along the blue and red of his torso. He strikes ground in a rebounding THUD of impact, metal screeching unpleasantly across the earth as the last convulsive throws wreak havoc through his frame. "Gh... gg... we are. We are insignificant. But you..."

... But he -gets up-. Despite the damage done, Magnus -gets- up, lifting his crackling body off the ground as he makes a dead rush towards Praxis, aiming for a simple, brutal shoulder-tackle against the massive mechanoid. "... You're even -LESS- than that! Nothing more than a madman who doesn't even understand the technology he uses to destroy this universe!"

Ultra Magnus strikes you with -Takedown- for 16 points of damage.

Peacekeeper smirks as she rises to her feet, calling over a team of her own drones as an escort of some sort for them both. "And I too have drones of my own, so we should be OK as long as we get moving /now/," she replies, looking over the fight. "While we still have half-a-chance." She nods slightly. "Lead the way, Crosscheck."

Octane transforms as his attack strikes Astrotrain, causing the other triplechanger to be wreathed in flame, before Octane stoops down to pick up Astrotrain grenade launcher. He levels it at Astrotrain, smirking at him, and opens his mouth to utter some smartassed words of farewell before he's suddenly shot by Blitzwing's rapid fire shots. Octane stumbles forward, turning around to face Blitzwing before Octane is knocked down onto his back prior to skidding across the ground. As Blitzwing goes to Astrotrain however Octane again transforms, this time into a large robotic hyena. He sprints toward Blitzwing while his back is turned before leaping up into the air and trying to sink his teeth into Blitzwing's shoulder.

Octane succeeds in grasping Blitzwing, throwing him off-balance.

Wheelie is belted. The massive fist of Praxis' armor sends Wheelie into the ground so hard that his robot spine buckles, so that when he gets up he's capable of spinning 360 degrees like a defective He-Man toy. Luckily, he doesn't have to rely on soft flesh to cover his hard and beautiful support structure, so he's able to actually get up and stuff, but it's taking some doing.

New Soundwave clutches his head tightly. He can't understand the pain. It's like something is moving inside of him--then it dawns on him. Somehow, when he tried to use the rifle, it instead infected him with sub/vert! "Nooooo!" New Soundwave cries as his torso begins to warp and distort into a rather uncomfortable looking shape. Then finally a tentacle rips out of his chest and wiggles about. New Soundwave grabs at the tentacle, trying to push it back in, as if that would do any good. But more tentacles pop out all over his body, and soon Soundwave drops to his knees.

He wonders if he'll at least infect everyone else here, and take them with him, but a Cassettidrone brushes against one of the tentacles harmlessly, and Soundwave realizes that the nanovirus must've been designed to infect only the one that triggered the trap in the rifle. So this is how it ends, huh? So close to immortality.. "Hehehahahahahahaha...."

- "It's time to put an END to your party Praxis!" Picking up one of the many weapons littering the ground, Jazz picks up an ancient bazooka that's apparently still loaded...it's former owner now lying deactivated. Like one of those sweet scenes that only come around every other episode, a tight shot of the bazook zooms out to the battered and tattered form of this former Autobot. Tossing the weapon up onto his shoulder, Jazz takes aim for Praxis. He pops up the bent-targeting sight and grins with a bit of energon streaming down his lip, "Lights out PRAXIS!!!"

Jazz strikes you with Bazooka defeats Praxis for 24 points of damage.

Crosscheck slowly rises to his feet, nodding at Peacekeeper. "You're right. Follow me." Gathering all his strength, he starts walking towards the Fortress, commanding every drone he encounters to stand down. "We must reach the throne room..."

"Is it not written, in the Book of Primus..." Fulcrum intones, setting his shoulders, "...when in doubt, blow something up? No. It is not. But there is space in the back. Should we survive this, I shall pencil it in." He looks at Fusillade, suddenly seeming more his old self again, despite the religious iconography that is carved into every panel of his body. "Coming?" he asks, before launching himself into the fray, lunging for Praxis, his hammer swinging around in a gigantic flaming arc

Fulcrum strikes you with The Holy Hammer Of Primus for 14 points of damage.

Praxis is blasted back again by Magnus. "You LIVE? But how?!" His surprise is short lived as Grimlock wraps his teeth around his helmet. "GET... OFF... ME!" the dictator cries, gauntleted and damaged hands moving up to his head to try to force the Dinobot off. "Do not touch my helmet!" The sense of despiration builds up. "Do NOT TOUCH MY HELMET!" As his armour becomes cracked and dented, more and more energy pours out of the cracks. "None shall see me and live!" he roars, and suddenly there is a huge explosion, as he funnels his energy into a blast that spheres out, moving quickly in a blinding flash to attack all those nearby.

Containment Suit (Praxis) unleashes its area_ranged attack on Grimlock, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, Wheelie, Peacekeeper and Crosscheck, striking Ultra Magnus, Peacekeeper, Grimlock, Wheelie and Crosscheck.

Astrotrain grunts as he slowly pushes himself up, wincing at some old ache or another that long since hasn't been fixed. "...sometimes I think I'm gettin too old for this, Blitz. Smeggin Autobots, I bet they're the ones causin this...watch it!" Even as Octane transforms and pounces, Astrotrain is rolling to the side to get clear, reaching out with one hand to snatch at his rifle nearby, his fingers closing around the comforting handle of the weapon. "...I know one thing for sure...I'm havin just about ENOUGH of this!"

Quickswitch strikes Roadbuster with Kiss my aft!.

"Ng!" exclaims Blitzwing as the teeth bite deep, causing him to drop his rifle. "Appropriate mode! You always were a scavenger, Octane!" His combat knife ejects from his left wrist and he snatches it out of the air with the same hand, reversing it and bringing it down on Octane's back. "Are you gonna get your head straight or are we gonna have to twist it off?"

Blitzwing strikes Octane with Giant Ka-Bar.

Grimlock is lifted into the air and blasted away from Praxis, his jaw's scraping off of the armored helmet of the mad-scientist's battlesuit in the process. Grimlock flops artfully in the air, landing on his hind claws and sliding a few meters further back as his claws dig into the debris. "Nnnnrghhhh!!! THIS ENDS NOW, PRAXIS!!!" Grimlock bellows, charging right back towards the battlesuit, throwing all of his might into a jumping dino-ram right into the transclucent chest-piece of the containment suit.

Grimlock strikes you with Flying Dinosaur for 25 points of damage.

Eyes widening as Wheelie!! is ruthlessly smacked aside by Praxis' mighty wrath, Magnus' blue optics narrow dangerously as his gaze -snaps- back to Praxis. "No more sacrifices--" As he speaks, that energy bombards him, enough to send the former Autobot XO staggering back from the blinding fury. His armor cracks and rends slightly beneath the pummeling of the blast, but still... he does not relent. Making note of those armor cracks, Magnus' eyes flash, making a suddenly rush towards the massive robot. His own power armor crackling, he picks up a massive slab of ruined and jagged concrete from ages past, seeking to do little more than SPEAR it straight into Praxis' side with furious force, aiming straight for those cracks.

Ultra Magnus strikes you with -Fierce Strike- for 18 points of damage.

As Grimlock attacks, so too does Wheelie, charging with what's left working on his tiny golden frame, fists out trying to plunge into Praxis' dark heart and gain the power of the Iron Fist.

Wheelie strikes you with Smash for 6 points of damage.

- Jazz growls as his attack almost knocks down the intimidating form of Praxis. "Guess I'm gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way!" Charging the throne of the Inquisitor leader, Jazz's leg servos *whir* to life with the following maneuver. The former Autobot spring boards the foot of the throne-like device for a kick...not just any kick mind you...but a WELL-PLACED kick that would make any robot fall to their knees. It's not the most honorable of attacks, but then again...look around...honorable went out the door a while back. It's a kick SQUARE to the BAL....uhmm...you know.

Jazz strikes you with Jazz's Knee in Paxis' Crotch for 8 points of damage

Peacekeeper similarly orders her own drones to cease firing on the Inquisitor drones and Fusillade, due to the fact that she's no longer fighting them, then promptly gets blasted and knocked head-over-heels. The drones with them are trashed, but another team comes to take their place. "Ghhhn! Come on, Crosscheck, forget the fight! Let's go!" She growls as she forces herself up and starts running, ignoring her own physical condition, as the drones follow quickly behind. The drones that are left continue focusing their fire on the Inquisitor and Reaper forces still designated as enemies.

Octane yips as the knife digs into his back but doesn't let go of Blitzwing's shoulder...if anything he digs in deeper...in fact he swings himself forward to dig both front and rear claws into Blitzwing's back as he digs in deeper with his teeth.

Octane misses Blitzwing with his grasp attack.

Blitzwing misses Octane with his grasp attack.

New Soundwave tries to creep towards Crosscheck, sputtering, "You... you did this to me!... Wretch! Traitor! Scum! I should've killed you when I had the chance!" He swipes at one of Crosscheck's ankles. "Argh!...." he cries. And then, a tentacle bursts from his tapeslot, popping it open, and revealing many more, smaller tentacles within. "Curse.... youuuuuuu....." Finally, New Soundwave slumps over onto the ground, unconscious even as his body continues to devolve.

Blitzwing shakes himself free and hurls Octane away, lunging for his rifle, but when he comes up with it in his injured arm, spraying bullets, Octane has already escaped his sight. "Upgrades, eh? Someone's been at the milk and cookies."

Crosscheck is blasted and he falls on the ground once again but he is soon back on his feet, "I should have done something about that suit" he mutters for himself as he finally arrive at the doors, "Follow me" he says at Peacekeeper, "We're almost there" At this moment, Soundwave reaches him, "I don't have time to deal with you." He gives him a kick, "Have fun." Then he enters into the Fortress and heads right for the machine.

"That... sounds like a fantastic addition, Fulcrum," Fusillade murmurs, before she gazes at the top of the spire and the energon emitter. "And yeah, I'm coming. And going. There's something I need to do, Fulcrum. For all of us." She nimbly springs forward, tugging on the devotion chains and turning the blacksmith around just quickly enough to give him a fond tap on the the forehead with her own, a thin smile, before she goes where he cannot follow -- to the skies.

Transforming to her Lancer mode, she ignites atmospheric afterburners and orbital jump boosters, screaming overhead of EVERYONE as she weaves and needles her way through the crowded airspace. Smugly, she radios Blitzwing and Astrotrain, "Stick /this/ in your audials for 'cool'." And so, unfettered by the stalling, slogging battle with Praxis, Fusillade under the guise of a Reaper, arms her entire internal payload. For additional measure, the cheep of her plesiosaur ICBM launchers stirring to life can be heard. She rather unceremoniously smooshes her airframe into the upper pylons of the tower itself. The resulting temporal and gravimetric -DETONATION- threatens to suck all the oxygen out of the air with its fulminant feroicity.

B-1B Lancer strikes you with Concussion CBUs for 17 points of damage.

Containment Suit (Praxis) is deactivated under the fierce barrage of attacks.

Astrotrain grunts as he lifts his rifle again, turning at first towards the other two triplechangers, then stopping as he hears Fusillade on the radio. This causes him to blink and suddenly look up at the tower as she crashes into it, the bright explosion forcing him to shield his optics for a few seconds as it passes, and then he can glance at where she was and is now nothing but a memory it would seem? "That...that wasn't cool, Fusillade!" He shouts at the air.

Silence hangs for a few split seconds.

"...okay." He adds in a quieter voice. "...it was kinda cool."

The prone Devastator borne upon the support of the fortress, writhes as he tries to begin righting himself after that coordinated attack that toppled him... booming out, "DEVASTATOR IS SUPERIOR!" But no sooner do these words echo out, than the Geoenergy cuts a swath of smouldering ruin up the torso of Devastator starting between his legs at the crotch that is Long Haul... up the abs and chest armor V-wing and then settles the majority of the firepower upon the head of the Titan. Devastator's head glows red for the briefest of moments and then EXPLODES! The gestalt's arms and legs flail, hands almost appear to grope for the absent head piece... and the gestalt components crumble apart from eachother, demerging. Long Haul crumples to the ground nearly severed in half.

Devastator separates into the individual Constructicons.

"WAIT!" Fulcrum yells, reaching one imploring hand to the sky as Fusillade takes off, the preacher lacking the antigravs and transformation cog to follow her, helpless to do anything but watch as the world is flooding with the white light of her detonation.

Blitzwing pauses in battling Octane to look up and over as Fusillade launches. The blast wave which scours the ground and burns the air washes over him, leaving him a little bit bleached on the side facing the detonation. "Righteous."

The pistol hovering in the air suddenly sprouts claws and a toothy mouth, just long enough to bring itself to the grond and away from the pretty red white and blue fireworks. His Reapers needed his presence, especially now. This ancient warrior was a pittance. He reaches with his jaws to pull out the knife and spits it out with a dull clang. The winged puma looks at Roadbuster one last time, then with a leap from the bridge, begins to fly, toward his own. Should Roadbuster decide to follow, he perhaps could. Quickswitch was never right in the head exactly, and isn't now. A short burst behind him as his aft-lasers go off. Yes. The butt-beams.

Peacekeeper looks up as Fusillade screams overhead and slams into the upper towers of the fortress, and she bows her head in respect. /Primus be with you, Fusillade,/ she thinks before she follows Crosscheck inside the Fortress.

Scavenger crashes to the ground returning to robot form almost reflexively. He shudders in shock of what just happened.

With their damage done, and their leader, Geo destroyed -- and presumably destroying any chance of Devastator ever re-merging, short of a miracle -- the Micromasters head off, the flying ones supporting the remaining ground-based one without a flight platform. In the distance, those that look, can see the rocket from the Micromaster Rocket Base begin to lift off, heading into the sky, to meet it's brethren in the sky and head off this dustball.

Scrapper smashes against the ground in a crumpled heap. Scavenger lands next to him, and Hook lands on top of him. Mixmaster will get to deal with Long Haul and Bonecrusher crashing down on him. "-uperior!" Scrapper blurts out in dazed confusion, finishing Devastator's last thoughts. He shoves Scavenger off him and realizes where he is. "No, no! Praxis, Praxis! We have been defeated!" He fumbles around blindly, trying to find his laser pistol. The Constructicon turns to see what has become of the wonderous leader. Beside him, Long Haul and Hook smolder and burn, and it is with horror that Scrapper wonders whether or not they can be repaired.

RoadBuster is hit with a buttlaser and he just sort of stands there, bleeding for America. He frees a vial from one of his bandoliers full of future bullets. Radioactive soil from El Paso. He draws a SMILEY FACE:D on his mouthplate with it and follows Quickswitch, an awful future gun in each hand. no attack :(

Crosscheck walks faster now that he's far from the battle. He is so focused on his goal that he didn't realize what just happened outside. After a few moment, he reaches the machine, "This is it... I didn't get the chance to study it yet... I'm not sure if I can safely turn it off."

Is this the end? Has the moment been prepared for? Praxis is knocked about, his huge armoured frame almost little more like a rag doll as it is hit with missiles, shards of metal and a rather nasty kick to the crotch, as his huge arms reach out to his throne to steady himself. And then Grimlock makes his attack, Praxis doing his best to disloged the dinobot as his armour shell cracks and splinters. "No... no!" he croaks. And then the explosion. The top of his fortress explodes in a gigantic flaming fireball as it is consumed. "Fusillade you TRAITOR!" He roars. "I will see you burn! I will....!" The explosion consumes Praxis, as he tries to move forwards, to crush Grimlock, moving more from malice than any power reserves left inside him. "I... will... not.. be... denied..." the suit croaks, before finally, hands outstretched, coming to a halt in front of the band of surviving Cybertronians. And then with a loud crack, it falls apart, destroyed from the fires of the battle, the metal still hissing and popping

And then... and then... and then... From the centre of the suit tumbles a blackened and charred figure, life sustaining fluids and plasma washing out of the suit behind him as it crackles with broken power. Praxis himself, a broken, trembling mech. Once obviously some sort of van, his armour is now broken with lines and discolouration. He looks up at Grimlock, optics quivering. And his face... his face is that of Skids. And when he speaks, that shaking voice is too, the voice of Skids. "No Grimlock!" he cries. "Grant me mercy, I beg of you!"

Sky Lynx whom through the battle had been hanging back, his gold optical band flickers as he at last comes out from where-ever he hide, leaping upward on some rubble and growling lowly. He watches the battle from the Distance, and then-- see's what Fusillade did(or has become), he lowers his head gently, 'Primus..' he thinks to himself as he returns his gaze back to the battle.

Octane moves quickly while the other two are distracted fromFusillaide's detonation, crouching down on the ground to keep himself balaced from the shockwave, before he retrieves his last three Energon explosives. He then stands up, the fist clasping the explosives held high, before he starts to run at Blitzwing and Astrotrain. "You want to see a boom?! Fine! I'm going to give you a boom you'd never forget about if you were gonna be alive afterward!"

As Praxis begs, Wheelie eggs Grimlock on, like Kup did to Optimus in that one movie that one time. "Free the Earth from this dystopian strife -- ignore the tyrant and end his life!"

Blitzwing's hearing is still buzzing and ringing from Fusillade's explosion, but he hears Octane saying something dimly and turns his scorched face towards him. He eyes the bomb, glances at Astrotrain, looks back at the bomb, and raises his rifle.

Blitzwing strikes Octane with Giant AK-47 (full auto).

New Soundwave has now finally devolved into a vaguely mettallic lump, with thrashing tentacles sticking out everywhere, like a sort of perverse sea-creature. But the existence of this strange new creature is cut short as it too is caught in the explosion, filling the air with an alien shriek before it is vaporized utterly.

Grimlock is blown away from Praxis as Fusillade's kamikaze attack on Fortress Praxis results in a magnificent mushroom cloud of temporal energy, leaving the Dinobot King of America blasted on his side. Slowly rising up, Grimlock transforms, his frame battered but still functional. His blue optical band flickers, locking onto the warped, deformed form of Skids as he tumbles out of the destroyed war machine. Grimlock walks slowly towards him, only stopping to stoop down and pick up his golden broadsword. "My old friend..." Grimlock says, his voice hoarse with battle, looking over Skids with the rare emotion of pity on his nearly featureless face. "This is as much mercy as I can grant you," he says, his voice low and soft, as he lifts the golden blade high over his head.

The sword then drops down, cleaving Praxis' head cleanly from his body.

Astrotrain just stares at the sheer amount of destruction wrought upon the tower and otherwise, until the situation with Octane reveals itself once more. "He's a fraggin six-freak now. He ain't one of us." With that, as Octane runs forward, he grunts and lifts his rifle up, from the hip.


 * BOOM* K-CHACK! He fires like a shotgun wielding cop taking down a crazed terrorist in a Texan standoff. "And he never..." *BOOM* K-CHACK! "...WILL BE!" *BOOM* K-CHACK! *BOOM* K-CHACK! *BOOM!*

Astrotrain misses Octane with his Texas Style Shotgunning attack.

Scrapper watches as the Micromasters take off. "Scavenger," he breaths, pointing at the defeated and begging Praxis. "It's time we got the slag out of here while we still can..." Ragged and dented from his battle against Geo's forces, Scrapper grabs Long Haul, dragging him with him. "Constructicons, fall back! The day is lost, but we shall live to fight again!" Scrapper knew having an emergency escape pod would be a good idea. He leads his Constructicons in a panicked retreat to the fortress.

Blitzwing fires from the hip, yellow light stuttering from the muzzle flare, the rattle and bang of his Kalashnikov long and loud until he's emptied the magazine.

Scavenger gathers up Hook over one shoulder and follows Scrapper. He finally speaks after years of subdued silence, an idiot among geniuses. "Well duh." He retreats with what is left of the Constructicons.

- Jazz comes up behind Grimlock, patting him on the shoulder, "Well I guess we know what you call when you flip a coin! Heads it is!" Laughing a bit and looking around to the rest of the New America followers, he raises his hand, "All hail King Grimlock!! We took down this super clown!! Oh yeaa!!"

Crosscheck kneel before the machines and opens a pannel, "I'll try to cut its energy supply...let's hope I won't cause any disaster, there is no time to..." Crosscheck doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence as the roof explodes...the machine and all the energy it produces will soon follow,. He turns towards Peacekeeper, "I'm too damaged, I can make it... run... RUN"

Praxis has no words in him as the once mightly and powerful warlord is cowed before Grimlock, small and quivering. The measure of a man is not how he acts when on top, but how he can stand when he is brought low. And as such, Praxis is found wanting. With one weak, withered hand pathetically attempting to ward away Grimlock's sword, the tyrant falls, lifelessly to the ground with a soft thunk, his head rolling away into the grey dead earth. /This/ is how it ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

As The battle goes on, Sky Lynx then moves, his signature scanners pick up something and as the Fortress collapses, those signatures don't fade, 'Don't let this happen-- no more, No more!' Sky Lynx let out a roar as he leaped into the very falling building. Knocking off rubble as it falls down onto him, and grunting as shards of it peice his wings. Grunting, growling, and last, he does something he hasn't been able to do in years.. "Peacekeeper!!!" The large draconic mech yells.

When the light clears, Fulcrum is gone. Was he destroyed in the blast? Or did he simply take advantage of the chaos to flee. Whatever the case, the preacher is gone.

Blown back and away through the air from the sudden explosion, Magnus strikes the ground with another thud, rebounding and landing in a crouch. His form crackling from all the abuse sustained thus far, he looks upwards towards the fallen form of Praxis... to see Skids slowly crawling out. His optics dim with pity, shaking his head as he comes to a stand. He bears witness to the execution, his head hanging solemnly as Grimmjow grants one final mercy. "... Primus be with you, Skids."

To all Transformers, a message is transmitted from the Micromaster Rocket Base. "See y'all on the flipside. enjoy this energyless dustball, ya guzzlers!" As the rocket flies off into space.

As Grimlock delivers the killing blow, Wheelie, barely able to stand, let alone walk, shuffles himself over. His small eyes are cold. He has a beard -- but at the cost of mercy. "And so he proved so weaker than us," he says, uttering a rhyming epigram in a low, weary voice, "But Wheelie say, sic semper tyrannis."

Peacekeeper had managed to keep up with Crosscheck and had let the drones that had accompanied her fan out to watch their backs, but it seems that Fusillade's sacrifice has just made this place quite unstable. "Not happening," she growls back at the scientist, then hears Sky Lynx's roar. "Sky Lynx, in here!" She shouts as loud as she can as she has the drones fire on the debris falling from the ceiling above.

Octane is continually knocked back as the bullets from Blitzwing's weapon continues to strike him, as he's pushed back toward the water's edge. He sways back and forth slightly, looking up at Astrotrain just before Astro's plasma shot strikes him square between the eyes and fries a good deal of his circuits. He slowly topples backward into the water behind him, his hand closing around the explosives in his fist, before he strikes the water. Soon after a giant tower of water blasts out up from the explosion which vaporizes Octane and a creates a large shockwave that causes the water to be pushed away from the epicenter before rolling back in on itself.

Grimlock ignores Jazz's congratulations, hardly seeming to be in the mood as the top of Fortress Praxis smothers above the scene of the ruined city. Grimlock drops his sword to the ground with a clatter, turning away from Praxis' gray body. He slowly unwraps the tattered American flag from his shoulders, looking from Jazz to Wheelie to Ultra Magnus. He kneels down, silnently, tying the flag around a toppled steel girder that is too large for the damaged Dinobot to lift. He seems to be struggling with it, but seems too proud to ask for help.

Wheelie may be small of stature and also of heart because he is proportionate, but he nonetheless runs up to push at the bottom of the girder, standing between it and Grimlock's massive legs.

"Oh don't try to act like you always knew we were doomed to fail," Scrapper mutters back to Scavenger as they run through the fortress to the supervillainesque escape pod. From here the Constructicons, whichever managed to survive, will blast off to safety. From there, it will be rebuilding. Rebuilding what's left of the team. Rebuilding whatever can be salvaged of Devastator. Rebuilding everything that they lost today. The Inquisitors may be dead, but the Inquisitor dream still lives on. It needs only to be rebuilt. Luckily, rebuilding is something the Constructicons were born to do.

Blast Off just so happened to be right by the machine, drawing power off of it, as Peacekeeper and Crosscheck first started for it. He's collecting as much as he can, by the looks of the reinforced energon canisters stacked up beside him, and he looks like he's in a big hurry about it. "Come on, come ON. I'm not gonna take the fall for this one," he mutters to the Zero Point Generator as he stocks up on the juice to make good his escape from this sector of space, but the detonation which destroys the tower draws his attention. "Time to go," he says to himself, hurrying through the facility as it crumbles around him.

Sky Lynx pushes his way through, his wings starting to get battered baddly by the falling cieling, and his large form forcing its way through. He bursts out some flames, melting material out of the way, before he slams his large claw down where the voice was located, and creates a hole to Peacekeeper and Crosscheck.

"Escape-- Now!" He growls out, before feeling the wieght slam on his buddy, his joint struggle for a moment as he shoves up the wieght, "Go.. Now!"

It looks like Roadbuster comes up behind Grimlock, showering patriotic fireworks everywhere from his gaping wounds. He only has one arm, like any true Space NamVet but he still struggles to help Grimlock raise up the FLAG.

- Jazz helps out as well to raise this Iwo-Jima-like flag. Stepping up behind Wheelie and Grimlock, he raises his weathered hands to help. Normally, Jazz would say something witty at the moment, but he stays quiet for the moment, understanding just how good a picture this will be for tomorrow's newspaper of the future.

Astrotrain shields his face as the underwater explosion rolls back in on itself, sending a spray of contaminated rain splashing across his form. When it's all said and done, he just stares at where Octane has fallen, a scowl etched on his features as if it all wasn't quite so satisfying as he would have liked.

"...to the victors go the spoils, eh Blitz?" He elbows the other triplechanger. "C'mon, let's get back with the others. I -knew- we'd survive this." And with that, he takes to the air, soaring the short distance to the others and landing just behind and to the left of where Grimlock is raising the flag.

Looks like everyone's starting to gather for a dramatic group photo!

Blast Off's ceramic-tile feet pound the ground with a steady, brittle clinking sound as he hurries through burning corridors. Left, right, right, take the stairs, almost there, almost... as he turns a corner he runs straight into Peacekeeper and Crosscheck. "Traitor! You did this!" He whips up his particle accelerator cannon...

Watching on as Praxis' body grays, Ultra Magnus is silent, solemn. Offering his pity to the man that Skids once was, rather than what he has become. But, as Grimlock acts, the former XO's gaze comes to a shift, looking towards that Flag as he begins to attempt to lift the girder. Without a word, Magnus moves forward, stepping along the side of Grimlock and pressing his massive hands against that impossibly huge girder, beginning to help the push -upward= of that glorious, tattered, AmericaA flag.

"Poor ol' Octane. Always the bridesmaid, never a bride," snickers Blitzwing, tapping his knuckles against Astrotrain's as he strides up to help raise the flag.

Blast Off strikes Crosscheck with C-Beam.

Crosscheck looks up as Sky Lynx manages to make a hole by where Peacekeper and him could escape. He took some serious hits today but somehow, he manages to gather some energy and he heads climbs through the hole as fast as he can. Unfortunately, it means he doesn't see Blast Off coming from behind and just as he's about to escape the fortress, he's blasted from behind, all his circuit shutting down, his body falling back into the fortress.

Grimlock only grunts in acknowledgement of the others who come to help him raise the flag, guiding the end of the girder into a blasted crater-hole, shoving the flag into it and guiding it as the others push it up. The girder sinks into the ground a few meters before seeming relatively stable, the tattered American flag snapping in the wind.

Somewhere, post-apocalyptic future Reflector snaps a picture.

The cannon barrel comes up to the level of Crosscheck's chest, Blast Off's disdainful face behind it, full of hatred. "Your first mistake was thinking I was stupid," he says. A coruscating blue beam of light five feet wide lances out and cores Crosscheck like an apple, slicing through the wall behind in a spray of liquid metal, scoring through a drone in the battlefield beyond, and burning a hole a hundred yards deep into a mountain two hundred miles away.

Peacekeeper looks up at Sky Lynx, an pained look on her face, but she nods and turns towards the hole in the wall--only to see Crosscheck get blasted back inside thanks to Blast-Off. She snarls and transforms, opening her patient-bay doors as the final functional drone with them helps put Crosscheck inside before it is crushed like the others. As soon as that's done and the doors are closed, she guns her engine and charges at the only way out--and Blast Off. Move outta the way, Combatticon, or get run over.

Peacekeeper twists around and backflips, her body folding together until an M997A2 lands on its wheels.

Peacekeeper strikes Blast Off with ram.

For Quickswitch, its a terrible realization, as he watches Octane vaporize. The puma lands, somewhere close where Praxis' greyed body is, but not too close. He transforms, the robot now on his knees and oblivious. He looks down, then looks to the sky, then once again down as the terrible Reaper is diminished. His circuits tremble and run cold, "...no.... oh no...." he murmurs quietly. Merely off to the side and doing that.

At some point, when the credits begin to roll, Astrotrain's voice can be heard. "So Grimlock. NOW can I have enough energon to go get us some space fuel?"

Blast Off doesn't move out of the way in time. "Argh!" he exclaims, spinning end over end as the impact knocks him to the ground. He climbs back to his feet, transforms and launches into the sky on a pillar of white flame.

Blast Off folds up and simultaneously contracts and expands (however that works) into his more compact, yet larger, space shuttle mode.

Blast Off begins retreating, leaving itself vulnerable to parting shots from B-1B Lancer.

As the credits roll, the rap mega mix of Ninja Turtles soundbites from one of the Ninja Turtles movies plays.

As Blast Off left and Peacekeeper escaped, Sky lynx attempted to turn himself around, only getting nearly smashed by the following building, blasting away any rumble falling down that could harm her, "Go-- faster!' He bellowed as he blasted out another set of flames. However as they came to the end, he managed to get out, with his tail nearly getting slammed on.

Sky Lynx stood there for a moment, his intakes pulling in air quickly, though from the air inhaling, it sounded like they had better days. He then slowed walked toward the down building, and noticed something in the corner of his optical band which he tilted his head too, and slowly moved over to it. It-- seemed fimilar in color and the signature matched someone-- he knew.

Durango, having played a minor role in scenes that ended up on the cutting-room floor, finally appears on-screen...right behind Quickswitch. His plasma cannons are armed. And he looks angry. He raises his right arm behind Quickswitch's head. He smiles..oddly. "G'day, mate." He fires. With every bit of power he's saved. This would end...now.

Durango strikes Quickswitch with Canberra Cannon :(Heavy on the Starch): Setting.

M997A2  bursts out of the fortress, skidding to a stop once she's clear and looking back as Sky Lynx also makes it out in time. She pauses, trying to cool down her worn out and overclocked systems, and watches as Sky Lynx walks over towards... someone. She lets the New Americans have their celebration without interrupting--since they did cause much of the damage. She instead slowly rolls after Sky Lynx, her internal scanners checking over Crosscheck and making sure that he's OK.

It's a long time before Quickswitch stands up, on shaking pillars of legs. He doesn't glance toward the New Americans nor their celebration. He quietly, solemnly moves, not even transforming. He leaves the fortress through one of the huge, gaping holes, almost like a zombie-mech.

Sky Lynx moans softly and then cants his head to the other side. He starts to clear away the mess covering 'whatever' this was, "No.." He whispered softly as he kept working, "..she.." He then clears the last of it to find only part of Fusillade's bomber body, It was enough to know who it was, but--

Sky Lynx kneeled down to the form he found, tapping the bomber gently with his snout, before making a slight whimpering sound.

He took no action in the battle, because he didn't want to decide, but yet-- it cost someone there lives, a life that shouldn't have been sarcrificed and should have been his own.

M997A2  rumbles softly as she pauses next to Sky Lynx. "No matter what could've happened, she may have chosen the same regardless," she states quietly, not so much in comfort as much as fact. Death... doesn't bother her anymore. "It is over now, thanks to her."

Sky Lynx continues to head toward the atmosphere of earth, his thrusters kicking up more speed, as he starts to attempt to break past the thick atmosphere, 'Free-- free from all, in my home-- in my domain. How I missed you--'

The large draconic mech breaks free of Earth, and then floats in the sky, his internall alarms going off as his energy is low just from forcing himself to break free. He floats further away, before he lets Fusillade go into the darkness of space, hovering there, looking at her form. 'May the darkness of space give you peace, Fusillade-- and my your being walk freely amoung the stars and the ancients..'

B-1B Lancer's bits, in a wicked twist of fate, form a cloud that results in Jetfire crashing from micrometeor strikes.