| abstract
| - November 19, 2011 (Car Wash and Detailer) --- A cold dark night on Cybertron, the highways with minimial illumination. On the road heading towards Crystal city, approaching the car Wash, a sleek, small, dark cybertronian roadster drives at a relatively low speed, headlights dimmed to reduce it's visibility in the Gloom. "You guys still with me?" he calls out, to his companions on the road. Shark is naturally ahead of the escort group since his scanners combined with radar and sonar are handy in the underground environment. "Not far ahead of you Eon." the mech calls back. Hovercar mode moving along at a reasonable clip, not too fast or slow. Not at all worried about being seen in the gloom of Underground Cybertron, Sludge tromps along behind the roadster, his bright head-lamp (literally!) is shining down like a spotlight to watch the road in front of him. Behind him, with a rhythmic WHOOSH sound, his huge tail swung back and forth, held off the ground to avoid anyone behind him "Me Sludge With you!" he calls back ahead with a snort of exhaust. Starscream enjoys the feel of the air on his wings...and the feeling allows him to partially ignore one of his flightgroup. Hookshot...why the /pit/ did he willingly do this? Over the comm, Starscream sends a message to the glider and the femme. //Stay clear of Crystal City borders, they'll have our wings for sure if we impinge upon their territory. I have rumors of someone in this area, though, so *find them*! Hookshot, vocalizer OFF and sensors wide open! Nova Black, low sweep, I'm on your tail.// Starscream puts action to words and executes a needlessly fancy swoop just because he can, for the joy of flight. Gliding silently along, well, silently as far as mechanical noise goes, is a dark, thin vessel, following Starscream at an appropriate distance. Over the comm there is a response from the midnight blue mech. //You know I wouldn't dream of going ANYWHERE near Crystal City.// but doesn't say much more. He wasn't about to add how for once, he, Hookshot, was not the one shooting off his vocoder half as much as the Air commander, bragging about his cruel exploits to one of the gladiators. There is little need for the flamboyant glider to be told to keep his sensors keen, as they had been for some time. After all, flying on the second level was far more hazardous than topside, and the small, nimble craft was well suited for it. However, more interested in preserving himself than finding the Autobots, the glider slows itself somewhat and begins shutting down unnecessary processes other than what is needed to visualize, receive comm signals, and stay aloft, to reduce energy signals and heat, including releasing extra coolant in the systems. All lights from the glider go out. /Understood, Commander,/ Nova comms back, staying low and engaging her scanners. The last fight was something of a disappointment to her -- yes, she got to pepper that one 'Bot with laser fire, but it's nowhere near as satisfying as -- "Oh, slag," she mutters aloud as she feels the air vibrating and sees the Dinobot trudging along. She feeds power to her weapons systems, waiting for Starscream's signal. Well, she *was* just thinking she wanted a fight... Eon continues to drive, though he calls back to Sludge, "Sludge, please dim your headlight? Do you WANT us to be spotted if the Cons fly overhead? If we get caught out here, there's basically no cover for any of us, and I'm NOT a warrior. "the weapons tech's voice is tinged with worry, sure, if he can get a good target lock he can shoot at incoming decepticons, but in this gloom, actually getting a target lock will be easier said than done. "Shark, keep your optics and Audio sensors peeled." Shark picks up the dicebag and rolls against his awareness. Shark's roll succeeds! Shark's sensors continue to send back data from all around him as they drive along. There's a ping back from his sonar and he slows down, "Got contact you two. Eon fall back toward Sludge and stay out of trouble. Let me see what we got coming." he notes, transforming to robot mode with weapons humming online. Shark transforms into a robot. "Me Sludge can be cover for you." Reassures the Dinobot, but he does oblige by turning his headlamp down to the halfway point. "Sludge very good at... " a pause "Doing more one thing at once." he explains, his footsteps slow - but still fast, due to the sheer length of his stride. "Contact? You mean Decepticons?" Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls against his awareness. Starscream's roll succeeds! Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls against his awareness. Starscream's roll succeeds! Starscream looks beyond the gigantic Autobot and smirks. //We've got company, and one looks to be small and nonthreatening. Why don't we welcome them in true Decepticon fashion?// Starscream slows just a bit, not wanting to overtake his temporary wingmates. //The big thing is the most obvious target...so let us not be obvious. Concentrate fire on the second guard instead of the smaller one!// Nova Black's engines roar in excitement as she gets the go-ahead to attack. Two of them... and she's looking for the bigger one. Then she realizes exactly who that is, and her weapons systems surge with energy. "About time I got you back properly, vermin," she snarls as she streaks downward to attack Shark. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(her dexterity) against Shark's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! With Nova Black going in, weapons crackling, the glider begins to make a large circle ahead, carefully monitoring the Autobots spotted below, an the ensuing battle. Systems dark, little energy expended, almost no exhaust and low thermo readings... and lastly, the gloom to blend into, the glider is right now preferring to abstain from battle, waiting for an opportunity to deliver a surgical strike, so to speak. //Going dark. Waiting for the right moment. Turning off radio.// Hookshot reports over the comm link. "You got it." Eon's words come as he hits his handbrake, to turn fast, but then Nova's attack comes, and Eon yells as he transforms, pulling a very LARGE blaster from his subspace pocket, "Shark! Damn you decepticons, eat this!" levelling the blaster, he unleashes a white hot stream of ionic particles up at Nova Black.. a blast far more powerful than one would normally expect from a bot so small. Eon picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Eon's roll fails! Shark spots the three fliers and comms back, "Decepticons, three fliers, incoming." He sees them clearly now as they come closer, considering who is the most threatening of the trio. He smirks a bit at the fact it seems all three are gunning for him first. Big mistake. "Bring it." he growls. He takes the impact right in the chest, sent staggering back several steps. "I'll bite your wings for that scarred one." he calls out. Starscream sets his sights on the target, cycling power to his null rays as he comes close enough for a major shot to Shark's face. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Shark's agility. Starscream's roll succeeds! Sludge snarls as it seems, there WAS going to be Decepticons. But it was a snarl of happiness as he turns to focus on the three flyers. "Hey! About time you showed up! " he bellows at them, belching fire in the direction of the main seeker - Starscream! Sludge picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Starscream's agility. Sludge's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Nova Black swerves hard to avoid Eon's shot. Part of her wants to go after him for that. That was a *big* slagging gun. But her Commander did order her to go after Shark, and there's not much better luck than being *ordered* to get her revenge. Then she catches sight of the Dinobot's fire-breath enveloping Starscream and curses loudly. /Glider, I could do with some help here.../ she comms. /I know you're not built to fight, but -- distract 'em with glitter or something until Commander Flambe can help me out here, slaggit./ Determined to show no fear, she growls at Shark again. "Bite my wings off? You'll have to get close enough to try, you wingless little parasite!" she snarls, coming in for another attack. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(her dexterity) against Shark's agility. Nova Black's roll fails! The Air Command getting scorched is certainly something that comes as a cause of internal chuckling, and had he a face in this mode, he'd be smirking for sure. But as it is, it's his duty to assist somehow. Folding in his wings, the aerodynamic glider begins to plummet with the power of gravity lending him more speed than his own small engine could offer. He angles towards the large Dinobot, but short of reaching him, his wings are flared out again, catching the thermals created by the flames and shooting up, while at the same time releasing and flushing out a large portions of his coolant liquid to rain down upon the Dino's head as well as to try and put out any flames on the leading Seeker. Now, if only he had flame retardant foam handy... should see about loading up on some next time. Rising higher using heat rather than engines, the glider tries to return to its lofty height and away from easy assault. Hookshot picks up the dicebag and rolls against his agility . Hookshot's roll succeeds! His initial shot missing draws a dark frown upon the face of Eon, and he adjusts his aim rapidly while trying to get to cover, before he unleashes a fresh barrage of blasts aimed for Nova Black as best he can. His sensors aren't quite sharp enough to have noticed the stealthy glider, a fact that will probably land him in a lot of trouble, and it seems to him that Sludge has Starscream under control for the moment. Eon picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Eon's roll fails! Shark barely had recovered from that shot from Nova Black on her first attack when Starscream followed up with a null ray shot.. to the face! Somehow, but a miracle or luck, he falls out of the way of the second shot from Nova Black. And luckily for her he's silenced from that null ray too. At least for a short time. Starscream shrieks piercingly, transforming into robot mode in an attempt to lessen the feeling of fire on every sensor he has. "Fragging slagging piece of scraplet-ridden trash!" Starscream plunges skyward, his plating scorched, and aims a barrage of laser fire at Shark, the soot in his optics obscuring the shot just a bit. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Shark's agility. Starscream's roll fails! Sludge cuts out the flame after a few seconds, continuing to stomp forwards to be nearer to Shark and Eon "What did you call Sludge??" he demands as he twists his neck to follow Starscream. But then liquid coolant starts to splash down at him, distracting him "HEY! You don't leak on Sludge!" he growls, sending another gout of flame up that way, although it sputters and crackles, weakened by the shower. Sludge picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Hookshot's agility. Sludge's roll fails! /Nice one, Glider!/ Nova comms, partially because she's impressed and partially because she's relieved that Hookshot is actually making himself useful. Maybe he meant what he said about that kinship between them mattering, after all. /Think you can keep Big, Dumb, and Ugly distracted while Starscream and I work on getting his escorts out of the way?/ She swoops lower, coming in to fire at Shark again, irritated that both she and Commander Starscream missed. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(her dexterity) against Shark's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Eon , having missed Nova again, and seeing the glider's spraying of the coolant on Sludg, suddenly shifts his aim, to fire upon Hookshot instead of Nova Black for now, yet another massive particle stream heading skywards, though his aim is perhaps more considered this time. Eon picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Hookshot's agility. Eon's roll succeeds! Shark lucks out again as the null ray slowly dissipates and he's able to move gradually. "Burn.. em.. to ... the... pit." he calls out haltingly toward the Dinobot. Another strike from the femme and the grounder is nearly out for the count. This time she's just got the better of him. Lucky makada. He barely has enough energon to take a shot at her at least. Shark picks up the dicebag and rolls his agility against Nova Black's dexterity. Shark's roll fails! Starscream wipes the soot from his optics and eyes his weakened target...Nova Black's shots have been unusually accurate. He cycles power to his lasers and swoops downward, firing at Shark, hoping to put him out of the fight so he can get the little minibot. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Shark's agility. Starscream's roll fails! "Am trying Shark!" bellows out the Dinobot, starting to turn in a circle to follow Hookshot overhead, his tail swinging dangerously around him like a huge hammer. He snarls, firing off more firepower towards Hookshot, the flames lighting up the entire battlefield "You Decepticon HOLD STILL!" Sludge picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Hookshot's agility. Sludge's roll succeeds! It was highly unfortunate that Hookshot had to expose himself to offer some unconventional cover, and even more so that in doing so he became targeted. During his ascension back to his previous position, the glider is fired heavily upon. The Glider begins to tilt to spin out of the way, only to have his processor fire off an alarm for low coolant cause a mild distraction and slow him for that one fraction of a nanosecond it would have taken to clear the hit. Instead, his wing gets hit, causing him to spin the other direction uncontrollably, more alarms flaring up. Sternly, Hookshot begins powering down more and more functions, managing to catch himself, but there is now a distinct trail of smoke from his blasted wing, and his controls are askew. Knowing that his maneuverability is compromised, the glider transforms in the air, tucking himself into a diving position right above the Dinobot, aimed at landing at the base of the large saurian machine's neck. During this is when he gets a belch of fire, residue of liquids catching and burning hot against his chassis. Still, his aim is to land on the back of Sludge's neck, flames and all. Hookshot picks up the dicebag and rolls his agility against Sludge's agility . Hookshot's roll fails! Nova Black twists away from Shark's shot. If they were alone she'd finish him, or at least humiliate him like he humiliated her during the last battle. But they're not alone, and there are more enemies to go after, including one who is far larger than any of them and breathes flame. And Starscream's plan seems to be to take out the guards so they can get to the massive Dinobot afterwards. She offers one last taunt to Shark. "Burn 'em to the Pit? You sure you're not talkin' about what happened to you, Teeth?" Then she turns abruptly, purple laser fire streaking toward Eon. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(her dexterity) against Eon's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds! Sludge growls as he continues to spin around wildly, aiming to keep on following Hookshot. As the mech passes that neck, landing on his back on the walkterrace, he growls. "You am NOT allowed there!" he bellows, twisting around to snap his teeth at Hookshot, aiming to pick him up with those pointed fangs, now quite angry. He continued to turn in a circle quicklyu, as though somehow aiming to 'catch up' to his own body, like a bumblepuppy chasing his tail. Sludge picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(his dexterity) against Hookshot's agility. Sludge's roll fails! Laser fire streaking down from the sky suddenly to blast him to the ground, Eon yells in pain, before looking to sludge and Shark, "you guys GO, get the slag out of here. I'll try to draw their fire." With that he opens fire on Starscream this time, trying to gain the attention of the 'Cons as effectively as he can. Eon picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Starscream's agility. Eon's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Starscream snickers at the spectacle of the Dinobot chasing its tail. //Hookshot, got any cabling? Tangle it up in its own pedes! Nova Black, continue as you are...I'm right behind you!// Starscream cycles his null rays up for a definitive shot at Eon, attempting to strike just as he is hit by a massive blast of particle beam. "SPAWN OF UNICRON!!!" Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Eon's agility. Starscream's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! With the gaping maw coming at him, Hookshot quickly rolls out of the way, seeming to fall off, only to activate the magnetic couplings in his hands and feet to latch on to the side of the gargantuan. Quickly the nimble mech begins scaling down the side of Sludge's girthy chassis, until he is near the undercarriage, or belly, where he frees a hand to retrieve a small timed explosive from subspace, and quickly attaches it with a very strong adhesive behind one of the dinobot's legs, near the equivalent of an armpit. The timer is set reletively short, just enough time Hookshot estimates he will need to get clear of the small blast radius. Setting made, Hookshot turns off the magnets and pushes away from the hulking Autobot, using only a short blast from his small heel jets to give some quick distance, then spreads his wings and glides, constantly adjusting his one damaged wing to compensate. Hookshot picks up the dicebag and takes out a D10. Hookshot rolls a 7! Shark has no choice but to head for Eon as the mech goes stiff. He picks the mech up with all the strength in his body, then head for the side of the Dinobot, "Hold still Sludge, I'm hitching a ride. Time to leave!" he calls out. With Eon in a firefighter's carry position over his shoulder he snatches at a ladder that is on the Dinobots side with both hands and hangs on for dear life. Sludge snarls as he continues 'chasing' Hookshot now, the tail swinging over the heads of his fellow Autobots. As Hookshot moves away, he pauses, following.
* BLAM* Then with a yelp, he gets one hell of a tummyache, growling in pain as the underarmor of his stomach is damaged, smoke pouring out and sparks flying. HIs optics flash in anger, but then the other two Autobots catch his attention. He holds still indeed for Shark, while a last spout of flame is poured over the area, and he turns his head back and forth to try and get as much 'cover fire' between he and the Seekers as possible. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls against her agility Nova Black's roll succeeds! Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls against his agility. Starscream's roll succeeds! Hookshot picks up the dicebag and rolls against his agility. Hookshot's roll succeeds! Starscream snarls, dodging yet more flame. "I /really/ don't like you." he says quietly, before aiming at Shark and his offlined cargo, hoping to jar the pair of them free with a burst of laser fire. Starscream hurt and more, but he still wanted to salvage something... Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Shark's agility. Starscream's roll succeeds! Nova Black gives a whoop of excitement as Hookshot's explosive goes off and smoke pours from Sludge's massive chassis. Then she sees the Dinobot's great maw glow red-hot and hastily gains altitude a moment before the area where she was hovering is blanketed by flame. She winces slightly, her thrusters singed, but takes no appreciable damage. She fires at Sludge, hoping to worsen the wounds the smoke billows from as the massive Autobot turns to retreat. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 1+(her dexterity) against Sludge's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds! Whilst Nova Black gains altitude, the glider loses it, ducking under the range of the flames spewing from the large head. Still sailing through the air, the glider makes what altitude he has remaining last for quite a duration without any further assistance or energy consumed. Deftly, he lands on the roof of a building a ways from the fight to recuperate. Shark managed to just barely make it to the Dinobots' back when that shot came at him from Starscream. It knocks him out, but luckily for him there's a bit of a basket there to keep him and Eon from dislodging so long as Sludge doesn't go anything too drastic. Growling again in pain, Sludge continues gouting flame, ensuring to keep the Seekers as far as possible. He starts forwarsd then, wincing with every step as he slowly speeds up, like a locomotive, heading for a smaller (But still large enough) tunnel. It doesn't matter WHERE the tunnel leads. Just away from here! "You dumb Decepticons! Me finish you next time when me Sludge not need rescue weak Autobots!" he bellows over his own shoulder. Starscream curses in frustration, watching the giant 'bot run off. His wings hurt, his chassis hurt, and his paint job is fragged...but they'd /won/. "Frag off, Autoscum!" he shrieks. Nova Black watches the big Dinobot disappear into the tunnel. Her engines rumble, eager to give chase, but Starscream is damaged, and she doesn't trust the glider not to fly off now that the danger is past. As much bragging rights as she'd earn from finishing a Dinobot, if she doesn't manage it she'll either get slagged, or nearly get slagged by Quickrazor when she gets home for being so reckless. With a snarled curse, she turns away, paying close attention to Starscream to make sure he doesn't need assistance. He'd never admit it if he did, after all. With the danger being over for certain, and seeing the gargantuan aft of the large creature disappear into a tunnel, Hookshot onlines all of his systems and lights once more, having forgot to do so earlier. Leaping into the air, he transforms and blasts his engines to gain altitude, before idling them to glide, again, over compensating for his damaged wing. His flight isn't as graceful as he pulls back into formation behind Starscream, comming //Well, that was refreshing. Can we go home now?// Starscream spits through the comm, //Yes, we can go home now. And you're reporting for blaster training!!//
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