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| - 4.1.0 Ruins of Iacon's Suburbs Once again Hammerstrike is dutifully patrolling between the Great Freeway and Iacon. Suddenly, air raid sirens start to echo out from the top of Iacons' Dome. The dome itself starts to move out... spreading out slightly and slide towards the ground to seal the city off. Lifeline is on her way through to find that one crate that never made it to Iacon. First Aid is of course with her, because he was the last one to touch said crate. First Aid still has all his limbs and stuff attached but looks really, really guilty. However, he's also smart enough not to apologize (again) and is looking back and forth along the ground where Lifeline was parked before. Lifeline didn't have to scold First Aid, he was already beating himself up more than enough. She pulls to a stop very close to where they stopped last. "It should be around here somewhere." The main problem is that her crates are the most non-descript, bland, blend-into-anywhere things ever. Hammerstrike stops abruptly when the sounds of sirens could be heard. He turned towards Iacon which is closing up, then towards Lifeline and First Aid, and then finally skywards. Hammerstrike takes one step towards Iacon, only to turn and begin to gallop towards the searching medics. He had noticed them prior, but was sensible enough to leave them be. But now... The sirens continue to echo loudly as the dome stops - one mechs' height from closing as it typically did, to allow troops in and out. Meanwhile, seekers start to flick across the sky - bright arrows that caught the light as the swarming began. First Aid looks up when he notices the sirens and begins moving towards the dome with a glance back at Lifeline. "I'll keep looking later. At least there's a siren here," He offers with a smile that's only a little worried around the edges. Lifeline transforms as soon as First Aid starts to move away. "What does that siren mean?" She starts after the younger mech. Upon seeing the medics head towards the dome, Hammerstrike slows his pace, waiting for the two to pass him so that he may bring up the rear. "Raid - get under cover." First Aid stops, not realizing that wasn't self evident, and then shakes his head. Of course it wasn't. "We need to get under the dome, now." -CRACKKATTBOOM- A white streak sears dangerously closer overhead, before looping back again "Well look who it is!" it was Echo speaking as he circles tightly along, his underbelly carrying two large missiles. " With the sound of a flier coming so close, Hammerstrike turns and looks upwards, his optics tracing Echo's movements. Glowering, Hammerstrike holds out his arm while a panel slides open and an arm-rifle rises out of the compartment. He aims it at the oncoming seekers while walking backwards towards Iacon. Lifeline startles and turns to look up at the sound of the sound barrier being broken, and upon seeing Hammerstrike preparing to fire on someone glowers and starts toward the dome again. She hates this. First Aid winces at the noise and breaks into a run, heading for the dome's edge and passing Hammerstrike. The seeker chuckles, joined by several others as he starts to give chase now, releasing one of his smaller missiles at the trio of Transformers on the ground, explosions starting to fill the sky. Once the first volley of attacks breaks, Hammerstrike glances behind him to check on the medics, and then leaps back to land in a crouched position, narrowly avoiding taking a hit from the missile. Small pieces of flying debris ping off of his armor harmlessly as he raises his weapon to counter fire. First Aid continues to run for the edge of the dome and is surely getting close. He glances over his shoulder to see where Lifeline and Hammerstrike are. Lifeline is now running after First Aid, but has always been slower, even in this mode. She's NOT keeping up with the younger mech. Echo is struck by the weapon, and yelps as he spins off to one side. But he regains control fast and this time overshoots the Transformers, swooping around so low that his landing gear would have struck them as he returns fire from the FRONT, trying to cut off their escape! Hammerstrike had lost track of Echo after hitting him, and focused his attention to drawing fire from the rest of the seekers that hovered above them. This left Hammerstrike blind to Echo's maneuver to cut off the medics' retreat until he did one of his routine glances behind his shoulder... but by then it was too late. Before he can react, one of the unleashed lasers sears through the edge of his armor long his upper arm. Turning towards Echo, determining him as a more immediate threat, he fires another laser; being limited in variety of ranged attacks. Lifeline is simply trying to keep up with First Aid, so is completely not expecting to see the flyer suddenly touchdown in their path. She stops abruptly (one advantage to being slow, it's easy to stop) and brandishes the only thing she has to defend herself -- a good, hefty, old-fashioned, all-metal wrench. Be afraid. Be very afraid. First Aid ducks and stumbles but stays on his feet as the laser fire goes over his head. Echo snap rolls to one side again as he laughs. They were almost to the safety of the dome, smoke billowing through the sky as the seekers rise up, becoming pinpricks as they drop the major missiles... long plumes of vapor following the deadly explosives as they streak towards the dome. A few get under it, exploding there in flashes of light as Coldsnap slows overhead "You won’t get away you know!" he taunts Lifeline glares dangerously at Echo -- any mech who knows her temper would be duly warned by her expression -- and tightens her grip on her wrench. Just GIVE her a reason. She's not had a reason to REALLY bean someone in way too long. Hammerstrike is unperturbed by missing the seeker; it happens. He surveys the situation all around him, seeing the seekers unleashing a swarm of missiles, some of which seem to be falling short of the dome. He turns his head, seeing Lifeline challenging a seeker with a wrench. Seeing that she is lagging behind First Aid's progress, he sprints with all the speed he can muster towards Lifeline. To close the gap quicker, Hammerstrike launches himself at Lifeline with every intention of pushing her down and sheltering her from the brunt of a stray missile. Echo chuckles as he banks off, beginning to fall back with the other seekers as his missiles were expended in another attempt to crush Iacons' dome. Lifeline gets flattened by... something or someone. She can't even begin to budge as the explosions of the missiles striking the dome (and closer) make the very ground shudder. Once that stops she tries to extricate herself again. This is NOT happening. Ratchet has disconnected. First Aid watches with a look of... well, not so much horror (no one got blown up, although Hammerstrike may wish he had in a bit) as serious disbelief. Whilst there isn't exactly a direct hit, Hammerstrike does take the damage of a nearby explosion, causing parts of his arm and flank to be blown off, and other parts of his armor peppered with embedded shrapnel. The entire time he remains flat against Lifeline, waiting for the debris to stop flying. He looks up with momentarily blurred vision, and feels Lifeline squirming beneath him. He pushes up from the ground, his arm's length from the ground enough room for her to get free. However, his one arm buckles due to the damage it sustains, and to keep himself from crashing down on Lifeline, he keels and lands on his side instead, watching Lifeline carefully, unknowing of the dour fate which he soon would be facing. First Aid darts back out from the edge of the dome, trying to help Hammerstrike to his feet- Lifeline looks okay- and get them moving again. "Are you okay?" He's not quite sure who he's talking to, looking back and forth between the two. Lifeline moves to stand the moment the seemingly dead weight moves out of her way, and she turns to look around. Hammerstrike is right there, and she looks ready to read him the riot act. "Of COURSE I'm okay, First Aid, this slag-brain apparently thought I resembled a recharge berth!" Hammerstrike borrows strength and balance from First Aid despite his size and managed to stumble to his feet. He glances over at where missiles still seem to be raining down, then he looks to check on Lifeline, only to receive the clinging end of her fury. His optics flickers as he pauses a moment, seeming momentarily baffled. Following the recovery of his composure, Hammerstrike takes a step away from First Aid, showing a willingness to stand on his own. Without a word, he heads for the low entrance to the dome. First Aid says "He got hit by shrapnel so you wouldn't! We have to get under the dome. Come on!" First Aid follows Hammerstrike, positive Lifeline has enough sense to start moving again on her own. Lifeline looks at First Aid for a second of surprise, then hurries to follow the two, catching up to Hammerstrike. She's still partly fuming, but at the same time feels bad for snapping at the mech now that she knows that he's injured. Hammerstrike finally reaches the cover of the dome. He drags himself wearily from the battlefield, ducking slightly as he slips under the protective walls and into Iacon. A trail of fluids is left behind him, some of the explosion and shrapnel hitting deep enough to rupture a tank. He turns one last time to make sure the medics were safely arriving under the dome as well, and then heads quietly to the repair bay. First Aid looks back and forth between Hammerstrike and Lifeline as he reaches the edge of the dome. "I have to go report in at the repair bay. He probably wasn't the only one who got hurt, and the alarm means I'm on duty unless I have other orders." Lifeline continues to follow Hammerstrike to the repair bay. Partly because it's where she always goes when she's visiting Iacon, but mostly because she wants to make sure Hammerstrike gets properly repaired. His foolhardy attempt at football tackling her is irrelevant at this point.
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