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| - Soundwave's fist BANGS against Crosscheck's door rather urgently. Crosscheck's voice come out of the intercom, "What is it? I asked to not be distrubed, I'm running a very delicate experimentation right now." Soundwave taps the intercom button. "Make time, Crosscheck. Blast Off has advised me of a serious situation that involves YOU." Crosscheck grunts, "Oh yeah... I forgot to talk to Praxis about that Oxymoron... I swear I'll smelt him in the melting pits of Charr for screwing my carefully planet plot. But come in since you wish to speak about your puppet's actions." Silently, the door slide open, revealing Crosscheck's lab. The former autobot scientist is standing near a table full of flask. He's apparently working on something contained ina forcefield above that table. At the top of the fortress, amidst the mechanical pistons and screens and humming cogs, resides Praxis, motionless on his throne, the hands of his battlesuit gripping the arms tightly. Suddenly, without warning he stands, slowly raising one arm up. "My children!" he intones in rich brown tones. "Soon is the culmination of my work. But do not fear, I will see you safe in this terrible new world we will create. My fist shall sweep through the galaxy in a mighty arc. We will crush all those before us. There will be no turning back!" Behind him, large monitor screens declare the words "FUTURE" and "TRUTH". Praxis's blank visage stares on in a glassy manner, but there is definite anger in his voice. "I grow tired of the worms and their pathetic threats. They too shall die." Soundwave steps in purposefully--with his concussion rifle leveled at Crosscheck. "I have been informed that you are a traitor and--" He turns around as Praxis appears to awaken from his throne, then glances back to Crosscheck. "How fortunate for you. But rest assured that I will deal with your treachery once we have dealt with your friends." The tape commander stomps out of the lab irritably, and soon joins Praxis in his throne room, bowing before him. Crosscheck simply grins at Soundwave, "You don't even know what you're..." Then he is interrupted by Praxis's voice. Still holding a small box, surrounded by a low level forcefield, in his hand, he joins Soundwave into Praxis's throne room. From the heavens of the highest point of the inner dome, Praxis descends, still sitting on his throne as mechanical arms lift it towards New Soundwave and Crosscheck. "Crosscheck" he booms, leaning back in his chair, gazing down at this so-called traitor. "I have given you a new life, a new purpose. I have given your pitiful existance meaning. Do NOT tell me that you have squandered your gift. Prostrate yourself before me." New Soundwave glances at Crosscheck, then steps away from him, making sure that if Praxis nukes the guy he won't get caught in the blast. Honestly, New Soundwave never trusted the guy and always expected him to betray Praxis. Scrapper (and possibly his Constructicons) drive into the fortress as per Praxis's command. Scrapper has been a little wary of their leader of late, but has never had any reason to distrust him. Nevertheless, the Constructicon Supervillain Escape Pod is fueled and ready in the event that things turn sour. Transforming into robot mode, Scrapper salutes to the descending Inquisitor leader. "Hail Praxis. Constructicons reporting as requested!" He watches to see just what is happening to Crosscheck. Crosscheck drops on his knees before Praxis, "I didn't my Lord. Do not believe the words of an inferior mind over the word of your faithful servant. I want to Tulsa to destroy the New Americans in your name...as a gift for you. I hide a powerful gamma bomb inside my hovercraft and convinced Grimlock that I wanted to betray you and that I brought Energon to him. However I was followed from orbit by Blast Off who destroyed my hovercraft..and the bomb... right after I managed to convince Grimlock...then he came back running here spreading his lies." Crosscheck lowers his head, "I'm sure he didn't mean to lie my lord but he doesn't have to capacities to understand someone of my intelligence." Arriving behind Scrapper comes the Hook, who has at some point in the past replaced his left hand with an actual hook. He glances about warily, and sticks fairly close to Scrapper, who has the keys for the aformentioned escape pod. Soundwave waves a hand dismissively. "Utter nonsense. If this was in fact an operation against Grimlock he would've notified one of us before he executed it! He is a liar and a traitor, Lord!" Constructibro Six, aka the Steam Shovel named Scavenger rolls in with Scrapper & co. Following suit, he transforms and remains slightly behind Scrapper, saluting as well but not speaking. As an idiot savant, he has learned not to make himself too vocal in this group of brainiacs. He's good technically, but not bright. So his position in The Inquisitors is petlike at best. He's here cause he's a Constructicon. If he wasn't one of the greenies he'd have a much lesser position. But still be impressed with him! Scavenger rocks! Praxus rages as if the fires of hell itself, glowering down at Crosscheck as the armoured behemoth rises from his chair. "Fool!" he snarls. "I took you in, I gave you shelter and energon, I gave you the gift of purpose itself, and you SQUANDERED IT!" Huge mechanical gears grind, and he seems to stand exactly still for a moment, the only noise being the hiss of pistons. And then his voice booms out again. "For what it is worth Crosscheck, I do believe you. You are not intelligent enough to defy me, and yet too intelligent to know to try. Your mistake was to think yourself capable of such an act, and so you foiled yourself." Praxis steps forward, his huge booted feet slamming against the ground, hand outstretched. "I will give you one chance to redeem your miserable act. Kill Grimlock for me. Bring me his head, or I will CRUSH yours." With that, the fist closes. Hard. Scrapper shies away to the safety of his brothers as Praxis yells at Crosscheck. "Primus," he mutters to them in an aside, which is therefore impossible to overhear, "Praxis is getting crazier and crazier as time goes by. Kill Grimlock? Does he think Crosscheck stands a chance?" The Constructicon fidgets slightly, torn between wanting the Constructicons to be the ones calling the shots, wanting to advance science, and not wanting to have Praxis be the death of them all. Crosscheck doesn't move, showing no sign of fear, however he keeps holding the smallbox, tightly in his right hand. He knows very well that save Praxis, no one here can match intellect, "As you command my lord. I worked all day to prepare the new American's defeat. I designed a new weapon that will take the dinobot down. I need only a few minutes to complete the prototypes." Hook seems to look quite dissapointed that Crosscheck was not destroyed for his failure. Hook does not tolerate imperfections very well. "His plan was flawed." He replies to Scrapper in a hushed voice. "I'm surprised Praxis has bothered to give him another chance, however slim. Crosscheck will, at the least, be a distraction to the Dinobot." New Soundwave stomps slowly towards Crosscheck, his voice whispering, "I will detect your first sign of defiance, Crosscheck. If you disobey Praxis, you will wish that Grimlock had killed you instead. I will see to it personally." Then, New Soundwave tilts his head, and looks up at his new master. "Lord, your enemies are gathering around the fortress. I can hear them easily. They are many." Praxis stares down at Crosscheck impassionately. "No" he intones. "New Soundwave shall complete your device. You fools shall work together rather than bicker like pathetic protoforms. Hand him the device Crosscheck, that is not an option." Then the beast raises his head, sitting back on his throne, that rises slightly, sitting in judgement of all about him. "Scrapper!" he booms. "We must control the infestation that plagues our lands. I cannot stand the constant blathering that pollutes the radio streams." More hisses as his servos hum with power that builds and builds. "I know, New Soundwave. We will march out to meet them, and crush them underfoot. Such is the way. My way." Scrapper nods back to Hook. "I suppose." Anything involving Grimlock has always served to frighten Scrapper. The Dinobot Commander has been a thorn in the Constructicons' side ever since the accursed Wheeljack whipped him up. "If Praxis keeps on this way then we may be for-" just then, Praxis yells at them. Scrapper winces. "Yes, Lord Praxis. We are ready to kill anyone who opposes our scientific achievements." Scavenger glances between his brothers in their counsel over to Crosschec and New Soundwave before Praxus. He feels the unidentified energy building... could it be after all this time he has finally started developing some common sense? He stands straight at Praxus' vocal attention thrown towards his party. His shovel twitches randomly. "We will not allow them to defile the most perfect energy source, Praxis." Hook replies, raising his hooked hand into the air. "They will suffer for thier opposition." Crosscheck bows before Praxis, "As you wish my lord." He turns towards NewSoundwave, "In my lab, you will find a rifle on a table near the wall. It's nearly completed. The schematic are on the datapad next to it. You should be able to understand it and complete the weapon. It's energy inefficient but it doesn't matter now and it will surely disable the Dinobot." New Soundwave stares at Crosscheck for a looong time, as if trying to peer into his thoughts. In fact, that is what he is doing. Unfortunately, his telepathic abilities aren't as great as he often leads others to believe they are, and he can't get much out of that noggin, besides some obvious contempt for himself. "Very well, Crosscheck. I will use the weapon myself--so that you will not tempted to turn it on your own Lord." He marches off, disappearing into the corridors of the complex. Praxis sits in his thone, contemplating the situation. Around him, monitors start to flare up with warnings of danger, of an assault force moving forward, klaxons blaring. "Fools" he ruminates. "Poor pathetic fools. They wish their end to come now? They wish to become one with the void? Well, I shall deliver their wish. Scrapper! Crosscheck! New Soundwave! Join me and wipe this infection from the face of their planet. None shall dare try to stop me, not at the APEX of my glory. This, I command!" With that, he pumps a fist down, and his throne starts to grow, huge legs sprouting from it, walking him forwards slowly as if a mighty emperor carried by his slaves. "Yes, Praxis," Scrapper replies, giving a sharp elbow to Hook and Scavenger. It's his way of telling them to remain alert. If things go bad, which they often do, the Constructicons' priorities will quickly shift to their own survival. The Constructicon engineer follows after Praxis and the others, hoping that their ancient Gestalt technology is still capable of some of that old magic. Crosscheck rises to his feet, "We shall defeat them my Lord. They will fall before your might." The scientist looks a bit nervous now but everyone knows that combat isn't his speciality so it may just be that...or that fact that Praxis wants him to kill the most fearsome warrior alive... Through his boots, Hook can feel the reverberations of the explosions outside. He turns towards the exit, and briefly wishes he had a tacky walking throne of his own. Hook pulls out his plasma pistol with his good hand, aising it high, and nods to Scrapper. "Yes, Praxis!" New Soundwave reemerges some time later, a huge gun in his arms that vaguely resembles Optimus Prime's rifle. He appraises it for a moment, then bows his head to Praxis, replying, "As you command, Praxis. We will destroy your enemies." He follows behind the throne, pondering who he should blast with the gun first. Crosscheck, maybe. Heheheh, how ironic would that be? However, unbeknownst to him, something is happening to the fortress's computer systems....
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