Transformers: Steel Reign

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke moved putting himself between Crim and the chopper, trying to protect her. "Where did he come from?" Stryke shouted.

[Charon]

Shellshock's advanced sensors had picked up the incoming helicopter before the others had. His cannon was raised and he fired a few shots back at the incoming helicopter, missing by a wide margin mostly, though one might have singed the decepticon. "Came from the Southeast! Looks like this one might be a set-up."

Shellshock's giant cannon swung back to point at the decepticon. "How many more are on their way big man? Tell us now and I won't put a shell the size of your head through your chest."

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike was about to reply to the Autobot's when the strafing run began. The Decepticon slipped back, using the body of the reactor as cover and getting a more advantageous position vis a vis the Autobots. "He's not my ally!" the Decepticon yelled out.

[SirNitram]

"Yea, I'll bet." Overload grunted, transforming back to his locomotive form. Wheels gripped the ground as best they could. "Then when I find your friend and smash his laser core open until he confesses, he won't mention you at all." Slowly, he started to accelerate. Bare ground was bad for him, but he was the most combat-worthy. "Keep this one pinned. I'm gonna see if I can spot where his pal went."

[Cynical Cat]

"Use your central processors for something other than calculating millage Autobot," said Deathstrike. "That one is in far better shape than I am. It should be obvious we are not affiliated. But feel free to rip out his laser core and extinguish his spark."

[Dark Silver]

Where as Gridlock and Wideload had backed off from the confrontation with Deathstrike, the newly arriving Autobot reinforcements decided to confront the Decepticon, pretty much obliterating everything they did.

Gridlock, when he picked up the others making their approach on the Reactor turbines, then the helicoptors strafing run, turned a 180, and headed back.

"Autobots stand down!" Gridlock shouted over the comms in his heavy accented Russian voice. "Is bad idea open fire near nukleur reaktor! Is go boom! Not enough CR chamber for all of you!"

Gridlock rolled up next to Shellshock, transformed to his robot mode, and waved his arms, "Is very bad idea! Weapons down! Refinery more important than Decepticon!"

[Charon]

Shellshock didn't lower his weapon at all despite Gridlock's pleas, though he did look at the smaller Autobot. "Tell the decepticons that Gridlock. I won't fire, but I don't like the idea of being surprised again."

Shellshock returned his full attention to the injured decepticon. "So you're another one of the hundreds of Decepticons who figured they'd do a better job than the nutcase? They after you then rust-bucket?"

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike laughed. "My betrayal of Megatron was much more serious than attempting to usurp him. With Starscream to act as a magnet for discontent and Soundwave to see and hear all, few plots against Megatron go further than grumbling. What I did was worse: I abandoned his war as violent futility."

[LadyTevar]

For once, Crimson was being smart. Stryke wouldn't have to yell at her to not follow Overload, she was staying right where she was. The fact that one of the straffing rounds had hit her holoRider and given her a slight headache helped, causing her to finally reveal herself.

Metal clicked and clacked as the Harley bent at the gas tank. The saddlebags telescoped into graceful arms, the head emerging from the seat as the rear wheel tucked down into her chest, forming a wasp-thin waist along with the wheelstruts and exhaustpipe. The gastank rotated, becoming the hip/leg joint with the handlebars for a belt-like accent, while the engine and split front wheel structure became her legs and feet.

"I hate to say it, but he's got a point, Shellshock." Crimson said quietly. "I tracked Deathstrike's course as a meteor. Full orbital insertion, from outside the lunar orbit is my estimation. If he was from the Decepticons, he'd be sub-orbital, right? The chopper... who was it? Blackout? ... he can't go sub-orbital. Someone should have seen him on radar and warned us."

[General Havoc]

As the chaos unfolded outside, with a Decepticon performing orbital re-entry as another unleashed a strafing attack on a nearby nuclear reactor, and as various Autobots strove to make sense of the situation, aboard a boxcar in the now stopped train, there slept a small Autobot.

The Autobot was not literally asleep of course, for Transformers had no need for such a thing as sleep, and yet Hornet, laying curled up in a ball inside a small nest comprised of sacks of cement, stacks of construction materials, and coils of rope and cable, was certainly making a good show of it. To understand why, it was necessary to know that Wheeljack's meticulous and experimental behavioral algorithms had included code that instructed that, when not threatened by an imminent danger or overridden by a priority directive, Hornet would, from time to time, fall into a sleep mode and partially deactivate. Why Wheeljack had included this "feature" was anyone's guess. He claimed it was an important aspect of the experiement in Transformer developmental psychology that he was running with Hornet, and nobody had bothered to question the decision further. Wheeljack's inventions were impossible to understand at the best of times.

Hornet had not been assigned to this mission of course. Whether low or high-risk, it was still considered far too dangerous for the youngest and most vulnerable member of the Autobots, and in fact he had had no intention whatsoever of going along. What little he had heard about it sounded boring, merely delivering supplies to some energy plant out in the middle of nowhere. However that morning, Hornet had come across a small group of human F-16 'Falcon' fighters on training maneuvers, and, overjoyed at having someone else to play with in the air, had immediately interrupted their flight for a game of aerial-tag and mock-dogfighting. What Hornet hadn't known at the time was that these fighters were a prototype test for a new alternative power source for human aircraft, a test that had been planned for months down to the slightest detail by many senior human officials, and that his interruption had completely ruined it.

There was, needless to say, hell to pay.

Following a screaming tirade from a human Major General who travelled all the way to Autobot HQ to express his anger personally, and an only slightly less screaming lecture from Ironhide, who proceeded to 'ground' Hornet indefinitely, pending consultation with Optimus, Hornet had slunk off dejectedly, feeling worse than useless, cheered up only slightly by a shortwave radio broadcast from one of the test pilots wanting to know what the final score of the game had been. Wandering about the base with nothing to do, Hornet had come across a massive train being stocked with all manner of supplies for an unknown destination. Curious as ever, he had climbed aboard and wound up rumaging through one of the boxcars when he suddenly felt a warm, tired feeling coming over him. Without once considering the consequences, he had curled up on top of a large pile of construction materials, and peacefully drifted off to sleep, intending to take merely a short nap.

... Six hours later, he awoke with a start at the sound of a muffled explosion and the roar of jet turbines. Sitting up quickly, he glanced around, momentarily unsure of where he was. The train was not moving, but it obviously had moved. A check of his internal chronometer revealed just how long he had been asleep, and only then did he realize just how much trouble he likely was in. He crawled out of the nest he had created for himself and over to the side of the boxcar, peering through the slats at the outside.

He was clearly no longer in the Autobot HQ. Off across a large flat plain stood a massive building, the power lines running to and from it revealing it to be a generator of some sort. Next to the building stood a massive hulking Decepticon(of course, all Decepticons were massive and hulking to him), surrounded by several Autobots, from the smaller Crimson and Stryke to the titanic Shellshock and Overload. Overload was in locomotive form and speeding off after something else. Shellshock had a cannon the size of a small building aimed at the mystery Decepticon, who looked rather the worse for wear at the moment. Stryke and Crimson were standing their ground, and all of them appeared to be talking to the Decepticon rather than shooting at it. Hornet could only guess as to why.

Hornet wasn't sure what to do. To go out there was to invite the Decepticon to incinerate him with one shot, not to mention it would force him to explain to the others what he was doing here in the first place. On the other hand, if a fight did start, he had to try and help them, didn't he?

FOr the moment however, there was no use hiding in the boxcar, and so Hornet slid the door to the car open and climbed down from the train. Gulping down his fear, he slowly made his way towards the three Autobots facing the looming Decepticon, watching it with wide optics in a mixture of awe and trepidation. Coming up behind Crimson and Stryke (he knew better than to be anywhere near Shellshock when there was a chance he was about to discharge his cannon), he tried to act as though he was supposed to be here, and was not merely a a stowaway on a mission he was not supposed to have anything to do with.

He failed.

[Cynical Cat]

It was just what Deathstrike needed, another Autobot. It was looking like the only place worse he could have picked was Autobot headquarters. Getting out of this intact was looking worse and worse. "I'm not hearing any offers Autobots," he growled. "It makes me think you're just stalling for time, in which case my best options are to crack the containment vessel and burn sky. You might want to give me incentive to do otherwise."

[LadyTevar]

Crimson opened her mouth to retort to the Decepticon, when she realized someone was behind/beside her. She gave a look, recognized who it was, turned back to the Decepticon --- And then did a doubletake that nearly made her neck servos whine. "HORNET!?"


The smack of palm to head was a bit louder. "Great. Just what we needed. IronHide is gonna scrap us now," she muttered quietly. One Decepticon on edge. One flying around strafing the ground for fun. Gridlock begging ShellShock not to shoot. Stryke looking ready to bust a gasket. And WheelJack's pet project and rumored source of major headaches just appeared as a stowaway.

If she was human, she'd be trying not to rip out hair, and breathing hard to keep from screaming. However, she was Autobot, one of the first to be awakened after Optimus became Prime. She'd been in the middle of a three-way standoff over mining rights on an asteroid before. She could do this. "Hornet... back to guarding the Cargo... please." her voice was very calm and collected, but with an undercurrent that promised Hornet would NOT like it if he did not do as she 'suggested'.

[Dark Silver]

"If you break containment," Gridlock said, stepping between Deathstrike and Shellshock - for all the good it did - "we make sure you, get caught in blast to Comrade. I am thinking, we can survive blast little better than you, nyet? After all, our armor isn't looking like Grandpapa's winter sweater."

Gridlock took a few steps towards Deathstrike, he was the heavier armored out of the smaller bots, and while Shellshock was big, he wasn't expecting him to be fast to.

"Come now, you getting energy, no need for causing more damage. I just build this reactor. Is nice da?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Your not talking to Rumble," said Deathstrike. "I know that reactors don't explode. That bluff won't work. Now step back or we both get to see how much territory the radioactive cloud will cover. Ever see how organics react to radiation poisoning? It's not pretty."

[Dark Silver]

"You is growing to be pain in skidplate, Comrade."

From just to the side of Deathstrike, while Gridlock and the others kept him occupied, Wideload was being uncharacteristically sneaky, and was in point blank range of the recharging Decepticon.

"Is something you not know, Comrade. I build reactors, dah? I take personal sif you damage my hard built work. But am thinking, you needing skid plate kicked into tar pits."

Gridlock had already sent the transmission pulse to the control room, informing the human workers to begin shutdown procedures on the reactors, just incase. He would only have to continue stalling Deathstrike for five more minutes...

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike's engines roared to life, sending the Decepticon roaring in the sky and disconnecting him from the reactor. He transformed as he moved, abandoning an untenable position. This had turned into a complete disaster, but if he could manage to escape without being hit it would be salvageable.

[LadyTevar]

There were times when the native tongue just would not do... "Illioutkh!"

What it meant in that native tongue had nothing whatsoever to do with Autobot physiology, and very little with humanoid. The disgust and annoyance in the spat invective, however, was universal. "Shellshock, keep track of him but don't fire unless the bastard returns. Stryke, please follow Overload and find the slaggin' copter and blow it to hell. Gridlock, check the reactor. Hornet ... DEEP TROUBLE."

[General Havoc]

Hornet approached reasonably quietly. He wasn't particularly stealthy, but being that small had some advantages, and everyone was presently occupied with the giant Decepticon threatening to smash the power source. As he approached, he noticed Gridlock, who was apparently trying to talk the Decepticon down. The Decepticon barely glanced in his direction, not that he was too eager to have it pay attention to him.

Crimson suddenly noticed he was there, and whirled around in disbelief so obvious that it made Hornet wince and jump back a bit with a start. She seemed for a second to be debating which part of him to rip off first, before informing him that it was time for him to go back to the cargo containers and "guard" them. The tone of her voice made it clear that this was not a polite suggestion.

So much for being discrete.

Hornet lowered his head slightly and seemed to wilt a bit. As usual, the others considered him to be about as valuable as a bag of cement or a heap of lumber. It wasn't fair...

But still, in the presence of a Decepticon, there was nothing for it. Normally, Hornet might have protested, but to do so in the presence of an enemy was a line he knew it was not permitted to cross. Ironhide for one had promised he would be recycled into a bundle of roofing material if he even thought about doing anything other than EXACTLY what he was told in a combat situation.

Still... they weren't in combat yet...

"I just wanted to... watch you guys blow up the Decepticon..." he said softly and sadly, completely unaware that this was exactly the sort of thing it was not adviseable to say in the midst of tense negotiations.

No sooner had he said it than the Decepticon suddenly took off like a rocket, flying up into the air. He was so flabbergasted by this unexpected development that he only caught the tail end of Crimson's angry orders.

"I didn't do anything!!!" he insisted, sensing that he was once more in BIG trouble. "I just... I didn't know the train was gonna go anywhere!"

[LadyTevar]

"I just wanted to... watch you guys blow up the Decepticon..." he said softly and sadly, completely unaware that this was exactly the sort of thing it was not adviseable to say in the midst of tense negotiations.

Luckily for Hornet the Decepticon had already flown away and didn't hear that mutter.
Unluckily for Hornet, Crimson was still there.

The Female Autobot loomed over the smaller bot, glaring down at him. "If he had heard you, you would be scrapmetal, along with every last one of us." she stated bluntly. She'd been out in the asteroids too long to be anything but blunt. "That was Deathstrike... who was once equal rank to StarScream. I'm sure you've heard of StarScream, right? Now, Deathstrike was standing next to a nuclear reactor, and about to blow it skyhigh, which was why we were trying to talk nice so he wouldn't kill every Human in the surrounding 100klicks! Blowing up the Decepticon was -not- an option ... but if you want, you can follow him and maybe he won't scrap you."

"I didn't do anything!!!" he insisted, sensing that he was once more in BIG trouble. "I just... I didn't know the train was gonna go anywhere!"

"Then you weren't listening well to what was going on in base, were you," Crimson sneered. "Or were you just looking for a place to hide from Ironside?

[Charon]

As the decepticon transformed into flight mode giant blasts of energy followed it up into the sky. Shellshock followed his first instinct, shoot it. Luckily for Deathstryke, it's pretty hard to hit something that's flying through the air and the blasts Shellshock fired missed the decepticon. Growling slightly Shellshock's eyes went red for a moment as he targeted in, affording for velocity. With a sharp bark of energy the blue blast raced from the large cannon, chasing after Deathstryke. With a loud explosion it caught the hapless decepticon on the wing. Shellshock let out a triumphant shout and lifted his arm into the air.

"Ha ha! That's how it's done!"

The old Autobot looked down at Crimson as his sensors kept track of Deathstryke as far as they could, noting direction and speed. "I don't remember you being given charge of this facility or this team Crimson. Best to let those in charge of giving the orders give them."

It wasn't a warning or a threat, but it was certainly a little more dangerous than a friendly reminder.

[Dark Silver]

Wideload and Gridlock, instead of paying attention to what Crimson shouted in order, instead opened fire on the fleeing Decepticon.

"Is time cry havoc and let sleep dogs of war!" Gridlock shouted in his heavy russian, joined in a second after by Wideload - for a change speaking in perfect english "Kiss shiny metal ass!"

"No no Wideload, is Kick, Kick Shiny metal ass! I have do everything!"

Autobot lasers were opening fire, filled the air around Deathstrike, as Gridlock yelled back to Crimson, "Reactor is ok! Humans initiating shutdown of reactors now, no damage on sensors. Take Decepticon down!"

Then Shellshock did exactly that, the large cannon tearing into the Decepticon's wing.

"Bah..is lucky shot I tell you!"

[General Havoc]

As Crimson loomed over him, Hornet seemed almost to shrink, quivering nervously and blinking back tears of windshield-washer fluid. Though Deathstrike's name was unknown to him, Hornet had certainly heard of Starscream, and as Crimson berated him for his foolishness in even approaching he wished whole-heartedly he had simply stayed in the boxcar. What's worse, she had apparently heard about what had happened back at the base that morning.

"I..." he stammered, unable to even look Crimson in the eye. "I w..was... just trying to see what was in the train! Ironhide s..said I wasn't allowed to fly anymore and that if I... got in the way again he was gonna..."

Suddenly his optics flew open as he realized just HOW MUCH trouble he was potentially in, being away from the base. If Ironhide found out that he'd stowed away on the train, he'd use his processor for christmas decorations! Ironhide would never believe it was accidental.

"P... Please don't tell Ironhide!" he said with real fear in his voice, staring up at Crimson. "I didn't mean to get in the way! I don't wanna be recycled! Please Crimson?!"

A thunderous blast wave nearly knocked him over as the others opened fire on the fleeing Decepticon. Hornet watched, enthralled, as the Decepticon's wing was nearly blown off, and he was sent plumetting to the ground. He spun back to face Crimson, speaking urgently, already itching to transform and take to the air himself. "Can I help them catch him?!" he asked eagerly. "Please?! I won't get in the way at all and I'll do exactly what everyone says to!"

At no point did the thought that he was asking to be allowed to do something exceedingly dangerous cross his mind. All that went through his head was that if he did manage to help the others subdue the Decepticon, maybe Ironhide wouldn't staple him to the wall when he found out he had stowed away on the supply train.

[Cynical Cat]

Agony filled Deathstrike's form as Shellshock's blast took off half his wing. A weaker blast destroyed armour plate in his fuselage and slagged several secondary circuits. Smoke poured from the Decepticon's wounds as he lost altitude.

Deathstrike struggled to keep his nose up, but was unable to do so. He was going down and nothing was going to change that. He managed to get a hill between him and the Autobots, providing him with a feeble amount of cover. The ground rushed toward him.

Deathstrike transformed, shifting back into robot form. He fired his thrusters to correct his course and come to an easy landing, but the second hit had damaged his power relays. There was an interruption in the power to his thrusters that lasted for a second.

The Decepticon smashed into the ground, the impact deformed and dislodging weaker armour plates and knocking lose circuit boards. The Decepticon tried to rise up and failed, falling back. Autorepair systems kicked in, but they weren't in good shape either.

[Charon]

Shellshock snorted loudly as he looked back at Gridlock. "Lucky shot? Ha! I've been taking down flyers on since the first day of the war! Why just last week..." Shellshock's revelry to his past war days was thrown off topic by the almost childlike pleas coming from some small thing that was standing beside Crimson.

It took Shellshock a few seconds to realize it was another Autobot. And apparently it wanted to go catch the wounded Decepticon. "Bad move to do that kid. If you get close he'll tear you apart." Shellshock looked up at the plum of smoke coming from where the decepticon went down. "Crimson, you and I should probably go check out Deathstrike, make certain he stays down. If that kid wants to come along, be sure you put him on a leash or something." The giant autobot began moving towards the downed Decepticon, gun still raised just in case.

[LadyTevar]

Crimson looked up at Shellshock. "Far as I'm concerned, the 'kid' stays here, with the train, until we can get hold of IronHide and decide what to do with him."

The looks she gave Hornet would be recognizable to any younger brother with a big sister. "After all... you said you'd do exactly what we tell you and be no trouble?" she asked with deliberate intent. "Your orders are to Stay Here and Guard the Train."

Figuring that was all that was needed (as she had no idea Hornet was as bad as younglings of some of the races she'd met prospecting in space), she transformed to motorcycle and roared out at full, gravel-spitting throttle -- a wave of sound that was known to shake small cars and rattle glasspanes. "On my way, Shellshock."