Transformers: Steel Reign

[General Havoc]

"Wait!" blurted out Hornet, "You can't go back alone! We can help you find the others, can't we?" He looked around at the other Autobots for support.

[Charon]

Shellshock watched Swiftshot withan exceedingly careful gaze. "I have to agree with Overload. It doesn't make much sense to come all the way up here looking for safety, this facility isn't even up and running yet." As he spoke Shellshock turned to look at Springer. Giving the bot an incredulous look, and one to be cautious.

[Cynical Cat]

"His story doesn't make sense because he is lying," said Deathstrike. "In order for him to arrive here about the same time I did, the Georgia attack would have to be old news. There are no tracks. There are no witnesses to him fighting the Decepticon flier. His story contradicts those facts. There is another possibility, one which does. Springer isn't the only triple changer in the room. He's a Decepticon."

[B4UTRUST]

"I told you all my story. I told you where to go for your proof. Though I'm getting the feeling that it won't matter if my story checked out or not," Ice stated slowly, eyeing the others wearily.

[General Havoc]

Hornet was becoming more confused by the minute. "A... a Decepticon?" he said. "But... no... no way... we don't think that... do we?"

He blinked as he turned to the others and it began to dawn on him that yes, that was indeed exactly what people were thinking.

The evidence might have been strong, but Hornet's mind simply didn't think in those terms. Decepticons didn't pretend to be Autobots any more than Autobots did Decepticons. It just didn't make any sense.

"But if he was a Decepticon," he asked Deathstrike, "wouldn't you have recognized him?"

[LadyTevar]

Crimson knew how to derail that question. "Hornet... you've been at Autobot Base... do you recognize Swiftshot?"

[General Havoc]

Hornet gazed at Swiftshot for a moment, digging through his memory, trying to recollect if he had seen the Autobot before or not.

"Well..." he said, uneasily, "I um... I mean... no. But, but that doesn't mean anything! I never saw half of you guys at Autobot Base either, and I didn't even meet everyone who was there."

[Cynical Cat]

"He knows Prime is coming here," said Deathstrike. "He's a danger every second he remains operational. Stick him in a CR chamber until Prime arrives and decides what to do with him."

[SirNitram]

"If your story does check out, Swiftshot, I'm terribly sorry for this." There was a click. The ion 'pistol' Overload carries was a large, bulky weapon, designed with brutal efficiency towards one purpose: Rendering the target inert but alive. It wasn't a weapon most Autobot's carried; too often they had been employed by torturers. "Now nice and easy, back to the CR Chamber. Unless you know some reason why you should be far, far away from this facility very, very quickly."

[Charon]

Shellshock looked over at Deathstrike. "Frankly, it should be the both of you that go back to the CR chamber Deathstrike. Despite a weird story, I'll still trust Swiftshot here over you."

[Cynical Cat]

"You are a fool Autobot, if you trust him more than you do me," said Deathstrike. "You don't know him and you don't know me. My story confirms to the facts, his does not. You have evidence that he is a liar and what value is a liar's claim to be an Autobot? Despite my dislike for the CR chamber, I will enter without complaint if that one is placed in one as well."

[General Havoc]

Bewildered, scared, and confused, Hornet could barely believe his optics when Overload actually pulled out a weapon. Everyone was arguing by now, including the real Decepticon. He couldn't believe what was going on here. Swiftshot couldn't be a Decepticon, could he? Even if he had gone a long way and hand't left any tracks, well what did that mean? He was certain that there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything, but it appeared he was the only one who believed this at the moment.

"O... Overload wait..." he stammered. "You... you can't just... we don't know if he's a Decepticon or not!" He wished that Optimus was here. Optimus would know what to do, he always did. "You can't just shoot him!"

In making his impassioned plea however, Hornet didn't even notice how close to Swiftshot he had gotten...

[SirNitram]

"Doesn't harm him, just puts him out cold for a bit." Overload said, his aim not even twitching despite the young Autobot's pleas. "And I'd rather not shoot him. But unless, oh, he's summoned a few friends to cause trouble, I think everything can wait for Optimus. He might be a bit wishy-washy at times, but he'll know the truth."

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke had stood and raised his weapon on Swiftshot. "I hate to agree with that 'Con bastard, but he's right." He noticed Hornet getting too close. "Hornet, back away from Swiftshot."

[LadyTevar]

The tension in the room had racheted up far too quickly. Weapons drawn, close quarters, and Crimson was the most lightly armored.

Then again, no she wasn't. Hornet was smaller and lighter than she was. Scrap He was right in the middle of it too. To get to Hornet she'd have to not only cross Stryke and Overload's line of fire, but get a bit too close to Swiftshot for her own comfort.

Scrap

[Dark Silver]

"QUIET NOW!" Jazz's voice reverated in the small temporary command center, as he left the head of the table and moved over to Overload.

"Put away the weapons, now. That is a direct order" he said, mostly in reference to Overload.

Jazz glanced to Springer, who had already lifted his arm, the laser emmiter there charged and waiting to fire, but on who...

"Considering we're in a remote area, and news feeds are limited, we can't check on his story until we check in with Prowl at Sector command. Frankly, Swiftshot, Georgia is a long way to come from here, you'd have to cross all of the US and a good portion of Canada..."

"Now, we have a mystery here, a conundrum, and two unexpected visitors...."

"I'll make my report to Prime, Swiftshot, I'm placing you under Stryke's guard. You'll assist with the base building, and Prime will make a full decision when he arrives."

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke lowered his weapon and kept his gaze on Swiftshot. He was about to ask about his job as Crimson's bodyguard but decided to hold his tongue. At least now he got out of base building.

[Cynical Cat]

"If he was telling the truth, you would already know about the attack on Georgia. Crossing the continent on wheels takes time," said Deathstrike. "Your coms should have been more than adequate to receive the news."

[Charon]

Shellshock sighed in relief. "Finally, someone else with some sense speaks up." Shellshock relaxed again some. "If that is out of the way, is there anything else we needed to discuss? I'll be honest, I won't be too good for the base building, I wasn't built for strength. But I can help with the defenses."

[LadyTevar]

What could Crimson say in the situation?
That Deathstrike's got a point? That the 'mystery' was what happened to the Decepticon Copter that vanished completely off sensors as soon as Swiftshot appeared? That there were no sign of tracks around the building Swiftshot had hidden in, from any direction?

She wanted to go back there.. wanted to make sure of that last part. He could have been running in robot form... but even then wouldn't there be tracks?

And now she was losing her 'bodyguard'. Well.. he might like security duty better than following her around the tarsands. Slag the scraps, this has been a nasty rotation....

[Cynical Cat]

"What about a full scan on him to find out if he has any hidden surprises?" asked Deathstrike. "Like say another vehicle mode or hidden weapons?"

[SirNitram]

The ion pistol was tucked away, the hands of Overload folding in front of him. "As you say." He said simply to Jazz.

[General Havoc]

Jazz ordered the others to holster their weapons, and Hornet breathed a sigh of relief, completely ignoring Stryke's order to step away from Swiftshot in the process. If nobody was going to shoot anyone, then it no longer mattered, right?

Deathstrike's question however completely confused Hornet. "We're.... Transformers..." he said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Isn't he... you know... supposed to have hidden weapons and other forms? Just like the rest of us do?"

[Cynical Cat]

Stupid Autobots. "One can't lock down weapons one doesn't know about," said Deathstrike. "And if one of his alternate forms is helicopter like the one that attacked us?" Situations like this made him miss Shockwave.

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke spoke up again. It pained him to say it. "He's right, again, we should scan him to check for anything. For all we know, he is a triple changer."