Transformers: Steel Reign

[Charon]

Shellshock wished he could place the impromptu mines at the dorr, but if Optimus sent someone in to assist they'd risk blowing up a friendly. Flipping over a few of the tables that had things on them Shellshock created impromptu cover for Overload, and a slight amount of cover for Shellshock. The real reason for this though was that it scattered equipment across the floor, taking advantage of this Shellshock carefully placed the pressure sensative grenades on thr ground, covering them just slightly enough to make them invisible without putting enough pressure on them that they's explode.

"Right, that should take care of that." Shellshock openned a comm. link to Breakout. "Breakout, this is Shellshock, I've rigged the medbay for defense as best as possible. What's going on with you and Deathstrike?"

[frigidmagi]

"Deathstrike and myself are attempting to isolate likely locations for the target in preparations for a search. I will be by as soon as possible, proceed using your best judgment." I radio back to Shellshock.

"Do you have any possibles?" I ask Deathstrike.

[Cynical Cat]

"The volcano caldera," said Deathstrike at last. "Not easily reached by ground units, rock walls, metallic traces, lava. Nearby and multiple sources of sensor interference."

[frigidmagi]

"Then we contact the other searchers, inform of our target and proceed." I agreed. We exited the Ark and I begin to look for whoever is in charge of the search.

[General Havoc]

This was not a tenable position, not for long. Eventually the Autobots would search every location that was not within the volcano, and turn their attention there. Ignorant enemies might assume that whatever had happened was a strike-and-fade attack, and that Reaper was gone into the night, but Optimus Prime was not ignorant, and nor were his advisers and captains. Reaper would need a secondary access point, for to waltz into the teeth of the active defenses was suicide.

Fortunately, a facility as large as the Ark had several points of access.

The Ark was a spaceship, one that had crashed down onto the planet many years ago. Before it had done so however, it had been armed with a massive space-caliber laser cannon in its nose. The cannon was inoperable now, buried deep within the volcano, plugged by wreckage and fused rock. It would take time to clear a path into the Ark from there.

So he had best get started.

He moved slowly around the surface of the Ark towards the gigantic laser cannon, and began clearing a path to enter the Ark with his scythe. It would take some time to bore through, but even if the Autobots did suspect him to be in the area, he was presently 100% invisible here, submerged in a vast lake of broiling rock.

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike descended on columns of super heated air towards the caldera. The Decepticon warrior landed on a spire of rock with a clear view in all directions. He scanned the area.

No sign of Reaper, but their was a pool of lava. The temperature wasn't hot enough to damage his armour, but the heat would eventually cook many of his internal components. No Cybertronian was immune to that, but it would take time for the heat to reach their internal components and cause damage. One could easily survive immersion for some time.

Reaper could be in there. Sensors would be useless for finding him. Deathstrike carefully swept the area and considered the problem.

[frigidmagi]

I cursed a little silently trying to catch up with Deathstrike. A Con assassin capable of destroying two well built mechs is running around loose and what does he do? Go flying to his most likely location without me.

I finally reach the top... Lava? I thought this place dormant? Not important.

"If he went into the Lava, it would be difficult to find him in there... What is the most likely place on the Ark he could enter from if he attempted access from within the lava?" I asked, sending the query to Teletran I as well.

[General Havoc]

Hornet said nothing, but nodded, and fell in behind Crimson as she led them back towards where Shellshock and Overload were located. The reason he said nothing was that he could tell that Crimson was angry, and for once, that it wasn't him that she was angry with. He wasn't sure if she was simply worried about Stryke or Blindside or about the Decepticon or anything else, but she was worried about something, perhaps all of the above.

However Hornet wasn't one to let things sit in silence:

"Crimson?" he asked, not nervously for once, as he was reasonably sure he wasn't the one who had offended her. "Are you okay?"

*-----------------------------------------------------------*

Luck was with him, for once, and while a warrior learned never to depend on luck, one should not turn it down when it offered itself. The section of the laser cannon he was working on had been damaged, presumably in the crash of the starship, and rather than the hour-long process he had envisioned, it took a matter of minutes to penetrate the cannon and push his way inside. The sensors in this area had long-since died with the collision of the mountain and the years of exposure to molten rock, but just in case, Reaper stuffed the slice he had made with debris, and held it in place until the heat of the lava fused it shut once more. No use flooding part of the Ark with lava, and tipping everyone off.

Escaping with Thundercracker would be an interesting problem, of course, but if need be he could cut his way back out.

He was now in the firing chamber for the massive laser cannon. His schematics told him that at the end would be an entrance access port to the massive warehouse-style storage unit for the Autobots' reserve bulk equipment. A good place to pause and consider the next move.

[LadyTevar]

Crimson looked down at the little 'bot. It took an astrosecond to realize he wasn't nervously asking as usual, but truly concerned. "Ok...?" Crimson repeated, trying to figure that one out for herself. "... no, Hornet... I'm not ok." She stopped, still a corridor away from the medical facilities of the Ark, and stepped out of the main walkway so she could talk to the teenybot.

"I'm very worried about Stryke," she admitted, her shoulders drooping.

[General Havoc]

Crimson seemed to deflate as she admitted she was worried for Stryke's sake. So was Hornet of course, so was everyone, but Hornet, who understood oh-so-little of how the world worked, understood this. He understood being afraid for his friends, and unable to help them because he was too small or ill-equipped to aid them. He understood just having to stand by and watch and hope that everyone got better.

This of course didn't mean that he knew what to SAY to Crimson, but he understood at least.

He stepped forward to give Crimson a hug, then hesitated, and did not, and instead lowered his head.

"Me too," he said after a moment's silence, unaware of course that Crimson's fear was based on something different than his own. "But Wheeljack and Ratchet are gonna fix him back up, you'll see! Wheeljack always fixes me, no matter how bad I get hurt or damaged. Stryke'll be okay."

He didn't sound entire that certain of it himself, but he also didn't sound like he was looking for re-assurance. Instead he was trying to provide it, such as he could.

"He'll be okay. Wheeljack will make sure of it."

[LadyTevar]

"I know...," she answered, trying to give the smaller bot a smile. "I know WheelJack and Ratchet are good... I know they will put him back together...," she added, looking off towards the medical bays where Stryke would be. "... but he was hurt bad, Hornet.. ... almost as bad as Overload."

[Charon]

Shellshock hunkered down and waited, he was used to waiting for his shot. The giant warbot quickly queried Teletran-1, looking for other points of access that the Decepticon could use. Once the schematics came up he immediately crossed out the points where there was direct contact with the lava. That kind of hull breach would lead to lava pouring in and that would set off the alarms and let everyone know where he was.

Shellshock began trying to determine what other points of access there were that could be used. The infiltrator wouldn't want some place that opened up into a hallway, he'd need something that was quiet, not often used. Some place that was close enough to the medquarters that he could get in fast, take out the guards, get his prey, and get back out the same way. That limited the options more. Shellshock rubbed the back of his cranial plate and sighed. "Wish the sensors could spot this guy."

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike considered Breakout's question. "TELETRAN-1, display Ark schematic. Superimpose position in the mountain, including lava basin." Data flowed. "Display all local seismic and volcanic activity data from the last hour on the map." If Reaper was digging, he would leave a trace.

Lights flared on the map. "He really is here," said Deathstrike. He processed the rest of the data, including time stamps. "And he's probably already inside!"

His engines roared as he took to the air, dropped down a moment to grab Breakout's arm, and then descended to the front of the Ark.

[Cynical Cat]

"This is Deathstrike. The Ark maybe breached by Decepticon infiltrator-assassin." Having already deployed most of the Autobots to go searching, there might not be enough 'bots inside for a thorough search.

[frigidmagi]

I activate my radio link to Shellshock.

"Shellshock! The Con is in the Ark, I repeat the Con is in the Ark. Seal your area and go to full red alert now!" I order.

[Charon]

Shellshock jumped as first Deathstrike's signal came across the comms, and then Breakout's followed. "Pits, get ready for some fun brother."

Shellshock got to his feet and walked over to the impromptu gun emplacement he had placed, rechecking his work to make sure that it would work before moving away from it back to his 'cover' and holding position. "Overload, think you can lock that door down so it won't open?"

He openned his comm. to Breakout. "This is Shellshock, medbay will be sealed momentarily."

[SirNitram]

"Not a problem." Overload strode up to the door, keying it to seal and lock.. And smashing a fist through the controls once it had sealed. "CR chamber section now in improvised lockdown. We'll need a welder to get out, but no one's coming in at any speed." He announced over the comms.

Overload then backed up to cover. "Think we need more guns aimed at that door, brother?"

[General Havoc]

Alarms.

Reaper almost smiled, thought about it a moment, then smiled anyway. Alarms meant that they suspected he had somehow gained access to the Ark. A load of good that would do them. Unless they spent a week draining the caldera and then scanning the Ark's hull itself visually once they had finished, they would not be able to find where he had entered. There were no sensors in the section he was in, for all had been annihilated by the crash landing. Laserbeak's reconnaissance reports were clear enough on that point, nor had the Autobots anticipated someone doing just what Reaper was presently doing.

So they knew he was inside. This altered the plan somewhat, but not terribly. It was always savagely unlikely that he was going to be able to simply hack his way into the medical bay. It could not be unguarded, not now, and if it was guarded, any fight, even a winnable one, would give the remaining Autobots time to re-enforce. He would be brought down by force of arms. Likely by now, the Autobots knew who it was they were facing, or at least Deathstrike, Optimus, and whoever they had told did. The satellite information had been clear enough that Deathstrike was presently assigned to the Ark.

It was time for unorthodox tactics.

Reaper spun up his radio, and quietly openned up a long-range, broadband broadcast, one that would not be traceable by any means short of global-scale radio-finders. Those would serve, perhaps, to tell the searchers that the broadcaster was somewhere within ten miles of the Ark, a fact that the Autobots already knew. It would not serve to betray his location. The frequency was a Decepticon one, an old one, one from many millions of years ago, before Deathstrike had left, one that was changed because the Autobots had located it with radiofinders and tapped it for conversations. He didn't mind that though. Let any Autobot searching hear what he had to say. Let them wonder.

"Hello, Deathstrike," said Reaper into the radio, his voice appearing on the airwaves like a bolt from the blue. He considered taunting the Decepticon-turned-traitor with a lie or two to confuse him, but decided against it. Better to insinuate things that might confuse more than just him.

"I trust I need no introduction."

*--------------------------------------------------------*

Hornet looked down at the floor. "I know," he said in a soft voice that sounded scared once again.

"But... Overload turned out to be okay." he said softly, the barest hint of hope escaping his speaker that Ratchet and Wheeljack might once more work their miracles. "I mean... he had to spend a long time in the repair bay and they had to make him into something else, but he was okay in the end. And when Black Ice cut me up with all those razor wires, Wheeljack fixed me, didn't he? They can fix Stryke, I know they can. Even if it takes a while, he'll be okay."

And as though to punctuate this statement, Hornet trotted over and gave Crimson yet another big hug, squeezing her as tightly as he could, as though doing so would make him forget that his friends were hurt, and make her believe that everything would be all right.

Not, perhaps, the most effective of arguments... or was it?

[LadyTevar]

Hornet's hug wasn't the most convincing of arguments, no... but it worked an odd near-magic anyway, as Crimson relaxed slightly and returned the hug carefully. "You're right, teenybot," she said softly. "I'm just..."

Deathstrike and BreakOut's warning broke the moment. Crimson's attitude changed immediately. The 'Con was inside the Ark. "Hornet ... I know you've got places where you go to hide from Ironhide. Now might be a good time to go find one of them..."

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike paused in mid step as he received Reaper's communication and then continued walking. He had not considered the possibility that the assassin would contact him directly. But of course the alarms told Reaper that he had been discovered. The signal was weak and had bounced through the Ark's metal hull. There was no way he was going to be able to trace it.

"Reaper," Deathstrike replied. Playing for time was a wise move. Undoubtedly Reaper had a good strategy for hiding, but one of the Autobot's advantages were the number of technically inclined civ 'bots in their ranks. Hiding from them would not be easy, not in such a small space. "This is unexpected. Congratulations on defeating those two Autobots, but the caldera was too obvious a hiding spot."

[General Havoc]

The alarms startled Hornet, and he let out a soft yelp and went from hugging Crimson to squeezing her as tightly as he could, not that the difference was all that stark. He looked up at her fearfully. "Are... are you sure?" he said. "What are... what're you gonna do?"

*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

"You would of course prefer that I had presented myself in an open field for you and your new friends to fire into at their leisure?" said Reaper subvocally into the radio as he carefully made his way into the massive warehouse-style storage facility.

"One uses the means available to accomplish one's goals, but then you would know all about using whatever means were necessary to accomplish your goals, now wouldn't you, Deathstrike? Or are you attempting to maintain the fiction that you are here, amongst the Autobots, out of some sense of morality?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Leave bleating about morality to Autobots," said Deathstrike, annoyance clear in his voice. "They feel the need to project their own motivations upon me and name my actions virtuous, but I will not be party to such a fiction. I am a coward and a traitor with contaminated hydraulic fluid for honor. Has Lord Megatron sent you here to do his justice upon my chassis or Thundercracker's?"

[Dark Silver]

The warning sent by Deathstrike had alerted TELETRAN, and thus Autobots where - for the most part - being pulled back to the Ark, the barely twenty Autobots remaining in the great rock bound ship. Soon nearly one hundred Autobots would fill the ship, trying to search for the Decepticon assassin.

Optimus and Ironhide remained in the command center, organizing the search. TELETRAN only relayed the orders as given, as internal sensor modules swept through the ships voluminous interior.

"Optimus Prime to Shellshock - keep the Repair Bay secured, I'm sending reinforcements. Red Alert, report to sector gamma... Breakout, you and Deathstrike head to engineering, he may be hiding under the stardrive components...."

Prime's relay of orders were clear, sending the Autobots in a efficient search pattern throughout the ship as they entered the bowels of it.

[General Havoc]

"Well at least you have the decency to admit it," said Reaper with just a hint of smugness to his voice. "And yet here you remain, amongst them. If you truly believed everything you just said, you would not be here. You would still be hiding in whatever Primus-forgotten waste pit you have been skulking about in for the last few million years. It's a bit late for pious sentimentality I'm afraid."

Reaper had no intention of telling Deathstrike precisely what he was here for. If he wanted to guess, he could guess. Reaper had several goals from this escapade.

"Lord Megatron sends me to do his will, and his will is multifold. But consider this a matter of personal curiosity. I have no trouble understanding a coward such as yourself fleeing to the ends of the universe to escape Lord Megatron's wrath. You are neither the first, nor the greatest to attempt this. What I can't figure out, Deathstrike, is what in the name of the Pits you are doing here of all places. If you wished to hide from agents of Megatron's will, this is hardly the appropriate spot."

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike headed towards engineering. Close up he was no match for Reaper, but he didn't have to be. Breakout had an energon blade, close combat skills, and enviable ferocity. All Deathstrike had to do was give the Autobot warmachine the tiniest of openings and Reaper would be in a world of pain.

"I did not flee Megatron's wrath," said Deathstrike. "I feared it, but I did not flee it. No, my first and greatest error was losing faith in my lord as the war dragged on and resources ebbed. I saw only ruin and starvation for the future and that was not worth fighting for. Death was one thing, but to fight for a victory that was no victory was another. The future I feared came closer and closer. So I fled to build a different future. Our lord was greater than my doubts and cheated the future I feared. Autobot warriors killed my friends, shattered what I had built, and chased my crippled body into the void.

"I lived for millions of years, a crippled 'bot scavenging energy and supplies one step ahead of the scrapyard. I learned that there were worse things than death. When I came to this world in an attempt to rebuild I was defeated by Autobots. They offered me a warrior's place in their ranks. A rebuild and a return to glory. I took it.

"Come to me Reaper. That weak thing I was is gone. The deeds and the taint remain but I am more deserving of the name Deathstrike than I ever was before. Face me and I will do unto you as I did to Chimera and Sixshot."