Transformers: Steel Reign

[General Havoc]

You are a thing of deceit and dishonor, Deathstrike. Do you assume that because I place value in the concept of proper battle that I have taken leave of my reason? Face you, and you will conjure forth a horde of Autobots to do to me what you could not in ten thousand millennia do yourself, and then you will invent for yourself a fiction that makes your actions honorable and right."

Reaper plunged into the cavernous supply warehouse, selecting the means he would use to exit and proceed.

"You have found that things exist in this universe worse than death, but having found it, you have chosen to seek it out, for you fear death worse than you fear dishonor. You claim that the Autobots shall return you to glory, but you know that to be untrue, no matter how many Decepticons you slay, or how many battles you fight, you shall have no glory, and no honor, and no place as a warrior in anyone's ranks, for you lack the one thing most central to a warrior's existence. You lack purpose."

Reaper laughed, again subvocally, in case anyone should be nearby.

"Purpose, Deathstrike, not vainglory and bloodlust, purpose is what defines a warrior. You have none. You will never again have any, for this fight that you wage is not your own. You are no Autobot. You do not believe in the Autobot cause. You have no faith in Optimus Prime, any more than you did in Megatron. And you lack the strength of will to embrace the consequences of your failing. One who sought anew to be a warrior would seek out Megatron and confront the consequences of his failure, even be they death, torture, or worse. You seek only to continue to exist, and that is not purpose, Deathstrike, that is the most base of impulses. You are not a warrior, and among the Autobots, you never shall be one. And so you are become a mad dog, a ravening beast of no allegiance and no honor, to be used or cast aside, or put down by any convenient warrior. Perhaps I shall be the one to do so. Perhaps it shall be another."

The entrance to the storage facility loomed ahead. Reaper approached it, and checked for signs of movement behind.

"And if that is the life you choose, Deathstrike, then so be it, but now you have committed a far worse sin than your original failings, for in your decrepitude, you have seduced another Decepticon to stray from the fold, and condemned him to the foulest fate imaginable. Perhaps you did not do this, perhaps I am wrong, but something has brought Thundercracker here, and I have a suspicion that I know who that something is."

"Tell me, were you so wretched in your exile from all things honorable that you felt the need to seduce other Decepticons to your path of damnation and dishonor?"

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike laughed. "You truly have no regard for me if you think such tricks will cause me to reveal information. Your opinion is just as irrelevant as those of the Autobots. Only I have the answers you seek. Thundercracker will tell you only what he thinks and what he thinks and what is reality are two different things. Come to the mad dog, the ravening beast, the dumb Decepticon thug. Come and face me if you want to know what my data core contains."

[General Havoc]

"You must think me a fool if you imagine I would willingly walk into that blatant of a trap, Deathstrike," said Reaper with an audible smirk. "Thundercracker will tell what he thinks to be the truth, and so will you one day, whether to me or another, it matters not. You are already dead Deathstrike, and all that is left to you is to lash out like a ravening beast before the end. I do not know if you are a thug or not, but you are no Decepticon. You do not even know the meaning of that term."

Reaper opened the door, glanced up and down, and darted into another chamber, another storage facility several stories tall and filled with rack after rack of spare parts and equipment.

"I will not place myself in a position to be brought down by the army of Autobots you would call up the instant you saw me," he said. "I will not come to you to be devoured by your baying hounds. Seek me out, if you dare, and I will deliver you from this living death you inhabit. Or will you hide behind Optimus Prime and his army, and make witticisms after the real warriors have done their work?"

"I suppose we shall find out."

And with that, Reaper cut his radio uplink, and vanished into the gloomy shadows of the Ark's storage facilities.

[Cynical Cat]

"He wouldn't take the bait," Deathstrike said to Breakout, "although he tried hard to bait me. A thing without purpose?" he sneered. "A ravening beast? No Decepticon? He thinks to make me foolish with such feeble taunts. Should I play the part?"

[frigidmagi]

"I think it unlikely that he would fall for play acting now. We will search for him." I reply.

"Teletran I, turn on all available lights in the forward section of the Ark, excluding personal quarters at this time. Activate all sensors and inform me of any unauthorized mechs within that section." I order moving forward.

[Cynical Cat]

"True," said Deathstrike. "Even if I were convincing he would suspect a trap." Reaper had frightened other Decepticons, but not him. He had always been loyal, until the last megacycles when he hadn't. In that time it had been Soundwave he had feared and avoided. Now the dreaded assassin had him in his sights. "It is pleasing to note that his data tracks do not contain accurate information on me."

[SirNitram]

Activity detected on dead wavelength. Scan. Activity consistant with communications.

Strange. A frequency abandoned early in the Second War of Autobot and Decepticon? Why would it show activity now? It had been cracked early, and shut down with incredible speed. Hell, the only reason Overload had it in the archival data in his trailer was because, like most logistical 'bots, he never threw anything away permenantly.

Activity level returning to normal background.

The massive Autobot sighed. Like usual, he finds something, and it turns out useless by that point. He absently wondered if it had been something from the infiltrator. He logged the anomalous readings with Teletran-1 and went back to waiting for the assault.

[LadyTevar]

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?"

She looked down at him, and asked herself what she thought she was doing. The answer was plain and simple, as Crimson gently pried him away from her chassis. "I'm going to search for the 'Con, what else?"

[General Havoc]

Hornet nodded slowly. "I can... I can hide in the storage space. Sometimes when Ironhide gets really mad at me, I go there and hide inside one of the packing crates. They're filled with straw or hay, and I can usually take a nap there without anybody finding me."

He left unsaid that the concept of a robot taking a nap was just a bit odd.

"Should... should I go do that?"

[LadyTevar]

Crimson thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No... no Hornet, I ..." she trailed off, wondering if he'd do this for her. "I'd like you to .. watch over Stryke for me."

He was going to ask why, she just knew it, so she went a little further, and hoped Hornet was mature enough to understand. "You know the stories of Optimus and Elita-1? How much they care for each other, compliment each other?" Crimson knew Hornet worshiped Prime... so she was sure he knew some version of the love story. "That's how I feel about Stryke. That's why I'm so upset that he's hurt, because he's like another piece of my own Core. So......." she reached out gently, putting her hands on Hornet's shoulder. "... will you please watch over him for me, while I help the others find the one that hurt him?"

If he's in the base, he'd be in the upper sections, near the lava her logic processors were overclocking, even as she made her heart-felt plea to Hornet. Trace amounts of the lava would be on his chassis, and thus detectable once in range of sensors Her sensors were built for detecting that difference between one mineral and another, between usable materials and sources of Energon, and base metals. It was why she had been a good asteroid miner, able to find or trade for the Energon she's collected over the vorn out on her own. Igneous silicates are not that common inside the Ark... it shouldn't be hard to isolate....

[General Havoc]

Hornet didn't understand.

Wheeljack had done his job too well perhaps. Perhaps he was simply too young in another sense, too young to have met anyone that made him feel the way Crimson was describing. There were Autobots that were special to him, Wheeljack certainly, and even Crimson in a way, but it was not at all the sort of thing that she was describing. Perhaps in another million years Hornet might have understood what Crimson was saying. At this time he did not.

He didn't need to either.

The look in Crimson's optics was enough to make Hornet's Lasercore start to ache in sympathy, and the question he was going to ask died on his speaker. He didn't understand what Crimson was saying, but he did know the stories of Optimus and Elita-1, and even if that one was an equal mystery to him, there was a reverence in Crimson's tone and gaze and look that made him feel, just for a second, like he was facing not Crimson, but Optimus himself. It made him believe that whatever the reason, what Crimson was asking him to do was not the sort of thing she would ask just anyone.

And so instead of protesting or asking a question, Hornet just nodded slowly.

"I'll... I'll try," he said, feeling afraid all of a sudden, and unsure why "Just... be... be careful, okay?"

The irony of Hornet saying this to Crimson, of him saying it to ANYONE, was lost.

Hornet stepped forward one more time to deliver a parting hug, for he could not possibly go without doing that much. He squeezed Crimson as hard as he could, worried suddenly for no reason whatsoever that this might somehow be the last time he saw her. And then, almost reluctantly, Hornet disentangled himself from Crimson, and ran off as fast as he could towards the medical bay.

[LadyTevar]

"I will, teenybot," Crimson murmurred as he hugged her, then watched him run off. He'd be much safer around the medical bay, more 'Bots would be there to cover him.

Optimus had not given her a sector to search, so she was on her own. Since the search seemed to be more of the upper deck, where the Ark met the caldera, she'd realized anyone coming in through the lava would be dripping it wherever he went. Not something just everyone would notice... and not something that just everyone could track...

Still... best to start in a small area and work my way out. With that thought in mind she moved towards the front of the Ark, where the nosecone had buried into the mountain. She might get more reading from the older lava that had burst in from the collision, but fresher lava would have a different 'ping' to it.

"Crimson to Breakout," she said, going for a more private channel. "If the 'Con came in from the caldera... I may be able to track him. I'm going for the nose of the Ark, to test my theory."

[frigidmagi]

I restrain the urge to begin swearing although it is difficult. I have learned many expressive phrases from various species although Organic swearing seems to lean heavily towards body functions an honest mech does not have.

Crimson is perhaps with the expection of Hornet the least close combat capable mech in the squad. Reaper could reduce her to spare parts easily. Pit he took out Stryke and Blindside solo! Is there something in the energon I should be aware of?

"Negative! Negative Crimson! Stay in the Med bay until you get reinforcements, do not attempt to find Reaper alone. Do not wander about the Ark alone. Stay there!" I bark. Why are members of my squad so bent on suicide!?!

"Crimson, listen you are more valuable to the squad in the med bay right now. Deathstrike and I are best suited for trying to hunt him down. You do not have the ability to go hand to hand with this Con and if you find him you will end up in Hand to Hand. Stay in the Medbay." I say more gently.

[LadyTevar]

"BreakOut, hear me out," Crimson replied, walking towards the nose of hte Ark as she spoke calmly and rationally. "Prime's already got searchers heading that way, so I can meet up with them. My sensors are able to locate, analyze, and trace minerals, so I can locate signs of entry from the caldera and narrow down the search area." And if you think I'm going to sit down and do nothing while the 'Con that hurt Stryke is running free, you need to have your logic processors rebuilt.

"I can do more good on the search than I can watching Medbay, Breakout. I've sent Hornet there, so he's out of the way."

[Cynical Cat]

"Heat," said Deathstrike. He was built for deep space combat, where the heat of an online reactor or firing engines was visible AUs away. "Heat. He's just taken a bath in two thousand degree lava. He'll be hotter, way hotter, than ambient for hours. And stealth mods won't help him with that. The only ways to lose heat are by convection, conduction, and radiation. He's going to leave a trail of heated metal with every footstep and super heated air. He'll leave a trail through every corridor and room he's passed through!"

Deathstrike consulted TELETRAN-1's scanners. Most of the ones in the front section had been offlined in the crash and never repaired. Didn't matter. He had his own.

[frigidmagi]

"Yes, because Hornet has always just stood still and not moved towards trouble if no one is around to stop him. As for the searchers, you can damn well wait in the Medbay for them. Crimson, you are doing this for personal reasons and you are only putting yourself and others in danger in pursuing this. Stand Down and wait for the searchers to come to you and the med bay to be secured. Do not disobey a direct order!" I cut the connection and supress a desire to scream and rant and rave like a madmech.

CIV BOTS! Some of them don't seem to grasp anything beyond their own emotional wants and desires! No that's not fair, there are plenty of military models just as bad. How did we become a race of overgrown brats?

I turn to Deathstrike.

"Good idea. Led the way and let us hurry. Crimson seems to be in a mood to be foolish." I say.

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike leading the way was the correct decision. If Reaper jumped him, the hand to hand expert would be free to stab him. And Deathstrike's IR systems were probably superior, not that ultra sensitivity would be needed here. The big Decepticon swiftly strode towards the front of the Ark. "Heated air ahead." He pointed. "And more of it that way. Cooler the other direction. We have his trail."

[frigidmagi]

I radio in the information and our plan of action.

"Let us procede then." I say to Deathstrike.

[Dark Silver]

TELETRAN received the order from Breakout to turn the interior illumination in the forward sections in the Ark on. The supercomputer processed the command, corrolated it with the search pattern being run by the Autobots, and then relayed it to Ironhide for authorization. Ironhide stared at blank disbelief for a tenth of a cyclea tthe source of the command, before reporting, "Parhime, got a situation here. Breakout just ordered TELETRAN ta turn on all da lats in the forward section."

"Location of Breakout and Deathstrike," Prime ordered.

"Moving from En'neering to the for'ard sections looks la-ike."


"Optimus to Breakout, respond. Why are you doing - your breaking from the search patterns."

It was while Prime was calling for Breakout, that the mech's own transmission came through.

"Negative Breakout, I have other Autobots already searching, return to your position, I'll inform them to switch to thermal imaging."

--------------

Ironhide, unfortunatly, forgot to counterman Breakout's request, and one by one, power flowed into the illuminations, and cycles old noble gases obtained charge, as power cycled through the neon like tubuals.

Reaper noted this, and was displeased.

But even in his current hiding place, with full illumination, there would always be shadows, and places to hide.

Reaper doused himself in the shadows created by one of the stacks of mining equipment held where a weapons emplacement once stood proudly. He heard the footsteps of an approaching Autobot, prior to it's entrance into the bay. The wait was excruciating, as the Autobot wondered at the lights being on by themselves, unaware of Breakout's orders, and radio'd his search partner.

The Autobot was known as Diax, had come to Earth a few years earlier, after the war had heated up on Earth. He was a good, midranged combat bot, his Cybertronian form was never updated for Earth environs, since there was no need to hide, and as such, his robot mode showed many of the feature of his Gunship alt-mode.

"Highbrow, this is Diax.....light on in the Cargo Bay C-32, I'm going to check it out."

Diax's laser pistol appeared in his hand, as he continued in slowly, his green optics scanning the dark corners, where ever a good sized mech could hide.

Prime and company didn't tell them much about the intruder, a basic description, and that he was highly skilled in dispatching Mech's of all forms.

As such, Diax went slow, listened carefully, and kept his optics peeled.

Unfortunatly for him, no matter what he did, he wasn't built to detect stealth units, and he wasn't prepared as the Decepticon took advantage of the sweeping search pattern, and ducked into new hiding places - each bringing him closer to to his new prey.

Diax narrows his optics as he say Reaper's former hiding spot, the large stack of mining equipment, raised his pistol, and began to circle it. He rounded the machinery, and fired off several shots without doing the cursory scan.

When he finally looked, there was nothing there, a frown crossed his flexmetal faceplate, until he felt the muzzle of a pistol against the back of his head.

Diax didn't have time to call out to Highbrow, as Reaper blasted the Autobot's central processing center with the electron scrambler pistol.

Electrons ceased proper flow, as energy disapated in Diax's primary cortical processors. Cascade failures from there on caused the autobot to drop, like a puppet whose strings had been cut - the optics still alight with life, but unable to move.

Fortunatly, with the heavy walls, the sounds of the gunfire was never heard.

[frigidmagi]

I want to scream.

"Deathstrike, halt. Orders from higher." I tell him and respond to Prime.

"Sir, Deathstrike and I have his trail, we can get to him in a matter of cycles and we are well equipped to capture or destroy him."

[Dark Silver]

"Negative Breakout, I already have search teams...."

Prime was cut short by Ironhide, "Parhime, I lost Diax's sig'al."

"Location?"

"Fo'ard cargo holds, Deck 3, Section Io Temporary Storage Bay 43."

"Closest Autobots?"

"Deathstrike and Breakout, can get dere in two hundred cycles. There on deck 1"

"Change of orders Breakout - we lost contact with one of the searchers, forward sector, temporary storage locker fourty-three in section Io. Make with all due speed. I'll have backup arrive."

--------------------


Reaper moved silently from the Cargo hold he had deposited the Autobot's body in, prior to eliminating it. He knew the moment the Autobot's energy readings died out, they would be looking for it. Unfortunatly, the movement took time, precious moments he didn't truly have, since the searchers where here.

He was certain the Autobot had a partner, and now, he would have to find a better place to hide. He didn't know how long the Autobots would take to switch to a better way to track him. They may actually think to go thermal.....he hadn't found a way to cool himself yet....

He ducked into a new storage locker, making his movements many - the better to spread his heat trail around until he could cool off.

[frigidmagi]

"Change of orders Breakout - we lost contact with one of the searchers, forward sector, temporary storage locker fourty-three in section Io. Make with all due speed. I'll have backup arrive."

"Yes Sir!" I reply.

"Deathstrike, we have been ordered to forward sector, temporary storage locker fourty-three in section Io, contact lost with a searcher. Proceed quickly." I say formally.

[Cynical Cat]

"He'll relocate now that he realizes he's been found," said Deathstrike as he ran forward. "But he can't make his heat vanish.

[Cynical Cat]

"I can't speak for many of his capabilities," Deathstrike continued. "His armour is thick, but the presence of stealth composites means that it can't protect as well as maximum grade Cybertronian armour plate. He is a master of Metallico and favors an energy scythe. He's strong, fast, and stealthy."

[frigidmagi]

"Understood, still he is as killable as any mech." I say as we move forward.