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Post by Perceptor on May 12, 2008 21:31:12 GMT -5
Although the battle continues to thunder above ground, here in the travel tunnels and subways, relative quite had returned as the water had receded. Far above, the battle had been reduced here to a low rumble with little more than the occasional staccato crash of an explosion or the death knell of another building.
Perceptor heaves a sigh as he settles the still comatose Alternate Xaaron more comfortably. Perhaps the Emirate might revive with a hard reboot, but given the manner in which he had gone offline, his awakening might be just as traumatic, and Perceptor quite frankly has other things to consume his attention than babysitting a distraught Xaaron.
Or worse. He had repaired Xaaron's alternate mode and capability to reach it, after all. A state which his own Xaaron seems to be putting to quite good use from the sound of it.
Tiny continues to crouch near - or occasionally on - Xaaron, chittering softly in distress and ill-concealed fear. The distant rumble is distressing for the young mechadragon, and being forcibly dragged far below ground is probably quite the alien environment for a creature meant to be in the sky. There isn't anything that Perceptor can do about that, though. He has enough to concern him with simply gathering what materials he can from the immediate area and watching out for the first straggling Autobots to arrive.
The wounded.
He prays - yes, prays - that the replicator holds out long enough to at least get everyone stabilized to travel on, away from possible discovery by the victorious Decepticons and their Alternate Autobot allies.
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Post by Long Haul on May 19, 2008 19:54:18 GMT -5
It takes awhile, but then, Long Haul has never been a speedy sort. He rumbles up to way-station in the escape route, the remains of three Autobots - one in three pieces - in his truck bed and slows to a stop.
"Got Skyfire, Oracle, and Synapse back here. Not alla them too recognizable, but I think they're all still alive," he reports, voice faintly unsteady, shaken. He waits to be unloaded.
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Post by Makeshift on May 19, 2008 20:26:41 GMT -5
Having gone from scout to rear guard on entry to the underground tunnels, Makeshift follows along, slowing to hover over Long Haul's bed and lowering his tow cable. "Who's going first?"
OOC: Feel free to pose Makeshift lifting and moving wounded as necessary.
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Post by Long Haul on May 19, 2008 22:01:56 GMT -5
Long Haul pauses to think. "Start with Synapse, then Oracle, then, erm, the bit of Skyfire what has his thinky-bits, then the rest of Skyfire." Simple enough, huh?
As soon as he's unloaded, reversing the method earlier of letting Makeshift lift the robot up, then rolling out from underneath them, he transforms and starts to examine Synapse. His optic band glows brightly as his shoulders slump in relief.
"He's alive," he tells the others. "Barely, but I don't think he's sliding any worse."
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Post by Perceptor on May 20, 2008 23:51:45 GMT -5
Perceptor examines Skyfire - the long and more hands on way, since he lacks his scope to make a swifter evaluation of it - and comes to the same conclusion.
"One mech," he murmurs, shaking his head as he moves to begin checking Oracle. "One mechanism did this."
That kind of power is incomprehensible to the scientist, especially seeing the extent of the damages.
"Like Skyfire, alive," he finally pronounces of the Seeker. "Non-functional, but alive, and stable enough for careful transit to a more secure location once the others arrive."
"How many are you capable of transporting, Long Haul?" Given that at least five or six of their number may be traveling in pails and buckets, that should be a more significant number than one might imagine.
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Post by Kup on May 22, 2008 7:15:01 GMT -5
Kup rumbles in carrying the slagged remains of Airazor and Slag and, most likely, being followed by the front portion of a firetruck carrying Grimlock and Ironfire. "Don't get too comfortable," he tells the others. "We'll need to be moving on once we collapse the entrance."
He slows to a stop. "Hey, Perceptor, we got confirmation that Slag's alive already, but I need someone to check on Grimlock." He pauses. "If, erm, they're too damaged to tell apart, that would be the one strapped to Optimus. Oh, and introductions. Folks, this here firetruck's the new arrival, Optimus Prime. Optimus, the red guy with the - hey, where is your scope, anyway? Well, the red guy without a scope on his shoulder is Perceptor. The green guy is Long Haul, and the tiny guy is Makeshift."
"Er, Bambi the female Dinobot took off on her own." There is a pause, and a slight roll of his wheels, like he's shrugging, and Kup adds, "Pretty Dinobottish, really."
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Post by Long Haul on May 22, 2008 7:35:01 GMT -5
"Erm, it depends on the size of those I'm carrying, Perceptor. Like, say, I could carry a lot of Synapses, but not so many Skyfires, y'know?" He shrugs. "I'd say five, maybe six of the typical size." He turns to look at the new arrivals, and to help unstrap Grimlock from the back of the fire engine. "I'm thinking we got transport covered, though."
OOC: Skippable unless addressed or interacted with. This thread is about to get rather large.
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Bluestreak
Rookie
Silence is golden, but the motormouth is silver...
Posts: 213
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Post by Bluestreak on May 22, 2008 7:52:28 GMT -5
Bluestreak limps into the cavern, favoring one leg, one doorwing gone completely and an unconcious Arcee slung over one shoulder.
"I've got Arcee," he reports, his voice still kind of slurred and muffled due to his paralyzed mouth. "Where would you like me to set her, Perceptor? I dunno how bad she is, but she did get hit in the abdomen and went offline, so..." He stops and gapes, his optics fixed on the remains of his fellow Autobots. "W-what happened to them?" he asks quietly. "Th-their Prime did this?"
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Nightbeat
Minor
Lord High Instructor, Duke of Snack
Cybertron's Greatest Detective
Posts: 373
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Post by Nightbeat on May 22, 2008 12:55:47 GMT -5
Nightbeat rolls into the scene, quickly transforming back to robot mode. He takes everything in carefully, then just shakes his head sadly.
"We're gettin' slaughtered."
Real keen powers of observation there.
((Skippable unless needed/talked to.))
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Wheelie
Rookie
Can't sleep. Sharkticons will eat me.
Posts: 191
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Post by Wheelie on May 22, 2008 13:07:20 GMT -5
And here comes Wheelie, looking more than a little worse for wear. Being nearly fragged by Demolishor will do that to you.
He transforms, but remains in a crouched position, trying to conserve energy. "Wheelie... Wheelie tried to slow them down, but couldn't stop them, too many around."
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Evac
Cadet
"Come with me if you want to live."
Posts: 34
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Post by Evac on May 22, 2008 13:10:16 GMT -5
The whop-whop-whop of rotor blades signals the arrival of Evac, flying somewhat erratically and leaking fuel. He makes a rather bumpy landing, bouncing once or twice, but manages to set down. He remains in vehicle mode for the moment, so Holi can get out.
"They brought it down..." he says. "We couldn't stop it."
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Optimus Prime
Minor
Oh yeah? Well I don't know what that means!
Posts: 383
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Post by Optimus Prime on May 23, 2008 6:44:40 GMT -5
Rumbling in behind Kup, Optimus pulls over beside him.
"Hello, everyone." Optimus hopes there'll be opportunity to get to know these people under a better light.
Look at them all. Riddled with damage, pieces missing. The worst Optimus has is a couple of scrapes from where mechanical Bambiraptor talons have dug in, carrying someone who might have already joined the Well of All Sparks.
"I don't know much about what's going on here... but we're all Autobots. Just... tell me what to do, who to fight, and I'll do it."
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Post by Perceptor on May 23, 2008 19:29:21 GMT -5
Perceptor looks up at the sound of the approach of all the new arrivals, watching with an unreadable expression as Kup begins leading the flood in. The mention of Optimus Prime's name garners a swift look, optics flashing with something that might almost be... hope. Seeing a mechanism that is considerably smaller than he had been anticipating, however, is very... jarring.
"Understood, Kup," Perceptor replies as he moves toward Optimus and his grim(lock) cargo. Almost, almost, he allows his shoulders to slump in defeat at the twisted mass that was once a proud Dinobot commander and the prize and much loved creation of his closest friends. There is too much work to do right now to indulge in such sentimentality, though, and too many who might see that flinch as an admission of total defeat. Instead, Perceptor immediately joins Long Haul in very carefully off-loading Grimlock's remains from the small Prime and examining them. "Thank you... Optimus."
"Like the others," he finally pronounces. "Grimlock lives." Barely, but it's enough.
Once again, Perceptor glances up as Kup questions him. "Pee-Dee's alternate and I had a... rather intense discussion," he explains with a shrug that is nowhere near as casual as he tries to make it appear. He misses his scope, feels nigh naked and helpless without it. Others - like Grimlock, like Slag, like so many others - are far worse off, though. A brief nod toward Long Haul, and then Perceptor turns his attention to Bluestreak.
"Bring her over here, Bluestreak," he instructs, indicating a clear area off to one side, near, but not right next to those who had been reduced to charred husks by the dark Rodimus. "They live. Once we retreat to safety, we will return them to full functionality once again. I promise, Bluestreak." And despite the gravity of such an oath, Perceptor believes it. He has to; he cannot allow himself not to, cannot allow a failure of not succeeding in that task. His expression and voice soften slightly as he rests a hand briefly on an undamaged portion of the Datsun's arm.
"Wheelie, can you come here and assist Bluestreak and I with Arcee?" he asks gently, intending on getting Wheelie and Bluestreak both to sit and rest while he tends to them. Nightbeat's announcement gets totally ignored, although Perceptor does shoot him a quick look, as if to ask if the Detective can guard the inbound evacuation corridor that everyone had just arrived through. A look that is quickly transferred to Evac, as the red scientist tries not to be so obvious in his worry. Holi had been with Evac last he knew, and Perceptor is worried for the micromaster.
ooc: Perceptor is skippable unless addressed/needed, due to the size of the thread. Feel free to pose him as checking over folks and/or performing basic repairs as needed until he posts back in again.
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Holi
Major
Captain Can-Do
Posts: 672
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Post by Holi on May 23, 2008 20:29:29 GMT -5
It takes Holi a few seconds to unstrap himself and sort of fall out the door, wobbling with the general air of someone gone slightly motion-sick. He takes a moment to steady himself with one hand resting lightly against Evac's fuselage, and before he steps away, he tries to make that as reassuring and concerned a friendly pat as he can.
"Thank you," he says, quietly but with every ounce of gratitude he can muster. Then Holi straightens up and steps away. "I can help, too," he pronounces to the group.
He's small, but that doesn't mean he can't shuttle items or help run medical supplies or tend to Tiny.
OOC: Skippable unless addressed, etc. while he's off being generically helpful in the background. Can be posed as needed.
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Post by Kup on May 23, 2008 21:06:05 GMT -5
Once Long Haul finishes unloading the injured from Kup1, Kup transforms, tilts his head left and right as though working out kinks, nods in answer to Perceptor's explanation, then scans the area.
"At this point, Optimus? We're not fighting, we're running." They're also not all Autobots here, but Kup will explain that in a moment. "We're only fighting if the 'Cons follow us down here, and we don't want that. Which is why, since you and I are two of the more able-bodied folks here, we're setting up as guards a bit up the tunnel, so we can challenge anyone who heads down this way." He waves absently as he turns and starts walking up the way they came. "C'mon, lad. I'll see if I can't explain a few things while we're keeping watch."
Kup, for his part, shows some battle damage, notably two holes that appear to go all the way through his torso - light can be seen through them if the angle is right. But for the most part, he seems in good condition for a geezer.
1 Long Haul posed with permission of player.
OOC: Moving out of thread to stand watch closer to the tunnel entrance. Taking Optimus with me - skip him next time he's up.
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