Station Battle: Autobots Gathering into Omega

[Long Haul]

With Jazz and his assorted parts, and Prime and his assorted parts, and all his assorted riders, and... can we please just say someone thought to get the dragon out of Long Haul's bed, too? Please? He hasn't been able to transform for about two threads now! With all of these things unloaded, Long Haul returns to robot mode, exclaiming, "Finally!" as he does. And just in time, too, because here comes Kup with his load of injured!

The Constructibot sighs, and his shoulders slump. He unfolds three more beds from against the wall and, with player permission and help, gets Wedge, Bumblebee, and Nightbeat out of Kup's back end and onto the cots. Bumblebee, he recognizes. Wedge is... another construction vehicle? Really? From the descriptions, then, the melty guy would be Nightbeat. He stops to try to pry open a slagged panel, since the reports he's heard about this one are pretty unnerving. Even just an initial glance is not quite enough to tell whether Nightbeat should receive high priority... or be put on the pile with Optimus Prime. A few moments after he gets Nightbeat's chest open, warping the chest panel in the process, he's able to finally report some good news!

"Still alive!" Long Haul calls out happily. "He's out like a LED, and he'll need a helleva lot more armor, but he's gonna make it!"

[Perceptor]

Perceptor heaves a sigh of relief as Jazz's lower half gets strapped in place near his stabilized upper half - no sense in risking additional damage to Jazz's currently-non-functional components. Perceptor would just have to repair that later anyway.

"Good. Armor is significantly more easily repaired and fabricated than... than the mech himself." Did Perceptor's attention briefly dart toward the scavenged pile of the fallen Prime's corpse? Must have been a trick of the light. Surely.

Well, at least until Perceptor, having secured Jazz, pulls down one last medical bed - good thing Omega is so large, or else it would be significantly crowded in here - and with all due caution and respect, moves the scavenged remains of Optimus Prime. The Prime may be fallen, his remains may be in the process of being slowly recycled for the living, however, there's no reason not to show some small measure of respect if there's time and opportunity.

Besides, it protects those parts from being damaged in transit as well, something they simply cannot afford right now, with the injured mechs adding up.

[Swerve]

"Whatever," mutters the racer, letting Kup ramble to his fuel pump's content. It isn't like he was deliberately needling him. The truck is an oldtimer, for Primus' sake – he sounds it, he looks it, and there's no way that chassis is current tech. Swerve's just calling it as he sees it. He doesn't much feel on a name-to-name basis, anyway.

His already sour expression turns downright mutinous as he throws a pretty uncomplimentary look in Arcee's direction while reluctantly making his way up the ramp. To say he isn't looking forward to this trip is a colossal understatement.

"Hey! Go find someplace else to burn your treads, gal," he snaps warningly. "I've got by just fragging fine to this point without help from some cranky, gear-grinding antique model!"

Let's see how many more times someone can press the walking big red button that is Swerve before everything is said and done.

[Slingshot]

Omega Supreme's brightly colored insides get all but ignored. Long Haul gets all but ignored. In fact, everyone except Perceptor gets all but ignored by the scowling white jet. And the only reason Perceptor is getting paid attention to is because he's touching Optimus Prime.

Slingshot grudgingly moves out of the way when he hears Kup coming up the ramp, but only far enough that he's not directly in anyone's path. Then he settles in for an extended "I am an extremely unhappy, angry jet and I want everyone to know it" session.

[Emirate Xaaron]

Emirate Xaaron tries to get a headcount on the Autobots filing into Omega Supreme. Long Haul and Perceptor are seeing to the injured, and when Long Haul pronounces Nightbeat to be alive, Emirate Xaaron allows himself a taut, drawn smile. He stares at Nightbeat's ruined body with a sort of morbid fascination and points out, "This would have been the work of Spinister, a teal helicopter. I don't know if any of universes had a Mayhem Attack Squad or what it may mean to you, but I'll explain this now. They are a special operations team, part commandoes, part assassins. They keep order among the Decepticons, if you can imagine it, and whenever they run up against Autobot forces, we will most likely incur casualties. Do not underestimate them. That gunman who assaulted Omega Supreme? That would have been Needlenose, one of their number. He is not usually quite so powerful. I do not know if he is from a different universe or merely the future."

He sighs and skritchies the dragonette on the ruff of her neck. So much for his plan to use the red paint to give her a proper Autobrand. The flowers are so wilted now. Whenever Perceptor gets around to making solvent to clean out Omega Supreme, he shall have to secure some for himself. This wretched purple chafes him so. Then, Emirate Xaaron continues, "It is very likely that they will try to kill me, if they become aware of my existence. Don't be alarmed. We can use this to our advantage."

If only they had Ultra Magnus here, they could even do a miniature Operation: Volcano, but Emirate Xaaron will adapt and adjust.

"That is, if they are the Spinister and Needlenose are who I think they are," he concludes, shrugging eloquently. Brightening, Emirate Xaaron turns to peer at the badly damage orange one. Wedge identified himself as orange over the radio, and he's the only orange one here. Wedge said something rather more interesting than his colour over the radio, too. Rubbing his chin, he inquires, warmly interested, "Hello there. I'm Emirate Xaaron." He holds out a hand to shake, if Wedge is up for it. "Now, what did you mean by 'space bridge'? I wouldn't dare to assume it means the same thing across dimensions."

He then moves to secure himself in a seat, near enough to the wounded that he can keep a watchful optic on them and keep up polite conversation with Wedge, who has suddenly become very interesting to Xaaron. Once settled down, he gives a cheeky little wave to Swerve. Oh, do grow up, racer. Double that for the Aerialbot, and... where is the other jet, Skyblast, was it? Primus, if this was his Cybertron, they would let Skyblast fly back on his own for being so late.

[Nimbus Tsura]

Skyblast comes screaming into the area. He just finished stirring up a hornets' nest, and he yet wonders why he was stung. His self-repair systems can probably handle the damage. The jet aims himself down at Omega Supreme's entrance, as if he intends to fly right in there. Mid-air, he transforms. His momentum carries him smack into the ramp, and his skids inside Omega Supreme's passenger compartment with a screech.

For a moment, he sits there as a mess of grey on Omega Supreme's varicoloured floor. Then, having been still just long enough to give anyone who cares to look at him a bit of worry, he stands up and dusts himself off, no worse for the wear. Whose bright idea was it to fit him out with military armour, again?

Skyblast is about to shuffle himself off to a seat when he notices Jazz and Bumblebee. Okay, he heard it was bad, in both cases. He knows that Jazz should be dead. Nothing he's heard has prepared him for the visceral feeling that sweeps his internals. Skyblast's knees knock together, and he whimpers. His own safety is irrelevant to him, but it wrenches his spark to see how fellow Autobots so injured. His wings droop, and he moans, "I wish Ratchet was here."

He doesn't spare much thought for the blockier Autobots who are similarly maimed, in the thoughtless way of youth. He scampers to Perceptor's side, and he peers up at the scientist. Skyblast blurts, "If there's any parts in me that you need for Jazz or Bumblebee out of me, have at it, Doc."

[Omega Supreme]

With a grumble that gets lost behind the sound of pistons, Omega Supreme snaps his ramp back and his door shut. He swears, they're making the new Autobots dumber and dumber. First the Aerialbots, then look at the Technobots, and finally there are people who smack into ramps. Gah!

Okay, so Skyblast isn't from his universe. Maybe Skyblast's even older than Omega Supreme. Maybe Omega Supreme is really grumpy.

He primes himself for launch, countdown numbers flashing on his internal screens. There's going to be enough time for everyone to settle in with a seat or hand-hold. But any time for pleasant chats is cut right out.

[Synapse]

Synapse moves quickly out of the way as more Autobots pour into Omega Supreme. He blanches at the beaten forms piled into Kup's truck bed. Wedge may look a mess, but Nightbeat...the blue Autobot looks like a plastic which has been passed through a heat source. Quickly, he moves to try and help in the activity going around. Finally, he comes to Perceptor and wordlessly goes to aid the scientist in transferring Opti--the spare parts onto the bed. Hopefully he doesn't mess up any order that Perceptor might have going.

The entrance of a gray flier skidding into Omega Supreme's ramp makes Synapse flinch as he feels the harsh vibrations rolling through the floor. It's no one that he recognizes, so if he remembers correctly from the conversations on broadband, might this one be Skyblast? Synapse says nothing, it's not in his position to say anything. But does his best to hide a small frown. Does this Autobot care nothing for the others then?

He barely catches the countdown to launch flashing across the screens. A bit unsure of what to do, Synapse feels around for some sort of restraint and lashes it on. This is the first time he's ever used someone else for transportation and he has no idea of what to expect.

[Kup]

As soon as the Autobots are unloaded, Kup transforms. The long gash along his left side is still there, and results in a faint limp, but for the most part he seems to be moving just fine without it. The pockmarks where Wreckage's shots hit home are even more easily ignored.

He forces a brief, slight smile as he turns toward Arcee, and says, a bit tersely, "Arcee, thanks, but I can defend myself." He kneels as he speaks and examines a paint can on the floor. Hmmm. The dried paint has stuck it fast to the floor. This may be for the best, as they may not have time to secure all the cans, anyway. Whether they're not bouncing around because someone's holding onto them, or they're not bouncing around because they've stuck themselves to the floors... and the walls... and everything else... they're still not bouncing around.

Then Kup stands and he turns towards Swerve. His expression is stern, perhaps faintly annoyed, but not angry. "I'm sure you have, erm, Swerve, but you know, I'd be willing to bet when you were getting along just fine without the rest of us, it weren't in any situation like this. Now, you still hot to make it on your own," Kup raises his hand towards the hatch, "there's the-" and at this point Skyblast comes sliding and Omega Supreme slams the hatch shut.

Kup actually quirks a very quick, amused grin, and shurgs. "Nevermind." Then his face once more sobers and regains its sterness. "But my point is, if you do think, what with strange planet and all, you're better off alone, we won't keep you. But if instead you think maybe you could use some help..." here, Kup's expression softens, and there is a sincerity to his tone as he continues, "I know we sure as blazes could use you. Especially these lads right here." He gestures back towards the injured. "Your choice, son."

Then he heads briskly towards the nearest seat to strap himself in, shouting back at Skyblast and Synapse, "Folks, stay out of the way of the mechs doing repairs. They need you, and they might, they'll call for you. Otherwise, everyone get themselves strapped in. We don't need no one being flung against the wall or worse, against someone else, what with all the injuries we got now."

[Holi]

"Emirate Xaaron, sir," begins Holi, just loud enough to be heard, after waving at Wheelie and patting an adjacent seat if the little orange bot will take it. To his credit, the young Micromaster doesn't flinch at the sight of the wounded. "I… don't mean to interrupt, sir, but I still have some of the paint you wanted–" The screeching arrival of a grey flier cuts him off and he flinches at the slam of Omega Supreme's hatch shutting out the battlefield.

He'd go on, but the countdown has started and he needs to get himself secured. He looks around as he does so, and the expressions on the faces around him are enough to leech the cheer from his own. It's just like home, after all.

[Arcee]

Arceed transforms and quickly straps herself in to the one of the remaining seats. So many different Autobots, from so many different places. They just might have a chance after all.

Especially with her along to keep some of the idiots like Swerve and Nightbeat in-line.

"I take it we've got some kind of destination in mind...? I may have missed it during all the being shot at."

[Wheelie]

Though he sits down next to Holi, Wheelie lets out a cry of alarm when Omega Supreme starts countdown procedures.

"What's going on? What's happening here and about? It's crazy! It's strange! It makes me want to shout!"

[Wedge]

Wedge resists the urge to boggle when he sees Long Haul, his first reaction is 'Did Heavy Load get a new paint job?'. But the more rational voice in his mind points out that this dump truck is much too, well, curvy to be the Buildbot that Wedge is looking for. He can't help but stare slightly though as he rests in the bed...speaking of which, strapped into a medical bed, Wedge feels quite conspicuous. The gash in his cab and the sand that invaded into it, carbon scoring, dents, and scorched elbows...just not his day.

He looks only slightly confused when the lavender Autobot begins speaking to him. Wedge had thought the others' looks to be strange, seeing this Emirate Xaaron just makes him wonder even more. What does this guy transform into? He can't see any obvious tell-tale signs of it anywhere. But he seems a nice enough guy, or at least sincere. So when Emirate Xaaron reaches out for a handshake, Wedge moves his hand up as far as it can go, his fingers barely reaching and perhaps brushing against the other's, an apologetic smile on his face. "Arm joints are busted," he says in a way of explanation. The sound of huge engines and rockets firing up for priming stops his talking. He switches over to a short-wave radio instead.

// Yeah, a space bridge. My team and I built a system of them all over Earth--well, back home. It can get you from one end of the world to another in a matter of minutes, // says Wedge, not sure of what else to explain. // All it needs is a lot of digging and then some extra programming and computers. Then presto! Space-bridge! // Wedge lets out a small laugh over the radio waves. // I swear it's the funniest thing to see the expression on a Decepticon or Predacon's face when you pop in and out of a space bridge for attacks. Bam, crash, fire and then, if need be, you're right out of there again. //

There's a brief moment of silence as if Wedge is reliving such memories, he quickly gets back on track though. // So...what do you want to know about them, exactly? Your space bridges any different? // If they are, Wedge is ready to make notes, cause if there's any way to improve or expand the space bridge project back home, he wants to be the mech to do it, and if he can try to test it out here....

[Long Haul]

Long Haul totally misses any boggling, veiled or otherwise. He doesn't miss the glaring, but does his best to ignore it, avoiding even optical contact with Slingshot. He already feels guilty enough for having not taken any damage in the battle, and those accusatory looks just aren't helping things.

Silently, he helps unload Kup and straps down the new patients securly. Bumblebee and Nightbeat are most unnerving - Bumblebee he had seen not too long before, Nightbeat, only a few days ago, and the dramatic change in their condition was disturbing - but Wedge, an obvious bulldozer, gets a moment's consideration for another reason. Strange, really, how working from a very similarly purposed vehicle mode, you can get such different robots... Wedge looks nothing like his Bonecrusher. Still, the arrival of the lad is enough to strengthen the homesickness that's been present, if in the back of Long Haul's mind, since he arrived in this world.

Once the others are strapped in and Long Haul is certain that no one is likely to expire on the trip back, Long Haul folds out a seat right next to the medical beds, so as to be near the others if the unexpected happens. Silently, he straps himself in and then, without even thinking, he reaches back and gently pats the wall that his seat is attached to, an unconscious attempt to reassure Omega Supreme. Of what, Long Haul wouldn't know, but there it is.

[Perceptor]

"Thank you, Synapse," Perceptor murmurs as they finish securing Prime's remains. Slingshot's entrance and foul temper are noted absently; it's as Perceptor had expected, actually. The Aerialbot is very young yet, and now without the stabilizing influence of his fellows and the unexpected trauma of both being transplanted here and of being forced to confront the results of their future...

Long Haul isn't the only one suffering a sharp pang of homesickness.

Unfortunately, they haven't the time to afford spending on homesickness right now.

"Wheelie, Omega Supreme is going to transport us to a location where we will have access to more energy and supplies to make the necessary repairs on everyone," he explains, and perhaps his tone is a bit more absent than reassuring, but he's busy checking, rechecking, and checking once again that the worst injured are secured safely.

"We'll be returning to that first settlement we passed through, Arcee, on our overland route to this location. Long Haul located a hydroelectric facility, and the location of the settlement on the river makes it an ideal site to construct a larger such facility if and when we require the additional energy later. The settlement also possesses structures which Long Haul indicates can be modified to suit our needs until such time as we require more purpose built structures," Perceptor expounds. It's obvious from his tone that he trusts Long Haul's judgment - more than that, that he trusts Long Haul. Every little bit of reinforcement of that fact for Slingshot, and to some extent, Arcee, cannot hurt.

Fortunately, between his preoccupation and the inevitable shuffle of mechs sorting themselves into seats and out of the way, Perceptor had missed Skyblast's initial lamentation. Just as well, since Perceptor is desperately wishing the same thing.

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated, ah... Skyblast," Perceptor offers. He doesn't note that it makes little sense to incapacitate one of their able-bodied warriors to repair a less able-bodied warrior when it would be easier and more efficient to simply fabricate the necessary parts, thus not reducing their defensive capabilities; he doubts Skyblast is in any mood to listen to the logic. "I shall keep that in mind during the repair process. Now secure yourself, quickly." He gives the aeromech a gentle push toward and empty seat before pulling one down beside Jazz's berth and strapping in. Once the stress of the initial lift-off is accomplished, he can rise and continue his work until they arrive.

And if there's anyone who hasn't been answered, then, well, someone else will have to take care of that. There is, after all, only so much that even his advanced CPU and databanks can track, and he's just a little preoccupied right now, what with the mapping new circuit logic and plotting repair strategies and all.