Titan Saturn's Belt

[Blast Off]

The two fleshies stay down in the dirt, cowed by the smite-happy lady. They look at each other sidelong, as if trying to decide whether answering Slugslinger's question is an affront or not. Then Jero explains, "You have descended from the heavens to smite the unbelievers who have stolen from and desecrated your temple, yes?"

"Maybe we can force them to mine for us," Blast Off suggests. Yes, he's still hungry.

[Fracture]

Fracture leaves fielding that question to Slugslinger. Whether or not they are gods here to smite the unbelievers is totally for the Air Commander to decide!

"Maybe they've got energy at the temple," she suggests. "If it's valuable enough to be worth mining, it's valuable enough to steal, right?"

[Slugslinger]

Slugslinger pauses for a moment he thinks is suitably long enough for a dimwit trying to think on his feet. Privately, he's wondering if I were a god, which I'm not, how would I handle being doubted? He actually can't bring himself to complete that line. That supposition alone leaves him feeling light-headed and faintly ill with terror. Okay, so, how would the boss take this? Not well at all, thinks Slugslinger. There would be torture involved at the very least. Maybe death.

Unicron's really an all-or-nothing guy. And, adds Slugslinger mentally, lest the Devourer hear him and melt his processor or something, he has every right to his requirements. This humble servant lacks the supernatural powers, but he decides a little careful emulation can't be too wrong.

"You're questioning me?" Slugslinger demands of the not-humans in a loud, threatening tone, fanning out his vanes and wings to maximum. They might not look up, thereby wasting his display, but he might knock somebody with his fuselage by accident, so it isn't all for nothing; and if they do look up, he mig "I oughtta smite you with the rest of 'em! Or d'you wanna do it?" he wonders, gaze sliding to Bonecrusher and Fracture. His smile is positively vicious. "We don't need these two if they're gonna be so mouthy." //And it isn't like we need 'em to find what we came for.//

[Bonecrusher/Bane Crusher]

Bonecrusher cracks his knuckles and gives Slugslinger a look that screams 'duh'. "Of course I wanna 'smite' them. I'll crush every fleshy bug on the slagging planet."

A silent 'if you let me' hangs in the air. He doesn't want to say it, because he hates that he's following someone's orders, but it's true all the same. Fighting with the brass is just too painful and humiliating in the end for him to keep doing it, even if none of them are Megatron.

[Blast Off]

Jero and the scribe are struck silent and look plainly terrified.The problem with believing in wrathful gods is... what do you do if you're right?

"Hmm, maybe," Blast Off replies to Fracture. "Did Crankcase not pull an energy crystal out of a temple back on Earth? And then lava covered everything?"

Sounds like a great idea!

[Fracture]

"-Man, I miss all the good stuff!" Fracture clenches a fist. "Does this place have lava? Tell me this place has lava!"

She turns to look at Slugslinger. "Sir! Permission to reconnoiter at the temple?"

'Permission to destroy it with lava?' comes later. And it will come.

[Slugslinger]

Well, at least the little squishy people shut up for the moment. Slugslinger lets the other Decepticons comment without interruption while he puts on a face that screams, dammit, I'm thinking, and thinking isn't easy. Not that there's much to think about; everything's sort of falling into place. Were he more ready to believe in divine providence as well as wrath, he'd wonder if Someone wasn't nudging them along to a reward well-earned for their efforts.

"Okay, okay," Slugslinger says at length. He makes a point of reaching over to pat Bonecrusher on the arm, assuming it will just annoy the brute even more if he isn't stopped altogether. "Here's what we'll do. You two," he barks at their greeters, "let's go. Fracture can take the lead with them, and if they get out of line, deal with 'em." He grins at her, then turns that same expression on Bonecrusher and adds, "And if they get out of line and Fracture kills them, Bonecrusher, you do the same to their little temple. And everybody in it." He rests his hands on his hips and his grin takes on the edge of a sneer as he peers at them. "They've already gotten more mouthy than they ought, after all. Maybe this'll remind 'em to remember to…." A pause he feels is appropriate for somebody fishing for something impressive and dramatic to say, probably something lifted from another, far more skilful speaker. Then he finishes with, "…To keep a civil tongue in their heads."

All that dealt with – this is why he can't stand leading anything; there's just too much work involved for so little payout! – he peers back over his shoulder at Blast Off and the grin fades, replaced by a faintly annoyed look.

"Can you walk?" he wonders.

[Bonecrusher/Bane Crusher]

Bonecrusher lets out a small growl as Slugslinger pats his arm and a louder growl as he give the job of smashing the aliens if they don't co-operate to Fracture. However, he promptly shuts up as Slugslinger passes off the task of potentially razing their temple to him. He is... appeased.

Ready to leave, he glares back at Blast Off and mutters something about just leaving him to die. Who cares if he's their transport off this rock, someone else will pick them up eventually! Maybe. Whatever.

[Blast Off]

So, Slugslinger is pawning off all the groundpounders to go deal with the squishies while the fliers do the very important job of standing around?

Why. So Slugslinger is as modist as he is odious? Blast Off struggles to mount some indifference in reaction to such orders.

He replies haughtily, "Why yes."

For now.

Jero and the scribe will obediently and silently lead Fracture and Bonecrusher to the temple, unless ask to speak or otherwise directed.

[Fracture]

"Sure thing, boss." Fracture saunters after the squishes. Transformation is severely untempting in this environment.


Fracture out of thread to Known Kadath.

[Slugslinger]

Why, yes, Slugslinger is a horrible snob about aircraft-modes versus ground-modes. After all, he's the best thing in the skies, and anybody else that flies is by extension better than anybody that tracks around in the dirt all the time.

He's also intrigued by Fracture's report, so since Blast Off professes his capability of locomotion and Fleetwind is being all quiet and background-filling, Slugslinger decides he might as well go see whatever it is he needs to see at the temple.

---

OOC: Following the grounders to Known Kadath!

[Fleetwind]

Fleetwind tilts his head as Slugslinger leaves suddenly without giving him orders. He looks at Blast Off and shrugs.

"Perhaps I should... scout the area," he suggests. That way, if there's something coming, he'll have a head start on running away.

[Blast Off]

Blast Off stares at the direction that Slugslinger went and sighs heavily. Then he looks back at Fleetwind. He directs, "No. Follow him. And carry me."

Seekers are tall. This is what they get for being tall when Blast Off is hungry.

[Fleetwind]

Fleetwind considers whether it's worth the potential trouble to disobey. Blast Off is a Combaticon, and his orders to not, at the moment, put him at any significant amount of risk.

The Seeker shrugs. "Very well," he answers and moves to pick Blast Off up. Princess carry it is!