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Post by Mirage on Aug 16, 2010 10:24:26 GMT -5
Mirage tilts his head so that he can watch the cars speed by out of the corner of his optics. He adjusts his grip on the two Rock Lords, hitching Pyrite a bit better over one shoulder and inching Chalco down so that she's standing against him, one of Mirage's arms hooked around her waist. It's too much to ask that she'd hold to him on her own, he knows. Her vacant her stare unnerves him. Mirage fervently hopes this wasn't some sort of trap or test, but given the way his life has been going lately, he wouldn't be surprised.
"Be ready to jump right after me. Aim for my back if you can't make the car," he says to Bambi. Bambi's nimble though, and her reactions quick. She should be able to make it. If she doesn't Mirage will drop off and come back for her.
As the end car slides by, Mirage turns and leaps, his rifle dropping into subspace. His fingers close around the roof-access ladder, but he can't immediately get his footing and winds up hanging by the one arm for a few moments. The arm around Chalco tightens perhaps uncomfortably as he tries to use that hand to grad hold as well.
Something inside snapped. He felt it. Multiple somethings, but he can't worry about that now.
Once he steadies himself, he looks to make sure Bambi made it to the train.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 17, 2010 14:16:12 GMT -5
Does Mirage really want Bambi sinking her claws into his back?
She does make it to the car, but... ow. Indiana Jones makes those train jumps look a lot easier. Bambi takes a moment to steady herself, digging her claws into the back of the train, and...
...oh yeah, Mirage was jumping with two people. She extends her free hand to him but doesn't really look at him.
Chalco might obey Mirage. He looks like Venatorious!
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Post by Mirage on Aug 17, 2010 16:28:19 GMT -5
Mirage has had claws dug into his back before, though admittedly in more pleasant surroundings. Give that the numbing agents are still working in his system, he could probably taken Bambi's claws without too much issue.
He'd rather the little Dinobot be safe, after all. Even if she's frightened of him now.
Mirage stares into the grimy window. The car seems empty, as best he can tell. He inches over and starts to work at prying open the subway door and step in. Hrm. Someone is stretched out on the seats to the fore, sleeping, a newspaper over his face. No matter. Inside is still safer than outside. He reaches a hand out to help Bambi in if she needs it. Once the girl is in the car, Mirage sets Chalco and Pyrite down in a seat.
Then Mirage collapses to his knees, unable to ignore whatever is broken inside any longer. His own injuries are not his priority, however.
"Bambi, love- are you all right? It looked like the train scraped you."
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 17, 2010 20:49:16 GMT -5
Bambi proclaims, "Me Bambi am Dinobot!" as her answer.
The sleeping fellow turns fitfully in his sleep.
Then, Bambi moves to check what the pegboard on the train says about where it is headed, and she blinks and sputters, "Nova Amsterdam? We all the way over in Nova Amsterdam!?"
They had been in Basin City before! Or at least, she had. Nova Amsterdam is on the other side of the planet and under the equator!
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Post by Mirage on Aug 17, 2010 22:17:58 GMT -5
Mirage can't help but give Bambi a wan smile. "A Dinobot, of course. But indulge me by allowing me to be concerned, please. After all this...," he trails off waving a hand as if to indicate the entire situation.
"I'm sorry, love. So very sorry you became mixed up in this."
He turns a watchful and suspicious eye on the sleeping fellow. Please, let them be able get away from here without another altercation. He's low on strength, low on fuel, and he hurts terribly. Plus, he has three people to protect. Yes, three. Sorry, Bambi, but he does want to protect you, as well.
"Can you wake Pyrite back up? Gently, please."
Mirage (who is neither cloaked nor disguised anymore) reaches a hand out to try and gently touch Chalco on the knee, "Dear lady, is there enough of you left in there to tell me how you fair?"
He also decides to risk a radio call.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 18, 2010 8:44:41 GMT -5
The sleeping fellow looks like just another exhausted low class citizen of Nova Amsterdam, likely exhausted from working a 12 hour day and taking a 2 hour commute back home to the Rhox.
Bambi shrugs one shoulder and tugs off her cloak, transforming into dinosaur mode. She's tried to put a good face on for Mirage as a robot, but right now? Forget you Mirage, me Bambi am dinosaur.
She stalks over to Pyrite and pulls out some of the chemicals that she nabbed earlier and tries to estimate his bodyweight before prying open a panel with one of her claws and mainlining what she thinks is a safe dose of stimulants into what she thinks is a fuel line. His optics flicker awake, and he spasms, static-coughing and saying softly, "Oh, my aching head... I... what?"
That done, Bambi clambers up one of the poles and perches on the handholds, peering down at the scene.
Chalco, in her ringing bell-like voice, answers Mirage, "I am 100% functional, Gatekeeper Venatorious."
Pyrite's expression curdles, and his hands clutch.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 18, 2010 10:32:13 GMT -5
Mirage shakes his head a bit at Bambi, but doesn't seem at all upset by her going into altmode. He's been around the Maximals enough by now, and if she feels better that way, why would he berate her? She's still someone he wants to keep safe.
He sighs at the way Chalco addresses him, then sighs again at Pyrite's expression. He tries to get up, stumbles, but eventually manages to stand and move himself to a seat. "I'm Mirage, Pyrite, not that miserable cowardly hunter. But I impersonated him to get your... sister free. You probably don't believe that after everything, but it's true." Not that Mirage imagines there is any way to prove that to either Rock Lord.
"But don't count us safe yet. We're a good distance from home.
He looks over at the subway map to try and determine just how far, and how long this subway line might run. The more distance, the better. But certainly, it would be easy to surmise that they are aboard the train, and an ambush could be set up at any station along the route.
Mirage sighs again, balances his elbows on his knees, and drops his head into his hands. It would be so much easier to leave the lot of them. That's what he's supposed to do as spy. Get himself and the information out, because the information is usually more important than the lives. He's done it before.
So why did he risk everything for two civilians who will probably be captured again as soon as the Autobots leave them and a silly chit of girl he barely knows?
The radio conversation is giving him a headache. Literally, not figuratively.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 18, 2010 10:55:04 GMT -5
Nova Amsterdam is a very, very big city, divided in a number of sprawling boroughs. It's several times bigger than Basin City, in fact, and Basin is by no means small.
They are headed toward the Rhox borough, which is the northernmost, and is about 6 Pz-Zazzian miles (which are a lot bigger than normal miles) away, according to the flashboard.
There are three major spaceports. Two of them are in the Viziers borough, and one is a bit further outside of the city.
Chalco stares pleasantly off at nothing as Mirage speaks to Pyrite.
Pyrite, however, trembles and falls to his knees, sobbing softly. He really seems quite broken up and beyond words at the moment.
Bambi's head tilts as she watches the Rock Lords. There's something very, very wrong with the female, she takes it, and it hits her that the same thing could have happened to her. She can't help but make a face at the thought - to be an amusement park animatronic dinosaur again? No thanks!
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Post by Mirage on Aug 18, 2010 11:27:38 GMT -5
Chalco's forced pleasantry unnerves Mirage as well, but it's Pyrite upon who the spy focuses his own attention. Mirage's hands drop and he stretches one arm out to try and gently rest a hand on Pyrite's shoulder.
"It really is me, and you two really are together, at least in proximity. I wish I could prove that I am not he in a more concrete way."
"I... I don't know if what was done to her- what was done to both of you- can be reversed. But dearest, my friends will try. I know they will, if you will allow them."
And if they don't, Mirage will raise so much hell he'll make Sentinel look the picture of decorum.
He looks again at board. They'll have to switch trains a few times, and he's certainly not choosing the closest spaceport.
He's not choosing the furthest one either. The one in the middle will do fine.
Mirage pulls some clothing out of subspace: one of his own nicer suits, a lesser quality suit, and a long fur-trimmed coat. He hands the lesser suit to Pyrite, and then tries to stand and help Chalco into the coat and belt it at the waist. Then Mirahe gets into his own suit.
"Bambi, unless you want to play pet, you'll want to dress before we change lines," he says.
Timeskip ahoy! Please?
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 18, 2010 11:59:45 GMT -5
Bambi most certainly does not want to play pet, so she grudgingly jumps down, transforms, and turning her back to the males and ducking behind some seats, puts on one of her dresses, something like the one in which she went to tea with Mirage.
Pyrite puts on the offered suit rather mechanically, never taking his optics off Chalco. He finally manages quietly, "Thank you, Mirage. I... wonder, though..." and then he just breaks down sobbing again.
Chalco is docile and unresisting as Mirage handles her.
Timeskip!
The spaceport is exceptionally busy. Mirage will find that people try to pickpocket him. However, people are also fairly polite, holding doors open and so on, despite the crush of the crowd.
Pyrite fusses over Chalco, though by now, he's stopped begging her to try to snap out of it and seems to have accepted, with quiet despair, that Chalco's just not in there any more.
Bambi takes in all the sights with curiosity, looking at an information kiosk for the ticketing booths.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 18, 2010 12:13:40 GMT -5
Mirage certainly has pockets, but they'll not find what in them to pick; he keeps all his cash in subspace until it's needed! He also doesn't bother accosting those who try to pick his pockets as a low profile is the idea, here.
It pains Mirage, watching Pyrite and Chalco. The spy has t wonder if he's done both the Rock Lords a disservice. If Chalco's personality, her individuality, has truly been removed, then is bringing her back into the world helping her? Does it help Pyrite to see his love and kin so maimed, or would he have preferred not knowing? Perhaps even, Pyrite would have preferred becoming as she is, in the hopes that the "matched set" would be kept together.
Once the ticketing booths are located, Mirage steps up to one without much a queue. When his turn comes, he says, "Four for the next shuttle to the Basin City port." They can hop a smaller transport up to the space station from there.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 18, 2010 12:22:28 GMT -5
The pickpockets are indeed very disappointed by Mirage.
An airport staffer, red in the face and obviously out of breath runs up to Mirage, just as the lady at the ticketing booth was about to reply to Mirage. He wheezes, "Oh, Mr. Hunter! You should have told us you were coming! You wouldn't have needed to walk in through the front door, sir. Here, your usual." He holds out an envelope containing four first class tickets to anywhere, with complimentary meal and beverage service and extra leg room included.
He eyes Bambi a moment and adds, "I trust she's not an infant in arms, sir?"
Bambi backs a step away, wide-opticked. Pyrite just take Chaco's arm, pulling her closer, perhaps protectively.
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Post by Mirage on Aug 18, 2010 12:40:40 GMT -5
He just manages to not whirl on the airport staffer, but Mirage definitely stiffens. He looks warily at the envelope, and takes in the reactions of Pyrite and Bambi. Fraggit all, if this makes them scatter to the winds, Mirage will fall down in the middle of this airport and have a kicking, screaming fit.
"I am afraid you have mistaken me for someone else. I understand my estranged twin often travels through this area," Mirage says, tone as haughty as he can manage, "And I'll not take anything from or meant for that sorry bastard, even a luxury."
"And no, she is not a babe. She will require her own seat," Mirage replies.
He turns a cold shoulder on the attendant and attempts to pay for his party's tickets.
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Post by Lynn Deanna Payne on Aug 18, 2010 14:42:16 GMT -5
"That right!" Bambi says sharply, to the assertion of her not being an infant in arms.
The man sputters, "But I was told..." He looks both mortified and terrified. He wrings his hands and amends, "I see, sir. My apologies." He steps off to the side.
Mirage has an easy enough time of getting his tickets, though Pyrite moans softly, "Fractured. We're straight fractured. Oh Chalco, maybe it's better you haven't the foggiest what's going on."
As soon as they're walking away, they might just be able to hear the two spaceport attendants conversing, "So there are two of the blasted things?"
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Post by Mirage on Aug 18, 2010 15:39:48 GMT -5
Mirage tries to ignore both the attendant's mutterings and Pyrite's fretting. He makes his way to their shuttle and gets everyone settled in.
When Mirage can finally sit in his own seat, he leans back, cycles his ventilation, and tries to relax. His hands are trembling, his body is aching, and he feels like he's two steps away from either stasis lock or a complete mental break. Perhaps both.
He can't indulge in either things right now, though. Once he's back aboard the Event Horizon, where he might find some moment of privacy to collapse, maybe he can do so. Maybe in one of the fan rooms. Much as he adores Skyblast, Mirage hasn't reached the point of being willing to have a full crying fit in the jet's arms. That would be letting one's guard down too much.
The entire ride, Mirage makes sure to keep his optics on the two Rock Lords, and on Bambi.
Thread end
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