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Post by Needlenose on Jun 6, 2008 19:48:37 GMT -5
This takes place on Day 11, between Fireblade and the Bad Guy party.
Needlenose flies into the air, followed by Duskwing, and circles once, looking for Starscream. Oh, there he is, by that other Omega Supreme. He continues to circle for a brief while, waiting for Starscream to depart from the company of the Autobots.
Once that happens, he lazily begins to lower his altitude, making sure Duskwing is still with him. Once certain of this, he transforms so as to land the rest of his way using his anti-gravs, although now, more than before, he keeps a watch on the blue Seeker.
"Heya, Lord Boss," he greets casually. "Duskwing followed nice enough, at least."
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jun 6, 2008 19:59:44 GMT -5
Duskwing dutifully followed Needlenose in and settled down beside him after transforming. However, the sight of Starscream brought him up short after a few moments. Needlenose just brought him to Starscream. Starscream had just finished yelling at him over the radio about shooting those lousy Autobots.
This wasn't going to be an atta-boy and a promotion, was it? Duskwing gave Needlenose a reproachful look, then turned to face Starscream. He straightened up and saluted.
"Duskwing reporting as requested, Commander!" He stood straight and proud, a victorious Decepticon fresh from battle. His nose was bent and partially flattened; shell holes pocked his fuselage and laser burns scored his wings.
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Jun 7, 2008 5:14:18 GMT -5
Starscream was still fresh from battle too. He transformed and landed in front of Needlenose.
Starscream is disappointed by Duskwing's willing attendance. He radios Needlenose quickly. //What? Don't tell me he didn't at least try to resist arrest..// What's the point of a secret police if they're not going to rough people up a little?
Starscream simply glared at the other Seeker, leaving an extended uncomfortable silence.
Finally, he'd started talking. "Duskwing." A short pause. And then, in slow, measured words, "Now that you have proven that you actually can follow orders issued from your superiors. I'd like to hear your reasoning for breaching a vital and delicate treaty. So please. Enlighten me."
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Post by Needlenose on Jun 7, 2008 21:29:16 GMT -5
Needlenose doesn't seem to notice the reproachful look being given by Duskwing. He studies the ends of his figners absently and listens to what's going on as he responds to Starscream's radio call.
//Nope, nope, no resistance at all. I suppose he might have if I had actually told him he was under arrest. As it is, I don't think he understood what was going on at all.//
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jun 7, 2008 21:46:12 GMT -5
Duskwing stared back, frowning slightly. This was not good. He should have known the Commander wouldn't be fooled by the usual excuses. Starscream's cunning was legendary.
"Uh, they did look exactly alike, and I figured since dem guys were both enemies, didn't matter who I shot. I got to tag the other yellow guy, whatshisname..." Duskwing's hand twitched, like he was trying to grab the name from mid-air. "Golddigger? Nah, that ain't it."
His hand settled on his arm and Duskwing picked at a bit of heat-blistered paint. "You ain't gonna let it go with dat, just say it was an accident 'cause they look just like each other, are you? Dat's my official story, if you know what I mean."
He looked Starscream full in the face again. "The real deal? I'm a Decepticon, not an Empty. No way dem guys were gonna walk away wit'out a scratch, see?"
"I did what I hadda do. You do what you gotta do. I ain't been in your unit, so maybe you only know what dem guys," Duskwing jerked a thumb at Needlenose, "said 'bout me. See, I ain't so dumb I don't know how to pick the right target, if you know what I mean."
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Jun 9, 2008 5:29:23 GMT -5
"The 'real deal' is, you disobeyed the will of your leader!" Starscream starts storming towards Duskwing. "However you phrase it, however clever you claim to be," he shoves a finger up at Duskwing's face for emphasis, "You have the timing of a motherboard with a dead battery and less patience than a medbay run by an overenergized Insecticon!"
And yes, this is what it comes down to. Not that Duskwing had harmed one of the Autobots, but that he had done it before it was okay to do so. That an order was defied does not help.
Starscream stands back. "Needlenose is now going to administer some incentive for you to reconfigure that targetting system of yours. I suspect it's going o be in a language that your systems understand all too well. Should we later discover further calibrations are required? I shall personall oversee that is is removed from you. With a piledriver!"
His eyes dart to Needlenose as he gives the slightest of nods. Do it.
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Post by Needlenose on Jun 9, 2008 8:04:38 GMT -5
"Righto," Needlenose replies chirpily.
His right hand darts up to point towards Duskwing, but by the time its come in-line with the Seeker the gun magnetized to his right hip has transformed, push-leapt off the hip, transformed again, and landed in Needlenose's hand.1
Once the weapon is leveled, he explains, "Now this, Duskwing, is Zigzag. As far as end-effect goes, he actually bears some similarity with our leader's own null-rays, in that both of them can completely shut down a machine with a single hit. As I understand it, though, the null-ray works by halting electron flow; Zigzag works by overloading electrical circuits and forcing them to shut down in self defense. This means that Zigzag has a couple of... side-effects. It tends to be a lot more painful, for one thing, and for another, occasionally things go... wrong, and the target doesn't shut down, but explodes."2
He gives one brief, bark of a chuckle. "Boy, let's hope that one doesn't happen this time, shall we?" And then he fires.
1 What's the point of being a Targetmaster if you have to draw your own weapon?
2 Another difference is the accuracy issue, but Needlenose isn't going to bring that up just now. Besides, point-blank is point-blank, and there are times when a target is so near that it's hard to miss, even with Zigzag.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jun 9, 2008 20:15:47 GMT -5
"Uh, yeah, sir. No excuse, sir. " Duskwing nodded in vigorous agreement with Starscream's rant.
"Uh, won't do it again?" Duskwing said hopefully. Then Starscream gave Needlenose the nod--
Duskwing half-crouched and froze as the gun appeared in Needlenose's hand, terror suddenly written on his face. He was going to execute him!
"No! I won't do it again, I promise! Please, boss--"
Needlenose pulled the trigger, and the beam hit Duskwing square in the cockpit. Electricity arced over his body in coils; Duskwing threw back his head and screamed, falling over backward as his limbs flailed convulsively as the motor circuits overloaded, then failed.
He hit the ground with a 'clang' and a rattle of shuddering joints as circuits shut down randomly... then silence.
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Jun 10, 2008 6:07:45 GMT -5
Starscream tilts his head appraisingly. "Hmm, looks like it wasn't an explosion this time." His mind wanders to the notion of whether Needlenose's organic pets get an organic consumable treat whenever their marksmanship proved adequate. "Will he come to on his own, or is a manual reboot needed?"
"No doubt Rodimus would have heard of this, I'll radio him now, and... apologize." Starscream didn't bother to hide the bitterness in his voice. He raises his left hand to his right wrist to activate his radio, but stops. "Good work, Needlenose, but next time I want you to bring someone in, I expect you to use... necessary force. To deal with their resisting." Hopefully Starscream should not have to explain himself any further.
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Post by Needlenose on Jun 10, 2008 7:45:38 GMT -5
"He'll reboot on his own. Want I should drop him off where the medics have set up, boss?" Needlenose asks. Then, at Starscream's further instructions, he chuckles. "Ah, right, right. Not a problem, sir. I can deal with resisting all day long - I just thought you might want him fresh." He opens his hand, and his weapon literally darts from it to the magnetic holster on his side.
"Anything else, Lord Starscream?"
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Jun 11, 2008 19:00:19 GMT -5
Duskwing remained sprawled on the ground, systems still offline for the nonce. His system reboot was as slow as the rest of his CPU.
---
Skippable for the moment. Also, we could take Duskwing out of thread...
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Starscream
Major
"Sometimes I can almost feel it!"
strangely enough, male.
Posts: 945
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Post by Starscream on Jun 12, 2008 6:16:52 GMT -5
Starscream nods sharply at Needlenose's suggestion to dump him in medical as he lowers his wrist. "It looks as if the apology has been accepted." Starscream wonders if the lesson has been learned with Duskwing. Probably not, but then that's why energy weapons can be recharged.
"Once you have delivered him to medical, that will be all. I shall.. be re-evaluating how I need to handle this 'friendship' now that Duskwing has made it all the more tenuous." And with that, Starscream transforms and heads toward Decepticon headquarters.
Out of thread, of course.
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Post by Needlenose on Jun 12, 2008 9:04:41 GMT -5
"Sure thing, boss," Needlenose answers. He kneels down and picks up the Seeker.
"And I even get to fly carrying you there," he tells the unconscious Duskwing. "These new anti-gravs sure are useful, huh, Duskwing?" With that, he takes off, carrying Duskwing to the area where Hook has set up.
Aaaand thread-empty.
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