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Post by Needlenose on Dec 27, 2007 15:36:16 GMT -5
When the questions are done with, Needlenose makes his way towards a monitoring station that's been included in the simulation and seats himself near three monitors that signify his three groups. His step is brisk, and those who have interacted with him over the last few days might have noticed he's both a little less crabby and a little less confrontational. He can transform, joy of joys, and the sky is his once more, but he no longer has the firepower at his disposal that he once did.
He can now only down most normal Transformers in a single blast, instead of taking out full city blocks.
The Targetmaster leans back in his seat, one specially designed to accommodate his form, and glances up, waiting to see if Spinister has started to follow him yet, and also to see if anyone else would be joining them. There are a few not actually signed up for this exercise, after all.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Dec 27, 2007 18:47:10 GMT -5
Shockwave did not sign up for the exercise, as this was an excellent opportunity to observe this motley crew in it's element, more or less. The fact that both Hook and Starscream had elected to play was an added bonus; how they direct their teams should be quite telling of their command styles. All and all, Shockwave was looking forward to an entertaining and informative day.
He had listened to Spinister's explanations, but as the group began to head out to their areas, he followed Needlenose to the monitoring station. Halting just behind the jet's chair, he asks, "I assume there have not been problems with your systems since the repair?"
He studies the monitors a moment, then comments, a bit drily, "You had a bit of fun with the groupings, I see."
He catches that Scourge seems to be taking control of his group (not surprising, really), but notes that Needlenose's other groups seem to...not be doing much as of yet. "Does this simulation allow us to listen in on the groups as well?" he asks.
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Post by Needlenose on Dec 27, 2007 19:37:47 GMT -5
"Well, Scourge and Sky-byte hate each other, so I teamed them up," Needlenose explains, tone actually professional. "Because just because they hate each other doesn't mean they might not have to work together. Otherwise I mostly tried to keep folks from the same reality separate, except that as powerful as Sky-byte and Scourge are, I'd rather someone lower-key working with those two. You know, assuming they don't kill each other for the others, anyway."
Then Needlenose looks up at Shockwave, and his optics crinkle as though smiling. "But yes, I did have fun."
In response to Shockwave's question, Needlenose taps a button, and the speech of all groups can be heard. He gestures to the controls. "You can turn individual groups up and down, if you're having trouble filtering things out on their own. The sound controls for each team are next to their monitor. The blank monitors will come on automatically when groups split up."
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Post by Spinister on Dec 27, 2007 20:56:10 GMT -5
Singe and Hairsplitter on either shoulder, Spinister show up and bows to Shockwave. The Nebulans manage to stay on through the bow him with some clambering involved. He silently takes his chair, which is also designed do that he can actually sit in it. The chair has arms but no back, given how his tail boom hangs down off his back. He toggles through the different screens, setting up his teams in a fashion that he finds efficient for monitoring. Singe and Hairsplitter climb down from his shoulders to settle themselves in his lap. Singe will likely only have insulting comments to make, but Hairsplitter may actually be able to offer and useful analysis. They do provide extra sets of optics, anyway.
Spinister does not comment yet, but he is interested that Thrust has not managed to offend anyone yet. Progress! Counterpunch, however, seems very surly.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Dec 27, 2007 22:12:47 GMT -5
Once Spinister enters, Shockwave takes a moment to watch the teams under the helicopter's watch. Hook seems to be taking the "everybody has something to contribute" approach, while Fleetwind and Barricade seem to be at a decided disadvantage, seeing as they are still short a teammate.
"Is Counterpunch always that difficult to work with? Decepticons are not known for being the most gregarious of mechanisms overall, but..." He breaks off suddenly, tilting his head as if receiving a radio message. Someone of something is mucking about with that communications tower. With a sound of displeasure he turns to Needlenose.
"I am afraid something has come up which requires my attention. The exercises are being recorded, yes?" At Needlenose's affirmative nod1, Shockwave continues, "I will require a copy, then."
Glancing back at Spinister, he says, "The communications tower in town is being tampered with. I will keep you appraised of the situation."
With that, Shockwave strides purposely out and toward the Dark Tower thread.
1 posing of Needlenose done with player permission.
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Post by Needlenose on Dec 27, 2007 22:23:38 GMT -5
Needlenose does, as implied, nod to Shockwave. Then he tilts his head and watches curiously after the space gun as he departs. "Hnh!" is all he has to stay.
Zigzag, who is seated on the counter to one side of the monitors (Sunbeam is opposite him) mutters something about sticks and tailpipes, resulting in a brow-drawn look from Needlenose. "Shockwave's a gun. He doesn't have a tailpipe."
Then he looks up and over at Spinister's monitors, as much as he can see without moving. "Seems like Hook's group has something of an advantage, there. Of course, one of them is that they're getting going sooner."
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Post by Spinister on Dec 27, 2007 22:42:59 GMT -5
It is interesting that Shockwave intends to keep Spinister in specific appraised, rather than both the Mayhems. Of course, Spinister will inform Needlenose. They're sitting in the same room. It's just interesting that Shockwave is probably assuming that Spinister will.
Spinister drums his fingers on his chair arm and comments, with some reluctance, "If Fleetwind's," yes, he's still watching the pastel Seeker, "team can't get moving, I may have to intercede."
Meaning: if Demolishor is still busy with OOC things and cannot post, Spinister will probably try to get someone else to fill in for Demolishor. It'll probably be himself. As a Decepticon, Spinister does not mind things being unfair, and he doesn't even mind a slaughter. However, the data they get out isn't as useful as it could if it's just 'Fleetwind and Barricade do poorly when outnumbered'. Gee, Spinister could guess that about most people!
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Ratbat
Cadet
I would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling kids!
Posts: 88
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Post by Ratbat on Dec 29, 2007 0:06:46 GMT -5
Ratbat flies in and attaches himself to the ceiling, hanging upside down. For him, this is perfectly natural posture and he isn't the least bit disconcerted by it.
"So," he ventures after a moment, "who's favored to win this little exercise?"
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Post by Needlenose on Dec 29, 2007 0:29:53 GMT -5
Needlenose watches his groups. "Scourge's group seems to be coming up with a plan the fastest, and if they can get their flag into water, I'm not sure if the others can get to it. At the very least, I guess I'll have a view of everyone's ability to swim." Needlenose sounds a bit uncertain about this, though. The simulation is not supposed to be a sure thing or impossible for any one group, after all... he wonders if he'll have to alter the locale while the simulation is in progress. "Of course, Starscream's group has, well, Starscream, and about the stupidest thing any of the others can do is just discount him." That's almost as stupid, really, as trusting him as your second when you can't control him.
"The third group is strong all around, but I'm still waiting to see if any of them are actually stand-outish."
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Post by SceneMod on Dec 29, 2007 19:51:52 GMT -5
It is at this point that the communications tower outside is activated. Due to alterations made, it manages to trigger the solid-light holo-projectors of the training room, causing images to form in the sky overhead. See the Dark Tower thread for full details.
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Post by Spinister on Dec 29, 2007 23:27:14 GMT -5
Spinister was totally going to have a cool analysis, helped in part by Hairsplitter, for Ratbat. Instead, the normally emotionless, icy sniper grows increasingly twitchy as the newscast unfolds until he is genuinely shaking.
He can't let people see him like this. He can't!
But he can't cope with what he's seen, either. Spinister's filled with despair at an enemy that no amount of practice and studying can fell. Their one and only hope is that Prime that the Autobots so recently acquired, provided that he's even carrying a Matrix compatible with killing this particular Unicron.
These are the times when Spinister retreats into spouting off bad goth poetry, but there's Shockwave needing to be patched through to Starscream and Hook, and someone needs to shut off the loop of the holo inside the chamber. Those two thing done, Spinister slumps over the console, whimpering, and buries his head in his arms.
Singe, for his part, starts cursing a blue streak and does not stop. Hairsplitter turns into a quivering wreck, rather similar to his master.
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Ratbat
Cadet
I would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling kids!
Posts: 88
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Post by Ratbat on Dec 29, 2007 23:45:05 GMT -5
There are no words to express the pure terror surging through Ratbat's circuits, terror strong enough to make him lose his grip on the ceiling and nearly fall to the floor, though he is able to right himself just in time, his thrusters briefly singing the floor as they desperately fire at the last moment.
He has read the files about this monster, about how it desires to feed upon their world and all other worlds within its path. This is an enemy too big to fight, too impossibly large, too impossibly powerful... If this horror should return, then there will be scant little he can do.
"By the Spires of Iacon...!"
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Post by Needlenose on Dec 29, 2007 23:59:09 GMT -5
Sometimes, there are no words. So this is Unicron. This is the terror that was approaching their world, even as he was yanked away from it.
Damn it. This is the thing the Autobots were trying to destroy when Thunderwing had to go nuckfuts over the blasted Matrix.
"Duuuuuuuuude," Sunbeam gasps out, managing to express fear and despair with that word. Zigzag stares, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. "What the... how the... h-"
Needlenose just watches, up until the point when Spinister shuts down the loop. Then, without a word, he gets up, walks over towards Spinister, and kneels next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning into it.
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Post by Spinister on Dec 30, 2007 9:57:49 GMT -5
The knowledge that at least Ratbat is scared, too, would comfort Spinister is he wasn't slumped over a console in a quivering wreck. Somehow, he manages to pull together the presence of mind to have a semi-coherent radio conversation with Shockwave, but his mind's not there.
His mind is busy composing free verse on how the dark prince, the eater of days, the ender of infinity is going to eventually, inexorably return, and all their hope rests on some punk kid Autobot that Scourge almost killed off, having no grasp on the cosmological significance of the flame-painted metal of he was rending.
Mrgle.
Spinister becomes dimly aware of a pressure on his shoulder, and he peers out from between cracked fingers to see what it might be. Needlenose! Didn't Spinister once try to break Needlenose of his fears by risking his own life? It is shameful that Spinister would then so blatantly show fear in front of someone he chastised over fear.
Spinister pushes off the console and leans back, returning to a semblance of professionalism, but he reaches up to hold Needlenose's hand, if Needlenose will let him.
Singe elbows Hairsplitter and grumbles, "So whose idea was it to get tangled up in the enemies of a bloody god, again?"
Hairsplitter replies meekly, "Technically, it would have been someone in Galen's forces, but in our own-"
Then Singe tackles Hairsplitter and knocks the both of them down to the floor.
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Ratbat
Cadet
I would have gotten away with it too, if not for those meddling kids!
Posts: 88
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Post by Ratbat on Dec 30, 2007 15:18:59 GMT -5
Ratbat respects the comradery between the Mayhems, and lets that pass without comment. Units such as theirs require to be able to work cohesively and to trust each other. While he has little use for sentimentality himself, he understands it's need.
Still, with the sudden in-fighting between the Targetmasters, "Spinister, control your pets."
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