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Mumu-Obscura-Landing Pad

Helex stepped off the boarding ramp to the Peaceful Tyranny and took in a huge whiff with his olfactory sensors. This planet smelled all to familiar to him, the smell of living metal being melted down in a giant furnace of some sort. A faint grin appeared on the smelter's face as he stretched his arms far out wide into the sky.

"Ahhhh," Helex sighed with relief, "So this is Mumu-Obscura. Reminds me of home."

"I, um, biddest thee welcome to, uh, Mumu-Obscura, my lords of justice,"

Helex grunted with satisfaction as he could practically feel the fear emanating from the smaller mech. He did not offer the frail mech a reply, talking was more of Tarn's thing anyways. He continued to follow behind Tarn and Kaon as they were escorted to their destination.

Mumu-Obscura--Landing Pad

Tarn was not surprised in the slightest that Megadeath had sent some additional Decepticons to "greet" them. The real question was whether he would be so brazen as to actually order them to attack. Tarn, for his part, would not make the first move. He was far more interested in seeing how things played out and neither of these mechs were the Division's intended quarry anyway.

Tarn recognized both mechanoids instantly. It was something of a passing hobby of his to be as intimately familiar as time would allow with the entirety of the Decepticon army. He enjoyed knowing who he was dealing with each time one of them inevitably slipped into outright treason against Megatron and his ever-expanding empire. The one on his left--Steamhammer. The one on the right--Tornado. Both capable warriors in their own right with trails of Autobot wounded left in their wake.

"I, um, biddest thee welcome to, uh, Mumu-Obscura, my lords of justice."

Oh dear Primus...

Who on this slagged rock had taught him to speak like that? It made Tarn's audio receptors cringe to hear such butchery of language.

"My my. Protocol is slipping the further out we get from Cybertron I see," Tarn began, speaking more rhetorically than anything, before the harsh crimson optics locked behind the insignia faceplate settled on the mech in question. "I had not realized Squadron X had found anything to occupy their time, seeing how far this planet is from any currently-contested region of space."

"Uhhhh. Um...."

"Stop with all that," Tarn said nonchalantly, though with the faintest edge of menace creeping into his own voice. "Speak clearly."

Tornado's optics widened and he twisted a few of his neck servo joints as if they had suddenly all fallen out of place. Adjusting himself, he was obviously searching for the right words.

"Uh-sorry, I mean yeah. It's just, the whole crew isn't here. A few of us just got dispatched because we got word of some interesting things, uh, going on here and we wanted to check them out."

Tarn gave a passing glance to the other justices before continuing on. The group was steadily closing in on the facility proper. No telling what would await them there. So exciting!

"Yes, well, coincidentally enough we find ourselves on this backwater world for almost the exact same reason," Tarn said, continuing his progress forward.

Heh. Almost.

Mumu-Obscura - Landing Pad

Kaon kept to Tarn's right side, positioning himself slightly behind his much more durable leader. He smiled with amusement to see that Megadeath had sent out a little welcome party to greet them. How very thoughtful of him. The DJD's communications officer glanced at Tarn, but he seemed to be content to keep up the facade of geniality. That was all well and fine with Kaon. Hm...these two...Tarn had probably recognized them immediately, but it took Kaon a moment or two longer to place them. Ah! Tornado and Steamhammer.

Neither were on the List. How unfortunate that they find themselves here under the command of one who was. Well. Unless they interfered, they might be allowed the rare privilege of actually witnessing their work. That was quite an honor.

"Ahhhh," Helex sighed with relief, "So this is Mumu-Obscura. Reminds me of home."

Kaon glanced back at Helex and smiled at the much larger smelter. "Yes, the ambiance is quite refreshing, isn't it?"

"I, um, biddest thee welcome to, uh, Mumu-Obscura, my lords of justice."

Oh Primus.

Kaon's sentiments unknowingly echoed those of Tarn as he listened to Tornado utterly butcher the language. The electrocutioner could only pray that Vos did not take notes from this one on how to speak Neocybex. It would take them forever to help Vos unlearn that particular nugget.

The communications officer listened calmly to the resulting conversation, his smile widening slightly as the poor little Squadron X-er quivered with fear before Tarn. Kaon clasped his hands together behind his back as he strolled beside Tarn toward the facility that awaited them. Mmm...ahead awaited one of his own kind. One who has constructed cold. The smile slightly faded from Kaon's faceplate as he thought of it.

A spark of electricity ran up Kaon's tesla coils. For all of those constructed cold who followed the pattern of treachery, Kaon would have a seat warmed for them. How dare they bring disgrace to the others of their kind. This Megadeath would know only the greatest unrelenting anguish before the final moments of his life were extinguished.

Composing himself, Kaon glanced at Tarn eagerly. Their prey awaited them within. Kaon just could not wait to get his hands on Megadeath.

"Tell me, Genericon," Kaon said as he looked over to Tornado, "What sort of 'interesting things' did you hear about?" Kaon was both trying to gather some more information as well as assess Tornado's eligibility for the List. Such things as a traitor however small...they just simply could not be overlooked.

Mumu-Obscura--Approaching Facility

"Tell me, Genericon. What sort of 'interesting things' did you hear about?"

Tornado's first instinct was to lash out at being referred to as a "Genericon". At the same instant that the impulse coursed through him, he simultaneously shut it down. He was no fool and he was very well aware of the five mechs that were in close proximity to him and what they could all too easily do to him. He was thankful at least that he did not appear to be on their infamous "list". Steamhammer didn't appear to be either, but he didn't really care about him.

Then the meat of the question had set in. Oh god. Half of what they had heard would get any normal grunt locked in Styx for the rest of his functioning life, if not outrightly slaughtered. Megadeath, of course, was no normal grunt, but it was obvious that there was more than just a grain of truth to what they'd heard was going on here.

And then there was Steamhammer. He was one of Megadeath's men. What did he know?

All Tornado knew was that he would not blatantly lie to a justice divisioner.

"We, uhh-sorry, sorry-just heard that Megadeath was doing some work out here that would advance the 'cause, y'know? Maybe bring an end to the war in this sector, focus more resources elsewhere. Least that's what Macabre thought. It's why he sent us."

That was mostly the truth. It didn't get into the specifics of what they had really heard, but it was all true. He was just...omitting...some other things. These guys wouldn't really care, would they? If they were here, they were surely going to find out. Megadeath had kept him far away from his projects, though Ferak had seemed to take a keen interest in the Stanixian's work. Hopefully he hadn't dug himself too deep...

Mumu-Obscura – Landing Pad

Disembarking the Peaceful Tyranny Vos opted to remain behind the other Justice members. There was not much he could add to any conversation unless Tarn wished to translate all he had to say. And as it was their leader was bust enough.

Vos simply took in the area. Committing it and its occupants, not to mention their current locations, to memory should the need arise he’d know where to strike first.

"I, um, biddest thee welcome to, uh, Mumu-Obscura, my lords of justice,"

Vos’ head snapped in the direction of Tornado. Slowly the former scientist slipped out from behind Helex just to get a closer look at this mech. He stopped just in front to the hulking justice and craned his headed to one side. He let out a chuckle as Tornado squirmed before Tarn. Quaint.

"We, uhh-sorry, sorry-just heard that Megadeath was doing some work out here that would advance the 'cause, y'know? Maybe bring an end to the war in this sector, focus more resources elsewhere. Least that's what Macabre thought. It's why he sent us."

No. This one knew nothing. If he did he wouldn’t be babbling like a fool. If he were covering something up he’d have slipped by now. No. He had nothing.

> Vos spoke aloud to Tarn. He let his gaze move over the room once more taking in the others who stood slack-jawed watching them. >

Vos wrung his hands together and stared back at Tornado. > “Hehehehe.”

Mumu-Obscura- Landing Pad

> “Hehehehe."

Tesarus took a moment to dwell on the remarks of his comrade. Tarn grasped it, he didn't. He didn't stop to ask, but inferred the two were discussing their shamelessly cowardly host and his kowtowing to the DJD's arrival. He wasn't the thinker; he was Megadeath's flunky.

Tesarus understood the purpose of providing muscle to a unit; after all, that was the job he and Helex did so well. They softened up the targets for the final blow. Vos, Kaon, Tarn... they were thinkers.

Too much thinking made Tesarus uncomfortable. He got bored easily, and a lack of action was the surest way for him to become irritable and frustrated.

He'd really like to stick Megadeath's talkative flunky in his chest and grind him to bits, but Tesarus just quietly followed the others. He let them do the talking and the thinking, because it wasn't the sort of thing he engaged in, not even with Helex, the only one he really related to outside of battle and their shared dogmatic pursuit of Megatron's vision. He didn't have much to add to a conversation, so he didn't bother.

Unity of purpose didn't need unity of dialogue. So he marched, quietly grumbling, and trying not to let his mind wander. He was eager to put the hurt on Megadeath, but Tarn was inclined to take his time... except when on a transformation bender, Tarn always seemed so slow in transit...

Tesarus shook his head and tried not to dwell on it. He focused on the mission, and waited for the sounds of the victim he was so eager to get to...

Mumu-Obscura--Landing Pad

The way these lesser members of Megatron's order trembled in their presence would be almost adorable were it not for the inevitable communication barriers that were erected in the presence of such crippling anxiety. Tarn had to admit that he was getting a little bit anxious itself, but it was not at the prospect of their latest hunt and it was certainly not having to deal with either of these two empties. No, the symptomatic twitching of his right arm as miniscule transformations took place--slight gears and panels moving in and out of place--was the cause of it. He needed a complete transformation and soon, otherwise the rest of this day was going to just go right to hell.

"Too right. We've wasted more than enough time with these auxiliaries," Tarn said. His response, as usual, would give the other justices an inkling of what Vos had said. "I wonder though, if this one will deign to engage us more directly once we've pressed closer. What will his defense be when faced with that most egregious of imperial crimes? I suspect he will not flee like the Seeker almost certainly will when the time comes and he's pressed his ambitions too far. If we want Starscream, he's going to have to slip up a little more overtly."

The initial pleasantries finished, and his curiosity more than piqued, Tarn at last saw cause to engage his transformation sequence. As the entirety of his gears, pistons, valves and pumps twisted and shifted into their new alignment as he took on his tank mode for the first time in Primus only knew how long, he let out a wistful sigh of satisfaction.

"Ahhhhh, by the Guiding Hand that felt amazing," Tarn said, his smooth, fully-upgraded engines humming to life. "I'll see you gentlemechs inside."

With a roar, the Phase Six Decepticon's engines kicked into full gear and the double-barreled tank surged off into the facility proper. It was time to address their real quarry and find out just how quietly into that good night he might choose to go.

Mumu-Obscura--Facility Entrance

Steamhammer went to salute...as Tarn wen sailing past him. Should he follow? Would that be considered too...aggressive? Or would staying behind be considered cowardly? He had all of an astroseconds worth of thought on it before he transformed and buzzed after the leader of the Justice Division as fast as his bulky earth-mover ground form would allow. When as near as comfort allowed to the larger Con, he spoke up:

"Uhm, Steamhammer, Sire. 34th Division Sub Lead, Advanced." Steamhammer rattled off his division and title from memory, and kept his vocoder even. If the DJD had wanted him dead, surely their leader wouldn't have driven right past him, "There's not many of us left on site, I'm afraid. Outbreak of Cosmic Rust, Megadeath said. If you're looking for something or someone in particular, I can get you there as fast as you'd like."


Mumu-Obscura--Sub-Laboratory 13

Megadeath checked his surveillance readings while the telemetry loaded from the Shunt Launcher into the Artificial Womb he'd mocked up. The miserable little Xer seemed to have slowed the DJD a little. Megadeath chortled. Perhaps, if his men were having a good day tactically, he'd have enough time after securing the safety of his progeny to scrounge up a suitably spirited greeting for his honored death.

Megadeath opened a comm to Ripsnorter, not bothering to look away as he checked and rechecked the viability harness in the womb.

You have breems at best, Ripsnorter. They will know the moment the door opens your intent.

Mumu-Obscura--Entrance to Sub-Levels

Ripsnorter looked away from where Pounder and Claw had set up a fairly impressive bulwark facing the lift, pushing a grunt out of his nose as he listened to Megadeath. His replay took a moment, as the brutish and hunched mountain of a Decepticon grinned at another one of his squadmates nearing him.

I don' care how good the DJD's publicity is, Boss. There's a simple rule when it comes to concentrated fire in small areas...

Ripsnorter took the Gamma-RadThrower from the nearing Switchblade, his lip curling into a gnarled smile as the smaller and sharper Con distributed more of Megadeath's exotic weapons to the team, handing Backfire a very pointy looking magnetically-assisted Flechette-Cyclone.

...an' tha's typically? The fire wins, yeah?

Mumu-Obscura--Landing Pad

Tornado stiffened and took a couple of tentative steps back as the smallest of the justices wound his way through the others like some kind of mechanical serpent and gave him a look that would have frozen magma. Though smaller in stature, this one was certainly no less intimidating than any of the other four. It was clear to Tornado that each of them were wholly lethal all in their own unique ways. Tornado did his best to meet the justice's optics, but failed quite obviously, glancing here and there. He knew it probably made him look guilty, though he had no idea what of. Fortunately, at least, Vos' attention did not remain on him for long. He spoke to the others, seemingly their leader most of all, in a dialect that Tornado could not begin to understand.

“Hehehehe," was all he had been able to understand, and that was more than enough to send his circuits surging.

It wasn't very long after that when their leader decided to depart and head deeper into the facility. Tornado blinked but said nothing. Surely Megadeath could not hope for any more than that. They had greeted their new guests and they certainly had no authorization to do anything beyond that. Whatever was truly going on here, it was all too clear that things were getting out of control. Whatever Macabre's reasons for sending them here, he was sure it did not involve them getting mixed up in any DJD entanglements. He would need to get word to him as soon as possible regarding what was going down.

For whatever reason, Steamhammer did not wait for the other justices to follow their leader. Instead, he transformed and followed the divisioner himself. He couldn't begin to understand how on Cybertron that would be a good idea. At Tarn's polite words of departure, it was clear that the other justices would be commencing their own advance. Tornado, for his part, would linger behind for a moment, at least until circumstances dictated otherwise. Still, a precautionary comm was in order. If the DJD wasn't here for him, the odds were pretty good they weren't here for any other Squadron X-er either. Still, with this kind of heavy artillery now on the scene, it would be really easy to get caught in the crossfire.

>>"Ferak, wherever you are in there man, you better watch it. Something's about to go down."<<

Mumu-Obscura--Approaching Entrance

"Uhm, Steamhammer, Sire. 34th Division Sub Lead, Advanced. There's not many of us left on site, I'm afraid. Outbreak of Cosmic Rust, Megadeath said. If you're looking for something or someone in particular, I can get you there as fast as you'd like."

Tarn detected the presence of a follower well before he got himself within any kind of weapons range. Tarn increased his speed slightly in order to put a little more distance between him and the low-level Decepticon. The object of their pursuit was Megadeath. He wanted to avoid any unnecessary casualties and costs to Megatron's vision if it could be helped. And it would certainly not be helped if Megadeath had suitably persuaded any of his men to foolishly attack a member of the Justice Division.

Oh, and the sire bit. That was just rich. A significant improvement over that marble-mouthed Tornado cretin, if a tad generous in its grandiosity.

"Ahh, Steamhammer. You are clearly not overly familiar with our work. That is forgivable given that, well, few are until it's entirely too late. You see, a few of us enjoy the hunt almost as much as the final sentence. I happen to be one of them. Now, run along elsewhere little Steamhammer. Fly away. Far, far away. And advise any of your comrades that you wish that it would be wise to steer clear of this area for a time. I have every suspicion that our intended is not going to go quietly. And that will inevitably result in...complications."

Tarn pressed his speed forward a little more, the entrance to the macabre facility coming more clearly into view.

It truly was a little slice of Stanix.

Mumu-Obscura - Approaching Entrance

Steamhammer, once he understood what it was Tarn was saying, decelerated and transformed, blinking at Tarn as he entered the elevator to the Sub-Levels. He took a step towards the lift to follow before his reason explained to him how stupid that was, and thumbed on his communicator again.

Ripsnorter, I don't know where you are, but make sure it is no where near any member of the DJD. You can't miss em. Let em go what they gotta do. That's an order.

Mumu-Obscura - Entrance to Sub-Levels

Ripsnorter chuckled as he jammed the 'off' button on his comm, turning back to the opening for the lift. They were ready. As ready as they would ever be. His mechs were all behind improvised battlements, positioned perfectly for firing positions on their weapons.

It was quiet. It was waiting. Ripsnorter hated it.

The Lift opened. Hell rushed into the opening.

A conical blast of focused gamma radiation. A rainstorm of hyper-accelerated, hyper-heated flechettes. Warbling streams of prismatic energy. Pulsating concentric rings of excited sonic energy. trillions of tiny needle-like laser blasts almost invisible to the normal optic. All pushing and vying to enter and warp and destroy the elevator area.

Ripsnorter held up his hand to hold fire, the only sound in the room the hissing and popping of the cooling metal after the onslaught of power.

Ripsnorter leered into the opening, still obfuscated with steam and gouts of fire.


Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Laboratory 13

Megadeath observed the securtiy footage closely. The mechs firing, the landing pad, and the walkways in between. The DJD were more or less en route, and were just now understanding they were under attack. That perfect intersection of alerted but not quite yet alert, too busy to notice a small pod being launched at well past escape velocity.

Megadeath smiled at the pod, wished its contents well, and hit the button.

The pod shunted out of the Sub-Level all most too fast to even notice. It was along the gantryway and up the exit ramp before Megadeath could even turn his head to check the read out. It was past the magnetosphere before he could process the information coming in on its cohesion and integrity. It was past the nearest moon in the scant seconds it took Megadeath to throw his head back and laugh. The seed was planted. His gift to the teeming, filthy life of this dimension delivered. All that was left was the readiness. And Megadeath had been ready for deca-cycles now.

...but he couldn't make it a simple as a pulled trigger and a splashing of internal liquids. Oh, no. No no no. Chances are that even in the coming fracas, the DJD's sensors picked up the launch. They may have questions. Megadeath had no intention of giving them time to ask them.

He quickly read over the scans of those that had arrived. The electric one would be simple enough, as would the one with the chest blades. The smelter...perhaps less so, but doable. The smallest one had such old systems that Megadeath actually spared a few tapped keys to confirm the systems were patterned on old Cybertronian superstructures. They were. Interesting...and exploitable. Tarn? Ah, Tarn Tarn Tarn...that would be more of a conversation than an altercation. But still, Megadeath looked forward to it as he readied countermeasures for the intruders in his laboratory.

The readiness was truly all.


Somewhere on Mumu-Obscura

A radio in tightbeam communication clicked on, off, on, off, on, off again in a short staccato burst. To any other Con, it was a malfunction receiver. All members of Squadron X knew that it was a wordless confirmation and request for more information.

Someone nearby caught Tornado's message. And they wanted to know more.

Mumu-Obscura--Sub-Levels

Tarn was pleased to see that Steamhammer appeared to take his suggestion and discontinue his misguided attempt at accompanying him to what would surely be an assault of some kind. Whether he himself or Megadeath would make the first move, Tarn did not know, but he knew that Steamhammer did not need to be in his vicinity when said move was made.

Rolling on to the lift system that would take him down into the bowels of Megadeath's little playpen, Tarn transformed, let out another audible sigh of relief and satisfaction and then turned to engage the descend command.

When the lift stopped and the doors slid open, Tarn only had the briefest of moments for his optics to take in his new surroundings before his world was engulfed in destruction. His optics flickered red as everything became fire and energy. Radiation sensors went through the roof as he could feel his outer armors pelted by thousands of needle-like laser blasts.

It was....admirable, if not also utterly foolhardy.

>>"He's corrupted some of them. Spare whom you can,"<< Tarn transmitted to the other four.

Though all around him was fiery destruction, Tarn stepped through the flames and into the sub-levels, his body smoking from the assault he had weathered; however he was built to withstand such storms. Megatron had given him that, just as he had given him so much else. It was again time to repay that great favor. He was not undamaged. But he was most certainly undeterred.

The Divisioner stalked forward, heedless of the renewed assault, as his optics could now begin to isolate targets without the ongoing obfuscation of the flames. Leveling his dual-fusion cannon, he barely gave any thought to aiming before he fired not once but twice, the massive blasts surging forward before impacting the surroundings in equal parts destruction as he had received upon his arrival. Well, that was the fun of such a weapon wasn't it? Tarn doubted that Megatron ever gave much thought to aiming. Just point. And death.

Tarn took another blast that caught his attention, staggering him slightly as his masked optics turned to the new source of agitation and bemusement. Another wayward stray by the name of Pounder.

Dropping one shoulder, Tarn charged forward, driving the equally large mech backward before slamming him into a nearby wall and disarming him in an equally swift maneuver.

"The Division...dies....here," Pounder grunted, just as Tarn slammed a fist into the mech's chest.

"So delightfully delusional," Tarn hissed, his fist digging deeper into Pounder's chest cavity.

"Guhhhhhh....can't..."

"Shhhhhhh, shhhhhh, don't make this any more unpleasant than it needs to be," Tarn said soothingly, before jamming his fist even deeper into Pounder's chest cavity, his fingers at last finding what they were looking for, even as he could feel his frame continuing to weather additional attacks from the others. "There it is. Mmm. You know.....I normally like doing this....with....my voice..."

Pounder winced, but couldn't manage to get a word out.

"...but sometimes, there's something to be said for getting your hands a little dirty."

Tarn squeezed and almost instantly Pounder's optics flickered before darkening altogether. His head slumped forward even as his body remained in Tarn's grip. The Divisioner's hand began rooting around for the second thing he was after. He found it much more quickly--he was quite well-practiced in doing so, after all. And with one smooth movement he ripped Pounder's transformation cog free of its wiring and allowed the now deceased Decepticon to pitch forward.

The attacks though, they had diminished slightly, but they had not stopped altogether.

Curious.

Tarn's masked visage turned to focus on his attackers.

"Who's next then?"

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

"Well that's jus' great..." Helex muttered under a gruff as he watched the transformation obsessed justice speed off further into the depths of facility. A delighted smile managed to sneak across his faceplate as he basked in Tarn's enjoyment, something about seeing his fellow justices being happy -sadistically happy that is- made the bulky smelter happy as well. In a way, Tarn's excitement for the punishment they were gonna bring was Helex's excitement as well.

"Well c'mon then!" Helex exclaimed as his large arm reached out and grabbed ahold of his fellow justice, Kaon, taking the smaller and lankier mech and hoisting him under his shoulder joint. "You ain't gunna get anywhere fast with that staticky alt mode of your's!" Picking up his pace, the blazing cobalt smelter took off after Tarn's direction with Kaon tucked under his shoulder.

Mumu-Obscura – Sub-Levels

Kaon had been following along at his own pace – taking in the sights of Megadeath's little facility. He found it fascinating. He tilted his head slightly as he heard a strange sound. Kind of like a ship lifting off? No. Too quiet for that. A shuttle then? Hm. There had been a vibration and a disturbance in the electromagnetic fields around the area as well. Unfortunately, the DJD's communications officer didn't exactly have time to contemplate this. Helex had ideas.

"You ain't gunna get anywhere fast with that staticky alt mode of your's!"

Kaon's optical sockets widened in surprise as he felt himself scooped up deftly underneath one of Helex's monstrously huge arms. The electrocutioner's expression flattened into one of irritation. “Helex,” Kaon said calmly, “Put me down.” The tesla coils on the electrocutioner's shoulders sparked with purple electricity that mirrored Kaon's irritation. “The sight of me like this doesn't exactly strike fear into the sparks of traitors, now does it?”

Mumu Obscura--Facility Exterior

As the DJD started the process of heading deeper into Megadeath's lair, Tornado had intentionally not done anything that would draw their attention back to him. He wasn't especially worried. After all, if they were going to kill him they would have done it by now, right? But there was just something about them, each of them, that made him not want to attract any extra attention from them. Reading the occasional reports, hearing the rumors of what they did to mechs talked about in the barracks and oil houses. None of it compared to being around them. And he didn't want to be around them for much longer.

He was grateful when he got a response to his earlier message, though it was a lot more cryptic than he would have liked. The message had been received and the sender wanted more details, but Tornado would have much rather spoken with an actual voice. He struggled with what exactly to report.

>>"The D...J...D, man! They are coming to get someone in there. Get the slag out. One's already in. The others won't be far behind!"<<

Mumu-Obscura - Facility Entrance

He wasn't a schemer. He preferred action to thinking. That was as true today as the day he was forged.

But he wasn't stupid... and it was easy to pretend to be, given how his true nature manifested itself to his colleagues. He could play the fool because it wasn't that different from the way he chose to live his life. No one suspected a brute of having an independent agenda.

Tesarus watched as his comrades hastened to keep up with Tarn, to join him in Megadeath's lair and eager to bust he heads of his subordinates.

"Go," Tesarus said to Helex, also lagging behind due to his considerable bulk. "I'll cover the rear."

Tesarus deliberately slowed his pace, going through the motion of checking the facility's corners, lagging a bit more... letting the distance grow between himself and his comrades, away from Kaon's enhanced sensors and far enough away that Vos could not see... only their pet sparkeater would be close enough to hear a word.

Helex produced the communicube he had carefully stowed in a cavity in his leg, and set it on the ground, so its two-way camera would see only the ground of Mumu-Obscura. He adjusted the vocal modulator so the sound would be garbled, and sent the message to his two contacts.

"DJD in Eigerson-48 system," Tesarus stated, his voice more static than words once it crossed the distance to his intended recipients. "Target: Decepticon scientist Megadeath. No known Autobots in the area."

He finished his report by stamping his foot down on the cube, shattering it into thousands of shards. He stepped away from it and turned his attention to Megadeath's fortress. He finally entered the facility, catching up to Helex.

"Sorry to take the time," Tesarus grunted to his comrade. "Thought one of those mooks was giving the ship a funny look."

He leaned down to pat the Sparkeater on the head, reveling in the secret they... and two others had shared.

It was a good way not to get bored, playing the fool.

((OOC~Stepping in while BigTop is indisposed for the sake of momentum.))

Mumu-Obscura--Sub-Laboratory 13

Megadeath pulled himself away from the exceedingly entertaining series of displays in front of him and allowed himself a moment of reflection. Vorns of research and progress surrounded him, just as it reverberated through all the rooms and corridors of this facility. He had invested a remarkable degree of effort into building this place into what it now was, but there was always a risk. He knew from the beginning that the upstart Slagmaker of Tarn who had fashioned himself into their great leader would see the work he had done here as a step too far. Clearly that day had finally come, but it was not the day that Megatron would think it to be. No, this would be the day the Warlord of Stanix showed Megatron that even his personally trained band of killers would be no match for the likes of he.

With a hiss of satisfaction, Megadeath quickly slapped in a fresh code to his command console and another series of doors opened up, revealing another chamber.

From one wall to the next, each contained in its own glowing, transparent glass chamber of revitalizing fluids was a lifeform--sometimes Cybertronian and sometimes clearly not--in various states of decomposition and decay. The one thing that they all had in common was that they were alive. Or at least they seemed to be. As Megadeath entered, another command console transformed from the floor panel, rising up so that he could access it. He entered one code, and then another, the flashes of Old Cybertronian lettering flickering and then disappearing just as quickly before he stepped away and approached one of the chambers. Megadeath put his hand up to the outside of the glass. The Cybertronian on the other side reached up to match the gesture, its lifeless optics not staring at him, but more staring right past him.

"You really are somethin'," a voice said from the doorway that Megadeath had stepped through only moments before. The Warlord turned to see Valve eyeing him curiously.

"You see why this work must continue," Megadeath said, stepping away from the chamber. "You understand."

Valve's gaze flitted around the room before settling on Megadeath again.

"I do, actually."

Megadeath's horrific visage twisted into an even more vile sneer.

"But what about them?" Valve added, a confidant grin still etched on his own metallic features. Megadeath waved him off.

"There will be casualties. In the end, however, it will not be justice that prevails. It will be death."

An explosion from somewhere on another level rattled the floors and walls of the sub-level. Megadeath and Valve both looked up curiously.

"They've come to play," Valva said with a smirk as Megadeath returned to his command console.

"As have I," Megadeath growled.

Mumu Obscura - Sub Levels

Helex chuckled at Kaon's slight misfortune of having to be carried around like a bundle of sticks. The interrogative mech was practically wriggling about in his own personal electrical field underneath the massive shoulder joint of Helex.

"Please, most of them probably won't even get to live long enough to remember seeing this happen. Lighten up, things are about to get fun around here!"

The pet meandered it's way under Helex's legs as it bolted from the back of the pack and followed in Tarn's wake of destruction.

"Look't that, seems Sparky's excited for his next meal. Let's not keep the pet from starving now." Helex turned his head and saw the massive silhouette of Tesarus behind him. Not stopping, Helex called out to the X-faced justice, "What's the holdup Tes'? The 'ceremonies' are THIS way!"

After pacing through a series of corridors following the pseduoleader of the DJD, Helex came to an abrupt halt beside Tarn and placed Kaon back on the ground beside him. Using one of his bigger hands, Helex gave the electrocutioner a forceful pat on the back, kicking off a small cloud of dust from the maroon Decepticon's chassis.

"So... Who's first?"

Mumu-Obscura--Sub-Levels

Backfire and the other Cons trying to fall back stared in shock over their weapons as Tarn destroyed Pounder, easily the physically strongest Con in the squad next to Ripsnorter. Claw was much more distraught. "Pounder! Oh pit, Pounder...!" He had been Claw's partner since even before they'd enlisted. Closer, like a sparkmate. His anguished cry nearly rattled the room as his long, sharp fingers dropped his weapon and he leapt at the larger Decepticon and tried to use his enormous hand armatures to tear Tarn's face off.

"Kill you! I'll kill you, freak!"

Ripsnorter fell back with Backbite and Switchblade to the large bulwark in front of the door leading to the Sub-Labs. My Ripsnorters estimation, Claw was already dead. No one survived rushing the DJD like that. Best idea was to let Tarn do what he was going to do, and prepare for the next attack.

The Miniature Anti-Fortress rockets had been hidden behind the last defensive position. Ripsnorter hoped they wouldn't have to be used, as there was no guarantee they wouldn't shear open the very base they were in. But they were way past concerns like that if Tarn could stroll through their most dedicated attack. Ripsnorter handed the other rockets to Backfire and Switchblade. No point in being careful now.

Somewhere in the Facility

There was a pause before the being Tornado referred to as "Ferak" responded to his first inquiry. The response was in the same binary code as before.

c.a.n.n.o.t.r.e.s.p.o.n.d.t.o.o.r.i.s.k.y.

There was another short pause before the next message came through. It was short, barely more than a name. But the name belonged to one of the original Wreckers, and one of the only two of the first team alive. The Founder of Squadron X, who even in their number stood out as a combatant and strategist. The only Cybertronian that could be counted almost as his own faction, where his know-how and keen mind had let him fight one side and then the other for reasons known only to himself. Despite his odd and seemingly conflicting motives, none could argue with his power and skill and cunning. An enemy no one, not the Wreckers or Xers or anyone else, would want on their radar. Even with the non-verbal communication, Tornado likely could feel the dread and severity in Ferak's final message

v.a.l.v.e.i.s.h.e.r.e.

Mumu-Obscura--Sub-Laboratory 13

The hyper-conductive polygel he'd been testing for his lightning cannon should do well on the smaller electric one. The bladed one...Megadeath palmed a large orb, a warhead he'd been working on for more efficient Magnetic Missiles. It would do nicely.

Megadeath turned from his...colleague he supposed was the closest term, as he searched for the Rust Injector he'd need for the one with the Smelter in his chest. Although if The DJD discovered Valve here, or more importantly the reason he was here...Megadeath bristled, genuinely concerned for the future of his child now incubating in the stars.

"While I have appreciate your...spirited assistance so far, Valve." It wasn't a lie. Megadeath and Valve agreed on something that they couldn't really with any other Cybertronians: their interests lied on a further horizon than petty factions, "You should leave immediately. Your former protege Tornado discovering your presence here now ranks among the least of your worries."

Megadeath finally found the massive injector for the virulent rust strain he'd been tinkering with. It was nowhere near the gorgeous lethality of Cosmic Rust, and would likely leave one of the Divisioners in a CR Chamber over the cold ground...but it was an early experiment of Megadeath's. Perhaps it was nostalgia that he'd use it on a more personal enemy than the faceless rank and file of the Autobots and Decepticons.

((OOC: I'll be NPCing Switchblade for the short time that he's still functional!))

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

"Please, most of them probably won't even get to live long enough to remember seeing this happen. Lighten up, things are about to get fun around here!"

Kaon let out a sigh in equal parts amusement and resignation, a smile curling onto his faceplate. They were all excited. Helex was just getting carried away. Er. Well. Kaon was the one actually getting carried away but still. Kaon's attention was drawn downward to the Pet as his partially domesticated sparkeater wiggled his way through Helex's legs and darted up toward where Tarn was. Kaon's grin widened as the sounds of combat grew louder, sparks leaping from his coils in excitement.

"What's the holdup Tes'? The 'ceremonies' are THIS way!"

“Hm?” Kaon craned his head around to look back at their largest X-faced member. “Yes, hurry up, Tesarus! Wouldn't want there to be no one left to eviscerate, hm?” Kaon called from where he was tucked tightly under one of Helex's giant arms. The electrocutioner rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Finally...FINALLY, they caught up to Tarn. Their glorious leader was already steeped in the carnage of their slaughter.

Helex set the maroon DJDer down onto his feet again, giving Kaon an opportunity to see what sort of resistance Megadeath had prepared for them. Hm...One...two...three...four...that wasn't too many, was it? Kaon had expected...at least a little more, but oh, there was plenty of justice for all. Kaon took a step forward but got no further than that before being patted roughly on the back by Helex, sending the maroon electrocutioner staggering forward a few steps. Kaon waved away the dust that sprung from his frame with a hand, then whistled, summoning the Pet instantly to his side.

The sparkeater looked up at his master expectantly, tail wagging rapidly, kicking up dust. One of Megadeath's henchmen reacted poorly to his comrade's death at the hands of Tarn. It seemed he and this Pounder had been...close. Deprived of an opportunity. What a shame. They could have had so much fun with that. Well...perhaps...one of the remaining had a similar inclination toward on of their other comrades.

Kaon tapped his chin thoughtfully as he looked over to the lot of traitors. The big one looked fun. The electrocutioner glanced down at the Pet, who immediately perked up. With a grin, Kaon lit up, purple electricity writhing off of his tesla coils. Holding the palms of his hands out toward the bulwark, Kaon sent a bolt of electricity arcing from his hands into the metallic bulwark with the loud peal of a thunderclap.

KRAAAKAAAH!

With a snarl of glee, the Pet tore off toward the bulwark. Kaon's grin grew wider as he heard a scream, and the DJDer began to walk toward the fortification at a leisurely pace.

Switchblade had taken the rocket from his long-time partner Ripsnorter and had been loading it up into his rocket launcher when something bright and purple erupted from the wall out of nowhere and struck Ripsnorter right in from of his optics. “RIPSNORTER!” Switchblade cried. Snarling, Switchblade popped out from behind the bulwark and spotted one of the DJDers walking toward them.

“You slaggers! Die!”

Switchblade fired off the rocket at Kaon just before the Pet leaped onto Switchblade and began tearing away at the yellow mech with his claws and fangs.

Mumu Obscura--Sub-Levels

Even as chaos reigned, Tarn could hear the distinctive sounds and impressions that indicated other members of the Justice Division had closed in on his position. Even so, Tarn was starting to revel in everything going on around him. So much so that a pleasant tune began to broadcast itself softly but clearly from his person even as he continued about his work. Wasted Decepticons they may be, but having given their loyalty to a mechanoid such as Megadeath, they were going to wind up wasted sooner or later anyway.

"Pounder! Oh pit, Pounder...!"

What was-?

Then, above all the eruptions of firepower and snarls and ripping metal, Tarn heard a cry so wracked by anguish that it actually gave him a moment's pause.

So beautiful.

"Kill you! I'll kill you, freak!" the mech said, now directing his grief and rage at its source. He came at Tarn all gangly, yellow, clawed hands and despair. It was a physical assault admirable in its bravery if not its execution. Tarn quirked his head slightly in a mixture of curiosity and appreciation as Claw charged him.

It took no discernible effort to counter the assault. One slash ripped against an outermost layer of Tarn's armature while the Phase Sixer seized the other hand, crushing it in his grip and lifting the mech slightly off his feet, still attempting to slash away in anger.

"Stop! Stop stop stop," Tarn said, attempting to say something that might get through the other mech's rage while soft, melodic music played through the crackling of multiple, small plasma fires. "Claw, listen to me. Just relax.........that one. He...meant something to you, did he?"

Mumu-Obscura- Sub-levels


"What's the holdup Tes'? The 'ceremonies' are THIS way!"

If only you knew, Helex, Tesarus mused. He merely grunted at his comrade's remark.

“Yes, hurry up, Tesarus! Wouldn't want there to be no one left to eviscerate, hm?"

Kaon. Was it him? He certainly seemed to be behaving consistently... no, there was no time to wonder. No time to doubt. Tesarus didn't need to overthink it. He'd just play his part in the mission and pretend he knew nothing.

Tesarus merely nodded and followed his comrades into battle, watching the Pet tear down the Decepticon traitor Switchblade. If there was one thing Tesarus liked about the Pet, it was the sheer zeal of the beast to not only feed, but make its meal last.

"We should try to keep him alive," Tesarus suggested to Kaon. "If he knows anything useful... we'll have it out of him in a few nano-kliks."

He spun the blades in his torso to punctuate his statement, clearly signalling his intent. "Try not to fry him too much before I chop his legs off."

Playing the part... eager to harm, eager to continue the mission.

And eager to see who'd be squeamish under pressure.

Mumu Obscura--Facility Exterior

c.a.n.n.o.t.r.e.s.p.o.n.d.t.o.o.r.i.s.k.y.

What the slag? Binary code? Is that what they'd been reduced to? Just what on Cybertron's core had Ferak gotten himself into that he couldn't respond like a normal mech? Too risky? What was too risky? Was he standing right next to Megadeath right now?

Tornado let out a huff of frustration as he stood well outside the exterior of Megadeath's little playpen. His auditory receptors could already pick up the muffled sounds of explosions occurring from within and below the facility. He was definitely glad that he had chosen to remain out here and not go in there.

Just as he was about to throw Ferak some kind of pleading response, another binary code transmission popped through. This one, though, stopped the Squadron Xer dead in his tracks.

v.a.l.v.e.i.s.h.e.r.e.

...whaaaaaaaat? Why? Why was he here? Macabre sending some of them here made sense. Macabre actually being around here somewhere would have made sense. But Valve? Why Valve?

>>"What in the--? Why? For Pit's sake! This is insane! He shouldn't be here. I....I'm gonna get a ship ready. We need to break. You need to be on it."<<

((OOC: NPCing Ripsnorter for the his final moments))

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

"GEEEEYYAAAAAAAACCKKKKKKKKK!!!!" Ripsnorter squealed out in pain as Kaon's electrical arc struck him and sent thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, watts of electrical energy throughout his chassis. His joints locked up in pain as he lost control of his motor functions, Kaon's shock was practically holding him in an iron grip. Only this one was a little more... shocky.. Shocky? Shockingly? Whatever the case, it hurt like a fragger.

Once Kaon disbanded his current, well...current, Ripsnorter fell to the floor of the facility, his chassis scorched and charred from the Electrocutioner's attack. He struggled to regain his footing, he could only sit back and watch as his friend Switchblade go charging towards the Justices before being tackled by their turbofox of a pet.

Helex twisted his neck as he heard the pop of Megadeath's henchmen firing off their weapons, a rocket launcher to be precise. Using his massive bulk to shove Kaon out of the way of the rocket's flight path, Helex took a huge swipe with his right hand, back-handing the rocket off its initial flight path and sending it spiraling up towards the roof of the facility. Ignoring the following explosion, the navy-blue justice snarled a sinister smile as he watched the Pet sink its fangs into his chassis.

"Phheeeeeeeeeeeeet!" Helex whistled to the spark-eating turbofox, "Come now, Sparky. Wouldn't you like me to at least cook you your meal before you eat 'im?" As the pet continued to munch on Switchblade, Helex converted to his mobile smelter mode and shooed him away with his massive arm-shaped cranes. Before Switchblade had a chance to react, Helex gripped him tight and brought him over the large vat of already boiling liquid metal. A soft and nearly whimsical humming began to ring throughout his smelter of an alt mode as be began to slowly dip his latest victim into the scalding inferno.

"Hmmhmmmmm Mmmmmhmmmmm mmmmmmhmmmmmmmm"

Mumu-Obscura - Sub-Levels

Claw writhed in Tarn's grip, the yellow lights of his optics flickering with every low word the DJD Leader spoke, his body the living Equalizer for Tarn's sonic attack. The massive claws barely scrapping the cosmetic layer off the arm of the enormous Decepticon. He foamed at the mouth as coolant tubes burst and and circuits discharged. Something...wrong...was happening to his insides. He could feel it. But with Pounder gone, with the Stanix Crew getting ripped apart in front of his failing optics...Claw could barely bring himself to care.

"I...cared more about him...than you will ever care...about anything..." The fear on Claw's face dissolved into a weak, mean smile. "He'll...heh...he'll kill you all...Megadeath will show you...throw you screamin-ngh!-...in to the Damned Pit...!"

Backfire, however, had a much different reaction from resignation to the carnage. Locked in motionless fear as Ripsnorter, easily the most physically powerful Con he'd known save for Steamhammer and Megadeath himself, was torn apart almost as an afterthought. The un-mauled remnants of Switchblade were getting smelted by that enormous monstrosity. This was the end of the Stanix Crew. Backfire ran...

...right into the DJD, screaming loudly over the explosions and fracas. He fired the heavy ordnance he had left at Helex, shot the experimental magnetic flayer at Kaon, the scatter missile launcher on his shoulder firing wildly in Tesaurus' direction. Sanity crumbled. Sense failed him. Everything was gone. Everyone. He was the last combat-ready member of the Stanix Crew; that meant he had a duty to cause as much damage as possible. That was enough for what was left of his mind to push him into the fight.