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Lounge

“There are you. Though why terrorize you do that poor wretch escapes me,” Wierdwolf, that bot must have taken one too many hits to the processor, half the time Jailbreak couldn't make out what he was getting at. He could only assume it had something to do with Misfire.

The purple glowing optics continued to look at Misfire, and he snarled a bit. "Bonecrusher huh... I'll remember that." Extending his arm out to the 'gift' Wierdwolf was offering, he took in the drink like a shot. The glass landed hard on the bar top, cracking it's casing. There was the wish that it was Misfire's casing.


>>”Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Jailbreak, Landgrab, Misfire, Blitzwing, Battletrap and Warwolf, report to the bounce chamber equipped for battle immediately. I will brief you on our assignment when I arrive.”<<

For a brief moment, Jailbreak was as still as stone. He let the words linger in the air, before his mouth cut into a smile, something that was sickening. If there was any doubt that Jailbreak was anything more than a sociopath engine of violence, they were stripped away in that moment.

"Well, sounds like it's urgent. Best not keep the flamester and the boss-man waiting," That annoying voice broke the moment. As Misfire started to make his way out after that comment, Jailbreak's face became cross again. "It's Flame-WAR. Forget it, and I'll be happy to see how many kliks your parts get scattered down road before we get to spark..."

He turned to to the Weirdwolf. "Let's get going, if I gotta stick around here any longer doing nothing I'm gonna just pretend he's an autobot until I find one."


En-Route To The Bounce Chamber

Walking down the long corridor, Jailbreak felt like his circuits would crawl out of his shell. Frustration, Anxiety, Excitement, it was all overwhelming. It was that calm before the storm, the anticipation building, thinking on his own impatience, feeling reigned in, waiting to slip the leash and tear into something.

"Alright Flamewar. Ya' said we were gonna burn it all down, this best be it. Can't stand staying in this tin-can anymore. I need road, I need to drive! I need..." A fist came hard into the side-panel of the hall, leaving a large dent in the metallic surface. Twisting his clenched hand in the indentation, he felt it. That rush, that glorious twisting of metal. If only it could feel like he does.

"Promise is a promise..."



The Bounce Chamber

There was always that hate of the Bounce Chamber. Transport was always a pain in the exhaust port. Jailbreak couldn't stop looking over the others called into this assignment. There was a lot of big names around him, and probably none of them knew him outside of being another face in the crowd. That's fine, they didn't need to know who he was, just what he could do.

Quad-Barrel Gatling Laser spun for a second, making sure it cycled through it's rotation with no issues. The sound of it reaching full RPM brought a small bit of glee to Jailbreak as he continued his systems check before combat.

Flamewar couldn't come soon enough.

Lounge

"Care to explain yourself before I crack your cranium open and proceed to sample your innermost energon from your skull?"

Blitzwing hobbled back a step as he shifted his gaze from the wolf he had been fighting to the enraged Skullcruncher standing nearby. The commando wasn't the best with dealing with verbal disputes, full knowing he wasn't going to be able to talk the beasts down from their anger with him. He tightened the grip on his sword and slowly moved his free hand to hover above his holstered rifle.

"What's there to explain? I tried to defuse the situation here before it escalated into a feeding frenzy." He replied, wiping away at some energon that was leaking from his lip. "You were pretty dead set on offing those Stunties back there. Last thing you'd want is our new Commander to get word and send Motor' after ya. Heh." While his words bought him some time, the Commando's internal processor was running a few scenarios in his head. He could leap between Weirdwolf and Skullcruncher and shift towards his jet mode, leaving both in his vapor trail as he escaped unscathed. That might make him seem cowardly though, such a Starscream way to avoid getting out of trouble. The second idea was to blast his way towards Skullcruncher before hammering him with the blunt force of his tank-mode. Spin the treads hard enough to disorient him and leave him grounded while the turret aimed for the Wolf. Yes, this one sounded good. All he needed now was-

>>"Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Jailbreak, Landgrab, Misfire, Blitzwing, Battletrap and Warwolf, report to the bounce chamber equipped for battle immediately. I will brief you on your assignment when I arrive."<<

The call came through on Blitzwing's line perfectly clear, though he showed no sign on letting go of his ground so quick. He continued his prolonged stare with the alligator-con before him, the thrusters in his boots warming up with a soft but not too noticeable of a hum. This was going to be awkward for sure, but the triplchanger could not guess whether or not these two would let up for new orders. His scimitar spun around the hilt he held in his hand as he reestablished a solid grip on the weapon. "Seems like we're at a bit of an impasse now."

Corridor

>>"Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Jailbreak, Landgrab, Misfire, Blitzwing, Battletrap and Warwolf, report to the bounce chamber equipped for battle immediately. I will brief you on your assignment when I arrive."<<

"That's quite the assault team she's gathering." Warwolf observed as his comm line closed.

"Assault?" Cloudbreaker inquired with a curious raise of the brow.

"Lot of heavy hitters and mechs of action. She's usually runs black ops kind of operations but she's calling for the likes of Skullcruncher and Jailbreak."

"'Cruncher, eh?" The thief recalled as he reached into his hip compartment and pulled a single cygar from the pack he had nabbed from that older Autobot back in Uluru. "Sounds like an rather awkward reunion if you ask me."

"Don't remind me..." the interrogator growled, beginning his trek towards the bounce chambers as this friend lit the stolen cygar beside him. "Either way, whatever she's planning has a lot of firepower behind it. What are you gonna do? She didn't call your name."

"Or get any sort of call for that matter." Cloudbreaker quickly rebutted following a puff on the cygar, his features scrunching up in response to the strange medicinal taste. "Though I suppose I could tag along."

"I don't think..." Warwolf began as he shifted into his three-headed wolf mode.

"Hey, someone's gotta keep you in line from going ballistic against some of those guys, especially seeing how you were just in a bar fight with some of them. She can't hold your leash all the time." The thief then shot the lupine-former a quick wink of the optics before he patted his old friend on the head. Before one of Warwolf's head could react, the magenta and gold thief quickly leapt into the air, shifting into his jet mode before rocketing off towards the bounce chamber.

Warwolf's three heads all let out a sigh as his servos kicked into gear and followed after the speeding jetformer.

Lounge

”Defuse? Don't make me laugh.” Skullcruncher growled, placing his hand on the hilt of his own sword in preparation for Blitzwing's possible actions. ”Ask anyone here - I am not known to murder other Decepticons for crap like this unlike some others. Despite of Wildrider deserving far more than the lesson I gave him.”

”Razorclaw would have thanked me had he been present.” Skullcruncher added, flashing a sinister grin and changing his stance to be ready for a possible sword fight, ”Motormaster sure didn't seem to mind.”

>>"Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Jailbreak, Landgrab, Misfire, Blitzwing, Battletrap and Warwolf, report to the bounce chamber equipped for battle immediately. I will brief you on your assignment when I arrive."<<

Instead, he – like Blitzwing, received a transmission from Flamewar. Something that changed everything. They had orders now and Skullcruncher was not one to put personal issues over a request from a command. He was a soldier after all, through and through.

”So it seems,” Skullcruncher admitted, squinting his optics, never breaking the eye contact with the commando. Blitzwing was a dangerous mechanoid. However, one that Skullcruncher was confident he could crush here and now through his far superior power - mostly because Blitzwing couldn't make use of his flight mode which would give him a major tactical advantage in the open.

”Go.” He finally said, gesturing the triplechanger to move towards the door. ”But if I ever catch you sneaking up on me again like a pathetic coward...”

”It is feeding time,” he added – optics flashing ominously.

”Come Weirdwolf, let's go to see what this is about now.”

Corridors

>>"Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Jailbreak, Landgrab, Misfire, Blitzwing, Battletrap and Warwolf, report to the bounce chamber equipped for battle immediately. I will brief you on your assignment when I arrive."<<

"Wha-huh?" Landgrab muttered, before realizing that no one was speaking to him. He had been commed. It wasn't a first, but it didn't happen often. He shrugged innocently at the teal Seeker passing by.

"Oh, hi...sorry. I thought it was-never mind."

The Seeker in question just gave him a condescending look as he passed by in the corridor and Landgrab continued on, taking a moment to confirm what he just thought he'd heard. The internal playback removed any doubt. His name was there, right between "Jailbreak" and "Misfire". Misfire? Oh, that was just slaggin' wonderful. Nothing like being sent on a mission with someone who had developed a reputation for shooting their teammates. Oh well. he was front-line fodder. He had no room to protest.

After a brief stop at the armory, he picked up a few spare wepaons that he figured would be useful and continued on to the bounce chamber.

Pleasedon'tletmebelast...pleasedon'tletmebelast.....pleasedon'tletmebe-

As the doors to the bounce chamber slid open he saw that he wasn't, in fact, last. He was first! Ugh, that wasn't much better.

Now to endure the oppressive silence until someone else walked in.

The Bounce Chamber

Jailbreak watched Misfire very carefully. IF that little pile of slag even aimed his weapon within 180 degrees of Jailbreak, he was sure he'd run him down before the attempt was made. It was pathetic, he was weak, probably better off as cannon fodder or used as another bumper. Maybe Jailbreak should have him chained to his front as a body shield?

Watching others come in, he hadn't noticed Landgrab had arrived ahead of them, seemingly armed. "Great... So if they are bringing Landgrab along, does that mean something is gonna get wrecked? It better be."

His heavy foot steps brought him closer to the Repair Mech. "Don't think I've seen you first hand in the field Landgrab. Told you're a good little bot after a fight. Sure you can hack it during one, or do I gotta do all the heavy lifting?"

Jailbreak's understanding of personal space was non-existant. His physical frame and heavily welded repairs shown a history of patch-work repairs and more than a few spark-threatening injuries, the 'trophies' of battles before.

"Figured I give you fair warning. If this is what I hope, you'd better be a better scrapper than medic. When the shooting starts, well...." There was a large grin across his face, something akin to the joy of a sadist, or some wild animal that was waiting to get out of it's cage.

Looking over his shoulder, he checked Misfire, hoping he wasn't doing something stupid like sighting his weapons while here, continuing his thought to Landgrab. "... It's kill or be killed. Simplest rules there are. Rip something's servos out and beat it into a modern art masterpiece if ya gotta'."

Hallways

Battletrap was walking around the hallways after getting looked at by the medical drones again. He wished commander Shockwave would make a few more Duocons so he and Flywheels wouldn't be outnumbered when it came between them and their rivals the triple changers. In a way they were outnumbered in robot mode but in vehicle the Duocons had a slight advantage in number and overall firepower. As he continued to walk around, he received a transmission and not one from he was expecting. Usually it is only Shockwave who would contact the Duocons but this Flamewar wanted his attention now. Since his creator didn't seem to have a need of him as body guard or otherwise, Battletrap figured he could go see what Flamewar wanted.

Bounce Chamber

Battletrap entered the bounce chamber to see a wide assortment of mechs ranging from two beastial Cons to Blitzwing and others. Battletrap was a bit confused on what was going on with this assortment.

"What be mission? I not understand. We have another fight soon?"

Lounge

"Let's get going, if I gotta stick around here any longer doing nothing I'm gonna just pretend he's an autobot until I find one." said the rather truculent Jailbreak before storming out of the lounge. Weirdwolf watched him go, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Like that one I do,” he thought aloud, nodding to himself. Turning back to the whole Blitzwing situation, Weirdwolf listened as Blitzwing made his excuses. Defuse. Yes. Was that what he called it? Interesting. Perhaps Weirdwolf would attempt to ‘defuse’ Blitzwing in such a manner in the future. After all, the tracker would certainly just be trying to help, no? He crossed his arms, glancing to Skullcruncher to see what he would do.

But when the call to battle came through, Weirdwolf knew how this would end. Cruncher of Skulls let the vaguely unhinged triplechanger go. They had orders after all. And the both of them were soldiers.

”Come Weirdwolf, let's go to see what this is about now.”

“Behind you I am, my friend,” Weirdwolf said as Skullcruncher moved past him toward the doors. Turning to follow, he paused and glanced back toward Blitzwing. “And watching you I shall be.”


Corridor en Route to Bridge – At Turbolift

“I appreciate your offer of counsel, my dear,” Razorclaw began, placing his hand against the open door of the turbo lift in order to keep it from sliding shut between them. “You gave me counsel just recently when I asked if I could trust Shockwave and I shall not soon forget that. If I ever require it again I will most certainly ask. For now all I need from you is to secure the data and resources from the undersea base and evacuate accordingly, leaving nothing but molten slag behind once you are done. I’m placing my trust in you, Flamewar. Don’t let me down.”

“Consider it done,” was what Flamewar said simply in response.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, my dear, I’ve got to get to the bridge. Once I have more details on what exactly is going on down at the undersea site, I will comm you immediately. Farewell and good luck.”

And Razorclaw was away. Flamewar lingered for a moment, pondering Razorclaw’s responses to her queries. “Hm…” She shook her head before turning on her heel, bustling toward the bounce chamber. Well, she had to handle the matter at hand. It certainly wasn’t what she was accustomed to. Playing such a…public role as this. Still…It would be a refreshing change of pace, and might allow her to have another chat with one Thunderwing.

Bounce Chamber

As Flamewar entered the bounce chamber, her optics were greeted by a not unfamiliar sight. Jailbreak was looming next to a mech that could only be Landgrab. Primus, he seemed to make trouble for himself when bored. Her optics swept across the room to see that all of the mechs that she had called had gathered. And an extra. She examined Cloudbreaker. She knew of him, and he was not unwelcome. He would do.

“Good, you’re all here,” Flamewar said, projecting her voice so as to grab the attention of the mechs assembled. She moved over to the control panel to set in the coordinates. “Time is of the essence, so I’ll be brief. The Autobots have discovered the Undersea Base that Scrapper and his men were constructing. Specifically, the Dinobots. Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Blitzwing, Jailbreak, Battletrap. You all will provide support to Scrapper and his team. Destroy the Dinobots if you can. Delay them if you can’t.”

Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf and Blitzwing were all incredibly effective and competent warriors on their own. Jailbreak…well. He was a force of destruction that didn’t know how to quit. Battletrap himself was competent too despite the…mental flaws that came with Duocons. If they were to destroy the Dinobots, however, the best approach was with overwhelming force. Those five could supply it.

Flamewar looked to those she hadn’t called upon yet. “Misfire, Landgrab, Warwolf, Cloudbreaker. You will be with me. Your job is to evacuate the base and salvage any resources stationed there. I’ll be performing a full wipe of the base’s data. After the evacuations and the data wipe are complete, I will rig the base to meltdown. Only molten slag will be left behind.”

Landgrab was a large mech, and at first would seem an imposing warrior, but his records revealed his true inclinations. A technician and mobile repair platform, it would better suit Landgrab to be kept from the front lines rather than in them should any of theirs need immediate medical assistance. His large platform alternate mode would also be convenient transport for salvaged resources from the undersea base. Misfire was poorly suited to actual combat. To Flamewar, he was just an extra pair of hands to speed evacuations along.

Warwolf…well, Flamewar would admit to a slight amount of concern for her former pupil. He hadn’t seemed himself of late and so she would rather keep an optic on him than let him face down the Dinobots. And of course, Cloudbreaker needed to be watched. The thief would have to be shook down after the operation to check if he had pinched any supplies for himself.

Flamewar looked up from the control panel. “If you’ve questions, ask them now, but be quick about it.”

((OOC: Editted my post to give it a little more depth.))

Bounce Chamber:

“Misfire, Landgrab, Warwolf, Cloudbreaker. You will be with me. Your job is to evacuate the base and salvage any resources stationed there. I’ll be performing a full wipe of the base’s data. After the evacuations and the data wipe are complete, I will rig the base to meltdown. Only molten slag will be left behind.”

"Consider it done, Flamewar," said Misfire.

“If you’ve questions, ask them now, but be quick about it.”

Misfire quickly piped in, "Are there any Autobots in the base? Will there be any shooting in there?" Misfire really was hoping that he didn't have to shoot a gun inside of there and risk damaging something important before the desired information was recovered.

Bounce Chamber

"Are there any Autobots in the base? Will there be any shooting in there?"

Flamewar’s optics flicked to Misfire. “Not to our knowledge, though there is a possibility that other Autobots may be in the area. The fighting with the Dinobots may enter the base, but if so, you are to continue your assignment. Razorclaw will provide me further details once we arrive. I’ll communicate them to you as is relevant.”

The black operative’s optics flicked to Skullcruncher who gave a shake of his head to indicate no questions, then to Weirdwolf who merely nodded in understanding. Her optics moved over to the rest of her team to check for questions.

Bounce Chamber

“Time is of the essence, so I’ll be brief. The Autobots have discovered the Undersea Base that Scrapper and his men were constructing. Specifically, the Dinobots. Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Blitzwing, Jailbreak, Battletrap. You all will provide support to Scrapper and his team. Destroy the Dinobots if you can. Delay them if you can’t.”

Flamewar's tone was that of authority. It made Jailbreak cringe a bit. Even if she thought of herself as all high-and-mighty, even if she felt she needed to potray herself as 'in charge', it rubbed Jailbreak the wrong way. Still, she was holding up to her end of the bargin so far, a break from the tedium.

Landgrab was right beside him when Jailbreak heard his name called out.

“Misfire, Landgrab, Warwolf, Cloudbreaker. You will be with me. Your job is to evacuate the base and salvage any resources stationed there. I’ll be performing a full wipe of the base’s data. After the evacuations and the data wipe are complete, I will rig the base to meltdown. Only molten slag will be left behind.”

Great, one of the biggest bots here is gonna miss all the fun. Still, getting to crush some Dinobots was gonna be fun! Jailbreak could only wonder if the stories he heard about Grimlock were true, and how he'd make a name for himself by facing off against him. The thought of how it would go made his processors start going into overdrive.

“If you’ve questions, ask them now, but be quick about it.”


"Yeah, there isn't going to be anything ridiculous added later like taking prisoners or some trash like that is there?" Jailbreak started to grin. It really didn't matter how Flamewar answered, nothing was going to get in the way of his fun.

Bounce Chamber

"Dinobots...big, slow, dumb, powerful. What will plan be once down there? Don't want to get stepped on. Scrapper team get squished already? How can they fight Autobots?"

Battletrap didn't get to see the gestalt Devestator in the fight against the Fallen. All he knew is what he had heard of the Dinobots. He also didn't want to be hit accidentally by one of his comrades nor be flatten by one of the large Autobots. One thing he'll be glad about is making sure the combination modules will still be working between the transformations.

He didn't wait for his answers as he got onto the pad. Battletrap figured he would get them eventually nor did he want to drag the mission since it seemed to be urgent.

Bounce Chamber

"Yeah, there isn't going to be anything ridiculous added later like taking prisoners or some trash like that is there?" Jailbreak started to grin.

Oh, she knew that look. Fortunately, Flamewar had selected Jailbreak with his…quirks in mind. It was actually refreshing having to deal with Jailbreak and other warrior sorts after the scene in Shockwave’s laboratory. Still, they all had a job to do, but, knowing Jailbreak, she had to use the right tough. Flamewar smirked.

“Nope. You just do what you do best to your spark’s content, Jailbreak,” Flamewar replied, waving dismissively. Her gaze shifted to Battletrap as he spoke, the smirk falling from her face. Battletrap wasn’t the brightest bulb, but his cheerfulness and eagerness usually made up for it.

“The Constructicons have Devastator. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is essentially the Constructicons rolled into one being. Though from the reports, Devastator is unstable, so do take some care when fighting around them.”

Flamewar cast her gaze to Landgrab. “Are there any more questions? If not, we’ll deploy immediately.”

Bounce Chamber

After a brief moment of no one else voicing their concerns, Flamewar concluded that all that needed to be asked was. She activated the bounce procedure and stepped onto the pad. The distinctive flash of light enveloped the chamber as she and the rest of her team bounced down to the surface.

((OOC: The members of Flamewar’s team will now move to the Sea of Change thread.))

Shockwave's Lab

>>”Soundwave, I’m transmitting designs for a device for Sixshot. It will allow him to appear as though he were in stasis when Razorclaw utters the false code Shockwave will give him. It seems I will be preoccupied for some time, so I entrust this to you.”<<

Soundwave's internal processor began to filter and scan over Flamewar's message. Her design was sound. Course a couple of tweaks here-and-there would optimize the initial performance... At least was smart enough to include an electronic shielding mechanism to hide the device from scanners, though integrating with the six-changer's own limitless power supply might hide excess power fluctuations.

The black and crimson femme had made her departure before Soundwave could signal any sort of acknowledgement to her, instead he proceeded over towards an empty workbench and went to work following along with the schematics Flamewar had transmitted to him.

>>"It appears I will not be leaving this room for the time being,"<< Soundwave stated in a secure line to the cassettes inside his chest and near proximity, >>"but do not let that shackle you all down either. If you'd wish to depart, you are more than free to walk about."<<

Bridge

Razorclaw entered the bridge, allowing the double doors to close behind him. “Divebomb! Report! What’s going on down at the undersea base site?” The lion-former demanded as he approached the command chair and swiftly took a seat. He had no time for pleasantries. There was a battle going on, one that involved the Dinobots, no less, and the Decepticons’ still under construction headquarters, which had now been compromised before it had even been finished. Something like this would not have happened under Megatron’s watch. The Predacon lord had to admit that to himself even if he would not say it aloud.

“My lord,” Divebomb began to say as he quickly began to absorb the plethora of information he was currently receiving through his console from the bottom of the Yellow Sea. “The ship's long range scanners have offered little information as the depth of the water and all of the debris from the battle has made it very difficult to ascertain what is going on. I have, however, tapped into whatever comm line chatter that I can pick up down there, and I am also receiving video feeds from the various vidcams around the underwater site, itself. I can confirm that Devastator has engaged the Dinobots. I can also confirm that there are other Autobots on site, three at most that were detected up on a ridge before then being spotted approaching the outer wall of the Alpha Dome. They have since vanished off the feeds, but it’s a good possibility that they are inside the base, sir.”

“Bring the base’s vidcam feeds up on the primary viewscreen. Now!” Razorclaw instructed as he leaned forward in the command chair, glaring at the images that quickly began to fill the screen ahead. “And what of the others? Has Flamewar arrived on site yet?”

“Yes, Commander, Flamewar is there and her team has begun to assist the Constructicons outside the Alpha Dome,” Divebomb replied as he continued to work the controls to offer the best possible images and resolution of the undersea battle. “These are the best images I can get, sir. Even the outer vidcams on site can only see so much through the debris clouds from the battle.”

“What about the internal vidcams? Surely, they can offer a clear picture. Locate those other Autobots!” Razorclaw’s voice rose to a level that echoed off the walls of the bridge. His rage began to build, not just from the fact that this had all happened on his watch, but that he and his Predacons were not down there right now in the heat of battle. The lion-former and his team had faced the Dinobots many times before on the battlefield, the most recent of which was back on Cybertron. Grimlock and his crew were worthy adversaries, unlike most of what the Autobots had to offer. Being in the position of Supreme Commander now kept Razorclaw from what he and his unit desired most - a brutal and violent fight.

“I’m scanning for them now, Commander,” Divebomb advised, pausing for a moment as a series of images of data streams filled his optical view. “Wait! There! I found them! Near the interior outer wall of the Alpha Dome! Three of them!”

“Indeed,” Razorclaw said as he stood from the command chair and glared ominously at the image of Blaster, Getaway and Scoop who had somehow managed to breech the outer force field even though it was attuned to a Decepticon's energy signature. The Predacon lord immediately opened a comm line to the black operative femme:

>>”Flamewar, this is Lord Razorclaw. I am observing everything through various vidcam feeds both inside and outside the base. The Dinobots appear to be a distraction. Interior scans and images have revealed the presence of three additional Autobots within the Alpha Dome. They are currently near the outer wall at the following coordinates. Move to intercept them immediately! Take no prisoners!”<<

Cutting his comm line, Razorclaw forwarded the coordinates to Flamewar before sitting back down in the command chair. The lion-former kept careful watch over the various vidcam feeds that continued to flood the primary and even secondary viewscreens at the front of the bridge. He wanted to be down there in the heat of battle and he knew that his Predacons wanted that, as well. However, serving as Decepticon Supreme Leader would no longer allow for such action and excitement on a regular basis. Remaining behind to oversee operations and deal with politics was quickly becoming the norm now. Even Megatron had quite often led from afar, delegating assignments to other commanders and subordinates and thus only becoming directly involved when it was absolutely necessary. For Razorclaw, however, that kind of existence would become old real fast.

It already has, the lion-former mused as his thoughts then turned to Scorponok.

Shockwave’s Lab

>>"It appears I will not be leaving this room for the time being,"<< Soundwave stated in a secure line to the cassettes inside his chest and near proximity, >>"but do not let that shackle you all down either. If you'd wish to depart, you are more than free to walk about."<<

Ravage looked over to Soundwave who was already bent over the workbench. His crimson optics flicked over to Shockwave, silently gaging the cycloptic scientist. Rising up onto all four paws, he turned and quietly padded to the exit, leaving the laboratory.

Bridge

The doors of the bridge hissed open as Ravage entered. Stealth was not a concern, and even if it was, the low din of the bridge made the sound of the doors opening easy enough to miss. He padded over to sit by Razorclaw’s command chair, ears flicked forward to simply observe the goings on of the bridge. When he looked at the command chair’s occupant, Ravage half-expected Megatron to be sitting in it as he had in the past. But no. It was Razorclaw. Ravage’s ears drooped almost imperceptibly for a moment before he went back to quietly observing.

Corridors Leading Away From The Lounge

Feint snorted softly as he watched a few Decepticons scurry away from the bar. He was relaxing unassumingly in the half shadows of the corridor, leaning against the wall; not hiding but not attracting attention either.

He deleted the remaining names off his data pad as the snort turned to a snicker. He was effectively tying up all loose ends by not acknowledging them. He was preparing to go off the radar a bit, at least until a shady lady showed up.

Of course, that well laid plan was likely to be blown to pieces... as he felt a rather disturbing presence near him.

"Ah... Mr Sunshine is here..." Feint muttered as he looked up from his data pad. "You know I know a guy that you would get along great with... if he didn't try to kill you on sight. But you two could lurk and sulk in the shadows and get all emo."

Cocking his famous half smile, something of a smirk that caused one to distrust him, Feint looked at the very tall newcomer.
He had willingly involved himself with many mechs involved in the under-handed, unsavory, and the down right illegal. Con mechs, thieves, assassins, spies, and bounty hunters; those that manipulated the mind as well and ended life functions. There were very few that the sniper rifle found creepy... and next to him was one of the two that drug up unwilling from his memory core.

Reaver.

Oh he could very well appreciate Reaver's job, he and Reaver served similar functions. Near identical almost, though Reaver was more drag it out, where as Feint preferred a quicker kill. Calling Reaver a cat that liked to play with his prey was a disservice to cats, who had far more friendly personalities. Also, a cat couldn't hold a candle to the time Reaver allotted to torture.

-

"Waiting for someone?" Reaver asked softly in a voice that could be described almost as a dark monotone. He wasn't known for inflection.

-

"Yeah, but but for the kind of bot that would get your jet engines turning." Feint remarked. "She's pre-occupied at the moment, so until that assignment can happen, I'm just looking for trouble."

-

Reaver nodded slightly. Though you couldn't see it on his faceplate, this intrigued him. "Require any assistance?"

-

Feint smirked again. "Sure..." he said softly as optics trained on to the tall, dark painted Con.

Bridge

As soon as Razorclaw entered the bridge, he demanded an update on the progress of the battle that had suddenly erupted at their undersea site. Rampage was watching the proceedings with almost as much interest as he was watching his other entertainments, but it was Divebomb who gave the initial report. He watched with the same keen interest as the others as the vidcam feeds were brought onto the main viewscreens.

"This feels....weird," Rampage said, squirming uncomfortably in his command seat. "I'm all for having the power...but...I dunno....that should be us messing up those Dinos down there. Not those greenies and that Valckastan freak with the weird shelly body."

Rampage sighed.

"How long until we can do that?" Rampage said, pointing to the monitor at Devastator. "I mean, 'cmon, if they're compatible, surely we are, right? We're all hunters....killers. We were made to become a giant, ruthless slaughter machine."

Bridge

Razorclaw continued to watch the battle unfold at the undersea base site. It was such a shame that the site had been compromised and thus had to be abandoned and wiped away as though it had never even existed. Once this mission was completely they would need to find a new site and begin construction again, but not before Scrapper commenced with the gestalt screening process he had promised, one that would hopefully yield a Predacon combiner some day soon.

The lion-former had been so transfixed with the battle on the viewscreen that he had completely missed the bridge doors opening to allow a certain feline cassetticon entry. The doors had hissed shut again as Ravage made his way over to the command chair where he swiftly took a seat beside it, not even attempting to hide his presence.

Razorclaw turned his head, having finally noticed Soundwave’s minion in his peripheral vision. Tilting his cranium downward, the Predacon lord looked directly at his fellow cat-former, giving him a simple nod. “Glad you could join us, Ravage,” Razorclaw spoke quietly to the cassette. “Have you come out of sheer curiosity or did your master send you to keep an optic on me? Heh. Watch all you like. I have nothing to hide.”

"This feels....weird. I'm all for having the power...but...I dunno....that should be us messing up those Dinos down there. Not those greenies and that Valckastan freak with the weird shelly body. How long until we can do that? I mean, 'cmon, if they're compatible, surely we are, right? We're all hunters....killers. We were made to become a giant, ruthless slaughter machine."

Rampage’s words drew Razorclaw’s attention away from the feline cassetticon. The lion-former had wondered how long it would be before one of his subordinates had stated the same concerns that Razorclaw, himself, had already been feeling. Furthermore, Rampage was likely not the only Predacon present who felt the same way.

“Indeed, Rampage,” Razorclaw responded, his optics fixated on the tiger-former. “We should be involved in battling Grimlock and his brood just as we had done back on Cybertron. However, we now hold a position of great power. We now hold the throne! We’ve gone from being blunt instruments that were wielded by others to being the ones that do the wielding. That doesn’t mean we won’t ever see action again, but it does mean there will be changes in store for us that we will have to get used to.”

Razorclaw then shifted his focus to the image of Devastator on the forward viewscreen. “As for becoming a giant combiner, ourselves, I see no reason for it not to become a reality and soon. Once Scrapper and his men take care of the Dinobots, they will begin a screening process to see if we and other specialty units are compatible with the gestalt technology. Combiners are the future of this war. It’s just a matter of time before we possess that power.”

Bridge

“Glad you could join us, Ravage,” Razorclaw spoke quietly to the cassette. “Have you come out of sheer curiosity or did your master send you to keep an optic on me? Heh. Watch all you like. I have nothing to hide.”

“Soundwave sees and hears everything, Lord Razorclaw,” Ravage rumbled softly, “Even without the assistance of myself or my comrades.” Settling down next to the command chair, Ravage set his head in his paws, audios pricked and optics alert, scanning the bridge idly. It was a familiar feeling. If a bittersweet one.

Listening to Razorclaw and Rampage’s exchange, Ravage grunted softly. It seemed like the Predacons were growing restless. Command…It did not seem to suit Razorclaw’s pack. He wondered just how long it would take for them to venture out into the field again or if someone would make a move on them when they did.

Though, Razorclaw’s optics seemed firmly set on the combiner technology for his team. Ravage was unsure of the wisdom of that. Devastator had not seemed particularly stable or…cogent. And to have their leader made into one of Devastator’s…kind? It bespoke a sort of trust that Razorclaw had for his compatriots.

“My, my, it must be eating you alive, my liege,” Ravage commented, keeping his voice low with the lightest touch of sarcasm. He tilted his head up to look at Razorclaw. “The paranoia, I mean.”

Bridge

“Soundwave sees and hears everything, Lord Razorclaw. Even without the assistance of myself or my comrades.”

“Indeed he does, Ravage,” Razorclaw replied to the feline cassetticon who had become comfortable next to the command chair. Soundwave was an important part of the lion-former maintaining his place on the throne. With the Communications Expert as his ally, Razorclaw would know who exactly was plotting against him and be ready for any potential coup.

Natually, the one mind that was not an open book was Soundwave’s own processor and it was unlikely that he would share with the Predacon lord everything he was thinking. Still, Soundwave had always been a staunch supporter of Megatron and his ideals. Thus, if Razorclaw remained along a similar path as the slagmaker, Soundwave would likely remain at the lion-former’s side.

Of course, none of that would matter if Razorclaw eventually handed the throne over to Lord Scorponok, and if Soundwave was truly all knowing and all seeing, it was possible he already knew that the lion-former was seriously considering doing just that.

“My, my, it must be eating you alive, my liege. The paranoia, I mean.”

Razorclaw glanced down and locked optics with the feline mech, allowing a slight chuckle to escape his vocalizer. “Paranoia? Is there a reason that I should be? After all, I have your master to alert me if someone is planning an insurrection, do I not? What is there to be paranoid about? Unless...” the Predacon lord paused for a brief moment as he leaned down over the arm of the command chair, keeping his gaze fixated on the black cassetticon. “...unless there’s something you know that I don't. Is there anything you wish to share with your liege, Ravage? Hmmmm...”

Bridge

The quarters on the bridge weren't exactly the most private on the ship. That's why command officers could retreat to their chambers. Their own commander, Razorclaw, had clearly chosen not to conduct his little conversation with Ravage in private, so Rampage couldn't help but eavesdrop over the sounds of his Terran programming.

He turned the volume down on those just a little more.

"...must be eating you alive, my liege. The paranoia, I mean,” Ravage said.

“Paranoia? Is there a reason that I should be? After all, I have your master to alert me if someone is planning an insurrection, do I not? What is there to be paranoid about? Unless...unless there’s something you know that I don't. Is there anything you wish to share with your liege, Ravage? Hmmmm...” Razorclaw responded, digging deeper. This prompted Rampage to spin around in his console chair to look at the Casseticon directly.

"Yeah....yeah. Please, do tell our mighty Supreme Commander if you or your little cassetibuddies have picked up something we haven't."

Bridge

“Paranoia? Is there a reason that I should be? After all, I have your master to alert me if someone is planning an insurrection, do I not? What is there to be paranoid about? Unless...” the Predacon lord paused for a brief moment as he leaned down over the arm of the command chair, keeping his gaze fixated on the black cassetticon. “...unless there’s something you know that I don't. Is there anything you wish to share with your liege, Ravage? Hmmmm...”

How cute. There was, in fact, something he knew that Razorclaw did not, but Ravage was more than happy to keep it to himself. No, this was…to help keep the Decepticons cemented.

"Yeah....yeah. Please, do tell our mighty Supreme Commander if you or your little cassetibuddies have picked up something we haven't.”

Rampage. The third feline in the room. Seemed he had been listening in. That was fine. All the better, actually. Ravage didn’t answer immediately, instead choosing to examine the status of the plating of one of his front paws. How best to handle this…Hm-hm.

“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you,” Ravage began after a long moment, tilting his head up at Razorclaw, “That you are not Lord Megatron. And there are many who have yet to accept you as their liege. Lord Megatron’s disappearance was a great loss.” His ears drooped a little at that. As old as it was now, he could not help but feel the ache and sorrow tug at his spark.

“But, to the point,” Ravage hastily added before Razorclaw could berate him for telling him something he already surely knew, “Even when things were going well, running smoothly – no, especially then – Megatron was on his utmost guard. Do you know why, Razorclaw? Because he knew that appearances could be deceiving,” he flicked his tail as he said this.

“Scrapper has a new toy. Thunderwing has been uncharacteristically cooperative. Flamewar just appeared out of nowhere, but she seems cooperative. Starscream has wandered off to scheme and connive Primus knows where. Shockwave has agreed to aid you despite his own prior bid for power. Soundwave observes for you. Motormaster and Onslaught formed their alliances with you. For now. All for now. Do you have a plan for if one of those goes awry and turns into something horrible for you? What about a combination of two? All of them?!”

Passion coursed through Ravage as he stood up, his tail swishing back and forth.

“Megatron would.”

Settling back down, Ravage returned to his more relaxed position, letting out a little sigh.

“And that’s just the Sol System. Megatron would have a plan for everywhere, everyone. Scorponok’s fleet. Deathsaurus’s fleet. The outliers like Overlord, the DJD, and the other Warriors Elite. I can tell you he had plans for them. He was always ten steps ahead. Because he knew where he was now, might not be where he wished to be in the future.”

“He did all of this and had plans for the Autobots as well. There was a reason that he was the leader of the Decepticons! There was a reason that we followed him,” Ravage huffed lowly, “And you tell me. That you are not paranoid.”

Ravage chuckled lowly, his whole body shaking with his laughter.

“You should be.”

Bridge

“I’m sure I don’t have to remind you. That you are not Lord Megatron. And there are many who have yet to accept you as their liege. Lord Megatron’s disappearance was a great loss. But, to the point. Even when things were going well, running smoothly – no, especially then – Megatron was on his utmost guard. Do you know why, Razorclaw? Because he knew that appearances could be deceiving. Scrapper has a new toy. Thunderwing has been uncharacteristically cooperative. Flamewar just appeared out of nowhere, but she seems cooperative. Starscream has wandered off to scheme and connive Primus knows where. Shockwave has agreed to aid you despite his own prior bid for power. Soundwave observes for you. Motormaster and Onslaught formed their alliances with you. For now. All for now. Do you have a plan for if one of those goes awry and turns into something horrible for you? What about a combination of two? All of them?! Megatron would.

“And that’s just the Sol System. Megatron would have a plan for everywhere, everyone. Scorponok’s fleet. Deathsaurus’s fleet. The outliers like Overlord, the DJD, and the other Warriors Elite. I can tell you he had plans for them. He was always ten steps ahead. Because he knew where he was now, might not be where he wished to be in the future. He did all of this and had plans for the Autobots as well. There was a reason that he was the leader of the Decepticons! There was a reason that we followed him. And you tell me. That you are not paranoid.

"You should be.”

Razorclaw listened intently to Ravage’s overly long speech. It was impressive to say the least. It was almost as if the tiny cassetticon had prepared it in advance and was just waiting with bated breath to unleash it upon his new Supreme Commander at just the right moment. For a small mech, Ravage had some big ball barrings it seemed. The lion-former did not interrupt. He simply let Ravage have his say and honestly the black feline made some very good points, all of which Razorclaw had considered on numerous occasions. What Ravage said was nothing new to the Predacon lord, but that didn’t mean they weren’t good points.

“Bravo, Ravage!” Razorclaw exclaimed as he raised both hands into the air and clapped them together several times in a faux applause. The lion-former never left the command chair as the clapping subsided and his intense gaze remained fixated on Soundwave’s little minion. “That was some speech my little feline friend. I could feel the passion in your vocals. I think you may have missed your calling in public speaking. Heh. But, you seem to think you can tell me what I should be. You can't. I will decide what I am, not you. Now, on to the points you made.”

Razorclaw paused for a moment as he leaned back down over the arm of the command chair so that his glare bore into Ravage like a laser-guided drill bit. The lion-former had sensed a slight condescending tone in the cassetticon’s vocals. If he had been any other mech, Razorclaw would’ve knocked him across the room before he had had a chance to finish his speech. But, this was one of Soundwave’s precious children and the Predacon lord needed Soundwave on his side. Therefore, Ravage was allowed a certain amount of leeway when it came to what he said and what tone he used. That was very lucky for him.

“No, Ravage, you don't have to remind me that I am not Lord Megatron. I have never professed to be. I have done what I did for the good of the empire and for the specialty teams. Motormaster, Onslaught and Scrapper are loyal to me, which means Devastator is also loyal to me. They have been from the beginning. But you’re right! Appearances can be deceiving. However, I know that those three will not waver. I trust them and they trust me in much the same way Soundwave trusts you and the other cassetticons. You would never turn on your master, would you, Ravage? Of course not and neither would my closet supporters. They are behind me 100%, and once Devastator is perfected that gestalt power will belong to the other specialty units including my own. It’s as simple as that.

“Nevertheless, my guard has never been higher as it is right now, but that does not equate paranoia. It equates intelligence. Paranoia is characterized by delusions of persecution, seeing conspirators behind every corner, under every table and behind every wall, consuming you until you cannot think rationally. Breakdown is paranoid. I am NOT Breakdown nor should I be like him. That would undermine my authority and ability to rule and I will not allow that to happen. Megatron was not paranoid, either. He was, as you said, prepared for anything and perhaps I’m not quite as prepared as he was, but that doesn’t mean I fully trust Thunderwing, Shockwave or Starscream or even Flamewar for that matter. It also doesn’t mean I am not making plans of my own to ensure the future of the Empire and my place within it. As for Scorponok and Deathsaurus, they are very much on my mind, especially the former. But you need not worry about any of that, dear Ravage. It will all be sorted out in due time. Just know this….”

Razorclaw paused for a moment as he reached down, using a single actuator positioned carefully under Ravage’s chin to lift his feline head up to meet the Predacon lord’s fiery optics. “Anyone who crosses me will pay dearly for their betrayal. Make no mistake about that, my little friend. They will pay dearly.” With those final, ominous words spoken, Razorclaw removed his actuator from the black cassette’s chin and sat back up straight in the command chair, his glare now refocused on the vidcam feeds from the undersea base.

Bridge

Ravage’s ears flicked back as Razorclaw applauded him after he finished giving his advice. The hollowness of the mock applause resounded sourly in Ravage’s audios. He did not enjoy being mocked. Neither, did he like the direction that this was going. And, as Razorclaw began to give a speech of his own, Ravage slowly felt himself being bored into by the fierce glare of the Predacon commander.

Motormaster, Onslaught and Scrapper are loyal to me, which means Devastator is also loyal to me. They have been from the beginning. But you’re right! Appearances can be deceiving. However, I know that those three will not waver. I trust them and they trust me in much the same way Soundwave trusts you and the other cassetticons. You would never turn on your master, would you, Ravage? Of course not and neither would my closet supporters. They are behind me 100%, and once Devastator is perfected that gestalt power will belong to the other specialty units including my own. It’s as simple as that.”

He’s a fool.

Ravage’s tail twitched, but otherwise, he showed no other outward sign of his inward thoughts. Razorclaw went on. And went on. Seeing the need to defend himself against his points. Jabbering on. Justifying himself and his lack of healthy paranoia. Ravage had not meant to be overly paranoia. But a reasonable amount was healthy for any leader. This…unflinching trust in an alliance made so recently? Since the beginning?! Ha! Ravage repressed the urge to laugh in Razorclaw’s face. He had tested the Predacon’s patience enough for one conversation.

As Razorclaw reached down and pressed an actuator under his chin, Ravage did not lash out and bite him for the act as his every fiber commanded him to. No. He glared right back up at Razorclaw.

“Anyone who crosses me will pay dearly for their betrayal. Make no mistake about that, my little friend. They will pay dearly.”

Released from Razorclaw’s grasp, Ravage quietly stood up, turned about, and stalked out of the bridge, the doors hissing shut behind him. Weak. How utterly disappointing. If that had been a test, then Razorclaw had failed utterly in Ravage’s optics. He spoke far too much. And felt the need to justify himself and defend himself instead of take advice. If he had not needed Soundwave as much as he did, Ravage had few doubts that he would not have left the bridge intact. Traits more akin to someone like Starscream than Razorclaw.

Opening a private, secure comm to Soundwave, Ravage kept to the shadows as he made his way back to his superior – and friend, >>”Soundwave, I take it you were listening,”<< Ravage began, >>”Power has warped Razorclaw. He’s unfit to rule. As much as I do not trust Shockwave or Flamewar, we may be better off with them than a fool like the Preda-King.”<<

Ravage paused.

>>”Or Scorponok. It may be wise to inform his forces of Megatron’s fate.”<<