The Energon Pub

Lounge

Now. It was very, very important that Wildrider continued to decorate the ceiling in splendid fashion. Despite the constant, maddening urge to wiggle free, he knew that he had set something terrifically horrible in motion, and that it would be most beneficial to his continued existence to NOT move. In fact, play dead even.

Still, Wildrider couldn’t resist the urge to peek. Just a little. One optic onlined but dimmed to the point of almost being unnoticeable, he almost jumped when Motormaster appeared behind Breakdown. Where had that fragger come from?! Was he spirited into their midst like some kinda malicious spirit? Well, Motormaster was very much malicious and very much not a ghost. Definitely a monster though.

Wildrider offlined his optics completely and played dead, keeping an attentive audio out for Breakdown’s squeals of pain. Oh, it was going to be a riot! How was he going to contain himself?

”Now would be a good time,” he said gravely, ”To explain what the slag you're doing?!”

Wildrider could only imagine the look on Breakdown’s faceplate right now. Oh, Primus, it had to be priceless. One quick peek couldn’t hurt – that much. So he peeked to just revel in the totality of Breakdown’s fear and despair.

Hallways

As Octane walked away from Shockwave's lab, he received a communication which he almost ignored since it was from Motormaster but he decided to open it anyways. It seemed he and his fellow triple changer was needed for some mission back on the Ultrax.

"Hmm, Astrotrain, it seems the big brute Motormaster needs us to go back with him and his cronies to their former ship. Should we assist them or tell him to shove a pipe up his aft hole? With the nut Screamer leaving our immediate area and Shockwave making sure he didn't need us, it is like we got a lot to do around here. Maybe we can drag old Blitzy into this endeavor with the Stunticons. We do know Motormaster usually puts on a good show when it comes to beating his fellow Stunticons,"

Priority-1 transmission from Scrapper to Razorclaw

>>"My lord Razorclaw, your transmission has given me much to think about. After conferring with my team and reflecting on the situation, I've come to the uncertain conclusion that if you stand and hold your place, the Constructicons will stand beside you. Ultimately, however, the decision is one you will have to make. You essentially asked me whether you should fight. I don't know. But I do know that Scorponok represents simply another of Megatron's inner circle. And who after him? Many will be as unsatisfied with his rule as they perhaps are with yours or would be with Starscream or Shockwave or Thunderwing's leadership. The difference is you have the mantle now. You can defend it."<<
___

Shockwave's Laboratory

As promptly as Flamewar had indicated, Razorclaw arrived. Shockwave turned away from his workstation so that he could give the Decepticon Supreme Commander his semi-undivided attention. The Predacon succinctly laid out his reasons for being here and also laid out some none-too-subtle overtures for what would benefit the Military Operations Commander if he were to provide this assistance.

Before Shockwave could offer any form of reply to Razorclaw's stated requests, Flamewar interjected her own assessment.

“I believe I have managed to obtain Shockwave’s acquiescence prior to your arrival, Lord Razorclaw. Is that not correct, Commander Shockwave? I believe all that remains is to open negotiations with Sixshot himself.”

"Declarative: that is correct. We are in full agreement that Starscream's possession of any Phase Six warrior's shutdown codes is an oversight that must be corrected with absolute haste. Ultimately, I seek to prevent the extinction of our species through the continuous decay and decimation of our energy sources, whether it be in a position such as yours, or the one I now hold. Similarly, taking the power Starscream now holds over Sixshot away from him will also further that goal, so I see no reason to object and am ready to proceed if, as Flamewar has indicated, the subject is as agreeable to the process as you seem to think he will be."

Armory

“Yess…the thing Swindle heard instead of fabricated to get a rise out of you, Brawl. Of course,” Blast-Off said with about as much haughtiness and sarcasm as one could muster.

The aerial Combaticon heaved a mighty inward sigh at Brawl’s idiocy. But, at least he hadn’t been the one to foul up as badly as his fellow flier. Blast-Off’s optical visor settled on Vortex with the slightest condescending shake of his head.

”Let's just get this fraggin' mess over. I want to get this cleaned up and get back to where Motormaster's boys cause all the problems around here.”

“Quite,” Blast-Off added, snapping to attention as he returned his gaze to his commander. After a moment passed, he relaxed and went to go snag a few choice items from the weapons lockers about the room. His job was usually to provide orbital bombardment, aerial support, and other such distant tasks. There’d be little use for him on the ground.

Lounge

”Hardly.”

Breakdown froze instantly. That didn't sound like-

The Stunticon cried out in pain as he felt a crushing grip seize him, holding him firmly in place. As if he could have fled if he wanted to.

”Now would be a good time to explain what the slag you're doing?!”

Breakdown did his best to form thoughts and sentences in the midst of the crushing pain. Neither was easy.

"B-B-Bu...me? *Ack!* He did it! This is his mess!" Breakdown cried, flailing but still attempting to do what he could to make it abundantly clear that all of this slag was to be laid at Wildrider's doorstep, not his.

Lounge

Landgrab looked up from the counter at his half-filled cylinder of high-grade. This was his third such cylinder. It was the first intake of high-grade energon he'd had since coming to this planet. After that whole mess with the Fallen, he felt he'd deserved it.

Of course, it hadn't taken long for the lounge to break out in a melee that was almost as bad as the one they had just come from. Primus be praised he'd avoided it. His biggest accomplishment had been ferrying Shockwave and the others to safety. otherwise he was invisible. Another one of the thousands of nameless Decepticon grunts.

He supposed he could do worse.

He reached for the cylinder and took in another hefty swig.

Lounge

"B-B-Bu...me? *Ack!* He did it! This is his mess!"

”Of course it is,” Motormaster smirked with a devilish gleam in his optics as he flung Breakdown out of his way. He knew very that neither Breakdown or Dead End were crazy enough to instigate a chaos like this. They didn't have the ball bearings for it either. Only Wildrider and Drag Strip could have been behind this and it was obvious which of the two was the culprit this time. And despite of Wildrider's best efforts to act like a chandelier, he had made the mistake of replying to Motormaster's transmission only moments earlier – making it abundantly clear that he was conscious.

Breakdown's scream of pain caught the attention of the Decepticon responsible of Wildrider's current state amidst of spectating the scuffle between Blitzwing and Weirdwolf. With a scowl on his face that revealed his razor sharp teeth, Skullcruncher turned to glare at the Stunticon leader and his cohorts.

”I take you are responsible of this?” Motormaster asked, a wide grin spread across his face, his optics meeting those of the massively armored green and maroon crocodilian. It was clear that Wildrider had led the tank of a Decepticon to a wild chase across the lounge. The damage caused to the furniture was clearly work of someone of far greater size and strength than the Stunticon terrorist.

Skullcruncher's optics narrowed in suspicion as he stared at the large Stunticon. Roughly the same to Skullcruncher in size, Motormaster was the only Decepticon present that could possibly challenge the big croc in match of strength. And as strong Motormaster was, Skullcruncher knew he was stronger according to the ability evaluation files collected during the war. But power alone did not decide the outcome of a fight.

”What of it?” He snarled, clearly ready to take the fight to Motormaster next. He did not fear the Stunticon like many others did. Respected? Certainly. But he would welcome the challenge if it were to present itself. ”That screw up deserved it and more.”

”Bravo! I applaud you.” Motormaster chuckled, moving over to Wildrider and giving the small Stunticon a hard slap across his face – causing the Stunticon chandelier to start spinning wildly. ”I know my boys. I have no reason to doubt your word Skullcruncher.”

”In fact, I am delighted by your ingenuity!” He added, making Wildrider's spinning come to an end by placing his fist in the way of the smaller Stunticon's face.

”You're welcome in that case.” Skullcruncher grunted, still observing the Stunticons suspiciously.

”As for you three.” Motormaster barked at this Stunticons and reached up to pick up Wildrider from the magnetizer that was holding him up against the roof. ”You are coming with me to Ultrax. The boss bot has plans and I need you relatively intact for now.”

Hurling Wildrider over his shoulder like a dead sack of potates, Motormaster headed towards the exit from the lounge, ”Beg Primus I don't change my mind.”

Shockwave’s Laboratory

The mention of Starscream’s presence here in Shockwave’s lab not long ago stirred no real emotion within Razorclaw. The Seeker Commander was no longer an immediate concern as a quick communique from Divebomb on the bridge alerted the lion-former that the cowardly flier had finally left the Thanatos. Laserbeak was there to keep an optic on Screamer and his seekers just in case they tried to do something foolish. Good. With Starscream gone it would make altering Sixshot’s code all the easier. Whenever Starscream did decide to return he’d be in for a big surprise if he tried to control the phase sixer again.

“Well, my dear Flamewar, you’ll be happy to hear that Starscream has left the ship with a few of his seekers,” Razorclaw informed the fiery femme, glancing over to her. “He is a coward and like a coward he has fled with his tail fins tucked firmly between his exhaust ports. I have a spy keeping watch over him, but for now he won’t be causing us any problems. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to free Sixshot from his grasp.”

Razorclaw smiled underneath his faceshield as he clenched his right hand into a tight fist before relaxing his actuators once more. Flamewar then informed the Predacon lord that she had obtained Shockwave’s cooperation in regards to the STAG, turning her attention to the Military Operations Commander for confirmation. The lion-former’s own attention then shifted to the purple Decepticon, who swiftly agreed that they were all in full agreement that Starscream’s knowledge of Sixshot’s shutdown code needed to be removed as quickly as possible. Of course, this also depended on whether Sixshot would be agreeable to the process.

“Excellent!” Razorclaw stated with elation. “As for his cooperation, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t want to rid himself of the cowardly seeker’s command over him. The only question would be if he would accept me as his new leash barer for lack of a better term. I may need both of you to help me convince him of that.”

Just as the lion-former had finished speaking, Razorclaw received a Priorty-1 transmission back from Scrapper. In a nutshell, if the Predacon lord chose to fight Scorponok, the Constructicons would stand beside him. However, it was a decision that only Razorclaw could make for himself. He had the mantle of leadership now and thus he was in a position to defend it. That was very true, but was it worth defending? Did the mantle even count since no one else outside of the Sol System knew he was the leader? Was resisting Scorponok worth creating even more Decepticon infighting? Razorclaw would wait for Onslaught's response before making a final decision.

The lion-former sent back a quick non-verbal acknowledgement to Scrapper as a knock came from the other side of the sealed doors to Shockwave’s lab. Actually, it was more like a very loud pounding. “Commander Razorclaw, this is your friendly neighborhood sixchanger. Your Predacon lackey told me that you wanted to meet with me here. Open the door so I may enter.”

“Ah, he’s here,” the Predacon lord muttered aloud as he approached the double doors and unlocked them via the wall-mounted access pad. The doors then parted down the center, allowing Sixshot to cross the threshold and enter into Shockwave’s domain. The doors then closed again as the sounds of the locks reengaging echoed somewhat through the chamber. “Welcome, Sixshot! I’m very glad to see that you have fully recovered.”

“Was there any doubt?” The STAG asked plainly as the massive form of the phase sixer regarded the new Decepticon leader with unflinching optics.

“Of course not, my friend,” Razorclaw replied, taking a few steps back to give the larger mech more room to move around.

“Friend, eh? It seems that everyone likes to use that word around me now,” Sixshot quipped as he cast a quick glance and a grin over at Flamewar before returning his attention to the lion-former. “So, you want to be my friend, as well, Razorclaw?”

“I...” the Predacon lord began to say, wanting to choose his words wisely. “I want you as an ally, Sixshot. I want you on my side, and I’m willing to help rid you of Starscream’s control in exchange for your loyalty.”

“Ah, and there it is! I had a sneaky suspicion that this little meeting had something to do with my shutdown code and the fact that Starscream has it,” the STAG declared, happy with himself that he had guessed correctly. “So, you want to remove the code and Shockwave here has agreed to do that?”

“Well, he has agreed to alter the code, not remove it entirely,” Razorclaw responded, keeping his optics fixated on the sixchanger’s visage. “Surely, you understand that we can’t just let a mech with your immense power run loose without some form of control. I would possess the new codes. It only makes sense since I’m the new supreme leader.”

“Indeed you are,” Sixshot replied, approaching the Predacon lord before stopping right in front of him and glaring down at the smaller lion-former. “But you didn’t achieve such a position on your own did you? No. I checked the ship’s logs. You had help from your various supporters. You only defeated Shockwave here and even Thunderwing with assistance. Without the other specialty units in your corner, I’d be having this conversation with someone else right now, wouldn’t I?”

The phase sixer’s words were true but they stung nevertheless. A low, guttural growl emanated from Razorclaw’s vocals as he stood his ground against the massive STAG. “It matters little how I got the throne, Sixshot. What matters is that I am the new Supreme Commander of the Decepticon Empire whether you like it or not. And what also matters right now is freeing you from Starscream’s grasp!”

“Have I upset you, Razorclaw? I have, haven’t I?” Sixshot replied with a slight chuckle. “You’re very lucky that I don’t want the throne for myself. You know, I checked for Starscream’s whereabouts once I left the med bay. Didn’t want to accidentally run into him. So, I am well aware that he’s gone. With the Seeker Commander off the ship, there really is no one around here to stop me is there? No one to say the code words.”

“As far as you know,” Razorclaw reasoned. “You once thought only Megatron had the code and then Starscream surprised you. Who’s to say Shockwave here doesn’t have it? He was the one who installed the killswitch in you to begin with, after all.”

A deep scowl formed across the sixchanger’s faceplate as he then looked over at the purple scientist who had been silently watching the conversation unfold. The one-eyed ‘Con showed no reaction whatsoever and betrayed nothing through his emotionless stare. It was unlikely that Shockwave knew the code as wouldn’t he have sought to use it before now to counter Starscream? Plus, hadn’t Flamewar asked the sixchanger for the complete code before he went into stasis? Didn’t she want to be his new handler, a friend instead of a master? That plan seems to have now changed, but why not just ask Shockwave if he really had it all along? It didn’t make much sense unless she had an ulterior motive or perhaps the logic-driven mech hadn’t told her and wisely kept such a secret to himself. It was still unlikely, but the possibility was there, as small a chance as it was.

“Fine,” Sixshot begrudgingly replied as he returned his attention to the Predacon lord directly in front of him. “You free me from Starscream’s control and you’ll have my support.” After a few astroseconds of awkward silence between the two mechanoids, Sixshot stepped away from Razorclaw and approached the Military Operations Commander. “I’m prepared to undergo the procedure whenever you are ready to commence, Shockwave.”

Without taking his optics off Shockwave, Sixshot opened a private comm line to the fiery femme who was standing a short distance away. He didn’t want Razorclaw to hear as the phase sixer was still unsure of what Flamewar was really up to and thus didn’t want to expose what they had previously discussed.

>>”Hello again, my dear. Sorry for ignoring you before, but Razorclaw had my undivided attention. Am I to assume that things have changed since last we spoke? The Predacon appears certain that he will have my new code. I was under the impression you would have it. A friend and not a master. That’s what you said, correct? Unless, of course, that’s still the case and you have something up your metaphorical sleeve that ‘Claw here doesn’t know about. If so, do feel free to fill me in on the details.”<<

Armory

Thundercracker had quickly denied trying to avoid Skywarp, asserting that he was not as petty as Starscream. For an astrosecond, ‘Warp thought his blue friend hadn’t understood the joke even though the prankster had practically spelled it out for him. However, ‘Cracker soon burst out laughing, patting the teleporter on the back and telling him about having to protoform sit those stupid Aerialbots during the Fallen battle. The blue seeker then went on to say how it was about time that they showed all the ground pounders how to win this war, raising his vocals so that the others could hear him. Finally, ‘Cracker addressed Nightraven, confirming that they had, indeed, met before. No surprise there.

“And here I thought I had it bad during the Fallen fiasco,” Skywarp replied to Thundercracker with a chuckle, trying to keep the focus off of Nighty and on the other stuff his blue friend had said. “At least fighting a herald is better than proto-sitting a bunch of Autobot fliers who have no business even being in the sky to begin with. I mean, they’re called Autobots! They should be on the ground, not in the air! Am I right?”

Before Skywarp could comment any further, Onslaught began the briefing, first stating his concern that the prankster and Nightraven might be more focused on each other than on the mission. It was a silly notion to be sure, one that ‘Warp wanted to address immediately. However, he decided to wait until the Combaticon Commander was finished speaking instead of interrupting him midstream. That would likely not go over well with either him or the other Combaticons. Thankfully, the briefing was short, revealing that Vortex had lost two of his missiles to the humans, who now had them at a military base.

“We’re seekers, sir. Our focus is always on the mission,” Skywarp assured Onslaught with a stern look. “You have nothing to worry about from us.” Thundercracker then presented a concern of his own regarding possibly being shot down by the fleshlings’ anti-aircraft defense systems.

“Oh, come on, ‘Cracker. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of those flesh bags’ primitive weapons,” Skywarp interjected before Onslaught could respond. “What could they possibly do to us? Nothing, that’s what! We’ll fly rings around them before blowing them up real good! No need to worry, buddy. We got this!”

Hangar Bay

The doors of the hangar opened, allowing Drag Strip to enter. The yellow Stunticon found himself in the vast chamber with no one else but some vehicons lurking about. “It seems that I’m the first to arrive,” the former race champion muttered to himself as he walked further into the large room. He briefly considered sending a non-verbal update to Motormaster but then thought better of it. The Stunticon Commander, the bane of Drag Strip’s existence, would be here soon enough and see for himself that Drag had arrived before anyone else. Not that his violent and brutish leader would care. If anything, ol’ motorhead would knock the ex-herald around some more as the rest watched and laughed at his misfortune. What fun.

Drag Strip then stopped in his tracks as a vehicon walked by in front of him and spit out a thick glob of energon onto the floor near the yellow racer’s foot. The vehicon was clearly disgusted by the Stunticon’s presence, likely having been a part of the battle with the Fallen and thus knowing what Drag had done. “It wasn’t my fault!!” The frustrated mech yelled as the vehicon kept walking away, a little faster now. Is this how it would be for the foreseeable future? Would everyone shun him like a cybertronic plague? Would everyone continue to blame him? Most likely, but eventually they would forget. Eventually things would go back to normal.

Eventually can’t come soon enough, Drag Strip thought as he leaned back against one of the nearby shuttles and waited for Motormaster and the other Stunticons, along with more torture, to arrive.

Armory

Onslaught's processor began to rush as a wave of various information hit him from every angle. He could only thank he vorns he had spent commanding his team that by now he's be able to process each tidbit and fathom himself a counter argument, or a simple reply.

"Alright, that's enough from everyone!" Onslaught proclaimed firmly, his voice not reaching a shout but still being able to vocalize over his own team and the seekers. "We can sort whatever mishappenings later, but for now we've got a critical task and we've wasted enough time up here." He reached down and hoisted his rifle from its leaning position against the various lockers before beginning his trek to the bounce chamber.

Bounce Chamber

Once inside, he typed in the coordinates Soundwave had transmitted him and disappeared in a grand flash of light.

Lounge

“Silence, you cretin. Pay you must for the insult you wrought upon my friend! Attack you would while his back is turned?! This I cannot stand!”

Blitzwing was momentarily caught off guard, more by Weirdwolf's words than by his actions. This one had clearly slipped a gear one too many times.

"The frag? You tryin' out to be the next Prime or something?! Hah, jeez. Alright. I'll come play in crazy town," the triple-changer scoffed as he lunged at Weirdwolf.
___

((OOC--Resuming control of Astrotrain since the player has wandered off.))

Approaching Hangar

"Hmm, Astrotrain, it seems the big brute Motormaster needs us to go back with him and his cronies to their former ship. Should we assist them or tell him to shove a pipe up his aft hole? With the nut Screamer leaving our immediate area and Shockwave making sure he didn't need us, it is like we got a lot to do around here. Maybe we can drag old Blitzy into this endeavor with the Stunticons. We do know Motormaster usually puts on a good show when it comes to beating his fellow Stunticons," Octane said.

"Yeah, yeah. I'd be tempted to make him wait if it was anyone else, but, ehhhh, Motormaster's not one I want to rile up right now. Like you said, the hurtin' he puts on those insane little losers of his is always fun to watch, heh."

The triple-changers approached the broad hangar doors and Astrotrain entered the access codes, allowing them to slowly begin sliding out of the way.

"Aw. They're not here yet. I was hoping for some immediate entertainment"

Lounge

"What about them?" Dead End asked as they were leaving, referring back to Blitzwing and Weirdwolf and whoever else wanted to keep the chaos going.

"What about them? We're alive. We're not in a CR chamber. Let's try'n keep that way, eh?" Breakdown scoffed back.

Breakdown and Dead End exchanged nervous glances as Motormaster stalked out of the lounge with a beaten Wildrider slung over one shoulder joint. They also, in unison, cast a furtive glance in Skullcruncher's direction. Then Breakdown shoved Dead End for glancing too long and Dead End shoved him in return as they hurried to keep pace with their brute of a commander.

Private Transmission from Onslaught to Razorclaw

>>"My Lord, We've come this far and fought countless amounts of infighting to help you secure your position at the head of Command. The Combaticons and I will stand behind you should Scorponok try and claim the mantle of leadership for himself. We'll try to wrap this thing up quickly in order to help get those additional combiners up in time. Onslaught out."<<

Lounge

"What about them? We're alive. We're not in a CR chamber. Let's try'n keep that way, eh?"

“Oh, come on, Breakdown, live a little,” Wildrider grumbled, spread his arms out. The crazed terrorist grunted in pain as he was jostled around roughly on their fiendish commander. His charade at playing dead over, Wildrider rubbed where Skullcruncher had slugged him. “Phew. That was fun. Kinda wish we could stay to watch the fireworks…”

Lounge

"The frag? You tryin' out to be the next Prime or something?! Hah, jeez. Alright. I'll come play in crazy town.”

“En garde!” Weirdwolf snarled, as he sidestepped Blitzwing’s lunge. Too slow. Too little finesse. The thespian’s own weapon danced an arc in the air to attempt to have the flat of the searing hot weapon brought down on Blitzwing’s hands.

Weirdwolf did not seek to mutilate the other Decepticon. They were, as it were, both Decepticons, and it only did their enemies good to have them kill each other. However, Weirdwolf did not have to play nicely. And humiliation was always quite gratifying. As well as…minor injuries.

“Pay you will the price of your folly!”

Hangar

”You will get what you deserve in due time but right now I need you slaggin' scraplets operational.” Motormaster growled at Breakdown and corrected Wildrider's position on his shoulder rather painfully for the smaller Stunticon. As he closed towards the hangar doors that had been given a command waited for the hangar doors to slide open – Motormaster swung his arm back and sent Wildrider flying into the hangar with a mighty throw.

”Though that hardly excludes mangling your sorry hides as much as I feel like!” He roared as he stormed into the hangar after his poor henchman.

”Everyone ready?!” The devilish Stunticon leader demanded to know as he let his optics sweep across the hangar bay with ill intent. He could spot Astrotrain and Octane. The triplechangers would be handy for the task Razorclaw set them to. Not that Astrotrain would enjoy his job but Motormaster cared little. ”Astrotrain you are our designed transport, I shouldn't have to tell you what to do.”

And as for Octane, it was always fun to bully the mean-spirited little glitch that the fueler was. The glorified fuel tanker thought himself mighty tough son of a gun but the cowardly slagger would be whimpering before Motormaster like every time in the past. Bully as he was, Octane's attitude lasted only towards those weaker than he. And Motormaster could slap him around even with both hands tied behind his back. Their last mission together to Kansas had had Octane scared silent for pretty much the whole trip.

Drag Strip was there too. The reaction by the other Stunticons towards him would be interesting. Slag, he wasn't even sure himself if he was done with hurting the yellow racer after everything he had done. But for the time being Drag Strip was scheduled to go through some peer justice as far as Motormaster was concerned.

However, a very important piece of the mission though was eluding his optics. He couldn't spot a certain red, over shiny engineer and his drones anywhere. ”Knock-Out?! Where the frag are you hiding?! We're on a slaggin' timetable here!”

Shockwave's Laboratory

“Excellent! As for his cooperation, I can’t imagine he wouldn’t want to rid himself of the cowardly seeker’s command over him. The only question would be if he would accept me as his new leash barer for lack of a better term. I may need both of you to help me convince him of that.”

Razorclaw's expression seemed to indicate that he had not fully expected to receive Shockwave's cooperation on the matter at hand. For the traditional, battle-born Decepticon it was a logical assessment--Shockwave was a rival for command just as much as any other Decepticon, and a decidedly more powerful one than most. What set Shockwave apart from the rest of them was the fact that he did not see the position of Decepticon leader as an end unto itself. It, too, was simply a means by which the strategist could more easily complete the work of sustaining their species and ending this war. That being true, he had no qualms about assisting a former--or future--rival, so long as he could still calculate a satisfactory path to completing his goals. With Razorclaw, he could still make such a calculation, though perhaps not quite in the same way that the Predacon would ultimately expect.

Before even an official summons could be submitted, the Solo Transformer Assault Group arrived outside the lab, with Razorclaw allowing the Phase Sixer entry in short order. Shockwave was certainly pleased to see that the Predacon appreciated efficiency.

Shockwave observed silently as a curious set of interactions took place between the Decepticon Leader and a mechanoid who could quite easily overpower him and take command for himself if he so chose. Such a possibility was statistically unlikely. Of all the members of Megatron's Warriors Elite, Shockwave had observed Sixshot to be the one with demonstrably manageable levels of ambition. Sixshot effectively said as much as the dialogue between he and Razroclaw progressed. Sixshot had no particular designs on command. The same could certainly not be said of the rest.

For a few moments, the statistical calculations running through Shockwave's brain module were going through some surprising variations: he could not be certain whether the Phase Sixer was going to submit to Razorclaw's request, leave the ship, or strike the Predacon down where he stood. But after a few moments more, it became clear.

“Fine. You free me from Starscream’s control and you’ll have my support. I’m prepared to undergo the procedure whenever you are ready to commence, Shockwave.”

"Declarative: we will proceed immediately, if there are no objections," Shockwave said, motioning to a nearby medical berth. Approaching a command console, the cycloptic mech entered a set of commands and the berth began to transform and expand so that it could comfortably accommodate Sixshot's larger size. "The procedure will be invasive; however, I am sure you can recall your previous experience."

Shockwave’s Laboratory

“Well, my dear Flamewar, you’ll be happy to hear that Starscream has left the ship with a few of his seekers,” Razorclaw informed the fiery femme, glancing over to her. “He is a coward and like a coward he has fled with his tail fins tucked firmly between his exhaust ports. I have a spy keeping watch over him, but for now he won’t be causing us any problems. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to free Sixshot from his grasp.”

Contrary to a smile of relief, Flamewar merely frowned thoughtfully. A Starscream left to his own devices was often more trouble than one that could be accounted for, but the timing certainly was optimal. Which only left the black operative feeling more cautious. For the moment, she was happy to capitalize on Starscream’s foolish absence. “Quite,” she said in agreement.

Schooling her features to be more pleasant, she listened simply to Shockwave and Razorclaw’s dialogue. It seemed Razorclaw was pleased. Which was good. He asked for their help convincing the phase sixer. She would be sure to appear to acquiesce to his request. Flamewar only hoped that Sixshot would be as willing to play along given how much plans had changed.

As unnerving as the possibility was that Sixshot would both refuse her friendship and refuse to cooperate, Flamewar made no outward indication of it. There was no sense in getting worked up over possibilities. Only to consider them in the case they did arise so she would have…plans for such an occasion.

Razorclaw seemed momentarily distracted by something, possibly a transmission. Flamewar’s optics shifted to the door when a sudden, rather loud, rather heavy banging from the exterior door. Flamewar could only guess who that was. The familiar voice that came from behind it only confirmed it. A slight smile played upon her faceplate as Sixshot was admitted to the laboratory.

“Welcome, Sixshot! I’m very glad to see that you have fully recovered.”

“Was there any doubt?”
“Of course not, my friend,” Razorclaw replied, taking a few steps back to give the larger mech more room to move around.

“You might have fooled me,” Flamewar teased lightly, returning Sixshot’s grin. She listened with some interest to Razorclaw’s plea with Sixshot, reminded in part of her and Thunderwing’s earlier attempts. She still did not quite know how hers had gone over. Sixshot posed something of a challenge to the Predacon lord’s reign, and it was fascinating to watch the two face each other down. Razorclaw, for his part, did not disappoint.

As Razorclaw struck back with a verbal barb of his own, Sixshot glanced to Shockwave, clearly considering the implication of the Predacon Commander’s words. Eventually, the phase sixer relented and stepped away from Razorclaw, ready to undergo the procedure. It was then that she heard the crackle of an open comm. Ah, yes. She had been waiting for this.

>>”Hello again, my dear. Sorry for ignoring you before, but Razorclaw had my undivided attention. Am I to assume that things have changed since last we spoke? The Predacon appears certain that he will have my new code. I was under the impression you would have it. A friend and not a master. That’s what you said, correct? Unless, of course, that’s still the case and you have something up your metaphorical sleeve that ‘Claw here doesn’t know about. If so, do feel free to fill me in on the details.”<<

>>”Not to worry, I understand. I’m afraid some plans have been altered slightly since we last spoke, yes. I will still possess your code as a friend, but it became necessary to involve others. Namely, Soundwave and Shockwave. As to what that means with regards to your code…They will also possess it,”<< Flamewar began, being as straightforward as she could. She considered her next words carefully.

>>”However, I believe this will act as a system of checks and balances. While you will have more handlers, it will be harder for a single one to act without the permission of the others. Added to the fact that one of them sees you as a friend, I still believe that this is in your favor.”<<

Flamewar kept her gaze situated the phase sixer, glancing to Shockwave as he motioned to a nearby medical berth.

>>”In order to make Razorclaw believe that he has the code, I will create a device that you will be able to activate voluntarily, which will make it appear that you are in stasis. It is, of course, up to you whether to use it or not. Just be aware of the consequences of not activating it.”<<

Looking over to the medical berth where the operation was to occur, Flamewar moved over to Shockwave.

“I will be happy to render assistance, should you require it, Shockwave,” Flamewar said, offering her hands up to the cycloptic scientist.

>>”Are you alright with this, Sixshot?”<< Flamewar concluded by asking. She had made it sound like she cared whether he was okay with this change of plan. She didn’t know herself if she actually did or not. It was hard for an individual like herself to differentiate between the personal and the mission. Perhaps she did. Perhaps she was trying at least. It was difficult to lower one’s guard.

Hangar Bay - Behind some storage crates

The sleek Crimson Aston Martin alt mode of the Decpeticon mechanic rested alongside some storage crates that lined the walls of the hangar bay. The radio was playing low from within the cabin and the driver's seat was tilted back in a relaxed manner even though no one was actually sitting inside.

When the liiiiights go doooown, in the cit-ay...

"You gotta love it when the brutes are late to their own summons." Knock-Out whimsically sighed as his suspension eased itself, lowering the car an inch or so. "So much time to sit back really enjoy the silence."

And the sun shiiines awwwwwwn the baaaay...

"Knock-Out?!" Came a thunderous shout from across the hangar, startling the Crimson mechanic out his relaxed state. "Where the frag are you hiding?! We're on a slagging timetable here!"

"He's late and I'm holding him up? Geh..." Knock-Out cursed to himself as he quieted his radio and slowly drove from around the containers, reverting back into his robot mode once he came into vision of the five Stunticons. Knowing the thuggish leader of the bunch was very abrasive, the good doctor choose his next words very carefully.

"No need to fret o' Master of the Roads, ready to get this preverbal show on the road." He paused for a moment, waiting for the bunch to catch up to where he was standing. "Though the instructions weren't exactly clear... What is it we're doing now?"

Shockwave’s Laboratory

“I recall my prior experience quite well, Shockwave,” Sixshot responded to the cycloptic mech as the med berth in front of him went through a series of transformations and expansions in order to hold the phase sixer’s larger size. “And, as before, the invasiveness of the procedure will not be an issue for me. As you should know, unlike most Cybertronians, I can withstand an immense amount of pain and not twitch a diode.”

Once the berth was set and ready to receive the STAG, Sixshot proceeded towards it. There was little to no hesitation on his part. The sooner the code was changed the better. The question now was who exactly would have the new code? Previously, it was stated to him that Flamewar, a friend, would possess the code. However, the way Razorclaw had just been talking it appeared that he would also have it? The phase sixer had posed the question to the black ops femme via a private comm line and now he was about to receive an answer.

Pausing next to the berth, Sixshot listened with great interest as Flamewar’s words came across the secured channel they shared. She confirmed that plans had, indeed, changed somewhat since before his stay in a CR chamber. Now, both Shockwave and Soundwave would also possess the code as well as herself. Shockwave made sense since he was the once who would implant the new code. So, of course, he would know it. Soundwave was another matter and not someone Sixshot had expected. Although, there was little to fear from the communications expert as he was not likely to abuse the code to further an agenda. Soundwave was extremely loyal to Megatron, probably more so than most Decepticons, and was not one who wanted the throne for himself. Thus, the code would be as safe with him as it would be with Shockwave and Flamewar, if not safer. Plus, having multiple handlers would offer a system of checks and balances, making it difficult for any one of the three to act without the approval of the others.

Sixshot hopped up onto the medical slab and immediately laid down as Flamewar continued speaking after a brief pause. Apparently, there would be a device installed that would make it appear as though the sixchanger was in stasis when, in fact, he was not. It was something that Sixshot could activate, himself, in order to make Razorclaw believe that his “code” worked. The Predacon lord would think he possessed the code, but instead he would only possess a fake. It made perfect sense and kept the phase sixer out of the control of one who was more than likely to abuse such an asset as the STAG in order to further his own hold on the throne.

>>”I must say, Flamewar, you seem to have thought of everything. Well done. Indeed, I am fine with the changes you have laid out, especially in regards to Razorclaw having a false code. However, lets just leave the number of handlers at three. I understand your reasoning for it, checks and balances and all, but three is more than enough, wouldn’t you agree, my dear? Let’s not add any more.”<<

Sixshot deepened his internal vocals over the comm line with the last sentence spoken in order to make it very clear that he wanted no more than the three handlers mentioned. He was already taking a big risk as it stood, one that needed to be taken if he was to be freed from Starscream’s control. And while Flamewar, Shockwave and Soundwave were unlikely to abuse the phase sixer’s power, with Decepticon politics as precarious as they currently were, anything was possible.

“I am ready when you are, Shockwave,” Sixshot said, glancing over at the Military Operations Commander before shifting his attention to Flamewar. “I’m sure he can handle things on his own, my dear, but if it speeds things along then, by all means, stay and help. You’ll get no objections from me.”
____________

Razorclaw watched as Shockwave prepared a med berth for the upcoming procedure and then as Sixshot walked over and laid down upon it. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Of course, outward appearances could be deceiving. The Predacon lord’s concern was not so much Sixshot as the STAG surely wanted to be free from Starscream’s control. No, the concern was more with Shockwave and even Flamewar. The cycloptic mech had been an adversary for the throne very recently while the black ops femme was a staunch supporter of Megatron's for so very long. Both of them appeared far too willing to give the lion-former control of the phase sixer and had agreed to it rather quickly. It was almost too easy. Razorclaw would have to keep a close optic on things as the procedure commenced, and he also had some questions of his own regarding how the code would be implanted.

However, those questions were put on hold for a moment as Razorclaw finally heard back from Onslaught in regards to Scorponok. Like Scrapper, the Combaticon Commander and his unit would stand behind the lion-former if Scorponok tried to come here and claim the throne for himself. Onslaught pointed out that they had fought very hard to help the Predacon lord secure the throne, eluding to the possibility of just giving the mantle of leadership away as being a non-option.

Razorclaw sent back a non-verbal reply to Onslaught before returning his attention to the current proceedings. Even having heard from all three of his closest allies, the Predacon lord still had much to think about. The only member of his inner circle who seemed more than willing to hand the throne over to Scorponok was, interestingly enough, Motormaster. Scrapper and Onslaught appeared more open to fighting the arachnid in order to keep their standing as it was. Both sides made good points on whether to resist Scorponok or take the easy way out and just give in to him. Ultimately, however, it’s what Scrapper had said, the decision belonged to Razorclaw alone. Unfortunately, it was still no easier to make than before.

Setting aside those concerns for the time being, Razorclaw took a few steps towards Sixshot’s med berth to get a better view of the impending procedure. The Predacon lord wanted to see exactly what was happening and how the cycloptic scientist was going to conduct the operation. “Shockwave, once the original code has been deleted, how will the new one be entered into Sixshot exactly? Will you do it, yourself, thus giving you knowledge of it, or will I simply enter a new code of my own choosing so that only I possess it? I’m unaware of how things were handled back when Megatron had you initially install the killswitch. That’s why I’m asking now.”

Hangar

"No need to fret o' Master of the Roads, ready to get this preverbal show on the road." He paused for a moment, waiting for the bunch to catch up to where he was standing. "Though the instructions weren't exactly clear... What is it we're doing now?"

”I do NOT fret.” Motormaster snarled, leaving the other Stunticons behind and marching to prod Knock-Out's chest plate with his forefinger rather forcefully. Certainly hard enough for the mechanic to stagger several steps backwards due to the impact.

”Listen you turboworm droppings!” The large Stunticon bellowed with clear hint of annoyance in his voice – suggesting Motormaster's own disinterest the mission and for having to do a briefing about it. ”The bad news is that you boys drew the short stick without even knowing it! Commander Razorclaw wants us to retrieve the Ultrax and the sizeable energon cache stored innit.”

”And whether you like it or not, that's what we are going to do,” he added with his optics flashing with an obvious sign of danger towards anyone who would dare to suggest anything else.

Placing his hand on Knock-Out's shoulder, letting his grip deform the mechanic's perfect finish Motormaster continued, ”Knock-Out here is charged with making the frigate fly worthy again. Astrotrain and Octane are out transport given we cannot bounce the energon directly back into the Thanatos. And you four dimwits are the labor force.”

”Deal with it,” Motormaster said and released his grip on Knock-Out's shoulder. ”Astrotrain, it is time to go.”

Hangar

“Hrgh,” Wildrider groaned, writhing just a bit in pain as Motormaster adjusted him on his shoulder. Ugh, that felt unpleasant. He heard the familiar hiss of doors opening before he found himself suddenly very weightless. What was-

Thud.

Oh. Wildrider slid across the hangar floor in a tangle of limbs and body parts before finally coming to a stop. Unfortunately, that stop happened to be on his head from which he thunked against the floor for a final time. Ouch. He snuck a peek at Motormaster from where he lay on the floor. Ah. He seemed kind of mad. Another day in the Stunticons.

Scrunching himself up into a ball, Wildrider sprang himself up off the floor in one fluid motion, dusting off his recent injuries and poking some dents in his armor plating. Nothing some time in a CR chamber wouldn’t cure, but he’d rather die than go back in one of those again so soon. His optics lifted up to examine the other occupants of the hangar when his optics settled on one in particular, a strange sort of smile forming on his face.

“Oh ho ho, look what the turbofox dragged in,” Wildrider hissed almost gleefully. The terrorist slunk up to Drag Strip, leaning on the other Stunticon with almost too much camaraderie. “How ya doin’, loser? You know, I thought the crazy fragger thing was my shtick. But then you go and sign on with a slaggin’ demigod,” Wildrider shook his head and moved slightly away from Drag Strip. “I think I’ll kick yer aft for it!” Wildrider snarled as he reeled back with one leg to send a sharp kick to Drag Strip’s backside.

Hangar

Astrotrain let out a quiet sigh of exasperation as Motormaster and his little motley crew made their presence known. It wouldn't be long now before he was hauling their little glitched afts all over this mudball planet.

”Astrotrain you are our designed transport, I shouldn't have to tell you what to do.”

"Yeah, I know the drill," Astrotrain acknowledged, taking a couple of steps away from the other mechanoids before activating his transformation sequence. In a few short moments, a shuttle began to roll into launch position from where the robot had stood a short time before. He opened his bay doors and waited for the others to board.
___

No sooner had Wildrider been summarily dumped on the hangar floor than he started in with his usual antics--only now the target was the fitting form of Drag Strip. Of all the glitches who needed to be punished, it was definitely the one who had sided with a crazed demigod who almost obliterated them.

“Oh ho ho, look what the turbofox dragged in. How ya doin’, loser? You know, I thought the crazy fragger thing was my shtick. But then you go and sign on with a slaggin’ demigod. I think I’ll kick yer aft for it!”

"Yeah," Breakdown chuckled. "Twenty chits says Motormaster lets you have a little 'accident' while we're down planetside and we hafta find ourselves a new Stunticon when we're done, heheh."

Hangar

Transport...the only job he and Astrotrain are good for. Where was the respect they had while Megatron or at least Shockwave would give them? The specialist teams think they are so big because there are more of them. Maybe that is the problem. Maybe Shockwave needs to create more triple changers instead of the horrible failed attempts with the Duocons. At best the Duocons could be used as slaves instead of the elite commandos of the triple changers.

>>Why doesn't anyone put a one ton slag rock in his mouth and wrap a beam around his ugly head, Astrotrain? We should be getting more respect than what we are and if Shockwave won, we might have it with the Stunticons as our slaves. At least we could boss around the stupid Duocons since they have such small processors they wouldn't know what we were doing. Maybe if we had two more triple changers to even the odds we could take the Stunticons. If we did things right, us three probably could take out the four weaker ones easily enough but the dumb brute they call their slave master is the problem.<<

After his rant, Octane boarded his fellow Triple changer but was very careful to give the so called mission leader the room for his over sized ego to fit.

((OOC: With Cry's permission, I will be taking Dead End back as an NPC.))

Bridge

The doors slid open with a sharp hiss, drawing Soundwave's attention to the Predacon stepping back inside.

"Alright, protoform sitting's over. Scoot over, runt." The Predacon bull boasted to Rampage as he moved behind his brother in arms, staring towards the same screen as he. "What are we watching?"

The Communications officer took note that each of the Predacons, save from their commander, we're all present in the room. There was no sense in standing by and watching these beasts try and fly the ship any longer. Soundwave himself could pretty much run the ship's comms systems from anywhere within the ship, there was no sense is sense in stationing himself to one area. Besides, the Intelligence officer was more than curious to see how the new Supreme Commander would handle this situation with the Burning Justice in person.

"Wouldn't I be better suited to an assignment that requires discretion?" Ravage asked from Soundwave's side. The communications officer looked down at the jaguar and patted the feline cassette on the head.

"Normally it would, my old friend." Soundwave replied with his usual monotone, "But the unknown variables are too high to send you alongside the Seekers. Laserbeak is able to keep up with the Seekers in the air." He patted the jaguar once more before gazing out into the black void of space outside the view port. "Besides, your stealth capabilities may be more of more use to us here. Buzzsaw can cover for Laserbeak's usual duties, but neither of them could cover for you. C'mon, We need to talk to our Supreme Commander now."

Without alerting the other Decepticons present, the blue and white communications officer took his leave from the bridge, off towards the science labs where the new Supreme Commander was residing within.

Hangar Bay

Knock-Out staggered a couple steps as the thuggish Stunticon Commander forcefully jabbed at him with his index finger, rebutting that the good doctor's mentioning of "fretting" is something he doesn't comply with.

There really is no winning with this guy, is there...

The black and gray Stunticon then began to explain why they were assembled before him. Razorclaw wants the old Stunticon vessel back up and running as well as keep a hold of all the previous energon still inside. No, can't let that go to waste now can we?

"Knock-Out here is charged with making the frigate fly worthy again. Astrotrain and Octane are out transport given we cannot bounce the energon directly back into the Thanatos. And you four dimwits are the labor force.” The master of the roads began, his iron grip tightening around Knock-Out's shoulder. The Crimson and gold mechanic tried not to whimper out any sound of discomfort, least he give in to Motormaster's sadistic display of authority. When his grip loosened, Knock-Out stared down at the dented metal and scraped polish. Every fiber of his being wanted to scream out at the brute, but he knew full that would just land him back in the medical bay with a Mototmaster-sized cut running through his chassis.

Just had to deal with this lot of miscreants for now, and hope the larger one doesn't get too bored down on the surface. After he finished scowling at the dents in his armor, Knock-Out walked over towards Astrotrain and board the Transporter's shuttle mode.

-

Dead End silently sighed in relief as he watched Knock-Out's polish get roughed up by the boss instead of his. His faceplate maintained his usual dull expression hidden well by both his mouthplate/visor combo and from the vorns of serving under Motormaster. The burgundy warrior then glanced over and saw his fellow Stunticons beginning to egg-on the so-called traitor, their brother in arms Drag Strip.

"Primus, here we go again..." Dead End sighed as he glanced back towards their shuttle, ignoring Wildrider and Breakdown's teasing of Drag Strip so that Motormaster wouldn't punish him as well. Course if it would put him out of this miserable assignment of manual labor, he might consider joining in alongside them and be able to call it a blessing in disguise. But why bother, Motormaster would beat them all either way... Why continue to even waste the time? Dead End then climbed up Astrotrain's boarding ramp and took a seat at the furthest most spot.

Shockwave's Lab

Soundwave entered through the parted doorway to find all of the occupants in the middle of conversation. The communications officer did not want want to draw all the attention towards himself as he walked in, which might be easier now that Megatron's Warrior Elite had woken up shortly ago.

>>"Lord Razorclaw."<< He began, opening a private channel, as he faced towards the newly appointed Supreme Commander, >>"The crew of the Burning Justice is awaiting a response."<<