The Energon Pub

Sonic Canyons

Macabre grimaced as he was singed by Turmoil. He didn't like to be helped back to Scourge, but at least he knew he could trust these two to get him back. He was still unsure about how to handle Venom, then Discord piped up on a secure comm-link.

>>You're absolutely right, he cannot be trusted. But in his eageness to help me, he has shown me that he may be useful to us yet. We will use Venom as a pawn in our little game of revenge. I will determine how he will best serve us, as either an ally... or bait.<<

He looked to Discord with a gleam in his eye that could only be described as glee.

>>I will need your... expertise in this matter. We will talk further when Master is done with me.<<

Kokular- Medbay

Rancid had dragged himself to the medbay, his functions deteriorating. He had removed the idiot's arm on his way there and handed it to a repair drone.

"Give this to Swiftscreech, he'll want this back..." He mumbled to the drone,"Give me a full body repair and a replacement arm. I'll also need a synth-oil CR bath."

He slowly slumped over to the CR chambers and shut down temporarily for repairs.

Kolkular's Forge - Arena

"Well hello Venom." Banzai-Tron walked calmly into the Arena balcony, showing no signs of having just run half a megamile from the Fortress' main hangar. "I see you're not dead. Excellent, keep up the good work. Oh, it's me Banzai-tron, in case you're wondering. Assuming you remember me from the last time you were on Cybertron, it has been some time. You've reformatted too I see, looks interesting."
Banzai-Tron grabbed himself a chair and sat down next to the Insecticon. "So, how are things? You seem to have gotten away from the rest of your team. Catching a break from the constant threat of being killed and eaten? I wouldn't blame ya. Well, Kaon's quiet enough at the minute, so you shouldn't have much problem relaxing. Unless you have something else in mind..."
He can't be just hanging around here for the hell of it. They way he snuck in here, away from the rest of the Insecticons, and at minimum size, it was lucky that even I spotted him. There's trouble in Bugland, and right now, trouble is exactly what I'm looking for.

Kolkular – Hangar

The shuttle settled down inside of the massive hangar and powered down. The door of the small craft slid open and the Decepticon Supreme Command walked out. His little impromptu tour of the Empire had gone well enough. The Heights were relatively secure and the mission off of Cybertron was set. Some of his soldiers might be upset or disgruntled at their new assignments, but it didn’t matter. They would do as they were told or suffer the consequences. At this point of the war there would be no room or tolerance for failure.

The Emperor of Destruction swiftly left the hangar bay. It was time to see what condition his capital and fortress was in.

*

Kolkular – Scorponok’s lab

After the two Decepticons stepped into the chambers Fasttrack activated the control to seal them in. Scorponok moved to the main control panel and connected himself directly to the device. He wanted to have precise control of the operation to monitor and adjust it as needed. The results of this operation would only lead to further advancements with the technology. He already had ideas for advances with it.

But first he needed to be sure it would be safe for more widespread use. Roadblock was an exceptional Decepticon, physically at least. He had little doubt that he would survive the test without any major problems. Now, applying what he had learned from that first successful trial he should be able to apply it for more average subjects like Bugly and Octopunch. Both were fine soldiers in their own right, but they would never be mistake for someone of Roadblock’s power.

The Decepticon general activated the process. The techno-organic substance was poured into the stasis chambers. With the assistance of the repair abilities of the chamber it began to bond to the cerebral circuitry of the Decepticon inside. This was the part of the process that was most delicate, but with the test results he had Scorponok was able to guide it smoothly. The remote link between the still forming shells and the Decepticons was successfully created. The shell then fully mapped out their bodies, recording every bit of them and their internal systems. The information would be used later by the shell to conduct repairs similar to those of a CR chamber. The remainder of the process was mostly aesthetic, drawing on the thoughts and abilities of the Decepticons within. The process was likely more subconscious than anything else. He noted with interest how these two shells were so much different than that of Roadblock’s. It didn’t particularly matter to him personally, but he found it interesting none the less.

The process was complete and the chambers opened. Scorponok remained connected to the console, still scanning and monitoring the two Decepticons. “Bugly, Octopunch, exit the chambers and give your new shells a full test.”

*

Kolkular – Secondary repair bay

Shrapnel snickered at Chop Shop’s comments. “It’s not like your stealing is a secret, secret. Besides, it would be his word against all of ours, ours. Are they even going to listen to the deposed leader of the Insecticons, Insecticons?” He lifted up his arm as the repair drones moved away. He flexed his hand and moved it around to test it. He smiled as he was satisfied with the repairs.

“We can deal with Venom when he comes out of hiding, hiding. We just have to be alert for his treachery, treachery. Just keep your optics open for him, him. For now though, we will see if Megatron has an assignment for us, us. Is everyone fully repaired, repaired?” Shrapnel was anxious to see Megatron. It would help to cement his status as the new Insecticon leader. Plus he wanted to get there before Venom did. He didn’t want to have to argue with their former leader in front of the Emperor of Destruction.

Kolkular – Scorponok's Lab

Octopunch was the first to emerge. A large bulbous helmet first as he ducked under the top of the pod hatch. His hands grasp the sides followed by tentacles.
As he exits the pod, he stands, and the porthole in his helmet comes to view. Darkness obscures the face short of ghastly, large, sharpened, fang like teeth that seem to shine through the darkness of the diving helmet ominously. The teeth part as the mouth opens and he emits a hissing exhale. Tentacles retrieve a harpoon gun, and a large trident (From the Marvel comics) from the pod then equip them in hand.
The chest opens and Octopunch slips out of his shell, then looks proudly at his new armor of destruction.
The tentacles and limbs travel their range of functions via remote then the two who are one walk to the testing grounds of the lab which were far from vital instruments to a small shooting range likely used for recently developed test weapons. The Shell's trident is aimed, and unleashes a potent blast of energy into a target, followed by a harpoon from the gun.

As Octopunch tests his shell, Bugly emerges from the pod.
A high pitched chittering noise escapes a pair of oral stingers as compound eyes take in the world in an entirely new way, and only intensifying his stare that had made many a grunt whither as the multiple facets focus on one target. Organically armored antennae feel their way through the air.
The shell is a mixture of horrific organic and synthetic materials that resembled an insect's appearances more than the Insecticons themselves some might say, yet at the same time, nightmarishly bipedal with one of the hands replaced by a large blade that seems organic, but lethal even by transformer standards. The chitin like armor that covers his shell is adorned with spikes that could likely cause pain when rammed forcibly into transformer armor. Considering that these features accompany a masterful martial artist, they should be enough to worry most foes.

Bugly would look up to Scorponok "Lord Scorponok, I would like to present one of my plans to you while Octopunch tests his shell." He'd take a gamble on this. He despised offering control of an idea to another. "I would like, if you see fit, to propose the creation of an elite, autonomous or semiautonomous task force that does not comprise of a single make or style of Decepticon, rather comprised of some of our best soldiers. This task force would reinforce our troops as needed, act as a counter against elite Autobot groups, and seek out traitors to the empire. Those who would not only seek to put their desires over Megatron's, but would potentially act on them and threaten the Emperor himself. The task force would then deal with such threats to the empire in what ever means they wish." The shell opens, so far showing no problems, and a data pad is produced from a compartment in Bugly's robot form, then handed to Scorponok. "This pad, my lord, contains a list of candidates I think would best work for this idea I have dubbed the 'Mayhem Attack Squad'."
Said list would consist of the Decepticons: Battletrap, *Carnivac (Leader?), *Catilla, Chop Shop, Flywheels, Venom, Needlenose, Snarler (Leader?), Spinister, Bludgeon (Leader?), Octopunch, and Stranglehold.

(*Provided that Carnivac and/or Catilla are not Autobots already in this game.)

Kolkular's Forge - Arena

Venom was slightly nervous about Banzai-Tron. What if he's with... Nah, just curious. But I should be careful. Maybe he could be useful... Venom finally replied. "It's been a while, Banzai-tron. You seem to have changed too, I see." Lowering the tone of his voice, Venom continued, "I need a favor. There is profit. Are you intrested?"

Kolkulars Forge - Arena

"Favors for profit are generally known as jobs, but yes, I'll say I'm interested. Got nothing on my plate at the moment. I'll hear you out, with confidentiality assured."
Definitely something up, Banzai-Tron thought. I hope he's not going to ask for something too unethical, desperate bots take desperate measures.

Kolkulars Forge - Arena

"Ok, here's the deal. I want you to tail Shrapnel. He just tried to kill me, and I think he'll do it again. Just follow him and let me know what he's up to." Venom was glad Banzai-tron would do anything for money. "As for your pay..." He pulled out a small ticket and handed it to his new investigator. "It's my bet on the last turboworm fight. The fight was fixed, so you've already won. The odds were against me, so it should be worth a lot. Just redeem it before they figure out what happened." And with that, Venom got up and walked away.

Forge~armorers

Venom approached the mini-constructicons in the forge. He made his order clear. "I want Insulative material here,here, and on this." He pointed to his left forearem, his right forearm, and his axe." The worker nodded in approval. Venom lied down on the construction table and enterd Stasis lock. I need a rest...

OOC: Yes, I did get permission from a mod.

The Forge - Arena

Banzai-Tron watched Venom as he left, then at the ticket he'd been handed. He smiled. Venom had left him an interesting conundrum.

While cashing in the ticket, the martial artist thought over the task he'd volunteered for. Getting close to the Insecticons wasn't easy, they were infamous for keeping to themselves, and Shrapnel was the worst for this. Not to mention the fact that they were dangerous to be around. His best option would be to approach one of the more agreeable members, like Chop Shop, and learn what he could through him.

Of course, if he was going to deal with Chop Shop, he should probably put him winnings under lock and key in his room, rather than take them with him...

The Sonic Canyons

Discord replies to Macabre on the secure channel. >>I shall do all I can for you, and the Sweeps, provided Scourge allows me to remain functional when he is done with me.<< She says with some dry humor. Sometime she wondered if that eventually, she was going to the all spark due to the displeasure of her leader. But she had escaped his wrath after the surprise attack on the moon, but Scourge was very occupied on something then. Would he still be occupied by the desire to hunt and kill the Autobot Twins? The golden one who left his face scarred?
So much going on, it seems. First the moon, then the Insecticons. What would be next?

Ah, one thing she could always count on. The other Sweeps are far far more revenge driven than her, but that's not to say Discord doesn't revel in the act herself. Maybe seeking peace between the Sweeps and the Insecticons was not really an option? Then again, her revenge is not on the Insecticons, it's on Venom. Perhaps she would ensure that Venom is not the ally, but the pawn. The pawn to be taken by the queen after his usefulness has been expended. She blames Venom more than anyone for the assault. For the battle lasting as long as it had. For shooting at her! For looking to see her destroyed by paralyzing her in the line of deadly fire! There was no excuse for such actions short of seeking her demise, and no one seeks her demise without paying some how, sooner or later.

She makes her way slowly, and steadily with Turmoil and Macabre never looking forward to meeting Scourge so close to after a mission. He always bore bad news. Then again her existence is a short one so far, though it may feel like an eternity at times. She hadn't often been called to Scourge.

Kolkular - Secondary Repair Bay

"Good to go, boss," Ransack told Shrapnel. It was the first time he had called the electrical menace 'boss,' but it didn't feel much different from calling Venom by the same title. So long as the promise of opportunity for causing mass destruction was there, Ransack didn't much care who was in charge. Although even I gotta admit, I wouldn't mind a swing or two at Venom for that re-deconstruction slag!

That wasn't to say Ransack would not accept Venom back into the Insecticon ranks. It's just he wouldn't trust him. But Pit, not like any of us trusted him before! Or like any of us trust each other, period!

Kolkular - secondary repair bay

Chop Shop looked at Shrapnel.

"I'm ready to go. We could use a good mission right about now. Perhaps success can help restore our image."

Chop Shop cared greatly about how other Decepticons saw him. After all, the success of any alibi depends greatly on how well the person giving it is trusted.

Chop Shop stood up and was ready to see Megatron, though he doubted that Megatron would appreciate having him anywhere near his quarters.

Kolkular--Command Center

Soundwave had made note of Megatron's return with no uncertain amount of personal pleasure. Ideally, the information that he had compiled and organized regarding the planet AC488 would serve the Decepticon empire satisfactorally for orns and vorns to come. Given that Megatron was a mech of action, Soundwave had been surprised by his choice not to attend the mission personally. But, on the other diode, that meant that there was even more in store for their work here.

Tempted to communicate with the Decepticon leader directly via their secure frequency, Soundwave instead decides to wait for the Decepticon leader to arrive. There could well be other things on Megatron's mind that needed to be addressed first before the topic of interplanetary exploration arose.

That did not, however, mean that the young Decepticons that had been originally sent along with Megatron on the shuttle now had free reign to roam the fortress.

>>"Rumble, Frenzy: Return to containment status."<<

>>Aww! Do we have tuh?"<<

Though the question had been asked in the manner similar to other protoforms that Soundwave had observed, he knew that they would already know the answer to that question and be on their way. Though he took a more personal interest in his familiars than he did the majority of the other Decepticons, there was still a heavy price to be paid for insubordination. They had learned that lesson, for the most part, even if the occasional reminder proved to be a necessity.

Kolkular - Command Center

A heavily encoded transmission from the Tagan Heights arrived in the main communications terminal in the Command Center. Those with appropriate security clearances would be able to view its contents.

Roadblock wrote:All hail Megatron, Emperor of Destruction! This is Tagan Heights command, requestin' transfer of reinforcements from Polyhex an' Kolkular ta our theater o' operations. List follows:

Onslaught
Brawl
Swindle
Vortex
Blast-Off
Bludgeon
Rampage
Bugly

Appreciate prompt response an' approval. 'Til all are one! Roadblock out.

The transmission ended.

Kolkular – Scorponok's Lab

Scorponok continued to check his instruments as the two newly forged Pretenders. As he had expected, each shell had taken a unique outer appearance somewhat representative of the Transformer it bonded with. Octopunch’s had a distinctive aquatic appearance while Bugly’s had an insectiod appearance with optics prime for examining and recording a situation. They would both prove advantageous to their specific functions.

He was still examining the readings when Bugly approached him with the proposal. He carefully took the datapad from the smaller Decepticon and studied its contents. He then looked down at Bugly. “The idea has some merit, but these Decepticons are already assigned throughout the Empire. The Insecticons are also not in a favored position in the Empire at the moment. This idea may be revisited at a later date though. Now proceed with testing your shell further. The results will lead to further refining and enhancement of this technology.” The Decepticon handed the pad back to Bugly and resumed studying the results on his control console.

*

Kolkular – Secondary repair bay

Shrapnel nodded as the other Insecticons noted their fully repaired status and agreed with him. Yes, it felt good to be the leader, the position he had always been best suited to. Venom had been ready to brainwash and torture them. He would lead them to victory and glory.

But first he had to get an audience with Megatron. He wasn’t foolish enough to simply barge into his throne room. The few Decepticons who had done that had left as ashes. No, the best way to see Megatron was to go through his glorified, monotone secretary. He was annoying to deal with, especially since he was closer to Megatron than his fusion cannon was, but he wasn’t going to tempt fate by circumventing him. Best to kiss his aft a bit then have him as an opponent later.

>>”Soundwave, wave. The Insecticons would like to have an audience with Lord Megatron, tron. Could you please inform the emperor of our desire to meet with him and ask for a new mission, mission?”<<

*

Kolkular - Command Center

Megatron entered the command center and once more took his throne. A few taps on his command chair brought up status reports from various parts of the Empire. Even as he studied them, he wanted a more personal view on the status of the Empire. Soundwave was one of his most trusted soldiers, partially from his own personal loyalty and history with Megatron and the general dislike he got from the rest of the Decepticons. He was feared and mistrusted by many other Decepticons, which only forced him to become more loyal to the Supreme commander to keep his standing and position. It was a system that worked to both their benefit.

“Soundwave, status report.”

As he did all of this he sent a brief reply back to Roadblock and his request for reinforcements.

Kolkular – Scorponok's Lab

Octopunch finishes successfully testing his shell, wearing an insidious smile on both his faces. His weapons worked quite well, and wrath would be twice as fierce now. Oh, he does look forward to seeing the faces of the Autobots as they're pulled apart servo by servo.
He enters his shell, then holsters his harpoon gun while shouldering his trident. "Tests complete, Lord Scorponok! The shell is working well." he spoke through the horrible teeth that seemed to always smile. The only thing that hints at the face beneath the diving helmet is that row of teeth that shines through the murky darkness of his helmet.

Bugly kept a straight face as Scorponok spoke, but inside he was smiling hearing that the Insecticons were in trouble. It wasn't personal, but it was good to know that the insubordinates are in trouble.
That and that his idea met with some success, though it was not a complete success.
"As you wish, Sir!" Bugly salutes with a respectful tone.

Bugly turns on a heel, and goes to the target range as Octopunch makes way, equipping the robot's dual rifles onto his shell's blade mount, then takes aim at the target before punching holes in it.
His shell's hand charges an electric blast, then blows the rest of the target away.
"Yes, this is most satisfactory. Most satisfactory indeed!" he performs a brief kata of circuit-su. Complex punch combos coupled with delicate hand movements similar to Wu-shu makes his strikes seem fluid, and effortless. He would need some time to weave that massive deadly blade in to his movements, but he will see that it's done. He's no metallikato master, but he will be sufficiently deadly indeed.

Kolkular

Macabre grew more anxious with every passing astro-second. He could now see Kolkular in front of him. The journey back from the sonic canyons was a quiet one, except for the sound of energy discharges from Turmoil. As the Sweeps brought him into the hangar, he cleared his head of extraneous thoughts to focus on the punishment that certainly awaited him.

Now on the ground, Macabre supported his own weight and turned to thank his brother and sister.

"Your aid is greatly appreciated. Discord go get repaired and rest up. Provided I survive my punishment, I will need your assistance later."

He looked grimly at both Sweeps for an instant, almost as if it would be the last time he saw either of them. Without a word, he turned and made his way to Master's ready room and tried to suppress the uneasy feeling that was growing in the core of his being. It was never easy to guess what Scourge's reaction to his failure would be. To this point, he had always avoided such situations by producing results, at which he was quite adept.

Limping through the corridors, Macabre passed various Decepticons who regarded him with unusual looks, all of which he din't notice. He was deep in thought going over the details of the battle with the Insecticons trying to figure out what he could have done differently. One thing that stuck out in his mind was his overzealouness trying to protect his brothers and sisters. Most of them were better warriors than him. The next time he would be more cautious. Playing the cavalier hero made him underestimate the power of his foes. It would be important to have the Hunt fight as a collective in the future. Being ambushed had put them in an awkward place. Sweeps were not used to being the hunted. That must avoided in the future too.

Before he knew it, Macabre had reached Master's ready room. He stood outside the door a moment. Reluctance was never one of his traits, but he was finding it difficult to announce his presence. For what seemed like an eternity, he stood at the door struggling internally with the part of him that wanted to escape punishment and the part that knew he had to accept responsibility. Then a small part of him forced him to speak. The part of him that would take great pleasure in whatever punishment Scourge could dish out.

"Master! I have come!"

Kolkular –
"Yes, Sir." Discord replies to Macabre and has nothing else to say.
With that, she heads for the Medical bay. Maybe this order will have her avoiding the wrath of Scourge. Maybe if you are in the right place, at the right time you can avoid certain unpleasantness?


Kolkular - the med. Bay

Discord arrives in the medical bay dreading being here. She never liked the fact she needed repairs after a battle. She's supposed to be better than that. She's supposed to be the destroyer.
She spots Rage in a CR chamber, and frowns a bit. Hopefully she'll be out of here well before Rage awakens, or out of the way if she isn't. Still, she can help minimize the damage Rage is certain to do once she's aware again.

She has a seat on the medical bays as the repair drones direct, and she temporarily shuts down so they can make repairs, likely replacing her parts outright to speed up her recuperation. She shares many of the same parts as her kin, much to her .. what's the word? Displeasure. Not that she hates the Sweeps in any way, shape, or form, but because she lacks the feminine curves her vanity wishes.

Meanwhile, Rage stirs a bit as the shorts to her system are nearly completely repaired. So much trouble over getting knocked out.

Kolkular- Scourge's Ready Room

Scourge rose to his feet as Macabre entered the room. His keen sensors had caught every simpering word his erstwhile aide had shared with Discord. It was sickening. While Sweep solidarity was one thing, such an open admission of dependence was beneath one of his hounds.

Since it would seem he did not yet know such a fundamental truth, Scourge resolved to instruct Macabre immediately.

No sooner had the doors shut, than the Sweeps Commander's claws closed around his wounded Second's throat. The high-pitched squeal of blades scoring metal filled the chamber for a second as he dug his fingers into the sides of Macabre's neck, careful to leave to fool's vocalizer functional. The master of the hunt hefted his subordinate from the ground as easily as a crate of spare parts.

"You have failed me, My Hound. I am not well pleased. He squeezed, applying painful pressure to the delicate servos in his victim's neck. Like a protoform displeased with a broken toy, Scourge cast his XO into the far wall with a resounding thud.

The hunter approached his prey slowly. "Your Feeble leadership this day has become a source of shame for all Sweeps," he said, his voice eerily calm. "Yet this was not enough for you, was it? You had to compound your disgrace by allowing yourself to be grounded, and then asking for -help-." This last word was twisted into something vulgar and distasteful.

"I should have ordered you left were you fell. Let the Insecticons drag your feeble and wretched frame back to their lair, and devour you piece by piece. That would have been fitting. But I have need of all my hounds. Even the lowest among the pack is useful. And henceforth, that lowest...is you."

"I am demoting you. as of this moment, Discord is my Executive Officer. Furthermore, I am stripping you of your name until such time as you have proved worthy of it. You will be known only as 'Scraplet' until I say otherwise." Scourge turned his back on the fallen Sweep.

"Get out of my sight, worm. And tell Discord of her promotion."

Kolkular - Outside Scourge's Ready Room

Turmoil stood just outside, waiting for Scourge to call him back in. He was anxious to learn what awaited him. Since Macabre was being dealt with individually and the others were all being repaired he would have to face Scourge alone. Turmoil wondered why he had been summoned in the first place. He had not taken part in the Insecticon incident and he couldn't think of anything else the meeting could be about.

Turmoil let out a spark as he heard a loud thud coming from Scourge's Ready Room.

It doesn't sound like Scourge is in a good mood...

Kolkular - Secondary Repair Bay

"Oh, erm, pardon me..." Banzai-tron stopped in the doorway of the repair bay, quite agape at the sight of the Insecticons. "Er, I was here to, um, use the recharger..." Banzai-tron slinked over to a recharging unit nestled between Ransack and Chop Shop, and hooked up the recharge cable.
"Er, forgive me for asking stupid questions, but, you are the Insecticons, right? Last I had heard, you'd dissappeared on a deep space mission, wasn't it? And now you're back after all this time, looking so different? Or...have I gotten mixed up with those new 'Sweepers'?

Kolkular ~ Scourge's Ready Room

Part of Macabre's being was wracked with terror knowing that Scourge's displeasure knew no bounds. The terrified side of him sought refuge as another part of his twisted personality emerged to deal with this situation. As Scourge's claws wrapped around his neck this new part of Macabre could only smile.

That's right Master. I have emabarassed you. You must punish me like the failure that I am. I deserve nothing less.

Just as Macabre thought he would lose consciousness from the pain in his neck, Scourge granted him reprieve by throwing him away like a little piece of trash. The impact with the wall came with such force, that it knocked Macabre senseless for a moment. He had forgotten how strong Master could be. He rose to one knee and kept his bowed. It would not serve him well if Master could see how much he was enjoying his punishment just now.

Yes Master I have shamed us all. I am a failure. I am a worthless piece of scrap. Yes! A Scraplet is all that I am. I am your Scraplet.

Macabre rose to his feet glad that the punishment had not killed him. He felt that surviving this punishment would make him a better hunter in the long run. Being demoted was a minor setback. Upon his dismal, he simply looked Scourge in the optics with a peculiar grin on his face. That grin spoke volumes if one could understand his thought process, but to most it would simply be enigmatic.

"Glory to God-Emperor Megatron!"

It was a simple statement, but it conveyed everything that Macabre lived for. Although he got pleasure from the punishment, the thought of deliberately seeking the pain was thwarted by his dedication to Megatron and therfore to Scourge in turn.

Leaving Scourge's ready room, Macabre- rather 'Scraplet'- made his way to the medbay to inform Discord of her promotion. He hoped she was built sturdy enough for the task. Scraplet believed that he was well suited to be XO because of his ability to withstand Scourge's punishments.

Kolkular ~ Medbay

Finding Discord in the midst of getting repairs, he knelt before her, head bowed, awaiting her acknowledgement. When it came, he rose and spoke in all earnestness.

"I bring news from Master. You have been promoted to Executive Officer, congratulations."

He took a knee again.

"This Scraplet requests permission to get the necessary repairs soI may return to active duty.

Kolkular - the med. Bay

Discord had been repaired enough to be reactivated by the time Macabre arrived. Most of her repairs were simple, and quick yet radical as they took advantage of the shared parts and simply replaced her limbs outright using the rest for spare parts and materials, tuned them to where they should be, and then repainted them to her color scheme. This is an advantage of being not much more than one of the clones in terms of technology. No fancy gun-arms, no electrical blasts, etc. to recreate.
Discord watches him enter, then kneel. She couldn't help but raise a brow in curiosity over this. She didn't expect him to bow to her, but he did. It was.. nice. She smiled a bit, cheered from her dreary state of mind wondering what Scourge would do to her, and she acknowledged his presence as he seemed to desire.

And she found out what Scourge had done to her. He promoted her?
Still, that did not mean she would escape thrashings, and there may well be one awaiting her when next she sees Scourge in fact, but hopefully, under her guidance the thrashings would be less all-round, provided the Sweeps under her command could perform up to her, hopefully, reasonable demands of them. It was now her job to make the Sweeps into a well oiled fighting force that would prove superior to every challenge in their way.

In her mind it was as if the gears shifted. Discord's mind would quickly adapt to the notion of becoming a sub-commander. Her tactics, provided Scourge, or a commander over her were not on the field were free of red tape. She felt closer to the status of Queen.
Slag, maybe I am too much like those infernal Seekers. Still, good news is so rare, one really must enjoy good news as much as she can. Now, I must live up to my promotion. I must survive the coming battles, be they against Autobots, or Decepticons.
With that thought, she would need to come up with tactics. Many threats, and many goals existed. Two are first and foremost in her mind. The Insecticons, and then the Autobot twins. She had not forgotten about them at all.

Discord's visible reaction to the news of her promotion was silence for a moment as her closed mouthed smile widened like a cat who had just been given a plate of cream. At least until she started laughing. Not derisively at Macabre mind you, rather it was sort of the diabolical laughter that would denote a bit of madness, and evil glee. It's a laughter that would fit an evil mastermind, and evil leader yet it was also obvious the source is endowed with the grace and refinement of a femme of culture, charisma, and refinement.
The laughter filled the medical bay, and maybe even seeped into the halls, and spooked the medical drones, and Rage in her CR pod as she neared completion in repairs to her chips and cranial case. She does not know how far her laughter carried, but she did not care at the moment. She found infinite amusement in being promoted. She almost wanted to celebrate.

The laughter died down quickly enough, and a smirk crosses her lips a moment before her gaze rests on Macabre with some concern, the signs of amusement quickly leave her face. Her tone is even, and quite sane when she speaks to him despite her laughter only a few astroseconds before. "Macabre, You may undergo repairs after you tell me why you refer to yourself as 'Scraplet'." She had no idea of what went on between Scourge and Macabre, so the punishment is not apparent to her and doesn't seemingly mean harm. That fact is evidenced in her tone which is not one of belittlement.

Kolkular ~ Medbay

Scraplet was not at all surprised by Discord's laughter. He knew she would she the potential she had to perform in this capacity and would see great opportunities to achieve her personal goals. It would be challenge though to do all this while keeping Scoutge appeased. Feeling a strong sense of kinship with the femme, he knew she was capable and hoped nothing bad would come of her new appointment. His demotion matted less than the overall victory of the Sweeps. He would do his best to be a great warrior by using all his cunning. No adavantage would be left unused, no matter what. He would glady follow Discord's orders. Despite now being the lowliest of the Sweeps, Scraplet believed that was infinitely better than being any of the other Decepticons.

"By Master Scourge's decree I will now be known as 'Scraplet'. This is my punishment for disgracing the Hunt and compounding my failure through the exhibition of weakness and reliance. But know this, I am still a Sweep and this change hasn't blinded me to our true cause. I will serve you as vigilantly as I ever have. The glory of the Hunt, as always, comes before my personal desires. I still see us at Megatron's side at the end of armageddon."

Scraplet had his fist raised and clenched with his last statement. In a way his demotion helped him to refocus on his primary goal. He had let the battle with the Insecticons cloud his judgement. The next time, he would dispose of them without the overindulgent calvalrous attude he had taken. Many great warriors of the past weren't the strongest fighters physically. He would learn to fight smarter, more calculated. But first, he needed to get himself repaired.

Kolkular - Command Center

Looking up from his constant monitoring of countless datafeeds from across Cybertron, Soundwave acknowledged Megatron's request for a status report by straightening up from where he had been leaning over a console. After a few astroseconds, he spoke.

"Revitalization of the Tagan Heights' production capacity: nearly complete. Scrapper and the Constructicons have performed superlatively." He paused, then spoke again. Ever word measured, not a syllable wasted. "Polyhex: area of concern. Leadership post-Shockwave is unstable and decentralized. Suggest immediate dispatch of reconnaissance assets to monitor activities of Decepticon troops there."

To emphasize his point, Soundwave opened his chest compartment and Laserbeak emerged from within, transforming and perching on his forearm. Ravage followed, transforming into his frightening humanoid mode to stand next to his master. As he made this recommendation, Soundwave received a transmission from Shrapnel.

"The Insecticons request audience. Response, Megatron?"

He awaited his leader's answer, ever ready as always to do the Emperor of Destruction's bidding.



Kolkular - Secondary Repair Bay

"Sweeps? Sweeps?" Ransack very nearly buzzed with irritation at Banzai-tron's confusion, or fabrication thereof. "We eat Sweeps for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! In fact, we just finished mopping the floor of the Sonic Canyons with them!"

The Insecticon warrior knew the Crystalocution master by reputation and knew he was hardly one to trifle with, but getting the Insecticons confused with the Sweeps was just a bit too much to swallow. Still, Ransack wasn't so spoiling for a fight that he wanted to risk getting turned into a pile of metallic dust by some bizarre 'Seven Moons Over Iacon Double Whammy Special' attack from Banzai-tron. He wrote off Banzai-tron's confusion as simply that, and answered his other question.

"The mission was...yeah. Dynobots. But we're going to get our crack at them, you better believe it. Them and the rest of the Autobots will regret taking us prisoner and hauling us back to Cybertron, let me tell you..."