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Over Lebanon

“My lord,” Flamewar said with a bow as Megatron departed for the pilot’s cabin with Sixshot who gave her a wink. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice that as her optics darted over the rest of the warriors in the cabin. With a group this size, they’d be able to create quite the stir. Her optics glanced over to Dessicator who was staring holes into her. She would have to deal with that lug head eventually.

As Battletrap approached, her attention fell upon him while passively observing the rest of the goings on. The target, hm? Perhaps she’d have to put this into laymech’s terms. Clearing her vocalizer, Flamewar projected her voice much in the fashion that Megatron had to garner everyone’s attention.

“The mission is to accelerate planetary conflict. Essentially. Make the earthlings fight themselves, which is why we are posing as earthlings.”

Flamewar looked over to where Brakeneck and Dreadnaut and glowered at them. “The mission does not involve accelerating conflict between ourselves and making fools of yourselves in front of Lord Megatron. Am I understood?”

Her voice snapped harshly over the relative din of the shuttle. If mechs started going at each other like this, it could only lead to disaster. Best to get egos in check now before the mission began proper.

“Now are there any more questions?”


Pilot’s Cabin

From where he was sitting in the copilot’s seat, Ravage flicked his tail in idle amusement. “Aww, what an honor you do him, Lord Megatron,” he purred from his seat, looking to Sixshot. “Our leader grooming you for your future potential. Don’t disappoint him, Sixshot.”

Having slunk into the shuttle unnoticed, he had made himself comfortable up here until Megatron made his appearance. His ears perked up slightly as Megatron pointed out where they would land. Good, good. He was eager to get down there and stretch his servos.

Skies Over Lebanon

Brakeneck wrote:“Heh, we’ll see about that, kiddo. Now why don’t you go play with someone else? This is a talk between big mechs.”

"Big bots?!" Hazard considered stamping his foot, then logic took over. He sputtered for a moment before another mech stepped in.

Dissector wrote:“This is not the time, nor the place for an oil squirting challenge.”

"But, but, but..." Before Hazard could formulate an intelligent response, Doomshot grabbed him. The much smaller Con tried to struggle and get free, but his brother was simply too big.

"Bro..." Hazard tugged at Doom's arm before giving up. He crossed his arms and fumed.

Skies over Lebanon

Hazard wrote: "But, but, but..."

Dessicator’s spark went out to his friend, but it was for the best Doomshot took it upon himself to remove Hazard from the, well, hazard. Things were already complicated enough without throwing more fuel on the fire.

Brakeneck wrote:“Pfft, don’t embarrass yourself, tough guy.” He pounded his fists together, his giant tires shifting on his shoulders. “If you think all of this is some scrapshow then perhaps YOU should be one reconsidering your position here.”

So much for being diplomatic. This is why I work alone, Dessicator thought as he eyed the mech. He wasn’t known for, or even good at confrontations with his fellow Decepticons. Generally, his size and weaponry intimidated any that crossed his path, But these weren’t just any mechs, they were personally chosen for this mission, which made them among the best within their ranks.

One thing he did know was backing down from anyone but a higher up was as good as deactivation. With that in mind, he crossed his arms and his optics flashed brighter. “We’re not your enemy, but if you feel the need, I’m sure to leave you functional enough to accomplish our mission.”

Not too bad. I may get out of this without an aft kicking yet. While he felt good about his prospects, he didn’t fool himself. He hated the idea of using his special abilities on a fellow ‘Con, but in this context, it may be the only way to avoid a brawl and not only embarrass Megatron, but probably suffer his wrath as well. With that in mind, he sent power to his EMP emitter, slowly powering it up so no one would notice.

Flamewar wrote: “The mission does not involve accelerating conflict between ourselves and making fools of yourselves in front of Lord Megatron. Am I understood?”

If Dessicator could smile, he would have been from receptor to receptor as his optics went from Brakeneck and Dreadnaut to her. That’s my Flamewar, nothing like the authoritive type to get the energon flowing. A buzz ran through his energon as it surged through him. Never mind the fact that she’d just kept him from a situation. Still, he decided to keep his EMP charged… just in case.

[Skies Over Lebanon]

Brakeneck wrote:“I see how it is then. Well then, keep your reasons to yourself. I’m sure they’re much too important for me to know.”

Dreadnaut said nothing. The ruffian was definitely the kind to test one’s patience. But it mattered not at this point, since the operation required much more of it than what was needed at the moment. But it looked like Brakeneck had an optic to pick with other mechs as well, namely Hazard, who had stepped in, and Dessicator, one of those mechs they’d met in the corridors.

Doomshot did the smart thing of stepping in and breaking things up. All Dreadnaut did was give him a slight nod, as if to show approval for his action. He’s the necessary mediator. He let out a very soft sigh under his faceplate. Drama and madness before anything had even begun.

Flamewar wrote:“The mission does not involve accelerating conflict between ourselves and making fools of yourselves in front of Lord Megatron. Am I understood?”

”Understood.” ”Ma’am.” He didn’t waste his words, skipping out on the latter half of his sentence. Gah, not this again. His habit of picking and choosing between words for maximum efficiency, he felt, was a barrier, but every little bit of energy counted.

It seemed a little bit too obsessive.

Doomshot seemed to be dragging away Hazard. Good. At least he would be able to control him better. The other mech in the back, Dessicator, seemed to be giving people strange looks. Dreadnaut opened up a private comm to him. >>”Do not try anything. We haveve already got enough on our hands. It would be in your favour to disable your weapon unless it is to be used for combat.”<<

His optics had a wistful look in them, looking at these mechs around him. Something about them gave him… a feeling in his spark. He couldn’t pinpoint it. Then again, he was never good with that.

Maybe there was something positive to be found in these mechs after all.

Shuttle

Feint sat perched on Reaver's shoulder, trying hard to hold in laughter and amusement as he watched the other 'Cons getting upity. For the most part, he was failing as peels of laughter escaped. He lived for this kind of stuff. The observer watching as chaos unfolded... Only to be undone all too quickly (he didn't live for that part).

"Scrap." He muttered as the situation began to dissolve.


Reaver was ignoring him. None to happy to have the short mech perched on him.. but knew when it came to Feint, he would do as he wanted. He simply kept his attention buried in his datapad.

Skies over Lebanon

"Hey look, 'cons!" Nitro Zeus said, raising hands as his single-eye glance at Dirge in fear. "I'm just here on a mission, shooting stuff, bashing heads. Because that's what I do!" To punctuate his point, Nitro excitedly slammed both fists into one another, the friction of metal-upon-metal making a few sparks before flexing. "We're all brothers! R-right? All brothers. Y-yeah."

If anything it sounded more like the big bot realizing he was severely outnumbered when it came to seekers and knew that if he scrap-talked the seekers they could just outmatch him and turn him to scrap.

Or, worse, lock him up somewhere again.

Skies Over Lebanon

The purple Seeker remained quiet and listened to Lord Megatron as he answered some questions that were asked about the mission. The first question he answered was from Thrust. The red conehead had asked whether or not they would be fighting Autobots, in which Megatron replied that as long as things went well, they should finish the mission without alerting the Autobots to their activities. This seemed to bum out Thrust, but to be honest, if they could do it, it would be easier to get this planet ready for Cyberforming, Amethyst thought. The next question was about whether they would be posing as military or civilians, in which Megatron basically said they would be posing as both, as there were likely key figures and groups both in and out of the military that could be beneficial to their cause. A really large mech had asked about how soon Megatron wished for them to finish this mission. To that, their Lord replied basically not to be hasty, but to really on their masquerade. After this, The Mighty Megatron left this area of the ship and headed for the pilot's cabin. To Amethyst, it seemed Megatron was in a good mood. He expected them to be successful. For that, she hoped that they would be, because the wrath of the Slagmaker was no laughing matter.

Letting out a sigh, she decided to try and relax until they made landfall. The cramped feeling she had was horrible, and she wished she could turn her t-cog and just stretch all her servos out in her alt form for a few minutes. She wanted to SO bad, but it was an awful idea. So instead, she bent her knees and bounced up and down for a few seconds, while flexing her arms too. Then she booped Redwing playfully by reaching up and touching his nose. 'Ah Redwing, you're so cute.', Amethyst thought to herself, smiling at him.

The cuteness didn't last long though. Aside from normal chitter-chatter about what to expect and such, it seemed that two mechs had rubbed each other wrong. One friend of who she guessed Dreadnaut was (the big hulking guy), wasn't helping either with his choice of words to the other angry mech. One other mech offered to both of the angry ones that they should stop before they embarrass themselves, of which she agreed. However, she knew how things like this went a lot of times, and these two had it out for each other. She watched them, wondering what would happen and also dreading it. 'What if they anger Lord Megatron and get blasted to bits before we even start?', she wondered. It certainly had happened before to others. Nothing from stopping it from happening now. However, thank the stars there was a high ranking fem onboard to steady these rascals.

“The mission is to accelerate planetary conflict. Essentially. Make the earthlings fight themselves, which is why we are posing as earthlings.”

Flamewar looked over to where Brakeneck and Dreadnaut and glowered at them. “The mission does not involve accelerating conflict between ourselves and making fools of yourselves in front of Lord Megatron. Am I understood?”

Her voice snapped harshly over the relative din of the shuttle. If mechs started going at each other like this, it could only lead to disaster. Best to get egos in check now before the mission began proper.

“Now are there any more questions?”

So we're going into Phase 3. Wow....it's going along fast., Amethyst thought. They hadn't really been on this planet long, and a bunch of weird things had happened, but here they were steaming ahead quickly. She couldn't believe it was half way over now. Hopefully though, like many others wanted, there would be room to cause destruction. There was nothing better Amethyst was good at than destroying things after all (including herself). And that also should have taken care of the squabbling from those two guys who seemed about to crush each other's faces in. Amethyst didn't have no time for that drama. Nope. She just remained quiet, fidgeting and rocking on her thrusters (heels) as she waited for them to land. After hearing the two apologize to their superior officer Flamewar, Amethyst felt relief.

Then, Redwing went off to talk to another flier, one that didn't have the same make as the Seekers. Amethyst hadn't been paying attention to whatever was going on with that guy, or any of the others really. She had been focused on the drama between Brakeneck and Dreadnaut. But now that that was over, she could sort of relax for the time being. So, when Redwing returned to her, winking at her, she was rather lost and asked him, "So what was that all about?"

Skies Over Lebanon

“The mission does not involve accelerating conflict between ourselves and making fools of yourselves in front of Lord Megatron. Am I understood?”

“Bah! Accelerating conflict, eh? This is just warm up for what’s next. Besides, there ain’t no conflict in here. We’re just sharin’ pleasantries.” Brakeneck grinned wide. He was truly a mech of his own caliber. He turned back around to face the other mechs who had been standing around. “Aye, apologies be given for you all. ‘Sides, who do I look like, a scraplet?” He chuckled. The shuttle was almost about to land anyway. “Sure been nice to be meetin’ you lot. Don’t be slippin’ up down there, eh?”

Skies over Lebanon

Ah, the wonders of up and coming mechs. If this one gets over his nerves, he’ll be a fine example of a Decepticon.

It wasn’t often that Thrust thought so highly of another mech, but given the low level they were going for on this mission, he had to find some way of increasing his name and worth. If helping a frazzled mech deal with Dirge, he could deal with the most intimidating of any Autobot. At least, before the shooting starts. What happens after that, well, he hoped this Nitro Zeus could like up to his name.

His processor sparked at thinking that, but as he was about to share the latter part with [b/Nitro Zeus[/b], Redwing approached them.

“Ah, now here’s a warrior we can all be proud of. Redspark (yes, he means Redwing)here is one you can be sure—“

Redwing wrote:"We're all valuable warriors, maan. Whether we be on laaand or in the skyyy, we all got our skills and passions to keep this Decepticon cause in full swing. Let's all keep that in mind."

Not what he expected, but true enough. Why doesn’t anyone understand me when I say this? he thought as Redwing headed back to Amethyst, Thrust’s crowning jewel. Well, as soon as Thrust could overlook that he’d injured himself. It wasn’t a strike against the mech, but it did show he had more to learn.

[quote="Nitro Zeus"]"Hey look, 'cons!" Nitro Zeus said, raising hands as his single-eye glance at Dirge in fear. "I'm just here on a mission, shooting stuff, bashing heads. Because that's what I do!" To punctuate his point, Nitro excitedly slammed both fists into one another, the friction of metal-upon-metal making a few sparks before flexing. "We're all brothers! R-right? All brothers. Y-yeah."

Turning his attention back to Nitro Zeus, Thrust said, Exactly, just like Redspark said. We may not be created equal, but we each serve a cause greater than our individuality.”



“My money’s on him,” Thundercracker said with a chuckle to Skywarp, continuing their conversation as he nodded toward Thrust as the red conehead’s antics reached his receptors. “A passenger liner or something as inept, I’d bet.”

He wasn’t one to poke fun at his fellow Decepticons, but sometimes it was needed. If nothing else, it reminded him not to take himself too seriously at times.

Still, even as he smiled and laughed with his friend and resident prankster, he couldn’t help but notice Redwing going to Thrust and Dirge and saying something. Whatever it was seemed to have little to no effect, so he naturally assumed it was logical. It also reminded him he wanted to talk with Redwing at some point, to gauge his commitment to the cause, if nothing else. That would tell him most of what he needed to know.

His thoughts turned to Thrust and Dirge — two mechs that definitely marched to their own synthetic orchestra. He'd given up trying to figure them out long ago, but he had to admit they complimented each other well, especially when the third member of their trio, Ramjet, was present. They may not be the most intelligent or self aware mechs he'd ever known, but few were better in a fight.

The worst part was, he could remember when he, Skywarp, and Starscream had been much like them. They still were, in a way. The only difference was, he and his senior Seeker brethren had weathered more battles and wraths of Megatron. Not that he was blaming Starscream exactly, despite him bringing ninety percent (and he felt that was a conservative estimate) of it down on them, but compared his trio, the coneheads managed to stay out of trouble far better.

That brought a thought to his processor about his earlier functional cycles when he'd done more than his share of stupid things.

Primus, I sound like an ancient mech. When did that happen? That thought brought a grimace, and he wondered how well Skywarp remembered those days. The thought made him cringe slightly. Knowing his friend, he probably remembered them better than he did, just so he’d have fodder if he ever needed it. Each mech found their own way to cope with the passing millennia, he guessed.

He shook those thoughts off. The last thing any of them needed was to start getting sloppy even if this was a simple non-aggression mission. Forgetting themselves was the quickest way to find themselves in the recycle center.

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed Flamewar addressing a group of larger mechs at first. He shook his head at their antics, and so she wouldn’t hear, in private comm to Skywarp, said, >>I’m starting to wonder about the qualifications for this mission. I don't think this is going to be as easy as Megatron made it sound.<<

He didn't add, "Some things never change," in case their private comms were somehow being monitored. Better safe than sorry.

Skies over Lebanon

Dreadnaut wrote: >>”Do not try anything. We have already got enough on our hands. It would be in your favour to disable your weapon unless it is to be used for combat.”<<

The communication came through, surprising Dessicator and pulling him from his reverie of Flamewar. He glanced around quickly to make sure no one noticed his shock, but he felt she had noticed. She noticed everything but what he wanted her to notice.

Agitation at having his momentary peace and uh, roaming thoughts grew as he glanced at the larger mech. Though Dreadnaut wasn’t much taller than Dessicator, his passiveness was unnerving. It was an odd quality for a Decepticon to have, and why Dessicator preferred to keep relationships social.

Few stood stoic when another was berating them without offering a word or movement in defense. The fact he allowed the smaller Hazard to come to his defense showed a peaking order of sorts in this little group. And Dessicator had fallen in line without a second thought.

And that angered him more than anything he’d previously experienced. After countless cycles in the field, after hundreds of missions, he let himself be lulled into a false sense of unity and it had embarrassed him two-fold.

Still, he wasn’t angry toward Dreadnaut of the others, but at himself. This brief skirmish had taken his mind off his energon lust, as strange as it felt, but his growing fury was threatening to reignite it, and that wasn’t a good thing.

The fact the larger mech had somehow noticed he was powering up his EMP emitter only added fuel to his already stoked furnace. Dessicator was calm enough to understand if it was an assumption, given the current tension with the others. It was logical, but still flawed, at least in his estimation, that it was a weapon since it didn’t truly fall into that category. Still, he thought it best to let them think that. It may prevent future confrontations on this mission, and then he could go back to doing what he did best: blow up Autobot installations.

Knowing Dreadnaut had a point and not wanting to escalate things further, Dessicator responded after thinking through his response.

>>I have no intention of trying anything, my friend. If combat comes, I intend to be ready.<<

As he finished speaking, he heard Brakeneck’s response to Flamewar, and was surprised the hostile mech turned back to face them in a seemingly jovial mood.

Brakeneck wrote:“Aye, apologies be given for you all. ‘Sides, who do I look like, a scraplet?”

Well, she ended that, didn’t she?

Brakeneck wrote: “Sure been nice to be meetin’ you lot. Don’t be slippin’ up down there, eh?”

Giving Dreadnaut a subtle look as though saying, “You owe her,” he deactivated his emitter and nodded at Brakeneck. “Likewise, my friend. On both counts.”

Skies over Aleppo

“Aww, what an honor you do him, Lord Megatron. Our leader grooming you for your future potential. Don’t disappoint him, Sixshot,” Ravage said from his comfortable perch on the co-pilot's seat. Megatron smirked.

"As insightful as ever," Megatron said with an approving nod.

As the shuttle had crossed the border into Syria and began to descend as it approached the human city of Aleppo, Megatron could not help but draw some visual comparisons. Aleppo looked very much like Vos did after they had first sacked it. The Decepticon Leader felt very much in his element.

Astrotrain steadily guided the shuttle towards its intended destination, a huge warehouse complex on the outskirts of the core city. It was clear that the area had not gone untouched by the civil war that was raging here, but the main structures were still standing. This warehouse looked as it though it might have served a human aircraft hangar at one point. Certainly large enough to accommodate their needs.

>>"Soundwave, increase scanning interference and override any of these fleshbags' primitive security measures, heheh,"<< Megatron said, chuckling mirthlessly at even the idea that fleshling security could withstand anything that a Decepticon could bring to bear. There were a few such organics milling around the area, but not many. They would be dealt with. Apart from Soundwave's capabilities, Megatron had chosen an arrival time that would still give them a few hours of darkness as cover while they settled their operations.

With practiced ease, Astrotrain guided the Decepticon shuttle into the now-open primary hangar door.

>>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders."<<

Skies over Aleppo – Passenger Cabin

Thundercracker wrote:“Bet it was the highlight of his vorn. Wonder if they’re green or tan this time. What do you think the odds are one of us picks a civilian vehicle by accident?”

“My money’s on him,” Thundercracker said with a chuckle to Skywarp, continuing their conversation as he nodded toward Thrust as the red conehead’s antics reached his receptors. “A passenger liner or something as inept, I’d bet.”

“Ha! Yeah, I could see Thrust picking something stupid like that,” Skywarp replied as he glanced over at the other seekers on board the shuttle. The teleporter had largely ignored their antics. He was widely considered to be less than intelligent so ‘Warp didn’t want to dumb himself down any further in the optics of Lord Megatron. The prankster understood he was a mere grunt, but he’d like to think he had a little bit more smarts than some of these “younger” seekers. “Although, that Redwing character seems a bit peculiar. I could see him maybe picking something civilian by mistake.”

Thundercracker wrote:>>I’m starting to wonder about the qualifications for this mission. I don't think this is going to be as easy as Megatron made it sound.<<

>>”Well, nobody ever said infiltration was easy, and I’m sure the Autobots will pop up at some point to try and stop us. At least then we’ll see some action. Heh.”<<

Pilot’s Cabin

Megatron wrote:“Sparingly. You will need to utilize the holomatter avatar process to go out into the field, just as I am going to do. At least initially. We both know that you are no stranger to Phase Six, but I want you to gain a greater familiarity with the preceding phases. Of all my Warriors Elite, I believe it is you who will benefit the most from such knowledge.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Sixshot responded to Megatron with a respectful bow of his head. It was true. The sixchanger knew all there was to know about Phase Six. It was his speciality. The first five, however, while certainly familiar to the STAG, were stages that he largely stayed out of. They came before his arrival to a world on the brink of destruction. Now, he would get to see those stages in far greater detail than ever before.

Ravage wrote:“Our leader grooming you for your future potential. Don’t disappoint him, Sixshot.”

The phase sixer glanced over at Soundwave’s little minion. The STAG had not even noticed Ravage was there until he spoke up. Clever little kitty to be so quiet and unassuming to go unnoticed by even a Warrior Elite.

“I never do, little one,” Sixshot said to the feline cassetticon before returning his attention to the slagmaker, himself.

Megatron wrote:>>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders.”<<

Sixshot did not immediately move towards the exit once the shuttle had landed and Megatron had issued his orders. Instead, he continued to remain at his leader’s side, allowing the other Decepticons on board the shuttle craft to disembark first.

Outskirts of Aleppo – Warehouse Complex

Skywarp had felt the shuttle touch down moments before he and everyone else had received Megatron’s comm to disembark. “Oh, goodie, we get to kill fleshies!” The teleporter exclaimed to Thundercracker with a joyful glimmer in his optics. “Come on, ‘Cracker, let’s go before the others have all the fun!”

The prankster immediately headed for the shuttle’s hatch as it slid open and the ramp extended to the ground. Within astroseconds, Skywarp was outside and scanning the area for any organic life signs he could pick up.

Alpha Shuttle – Skies Over Aleppo

Skywarp wrote:“Ha! Yeah, I could see Thrust picking something stupid like that,” Skywarp replied as he glanced over at the other seekers on board the shuttle.

Thundercacker smiled and nodded in answer, seeing his friend was in the process of evaluating their forces for this mission. He knew Skywarp was thinking along the same lines as him, but he offered an unique balance to Thundercracker’s thoughtful approach. Between them, it could be argued they’d form the perfectly balanced mech if combined, but that was something that would never happen. Not only were the Seekers off limits (he hoped) but they already shared a brotherhood few could understand. Forcing them together in any way would destroy that. Besides, Thundercracker thought it safe to say that neither of them wanted the other in their cranial units. Skywarp was too impetuous for Thundercracker, and Thundercracker was too thoughtful for Skywarp. Hmm, wonder how long before we’d stasis lock each other in those conditions?

As if on cue,

Skywarp wrote: “Although, that Redwing character seems a bit peculiar. I could see him maybe picking something civilian by mistake.”

Thundercracker’s smile remained, though one corner turned a little more upward in a lopsided grin. After all of his concerns about Redwing doing something that would bring undo attention to him, he was relieved it was something as harmless as hazing. Leave it to Warp to find the eccentric ones.

“Maybe something in a Cessna, or whatever those small planes are called.” He thought about mentioning what he’d read about Redwing’s record, but that would give Skywarp something to question and Thundercracker hated keeping his friend in the dark. Not to mention having Flamewar within receptor distance. One thing he had learned over the millennia was to pick and choose one’s battles.

Skywarp wrote:>>”Well, nobody ever said infiltration was easy, and I’m sure the Autobots will pop up at some point to try and stop us. At least then we’ll see some action. Heh.”<<

Thundercracker replied on their private comm channel, >>I’d be surprised if they didn’t. Honestly, I think that’s Megatron’s real plan: to let everyone know he’s back. It’ll demoralize the scrap out of them.<<

Sounded better than I imagined. Wonder what the chances are for me to qualify for a holovid show? The thought made Thundercracker chuckle and shake his head at the thought. He realized his mistake too late, but for all intents and purposes, it looked like it was part of his conversation so he decided to leave it at that.

Outskirts of Aleppo – Warehouse Complex

Thundercracker felt the shuttle slow as it descended to he assumed was their planned landing zone. As it did, the quiet that had permeated the shuttle for most of the flight slowly lifted and the cabin was filled with clicks and clanks as the mechs checked their weapons and readied themselves. It was a ritual that never changed and it was both calming and terrifying.

The feeling of the shuttle touching down was subtle, and even strange as most of their attacks began in the air, but given the mechs that weren’t Seekers, Thundercracker had to admit it made sense. It wasn’t a hostile force of Autobots waiting for them. He hoped.

>>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders."<<

And there it is

Skywarp wrote: “Oh, goodie, we get to kill fleshies! Come on, ‘Cracker, let’s go before the others have all the fun!”

Fleshies. This shouldn’t take long, Thundercracker thought as he nodded. “Right behind you, ‘Warp. The lower tally has to buy the energon.”

Thundercracker didn’t hesitate to follow his friend to the hatch. The chances of his fellow Decepticons being seriously damaged here was miniscule at best, so for the first time in a long while he was able to set those thoughts aside. This was a step toward ending the war, and he’d do his part. Or so he kept telling himself.

He walked down the ramp just behind Skywarp, his sensors already seeking out any signs of life. Not real life, of course, since Earth was backwater enough not to be indigenous to Cybertronians. His sensors pinged as he located something not far to the west, but they were so small he almost ignored them. “Think I got something over here.”

Turning, he took several steps toward the signal as he continued searching for others while locking onto the ones he’d found. There were three of them, but they were smaller than humans. One was larger than the other two, but none of them were a threat. They were in a garbage dumpster, making all sorts of squeaking sounds.

They sound like scraplets. The things I do for the Decepticons. With a disdainful sneer, he brought his foot down on the dumpster, crushing it. The squeaking stopped and the lifesigns disappeared from his sensors. Grinning, he turned back to Skywarp. “Already got three.”

Shuttle - Skies Over Aleppo

As much as Hazard hated to admit it, he was secretly glad Doomshot had pulled him out from in between Dessicator and Dreadnaut. He was terrified that he'd be stomped by the two if it came to blows. And just as an afterthought.

He shuddered. That would not have been pleasing in the slightest. Especially with Megatron on board.

Shuttle - Hanger

The sensation of landing always soothed Hazard. He couldn't figure out why, just that it felt nice to land. Though he did prefer to do it under his own power.

Hazard stretched, longing to take to the air himself. He told himself to be patient. Before too long, he'd be able to take flight. Especially if the Autobots showed up. Then he'd be right in his environment, spraying his enemies with gas, sowing confusion.

Megatron wrote:>>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders."<<

"Finally!" He cried out and scampered off the ship before waiting for Doomshot. A couple Seekers were already out there. He thought of loading his sprayers and sanitizing the place that way (it would be rather enjoyable to watch), but they needed the hanger intact, so he began to scan for organic life.

Shuttle- Skies over Aleppo

Things were sorted about between the recently heated tensions between a few mechs. Amethyst felt relief in that. It was one thing to be crowded up like a sardine in a tin can. It was another to feel crowded with them and stuck between a squabble with them. Amethyst tried to keep herself composed by thinking about the mission. She was a warrior before she was anything else, a mech built for the sole purpose of war and conquest, and as much as she wished there was more than that, and how Redwing's insight had helped her see beyond just her normal duties, that was just what she was.

She sighed as the shuttle lowered itself steadily towards the ground, and said to Redwing in a soft and endearing tone, "It's now or never. Are you ready?" Speaking of being ready, and having the fear of something wrong happening on the mission, she ran her weapons' diagnostics, checking the fuel lines of her flamethrowers and making sure none of her bombs were jammed. All looked good. 'Hope it stays that way.', she thought to herself. She felt honored to be in a squad lead by Megatron himself. She hadn't remembered having this honor before. Other missions that she did remember had different commanders running them. 'I don't want to mess up in front Lord Megatron.', she thought. 'I will perform to the best of my ability.'

Outskirts of Aleppo- Warehouse Complex

The shuttle landed smoothly, bringing itself to a stop inside of an abandoned aircraft hangar in a warehouse complex at the edge of the ravaged city of Aleppo. 'Here we are. This is the beginning...', Amethyst thought. It was clear by her expression that she was nervous but trying to steel herself for the war and the mission. What kind of fighter was Redwing? She knew she was competent enough, but was Redwing? Surely....surely he was. Or else, how was it that he'd made it this long since the fall of Cybertron? She wished to embrace Redwing right now before the word was given, but that word was now, and embraces were not the kind of thing to put on display right here and now. No. What was to be put on display...

>>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders."<<

were her skills as a killer.

>>"Aye, Sir!"<<, she replied to Megatron. Her crimson optics glowed in the dark as she followed her brethren down the ramp and out of the shuttle. She left the hangar, her scanners searching for lifeforms to destroy. Eliminate any living flesh creatures. Secure the perimeter. The orders were etched into her processors. She marched out after Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Hazard, and began the task appointed. The place was relatively quiet, though off in the far distance were the sounds of gunfire and shouting, and explosions. This area they were in though, it was mostly quiet. Mostly.

Thundercracker nearby, had smashed his foot down on a dumpster, killing whatever tiny and useless creatures were hiding inside. The purple flier looked his way, comming him, >>"Really? Aren't the fleshlings a little bigger than whatever was in there?"<< Her question had a slight edge to it. She was in hunting mode. Sure...it wasn't exactly her style though..stalking around on the ground killing small flesh creatures, when she could instead be screeching across the skies painting them with fire as she shot down enemy aircraft. Nope...however, it was orders, and that would have to do. She continued scanning the area as she walked around, being wary of her surroundings. While the himans or whatever they were called were very minuscule in scale to a Cybertronian, they had weapons and vehicles that could pack a punch.


It was late. Abduul had been scrounging around to get enough food and other supplies to bring back to his car, where his wife Tahini waited patiently and in pain for him, running a fever. The man, in his late forties and very thin from starvation hurried as fast as he could, his dog hurrying along with him, sniffing at everything. His dog stopped, whining, and looked up at his master with concern.

"What is it, Raj? We need to get back.", Abdul asked the mutt. The dog started backing away and pulling the man to go back where they came from. He barked then, with urgency. He could smell the blood from the rats and the strange exhaust that wasn't from anywhere on Earth. 'Danger! Danger!', the dog's mind said, and he wanted to protect his Master and dear friend from whatever it was. Abdul soon became petrified in his steps as a giant metal creature came around a tattered building with eyes and wings like the Devil. It's feet stomping the ground, and the mechanical sound of it's joints moving fell in rhythm with his heart beating desperately in his chest.

"Oh....hello fleshlings.", Amethyst said to them, menacingly as she approached, quickly closing the distance between her and her tiny quarry. The man and the dog didn't understand her dialect, but it was like none they had ever heard in their country or from any other Earth country. The dog started growling and barking loudly at her. What a noisy animal. The brave dog broke free from his master's grasp on the leash and ran forward, jumping, and trying to bite at Amethyst's leg, but it was useless. She kicked the beast with just a small nudge of her lifted foot and her foot came crashing down on it and it was silenced.

The man yelled in horror, his eyes wide with disbelief, thinking this was a devil from the skies and truly it was Armageddon. He fled desperately to the left and down an alley between two buildings and towards his car, hoping to lose the huge monster and get back and save his wife from it. However, it wasn't this simple. The gargantuan metal creature took flight with a sound like thunder and flew over the building, landing with a great thud on the other side of the building. From here, she looked at her prey as he fell and stammered, before getting up and running towards a parked vehicle that had seen better days. Inside it...another flesh creature, her heat sensors were telling her.

"So....that is your mate?", she asked. She walked over towards the car and studied it. The woman inside screamed as she saw the behemoth metal thing looming over the vehicle with it's glowing red eyes. "You lot are noisy. I'm sorry....but orders are orders.", she said, knowing the creatures didn't understand her. She began stomping on the car repeatedly. Drowning out the woman's cries and effectively flattening the fragile earth vehicle. It was then that Amethyst noticed something was starting to itch on her legs. Looking at the little man, he had gotten the courage to bring out his pitiful weapon, putting little dents in her alloy.

"Heh....I guess it's only fair. However, it's futile. Accept your fate.", Amethyst said. She moved towards the man, who began to stammer back. She knelt down and picked the man up between two digits, studying him for a second. Two optics, two audio receptors, two arms, two legs, and a basic shape close to the shape of a protoform. However, he was flesh, and very small. Amethyst huffed. He smelled bad. "Farewell in your afterlife, if you believe in one.", she spoke to the creature, and she dropped him into her other hand's open palm, and quickly and easily crushed him in her fist. She threw the remains onto the crushed automobile, and began searching for more beings, saying to the others in her team,

>>"Three down. Searching for more in the western sector."<<

Shuttle:

"All right tall, dark, and gruesome." Feint said once the order to rid the area of humans was put through. He transformed into his sniper rifle alt mode, assuming Reaver would grab him.

---

Reaver spent a split second considering to let Feint fall to the floor, but decided he didn't want the headache of a complaining Feint so he causght the smaller mech in plenty of time. The two then exited the shuttle behind the rest who had begun disembarking.

---

"Let's get up on top of the warehouse so I have a good view." Feint suggested. Reaver nodded and activated his thrusters for a quick jump up on the roof, then set Feint down on the edge, kneeling behind. Reaver was scanning the area for human life forms, locating some, he aimed Feint towards them.

Feint let his tripod settle in on the slightly uneven roof and made some minor adjustments. Then he sited in the humans. 4 of them out a clip, but still close enough to parameter. "One click to the left." He informed Reaver, who complied, gently moving the sniper rifle slightly. He switched to night vision, adjusted ever so slightly. "Firing all four." He said and fired off a shot.

Almost immediately with just the slightest adjustment he fired off a second and third shot, taking down 3 targets before the first even dropped. "Half a click left." He said calmly and Reaver automatically moved him and he fired the final shot, dropping the last target a split second after the first three. "Headshots all around." He said happily.

--

"There's two, 56° to port." Reaver said spotting another two humans to their left. He swung around Feint.

--

Feint picked up the two additional humans. "Give me 3 clicks to the right, you overshot." Feint instructed and just as soon as Reaver moved him, he adjusted slightly down and fired off two shots in rapid succession dropping the two humans before they could even scream.

Outskirts of Aleppo- Warehouse Complex

Thrust’s optics blazed bright red as he stepped out of the shuttle. He hadn’t liked waiting his turn as he felt he’d more than proven himself over most of the others, but he bid his time.

I will shine soon enough, he thought, smiling as he allowed himself to image the benefits and rewards that would be heaped upon following this mission. The fleshlings weren’t much of a threat, but they were still the enemy. So Megatron had ordered.

The atmosphere of the planet assaulted his sensors — receptors and scent circuits. The smell was familiar. War. Sweet, glorious war, whose fruit brought rewards upon those brave enough to pick it. This was what he was built for. This was what kept the energon flowing through his circuits. Such rewards that awaited him were beyond even his imagining.

A wicked, sneering smile played across his faceplate at the thought. The fleshlings would be powerless before them. Without the Autobots, there was no reason to fear reprisal or defeat. Oh no, this was perfect.

Finally, an environment I can thrive in. Even the dirtpounders may be able to prove themselves. If they don’t break an axle.

A low chuckled came from his vocalizer. “Come, Dirge, Nitro Zeus. Let us see what you are capable of.” His voice came out low and intense, and without him even caring his one of his brothers was near or not. Whether they joined him or not wasn’t important. This was his time for glory.

Without hesitating, or remembering they were there in a low key manner, he transformed and fired up his engines. “Megatron wants to secure the area, so I’ll secure the area.”



Dessicator remained behind in the shuttle, choosing to watch the others leave as he readied himself for what was to come.

Silent and secretive were two words that did not describe him or his abilities. He was designed to bomb an installation with his artilary, not sneak around in the gloom and pick off tiny enemies. That was work better suited to… well, anyone smaller and less clunky.

Still, had had been given an assignment and he hadn’t failed to deliver yet.

“I miss the asteroids. Quiet, small, simple,” he mumbled as he pushed off from the bulkhead and crossed the mostly empty shuttle. With so few around, he felt his mood brighten to the point he felt confident he could pick take out a fleshling city without a second thought.

Each step brought on the change he’d come to expect and even look forward to as a new mission officially began. His previous anxiety was quickly replaced as he stepped out of the shuttle and took in the various mechs already spreading out, searching for the humans Megatron had ordered them to dispatch. Smiling, he thought he had a fun way of getting to know the planet while fulfilling his orders.

Ducking so he wouldn’t bang his head on the shuttle’s underside, he stepped off the side of the ramp. He found the feel of the concrete beneath him strange, yet pleasant. While not as smooth of comforting as the steel alloy he was used to, its hardened feel seemed the perfect thing to help him focus and zero in on what he needed to do.

He didn’t follow the others, choosing instead a direction few of his fellow ‘Cons had chosen yet and focused his scans there. It didn’t take long for him to pick up a handful of organics that appeared to be in a vehicle he found interesting as it was smaller than what he assumed was a military vehicle. Without a word, he headed In a northwesterly direction.

The storage buildings took up a majority of the area, which only aided him as he walked between two of them. If was… interesting to walk among them. While his head and shoulders stood above them, he was surprised at the sensation of walking among Cybertronian storage containers, like they were there solely for him to rip open and take the contents for himself. Though, he reminded himself, he knew there wasn’t any energon or things that would interest him. He wasn’t a scientist by any stretch, despite his curiosity.

He paused at the sound of a motor and the humming of tires on cement approached his location. A patrol of some sort? They may have seen our shuttle land. Not liking the idea of being discovered so early, he thought it best to confront them before they could send out a warning. Curious as to how the human technology matched up with Cybertronian, he paused and transformed into his large but cylindrically designed Cybertornian tank and waited.

He only had to wait a few seconds as a jeep turned into the narrow roadway between the buildings where he was waiting. It slowed as it approached him before coming to a complete stop. A human in what looked like a uniform of some sort climbed out and approached him, muttering in whatever language the humans here preferred. He hadn’t bothered to learn what it was called and he didn’t care.

The man stepped forward and rested a tentative hand on Dessicator’s armor, nearly causing the mech to shiver. Only his numerous missions where organics and other beings had come into contact with him kept him from showing his disgust.

Must be an enforcer of some sort. Probably security.

The man was smiling as he said something to others as they climbed out of the jeep and approached. They appeared youthful and wore different colored clothes as they approached him, smiling. Oh no, you are not going to pet me like I’m some… some… Scrap it!

Having enough of indulging his curiosity, Dessicator transformed. The four humans froze in wonder and shock as he looked down, studying them. “A shame to waste any ammunition on you, but I can’t chance you getting away. Hope you understand.” He didn’t know if they understood him or not, but he didn’t give them a chance as he aimed his gattling gun and the barrels started turning.

When he was finished, he stepped over the smoking ruins that had been a jeep and continued on. >>Dessicator here. Four fleshlings and their vehicle eliminated. Continuing northwest to the predassigned boundary, then heading northeast in a sweeping pattern. Dessicator out.<<

Ugh, they’re too messy. Should’ve let me bomb the place.

Amethyst wrote: >>"Really? Aren't the fleshlings a little bigger than whatever was in there?"<<

The reprimand was something he hadn’t expected to come from a lesser experienced mech, but he accepted it, even going so far as to send a look to Skywarp that said, “This is why you’re a bad influence,” but he kept the thought to himself. His friend would remind him of this soon enough, he was sure of it.

Unlike others, he didn’t hold anything against Amethyst as she was busy focusing on her part of their assignment, just as he should be. I was, but why’d I let my processor wander? It was an interesting question, but it was better left for another time. Forcing himself back into warrior mode, he was about to respond to Amethyst when his sensor beeped, showing a larger organic exiting the building through a doorway next to the dumpster.

He turned in time to see the fleshy stop, scream, and turn to run. Without hesitating, Thundercracker aimed and fired his laser at its lowest setting. The flash was brief, too brief to be noticed by anyone not between the buildings. Thundercracker paused as he studied the black spot where the human had been before being vaporized. So this is our enemy. How fitting. In a low voice, he said, “You should’ve stayed hidden."

Pushing his newfound doubts aside, he turned his attention to the warehouse, redoubling his scans. When nothing registered, he continued along the roadway, shortening his scan so it would be more intensive and less likely to skip over anyone else in hiding.

The sudden roar of an engine caught his attention, but instead of it being one of the human’s craft like he expected, it was Thrust. Why am I not surprised.

On Top Of The Warehouse

>>"I bet you guys are a great group to play hide and seek with.."<< Feint said snarkily over the comms at the noisy Decepticons spread out around the parameter.

"Ooo human... A click to the left, Reaver." He said spotting a lone human to the west. Firing quickly, the human dropped to a bullet ripping through his neck.

"Scrap... Missed the head." Feint muttered disappointed.



Shuttle ramp

Blackout disembarked the shuttle and scanned the area. He moved west, picking up something moving in that direction.

Scans confirming it was human, he was about to move in on the target when it dropped like a rock. He looked to the warehouse, figuring it was the talkitive sniper rifle that took out the human.

But more targets blipped on his scans. More humans to the South.

He swung his rotors a d deployed Incinerator, sending him towards the south. >>"A few targets south."<< He announced over the comms as he head after Incinerator.

Shuttle- Skies over Aleppo

Amethyst wrote:"It's now or never. Are you ready?"

Is that a trick question? Redwing asked himself, careful not to voice his concern to Amethyst. He knew how difficult a time this was for her after her last mission, but that was what he was there for. At least, in his thinking. Besides, it was good for her to have another mission so soon. It’d help her get over her fear if things went smoothly.

If.

That one word had as much power as love at times, and it gave him pause. What if he paused when action was needed? If Amethyst needed him?

Okay, relax. Take it one astrosecond at a time. You’ll be fine. She’ll be fine. Just gotta—

Megatron wrote: >>"Decepticons--disembark. Eliminate any living flesh creatures in the vicinity and secure the perimeter. Report to me when this is complete and I will give you your new orders."<<

Oh scrap, here we go. He smiled reasuredly at Amethyst as the ramp opened. He didn’t bother reprimanding himself for not paying attention enough to notice they had landed, he instead focused on his training. His programming told him if he performed like he’d been trained, he’d most likely make it out of any battle alive. Of course, this was dealing with the fleshy scraplets, so the risk wasn’t as high as if they were facing the Autobots, but anything could happen.

Amethyst’s last battle had proven that.

Get it together, dude. You’ve proven yourself many times before. This is no different.

Feeling better, he followed the others as they filed out, staying as close to Amethyst as he could. Just because the fleshy scraplets didn’t have advanced technology didn’t mean they couldn’t be dangerous. The second any of them let their guard down could be their last.

Outskirts of Aleppo- Warehouse Complex

Redwing took in their surroundings with a curious, yet reserved eye. The sounds of war were in the near distance, leaving the immediate area clear of apparent obstacles.

Lord Megatron chose his landing zone well. A swell of pride at being among the chosen to take part surged through his energon pump and conduits. Maybe he was wrong about the possibilities of this mission. Maybe he’d become so used to things under Razorclaw that he expected it to be a slash and bash energon bath. Maybe, and this he felt was most likely, he hadn’t served under the slagmaker long enough to fully understand how his processor worked. If this was a taste of Megatron’s thought processes, he had to acknowledge the burning spark of hope within him.

Of course, it also meant they were to kill the fleshlings. Not something he particularly liked the thought of since he’d been designed to fight Autobots (never mind he was good at it, too). Humans were too… well… fleshy. Without their armor and weapons, they weren’t more than an infestation.

Like scraplets

Surprisingly, that made him feel better.

As he followed Amethyst, he continued to scan the area, intent on being the best soldier he could be. Despite the battles he’d already been in, this was the first time he had served under Megatron and he didn’t want to appear weak or as useful as refuse.

“I’m picking up some signals—”

Amethyst wrote: "Oh....hello fleshlings."

“Up ahead,” he finished as Amethyst approached the fleshling. Watching her interact with the human was… kinda cute, like one would a pet or something. It opened up a side of her only he’d been able to see, and he was glad to see her coming out of her shell. Then the human held out a weapon and attacked her.

Redwing’s energon ran hot at the sight, and he was in mid step when she picked it up and examined the odor particles coming from the fleshling. He didn’t know how to react at watching her go from being friendly and inquisitive to executioner as she squashed the fleshling in her hand, then toss it aside.

It was a side he knew they all had, in fact, it was something they all needed, but would he be able to do that? It was a question he hoped he wouldn’t have to answer. He’d rely on his weaponry as much as possible.

Warehouse complex

Battletrap heard the call to disembark and wipe out the humans in order to secure the location. This sort of confused him because he thought they were still hiding. Then he remembered the best way to hide was not to be found. In order to not be found, either hide real well or eliminate the other opponent. So this was a game of hide and seek. The only conflict now was if the Cons were seeking or hiding.

"Hide and seek time. We seek humans and then hide from Autobots."

As Battletrap walked off the shuttle, he split apart as he transformed into his respective halves. He went outside in two different directions. His jeep portion noticed a couple of humans sitting there talking. Instead of firing his weapons, the jeep portion came up to them in order to run them over. The humans noticed the incoming jeep and ran the other way. They managed to get into a jeep of their own and continued to drive away until the helicopter mode flew in front of them. Before the humans could turn around or get out, the helicopter opened fire on them destroying the jeep.

>>Flamewar, humans scare easily. They put up no fight. I want Autubots to fight.<<



Octane thought back to the last time he had faced these humans. It was on an oil platform. They were easily scared and taken care of so this job should be easy. With the number of Cons on this trip, the challenge will be to see how quick the area would be secure.

>>Hey `Train, you going to come out and play with the rest of us? We got to hurry before all of the humans are eliminated. Remember we can't keep any of these things alive.<<

Octane walked out of the shuttle and looked around. He didn't see any obvious resources but the likes of Scrapper and his team probably could make something out of this place. Octane then walked around to the outside of the building. He didn't see any humans but did find a few green barrels. He walked over and opened one up. His sensors picked elements of the fuel humans called gasoline. This made octane's night. He opened up the slot for his storage compartment and started dumping the fuel into his storage tank. It wouldn't take long for his system to convert it into usable energon. Octane's only disappointment was what he made isn't as good as the pure energon. It took a cycle to pour the ten 55 gallon barrels into his storage system. As much as he detested how his fellow Cons viewed him as a walking energy tank, it felt good to have something in his storage unit.

Warehouse Complex

Megatron emerged from the shuttle with no particular urgency to his steps. His optics simply scanned the surroundings of the warehouse as his Decepticons moved to carry out his initial orders. Their scans had not picked up many flesh creatures in the area: eliminating the few that remained would ensure the secrecy of their operation.

The silver mech headed for the northernmost region of the warehouse as a second shuttle entered the warehouse and engaged its landing procedures. Unlike the first one, this one would not be remaining. Space in this fleshling-constructed shanty was going to be at a premium already, but it did contain some necessary equipment and resources for their operation.

>>"Excellent timing, Soundwave,"<< Megatron transmitted as the shuttle bay doors opened and several-titan class Vehicons emerged carrying processing equipment, remote generators and other rudimentary equipment that could be broken down and transferred elsewhere if the need should arise. "Set up the command station in the northeast quadrant. Once the generator is online, we'll ready our avatars for dispersal."

[Aleppo - Abandoned Aircraft Hangar]

Dreadnaut was one of the last mechs to step out of the shuttle. He stifled a sigh, looking around at the warehouse complex. He was hesitant about the mission. Eliminate any fleshlings? The thought disgusted him.

Reports of other mechs having already slain a few fleshlings filled his comms. He switched them off. He just wanted to get the mission over with. But, alas, this was not a decision he could make.

He went and stood by the edge of the hangar’s doors, looking outward. What a desolate land. An almost pity-like emotion ran through his circuits, before he shook it off and regained his composure. He stood up tall and strong, and turned back to see some vehicons unloading equipment. Beyond them was the slagmaker… Megatron.

Remove the linchpin and it all comes toppling down.

Elsewhere, Doomshot stepped out of the shuttle, following his smaller brother Hazard. His silver armour faintly gleamed as he marched outward. “Remember, Hazard, that next time you should show restraint and control. Act with some sense of maturity, unless you wish to bicker and cause yourself to look like a fool, especially in front of Lord Megatron himself. Now, let’s have a look at this complex…” As he walked alongside his brother, he looked over at the large mech from earlier, Dreadnaut. Why was he standing still in front of the doorway? They had objectives to clear. But it seemed that he had more on his mind from the looks of it.

Dreadnaut was making calculations based around the datalogs he had been reading. This Aleppo city was among the oldest, and used to be one of the most populous. Beautiful too, although the humans living in the region had started a civil war, resulting in the current state of the city.

Ironic. We’re bringing our civil war into theirs.

-----

((OOC: I’m nudging along Doomshot for Jerry since he’s away))

Warehouse Complex

Astrotrain finished the lockdown procedures on the shuttle and waited for everyone else to disembark as their leader had commanded. The triple-changer waited until Megatron himself had done do before getting ready to leave the pilot's cabin.

>>Hey `Train, you going to come out and play with the rest of us? We got to hurry before all of the humans are eliminated. Remember we can't keep any of these things alive."<<

>>"Yeah, I'm coming. I'll have to get in on the fun of the next round, though. The scanners didn't pick up that many and it sounds like the ones we did find are being disposed of as we speak."<<

A few moments later, Astrotrain emerged from the shuttle. Another shuttle had arrived and some burly-looking Vehicons were unloading some heavy equipment and transferring it to where Megatron appeared to be directing traffic firsthand. This was one of things he appreciated about the Slagmaker. He led from the trenches, in the thick of it with the rest of them. It only served to reaffirm his loyalty to the mech that much more.

Astrotrain walked over to meet up with Octane and continue their conversation.

"If the goal was to find the most war-torn strip of this mudball, I daresay our leader succeeded with flying colors. This place looks worse than when we sacked Helex."

Outskirts of Aleppo – Warehouse Complex

Thundercracker wrote:“Think I got something over here.”

Skywarp turned and looked over at his blue friend as Thundercracker found three smaller organic creatures inside of a garbage dumpster, which was subsequently crushed under the seeker’s foot.

Thundercracker wrote:“Already got three.”

“Those don’t count, ’Cracker!” Skywarp exclaimed with a slight smirk on his faceplate. “And you know it! They’re not even human! Now, watch and learn. Heh.” The teleporter’s scanners then picked up several larger organics moving just outside of the hangar wall. These ones had to be human as their size and shape matched what these fleshbags looked like. “Be right back.”

And with that, Skywarp vanished in a flash of light before reappearing outside of the hangar. Four humans panicked and yelled to one another at the sight of the giant Cybertronian that had just manifested in front of their eyes. The prankster brought up his right arm and blasted one of them with his arm-mounted laser, leaving nothing but a pile of blood and bone behind. Two of the remaining humans pulled out machine guns and opened fire at Skywarp, tiny bullets bouncing off of the black and purple seeker’s armored hide.

“Hey, that tickles!” Skywarp replied as he brought up his foot and stepped on one of the humans, crushing him into a bloody pulp. Now, only two humans remained, one kept firing at the teleporter as the other tried to run away. “You flesh sacks are becoming annoying,” Skywarp said as he then kicked the human firing at him, sending his fragile body flying into a nearby poll. The force of the impact broke the human in half as he slid down to the ground limp.

Skywarp then turned his attention to the last human that was trying to escape. The prankster simply smiled before he teleported down the roadway, appearing in front of the fleeing human. “You can’t escape me, stupid fleshling! Hahahah!!” As Skywarp approached the human, the wide-eyed man opened his camouflaged jacket, exposing a series of explosives strapped to the front of his body. With a pull of a wire, the human exploded in a great ball of fire and carnage.

“Whoa! What the?!!” Skywarp shouted as he was knocked back by the suicide bomb’s detonation. Landing on his aft, the prankster sat forward and dusted himself off before getting back to his feet. He had little to no damage to his chassis, just some harmless scorch marks. Skywarp then looked over at the small crater that had been left behind along with body parts that were strewn everywhere.

>>”Hey, ’Cracker, these humans are crazy! I killed three of them out here and another one then blew himself up! Can you believe it?!”<< Skywarp paused for a moment as he considered what had happened. >>”Hey, that last one counts, right? I mean, he’s still dead and all. So, yeah, that makes four actual humans to your three...whatever you killed. Heh.”<<

Outskirts of Aleppo- Warehouse Complex

Skywarp wrote:“Those don’t count, ’Cracker!” Skywarp exclaimed with a slight smirk on his faceplate. “And you know it! They’re not even human! Now, watch and learn. Heh.” The teleporter’s scanners then picked up several larger organics moving just outside of the hangar wall. These ones had to be human as their size and shape matched what these fleshbags looked like. “Be right back.”

Thundercracker couldn’t help but smile at his friend calling him out on his initial count. It also helped alleviate any guilt he might have felt for eliminating a human. “Yeah, well, what’s Swindle always say? If you aren’t cheating, you aren’t trying? Let’s see what you’ve got, tough guy.”

With Skywarp on his own hunting spree, Thundercracker shook his head. At least, ‘Warp won’t get himself into too much trouble. He paused as he let his sensors extend. There was a small group of humans — two, it looked like — in two buildings further ahead, so he’d at least get the three he already claimed. Though, with so many Decepticons scouring the area, he doubted they’d remain for long. If I were another mech, I’d save my energon and let the others do the cleaning.

He reached the building in a few strides and paused outside to listen. At first, he wondered how they hadn’t heard his approach, but given what sounded like a saw and a noise the human airwaves called music, he understood why they hadn’t. Still, part of him was curious to what they were doing. As carefully as he could, he crouched down to look in one of the windows near the roof. He thought it looked like a hanger, and he was proven correct when he looked inside. The scene was… confusing at best, as well as infuriating.

A pair of men were busy pulling out the circuitry of a fight plane. The plane was an older model, even Thundercracker’s form was more modern, and it was inanimate, so that wasn’t the problem. But the gusto the two took in their task. The pulling and tearing of cables, the cutting and bending of the metal housing.

“Barbarians,” he muttered as he eyed the pair. Without thinking it over, he raised his right arm and shoved it through the window and fired his laser weapon. Three beams lanced into the hanger and two struck the humans, erasing them from existence and the third struck the small music box off to the side. Think the peace and quiet is worth an extra human.

He slowly stood and scanned around. There weren’t any more signals he could detect, so he decided to continue east to the edge of their new territory.

A few laser bursts in the not too distance told him the others were continuing without problem. Wonder how ‘Warp’s doing?

No sooner had the thought come than an explosion caught his attention and a communication came in a few astroseconds afterwards.

Skywarp wrote:>>”Hey, ’Cracker, these humans are crazy! I killed three of them out here and another one then blew himself up! Can you believe it?!”<<

What? He couldn’t believe it, he had to have heard Skywarp wrong. Why would the fleshies do that? it makes no sense; they can’t carry weaponry strong enough to hurt us.

Needing confirmation that his receptors were malfunctioning, he was about to reply back when Skywarp said,

>>”Hey, that last one counts, right? I mean, he’s still dead and all. So, yeah, that makes four actual humans to your three...whatever you killed. Heh.”<<

Primus, I did hear him right. They’re as crazy as… That’s why Megatron chose this location. Looks like our job just got easier.

Not sure how he felt about that, he opened the channel to Skywarp, chuckling as he said, >>I don’t see why not. I added a couple more to my total. They really are primitives.<< He shook his head, wondering what they had gotten themselves into. >>We may be doing this world a favor.<<



The firing of his engines felt amazing. It’d been so long since Thrust had been able to stretch his legs that he’d been in danger of forgetting what it felt like to be a Seeker. As he took to the sky, he thought about Megatron’s instructions to eliminate any humans in the area and chuckled.

Of course, I’m included in this. Who better than one of the true elites? He chuckled again as he banked and headed south. He didn’t want to go too far or too high, as he knew the fleshbags had technology that could spot him, but that didn’t mean he’d run avoid them. Oh no. This was the type of battle he was meant for, and glory awaited him. Let the others slink about in the darkness like energon thieves.

Only the cowardly hid, only the weak skulked about like one of Soundwave’s mini-whatever he called them. More like pests, vermin, just like the fleshbags crawling about below, hiding from those vastly superior.

His thoughts were interrupted when his sensors flashed an alert as a handful of humans were gathered around what appeared to be a type of portable missile defense system…

Oh, SCRAP! Without waiting for them to spot him, Thrust angled toward them and was about to fire when he remembered they needed to be covert, and a laser blast followed by a large explosion would be anything but covert.

Stupid orders always ruining the fun, he grumbled as he neared the unit.

The humans spotted him and shouted orders and the missile system started humming as it turned to face him. Come on, come on, come on, this is where legends are made, warrior.

As the humans had the missiles nearly turned to face him, Thrust transformed and landed with a loud bang on the ground, sending vibrations out and causing the men to panic. Instead of finishing targeting the missiles, they ran. Smiling, Thrust aimed his laser weapons and fired several shots. In seconds, the humans were burn marks and the missile system remained unmanned.

An idea occurred to Thrust at how he could turn this even more to his advantage. Without wasting any time, he opened a comm channel. >>Thrust to Megatron and Flamewar I’ve discovered a portable missile defense unit one kilometer south of our landing location. The humans have been neutralized, but the weapon remains. What are your orders?”