by Stormtalon » Tue Jun 23, 2015 1:28 pm
Proving Ground Part 4
Stratodome
Hound gave a long, low whistle. The dark, green Autobot stood atop one of the remaining towers in the Stratodome complex.
“Must have been some party,” he commented while surveying the destruction.
Two towers destroyed outright with a third teetering on collapse.
“Whoever threw it should have stayed to clean up,” Moonracer added.
The teal seeker glided overhead in a search pattern. She had it easier than her two companions. Bumblebee and Hound had to climb over mountains of rubble to get anywhere.
“Any idea who the ‘hosts’ were?” Bumblebee asked Moonracer.
“The damage to the roofs and upper levels suggests aerial combat.”
Bumblebee could count on one hand the Autobot flyers. The Decepticons were another matter. They just added three new renegades to the ‘wanted list’ along with Starscream, Airazor, Vortex, Blast-Off, Slipstream and a pack of pesky Predacons there was no shortage of suspects.
“Hey boss man. Found something!” Hound called out.
A climb down and another climb up later, the black and yellow Autobot joined his tracker at a gaping hole in the south tower.
“What have you got?”
“More signs of fighting, but this should get your interest.”
Hound activated his headlights. The light set in bold relief claw marks all over the room. Bumblebee frowned.
“Predacons! Wonderful.”
“More of those beast bots like Airazor?” Hound asked. Bumblebee nodded.
“I don’t see any Predacons in there. And from what you told me they’d be hard to miss.”
Bumblebee spoke up. “Leading to the 24 Energon cubes question: Where are they?”
* * *
Vertebreak awoke in a dark room. He rolled his eyes. ‘Not again,’ he thought.
He was still in beast mode so he stretched out. A mesh net constricted his movement. He tried to remember how he wound up here. It certainly wasn’t losing to those two Dinocons. Slugfest and Overkill awoke next to him and wasted no time pushing, shoving and bickering. It was the same during the fight at the Stratodome. Vertebreak remembered his circuits burning then blackness.
“You clumsy oaf!”
“… clumsy oaf.”
The echo came from a different voice. It was a heavily modulated version of the orange and green Dinocon, Slugfest. A dark purple and black bot with rail-thin arms and spindly legs stepped out of the darkness. His visored face betrayed nothing, but he made the Dinocons cower.
Overkill, in robot mode, ducked his white and blue-green head. An awkward gesture since he towered over the new bot. Slugfest sneered at the submissive display.
“Master, we completed the mission: reconfiguring the array for remote control of the Space Bridge.”
The ‘master’ silently pointed to both Dinocons.
Slugfest played it off. “What? Just some scratches. No big deal.”
Soundwave’s visor lit up as he replayed the dogfight over the Stratodome. The whole place lit up with an EMP.
Slugfest smile dropped into snarl.
“That wasn’t us.”
The playback continued as the west tower crumbled.
Overkill jumped in, more to spare himself than to save Slugfest.
“The Seekers and those stinking Predacons are to blame.”
Two tentacles shot out of Soundwave and latched themselves to Slugfest and Overkill. Vertebreak heard the zap-crackle of electricity and the anguish cries of his opponents. Vertebreak would love to see it but now was an opportunity to escape.
Slugfest and Overkill’s screams drowned out the sound of Vertebreak hack his net with his axe tail. He managed a small hole when the punishment stopped.
Slugfest groaned but manage a weak, “Thank you, Master. We learn through pain.”
Soundwave turned to a computer console and began typing. A few, quick moments later, a one-eyed Transformer filled the screen. Vertebreak knew that face. He had seen it through a hyper evolution chamber. This was his creator: Shockwave.
“Soundwave. Any progress to report?” Shockwave asked.
Soundwave remained silent, but conveyed his meaning.
“That is unfortunate. Is anything salvageable?”
Soundwave was again quiet. Shockwave continued the one-sided conversation.
“Access to a Space Bridge is vital to our plans. I must now enact…contingencies.”
Soundwave replayed the fight between Slugfest and Overkill with Scourge and later Vertebreak.
“Fascinating. It appears Predaking is adding his ranks using Predacon clones developed in my other labs. I will deal with him in due time. For now, it seems unlikely he will interfere with our larger plans.”
Soundwave struck a questioning pose.
“I highly doubt Starscream is any more aware than the Predacons of our presence or our plans. The Autobots will detect the EMP. That will discourage both groups from returning.”
Soundwave gave another silent pause.
“I must prepare for our work-around. I will contact you with my results. And by the way, the Predacon you’ve captured is almost free. You may want to see to that.”
The console switched off and all three Decepticons turned toward Vertebreak. He snapped his bonds and transformed. With a half-bemused, half-‘jig is up’ look, Vertebreak stared back at his captors.
“Any chance we can talk?”
* * *
The Spiral
Swindle found Swoop and Slag unmoved since he left them in the lab. Swoop stood guard and Slag hunched over the computer terminal.
“Riveting stuff? You’ve hardly moved,” Swindle commented. Cravex followed close behind sticking to Swindle.
Both Dinobots gave a start.
“Back so soon?” Swoop asked.
Slag was grumpier. “We’ll let you know when we find something.”
This surprised Swindle.
“You need to throttle down Slag. It’s been hours.”
“What are you talking about?”
Slag began asking, but when he looked at the computer’s chronometer it confirmed several hours had passed. It must be getting dark outside. Swoop squawked in surprise.
“That’s weird. I could swear you just stepped out the door.”
Both Dinobots shook their heads. First, in denial, but then hoping to clear it. It felt like their heads where in a haze.
“Grimlock asked me to check up on you.”
“Grimlock called? Why didn’t we hear him?” Swoop asked.
Swindle shrugged. “Maybe the lab is shielded. I tried calling and couldn’t get through. Anything to report?”
Slag gestured Swindle over.
“From what I can piece together, this was one of Shockwave’s Predacon labs.”
Swindle grumbled. “Those guys, huh? So this is where momma test tube lives?”
“That and more.” Slag answered. He punched up a video on another display.
“It seems the Predacons got out of hand and broke out.”
“And pounded Shockwave into tinfoil,” Cravex added.
Swoop shook his head.
“We should be so lucky.”
Slag swiveled his chair to face both Swindle and Cravex.
“Shockwave controls an unknown number of look-alike drones. A drone in charge of the clones, so to speak.”
Swoop chuckled, but Swindle and Cravex didn’t.
“So what happened to the escapees?”
“Rounded up and sent to other labs.”
“Are you sure?” Swindle asked.
Slag punched up another display. This one showed the pods being loaded up on a transport.
“Looks like they were sent to a Decepticon Proving Ground.”
“A Proving Ground?” Cravex asked.
Swoop nodded.
“Not that far away actually. Near the Altihex base.”
“So if no one is here, does that mean we are clear for business?” Swindle asked hopefully.
Swoop looked to Slag. Slag stared into his golden chest.
“I haven’t detected any booby traps or stasis pods, but I wouldn’t trust Shockwave as far as I could drop kick him and that goes double for Tarantulas.”
Swindle smiled his salesmanship smile. “All business is about risk. You take your chances.”
Swindle turned and left. Cravex followed. The blue and yellow moved with an urgency that caught Swoop’s eye. When both were gone, Swoop turned to Slag.
“I don’t trust Cravex…or Reekon,” Swoop said candidly.
“Of course you don’t, they are Decepticons,” Slag replied.
Suddenly, both Dinobots comms clicked on and then clicked off, rapidly four times. Slag clicked on his comm.
“This is Slag. Who ever is pulling this prank please respond.”
Over the channel came one loud scream. “Help!”
