The Undergrid - A Forgotten World

[Magma]

Undergrid
Chase doubted more and more whether this was a good idea or not. She wasn't a soldier anymore, she was a god damn civilian. Who was she kidding? She was still a soldier, but not like this. This was scrap, that was what it was! She wasn't made for fleeing from slaggin' scraplets, she could still hear those fraggers on the other side of the wall, she was made for getting into something, get the job done and then get her aft outta there. She wasn't made for sneaking around in the Undergrid, following someone she barely even knew the names of and picking up hitchhikers because they said something or because they magically knew a safeplace. Sneaking was not her, even though she ironically could cloak. She mostly used it for entrances; a few EMPs and a smart cloaker could make a large area defenseless in seconds, before letting in the big calvary. She kept on ranting to herself inside her head, keeping her outer as calm as always.
For each EMP shot, wave or a like, even though not directed towards her, Chase's systems gave a little flicker. Bad side effect to being fully immune to your own grenades, but she could live with it. She looked around, just making sure that everyone was there, when Starfire started speaking loudly and doing her own little victory thing. Chase had a hard time remembering anytime where Star wasn't loud, but this just seemed like the wrong moment, ya know? Mentally facepalming over her very good friends behaviour, she couldn't help but smile a the same time. She did envy the big seeker in some ways. She took danger so easily. Chase would take on most things, no doubt about that, but not this. Not the slagging 'Grid or Scraplets. To sum things up, Chase just wanted to do what she was good at, which wasn't sneaking around, but going on a semi full assault with your group and take out what dared to stand in your way, finish your mission and then get home in one piece. End of story.

,,Yearh.. Too close for comfort in my opinion though. And I'm not sure that I want to end up in the fight ya'll end up making if you keep on hitting on her."

A little bit of Chase's frustration followed the transmission. Looking around, Chase really felt like asking those around her about their names, since she was only sure about a few, but didn't since this wasn't the right time. She knew Starfire and Darkfire, Vibro and Kol by name. Besides them there was Deathdealer? -dancer? Just something like that, another -Fire, 'Blacky', Big guy and not to forget the Autobots. She had no clue about their names. Time would probably tell if she even needed to know their names.

[Foxfire]

Citadel Entrance

This. Was. Stupid. Those words repeated in Darkfire's mind over and over. Their team did not function at all! She couldn't even call it dysfunctional. It didn't work. Added onto the fact that she was beginning to hate everyone here and trusted them about as little as possible, things were not looking good. Starfire's overzealous actions nearly made Darkfire bust a gasket. Wasting no time at all, Darkfire raced toward her partner with a burst of speed and latched onto the back of her collar. Darkfire gave a hard jerk and yanked her partner back. She opened a private comm link to Starfire so that she wouldn't have to contain her rage.

"What - for the love of Primus - are you thinking?! Are you completely out of your mind?! Do not go prancing into enemy territory, screaming to the heavens, letting everything know where we are. You nearly killed all of us down there doing the exact same thing! You better get your slaggin' scrap in order before I even think of letting you take one more step."

Darkfire's violet optics bored furiously into her partner's optics. Seldom had she been so furious before. Even the real lunatic they'd brought along hadn't caused as much trouble for them as her partner had. She was severely questioning this femme's common sense. After this, there was still the nuisance of that predator. She was going to shuck him right back into the Undergrid and leave him to the scraplets. A fitting end for the likes of him. Darkfire wasn't opposed to leaving the rest here and finishing this mission alone. She worked better that way. Always had. No holding back for her sister. No being held back by idiotic and incompetent team members. By herself. Alone. That was...best. Wasn't it?

------------

Foxfire sighed as they made it to safety. That had been close. Being eaten alive was not a fate that she would wish on her worst enemy. She had overheard Ghost as well. She wasn't sure about Shadow at all, but they weren't going to get any answers by just wondering about it. She walked over to him, gripping her pistol unconsciously. She was a little afraid, but that wouldn't stop her.

"How did you know the password into this place? Who are you?"

Foxfire knew Darkfire would kill her if she noticed who Foxfire was talking to, but she seemed preoccupied with her partner. She couldn't really blame her sister for being angry. Still, it wasn't often that anyone got this kind of reaction from her sister. Darkfire had grown so much colder than the warm, gentle, and confident sister that she had once known. It was like all the emotions that she had were being restrain. She seemed so much more reserved...even when she tried to comfort Foxfire, it seemed as if Darkfire were just going through the motions.

-----------

Deathdancer listened to the scraplets slam into the door from the other side, smiling. She liked scraplets. A lot! Alotalotalot! She used to collect them. Or was that cosmic rust? It was so hard to remember what was fact and what her mind had made up. Still...it gave her a few ideas. Nice little plots for the future. She smiled to herself with a wicked sort of glee.

"Cyber-cat's in the cradle..."

------------

Vibro glanced around at everyone after the door was shut. It seemed that everyone had made it through ok. That was good. Very good. Vibro looked around at their location. Now the real work began. He looked at his small team of Autobots and frowned slightly. They were hardly more than civilians. He couldn't just bring them into a war zone! He walked over to them and spoke softly, but firmly.

"Look, you guys. From this point on...things are going to get really dangerous. If you don't want to continue on, then you can stay here until we get back. You'll have a quick route of escape."

((Please switch to Iacon for further posts))

[Cutlass Rebooted]

Somewhere in the darkest parts of the Undergrid just after the team pass through to Iacon:
"Why did you do that?" The fem's voice quietly echos through the darkness.
"What?" He groans a little from the pain as he sits up.
"Why did you let those scraplets attack you?"
"I wasn't prepared to let them hurt you." He gently touches the left side of her face.
"You know I could have taken care of them, but you just had to play the hero sacrificing yourself." She considers hitting him but doesn't, instead she pulls his hand away from her face. "You scared me. How weak you were, just lying on the ground. I thought they killed you."
"You know I'm already dead, but still you worry."
"That doesn't make you indestructible!" She actually pulls her hand back to hit him this time but restrains herself. She calms herself down. "Sorry, but you know I hate seeing you in this state." She sits next to him and hugs him. "I'm not defenseless Wraith, so stop acting like I am."
He puts his arm around her. "I know you're not, and next time I'll hold back until you actually need me."
She doesn't say a word. She simply smiles knowing that he always keeps his word, and with that in mind she would make sure that he never gets this badly injured again.
After a short while he breaks the silence. "I wonder what those bots were down here for anyway?"
"I don't know, I never bothered to get close enough to find out."
"Well in a few days I should be fully repaired, perhaps we should go up to Iacon and find out?"
"Yes we shall, but for now rest. Good night Wraith." She lies down next to him.
He lies down too and puts his arm around her whispering. "Good night Whysp."

[Rexacon]

Vibro trying to hang on to his life looking above to see him entering the undergrid. Towreck is taking him to a safe place to get repaired as he thinks on how to improve himself and help the autobots. Optimus Prime is missing and the autobots are in disarray. What should he do? How can he save them from the mess that he is in? How?....suddenly a vision appeared as he sees a vault containing hidden artifacts before coming back to reality. What was that vision? He didn't know exactly what it is, but is a good way to check once the group is organized. Until then, he worried whether or not is he gonna make it.

[DarkXenith]

Jumpstart traversed the tunnels on four wheels for the first twelve klicks, floodlights illuminating the areas ahead of him. The marker Towreck had indicated as the rendezvous point was gradually becoming more evident as a large intersection in the warren-like area. It was hard to believe that this area had ever been inhabited, but that was the commonly accepted history. Rumour had it that it was still inhabited by things no right-thinking Cybertronian would want to know about. Derelicts and vagrants, the long-forgotten dregs of the caste system...individuals so desperate they'd steal the fluid from your lines to survive if they could catch you.

He was better off on his treads with a rifle in hand than on four wheels in territory like this. Transforming, the medic decided to hoof it the last few klicks to make his presence a little more evident to the approaching Autobots. Unlike the vast majority of his profession, his colours erred on the dark side instead of the accepted red or green and white; black, grey and burgundy. The only things announcing his profession and allegiance were blue optics and a hybrid marker on his right shoulder guard; a red Autobrand centred in a cross-like formation.

Running a quick inventory check on his kit, he nodded in satisfaction and casually leaned against a nearby wall, alert but relaxed, waiting for Towreck to arrive with Vibro. Opening the comm-link again, he advised:

"Towreck - Now on point at the co-ords. Area seems clear, not pickin' up any immediate life-signs in vicinity. Gimme a status report on your passenger."

[/color][/b]

[Towreck]

Towreck smiled as the grid point on his map began to get closer and closer. Keeping a close eye out for any primus forsaken creature that would try to come at him, he sped down the corridor like tunnels of the undergrid, shuddering slightly after remembering what happened last time he had been down there. Making a mental note as his transponder picked up a response from Jumpstart, he quickly checked his grid before responding. He was only one nanoclick out from the Rendevouz.

Vibro seems to be starting to level out, but is still and a near critical condition. I am only half a nanoclick out as we speak, so I should be pulling up soon.

Pushing the pedal to the metal, Towreck cruised on into the RV area. He arrived about 3 minutes later, stopping next to Jumpstart. He carefully set Vibro down, before transforming and pulling out his Neutron Assault Rifle, and flicking off the safety. He had also turned on his lights for good measure, getting a good look around the perimeter.

"Alright Doc, do your work. I'll be going security detail, because its bad enough we are sitting in one spot...but we also have a dire injury to attend to." Towreck said, as he began to stay alert, keeping an eye out for anything.

[DarkXenith]

Jumpstart's optics dimmed slightly at the return comm from Towreck. A casualty reaching a plateaux wasn't always a good thing, especially when they were on the critical list. It either meant they were on a one-way trip to the Allspark or their vitals were so low that they were heading into stasis. Neither was a positive eventuality.

Pushing himself easily off the wall, the medic gave a nod of greeting as the weapons-mech pulled in and transformed, carefully setting Vibro on the ground. "Fine by me. You keep those derelict slaggers off've my case, I'll keep the reaper offa his."[/color]

Crouching by the injured comms specialist, the medic offered a very slight smile of reassurance, joking, "Next time you wanna swan-dive off a buildin', take a parachute, alright, pal? - Now, f' your own benefit, I'm gonna disable your tactile arrays until we can get you someplace more secure than this an' I can do a full repair job. Least this way you ain't gonna feel an' look like hell for the while."[/color]

As he spoke, the medic eased a laser scalpel into the gap between the mech's shoulder plate and neck joint and physically severed the signal cable that carried tactile impulses from the extremities to the main interface relay module. The effect would be instantaneous and total relief of pain with the added bonus that the patient remained fully alert.

That done, he set to work patching the worst of the split fluid lines and ran in an external energon feed to raise Vibro's vitals out of the red, giving the mech a solid chance of surviving the trip to the appointed safe zone. The whole process took him no more than half a cycle**.

Waiting for the power boost to take effect, he added, "I'm also gonna fit you up with a remote monitor so I can keep check while we hightail it the hell outta this hole. Towreck's gonna have t' run you in 'cos I ain't built f' transport."[/color]

Clipping a cuff around the injured mech's wrist, the medic tapped two electrodes into the joint and nodded slightly as the transmitter uplinked into his comm system and presented him with a HUD read out detailing his patient's current status.

"Ready t' roll when you are, Towreck."[/color]


((**Around 30 mins, earth standard.))

[Laser]

Spironok burst through the ceiling of the Undergrid accidentally. It was falling. Frantically spreading out its arms, it attempted to latch onto any object to slow the decent. It began firing turrets to drive it to the left, and then grabbed onto the ancient metal holding up the grids, screeching it to a stop just before it slammed into the unstable "street" of the undergrounds.

Hopping off the walls, Spironok gave itself a quick check up. There was a considerable amount of danger now, and a medic was needed. It started to limp towards where it smelled Towreck and Jumpstart, which was quite close by.

It's broken legs had been latched onto the underbelly, as was the custom of wounded Arachnoids. Walking too close to the decaying metal, Spironok tripped over and activated a small nest of scraplets. The disgusting little beasts squealed with delight as they attempting to swarm and chew the Arachnoid to pieces; but that delightful squeal was suddenly replaced by shrieks of fright as the large spider stabbed and ate every last one of them without a second thought. Spironok was incredibly tired, and any meal was worthwhile at this point.

**************

A jittering little scraplet watched Towreck and Jumpstart from the shadows. It purred happily. They would be overwhelmed quickly. Even better, there was a wounded one! He and his swarm would feast tonight! He began to slowly creep up to Towreck's leg as the rest of the swarm ominously crept from the shadows.

Spironok's razor thin arm point flipped out of the dark, stabbing the little creature before he could attack and flipping the screaming thing into its mouth. The rest of the scraplets screamed and retreated, but Spironok didn't bother to chase them. It had found it's allies. It lay still at Towreck's feet. It would need to be carried to Laser for repairs. It seemed like that would have to wait until they reached Protihex.....

[Towreck]

Towreck, after watching the whole scene infront of him, and firing a couple pot shots at the little scraplets that had appeared, grunted when they ran away after Spironok's attack. Looking at bot, Towreck raised an eyebrow. "Hey, this guy was with the guardian...I didn't recognize him at first. Looks like you are gonna have your hands full at Prothiex, cause its way to risky to try and patch him here...." Towreck muttered. He walked over to Vibro, and carefully lifted him up. He then went over to Spironok and did the same. Towreck then transformed, with Vibro in his truck bed again, and Spironok sitting ontop of his vehicle's cab, with a few couplers securing him down so he wouldnt fly off. "Alright you two, hang on...its gonna be pedal to the metal untill we reach Prothiex." He informed them, adjusting himself to the North-West tunnel.

"This tunnel is the straightest path we can take to the destination...so if you don't have any objections Doc...lets do it to it." He said, revving his engine and taking off down the tunnel

[DarkXenith]

"Chaos? Heh...Don't have t' tell me twice 'bout that one, 'Wreck... seriously." Stepping back, the medic gave one last glance around the perimeter and transformed, "Let's get the slaggin' hell outta dodge."

All faction markings hidden in his alt-form, Jumpstart looked to be just another military off-roader type. A neutral gunmetal grey vehicle with road-warn burgundy and black patches and tyres that could tackle just about any terrain going. A winch up front, a bank of spot lamps mounted on the roof and a single, double barrelled rifle mounted to the rear completed the picture. He looked nothing akin to your typical medic at all.

Gunning the proverbial gas, he warmed his tyres with a few seconds of wheel spin before following Towreck's lead into the adjacent tunnel.