(( So sorry, guys! Great posts!
Phoenix, I love what Aurora did with OP's swords. Very creative and improvising of her.
))
"Airazor," "You should take point since you're the fastest one here. We could use an informative scout who can get in and out of danger in a blink of an eye." "Dinobot and Wintersong can pursue on land and I'll bring up the rear."
"Easily." "Beast Mode!"
Even though some of them had gained flight through the TransMetal upgrade, the Maximals still could have used more fliers. Who knew what the Predacons were gaining through this... It made Rattrap a little uneasy but he guessed they were about to find out.
"Insolent ones! It is time to burn in the fires of Inferno!!!! HAHAHA!!"
...Or not. What the heck was going on? Hearing shouting echoing through the Axalon's corridors, it sounded an awful like Inferno's voice.
"Everybody, watch out," Rattrap warned the rest of the Maximals who were still in the bridge with him. Pulling out his new gun, he moved quickly toward the entrance to the hall where the hollering was coming from and peeked around the corner. At least that was good thing about that simple-minded ant. He failed everytime at stealth because of his big mouth and pryo-maniac nature. But where were Aurora and Wintersong? Did he injure them? What about the spiders and Starshadow? Where were they?
"Wintersong, Aurora," he called them through his comm. link.
"What's happening?!"
They really didn't have time for this. There were pods out there that they needed to reach before the Predacons do! But Rattrap couldn't just leave the base until this was resolved.
(( OOC: Silverstreak, Feralnight, and Cheetor players, get on here and post already. You're missing out on the fun, and I'm going to need you for RT's team soon.
))
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After watching Airazor take a hasteful leave through the roof hatch, Tigatron hesitated to wander outside just yet. Instead, he waited to see if Whitegrazer would get any confirmation from Aurora just in case anything might go ary with the Predacons who were still in the
Axalon. He was tempted to go down to the brig and give them help, but he was certain Aurora and Wintersong could handle themselves.
Then, like Rattrap, he heard the shouting. Quickly he drew his weapon and stood on guard, patiently waiting for Rattrap's orders.
-----
While most of the Maximals were leaving, Rhinox immediately left the bridge and walked to various rooms to gather tools, equipment and machinery. Returning to the command center, he dumped everything on the floor in an open area and started to work diligently.
"Frilla, if you can, focus on repairing the shields like Rattrap said while I work on something else. Something I need to build rather quickly... just in case," the science engineer explained pretty vaguely without stopping on his work. He gathered cables that ran from the bridge to another room where he would set up another piece of equipment essential to his plan, assuming, of course, that anyone would come across a blank protoform, undamaged in its stasis pod.
"I hope I know what I'm doing," he mumbled to himself as the robust Maximal continued walking back and forth.
Before Inferno's shouting bounced off every wall in their base, Rhinox stopped what he was doing and stayed in the other room where he has been setting up more things, waiting quietly to see what was going on. Slowly, he pulled out one of his chain guns and hid next to a wall in the room near the entrance.
Can't we just get a break around here? he thought somberly.
-----
"Well, well, well, you are a fasicinating Maximal, aren't you?"
Was he? Optimus didn't think so. He was simply speaking his opinions and thoughts like any other Maximal.
"Don't be sad. You will see her again shortly."
Was TyCross actually offering him some empathy now? This "master" of Whitegrazer's was beginning to puzzle him. First he seemed rather condensending and now he's trying to comfort him? Odd. What does he mean I'll see her again shortly?
thought Primal. Had his unfortunate sacrifice not worked? Was the planet destroyed after all, and Whitegrazer along with everyone else were on their way here? It can't be. They're okay. They had to be.
"He was right, you know?" "You Optimuses love to sacifice yourselves, don't you? Well, I guess you should be glad you got that name and that it isn't your time. Not yet."
Studying TyCross closely, watching his face twitch and his demeanor change somewhat significantly, Optimus wanted to scream that it wasn't a sacrifice, that he had no intention of being compared to the great Autobot leader before him, and that he was tired of hearing it and the presumptions. Instead, he remained calm and simply said, "Every one of my Maximals were willing to do the same thing." It didn't make him anymore "special" than them. It had simply come down to him not allowing them to do so when he felt it was his mission and his alone because of how dangerous it was. TyCross's words took him straight back to his last moments with Megatron, trapped inside of the pod and the sudden explosion that had wiped him out. He wished he still had Aurora's gift, so that he could look at their faces again and ignore TyCross's words. It seemed when you died, though, you never took your possessions with you. Thinking about Aurora saddened Primal once more. He broke his promise to her. However, Whitegrazer's master's last statement caught his attention.
"I don't understand," he admitted, an expression of confusion crossing his face. Just because of his name he wasn't meant to be here? He wasn't meant to be dead? Could it be that the threat he had wanted to give to Megatron was actually accurate? Suddenly laughing at himself on the inside, Optimus realized how crazy that sounded and what a fool he was for even thinking that it was possible. He had no way of going back. No one did. It was false hope. Circumstances for Prime's return from death were far different, and Primal didn't think himself worthy of performing the same trick.
"Don't pay any attention to that. Part of the process."
In a split second, there was this string tied to Optimus on one end and to TyCross on the opposite. "What is this?" the former Maximal leader inquired, glaring at the spirit at the other end. "What are you doing?!" It was strange, though, because even though it looked like it was tied to his body, it was actually tied to his spark. Such an odd feeling. Primal tried to stay calm but there was some panic beginning to rise in him, fearing the unknown, especially when TC's eyes began glowing brighter. But what was there to fear in death? It's not like he can die again. Die in death? What an insane thought.
Uh.. Not to be a spoil sport, but as someone with a medical background, I'd be curious as to what you are doing Tycross?
Optimus looked at Icebreaker with concern filling up in his crimson optics. "That makes two of us," demanded Primal as he turned his attention back to TyCross and went to grab the wire with his hand.