(( OOC: FYI, if you guys don't hear from me for a day or two, then I'm probably experiencing a power outage considering there is a LOT of ice heading my way late tonight into tomorrow all day.
Of course, I've been living in this house for a couple years now, and the power hasn't gone out longer than an hour (probably just jinxed it), but we'll see what the power lines can handle.
))
Tigatron and I will go out and guard the transport as it prepares to leave once Optimus returns Icebreaker. I know you were injured earlier, Tigatron, and I sincerely apologize for asking you to enter the field again. We just need all the bodies we can get.
The white tiger completely understood. His injuries weren't nearly as bad as they were earlier, but it hadn't helped his internal repairs staying in robot mode the rest of the time. Tigatron was still useful, and he was more than ready to guard his comrades and their cargo.
"If that is my duty, Orcariner, then I shall fullfill it," he agreed with the whale's commands.
"Feralnight to Nomad, Cheetor is down and I'm carrying the rest of the way. Will be there shortly."
No! Tigatron gasped.
"What has happened?!" he inquired, obviously concerned. Suddenly Cheetor was scrapped? Just like that? Was it the alien? A Predacon? He growled lowly at the monitor, narrowing his bright red optics. There weren't any Predacons near them.
"Maximals," he quickly reported to all of them over their links,
"I fear the Predacons may be moving into our territory. Or the alien is wreaking havoc again. Cheetor has just been hit, and Feralnight is bringing him in." He glanced at Wintersong, worried that they were not out of the woods just yet.
-----
Well, the Vok couldn't sit there all day waiting for internal repairs. Some of the damage he acquired couldn't be repaired by those alone anyway. Since the beginning of this day, it was likely he wasn't going to return to his orientation. But the data he gathered would still be submitted. It was only a matter of time.
Standing up, Primal's clone transformed and climbed up one of the rocks to observe the area. It seemed Primal was on the run back to their transport with Icebreaker. Was the bird unconscious? It seemed that way. Excellent. One less Maximal that could "see" him. Something else intrigued him, though. He watched Cheetor get shot and collapse immediately. What was that? Following the direction from which he fell over, he looked back toward the Predacons' area.
Hm. Maybe was time to stir them up again. Just a little bit. Then he would focus on his true threat.
With the ice melting, the Vok "Ghost" calibrated his aerial systems and prime jets, engaging them and blasting off toward Steelclaw and Snow Trix after spotting them from above. He was betting it was one of them who fired at the cheetah. Noticing the
Leviathan not far from them, he figured he'd make a quite swoop with a couple explosions and then move off before someone's sonar or radar could lock on long enough to fire at him.
Flying in around behind the two Predacons, the invisible clone lowered his altitude and activated his shoulder-mounted missile launchers. Locking on to the ground next to them, he fired one missile near Steelclaw and the other on the other side near Snow Trix.
That should shake them up, he thought, pulling up as fast as he could in case there was return fire. His primary target was Primal, and he headed in his direction.
-----
"Maximals," "I fear the Predacons may be moving into our territory. Or the alien is wreaking havoc again. Cheetor has just been hit, and Feralnight is bringing him in."
Not the best news for Optimus. He hadn't heard a shot, but he prayed Cheetor would be all right. It was a good thing Feralnight was with him to help him get back to the
Nomad. What was going on now? Unfortunately, the leader was on his own, simply trying to get one of his comrades to safety when the same silent weapon that hit the cheetah also derailed the gorilla. The way he had been galloping just when the bullet hit, lodged itself right into his upper arm, piercing through his armor.
"ARGH!" he cried out, and there was no stopping the rest. Under the impact of the sudden pain, he lost his balance and his footing, falling forward on his face and tossing the helpless penguin off of his back. Optimus rolled a few times before stopping on his stomach.
Opening his eyes, he inhaled with a gasp and coughed from the dust that slowly wafted away from him. Rolling over on to his back, he reached his injured arm with his other hand and felt around the damage, shuddering lightly. Some circuitry was damaged, and only a tiny bit of fluid escaped the wound, but it would likely effect the functioning of that arm in robot mode as well.
Icebreaker, he thought grimly, slowly getting to his feet and looking for his friend. He also searched for the intruder that shot him, but his eyes and scanners couldn't find anyone. Grinding his teeth in both frustration and the pain, he saw the penguin's body not far from him and approached it cautiously, looking in every direction for another attack.
"Optimus to Maximals," the leader transmitted.
"I... I've just been shot. ...Likely from the same one who shot Cheetor. Does anyone have a visual? A signature? I need assistance with Icebreaker." His voice was distraught, or upset, wanting answers and responses at once.
